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The Impact of Stress
In an extensive German study that collected data from more than 5,300 employees aged 29-66, scientists found that the women who were under a high level of work pressure had a 45% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. About 20% of people are affected by high levels of mental stress at work. These are people who have very high demands put on them, but who have very little decision making power. The increased risk was independent of classic risk factors including obesity, age, or gender.
The Impact of Shift Work
Shift work is also strongly correlated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk is highest among men and those individuals who work rotating shift patterns. Previous studies have found that working night shift is associated with digestive disorders, certain cancers, and heart disease. In one study, researchers found that the risk increased 37% for men after looking at the potential impact of gender, study design, study location, job, shift schedule, BMI, family history, and level of physical activity. An internal body clock regulates levels of testosterone, so it is likely that repeated disruption can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. Most shift patterns, except mixed and evening shifts, increased the risk of diabetes when compared to the risk among people working regular office hours. Rotating shifts were associated with a 42% higher risk. A lack of quality sleep, an increase in weight gain, or an increased appetite may be to blame. Shift work can also disturb cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
The Impact of Sedentary Time
When researchers gave 2,000 people accelerometers for one week and then followed up five years later, those people who had been inactive for at least ten hours a day had almost a four-fold higher chance of having diabetes compared to individuals who had been sedentary for less than six hours a day.
Among 168 participants with an average age of 53.4 years recruited from the 2004-2005 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study, more interruptions in sedentary time were associated with better measures of adiposity, triglycerides, and two-hour plasma glucose. These findings were independent of total sedentary time, moderate-to-vigorous intensity time, and mean intensity of the breaks. Even standing, rather than sitting, has been shown to result in substantial increases in total daily energy expenditure and resistance to fat gain.
The Impact of Frequently Eating Out
When scientists tracked the diets of 58,000 women, and 41,000 men for 36 years, they found that the more a person ate out, the more deficient their diet was overall. The higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes among those who ate out the most frequently were striking. Those who ate an average of 11-14 homemade meals (lunches and dinners) a week, had a 13% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate fewer homemade meals. | https://whatthewell.com/2018/04/03/does-your-job-cause-diabetes/ |
The terms gilding and gold leaf pertain to a number of techniques for applying fine gold powder to surfaces such as wood to give a thin coating of gold.
Gold leaf is made by hammering gold into an extremely thin unbroken sheet for use in gilding. It is the simplest and most ancient method that has remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years.
Before applying the gold leaf, the wood surface is covered with gesso and clay bole. After the bole is applied, its surface is re-wet with what is called gilder’s liquor, and then the gold leaf is applied onto the object. The final step is burnishing or polishing the gilded surface to a brilliant finish. The surface may be burnished with an agate and sealed with a lacquer varnish or shellac.
Restoration and regilding antique furniture is very painstaking work because the gilder must match a finish that has been developing for 100 plus years.
Riquelme Restoration provides expert gold leaf application. Please contact Andres today for a free consultation. | https://riquelmerestoration.com/specialties/gilding-gold-leaf/ |
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Progressive tax
Progressive tax, tax that imposes a larger burden (relative to resources) on those who are richer; its opposite, a regressive tax, imposes a lesser burden on the wealthy. Tax progressivity is motivated by a belief that the urgency of spending needs declines as the level of spending increases (economists call this the declining marginal utility of consumption), so that wealthy people can afford to pay a higher fraction of their resources in taxes.
Measurement of the degree of tax progressivity is conceptually problematic. The first difficulty is in deciding the appropriate unit for measuring resources. Compare, for example, a system in which individual people’s wages are taxed at a progressive rate (an “individual tax base”) to a system in which total wages earned by members of a household are combined and then taxed at a progressive rate (a “household tax base”). It is simple to construct examples in which each system can be made to look more progressive than the other, depending on the distribution of incomes within and across households and on whether progressivity is calculated by comparing individuals or comparing households. Comparison becomes even more difficult when attempting to judge progressivity across different household structures: is a household with a single earner and an income of $100,000 better or worse off than a household with two earners who have a combined income of $130,000? To measure progressivity, questions like this must be given a precise quantitative answer.
Another problem involves defining the time frame over which progressivity should be calculated; a given program may be regressive when examined using annual data but progressive when considered over a lifetime. For example, Social Security taxes in the United States are levied only up to an inflation-adjusted wage cap, meaning that wages beyond the cap are free of this particular tax. Considered on its own, then, the Social Security tax appears regressive because low-wage earners pay proportionately more of their income in Social Security taxes. However, payment of Social Security taxes entitles the taxpayer to future benefits that are strongly progressive, and, over the course of an entire lifetime, low-wage workers obtain a better return on their Social Security contributions than do high-wage workers. From a lifetime perspective, therefore, the U.S. Social Security tax is progressive, even though at a point in time it looks regressive. (See Social Security Act.)
There is a generally acknowledged trade-off between the degree of progressivity and economic efficiency. At the extreme end of progressivity is communism, in which salaries are nearly equalized. Equalization of salaries, however, reduces the incentive to work and can lead to stagnation and inefficiency. How to draw the right balance between equity and efficiency is a matter of perpetual debate in democratic societies. Tax codes in all developed countries promote a substantial degree of progressivity. Across a wide range of alternative measurements, the tax code in the United States is considered less progressive than those in most other developed countries, while tax codes in the Scandinavian countries tend to be among the most progressive.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles: | https://www.britannica.com/topic/progressive-tax |
There are a few things to keep in mind while writing an Evidence Law Assignment help. It is essential to follow the correct formatting guidelines. If you are not sure how to format your assignment properly, get help from professionals. Law assignment help experts are available round the clock and can guide you through the process.
Formatting
Whether you’re writing an assignment for law school or working in an office, formatting your evidence law assignments is essential. If you’re unsure of how to format your papers, there are online resources available to assist. Here are some helpful tips: Use the IRAC method to identify the main issue and identify relevant rules and law concepts. Then, determine the facts and apply the relevant rules.
Be sure to cite your resources properly. You will be given instructions by your lecturers when it comes to the format of your assignments. You also need to use consistent terminology. Be sure to use an authentic resource identifier to prevent plagiarism. Also, use arguments to make your assignments stronger. These tips will help you write better legal assignments.
The first tip is to make sure you have a clear understanding of the different types of evidence. The purpose of evidence is to help prove the case for the defendant or the plaintiff. This evidence must have a logical connection to the crime or dispute between the parties. For instance, it should have an expert witness testify about why it is relevant.
References
Evidence law is an important part of every judicial system. Every country has its own laws and it is extremely important to understand the law of evidence. But it can also be very challenging to study. With this in mind, it is advisable to get help from an expert. Fortunately, you can rely on the services of Essay for all, which employs experienced professionals in the field of law.
There are many types of evidence. Direct evidence is one of the strongest types of evidence. It shows that a person acted in a certain way. In addition, it has great value in establishing any fact relating to an issue. Other types of evidence are judicial evidence, which is evidence that a court uses to rule on a case. This can include statements made by witnesses, documentary evidence, and self-incrimination.
Proofreading
Proofreading is an essential part of law assignment writing. It can catch spelling, grammatical, and syntax errors. It can also catch misplaced punctuation. The best way to ensure that your work is error-free is to proofread it a few times. Here are some tips for proofreading your assignment before submitting it.
Always plan ahead. Before you start your assignment, you should check out the guidelines provided by your professor. The more complicated the assignment, the more detailed and thorough your working must be. Good planning is key to writing excellent legal papers. This should include all working plans, steps, and the final strategy.
Conducting thorough research on a legal topic is challenging. You may have limited time to research on your topic, so it’s important to get assistance from others. This will give you a chance to get ideas and make a better outline. An outline is an important aspect of any writing project and will help you organize your content and information in a clear and logical manner.
Subheadings
Subheadings are an important part of a legal document. They provide structure to the piece of writing and should be used to outline subtopics and the arguments needed to prove a thesis statement. Examiners look for consistency and use of all the elements within a writing piece. | https://vumenow.com/some-effective-tips-for-evidence-law-assignment-help/ |
❶This step sets a clear understanding of how to arrange the ideas and facts, and how to present them in the analysis. Argument requires analysis i.
Because of this, there are no hard and fast rules as to how to write an essay of this type — so advice given is more of a general guideline. This kind of assignment can vary in length from as little as 50 words to around The whole reason for writing one is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the book.
Remember, that book review essay writing is not a summary of what the book is about. The aim is to state your personal opinion as to what the author is trying to get across, how well or not they have done it and your evidence to support this. You can check a book review essay example provided below for better understanding on how it is supposed to be done.
Nobody expects you to be more experienced about the book than the author is, but your careful observations can provide you with the ground for reasonable judgments on how to write a book review essay. How to Write a Book Review. Whilst it depends on the subject of the book, and whether it is fiction or non-fiction, all of them should consist of the following:.
More detailed information and specific advice is given below under the non-fiction and fiction titles. Begin your book review essay writing with a statement. As discussed above, this gives the essential information about the book. Here you can get into the background of the author. For example, their personal history and political views might be relevant as to why they have presented their work in the way they have.
As with any essay , this kind of assignment should be analyzing the subject matter from the very start. Your opening sentence is important — so make sure it stands out and encourages the reader to continue. If you want to acquire the necessary skills for writing this essay, you need to know what analytical essays do.
In other words, how can you define analytical essays? An analytical essay is an academic assignment given by a high school or college instructor to students with the purpose of analyzing a specified topic.
If you are tasked with this essay, you will need to examine both sides of the topic or theme. The goal is to analyze points surrounding the topic you are to discuss.
The correct length for your thesis should be one to two sentences. Only then should you writing the remaining sections of your paper. Developing the best thesis statement for your essay is dependent on your topic choice and the side of the fence you have chosen to take. Strongly defend your stand if you want to persuade your audience. Take time to familiarize yourself with the different literary terms to help augment your essay content.
This the most common and most used type of analysis in college or high school. After you are done with the piece that your professor has assigned to you, you are required to write an informative analysis of a situation or critically analyze a metaphor and its impact on the plot.
The difference between this analysis and the rhetoric analysis is that the rhetoric analysis is mostly based on facts and logic, this one is into the deeper things such as emotions and substance of the characters and their decision making.
You may also see reflective essay. This essay typically requires you to explain the purpose of the process. It also needs to be a step-by-step explanation just like the process itself. You also need to explain the transformation brought about the process in paragraphs. This is an in-depth analysis of a character from a story or movie. Just like the process analysis, it requires you to explain the transformation of the character from start to finish.
You may also see informative essay. In this analysis, you have to make it easier for the readers to understand what the poem is trying to convey. You may also see personal essay. You have to answer the why question the best way you can in this essay.
You speculate the answer to the question, describe the process and state why you think it happened. It is best to choose the topic that you are fully interested in and you should thoroughly understand it. The topic you decide to choose for your analytical essay will determine the facts and details you need to include. You may also see scholarship essay.
The thesis is an argument created to prove an assumption created by the writer, using facts and research. Your thesis must enable you to explore the different sides of the subject; it must not be a simple yes or no question. It must be complex with interconnected factors.
This is where your essay will revolve around to, you must thoroughly think about what your thesis is going to be. You may also see interview essay. Once you have decided about the topic and the thesis that you will write about, you have to formulate a captivating title. Remember that your title is the first thing the readers will read on your paper, make sure it can captivate their attention. You may also see literary essay. The supporting evidence will convince your readers about your thesis statement.
It is apparent that good researches, statement, and essays need research and analysis.
Write Analysis Paper. Write the book analysis paper. Use your outline to help you write the paper. Each heading corresponds to a separate paragraph. As you write the paper, do not use the pronoun "I." Proofread Analysis Paper. Proofread your book analysis paper. When you proofread your paper, read it . How to develop and write an analytic essay. Argument: Writing an analytic essay requires that you make some sort of howtomakeup.ga core of this argument is called a thesis. It is your claim, succinctly stated in a single sentence.
Analytical Essay Introduction: Try and Start Your Writing on a High Note. The introduction comes last. That is after the thesis statement, the essay body and your conclusion. To conclude, an analytical essay is an essay intended to elaborate more than what the readers or viewers of a certain piece may actually see. It sings deeper in the core of the piece and asking questions such as how is this made, why was it made, what are the elements to this, etc. | http://howtomakeup.ga/yyyu/how-to-write-an-analytical-essay-on-a-book-mive.php |
to underpin trade policies. The Committee recommends that:
(1) the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and
Resource Economics place high priority on research into the economic
impact of trade liberalisation (within Australia and globally) for regional
Australia and Australia's primary industries. A major aspect of the
research should be aimed at finding direct linkages between trade reform,
farm returns and employment. Another major aspect of the research should
be to consider the impact of agricultural trade reform on consumer prices.
(Paragraph 2.76)
The Committee recognises that there are industries facing
serious challenges to their traditional domestic markets as a result of
trade liberalisation. The process for structural adjustment to the new
business environments must be properly managed by government and understood
by the rural community. A number of options for adjustment assistance
are available to industries adversely affected by the impact of trade
liberalisation. The Committee recommends that:
(2) the Commonwealth Government acknowledges
its responsibilities in providing practical industry adjustment measures
designed to improve the international competitiveness of industries
adversely affected by trade liberalisation. The government should
provide more information to the public on the availability of industry
adjustment measures.
(Paragraph 2.84)
In 1996-97 rural exports from Australia increased by
7.4 per cent to $21 billion. This rate of export growth of Australian
primary industries is encouraging. Support for trade liberalisation is
wide spread among industry leaders but a stronger export culture needs
to be fostered among grassroots producers. There is some concern about
the pace of reform and the need to safeguard industries against the effects
of rapid change. The Committee recommends that:
(3) the Departments of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and Primary Industries and Energy, in conjunction with peak
industry bodies, undertake a study to determine the motivations for
change and the resistance to change among primary producers faced
with new business environments as a result of trade reform. The aim
of the study should be to provide a better understanding of the motivations
of primary producers. (Paragraph 3.25)
Australian agribusiness reflects the multiculturalism
of the wider society. The agribusiness sector is under-utilising the valuable
strengths of its people who have knowledge of languages, customs and the
way business is done in other countries. The Committee recommends that:
(4) coordination and linkages between activities
within the Foreign Affairs and Trade, Primary Industries and Energy
and Immigration and Multicultural Affairs portfolios be strengthened
to develop programs that provide Australian primary producers with
a better understanding of the business cultures of overseas countries
and the potential within our own multicultural agricultural sector
for exploiting export opportunities. (Paragraph 3.31)
Developing an export culture requires long term approaches,
as well as more immediate strategies. An investment in the education of
future key players in agribusiness is important. The Committee recommends
that:
(5) the Commonwealth develop scholarship and
intern programs to provide opportunities for tertiary agribusiness
students, producers and others from rural areas to undertake short
term placements in agribusiness trade-related agencies such as Austrade,
Research and Development Corporations and Statutory Marketing Corporations.
These placements should be incorporated into broader educational and
networking programs designed to enhance export skills and awareness.
(Paragraph 3.33)
(6) as a long term educational strategy, the
Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Primary Industries and Energy
and Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, in conjunction
with statutory marketing authorities and industry organisations, develop
an export and trade liberalisation package designed for use in schools
across Australia. The objective of the package should be to promote
awareness of Australia's export objectives, including global trade
liberalisation policies.
(Paragraph 3.34)
Awards already exist for achieving excellence in agribusiness
exporting, but there is scope to give such achievements greater recognition
and raise the public profile of those who are succeeding in agricultural
export performance. The Committee recommends that:
(7) the Commonwealth Government promotes export
excellence by sponsoring and raising the profile of a program of awards
specifically targeted to primary producers recognising superior achievement
in exporting and ensuring the program is recognised nationally as
Australia's premier awards for excellence in agricultural exporting.
(Paragraph 3.35)
(8) the Commonwealth Government, in association
with state governments, local governments and industry, implement
public awareness programs to:
(a) clearly showcase successful export enterprises
to serve as examples to potential exporters; and
(b) to demonstrate the benefits of trade reforms
to regional communities, particularly in terms of job creation
and local economies. (Paragraph 3.41)
Industry and government must acknowledge joint responsibility
for providing information on trade liberalisation to the public. A partnership
approach is required to keep the public informed on trade reform issues.
The Committee recommends that:
(9) (a) government departments address the
lack of public information on free trade policies by providing
information from government and particularly farmer groups, businesses
and individuals to demonstrate benefits of trade liberalisation;
(b) the Departments of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and Primary Industries and Energy accept responsibility for
seeking a partnership with industry bodies to develop community information
programs; and
(c) that sources other than printed material
are used for this purpose, particularly regional television. (Paragraph
3.61)
There is an urgent need for primary producers and the
general public to be better informed about trade reform and emerging market
opportunities. Neither industry nor government agencies are working effectively
in this area. A proactive strategy is urgently needed to deliver public
messages in an effective way. The Committee recommends that:
(10) (a) the Departments of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and Primary Industries and Energy, in consultation with
professional marketing expertise, adopt a strategic approach for
disseminating information on trade liberalisation and export market
development;
(b) this strategy fully consider the use
of written and electronic media as a means of broadcasting information
on trade liberalisation and marketing opportunities. (Paragraph
4.34)
The establishment of local groups of exporters and potential
exporters should be encouraged as a means of information exchange. The
Committee recommends that:
(11) (a) the Commonwealth government encourage
facilitation of groups along the lines of Export Clubs focussed on
changes to trade and based on the regional export forums of the Supermarket
to Asia Council; and
(b) the purpose of these groups be to provide
an opportunity for local agrifood exporters and potential exporters
to interact with each other, to communicate with government on trade
and marketing issues, and to disseminate information to producers.
(Paragraph 4.36)
(12) the Departments of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and Primary Industries and Energy involve industry groups and
statutory marketing authorities in the development and implementation
of information and communication strategies relevant to particular
industries on trade liberalisation issues and market development opportunities
(as proposed in Recommendation 10). (Paragraph 4.45)
Industry should acknowledge its partnership role with
government departments in providing information to primary producers on
trade liberalisation. The Committee recommends that:
(14) (a) the Commonwealth Government include
in its telecommunications Universal Service Obligations a requirement
that all Australians, regardless of location, have access to communications
infrastructure of a standard sufficient to enable internet connection
and communication at a reasonable cost; and
(b) as part of the information strategy
proposed in Recommendation 10, the Commonwealth Government ensures
the media is made aware of and encouraged to publicise government
grants available to upgrade rural and remote telecommunications infrastructure.
(Paragraph 4.70)
(15) the Commonwealth Government's FarmBis
program includes provision in its funding arrangements for primary
producers living in remote regions to have the costs of participation
in training courses subsidised to an equivalent level as those attending
from non-isolated regions.
(Paragraph 4.72)
The emerging importance of electronic commerce and the
internet is expected to bring significant business opportunities for primary
producers. The Committee recommends that:
(16) (a) the Departments of Industry, Science
and Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Primary Industries and Energy
and Communications and the Arts, in consultation with industry and
statutory marketing authorities, explore the potential benefits to
agrifood exporting arising from the development of the United Nations
Global Trade Point Network; and
(b) report back to the government on opportunities
to promote the electronic trading service to existing and potential
exporters. (Paragraph 4.88)
While the Uruguay Round succeeded in bringing agricultural
trade into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the degree
of actual progress on reducing and eliminating trade barriers was unsatisfactory.
Restrictive barriers continue to prevent Australian exporters gaining
access to, or being competitive in, various world markets. Further, there
is an increasing reliance on the application of non-tariff barriers to
counter the effects of tariff reductions. The European Union remains a
highly protected market for Australian agricultural products and the incorporation
into the EU of several central and eastern European countries could expand
the application of subsidies for agricultural production. The farm policies
of the United States, particularly its Export Enhancement Program, also
impede Australia's ability to compete on fair terms in world markets.
The Committee recommends that:
(17) the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade take a much more aggressive approach to bringing down the use
of subsidised agricultural exports by the European Union (notwithstanding
the incorporation of new members into the European Union) and by the
United States, and to improving access for Australian produce to those
markets.
(Paragraph 5.11)
There is concern that the Asian economic crisis may slow
or reverse the trade liberalisation process in affected countries. Australia
needs to ensure its long term trade objectives in the Asian region are
not compromised by reversions to protectionist policies. The Committee
recommends that:
(18) as a matter of urgency, the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade review the likelihood of key Asian markets
adopting a more protectionist agricultural trade stance, and that
it respond quickly to minimise any adverse impacts on Australian exports.
(Paragraph 5.12)
As Australia's exports of food are fivefold over its
imports, it is in Australia's interests to see the adoption of international
rules for the application of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary
and Phytosanitary Agreement and to ensure that any remaining restrictions
on trade are legitimate. The Australian public needs to be reassured that
a strong stance is adopted in trade negotiations. The Committee recommends
that:
(19) (a) the Commonwealth Government significantly
increase its efforts to ensure compliance with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary
and Technical Barriers to Trade Agreements amongst Australia's trading
partners and pursue the removal of unjustifiable trade restrictions
on Australian agricultural and food exports;
(b) the Departments of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and Primary Industries and Energy provide public information
(including publication on the internet) on Australia's quarantine
negotiations as part of the communications strategy referred to in
recommendation 10;
(c) the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade publish, and continue to update, its trade barriers data base
on the internet (subject to commercial in confidence limitations);
and
(d) the Commonwealth Government and industry
ensure that sufficient resources are provided to embark on World Trade
Organization dispute settlement procedures as the need arises. (Paragraph
5.28)
Industry and government must adopt a close partnership
in the evaluation of market access priorities. It is essential that the
objectives of Australian trade negotiators are consistent with the needs
of industry. The Committee recommends that:
(20) the Departments of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and Primary Industries and Energy expand the Horticultural Market
Access Committee model (as described in paragraph 5.31) across all
major primary industries to ensure a comprehensive and fully consultative
approach is adopted in identifying market access priorities. (Paragraph
5.34)
Australian trade negotiators must be fully equipped with
the necessary commercial resources and skills to confidently and aggressively
pursue the removal of all trade barriers of significance to Australian
interests. The Committee recommends that:
(21) market access specialists with proven
commercial and industry experience be appointed to positions within
the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Primary Industries
and Energy to have responsibilities in trade negotiations for each
major Australian agricultural industry.
(Paragraph 5.39)
(22) as a matter of priority, the Commonwealth
Government strengthens all consultative arrangements in place involving
Commonwealth and State governments and industry to ensure Australian
negotiators enter forthcoming trade negotiations fully informed of
industry priorities.
(Paragraph 5.40)
There has been insufficient progress made on gaining
access to markets for processed product. Tariff escalation works contrary
to objectives for improving Australia's performance in exporting value
added product. The Committee recommends that:
(23) tariff escalation be a major focus for
Australian trade negotiators in future negotiations in order to reduce
and minimise the adverse impact on value-added export products. (Paragraph
5.44)
The lengthy process for market access negotiations can
offer an impression to producers that minimal efforts are being made to
win access to markets. Improved efforts need to be made to ensure grassroots
producers are kept informed of market access developments during the process.
The Committee recommends that:
(24) (a) the Department of Primary Industries
and Energy improves communication between the various interested parties
and grassroots producers to ensure producers are aware of negotiating
priorities and progress on issues on a regular basis (this should
include use of the database to be published on the internet, referred
to in recommendation 19);
(b) the Department be responsible for improving
communication arrangements to ensure producers have easy access to
negotiators to contribute to the identification of agricultural market
access issues; and
(c) that the consultation and communication
arrangements not be limited to peak producer organisations, but also
involve key regional community groups and other government departments.
(Paragraph 5.46)
Given the increasing importance of biosecurity issues
in international trade, it is imperative that Australia is well prepared
for possible pest and disease incursions and can respond quickly to biosecurity
issues affecting trade. Industry and government are not well served by
the current fragmented approach and narrow base of expertise. The Committee
recommends:
(25) (a) a Minister responsible for biosecurity
be appointed, with authority to draw on expertise from both government
and non-government organisations as necessary in order to provide
a timely response to biosecurity matters;
(b) the role of this Minister be to coordinate
and take overall responsibility for the exclusion, eradication or
effective management of unwanted pests and diseases in Australia;
(c) a Biosecurity Council, headed by an
independent Chairman and comprising representatives of all key stakeholders
with biosecurity and trade responsibilities be established to identify
biosecurity priorities and to determine responsibilities for newly
identified risks; and
(d) the Biosecurity Council report directly
to the Minister responsible for biosecurity. (Paragraph 5.66)
There is little sense in pursuing intensive market access
negotiations to open markets for Australian products if businesses are
unable to compete in international markets due to high costs incurred
in the supply chain. Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
inspection charges contribute to costs incurred by Australian exporters.
Overseas competitors are not always subject to full cost recovery for
the equivalent service in their country of origin. The WTO currently does
not include inspection charges in the Aggregated Measurement of Support
reduction commitment. The Committee recommends that:
(26) Australia puts forward a strong case in
trade negotiations:
(a) by establishing the significant market
distorting effect of government-subsidised provision of inspection
services in other countries and arguing for their transferal to a
cost-recovery basis; and
(b) by arguing that the subsidised provision
of inspection services be removed from the Agreement on Agriculture
"green box" exemptions and be fully accounted for in calculations
of the Aggregate Measurement of Support. (Paragraph 6.43)
Producers from labour intensive industries such as horticulture
can find it difficult to attract sufficient labour at critical times to
harvest highly perishable product. The seasonal nature of harvest work
limits the availability of a sufficient labour supply from the local region
and growers consequently rely heavily on itinerant workers. The Committee
recommends that:
(27) the Department of Employment, Education,
Training and Youth Affairs require new employment service providers
(Job Network Members) to develop strategies which will improve the
ability of primary producers, particularly in horticultural industries,
to meet their labour requirements.
(Paragraph 6.52)
The Committee also recommends that:
(28) the Department of Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs encourages the uptake of harvest work among
Working Holiday Makers and increases the number of young workers to
the country under the Working Holiday Maker Scheme by widening the
scope of countries participating in the Scheme. (Paragraph
6.53)
Australians are not yet proficient at consolidating containers
of fresh product for export to provide cost advantages. The Committee
recommends that:
(29) that the Minister for Transport and Regional
Development refers the problem of the lack of consolidation of fresh
foods into export containers to the sea and air freight export councils,
as they are established, for consideration. (Paragraph 6.79)
New technologies are becoming increasingly utilised to
prolong the shelf life of harvested horticultural products. Perishable
products previously unable to enter certain export markets because of
the high costs of airfreight are now able to reach those markets more
competitively due to a combination of the technologies and the relatively
cheaper costs of sea freight. The Committee recommends that:
(30) the Commonwealth Government liaise with
exporting and transport industries to facilitate the commercialisation
of research and development into packaging designed to extend the
shelf life of perishable products, while maintaining product quality.
(Paragraph 6.83)
A number of primary industries were critical of the current
taxation arrangements in Australia which adversely impact on industry
competitiveness. The Committee notes that the Government is currently
reviewing existing taxation arrangements and recommends that:
(31) a major outcome of reforms to the tax
system should be a reduced tax burden on export products, thereby
improving the competitiveness of Australian primary industries in
overseas markets. (Paragraph 6.88)
Increased exposure to the volatility of world markets
has prompted many agribusinesses to review their marketing strategies.
Networks are providing an effective vehicle for information exchange between
producers. This includes technical research information, market information
or general industry information. Networks are also building critical mass
through amalgamation, resulting in the potential for lower costs across
the supply chain and co-ordination of supply. Co-ordinated marketing strategies
from a network of exporters can reduce the number of competitors in a
market and reduce marketing costs. The Committee recommends that:
(32) the Department of Primary Industries
and Energy, in partnership with industry, increase awareness among
primary producers and exporters of the advantages of networks which
can aggregate supply and co-ordinate marketing in a strategic way.
The Department and industry should encourage primary producers to
establish partnerships along the supply chain, nationally and internationally,
to improve market information mechanisms. (Paragraph 7.36)
Statutory authorities should improve their efforts in
informing producers about the trade reform process. The Committee recommends
that:
(33) statutory marketing authorities improve
efforts to inform their levy-paying producers of the significance
of trade liberalisation and electronic commerce. Statutory marketing
authorities should also ensure that they provide producers with information
on marketing activities undertaken by the authorities in response
to changes in world markets. (Paragraph 7.43)
Feedback from industry indicates an inconsistent performance
by Austrade in serving Australian agribusiness. The value of Austrade
service is heavily dependent on the individual engaged for the contract.
There is also a serious lack of attention to the needs of smaller clients.
The Committee recommends that:
(34) the Commonwealth Government review the
role and activities of Austrade in the context of providing export
marketing services to agribusinesses. The review should examine the
perception of Austrade among agribusinesses and identify measures
to encourage greater delivery of Austrade services to smaller clients.
The review should also examine the role of Austrade in relation to
the development of electronic trading facilities for primary industries. | https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=primind/tradinq/tradrpt/rec.htm |
On May 28th 1453, when the Byzantine emperor Constantine XI entered the “Church of the Divine Wisdom”, Constantinople was under siege. Perhaps the emperor knelt to pray before the Apse Mosaic of the Virgin and Child. Looking up at the gloriously gilded icon of one of Christianity’s most famous images – a young mother sitting on a throne holding a child upon her lap; the saviour of mankind.
The Sinification of Marxism in Mao Zedong Thought, by Matthaeus Laml
Mao was deeply Marxist in his convictions but he heavily sinified Marx’s theory, applying it to the Chinese situation and adapting it from a European context. Born out of the Marxist theory of scientific inquiry called dialectical materialism, Mao ‘sinified’ his own political actions according to this framework.
‘God is dead!’: Nietzsche, Morality and Religion in a Historical Perspective, by Oscar Tapper
bell hooks and the growth of intersectionality in Western feminism, by Hannah Baldwin
First wave feminism, which was and is viewed as pivotal in the fight for women’s rights by giving around 8.4 million women the vote, only claimed the vote for two in every five women in the UK; similarly in the US, the Nineteenth Amendment of 1920 brought the vote for only white women. First wave feminism therefore largely ignored social cross-sections by focusing almost exclusively on middle class white women. | https://manchesterhistorian.com/2020/04/ |
After reading this new issue of WAIMH Perspectives, with the description of the work reported in Guatemala, South Africa, and New Zealand, as well reference to the previously published document from Australia, Infants in Immigration Detention, I became convinced of the need to add the anthropological dimension to our clinical work. This is necessary if we want to understand and help populations, many vulnerable and disadvantaged, in their own communities, as well as refugees from warn-torn countries who have experienced traumatic losses, including the loss of their homes, belongings and places of work. Not by chance, this issue of Perspectives comes out at a time when the magnitude of the “European refugees’ problem” reveals itself as a huge challenge, not only for politicians, but also for mental health professionals.
Let’s imagine that you receive referrals of infants and young children – refugees – who have recently arrived in your country. Their families have fled their own war-torn country, a place that is very different from your own. You have worries about developmental delays in multiple domains, relational disturbances and significant signs of trauma and distress. Where will you begin? How will you determine the needs and strengths of the infants referred? How will you best help refugee families to cope?
On the other hand, you may travel far away to study early child development as Peter Rohloff and his colleagues describe in a very interesting paper, Field Report: Early Child Development in Rural Guatemala (LINK). Or, your work may be in your home country, as Kerry Anne Brown, Carla Brown, and Astrid Berg describe in their paper, A Parent Group Initiative in an Intensive Care Unit in South Africa (LINK), about practices in a pediatric hospital in South Africa.
Confronted by cultures where young children and their families face tremendous health, relational, and cognitive difficulties, you may be challenged to understand and deliver services that are respectful of unique customs or beliefs.
Clinicians who are oriented toward Western culture and values might find their tools of assessment and treatment approaches inadequate when responding to infants and families whose cultural beliefs and attitudes towards life’s adversities are different from their own. Ethno-psychiatry has existed as a field for years, but has been quite marginal. It may become a flourishing domain.
WAIMH, as a world association, is an organization where professionals from different disciplines and cultures bring their own views and clinical understanding. Still, tools of evaluation and therapeutic approaches primarily reflect Western practices and beliefs. In situations of war and humanitarian catastrophes, some may open their practices to very young children and families who have suffered displacement and are seeking help, far away from their native homes, and some may go to other countries to help children and families in need. For all, knowledge about each individual’s culture will be as important as knowledge in crisis intervention or treatment techniques. Just as the general practitioner needs to take advice from the expert in cardiology, we may each need to take advice from anthropologists or have them as members of our multidisciplinary teams!
We will have a chance to discuss these important issues in Prague this year when you come to the 15th WAIMH Congress Infant Mental Health in a Rapidly Changing World: Conflict, Adversity, and Resilience (LINK). Indeed, in light of our theme and recent events around the world, we have planned a Pre-Congress Symposium on WAIMH policy in times of peace and of humanitarian catastrophes.
Also related to the issues of policy, we include the WAIMH Position Paper on the Rights of Infants (LINK). The version that was presented in Edinburgh in 2014 (at the WAIMH Congress Presidential Symposium) has been amended in response to members’ comments and refined by WAIMH Board Members. Its present version is published in this issue of Perspectives. In addition, the WAIMH office will send a copy of the paper to each Affiliate President. Our wish is that each Affiliate starts using it with its local health policy makers and gives us feedback. After one or two years, we will decide whether WAIMH should move the policy document from a Position Paper to a Declaration (with its legal implications). As you will see, the infant’s right for culturally sensitive assessment and treatment is mentioned in the WAIMH paper.
Of additional importance, the assessment manual, Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood, Revised (DC 0-3R), is under revision by the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families ZERO TO THREE in collaboration with WAIMH members. It will be presented during the WAIMH Pre-Congress day, with special attention given to the cultural aspects of diagnosing very young children.
Join us, meet, and discuss important clinical, policy, and research issues in Prague, the bridge between Eastern and Western Europe!
Warm regards to all of you.
Vol. 24 No.1-2 Winter-Spring 2016 – Presidential Address: Is there a Need for Anthropologists in our Multidisciplinary Teams?
Authors
Keren, Miri, MD,
WAIMH President, | https://perspectives.waimh.org/2016/06/15/need-anthropologists-multidisciplinary-teams/ |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND ART
RELATED ART DOCUMENTS
Patent Documents
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
Means of Solving the Problems
Effects of the Invention
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 3
EXAMPLE 4
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE SIGNS
This application is a continuation application based upon and claims the benefit of the prior PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2010/051327 filed on Feb. 1, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method for producing a semiconductor device provided with electrode plates connected to electrodes and placed on both sides of a power device, and to a semiconductor device.
In conventional methods for producing semiconductor devices provided with electrode plates on both sides of a power device (semiconductor device), electrode plates were bonded to both sides of the power device to form a composite body, after which this composite body was sealed with a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin (resin sealing step).
Thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins have such characteristics as cure shrinkage where they undergo volumetric shrinkage due to a bridging reaction when hardening at a high temperature, and heat shrinkage where they undergo volumetric shrinkage when cooled from a high-temperature state.
In a semiconductor device provided with electrode plates on both sides of a power device, the two electrode plates provided on both sides of the power device are separated a certain distance away from each other, with the power device, an electrode plate block and the like being provided between the electrode plates. In the resin sealing step mentioned above, the space between these two electrode plates was sealed with a thermosetting resin (hereinafter referred to as sealing resin). However, when the sealing resin injected between the two electrode plates undergoes shrinkage due to cure shrinkage or heat shrinkage, the two electrode plates try to approach closer to each other, while the power device, electrode plate block and the like come in their way. This may result in stress applied to the bonded portion between the sealing resin and electrode plates to cause separation, which may eventually lead to separation of the sealing resin and electrode plates when the bond strength between the sealing resin and electrode plates is overcome by this stress, whereby reliability of the semiconductor device may be reduced.
Similarly, there is a possibility that reliability of the semiconductor device may be reduced because of the sealing resin and electrode plates separating from each other in thermal cycles under a usage environment of the semiconductor device.
Accordingly, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique wherein a coating of resin such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin is applied between the sealing resin and electrode plates to enhance intimate contact between the sealing resin and electrode plates and to improve reliability of the semiconductor device.
Patent Document 1: JP 2003-188318A
However, the resin coating such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin used in the technique of Patent Document 1 is expensive. Moreover, in application of a resin coating, an additional step of inspecting the resin-coated portion for any uncoated spots or any entrapped air is required. Therefore production costs are increased with the technique of Patent Document 1.
Further, in order to apply a resin coating so that the electrode plates or power device are not exposed on inner sides of electrode plates on both sides of the power device, they must be immersed in a tank filled with a stock solution of resin coating. In this process, additional steps are necessary such as a step of preliminarily masking portions that must not be electrically insulated by the resin coating (for example control lines connecting the power device and control terminals) prior to the application of the resin coating or a step of cleaning after the application of the resin coating. Therefore production operations are complex with the technique of Patent Document 1.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the problems described above and has an object to provide a method of producing a semiconductor device with which reliability of the semiconductor device can be improved while complexity of production operations is reduced and production costs are kept low, and a semiconductor device.
One aspect of the present invention made to solve the problems above provides a method of producing a semiconductor device, the method including a first bonding step of bonding a first surface of a first electrode plate and a first surface of a semiconductor device portion, and a second bonding step of bonding a second surface of the semiconductor device portion and a first surface of a second electrode plate, wherein the method includes a sealing step of forming a sealed composite body by covering target surfaces of a composite body of the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion formed by the first bonding step with resin, the target surfaces being surfaces other than a second surface of the first electrode plate and the second surface of the semiconductor device portion, and the second bonding step is performed after the sealing step.
According to this aspect, since the second electrode plate is not bonded to the composite body yet in the sealing step, stress generated in the resin by shrinkage thereof is released so that the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion do not separate from the resin, whereby reliability of the semiconductor device is improved.
Further, since a resin coating such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin need not be provided, production costs are kept low and complexity of production operations is reduced.
It should be understood that an embodiment of the semiconductor device portion includes a composite body of a semiconductor device and an electrode plate block.
In the above aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the sealing step includes forming the sealed composite body by covering the target surfaces of the composite body and the second surface of the semiconductor device portion with the resin and then removing the resin covering the second surface of the semiconductor device portion.
According to this configuration, when covering the composite body inserted in a mold with resin, for example, a clearance can be provided between the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the mold. This can prevent interference between the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the mold due to dimensional variations in various constituent parts of the composite body.
In the above aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the second bonding step includes heating the sealed composite body to a temperature that is lower than a heat proof temperature of the resin and lower than a melting point of a first bonding material for bonding the first surface of the first electrode plate and the first surface of the semiconductor device portion.
According to this configuration, the resin does not undergo degeneration or deterioration, the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion do not separate from the resin, and the first bonding material can bond the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate without undergoing melting and/or degeneration.
In the above aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the second bonding step includes providing a through hole in the second electrode plate extending through the second electrode plate to open on its first and second surfaces, and supplying a second bonding material through the through hole for bonding the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate.
According to this configuration, the second bonding material can be easily supplied from the through hole to the portion between the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate.
Any redundant second bonding material will spill out of the through hole, so that the control accuracy of the supply amount of the second bonding material can be lowered.
In the above aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the second bonding step includes heating the second electrode plate to a temperature that is higher than a melting point of the second bonding material for bonding the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate, and applying the second bonding material to the first surface of the second electrode plate.
According to this configuration, with the second bonding material being applied to the first surface of the second electrode plate, the second bonding material can easily be kept in a molten state and brought into intimate contact with the second surface of the semiconductor device portion, to bond the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate.
In the above aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the second bonding step includes heating the second electrode plate to a temperature that is higher than a melting point of the second bonding material for bonding the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate, and applying the second bonding material to the first surface of the second electrode plate.
According to this configuration, the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate can be bonded without a gap formed between the sealed composite body and the second electrode plate. Therefore, the bonding layer for bonding the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate is maintained even if the second electrode plate is subjected to an external force.
Another aspect of the present invention made to solve the problems above provides a method of producing a semiconductor device, the method including a first bonding step of bonding a first surface of a first electrode plate and a first surface of a semiconductor device portion, wherein the method includes a sealing step of forming a sealed composite body by covering target surfaces of a composite body of the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion formed by the first bonding step with resin, the target surfaces being surfaces other than a second surface of the first electrode plate and a second surface of the semiconductor device portion, and a pressure contact step of bringing a protrusion provided on a first surface of a second electrode plate into pressure contact with the second surface of the semiconductor device portion of the sealed composite body.
According to this configuration, since the second electrode plate is not in pressure contact with the composite body yet in the sealing step, stress generated in the resin by shrinkage thereof is released so that the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion do not separate from the resin, whereby reliability of the semiconductor device is improved.
Further, since a resin coating such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin need not be provided, production costs are kept low and complexity of production operations is reduced.
Moreover, since the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate can be connected by bringing the protrusion provided on the first surface of the second electrode plate into pressure contact with the second surface of the semiconductor device portion, bonding materials for bonding the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate and heating steps are no longer necessary, whereby production costs can be made low.
In the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the method includes a heat-dissipating material application step of applying a heat-dissipating material between the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate.
According to this configuration, heat generated in the semiconductor device portion by a large current flowing therein is dissipated through the heat-dissipating material from the semiconductor device portion to the second electrode plate, and thus a large current can flow between the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate.
Another aspect of the present invention made to solve the problems above provides a semiconductor device in which a first surface of a first electrode plate is bonded to a first surface of a semiconductor device portion and a second surface of the semiconductor device portion is bonded to a first surface of a second electrode plate, wherein the device includes a sealed composite body formed by covering target surfaces of a composite body of the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion with resin, the target surfaces being surfaces other than a second surface of the first electrode plate and the second surface of the semiconductor device portion, and the resin portion of the sealed composite body is not bonded to the first surface of the second electrode plate, and is provided further than the first surface of the second electrode plate toward a side where the semiconductor device portion is disposed in a direction of arrangement of the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate.
In the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the second electrode plate includes a through hole extending through the second electrode plate to open on its first and second surfaces.
In the above aspect of the present invention, preferably, the sealed composite body includes a recess formed such that the second surface of the semiconductor device portion is recessed more than a surface of the resin in a direction of arrangement of the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion, and a bonding layer formed in the recess for bonding the second surface of the semiconductor device portion and the first surface of the second electrode plate.
Another aspect of the present invention made to solve the problems above provides a semiconductor device in which a first surface of a first electrode plate is bonded to a first surface of a semiconductor device portion, wherein the device includes a second electrode plate having a first surface formed with a protrusion to make pressure contact with a second surface of the semiconductor device portion, and a sealed composite body formed by covering target surfaces of a composite body of the first electrode plate and the semiconductor device portion with resin, the target surfaces being surfaces other than a second surface of the first electrode plate and the second surface of the semiconductor device portion, and the resin portion of the sealed composite body is not bonded to the first surface of the second electrode plate, and is provided further than the first surface of the second electrode plate toward a side where the semiconductor device portion is disposed in a direction of arrangement of the semiconductor device portion and the second electrode plate.
According to a semiconductor device production method and a semiconductor device of the invention, it is possible to reduce complexity of production operations and hold production costs low, and achieve enhanced reliability of the semiconductor device.
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
FIGS. 1 and 2
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First, the overall structure of a semiconductor device will be described. is a top view of the semiconductor device, and is a cross sectional view taken along a line A-A in . As shown in , the semiconductor device includes, primarily, a backside electrode plate , a power device , an upper electrode plate , an electrode plate block , control terminals , sealing resin , and control lines , etc.
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The backside electrode plate is formed in a generally flat rectangular shape and provided with a bus bar .
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FIG. 2
The power device is one example of a constituent part of a semiconductor device portion, i.e., it is a semiconductor switching device for high power switching. In this embodiment, the power device includes an IGBT (transistor) and a diode . shows the IGBT only to represent the power device . The power device is provided with electrodes (not shown) on both sides. An inner surface of the backside electrode plate (one example of a first surface of a first electrode plate of the present invention) is bonded to electrodes on a surface of the power device (one example of a first surface of a semiconductor device portion of the present invention) via a solder layer .
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FIG. 12
The upper electrode plate is formed in a generally flat rectangular shape and provided with a bus bar . An inner surface of this upper electrode plate (one example of a first surface of a second electrode plate of the present invention) is bonded to a surface of the electrode plate block (one example of a second surface of a semiconductor device portion of the present invention) via a solder layer . The upper electrode plate may be brought into pressure contact with the surface of the electrode plate block as will be described later. This establishes electrical and thermal connection between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block . The upper electrode plate may be provided with a through hole as will be described later (see ).
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The electrode plate block is one example of a constituent part that forms the semiconductor device portion with the power device . The block is formed in a rectangular block shape, with a surface being bonded to electrodes on a surface of the power device via a solder layer . In this embodiment, the area of the surface of the electrode plate block is smaller than the area of the IGBT or diode so that, for example, the bonding area between the IGBT and the electrode plate block is approximately the same as the size of the electrodes of the IGBT .
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A plurality of control electrodes (not shown) are provided to an end portion of the IGBT . The control lines are connected respectively at one end to these control electrodes. The control lines are connected to the control terminals at the other end. For the control lines , for example, aluminum bonding wire is used.
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The backside electrode plate , upper electrode plate , electrode plate block , and control terminals are made of copper sheet that may additionally be plated with nickel. Alternatively, they may be made of aluminum sheet plated with nickel.
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The sealing resin is a fluid thermosetting resin hardened such as to cover surfaces of the backside electrode plate , solder layer , power device , solder layer , and the electrode plate block (examples of target surfaces of the present invention) except for an outer surface of the backside electrode plate (one example of a second surface of a first electrode plate of the present invention) and the surface of the electrode plate block so as to seal the space between the backside electrode plate and the upper electrode plate and the space surrounding the backside electrode plate . An epoxy resin, for example, is used for the sealing resin .
The overall structure of the semiconductor device is as described above. Hereinafter the method for producing the semiconductor device will be described.
FIGS. 3 to 5
FIGS. 3 to 5
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illustrate the production method of Example 1. While show a cross section of a portion containing the IGBT of the power device , the description below shall apply also to a cross section of a portion containing the diode .
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
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First, as shown in , the inner surface of the backside electrode plate is bonded by soldering to the surface of the power device (one example of a first bonding step of the present invention), and the surface of the power device is bonded by soldering to the surface of the electrode plate block . Thereby, the backside electrode plate , solder layer , power device , solder layer , and the electrode plate block are laminated upon one another in this order. Control electrodes (not shown) provided at an end portion of the IGBT are connected to the control terminals via the control lines . A composite body shown in is formed through the process described above.
FIG. 4
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Next, as shown in , the composite body is covered with the sealing resin by transfer molding, potting, or the like, to seal the surrounding space of the composite body . At this time, the outer surface of the backside electrode plate is not covered with the sealing resin .
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In transfer molding, in particular, the outer surface of the backside electrode plate is closely contacted to a mold when injecting fluid resin into the mold so that the fluid resin does not flow onto the outer surface of the backside electrode plate . Thus the outer surface of the backside electrode plate is not covered with the sealing resin . On the other hand, a sufficient clearance is given between the surface of the electrode plate block and the mold so that the fluid resin can flow therein to cover the surface of the electrode plate block with the sealing resin . This prevents interference between the composite body and the mold due to variations in height of various constituent parts of the composite body .
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When the high-temperature fluid resin hardens into the sealing resin , the resin undergoes shrinkage due to cure shrinkage or heat shrinkage. However, the upper electrode plate is not bonded onto the composite body yet so that the sealing resin has an open surface . Therefore, stress generated in the sealing resin due to shrinkage thereof is released and no stress that would cause separation is applied to the bonded portion between the backside electrode plate and the sealing resin . Similarly, separation does not occur in the bonded portion between the power device and the sealing resin and in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin , either.
FIG. 5
FIGS. 4 and 5
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Next, as shown in , the sealing resin present on the side of the surface of the electrode plate block is removed by grinding to a height where the surface of the electrode plate block is exposed. A sealed composite body is thus formed as shown in described above (one example of a sealing step of the present invention).
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FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Subsequently, the upper electrode plate is bonded to the surface of the electrode plate block of the sealed composite body (one example of a second bonding step of the present invention). The semiconductor device described above and shown in is produced through the process described above. In the example shown in , the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block are bonded together by soldering, so that the solder layer is formed.
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As the upper electrode plate is bonded to the surface of the electrode plate block , the upper electrode plate is electrically and thermally bonded to the electrode plate block . Care should be taken during the bonding so that the sealing resin does not undergo degeneration. Care should also be taken so that no separation occurs in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin , bonded portion between the power device and the sealing resin , and bonded portion between the backside electrode plate and the sealing resin . Care should also be taken so that the solder layers or do not undergo melting and/or degeneration.
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In this example, a low-melting-point solder having a melting point lower than that of the solder used for the solder layer or and lower than a heat proof temperature of the sealing resin could be considered for use as the solder layer . This will prevent the sealing resin from undergoing degeneration during bonding, prevent bonded portions between various constituent parts of the sealed composite body and the sealing resin from undergoing separation, and prevent the solder layer or from undergoing melting and/or degeneration.
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Bonding methods using ultrasonic bonding, bonding methods that achieve bonding using conductive adhesives, bonding methods based on bonding techniques using Ag nano-particles or micro-based silver oxide particles, or bonding methods using screw fastening or rivet connection could be considered as other methods for bonding the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block .
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As described above, in this example, the surrounding space of the composite body before bonding the upper electrode plate to the electrode plate block is sealed with the sealing resin to form the sealed composite body . Then, the upper electrode plate is bonded to the electrode plate block . Therefore, separation in the bonded portion between the backside electrode plate and the sealing resin due to shrinkage of the sealing resin can be prevented. Similarly, separation in the bonded portion between the power device and the sealing resin , and separation in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin can also be prevented.
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Further, in this example, since the sealed composite body is formed without the upper electrode plate bonded to the electrode plate block , the sealing resin is not bonded to the inner surface of the upper electrode plate . Therefore, even though the sealing resin undergoes shrinkage during the production process of the semiconductor device or in thermal cycles under usage environments of the semiconductor device , the stress is not trapped in the sealing resin between the backside electrode plate and the upper electrode plate . Accordingly, separation in the bonded portions between the backside electrode plate , power device , or electrode plate block and the sealing resin can be prevented.
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This in turn means that the intimate contact between the backside electrode plate , power device , or electrode plate block and the sealing resin can be ensured without providing a coating of resin such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin, whereby reliability of the semiconductor device can be improved while the complexity of production operations is reduced and production costs are kept low.
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Further, in this example, the sealing resin is provided further than the inner surface of the upper electrode plate toward the side where the electrode plate block is disposed in a direction of arrangement of the electrode plate block and the upper electrode plate , and not provided on the side of an outer surface (one example of a second surface of a second electrode plate of the present invention) further than the inner surface of the upper electrode plate . Therefore the amount of use of the sealing resin can be reduced, which leads to a reduction in the cost of the sealing resin and in the weight of the semiconductor device .
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When the semiconductor device is used under a usage environment with a large temperature difference or when the semiconductor device is large, thermal stress is accordingly large, so that there is a possibility that separation may occur in bonded portions between various parts such as the electrode plate block and the sealing resin . In such cases, polyamide resin could be provided beforehand to parts prone to separation.
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FIG. 3
FIG. 6
FIG. 7
FIG. 8
FIG. 9
More specifically, after forming the composite body shown in as described above, polyamide resin is applied from a dispenser around the electrode plate block (electrode plate block and the power device ) as shown in . Next, the space surrounding a composite body provided with the polyamide resin is sealed with the sealing resin as shown in , after which the sealing resin and the polyamide resin are ground to form a sealed composite body with the surface of the electrode plate block being exposed as shown in , and then the upper electrode plate is bonded to the electrode plate block as shown in .
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A semiconductor device is thus produced.
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Stress due to cure shrinkage tends to remain slightly in the sealing resin around the electrode plate block . Depending on the usage conditions of the semiconductor device , there is a possibility that separation may occur in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin . Therefore, provision of the polyamide resin around the electrode plate block as shown in can positively suppress separation in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin . Alternatively, polyamide may be applied over a wider area on the upper surface to enhance the intimate contact between the upper surface of the backside electrode plate and the sealing resin .
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In this example, the polyamide resin can be provided easily to the electrode plate block only by dropping a stock solution of the polyamide resin from the dispenser to the composite body before bonding the upper electrode plate . Limited application of the polyamide resin by the dispenser to only around the electrode plate block can maximally reduce the amount of use of the polyamide resin . Also, because of the application of a stock solution of the polyamide resin in a dropping manner from the dispenser , the stock solution of the polyamide resin does not scatter around. Also, the application of the stock solution of the polyamide resin using the dispenser in a dropping manner prevents the stock solution of the polyamide resin before being dropped from contacting ambient air and absorbing moisture, i.e., prevents the stock solution of the polyamide resin before being dropped from being contaminated by a foreign substance adhered thereto, so that the stock solution of polyamide resin inside the dispenser can almost entirely be used, whereby the material cost of the polyamide resin can be made low. Moreover, since the application surface of the polyamide resin can be visually checked directly from a vertical direction, defect inspection of the polyamide resin is carried out with good operation efficiency.
56
It should be noted here that a polyimide resin may be used instead of the polyamide resin .
FIGS. 10 to 12
are diagrams showing the production method of Example 2.
14
16
54
60
32
36
20
32
36
20
54
FIG. 10
Example 2 has a characteristic feature in the method of bonding by soldering between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block of the production method of Example 1. More specifically, the sealed composite body is preheated by a pre-heater as shown in . The preheating here is done at a temperature lower than the melting point of the solder used for the solder layer or and lower than a heat proof temperature of the sealing resin . For example, if the melting point of the solder used for the solder layer or is equal to or higher than 230° C. and not exceeding 260° C. and the heat proof temperature of the sealing resin is 180° C., then the sealed composite body is preheated at a temperature equal to or higher than 120° C. and lower than 180° C.
14
54
14
54
54
The upper electrode plate is then mounted on the sealed composite body . The upper electrode plate should preferably be preheated by a pre-heater or the like (not shown) before being mounted on the sealed composite body and should be kept heated with hot air or the like even after being mounted on the sealed composite body .
FIG. 11
63
62
14
40
48
32
36
32
36
Next, as shown in , molten solder is supplied from a dispenser through a through hole extending through the upper electrode plate to open on the inner surface and the outer surface thereof. The solder used here is either the same solder as that used for the solder layer or , or a solder having a more or less the same melting point. For example, if the melting point of the solder used for the solder layer or is equal to or higher than 230° C. and not exceeding 260° C., the same solder could be used, or, a solder having a melting point of 140° C. or higher and not exceeding 210° C. could be used as the solder having a more or less the same melting point.
62
44
16
62
14
16
42
62
63
As such solder is supplied in a molten state through the through hole , while the temperature of the surface of the electrode plate block is lower than the melting point of the solder being supplied from the through hole , remaining heat helps the solder in a molten state to spread by a capillary force as it gradually sets between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block to form the solder layer . Since redundant solder spills out of the through hole , the dispenser can have lower control accuracy of the supply amount of the solder.
44
16
40
14
16
14
54
44
16
14
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16
54
20
62
44
16
44
16
Any oxide film that may be formed on the surface of the electrode plate block or the surface of the upper electrode plate will inhibit soldering between the electrode plate block and the upper electrode plate . Therefore, preheating of the sealed composite body and heating during soldering are carried out in an atmosphere of a reductive gas such as a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen so as to remove any oxide film on the surface of the electrode plate block . Alternatively, since there are no points with a potential difference in or near the soldered portion between the upper electrode plate and the surface of the electrode plate block because any such points with a possible potential difference in the sealed composite body are sealed with the sealing resin and not exposed, a flux material may be mixed beforehand in the solder to be injected from the through hole , or a flux material may be applied beforehand on the surface of the electrode plate block by spraying or with a brush, so as to chemically remove any oxide film on the surface of the electrode plate block .
42
42
Also, the solder layer can be formed at the same time as degassing under a reduced pressure so as to prevent formation of voids inside the solder layer .
48
14
62
48
14
3
FIG. 12
Next, the outer surface of the upper electrode plate is surface-finished. More specifically, any redundant solder that has spilled out of the through hole onto the outer surface of the upper electrode plate could be molten and removed with a soldering iron heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the solder, or, could be removed by cutting using a cutter. A semiconductor device is produced through the process described above as shown in .
54
32
36
20
42
32
36
42
42
As described above, in this example, the sealed composite body is preheated to a temperature lower than the melting point of the solder used for the solder layer or and lower than the heat proof temperature of the sealing resin before forming the solder layer . Therefore, the same solder as that used for the solder layer or , or a solder having a more or less the same melting point, can be used for the solder layer . Accordingly, there is no need to use a low-melting-point solder that is expensive and may have poor bondability, and so high bondability is achieved in the solder layer while production costs are kept low.
FIGS. 13 to 15
FIG. 13
FIG. 10
FIG. 14
54
60
40
14
14
64
40
14
40
14
40
14
There could be a modified example as shown in . First, as shown in , the sealed composite body is preheated by the pre-heater similarly to . Meanwhile, solder is applied to the inner surface of the upper electrode plate as shown in , and the upper electrode plate is heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the solder with a heater to keep the solder in a molten state. Application of solder on the inner surface of the upper electrode plate could be achieved, for example, by dropping the solder in a molten state onto the inner surface of the upper electrode plate , or by placing the solder in the form of a sheet on the inner surface of the upper electrode plate .
54
60
14
40
14
44
16
1
FIG. 2
With the sealed composite body preheated by the pre-heater , while keeping the upper electrode plate warm with hot air so that its temperature does not drop, it is inverted in a short period of time to deposit the solder in a molten state on the inner surface of the upper electrode plate upon the surface of the electrode plate block to bond them. The semiconductor device shown in described above is produced through the process described above.
32
36
42
42
In such a modified example, too, the same solder as that used for the solder layer or , or a solder having a more or less the same melting point, can be used for the solder layer , and therefore high bondability is achieved in the solder layer while production costs are kept low.
44
16
40
14
42
The solder in a molten state spreads between the surface of the electrode plate block and the inner surface of the upper electrode plate by a capillary force as it gradually sets, and forms the solder layer .
62
14
Further, since there is no need to provide the through hole in the upper electrode plate , production costs can be made even lower.
44
16
66
20
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66
20
54
42
44
16
40
14
68
40
14
66
20
68
14
42
FIG. 15
FIG. 15
Let us now assume that the surface of the electrode plate block is coplanar with the surface of the sealing resin , or that the surface of the electrode plate block is protruded more than the surface of the sealing resin , in the sealed composite body . In these cases, if the solder layer is formed between the surface of the electrode plate block and the inner surface of the upper electrode plate , a gap is formed between the inner surface of the upper electrode plate and the surface of the sealing resin as shown in . With such a gap present, when the upper electrode plate is subjected to an external force, the solder layer may be subjected to a large stress due to forces acting thereon in directions of arrows in .
44
16
66
20
44
16
66
12
16
70
54
42
70
14
16
FIG. 16
Therefore, in this example, the surface of the electrode plate block is made lower than the surface of the sealing resin so that the surface of the electrode plate block is recessed more than the surface in a direction of arrangement of the power device and the electrode plate block to provide a recess in the sealed composite body as shown in . The solder layer is formed in this recess to bond the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block together.
68
40
14
66
20
14
72
42
66
20
42
14
FIG. 17
Thereby, there is no gap formed between the inner surface of the upper electrode plate and the surface of the sealing resin as shown in . Since the upper electrode plate is supported on a surface of the solder layer and the surface of the sealing resin , no large stress is generated in the solder layer even when the upper electrode plate receives any external force.
20
10
16
20
10
16
20
14
16
For the sealing resin , a material having a substantially equal linear expansion coefficient as the backside electrode plate and the electrode plate block should preferably be used. Thereby, the thermal stress caused by expansion and contraction of the sealing resin in thermal cycles under usage environments of the semiconductor device will be reduced. Accordingly, the intimate contact between the electrode plate or the electrode plate block and the sealing resin can be maintained, as well as the bond between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block can be maintained.
42
42
20
20
14
16
70
If the solder layer has a thickness greater than 200 μm, the impact of a difference in linear expansion coefficient between the solder used for the solder layer and the sealing resin , and the impact of setting shrinkage during soldering, will be larger. This will in turn increase the impact of the thermal stress caused by expansion and contraction of the sealing resin in thermal cycles under usage environments of the semiconductor device. Thus, the bond between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block may not be maintained. Therefore, the thickness of the recess should preferably be 200 μm or less.
74
20
70
40
14
66
20
Further, a pocket can be provided in the sealing resin for allowing any redundant solder to escape so as to eliminate the possibility that redundant resin spills out of the recess and enters between the inner surface of the upper electrode plate and the surface of the sealing resin .
14
20
14
20
Alternatively, adhesive (not shown) may be applied between the upper electrode plate and the sealing resin to enhance the intimate contact strength between the upper electrode plate and the sealing resin .
20
16
20
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20
70
Preferably, hard components such as glass or inorganic material should be added to the sealing resin to increase its hardness. Thereby, the cutting amount of the electrode plate block can selectively be made larger than the cutting amount of the sealing resin when the electrode plate block and the sealing resin are ground under the same condition (for example by milling), so that the recess can be formed easily.
FIGS. 18 to 21
are diagrams showing the production method of Example 4.
14
16
1
This example is distinguished from Example 1 in that the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block are not bonded together, but are brought into pressure contact with each other, to form the semiconductor device .
76
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66
20
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54
FIG. 18
More specifically, first, a heat-dissipating silicone grease is applied on the surface of the electrode plate block and the surface of the sealing resin around the surface of the electrode plate block in the sealed composite body as shown in with a brush or a dispenser, or by screen printing or metal mask printing (one example of a heat-dissipating material application step of the present invention).
14
44
16
76
14
78
40
FIG. 19
Next, the upper electrode plate is placed on the surface of the electrode plate block on the side on which the heat-dissipating silicone grease has been applied as shown in . The upper electrode plate at this time is provided with a protrusion on the inner surface thereof.
82
84
48
14
46
10
80
FIG. 20
Next, this pre-pressure contact composite body is inserted in between respective cooling tubes of a double-sided cooler as shown in . At this time, heat-dissipating silicone grease (not shown) is applied on an outer surface of the upper electrode plate and an outer surface of the backside electrode plate , on which an insulating substrate is placed, which is also applied with heat-dissipating silicone grease (not shown).
84
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90
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4
82
90
FIGS. 21 and 22
FIG. 23
FIG. 21
FIG. 22
FIG. 21
Next, respective cooling tubes are mounted in a housing to produce a laminated power module as shown in . Here, pressure is applied to the laminated power modules through the cooling tubes by a spring (not shown). An external force is thereby applied to the pre-pressure contact composite body , whereby the protrusion on the upper electrode plate breaks through the heat-dissipating silicone grease to make pressure contact with the electrode plate block (one example of a pressure contact step of the present invention). A semiconductor device shown in is produced from the pre-pressure contact composite body through the process described above. is a plan view of part of the laminated power module , and is a cross sectional view taken along a line B-B in .
78
14
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14
16
As described above, in this example, the protrusion is provided on the upper electrode plate to make pressure contact with the electrode plate block so as to connect the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block electrically and thermally.
14
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76
16
14
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76
As the bonding material for bonding the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block and the heating step are no longer necessary, production costs can be kept low. Moreover, heat generated in the electrode plate block by a large current flowing therein is dissipated through the heat-dissipating silicone grease from the electrode plate block to the upper electrode plate , and thus a large current can flow between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block . In an application where the amount of heat generated in connected portions between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block is low, there could be an example in which no heat-dissipating silicone grease is provided.
14
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40
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66
20
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16
When bringing the upper electrode plate into pressure contact with the electrode plate block with the protrusion , they may be temporarily fixed with adhesive applied between the inner surface of the upper electrode plate and the surface of the sealing resin , with care being taken not to break the electrical connection between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block . This can prevent any misalignment in relative positions of the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block .
78
14
76
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78
14
If the height of the protrusion of the upper electrode plate is greater than 50 μm, the heat-dissipating silicone grease present between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block will have too high a thermal resistance and may inhibit heat dissipation of the power device . On the other hand, if the height of the protrusion of the upper electrode plate is smaller than several μm, the protrusion will be smaller than an inorganic filler (not shown) having heat conductivity and added in the heat-dissipating silicone grease , because of which the upper electrode plate may not be able to make pressure contact with the electrode plate block because of the inorganic filler stuck between the upper electrode plate and the electrode plate block . Therefore, the height of the protrusion of the upper electrode plate should preferably be more than several μm and not exceeding 50 μm.
78
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16
78
78
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78
78
14
In order to make sure the protrusion of the upper electrode plate can break through the heat-dissipating silicone grease as well as suppress abnormal heat generation by a current flowing through a contact between itself and the electrode plate block , the protrusion should preferably have a size set within a range from about 1 mm×1 mm to 8 mm×8 mm. The protrusion of the upper electrode plate should preferably have a conical tip. One upper electrode plate may not necessarily have just one protrusion and may be provided with two or more protrusions . Such protrusion(s) of the upper electrode plate can easily be formed by forging, grinding, or etching. It could also be formed by wire bonding using aluminum or gold, or by attaching a high-conductivity metal piece by ultrasonic bonding or with conductive resin, or brazing, press-fitting, or the like.
76
78
14
Note, a conductive paste may be applied instead of the heat-dissipating silicone grease . Alternatively, a carbon sheet with a cut-out in a portion corresponding to the protrusion of the upper electrode plate may be used. A carbon sheet, in particular, with carbon fibers oriented along a thickness direction to have improved heat conductivity, is preferable for the carbon sheet.
86
20
76
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14
66
20
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82
FIG. 23
Further, a pocket (see ) can be provided in the sealing resin for allowing any redundant heat-dissipating silicone grease to escape so as to prevent redundant heat-dissipating silicone grease from spilling out and entering between the inner surface of the upper electrode plate and the surface of the sealing resin . This can positively maintain the intimate contact between the upper electrode plate and the sealing resin and reduce variations in thickness of the pre-pressure contact composite body after the pressure contact.
This example further provides the following effects similarly to Example 1.
50
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20
The surrounding space of the composite body before bringing the upper electrode plate into pressure contact with the electrode plate block is sealed with the sealing resin to form the sealed composite body , after which the upper electrode plate is brought into pressure contact with the electrode plate block . Therefore, separation in the bonded portion between the backside electrode plate and the sealing resin due to shrinkage of the sealing resin can be prevented. Similarly, separation in the bonded portion between the power device and the sealing resin , and separation in the bonded portion between the electrode plate block and the sealing resin can also be prevented.
54
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4
4
20
10
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20
Further, in this example, since the sealed composite body is formed without the upper electrode plate making pressure contact with the electrode plate block , the sealing resin is not bonded to the upper electrode plate . Therefore, even though the sealing resin undergoes shrinkage during the production process of the semiconductor device or in thermal cycles under usage environments of the semiconductor device , the stress is not trapped in the sealing resin between the backside electrode plate and the upper electrode plate . Accordingly, separation in bonded portions between the backside electrode plate , the power device , or the electrode plate block and the sealing resin can be prevented.
10
12
16
20
4
This in turn means that the intimate contact between the backside electrode plate , the power device , or the electrode plate block and the sealing resin can be ensured without providing a coating of resin such as polyamide resin or polyimide resin, whereby reliability of the semiconductor device can be improved while the complexity of production operations is reduced and production costs are kept low.
20
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16
14
48
40
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20
4
Further, the sealing resin is provided further than the inner surface of the upper electrode plate toward the side where the electrode plate block is disposed in a direction of arrangement of the electrode plate block and the upper electrode plate , and not provided on the side of the outer surface further than the inner surface of the upper electrode plate . Therefore the amount of use of the sealing resin can be reduced, which leads to a reduction in the cost of the sealing resin and in the weight of the semiconductor device .
The above embodiment merely shows examples and does not set any limits in the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof.
1
Semiconductor device
10
Backside electrode plate
12
Power device
14
Upper electrode plate
16
Electrode plate block
18
Control terminal
20
Sealing resin
22
Control line
26
IGBT
28
Diode
30
Inner surface
32
Solder layer
33
Surface
34
Surface
36
Solder layer
37
Surface
38
Bus bar
40
Inner surface
42
Solder layer
44
Surface
46
Outer surface
48
Outer surface
50
Composite body
52
Surface
54
Sealed composite body
56
Polyamide resin
58
Dispenser
59
Composite body
60
Pre-heater
61
Sealed composite body
62
Through hole
64
Heater
66
Surface
70
Recess
72
Surface
76
Heat-dissipating silicone grease
78
Protrusion
82
Pre-pressure contact composite body
84
Cooling tube
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a top plan view of a semiconductor device;
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
is a cross sectional view taken along a line A-A in ;
FIG. 3
is a view showing a production method of Example 1;
FIG. 4
is another view showing the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 5
is another view showing the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 6
is a view showing a modified example of the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 7
is another view showing the modified example of the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 8
is another view showing the modified example of the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 9
is another view showing the modified example of the production method of Example 1;
FIG. 10
is a view showing a production method of Example 2;
FIG. 11
is another view showing the production method of Example 2;
FIG. 12
is another view showing the production method of Example 2;
FIG. 13
is a view showing a modified example of the production method of Example 2;
FIG. 14
is another view showing the modified example of the production method of Example 2;
FIG. 15
is a view showing a joint portion between an upper electrode plate and a block electrode plate;
FIG. 16
is a view showing a production method of Example 3;
FIG. 17
is another view showing the production method of Example 3;
FIG. 18
is a view showing a production method of Example 4;
FIG. 19
is another view showing the production method of Example 4;
FIG. 20
is another view showing the production method of Example 4;
FIG. 21
is a plan view of a part of a laminated power module in the production method of Example 4;
FIG. 22
FIG. 21
is a cross sectional view taken along a line B-B in ; and
FIG. 23
is a view showing a semiconductor device produced by the production method of Example 4. | |
Longest study yet of how the Mediterranean diet affects the risk of heart disease.
People who follow a Mediterranean diet are 47% less likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period, a new study finds.
Although there is no set Mediterranean diet, it usually includes plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, olive oil, beans and even a little red wine.
The Mediterranean diet has already been linked to a whole range of healthy outcomes, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol, weight loss and lower risk of diabetes.
The study followed 2,500 Greek adults aged between 18 and 89 between 2001 and 2012. Everyone was asked to record their dietary and lifestyle habits at the start of the study, five years in, and at the end.
In the 10 years of the study, 20% of men and 12% of women developed or died from heart disease. Heart disease includes things like strokes, heart attacks and other related diseases.
The researchers then graded people’s diets, depending on how truly ‘Mediterranean’ they were.
They found that people in the top third, who followed the Mediterranean diet relatively closely, had a 47% reduced risk of heart disease in comparison to the bottom third.
The researchers accounted for many other factors which might have been influential, like smoking, body mass index, family history and so on.
Although Greece could hardly be a more Mediterranean country, its people have shifted towards a more Western diet in the last forty years.
Georgousopoulou conducted the study with Professor Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos of Harokopio University. It was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego. | http://goodnutritionadvice.com/mediterranean-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-in-half/?shared=email&msg=fail |
The information and communications technology (ICT) market has also been affected by the conflict.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting diplomatic and economic response have led to a critical turning point for Europe and the world. The information and communications technology (ICT) market has also been affected by the conflict as well as the economic sanctions and other measures levied upon Russia by the United States, the European Union (EU), and other countries. A new International Data Corporation (IDC) report provides an initial assessment of how the crisis will affect ICT spending* and technology markets worldwide.
“The evolving geopolitical scenario will undoubtedly affect global ICT demand in the coming months and years,” said Andrea Siviero, associate research director, European Customer Insights & Analysis. “A new IDC Global CIO Quick Pulse Survey found that more than half the respondents are reassessing their tech spending plans for 2022, with 10 per cent expecting strong adjustments to their ICT investment plans.”
While IDC expects a steep decline and slow recovery for ICT spending in Russia and Ukraine, the global impact of this decline will be somewhat limited. Combined the two countries only account for 5.5 per cent of all ICT spending in Europe and 1 per cent worldwide. At the same time, the crisis’s likely impact on trade, supply chains, capital flows, and energy prices will affect the global economy on a broader scale with negative consequences for both the regional and worldwide ICT market. These consequences include the following:
Tech Demand Fluctuation: The conflict has halted business operations in Ukraine while the Russian economy is feeling the early impact of Western sanctions. This will strongly affect tech spending in both countries with double-digit contraction of local market demand expected in 2022. Meanwhile, tech spending among Western European countries may increase in part due to expanded defence and security allocations.
Energy Prices and Inflationary Pressure: Tensions over the conflict in Ukraine will have wide ranging consequences on both energy prices and security of supply, particularly for certain European countries where cascading effects on price indices are already being felt. Most countries will need to quickly reassess their near-term energy plans while accelerating efforts to reduce their dependence on carbon-based energy sources.
Skills and Infrastructure Relocation: More than 100 global companies have established subsidiaries in Ukraine and many more have operations in Russia. The conflict has already displaced tens of thousands of developers in Ukraine and led to the relocation of some services in both countries. These relationships, along with the physical assets and personnel associated with them as well as any future expansion plans, will need to be revaluated considering the conflict.
Cash & Credit Availability: The financial sanctions imposed to date are presenting serious challenges to foreign credit availability in Russia, while creating potential losses on loans issued by EU countries to Russia. Without access to credit, most organizations will be forced to suspend new technology investments in the near term. The country is also suffering from a severe shortage of cash, which is significantly impacting consumer spending.
Supply Chain Dynamics: Exports of finished products and technology components to Russia will be significantly affected by the sanctions, but the impact to Western companies will relatively small given the size of the market. Imports of tech materials from Russia and Ukraine will also be affected, particularly in the semiconductor sector where supplies of neon gas, palladium, and C4F6 used in chip manufacturing will be greatly reduced. The conflict is also expected to further disrupt global supply chains as cargo is rerouted around the two countries and costs increase.
Exchange Rate Fluctuations: Russia’s currency plunged in value in response to the initial sanctions, making imports of IT equipment and services significantly more expensive. As a result, many companies are refusing to ship orders to Russia even if payment is possible. This also means that Russia’s own manufacturers of PCs, servers, and communications equipment will be unable to operate. Geopolitical tensions are also impacting other currencies throughout the region, including the Euro.
In addition to the immediate consequences identified above, other near- and long-term impacts can be expected, including increased stock market volatility and market speculation; risk of cyberattacks and the potential for a broader cyberwar; the disruption of start-up environments in both Russia and Ukraine; and the creation of new business and scientific alliances to replace those severed by the hostilities.
“Given the fluid nature of the conflict, IDC recommends that companies identify weak links in their value chain ecosystem, develop agile supply chain strategies, and create action plans that enable them to anticipate and react to a range of disruptive market movements,” said Philip Carter, group vice president, Worldwide Thought Leadership Research. | https://ciotechasia.com/impact-of-the-russia-ukraine-war-on-global-ict-markets/ |
SimpliPhi CEO Catherine Von Burg Addresses COVID-19
To Our Global Partners, Customers, and Friends,
The entire SimpliPhi Power team hopes that everyone is staying safe and remaining healthy as we all respond to the numerous challenges posed by the coronavirus. We remain committed to mitigating the spread, protecting the wellbeing of our employees, combating the economic fallout and protecting the interests of medical personnel and people in need of critical power reserves globally.
As you may know, SimpliPhi Power temporarily shut-down its headquarters as of last Thursday evening after Governor Newsom of California issued a “Stay at Home” order. Though we closed the manufacturing plant, other staff have continued to work remotely from their homes in order to provide our customers and business partners continuity through vital operational functions such as sales and pricing, technical support, project development, online training, and other resources.
During the manufacturing closure, SimpliPhi Power has been making adjustments to our headquarters and production facility, following CDC Guidelines, and will be fully operational by Monday, March 30th – as we fall under the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” industry sector which includes energy, emergency response, and manufacturing. As a company, we wanted to take the time necessary to evaluate and introduce additional safety precautions to our manufacturing line, maintaining at least 6’ of distance between employees, as well as create additional hand sanitizing stations with other safety measures in place. We have implemented temporary telecommuting arrangements for employees, as well as paid sick leave to those impacted by the coronavirus, whether it is due to caring for children at home from school or illness.
In addition to keeping our core business functions and facilities operational, we have taken measures well in advance of this global pandemic to take on additional reserve inventory of raw materials and have been in close communications with our suppliers so that once manufacturing is up and running, production will be at full capacity. We will update our customers and partners on any significant changes to our current lead times as the realities of the coronavirus continue to evolve.
We, like you, have been closely monitoring the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Both the health and economic hardships being endured by individuals, families, communities, businesses and governments across the world are staggering and have profoundly altered every aspect of our lives. Though daunting, the resilience of our employees, global customers and business partners, as well as the shared mission to look forward, leveraging innovation and technology to create sustainable solutions predicated on renewable energy, certainly provides hope.
It is within this context that I wanted to personally reach out and share the steps SimpliPhi Power is taking to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers, our partners and the communities we serve around the world. Companies have a tremendous opportunity and an equal degree of responsibility, to be positive catalysts for change in the lives of the people they employ, the customers they serve, the partners they collaborate with, and the communities they impact.
Our hearts go out to all those who are facing health and economic hardships as a result of the coronavirus. With customers and partners across the globe impacted by its spread, we feel a tremendous sense of accountability to ensure that people and communities continue to have secure access to energy, so that critical infrastructure delivering products and services such as hospitals, clinics and emergency shelters continue to have power and remain operational.
Resilience, energy security and empowering communities are core to SimpliPhi’s mission and the work that we all do as a team, from manufacturing, to shipping, engineering, sales and project development, is all the more critical to the world, to medical personnel combating the coronavirus, and to our economic security. As a company, we are part of the solution to many of the serious problems in the world today, from climate change to energy poverty.
I am so thankful to have this team, our global network of partners and customers, to face these challenges together.
Sincerely, | https://simpliphipower.com/company/news/blog/simpliphi-ceo-catherine-von-burg-addresses-covid-19/ |
Performance Space is the crucible for risk-taking artists. Emerging over 30 years ago in response to artists’ articulated desire to explore and investigate new forms of art, Performance Space has consistently identified, nurtured and presented new directions in contemporary practice. We champion risk, experimentation, and new modes of creative expression. Performance Space continues to evolve and renew to meet the needs of the independent sector and explore new models for developing and presenting the most critical and important new work. The breadth of our organisational and artistic activity is informed and underpinned by a commitment to diversity. Performance Space embraces a diversity of artistic and cultural perspectives as being fundamental to a vibrant and engaging experimental arts culture. We therefore privilege the work of Aboriginal artists, practitioners from diverse cultural backgrounds, artists exploring new takes on sex and gender, disability and artists pushing the boundaries of the human through experiments with new technology. Over the past 30 years, we have continually refreshed and revised our development and presentation models. Our constant renewal has ensured that the bravest new works and most innovative artists have been supported through enabling structures to realise their most ambitious ideas and connect with audiences. | https://subdomain.backtracks.fm/discover/s/perormance-space/0ea1d7628cb8746a |
Between the years of 1946 and 1964, seventy-six million babies were born in the United States. At this moment, nearly a quarter of the American population is on the verge of retirement—and some have already passed that threshold. Americans are now retiring earlier than any other time in history. Concurrently, they are also living longer than ever before.
The confluence of these sociological shifts has created a landscape of uncharted territory for those about to retire. The retirement landscape that Baby Boomers must prepare to navigate is simply not the same world their parents lived in.
Unlike previous generations, who were able to rely on the primary safety nets of social security benefits and pensions, Baby Boomers are best served by learning the fundamentals of investing and the fundamentals of converting their savings to an ongoing, growing income stream.
A solid and well-planned income, investment and tax strategy is where you’ll create the greatest impact on your retirement. Below you’ll learn about five core principles that you will need to follow to become a successful retirement income investor and create a growing stream of income for life.
1. Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is making disciplined, well-educated decisions about what percentage of your assets you will divide between stocks, bonds, and cash.
In fact, academic studies prove time and time again that this decision is what drives 94 percent of investor results. It is not an investor’s ability to pick a winning stock, nor their talent for deciding when is a good time to get in or out of the market, that builds investor success, regardless of what the popular media promotes.
In the end, it’s the decision you make regarding your allocations of stocks, bonds, and cash that will have the biggest impact on your retirement income. Find the right percentage of stocks and bonds that will help you get to where you want to go, which is creating a growing stream of income for life that supports all of your important life goals.
Then keep that percentage balance steady throughout your retirement journey, only revisiting your decision in conjunction with major life events rather than outside, ever-changing noise.
2. Investor Behavior
Throughout your life before retirement, your income and your investments have been separate. For anyone in their working years, that’s been the case. However, for anyone on the doorstep of retirement, or who is already in retirement, income and investments become very intertwined.
It will become increasingly difficult to create a growing stream of income over time if your decision-making is fueled by emotion that is generated by preconceived notions. The consumer investor tends to do the wrong things at the wrong times, for the wrong reasons, usually costing themselves a lot of money over time.
Sticking to a well-thought-out, evidenced-based investment and income strategy, ignoring the hype and fads of the moment, is by no means easy, especially when it pertains to your nest egg that you spent a lifetime saving. But knowing that you have a retirement income and investment plan in place that insulates your retirement income from market declines will help you weather those impulses, both analytically and emotionally.
3. Rebalancing
Rebalancing refers simply to a disciplined, regular process by which an investor maintains their desired asset allocation and diversification through the buying and selling of stocks, bonds, and cash. This process cannot be random or whimsical, as it is important for maintaining your balance and your selected level of risk.
Many investors have no outlined process for buying and selling, and, as a result, they end up with a significantly different level of risk then they initially signed up for; they also may unwittingly suffer a lack of diversification. This breakdown of a portfolio’s structure can ultimately compromise an investor’s important life goals.
For example, say you made the decision in your income and investment strategy to maintain a portfolio of 60 percent stocks, 40 percent bonds. You happen to have an excellent year in the stock market with high returns. You end the year with more stock than when you began the year, and this means that your 60/40 allocation is now off.
With an allocation of 70 percent stocks, suddenly your portfolio has taken on more risk than you were willing to tolerate. It’s time to regain your desired allocation by rebalancing back to your original targets.
4. Diversification
There are generally eleven main building blocks or asset classes that represent a properly diversified portfolio. There are US Large Cap Stock, Small Cap Stock, and Mid Cap Stock, International, Emerging Markets, Real Estate, and more.
Put those ingredients together using a thoughtful framework. The framework may call for different amounts of each element, depending upon many factors, including but not limited to: personal circumstances, general economic conditions, interest rates, and domestic and international events.
Having too much of one type, too little of another, or leaving one out altogether, can ultimately compromise your results.No matter how much or how little risk you’re willing to take on as an investor, it is crucial to have a properly diversified portfolio.
When an investor’s portfolio is properly diversified, we can pretty much count on two things: the investor will never make a killing, but crucially, such a portfolio is never going to get killed. When it comes to your retirement income, diversifying your portfolio properly is the key to smoothing out your ride.
5. Understanding and Identifying Risk
Many investors don’t understand the subtle—but crucial—difference between risk and volatility.
Risk is exposure to the chance of loss or, the degree of probability of putting money into an investment that may permanently lose all of its value. As an example, the probability of loss when investing in an individual stock (one company) is greater than investing in a fund of many stocks (many companies), where the probability of total, permanent loss of value of all the companies in the fund at once is extremely unlikely.
Volatility is how rapidly and dramatically an investment tends to change in price.
If you are worried about the “risk level” of a certain investment, you are worried about the potentially permanent loss of your money. Whereas an investment’s volatility should only be a concern to investors if the money is needed in the immediate or near-term future.
Just because an investment is more volatile does not necessarily mean it is riskier in the long term. As an investment’s time horizon gets longer, the effect of volatility is reduced greatly.
The stock market as a whole is much more volatile than bank CDs or bonds but that does not mean retirees should bypass any investment in the stock market. Instead, it means that investors should know the potential for short-term volatility to affect the value of their investments and plan accordingly.
Turn Your Accumulated Resources into a Stream of Income
Financially speaking, the place where a person can make the single greatest impact on their retirement is in exactly how they plan to turn their accumulated resources, their savings, into income for the rest of their lives.
Other forms of income, like social security and pensions, also come into play; however, we know that where you can have the most ability to impact your retirement income, for good or bad, is in the proper management and distribution of your accumulated savings.
In simple terms, planning income for the distribution phase involves deciding exactly how to create a regular income out of a retiree’s accumulated investments.
The act of constructing a sound retirement income plan requires a commitment to educating oneself on the basics of income, investment and tax planning and to doing the work of creating and sticking to a plan. This investment of time and energy will pay dividends for years to come.
For more advice on retirement income investing, you can find Income for Life on Amazon.
This post was contributed by:
S. Joseph DiSalvo, ChFC, AIF and Marie L. Madarasz, AIF of Quest Capital & Risk Management, Inc. are committed to bringing their clients the clarity that will promote and enhance confidence in the future. For more than two decades they have used a proven process that helps clients think through how best to structure and manage their resources in order to produce a growing stream of retirement income for life.
As experts specializing in all aspects of Retirement Income Planning, they are passionate about the coordination and integration of their clients’ income, investment, and tax planning strategies in order to help clients live the life they’ve worked hard for. Joseph and Marie are strong advocates of financial education, seeking to teach others how to achieve sustained success and lifelong prosperity. | https://babyboomster.com/create-a-growing-stream-of-income/ |
IS A CEO THE SECRET TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS?
10th March 2020
“The decision to bring on a CEO into a family business may be critical to ensuring that the business can continue to grow sustainably into the future.”
AUTHOR: Andrew Leith
Throughout my time working with, and advising, organisations I have seen many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) grow, from reasonably modest bases, to become significant players in their respective markets. However, in many instances these successful SMEs get to a certain point and that growth trajectory plateaus or even falls. The differentiator between those that continue to grow and those that don’t is quite often the presence or lack of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or an equivalent skillset within the organisation.
Family businesses make up a large proportion of the SMEs that I see in this space. A family business typically starts out as just an individual or a husband and wife team or siblings and grows, sometimes rapidly, with other family members being recruited to help run the day to day operations. The business may be focused around a specific skill, product or idea. The roles of individual family members grow and change to meet the needs of the business and they all become consumed with running the business that they aren’t able to grow the business. It is at this point where the business hits its growth ceiling. However, the reason for this ceiling isn’t necessarily a lack of capacity, but rather it is commonly a result of a gap in understanding about how to grow the business sustainably.
When considering the businesses that continue to grow beyond this ceiling, the differentiator is more often than not the presence of a CEO or an equivalent set of skills within the organisation. The skills that I am referring to are an understanding and capability to:
- Create a clear and compelling vision for the future
- Develop and implement effective strategies to achieve this vision
- Implement good governance and ensure regulatory compliance is uphold
- Build internal capability and a promote a cohesive team environment
- Understand risk and ensure it is managed appropriately
- Embed sound financial management practices within the organisation
- And, possibly most important of all, drive a culture that is aligned to helping the business to achieve these outcomes
While this is not a comprehensive list, these skills are crucial to achieving long term sustainability and success in business. Individuals who possess these skills have usually obtained them over many years working with varied organisations in senior leadership roles and/or have obtained qualifications specific to leading and driving growth in a business. These skills position an individual to look past the product, service or idea and to see the potential for a business beyond its existing market or operating structure. Most importantly though, a good CEO will engage quickly and extensively within an organisation and will bring everyone on the journey to achieve the growth objectives.
So when is the right time to bring on a CEO? Well there is no hard and fast rule. Time, however, may be of the essence when deciding on the need for a CEO. Once a business loses its way and its brand becomes tarnished, it is difficult to resurrect things quickly. Being aware of when the family are unable to sustain the growth of the business, and require guidance, is critical. Some indicators that may inform this decision are:
- The business growth has plateaued or has even fallen
- Profitability margins have been reducing steadily over time or rapidly within a short period
- The owners spend all of their time delivering services and not enough time planning and strategising
- There is a business strategy to invest significant amounts of capital or to grow the business rapidly
- Elements of the business, its market, customer base, geographical spread, operating structure or personnel base increase in complexity or size and give rise to significant business challenges.
In most cases, the final step in the family’s decision making for determining when or if a CEO should be brought on is the cost versus the benefit of doing so.
An argument I hear regularly against hiring a CEO is that it is an expense that the business cannot sustain. There is no doubt that a CEO can be expensive, however, they should not be viewed purely as an expense but rather as an investment. The decision to bring on a CEO should be assessed similarly to any investment decision that a business makes, such as buying a new piece of equipment or investing in R&D. An effective CEO will yield benefits for an organisation far beyond the initial and ongoing cost of having one.
However, where budgets will not allow for a full time CEO resource, all is not lost. With the ever-changing business environment, flexible working arrangements and technological advancements, there are options for organisations to access CEOs on a lower cost basis. Whether it is a seasoned executive moving into retirement and seeking a part time role or a remote specialist providing tailored strategic mentoring services, there are options for businesses on a budget. For organisations that are reluctant to bring in external help and would rather go it alone, why not consider upskilling one of the family members through study? While this path is likely to be a slower process, many courses are flexible and therefore it will generally enable that family member to continue working in the business while completing the study.
In any case, for a CEO to be most effective it is important that the family is willing to relinquish some control and allow the CEO to drive the initiatives needed to grow the business. This is always a challenge for a family business where the family members are sentimentally connected to, or are protective of, the business. But this is the reason that choosing the right CEO for is of utmost importance. They must be clear on where the business has come from and, collectively the family and the CEO, must agree on the path forward.
Overall bringing a CEO on in some form or capacity is a critical step for many family businesses to continue their growth trajectory and for ensuring this growth is sustainable. The timing of making this decision is important, but most of all, finding a CEO that connects with the business, just like the family does is equally, if not more, important. | https://www.pvwpartners.com/news/pvw-news/is-a-ceo-the-secret-to-the-success-of-your-family-business/ |
We all contribute to making Roanoke an even better place, and creativity plays a major role. Envisioning the future, designing an alternative to a challenging situation, and connecting with those unlike you all require imagination. Artists, designers, and culture bearers make a difference in our community.In this newsletter, explore ways artists are contributing their talents, find training to help us do it, and respond to current calls to share your creativity!Pictured above: One artist recently shared their love for Roanoke on the chalk wall beneath the gingko trees of Downtown Roanoke's Century Plaza.
Our partners at the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center (RRSBDC) are seeking an artist(s) to create site-specific original artwork for National Small Business Week.This opportunity is open to established professional artists. The application deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, August 6, 2021 (Eastern Standard Time).
The Roanoke Arts Commission seeks exhibition-ready art for a ten-month exhibit in the City of Roanoke Municipal Building. The exhibition, Welcome to Roanoke: Images of a Compassionate, Diverse, and Welcoming Community will be curated by members of the RAC Collections Committee. We welcome work from all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.
Submissions are due at midnight on Tuesday, August 31.
The Art-Train Individual Artist Training is for artists who are interested in building on their existing skills to collaborate in and with their communities through their local agencies, non-profits, and arts councils. Artists will deepen practices around creative problem solving, equitable community engagement, and creating arts-based strategies to address recovery efforts.While the training program is free for artists on dates occuring throughout the spring and summer, there is also a fee-based version for arts organizations. The Roanoke Arts Commission will be participating in this initiative of Springboard for the Arts to better support our community. We're applying for grants and designing programs to fund artists in helping to advance community goals. If you are interested in learning more about these strategies in our community, contact [email protected]
The 2020 winners of the Color Your Corner art contest have had their submissions come to life on signal boxes around the community. Pictured here is Hannah Wheeler's celebration of Roanoke's diverse pedestrians. Remember, every corner is a crosswalk! Pictured above Hannah Wheeler with her signal box at Orange Avenue and 19th Street.
The Carilion Clinic Foundation invites artists to submit a proposal for a portable sculpture/vessel to be utilized as a focus for ceremonies of healing in various healthcare and community settings. The sculpture must be interactive, durable, and one-of-a-kind. The chosen work will be of a scale and material suitable for easy transport to locations throughout Carilion Clinic’s service region and for temporary use during events, which may occur in outdoor settings.
GET THE FULL CALL HERE.
Have you seen the creative responses to our Reimagining Roanoke Call? Get the full experience by taking a stroll down the Elmwood Artwalk, visiting the Hollins Campus, and looking for art along the Roanoke Greenway. Or you can peek ahead and learn more below.
From left to right: Dowsing Man (detail), 2021, by Ann Glover; Basics #50, 2021, by Matthias Neumann; Steel Blossom (detail), 2021, by Beatrice Coron.
“It’s important as a community that we know how to come together and work together,” says Garland Gravely, a founder of Fashionista Roanoke (pictured above with Arts & Culture Coordinator Doug Jackson).
The Roanoke native says it’s all about multiculturalism as the organization develops creative collaborations to benefit nonprofit partners. Established in 2008, Fashionista Roanoke produces fashion shows for good causes and trains youth and adults in many aspects of the fashion industry, including modeling, merchandising, and event production. | https://www.roanokeva.gov/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message/149410 |
Evans, E.W. (2009) Lady Beetles as Predators of Insects Other than Hemiptera. Biological Control, 51, 255-267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.05.011
Byers, J.A. (2006) Analysis of Insect and Plant Colors in Digital Images Using Java Software on the Internet. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 99, 865-874.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/0013-8746(2006)99[865:AOIAPC]2.0.CO;2
Zar, J.H. (1977) Biostatistical Analysis. 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River.
Britton, G., Lockley, W.J.S., Harriman, G.A. and Goodwin, T.W. (1977) Pigmentation of the Ladybird Beetle Coccinella septempunctata by Carotenoids Not of Plant Origin. Nature, 266, 49-50.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/266049a0
Cromartie, R. (1959) Insect Pigments. Annual Review of Entomology, 4, 59-76.
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Obrycki, J.J. and Kring, T.J. (1998) Predaceous Coccinellidae in Biological Control. Annual Reviews of Entomology, 43, 295-321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.295
Arakane, Y., Dittmer, N.T., Tomoyasu, Y., Kramer, K.J., Muthukrishnan, S., Beeman, R.W. and Kanost, M.R. (2010) Identification, mRNA Expression and Functional Analysis of Several Yellow Family Genes in Tribolium castaneum. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 40, 259-266.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2010.01.012
Sloggett, J., Magro, A., Verheggen, F., Hemptinne, J.-L., Hutchison, W. and Riddick, E. (2011) The Chemical Ecology of Harmonia axyridis. BioControl, 56, 643-661.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10526-011-9376-4
Bezzerides, A.L., McGraw, K.J., Parker, R.S. and Husseini, J. (2007) Elytra Color as a Signal of Chemical Defense in the Asian Ladybird Beetle Harmonia axyridis. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 61, 1401-1408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-007-0371-9
Blount, J.D., Rowland, H.M., Drijfhout, F.P., Endler, J.A., Inger, R., Sloggett, J.J., Hurst, G.D.D., Hodgson, D.J. and Speed, M.P. (2012) How the Ladybird Got Its Spots: Effects of Resource Limitation on the Honesty of Aposematic Signals. Functional Ecology, 26, 334-342. | https://m.scirp.org/papers/49312 |
Provides orthopedic support services inpatients and outpatients. Supports orthopedic surgeons in clinical, surgical, and other patient care responsibilities. Oversees performance of Orthopedic Technician 1. Proactively supports efforts that ensure delivery of safe patient care and services and promote a safe environment at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
- High school diploma
- Must have ONE of the following: National Board for Certification of Orthopaedic Technologists, Registered Orthopedic Technologist (ROT) through American Society of Orthopedic Professionals (ASOP), or associate's degree or certificate from a NAOT Recognized School and Program
- 1 year of experience in orthopedic cast technical
- 6 months of clinical experience
- Experience in pediatrics
- Experience in supervision
- Familiarity with all orthopedic instrumentation, equipment, hardware, and procedures
- Knowledge of basic aseptic technique and ability to do basic casting, splinting, and hardware maintenance
- Provides assistance to all surgical orthopedic service staff members:
Perform patient intake process including height/weight, vital signs, and intake questionnaires.
Remove splint/cast, as needed, for x-ray.
Apply splints/casts as ordered by provider/athletic trainer.
Remove splints/casts at end of treatment, as ordered.
- Applies and maintains traction and other patient hardware systems.
- Works with patients and families on all aspects of care. Provides on-call services.
- Provides excellent service routinely in interactions with all customers, e.g., coworkers, patients, visitors, physicians, and volunteers.
- Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with hospital and departmental policies and procedures.
- Assists with managerial aspects of orthopedic cost center.
- Precepts and trains Orthopedic Tech I in acquiring skills for job performance.
- Scrubs on identified orthopedic cases.
- Reports mechanical or electrical equipment malfunctions, employee/patient/visitor injuries or accidents, or other safety issues to supervisor or compliance office immediately.
- Demonstrates competencies that incorporate age-specific guidelines, including N = Neonate (less than 30 days), I = Infant (30 days to 1 year), EC = Early Childhood (1-5 years), LC = Late Childhood (5-13 years), A = Adolescent (13-17 years), AD = Adult, and ALL = all ages. Participates in maintaining and monitoring work environment to ensure a continual state of Joint Commission readiness.
Safety: Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with hospital and departmental policies and procedures. Responsible for the reporting of employee/patient/visitor injuries or accidents, or other safety issues to the supervisor and in the occurrence notification system.
Compliance: Monitors and ensures compliance with all regulatory requirements, organizational standards, and policies and procedures related to area of responsibility. Identifies potential risk areas within area of responsibility and supports problem resolution process. Maintains records of compliance activities and reports compliance activities to the Compliance Office.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified.
About Us:
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been 100 percent committed to kids for more than 100 years. A not-for-profit organization, Children’s is dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow.
With 3 hospitals, 20 neighborhood locations and a total of 673 beds, Children’s is the largest healthcare provider for children in Georgia and one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs and is ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Children’s has been recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Place to Work, a Best Place for Working Mothers, and as a top employer for diversity and millennials. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package that supports our mission, vision and values. We are proud to offer an array of programs and services to our employees that have distinguished us as a best place to work in the country. Connect to our mission of making kids better today and healthier tomorrow.
Have questions about the recruitment process? Check out What to Expect. | https://careers.choa.org/job/Cumming-Orthopedic-Technician-2-Children's-at-Forsyth-GA-30041/674300400/ |
NEED HELP-Creating my PDF IM product
I'm in the process of creating my first IM product.
It's going to be a PDF with videos and text.
I understand that I can start with Microsoft Word, and then convert it to PDF.
However I'm clueless as to how to create one of these effectively.
- How do I create a table of contents that's clickable?
- How do I add youtube videos to my PDF.
- What's the best/easiest way to sell this product. Clickbank or another method.
- "BRANDING?" or copyrighting my EBOOK so it can't be copied, distributed, altered etc. Maybe "trademarking" is the word I'm looking for?
I'm totally clueless about creating these things. | https://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussion-forum/209828-need-help-creating-my-pdf-im-product.html |
Rogerson, L., Darby, S., Jabbar, T., Mathers, M.E., Leung, H.Y. , Robson, C.N., Sahadevan, K., OToole, K. and Gnanapragasam, V.J. (2008) Application of transcript profiling in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded diagnostic prostate cancer needle biopsies. BJU International, 102(3), pp. 364-370. (doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07627.x)
Full text not currently available from Enlighten.
Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07627.x
Abstract
To investigate the feasibility of transcript profiling in diagnostic formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies for prostate cancer. Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) was used to microdissect glandular epithelium as well as stromal tissue in archival prostate needle biopsies. Optimized RNA extraction, reverse transcription and real-time PCR (QPCR) protocols were used to detect transcript expression. RNA degradation effects were assessed using hydrolysed cell line RNA and matched xenograft FFPE and frozen tumours. LCM and RNA extraction was achieved in all biopsies from a pilot cohort of five patients. cDNA produced was successfully used to detect expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, RPL13, prostate-specific antigen, vimentin, inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding 1 (Id-1) and polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) transcripts. In the cell line and xenograft models, we investigated the effect of RNA degradation on transcript quantification by QPCR. In both models normalization of transcript quantity with a housekeeping gene resulted in restored expression in all degraded samples to within a 50% difference of control samples. Using an extended cohort of 29 biopsies, we tested application in detecting differences in EZH2 and Id-1 expression between malignant and benign epithelium. The results confirmed that our technique was capable of quantifying significant differences in expression between malignant and benign epithelium consistent with the reported trends. This study reports the use of standard FFPE needle biopsies for transcript profiling and supports the concept of molecular prognostic studies in tissue acquired at diagnosis in prostate cancer. | http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/51165/ |
Each state that has adopted Common Core State Standards will select an assessment consortium to assess how children are progressing in school. The two options most widely chosen at this point are: Smarter Balanced and PARCC. Each assessment consortium has provided practice test questions and today we will review one of these questions and discuss its potential impact on classroom instruction.
Below is an assessment question from Smarter Balanced grade 4. Smarter Balanced uses two types of assessment questions: Selected Response and Constructed Response.
- Selected Response requires the students to select one or more correct answers.
- Constructed Response requires the students to create their own answer.
Fourth Grade Describe a Character in a Story
Common Core Standard Assessed
4.RL.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
Solution
From Smarter Balanced Scoring Guide
The correct response, option D, receives a score of 1 point.
What do we learn from this item?
This question is designed to assess if students can identify the contrasting personality traits of a character. This item requires students to think back to the actions done by a character in a story, and determine how those actions reflect the character’s personality. This question requires students to understand that personality means character traits. This is not the traditional way that character traits are taught. Most often, character traits are taught as a single personality trait (honest, mysterious, etc.)
How is this concept assessed in other grades?
Alternate ways of identifying, describing, or analyzing characters and their development is addressed in grades K-12 in the Common Core Standards. Smarter Balanced assesses this concept using different approaches and vocabulary. At times, students are expected to select the correct character trait(s) from several answers, and other times students are expected to write their own response using information from the text. Throughout the practice test examples, Smarter Balanced tends to use the word personality.
Suggestions for classroom instruction
Multiple stories should be used that teach the students how to identify multiple character traits in one character. This all should be done in the context of a story. Students should practice using the details or evidence from the story to support a characters personality, keeping in mind that some characters can have more than one trait. Students should also practice writing constructed response answers for character development as well. DataWORKS has created a Constructed Response poster to help students remember the components to include when writing their own answers. | https://dataworks-ed.com/blog/2014/08/common-core-assessment-analysis-fourth-grade-describe-character/ |
Employee Knowledge Exchange (EX) is a cooperation of analysts, educators, consultants, researchers, business executives, and employees from all parts belonging to the industry that share an interest in building a more satisfying work environment. Through one-to-one interviews, participant remark, case research, concentration groups, workshops, and circular tables, individuals exchange suggestions and encounters that enhance human potential at the work environment. This network of advisors offers the proficiency to help corporations improve their capacity to promote good quality and successful work force. Basically, EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE is about understanding human potential in the workplace, distinguishing where advancements can be made, sharing the ones ideas and experiences, producing ways in which to implement these ideas and practices, sharing skills to participants, and gaining fresh perspectives on existing concerns and trends in the workplace.
Throughout the lens of human potential, EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE fosters discussion that encourages change, occurs leadership skills, improves communication skills, develops teamwork and produces healthy interactions. With the final goal of empowering each individual to realize his or her full potential, EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE helps companies identify their particular strengths, figure out how to very best use many strengths, examine individuals as a team, provide opinions that allows visitors to grow and benefit from their interactions, enhance overall company effectiveness, deal with conflicts and misunderstandings, develop new goals and approaches, and carry diverse thoughts and points of views to mild. Participants come from all types of industries and employment opportunities; from artists, dentists, fliers, business market leaders, government specialists, educators, consultants, health care professionals, sales representatives, technology professionals, monetary planners, and even more!
Many of the loudspeakers at this 12-monthly EXPERIENCE TRADED events are invited due to their specific parts of expertise or interest. For example , Mary Patten, PhD, MBA, a nationally recognized qualified in workforce planning, workplace communication, recruiting, and company behavior, is generally invited to speak on the topics of mental intelligence, management, communication, character styles, command development, variety and fairness. Tom Crawford, PhD, a world distinguished speaker and consultant on leadership, is usually frequently asked to speak about these subject areas. On the other hand, EXPERIENCE EXCHANGED events are also went to by the incredibly people the speakers will be addressing. This can include members https://sdc-valuechains.ch/exchange-of-experience-as-a-tool-to-achieve-the-companys-goals/ of the visitors. At these events, business and job leaders, career mentors, business owners, and personnel interact with one another, discuss issues in the workplace, and share ideas about how exactly to improve their interactions and the professional connections. | https://royaltytalent.com/2021/10/04/encounter-exchange-a-program-for-professional-development/ |
All bacteria elongate and divide to faithfully reproduce their cell shape. Understanding the mechanisms that drive bacterial morphology requires an intimate knowledge of how the cell wall is synthesized. During cell division, most bacteria synthesize new cell wall at mid-cell and the mechanism underlying this process is highly conserved. In contrast, there is a high degree of diversity in bacterial growth patterning during elongation. Bacteria in the Rhizobiales exhibit an atypical form of unipolar elongation, and the molecular mechanisms of how new cell wall is synthesized during growth and division currently remains unexplored. Using microfluidics and fluorescent cell wall probes we first investigated whether polar growth is conserved in a morphologically complex bacterium, Prosthecomicrobium hirschii. We showed that P. hirschii has a dimorphic lifestyle and can switch between a long-stalked, non-motile form and a short-stalked, motile form. Furthermore, we found that all morphotypes of P. hirschii elongate using polar growth, suggesting the polar elongation is a widespread feature of bacteria in this order. Next, we used the rod-shaped bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a model to investigate the precise mechanisms that drive polar elongation. We characterized a comprehensive set of cell wall synthesis enzymes in A. tumefaciens and identified penicillin-binding protein 3a (PBP3a) and PBP3b as a synthetic lethal pair that function during cell division, and PBP1a as an essential enzyme required for polar growth and maintenance of rod shape. Compositional analysis of the PBP1a depletion, suggested that LD-transpeptidase (LDT) enzymes may play an important role in polar growth. We identified three LDTs that likely function in polar growth. We also observed subpolar localization of LDTs, suggesting bacteria in the Rhizobiales may insert or remodel cell wall material in a subpolar zone during growth. Finally, we used RNA-seq to explore changes in gene expression during PBP1a depletion, revealing that that loss of PBP1a induces a lifestyle switch which mimics the switch from a free-living bacterium into a plant-associated state. The change in lifestyle is characterized by increased exopolysaccharide production and Type VI Secretion System activity and a decrease in flagella-mediated motility. This finding indicates that bacteria have a mechanism to sense changes in cell wall composition or integrity due to the loss of PBP1a and respond through changes in gene expression that impact physiology and behavior. This finding opens the door to future studies on the link between changes in cell wall composition and complex bacterial behaviors and lifestyles. Overall, this research provides mechanistic insights about the roles of cell wall synthesis during cell growth and division in the A. tumefaciens, which are conserved in other Rhizobiales, including agriculturally and medically species such as Sinorhizobium and Brucella.
Degree
Ph. D.
Thesis Department
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OpenAccess
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. Copyright held by author. | https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/79574 |
Can you tell us something about yourself?
My name is Tim Buchhorn. I work as an energy and resource efficiency specialist at the Institute of Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS). IfaS is a higher research institute at Trier University of Applied Sciences located at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld (ECB) in Germany. In our view, the intelligent, resource-efficient utilisation of material and energy flows is the backbone of a sustainable society. For IfaS the optimisation of material and energy flows is more a question of management than a technical challenge. The analysis of the current situation, the creation of networks, the innovative combination of new and proven technologies as well as the development of innovative financial mechanisms are the focus of IfaS’s work. As part of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies division, my fields of work are to conduct energy audits and offer consultancy services on energy and resource efficiency for private entities, governmental agencies, and local communities in Germany and abroad. My colleagues Daniel Oßwald and Michael Schmidt and I are involved in the TRANSFORM-CE project.
How are you involved with the TRANSFORM-CE project?
Our team focuses on the Material Flow Analysis and Business Uptake work packages. For the Material Flow Analysis work package, I assess waste flows that are rich in single-use plastics in the four partner regions. I look at volumes and recycling, and create scenarios to predict the future plastic waste occurrence. We will then develop a methodology to compare TRANSFORM-CE’s role in increasing resource efficiency through its associated demonstration plants to the conventional treatment options of plastic waste in NWE.
What challenges and/or opportunities do you see?
Our findings show that there is enormous potential for increasing the usage of recycled plastics. Every partner country has different methods for the classification, collection, treatment and recycling of plastic waste streams. Many regions, municipalities and organisations have set up successful programmes to increase the capture and recycling rates of plastic waste. By learning from each other and adopting examples of best practice from all over NWE, including TRANSFORM-CE, we can drastically improve resource efficiency and take a big step towards a circular economy.
What is your call to action to industry?
My first call to action to industry is to increase the recyclability of plastic products like packaging or other single-use products by making recyclability a central design element and considering the entire life cycle of the products. Measures like using mono-materials, minimising the use of additives, or refraining from using carbon black allow high quality recycling. My second call to action is to use as much recycled plastic as possible. Our research in TRANSFORM-CE shows that plastic waste will be an important and reliable resource in the future. Using that resource will strongly reduce our dependency on raw materials. Of course, reducing the amount of waste for disposal also has many environmental benefits. | https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/transform-ce-transforming-single-use-plastic-waste-into-additive-manufacturing-and-intrusion-extrusion-moulding-feedstocks-and-creating-a-new-circular-economy-model-for-nwe/news/meet-the-partners-ifas-tim-buchhorn/ |
HEMOLYTIC DISEASE OF THE FRUIT AND NEWBORN
HEMOLYTIC DISEASE OF THE FETUS AND THE NEWBORN - an immune conflict between the mother and the fetus. The mother's body synthesizes antibodies in response to fetal erythrocyte antigens alien to it. The most common type of immunological incompatibility of organisms of the mother and the fetus is incompatibility for the Rh factor - 97%, incompatibility in blood groups is much less common. The Rh factor in the fetus is found at the 8th – 9th week of intrauterine development, the number of Rh antigens gradually increases. Through the placenta, they penetrate the mother’s bloodstream and anti-Rh antibodies form to them if the mother is Rh-negative. Penetrating through the placenta into the body of the fetus, maternal antibodies cause the breakdown of red blood cells. The second name of this pathology is associated with this - erythroblastosis. Anemia develops, with hemolysis an increased amount of bilirubin is formed; as the compensatory mechanisms in the fight against anemia in the liver and spleen of the fetus hemopoies form, which leads to an increase in these organs and the disruption of their function.
Factors predisposing to hemolytic disease are:
- Rh-positive blood transfusion of Rh-negative woman;
- spontaneous abortion;
- ectopic pregnancy;
- the birth of the Rh-positive baby Rh-negative mother;
- the birth of the Rh-negative baby Rh-positive mother.
Diagnostics. The obstetrician and the immunologist are subject to all women who have had children with hemolytic disease, and all women who have been diagnosed with rhesus sensitization. In the blood of women determine the titer of Rh antibodies 1 time per month until the 32nd week of pregnancy; 2 times a month from week 32 to week 35 and week 36 from week 36.
In the antenatal diagnosis of hemolytic disease, ultrasound (ultrasound) is important, with which signs such as an increase in the size of the liver and spleen, a thickening of the placenta, polyhydramnios, and an edema of the fetus can be detected. According to the testimony and prescription of a physician, amniotic fluid is studied, which is obtained by puncture of the fetal bladder (amniocentesis). Puncture is performed through the abdominal wall. Preliminary with ultrasound, the location of the placenta and the fetus is determined in order to avoid their injury during puncture. In amniotic waters, the content of antibodies, the bilirubin index, the blood type of the fetus - which are essential for assessing its condition and prescribing appropriate therapy are determined. According to the testimony, cordocentesis is also performed - drawing blood from the umbilical cord of the fetus.
For the treatment of hemolytic disease is shown blood transfusion, which is carried out according to indications from the 18th week of pregnancy. Blood transfusion is performed intraperitoneally (into the abdominal cavity of the fetus) or into the umbilical cord vein in close proximity to the placenta. The procedure is carried out under the control of ultrasound. In moderate to severe hemolytic disease, delivery from the 34th week of gestation is indicated.
There are three main forms of hemolytic disease in newborns:
- hemolytic anemia without dropsy and jaundice;
- hemolytic anemia with jaundice;
- hemolytic anemia with jaundice and dropsy. | http://en.shram.kiev.ua/health/zabolevania/zab4024.shtml |
The utility model provides a portable multifunctional tool for aloft work. The portable multifunctional tool comprises a handle, a hammer body arranged at one end of the handle and an internal hexagonal wrench arranged at the other end of the handle. A sliding groove is formed in the side face of the handle, more than two first through holes are formed in the top face of the sliding groove, a wrench is inserted into the sliding groove, second through holes matched with the first through holes are formed in a wrench handle of the wrench, and fixing bolts are installed in the first through holes and the second through holes in a penetrating mode. More than one third through hole is formed in the top face of the handle, the cross section of each third through hole is in a regular hexagon shape or a regular dodecagon shape, sliding grooves are formed in the two side faces of the handle, wrenches are inserted into the sliding grooves, and the multifunctional wrench has the advantages of being convenient to carry and use, comprehensive in function and high in safety. | |
UK To Ban Services Permitting Oil Shipments From Russia
The UK is pressing ahead with legislation to deter its services from being utilized to permit oil shipments from Russia internationally.
A statement released from the Treasury on Thursday mentioned that the new law, to be effective from 5 December, will place a ban on the UK’s ships and services, including insurance, shipping, and brokerage, to facilitate the maritime transport of Russia’s crude oil.
It follows a similar prohibition for US firms approved this week in a move to restrict Moscow’s revenues following the invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
Insurance is one of the crucial measures that facilitate the movement of oil by sea, where the UK stands out as a global leader, with 60% of cover worldwide.
The HM Treasury mentioned that 5 December had been chosen to align with a parallel measure introduced in the EU.
The new law is expected to prevent nations from availing of the UK’s services to transport oil from Russia unless it’s bought at or below a price cap set by Australia and G7 – to be finalized in due course.
The HM Treasury said that the cap tactics help ensure that nations can continue securing cheap oil. It added that the UK and the nation’s coalition partners would not use the cap, as they’ve placed an import ban on Russia’s oil.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also mentioned that they continue to support Ukraine in the face of Putin’s illegal and brutal invasion.
Russia accounts for a limited fraction of the UK’s oil and gas usage – approximately 8% of oil and about 4% of gas.
Despite this, Britain isn’t insulated against the price fluctuations of such commodities on the worldwide market, brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. | https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/uk-to-ban-services-permitting-oil-shipments-from-russia/ |
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Assistant Media Manager-Museum at FIT
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WOVEN CALL FOR PAPERS AND CONFERENCE:
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Call for Asst. Professor of Fashion at Arizona State University
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Call for Papers: Special Issue of English Language Notes, “Fashion’s Borders”
Fashion’s Borders This special issue of ELN takes up the complex relationship between clothing and place and seeks to examine the transcultural flow of commodities (specifically clothing and fashionable objects) both within and across national borders. Fashion, we...
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BIAS: Journal of Fashion Studies Submissions due: December 31, 2020 Call for Submissions: BIAS, The Journal of Fashion Studies Issue #8 FASHION + SYSTEMS Parsons’ BIAS: The Journal of Fashion Studies invites you to submit to its upcoming issue FASHION + SYSTEMS....
BLM Focused Special Issue of the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ)
Black Lives Matter: Black Contributions in the Apparel, Fashion, and Textile Industries New Manuscript Submission Deadline: March 31, 2021 The tragic murder of George Floyd, Summer 2020 has caused a global recognition of the importance of the Black Lives Matter...
Special Issue of Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion: ‘Black Masculinities, Dress and Style’
Like other colonized or otherwise marginalized communities, self-identified Black people employ their bodies as their primary vehicle of cultural expression. For men of African ancestry in particular, how they fashion themselves has literal life or death consequences.... | https://fashionandrace.org/database/opportunities/ |
According to the historical course of this region, the North Pole was claimed in 1909 by Canada and in 1924 by the United States of America. Then the Soviet Union also continued this process and made a territorial claim in this region due to its geographical proximity. It was at this time that this country seized the Bering Strait and the Kola Peninsula. Since 1930, this area has been considered from a military point of view. For example, Canada and the United States implemented defense-oriented plans under the pretext of an all-out threat from the Russians. In the middle of World War II, the North Pole was a breeding ground for German and Russian submarines to advance their military goals. After the Second World War, at the height of the Cold War, the North Pole was also a place of dispute and became of strategic and military importance for the governments. With the escalation of these differences, the strategic importance of the region took on a political and security color. As mentioned, the melting of the ice in this region (due to global warming), the three basic and key points of security, easy access to sea routes (creating new waterways) and energy (oil and gas) became the subject of discussion and disagreement between governments.
In fact, global warming has dramatically affected the Arctic region. By evaluating the climate effects of the North Pole in 2004, it can be concluded that the temperature of this region will increase by 4 to 7 degrees by the end of this century. At the same time as this study, another study was conducted and they came to the conclusion that by 2040 all the Arctic glaciers will melt. However, with the intensification of the global warming crisis and the disregard of world powers to this issue (including the United States), the process of ice melting is taking place at a faster rate. According to their capabilities, countries are trying to prove their sovereignty over the Arctic region and protect their interests in that region. Especially Russia's provocative actions and raising its flag in the North Pole have aggravated the differences.
Methodology
This research has been done in a scientific-research method. Scientific research is the way that research is done on the topic in question according to valid scientific methods. On the other hand, this research has been done in a descriptive-analytical way, because according to the sources, the existing facts have been expressed and then the analysis and reasoning about these events has been done. Because this research is a library work, the political, legal and environmental importance of the Arctic region and its governance by the Arctic Council in the framework of international law have been discussed. Based on this, some sources have been discussed and research has been done on this matter through the available sources in English, Turkish and Farsi languages.
Conclusion
The Arctic does not yet have specific sovereignty in international law. Countries around the Arctic have divisions of authority. Unlike Antarctica, the region does not yet have a convention on sovereignty and environmental issues and resource utilization, and therefore no progress has been made in the region due to tensions between sovereign states. The strategic importance of the Arctic is not recognized by countries, and only governments recognize the region's oil and gas resources. One of the reasons why the Arctic is important is the area's access to the high seas. With the gradual warming of land and the melting of polar ice, it has facilitated the extraction of underground resources and easy access to the maritime routes of the area, affecting global geopolitics. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this paper attempts to explain the political importance of this region among governments and to examine the legal challenges to the Arctic with respect to international law. The results show that the region faces border disputes, increased military might and coastal claims. The legal status of this region in accordance with international law is subject to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. This area, which has not yet been established by a special agreement or treaty, has always been prone to tension and conflict between countries, especially coastal countries. The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Seas cannot completely fill the void in the Arctic, but it can be filled with cooperation between governments. In this regard, the Arctic Council can compensate for the existing gaps in addition to its duties, including maintaining the ecological cover of the region and resolving disputes and tensions between governments. In order to realize this, it is necessary to expand the scope of jurisdiction and better organization of this council. However, despite the effectiveness of the Arctic Council, due to the special geographical situation of this region, the permanent solution of its problems and issues should be possible with an independent and comprehensive treaty for this region. A treaty that takes into account the specific geographical characteristics of the region and provides a comprehensive and permanent solution including freedom of trade, free passage, protection of the flora and fauna of the region, introduction as a free and common area for all nations, joint exploitation of resources. Determining the legal status and territorial and territorial disputes of the coastal countries, prohibiting the military presence of the countries, solving the issues related to the Arctic continental plateau and respecting the human rights of the native communities of the region and its administration by them, etc. can solve a large part of its problems. To resolve and prevent disputes and widespread regional and international tensions. This solution should include two parts before the polar ice melts and after the polar ice melts. Because currently the polar ices of this region have not melted and cannot be considered as the open sea according to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is the reason why the need for a legal regime or a special treaty for this region is felt for joint administration and solving its problems. Of course, this treaty can be under the supervision of the United Nations and with the advice and provision of a solution by the Arctic Council and by taking into account some rules of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. In the end, the Arctic legal regime or the Arctic Comprehensive Treaty can be the end point of these problems and dilemmas in this region. | http://www.jess.ir/article_165762.html |
Is taxpayer's money the only way to get to Mars, or back to the Moon? If governments won't pay for it, is there no chance for human settlements in space?
I think there is a way to provide an incentive for privately funded settlement.
Let me explain.
In the 1960's many assumed that by the end of the century, mankind would be well established on the Moon, and perhaps even exploring Mars. Few people today remember or understand just what went wrong.
On February 3rd, 1966, the Soviet Union's Luna 9 made mankind's first "soft" landing on the Moon. The U.S. was still trailing in the "space race" and wouldn't make its first soft landing for four more months.
Newspapers ran serious articles about whether the Russians would use their landing to claim ownership of the Moon. Government officials worried about the supposedly overwhelming military advantage the U.S.S.R. would gain by seizing the "ultimate high ground". Reassuringly, the articles concluded that under traditional international law, no one could really claim the Moon until they had at least made a manned landing!
Those articles are an excellent reminder that fear of a Russian victory in the race to the Moon, leading to a Russian claim to the Moon, was a major reason Congress kept increasing the funding for Apollo. No congress would ever have spent 100 Billion Dollars (in 1994 dollars) just for some nebulous "prestige" benefit.
To be able to divert more money to the escalating Viet Nam war, Lyndon Johnson had to send Arthur Goldberg to the Russians to negotiate a quick truce in the space race. The result was the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which, among other things, barred claims of "national sovereignty" in space.
The treaty doesn't actually bar private ownership of land beyond the Earth, but since national sovereignty has traditionally been the legal basis for private property rights in Anglo-Saxon law, the treaty is often assumed to have that effect.
I am convinced that that treaty provision is the real reason the space race ended, and space development has slowed to a crawl for the last quarter century. Significantly, space funding increased every year, in both the U.S. and U.S.S.R., until the passage of the 1967 treaty, and then decreased every year thereafter.
Although it is now often forgotten, the international law created by the 1967 treaty is not the norm in human history. The right to claim newly settled property has always provided the economic incentive for human expansion. (Would Europeans have ever settled America if they couldn't claim ownership of the land they settled?) In this case, immediately re-saleable property deeds are the only possible "product" that can be profitably brought back from space at current launch costs.
Space settlement will not occur until we get the historically normal condition restored. To really "enable the space frontier", we will have to re-establish a rule of law something like this:
Any private entity (presumably a consortium of companies) which establishes a permanently inhabited base on the Moon or Mars, (or any planet or asteroid), with guaranteed regular transportation shuttling between the base and the Earth, open to any paying passenger, immediately acquires full legall recognized and saleable title to hundreds of thousands of square miles around the base.
The land grant for the first such base on the Moon would need to be at least the size of Alaska, which would be worth almost four billion dollars at even $10 an acre. That's big enough to allow the winning consortium to begin earning back their expenditure immediately by selling off pieces of it, but still less than 4% of the Moon's surface.
[EDITOR: scan in graphic from hardcopy]
On Mars the land grant would have to be more like the size of the United States, worth about 23 billion dollars at $10 an acre. If that's still not enough, there is plenty of room to enlarge the grants.
Of course, the establishment of their space transport service, which enabled the consortium to win the land grant in the first place, will dramatically increase the value of their land over what it is worth today, when it is inaccessible. As with the land grants that paid for building America's trans-continental railroads, vast wealth would be created (out of thin vacuum, so to speak) by giving formerly worthless land real value and an owner.
Although neither has realized it yet, it would be a huge plum Congress could give to the aerospace companies, without costing the taxpayers anything! Suddenly there would be a market for Moon rockets. Imagine if a consortium of respected companies, led by, say, KKR or Mitsubishi, decided to try for the prize, and asked for bids on a rocket capable of shuttling back and forth to the Moon.
If we could get something like this enacted into U.S., and preferably international, law the space race would quickly resume, this time among consortia of private companies. After the first announcement of an attempt to set up a lunar base, others, all over the world, would say, "we can't let them claim the Moon, WE must get there first". Fear of competitors is still the best motivator.
Once competition gets going, companies all around the world will seek their governments' help and investment, perhaps reestablishing a healthy spirit of national competitiveness in space, despite the ban on national sovereignty.
There are six or seven common arguments against property rights as an incentive for space settlement, but there is a good answer to each.
Think of private ownership, officially recognized by the US government, of a Lunar Land Grant the size of Alaska, including that crater of permanently frozen water and the mountain on its shore with the almost permanently sunlit top, (which Ben Bova, in his wonderful new book "Moonrise" was kind enough to call "Mt. Wasser"). Such a land grant would be worth a fortune right now, with no way to get there. How many times more than that would it be worth once there really was a privately owned settlement on the mountain, with a space line going back and forth open to any paying passenger.
Right now, the National Space Society [NSS] is promoting a taxpayer funded "humans to Mars" program. I sincerely hope we succeed. But, in case we fail to get the government to put up those tens of billions of dollars, I think we should hedge our bets by simultaneously trying to get a space land grant law enacted.
We should be trying to find a Congressional representative to introduce legislation saying that, while the U.S. makes no claim of national sovereignty, until and unless a new treaty on outer space property rights is adopted, all U.S. courts are to recognize and defend the validity of a land claim by any private company (or group of companies) which met the specified conditions.
The legislation should urge other countries to adopt similar laws and instruct the State Department to try to negotiate a new treaty making the same rules international law. The U.S. law could encourage other nations to pass similar laws by limiting the recogni-tion of claims to entities based in countries which offer reciprocity to U.S. companies. The law could pledge to defend extraterrestrial properties by imposing sanctions against aggressors.
Since it would not cost anything, or need any appropriations, such legislation might pass as a minor revision of property law, without much publicity, which is probably best considering the "giggle factor" problem. After it was enacted we could start publicizing it, probably by getting someone to announce an attempt to meet the conditions and make a claim.
The framers of the 1967 treaty may have understood that it should not be a permanent situation; they allowed either side to opt out, on one year's notice. Some suggest the U.S. should exercise that right, for the whole treaty or just the "national sovereignty" provision. While I would personally like to see that happen, it is unnecessary and not worth the fight. A better alternative would be the opposite approach; to accommodate the provision by requiring that claimants be consortia of companies (or citizens) from several different countries. To bring the UN on board, it could even be required that at least one of the partners in each consortium be from a developing country.
Some who agree with the need for property rights and land grants have objected that technical and financial issues should take a higher priority than this legal issue. But, as non-technical space activists, we are not qualified to solve the technical issues. We can't raise the financing for a space mission, or find any other product which would make space settlement pay. The only thing we can do is influence governmental actions to restore an envi-ronment in which opening the frontier really will make someone a healthy profit fast. After many years of studying the question, I'm convinced this is the only way to do that - the only way WE could make a real difference. | http://www.asi.org/adb/06/09/03/02/103/space-race.html |
The Big Read in short: Ethical shopping on the rise
Each week, TODAY's long-running Big Read series delves into the trends and issues that matter. This week, we look at the rise of ethical consumerism and whether it could lead to the uplifting of low-wage workers. This is a shortened version of the full feature.
Each week, TODAY's long-running Big Read series delves into the trends and issues that matter. This week, we look at the rise of ethical consumerism and whether it could lead to the uplifting of low-wage workers. This is a shortened version of the full feature, which can be found here.
- There is a growing movement of younger consumers here who practises “ethical consumerism”, even if it means paying more
- Zero-waste stores have seen their business grow substantially in recent years
- The trend is a result of developments around the world, as well as the rise of social media which has raised awareness and also empowered consumers
- Nevertheless, such consumer behaviour is not yet the norm in Singapore, as most consumers here are pragmatic and cost-conscious
- To get buy-in for other facets of responsible consumption, such as paying more to improve the wages of low-income workers, will require more time and discussion, experts say
SINGAPORE — In 2015, Ms Jasmine Hussain watched a documentary titled Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, which showed how animal agriculture had become the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption, pollution, and an even greater emitter of greenhouse gases than the transportation industry.
The film opened her eyes to the environmental impact of livestock production, and set her off on the journey towards becoming an ethical consumer.
“I kind of made the decision to go vegan overnight after watching it...It was the least I could do since I was studying ecology and environmental science,” said Ms Hussain, who was then a 19-year-old undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Changing her consumption habits even further after that became a “very natural transition” for her, she said. It was also made easier by the fact that such behaviour was seen as the norm among her like-minded classmates.
“If I was already being vegan and conscious about my eating habits, I was also going to be conscious about my spending habits as well, and be willing to spend a bit more on going to the zero-waste stores,” added Ms Hussain, who is now 25 and works in the green finance industry.
The ready availability of such stores in Edinburgh had made it easier on the wallet for Ms Hussain to sustain her lifestyle, as the “price range was more affordable” compared to what she found when she returned to Singapore in December last year.
Nevertheless, Ms Hussain has continued with this lifestyle and is part of a nascent but growing group of ethical consumers in Singapore.
Ethical consumerism is broadly defined as buying products and services produced in a way that minimises social or environmental damage, or both. This could range from buying cosmetic products that are free of animal testing to buying only from companies which pay their workers decent wages.
While combining ethics and shopping can be a rewarding experience for some, there are those who are not ready to embrace it yet since the price tag attached to such purchases is often perceived to be higher than normal.
Though the presence of stores selling sustainable alternatives in Singapore is not as widespread as what Ms Hussain had encountered in Scotland, various businesses in this sector told TODAY that they have witnessed a sharp growth in demand.
For example, Scoop Wholefoods — which originated from Sydney, Australia — has seen its number of outlets multiply since it set up shop here in 2019.
Scoop has expanded from its lone store at Tanglin Mall to six outlets now, with another two scheduled to be opened later this year.
Conversations about sustainable living in Singapore have been ongoing for some time, though it was only around 2015 that community groups started forming, according to Mr Mayur Singh, the co-founder of The Green Collective, a store located at the Funan Mall that curates sustainable brands.
Meanwhile, developments around the world in recent years — such as global movements to raise awareness of climate change — have given even greater impetus to such discussions.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also affected global awareness about environmental issues, based on a 2020 survey of some 3,000 people across eight countries.
The survey was conducted by the management consulting company Boston Consulting Group. It showed that about seven in 10 respondents were now more aware, compared with before the pandemic, that human activity threatens the climate, and that degradation of the environment, in turn, threatens humans.
The Singapore Government, too, has also stepped up its efforts to promote a more liveable and sustainable future here, through initiatives such as its Zero Waste Masterplan unveiled in 2019, and the announcement of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 this year.
A Climate Index published by OCBC Bank and digital media company Eco-Business in August also found that found that eight in 10 respondents ranked “sustainable living” as the most important, followed by “energy reset” (61 per cent), “city in nature” (55 per cent), “green economy” (54 per cent) and “resilient future” (49 per cent).
The index was based on a survey of 2,000 Singaporeans between the ages of 18 and 65,
THE SOCIAL MEDIA FACTOR
While ethical consumption is growing in Singapore, it has yet to become a norm here, unlike in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States.
Dr Jimmy Wong, a senior lecturer at the School of Business at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), said that Asian cultures “tend to be more interdependent and collectivistic”.
What this means, he said, is that Singaporean consumers tend to follow social norms, and at present, it is still not the norm for most to consider whether a product is sustainably or ethically sourced before making a purchase.
Instead, consumers here are by and large pragmatic and cost-conscious when it comes to consumption, said Assistant Professor Stephanie Lin from the business school INSEAD.
Still, Asst Prof Lin believes that younger consumers here are gradually becoming more ethically minded, and they want to connect more with the brands that they consume.
“This is partially due to a global trend of brands becoming more socially responsible; they are using more sustainable materials, ensuring ethical labour sourcing, connecting with social issues like racial equality, and often contributing part of their sales to other good causes,” she said.
The other factor is the role which social media plays in influencing younger shoppers, said the experts interviewed.
During the course of her research, Asst Prof Lin found that consumers like to share content on social media that is in line with their personal values, so that they can display their “best selves” to the world.
“Consumers sharing about their support of ethical brands to each other further perpetuates ethical consumption as a growing norm,” she said.
Social media also gives consumers a voice to speak out against unethical practices of organisations, allowing them to informally police brands.
While Asst Prof Lin did not single out any company, media reports of homegrown bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes underpaying their employees had resulted in widespread backlash online, with some calling for a boycott of the business.
“Firms are sensitive to optics right now… It seems like a lot of firms have learned the lessons of these pitfalls. That’s why you see firms engaging in responsible behaviour, like donating to good causes, without loudly advertising and seeking recognition for it — this can lead to greater brand loyalty,” said Asst Prof Lin.
Mr Melvin Yong, the president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), pointed out that businesses which do not respond and adapt to consumer preference are likely to lose out in the long term.
Noting the “dynamic” relationship between consumers and businesses, Mr Yong, who is also the Member of Parliament for Radin Mas, said: “Consumer behaviour can be shaped by what the marketplace is offering, and consumers can collectively effect change in the marketplace by exercising their right to choose.”
VOTING WITH THEIR WALLETS
As a show of loyalty to their preferred brands that are aligned with their ideals, some consumers vote with their wallets, said Associate Professor Ang Swee Hoon from National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Business School. This happens even if the benefits are sometimes not evident until further down the road — such as in the case of climate change.
“So while it may appear not pragmatic (due to the higher pricing) in the immediate future, consumers, especially the Gen Zs, have longer-term ideals. Being younger, their actions today may well affect their life in the future,” she said.
Indeed, Ms Natalie Tan, a 25-year-old who recently graduated from the Global Studies programme at NUS, told TODAY that she does not want to “contribute to capitalism, and also harm the environment”.
As such, she would rather pay more for a certain product if she knows that it can fulfill her criteria. Apart from deciding whether she actually needs the product, she also researches whether a company pays its workers a living wage or if it practises greenwashing — that is, deceiving the public into believing it is helping the environment — and if the product is durable or not.
“Of course, it can’t also be exorbitantly priced because I’m not super rich,” said Ms Tan.
One example of a purchase she made with these factors in mind was a pair of durable slippers made of recycled tyres which cost her around S$60.
While she could have gotten a cheaper pair, she said this would wear out quickly and she would have ended up contributing more waste by buying another pair of slippers to replace them.
However, not everyone shares the same consumer philosophy. Some of those who do not said that whether an item is ethically sourced or helps the environment is never a consideration in their purchasing decisions.
“I have a young family to support, so I just go for items that are value for money, or things that are on offer,” said Mr Shaun Ho, a 35-year-old operations manager.
To others like Madam Audrey Lee, it is all about convenience and pricing.
Mdm Lee is an administrator of the Facebook group Taobao Addicts, where members can get help with shopping on the Chinese e-commerce platform.
As her days are busy, Mdm Lee, who is in her 50s and declined to reveal her occupation, said she “doesn’t want to waste her time window shopping”, let alone think about ethical consumption.
WILL CONSUMERS PAY MORE TO HELP IMPROVE WAGES?
Amid the growing awareness of responsible consumption, another facet of the issue has come to the fore recently: Will Singaporeans be willing to pay more for products or services to improve the wages of low-income workers, such as those in retail, and food and beverage industries?
In announcing several measures to uplift such workers during his National Day Rally on Aug 29, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the cost of higher wages for them will have to be shared, not just by workers and employers, but consumers as well.
Over the years, there have also been spirited public discussions on whether hawkers should charge higher prices to improve their lot.
Most consumers interviewed by TODAY generally felt that they would only be prepared to pay more if they know for sure that the additional amount they pay goes directly to the workers.
Others said they are concerned about how it will affect their cost of living.
To gain the acceptance of consumers, Case’s Mr Yong said businesses not only need to show that any additional premium paid by their customers goes towards supporting the welfare of these workers. There must also be discernible improvement in the services over time, he added.
INSEAD’s Asst Prof Lin described Singaporean culture as very “communal”.
“On the one hand, Singaporeans are very concerned about doing their civic duties and being responsible members of the community,” she said. “On the other hand, it may be difficult to think about low-income workers as part of their immediate community that they have a responsibility to help.”
She added: “Humanising low-income workers and emphasising their part in a local or global community might be helpful in increasing empathy to low-income earners.”
In any case, Associate Professor Hannah Chang, from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University, said it generally takes “a lot of time and discussion” to result in any meaningful change in consumer attitudes and behaviour.
“We can see that over the years, consumers have started caring more about the environment and social causes,” she said. | https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-short-ethical-shopping-rise |
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‘At Twyford St Mary’s CofE Primary School we believe in educating the whole child. This means valuing each individual by supporting and nurturing academic, personal, emotional and social development’.
Our recent Ofsted inspection reported that teaching at TSM is at least good and in some cases outstanding.
How are Special Educational Needs identified ?
At TSM we follow the guidance provided by the SEND Code of Practice 2014 to identify learning needs and difficulties and to put in place appropriate support.
We follow the ‘Graduated Response’ approach.
This model shows how we identify a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) and how we intervene, monitor progress and plan. Children who are identified as having a SEND are placed on our school SEND register as SEN Support. Some children make very good progress, or their needs change, and so may no longer need to be registered as SEN Support ; these children will continue to be closely monitored through class action plans. Some children have a greater level of need, in which case a request for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) put together with the school, family, child and outside agencies will be sent to the LEA . If successful, these children will have allocated 1:1 support hours linked to their EHC Plan and are supported in school by a 1:1 Learning Support Assistant ( LSA ).
concerns raised by the Class Teacher, parents, Support Staff, Headteacher and SENCo.
a child performing significantly below age related expectations.
assessment and screening tests, which may include the New Salford Reading Test, the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability , the Vernon Spelling Test, the Helen Arkell Spelling Test, the Sandwell Early Numeracy test, the British Picture Vocabulary Scale or the Dyslexia Screening Test, to provide a more detailed diagnosis.
close liaison with outside agencies and specialist professionals.
What does SEN Support mean for my child ?
SEND Support is very varied and dependent on the need of the individual child. It will be planned and co-ordinated with class teachers, the SENCo, LSAs, the Headteacher , parents and, where necessary, outside agencies. This liaison will help to inform what provision is needed which is ‘different from or in addition to’ the usual school activities and curriculum. As a school we have excellent relationships with, and are well supported by, many external agencies that we may feel are relevant to individual children’s needs. We work closely with all agencies and parents together.
support or resources in the classroom which is different to other children, eg a personal workstation or a laptop to type rather than write.
more regular support in class, which may be 1:1 or small group.
different outcomes in a lesson.
interventions outside of the classroom to support a particular need, eg personalised learning to support a reading, writing or numeracy need, emotional support through ELSA, a movement programme to develop motor skills.
support from outside agencies, eg Speech and Language Therapist, Primary Behaviour Support.
Parents are kept informed of specific SEND support their child is receiving through meetings with the Class Teacher, the LSA, the SENCo and outside agencies. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Action Plans which detail interventions, targets and outcomes are regularly reviewed. Parent consultation meetings are held every Autumn and Spring term. Parents are encouraged to arrange meetings at other times if necessary.
Pre-teaching – individual or small group sessions to teach numeracy or literacy skills and vocabulary for a forthcoming lesson.
Precision teaching – short, frequent, precise interventions to address individual, specific gaps in numeracy and literacy skills and knowledge.
Lexia – an on-line reading programme that can be accessed both at school and home.
Sidney – Screening & Intervention for Dyslexia Notably in the Early Years, a highly structured 1:1 phonics programme to develop reading skills.
Reading Reflex/Phonographix – an highly structured, 1:1 intervention to help develop the subskills necessary for reading.
Toe by Toe – a highly structured multi-sensory reading programme.
Stride Ahead – a reading intervention designed to improve and develop reading speed.
Stareway to Spelling – an individual/small group , highly structured intervention to develop children’s spelling ability, in particular with the 300 most used words in English.
Write from the Start – a programme designed to help individual children develop the fine motor and perceptual skills for fluent, legible handwriting.
Write Dance – a programme which helps children to develop the pre-requisite physical skills and co-ordination for writing through music and movement.
Speed up – an 8 week kinaesthetic programme to develop fluent handwriting Year 3 and above.
Dance mat Typing – an on-line programme to teach children touch typing and keyboard skills.
ABC, Clever Bodies and Clever Hands – individual/small group interventions developed by Paediatric Occupational Therapists to develop children’s gross and fine motor skills and to help manage sensory processing difficulties.
Thrive – the Thrive approach uses 1:1, appropriate, targeted interventions designed to meet individual emotional, social and mental needs.
Cued Articulation – a resource using a set of hand cues for teaching the individual sounds in a word.
The Time to Talk – small group activities to develop oral language and social interaction skills.
ELSA – individual or small group Emotional Literacy Support sessions with a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) to provide emotional support, develop independence, teach friendship skills, improve self- esteem, develop self regulation techniques, teach calming strategies to help manage anxiety and help children to identify and understand their feelings.
Lego Therapy – small group work to develop speaking and listening skills and then ability to work in a team. | https://www.twyford-pri.hants.sch.uk/information/send/ |
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated that two-dimensional (2D) layered crystals held together by van der Waal forces—these include graphene and molybdenum disulfide—can exhibit intrinsic ferromagnetism. Not only did the team demonstrate that it exists in these materials, but the researchers also demonstrated a high degree of control over that ferromagnetism. The discovery could have a profound impact for applications including magnetic sensors and the developing use of spintronics for encoding information.
In research described in the journal Nature, the Berkeley scientists worked with a 2D chalcogenide layered material called chromium germanium telluride (CGT), a layered ferromagnetic insulator that has garnered interest because of its potential in spintronic devices. While the material has been around in bulk form for decades, only recently has it been made into 2D flakes, joining the list of other van der Waals crystals.
The researchers used an optical technique known as the magneto-optic Kerr effect that involves the use of a scanning Kerr optical microscope to observe the material. This technique detects how the rotation of linearly polarized light is changed when it interacts with electron spins in the material. This made it possible to detect unambiguously that the magnetism was originating from the atomically thin materials.
“Our discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D van der Waals crystals has opened a scientific research field,” said Xiang Zhang, a senior faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and UC Berkeley professor, in an e-mail interview with IEEE Spectrum.
While ferromagnetism in 2D van der Waals crystals was not thought to be theoretically impossible, it was extraordinarily difficult to detect and even to create the circumstances in which it exists, according to Zhang. This is because at non-zero temperatures, thermal energy inevitably enters into a ferromagnetic material and excites the aligned electron spins. This thermal excitation is much stronger in 2D materials than in their 3D counterparts. As a result, when a given material shrinks from 3D to 2D regime, the critical temperature at which the ferromagnetism survives drops substantially. Due to this strong thermal effect, 2D ferromagnetism is fundamentally fragile.
Although thermal effect plays a critical role in suppressing the magnetic order, the 2D van der Waals crystal studied by the Berkeley Lab researchers has an inherent magnetic anisotropy—that is, the magnetization orientation has a preferred direction. The energy difference between the preferred and non-preferred directions stabilizes the 2D magnetic order against the thermal excitations, making it possible for the Berkeley scientists to observe the 2D ferromagnetism.
“Thin films of metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel, unlike 2D van der Waals materials, are structurally imperfect and susceptible to various disturbances, which contribute to a huge and unpredictable spurious anisotropy,” said Cheng Gong, a postdoctoral researcher in Zhang's lab and co-author of the study, in a press release. “In contrast, the highly crystalline and uniformly flat 2D CGT, together with its small intrinsic anisotropy, allows small external magnetic fields to effectively engineer the anisotropy, enabling an unprecedented magnetic field control of ferromagnetic transition temperatures.”
This discovery could be the answer to the demand for increasing information storage density as device feature sizes decrease, says Zhang. “Sooner or later, people have to address the ferromagnetism issues in 2D materials, when 3D materials shrink down to 2D regime,” said Zhang. “In other words, 3D materials have to be thinned down to 2D in many fields as a result of the constantly-increasing device density.”
In general, electronics and optics are turning to 2D materials because they are more suitable for tiny devices. In addition, the properties of 2D materials can be easily controlled and modulated, making them particularly well suited for sensors and modulators. And because the 2D materials are normally optically transparent, with limited light absorbance, they make sense for a range of optical applications.
“We envision that 2D ferromagnetic van der Waals materials would also have a broad range of potential applications such as nanoscale memories, magnetic sensors, transparent magnets, magneto-optic modulators,” said Zhang.
In continuing research, Zhang and his colleagues intend to direct their focus two directions: fundamental physics and application-oriented approaches. The 2D van der Waal crystals the researchers demonstrated provide an ideal experimental platform to address the intriguing and rich physics of electron spins, which are strictly confined in a perfect and real 2D material system.
Zhang adds: “We hope to engineer and manipulate the magnetic properties of such 2D materials to make them suitable for various application purposes.”
Dexter Johnson is a contributing editor at IEEE Spectrum, with a focus on nanotechnology. | https://spectrum.ieee.org/twodimensional-materials-go-ferromagnetic-creating-a-new-scientific-field |
— As Gov’t, UNDP engage locals on disaster risk management
Changing climate and the rapidly growing exposure to disaster risk presents the world with an unprecedented challenge, with every nation practically being affected to the extent that Liberia and many other underdeveloped or third-world countries are the most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate change menace.
As such, Liberia is gradually bracing itself for the rages that climate change is having across the globe as its devastating impacts continues effect millions of people.
Liberia is facing some serious environmental challenges, including coastal erosion, flooding and windstorms and others, and therefore, the need for the country to develop a framework for disaster management cannot be overemphasized, says Augustine Tamba, Director for Operations, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).
To help establish a national disaster management framework, the government, through the NDMA, has therefore begin engaging local stakeholders to raise awareness and disseminate the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Strategy (NDRR&RS) of Liberia, and Strategies and Action Plans for Coastal Adaptation in the country.
With support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Mr. Tamba said that the NDMA has begun nationwide consultative efforts to engage residents on disastrous things in their community. The process began in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, where stakeholders from the Western region (Bomi, Cape Mount and Gbarpolu counties) converged for a two-day workshop.
NDMA project officer, Jonathan Wordsworth, said the workshop is meant to widen citizens’ participation and solicit local inputs to the strategy and trigger community ownership by utilizing the whole community approach.
“This engagement is meant to present the National Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR&RS) to local authorities, and community leaders, while providing an explicit understanding of what the document is, and what is expected of them,” he said.
This is also meant to reaffirm hotspots and hazards identified in the communities and documented in the strategy.
Organizers also said that it is also meant to present the final report of the coastal assessment conducted recently by the National Adaptation Project (NAP) to the local participants mainly of the coastal counties. “This is to build capacity on disaster risk reduction and coastal adaptation.
The UNDP is working with the NDMA to put into operation a comprehensive disaster management plans, especially for climate related disaster such as flooding, windstorm and coastal erosion.
According to the organizers, the key output of this is to strengthen adaptive capacity, and reduce exposure to climate risks of vulnerable livelihoods, and infrastructure in the vulnerable communities with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
Under this engagement, local stakeholders, government officials and UNDP are working to ensure that the design of the NDRR and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) are tailored to the specific climate change needs of the communities, the Disaster Risk Management Expert at the UNDP, Fairnoh T. Gbilah, said.
“UNDP are providing critical contributions to tackle climate change adaptation and disaster risk management,” he said.
“A number of pressing development challenges exist, but we need to take actions now to reduce threats of climate change-exacerbated floods, coastal erosion and windstorms,” Gbilah said.
Climate projections for Liberia suggest that the risks will increase over time, which can potentially undermine development progress in the country. According to Gbilah, this is the situation that the country must start to address now.
These initiatives include working with individual sectors to incorporate DRR into sector policies and legislation; the adoption and refinement of legal instruments that support DRR at the local level; analysis of decentralization processes and identification of entry-points for DRR; promotion of civil society involvement in disaster risk management (DRM) coordination bodies.
Many Liberians are of the belief that the Ebola virus disease epidemic that ravaged Liberia in 2014 and claimed thousands of lives, did not have any positive impact on the country. It is the desire of stakeholders to now be proactive in putting in place measures that would help address future disasters. People are now putting into place plans to address disaster or disaster-related preparedness.
It is in this light that the UNDP has been collaborating with NDMA, and other local stakeholders in strengthening disaster risk management.
“UNDP has made strengthening disaster risk governance a cornerstone of its efforts to understand, reduce and manage risk,” an official said.
The official added that governance should be recognized as a key unresolved issue in both the configuration, and the reduction of disaster risk. “This is with the aim of protecting development investments and ultimately building people’s resilience,” he added.
The purpose of the NDMP is to provide a policy framework that promotes a whole-of-country, and multi-sector approach to disaster risk management at a local, national and regional level.
It also provides a framework and mechanism to enable a coordinated national response to threats that have the potential to cause a disaster and recovery from the impacts of disasters.
Meanwhile, the national action plan for disaster risk management, which is being developed, is an operational document that should be read in conjunction with the National Disaster Management Plan. It provides a day-to-day guide for operations and a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework to assess performance and advance accountability of disaster management. | https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/liberia-embarks-on-disaster-risk-management-framework/ |
Player Stats Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé was born on Dec. 20, 1998. He is currently 21 years old and plays as a Striker for Paris Saint-Germain in France. His overall rating in FIFA 20 is 89 with a potential of 95. Mbappé has got a 5-star skillmoves rating. He prefers to shoot with his right foot. His workrates are High / Low. Mbappé's height is 178 cm cm and his weight is estimated at 73 kg kg according to our database. Currently, Kylian Mbappé is playing with numbers 10 and 7. His best stats are: Acceleration: 96, Sprint Speed: 96, Agility: 92, Reactions: 91, Dribbling: 90.
Paris Saint-Germain
Position LS
Kit Number 7
Joined Club July 1, 2018
Contract Length 2022
Ball Skills
Ball Control 1
Dribbling 1
Defence
Marking
Slide Tackle
Stand Tackle
Mental
Aggression
Reactions 2
Att. Position 1
Interceptions
Vision
Composure
Passing
Crossing
Short Pass
Long Pass
Physical
Acceleration
Stamina 2
Strength
Balance
Sprint Speed
Agility
Jumping
Shooting
Heading 2
Shot Power 1
Finishing
Long Shots
Curve
FK Acc. | https://www.fifaindex.com/player/231747/kylian-mbapp%C3%A9/fifa20_387/ |
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The Centre for the Study of Political Ideologies (CSPI) is a centre for the interdisciplinary and comparative study of the ways in which ideologies are formed and performed in political practice and lived experience.
The study of political ideologies cuts across many of the conventional boundaries that separate academic disciplines. It is thus also recognised that both the term 'ideology' and the diverse interpretations of ideology play a vital part across many of the humanities as well as social sciences.
CSPI is an interdisciplinary research centre based in both the School of Politics and International Relations and the Department of History at the University of Nottingham.
For the foreseeable future, CSPI events will take place virtually.
CSPI fully supports the School of Politics and IR's policies on EDI, and we are committed to the development of a diverse and inclusive membership. We are pleased to have membership of the Centre across all three UoN campuses, reflecting the range of ideas and identities across our UK, China, and Malaysia hubs.
Any PGR student with an interest in political ideas and ideologies, from any discipline, is welcome to contact the centre directors with a view to membership of the centre. We see assisting the development of the next generation of ideologies researchers as a crucial activity for the centre.
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For further information, please contact the centre directors:
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A paper published this week during the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in San Francisco points to new evidence of human influence on extreme weather events.
Three researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are among the co-authors on the paper, which is included in "Explaining Extreme Events of 2015 from a Climate Perspective," a special edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) released December 15 at the AGU meeting.
The paper, "The Deadly Combination of Heat and Humidity in India and Pakistan in Summer 2015," examined observational and simulated temperature and heat indexes, concluding that the heat waves in the two countries "were exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change." While these countries typically experience severe heat in the summer, the 2015 heat waves--which occurred in late May/early June in India and in late June/early July in Pakistan--have been linked to the deaths of nearly 2,500 people in India and 2,000 in Pakistan.
"I was deeply moved by television coverage of the human tragedy, particularly parents who lost young children," said Michael Wehner, a climate researcher at Berkeley Lab and lead author on the paper, who has studied extreme weather events and anthropogenic climate change extensively. This prompted him and collaborators from Berkeley Lab, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and UC Berkeley to investigate the cause of the 2015 heat waves and determine if the two separate meteorological events were somehow linked.
They used simulations from the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5), the atmospheric component of the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Earth System Model, performed by Berkeley Lab for the C20C+ Detection and Attribution Project. Current climate model-based products are not optimized for research on the attribution of the human influence on extreme weather in the context of long-term climate change; the C20C+ Detection and Attribution Project fills this gap by providing large ensembles of simulation data from climate models, running at relatively high spatial resolution.
The experimental design described in the BAMS paper used "factual" simulations of the world and compared them to "counterfactual" simulations of the world that might have been had humans not changed the composition of the atmosphere by emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide, explained Dáithí Stone, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division and second author on the BAMS paper.
"It is relatively common to run one or a few simulations of a climate model within a certain set of conditions, with each simulation differing just in the precise weather on the first day of the simulation; this difference in the first day propagates through time, providing different realizations of what the weather 'could have been,'" Stone said. "The special thing about the simulations used here is that we ran a rather large number of them. This was important for studying a rare event; if it is rare, then you need a large amount of data in order to have it occurring frequently enough that you can understand it."
The researchers examined both observational and simulated temperature alone as well as the heat index, a measure incorporating both temperature and humidity effects. From a quality-controlled weather station observational dataset, they found the potential for a very large, human-induced increase in the likelihood of the magnitudes of the two heat waves. They then examined the factual and counterfactual simulations to further investigate the presence of a human influence.
"Observations suggested the human influence; simulations confirmed it," Wehner said.
The research team also found that, despite being close in location and time, the two heat waves were "meteorologically independent." Even so, Wehner emphasized, "the India/Pakistan paper confirms that the chances of deadly heat waves have been substantially increased by human-induced climate change, and these chances will certainly increase as the planet continues to warm."
Data from Berkeley Lab's simulations were also analyzed as part of another study included in the special edition of BAMS released at the AGU meeting. That study, "The Late Onset of the 2015 Wet Season in Nigeria," which was led by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, explores the role of greenhouse gas emissions in changing the chance of a late wet season, as occurred over Nigeria in 2015.
"The C20C+ D&A Project is continuing to build its collection of climate model data with the intention of supporting research like this around the world," Stone said.
The C20C+ D&A portal is hosted and supported by Berkeley Lab's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and the simulations for the two papers were run on NERSC's Hopper supercomputer, while the data analysis was done on NERSC's Edison and Cori systems. The simulations were conducted as part of a program dedicated to advancing our understanding of climate extremes and enhancing our ability to attribute and project changes in their risk because of anthropogenic climate change. The research was supported by the DOE Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.
"Explaining Extreme Events of 2015 from a Climate Perspective," a special edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, can be accessed here: http://www.
###
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Computing Sciences organization provides the computing and networking resources and expertise critical to advancing the Department of Energy's research missions: developing new energy sources, improving energy efficiency, developing new materials and increasing our understanding of ourselves, our world and our universe.
ESnet, the Energy Sciences Network, provides the high-bandwidth, reliable connections that link scientists at 40 DOE research sites to each other and to experimental facilities and supercomputing centers around the country. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) powers the discoveries of 6,000 scientists at national laboratories and universities, including those at Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD). CRD conducts research and development in mathematical modeling and simulation, algorithm design, data storage, management and analysis, computer system architecture and high-performance software implementation.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the DOE's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States.
Kathy Kincade | EurekAlert!
Further reports about: > American Meteorological Society > Computing > Energy > Supercomputer > extreme weather > heat waves > human influence
NASA CubeSat to test miniaturized weather satellite technology
10.11.2017 | NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
New approach uses light instead of robots to assemble electronic components
08.11.2017 | The Optical Society
The WHO reports an estimated 429,000 malaria deaths each year. The disease mostly affects tropical and subtropical regions and in particular the African continent. The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC teamed up with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME and the Institute of Tropical Medicine at the University of Tübingen for a new test method to detect malaria parasites in blood. The idea of the research project “NanoFRET” is to develop a highly sensitive and reliable rapid diagnostic test so that patient treatment can begin as early as possible.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted by mosquito bite. The most dangerous form of malaria is malaria tropica. Left untreated, it is fatal in most cases....
The formation of stars in distant galaxies is still largely unexplored. For the first time, astron-omers at the University of Geneva have now been able to closely observe a star system six billion light-years away. In doing so, they are confirming earlier simulations made by the University of Zurich. One special effect is made possible by the multiple reflections of images that run through the cosmos like a snake.
Today, astronomers have a pretty accurate idea of how stars were formed in the recent cosmic past. But do these laws also apply to older galaxies? For around a...
Just because someone is smart and well-motivated doesn't mean he or she can learn the visual skills needed to excel at tasks like matching fingerprints, interpreting medical X-rays, keeping track of aircraft on radar displays or forensic face matching.
That is the implication of a new study which shows for the first time that there is a broad range of differences in people's visual ability and that these...
Computer Tomography (CT) is a standard procedure in hospitals, but so far, the technology has not been suitable for imaging extremely small objects. In PNAS, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) describes a Nano-CT device that creates three-dimensional x-ray images at resolutions up to 100 nanometers. The first test application: Together with colleagues from the University of Kassel and Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht the researchers analyzed the locomotory system of a velvet worm.
During a CT analysis, the object under investigation is x-rayed and a detector measures the respective amount of radiation absorbed from various angles....
The quantum world is fragile; error correction codes are needed to protect the information stored in a quantum object from the deteriorating effects of noise. Quantum physicists in Innsbruck have developed a protocol to pass quantum information between differently encoded building blocks of a future quantum computer, such as processors and memories. Scientists may use this protocol in the future to build a data bus for quantum computers. The researchers have published their work in the journal Nature Communications.
Future quantum computers will be able to solve problems where conventional computers fail today. We are still far away from any large-scale implementation,... | http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/information-technology/supercomputer-simulations-confirm-observations-of-2015-india-pakistan-heat-waves.html |
New initiative to promote local democracy
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, says the government is committed to building bridges across the chasm which divides Guyana.
Bulkan, addressing the inauguration of the National Regional Development Consultative Committee (NRDCC), at the Marriot Hotel this morning, said the government will practice collaboration instead of confrontation.
Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan addressing the launch of the National Regional Development Consultative Committee at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown.
“We will foster the politics of inclusion and we will achieve those objectives by solidifying local democracy, which frankly, we believe, is the bedrock of democratic governance,” the minister said.
The first NRDCC meeting was held under the theme; “Strengthening Regional Governance through Leadership Development, Finance Management and Strategic Networking.”
President David Granger delivered the feature address at the meeting.
Also present were, Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Patterson.
Explaining the concept of a NRDCC, Bulkan said it is a new initiative that the administration has undertaken. He said that to build strong regions, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) must take up their rightful place within the governmental architecture.
“RDCs cannot remain stepchildren indefinitely,” the minister said. He said that the NRDCC will “fire-up” the process of strengthening the role of RDCs and deepen their abilities to address obstacles to the regions’ development including crime, disease, ignorance and poverty.
The minister explained that the NRDCC will do this by allowing for meaningful participation and collaboration among the various layers of government and in so doing, provide respect for the authority of democratic organs created by the Constitution.
According to Minister Bulkan the administration is determined to foster regional empowerment by making RDCs stronger, more efficient, and more effective. He noted however, that the objectives of the administration can only be realised within a governance framework that firmly rejects winner-takes-all politics.
Bulkan said for this reason, the government, “stands against the thought of anyone or any group of Guyanese feeling like second-class citizens.” He said the administration supports cohesion and a system of governance that allows for diffusion and decentralisation of decision-making power within the constitutional framework.
Minister Bulkan said that Central Government expects regional administrators to identify potential areas for investment in productive enterprises, leveraging their own diverse natural and human resources to improve the lives of citizens.
He said that in turn, central government will work hand in hand with the regional administrators to make hopes and dreams of a better life into a reality. “Regional chairpersons know that they are tasked with this great and noble responsibility and I say to you, the administration will offer to you nothing less than the open hand of co-operation, friendship, assistance, and empowerment,” Bulkan said.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities, Emilie McGarrel, explained that the principle function of the NRDCC will be to facilitate collaborative management, development and leadership across the region. He said that the NRDCC will allow for more accountability, transparency, partnership among regional stakeholders and planning for the effective delivery of public services in capital towns throughout the regions.
McGarrel explained that the objectives of the first NRDCC is to; promote greater communication and collaboration among the local democratic organs, to develop guidelines for finance committees of local democratic organs and, to promote regional development through networking among regional, national and multi-national stakeholders. | |
We investigate the abiotic production of oxygen and its photochemical byproduct ozone through water vapor photolysis in moist atmospheres of temperate terrestrial exoplanets.
The amount of water vapor available for photolysis in the middle atmosphere of a planet can be limited by an atmospheric cold-trap, the formation of which largely depends on the amount of non-condensable gases. We study this effect using a photochemical model coupled to a 1D radiative-convective equilibrium model in atmospheres with N2, CO2 and H2O as the main constituents. We find that in atmospheres with a low N2 inventory, water vapor mixing ratios in the middle atmosphere can be over two orders of magnitude higher compared to atmospheres with an Earth-like N2 inventory. Without a strong surface sink, the non-condensable oxygen can build up rapidly, drying out the upper atmosphere. With a moderate surface sink, the planet can approach a steady state with significant oxygen mixing ratios in which oxygen production is balanced by surface uptake.
We use a radiative transfer model to study the spectroscopic fingerprint of these atmospheres in transit observations. Spectral signatures of abiotic oxygen and ozone can be of comparable magnitude as in spectra of Earth seen as an exoplanet. Middle atmospheric water vapor is unlikely to be a usable indicator of the abiotic origin of oxygen because of the influence of oxygen on the water vapor distribution. This suggests that atmospheric oxygen and ozone cannot be used as binary bioindicators and their interpretation will likely require atmospheric and planetary models. | https://spaceref.com/status-report/buildup-of-abiotic-oxygen-and-ozone-in-moist-atmospheres-of-temperate-terrestrial-exoplanets-and-its-impact-on-the-spectral-fingerprint-in-transit-obs/ |
We are an independent non-governmental organization (NGO).
We are dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery and STEM education.
Friends of NASA Motto: "For the Benefit of All!"
Our membership includes NASA, ESA, RKA, CSA, CNES, DLR, DTU Space, ASI, ISA, ISRO, JAXA, SANSA and NASRDA officials, government representatives, engineers, scientists, aviation/aerospace/space professionals, military personnel, business leaders, academics, graduate students, educators, science writers, and concerned private citizens of influence from over 50 countries around the world. Global leaders in the aerospace/space industries are represented.
Astronaut members include: Rick Hieb (NASA), Ed Gibson (NASA-Skylab), Scott Tingle (NASA), Charles Camarda (NASA), Chris Hadfield (CSA), Robert Thirsk (CSA), Soyeon Yi (Korea’s 1st astronaut), Claude Nicollier (ESA) and Thomas Pesquet (ESA).
Friends of NASA was founded in 2008 by Executive Director, Dwayne Elliot Lawrence, in honor of the 50th anniversary of NASA’s establishment on July 29th, 1958 by President Eisenhower.
Friends of NASA is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec in Canada close to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). We work in cooperation with government agencies and non-profit organizations, including the Canadian Space Society (CSS).
We do not receive funding from NASA or the U.S. government.
Founded in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the agency of the United States government responsible for the country's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. | http://www.friendsofnasa.org/p/about-friends-of-nasa.html |
A Literature Review and Proposed Future Study to Analyze the Effectiveness of Utilizing Physical Activity as a Counselling Medium.
Date2016-10
Author
Blair, Trudy
MetadataShow full item record
Abstract
Research indicates that there is a strong correlation between positive mental health outcomes and physical activity. Studies have found that exercise has the potential to alter both physiological and neurological properties within the brain making it an ideal option as a preventative, treatment and maintenance modality. The following paper includes an extensive literature review and proposed future study that will aid in substantiating the hypothesis that utilizing exercise as a counselling medium in conjunction with other counselling techniques will help to: (a) increase the effectiveness of treatment; (b) decrease the duration of sessions required and; (c) provide greater long term sustainability for the client. In order to support this hypothesis literature was reviewed on the following: utilization and outcomes of non-traditional counselling mediums; physiological responses and requirements of physical activity; specifications for utilization of moderate-intensity exercises. The results from this review assisted in establishing the structural overview for the counselling medium and suggested future study as it is outlined in the final chapter. | https://repository.cityu.edu/handle/20.500.11803/515 |
By the end of this chapter students should be able to:
- Define an audit and list down reasons as to why an audit is important.
- Describe types of audit.
- Explain the limitations of audit.
- State the important historical developments of auditing.
Introduction
This chapter covers the nature of auditing. It starts with why auditing is required, the definition of auditing, objectives/purposes, types of audits and historic origins of auditing.
- The role of an audit
1.1 Definition of an audit
The Auditing Practices Board (APB) defines an audit as “an exercise whose objective is to enable auditors express an opinion whether the financial statements give a true and fair view of the entity’s affairs for the period then ended and have been properly prepared in accordance with the applicable reporting framework”
We have to get to know the important parts of this definition.
- Auditor: An auditor is a professional who, by evaluating a subjective matter like financial statements, expresses an opinion on the subject matter.
- Opinion: This is a conclusion arrived at using a set criteria.
- Financial statements: These comprise annual accounts which show performance and financial position of an entity i.e. the statement of comprehensive income, statement of financial position, statement of changes in equity, statement of cash flows and notes the accounts.
- Truth and fairness
Truth
Truth is having facts in accordance with reason or correct principle or received standard like generally accepted accounting principles and the accounting standards.
It also means that the accounts have been correctly extracted from the books and the records. Numerous accounts items can be seen in this light. For example, freehold land at cost K4m; it is either true or false that:
- Freehold land exists.
- The freehold land is the property of the company which holds good title.
- The freehold land belonging to the company is included in the financial statement.
On the other hand, the matter may not be as simple as it seems, for example, good title may be a matter of opinion as well as historical cost may be a matter of opinion.
Fairness
Fair means that the accounts should reflect the commercial substance of the business entity’s underlying transactions.
The idea of fairness involves a number of thoughts including:
- Expectation: Any user has certain expectations from a set of accounts. He/she presumes that the accounts will conform to generally acceptable accounting principles and accounting standards.
- Relevance: This means that the view given by the accounts will be relevant to the information need of the user.
- Objectivity: This consists of externally verifiable facts.
- Freedom from bias: The producer of accounts should not allow personal preferences to enter into their accounts preparation work.
- Beyond simple conformity: Users of accounts expect accounts to conform to generally acceptable accounting principles and accounting standards.
- Least as good: At one time, the prudence convention was so highly esteemed that shareholders and auditors expectations went no further than making sure that the true position was at least as good as that shown by the balance sheet.
- Accounting principles: The accounting principles and policies used should be in conformity with accounting standards; generally accepted; widely recognized and supported; and appropriate and applicable in the particular circumstances.
- Disclosure: Disclosure at times can serve the users well, as accounting is an aggregating and summarizing process.
- Materiality: An item is material if its disclosure or non-disclosure would make any difference to the view received by the user of the accounts. Fairness is, therefore, a function of materiality.
- Entity: This is a general term representing all types of business enterprises including limited liability companies, charities, local authorities, government agencies etc.
- Reporting framework: This comprises all laws, regulations and guidelines that govern the preparation of financial statements e.g. Companies Act, accounting concepts and accounting standards.
1.2 Why an audit is necessary
This can be understood from the stewardship accounting concept. Stewardship accounting is the name given to the practice by which productive resources owned by one person or group of persons are managed by another person or group of persons.
A classic example of stewardship accounting can be found in the bible in the gospel according to St. Matthew Chapter 25. In this story told, we learn about a rich man who was embarking on a long journey. He called his servants and asked them to look after his wealth when he was gone. To each, he gave gold coins to manage according to his abilities. One was given five thousand gold coins; the second was given two thousand gold coins whilst the third one was given one thousand gold coins. On his return, he asked each one of them to account for the gold coins they were entrusted with. The rich man was pleased with the servants he had entrusted with five thousand gold coins and two thousand gold coins because they had doubled their investments. He was not pleased with the servant whom he gave one thousand gold coins, since he had not made any return on the money.
Today, the practice by which managers of businesses account or report to the owners of the business is called stewardship accounting. The accounting and reporting is done through financial statements.
The question that has always existed when those entrusted with resources of other people report on the performance of the same is; can the owners of the resources believe the report?
The report may:
- contain errors
- not disclose fraud
- inadvertently be misleading
- fail to disclose relevant information
- fail to conform to regulations
The solution to the problem of credibility of the reports and accounts can be solved by appointing an independent person called an auditor to investigate the reports and accounts and report back to those who appointed him on their truth and fairness.
1.3 Objective of an audit
The primary objective of an audit is to enable the auditor produce a report of his opinion of the truth and fairness of financial statements so that any person reading and using them can have belief in them.
1.4 Benefits of an Audit
An audit has a number of benefits.
- Owners of company are given an independent opinion as to the truth and fairness of the accounts.
- An audit gives more confidence in the financial statements used by third parties like banks.
- The auditors can help the directors improve the business as a by-product of the audit through reporting weaknesses identified in the course of audit.
- Disputes between members of management like in partnership may be more easily settled.
- Major changes in ownership may be facilitated if past accounts contained an unqualified/clean audit report.
- The government relies more on audited accounts to ascertain profit or loss for tax purposes.
- Helps to prevent and detect errors and fraud: An audit has deterrent and moral effect which helps entities to prevent errors and fraud. In addition errors and fraud may be detected in the course of the audit work.
1.5 Limitations of an audit
- Auditing is not a purely objective exercise because auditors use judgement in areas like risk assessment, which tests to perform, determination of materiality levels etc.
- In auditing, auditors do not check every item in the accounting records.
- Accounting and internal control systems on which auditors rely have inherent limitations ( refer to inherent limitation of internal controls topic) .
- Audit does not and cannot tell that directors and management are telling the truth and have colluded in fraud.
- An audit only indicates what is probable rather than what is certain.
- Audit reports are issued some months after the financial statements date.
- The audit report format is unlikely to reflect all aspects of the audit.
- The auditor’s opinion is not a guarantee of the future viability of the entity; effectiveness and efficiency of management and that fraud may not have been perpetrated on the company.
1.6 Types of audits
Audits can either be statutory or non statutory.
- Statutory audit
This is an audit carried out because the law (i.e. Companies act) requires it.
- Non statutory audit
A non statutory audit is an audit conducted on affairs of the firm by independent auditors because it is required by the owners.
2 Historical development of auditing
To facilitate the examination of the historical development of auditing, it is necessary to divide it into the following chronological periods: prior to 1840, 1840s to 1920s, 1920s to 1960s, 1960s to 1990s, 1990s to date.
Prior to 1840
Auditing in the form of checking activities was found in ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, and Greece, with the Greek (around 350 BC) appearing to be closest to the present day audit. Similar kinds of checking activities were also found in the Exchequer of England during the reign of Henry I (1100-1135), where special audit officers were appointed to make sure that state revenues and expenditure transactions were properly accounted for, focusing on preventing or detecting fraudulent activities. It can also be traced later to the Italian city states of Genoa and Venice where auditors were engaged to help verify the riches brought by captains from the Old World into the European continent. The audits prior to 1840 were restricted to performing detailed verification of every transaction.
1840s – 1920s
The practice of auditing did not become firmly established until the advent of industrial revolution during the period of 1840s-1920s in the UK. The large scale operations that resulted from the industrial revolution drove the corporate form of enterprise to the forefront. Large factories and machine based production were established, which as a result required large amount of capital to facilitate the large capital expenditure, hence pooling of growing numbers of middle class and small investors capital. In response the Joint Stock Companies Act was passed in UK in 1844.
The Act stipulated that directors shall cause the books of the company to be balanced and the balance sheet to be made up. In addition it provided for the appointment of the auditors to check the accounts of the company. However, the annual presentation of the balance sheet to the shareholders and the requirement of a statutory audit were only made compulsory under the Companies Act 1900. Auditors during this period were merely shareholders chosen by their fellow members. In the Kingston Cotton Mill (1896) it was established that an audit objective was to detect fraud and errors. It can be concluded that the role of the auditors during the period of 1840s to 1920s was mainly on fraud detection and the proper portrayal of the company’s solvency in the balance sheet.
1920s – 1960s
The growth of the US economy in the 1920s to the 1960s had caused a shift of auditing development from the UK to the USA. Investments in business entities grew rapidly, and advancement in the securities markets and credit granting institutions facilitated the growth of capital markets in this period. As companies grew in size the separation of ownership and management function became more evident. Hence, to ensure the continued flow of funds from investors to companies, and the smooth functioning of the financial market, there was need to convince the participants in the market that the companies’ financial statements provide a true and fair portrayal of the relevant companies’ positions and performance. The consensus was generally the primary objective of an audit is adding credibility to the financial statements rather than detection of fraud and errors.
With such a shift in emphasis developed the concept of materiality and sampling techniques due to the voluminous transactions involved in the conduct of business by large corporations, where it was no longer practical for auditors to verify all transactions. Corresponding with this, the auditors also increasingly started to rely on internal controls as a source of preliminary assurance. Later the McKesson and Robbins (1938) case resulted in the emphasis of physical observation of assets such as cash and stocks and use of external evidence. In addition, the Royal Mail case highlighted the need for the audit of the profit and loss statement, which was only made mandatory with the enactment of the Securities and Exchange Commission Act (1934) in the USA and the corresponding Companies Act (1948) in the UK. These legislations clearly provided for the following;
- For auditors to be independent of the companies influence.
- Audit requirement for the profit and loss and the balance sheets.
- Set up a minimum legal enforceable disclosure requirement framework.
- Set up a requirement that an auditor should be suitably qualified professional accountant.
- Set up specific duties, powers and responsibilities of an auditor.
- Required the auditor to report whether adequate books and records had been kept from. which financial statements were prepared to give a true and fair view, shifting the primary audit objective from fraud detection.
1960s – 1990s
The world economies continued to grow in the 1960s – 1990s. This period marked an important development in technological advancements and the size and complexity of the companies. In the early 1980s, when reliance on internal controls was found to be an expensive process, auditors began to cut back on them and make greater use of analytical procedures instead, then developing further to risk-based auditing by the mid 1980s, calling for a thorough understanding of the clients by auditors to carry out such an audit. Since most of the companies in this period had introduced computer systems to process their financial and other data and to perform, monitor and control many other operational and administrative activities, auditors also placed heavy reliance on the advanced computer auditing skills to facilitate their audit procedures.
At this time there was also a surge in provision of other advisory services to clients in addition to audit of financial statements, with firms becoming multidisciplinary (ie extending to management consultancy).
1990s – present
The auditing profession witnessed substantial and rapid change since 1990s as a result of the accelerating growth at the world economies. It can be observed that auditing in the present day has expanded beyond the basic financial statement attest function. According to Porter et al (2005), present-day auditing has developed into new processes that build on a business risk perspective of their clients. The business risk approach rests on the notion that a broad range of the client’s business risks are relevant to the audit. Advocates of the business risk approach opined that many business risks, if not controlled, will eventually affect the financial statement. Furthermore by understanding the full range of risks in businesses, the auditor will be in a better position to identify matters of significance and relevance to the audit profession on a timely basis.
Since the early 1990s, the audit profession began to take increased responsibility to detect and report fraud and to assess, and report more explicitly, doubts about an auditee’s ability to continue in conformance with society’s and regulators’ increasing concern about corporate governance matters. Adoption of the business risk approach in turn enhances auditor’s ability to fulfill these responsibilities (Porter, et al., 2005).
Presently, the ultimate objective of auditing is to lend credibility to financial and nonfinancial information provided by management in annual reports; however, audit firms have been largely providing consultancy services to businesses. By 2000, consulting revenues exceeded auditing revenues at all the major audit firms in the USA.
Regulators of the auditing profession and the investing public began to doubt whether audit firms could remain independent on audit issues when the firms were so dependent on consulting revenues. The quality of audits is being placed under scrutiny after a series of financial scandals of public companies such as Sunbeam, Waste Management, Xeror, Adelphia, Enron and WorldCom. The collapses of these giant corporations had brought about a crisis of confidence in the work of auditors (Boynton & Johnson, 2006).
As a consequence of the high level of litigation and criticism against the auditors, nearly all large accounting firms split their consulting arms into separate companies and made announcements on their more stringent rules and measures to ensure better independence and audit quality. In addition, a spate of radical reforms was undertaken in various countries, by the accounting bodies, governments, stock exchange commissions and academics to strengthen the audit practice (Leung, et al., 2004).
In conclusion, an audit as it is known today is mainly that which was adopted by the land mark Acts in the USA and UK just before the mid twentieth century.
End of Chapter Questions
Question 1
An audit, in early part of its development, was an assurance service that involved checking all the records under consideration for accuracy and confirmation that fraud has or has not taken place during the period under consideration.
A modern audit has shifted the emphasis from fraud detection to ascertainment whether financial statements show a true and fair view or not. A number of approaches have also emerged with time including: gathering audit evidence on sampling basis, reliance on internal controls, external confirmations and use of Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs) amongst others.
Required:
- State the legislation that marked a major shift of an audit into the state as it is known today, and mention the main principles the legislation introduced. 8 Marks
- Outline and explain four factors that led to the change of the audit focus from that of fraud detection to ascertainment of the truth and fairness of financial statements and subsequent emergence of different approaches mentioned above. 8 Marks c) State, in your opinion, whether fraud is no longer an issue of concern to a company, | https://knecnotes.co.ke/role-and-origins-of-auditing-2/ |
The ProSynth speech synthesis project aims to re-implement and extend the YorkTalk all-prosodic synthesis system in an open manner preserving its most ap-pealing theoretical aspects. A significant novel aspect of the architecture of ProSynth is the use of the extensible mark-up language (XML) as a computational formalism for the representation of hierarchical linguistic structures. The facilities provided by XML match closely the requirements to represent the phonological features of an utterance in a metrical prosodic structure, namely: nodes described by attribute-value pairs forming strict hierarchies. The XML formalism also leads to an elegant and efficient method for representing declarative phonological contexts under which phonetic interpretation is performed. | https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/eurospeech_1999/huckvale99_eurospeech.html |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the thermal properties of and making thermomechanical modifications an the surface of a particular material using a Peltier tip, which works as a heat source and as a temperature sensor simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor integrated circuit, heat generated per unit area increases as the integration density increases. To prevent occurrences of a short or a malfunction due to high temperature in an integrated circuit, the measurements of thermal properties of a semiconductor device are essential. The investigations of homogeneity of composite materials and the grain size of each individual material are important in the fields of medical science, material science, and chemical engineering, and so on. Also, in studying thin films or multilayer films, the precise measurements of thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and specific heat, which are fundamental physical quantities involving transport phenomena and internal degrees of freedom of a system, are required. Furthermore, the development of high density recording media is actively in progress through thermomechanical modifications of polymers and glassy films using a scanning thermal microscope.
As described above, the characterizations of thermal properties in the fields of semiconductors composites, and thin films are very important for engineering and scientific purposes. However, in an actual measurement, it is difficult to conduct quantitative analysis since the mass of a material is extremely small and the measurement apparatus has low spatial resolution.
Conventionally, a method of measuring thermal properties on a material surface includes the use of a Peltier tip made of a thin resistive wire as a heat source by applying a current to the tip, while measuring temperature through the change in resistance, thereby grasping thermal properties qualitatively. However, this method suffers from sensitivity limitations since the exchange of heat, generated over the entire tip by Joule heating, occurs only at a point that is in contact with a material. In addition, if the conventional method is applied to make thermomechanical modifications, there are limitations in spatial resolution and speed, since only heating is possible at the tip.
To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for measuring thermal properties of and making thermomechanical modifications on a material surface using a Peltier tip. The Peltier tip is defined as a junction of different metallic wires, which is distinguished from a conventional thermocouple by the fact that it works as a point heat source and a point temperature sensor simultaneously when an electric current flows into the tip. This novel functionality of the Peltier tip offers the way to the thermal characterizations of a material surface with submicron-scale spatial resolution, and high sensitivity, while providing high spatial resolution and speed for thermal modifications since both heating and cooling are possible at the Peltier tip. The apparatus includes: a signal generator that drives an electric current into the Peltier tip; an ammeter connected to the signal generator for measuring current; a bridge circuit consisting of junctions of metallic wires, which is connected to the ammeter, wherein one junction of the metallic wires is made in the form of the Peltier tip; and a lock-in amplifier connected to both symmetrical terminals of the bridge circuit for amplifying and detecting voltages due to temperature oscillation detected by the Peltier tip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above object and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1
shows the configuration of an apparatus for measuring thermal properties and making thermomechanical modifications on a material surface with a Peltier tip according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
is an equivalent circuit of the apparatus of for measuring thermal properties of a material surface, wherein the Peltier tip can be replaced with a thermal signal generator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
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Referring to , an apparatus for measuring thermal properties of and making thermomechanical modifications on a material surface using a Peltier tip according to the present invention includes a signal generator , a lock-in amplifier , an ammeter , and a bridge circuit. The bridge circuit includes metallic wires and made of different metals, a Peltier tip , and a variable resistor Rv.
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More specifically, the signal generator with output resistance s is connected to one terminal of the ammeter with internal resistance Ra. The other terminal of the ammeter is connected to the central point of the metallic wire . The metallic wires and are joined to form the bridge circuit. One junction point in the bridge circuit is the Peltier tip . The central point of the metallic wire is grounded. To eliminate an Ohmic voltage drop, the variable resistor Rv is added to the bridge circuit.
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The lock-in amplifier is connected to a point b of the Peltier tip and a point f, and the Peltier tip contacts the surface of a material of which thermal properties are to be measured.
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The locations of points in the bridge circuit, which connect the lock-in amplifier , will now be described. In general, in a measurement of AC voltage between the ends of a resistor when current flows, the signals of second and third harmonics as well as a fundamental frequency signal are generated by Joule heating. The second and third harmonic signals have small amplitudes that are proportional to a temperature coefficient of the resistor. When a signal to be measured is of very small amplitude, the measurement may be affected by these higher harmonic signals. Also, as frequency increases, the amplitude of harmonic signals produced by reactance of a circuit component increases in proportion with the frequency. Thus, connecting the symmetrical points of the bridge circuit to the lock-in amplifier is effective in eliminating these unnecessary harmonic signals.
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
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is an equivalent circuit of the circuit of for measuring thermal properties of the material . In the equivalent circuit of , the Peltier tip can be replaced with a thermal signal generator since thermal oscillation is converted into voltage oscillation by Seebeck effect.
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If a junction point e is thermally grounded, the lock-in amplifier obtains thermal properties of the surface of the material B by measuring the voltage between junction points b and f in a complex plane. Here, R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points b and c of FIG. and R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points a and b. R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points a and f, and R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points e and f. R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points d and e, and R denotes resistance of the metallic wire between the junction points c and d. Ra, Rs, and Rv denote the internal resistance of the ammeter , the output resistance of the signal generator , and the variable resistance, respectively
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The Peltier effect will now be described. The Peltier effect refers to a phenomenon in which, when current is applied to a junction of different metallic wires and at a temperature T, the time derivative of heat Q or power is generated at the junction due to the electrochemical potential difference between the two conductors, as expressed by Equation (1):
where &Dgr;S denotes the difference in a thermoelectric power between the two conductors and I denotes current.
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Thus, the junction point may be heated or cooled depending on the direction of current I. From the tabulated value &Dgr;S for a pair of various metallic wires (thermocouple) at an arbitrary temperature, and the current I, a precise estimation of power given to a material can be made, Thermocouples consisting of the metallic wires and having different characteristics includes include a J-type thermocouple, which is an iron (Fe)—constantan (Cu—Ni) junction, a K-type thermocouple, which is a chromel (Ni—Cr)—alumel (Ni—Al), a T-type thermocouple, which is a copper (Cu)—constantan (Cu—Ni) junction, an E-type thermocouple, which is a chrornel (Ni—Cr)—constantan (Cu—Ni) junction, an N-type thermocouple, which is a nicosil (Ni—Cr—Si)—nisil (Ni—Si—Mg) junction, R- and S-type thermocouples, which are platinum (Pt)—platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh) alloy junctions, and G-C- and D-type thermocouples, which are a tungsten (W)—tungsten (W) and rhenium (Re) alloy junction. The choice of a thermocouple depends on temperature range and its sensitivity.
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When the signal generator drives a current at specific frequency, the current is input to the bridge circuit through the ammeter . The current passes through routes a-e-d and a-b-c-d to a ground. The junctions are constructed such that junction points a, b, and f are junctions of the copper wire and the metallic wire , junction points c and e are junctions of the two metallic wires and , and junction point d is a junction of the metallic wire and the copper wire . Temperature oscillations occur at each junction point due to thermal exchange caused by Peltier effect. The amplitudes of these temperature oscillations varies depending on various conditions such as specific heat of a junction material, thermal conductivity, geometry of thermal diffusion, oscillation frequency, and mass of a junction. Here, junction points a, b, d, and f are junctions of the copper wire and the metallic wire , and the junction points a, b, d, and f are thermally grounded with metals such as gold, silver, and copper to eliminate temperature oscillations at those junctions.
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FIG. 1
The junction point e can be treated in two ways. A first method is that junction point e is thermally grounded like in junction points a, b, d, and f. In this case, temperature oscillation caused by heat exchange occur only at junction point c. The temperature oscillation results in voltage oscillation due to the Seebeck effect at that junction point. The lock-in amplifier reads the difference in voltage between the junction points b and f in a complex plane. As shown in , the voltage measured by the lock-in amplifier is induced by the Ohmic voltage drop, as well as by the temperature oscillation in the Peltier tip . The Ohmic voltage drop can be removed by the variable resistor Rv using a well-known Wheatstone bridge correction approach. Thus, only the voltage induced by temperature oscillation can be measured.
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A second method is that the junction point e is made in the form of a tip like junction point c. In this case, if the material does not contact the tip junction pant c, no signal is detected due to symmetry of the bridge circuit. On the other hand, if the material contacts junction point c, only the difference between temperature oscillations at the tip e itself and temperature oscillation on the material surface is measured.
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If current is applied to the Peltier tip , heat exchange occurs only at the junction. Thus, the Peltier tip in contact with the material surface works as a point heat source and as a point temperature sensor simultaneously. Due to the facts, measurement of thermal properties on a material surface can be done with high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Furthermore, since a thermal diffusion length is proportional to one over square root of a driving frequency, it is possible to control and enhance the spatial resolution. When thermal properties of the material are measured using the Peltier tip , driving frequency can be increased to several kHz, and the thermal wavelength becomes several tens of micrometers for a material with high thermal conductivity and several hundreds of nanometers for a material with low thermal conductivity. That is, it is possible to measure thermal properties at higher spatial resolution.
4
According to the present invention, thermal properties are measured and thermal modifications are made on a material surface by using the Peltier tip which works as a heat source and as a temperature sensor simultaneously. The fact that heat exchange occurs only at a junction offers a way to thermally characterize a material surface with submicron-scale spatial resolution and sensitivity and high sensitivity while providing high spatial resolution and speed for thermal modifications since heating and cooling simultaneously at a Peltier tip. | |
With symbolism running rampant on Inauguration Day, the soon-to-be president and vice president made subtle nods to the country in their fashion choices Wednesday.
President-elect Joe Biden matched a navy suit and navy overcoat from American designer Ralph Lauren, the same designer of First Lady Melania Trump’s powder-blue suit in 2017.
His wife Jill wore an ocean blue wool tweed coat and dress from emerging designer Alexandra O’Neill, who founded her own luxury womenswear label, Markarian, in 2017. She matched her outfit with a blue mask and wore her hair in soft waves.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris similarly chose two up-and-coming artists for her look of regal purple: Baton Rouge, La., native Christopher John Rogers and South Carolina’s Sergio Hudson, both Black designers.
Like Biden, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff also went with a Ralph Lauren suit.
The COVID-19 pandemic has canceled the traditional presidential nighttime balls, where outfits are upgraded, leaving the new First and Second Families with fewer options for highlight moments.
Former First Lady Melania Trump, an ex-model, had trouble finding designers to dress her early in her husband’s presidency, with more than half a dozen, including Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford, refusing to work with her on her inauguration outfit. | https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-biden-harris-inauguration-fashion-20210120-ecfdpir7qzcpfdxp5szmjs6kee-story.html |
The arrival of Brian Reyes implies an expansion and an upmarket move for the line. Reyes started his career at Ralph Lauren and went on to work at Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta and most recently as a consultant at TSE Cashmere. He has also designed a line under his own name. At Calvin Klein Underwear, Reyes will lead the design team and oversee the development of the men's and women's collections, reporting to Bob Mazzoli, Chief Creative Officer.
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Please note late registrations need to be paid in full or a Purchase Order provided before 03 September to secure your place. If no payment or Purchase Order is received before this date your registration could be cancelled.
ALT’s Annual Conference 2019 is seeking to confront and challenge established assumptions, approaches and accepted truths in relation to key dimensions of digital education, and to advancing our practice and thinking through critical dialogue and reflection, closer scrutiny of evidence and theory, and a stronger commitment to values including creativity, community, social good, openness and porosity, and more democratic access to knowledge and learning.
Full information about registration, the programme and social activities is available on our dedicated conference platform https://altc.alt.ac.uk/2019/ . | https://www.alt.ac.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=188 |
# Slavic microlanguages
Slavic microlanguages are literary linguistic varieties that exist alongside the better-known Slavic languages of historically prominent nations. Aleksandr Dulichenko coined the term "(literary) microlanguages" at the end of the 1970s; it subsequently became a standard term in Slavistics.
Slavic microlanguages exist both as geographically and socially peripheral dialects of more well-established Slavic languages and as completely isolated ethnolects. They often enjoy a written form, a certain degree of standardisation and are used in a variety of circumstances typical of codified idioms—albeit in a limited fashion and always alongside a national standard language.
## List
In genetic terms, each literary microlanguage is traced back to one of the major Slavic languages or has a close degree of kinship with it. Only Pannonian Rusyn poses a challenge in this regard.
Slovene Prekmurje Slovene — Prekmurje (north-eastern Slovenia), neighbouring areas of Austria Resian dialect — Resia Valley (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy) Veneto-Slovene Serbo-Croatian Shtokavian Slavomolisano dialect (Molise Croatian) — from the 15th to 16th centuries in the region of Molise (Italy), from Dalmatia. Slavonic-Serbian Kajkavian Chakavian Burgenland Croatian (Gradishan Croatian) — Burgenland (Austria) and surrounding areas of Hungary Bulgarian Banat Bulgarian dialect — from the 18th century in Banat (Romania and Serbia) Pomak — Bulgarian Muslims in Greece (Pomaks) Macedonian Slavic dialects of Greece — Macedonians in Greece; the letter was published in 1925; it published periodicals and books in different countries, but nowadays, as far as is known, it does not function.
Slovak Literary Eastern Slovak — the language of Protestants in eastern Slovakia since the mid-18th century Czech Lachian — practically the language of one author — the poet Óndra Łysohorsky — based on the Silesian dialect Polish Vichian — based on the Polish dialects of Lithuania, attempts since the late 1980s
Ukrainian Rusyn (Carpathian Rusyn ) — Rusyns in the Zakarpattia Oblast, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary West Polesian (Sudovian/Yotvingian) — south-western Belarus Belarusian Halshanish — in the late 1980s in Lithuania, based on local Belarusian dialects West Polesian (Sudovian/Yotvingian) — south-western Belarus Podlachian (their language) — Podlachia
Pannonian Rusyn (Yugoslav) — Rusyns of Vojvodina and Croatia; genetically refers to the Slovak linguistic massif, however, with a strong substrate and adstrate influence of East Slavic Rusyn dialects. Based on a set of criteria, this language occupies an intermediate position between microlanguages and the main Slavic languages.
According to Aleksandr Dulichenko, the creation of new Slavic literary microlanguages continues today. Thus, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Bunjevac literary norm was formed in Vojvodina on the basis of the Bunjevac dialect of the Serbo-Croatian language. Bunjevci (most likely Catholic Serbs who moved to Vojvodina from Dalmatia, who consider themselves a separate ethnic group or part of the Croatian ethnic group), created the Nacionalni savet bunjevačke nacionalne manjine and the Bunjevačka matica. Some of the texts in the "Bunjevac Journal" (Bunjevačke novine) are printed in the Bunjevac dialect; in some primary schools, the Bunjevac dialect lessons are taught in places where Bunjevci are densely populated. New Slavic literary microlanguages can also be considered Silesian and Goral dialects (mainly based off the Podhale dialect ). The movement for the creation of literary standards in Silesian and Goral dialects has arisen in the south of Poland since the 1990s, these movements are characterised by a lack of unity, their representatives are united in different societies offering different options for writing, spelling and grammar . Nevertheless, attempts are being made in these languages to create literary works, periodicals, and the Gospel, in particular, has been translated into Goral.
## Insular and peripheral microlanguages
Native speakers of contemporary Slavic microlanguages either live among unrelated linguistic communities, thereby constituting an ethnic "island", or live on the geographical periphery of their historical ethnic groups. Correspondingly, these microlanguages can be divided into insular and peripheral categories (the latter of which can also be called "regional languages"). The principal insular forms are: Rusyn, Burgenland Croatian, Molise Croatian, the Resian dialect (which may also be characterised as "peninsular") and Banat Bulgarian. The main peripheral forms include Prekmurje Slovene, Literary Eastern Slovak , Lachian , Carpathian Rusyn , West Polesian and others.
## Functional characteristics
The precise hierarchical relationship between national standard languages and microlanguages can be ascertained by examining internal attributes, such as the disparity between strictly enforced standardisation in the case of the former and, in the case of the latter, a more relaxed standard. The national language often displays a standardised spoken form whereas such a regularity is absent from microlanguages (whose spoken form often consists of divergent dialects.) Likewise, the difference can be seen in external attributes such as extensive functionality and explored genres in the case of national languages, compared to the narrowness of genres and limited functional role of microlanguages.
As literary microlanguages are, in terms of functionality, more expansive than their corresponding dialects, they display a tendency toward standardised norms, which entails a significant enlargement of the lexicon and a more systematised, codified grammar, often by way of foreign borrowings, and recourse to a previous literary and linguistic tradition alien to vernacular dialects. In contrast to a dialect exploited for artistic purposes, every minor literary Slavic language is to a greater or lesser degree governed by an organised literary and linguistic process that provides for the establishment and development of a literary microlanguage, and which presents it as such.
In terms of location, Slavic microlanguages exist in both predominantly Slavic and non-Slavic areas, earning some the designation of linguistic "islands" resulting from a past migration, whereas others exist indigenously, having never been entirely separated from their genetic and geographic points of origin.
## Ethnic factor
Behind the majority of Slavic microlanguages are not nations, but the so-called cultural-linguistic and ethno-linguistic groups as branches of large Slavic ethnic groups-nations.
Peripheral literary micro-languages function in the environment of cultural and linguistic groups that exist within the peripheral (ethnic) area and are distinguished within its framework only by local features of cultural-historical and linguistic (dialectal) nature - such are Chakavians, Kajkavians in Croatia, etc.; ethno-linguistic groups, that is, "insular", which are national minorities, are behind insular literary microlanguages — such are the Burgenland Croats, Molise Croats, Banat Bulgarians, etc. (unlike cultural-linguistic groups, they are characterised by more tangible ethnic and linguistic separately). Both peripheral and island branches consider themselves to be an inseparable part of the corresponding Slavic ethnic nations: the Banat Bulgarians - the Bulgarians, the Chakavians and the Kajkavians, as well as the Burgenland Croats and the Molise Croats - the Croats, etc., but also as an independent Slavic language, as it is used by an ethnic group (community), claiming the role of nationality. However, the border between microlanguages and independent Slavic languages and in some other cases turns out to be indistinct: for example, the "insular" Sorbian, representing the Slavic national minority in Germany, and peripheral to the Polish Kashubian tradition established in Russian linguistics, are considered as separate languages.
## History of occurrence
As conditions for the emergence of literary microlanguages are necessary: the presence of compactness of the environment and the associated isolation from the main dialect continuum, awareness of linguistic and ethnic specificity, complexity of the dialectal landscape, forcing you to look for your own literary language (especially during the formation of national literary languages) close dialect basis; the presence of literary-linguistic pre-tradition in a related or unrelated language, which provided the conditions for experiments on the use of native speech as a literary language; at the same time, the quantitative factor is not decisive, although it influences the potential possibilities of the literary-language process. Stimulating moments in the emergence of a number of Slavic microlanguages were Protestantism (16th century), the movement for the national revival of Slavic peoples (19th century), a subjective factor, that is, the presence of enlighteners who are able to give an impetus to the power of their example organisations of the literary-linguistic process in their dialect (dialect).
A peculiarity of peripheral literary microlanguages is that almost all of them already at the initial stage of their development (before the era of national revival) were regional variants that competed with each other to become the basis of the emerging national literary language.
## Criticism
From a critical standpoint, the theory of "Slavic microlinguistics" is assessed by the Russian Slavic scholar Sergey Skorvid , who believes that due to the vagueness and ambiguity of the definition of "Slavic microlanguages", a number of researchers, following Aleksandr Dulichenko himself, put different meanings into the concept of "microlanguages". The use of the term "Slavic microlanguages", according to S. S. Skorvid, is inappropriate, since completely dissimilar linguistic forms can be summed up under this term. All idioms of limited functioning in the Slavic world can be more clearly defined in other terms. Thus, the Sorbian languages (Upper and Lower Sorbian) in Germany, Pannonian Rusyn in Serbia and Croatia, (Carpathian) Rusyn in Slovakia, Lemko in Poland and some other idioms should be considered as "minority languages". Kashubian in Poland, (Carpathian) Rusyn in Ukraine, Kajkavian and Chakavian in Croatia, as well as other similar idioms, whose speakers have a special regional ethno-linguistic identity, fall under the concept of "regional languages". Written idioms such as Podlachian by Jan Maksymiuk , and Masurian in Poland or the already defunct Lachian by Óndra Łysohorsky in the Czech Republic, and West Polesian by Nikolai Shelyagovich in Belarus, can be defined as "literary idiolects" and "literary dialects"
The absence of a "strict" definition of the basic terms of the theory of "literary microlanguages" is pointed out by the Czech researcher Vladislav Knoll. This, in his opinion, gives grounds to include in the number of "microlanguages" an increasing number of Slavic idioms of both the present and the past, which has been happening recently. In particular, modern Podhale, Masurian, Silesian and Moravian, as well as historical Biblical Czech, Bernolákova Slovak , Trnava Slovak, Camaldolese Slovak and Transylvanian Bulgarian have come to be included among the "new microlanguages". Most of the linguistic forms that Aleksandr Dulichenko considers as "microlanguages", Vladislav Knoll refers to as "literary dialects". From them, in his opinion, it is necessary to separate the group of literary idiolects, such as the project of the Lachian language, and the group of regional literary languages, such as Molise Croatian and Pannonian Rusyn, and, possibly, already Kashubian and Slovak Russian. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_microlanguages |
An 80-year-old man with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, bilateral below-the-knee amputations, and poor quality of life had previously been resuscitated from sudden death. After his recovery, he completed a DNR (do not resuscitate) form signifying his desire to avoid such treatment in the future.
The patient presented to the emergency department (ED) in extreme pain and was found to have a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Although his DNR form was with him, neither the ED staff nor the consulting surgeon looked at it. The patient was rushed to the operating room (OR), where his AAA was repaired. Postoperatively, an internist came upon the DNR form in the patient's chart and discussed resuscitation preferences with the patient and the family. The patient reconfirmed his desire to avoid resuscitation and heroic procedures, expressing anger that he had been taken to the OR for the AAA repair. The family agreed with the patient's choice. The internist wrote a DNR order in the chart, but the surgeon—having just completed major surgery on this patient—was furious, changing the code status back to "full code." Ultimately, the internist consulted with the hospital ethicist, who convinced the surgeon to honor the patient's and family's wishes. The DNR order was reinstated, and the patient later died of a cardiac arrest during the hospitalization.
The Commentary
The fear of older, dying persons having life prolonged against their wishes has in part driven the current focus on completing written advance directives in the United States. This focus may be somewhat surprising, because the published evidence indicates that patients being resuscitated against their wishes is a rare event. In a review of 17 narratives from the Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Risks of Treatments (SUPPORT), there were no cases in which a physician unilaterally ignored patient preferences to provide life-sustaining treatment.(1) At least in SUPPORT, the predominant concern was the converse: that physicians did not write a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order in nearly 1 in 2 cases when there was evidence (based on patient or family member interview) of that patient's preference to forgo resuscitation.(2) Although this failure to document a DNR preference is concerning, the absence of a DNR order did not result in resuscitation being performed against a person's wishes in SUPPORT.(3) Moreover, a 1995 study found that only 26% of hospitalized nursing home residents who had previously executed an advance directive had these preferences recognized during that hospitalization. However, when the advanced directives were recognized, they influenced treatment decisions in 86% of cases.(4) Thus, "near misses" do not frequently translate into cases where a patient is wrongfully resuscitated.
Although the rarity of the error of physicians "trumping" or ignoring a patient preference by mistake is somewhat reassuring, there do appear to be many cases in which patients are at risk of receiving treatment inconsistent with their previously stated wishes, and patients seem to harbor significant concerns regarding the lack of communication.
While case reports of physicians unilaterally trumping patient preferences exist, as the surgeon did in this case by reversing the DNR order against a patient's preferences, fortunately they are rare. In this example, an ethics committee was utilized to resolve the conflict with a surgeon who was unilaterally making a decision against a patient's informed wishes. An ethics committee is an appropriate vehicle to help resolve these conflicts. It should be noted that the case as presented does not question the authenticity of the patient's decision to complete a DNR order. Indeed, the patient signed a DNR order in the nursing home, and the family agreed with the patient's wishes and decision. This leads to a very important question regarding the actions of the surgeon. Should that physician be sanctioned for making a decision that flagrantly ignored a patient's preference? I believe that such behavior should receive the same scrutiny as operating on the wrong side of the brain—each is a bodily assault that provides harmful care to which the patient did not consent. Such a case should be reported to the appropriate state authorities, and the resulting sanctions and corrective actions should ensure that informed preferences by future patients are honored.
Although the actions of the surgeon in this case raise important concerns, two other issues in this case also deserve greater discussion. A critically ill nursing home resident is transferred to the ED with severe abdominal pain and hypotension. In the midst of crisis, the physician did not realize that the patient was DNR and successfully resuscitated this elderly patient. This is an important error. Transitions of care involving frail, older persons are often problematic. The error of resuscitating a patient because health care providers were unaware of his code status reflects inadequate communication and coordination of care between the nursing home and the ED. Steps can be undertaken to prevent this error, including the following:
- The use of a bracelet identifying the patient’s DNR status is increasingly being adopted by states to ensure that patients are not resuscitated against their wishes by emergency medical services (EMS) staff and other health care providers. The majority of states have adopted an out-of-hospital DNR policy. Physicians being aware of their state law and following the state protocol for out-of-hospital DNR orders are critical steps to ensure that patient preferences are honored.(5)
- When a frail, older nursing home resident is transferred to an acute care setting, not only should an interagency form be completed, but a verbal report should be called to the ED. Each ED must develop a system that ensures that information from that verbal report becomes part of that patient’s treatment record. Electronic medical records can include appropriate "flags" that make sure that important information such as DNR orders and drug allergies is immediately accessible to treating physicians. The primary care physician should follow up with a phone call 24 hours after admission to review the patient’s care and ensure that the treating team at the hospital has all the information needed to ensure continuity of the care plan.
The second issue, which may not seem like an obvious error, reflects one of the predominant concerns with decision making at the close of life. Too often, the timing of discussions to clarify patient preferences only occurs in the last days of life. As the previously cited data illustrate, the error of "wrongful" resuscitation is exceedingly rare. Rather, the more common error occurs when the physician has not written a DNR order because the patient's end-of-life wishes have not been clarified. It is this delayed communication that can lead to higher health care costs and higher utilization of the intensive care unit (ICU) for the seriously ill.(6) For the frail, older nursing home resident, the discussion of CPR is somewhat of a moot point given the poor outcomes of resuscitation. Murphy and colleagues (7) found that residents age 70 and older are resuscitated successfully in fewer than 1 in 100 cases, matching a threshold that has been proposed for a treatment to be deemed "futile." In this 80-year-old man with multiple organ impairment, the most appropriate focus of advance care planning should have been on the role of the acute care hospital. If the physician and nursing home staff addressed the appropriate use of hospitalization and prospectively discussed the goals of care with the patient and family, I strongly suspect that the high costs of terminal hospitalization could have been avoided.
Increasingly, nursing homes are utilizing "Do Not Hospitalize (DNH) Unless for Comfort" orders in frail, older nursing home residents. In 2000, nearly 1 in 10 nursing home residents with advanced dementia had a DNH order.(8) The frequency of such orders varied substantially across the United States, ranging from 0.7% in Oklahoma to 25.9% in Rhode Island. Regions with higher rates of DNH orders for persons with advanced dementia had fewer patients admitted to the ICU during a terminal hospitalization. In cases like this one, clarifying patient preferences regarding the use of the acute care hospital in the nursing home setting is an important way to prevent inappropriate terminal hospitalizations. Too often, the question asked about the use of life-sustaining treatment is, "Do you want me to resuscitate your mother?" or "If she gets sick, should we send her to the hospital?" Rather, health care providers need to be trained in a goal-based approach to advance care planning in the nursing home setting.(9,10) There are three key steps in this approach.(10)
First, listen to the patient and family. A key step in advance care planning is to listen and understand where the patient and the family are in living with multiple chronic illnesses. Has the patient reached a point where continued existence is burdensome? Does the patient have preferences that should help guide his or her treatment decisions?
Second, based on understanding where the patient is in his or her disease trajectory, the health care provider should clarify misconceptions, state what they heard the patient and/or family tell them about where they are in the disease process, and formulate goals of care. For example, "Given what you have told Mrs. Smith, your goal is to focus on your comfort, not interventions that would prolong your life." For the nursing home resident, typical goals could include treatment to focus on extending life regardless of their current state of health or efforts to restore them to their current state of health. However, if that is not possible, care should focus on comfort even if it shortens life. Such a focus on comfort may lead to a decision to forego further hospitalizations.
Third, working with the nursing home staff, the physician formulates a care plan that ensures that those goals are met. Often, this includes a referral to hospice that will work with the staff in the nursing home to formulate a plan for palliation of symptoms and avoiding hospitalization against the wishes of the nursing home residents and/or family.
Increasingly, decisions regarding medical care for frail, older persons involve making choices that involve a trade off between quality and quantity of life. Eliciting and respecting an informed patient's preferences are key to making this decision. Communication needs to occur early in the disease course. A 3-step goal-based approach to advance care planning listens to where the patient is in living with multiple chronic illnesses, formulates goals of care, and then develops a plan of care that outlines how those preferences will be honored. Key parts of this plan include taking steps to ensure that the goals of care are communicated across settings of care and considering whether transfers from setting to setting (including nursing home to hospital) are appropriate in the first place.
Take-Home Points
- A physician unilaterally trumping an informed patient's choice should be treated as a sentinel event.
- Good communication (including telephone calls from the primary care physician to the ED staff and the admitting physician 24 hours after admission) is important to ensure continuity of information about a patient’s advance care plans and medical condition.
- Physicians should be familiar with the out-of-hospital DNR laws in their state and counsel patients to wear the appropriate bracelet or other means of signifying that the patient is DNR as prescribed by state law.
- For frail, older nursing home residents, a key point of clarification as part of advance care planning surrounds the role of hospitalization. Such clarification may result in the use of a "Do Not Hospitalize Unless for Comfort" order.
Joan M. Teno, MD, MS Professor of Community Health and Medicine The Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University Associate Medical Director, Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island
References
1. Teno JM, Stevens M, Spernak S, Lynn J. Role of written advance directives in decision making: insights from qualitative and quantitative data. J Gen Intern Med. 1998;13:439-446. [go to PubMed]
2. Teno JM, Mitchell S, Rhodes R, Intrator O, Brostrup-Jenson C, Mor V. Health Care Transitions and Incident Feeding Tube Insertion Among Persons with Advanced Cognitive Impairment: Lost in Transition. 2007. | https://psnet.ahrq.gov/web-mm/wrongful-resuscitation |
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of digital content for the delivery of video, audio and multi-media content, and more particularly to techniques for the delivery of digital content synchronized with supplemental information to provide a viewer with an immersive viewing experience.
The field of digital content delivery has undergone substantial changes in recent years. Traditional media included, for example, broadcast television, cinema, physical supports for audio recording and playback, and so forth. These industries have been revolutionized by the ability to store, transmit, deliver and play back content of interest to wider ranges of audiences by digital means. Current technologies include, for example, traditional broadcast technologies, satellite transmission, cable delivery systems, cellular transmission systems, Internet delivery systems, as well as a range of physical memory supports for receiving, storing and playing back content. In many cases, digital content has evolved to allow audiences greater control over their viewing experience, so that they are able to enjoy digital content within the comfort of their surroundings.
An area of increasing interest in the field relates to adapting digital content to provide audiences with a more immersive viewing experience. Current techniques for providing digital media commonly pairs different types of media for audience consumption. For example, video data is commonly paired with audio signals to provide voice, music, sound effects, and so forth. Accordingly, there is an increased interest and need for combining digital content with supplemental information (e.g., immersive information) that engages the audience and provides a more immersive viewing experience. In particular, the supplemental information may include information to regulate and/or control various factors found within the environment or surroundings of a typical viewer, such as light. In this manner, the digital content and supplemental information may be seamlessly stitched to “immerse” a viewing audience within a scene from the comfort of a viewer's surroundings.
To date, little or no progress has been made in combining and/or synchronizing digital content with supplemental information that controls factors within a viewer's surrounding environment. Because both forms of content will likely be of interest, there may be a need for systems and methods for combining them to enhance the audience experience and to provide for a more immersive viewing experience.
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The discovery of 15 partial skeletons is the largest single discovery of its type in Africa.The researchers claim that the discovery will change ideas about our human ancestors.
Australopithecus afarensis (3.9 – 2.9 million years ago) : The famous “Lucy” skeleton belongs to this species of human relative. So far, fossils of this species have only been found in East Africa. Several traits in the skeleton suggest afarensis walked upright, but they may have spent some time in the trees.
Homo habilis (2.8 – 1.5 million years ago) : This human relative had a slightly larger braincase and smaller teeth than the australopithecines or older species, but retains many more primitive features such as long arms.
Homo naledi (Of unknown age, but researchers say it could be as old as three million years) : The new discovery has small, modern-looking teeth, human-like feet but more primitive fingers and a small braincase.
Homo erectus (1.9 million years – unknown) : Homo erectus had a modern body plan that was almost indistinguishable from ours. But it had a smaller brain than a modern person’s combined with a more primitive face.
Homo neanderthalensis (200,000 years – 40,000 years) The Neanderthals were a side-group to modern humans, inhabiting western Eurasia before our species left Africa. They were shorter and more muscular than modern people but had slightly larger brains.
Homo sapiens (200,000 years – present) Modern humans evolved in Africa from a predecessor species known as Homo heidelbergensis. A small group of Homo sapiens left Africa 60,000 years ago and settled the rest of the world, replacing the other human species they encountered (with a small amount of interbreeding). | https://curatornet.net/2015/09/10/new-human-like-species-discovered-in-s-africa/ |
Every licensed medical care facility has a legal duty of care to every person who is accepted for treatment. Therefore, a hospital—including the doctors and nurses stationed there—that commits malpractice might be liable to the patient or the patient’s family for any injury or harm their actions or inaction cause. A patient harmed by medical negligence can sue the hospital in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
If you think that a hospital committed malpractice in the care of you or a loved one, you should contact an experienced Michigan hospital negligence lawyer to determine whether you have a valid case. A skilled legal professional at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. will work to obtain all of the relevant medical records, personally review them, and consult with a board-certified physician about your case.
What is Hospital Negligence?
Despite the obligation of proper treatment that is set upon each hospital, they often fail to deploy appropriate care methods, or will simply neglect to give patient care. Malpractice, often called medical negligence, is the term used to describe a careless, reckless, or wrongful act—or inaction—committed by a licensed medical professional who caused harm or injury to someone under their care. The results of this inadequate and inappropriate care can cause significant injuries, worsened conditions, and even death.
What are Examples of Hospital Malpractice?
The most common types of neglect and malpractice include:
- Failure to admit a patient to the hospital for observation or medical condition
- Not prescribing necessary medical treatment
- Failing to order necessary medical diagnostic tests
- Improper medication or dosage of a drug
- Misreading or ignoring laboratory results, like blood tests
- Mistakes in interpreting test results, like an x-ray, CT scan, and MRI
- Errors that occur during a surgery or procedure, include wrong site surgeries
- Ignoring signs and symptoms of a serious and life-threatening medical problem
- Failing to properly supervise or assist a patient at risk for falling
- Failure to request a consultation with a specialist for evaluation
- Discharging a patient from the hospital too early
When these or other neglectful actions cause a patient to suffer injuries, they might be overwhelmed and feel worse than before they sought care. A dedicated Michigan hospital negligence lawyer will work to determine if or how a medical facility is to blame.
Types of Hospital Accidents
In addition to medical malpractice, there are often other serious injuries that can occur in a hospital to a patient and even a visitor. Many of these are often unrelated to medical treatment or the reason for hospitalization, but occur and result in significant harm. Common types of hospital accidents include:
- Falls—from hospital beds, tables during radiology studies, bathrooms, transfers in wheelchairs, and showers or bathtubs, among others
- Trip and fall accidents
- Burn injuries, including from scalding water in a shower or spilled coffee or tea
- Surgical fires in the operating room
- Stepping on syringe needles or other objects
Of all these and other types of accidents, falls are one of the most common types of hospital accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accidental falls are the leading cause of injury and death in the elderly. Despite the numerous risks taken by many care facilities, falls still happen, and often result in severe injuries.
Nosocomial Infections
Unfortunately, the risk of individuals contracting an infection due to their hospitalization is unfortunately common. This is also known as nosocomial infections—hospital-acquired infections. While some of these conditions might be mild and only require slight care, others are serious and can cause severe and even fatal conditions. The most common nosocomial infections include, but are not limited to:
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)—a type of staph infection that is resistant to common antibiotics, multiplies rapidly, and can cause many other infections
- Group A strep—commonly causes sore throats, but could also cause scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, or pneumonia
- Group B strep—common in newborns, which can result in pneumonia, meningitis, or brain damage, and lead to vision loss, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, or death. This can also affect pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions, such as liver disease or diabetes
- Flesh-eating bacteria (necrotizing fasciitis)—often results in amputation of a limb or even death
Often, these and other hospital-acquired infections could have been prevented, if not for the neglect of the care facility and its staff. Because of this, working with a knowledgeable and tenacious hospital negligence attorney in Michigan who is familiar with these types of claims might help to establish how a nosocomial infection was caused by a care facility’s neglect.
VA Hospital Neglect
The largest medical system in the nation, the Veteran Administration Hospital System allows veterans seeking medical care to have the right to the same standard of care as other care facilities. Therefore, when this system fails and a veteran suffers injury or harm due to medical negligence at a VA Hospital, the patient has the legal right to pursue a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claim Act (FTCA).
However, there are strict procedural requirements for filing a military medical malpractice case under the FTCA. These include submitting necessary forms and filing claims even before a lawsuit can be filed. The failure to comply with these requirements might result in a valid lawsuit being barred for technical reasons alone. As such, it is important to consult a well-versed Michigan lawyer who is familiar with hospital negligence involving veterans as soon as possible to preserve legal rights.
Largest Hospitals and Health Systems in Michigan
There are many small hospitals in the state, but most are now part of a large health system. The largest hospital systems in Michigan are:
- Trinity Health
- Henry Ford Health System (Henry Ford Hospitals)
- Spectrum Health Systems
- University of Michigan Health System
- McLaren Health Care Corp.
- Beaumont Health Systems (Beaumont Hospitals)
- Detroit Medical Center
- Sparrow Health System
- MidMichigan Health
- Ascension Health
- Munson Health
Suing a Hospital for Negligence
To sue a hospital for negligence, it must be proven that the hospital employees, including doctors and nurses, failed to provide necessary and appropriate treatment to the patient. In addition to this requirement, you must also prove that the patient suffered injury or harm as a result of this negligence. If a patient is not harmed due to treatment that was neglectful, then there is no case under Michigan law. Both negligence and a resulting injury are required to file a lawsuit.
Medical malpractice must be proven by the sworn testimony of medical experts. To file a case, the lawsuit Complaint must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Merit signed by a licensed medical provider. Essentially, a plaintiff must have a physician or nurse expert willing to testify in support of the case. Our attorneys will find the top national experts to review your case and to testify that the negligent treatment caused serious harm to the patient.
Settlements for Pain and Suffering and Other Damages
Medical malpractice settlements include compensation for pain and suffering damages. Many patients have life-changing injuries due to medical neglect and suffer both physically and mentally. In addition, many malpractice victims suffer substantial pain and permanent disability from medical mistakes.
In Michigan, these types of non-economic damages are limited under caps on damages. The cap that applies to your case depends on the type of injury caused by the negligence. Our lawyers will review your records and determine which level of damage limits applies to your case. We will fully explain it to you.
In addition to a pain and suffering suffering settlement, the plaintiff can also demand economic damages. These damages include lost wages, loss of future income, and payment of medical expenses. Many patients require home care and have other needs, like home modifications, and these are part of settlement.
How Long do you have to Sue a Hospital for Negligence?
Under Michigan law, you have two years from the date of a medical mistake to sue a hospital for negligence. This deadline applies to cases involving errors in medical judgment, treatment, and care. There are some exceptions to this rule. This includes cases involving minors, the death of a patient, or a discovery of the malpractice more than two years after the mistake actually occurred.
For lawsuits involving accidents not related to medical care, like slip and fall injury, the limitations period is three years from the date of the accident. It is best to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an incident because the hospital may argue that the two year deadline applies to your case. If you could miss the case filing deadline, you will be forever barred from filing a lawsuit.
Our Michigan Hospital Negligence Attorneys Can Help You
When you go to a care facility for an injury or condition, you expect to be treated with care and respect—and to not leave in a worse state than you arrived. Unfortunately, hospitals and their staff frequently neglect their responsibilities and cause worsened injuries or even give rise to new and worse conditions for patients under their care.
If you or a loved one was injured while being treated at a hospital, you have legal options and will benefit from reaching out to a Michigan hospital negligence lawyer for help. Our top-rated attorneys will explain your rights, answer your questions, and work to establish how a care facility’s neglect caused you to suffer. To begin taking legal action, call a legal professional at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. to schedule a consultation today.
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This project-based seminar course explores the principles and potentials of sustainable thinking and action. The course offers effective and powerful concepts and exercises in sustainability and how they can be applied to professional practice and business environment, not to mention everyday living.
Even though the term has become a popular catchword, we should make clear what "SUSTAINABILITY” actually means and consists of. This course aims to establish a practical foundation that sustainability presents opportunities, rather than limitations.
The course approaches the foundation in five core areas of concern: energy, materials, construction, water, and lifestyle. They are framed by the four overarching, interconnected objectives: conservation, efficiency, process, and durability. By weaving the core areas and objectives, the course provides a clear priories & strategies on the opportunities in sustainable thinking.
Course leader
Dr. Sang Lee (tudelft.academia.edu/SangLee) is an architect with PhD in Architecture. He is a tenured University Docent at the Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, where he teaches architectural design, theory, and sustainable design.
Target group
This course is designed for current university students, working professionals and any individuals interested in learning about concepts and exercises in sustainability. As well as students of humanities, liberal arts, architecture, design, engineering, and business/marketing.
Course aim
Learning Goals:
Upon successful completion of the course, the students should be able to recognize, understand, and incorporate the fundamentals of sustainability as opportunities in both personal and professional environments. The course also offers a solid template toward further learning and practice in sustainable thinking and action:
(1) The foundations of sustainability that reinforce everyday practice
(2) The points of departure for sustainable design
(3) How to incorporate sustainability concepts into practice
(4) A wider perspective of sustainability in human environment and economy
(5) The ethical choices in profession and practice toward sustainability
Fee info
EUR 720: Fee for students.
The fee covers the course, course materials, and a digital cultural program.
EUR 1120: Fee for working professionals/ non- students.
The fee covers the course, course materials, and a digital cultural program. | https://www.summerschoolsineurope.eu/course/14974/foundations-of-sustainable-thinking |
Students will analyse theories and develop skills relevant to social work practice with groups, communities and organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Programmes
- HS0114
NZQA Level
Level 6
NZQA Credits
15
Delivery method
- Web-Supported
Learning hours
- Directed hours
- 60
- Self directed hours
- 90
- Total learning hours
- 150
Resources required
- Learning Outcomes
- 1.Analyse and describe historical and contemporary social work practice with groups and communities
2.Compare and contrast a range of international and indigenous social work perspectives, theories and models relevant to social work practice with groups, communities and agencies
3.Gather and analyse information and provide recommendations in a macro social work context
4.Apply social work theory and skills for participating effectively in groups.
- Content
- - Introduction to community development theories
- Introduction to ethical practice in community development
- Theories of change
- Development and history of social work practice with groups and communities- international, local and indigenous perspectives
- Contemporary social work theories and models of practice with groups and communities profile reports and needs analysis
- Development of skills and knowledge for working effectively with a range of groups (including migrant and refugee) and facilitating community meetings.
- Documentation, case noting, report writing
- Teaching and Learning Strategy
- May include: Project-based Learning; Flipped Classroom; Blended Learning; Work-Integrated Learning; Inclusive Practices.
Methods may include workshops and practical classes, tutorials, case-based learning, inquiry-based learning, group activities & discussion, supported online learning, e-portfolio, practice simulation.
- Assessment Criteria
- The portfolio is comprised of multiple components.
Students need to provide evidence against all learning outcomes, and gain an overall mark of 50% to pass this module.
- Learning and Teaching Resource
- An extended reading list will be supplied by the tutor at the commencement of the module. This will be updated annually. | https://www.wintec.ac.nz/modules/HSSW603 |
In addition, abundance data shows that pools are the most preferred habitat and runs were intermediately preferred (Table 2). Manage cookies/Do not sell my data we use in the preference centre. Balitoridae; Figure 4), “the first blind [cave-dwelling] loach” from Asia, discovered in 1976 by the British writer Anthony Smith, in deference to whom the species was named (vividly recounted in Smith, 1979, especially chaps. but captured at 90 cm. 81-106. 273-78. Mekonen T, Lemmens P, Declerck SAJ, Ruyts S, Gebrekidan A, Asmelash T, Dejenie T, Bauer H, Deckers J, Amare K, Tesfay S, Amare S, Ajuzie CC, Haileselasie TH, Snoeks J, De Meester L. Diet composition of reservoir populations of the riverine fish Garra (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in Ethiopian highlands. Natives comprise 169 species in 24 familes The Cyprinidae (carps and carp-like taxons), with 37 genera and 82 species, has the comparatively largest biodiversity, followed by the Balitoridae (hillstream loaches), with 1 genus and 21 species. Figure 5. River Res Appl. Most literatures explain that smaller species tend to occur in shallow water with medium velocities and medium-to-large-sized substrate (e.g., Yu and Lee 2002; Chuang et al. 139-57. The aims of this study were to describe the habitat preference and its availability to fish assemblage, as well as ecology, habitat use, and habitat characteristics. 65-70. Keeping freshwater fish also has many health benefits such as reducing stress and lowering your blood pressure and heart rate. 4-8. Our result revealed that, among the habitats, pool supports the highest fish abundance which is in agreement with other similar works (Freeman and Marcinek 2006). Idem, “Eine neue Barilius-Art (Pisces, Cyprinidae) aus Mesopotamien,” Zoologischer Anzeiger 100, 1932, pp. I. Ginzberg, “K sistematike i biologii shemai Chalcalburnus chalcoides (Güldenstädt) iranskogo poberezh’ya Kaspiĭskogo morya” (A taxonomic and biological study of the shemaya Chalcalburnus chalcoides [Güldenstädt] from the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea), Izvestiya Azerbaidzhanskogo filiala Akademii nauk SSSR 1, 1936a, pp. The origin of a number of southern species depends on marine migrations by freshwater fishes, which are known to have a wide tolerance of salinities. (Optional) Enter email address if you would like feedback about your tag. rybadomaci.cz. A global environmental RDA model using R statistical software v.2.8.1 (Oksanen 2005), including the entire set of environmental variables, stream types, and habitat types, demonstrated a significant effect on fish community abundances (R2 adj = 0.68; F-ratio = 4.214; P < 0.001). 33-40. 175-79. “Exotic Fish Species in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin,” Zoology in the Middle East 13, 1996e, pp. “Gambuziya v Irane” (Gambusia in Iran), Priroda 1949/5, p. 61. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). The most important early work on the fishes of Persia is that of Jakob Heckel, inspector at the Imperial Royal Court Collection of Natural History in Vienna. The distribution of fishes in Persian freshwater basins is summarized in Table 2. Israel Program for Scientific Translation as Freshwater Fishes of the USSR and Adjacent Countries, 3 vols., Jerusalem, 1962-65. The Tigris salmon (Barbus esocinus). However, all these three variable categories showed a strong degree of collinearity. In land waters, 2013;3:331–40. Fisheries. Add to cart. The venom has both neurotoxic and haemotoxic components, and documented fatalities have occurred in India. Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, Rome. HHT participated in commenting on the proposal and participated in the write-up and commenting of the manuscript. 500-501. XVII-XIX. Proceedings of National Seminar on Limnology at Jiapur, India. A total of 6554 fishes representing four species belonging to the family Cyprinidae were caught. Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). 75–96. History of research. 2002;41(2):183–7. 1-18. For example the snakehead (Channa gachua; Figure 19) is known only from five specimens caught in Baluchistan (Coad, 1979b), but this is the westernmost distribution of the species. Idem, “A Re-description of Aphanius ginaonis (Holly, 1929) from Southern Iran (Osteichthyes: Cyprinodontiformes),” Journal of Natural History 14/1, 1980c, pp. Overexploitation (unsustainable fishing) poses a serious threat to fish and aquatic biodiversity and also to the livelihoods of people in riverine and lake communities. 5 and 6; see also idem, 1953). 79, 80, 86, etc. ISBN 9781785481383, 9780081011416 As recently as 18,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene, the Tigris-Euphrates basin debouched into the mouth of the Persian Gulf near the Straits of Hormoz. Riffles had significantly lower species richness between the streams than pools or runs (Fig. Loach (Cobitis linea). 74–75. These fishes depend on a migration from feeding grounds in the mouths of rivers or the sea itself, into freshwater for spawning. J. Holcík, “New Data on the Ecology of kutum, Rutilus frisii (Nordmann, 1840) from the Caspian Sea,” Ecology of Freshwater Fish 4/4,1995, pp. 3.24 m. Figure 18. 522-24. Samples in a given stream were taken per the planned time for all the study seasons along an identical trajectory, which included all major river microhabitats (pools, runs, and riffles) (Jones et al. Some species are widespread and found in a number of basins, e.g. The Shannon index of diversity was calculated as H’ = −Σpi ln (pi), where pi = ni/N; ni is the number of individuals of “ith” species and N = Σni. 1991;87:336–42. The second stream (Gereb Tsedo) has different names at different locations of the town. Ya. Idem, “Exotic and Transplanted Fishes in Southwest Asia,” Publicaciones Especiales Instituto Español de Oceanografía 21, 1996g, pp. This stream is also strongly positively associated with fish community abundances which are mainly dominated by high abundances of G. blanfordii and moderate abundances of G. ignestii and G. dembecha (see also Table 1). Habitat selectivity and ecology of freshwater fishes were studied in two selected streams and their junction point which consist a total of 39 microhabitats. Figure 20. F. De Filippi, Note de un viaggio in Persia nei 1862, Milan, 1865, “Pesci,” pp. Upon return to the laboratory, all samples were decanted and sieved through a 500-μm sieve. Idem, “Fishes of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin: A Critical Checklist,” Syllogeus (Ottawa), 68, 1991, pp. Members of 24 families are native to Persia, and another 16 families have been introduced with varying success. Shop All... Clearance Books/Posters ... Search "Close (esc)" Home / Freshwater Fish Filter Close menu. Idem, “Environmental Change and Its Impact on the Freshwater Fishes of Iran,” Biological Conservation 19/1, 1980a, pp. Similar observations were made by Gorman and Karr (1978), Arunachalam (2000), Johal et al. B. W. Coad and F. Papahn, “Shark Attacks in the Rivers of Southern Iran,” Environmental Biology of Fishes 23/1-2, 1988, pp. rybadomaci.cz. 24: Elsevier; 2012. But pools and runs have the same species richness although pools had a higher total number of species richness summed across all sites (i.e., a higher mean species richness) (Fig. 453-75, pl. Van de Meutter F, Stoks R, De Meester L. Metacommunity structure of pond macroinvertebrates: effects of dispersal mode and generation time. The indices were used to compare the species distribution, richness, and diversity across the study sites. XXII. Cells of living organisms contain a lot of water and different solutes (ions, proteins, polysaccharides), creating a specific concentration inside the cell membrane. 1991;72:983–92. According to variation partitioning, an RDA model based on the streams explained 25% of the variation (P < 0.01). 2004;10(3):8112. These are known as anadromous fish, and include, for instance, salmon, trout, sea lamprey and three-spined stickleback. The second PCA axis explains 17% of the variation in Garra community abundances (Fig. We are here to introduce you to one of the most beautiful members of the group, the Texas Cichlid. Distribution. 3). Image of environment, cooking, wood - 112697633 Lepš J, Šmilauer P. Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO: Cambridge university press; 2003. 2006). 2005;67. Photo about Two freshwater fishes in metal smokehouse. This axis was negatively associated with transparency and the macroinvertebrate taxa Lymnaeidae. Matthews WJ, Robison HW. A. N. Derzhavin, “Iskusstvenoe razvedenie osetra na Sefid-Rude” (Artificial sturgeon-breeding on the Safīd Rūd), Russkiĭ gidro-biologischeskiĭ zhurnal 2/11-12, 1923, p. 250. Lev Semenovich Berg, a leading Soviet physical geographer and biologist, made many contributions to the ichthyology of Persia in a number of shorter articles, and in lengthy monographs from the late nineteenth century onwards. Ecological Monographs. 79-85. Google Scholar. The influence of habitat structure on fish assemblage composition in a southeastern black water streams. Osmotic pressure is a tendency of w… 411-20. One of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish – the Fancy and Common Goldfish are not adaptable into living with other aquatic species. Categories Angels; Barbs; Betta; Box Lot; Catfish; Cichlid; Cichlids African; Cory Cats; Danio; Discus; Feeders - Live; Freshwater Fish; GloFish® Goldfish; Gourami; Guppies Fancy; Hand Picked; In-House Stock; Inverts; Koi; Loach; Miscellaneous; Mollies; Os L. S. Berg, 1913. The habitat suitability of fishes in the study streams exhibited clear patterns among habitat types and key macroinvertebrate taxa. This was based on collections deposited in the Zoological Institute of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences in Leningrad. Fish use different habitats at different stages of their lifetime. XIX-XXI. 16-19. It grows to a size of ito 2 mt. Urmii” (Description of a new species of Alburnus [Pisces] in the basin of the lake Urmia), Trudy Zoologicheskogo instituta Akademii nauk SSSR 26, 1925, pp. These two streams join together and make the Mariam Dahan stream. According to variation partitioning, the fractions of variation explained by streams, habitat variables, and key macroinvertebrate taxa were highly confounded and the amount of explained community variation that was shared by the three variable categories amounted to 28% (i.e., 0.15 + 0.08 + 0.05) (Fig. This way no fish will be eaten or suffer from the difference of water condition requirements. The role of predation in age- and size-related habitat use by stream fishes. In: Schneider JC, editor. Important aspects of habitat structure include water depth (Mendelson 1975; Baker and Ross 1981; Meffe and Sheldon 1988), water velocity and flow (Schlosser 1985; Schlosser and Ebel, 1989), cover (Rakocinski 1988), and substratum composition (Gorman and Karr 1978; Rose and Echelle 1981). We declare that whatever data have been used in the manuscript will kept remain intact. J Wildl Manag. volume 43, Article number: 9 (2019) Bagrid catfish (Mystus pelusius). Newson MD, Newson CL. E. N. Pavlovskim (Fishes of Iran from materials collected by E. N. Pavlovskiĭ),” Trudy Zoologicheskogo instituta Akademii nauk SSSR 8, 1949, pp. 30.5 cm. Striped panchax, … Aquatic Invertebrates of South African Rivers: Field Guide. Solomon Tesfay. In: Guy CS, Brown ML, editors. Stream fish population estimates by mark and- recapture and depletion methods. Idem, “A New Genus and Species of Cichlid Endemic to Southern Iran,” Copeia, 1982c, pp. Brian W. Coad, “FISH i. FRESHWATER FISHES,” Encyclopædia Iranica, IX,6, pp. In order to describe the regional stream fish diversity and its habitat preference, it will be necessary to have information on the inadequately studied aquatic systems in the Tekeze sub-basin. A study on stream morphology of some selected streams hill streams of district Nainital with special reference to its biotic communities. 1985;66(5):1484–90. In: Murphy BR, Willis DW, editors. Ecol Monogr. P. M. Banarescu and B. Herzig-Straschil, “A Revision of the Species of the Cyprinion macrostomus-group (Pisces: Cyprinidae),” Annalen des naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 97B, 1995, pp. Among the factors, habitat type was the most important driving factor behind variation among fish abundances, and pool supports the highest fish abundance. Fish community-habitat relations in a Central New York stream. Macroinvertebrate field collections were also undertaken along with the fish sampling period 13 sites and 39 microhabitats (Fig. The bitterling, Rhodeus amarus (Figure 2), is particularly colorful in the spawning season when males have a bright red iris and iridescent violet and steel-blue flanks, the throat and belly are orange to blood-red, the dorsal and anal fins are bright red, margined with black, and the caudal fin is green at the base and yellow at the edge. Rose DR, Echelle AA. 1). The Indian stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis; Figure 16), an exotic species in Ḵūzestān, has venomous pectoral fin spines and an aggressive stabbing behavior when disturbed. They live in fresh water in lakes and rivers, and in salt water in the ocean. Thus, they become better habitat availability for fishes than riffles. Both these basins have large rivers, small streams, and extensive marshes. Figure 7. Sites were marked and located using GPS readings at approximately 1 km maximum and 0.3 km minimum distance between two consecutive sampling sites based on the accessibility and wadable of the streams. The endemics in Persia include two scientifically interesting tiny “blind” (i.e., eyeless) cave-fishes, both discovered in a small pool supplied by underground water at a locality near Dorūd in a valley of the Zagros mountains: Iranocypris typhlops (fam. which crosses deserts to its terminal basin in Sīstān. Schlosser IJ, Ebel KK. In addition, the streams did differ in the abundance of macroinvertebrate taxa, riparian cover, and waste dumping sites. 65–78, pl. As a result, the species diversity, abundance, and species richness were higher in pools of the study streams and sites. Some fish are less than one centimeter long. Other new species from Persia were collected by Pierre Aucher-Eloy, a French botanist, who traveled extensively in Persia from 1835-38, eventually dying at Eṣfahān from “an excess of zeal for natural sciences” (Cuvier and Valenciennes, XVII, p. 298). This article is available in print.Vol. However, among the Garra species, G. blanfordii showed a preference of riffles next to pools. The aims of this study were to describe the habitat preference and its availability to fish assemblage, as well as ecology, habitat use, and habitat characteristics. Key environmental variables, such as the macroinvertebrate taxa Corixidae, Tabanidae, damselfly larvae, Lymnaeidae, and riparian cover and water depth were also positively associated with PCA 1. During the study, with the exception of G. aethiopica that was found only in two sites of Gereb Tsedo stream, the other species were found to be very widespread: G. blanfordii and G. dembecha were observed in all the 12 study sites in both streams (100%) and G. ignestii in 9 sites (75%) (Table 1). 4.0 cm. Snakehead (Channa gachua). Idem, “Presmykayushchiyasya, amfibii i ryby vtorogo puteshestviya N. A. Zarudnogo v Persiyu v 1898 g.” (Reptiles, amphibians and fishes collected on the second expedition of N. A. Zarudnyĭ to Persia in 1898), Ezhegodnik Zoologicheskogo muzeya Akademii nauk (St. Petersburg) 4, 1899, pp. G. blanfordii (overall relative abundance 73.4%) dominated many of the fish communities (Table 2). B. W. Coad and L. A. J. Al-Hassan, A Bibliography of the Fishes of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin/Bibliographie der Fische des Euphrat-Tigris-Beckens, Heidelberg, 1989. Factor analysis of associations of fishes in Little River, central Texas, with an interdrainage comparison. Rakocinski C. Population structure of stream-dwelling darters: correspondence with habitat structure. Fish abundance differed between stream types, among habitats and among key macroinvertebrate taxa availability. Fisheries techniques. Two Little Fishies Misc. It continues its way with some small tributaries joining it with wastewaters discharged from the town and finally joins Elala stream at Mariam Dahan (Fig. Kwak TJ, Peterson JT. 10. What do they do to keep that balance within their bodies? 1-8. Mouth is large with large jaws having teeth for feeding on fresh water. FWQP Refe Sheet. Thus, we cannot say that stream type affects fish abundance independently of habitat type and key macroinvertebrate taxa or that habitat type affect fish abundance independently of stream type and key macroinvertebrate taxa. Zool Stud. XX. In: Doctoral dissertation, Ph. Gereb Tsedo stream is also characterized by lower water transparency in contrast to the relatively higher water transparency of Elala (Fig. These fishes cannot survive saline conditions. Idem, “Opisanie novogo vida Alburnus (Pisces) iz basseĭna oz. 1988;120:225–40. F. Werner, “Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Fauna von Syrien und Persien,” Zoologischer Anzeiger 81, 1929, pp. 55-58. Jayaratne R, Surasinghe T. General ecology and habitat selectivity of fresh water fishes of the Rawan Oya, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Moreover, differences in the availability of key macroinvertebrate insects in the stream habitat types strongly influence the fish abundances between streams and among habitat types. W. Villwock, “Das Genus Aphanius Nardo, 1827,” DKG-Journal (Cologne) 9/11, 1977, pp. Legendre P, Legendre LF. We’ve provided a look into 42 species of freshwater fish—including largemouth bass, walleye, catfish, crappie, northern pike, trout, and more! I-IX. The headwater for Elala is around Aragure, 16 km from Quiha (Fig. (2007). If the salinity of water increases more than 0.1%, the life of fresh water fishes will face potential threat. Ecology. The systematic diversity of freshwater fishes in Persia is summarized in Table 1. Physicochemical parameters and habitat characteristics like water depth, velocity, and river bed width were some of the major factors for the distribution, abundance, and richness of fish species in the different habitats. His three-volume summary work on the freshwater fishes of the U.S.S.R. and adjacent countrieswas published in Russian in 1948-49 and in English translation in 1962-65. 71-83. Moreover, other parameters like water transparency using Snell’s tube (diameter 6 cm) (Sovell et al. Idem, “Description of a New Siluroid Fish, Glyptosternum kurdistanicum from the Basin of the Tigris River,” Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR 7, 1931, pp. VI. 2010;7(1):9–14. Idem, “Freshwater Fishes of Iran,” Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Academiae Scientiarum Bohemicae (Brno) 29/1, 1995, pp. Seventeen species were described from the Caspian basin and inland waters of Persia, although locality data were poor in some instances. Magurran AE. Fish specimens were collected in a standardized way using backpack electrofishing by depletion sampling technique (“Zippin” method) (Zippin 1958; Lockwood and Schneider 2000; SFCC 2007) from the two study streams and Mariam Dahan during the third week of August, December 2013, and March 2014. A. Razavi, “On Some New or Little Known Freshwater Fishes from the Iranian Coast of the Caspian Sea,” Folia Zoologica 41/3, 1992, pp. Minnow (Capoeta damascina). Terms and Conditions, a battle on two fronts: On the one hand with the spread of globalisation they ... Sawyer, that the quicker a freshwater fish is in the pan the better it is and let us remember also that in our country fish have "belonged here" since time immemorial and that the freshwater fish are, in the very truest ...] sense of the word, "Domestic Fish". Many other species are restricted to a single basin. N. Borodin, “Acipenser persicus, a Sturgeon from the Caspian Sea,” The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 20/9, 1926, pp. Tooth-carp (Aphanius dispar). a minnow (Capoeta damascina; Figure 5) is found in six basins. Using a variation partitioning approach of R software, we studied the relationship of fish abundances with stream type, habitat type, and abundance of key macroinvertebrate taxa. Two freshwater pike fish and fishing rod with reel on yellow leaves at autumn time.. – kaufen Sie dieses Foto und finden Sie ähnliche Bilder auf Adobe Stock 375-417, pl. Chuang LC, Lin YS, Liang SH. William Thomas Blanford accompanied the Persian Boundary Commission in 1872, publishing a two-volume account in 1876, but fish collections were minor and were not included. They are primarily freshwater species but are also reported from brackish waters (Getahun 1999). In this respect, the Caspian Sea basin has 54 species found nowhere else in Persia. | https://www.leaderrecipes.com/goodbye-my-mpon/archive.php?tag=d3bc0f-two-fresh-water-fishes |
Summary: Researchers use a novel co-culturing method to create functional circuits that model Huntington’s disease and find new clues to potential treatment approaches.
Source: UCSD
Novel co-culturing method creates functional circuits modeling fatal brain condition, provides clues to potential new treatment approach.
Using an experimental co-culture approach in which two different types of neurons from a mouse model of Huntington’s disease (HD) are grown side-by-side, connecting to form critically impacted circuits, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified a subunit of a protein that, when expressed, reverse the mutated gene effects responsible for HD.
The findings are published online September 5 in the journal PNAS.
“Our experimental design provides an invaluable system for studying important cellular and molecular events underlying Huntington’s disease,” said first author Xiaobei Zhao, PhD, a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
“Atrophy of the corticostriatal pathway, which connects neurons in the cortex with those in the striatum, is a pathological hallmark of Huntington’s disease. We’ve shown in this HD cellular model that dysfunction in cortical neurons drives dysfunction in striatal neurons because the gene mutation responsible for Huntington disease causes deficits in the production, transport and release of a growth factor called BDNF.
“Importantly, using this model provided evidence that expression of a single subunit of the TRiC protein, which inhibits the aggregation of mutant huntingtin proteins, rescued atrophy of striatal neurons. The next step is to test this in vivo. If the phenotype of the HD mouse model can be rescued, it’s possible that TRiC could be used to treat Huntington’s disease.”
The corticostriatal pathway is a neuronal circuit connecting two parts of the brain: the outer, folded cerebral cortex where memory, thought, language and consciousness occur, and the underlying striatum — a region responsible for, among other things, behavior and voluntary movement in response to social stimuli. Corticostriatal decline is a telltale indicator of HD, a fatal genetic disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of physical and mental abilities.
In their study, Zhao, with senior author William Mobley, MD, PhD, chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurosciences, and colleagues cultured cortical and striatal neurons from an HD transgenic mouse model that expresses the human mutant huntingtin gene in a microfluidic chamber that allowed the cortical neurons to connect via axons to striatal neurons.
They found that the resulting circuits recapitulated several salient features of HD pathology, including reduced synaptic density and BDNF. Zhao stated “The new model and the ability to recreate the abnormal circuit is more physiologically relevant than many other models. Most important, it facilitates study of disease mechanisms and possible new disease-modifying treatments.”
Co-authors include: Xu-Qiao Chen, Eugene Han, Yue Hu, and Paul Paik, UC San Diego; Zhiyong Ding, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Julia Overman, Alice Lau and Leslie Thompson, UC Irvine; and Sarah Shahmoradian and Wah Chiu, Baylor College of Medicine. Chengbiao Wu, UC San Diego, is co-corresponding author.
Funding: Funding for this research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grant PN2EY016525), LuMind/DSRTF, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation and the Tau Consortium.
Source: Scott LaFee – UCSD
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to Dr. Steven Finkbeiner and is licensed Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported.
Original Research: The research will appear in PNAS during the week of September 5, 2016.
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]UCSD “Protein Subunit Found to Rescue Afflicted Neurons in Huntington’s Disease.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 5 September 2016. | https://neurosciencenews.com/huntingtons-protein-neurons-4968/ |
BEGIN ARTICLE PREVIEW:
Data shows that harnessing the power of big data can increase your operations margin by 60%. This means that leveraging big data can make running your project workflows and processes more efficient.
In this guide, we’ll look at the positive impact of big data on project management and its role in helping your team increase efficiency.
What is Big Data?
Big data refers to complex, large information that grows rapidly and exponentially with time. This makes it almost impossible to store or process data efficiently using traditional data management tools.
The characteristics of big data include:
Volume. Big data comes from various sources such as smart devices, videos, social media, business transactions, industrial equipment, and more. Big data tools can store voluminous information coming from these sources.
Variety. Data comes in different formats, from structured and numeric information that you find in traditional databases to unstructured financial transactions, text documents, emails, and others.
The right big data software can take these various kinds of data and bring them together for analysis, allowing you to extract valuable insights. | https://blog.iammarketingmedia.com/how-big-data-impacts-project-management-analytics-insight/ |
This week we are presenting Part 2 in our series on Atonality. In Part 1, we gave a Brief Overview of Atonality. Today we are going to go into a bit more depth. The question of whether or not atonality goes against nature is a difficult one which may elicit a strong response in many viewers – both negative and positive. I would love all of your input on this subject and really appreciate any comments or suggestions you have.
Western music is built upon the Overtone Series – which is a fact of nature: all vibrating objects contain color tones. So when you hear a fundamental pitch it actually contains other notes above it. Any vibrating object that produces a pitched sound elicits these overtones – so a string instrument will produce the same series of notes as blowing through a French horn or even a garden hose! It is all the same series of tones. Here is the overtone series:
The intervals start out very large and then get smaller. These intervals are based upon simple relationships. For example, an octave (the first overtone) is just a 2 to 1 relationship. All sound is based upon vibrations so if you play A above middle C on a piano it has 440 vibrations per second. (This is why people speak of tuning to A 440.). Technically your eardrum is vibrating back and forth 440 times per second and it produces the sound of the note A. If you play A an octave higher you produce 880 vibrations per second, exactly twice the number of vibrations per second. That’s why it sounds like the same note. A perfect 5th (the second overtone) forms a 3 to 2 relationship.
A minor second is a very dissonant interval with a 16 to 15 relationship. The more distant the mathematical relationship of notes, the more dissonant they sound. Why is this? Because the human brain has trouble making mathematical sense out of more distant relationships of tones. So this is why some intervals of notes are harder to figure out than others. Clashing notes are referred to as sounding dissonant. Here is a chart of the mathematical relationship of musical intervals:
Unison (2 of the same note) 1/1
Octave 2/1
Perfect 5th 3/2
Perfect 4th 4/3
Major 3rd 5/4
Major 6th 5/3
Major 7th 15/8
Minor 7th 9/5
Major 2nd 9/8
Minor 2nd 16/15
Tri-tone 135/128
So, to some extent atonality going against nature and and is hard for the brain to digest. If you consider that the universe is constructed in an orderly manner – that there are inherent relationships between everything living and nonliving that can be organized down to a molecular level – than atonality goes against nature as it does not have tight formal relationships the way tonal music does. On the other hand, if you believe that the universe is chaotic and that many things are related only by random chance encounters which we seek to find order in, then atonality is simply an expression of the universe.
So the question of whether or not atonality goes against nature is related to how you see the universe itself. Is the universe ordered or chaotic? This is something that man has been grappling with since we first appeared on this earth and no definitive answer is possible. Ultimately we must find order out of chaos to survive in this world and that’s why tonality is so refreshing and easy to digest. Atonality is something that is hard to digest and challenging, yet some people find order within the chaos. The challenge of finding structure amidst the randomness that surrounds our everyday lives is what keeps us engaged in both art and life itself.
So the appreciation of atonal music ultimately comes down to your intellectual capacity of making order out of chaos. Some people prefer things to be more coherent while others enjoy the challenge of dealing with more randomness. What type of person you are will determine whether or not you enjoy or abhor atonal music. It also comes down to the level of sophistication of the listener because music is a language that must be learned.
Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin [email protected]. I would love to hear from all of you and get your thoughts on this subject. | https://livingpianos.com/does-atonality-go-against-nature/ |
The decision to divorce can be troubling and difficult for many people in Missouri. For the 25% of American mothers who stay at home to raise their children and the 7% of fathers who do the same, the end of a marriage can be particularly worrying. They have spent years outside of the workforce, and, as a result, they may face a much more difficult time obtaining a competitive salary after seeking a job. They may also need additional education or training in order to obtain employment that can provide for themselves and their children.
The decision to stay at home is widely supported in American society, particularly for mothers; studies continue to show that many people believe that mothers should leave the workforce to care for their children. Even 10% of highly educated mothers with a master's degree or higher stay home to dedicate themselves to raising their children. This may mean that they are leaving a high-powered career; when they later return to the workforce, including after a divorce, they can face significantly lower salaries.
Stay-at-home parents also play a critical role in supporting the development of their spouse's career. Working spouses can dedicate long hours to the job, go on business trips or launch their own businesses with the support of the other spouse at home. In many cases, the working spouse could not accumulate their level of wealth or achievement in the workforce without the additional support provided by the spouse raising the children at home.
Like most states, Missouri is an equitable distribution state. Both spouses are not necessarily entitled to half of the marital property, but homemaking contributions are explicitly recognized. Stay-at-home parents moving toward divorce may want to consult with a family law attorney about how to achieve a fair property division settlement. | https://www.midwestfathersrights.com/2019/04/valuing-stay-at-home-parents-contribution-in-a-divorce.shtml |
What does it mean to be American?
Download Primary Source Set: What does it mean to be an American?
Taken together, this set of primary sources celebrates the unifying theme of freedom and civic pride in a democratic system of government. Teachers may ask students how Americans are connected even though they are an ethnically, politically, and geographically diverse group of people. This diversity may also be reflected in students’ classroom, school, city, or state. National symbols or icons are unifying expressions of the nation’s history and founding principles. Although symbols may change over time, they serve as constant reminders of American values and beliefs across generations. Pervading Americans’ daily lives, visual symbols like the American flag and songs such as the “Star Spangled Banner”inspire patriotism and cultivate a shared cultural identity for citizens. Even more immediate for students, school mascots, songs, and colors are examples of symbols that connect students with their school and give meaning to their community. | https://chssp.sf.ucdavis.edu/resources/curriculum/lessons/what-does-it-mean-be-american |
This episode of Music of the Heart will share a song that talks about the environment. The host will share about the impact of environmental pollution on us and how we should change our attitude towards life to love the world created by God.
Publish date: 2018 - 10 - 13
A Hidden Reptile Expert – Fr. Anthony Bogadek
Fr. Anthony Bogadek, a Salesian priest, has dedicated his life to serve in St. Louis School in Hong Kong. His passion for amphibians and reptiles, as well as his humility and conscientiousness has inspired countless students.
Publish date: 2018 - 7 - 28
Fr. Anthony Chang 2: Living Green
Our daily habits, such as drying our hands with paper towels or using disposable cutlery, have significant consequences on the environment. To help save our planet, we can begin by taking a closer look at our everyday habits. Fountain of Grace invited Fr. Anthony Chang to share with us some tips for green living.
Publish date: 2017 - 7 - 8
Fr. Anthony Chang 1: Awakening the Green Consciousness
The ecological crisis has reached a critical stage. How should the human race rebuild its relationship with nature? Fountain of Grace invited Fr. Anthony Chang, who has been actively working to raise ecological awareness for more than two decades, to share with us the urgency of saving the environment.
Publish date: 2017 - 7 - 1
Food for Thought: Fish Assam
Overfishing worldwide destroys the environment and marine ecology. Would our future generations still have fish to eat? Does fasting during Lent make meals boring for you? Through Fish Assam, a colourful dish, Food for Thought explores these topics with you.
Publish date: 2017 - 3 - 25
Pope Francis: When we get caught up in our selfishness, we ruin even the most beautiful things entrusted to us
(CNA/EWTN News) On Wednesday Pope Francis said creation has often suffered because of humanity’s sins and failings, stressing that we must take care of it because as Christians, we see signs of hope in Christ’s Resurrection in nature every day.
Publish date: 2017 - 2 - 22
A Green Revelation
How do environmental protection, vegetarianism, gardening, and breastfeeding relate to one another? With a passion for nature, Fr. Anthony Chang has been working persistently to raise the awareness of environmental issues within the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. Through promoting vegetarianism, establishing the Catholic Sustainable Garden of Joy, as well as promoting breastfeeding, Fr. Chang encourages Catholics to be more conscious of the environment in their daily lives.
Publish date: 2017 - 2 - 11
A Globe-trotter
Estella Lee, who is well-known among the Chinese community in New Zealand, used to be just a school teacher. But God has led her to a fruitful life that is out of the ordinary. Estella has a great love for the nature, and has been very active in promoting environmental awareness. She co-founded the "Chinese Conservation Education Trust" with a few friends in New Zealand, in order to bring the message of environmental protection to the Chinese community.
Publish date: 2016 - 2 - 20
Overview of the Encyclical Laudato si’
The following text offers an overview of the 191 pages of the Encyclical Laudato si' and its key points, along with a summary of each of its six chapters (“What is happening to our common home”, “The Gospel of Creation”, “The human roots of the ecological crisis”, “Integral ecology”, “Lines of approach and action”, and “Ecological education and spirituality”). The Encyclical concludes with an interreligious prayer for our earth and a Christian prayer for Creation.
Publish date: 2015 - 6 - 18
Stewards of the Earth
We invited Estella from New Zealand, to share with us her knowledge of nature's ecosystems, the concept of sustainability and our responsibility as Catholics to be environmentally-conscious and active. | https://fll.cc/en/tag/environmental-en/ |
Shams Table is a unique format that gathers people from different backgrounds to express and exchange their thoughts on complex issues. Shams Tables are organized by passionate individuals around the world who seek to connect minds and spark change in their own communities. We aim to provide individuals with non-judgmental spaces that encourage personal stories and critical thinking.
We create and encourage dialogue to bring diverse individuals together, and to empower them for the purpose of positive change. We gather groups of friends and strangers around a food table, to discuss a chosen topic. It is designed to allow people to feel comfortable debating important social issues and personal matters without the pressure or judgement. It aims to offer people a sense of community and to allow them to contribute within their society. We believe change can start with a dialogue, and with the rapidly changing world around us, it is important to take a moment to talk. We encourage a safe space lacking judgment, so people can be inspired to share and hear others. It allows others’ beliefs to be a part of your life with a hope for change.
How did shams table start?
Shams Table started from humble beginnings, as something conceived by our founder” Saeed Abu Alhassan” in Nairobi, Kenya. He took this fledgling idea back to Amman in Jordan and nursed it to fruition, starting by hosting Shams Tables in the homes of other people. The format was so successful that the Shams Community space we see today was eventually renovated and opened to become the beautiful, popular and safe environment for discussion you can see now. However, it’s time to take the next big step to bring more people into our fold and family
The Shams Team
We’re a group of dedicated individuals each with at least a decade of experience in social innovation, business development, computer engineering and communications. We’re on the journey together, to explore the potential for positive change in our society and our world.
We are a large and diverse family from around the globe, comprised of workers and volunteers; we are asking you, wherever you come from and wherever you’re going, to join our family, and to help spread the Shams experience to more locations, more communities, and help more people.
About the Crowdfunding Campaign
The money we get will go towards the design and development of the vision that builds Shams Tables from the ground up, in every continent in the world. It will help by training people in the art of hosting dialogue, by offering a global, searchable database of local events, by offering toolkits and discussion boards, and even recipes from different cuisines across different cultures.
This crowdfunding campaign will help us to expand into ten cities around the world, to train 200 local hosts who will organize around 1200 local events by the end of the first year.
Why The Campaign is Important To Us
We’ve all become exhausted by the news of shootings, hate speech, borders, stereotypes, sexism, racism, the list goes on. This campaign represents what we have been doing about it so far and our dream of supporting more people to do it with us. We’re inviting people to the table, bringing people together to get to know each other and strengthening the connections within local communities.
Why is a lack of dialogue an issue that we should care about when wars are waging and people are starving? In short, the ripples of effective dialogue reach far beyond the conversations themselves. Dialogue is an essential piece of community engagement, combating prejudice, and bringing about change. These are problems which require more dialogue:
Ignorance -- Lack of exposure to social issues makes it hard for people to become part of the solution. Rather than sharing ideas and finding common ground, ignorance about different perspectives leads to “othering” people
Connection -- Many individuals do not know how to respectfully discuss social issues with those who have different opinions. Without opportunities to converse openly and think critically, people remain disconnected.
Building walls -- Our social media reinforces our differences. Online and offline, we are surrounded by like-minded people. By staying comfortable in our circles, we never challenge our own thinking, belief systems, or behaviors.
Inaction -- If people cannot gain greater understanding about each other and about complex topics, they cannot take meaningful action
Why Shams Table?
With the right tools and training, We believe that the concept of Shams Table has the potential to spread throughout the world, whereby dialogue is facilitated in homes and public spaces at any time. Imagine a global community of individuals becoming connected, inspired and empowered to create individuals and societal change.
Shams Table is Comprised of Two Parts:
Meaningful Dialogue :
The word ‘dialogue’ comes from a compound Greek verb meaning ‘to converse with’. It is a physical and intellectual activity that asks you to find new ways to question ideas, and to discover new perspectives on various topics. We believe change can start with a dialogue and with the rapidly changing world around us, it is important to take a moment to talk.
Sharing a Meal
Sharing food is an activity that transcends the boundaries of age, gender, race, and religion. Food is important, because it goes beyond societal restrictions. Sharing a meal allows a sense of safety and security, which allows guests to comfortably share their thoughts and challenge their own and others’ thinking.
The Vision
With more Shams Tables happening around the world, we hope to host more meals and more meaningful dialogue. Through this format, we hope to:
Open up spaces for dialogue -- We encourage the hosting of dialogue in existing community spaces where people can exchange ideas and experiences and make good collective decisions in an environment free of judgement.
Promote a culture of tolerance and self-reflection -- We want people to learn about themselves and to experience cultural differences within their community.
Connect people -- Our tables bring people together, foster friendships, and enable collaboration.
Raise awareness about social issues -- Critical thinking and collective learning through dialogue brings about a deeper understanding of social issues.
Inspire individuals to take action -- We encourage people to question their own mindsets and behaviors when it comes to the most pressing issues of the day to bring positive change to their lives and communities.
What We Need
Over the past three years, Shams Table has broken even on the set-up, renovation and overhead costs of running its weekly events. But there are other event formats we want to pioneer, there are talented people we want to bring on board, there is the bigger mission of working with new communities -- none of which can be done on our ticket sales alone. So the funding we secure is crucial to building the future of our work.
With your support we can build the online platform, develop a training program, hire operations people and community builders and expand into ten cities within a year.
Other Ways you can Help
If you can’t donate, don’t worry! Just by sharing our vision with friends, families, and other networks, you can spread the positive message and help us all the same. It could be as simple as using the share tools right here on Zoomaal!
Thank you so much for reading all this, and we would be honored if you were to join us in our mission to empower local communities through the power of dialogue and food.
REWARDS!
To thank you for donating, we're delighted to offer a range of different rewards for you, from masterclasses and recipes to wonderful original pieces of Arabic art.
5 days Hike from Dana to Petra
Take part in our hike along the legendary route from Dana to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra. Globally renowned for its beauty, National Geographic even named this hike one of the best in the world.
Selection of Original Artwork
Shams Community has many friends in the cultural and artistic circles of Jordan and the surrounding region. Above and below you can see some of the stunning creations of these artists: portraits and calligraphy, surrealist and conceptual, available as a reward to donors.
For certain donations (see the reward list) you may be able to receive one piece of your choosing in poster or postcard form to be signed, printed, and sent directly to you, courtesy of these incredibly talented artists. Just peruse the link below to see each work of art, so you can make the right decision!
Calligraphy
Shams also has a fantastic calligraphist ready and waiting to sketch out your name in a beautiful and unique style.
Shams Tote Bag
Made just for your convenience, we're offering you sturdy Shams themed tote bag to carry all your necessities!
Shams T-Shirt
Wear our symbol and values for the world to see, with our very own branded T-Shirts. Available in a range of printed styles, you can choose how best to express yourself, and show everyone that you're committed to a worthy cause.
Private Shams Event
Take full advantage of the spacious, vibrant, energetic Shams home for an event of your own! This could be anything you like - just bring your friends and equipment and have the time of your life.
Private Shams Table
Sometimes we just need to be given the chance to discuss something close to our hearts, or just to gain a better understanding of it. This is a core part of the Shams mission, and we'd love for you to share it. That's why we're offering the Shams space for a private Shams Table of your own, to be enjoyed exclusively by a group of your choosing, and on whatever topic you'd like.
10 Hours of Arabic
Nothing beats talking to a native speaker to hone your own language skills, so why not take us up on our offer to tutor you for 10 hours of Arabic? You'll be improving your language skills in no time!
learn how to play tabla with Zaid Msaiss
Secrets of Jordan ItineraryIt's hard to know where to go in a new place, not least in a city like Amman and a country like Jordan! That's why the intrepid members of the Shams Community, hardened explorers all, have compiled a list of the best spots, just to be toured by you.
A Trip to Jordan under the SunIf you need a break from work, or wish to see another part of the world, this might just be the opportunity of a lifetime. Fly to Jordan and let Shams take over from there. We'll pick you up from the airport, host and lodge you, and show you all the quintessential sights of Jordan including the unmissable Petra and Wadi Rum!
Refreshed or Entirely New Brand with Studio RaYour brand is the first thing potential clients or customers see, which is what makes it so important in a business context. That is why Shams' esteemed partner Studio Ra is offering to either refresh, or totally redo, your brand and logo. Make sure that the image you or your company presents to the world is the right one.
Become an Official PartnerTo show our everlasting gratitude to the most generous and passionate donors and philanthropists out there, we'd be honoured to make them our official partner. Read the reward description for all the details, but know they include exclusive uses of the Shams space, VIP status when it comes to hosting Shams Tables, and a range of other benefits. Thank you so much!
27 May,2019
WE DID IT.
After 45 days of hard work and unbelievable generosity, we have surpassed our target of $10,000.
Thank you so much to all the incredible donors and sharers who made such an achievement possible. This absolutely would not have been possible without you. We are so grateful to all of you, and hope you’re looking forward to your donor rewards!
With love, | http://www.zoomaal.com/projects/shamstable/68799 |
Lake Akan Ainu Kotan
This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.
The Ainu people live in the northernmost parts of Japan, mainly on the island of Hokkaidō, with around 25,000 and 200,000 people left belonging to this Indigenous group. They were originally hunter-gatherers with their own language and rich culture living in larger areas.
However, during the 19th-century, the Japanese government drove them further into the north to colonize the frontier. The Ainu were stripped of their lands, culture, and traditional way of life. It was not until April 2019 that they were officially recognized as the Indigenous people of Japan.
For those interested in learning their cultural heritage, Hokkaidō is naturally the best place in Japan to visit, boasting several museums and archaeological sites. It’s also home to their largest existing settlement, or kotan, which can be found on the southern shore of Lake Akan. It’s an area famed for its hot springs.
About 120 Ainu people from 36 families live in the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, educating visitors on their culture through traditional restaurants, gift shops, a museum housed in a traditional cottage called a ponchise (“small house”), and a theatre where shows of Ainu puppetry, folk dance, and ceremonies are held. At the gift shops, guests can buy many traditional items, including wood carvings, musical instruments, amulets, and embroidery.
Two of the most popular items are the makiri, daggers used mostly for hunting, and menoko makiri, smaller daggers meant for women. Traditionally, Ainu men make menoko makiris for the women they are in love with. Another interesting item is the mukkuri, an idiophone made of bamboo commonly used in traditional Ainu music. | https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-akan-ainu-kotan |
High blood pressure, also known as HBP or hypertension, is a widely misunderstood medical condition. Some people think that those with hypertension are tense, nervous or hyperactive, but hypertension has nothing to do with personality traits. The truth is, you can be a calm, relaxed person and still have HBP.
Let’s look at the facts about blood pressure so you can better understand how your body works and why it is smart to start protecting yourself now, no matter what your blood pressure numbers are.
By keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range, you are:
- Reducing your risk of the walls of your blood vessels becoming overstretched and injured.
- Reducing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke; and of developing heart failure, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease.
- Protecting your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs.
What happens in the body when blood pressure is high?
Blood pressure measures the force pushing outwards on your arterial walls.
The organs in your body need oxygen to survive. Oxygen is carried through the body by the blood. When the heart beats, it creates pressure that pushes blood through a network of tube-shaped arteries and veins, also known as blood vessels and capillaries. The pressure — blood pressure — is the result of two forces. The first force occurs as blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries that are part of the circulatory system. The second force is created as the heart rests between heart beats.
The problems from too much force:
Healthy arteries are made of muscle and a semi-flexible tissue that stretches like elastic when the heart pumps blood through them. The more forcefully that blood pumps, the more the arteries stretch to allow blood to easily flow. Over time, if the force of the blood flow is often high, the tissue that makes up the walls of arteries gets stretched beyond its healthy limit and damaged. This creates problems in several ways:
Vascular weaknesses:
- First, the overstretching creates weak places in the blood vessels, making them more prone to rupture. Problems such as hemorrhagic strokes and aneurysms are caused by ruptures in the blood vessels.
Vascular scarring:
- Second, the overstretching can cause tiny tears in the blood vessels that leave scar tissue on the walls of arteries and veins. These tears and the scar tissue are like nets, and can catch debris such as cholesterol or blood cells traveling in the bloodstream.
Increased risk of blood clots:
- Trapped blood can form clots that can narrow (and sometimes block) the arteries. These clots sometimes break off and block vessels and the blood supply to different parts of the body. When this happens, heart attacks or strokes are often the result.
Increased plaque build-up:
- The same principle applies to our blood flow. Cholesterol and plaque build-up at the damaged sites in the arteries and cause the blood flow to become limited or even cut off altogether. As this happens, pressure is increased on the rest of the system, forcing the heart to work harder to deliver blood to your body. Additionally, if pieces of plaque break off and travel to other parts of the body, or if the build-up completely blocks the vessel, then heart attacks and strokes occur.
Tissue and organ damage from narrowed and blocked arteries:
- Ultimately, the arteries on the other side of the blockage do not receive enough freshly oxygenated blood, which results in tissue damage.
Increased workload on the circulatory system:
- Think of it this way: In a home where several faucets are open and running, the water pressure flowing out of any one faucet is lower. But when pipes get clogged and therefore narrow, the pressure is much greater behind the clog. And if all the household water is flowing through only one faucet, the pressure is higher still.
- When the arteries are not as elastic because of the build-up of cholesterol or plaque or because of scarring, the heart pumps harder to get blood into the arteries. Over time, this increased work can result in damage to the heart itself. The muscles and valves in the heart can become damaged and heart failure can result.
- Damage to the vessels that supply blood to your kidneys and brain may negatively affect these organs.
- You may not feel that anything is wrong, but high blood pressure can permanently damage your heart, brain, eyes and kidneys before you feel anything. High blood pressure can often lead to heart attack and heart failure, stroke,kidney failure, and other health consequences.
source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/What-is-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301759_Article.jsp#.Vq-jihgrK2w
Why Blood Pressure Matters
Yes, uncontrolled high blood pressure (HBP) can injure or kill you. It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because HBP has no symptoms, so you may not be aware that it’s damaging your arteries, heart and other organs.
Possible health consequences that can happen over time when high blood pressure is left untreated include:
- Damage to the heart and coronary arteries, including heart attack, heart disease, congestive heart failure, aortic dissection and atherosclerosis (fatty buildups in the arteries that cause them to harden)
- Stroke
- Kidney damage
- Vision loss
- Erectile dysfunction
- Memory loss
- Fluid in the lungs
- Angina
- Peripheral artery disease
But remember, these are not symptoms of HBP. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease except in its most extreme cases known as hypertensive crisis. When BP readings rise to 180 or above for the systolic — top — number OR 110 or above for the diastolic — bottom — number, call 9-1-1 for emergency medical treatment immediately.
Individuals whose blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mm Hg (140 systolic or above OR 90 diastolic or above) often become patients treated for serious cardiovascular problems.
Is your blood pressure increasing your risks for these serious medical problems? Use our risk calculator to learn your likelihood of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease – and how simple changes can make a difference.
Your risk increases even more if you have high blood pressure along with other risk factors:
- Age
- Heredity (including race)
- Gender (male)
- Overweight or obesity
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Physical inactivity
Through risk reduction and treatment of HBP, you can lower your risk for many of these diseases.
Source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/WhyBloodPressureMatters/Why-Blood-Pressure-Matters_UCM_002051_Article.jsp#.Vq-lHBgrK2w
Are you a likely candidate for High Blood Pressure?
If so, it will be even more important for you to manage your lifestyle with heart-healthier habits. Science has identified several factors that can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure (HBP) and thus your risk for heart attack, heart disease and stroke.
Risks among certain groups:
- African-Americans – If you’re African-American, there’s a good chance that you or a relative has HBP.
- Women – Starting at age 65, women are more likely to have high blood pressure than men.
- Children – While HBP is most common in adults, children can develop it, too.
Risk factors for developing high blood pressure, also called hypertension:
- Family history
- Height, hair and eye color runs in families — so can high blood pressure. If your parents or close blood relatives have had HBP, you are more likely to develop it, too. You might also pass that risk factor on to your children. That’s why it’s important for children as well as adults to have regular blood pressure checks. You can’t control heredity, but you can take steps to live a healthy life and lower your other risk factors. To successfully and healthily lose weight. Learn about lifestyle changes you can make to prevent HBP.
Advanced age:
- As we age, we all develop higher risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Blood vessels lose flexibility with age which can contribute to increasing pressure throughout the system.
Gender-related risk patterns:
- A higher percentage of men than women have HBP until 45 years of age. From ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, the percentages of men and women with HBP are similar. After that, a much higher percentage of women have HBP than men.
Lack of physical activity:
- Physical activity is good for your heart and circulatory system. An inactive lifestyle increases the chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, blood vessel disease and stroke. Inactivity also makes it easier to become overweight or obese. Give yourself the gift of improved health and lower blood pressure with regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Poor diet, especially one that includes too much salt:
- To care for our bodies, we all need good nutrition from a variety of food sources. A diet that’s high in calories, fats and sugars and low in essential nutrients contributes directly to poor health as well as to obesity. In addition, there are some problems that can happen from eating too much salt. Some people are “salt sensitive,” meaning a high-salt (sodium) diet raises their high blood pressure. Salt keeps excess fluid in the body that can add to the burden on the heart. While too much salt can be dangerous, healthy food choices can actually lower blood pressure. Learn about enjoying a heart-healthy diet.
Overweight and obesity:
- Being overweight increases your chances of developing high blood pressure. A body mass index between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. A body mass index over 30 is considered obese. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. About one in three U.S. children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. Excess weight increases the strain on the heart, raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds can help lower your blood pressure and your heart disease risk. To successfully and healthily lose weight. Calculate your body mass index and learn how to manage your weight.
Drinking too much alcohol:
- Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically. It can also cause heart failure, lead to stroke and produce irregular heartbeats. Too much alcohol can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink equals a 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, or 1 ounce of hard liquor (100-proof). If you drink in excess, find out about curbing alcohol intake.
Possible contributing factors
There is some connection between blood pressure and these factors but science has not proven that they actually cause high blood pressure.
Stress
Being in a stressful situation can temporarily increase your blood pressure, but science has not proven that stress causes high blood pressure. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person’s life, health behaviors and socioeconomic status. How you deal with stress may affect other, established risk factors for high blood pressure or heart disease. For example, people under stress may overeat or eat a less healthy diet, put off physical activity, drink, smoke or misuse drugs. Find ways to reduce stress.
Smoking and second-hand smoke
Smoking temporarily raises blood pressure and increases your risk of damaged arteries. The use of tobacco can be devastating to your health, especially if you’re already at risk for high blood pressure. Secondhand smoke — exposure to other people’s smoke — increases the risk of heart disease for nonsmokers. Learn how to kick the habit.
Sleep Apnea
Some 12 million Americans have sleep apnea, according to National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute estimates. Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder in which tissues in the throat collapse and block the airway. The brain forces the sleeper awake enough to cough or gulp air and open the trachea up again. But then, the whole cycle starts all over again. Pauses in breathing can contribute to severe fatigue during the day, increase your safety risks, and make it difficult to perform tasks that require alertness. Sleep apnea is also a risk factor for such medical problems as high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and stroke. Learn more about sleep apnea.
Secondary hypertension: HBP caused by a pre-existing problem
In 5-10 percent of high blood pressure cases, the HBP is caused by a pre-existing problem. This type of HBP is called secondary hypertension because another problem was present first.
Factors that may lead to secondary hypertension include:
- Kidney abnormality, including a tumor on the adrenal gland, which is located on top of the kidneys
- A structural abnormality of the aorta (the large blood vessel leaving the heart) that has existed since birth
- Narrowing of certain arteries
The good news is that these pre-existing problems can usually be fixed. For example, doctors can repair a narrowed artery that supplies blood to a kidney. Once the root cause of secondary hypertension is corrected, blood pressure typically returns to normal. For those with HBP, a physical exam and some tests can help your doctor determine whether your high blood pressure is primary or secondary hypertension.
High blood pressure is just one condition that increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Please visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/UnderstandYourRiskofHeartAttack/Understand-Your-Risk-of-Heart-Attack_UCM_002040_Article.jsp#.Vq-qJxgrK2w
to learn about other heart disease and stroke risk factors.
Prevention and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
There are eight main ways you can control your blood pressure:
- Eat a better diet, which may include reducing salt
- Enjoy regular physical activity
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Manage stress
- Avoid tobacco smoke
- Comply with medication prescriptions
- If you drink, limit alcohol
- Understand hot tub safety
Lifestyle modifications are essential. These changes may reduce your blood pressure without the use of prescription medications. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is critical for the prevention of HBP and an indispensable part of managing it. Think of these changes as a “lifestyle prescription” and make every effort to comply with them.
Whether you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, also called hypertension, or are concerned because you have some of the risk factors for the disease, understand this: while there is no cure, high blood pressure is manageable.
By adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, you can:
- Reduce high blood pressure
- Prevent or delay the development of HBP
- Enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure medications
- Lower your risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease
Here’s how to do your part:
Be informed:
- Of all people with high blood pressure, over 20 percent are unaware of their condition. This symptomless disease could leave them with substantial health consequences. Are you one of them? If you don’t know, see a healthcare professional to be tested.
Do your part to reach your treatment goals:
- There is no healthy level of high blood pressure. Don’t take life-or-death chances with this disease. Instead, take responsibility! Work with your healthcare professional to determine your treatment goals and map out your best action plan for HBP prevention and management.
Change your life and reduce your risks:
- Even if your blood pressure is normal (less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic) and your goal is prevention only, the lifestyle modifications provide a prescription for healthy living.
- If your resting blood pressure falls in the pre-hypertension range (systolic – top number between 120 and 139 mm Hg OR diastolic – bottom number between 80 and 89 mm Hg), your doctor will recommend lifestyle modifications.
Take medication if it is prescribed for you:
- If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, your doctor will likely prescribe medication in addition to lifestyle modifications. Follow your healthcare professional’s recommendations carefully, even if it means taking medication every day for the rest of your life. High blood pressure is a lifelong disease, and by partnering with your healthcare team, you can successfully reach your treatment goals and enjoy the benefits of better health.
Once your treatment program becomes routine, maintaining a lower blood pressure is easier. Remind yourself that by managing your blood pressure, you are lowering your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease and kidney disease. Death rates from these diseases have decreased significantly, thanks in part to earlier and better treatment of HBP.
Managing blood pressure is a lifelong commitment. Listen to your doctor, read the sound medical information on this site, and act on the information to live a heart-healthier life. | https://drvalentino.com/hypertension/ |
In an absolute general understanding, the term ‘aloof personality’ in any human being points out that that particular person tends to maintain a distance from having a social life. They might come off as detached and unbothered. One might even assume them to be self-absorbed or someone who simply gives zero amount of effort in maintaining a social relationship with anybody. Such behavior could simply be a personality trait, or it might be the repercussion of an unfortunate event that could have caused the said person to curl away from putting in the work to be social. It is difficult to fully understand the reason behind someone projecting such an image without knowing their story.
Aloof Personality
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being alone and aloof from things that one might be disinterested in. And people enjoying and wanting to spend time away from socialites is also absolutely normal. In fact, it’s necessary to spend time with one’s self to have a better understanding of their own existence. So taking time out alone to know yourself better, knowing your goals better, and understanding what helps you and whatnot is an absolute mandate. But people tend to get comfortable with the silence they surround themselves with. And as we all know, too much of anything serves us wrong. So it’s important to create a balance and keep working on it to maintain a social and private life.
Reasons that might cause someone to behave in an aloof manner:
- A very valid reason for someone to act that way could be because of their past experiences. When a child is not provided with the required amount of love and attention by their parents, the trauma that sets in might turn them into someone who consciously chooses to stay aloof as a coping mechanism for their entire life.
- As they never knew the feeling of being cared for, so someone else approaching them in that manner can make them feel awkward. They might not easily reciprocate that affection.
- They might simply be putting up the aloof personality image just to shield themselves from getting further heartbreaks. As it can be excruciatingly painful to re-live such hurtful experiences.
- If someone has been living a life away from having many interactions with other humans, they sure have made that lifestyle their safe space to thrive in. This is why they might not even be bothered to engage in social activities of any sort. As we all can agree that getting out of our comfort zones can be really uncomfortable.
- A person can also simply be shy or reserved in nature, with no triggering past experiences. People with such inherited qualities simply might shut out unnecessary conversations or be aloof from other people. Even though there is a chance to be perceived by others as being haughty, however, that is untrue in cases of some people.
- A person might also act aloof to portray themselves to be someone they are not. They might do that to be perceived by others in a certain way. This will strictly serve as their own benefit.
- People might also act aloof to hint others that they might be hurt and sad or need some space. Sometimes people don’t have the confrontational abilities to deal with certain issues, which is why they choose to simply be closed off.
- There is also one more reason why people might seem to be aloof and that is their immediate environment. If, within their immediate environment they are made to act in a certain way from childhood, that act will become their personality trait with time. Some of course can rebel out but many grow up and continue behaving in that manner.
Ways to Recognize Aloof Personality Traits
- They seem uninterested- People with aloof personality traits might not be very inquisitive about how other people are doing in their lives. They might even be uninterested in listening about others’ life and work events.
- Lacking social cues- People with aloof personalities might act weirdly and awkwardly around people. They might not always say or do the right thing at the right time.
- Small or negligible social circle- maintaining relationships and balancing them in a healthy manner takes a lot of effort. People who already fall on the aloof spectrum might find it very tiring and difficult to have a social circle let alone maintaining it.
- Independent in nature- Staying alone or away from people naturally inbuilt the independent factor in a human. Not needing people to live their day-to-day life is one such attribute to find in someone with an aloof personality trait.
- Uncomfortable in social situations- When one begins to find comfort in their aloneness it gets uncomfortable to be with others. These people are so attuned with their own pace of doing and being that going out of their comfort spaces tends to get difficult for them to cope and adjust.
Ways to be an Ally Towards People with Aloof Personality Traits
- The first and foremost point to remember to not be pushy and controlling with them. There can’t be anything achieved if someone voluntarily chooses to invade the personal space of someone who is showing aloof personality traits.
- It is important to be kind and understanding towards their needs and emotions and make space for them to be at ease within the surrounding. Forcefully making a conversation that they clearly refuse to be a part of will only make the social activity more disturbing for them.
- If there is something that needs to be communicated one must do so keeping in mind that they are dealing with someone who is already unwilling and uncomfortable to deal with social situations. Therefore, there needs to be much more understanding and delicacy in handling a situation like that.
- Without assuming that someone is aloof because they are simply boring or weird or trying to come off as superior, it’ll be much more helpful if one tries to make subtle efforts in understanding the nitty-gritty of a human being who doesn’t necessarily carry a bubbly personality.
Ways to Help One’s Self
The moment it feels like having aloofness as a personality trait is causing someone more harm than good, they must work and try to change or adjust certain attitudes. Slowly but surely, they can introduce changes to help them do better in life. It will, however, take a lot of effort and consistency to overcome certain hurdles. There is no shortcut in eliminating degrading habits. Only discipline and a steady movement towards a set goal can assure success.
Introducing little changes in day-to-day life can truly make the transformation process easier. If one has been aloof for a while, they can’t just become a social butterfly the next day. It takes patience and openness in one’s daily routine to finally reach a sweet, healthy spot. Start with calling up one friend or a family member and ask about their life. Make small conversations with the person you bumped into at a grocery store. Or even simply smile back at the stranger who smiled at you. Take one step at a time and try making this a habit. Make some social contacts and have a chat at the cafe with the waiter. It might seem daunting at first, but the fear will slowly fade away with time.
If there are people that you enjoy talking to, or you relate to, or someone who matches your frequency, it’ll make the process much smoother and interesting. Try to have regular chats with them. Let them know about your day, ask them about theirs. If you need any help or simply someone to be there, reach out or plan a hangout or go out to have dinner with someone you trust and who makes you feel safe.
Things that might be fun to do with someone who has an aloof personality trait:
- Art. Art is one of the most engaging activities to do. To do it alone or with someone is a personal preference. However, the more the merrier. It’s not only about honing perfect skills, it’s about being in the moment and expressing yourself without words. And there is no need for perfection in expressing who you are and how you feel.
- Photography. Capturing moments and elements from our daily life can instantly make us choose to look at the better side of our story. Not only is this activity engaging, but it also helps to build a different perspective than what we see or even fail to notice on maximum days.
- Listening to Podcasts. This works really well. As there is no need to have any conversation but just to listen to what’s being said, this makes it easier to sit through with someone.
- Cooking or Baking. This particular activity can be extremely fun and therapeutic as well. There’s the excitement of doing something together and also making something tasty is quite a catch. Also, there will always be times when you wait for the food to cook while listening to each other talk about things or listening to each other’s playlists.
- Reading Stories. This activity definitely helps to bond easily without creating much fuss. All you need is a good storybook and you’re all set. Stories definitely have the power to move. And if there are no books, be each other’s book for a while and narrate stories from each other’s experiences. It’s a fun process to know each other without having to ask invading questions.
These little social activities can always bring joy. Spending time with people you like and doing the things that you like doesn’t really sound scary, now does it?
Conclusion
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be alone and spending time alone. In fact, there’s some sort of serenity that comes from within by being at peace with one’s self. However, there is also a need for social activities and engagements. It is important for growth and support. After all, we are social animals. If there is no interaction with others, there’s a scope of becoming stagnant and set in outdated ways. If there isn’t anyone opposing your views and perspective, there will be no change in outlook. And as we all know, change is the only constant in this universe; hence, there’s a need to keep the doors and windows open to allow changes to take place.
Social activities make life interesting. When there’s a conversation happening between two people exchanging their whereabouts for a day, there can be a lot to learn and bits and pieces of information to share. Social activities sharpen the skills you need to make life easier and even meaningful. There needs to be a balance between “me time” and “us time.” Everyone deserves the space to be themselves and create a pattern of growth. Being stubborn and rigid can never fuel growth. And to keep going in a fast-paced world like ours, growth is mandatory. No one waits for anyone. So to win at life, we all need to engage in social activities and human beings to keep the “life” alive within us.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it a bad thing to have an aloof personality? Nothing is bad until and unless it obstructs your growth in life. If it makes you have a healthy life and brings peace to your mind it’s alright to be however and whoever you are.
- How to approach someone who is showing attributes of an aloof personality? Try to be gentle and kind, and approach without invading their personal space. Don’t assume, ask. Be understanding and mindful of their situation.
- How to work on not being aloof? Firstly, take away the power from the situation. If you wish to have a conversation, just do it. Don’t imagine the worst-case scenario in your head that is not real. Whoever you want to talk to is also just another human like you. Don’t give them the power over you.
- Aloof personality trait and being an introvert the same thing? Not necessarily. Being aloof is one of the many personality traits of an introvert. Even an extrovert can show the same trait if they are put in a situation or with people with whom they don’t necessarily enjoy. | https://howigotjob.com/articles/aloof-personality/ |
Comanche Language Planning & Development
What is Comanche Language Planning And Development?
Archived video "Comanche Language Revitalization Discussion Forum"
Supporting language planning and development is ensuring that our identity as numunu is prioritized and sustained now and for generations to come.
On November 16, 2017 a community meeting called "Comanche Language Revitalization Discussion Forum" was held and livestreamed at the Comanche Tribal Complex in Lawton, Ok. The purpose of this meeting was to inform the tribal community about the efforts underway to revitalize the Comanche Language and to gather input and suggestions from those in attendance as well as those viewing online. Some of the topics discussed were:
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Making Language Accessible To All Tribal Members
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Emergency State of Comanche Language
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Taking Action
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Goal Of Comanche Language Planning Group
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Curriculum Design & Development
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Assessment Of Available Resources
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Strategic Plan
Comanche Language Planning And Development is a new line item on the Comanche Nation FY19 Budget. It is the beginning phase of designing a multifaceted Comanche language department under tribal governance.
In August 2017 a group of employees, tribal members, elders, business committee members, and educators came together to look for ways the Nation could help in the revitalization of our language. This group is called the Comanche Language Planning Group (CLPG). Over a 6-month evaluation period, many questions were asked and many points were bought up concerning the growth, dissipation, accessibility, and emergency state of our Comanche language.
By consulting with experts in indigenous language revitalization, communicating with tribal members, cultural authorities, elders, and coming to terms with what our most inhibiting challenges were, we have concluded that building a comprehensive plan for language revitalization is the next path forward. | https://www.talkcomanche.org/comanche-language-planning-developm |
NASA has confirmed in a press release that “something strange is happening” in the known universe, according to data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope; There is even talk of discovering “new physics” that directly interferes with the speed of the expansion of the universe.
According to the U.S. Space Agency, “the search for the rate of expansion of the universe began in the 1920s by astronomers Edwin B. It started with measurements made by Hubble and Georges Lomotre. In 1998, it discovered the “dark energy” of a mysterious driving force that would accelerate the expansion of the universe.
In recent years, however, with the help of Hubble, scientists have discovered that there is a significant difference between the rate of expansion measured in the local universe and (currently) independently obtained data that “predict different expansion values after the Big Bang”. ”; Simply put, the universe has changed its rate of expansion compared to the data left by “Super Bang”.
Now, although “the cause of this discrepancy remains a mystery”, the truth is that experts know that something strange is happening as data is being recorded that NASA has never seen before.
“Hubble data includes various cosmic objects that act as remote markers,” Support the notion that something strange is happening in relation to new physics”, Explains the space agency.
“A Milestone in Space History”
To explain (or at least try to explain) what is happening, the Nobel laureate Adam Rice of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the University of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, said he and his team have dedicated themselves to exploring at least 42 supernova milestones. Hubble has been recording for the past 40 years.
“This is why the Hubble Space Telescope was developed, using the best techniques we know to do it. This may be Hubble’s masterpiece, as it takes Hubble 30 years to double the size of this model.Rice said.
Through this research, scientists were able to conclude that the last model of cosmic distance markers provided by Hubble was “more than double”, which made it possible to understand the speed of expansion of the universe a little more accurately. Path weather.
“The Hubble constant is a very good number. It can be used to inject a needle from the past to the present for the final test of our understanding of the universe. It took a tremendous amount of work, “said Dr. Lycia Verde, a cosmologist at ICREA and the ICC-University of Barcelona.
Therefore, it was determined that the rate of expansion of the universe is slower than what Hubble could see. With the help of a standard cosmological model of the universe and a data model provided by the European Space Agency, Astronomers predict the lowest value of the Hubble constant, which expands to 67.5 km / s and has an error margin of 0.5 km / s. However, the Riess panel’s estimate provides more data: 73 km / s per megaporse. | https://www.theclevelandamerican.com/nasas-new-warning/ |
Life stress events- things like loss of a job, death of a loved one and getting divorced (or married) raise the risk of getting sick. All sorts of other life events also generate stress, with possible negative health effects ranging from catching a cold to major depression to a fatal heart attack.
Certain events inflict severe psychological (and physiological) stress. Death of a spouse, getting diagnosed with a terminal illness and separation of children from parents are indisputably "major stressful life events." But no clear rules have been established to define what features place an event in that category (which makes stress research complicated, with often ambiguous results).
Some researchers hold that stress magnitude hinges on how much "adaptation" is required to cope with it (which is why marriage can be considered especially stressful). A second theory gauges stressfulness as the amount of threat or harm an event poses. Some experts view stress as a mismatch between demands and resources. A fourth view regards "interruption of goals" as the prime feature of a life stress event. These theories about stress-event criteria aren't mutually exclusive but on the whole the "threat or harm" perspective is the most commonly accepted.
Recent stressful life events (major and minor) psychologists may ask about to gauge a person's stress level include everything from the death of a spouse to taking on a mortgage to getting a speeding ticket. Life events commonly included on stress questionnaires may be objectively bad or good, major or minor. They include the death of a spouse, divorce, the loss of a job - or even a big achievement. Some stress checklists focus more on traumatic events, such as assaults; others ask about events that in the last year have brought major or minor changes to everyday life, requiring adaptation or readjustments, even if they are seemingly beneficial (getting a promotion). Some important events related to illness are those that affect social status, self-esteem, identity and physical well-being. Not all are equal in effect, and there's much variation in how people respond.
Depression and heart disease are commonly associated with stressful events, but stress's influence extends to other health problems as well. Stress can boost anxiety and discourage healthy practices such as exercising and eating well. At the same time stress can instigate bad behaviours such as smoking and drinking. All these responses can have negative impacts on important organs (brain, heart, liver), possibly resulting in multiple health problems either by triggering the onset or accelerating the progression of a disease.
Personal traits and situation and the circumstances in which a person lives make them more or less at risk for life stress. Neighbourhoods with low socioeconomic status are sites of higher-than-average levels of stressful events, and people with low personal socioeconomic status have more risk of encountering violence, death of a child and divorce. One stressful event - such as loss of a job - can lead to others (such as loss of income, moving or divorce).
The magnitude of a stressful event's impact depends a lot on the nature of the stress. Most damaging, research indicates, are experiences that threaten an individual's sense of competence or status, striking at a person's core identity. Loss of status, losing a job and interpersonal conflict with spouses or close friends can all exacerbate health problems, from raising the risk of depression to worsening high blood pressure and reducing resistance to respiratory infection.
Chronic stress may have a persistent detrimental effect on the body's disease-fighting immune system. Acute stress, like single traumatic events, may trigger a dramatic worsening of an existing condition, such as heart disease. In that case, a sufficiently powerful stress event can induce a fatal heart attack. | http://www.botleyhypnotherapy.com/blog/4593416938/The-impact-of-stress-on-health/11333705 |
Every face-to-face interaction occurs in a specific location. Although it is typically assumed that the course of particular interactions is a product of the individuals involved and their relationships to one another, the surrounding environment has important effects at both the macroand micro-levels.
Where people live has an important effect on social behavior. For example, urban dwellers are less likely to initiate eye contact with passing strangers than are suburbanites or small-town residents (Newman & McCauley 1977). More importantly, helping behavior also decreases as population density increases from small to large cities (Levine et al. 1994). One explanation for the decreased sensitivity to others in large urban areas is social overload. That is, because urban dwellers are consistently overstimulated by the presence of large numbers of people, they adapt by automatically filtering out less important events (Milgram 1970).
Sensitivity to others is affected by more than just population density. Levine et al. (1994) found that, in the United States, the incidence of helping strangers was greater in the south and mid-west than in the northeast and west. Historical and technological changes have also contributed to decreased sensitivity to strangers, and even neighbors, in both low-and high-density situations. Sixty years ago, prior to the common availability of television and air conditioning, people in small towns and large cities spent more time outside, interacting with their neighbors. In addition, although the current technological environment, with the Internet, mobile phones, and palm pilots, extends our ability for remote communication, the frequency and quality of face-to-face communication may be adversely affected (Bugeja 2005).
Weather also plays a role in social interactions. In good weather, people are more likely to be outside and engaged in a variety of activities that, in turn, increase the likelihood of contact with one another. In contrast, stormy weather and extreme temperatures reduce the opportunities for outside interactions. Nevertheless, very hot temperatures can increase negative affect and the probability of aggressive encounters (Bell et al. 2001, ch. 8).
The approach of ecological psychology provides a broad perspective on how the immediate environment shapes social behavior (Wicker 1979). The concept of a behavior setting is basic to explaining the role of the environment on behavior. A behavior setting refers to a geographically limited location with a specific physical design where goals and norms direct the behavior of individuals over a limited time period. For example, a college class on communication, a church service, or a school board meeting all occur in specific locations with distinct design features, have a particular agenda, and last for a limited length of time. Social behavior is also constrained by self-selection, with more similar people choosing common settings. The result of these coordinated influences is that most people in a given setting tend to behave in a relatively homogeneous fashion.
The initiation and development of social interaction are also affected by territory. When individuals are at home, in their office, or simply claiming a picnic table in the park, they have more discretion in initiating and controlling interactions with others (Altman 1975). Visitors typically recognize their own status and defer to the territory holder. For example, territory holders usually meet visitors at the doorway, invite them inside, and direct them to a particular room or location. As a result, territory facilitates order and predictability in interactions. A number of physical characteristics of settings also affect interactions. In the business world, higher-status individuals have larger, better-furnished offices, with nicer views of the surrounding area. Their larger desks not only signal their importance, but also serve to keep visitors at a greater distance. Thus, the immediate physical environment reinforces the office holder’s power in interacting with subordinates. Furniture arrangement also affects the ease of interaction in home settings. For example, the furniture in most living rooms and dens is usually arranged to accommodate the easy viewing of a television. Such an arrangement does not, however, typically facilitate the more comfortable facing positions that most people prefer in interactions. One accommodation might be moving to a kitchen or dining-room table with a closer and more directly facing arrangement. Finally, the number of individuals in a given setting influences affective and behavioral reactions. High-density settings typically increase physiological arousal, precipitate negative attributions (e.g., feeling crowded), and often lead to behavioral withdrawal – but not always (Bell et al. 2001). Parties and sporting events can also be arousing, but precipitate positive attributions (e.g., interest or excitement) and foster greater engagement with others.
Most people assume that they are active agents operating on their social worlds. Nevertheless, research indicates that the physical and social environments not only constrain our behavioral options, but also prime specific actions, often automatically and outside of awareness (Bargh & Williams 2006). An appreciation of the role of the environment on behavior facilitates a better understanding of social interaction and provides an opportunity for greater control in contacts with others.
References:
- Altman, I. (1975). The environment and social behavior. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
- Bargh, J., & Williams, E. L. (2006). The automaticity of social life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 1– 4.
- Bell, P. A., Greene, T. C., Fisher, J. D., & Baum, A. (2001). Environmental psychology, 5th edn. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College.
- Bugeja, M. (2005). Interpersonal divide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Levine, R. V., Martinez, T. S., Brase, G., & Sorenson, K. (1994). Helping in 36 U.S. cities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 69 – 82.
- Milgram, S. (1970). The experience of living in cities. Science, 167, 1461–1468.
- Newman, J., & McCauley, C. (1977). Eye contact with strangers in city, suburb, and small town. Environment and Behavior, 9, 547 –558.
- Wicker, A. W. (1979). An introduction to ecological psychology. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. | https://communication.iresearchnet.com/interpersonal-communication/environment-and-social-interaction/ |
On the list, there were some men without known jobs. A few off the unknown men may have known a little about farming, but most likely not enough. Droughts were also a problem. From “The Lost Colony and Jamestown Droughts,” the charts show that the drought lasted from “1605-1612.” With a drought that long, crops didn’t grow and colonists died from hunger and thirst. Eventually, the colonists did get food when they traded with the Indians.
Economically, the Chesapeake was primarily based on agriculture, large plantations, very little industry. Fertile land, fertile agriculture they planted staple crops including tobacco, rice, and indigo. The main social aspect that differed was education. In the Chesapeake education was not emphasized as kids worked at wide spread plantation. Due to the rural environment schools and churches were more difficult to come.
My grandfather was an immigrant that migrated from Yemen in 1970 and was working in a farm in Fresno CA. He was a grape farmer working from 6 am to 7 pm almost more than 13-hours a day his salary was $2.56 an hour from that salary he had to support his family that was still living in Yemen. Many migrant farm workers who pick these fruits travel across the country and cross borders to fill the agriculture jobs in the U.S that U.S citizens are not willing to take. (McKenzie, 2015). Agriculture jobs is not an easy job, but these migrant farmworkers are willing to fill these physical exhausting jobs because of the economic hardship, and the lack of jobs in the there country, therefore, courtiers that have these immigrant farmworkers should recognize immigrants for their hard work.
A common type of grass that grew in the Dust Bowl region was buffalo grass (Doc. B). Buffalo grass only grew about four inches tall, but the grass was able to hold all the dirt beneath it. When farmers need that land they would remove the grass, increasing their chances of being caught in a “black blizzard”. Grass removal in the Great Plains was also due to overproduction of wheat during World War
They instead imported their agricultural products and focused their skills on lumbering, shipbuilding, fishing, and trade. Demographically, English settlements were more family oriented than that of the southern colonies. The majority of settlers consisted of families of six children per household and overall the amount of men and women equaled each other as well as the amount of adults to children. The settlers that lived in the New England colonies were dissenters from the Church of England. Predominantly consisting of Puritans, religious freedoms did not exist throughout the northern colonies.
The flour was then used to make the dough for bread, which was baked in the ovens/kitchen. The manor also produced wines and beers, and crops such as a barley, beans, peas, oats, and pigs, livestock, and chickens (Hazen). Almost no products came from outside the manor, so it was imperative that the manor functioned well. All social classes could benefit from the manor; without it, the economy would have
Maize cultivation began in Mesoamerica in about 5000 B.C.E. After producing crops surpluses, Mesoamerican societies traded with less populace, non farming neighbors. Expanding their trade contacts, a number of these societies established formal exchange networks that enabled them to enjoy more wealth and power.
Most southern colonies depended on slavery since they had a large demand for crops(tobacco). In the south there were no large cities to gather in. People lived and worked on plantations and would “entertain”themselves there.Geography played a large part in this as well, with the fertile soil and the longer growing seasons as well. The South just didn 't have farms, but plantations that grew thousands of acres of tobacco or rice and they required many slaves to do labor intensive work. As mentioned before, religious standing had nothing to do with political power in the South, many in the South chose to have close ties with the Church of England whereas those in New England couldn 't wait to break away from it.
Set in prehistoric times, West Africa has ample water with it being laborious to get to, but through these obstacles West Africa succeeded to grow crops including maize. Commonly known foods to be "Mexican," cultivated in Central America including corn, squash, and beans, which provided a protein based diet for the people. South America, similarly to Central America, grew wheat and corn to expand and sustain their
At that time, agriculture production is low because of lack of agricultural knowledge and technological inputs were also low which bind the whole family to work in agriculture fields. After 1750s industrial revolution began and it led to advances in agricultural technology that greatly increased food production, which allow other people to pursue other work. At that time horsepower came into use and machinery like steam engine used in the agricultural process. Tractors were used for ploughing. In 1701 Jethro Tull’s used drill ways of sowing seed in rows, in the place of broadcasting.
Both live in farming areas where a lot of food is produced, but yet very little of that food is kept in the county where it is grown or even in the state. Therefore, both of these groups are dealing with food insecurity have to make use of outside sources to get enough food to be able to provide for their families. I personally feel that each of these states should be more concerned about the welfare of their citizens before they ship their produce out of
Their food came from their crops and gardens. Sometimes droughts in Nebraska made it very difficult to feed their families and still have some left over to sell. Which was difficult because this is how they earned a living. Most pioneers lived in sod houses. These were insulated which was very convenient for Pioneer families during the different seasons.
Colonists made their living in a variety of ways: fir, lumber trading, shipping, the slave trade, and as merchants and tradesmen in the colony 's towns. Most colonists were farmers, who cleared large acres of land by hand to grow crops. Corn was the most popular,since it could be eaten by people and animals. Also grown was flax, wheat, vegetables, and tobacco. Some colonists mined for iron to send to England for manufacturing into finished goods.
Most of the slaves stuck to farming and did sharecropping. Sharecropping is when a landowner allows someone to use their land in return for a portion of crops from other parts of the land. This system 's wasn 't fair because technically they were still working a s slaves but most African Americans didn’t have choice. Most African Americans didn’t even have the money to buy land. The population of african Americans was increasing from 1860 all the way up to 1881 (Document H).
Dominicans have a variety of food, such as dairy products, meats, breads, fruits, and vegetables. Unlike Haiti, Haitians eat the same food every day; for example, rice, beans, mangos and unhealthy food, as cookies, made by them using mud. It is not easy to obtain resources from the nothing because Haiti does not produce enough food crops and livestock to feed its people. As I have said, even though Dominicans and Haitians share history and land, they both finished in a very different situation, so they differ in several aspects. People in each of these two countries have their own lifestyle according to their own thoughts, beliefs, culture, and government rules. | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Colonial-Life-Daily-Life-In-Colonial-America-F3FE5B74SCF6 |
In conjunction with a major building development, designwell were commissioned to design a total of 14 areas that included a dementia-specific landscape, community recreational area, various themed courtyards, independent living unit gardens, sensory gardens, balconies, boundary, carpark and streetscapes. Our aim was to re-invigorate the residents’ connection to nature, improve their sense of wellbeing and enhance their quality of life. The proposed landscape design was intended to provide a safe, functional and attractive environment that encouraged physical activity and social engagement. Our landscape solutions provide opportunities to make choices, seek privacy and experience a sense of control in a variety of outdoor spaces. The design also responds to the local coastal culture and climatic conditions in regards to landscape features/sculptures, planting and the organisation of spaces. | http://designwell.net.au/resthaven-pt.-elliot.html |
Military option would not necessarily reverse democratic reform
The argument that an attack on Iran would reverse democratic reform fails to account for the oppressive nature of the regime already. While it would be hard to conclusively know what the results of an attack would be, an equally likely result is that an attack would embolden the population to rise up against a weakened regime.
Quicktabs: Arguments
Yet another argument against military action against Iran is that it would embolden the hard-liners within Iran’s government, helping them rally the population around the regime and eliminate any remaining reformists. This critique ignores the fact that the hard-liners are already firmly in control. The ruling regime has become so extreme that it has sidelined even those leaders once considered to be right-wingers, such as former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, for their perceived softness. And Rafsanjani or the former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi would likely continue the nuclear program if he assumed power. An attack might actually create more openings for dissidents in the long term (after temporarily uniting Iran behind Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), giving them grounds for criticizing a government that invited disaster. Even if a strike would strengthen Iran’s hard-liners, the United States must not prioritize the outcomes of Iran’s domestic political tussles over its vital national security interest in preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
[ABRAMS] Should Israel then take it upon itself to act? There are three main arguments against such a course. The first is that it is impossible: Israel can’t do the job, and would only set Iran back a few months by an attack that would nonetheless bring significant reprisals. If it is true that the “window” has already closed and Israel cannot much damage the Iranian effort, the argument is over. If it can do substantial damage, there is not much point in arguing over whether setting Iran back three or five or seven years is sufficient to justify the attack. There is no magic number here, any more than there is a magic number revealing how many years this hated regime will rule in Iran before the people rise up against it. A corollary to this argument suggests that an Israeli attack would give the regime a new lease on life by rallying all Iranians, including the presumably growing numbers of dissidents, to the flag. But who knows if this is true, especially given the fact that the attack would be over before Iranians were even aware it had happened; that civilian targets would have been spared; and that the mullahs’ regime is very widely despised? It could equally be argued that an attack would have the same consequences as in the late Soviet period, when military setbacks (Afghanistan, Central America) hastened the demise of the regime by showing its weaknesses and by intensifying internal tensions. The same might be true in Iran if it were shown that its much-vaunted, immensely expensive nuclear program had now gone up in smoke, and that the years of privation and isolation under sanctions had been for naught. In any event, the goal of an attack would not be to decapitate or overthrow the regime, but only to destroy or slow down its nuclear program.
Critics are likely to argue military action will help those in power in Iran to suppress the opposition, or make the opposition support the regime. However, the regime is going all out to repress the opposition anyway, and a weakening of the regime, following the military strikes, may provide an opening for the opposition. Moreover, experience in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the U.S.S.R., and Burma, among other countries, shows that we tend to exaggerate the likelihood that the opposition will win against brutal domestic regimes. Also, as the head of the reformers made clear to me when I was his guest in Iran in 2002, the reformers do not plan to fold the nuclear program. All this suggests that trying to figure out the vagrancies of Iranian domestic policies should not be allowed to determine our foreign policy when vital national interests are at stake. | http://www.irandebate.org/argument/3761/military-option-would-not-necessarily-reverse-democratic-reform |
Disclaimer: I am neither a behavioral economist nor psychologist. As such I refer to established experts in their field and cite their works where appropriate in discussing theories of dishonesty.
Cheater.
Possibly the most serious accusation someone can level at another during a game. Over the past couple of years, the problem of misbehavior in 40k has seemed to increase and controversies regarding it have extended all the way to the top tables of major events.
In some form or another, dishonest behavior has likely existed in human psychology ever since the first concept of rules and ethics. But why do people cheat? What does it really mean to cheat in 40k, and what should you do if you suspect someone of cheating?
In this article we’ll explore these questions and outline steps we might take to create a better, fairer, competitive 40k community. The intention is to raise awareness of cheating and how it might manifest, delve a bit into why people might cheat and what it means within our community, and then close with tips and suggestions on how we might better understand and mitigate cheating behaviors as players or tournament organisers (TOs). We’ll explore this in three parts:
Part One: What Does It Mean to Cheat in 40k? Part Two: Why Do People Cheat? Part Three: How to Mitigate The Impact of Cheating
Before diving in, I what to extend a special thanks to Vince Weibert for his sage advice and thoughtful contributions. Thanks Vince – you the man.
Part One: What Does It Mean to Cheat in 40k?
Merriam-Webster defines cheating as, “to practice fraud or trickery” or “to violate rules dishonestly.”1 Both versions independently manifest themselves in competitive 40k, but while the former speaks of a player’s systematic attempt to deceive their opponent to unfairly gain an advantage, the latter refers to a knowing, singular violation of rules to gain an unfair advantage. These are important distinctions because most people envision the latter when someone is accused of cheating, but the former is much subtler but just as impactful to the game. It’s vitally important that when considering cheating, the concept of “unfair advantage” is understood as key.
In the past, some have attempted to downplay the amount of cheating that occurs in competitive 40k. Citing their broad experience as officials, top competitors, and/or persons of status within the community they have proclaimed that top-level cheating in 40k is rare. However, as we will review in part two, instances of cheating are likely to be much more common than believed, especially given certain social and environmental factors. Before I continue, I wanted to take a moment to address some misconceptions that I believe are damaging to the concept of policing cheating within the community.
First, if someone has misplayed a rule to your detriment, intentionally or not, it is NOT your fault. The primary onus for ensuring your opponent plays a fair game is on your opponent . This idea gets to the heart of setting a standard for behavior and raising the bar in competitive 40k. This shouldn’t need to be written out, but it’s an opinion that’s pervasive in competitive communities across traditional gaming hobbies. You have zero responsibility for the actions of your opponent, and while it would be wise and advantageous for you to understand your opponent’s army to the point that you can “call out” erroneous play, the fault for misplay can only ever be on them. To claim otherwise is a way of shifting the blame for poor behavior and absolving the perpetrator of that behavior. Full stop.
Second, the mindset that judges should not be active in policing events but involve themselves only when called upon and further, that table settlements are the ‘highest law’ is wrong. It is an idea that sounds reasonable on the surface, however there are two critical flaws:
An individual who is actively and persuasively cheating may simply steamroll a less experienced or more reserved player. Should you be allowed to get away with cheating if you pressure your opponent into accepting it? This goon says no. If a passing judge observes a rule being incorrectly played to one player’s detriment, the above assumption would dictate that they do not intervene because they haven’t been requested to. This derives from the same mindset that makes catching unfair play the duty of the victim, rather than wanting the community held to high standards and correctly holding the perpetrator responsible. Other than being a cowardly approach to judging, it shirks the fundamental responsibility for enforcing the standard of play.
Coming back to our dual definitions, in both cases the key is a determination of intent – and therein lies the inherent problem. How do you determine whether someone acted dishonestly rather than by ignorance or mistake? Ultimately, true intent is unknowable without an admission, but it also doesn’t really matter. Whatever the reason for it, a mistake that harms the integrity of the game is the responsibility of the person who makes it. It’s vital for the health of the community that all players are ready to accept that responsibility when it happens, and after weighing all of the factors contributing to the situation, the judges and tournament organizers need to be able to adjudicate on that basis. That is why it’s so important to make clear that every player is responsible for their own behaviour.
Once we’ve accepted that, we can then acknowledge that not all misplays are equal. Players who make a mistake out of ignorance or because they’re hungover and are remembering an iteration of the rule from five editions ago are unlikely to make that mistake again by accident. We’ve all done it. It’s embarrassing and sometimes shameful but it happens. A game this complex, with the velocity of additions and changes that we’ve seen in 8th edition, will naturally lead to confusion and misplay. However, it’s when behaviors and mistakes become a pattern that we can start to discern intent, or at minimum, a willful level of negligence. So, with that in mind how might cheating manifest itself in competitive 40k?
Violating the rules dishonestly
First, we look at the more obvious and common form. These are outright, sometimes flagrant attempts at gaining an unfair advantage by breaking rules. Examples of this type of cheating include, but are certainly not limited to:
Tools which have been altered for advantage. Examples include ‘loaded’ dice or rulers/measurement devices that might be longer/shorter than otherwise indicated. Modelling for advantage may also slide into this category. Misrepresenting or claiming rules or characteristics erroneously. This may include claiming an ability/stratagem works differently than is actually stated in the rules, claiming higher or lower attacks/strength/toughness/etc, or utilizing equipment that isn’t otherwise listed or available on a model. Failing to comply with a rule. Simply ignoring the application of a rule altogether or omitting certain components of it that may negatively impact the player. Loose measurements. Most commonly gaining additional movement on a move or charge by moving ‘roughly’ but may also include measuring movement from front of base to back of base. Loose rolling. Adding extra dice when rolling large numbers to mask the true number of dice rolled, picking up dice quickly before an opponent can see. Another form is picking up “hits” rather than “misses” which may result in picking up misses as hits.
It’s important to take a moment to note that violating rules isn’t necessarily limited to proactively violating the rules. Passively violating rules can spill over into cheating given the right context. If your opponent MUST take an action by the rules of the game (they do not have a choice) but do not do so for whatever reason (overlooked it, forgot, etc) to their detriment or to your advantage, you recognise this and allow it to go past, that is very much cheating by omission. The key to this is the mandatory vs optional nature of the action being taken by your opponent. Alternatively, it could also be cheating to allow an opponent to take an action you know to be illegal, but is to your benefit in the situation.
To practice fraud or trickery
This form of cheating is much subtler and more systematic in application. It’s also difficult to define clearly because bluffing and misdirection, trying to put your opponent into a situation where they mess up, are an otherwise perfectly acceptable form of play in many cases. The key to understanding the fine line is to keep in mind that cheating is predicated on gaining an unfair advantage. Examples might include, but again are not limited to:
Slow play: Probably the most notorious example of systematic attempts to cheat. In effect, one player is denying their opponent the chance to play their game in equal time during a time-limited match. They may do this by intentionally slowing their actions, excessively deliberating on options, and/or questioning every action or rule you might take. The classic example here is using a large model-count army and being overly careful with movement, such that simply proceeding through basic actions takes excessive time. Jostling models and terrain: The game is all about dice and placement. As such bumping models and terrain or claiming models have been bumped and placing them elsewhere can result in critical differences in charges made or lost, things in range or not, and gaining the benefits of cover or not. Avoiding Verification: Picking up dice as hits before an opponent has read them, moving models after rolling a charge without clearly measuring. Anything that gets around an opponent being able to double check the legality of a situation. Consistently forgetting and/or claiming intent: Playing by intent is common and generally harmless. It entails speeding up the game by eliminating time-consuming measurements and placement by having a mutual understanding between players on what is taking place. However, this can be co-opted by people seeking to probe you on where they can stretch the rules or take advantage. Commonly it manifests as a repeated “I forgot” or “my intention was” when you inquire as to an action they’ve taken. This is a red flag and it should put you on alert for the rest of the game. Playing by intent should generally involve clearly declaring what it is as actions are taken, not retroactively using “obvious” intent as a cover for mistakes.
The challenge of addressing this type of cheating is that in most cases there is plausible deniability and victims can begin to doubt themselves over what they’re witnessing in real-time. However, over the course of the game the impact becomes substantial and at that point it’s simply too late to correct or address.
There are many more examples than the above, but these are some of the most common forms. Cheating is controversial, so it’s important to reiterate that cheating is defined by an unfair advantage either through the practice of fraud or trickery or by a dishonest violation of rules. Misplays are often innocent, so we need to be able to establish a clear pattern or intent to identify when behaviour crosses this line. Unfortunately, that also means that outright cheating is usually only caught in retrospect. It begs the question though, why do people cheat?
Part Two: Why Do People Cheat?
Every year we see someone get caught cheating on camera and people wonder how someone could forget they were being filmed when they decided to draw an extra card or change a wound counter or tactically manoeuvre their water bottle. The reason is because cheating has become a habit for them. I guarantee you that anyone cheating on camera cheats so often that they did it without thinking when the time came. From – Start Competing at Warhammer 40,000: An Intro to Tournaments, Part 2
Immoral people cheat while honest, upstanding people do not – right? Simple enough. Well, in all actuality, cheating and dishonest behavior is remarkably prolific in human society and something of which we’re all at least occasionally guilty – just not most of the time for most people.
Historically, dishonesty to a person’s benefit was conceived as a simple, external calculation of the potential reward, the risk of being caught, and the magnitude of expected punishment. This is largely still true in criminology today. However, the study of unethical behavior has increasingly become a focus for academics from psychology to economics and has resulted in some fascinatingly complex theories and findings for why people behave dishonestly. While too varied to be summarized in a non-academic review by a non-academic, we will highlight one leading theory which may be particularly apt for competitive 40k – the theory of self-concept maintenance championed by Dr. Dan Ariely.
I want to note that this is not the only theory on why people cheat. It is meant to spur thought and provide a possible explanation for some of the behavior we observe in the world and at the table.
Published in the Journal of Marketing Research in 2008, Nina Mazar, On Amir, and Dan Ariely proposed the theory of self-concept maintenance in which they hypothesized that people are weighing the gain from cheating against maintaining a self-image of honesty in what appears as a zero-sum game.2 That is, if you trade self-image for the gain of cheating, you’re in a win-lose scenario, and vice versa. However, they propose that people may seek to balance this equation by establishing a range of behavior that is acceptable for both gain and maintenance of self-image. Dan Ariely would later describe this range of behavior as a “fudge factor”. You can see him describe this concept in brief here, or more fully here.
To summarize, Ariely et al found that the number of people who cheat does not directly relate to increasing the financial incentive, or decreasing the risk of being caught. Instead, most people tend to cheat “a little bit” with the magnitude of their cheating varying with positive or negative incentives. They hypothesized the existence of a “personal fudge factor” – the amount which we could cheat without substantially harming our ability to feel good about ourselves. They aimed to test the existence of this “fudge factor” by demonstrating that circumstances could narrow or widen the fudge factor.
First they aimed to demonstrate a narrowing of the factor. They compared the behaviour of a cohort of subjects who were made to forcibly recall an ethical symbol or code (ten commandments, bible, honour code) against an arm who were made to recall a more mundane subject, both of which were then given an opportunity to cheat. They found that the arm who recalled an ethical symbol or code beforehand did not cheat in the experiment. At all.
They then sought to demonstrate a widening of the fudge factor. During this experiment they established three arms where subjects were variously:
Given a sheet of paper with problems and told to solve them, hand it back and report the number solved Given a sheet of paper with problems and told to solve them, shred it, and then report the number solved for $1 each Given a sheet of paper with problems and told to solve them, shred it, and then report the number solved for 1 token each, which could then be exchanged for $1 per token
They found that subjects who were one-step removed from the direct $1 exchange (the token arm) doubled their rate of cheating over the $1 exchange arm.
In a second experiment, subjects were prepaid in an envelope and were asked to pay back the money that they did not make (via solving problems). During this experiment, an actor stood up within a far too short period of time and claimed to have solved all the problems, despite this being obviously impossible. However, the subject was told that they were then free to leave and keep the money.
The impact of this subject’s clearly erroneous claim depended on how the group perceived the individual, in terms of whether they were a member of their group. The experiment was run multiple times with the actor dressed up to trigger a different reaction. If the actor was wearing a sweater that showed them as a fellow student of the school, cheating went up. However, if they wore the sweater of a rival school, cheating went down.
Ariely et al conclude a few important things from these studies:
A lot of people cheat – but just a little bit. Reminders of morality discourage cheating. Degrees of separation between an action and the reward encourage cheating Social conformity can drive behaviors of cheating up or down.
These are not a comprehensive list of factors, of course, but they elicit some very real implications for our community and the competitive scene. Their conclusions raise a valid concern that cheating might be more prevalent than we assume. Just as an initial example, there are multiple degrees of separation between your score in any one ITC mission and the ultimate reward for it – a clear risk factor, based on the studies. However, as well as flagging that there might be a greater risk of cheating than we assumed, these studies give us some ideas for how we might start to push back against it. So how do we deal with this issue both at the table and systematically?
Part Three: How to Mitigate the Impact of Cheating
“Only human beings can look directly at something, have all the information they need to make an accurate prediction, perhaps even momentarily make the accurate prediction, and then say that it isn’t so.” – Gavin de Becker
I open this section with a quote from Gavin de Becker, the author of ‘The Gift of Fear’ because it does a good job of illustrating an important idea. We, as humans, are very good at intuiting or instinctively identifying a problem, but then cognition kicks in and we’re equally good at rationalizing our initial intuition away. In terms of the topic at hand, we might instinctively ‘feel’ that something isn’t quite right about an action or sequence of events. Maybe it was the way something was said, maybe it was the hesitation by your opponent, or their body language during the action, but either way it was noticed at a level somewhere below conscious thought. Perhaps you even took a moment to question that intuition, but then what?
Identifying cheating is hard; it takes a measure of awareness and developed skill. A cheater is doing their best to deceive you and not get caught, and to a degree they inherently have the upper hand because they are willing to cross lines you are not. It’s for this reason that mitigating cheating in 40k requires some key components at a personal level:
Knowledge of the rules Knowledge of tactics A understanding of dishonest play Trust in your instincts The ability to see the big picture
The good news here is that none of the listed items are innate; they are learned skills. They do however take practice and experience. Fortunately, the whole point of writing this article is to assist in developing these skillsets and bring some ideas to the forefront of discussion. I’ll walk through these to elaborate:
Knowledge of the Rules/Knowledge of the Tactics
Simply put, this is how well you understand the game of 40k. This includes how well you know the core rules, your opponent’s army, how they’re like to use their list, and how well you understand their abilities/stratagems. It’s a heavy lift. It’s a lot, and its a moving target because 40k is constantly evolving. This knowledge is developed by engaging in the materials – reading, putting it in practice, and playing games. The best lessons are taught when you get absolutely crushed at the table, but make sure to learn from what went wrong to come back stronger another day. The key is that you remain inquisitive and ask questions, especially when you don’t understand something. This is the base for building your defense against cheating. Editor’s Note: I am obliged to mention that Goonhammer’s Start Competing Series is designed to equip you with exactly this sort of broad knowledge.
Knowledge of Dishonest Play
Understanding and awareness of dirty tricks and devious behavior at the table. This is unfortunately most commonly learned by being victimized and finding out after the fact. However, you can also proactively seek out content that helps to raise your awareness. This article is intended to help with that but again, stay inquisitive. Seek to learn and identify dishonest play. By doing so you may also find gaps in your own play that you need to address to be a better, more honest player or to correct habits and styles that give the perception of dishonest play. An example of this may be clarifying with your opponent how you track wounds (up, down?) and remaining consistent – rolling dice where your opponent can see, etc
Trust in your Instincts
Cheating is nothing special – it’s just fraudulent, dishonest behavior. It happens in all aspects of life and probably occurs multiple times in a given day around you. For this reason, most people will have developed a measure of instincts from their everyday lives that serve to protect them. The key at the table is learning to engage your instincts – did you notice something that raised a red flag for you? Take it to that next level, bring it out of your subconscious and think about what you experienced. Then get in the practice of asking the appropriate question, “Can you explain that for me?”
Most of the time there’s absolutely nothing wrong – but importantly there was something you didn’t understand but now you do. However, if there is something wrong you just broke through the deception, noted it, and forced your opponent to steer back to honest play or dig even deeper to conceal. Both of those are advantageous for you, because the deeper an opponent needs to go to cheat the more likely it is that they will be ultimately caught.
The Ability to see the Bigger Picture
As we’ve previously discussed, cheating is a heavy accusation. It requires intent and true intent is unknowable without an admission. For this reason, it’s important that you’re able to take a moment to step back from any one situation and place it in context. What happened? Was there an advantage to be gained? How many times has this occurred and does it fit a pattern? Only once you’ve been able to think about it in these contextual terms can you really begin to truly address the issue. This is especially the case for situations where cheating is more systematic than an individual violation of a rule. Once you’ve concluded that there is a problem, it’s time to act and proactively address the issue.
How you choose to pursue action to address what you believe to be cheating is up for some measure of debate and personal preference. I like to hold to the idea of “the lowest level possible.” I’m an adult, and presumably so is my opponent, and I’ll treat them with the respect they deserve until they prove to me otherwise. By this measure I recommend the following increasing levels of severity:
Engage them on the issue – let them know that you’re not comfortable with what you see and explain it to them. Then recommend something that would put you at ease or work with your opponent to find a solution. Settle it at the table – this will resolve the overwhelming majority of the issues you’ll experience in your 40k career. If there are ongoing problems or points of contention, particularly game-defining issues, then request a judge. Their purpose is to maintain standards of play and adjudicate issues at the table. This is important because it also forms a sort of record at the event. Again, cheating is not generally caught in the act, but because of a pattern of behavior. Without establishing a record there is no pattern once you walk away from the table. If something is so egregious, then you may also want to include the TO. TOs have a responsibility for their event and its integrity within the competitive circuit. Something like loaded dice, or flagrant and unflinching violations of rules across multiple events, should rise to their level. Ultimately, the impact of the player on the event and the implications for the wider community will be decided here.
In all of this, it is important that you absolutely remain calm. Accusing your opponent or getting aggressive will only raise their defenses and lower your credibility in the eyes of a third party. Articulate your concerns thoughtfully and evenly. In high-stress situations it becomes difficult, especially after the stress of trying to keep your opponent on the level, but it is vital to getting a satisfactory resolution. You’ve played your game on the higher moral ground, don’t give it away when you’re trying to address the wrong.
A Final Note
No one is perfect, and everyone has their moments of weakness. I think if you polled the community of players most if not all would be hard pressed to say that they’ve never cheated at some level. What is important is to understand is that it’s not acceptable and if you do it, to take responsibility rather than shirk it, accept the consequences of your misbehavior, and most importantly, not to do it again. Cheating should be shameful, and we as a community need to uphold it as such, and work to drive that behavior out. That doesn’t mean that we should drive people who have cheated out of the competitive scene forever – as we’ve seen here, human psychology can serve to legitimise cheating until it is properly confronted. However, sad though it may be, part of confronting it is accepting that yes – there has to be a point where a pattern of behaviour requires a temporary or permanent exclusion from the community to demonstrate that it is not acceptable.
End Notes:
(n.d.). Retrieved August 14, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheat Mazar, N., Amir, & Ariely, D. (n.d.). The Dishonesty of Honest People: A Theory of Self-Concept Maintenance – Nina Mazar, On Amir, Dan Ariely, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2019, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jmkr.45.6.633
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Q5: Doubling down on digital, with Gaynor MacArthur [interview]
by Carey Finn (@carey_finn) Gaynor MacArthur, Digicape co-founder and managing director, talks local tech trends, the persistence of the digital divide and what’s needed for women to succeed in her sector.
Q5: What digital technology trends can we expect to see in South Africa this year?
Gaynor MacArthur: Without the aid of a crystal ball, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what we can look forward to this year. However, I do believe that 2020 will see companies more rapidly unlock the full potential of some of the powerful technologies that have emerged over recent years. I do predict that some of the technologies that we can still look forward to will be centred [on] artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), robotics, internet of things (IoT) and cybersecurity.
With 5G becoming a reality in SA, the faster connectivity will enable a superior AI and ML environment. This means SA is going to look for more ways to incorporate 5G so that it can provide consistent, valuable services for our internal and external customers. In SA currently, AI is most commonly used for automation and prediction, but it has the potential to be a game-changer as it can address a plethora of challenges in a variety of fields, such as healthcare and education.
Cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for many company owners, due to the constant stream of data breaches that have hit the headlines, ranging from the theft of medical information to account credentials, corporate emails, and sensitive enterprise data. Mimecast’s 2019 annual report revealed that 88% of South African organisations experienced a phishing attack in the past year. Impersonation attacks are also on the rise, with 8 out of every 10 SA organisations experiencing an impersonation attack, and 63% reporting an increase in such attacks. We can therefore expect to see improved security and compliance, as it becomes crucial.
Finally, we will see a moving trend towards more-simplified, -collaborative tools that will allow employees to be more efficient and productive. This, in turn. provides a better customer experience and improves the bottom line. For example, one of the internal tools Digicape uses is Slack, which is essentially a platform shared by everyone in your workforce. The platform’s workspaces allow you to organise and limit communications to relevant parties, simplifying and streamline internal communication and workflow.
Q5: What, in your opinion, needs to be done to bridge the digital divide that remains in this country? And what can we do to help that happen?
GM: We are living in a more-connected world and yet we are still impacted by the lack of access to technology in certain demographics and regions. Until such time that the government realises the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) in schools, I worry that this gap will continue to grow. We need to educate and continue to put pressure on government and corporate institutions to support schools and assist learners by providing resources, training and services.
Digicape, for example, recently held coding workshops for learners during the holidays. The workshops saw kids learn how to write apps for both traditional computers as well as mobile devices. They also learnt to experiment with code using a highly creative interface. Our aim is to offer these courses externally, so that more children have access to skills that will assist them in the future workforce.
Q5: What would you say is critical for women to succeed in the digital technology sector?
GM: To succeed in this industry, I believe women need to constantly hone their skills, have a curious mind and a good dose of confidence. Young women need good female role models and support, from our male counterparts as well, across all industries — not just tech. Established women must realise their responsibility and step into their role to act as mentors, and empower other young women entering the workforce by allowing them a voice and platform to share ideas, internal promotion, mentorship and training opportunities. This needs to be a concerted effort by all senior leadership, and integral to the DNA of the business.
Q5: You’ve said that Digicape has a strong focus on upskilling team members. What does this entail, and what is the value in it?
GM: Besides building a good culture, it’s imperative to invest in an employee’s learning and development, in any industry. We have developed many of our own internal courses, relevant for our specific role in the industry, which are conducted throughout the year. We also invest in external training and get support from third-party companies as well. For example, in 2018, we sent our employees to complete a series of accredited courses on iOS deployment, making them two of only three Apple Certified Trainers (ACT) in the country who are qualified to train decision-makers within businesses and educational institutions on the principles of iOS deployment.
We further focus on soft skills, for example, on how to be more self-aware and how our behaviours impact the people around us. The training also includes leadership courses that can help employees grow personally. As a leader, the true value attached to our training is being able to see how [employees] learn and grow in their respective roles.
Q5: What is the easiest way for people who aren’t directly involved in the digital technology sector to keep up to date with the latest developments?
GM: Depending on your interest, there are many resources available that can keep you abreast of what is happening in the tech industry. It really depends on what you are specifically interested in. However, the easiest way is to subscribe to newsletters, have an enquiring mind, and not be afraid to ask questions.
Carey Finn (@carey_finn) is a writer and editor with over decade and a half of industry experience, having covered everything from ethical sushi in Japan to the technicalities of roofing, agriculture, medical stuff and more. She’s also taught English and journalism, and dabbled in various other communications ventures along the way, including risk reporting. As a contributing writer to MarkLives.com, her regular column “Q5” hones in on strategic insights, analysis and data through punchy interviews with inspiring professionals in diversive fields.
— Sign up now for the MarkLives newsletter, including Ramify.biz headlines, emailed every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! | https://www.marklives.com/2020/03/q5-doubling-down-on-digital-with-gaynor-macarthur-interview/ |
Touched by the pathos of humanity in the world we inhabit, here is a body of work deeply felt and observed. ‘Yearning’ is a word that resonates with nomadic artist Pippa Blake, and it’s not hard to see why when you view her soulful, touching paintings. Her work often lingers in the darkness, as small pools of light appear and illuminate or ignite a curiosity about her chosen subject. Blake is constantly searching as she investigates and explores her vision of the world.
QUEST, seems an apt title for her solo show, which takes a look at a body of work from the last ten years. Her subjects are inspired by dramatic geographical and man-made features; from gorges and wastelands to figures glimpsed. Her enigmatic paintings evoke a sense of mystery and mood and for her they “are outer expressions of her inner feelings”.
....... | https://candidastevens.com/exhibitions/21/overview/ |
Let’s say you go to your annual physical, and the doctor wants you to get a blood sample. No problem, right? It’s easy to take care of here on Earth, but if we end up living among the stars someday in deep space, this might end up being a pretty difficult task to complete. We need to understand how the environment in space can change and affect our health, so luckily, NASA is working on a new project that could get us some answers – and 3D printing will play an important part.
If we can figure out how genes affect disease and aging, and how bacteria will affect the health of astronauts, we’ll be one step closer to safe, long-term missions into outer space. Over the next four years, NASA will work to develop 3D printable designs for tools and instruments on the International Space Station (ISS) that are able to handle liquids, like blood, in microgravity without spilling; this will enable astronauts to analyze important biological samples in space.
The organization will be developing technology that can be used in the fields of microbiology important to human health known as omics – this includes research relating to proteomes, microbiomes, and genomes. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, managed for NASA by Caltech, is leading the important Omics in Space project, which was funded by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health.
NASA isn’t new to studying omics, and according to the results of previous omics research, the immune systems of astronauts are weaker after living on the ISS, though scientists aren’t sure of the reason yet.
As the astronauts on the ISS can’t process biological samples on board, they have to send them down to Earth, which obviously takes some time. In addition, handling fluids in microgravity is no walk in the park for astronauts, who have to collect many samples, like their own blood and saliva, and microbes, carried by both humans and cargo, which accumulate on the ISS walls. Results could be compromised if there’s a lack of proper tools, which could lead to samples floating, forming air bubbles, or spilling – having debris floating around the ISS can be a big problem.
We’ve seen 3D printed medical supplies in space, but NASA astronauts hit a major milestone when they successfully sequenced DNA in space for the first time last year, using a tiny, handheld sequencing tool, developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, called the MinION.
Now, the Omics in Space project will take the next step and develop an automated DNA/RNA extractor, which will prepare samples for a MinION device. The extractor requires a critical cartridge in order to extract nucleic acids from the samples for the MinION sequencing, which Omics in Space is modifying so it can be 3D printed out of plastic.
Camilla Urbaniak, a post-doctoral researcher at JPL and co-investigator on the Omics in Space project, said all of the technology for the project has already been successfully tested on Earth.
“We’re taking what’s on Earth to analyze DNA and consolidating all the steps into an automated system. What’s new is we’re developing a one-stop-shop that can extract and process all of these samples,” Urbaniak explained.
This automated system would not be possible without the cartridge, which can 3D printed aboard the ISS and contains multiple wells that will hold solutions which DNA samples are dipped into. The solutions will then be mixed with magnetic particles to help purify the sample, before it’s inserted into the MinION device.
The Omics in Space project will also study the microbes that accumulate on spacecraft, so they can learn to detect genetic markers that show whether they are helpful or harmful.
This project is crucial to gaining a better understanding of human health in space, so we can help keep our astronauts safe…and one day, maybe even the population of our world as we travel into deep space. | https://3dprint.com/203336/3d-print-cartridge-dna-extractor/ |
In this report, we analyze the Boiler industry from two aspects. One part is about its production and the other part is about its consumption. In terms of its production, we analyze the production, revenue, gross margin of its main manufacturers and the unit price that they offer in different regions from 2013 to 2018. In terms of its consumption, we analyze the consumption volume, consumption value, sale price, import and export in different regions from 2013 to 2018. We also make a prediction of its production and consumption in coming 2018-2023. At the same time, we classify different Boiler based on their definitions. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What is more, the Boiler industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered. Key players in global Boiler market include: Babcock and Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Fulton Hurst Boiler and Welding Co, Inc Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. IHI Corporation Clayton Industries CMI Group AMEC Foster Wheeler Bosch Thermotechnology Cochran Ltd. Doosan Heavy Industries Market segmentation, by product types: Fire-tube Water-tube Market segmentation, by applications: Residential Commerical Industrial Utility Market segmentation, by regions: North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America The report can answer the following questions: 1. What is the global (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, China, Japan) production, production value, consumption, consumption value, import and export of Boiler? 2. Who are the global key manufacturers of Boiler industry? How are their operating situation (capacity, production, price, cost, gross and revenue)? 3. What are the types and applications of Boiler? What is the market share of each type and application? 4. What are the upstream raw materials and manufacturing equipment of Boiler? What is the manufacturing process of Boiler? 5. Economic impact on Boiler industry and development trend of Boiler industry. 6. What will the Boiler market size and the growth rate be in 2023? 7. What are the key factors driving the global Boiler industry? 8. What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Boiler market? 9. What are the Boiler market challenges to market growth? 10. What are the Boiler market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Boiler market? Objective of Studies: 1. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Boiler market. 2. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Boiler market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porte five force analysis etc. 3. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Rest of the World. 4. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. 5. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by application, product type and sub-segments. 6. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. 7. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Boiler market. | https://www.reporthive.com/details/global-boiler-industry-market-research-2018-5c174edf31414 |
As previously covered, mRNA is messenger RNA i.e. the molecule that takes the genetic information encoded by DNA (transcription) and brings it to the ribosome to initiate translation of the code into a polypeptide.
The production of mRNA in human cells is not a simple transcription of DNA, as previously seen. The pre-mRNA is the simple transcript of DNA, but the mature mRNA has to be spliced first, as well as go through a couple of post transcriptional edits before being ready for translation at the ribosome site.
Why is this significant for gene technologies? Gene tech relies on using genetic information in DNA to accomplish various feats. However, eukaryotic DNA contains introns that are not used as code for the desired product. Therefore, a sequence of DNA without introns must be produced.
This is accomplished by using a mature mRNA sequence and decoding it in reverse back to DNA. The enzyme used for this is reverse transcriptase. This produces a usable DNA sequence free of introns (more on this later).
Right then, what are these post transcriptional edits of mRNA?
In eukaryotes, genes contain non-coding sequences which must be removed before mRNA is used to produce proteins. These are called introns as opposed to exons which are coding sequences. Splicing therefore is the process of excising (cutting out) introns to be left with mRNA containing purely coding sequence.
This process can result in several different mRNA products from the same DNA sequence. If the introns and exons are arranged differently, the mRNA will code for different amino acids. It’s termed alternative splicing.
Since these two possible mRNA products code for different amino acids represented by the different colours (red-yellow-blue versus red-green-blue), the resulting protein after translation of mRNA could function differently. If an enzyme, it may affect its ability to catalyse its reactions, or its efficiency. Equally, the change could not make a difference in another scenario at all. | https://thealevelbiologist.co.uk/genetics-control-homestasis/gene-technologies/ |
On 1 June 20X2, Entity B entered into a contract with a customer to deliver goods on 1 September 20X2. The total fixed contract price is an amount of FC100, of which FC40 is due and received on 1 August 20X2 and the balance is receivable on 30 September 20X2.
Entity B initially recognises a non-monetary contract liability translating FC40 into its functional currency at the spot exchange rate between the functional currency and the foreign currency on 1 August 20X2. Applying paragraph 23(b) of IAS 21, Entity B does not update the translated amount of that non-monetary liability.
Applying paragraph 31 of IAS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Entity B recognises revenue on 1 September 20X2, the date on which it transfers the goods to the customer.
Entity B determines that the date of the transaction for the revenue relating to the advance consideration of FC40 is 1 August 20X2. Applying paragraph 22 of IAS 21, Entity B determines that the date of the transaction for the remainder of the revenue is 1 September 20X2.
recognises revenue of FC60 and a corresponding receivable using the exchange rate on that date (1 September 20X2).
The receivable of FC60 recognised on 1 September 20X2 is a monetary item. Entity B updates the translated amount of the receivable until the receivable is settled. | https://annualreporting.info/multiple-advances-for-one-delivery-of-goods/ |
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to the recovery of olefinic compounds from streams comprising olefinic compounds, especially the recovery and recycle to polymerization zones of such olefinic compounds. This invention also relates to a process for the removal of hydrogen from streams comprising olefinic compounds.
As is well known, the polymerization of olefinic compounds is a commercially important process in view of the multitude of uses of polymers and copolymers. Two of the most commercially important polymers are polyethylene and polypropylene; however, a myriad of other polymers and copolymers have been found commercially important. For example, ethylene is not only often polymerized with itself to form polyethylene, but also with other olefinic materials such as propylene, alpha olefins, acrylates, vinyl acetates, and the like. Therefore, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term polymerization shall include copolymerization.
Commonly the olefinic compounds or mixture of olefinic compounds to be polymerized is passed into a reaction zone where polymerization takes place. Generally a catalyst is used to promote such polymerization. Commonly a quench solvent such as a saturated hydrocarbon, for example isobutane or isopentane, is added to cool the contents of the reaction zone and thereby control the reaction. As is well known the polymerization of olefinic compounds is generally a highly exothermic reaction and careful control of temperature must be maintained. In numerous processes hydrogen is added to the reaction zone to help control the molecular weight of the polymer or polyolefin.
Feed olefinic compound to polymerization processes commonly contains impurities such as saturated materials having approximately the same molecular weight as the olefin. For example, ethylene commonly contains a small amount of ethane and in some cases smaller amounts of methane and propane. Propylene commonly contains small amounts of propane and to a lesser degree ethane and butane. Additional saturated materials can be formed in the reaction zone by reaction of the hydrogen which was added to control molecular weight of the polymer, with the olefin feed to the reactor. The olefinic compound is hydrogenated and becomes saturated, thereby forming the corresponding saturated compound of the olefin. Therefore, it can be seen that there are numerous sources of saturated material in the polymerization process. These saturated materials generally do not take part in the polymerization process but merely pass through the process unreacted. While in many cases these saturated materials are not detrimental to the polymerization reaction itself, reactor capacity can unnecessarily be used in passing through these inerts. These saturated materials are removed with final product and unreacted olefin from the reaction zone. In most processes, the unreacted olefinic compound and saturated contaminant is recycled to the reactor. As is taught in Steigelmann et al, U.S. Ser. No. 948,332 filed concurrently with this application, in order to prevent concentration of the contaminant in the reactor, a portion of this recycle stream can be sent to a membrane separation unit to separate olefinic compound for use, such as recycle to the polymerization zone. Membrane separation units often use metal containing ions to facilitate transport of olefinic compounds across a membrane. Hydrogen is commonly present in certain streams such as streams from polymerization units using hydrogen for molecular weight control. Membrane separation units can be adversely affected by hydrogen, as by changing the pH of aqueous solutions concentrated therein or reducing certain metal containing ions. One such ion, silver, can be reduced to silver metal by hydrogen thereby plugging the membrane and reducing the selectivity of the separation process. Therefore it is desirable to remove hydrogen from the stream passed to the membrane separator to prevent such detrimental effects.
It is an object of this invention to recover olefinic compound from streams comprising olefinic compound, especially those comprising olefinic compound and hydrogen.
It is an object of this invention to recover olefinic compound from streams from polymerization zones for recycle back to such polymerization zone.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for removing hydrogen from streams containing olefinic compounds.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method of separating olefinic compounds from mixtures containing them.
It is an object of this invention to remove hydrogen from streams without accumulating hydrogen for disposal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objects of this invention can be attained by passing a stream comprising hydrogen and olefinic compound to a hydrogenation zone at hydrogenation conditions so as to at least partially hydrogenate the olefinic compound. This will effectually remove hydrogen from the stream and form saturated materials which can then be separated from olefinic compounds through the use of membrane separators thereby preventing hydrogen from reacting with metals in the membrane separator. This will also recover olefinic compounds for use.
One application for such technique is in the removal of hydrogen and recovery of olefinic compounds from streams in polymer manufacture. Hydrogen which is used for molecular weight control in the polymerization zone remains as a contaminant in unreacted olefinic streams downstream of such reaction zone. At least a portion of such stream can be sent to a hydrogenation zone so as to substantially react the hydrogen with olefinic compound, thereby saturating a portion of the olefin and effectively removing hydrogen from such stream. The mixture formed can then be passed to a membrane separation unit which will separate olefinic compounds from the mixture for recovery or recycle to the polymerization zone. Because hydrogen is removed from the stream upstream of the membrane separation unit, the unit is not adversely affected by the hydrogen and also can effectively separate olefinic compounds from the saturates formed during the hydrogenation step. Because olefinic compounds are recovered for reuse, the polymerization process is more efficient and economical, and disposal requirements are decreased. This process is described more fully below.
Briefly, this invention comprises a process for the recovery of olefinic compounds from streams comprising hydrogen and olefinic compounds comprising contacting the stream with a hydrogenation catalyst at hydrogenation conditions so as to saturate olefinic compound with hydrogen, thereby forming saturated material and substantially removing hydrogen from the stream; passing the stream containing olefinic compound and saturated material to a semipermeable membrane separator which effectively separates the olefin from the saturated material, thereby providing a purified olefin stream. In a preferred method of operation, the process comprises passing olefinic compound and hydrogen into a reaction zone; polymerizing a substantial portion of the olefinic compound so as to form a reaction mixture containing polymer and olefinic compound; passing a stream comprising reaction mixture to a separation zone wherein the stream is separated into a polymer fraction and a fraction comprising a mixture of olefinic compound, saturated material and hydrogen; recovering polymer; passing at least a portion of the mixture of olefinic compound, saturated material and hydrogen to a hydrogenation zone at hydrogenation conditions so as to hydrogenate a portion of the olefinic compound present thereby forming the saturated counterpart of the olefinic compound and substantially removing hydrogen from the mixture; passing at least a portion of the mixture comprising olefinic compound, saturated material and saturated counterpart of the olefinic compound to a membrane separator which substantially separates olefinic compound from saturated material; and recycling the recovered olefinic compound to the reaction zone.
In the manufacture of polymers, olefinic compound or a mixture of olefinic compound is passed into reaction zone for polymerization. These olefinic compounds can be straight chain or branched alpha olefins such as ethylene, propene, butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and the like; C.sub.4 to about C.sub.8 olefins having the unsaturation in other than the alpha position; olefinic esters of fatty acids such as vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, and the like; unsaturated acrylates such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxy propyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl-1- acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2,3-dihydroxy propyl methacrylate and numerous others such as vinyl chloride; vinylidene chloride and bromide; the various derivatives of maleic acid or anhydride such as maleate; alpha and beta unsaturated acids such as acrylic and methacrylic acid; and others. An extremely broad spectrum of olefinically unsaturated compounds can be polymerized, and accordingly an extremely broad spectrum of olefinically unsaturated compounds can be separated from saturated materials for reuse through the use of membrane separation processes. Two of the most commercially important polymers are polyethylene and polypropylene; however, a myriad of other polymers and copolymers have been found commercially important. For example, ethylene is not only often polymerized with itself to form polyethylene, but also with other olefinic materials such as propylene, alpha olefins, acrylates, vinyl acetates, and the like. Therefore, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term polymerization shall include copolymerization, terpolymerization, etc.
Polymerization can be conducted by numerous processes, such as by solution, slurry or gas phase processes. Solution polymerization, one of the oldest techniques used, passes olefinic compound, catalyst and solvent into a reaction zone. The solvent, such as for example white oil, is relatively inert in the reaction zone and is added to dissolve the polyolefin formed in the reactor. The solvent containing dissolved or melted polymer is then passed out of the reaction zone to recover the polyolefin from the solvent and other impurities such as unreacted olefin, hydrogen and the like. In slurry polymerization, a slurry of olefinic compound and catalyst and diluent saturated hydrocarbon, such as isobutane or isopentane, is circulated in a continuous fashion. Commonly the circulation is conducted in an elongated vessel such as a looped pipe. A slip stream of the slurry is continuously removed and the polymer recovered therefrom. Most recently gas phase polymerization is being developed and implemented. Olefinic feed and a slurry of catalyst is saturated hydrocarbon such as isobutane, isopentane or hexane is passed into the reaction zone where polymerization takes place.
Polymerization of olefinic compounds is most often conducted under pressure, although in some cases pressure is not necessary. Depending on the nature of the olefinic compounds to be polymerized, desired product, catalyst and process, the reaction conditions of pressure and temperature can vary over wide ranges. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,776, 979; 3,909,207; 3,912, 698; 3,995,097 and 4,003,712 teach just a few processes for the polymerization of olefins.
Two of the most commercially important polymers are polyethylene and polypropylene. These polymers are generally made using a catalyst comprising transaction metal compound in conjunction with aluminum alkyl. Some of these catalysts are commonly referred to as Ziegler type catalysts. The most commonly used transition metal comprises titanium.
One class of catalysts useful in the polymerization of propylene comprise organoaluminum compound and transition metal compound in addition to minor amounts of other additives. Useful organoaluminum compounds include trialkylaluminum, dialkylaluminum halides, mixtures of trialkylaluminum with dialkylaluminum halides and mixtures of trialkylaluminum with alkylaluminum dihalides. Also catalytic effective amounts of mixtures of trialkylaluminums and dialkylaluminum halides can be used in conjunction with alkyl aluminum dihalides. Useful halides include bromides and chlorides and useful alkyl radicals contain from two to about six carbon atoms. The preferable halide is chloride and the preferable alkyl radical is ethyl. Diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC) is most preferable. In a trialkylaluminum-dialkylaluminum halide mixture, the preferred amount of trialkylaluminum is about 20 to 50 mol percent. In a trialkylaluminum-alkylaluminum dihalide mixture, the preferred amount of trialkylaluminum is about 30 to 70 mol percent and most preferably about 40 to 60 mol percent.
The transition metal compounds useful as a component in the catalyst system of this invention are compounds of transition metals of Groups IVB, VB and VIB of the Periodic Table. Preferably, the transition metal compound is a halide of titanium, vanadium, chromium or zirconium. Most preferably, titanium trichloride and especially activated titanium trichloride is used. Titanium trichloride can be activated to a high degree of polymerization activity by chemical and physical means. One useful activated titanium trichloride has an approximate stoichiometric formula of TiCl.sub.3.1/3AlCl.sub.3 and has been comminuted. Further, titanium trichloride can be activated by forming adducts with Lewis bases such as ethers or by supporting the titanium trichloride on a catalytically inert substance such as a metal oxide or salt. One suitable titanium trichloride is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,350 incorporated by reference herein.
The molar ratio of transition metal halide to organoaluminum compound in a catalyst system can range from about one-tenth to about 10, typically is about 1 to 3 and preferably is about 2. The amount of catalyst in a polymerization depends on the reactor size and type and on the amount and type of olefin monomer and is known to the skilled artisan.
Preferably, a catalyst system package is made prior to introduction of such package into a polymerization reactor. Catalyst components can be mixed together in any order, typically using an inert hydrocarbon or the monomer as a suitable medium, although preferably the modifiers first are added to an inert hydrocarbon solution of the organoaluminum compound. Preferably, the catalyst modifiers of this invention are added slowly while mixing to a solution of organoaluminum compound in an inert hydrocarbon. Such resulting mixture is added to a suspension of transition metal compound in an inert hydrocarbon. After complete mixing the resulting catalyst package can be introduced into a polymerization reactor. Since catalyst systems are sometimes sensitive to oxygen and moisture, suitable precautions should be taken during catalyst preparation, transfer and use.
Catalysts suitable for the polymerization of ethylene are similar to those used in the polymerization of propylene, well-known in the art, and commercially available. Some catalysts also contain additives so as to attain certain benefits such as increase the crystallinity of the product polymer.
Polymerization of ethylene or propylene can generally be practiced at pressures ranging from about atmospheric to about 20,000 p. s.i.g. and preferably from about 30 to 1000 p.s.i.g., and at temperatures in the range of about 40° to about 250° C.
The olefinic compound to be polymerized, commonly along with some contaminant saturated material, is passed into a reaction zone. In some polymerization processes, a saturated hydrocarbon solvent is also introduced to the reaction zone. Catalyst to promote the polymerization is commonly introduced into the reaction zone slurried in a diluent saturated hydrocarbon. Commonly used saturated hydrocarbons for catalyst introduction and diluent purposes are butane, isobutane, 2,2 dimethyl butane, 2,3 dimethyl butane, pentane, isopentane, 2 methyl pentane, 3 methyl pentane, hexane, isohexane, heptane, isoheptane, and the like. Hexane or isobutane are most commonly used. A substantial portion of the olefinic compound which is passed into the reaction zone is polymerized thereby forming polymer. This polymer can have a single recurring unit such as in the polymerization of a single olefinic compound or also have varying recurring units such as from the polymerization of two or more different olefinic compounds. In some cases, materials are added to the reaction zone in order to control molecular weight. Hydrogen is commonly used in the polymerization of olefins for such purpose. The hydrogen does not substantially take part in the polymerization reaction but a portion of it is consumed by saturating some olefinic compounds present in the reaction zone thereby forming the corresponding saturated compound from the olefin.
Polymerization is commonly highly exothermic and the temperature of the reaction must be controlled so as to control molecular weight and the reaction in general. This is done by heat exchange, commonly by the introduction of quench fluids so as to maintain the reaction temperature within the desired limits. Commonly used quench fluids are saturated hydrocarbons such as butane, isobutane, pentane, isopentane, hexane, isohexane, heptane, isoheptane, and the previously described saturated hydrocarbon diluents.
As can be seen from the materials which are passed into the reaction zone and from the materials formed in the reaction zone, the reaction mixture which is passed out of the reaction zone commonly comprises a mixture of materials such as polymer, catalyst residue, unreacted olefinic compound, saturated contaminants from the olefinic feed, hydrogen, saturated materials formed during the polymerization process by reaction with hydrogen, saturated hydrocarbon diluent or quench fluid, and possibly some degradation products.
A stream comprising reaction mixture is then passed to a separation zone where the stream is separated into a polymer fraction and a fraction comprising a mixture of olefinic compound, saturated hydrocarbon(s) and hydrogen. Depending on the process, the polymer can be separated from other materials by distillation, centrifugation, precipitation or other means well known in the art. Flash distillation is the most commonly used technique. Catalyst entrained in the polymer is generally killed using water or similar material so as to destroy the reactivity of the catalyst. Removal of the polymer leaves a stream containing unreacted olefinic compound, saturated material and hydrogen. Commonly the saturated material comprises hydrocarbon having two to about eight carbon atoms, including hydrocarbon quench fluid having about four to about eight carbon atoms.
Because the hydrogen which is sometimes used to control molecular weight in polyolefin processes can be detrimental to a membrane separator, it is removed from streams to be passed to such membrane separator. As is well known, hydrogen can reduce silver ion to silver metal thereby forming metallic silver within the membrane which can reduce the number of effective silver ions useful in the selective transport process and also form solid material which can plug the membrane. Hydrogen can also reduce the pH of the complexing solution and be detrimental to the fibers. In some cases, it may be desirable to select the ions for the liquid barrier so that minimal detrimental reaction takes place.
When reaction mixture from a polymerization process contains unreacted olefin and hydrogen, the stream can be contacted with a hydrogenation catalyst at hydrogenation conditions so as to saturate the olefin with the hydrogen thereby forming saturated material and substantially removing hydrogen from the stream. When such stream is passed to a membrane separator, the formed saturated materials are effectively separated from unreacted olefin.
Olefinic compounds can be saturated with hydrogen by well-known techniques and catalysts. Suitable supports comprise alumina, charcoal, kieselguhr, or high surface silica in conjunction with noble metals. About 0.1 to about 1 weight percent platinum or palladium on gamma or eta alumina is preferred. Suitable hydrogenation conditions are a temperature in excess of about 20° C., for example about 30. degree. C. to about 200° C., and a pressure at or above atmospheric, for example about 0 to about 200 psig. Higher temperatures and pressures generally result in high hydrogenation rates and can be used; however, it is generally more economical to operate within the ranges given.
The stream from the hydrogenation zone containing olefin and saturated material can then be passed to a membrane separator which can effectively separate the olefin from the saturated material thereby providing a purified olefinic stream which can be used in the polymerization process.
The stream comprising olefinic compound and saturated material is passed to a membrane separator which substantially separates olefinic compound from saturated hydrocarbon. The recovered olefin is then recycled to the reaction zone so as to more efficiently use raw materials. The stream passed to the membrane separator can comprise the entire stream of unreacted olefin and saturated material, or only a portion of it depending on the type polymerization process and the desired purification. Buildup of saturated materials in the reactor can be prevented by sending a slip stream of the reactor recycle to the membrane separator. If an equilibrium or steady state level of saturated material is maintained in the reaction zone, sufficient purification is needed to remove approximately the amount of saturated contaminant in the fresh feed plus the amount of saturated material formed in the reactor.
In a process where significant quantities of saturated material such as polymerization solvent or quench fluid having a boiling point significantly different from the unreacted olefinic compound and other saturated contaminants is present, it is generally desirable to effect a substantial separation of these materials without passing or prior to passing them to the membrane separator. This will reduce the required size and capacity of the separator. For example, the mixture comprising unreacted olefinic compound, saturated material, and polymerization solvent or quench fluid from the polymerization reactor and polymer separation zone can be compressed and the solvent or quench fluid recovered for recycle to the reactor. The unrecovered components comprise primarily olefinic compound and saturated material (other than solvent and quench fluid) which can, or a portion of which can, be passed to a membrane separator to separate olefin from saturated material.
The membrane separator or separation zone comprises a semipermeable membrane and is capable of separating olefinic compound from mixtures containing them. Preferably the separator comprises a semipermeable membrane which is used in conjunction with a liquid barrier comprising aqueous metal containing ions capable of forming soluble- reversible complexes with the olefinic compound to be separated. By maintaining a suitable partial pressure or fugacity differential of the olefinic compound to be separated across the membrane, the olefin is selectively transported across the membrane and the liquid barrier so as to effectively and substantially separate the olefin from saturated hydrocarbons. The partial pressure or fugacity differential across the membrane can be maintained by removing olefinic compound which is passed through the semipermeable membrane with a liquid or gaseous sweep comprising saturated hydrocarbon or other suitable fluid. Suitable saturated hydrocarbons are preferably the same saturated hydrocarbons which can be used as diluents and/or catalyst carriers in the polymerization process. This type of separator and process is more fully described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,758,603; 3,758,605; 3,770,842; 3,812,651; 3, 844,735; 3,864,418; 4,014,665; and 4,060,566 which are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,060, 566 discloses that the sweep fluid such as butane, hexane or others may be used to remove olefins from the vicinity of the membrane may also serve in downstream processing of the separated material, either as a reactant, or as a solvent.
The essentially solid, water-insoluble, semi-permeable membranes or films employed in the process of the present invention can be hydrophobic, but preferably are hydrophilic. Hydrophilic membranes permit the liquid barrier to be within the membrane at least to a significant extent. The hydrophilic membranes include membranes which contain additional hydrophilic and/or hygroscopic agents, but also those membranes that do not contain such agents. A film membrane is considered hydrophilic if it absorbs at least about 5 weight percent of water when immersed in distilled water for one day at room temperature and pressure. Typical membranes are those formed of film-forming materials such as nylon, e.g. the N-alkoxyalkyl polyamides, and those formed of nylon and more hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl ethers, polyacrylamides and the like. A preferred material is cellulose triacetate. The polymer materials can be formed into single membrane structures of desired configurations, as for example, by casting. The hollow fiber membranes are preferred because they provide a large surface contact area for a given equipment volume. For instance, separation can be achieved using hollow fiber membranes when the feed gas is passed to the outside of the fibers, the sweep fluid is passed through the inside of the fibers and the material undergoing separation passes from the outside to the inside of the hollow fibers. The separation can also be achieved using hollow fiber membranes by passing feed gas through the inside of the fibers and passing sweep fluid to the outside of the fibers. In this case the olefin passes from the inside to the outside of the hollow fibers. In the operation of the method of the invention, the fibers may preferably be flooded with the liquid barrier solution to enhance the separation of the desired material over a period of operation and prevent drying or selectivity loss of the membrane.
In the separation process, the aqueous liquid barrier contains a component which provides in solution ions capable of forming a complex with the material desired to be separated from a fluid mixture. The source of the ions can be added to the membrane or be mixed with the polymer or film-forming constituents prior to formation of the film. The complex-forming component can be impregnated into the membrane in an aqueous or other form and in any event, the membrane is in contact with sufficient water to form the aqueous liquid barrier when used in the separation process. The membrane may tend to dry during use even when the membrane contains major amounts of hydrophilic polymers. This drying can result in a considerable decrease in permeability and in selectivity for the separation and can be counteracted by, for instance, adding water or an aqueous solution containing the complex-forming metal to the feed side of the semi-permeable membrane, or by contacting the product side of the membrane with an aqueous liquid medium as described in abandoned application Ser. No. 498,112, filed Aug. 16, 1974, herein incorporated by reference. It may be most convenient to humidify the feed to the membrane separator.
The amount of water in the liquid barrier employed can be a minor portion of the liquid phase, but preferably is a major portion or even substantially all of the liquid, on a metal compound-free basis. Thus, small or minor amounts of water, say as little as about 5 weight percent, on a metal compound-free basis, in the liquid phase can serve to provide a significant transport across the liquid barrier of the material to be separated. Any other liquid present in the barrier is preferably water- miscible and should be chosen as not to have a substantial deleterious effect on the separation to be accomplished. The liquid barrier can also contain other materials in, e.g. minor amounts, such as hygroscopic agents to improve the wetting or hydrophilic properties of the liquid and provide better contact with the feed gas. The liquid barrier can contain minor but effective amounts of hydrogen peroxide to retard reduction of the complex-forming metal ions, e.g. silver, to their elemental forms.
In the present invention, the metal component in the liquid barrier solution, which metal can serve in the form of metal-containing cations to separate a component from a mixture through the formation of metal complexes of desired properties, include, for instance, the transition metals of the Periodic Chart of Elements having atomic numbers above 20. Among the useful metals are preferably silver and cuprous ions, especially silver ions. Various combinations of the complex-forming metals can also be employed in this invention, either in the presence or absence of other non-metal or noncomplexing metal components. The metal is provided in the aqueous liquid barrier of the separation system in a form which is soluble in this liquid. Thus, the various water-soluble salts of these metals can be used such as the nitrates and halides, for instance, the bromides and chlorides, fluoborates, fluosilicates, acetates, carbonyl halides or other salts of these metals which can serve to form the desired water-soluble complexes when the film is in contact with water. The metal salts should not react with any components of the chemical feedstock used in the separation procedure to form an insoluble material which could block the film membrane or otherwise prevent the separation of a component from the feedstock. Also, in a given system, the metal is selected so that the complex will readily form, and yet be sufficiently unstable, so that the complex will decompose and the dissociated material leave the liquid barrier, thereby passing the material to be separated from the feed side of the membrane to the product side. The concentration of the metal ions in the liquid barrier can be rather low and still be sufficient to provide an adequate complexing rate so that excessive amounts of the semi-permeable membrane surface will not be needed to perform the desired separation. Conveniently, the concentration of the complex- forming metal ions in the aqueous solution forming the liquid barrier is at least about 0.1 molar and is preferably about 0.5 to 12 molar. Advantageously, the solution is less than saturated with respect to the complex-forming metal ions to insure that essentially all of the metal stays in solution, thereby avoiding any tendency to destroy the permeability characteristics of the membrane.
In some cases it is desirable to add an oxidizing agent to the liquid barrier so as to prevent the reduction of certaion ions such as Ag. sup.+ to the metal. This reduction can cause loss of selectivity and membrane plugging. The oxidizing agent should not be detrimental to the membrane or the separation process. Some suitable oxidizing agents are nitrate, perchlorate, tetrafluoroborate salts of Hg.sup.+2, Tl.sup.+3, Ce. sup.+4, and Co.sup.+3, peroxides such as H.sub.2 O.sub.2, and the like. H. sub.2 O. sub.2 is preferably used because of low cost, good water solubility, and convenience.
The rate of permeation of the material separated through the semi- permeable membrane is enhanced by operating at above atmospheric pressure. In some cases the elevated total pressure can be at least about 60 pounds per square inch gauge on the feed side of the semi- permeable membrane and the difference in total pressure across the membrane is up to about 25% of the total pressure on the feed side of the membrane. Stated in another way, the latter value for the total pressure on the product side is about 75 to 125% of the total pressure on the feed side of the membrane. In the process, a complex-forming, fluid material is separated from the feed mixture by contacting the latter with a first side of the membrane while having a partial pressure or fugacity of the material on a second or product side of the semi- permeable membrane which is sufficiently less than the partial pressure of the material in the mixture to provide separated material on the second side of the membrane. The separated material can be removed from the vicinity of the second side of the membrane by, for instance, the use of a sweep or purge fluid.
In an aspect of the process of this invention, the total pressure on the feed side of the semi-permeable membrane is preferably at least about 60 psig or even at least about 100 psig. The total pressure on the product side of the semi-permeable membrane is elevated, and often is at least about 50 psig. Preferably, the total pressure on the product side is within about 10 psi of the total pressure on the feed side, or even within about 5 psi of the total pressure on the feed side, and within about 25% of the total pressure on the feed side. The total pressure on the product side of the semi-permeable membrane can exceed that on the feed side so long as there is a higher partial pressure or fugacity of the material to be separated on the feed side compared with that on the product side of the semi-permeable membrane. Any difference in total pressure between the feed side and product side of the semi- permeable membrane should not, in any event, be so great as to rupture or otherwise be unduly deleterious to the semi-permeable membrane or separation effectiveness. When the total pressures on the feed and product sides of the membrane are substantially equal, high permeation rates with desirable product purities may be obtained. Conveniently, the total pressure of the feed is up to about 1000 psig; however, higher total pressures can be employed where desired. More commonly pressures of less than about 500 psig are used.
The partial pressure or fugacity of the material to be separated is greater on the feed side of the semi-permeable membrane used in this invention than the partial pressure of the material on the product side of the membrane. This partial pressure drop of the material to be separated is sufficient for the desired separation to result, and can often be at least about 0.5 pound per square inch, and is preferably at least about 20 pounds per square inch. The lower partial pressure of the material on the product side of the semi-permeable membrane can be maintained by employing a sweep, or purge, fluid to remove the material from the vicinity of the semi-permeable membrane. The sweep fluid is preferably inert to forming a complex or otherwise reacting with the metal-containing ions in the liquid barrier in contact with the semi- permeable membrane.
The use as the sweep fluid of a liquid or gaseous solvent in which the separated material is soluble can be beneficial since this may facilitate obtaining a desirable total pressure on the product side of the semi- permeable membrane, especially at high operating pressures. The sweep fluid, prior to contacting the exit side of the membrane, can contain dissolved separated material; however, it is preferred that the concentration of the material at this point be only up to about 25 percent of saturation. The sweep fluid can be essentially inert to forming a complex with the metal ions in solution in the liquid barrier, and can be substantially immiscible with the liquid barrier.
When employing a sweep fluid to remove the separated material from the vicinity of the product side of the semi-permeable membrane, the rate of solution of the separated material in the fluid can decrease with increased saturation of the fluid with the material. Generally, the sweep fluid after passing through the vicinity of product side of the semi- permeable membrane is less than saturated, for instance, up to about 70 weight percent saturated, preferably up to about 50 weight percent saturated. Typical sweep fluids which can be employed in the method of this invention, especially when the material separated is an aliphatically unsaturated hydrocarbon, include hydrocarbon solvents such as paraffins, or mixtures containing paraffins, such as normal or branched chain paraffins of two to about eight carbon atoms.
The temperature across the liquid barrier-semi-permeable membrane composite employed in the separation procedure of this invention can be essentially constant or it may vary, and decomposition of the metal complex can be effected primarily by the drop in partial pressure of the material to be separated on the product or exit side of the liquid barrier compared with its partial pressure on the feed side. Conveniently, the temperature of the liquid barrier may be essentially ambient, especially in the case of feedstocks that are gaseous at this temperature and the pressure employed on the feed side of the liquid barrier. The temperature of the liquid barrier may, however, be reduced or elevated from ambient temperature. Often, the temperature may be up to about 50. degree. C., and elevated temperatures may even be desired to put the feedstock in the gaseous or vapor phase. However, the temperature should not be so high as to be detrimental to the membrane or the liquid barrier. Elevated temperatures, for instance, about 35. degree. C. or more, may provide significant increases in permeation rates as compared to similar separation operations conducted at ambient temperatures. For instance, a 50 % increase in permeation rate of ethylene may be noted by increasing the operating temperature from about 24° C. to 38° C. Neither the temperature nor the pressure used should, however, be such as to unduly reduce the transport rate across the liquid barrier, semi- permeable film composite, of the material whose separation is sought, compared with that of the other components of the feed. The conditions should also not be such that physical disruption of the liquid barrier or any other significant malfunction results.
The mixture containing the material to be separated can be essentially in the gaseous or vapor phase, or liquid phase when in contact with the liquid barrier having dissolved therein one or more metal-containing ions which form a complex with the material to be separated. The liquid barrier can be partially or essentially entirely within the semi- permeable membrane. The semi-permeable membrane is essentially impermeable to liquid flow therethrough under the conditions of use, and preferably is essentially impermeable to gaseous flow therethrough. The membrane can be said to somewhat immobilize the liquid barrier adjacent to or within the membrane, and the membrane in the presence of the liquid barrier is selective to the passage of the component of the feedstock to be separated. Since there is litte, if any, passage for the feedstock across the separation zone except by becoming part of or reacting with the liquid barrier, this liquid barrier controls the selectivity of the liquid barrier-semi-permeable membrane combination.
The liquid barrier contains sufficient water and water-soluble, metal- containing ions to form a suitable complex with at least one component of the feed subjected to the separation procedure. The metal ions form the complex upon contact with the feed, and, in addition, the complex dissociates back to the metal-containing ion and a component of the complex which was in the feed, under the conditions which exist on the discharge side of the liquid barrier and semi-permeable membrane as employed in the process. The released feed component exits the discharge side of the membrane and can be removed from the vicinity of the barrier and its supporting structure as by a sweep fluid. In some cases the sweep fluid is selected so that it is easier to separate from the separated component than the other contaminants in the feed. In other cases, no separation of the sweep fluid from the separated component is necessary. Thus, the metal complex forms and is decomposed in the complex metal ion- containing liquid barrier, and, as a result, the material passing through the barrier is more concentrated with respect to at least one component present in the feed stream.
THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a polyolefin process embodying applicants invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a membrane separation unit.
A mixture of olefinic compound (propylene) and small amount of saturated hydrocarbon contaminant (propane) is passed through line 19 to a dryer 20 where water can be removed to the desired level for polymerization, generally less than about 10 ppm. Commonly, fresh feed to propylene polymerization process comprises about 99.5 weight percent propylene, 0.5 weight percent propane, and trace or other impurities. The dryer can conveniently comprise a molecular sieve dryer. The mixture of propylene and propane contaminant is then passed through line 21 to polymerization zone 23, in this case a slurry polymerization zone. Because of recycle from line 39, the actual feed to the polymerization zone is somewhat different from the fresh feed from line 19. The feed to the reactor commonly comprises about 5-15 weight percent propane, about 20-30 weight percent hexane solvent, and about 55-75 weight percent propylene. Saturated hydrocarbon diluent is present in this type of process during the polymerization of olefin to facilitate heat exchange and the separation of growing polymer particles from each other. Additional hexane may be added for these purposes. A titanium Ziegler type polymerization catalyst 35, comprising activated titanium trichloride in conjunction with alkyl aluminum compound commonly slurried with a saturated hydrocarbon such as hexane, is passed through line 22 into reactor 23 so that it can effectively catalyze the polymerization of olefin in such reaction zone. Reaction zone conditions may vary depending on catalyst activity, reactor design, product specification and other parameters. The reactor can be operated in the range of about 100°- 200° F. and about 200-300 psig.
Polymerized olefin (polypropylene), hexane, propane and unreacted olefinic compound (propylene) are removed from reaction zone 23 through line 24 to quench zone 25. In some cases hydrogen is added to the polymerization reactor to control molecular weight. In these cases hydrogen will also be removed from the reactor. The hydrogen will also saturate some of the propylene in the reactor thereby forming propane and other saturates. A typical stream removed from the reactor comprises about 25-35 weight percent polypropylene (including about 3-5 percent attactic), about 25-30 weight percent propylene, about 10-15 weight percent propane, about 25-30 weight percent hexane, less than about 0.1 weight percent hydrogen, less than about 0.1 weight percent nitrogen, and less than about 0.1 weight percent catalyst residue. In quench zone 25 the reaction is quenched, commonly by the addition of saturated hexane quench fluid, so as to lower the temperature. In some polymerization reactors the quench zone is within the reactor. Light gases and hydrocarbons such as unreacted propylene, propane contaminant and some hexane are passed out of quench zone 25 through line 30. Polymer, quench fluid and/or saturated hydrocarbon diluent (hexane) are passed from quench zone 25 through line 26 to separation zone 27 where saturated hydrocarbon is separated from the polymer and passed out through line 29. The separation zone 27 can be a filter or cyclone separator and can also be followed by a flash drum or steam strip to aid in light hydrocarbon removal. Polymer is recovered through line 28. The mixture of unreacted olefin (propylene), saturated hydrocarbon contaminant (propene), hexane and hydrogen is passed from quench zone 25 through line 30 to a two stage compressor 51 with interstage separation. A major proportion of the hexane, and to a lesser degree propylene and propane are then recycled through lines 53 and 39 back to reactor 23. A minor proportion of the material from line 30 and compressor 51, generally deficient in hexane, is passed on to a membrane separator for purification. The entire stream from line 30 can bypass compressor 51, however when substantial amounts of solvent having a substantially different boiling point than the olefin and other contaminants is present, it is generally preferable to remove the solvent by a compression step. Because hydrogen can reduce certain metal ions such as silver ion to silver metal, thereby forming metallic silver which can plug a membrane separator and destroy its selectivity, an optional system 31 is provided to remove hydrogen. This can be easily done by providing a hydrogenation catalyst which will react the hydrogen with olefin present to form saturated hydrocarbon, thereby removing the hydrogen from the stream passing through line 52. This system will also saturate any trace amounts of acetylene present, thereby preventing the formation of insoluble material in the separation unit by reaction with silver ion. Therefore, the mixture of unreacted olefin and saturated hydrocarbon contaminant and hydrogen are passed through zone 31 where such mixture is contacted with a platinum or palladium on charcoal catalyst, thereby substantially removing such hydrogen by saturating some of the unreacted olefin. A suitable catalyst comprises about 0.5 weight percent palladium on gamma alumina. The hydrogenation can conveniently be carried out at a temperature of about 120° F. and a pressure of about 100 psig. The mixture of saturated hydrocarbon contaminant and unreacted olefin is passed out of zone 31 through line 32 where it can be humidified with water 33 injected through line 34. The feed to the membrane separator is humidified to prevent drying of the liquid barrier therein and prevent loss of selectivity. The mixture of unreacted olefin and saturated hydrocarbon contaminant is then passed to a semipermeable membrane separator 36 which effectively separates olefin from saturated components.
In this separation zone the mixture of hydrocarbons to be separated is contacted on one side of a semi-permeable membrane. The semipermeable membrane is used in conjunction with a liquid aqueous barrier containing metal containing ions which are capable of forming reversible water soluble complexes with the olefin to be separated. A saturated hydrocarbon is passed on the second side of the membrane so as to sweep away olefin and reduce the partial pressure of olefin on the second side of the membrane, thereby facilitating transport of the olefin across the membrane and liquid barrier.
A portion of the stream from separation zone 27 is passed through lines 29 and 18 as recycle to the quench zone. Saturated hydrocarbon diluent is passed from line 29 through semipermeable membrane separator 36 to act as a sweep fluid removing unreacted olefin which has permeated through the membrane and thereby reducing the partial pressure of the olefin on the second side of the membrane. The purified unreacted olefin stream is passed out of separation zone 36 through line 38 through protective blowdown drum 50 for injection through line 39 into line 19 for recirculation to polymerization zone 23. Blowdown drum 50 is included as a protective device to prevent aqueous liquid from being carried downstream in the event of upset or membrane rupture. Saturated hydrocarbons are passed out of separation zone 36 through line 37 for recovery and use.
A schematic drawing of a membrane separation unit suitable for use in this process can be seen in FIG. 2. This membrane separation unit 36 generally comprises an outer shell 64 which contains a large number of hollow fiber membranes similar to those used in reverse osmosis. These fiber membranes or bundles of such fiber membranes 67 are positioned in an elongated manner within the outer shell 64 and secured by potting in an epoxy resin compound 65. The hollow fiber membranes 67 can be made out of a variety of materials especially polymeric materials. Preferably these fibers are made of cellulose triacetate. Also located within the outer shell 64 is a distribution system, in this case a perforated tube distributor 68 centrally located within the unit. This is merely a device for allowing the purge of fluid to be introduced and distributed within the membrane separation unit. Because of the internal portion of the membrane separation unit is subjected to pressure a mechanical device 66 is provided between the potted ends of the fibers 65 so as to prevent compression of the fibers and possible damage thereto. This simple mechanical device must also provide for the passage of fluids so that fluids introduced into the membrane separation unit can pass out.
The membrane is preferably used in conjunction with an aqueous barrier containing metal containing ions so as to facilitate transport of olefins across the membrane. A suitable liquid barrier comprising 6 N silver nitrate is impregnated on the fibers 67 through the bores of the fibers. This can be done by filling the unit or fibers with silver nitrate solution and subjecting it to pressure so that the silver nitrate solution is forced into the fiber walls. Additional silver nitrate solution can be occluded onto the fibers themselves.
The hexane purge fluid 60 is passed into the membrane separation unit and passes out of the slotted distribution tube 68 into the body of the membrane separator. The membrane separator is filled with hollow tubular membranes which are impregnated with 6 normal silver nitrate and potted at the ends in an epoxy resin 65. The mixture of materials to be separated 63 is passed into one end of the separation unit into a manifold area and then passes through the central portion of the fiber membranes. The olefin which is present in the mixture to be separated complexes with the silver ions in the liquid barrier and is transported across the membrane by maintaining a partial pressure differential across the membrane. This is done by the flow of hexane through the interior of the separation unit 36 which sweeps away olefin which has permeated through the membrane wall. The mixture of hexane and olefin passes through the inside of the membrane and out of the membrane separation unit through line 62. The materials which do not pass through the membranes, generally a stream enriched in saturates, passes out of the membrane separator at line 61.
It is preferable to dry the fibers prior to gluing with the epoxy compound. These fibers tend to shrink upon drying and if not predried prior to potting in the epoxy compound they can dry and subsequently shrink while the membrane unit is being used and cause leakage of fluids and loss of selectivity. This membrane separation unit can be made by modification of permeators which are made for reverse osmosis such as those made by the Dow Chemical Company. For example, the Dowex RO-4K permeator can be modified as taught in concurrently filed patent application U.S.S.N. 948,339, filed Oct. 4, 1978.
The following represents typical data using a process for the recovery of olefinic compound, essentially the same as that described above, except the separated propylene is recovered from a vent stream for the polymerization unit.
EXAMPLE 1 ##TBL1##
EXAMPLE 2 ##TBL2##
EXAMPLE 3 ##TBL3##
This data demonstrates that polymerization streams can be treated so as to remove hydrogen by reacting the hydrogen present with olefins compounds, and to recover olefinic compound for reuse, such as recycle to the polymerization zone, through the use of hydrogenation zones and membrane separation units. The olefin, which would normally be flared, is recovered and used as monomer feed to the polymerization unit. | |
This elective module is aimed at students wishing to specialise in museology and museum mediation, and gives an introduction to conditions, positions and problems in the museum field.
The course addresses the following topics:
- What is a museum? What is the role of museums in society?
- cultural policies and guidelines, experience economy, museum history and museological paradigms
- Visitor experiences and learning
- visitor studies, motivations, education and/or entertainment
- Digital museology
- digitisation and digital mediation, virtuality and authenticity, mobile and social media, interactivity and participation
- Curation and exhibition design
- exhibition and mediation strategies, rhetorics, organisation and analysis
The course aims to help students identify, qualify and work with their own relevant research questions in the field, using a personal blog (exam requirement) and as preparation for an eventual master thesis in this area.
Competence objectives for the module
The objective of the module is to provide the student with
knowledge and understanding of:
- A specific subject within library and information science.
- Relevant theories and methods related to the module's theme.
skills in:
- Identifying and outlining academic issues within library and information science and make these the object of independent analysis.
- Reflecting critically on theoretical and methodological choices in relation to an academic issue.
- Expanding on and putting a chosen subject field within library and information science into perspective.
competences in:
- Applying relevant theories and methods to a subject within library and information science.
- Communicating a scientifically studied issue.
Academic objectives
The examinee is able to
- Delimit and deal with and issue within library and information science.
- Give an account of central theories of relevance th the chosen subject independently and at a level that reflects in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject's scientific methods.
- Consider own theoretical and methodological choices critically.
- Communicate a scientifically studied issue.
BooksExamples of literature that might be used in the course:
- Dubuc, É. (2011): ’Museum and university mutations: the relationship between museum practices and museum studies in the era of interdisciplinarity, professionalisation, globalisation and new technologies’. Museum Management and Curatorship, 26:5, pp. 497-508
- Proctor, N. (2011): ‘Mobile guides in the rhizomic museum’ in Katz et.al. (eds.) Creativity and Technology. Social Media, Mobiles and Museums, Edingburgh: MuseumsEtc.
- Parry, Ross. (2013); 'The End of the beginning:Normativity in the Postdigital Museum', Museum Worlds: Advances in Research 1(2013):24-39
- Falk, John H. & Dierking, Lynn D. (1992): “Introduction: The Interactive Experience Model” i The Museum Experience. Washington D.C. : Whalesback
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Course participationActive participation implies presence in min. 80% of the lectures and fulfillment of the requirements for the course in form of presentations and papers during the course. | https://kurser.ku.dk/course/hivk03137u/2015-2016 |
Women's Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular diseases remain the most common cause of death among women. In the U.S., approximately one in four women die each year due to cardiovascular diseases. “Though trends are improving, a majority of women remain unaware of their risk,” says Bina Ahmed, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
To ensure optimal cardiovascular health, it is important to understand the risk factors and discuss them with your primary care provider. “The priorities remain raising awareness so that women are paying attention to their overall cardiovascular health when it counts the most. In addition, we need to continue efforts toward funding research that helps us understand potential differences between men and women and the various cardiovascular disease like coronary artery disease and stroke,” says Ahmed.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease specifically refers to coronary artery disease, which is due to plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, the primary arteries that supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart. The most common cause of a heart attack usually is a sudden blockage of one or more of the heart arteries. Though the majority of women present with predictable symptoms such as chest pain, women can present with less typical associated symptoms such as nausea, shoulder/back pain or shortness of breath. Most heart attacks if diagnosed in a timely manner, can be treated.
There are other cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart failure and hypertension, which also are a concern for women, especially after menopause.
What are the main risk factors for heart disease?
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Inactivity
- Smoking
- Diabetes
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) “high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (49 percent) have at least one of these three risk factors.”
While the main risks are similar to those for men, women need to be particularly aware of them starting in the perimenopause (roughly between ages 40-60). As women age, the likelihood of developing heart disease associated with one of these factors increases, so preventing, controlling and treating them becomes vital.
One particular risk factor to highlight among women is diabetes. “Diabetes is considered the risk equalizer for heart disease among women; especially among younger women. Younger women with diabetes are at an increased risk of sudden heart attacks and consequently tend to have the worst long-term outcomes,” says Ahmed. Women with diabetes likely have other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which compounds their problem. More aggressive therapies, which optimize diabetes and blood pressure control, in addition to adopting a healthier lifestyle, are very important.
How can you protect your heart health?
- Manage high blood pressure - According to the CDC, “about one of three U.S. adults—or about 75 million people—have high blood pressure,” a condition that occurs when the force of blood flowing through your body is too high. High blood pressure hardens the arteries, causing decreased blood flow and can ultimately damage your heart, brain and kidneys.
- Control cholesterol - Cholesterol is a substance made and used by your body to create cells and hormones, but producing too much can cause build-up in the heart’s arteries, resulting in blockages. While cholesterol is produced by your body, you get a substantial amount of the “unhealthy” cholesterol by consuming foods high in fat. Eating healthy is the first line of defense against high cholesterol.
- Maintain a healthy weight - Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing heart disease. Ask your doctor to help determine a healthy weight for you.
- Stay active - An active lifestyle helps you maintain a healthy weight and it can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. According to the CDC, “the Surgeon General recommends two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week.”
- Stop smoking - Smoking damages the lining of blood vessels, thickens the blood, making it more likely to clot, and increases build-up of plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances), which can block or restrict blood flow.
While risk factors such as inactivity and smoking are personal choices, other conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol could be due to age or genetics. “In these instances, early diagnosis can be lifesaving. Many treatments are available to help effectively lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks,” says Ahmed. “In addition, lifestyle therapy with diet and exercise can make a significant difference.”
Stay Informed by talking with your doctor
Dr. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of being engaged and keeping communications open with your provider. Have a conversation about your cardiovascular health and ask:
- “What is my cardiovascular risk?”
- “Are my blood pressure, cholesterol and weight within appropriate standards?”
- “How can I improve my risk of cardiovascular diseases?”
The American Heart Association’s website, heart.org, is a great resource for up-to-date information on Heart Health. You can even check your heart health score at My Life Check. | https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/stories/article/1458 |
We ensure we are at the forefront of the latest revolutionary technology, enabling us to provide you with technical innovation and progressive developments that deliver a competitive advantage to your organisation.
We can offer you:
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Software solutions that are optimised for use with emerging technologies
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Advice on selecting a hardware platform for your application
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Verification that a concept or theory has practical potential.
Our engineering teams deliver cutting-edge, trusted solutions within the most challenging environments. We quickly and efficiently develop a proof of concept that helps to verify the feasibility of your project, ensuring it will function as envisioned and identifying potential technical and logistical issues that might interfere with success. We can then turn a proof of concept into a prototype, demonstrating how your product can be tested and evaluated for usability, functionality, and design. | https://www.fnc.co.uk/what-we-do/our-expertise/software-development/novel-technologies-and-proof-of-concepts/ |
Compressive strength of concrete refers to the strength of hardened concrete measured by the concrete compression testing machine. This strength is a measure of the ability of concrete to resist loads that tend to compress it. The measurement is conducted by crushing of specimens of cylindrical concrete in the machine.
Concrete’s compressive strength can be estimated by the division of failure load by area of the cross-section that resists the load, which is reported as Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) in the US and Mega Pascals (MPa) in the SI units measures. The concrete’s compressive strength can differ from 17 MPa (2500 psi) for residential application and 28 MPa (4000 psi) and more in commercial buildings. If there are higher strengths, exceeding 10,000 psi or 70 MPa, they are ideal for some other applications.
Results of compressive strength tests are mainly used to ascertain that the concrete mix delivered on-site meets the needs of specified strength fc’, as per the specification of the job. Cylinders tested for quality control and acceptance are made and cured as per procedures spelt out for standard-cured specimens in ASTM-C31 (global standards for making and curing concrete).
Test results are the average of at least 2 specimens with standard curing, derived from the identical batch of concrete which have been tested in the same period. In the majority of cases, the strength needs of concrete are 28 days.
Compressive strength test using concrete testing apparatus is the common test conducted on concrete material in the arena of construction because it offers a basic notion of concrete qualities. On the basis of such a test, the concrete work can be either rejected or accepted.
Compressive strength depends on many factors like quality of materials used, quality control all through production, and mix design. Based on the code of application, the sample for test may be Cylindrical (15 cm x 30 cm as standard) or Cube (which is 15 cm x 15cm x 15 cm).
Procedure for testing
- The concrete is tipped into the mould. It is properly compacted to reduce the quantum of voids in it.
- Following 24 hours, the moulds are taken away, and specimens for testing are kept inside water for the process of curing.
- Following the end of the curing period (91/56/28/7/3 days), the apparatus for testing concrete compression are used to test specimens.
- Gradually, the load is spread over till the failure of the specimen.
- One must do a division of failure load by area of cross-section of specimen for calculating compressive strength of the concrete.
Apparatus/tools
These include a Compression testing machine, mixer, moulds, tamping rod (60 m long steel bar), and trowel.
Preparation Of Sample
From the patches of concrete, samples are taken or prepared using the same mixture in the area. Size of specimens is 3 cubes (15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm) or 3 cylinders (15 cm x 30 cm).
A minimum of 3 specimens must be tested for each age chosen. The average value of the 3 specimens provides the measure of the strength of the concrete.
These are all some of the basic steps meant for testing of compressive strength of concrete. A point to note is that when concrete fails to meet specific needs, the failure can also be due to the testing procedure. This is true if testing, curing, handling and fabrication of cubes or cylinders have not been conducted as per standard procedures. | https://heicoin.com/blog/how-to-test-compressive-strength-of-concrete/ |
The laboratory is aimed at building minimum skills in multivariate statistical data analysis, with particular reference to the following methodologies: Multiple Regression, Variance Analysis, Covariance Analysis, Logistic Regression.
At the end of the laboratory attendance and in relation to a specific application context, the student must be able to use, at a basic level, a professional software for data analysis, build a quantitative analysis of the data, produce a report and illustrate the methods of use for decision-making purposes.
He will be able to communicate and argue the results obtained, using appropriate language. The laboratory also aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge to develop further insights, even individually, and to develop autonomy of action.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the main techniques of multivariate data analysis (Multiple Regression, Analysis of Variance, Analysis of Covariance and Logistic Regression).
Contents
-Introduction to professional software (SAS, STATA, R).
-Analysis of case studies choosing and applying correct methodologies.
-Construction of a report .
Teaching Methods
The course will be divided into 9 lessons of 2 hours each. Teaching will be delivered mainly face to face, integrated and "augmented" with online strategies, in order to guarantee its use in an innovative and inclusive way.
Verification of learning
The assessment involves the development of a paper (technical report or short thesis) on a topic agreed with the teacher.
The student will have to demonstrate the ability to choose the most correct methodology, use the software and produce a report to interpret the results and summarize them for comparative and cognitive purposes.
At the end, an eligibility is obtained.
In evaluating the paper, the determination of the final grade will take into account the following aspects:
1. the logic followed by the student in choosing the method;
2. the correct implementation of the chosen technique in the software;
3. the completeness of the report;
4. the ability to argue;
5. the use of an adequate statistical language;
6. the ability to communicate the results in writing and to highlight the most relevant aspects.
Due to the epidemiological situation due to the pandemic, the discussion of the paper will be held at a distance on the Microsoft Teams platform. All information will be provided through Esse3.
Texts
The teacher will provide the material through the specific Teams group that will be created.
More Information
The teacher will provide the material through the specific Teams group that will be created. | https://unica.it/unica/en/crs_2_69_39.page?mu=Guide/PaginaADErogata.do?ad_er_id=2021*N0*N0*S2*37598*21335&ANNO_ACCADEMICO=2021&mostra_percorsi=S |
The IT security situation in Germany is tense. In 2019 alone, the Federal Criminal Police Office recorded over 100,000 reported cyberattacks in Germany, and the number of unreported cases is probably much higher. The main targets of hackers are primarily companies and public institutions, but private individuals are also increasingly being targeted. To understand how companies and private individuals can protect themselves, you first need to understand what the different types of hacker attacks are. You’ll learn about that and much more in this post. Hacker attack, cyber threat, data theft: it won’t hit me, you may think. To illustrate the scale and threat of cyberattacks, here are a few facts about the cybersecurity situation in Germany in 2020:
Compared to 2019, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) determines:
- 117.4 million new malware variants
- 35,000 intercepted mails with malware from German government networks
- 52,000 blocked websites with contained malware programs
- 7 million malware reports sent to German network operators
- One in four citizens has already been a victim of cybercrime, 25% of them even in the last 12 months
At this point, at the latest, it becomes clear that cybercrime really does concern everyone. That’s why we’ve summarized five different types of hacker attacks and given you tips on how you can protect yourself.
1. Denial-of-service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS)
In DoS attacks, systems are flooded with requests by hackers to such an extent that the IT infrastructure can no longer handle the requests. When an attack is carried out in parallel by several computers on which malware is installed, this is known as a DDoS. The more computers that work together as a botnet, the more powerful the attack. If a server is attacked without DDoS protection, the servers are overloaded with the enormous number of requests, so that websites are either no longer accessible or only build up in slow motion. Attackers use this type of cybercrime to extort ransoms from organizations or carry out other criminal acts. In-house servers are classic targets of DoS attack. Routers that are properly set up and secured with strong passwords provide some protection, but most organizations rely on larger firewalls. If a successful attack has already occurred, additional resources should be provided by hosting providers so that the website can still be accessed. An elastic infrastructure can thus dynamically reduce and expand resources as needed, automatically maximizing the use of the resource.
2. Man-in-the-middle attacks
A MitM attack occurs when a hacker inserts himself into the communication between a client and a server. This can be done in the course of session hijacking, where the hacker attacks the connection between a trusted client and a network. In this case, the IP address of the trusted client is replaced with that of the hacker. In this way, the criminals can not only read the data traffic, but also manipulate it. An effective protective measure against this attack is strong end-to-end encryption. This involves encrypting the transmitted data in such a way that it never exists in unencrypted form on the partial routes. Alternative protection mechanisms are intrusion detection systems, i.e., attack detection systems that monitor the network activities of systems and secured network systems and report suspicious activities.
3. Phishing and spear phishing attacks
In a phishing attack, emails are mostly sent with a seemingly trustworthy source with the aim to grab personal data. Through a link in the email, people are redirected to a website where they are supposed to reveal personal information. Spear phishing even goes one step further: victims are addressed personally and the fake emails contain information that is relevant to the individuals. The following figures illustrate how many phishing emails are sent every day. With 4 billion e-mail users worldwide, 3.4 billion phishing e-mails are sent to e-mail inboxes every day. To protect oneself against social engineering measures, it is advisable to handle personal information in social networks responsibly. The less information hackers can gather about users, the harder it will be to deceive them. In addition, account information, access data and passwords should never be shared by phone or e-mail. After all, reputable companies and banks do not ask their customers to reveal this information to anyone. In addition, it is advisable to exercise caution when receiving e-mails from unknown senders. If there is even the slightest suspicion that it is an attempted attack, it is better not to react. If it is a false alarm, the employer or bank will contact you through another channel, such as a letter.
4. Drive-by download
Drive-by download is another popular hacker method to spread malware. For this, hackers search for an unsecured website and inject a malicious script into the http or PHP code of the page. This injected script can be used to install malware on a site visitor’s computer – without the user noticing. To protect yourself against this, it is important to keep your browser and plug-ins up to date. With most browsers, an automatic search for updates can be set up. Additional help can be provided by virus protection installed on the computer, which detects and fends off malware.
5. Password attacks
Another popular method is password attacks, where hackers grab users’ passwords. Hackers find them in password Excel lists on the dekstop, on slips of paper on the screen or under the keypad, or they use social engineering methods to guess passwords or get them out of the user – in the worst case, the password for a password database that protects other accesses. A subtype of password attacks are brute force attacks. Brute force means that all strings of possible passwords are tried one after the other. You can protect yourself against this type of attack by using a higher password change frequency and longer passwords, because longer passwords mean that the attacks statistically take more time. The longer a hacker needs for a successful attack and the more likely a password change is, the less attractive an attack is. However, the chances of success with brute force are 100%, since every password can be guessed at some point. Another form of password attack is the dictionary method. Here, hackers use a dictionary of common passwords such as “password 123” to gain access to a victim’s network and server. Hackers can also be logical and enter passwords related to the victim’s name, pet, or hobbies, for example. To protect against dictionary attacks, equally complex and unique passwords should be used for different access points. Additionally, account lockout policies can be implemented to ensure that an account is locked out after a certain number of invalid password entries.
If you want to learn even more about social engineering attacks, read our human security gap whitepaper for free here.
Damage caused by cyber attacks
Cyberattacks harm organizations regardless of the method chosen. The affected organizations often suffer from the consequences years later. Three million euros – that’s how expensive the average financial damage caused by a cyber attack on a company is estimated to be. The consequences include:
1. Economic damage
Short time offline quickly costs several thousand euros. Wasted marketing budget and lost profits are only part of the financial damage.
2. Image damage
A successful cyber attack often results in major reputational damage. Rebuilding a positive image can take years and consume many resources.
3. Data theft
Users’ personal data is also frequently stolen in the course of a cyberattack. This data can then be sold by hackers on the darknet. Stolen identities and digital shopping sprees at the expense of the hacked user are just some of the far-reaching consequences.
Protection against cyber attacks
Strong passwords are far less vulnerable to many of the cyberattacks mentioned above. Therefore, strong, unique and complex passwords should be generated for each application. A good mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters is advisable. Common words and names should be avoided, as these are also known to hackers. In the company, a password manager is also a good idea. This is also confirmed by the German Federal Office for Information Security. Enterprise password managers such as Password Safe manage user names, accounts and passwords. With end-to-end encryption and a complex master password, the password manager keeps passwords safe. With one click, employees can create complex passwords that no one knows, manage them centrally and securely, and log in automatically.
Password Safe also offers the Password Sharing option. According to their defined role, each employee has individual rights to use and edit passwords and share them with colleagues in the team. This can improve company-wide collaboration and passwords remain secure despite employee changes. For additional security of sensitive access, a second factor can be added to the target application and to the password safe for logon. Thus, in the case of a login, a confirmation code can be sent to another device such as the smartphone to uniquely authenticate the process.
For more information about Password Safe click here. | https://www.passwordsafe.com/en/blog/the-5-most-common-cyber-threats-and-how-to-protect-yourself/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=passwordsafe&utm_campaign=15522937142 |
The peoples demand of functions and services in cities is the driver for energy and material flows. Most people in the world are now living in urban areas. In order to achieve a sustainable development of cities, both resource use and environmental impact have to be reduced. For construction activities, an important aspect is to increase the reuse of construction materials. From a resource perspective, the urban demand for construction of buildings, infrastructure and other facilities results in materials accumulated in constructions but also in other applications and in landfills. The materials can be described as the urban material stock where some materials are used and others are not used, i.e. wasted. There are many cases where material stocks are used for construction purposes. For example, used concrete and bricks, excavated soil and rock from construction projects and other wasted materials such as rubber from tires can be crushed, shredded and sorted to granules and used in many different construction applications. Different perspectives can be applied when assessing the environmental impacts of using stocked material in construction. The overall aim of this thesis is to study the environmental impacts of using granular soil, rock and rubber in construction. For soil and rock, the aim is to study the environmental impact of material management in urban areas. For granular rubber, the aim is to study the environmental impact of artificial turf from a life cycle perspective and from different infill materials of recycled and new rubber and plastics.
The literature of excavated soil and rock was reviewed in order to identify and quantify the material flows and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the management of soil and rock materials. For artificial turf and the different infill materials, a life cycle approach was used to quantify the energy use and GHG emissions. A chemical analysis of potential chemical leaching from the different infill materials to water was conducted in order to compare potential local emissions to water.
Based on the results, it was concluded that the knowledge about the urban flows of excavated soil and rock is lacking in terms of patterns, quantities, qualities and its environmental performance. A resource perspective is missing in the literature. However, the recycling of soil and rock can reduce resource use and GHG emissions. It was suggested that models are developed that take into account future material demand and availability to soils and rock. From such information it would be able to assess sustainable management practices and the possibilities of sharing materials between urban construction projects in order to reduce resource use and environmental impact.
It was concluded that for the life cycle of artificial turf, the production of construction materials contributes largely to energy use and GHG emissions. Differences in terms of energy use and GHG emissions for the production of infill materials are large. The production of new material required more energy and resulted in more GHG emissions than using recycled rubber. The potential release of substances from infill materials to water were shown to be possible for all infill materials analyzed. Previous assessments of local environmental impacts of using infills generally concludes that the impacts are small. These assessments are primarily focused on infill of recycled tires. It is therefore concluded that environmental assessments of local impact should include all infill types.
Environmental assessments of using stocked materials in construction should take into consideration the material applications´ significance for the environmental impacts at a higher system level. Broader system boundaries in environmental assessments will reduce the risk for sub-optimizations when taking decisions on how materials should be used in construction. | http://ltu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1045893&dswid=-9580 |
---
author:
- 'Akira <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Niégawa</span>'
title: 'Absence of coexisting phase of quark-antiquark and diquark condensed phases in the extended Gross-Neveu model in $2 + 1$ dimensions'
---
Introduction
============
Extensive studies for last decade on quark matters have disclosed the existence of various phases. Among those are the quark-antiquark ($q \bar{q}$) condensed phase [@hk], different diquark ($q q$) condensed phases. Furthermore, it has been suggested [@sch] that the coexisting phase of $q \bar{q}$ and $q q$ condensations also exists. (For recent reviews, see, e.g., [@mei].)
One of the important theoretical models for studying this issue is the extended Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model, which is an low energy effective theory of QCD [@mei]. The Gross-Neveu (GN) model [@gn] proposed in 1974 is the counterpart of the NJL model in $1
+ 1$ and $2 + 1$ dimensional spacetime. Study of the field theoretic models in lower spacetime dimension are interesting in itself as in the solid-state physics. Various works have been devoted to the study of the GN model. (References together with a brief survey of them are given in [@k].) Recently, the phase structure of the $2
+ 1$ dimensional (3D) [*extended*]{} GN model has been studied within the mean-field approximation [@k]. In [@k], quarks are assigned to the lowest nontrivial (2-dimensional) representation of the $O (2, 1)$ group, which we refer to as the 2d-spinor quarks. The model contains essentially two parameters, the $q \bar{q}$ coupling constant $G_S$ and $q q$ coupling constant $G_D$. Through numerical analyses for some sets of values of $(G_S, G_D)$, it has been shown that there appears $q \bar{q}$- and $q q$-condensed phases but no coexisting phase appears, which is in sharp contrast to the case of NJL model.
The purpose of this note is to analytically prove the absence of the coexisting phase for any values of $G_S$ $(> 0)$ and $G_D$. We restrict to the cold quark matter” with zero temperature ($T = 0$).
Preliminary
===========
The Lagrangian of the extended GN model with 2d-spinor quarks reads $${\cal L} = \bar{q} \left( i
\partial\kern-0.em\raise0.17ex\llap{/}\kern0.15em\relax + \mu
\gamma_0 \right) q + G_S (\bar{q} q)^2 + G_D \left( \bar{q} \tau_2
\lambda_2 q^c \right) \left( \bar{q}^c \tau_2 \lambda_2 q \right)
\, ,$$ where $\mu$ is the quark chemical potential. The quark fields, $q$ and $\bar{q}$, are the doublets in the flavor space and the triplets in the color space. $q^c$ and $\bar{q}^c$ are the charge-conjugated fields. The Pauli matrix $\tau_2$ acts on the flavor space, while the Gell-Mann matrix acts on the color space. Employing the mean-field approximation, we get $$\begin{aligned}
{\cal L} & = & \bar{q} \left( i
\partial\kern-0.em\raise0.17ex\llap{/}\kern0.15em\relax - \sigma +
\mu \gamma_0 \right) q - \frac{1}{2} \Delta \left( \bar{q} \tau_2
\lambda_2 q^c \right) - \frac{1}{2} \Delta^* \left( \bar{q}^c \tau_2
\lambda_2 q \right) \nonumber \\
&& - \frac{\sigma^2}{4 G_S} - \frac{|\Delta|^2}{4 G_D} \, . \end{aligned}$$ Here $$\sigma = - 2 G_S \langle \bar{q} q \rangle \, , \;\;\;\;
\Delta = - 2 G_D \langle \bar{q}^c \tau_2 \lambda_2 q \rangle \, ,$$ where $\sigma$ and $\Delta$ are the order parameters for the $q
\bar{q}$ and $qq$ condensations, respectively. Computation of the thermodynamic potential at $T = 0$ yields [@k] $$\Omega = \frac{\sigma^2}{4 G_S} + \frac{|\Delta|^2}{4 G_D} -
\int_\sigma^\infty \frac{d E}{2 \pi} \, E \left[ 2 \left( E_\Delta^+
+ E_\Delta^- \right) + \left( E_\Delta^+ + E_\Delta^-
\right)_{\Delta = 0} \right] \, ,
\label{Th-pot}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\left( E_\Delta^\pm \right)^2 & = & E^2 + \mu^2 + |\Delta|^2 \pm
2 \sqrt{E^2 \mu^2 + \sigma^2 |\Delta|^2} \, , \nonumber \\
E &=& \sqrt{\vec{p}^{\, 2} + \sigma^2} \, , \;\;\;\; E^\pm = E \pm
\mu \, . \end{aligned}$$ Changing the integration variable $E \to \xi$ through $\xi =
\sqrt{E^2 + \sigma^2 |\Delta|^2 / \mu^2} \pm \mu$, the integrals in (\[Th-pot\]) that contain $E_\Delta^\pm$ may be carried out analytically. We perform renormalization as in [@k], and choose, without loss of generality, $\Delta$ to be real and positive. Then, we introduce following dimensionless quantities: $$\begin{aligned}
x & = & \sigma / \mu \;\; (\geq 0) \, , \;\;\; y = \tilde{\Delta} /
\mu \;\; (\geq 1) \, , \nonumber \\
A &=& - \frac{2 \pi}{\mu} \left( \frac{1}{4 G_S} - \frac{3
\alpha}{8} \right) \, , \;\;\; B = - \frac{2 \pi}{\mu} \left(
\frac{1}{4 G_D} - \frac{\alpha}{4} \right) \, , \nonumber \\
\Omega (x, y) &=& \frac{2 \pi}{\mu^3} \Omega (\sigma,
\tilde{\Delta}) \, ,
\label{tikan}\end{aligned}$$ where $\alpha$ is the renormalization scale and $\tilde{\Delta}
\equiv \sqrt{\Delta^2 + \mu^2}$. After all this, we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & = & \frac{1}{3} \left\{ (x + 1)^3 + |x - 1|^3
\right\} + \frac{1}{2} \left\{ (x - 1) |x - 1| - (x + 1)^2 \right\}
\nonumber \\
&& + \frac{2}{3} \left\{ (x + y)^3 + |x - y|^3 \right\} + (x y - 1)
|x - y| - ( x y + 1 ) ( x + y ) \nonumber \\
&& + \left( x^2 - 1 \right) \left( y^2 - 1 \right) \ln \frac{x y + 1
+ x + y }{x y - 1 + |x - y|} \, .
\label{potential}\end{aligned}$$ Note that, for the normal phase, $(x, y) = (0, 1)$, $\Omega (x = 0,
y = 1) = -1$. Throughout in this paper, we restrict to the case $0 < A$, the case in which the quark-antiquark condensate can appear.
Quark-antiquark condensation
----------------------------
Here we study the case with $y = 1$ $(\Delta = 0)$: $$\Omega_x (x) \equiv \Omega (x, y = 1) = (3 - A) x^2 - 1 \, .$$ Straightforward analysis yields $$\Omega_x \geq \left\{
\begin{array}{ll}
-1 & \;\;\; \mbox{for} \; A \leq 3 \\
- A^3 / 27 & \;\;\; \mbox{for} \; 3 \leq A
\end{array}
\right\} \equiv \tilde{\Omega}_x$$
Diquark condensation
--------------------
Here we study the case with $x = 0$ $(\sigma = 0)$: $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega_y (y) & \equiv & \Omega (x = 0, y) \nonumber \\
& = & \frac{4}{3} y^3 - B (y^2 - 1) - 2 y - (y^2 - 1) L (y) -
\frac{1}{3} \, , \end{aligned}$$ where $L (y) \equiv \ln [ (y + 1) / (y - 1) ]$. $\Omega_y (y)$ is minimum at $y = y_0$: $$\begin{aligned}
2 y_0 - L (y_0) & = & B \, ,
\label{jyouk} \\
\Omega_y (y_0) &=& - \frac{1}{3} \left( 2 y_0^3 + 1 \right) \, .
\label{omegay}\end{aligned}$$ From (\[jyouk\]), $\mbox{Max} (1, B / 2) < y_0$ and then we have, for any $B$, $$\Omega_y (y_0) < - 1 = \Omega (x = 0, y = 1) \, .
\label{fav}$$ Thus, the diquark condensed state is energetically favored over the normal vacuum”.
We now find the upper bound of $\Omega_y (y)$ in the region $2 \leq
B$, which we will use extensively in the sequel. Since $L (y)$ monotonically decreases with increasing $y$ and its curvature is positive, $$\begin{aligned}
L (y) & \leq & L (B / 2) + \left[ \frac{d L (y)}{d y} \right]_{y = B
/ 2} \left( y - \frac{B}{2} \right) \nonumber \\
&=& - \frac{8}{B^2 - 4} y + \frac{4 B}{B^2 - 4} + L (B / 2) \, . \end{aligned}$$ Substituting this into (\[jyouk\]), we have $$B \leq 2 y_0 + \frac{8}{B^2 - 4} y_0 - \frac{4 B}{B^2 - 4} - L (B /
2) \, .$$ Solving this, we obtain $$y_0 \geq \frac{B^2 - 4}{2 B} + \frac{2}{B} + \frac{B^2 - 4}{2
B^2} \, L (B / 2) \, .
\label{rt}$$ Here and in the following, we frequently use the inequality: $$2 (y - 1) \leq (y^2 - 1) L (y) \leq 2 y \;\;\;\;\;\; (1 \leq y) \, .
\label{ineq1}$$ Using this in (\[rt\]), we obtain $$y_0 \geq \frac{B}{2} + \frac{4 (B - 2)}{B^2} \;\;\; \left( \equiv
y_0' \right) \, .
\label{iie}$$ Substituting (\[iie\]) into (\[omegay\]), we obtain $$\Omega_y (y_0) \leq - \frac{1}{3} \left( 2 y_0^{' \, 3} + 1 \right)
\leq - \frac{B^3}{12} - B + \frac{5}{3} \;\;\; \left( \equiv
\tilde{\Omega}_y \right) \;\;\;\;\;\;\; (2 \leq B) \, .$$ We will use $\tilde{\Omega}_y$, an the upper bound of $\Omega_y$. Numerical computation shows that $\left[ \Omega_y (y_0) \right]_{B
= 2} = - 3.515...$, while $\left[ \tilde{\Omega}_y \right]_{B = 2}
= -1$.
In the following sections we show that $\Omega \geq \mbox{Min}
\left( \tilde{\Omega}_x, \, \tilde{\Omega}_y \right)$ $>$ $\mbox{Min} \left( \tilde{\Omega}_x, \, \Omega_y \right)$ for any value of $(0 <) A$ and $B$, so that the quark-antiquark and diquark condensates do not coexist .
Region I ($x \leq 1 \leq y$)
============================
We divide the whole region of $x$ and $y$ into the three regions; $(0 \leq ) \, x \leq 1 \leq y$ (Region I), $(1 \leq) \, y \leq x$ (Region II) and $1 < x < y$ (Region III). In this section, we analyze $\Omega (x, y)$ in the Region I. Analyses in the Region II and Region III will be made in subsequent sections.
In the region $( 0 \leq ) \, x \leq 1 \leq y$ (Region I), $\Omega
(x, y)$ reads $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & = & F (y) x^2 + \frac{4}{3} y^3 - B (y^2 - 1) - 2 y
- (y^2 - 1) L (y) - \frac{1}{3} \, ,
\label{potential1} \\
F (y) & = & 1 + 2 y - A + (y^2 - 1) L (y) \, .
\label{efu}\end{aligned}$$ For $0 \leq F (y)$, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \Omega (x = 0, y) =
\Omega_y (y)$. Then we restrict to the region $F (y) \leq 0$, where $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & \geq & \Omega (x = 1, y) \nonumber \\
&=& \frac{4}{3} y^3 - B (y^2 - 1) - A + \frac{2}{3} \;\;\; \left(
\equiv \tilde{\Omega}_I (y) \right) \, .
\label{hosi}\end{aligned}$$ $\tilde{\Omega}_I (y)$ is minimum at $y = B / 2$ and monotonically increases with increasing $(B / 2 <) \, y$. Since $1 \leq y$ for $B
\leq 2$, $\tilde{\Omega}_I (y) \geq \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = 1) = 2 - A
\geq \tilde{\Omega}_x$. The equality holds for $A = 3$, $\tilde{\Omega}_I = - 1$. Since $\Omega_y (y_0) < - 1$ (Eq. (\[fav\])), $\tilde{\Omega}_I > \Omega_y (y_0)$ there.
For $2 \leq B$, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2)$. We first study $$\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2) \equiv \tilde{\Omega}_I ( y =
B / 2) - \tilde{\Omega}_y = 2 B - A - 1 \, ,$$ which is nonpositive for $$(3 \leq) \;\; 2 B - 1 \leq A \;\;\; \mbox{or} \;\;\; B \leq
\frac{A + 1}{2} \, .
\label{arya}$$ We next study $$\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2) \equiv \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B
/ 2) - \tilde{\Omega}_x = \frac{A^3}{27} - \frac{B^3}{12} + B - A +
\frac{2}{3}$$ in the region (\[arya\]). $\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2)$ monotonically decreases with increasing $B$ (for $2 < B$). Then, from (\[arya\]), $\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2) \geq \left[
\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega}_I (y = B / 2) \right]_{B = (A + 1) / 2}$ $(\equiv H (A))$, which is a polynomial in $A$. It can easily be seen that $H (A)$ increases with increasing $A$ ($3 \leq A$) and $0 \leq H (A)$. Equality holds for $A = 3$ and then $B = 2$, where $H (A) > \Omega_y (y_0)$.
Note that we have not used the constraint on $y$ that comes from $F (y) \leq 0$ (see above after (\[efu\])).
Region II ($(1 \leq) \, y \leq x$)
==================================
In this region, $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & = & 2 x^3 - A x^2 + (y^2 - 1) G (x)
\label{potential3} \\
G (x) & = & 2 x - B + (x^2 - 1) L (x) \, .
\label{jii}\end{aligned}$$ For $0 \leq G (x)$, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \Omega (x, y = 1) =
\Omega_x (x)$, and then we restrict to the region $G (x) \leq 0$, where $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & \geq & \Omega (x, y = x) \nonumber \\
&=& 4 x^3 - (A + B) x^2 - 2 x + (x^2 - 1)^2 L (x) + B \;\;\; \left(
\equiv \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x) \right) \, .
\label{hosi1}\end{aligned}$$ $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x)$ is minimum at $x = x_0$: $$\begin{aligned}
&& 5 x_0 + 2 (x^2_0 - 1) L (x_0) = A + B \, ,
\label{jyouB1} \\
&& \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) = \frac{1}{2} \left[ 3 x_0^2 - (A + B)
x_0^2 + x_0 + B - A \right] \, .
\label{tilome1} \end{aligned}$$ $(1 <)$ $x_0$ exists for $5 \leq A + B$. Using (\[ineq1\]) in (\[jyouB1\]), we obtain $$x_0 \leq (A + B + 4) / 9 \, .
\label{4.3d}$$
### The region $A + B \leq 5$ {#the-region-a-b-leq-5 .unnumbered}
>From (\[4.3d\]), for $A + B \leq 5$, $x_0 \leq 1$ and then $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x)$ monotonically increases with increasing $(1 \leq) \, x$, so that $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x) \geq
\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x = 1) = 2 - A \geq \tilde{\Omega}_x$.
### The region $5 \leq A + B$ {#the-region-5-leq-a-b .unnumbered}
With the help of (\[ineq1\]), the condition $G (x) \leq 0$ (see above after (\[jii\])) yields $B \geq 2 x + (x^2 - 1) L (x) \geq 4
x - 2$, from which we have $$x \leq \frac{B + 2}{4} \, .
\label{jyouB2}$$ Since $1 \leq x$, $2 \leq B$.
In the following, putting aside the equation (\[jyouB1\]), we regard $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0)$ in (\[tilome1\]) as a function of $x_0$ and show that $\Delta \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) > 0$. It can be shown that, in the region of our interest, $1 \leq x_0 \leq (A +
B + 4) / 9$, the polynomial $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0)$ monotonically decreases with increasing $x_0$.
We recall the condition, Eq. (\[jyouB2\]).
: In this region, $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) \geq
\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0 = (A + B + 4) / 9)$, which is a polynomial in $A$ and $B$. $\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0 = (A + B + 4) /
9)$ $\, (\equiv \Delta_y \hat{\Omega} (A, B))$ is a polynomial in $A$ and $B$. It can be shown that, in the region of our interest, this function decreases monotonically in $A$. Since $A \leq (5 B + 2)
/ 4$, $\Delta_y \hat{\Omega} (A, B) \geq \Delta_y \hat{\Omega} (A =
(5 B + 2) / 4, B)$, which is a polynomial in $B$. This polynomial increases monotonically with increasing $(2 \leq) \, B$ and is positive. After all of this, we have $\Delta \tilde{\Omega}_{II}
(x, y) > 0$.
: In this region, $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) \geq \tilde{\Omega}_{II}
(x_0 = (B + 2) / 4)$. The polynomial $\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega}_{II}
(x_0 = (B + 2) / 4) \, (\equiv \Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A, B))$ increases monotonically with increasing $A$ (in the region of our interest). Since $(5 B + 2) / 4 \leq A$, $\Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A,
B) \geq \Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A = (5 B + 2) / 4, B)$, which is a polynomial in $B$. This polynomial increases monotonically with increasing $(2 \leq) \, B$ and $\Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A = (5 B + 2)
/ 4, B) \geq 0$. The equality holds for $B = 2$ and then $A = 3$. At $(A, B) = (3, 2)$, $\hat{\Omega} - \Omega_y > 0$.
Region III ($1 < x < y$)
========================
In this region, $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x, y) & = & \frac{2}{3} x^3 + \left( 2 y - A + (y^2 -
1) L (y) \right) x^2 \nonumber \\
&& + \frac{4}{3} y^3 - 2 y - B (y^2 - 1) - (y^2 - 1) L (y) \, .
\label{potential2}\end{aligned}$$ With respect to $x$, $\Omega (x, y)$ in (\[potential2\]) is minimum at $x = x_0$: $$x_0 = A - 2 y - (y^2 - 1) L (y) \, .
\label{iiya}$$ The following four regions should be studied:
Region IIIA: (\[iiya\]) does not have a solution in the region, $1\leq x_0$ and $1 \leq y$.
Region IIIB: $x_0 \leq 1$.
Region IIIC: $(1 \leq) \, y \leq x_0$.
region IIID: $1 < x_0 < y$.
Region IIIA and Region IIIB {#region-iiia-and-region-iiib .unnumbered}
---------------------------
$\Omega (x, y)$ in (\[potential2\]) monotonically increases with increasing $(1 \leq) \, x$. Then, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \Omega (x = 1,
y)$, which is the same as (\[hosi\]) in the case of Region I above. Then, $\Delta \Omega (x, y) > 0$.
Region IIIC {#region-iiic .unnumbered}
-----------
$\Omega (x, y)$ monotonically decreases with increasing $x$ ($1 < x
\leq y$). Then, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \Omega (x = y, y)$, which is the same as $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (y)$ in (\[hosi1\]) in the case of Region II above, and then we briefly describe. In the present case, from (\[iiya\]) with (\[ineq1\]), the condition $y \leq x_0$ yields $$( 1 \leq ) y = x \leq \frac{A + 2}{5} \, ,
\label{condD1}$$ which is the counterpart of (\[jyouB2\]). From (\[condD1\]) we have $A \leq 3$. We recall here (\[4.3d\]).
: In this region, $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0)$ in (\[tilome1\]) satisfies $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) \geq \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0 =
(A + B + 4) / 9)$, and the function $\tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0 = (A +
B + 4) / 9) - \tilde{\Omega}_x \, (\equiv \Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A,
B))$ is a polynomial in $A$ and $B$. It can be shown that, in the region of our interest, this function decreases monotonically in $B$. Since $B \leq 2 (2 A - 1)/5$, $\Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A, B) \geq
\Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A, B = 2 (2 A - 1)/5)$, which is polynomial in $A$. This polynomial increases monotonically with increasing $(3
\leq) \, A$ and $\Delta_x \hat{\Omega} (A, B = 2 (2 A - 1)/5) \geq
0$. The equality holds at $A = 3$ and then $B = 2$, where $\hat{\Omega} - \Omega_y > 0$.
: In this region, $\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0) \geq
\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}_{II} (x_0 = (A + 2) / 5)$ $(\equiv \Delta_y
\hat{\Omega} (A, B))$, which increases monotonically with increasing $B$. Since $2 (2 A - 1) / 5 < B$, $\Delta_y \hat{\Omega} (A, B) \geq
\Delta_y \hat{\Omega} (A, B = 2 (2 A - 1) / 5)$, which is a polynomial in $A$. This polynomial increases with increasing $(3
\leq) \, A$ and is positive.
Region IIID
-----------
In this region, $\Omega (x, y) \geq \Omega ( x_0, y)$ (Eq. (\[potential2\])): $$\Omega ( x_0, y) = - \frac{x_0^2}{3} + x_0 + \frac{4}{3} y^3 - B
(y^2 - 1) - A \, ,
\label{omega1}$$ where $x_0$ is as in (\[iiya\]).
Using (\[ineq1\]), the condition $1 < x_0 < y$ yield $$\mbox{Max} \left( 1, \frac{A}{5} \right) < y < \frac{A + 1}{4} \, ,
\label{sibari}$$ from which we can restrict to the region $A \leq 3$ because $1 \leq
y$.
Ignoring the explicit form of $x_0$, we analyze the function $\Omega
(x_0, y)$. Since $\Omega (x_0, y)$ monotonically decreases with increasing $(1 \leq) \, x_0$, $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega (x_0, y) & > & \Omega (x_0 = y, y) = y^3 - B (y - 1) + y - A
\nonumber \\
& \equiv & \tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y) \, . \end{aligned}$$ For $B \leq 2$, $\tilde{\Omega}$ monotonically increases with increasing $(1 \leq ) y$, and then $\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y) \geq
\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y = 1) = 2 - A \geq \tilde{\Omega}_x$.
For $2 \leq B$, $\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y)$ is minimum at $$\begin{aligned}
y_0 & = & \frac{1}{3} \left( B + \sqrt{B^2 - 3} \right) \, ,
\nonumber \\
\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y_0) & = & - \frac{2}{27} (B^2 - 3) \left(
B + \sqrt{B^2 - 3} \right) + \frac{10}{9} B - A \, . \end{aligned}$$ For $y < y_0$ $(y_0 < y)$, $\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y)$ monotonically decreases (increases) with increasing $y$. From (\[sibari\]), $y
\leq (A + 1)/4$. Solving $y_0 (B = B_0) = (A + 1) / 4$ for $B$, we obtain $$B_0 (A) = \frac{1}{8 (A + 1)} \left[ 3 (A + 1)^2 + 3 (A + 1) +
16 \right] \, ,$$ which is an increasing function of $(3 <) A$. Then, $$\left\{
\begin{array}{ll}
\mbox{For} \, B \leq B_0 (A) \, , \;\;\; & y_0 \leq (A + 1) / 4
\, , \\
\mbox{For} \, B_0 (A) < B \, , \;\;\; & (A + 1) / 4 < y_0 \, ,
\end{array}
\right.$$
### Region: $\, 2 \leq B \leq B_0 (A)$ $(3 \leq A)$ {#region-2-leq-b-leq-b_0-a-3-leq-a .unnumbered}
We first analyze $\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega} \geq A^3/27 +
\tilde{\Omega} (A, B_0; y_0 (B_0))$. Numerical computation shows that $A^3/27 + \tilde{\Omega} (A, B_0; y_0 (B_0)) \leq 0$ for $A <
4.173...$. Then, we analyze $\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}$ for $A \leq
4.18$: $$\begin{aligned}
\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y_0) & \geq & \Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}
(A = 4.18, B; y_0) \nonumber \\
& = & \frac{B^3}{12} + \frac{19}{9} B - \frac{4}{27} B (B^2 - 3) -
\frac{5}{3} - 4.18 \, . \end{aligned}$$ It can easily be seen that this polynomial is positive for $A \leq 3
\leq 4.18$.
### Region: $\, B_0 (A) \leq B$ $(3 \leq A)$ {#region-b_0-a-leq-b-3-leq-a .unnumbered}
In this case, $$\begin{aligned}
\tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y) & \geq & \tilde{\Omega} (A, B; y = (A + 1)
/ 4) \nonumber \\
& = & \frac{(A + 1)^3}{64} - \frac{3}{4} (A + 1) + 1 - \frac{1}{16}
\left[ (A + 1)^2 - 16 \right] B \, . \end{aligned}$$ >From this, we see that $\Delta_x \tilde{\Omega} \leq 0$ for $$\begin{aligned}
B & \geq & \frac{1}{108} \left( 91 (A + 1) - 192 + \frac{352}{A + 5}
\right) \nonumber \\
& \geq & \frac{1}{108} [ 91 (A + 1) - 192 ] \;\;\; \left( \equiv B_1
(A) \right) \, . \end{aligned}$$ Numerical computation shows that, for $A \leq A_0 = 4.396...$ $\; [
A_0 < A ]$, $B_1 \leq B_0$ $\; [ B_0 < B_1 ]$. Then, the region of our interest is as follows: $$\left\{
\begin{array}{ll}
\mbox{For} \, A \leq A_0 \, , \;\;\; & B_0 (A) \leq B
\, , \\
\mbox{For} \, A_0 < A \, , \;\;\; & B_1 (A) < B \, .
\end{array}
\right.$$ Now, we analyze $\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega}$ for $B_1 (A) \leq B$ and $B_0 (A) \leq B$, which is polynomial in $A$ and $B$. For $A + 1
\leq \sqrt{32}$, this polynomial monotonically increases with increasing $B$, while, for $\sqrt{32} < A + 1$, this polynomial takes minimum at $B = B_2 (A)$: $$B_2 (A) = \frac{1}{2} \sqrt{(A + 1)^2 - 32} \, .$$ : Numerical computation shows that, $$\left\{
\begin{array}{ll}
\mbox{For} \, A \leq A_2 = 9.84... \, , \;\;\; & B_2 \leq B_0 \, ,
\\
\mbox{For} \, A_2 < A \, , \;\;\; & B_0 < B_2 \, .
\end{array}
\right.$$ On the other hand, one can analytically show that $B_2 < B_1$. After all of this, we learn that the region (of $A$ and $B$) that should be analyzed is $(A_0, B_1) \leq (A, B)$. In this region, $\Delta_y
\tilde{\Omega} (A, B) > \Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} (A, B_1)$, which is polynomial in $A$. It is straightforward to show that this polynomial $\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} (A, B_1)$ is positive for $A_0
\leq A$.
: From the above analysis, we see that, for $A_0 \leq A \leq \sqrt{32} - 1$, $B_1 \leq B$, and, for $(3 \leq) A < A_0$, $B_0 < B$. In the former case, $\Delta_y
\tilde{\Omega}$ is polynomial in $A$ and is positive. In the latter case, $$\begin{aligned}
\Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} & \geq & \Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} (B = B_0)
\nonumber \\
& \geq & \Delta_y \tilde{\Omega} (B = B_0') \, ,
\label{qp}\end{aligned}$$ where $$B_0' (A) = \frac{1}{8} \left( 3 (A + 1) + 3 + \frac{16}{4.4 + 1}
\right) \;\; \left( < B_0 (A) \right) \, ,$$ which holds in the region under study. One can see that he last expression in (\[qp\]), which is polynomial in $A$, is positive in the region of interest.
Concluding remark
=================
We have studied the phase structure of the extended 3D Gross-Neveu model with 2d-spinor quarks. The following results are obtained.
[(I)]{} There does not appear the region where the quark-antiquark and diquark condensations coexist.
[(II)]{} The diquark condensed state is always energetically favored over the normal vacuum (see after (\[fav\])).
[(III)]{} From (I) and (II), we see that, for a given $q \bar{q}$ coupling constant $A$, there is the critical value, $B_c$ for the $q q$ coupling constant $B$: For $B \leq B_c$, $q \bar{q}$-condensed state is realized, while, for $B_c < B$, the $q q$-condensed state is realized.
Acknowledgement {#acknowledgement .unnumbered}
===============
I would like to thank M. Inui and H. Kohyama for useful discussions.
[99]{} T. Hatsuda and T. Kunihiro, Phys. Rep. [**247**]{} (1994), 221. Earlier works are quoted therein. T. M. Schwarz, S. P. Klevansky and G. Papp, Phys. Rev. [**C60**]{} (1999), 055205; B. Vanderheyden and A. D. Jackson, Phys. Rev. [**D62**]{} (2000), 094010. M. Huang, Int. J. Mod. Phys. [**E14**]{} (2005), 675; M. Buballa, Phys. Rep. [**407**]{} (2005), 205. D. J. Gross and A. Neveu, Phys. Rev. [**D10**]{} (1974), 3235. H. Kohyama, hep-ph/0706.1153, to be published in Phys. Rev. D.
| |
The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2019). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas The English master's programmes are designed to serve both as an autonomous degree for students wishing to pursue more advanced studies in English literature, and as a solid foundation for doctoral research. In line with the other MSt strands in the English Faculty, the MSt is made up of four elements: The descriptions below supply more detail on the A, B and C courses. The MSt programme is assessed via the submission of four pieces of coursework. In addition to the dissertation, you will submit three essays of 6,000 to 7,000 words â?? one at the end of the first term, and two at the end of the second term â?? relating to the B and C courses that have been taken. A. Core course: The Colonial, the Postcolonial, the World â?? Literature, Contexts and Approaches The â??Aâ?? course, which runs in Michaelmas term, comprises eight 1.5 to 2-hour seminars and is intended to provide a range of perspectives on some of the core debates, themes and issues shaping the study of world and postcolonial literatures in English. Each seminar will be led by a member of the Faculty of English or other relevant faculty and will include one or more short presentations from students on the weekâ??s topic. There is no assessed A course work, but students are asked to give at least one presentation on the course, and to attend all the seminars. The methodologies you will encounter on this course are intended to prepare you for situating your dissertation in a chosen field of research. You should read as much as possible of the bibliography over the summer â?? certainly the primary literary texts listed in the seminar reading for each week. B. Core course: Bibliography, theories of text, history of the book, manuscript studies This is a compulsory, assessed course, taught via a range of lectures and seminars in each of the first two terms. The B-course for the MSt in World Literature strand introduces students to the methodologies and theories of bibliography, manuscript studies, textual scholarship, and book history framed within the broad concerns and methodologies of world literature book history and the emergence and institutionalisation of the categories of world and postcolonial literature within global and local literary spaces and the publishing industry. The course begins in Michaelmas with a general introduction to theories and methodologies of material textual scholarship (â??Material Texts 1800-presentâ??) alongside an introduction to manuscript study and archive use in world literature (â??Material Methodologyâ??). In late Michaelmas and Hilary it moves on to specific discussion of the institutions of world literature, culminating in student presentations and feedback on the B course essay project in weeks 3-6 of Hilary term. C. Special options Students are able to choose from â??Câ?? course options concerned specifically with World Literatures, as well as from any other â??Câ?? course options on offer in the English MSt. D. Dissertation You will write a 10,000 to 11,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice, but related to the work you have been doing over the year. You will be assigned to a member of academic staff who will act as your supervisor.
Quer saber se pode entrar nesta Universidade? | https://www.okstudent.com.br/curso/?id=49602 |
KI key objectives are to promote the understanding and implementation of the constitution. It has conducted various civic education activities across the country with the aim of informing and educating the public on key provisions of the constitution including rights, citizenship and leadership and Integrity. Article 10 of the constitution demands for inclusivity and public participation not only in interpretation and application of the constitution but also in the development and implementation of public policy and also in the. The constitution is transformative in nature and entitles citizens to a myriad of socio-economic and political benefits. It is therefore important that the electorate is informed on the promises of the constitution and further, empowered to exercise their rights, freedoms and duties towards the realization of a peaceful, just and democratic society.
Through its Civic Education and Community Engagement programme Katiba Institute envisages a citizenry that is well equipped to participate in policy making processes at both the national and county level. It also desires to facilitate continuous education and information on the constitution to enable community driven initiatives that protect and promote the constitutional implementation process. Past activities have focused on community based constitutional trainings across the country which have attracted representation from diverse groups of change agents including representatives of community based organizations, paralegals and members of county assemblies.
c) Enhance civic participation in social transformation through constitutional principles.
The provisions of the constitution are largely new to most Kenyans. It is for this reason that continued civic education is necessary to ensure that all citizens are aware of their privileges and obligations under the document. Local level institutions in particular have a bigger burden in civic education given their proximity to and frequency in interaction with the grassroots communities. Their capacity to conduct timely, regular and informative civic education is however dependent on their level of understanding of the constitution. Given its desire for public participation in constitutional implementation especially at the grassroots, KI focuses on building the capacity of local level institution by providing them with information and resources on the constitution, partnering with them and utilizing their networks in the dissemination of such constitutional information across the country.
To ensure consistency and sustainability of its civic education activities, KI has developed a wide reaching and representative TOT programme with participants drawn from all 47 counties. The selected trained trainers are equipped with tools and knowledge on the constitution and are used to enhance constitutional knowledge in their areas of residence.
The production and dissemination of information on the constitution is crucial in civic education. Books, pamphlets, easy guides are some of the materials KI produces to enhance constitutional education. | http://www.katibainstitute.org/what-we-do/partnerships-community-outreach/ |
Agriculture is one of California’s leading industries, and demand for agricultural workers continues to increase throughout California. St. Helena is central to the Napa Valley region. Napa is one of California's smallest, but best-known counties, largely because of its 40,000 acres of vineyards and 280 wineries. Napa County once produced many different crops but today is known for its famous winegrapes and the wine industry at large. The region’s reputation continues to grow as a tourist destination. Napa Valley is visited by as many as 5 million people each year, making it the second most popular tourist destination in California, second only to Disneyland. The Agricultural pathways at SHHS prepare students to work throughout the region in addition to the numerous other agricultural areas of California.
History of St. Helena High School Ag Department & FFA
The St. Helena Unified School District offered Agriculture Education from 1941 until 1970. The Administration abolished the program in 1970, at a time when vocational education and agriculture were considered old fashioned and unimportant in public schools, and state budget cuts made it hard to keep special programs in the public schools. In the mid-1990’s, a local group of SHHS alumni from the 60’s and 70’s got together and began to explore the idea of reviving the program in St. Helena. There was an incredible amount of interest and support in the community to bring the program back to SHHS. A committee was formed to raise funds through grants and community donations and to research facility and staffing needs for the rebirth of the program. In 2000, the District and many devoted industry partners renewed their commitment to the Agriculture curriculum by reopening the department at the high school. The revived program started with one teacher and approximately 40 students and has grown to a staff of three and enrollment of over half of the student population each year.
FFA Mission
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education.
St. Helena Unified School District Career Technical Education (CTE) Plan
CTE is recognized by the St. Helena Unified School District as an integral part of the school curriculum. CTE motivates students by engaging them in problem solving and providing them with opportunities for hands-on activities that allow them to apply knowledge and skills. Established links with parents, community organizations, and potential employers in community-based industries, ROP, community colleges and post-secondary programs, and universities enable students to not only apply classroom skills and knowledge but provide opportunities for collaboration with people of the same career interests on a variety of levels. CTE reinforces concepts through practical application. It has been demonstrated that students involved in CTE programs have improved retention and achievement in school as well as improved opportunities for employment. Not all students are college bound, and CTE offers an alternative while providing the opportunity to prepare for college if desired. Programs must be academically rigorous while remaining relevant to the students’ needs and interests. Students must be prepared to apply academic and technical skills in solving real world problems.
Vision
CTE is a vital, progressive, and rigorous part of the total education system that provides students with life skills and prepares them for continuing success in the global economy.
Mission
CTE is an integral part of all students’ education (7-12) with programs that offer strong educational requirements linked with community based experiences leading to industry standard certificates and/or post-secondary preparation. This curriculum will provide resources that ensure students’ success in life and in work.
Goals
- Promote the positive image of Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- Provide relevant and focused professional development for instructors.
- Maintain effective partnerships to promote development of a regional and state workforce.
- Develop and utilize rigorous, progressive, and research-based CTE curricula.
- Recruit and retain highly qualified CTE teachers and administrators.
- Increase the academic skills of CTE students.
- Exceed the requirements of state and federal legislation.
- Improve articulation with post-secondary education.
- Enhance and support the use of technology.
Some Highlights of FFA in St. Helena
- Livestock enterprises in the areas of Market Hogs, Market Lambs, and Market Goats – raised for auction at the Napa Town & Country Fair, plus County and State Fairs
- Pumpkin Patch Enterprise and Farm Stand
- Ag Mechanics Auction and Rib Feed Fundraiser
- New and improved facilities on the SHHS campus (classrooms, labs, shop, and barn) and Phelps farm (barn and 3 acres for planting crops)
- Leadership Conferences such as Greenhand, Made for Excellence, Advanced Leadership Academy, and Sacramento Leadership Experience
- State Leadership Conference in Fresno
- National FFA Convention Trip in Louisville KT or Indianapolis, IN
- Leadership Tour of Washington, DC Trip
- Public Speaking and Career Development competitions throughout the Region/State
- Scholarships and degree programs
FFA Activities
FFA is an intra-curricular, national youth organization, the largest in the world, for all students studying agriculture education. The mission of this organization is to promote and develop student’s potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success.
- Greenhand, Chapter, Sectional, Regional and State Officer Team
- Degree and Proficiency Awards Ceremony
- Kindergartners at the Farm, Harvest, FFA Week
- Spring Awards Banquet
- Social Activities – Chapter and Sectional Activities
- Leadership Meetings and Events
Leadership & Communication Development
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Public Speaking Skills
- Public Relation Skills
- Team Building
- Cooperative Learning
- Develop Interpersonal Skills
- Officer Development
Travel
- Recreation Trips
- College Visits
- Field Trips
- Competitive Skills Field Days
- Leadership Conferences Throughout the U.S.
Facilities
- Greenhouse
- Zinfandel Vineyard
- School Farm
- Livestock Facilities
- 3-acre Pumpkin Patch
- Agriscience Building
- Floral and Plant Science Building
- Agriculture Mechanics Shop
Can Assist in Providing
- Part-Time Employment or Experience Employment
- Recommendations – College or Job
- Financing and Scholarships
- Involvement in School, Community, State, and National Activities
Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shffa
Interested, but not sure where to begin? Drop in to see teachers Randy Mendes (Bldg G), Judy Aschwanden (Bldg H), or Sarah Herdell (Bldg K). They would be glad to share more with you! | https://ca50000465.schoolwires.net/Page/444 |
Our research focuses on the regulation of vesicle trafficking mechanisms in plant cells. Our goal is to understand how cells control the flow of proteins and specialized metabolites between different cellular compartments. We are currently working on the following projects:
Endosomal sorting of membrane proteins for degradation:
Cells are able to interact with other cells and their environment through molecules located in their surface and therefore, it is critical for a cell to be able to control the protein composition of its plasma membrane. We are analyzing the mechanisms that mediate the recognition and degradation of plasma membrane proteins in plants. These mechanisms allow cells to control the abundance of key plasma membrane proteins involved in cell signaling, growth, and development, such as activated receptors, hormone transporters, and ion channels. The degradation of plasma membrane proteins is mediated by membrane-bound organelles called endosomes. Plasma membrane proteins internalized by endocytosis are sorted for degradation in endosomes called multivesicular endosomes (MVEs). We are focusing on understanding how endocytosed plasma membrane proteins, such as activated receptors, auxin transporters, and ion channels, are recognized in endosomes and sorted for degradation. Soluble proteins that are not anchored into membranes can be degraded by cytoplasmic proteases that belong to the 26S-proteasome degradation pathway. But how does a cell degrade a protein that is inserted in the plasma membrane? Most plasma membrane proteins are flagged for degradation at the plasma membrane by ubiquitination. ESCRT proteins recognize ubiquitinated membrane proteins and sort them into intraluminal vesicles, giving rise to MVEs. When MVE fuse with lysosomes/vacuoles, the endosomal vesicles are released in the vacuolar lumen and degraded.
Simplified overview of endocytic and endosomal trafficking. ESCRT, Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport; Ub, ubiquitin.
Delivery of seed storage proteins to the vacuole:
Another research area in my laboratory is the transport and post-translational processing of storage proteins in different cell types of the corn kernel. We have found that the same storage proteins undergo different trafficking pathways in different cell types of the corn endosperm (the tissue that stores most of the starch and proteins found in the corn kernel). This has very important implications in agriculture since the trafficking pathways and cellular accumulation sites have drastic effects on post-translational modifications of storage proteins, affecting their antigenicity and digestibility for human and livestock consumption, kernel texture, and yield. We are monitoring the trafficking pathways of these proteins using live-cell imaging; to this end we have developed a method for generating transgenic endosperms in vitro. In addition, we have performed extensive electron tomography analysis of endosperm cells. We have found that a novel, ATG8-independent autophagic mechanism mediates the delivery of storage proteins to vacuoles in endosperm cells. In collaboration with Richard Vierstra at Washington University in St Louis (https://wubio.wustl.edu/people/richard-d-vierstra), we are analyzing canonical and non-canonical (ATG8-independent) trafficking mechanism in maize.
Storage protein transport in maize aleurone cells: Electron tomographic reconstruction of a developing maize aleurone cell containing vacuoles with large aggregates of storage proteins (red) and intravacuolar membranes (green). Mitochondria (gold), plastids (green), lipid bodies (blue), and ribosomes (grey) are abundant in the cytoplasm (from Reyes et al. 2011 Plant Cell).
Trafficking of anthocyanins:
In contrast to the extensive knowledge available on plant metabolism, we know very little how plants transport toxic or highly reactive chemicals from their site of synthesis to where they are ultimately stored. Proper trafficking and storage of plant compounds (phytochemicals) is often a bottleneck in efforts aimed at the rationale engineering of plant metabolism. Thus, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in phytochemical trafficking is of the utmost significance. In collaboration with Erich Grotewold (Ohio State University), we are analyzing the subcellular compartmentalization of anthocyanin biosynthesis and storage. We have developed imaging approaches based on the fluorescence decay of anthocyanins to identify anthocyanin subcellular pools in living cells.
Analysis of anthocyanin trafficking in Arabidopsis. (A) single section and (B) three-dimensional reconstruction of anthocyanin vacuolar inclusions (AVI) in the 5gt mutant. The AVI membrane is depicted in orange and the tonoplast in light yellow. The partial detachment of the tonoplast from the AVI membrane generates lobes indicated by asterisks. AA, anthocyanin aggregates (from Chanoca et al 2015, Plant Cell). (C) Steady-steady fluorescence image and pseudo-colored image (D) according to the anthocyanin fluorescence lifetime values of Arabidopsis cotyledon pavement cells. Color map corresponds to τm, ranging from 140ps to 550ps (from Chanoca et al 2016, Plant J.)
Membrane structuring proteins
Thousands of signaling membrane proteins co-exist at the plasma membrane and other membranous organelles in cells. How do the signaling partners find each other in a sea of membrane lipids? One mechanism cells use for confining membrane proteins to specific domains in a continuous lipid bilayer is through membrane structuring proteins that establish protein networks or webs. Tetraspanins (TETs) are evolutionary-conserved, integral membrane proteins with membrane-structuring functions. By interacting with each other and with other membrane proteins, such as signaling receptors and adhesion molecules, TET-enriched modules (also called TET webs) bring into physical proximity the multiple components that mediate intercellular signaling during development and specific responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. We are analyzing the function of TET and TET-like proteins in Arabidopsis to understand their role in cell signaling and plant development. | https://otegui.cellimaging.wisc.edu/projects/ |
******************************************************
The ‘‘officially released’’ date that appears near the
beginning of each opinion is the date the opinion will
be published in the Connecticut Law Journal or the
date it was released as a slip opinion. The operative
date for the beginning of all time periods for filing
postopinion motions and petitions for certification is
the ‘‘officially released’’ date appearing in the opinion.
In no event will any such motions be accepted before
the ‘‘officially released’’ date.
All opinions are subject to modification and technical
correction prior to official publication in the Connecti-
cut Reports and Connecticut Appellate Reports. In the
event of discrepancies between the electronic version
of an opinion and the print version appearing in the
Connecticut Law Journal and subsequently in the Con-
necticut Reports or Connecticut Appellate Reports, the
latest print version is to be considered authoritative.
The syllabus and procedural history accompanying
the opinion as it appears on the Commission on Official
Legal Publications Electronic Bulletin Board Service
and in the Connecticut Law Journal and bound volumes
of official reports are copyrighted by the Secretary of
the State, State of Connecticut, and may not be repro-
duced and distributed without the express written per-
mission of the Commission on Official Legal
Publications, Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut.
******************************************************
GREENWALD v. VAN HANDEL—DISSENT
EVELEIGH, J., dissenting. I respectfully dissent. The
majority holds that the plaintiff in this malpractice
action, Lee Greenwald, cannot pursue his case because
‘‘it clearly would violate public policy to impose a duty
on the defendant [David Van Handel] to protect the
plaintiff from injuries arising from his potential criminal
prosecution for the illegal downloading, viewing and/
or possession of child pornography.’’ I disagree with
the majority’s conclusion on several grounds.
First, I believe that the wrongful conduct rule is ill
suited for tort actions. That rule originated as an equita-
ble defense in contract law under the Latin phrase ex
turpi causa non oritur actio, which means ‘‘no cause
of action can arise out of an illegal or immoral induce-
ment.’’ Gagne v. Vaccaro, 255 Conn. 390, 407, 766 A.2d
416 (2001); see also Black’s Law Dictionary (8th Ed.
2004). In my view, this rule is contrary to Connecticut
tort law in that it vitiates the principles of proximate
cause and comparative negligence. Indeed, if the plain-
tiff’s conduct is so offensive to our public policy, let the
defendant establish the plaintiff’s conduct as a special
defense and allow a jury to evaluate the nature of the
wrongdoing. There are many instances involving a
plaintiff’s conduct that members of the community
would no doubt find odious, such as drunk driving, but
we do not bar plaintiffs who engage in such conduct
from bringing an action in an attempt to justify their
entitlement to damages to a jury. For example, if a
drunk driver is stopped at a stop sign and subsequently
rear-ended, our law allows the drunk driver to bring an
action for damages. The defendant can establish the
drunk driving as a special defense.
Second, the adoption of the wrongful conduct rule,
under these circumstances, would create a body of law
that is both inconsistent in its application and insuffi-
cient as a guide to trial courts confronted with the issue.
For instance, when does a court decide that behavior
is so wrongful that the action must be dismissed? Is it
a matter for this court to decide on a case-by-case basis?
How will a trial court know to dismiss a case in the
future, unless the case involves child pornography?
Third, in my view, the ruling is contrary to an already
established state policy allowing malpractice cases
when the plaintiff has procured a good faith certificate
letter pursuant to General Statutes § 52-190a. Indeed,
if the legislature had intended for a certain class of
people to have their malpractice actions barred even
if they could establish malpractice, it could have easily
set forth the barred class or classes in the statute. In
this action, the plaintiff obtained a good faith certificate
establishing malpractice, yet we are now depriving him
of the opportunity of a trial by jury. In this case, the
plaintiff is claiming that his ‘‘habit’’ of viewing child
pornography while he was a minor was not properly
treated and that he still has the problem as an adult.
What if a physician prescribed too much medication
and, as a result, a person became addicted to drugs to
the point that he or she either possessed or sold drugs?
Would we now say that either the possession or sale
of drugs is so wrongful that a malpractice action against
the physician would not survive? Does the reasoning
of our opinion today apply with equal force to all per-
sons who have been unsuccessfully treated for an addic-
tion to the point that, even where a health care
professional is of the opinion that the medical profes-
sional in the case has violated professional standards,
the conduct involved in the addiction is so ‘‘wrongful’’
there can be no cause of action? Have we now, in effect,
created a new immunity for professionals involved in
the treatment of individuals addicted to child pornogra-
phy, drugs, gambling, alcohol, or a myriad of other
addictions, because the conduct involved in those
addictions is so wrongful? If not, how do we decide
where the line is to be drawn? All of the conduct associ-
ated with such addictions is proscribed by state statute.
Where does this court differentiate between the offen-
sive conduct in violation of a state statute that prohibits
a malpractice action and the offensive conduct in viola-
tion of a state statute that does not bar a malpractice
action? I believe that we now enter an area known as
the impenetrable ‘‘Serbonian bog’’ where the precise
lines of legal jurisprudence are never clear. See Matara-
zzo v. Rowe, 225 Conn. 314, 318 n.3, 623 A.2d 470 (1993)
(‘‘ ‘[a] gulf profound, as that Serbonian bog Betwixt
Damiata and Mount Casius old, [w]here armies whole
have sunk’ ’’), quoting J. Milton, Paradise Lost, bk. 2,
ll. 592–94. Rather, at any given time, the lines will change
in the direction of the wind.
Fourth, assuming, arguendo, that the majority is cor-
rect in holding that Connecticut’s public policy bars the
plaintiff’s claims related to the criminal investigation
and prosecution, this complaint reads as a standard
malpractice case with claims seeking damages for fur-
ther medical bills and treatment as the result of the
defendant’s breach of the standard of care. In my view,
regardless of whether the plaintiff should be barred
from recovering for injuries arising from his criminal
prosecution, the other claims should have survived the
motion to strike. For these reasons, I cannot join the
majority opinion and most respectfully dissent.
I
The majority’s conclusion that the plaintiff’s claims
are barred because of the nature of his behavior runs
contrary to the well established principles of our tort
law. During the first part of the twentieth century we
recognized that a person ‘‘is not barred of redress for
an injury suffered by himself, nor liable for an injury
suffered by another, merely because he is a law-
breaker.’’ Munroe v. Hartford Street Railway Co., 76
Conn. 201, 206, 56 A. 498 (1903). Thus, when the driver
of a milk wagon left his horse and wagon unattended,
in violation of a city ordinance, and the wagon was
on the tracks of the defendant’s railroad when it was
subsequently struck by one of the defendant’s cars
being operated at a high rate of speed, we stated that
‘‘[i]n doing an unlawful act a person does not necessarily
put himself outside the protection of the law.’’ Id. This
court further explained that ‘‘[i]n actions to recover for
injuries not intentionally inflicted but resulting from a
breach of duty which another owes to the party
injured—commonly classed as actions for negligence—
the fact that the plaintiff or defendant at the time of
the injury was a lawbreaker may possibly be relevant as
an incidental circumstance, but is otherwise immaterial
unless the act of violating the law is in itself a breach
of duty to the party injured in respect to the injury
suffered.’’ Id. Since 1890, this court recognized the fact
that ‘‘the rule applicable to negligence and to illegal
acts on the part of the plaintiff is precisely the same.’’
Broschart v. Tuttle, 59 Conn. 1, 20, 21 A. 925 (1890).
Further, in Hoelter v. Mohawk Service, Inc., 170 Conn.
495, 503, 365 A.2d 1064 (1976), we stated that ‘‘[i]t may
safely be stated that [a]ll authorities agree that plaintiffs
in tort actions may so conduct themselves as to bar
recovery for injuries suffered by them. This recovery-
barring conduct, while given different labels, is ofttimes
treated within the general concept of contributory negli-
gence.’’ (Internal quotation marks omitted.) ‘‘[T]he prin-
ciples which determine the relation of the negligent
conduct in the one case, or the illegal act in the other,
to the resulting injury as a proximate cause, are the
same.’’ Monroe v. Hartford Street Railway Co., supra,
207. Thus, the plaintiff’s involvement in illegal activity
did not bar recovery under contributory negligence
when there was a lack of causation between the activity
and the injuries. Bagre v. Daggett Chocolate Co., 126
Conn. 659, 664–65, 13 A.2d 757 (1940) (participation in
illegal bingo game did not preclude action against candy
manufacturer for injuries sustained while eating candy);
see also Kurtz v. Morse Oil Co., 114 Conn. 336, 341–42,
158 A. 906 (1932) (minor decedent’s conduct driving
underage and without license did not preclude estate’s
recovery); 4 Restatement (Second), Torts § 889 (1979)
(recovery not barred ‘‘merely because at the time of
the interference he was committing a tort or a crime’’).
I see no reason why we should stray from these well
established principles.
If the plaintiff brought about his own misfortune and
was more than 50 percent negligent, the defendant
would have been successful in establishing a special
defense and a verdict would be rendered in favor of
the defendant. To conclude that it was proper to grant
a motion to strike because this court finds the plaintiff’s
behavior so abhorrent that it violates the public policy
of this state runs counter, in my view, to both the law
of torts and principles of comparative negligence and
proximate cause. In effect, the position adopted by the
majority establishes that someone who engages in child
pornography cannot bring an action against the thera-
pist who treated him regardless of the nature of that
treatment. Thus, in my view, the majority’s position
reverts this state to the old principle of contributory
negligence, a doctrine which operated as a complete
bar to recovery where the plaintiff was even 1 percent
negligent. See Williams Ford, Inc. v. Hartford Courant
Co., 232 Conn. 559, 585, 657 A.2d 212 (1995). The major-
ity is imposing its opinion of what is the public policy
of this state, such that an otherwise valid malpractice
case cannot be presented to the jury. In effect, the
majority holds that the plaintiff’s conduct must have
been at least 51 percent negligent so that he could never
recover under these circumstances.
Our legislature has, however, abolished the doctrine
of contributory negligence and established the doctrine
of comparative negligence, indicating that a plaintiff
can still recover if he was even 50 percent negligent.
See General Statutes § 52-572h (b). Nowhere in the com-
parative negligence statute, however, did the legislature
determine that either certain types of conduct or certain
classes of people would not be subject to the compara-
tive negligence doctrine. The wrongful conduct rule
adopted by the majority today undermines this system
by shifting the responsibility for determining the nature
of the conduct of the parties away from the jury. We are,
in effect, as argued by the Connecticut Trial Lawyers
Association in its amicus brief (amicus brief), simply
reviving ‘‘the old doctrine of contributory negligence
. . . under a pseudonym.’’ This result conflicts with the
policy and intent of our comparative negligence statute.
This result, in my view, inappropriately circumvents
and frustrates the legislature’s purposeful mandate to
abolish those doctrines that result in a complete bar to
recovery. In this ruling, we are establishing the public
policy of the state for civil cases involving child pornog-
raphy, when the legislature has proscribed the conduct
as a crime, but has not proscribed the conduct in a civil
action. In my view, when we engage in such a scattered
approach to public policy considerations we are over-
reaching our boundaries and setting a dubious
precedent.
It is axiomatic that causation is essential to any mal-
practice action. See Boone v. William W. Backus Hospi-
tal, 272 Conn. 551, 575, 864 A.2d 1 (2005). Proximate
cause is determined by the substantial factor test—
whether harm was ‘‘of the same general nature as the
foreseeable risk created by the defendant’s negligence.’’
(Internal quotation marks omitted.) Monk v. Temple
George Associates, LLC, 273 Conn. 108, 124, 869 A.2d
179 (2005); see also Barry v. Quality Steel Products,
Inc., 263 Conn. 424, 441 n.17, 820 A.2d 258 (2003). A
plaintiff’s conduct does not break the chain of causation
unless it was unforeseeable. This is because criminal
or tortious acts may be foreseeable and within the scope
of risk created by a defendant’s conduct. Craig v. Dris-
coll, 262 Conn. 312, 331–33, 813 A.2d 1003 (2003). Proxi-
mate cause is generally a factual determination for the
jury. Label Systems Corp. v. Aghamohammadi, 270
Conn. 291, 321, 852 A.2d 703 (2004).
The majority correctly states that ‘‘[t]he trial court
in this case did not address the issue of foreseeability,
although it was raised as part of an alternative ground
in the defendant’s motion to strike. This court fre-
quently has noted, however, that we are not required
to address the [issue of] foreseeability if we determine,
based on . . . public policy . . . that no duty of care
existed. Neuhaus v. DeCholnoky, 280 Conn. 190, 218,
905 A.2d 1135 (2006); see also Ryan Transportation,
Inc. v. M & G Associates, 266 Conn. 520, 529, 832 A.2d
1180 (2003); Gomes v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 258
Conn. 603, 618 n.11, 783 A.2d 462 (2001).’’ (Internal
quotation marks omitted.)
In my view, it is important to analyze this quote in
the context of the cases cited. Neuhaus was a medical
malpractice case concerning the issue of whether the
plaintiffs’ complaints against the defendants were time
barred, or whether the statute of repose was tolled with
respect to either of the defendants by the continuing
course of conduct doctrine. In that case, we held that
‘‘[g]iven the fact that [the plaintiff] ceased to be under
[the defendants’] care subsequent to his birth, we agree
with the Appellate Court’s analysis and conclude that,
as a matter of public policy, [the defendant] did not
have a duty to warn [the plaintiff] of the known health
risks flowing from a diagnosis of respiratory distress
syndrome.’’ Neuhaus v. DeCholnoky, supra, 280 Conn.
218. Thus, the question in Neuhaus was whether the
court would impose a duty on the physician to warn
the patient after the termination of the doctor-patient
relationship.
Further, in Ryan Transportation, Inc., the plaintiff
did not allege any relationship with the defendant
beyond that of their commercial cotenancy. We held
that ‘‘[i]n light of our determination that there did not
exist a relationship involving [the defendant’s] custody
of or control over the plaintiff that would warrant the
imposition of a duty to protect the plaintiff from third
party conduct, we need not address the issue of foresee-
ability.’’ Ryan Transportation, Inc. v. M & G Associates,
supra, 266 Conn. 529. Again, we looked to the nature of
the initial relationship in order to determine the public
policy consideration.
Gomes involved a claim against a hotel clerk and
her employers for the clerk’s actions in, as alleged,
negligently preventing a hotel guest from ‘‘ ‘rendering
aid to the plaintiffs.’ ’’ Gomes v. Commercial Union
Ins. Co., supra, 258 Conn. 605. We held that, if we
allowed such a cause of action, ‘‘we would be shifting
the loss to parties who were not responsible for the
plaintiffs’ property damage. We note that our determina-
tion that public policy reasons militate against imposing
a duty of care on the hotel defendants is a fact-bound
determination and pertains only to the specific facts of
this case.’’ Id., 618. I note that Gomes cited, as authority
for this conclusion, Lodge v. Arett Sales Corp., 246
Conn. 563, 572, 717 A.2d 215 (1998), a case in which
this court concluded that an alarm company did not
owe a duty to firefighters injured as a result of the
transmission of a false alarm, and a case which, unlike
Gomes, was determined by a jury. In Lodge, We noted
that our conclusion that the ‘‘imposition of liability . . .
would be unreasonable [was] not based on a conclusion
that the defendants [were] entitled to immunity because
of their socially beneficial function. Rather, it [was]
a fact-bound determination based on the attenuation
between the plaintiffs’ harm and the defendants’ con-
duct.’’ Id., 585 n.16.
The foregoing cases demonstrate that the duty under
consideration is the initial duty which may or may not
be owed to the plaintiff. In my view, in the present
case, there can be no question that during the years
the defendant was treating the plaintiff, while the plain-
tiff was a minor, the defendant owed the plaintiff a
duty to render his services pursuant to the applicable
standard of care. The fact that the plaintiff suffered
consequences years later after the alleged breach of
that duty, does not change the fact that the initial duty
existed. The majority certainly cannot contest the fact
that the defendant, a licensed clinical social worker,
owed a duty to the plaintiff during the treatment period.
The majority’s conclusion that, ‘‘in the present case,
the defendant owed the plaintiff no duty’’ due to public
policy considerations becomes particularly problematic
when the public policy considerations do not address
this initial treatment, but rather the later conduct.
I also wonder why, if the prior decisions of this court
cited by the majority constantly emphasize that the
public policy considerations were fact-based determi-
nations based upon the peculiar facts of the individual
cases, we are not waiting for a jury or fact finder to
determine the facts, instead of deciding those cases on
the underdeveloped record of either a motion to strike
or a summary judgment?
In my view, it is unnecessary for this court to adopt
the wrongful conduct rule. Whether a plaintiff’s illegal
or wrongful conduct will limit a defendant’s liability to
foreseeable and reasonable bounds is already part of
Connecticut’s proximate cause analysis. See Barry v.
Quality Steel Products, Inc., supra, 263 Conn. 440–41.
In the context of medical malpractice, this court
addressed the issue of a physician’s liability for a
patient’s suicide in Edwards v. Tardif, 240 Conn. 610,
692 A.2d 1266 (1997). Some may argue that the act of
suicide is both intentional and wrongful. This court held
in Edwards, however, that liability exists if the suicide
is a foreseeable risk or falls within the general scope
of risk created by the failure to follow the requisite
standard of care. Id., 618 n.7. We also noted in Edwards
that ‘‘we have recently adopted the standard set forth
in § 442B of the Restatement [(Second) of Torts] that
[w]here the negligent conduct of the actor creates or
increases the risk of a particular harm and is a substan-
tial factor in causing the harm, the fact that the harm
is brought about through the intervention of another
force does not relieve the actor of liability, except where
the harm is intentionally caused by a third person and
is not within the scope of the risk created by the actor’s
conduct.’’ (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Id., 617.
We further opined that ‘‘[p]hysicians have a duty to
exercise the degree of care that physicians in that partic-
ular field would exercise in similar circumstances. If
the physician’s treatment of the patient falls below the
relevant standard of care, liability may be imposed if
it is reasonably foreseeable that suicide will result if
such care is not taken. Accordingly, we hold that a
physician may be liable for a patient’s suicide when the
physician knew or reasonably should have known of
the risk of suicide and the physician’s failure to render
adequate care and treatment proximately causes the
patient’s suicide.’’ Id., 618.
The wrongful conduct rule effectively negates the
Edwards holding. It focuses solely upon the plaintiff’s
conduct thereby completely ignoring the scope of risk
analysis incorporated in Connecticut’s causation law.
I see little difference between our holding in Edwards
and the situation in this case. The plaintiff has already
obtained an opinion from a similar health care provider
that the defendant ‘‘appears to have committed medical
negligence by failing to meet the standard of care
required of a [l]icensed [c]linical [s]ocial [w]orker.’’
Therefore, if it was reasonably foreseeable that the
plaintiff would continue to engage in the conduct of
viewing child pornography, the health care professional
could be found liable. This is a jury determination. The
rule adopted by the majority suggests that, because the
plaintiff’s conduct was against public policy, he cannot
win regardless of the culpability of the health care pro-
fessional by whom he was treated. Our ruling, in my
view, is tantamount to rewriting § 52-190a and has the
effect of overruling, sub silentio, Edwards.
II
I also disagree with the holding of the majority opin-
ion because I think that the wrongful conduct rule is
ill suited to tort actions and does not provide adequate
guidance to trial courts. Commentators have described
the wrongful conduct rule as a ‘‘barbarous relic of the
worst there was in puritanism.’’ F. Harper et al., Torts
(2d Ed. 1986) § 17.6, pp. 617–18. Its resurrection has
been further condemned as follows: ‘‘[M]oral indigna-
tion must not be mistaken for public policy. . . . The
obscure equitable doctrine ex turpi causa non oritur
actio should not be used in a misguided attempt to
blunt the litigation crisis in the United States or other
western common-law nations. . . . The law—and tort
law especially—does not distribute compensation
based on who is a good person and who is not. The ex
turpi causa defense blurs the lines between our gut
hesitation to aid a wrongdoer and the more important
public policies underlying tort law, allowing the former
to exert undue influence. The doctrine leads the courts
to focus improperly upon the punctilios of the plaintiff
rather than the public policy factors that should under-
lie a reasoned assignment of legal responsibility.’’ (Foot-
notes omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) R.
Prentice, ‘‘Of Tort Reform and Millionaire Muggers:
Should An Obscure Equitable Doctrine Be Revived To
Dent the Litigation Crisis?’’ 32 San Diego L. Rev. 53,
132–33 (1995). ‘‘The serious misconduct doctrine oper-
ates not to produce predictability and certainty, but
perversely to inject chaos into the process and provide
fertile ground for exploitation and abuse.’’ J. King, ‘‘Out-
laws and Outlier Doctrines: The Serious Misconduct
Bar in Tort Law,’’ 43 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1011, 1018
(2002). ‘‘[A]s a freestanding doctrine, [it] lurks like a
rusting old tool in the crawl space beneath the core
tort elements and defenses. One is never quite sure
what its standing is or when its archaic blade will next
appear to dispatch a tort claim.’’ Id., 1063.
As set forth aptly in the amicus brief, several reasons
have been asserted as a basis for the rationale behind
the wrongful conduct rule, namely, that permitting such
actions would: (1) condone and encourage criminal
conduct; (2) allow the wrongdoer to profit from crimi-
nal conduct; (3) render the legal system as a mockery
of justice; and (4) allow wrongdoers to shift responsibil-
ity for the illegal acts on to other parties. In my view,
these reasons are not persuasive.
Adoption of the rule as a deterrent to criminal con-
duct is unrealistic. The rule’s application has been so
unpredictable that ‘‘no reasonable claim that ex turpi
causa will deter criminal action by plaintiffs can be
credibly made.’’ R. Prentice, supra, 32 San Diego L.
Rev. 114. Indeed, ‘‘most persons engaging in criminal
conduct do not expect to be injured in the process, at
least not by negligence, and therefore would seldom be
influenced by the thought of being barred from suing.’’ J.
King, supra, 43 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1045. Also, barring
tort recovery seems inconsequential when compared
to the deterrent effect of potential criminal sanctions.
Id. Consequently, the threat of criminal penalties serves
as a more effective deterrent for criminal conduct and,
therefore, the wrongful conduct rule does not add any
deterrent effect.
Likewise, ‘‘[t]he ‘may not profit’ rationale is conclu-
sory and unconvincing.’’ Id., 1044. Barring recovery
does not prevent a plaintiff from profiting from wrong-
doing. The basic purpose of tort law is ‘‘to restore an
injured party to the position he or she would have been
in if the wrong had not been committed.’’ (Internal
quotation marks omitted.) Rizzuto v. Davidson Lad-
ders, Inc., 280 Conn. 225, 248, 905 A.2d 1165 (2006). As
correctly noted in the amicus brief, ‘‘there is no profit
when one is simply made whole . . . .’’ (Internal quota-
tion marks omitted.)
‘‘Simply put, the moral characteristics of the parties
before a court have little or no relevance to that court’s
capacity to do justice or injustice.’’ R. Prentice, supra,
32 San Diego L. Rev. 122. Allowing a victim who was
engaged in illegal or wrongful conduct to receive com-
pensation due to injuries sustained through the negli-
gence of another does not taint the judicial process any
more than when a criminal’s conviction is overturned.
Id. Barring an alleged plaintiff’s negligence action, how-
ever, contaminates the court system by conferring
immunity on a tortfeasor merely because the tort was
done to someone engaged in illegal or wrongful con-
duct. See J. King, supra, 43 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1048.
As stated in the amicus brief, ‘‘[t]his is especially true
when a defendant’s negligent conduct proximately
causes the plaintiff’s injury by creating, or increasing,
the risk of foreseeable harm, despite the plaintiff’s ille-
gal or wrongful conduct. [The doctrines of both] proxi-
mate cause and comparative negligence serve to limit
a wrongdoer’s ability to completely shift responsibility
to others. The [wrongful] conduct rule does not operate
within this modern network. See, e.g., Sonoran Desert
Investigations, Inc. v. Miller, [213 Ariz. 274, 281, 141
P.3d 754 (App. 2006)]. The rule’s ultimate purpose is to
bar recovery. It does so by unjustifiably concentrating
solely on the plaintiff’s fault contrary to our legislative
scheme.’’ Therefore, I categorically reject the rationale
for the rule as being neither cogent nor in accord with
our state statutes. Where do we go from here? Is this
court to become the arbiter on a case-by-case basis
when conduct is so wrongful that a plaintiff should not
recover as a matter of public policy? At the very least,
should not the conduct relate to the claimed negligence?
I fear that we are opening the door to a doctrine that will
lead to inconsistent and, at times, unexplainable results.
Eleven other states have adopted the wrongful con-
duct rule in some form. Some of these states have
enacted statutes implementing the rule. For instance,
in California, pursuant to the personal responsibility
act codified in § 3333.3 of the California Civil Code
(Deering 2005), convicted felons are precluded from
recovering in negligence actions for injuries ‘‘in any
way proximately caused’’ during the commission of a
felony or during flight thereafter. See Jenkins v. Los
Angeles, 74 Cal. App. 4th 524, 527, 88 Cal. Rptr. 2d
149 (1999). Additionally, § 3333.4 of the California Civil
Code (Deering 2005) bars noneconomic, and other non-
pecuniary damages in automobile accidents if a plaintiff
is operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or
owned or operated a vehicle without proper insurance
or proof of financial responsibility. Oregon has also
enacted a statutory defense barring recovery in per-
sonal injury or death actions when the plaintiff was
engaged in a specific criminal activity. Or. Rev. Stat.
§ 31.180 (2013) (aggravated murder, murder, or class A
or B felony). A few of the other states would bar an
action ‘‘to those injured in the course of committing a
serious criminal act . . . .’’ (Citation omitted; internal
quotation marks omitted.) Izzo v. Manhattan Medical
Group, P.C., 164 App. Div. 2d 13, 18, 560 N.Y.S.2d 644
(1990); see Oden v. Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Decatur,
Inc., 621 So. 2d 953, 955 (Ala. 1993) (public policy rule
bars actions ‘‘that were a direct result of the injured
party’s knowing and intentional participation in a crime
involving moral turpitude’’); Rimet v. Mortell, 680
N.E.2d 867, 874 (Ind. App.) (plaintiff’s criminal conduct
resulting in conviction bars plaintiff from imposing lia-
bility on others), transfer denied, 690 N.E.2d 1185 (Ind.
1997); Izzo v. Manhattan Medical Group, P.C., supra,
18 (fact that decedent drug addict forged prescription
did not automatically bar wrongful death claim against
pharmacy under wrongful conduct rule because plain-
tiff ‘‘lacked the capacity to know that it was wrong to
forge prescriptions’’); Feltner v. Casey Family Pro-
gram, 902 P.2d 206, 208–10 (Wyo. 1995) (public policy
precludes plaintiff from recovering injuries sustained
as direct result of serious violation of law). I note that
Alabama still adheres to the contributory negligence
doctrine as a complete bar to recovery. See Ex parte
Goldsen, 783 So. 2d 53, 56 (Ala. 2000). Further, in Indi-
ana, contributory negligence bars a medical malpractice
case against a physician. Cavens v. Zaberdac, 849
N.E.2d 526, 528 n.2 (Ind. 2006).
Unquestionably, under the facts of this case, the doc-
trine would not apply in many of these states, particu-
larly the cases cited by the majority, because there is
no allegation that the claimed injuries occurred while
the plaintiff was in the course of committing a crime.
The complaint alleges that the plaintiff’s house was
searched and that he was waiting to hear if he was
going to be arrested, and what would happen to him if
he were found guilty. It further states that he will incur
medical bills in the future. There is no claim for damages
as the result of injuries sustained during the commission
of a crime. Moreover, at least in the states that have
proscribed the action by way of statute, the statute
provides clear guidance and a defined public policy as
adopted by the legislature. In this case, although the
conduct is clearly illegal, we have no clearly defined
public policy by way of statute, ordinance, or regulation
to the effect that the plaintiff cannot either recover or
at least bring a civil action.
I note that in the context of labor arbitration proceed-
ings, when we search for a well-defined state public
policy we look to criminal statutes, noncriminal stat-
utes, city charters, professional conduct regarding
attorneys, and administrative regulations. We have
stated, however, that ‘‘[r]ather than requiring that public
policy to be grounded on a particular type of source,
however, in determining whether a party has satisfied
its burden of demonstrating the existence of a well-
defined public policy, we have instead focused our
inquiry on whether the alleged public policy is in fact
clearly discernible in the purported source.’’ (Internal
quotation marks omitted.) AFSCME, Council 4, Local
1565 v. Dept. of Correction, 298 Conn. 824, 838, 6 A.3d
1142 (2010); see also State v. AFSCME, Council 4, Local
391, 309 Conn. 519, 526–27, 69 A.3d 927 (2013). In my
view, this is a matter for the legislature and this court
should not be engaged in proscribing certain actions
on a case-by-case basis, especially when there is no
clearly defined public policy contained in any source
that would bar civil actions under the facts of this case.
The rule adopted by the majority is particularly harsh
in the sense that it imposes an additional civil penalty—
namely, not being able to bring an action and recover
damages—on the already existing statutory scheme of
criminal sanctions. This outcome has been criticized
as severe because it results in unequal punishment. See
R. Prentice, supra, 32 San Diego L. Rev. 116–18. Because
the rule’s bar to recovery is not necessarily dependent
upon the degree of illegal or wrongful conduct, unequal
civil penalties can arise from identical misconduct. The
rule also operates without the traditional criminal sys-
tem safeguards. ‘‘It is questionable indeed whether it
is wise for the courts to assume the responsibility of
imposing such a sanction when the legislature has not
seen fit to do so.’’ F. Harper et al., supra, § 17.6, p. 618.
III
The majority’s holding runs contrary to § 52-190a.
Section 52-190a (a) provides in relevant part that: ‘‘No
civil action or apportionment complaint shall be filed
to recover damages resulting from personal injury or
wrongful death occurring on or after October 1, 1987,
whether in tort or in contract, in which it is alleged
that such injury or death resulted from the negligence
of a health care provider, unless the attorney or party
filing the action or apportionment complaint has made
a reasonable inquiry as permitted by the circumstances
to determine that there are grounds for a good faith
belief that there has been negligence in the care or
treatment of the claimant. The complaint, initial plead-
ing or apportionment complaint shall contain a certifi-
cate of the attorney or party filing the action or
apportionment complaint that such reasonable inquiry
gave rise to a good faith belief that grounds exist for
an action against each named defendant or for an appor-
tionment complaint against each named apportionment
defendant. To show the existence of such good faith,
the claimant or the claimant’s attorney, and any appor-
tionment complainant or the apportionment complain-
ant’s attorney, shall obtain a written and signed opinion
of a similar health care provider, as defined in section
52-184c, which similar health care provider shall be
selected pursuant to the provisions of said section, that
there appears to be evidence of medical negligence
and includes a detailed basis for the formation of such
opinion. . . .’’ There is no provision in this statute bar-
ring certain classes of plaintiffs who may have engaged
in certain misconduct. According to the terms of the
statute, if there is a good faith belief on the part of
the attorney or claimant and a good faith certificate is
attached, the claimant can pursue his action. In my
view, this statute represents the public policy of the
state regarding malpractice actions. We should not be
rewriting the statute to say that even if a person qualifies
under the terms of the statute, that person cannot bring
an action if he or she has engaged in the wrongful
conduct of viewing child pornography. If the legislature
wishes to bar certain classes from the coverage of the
statute, it certainly knows how to insert the appropriate
language. As we have frequently stated, ‘‘it is a well
settled principle of statutory construction that the legis-
lature knows how to convey its intent expressly; e.g.,
Dept. of Public Safety v. Freedom of Information Com-
mission, 298 Conn. 703, 729, 6 A.3d 763 (2010); or to
use broader or limiting terms when it chooses to do
so. See, e.g., Stitzer v. Rinaldi’s Restaurant, 211 Conn.
116, 119, 557 A.2d 1256 (1989).’’ Scholastic Book Clubs,
Inc. v. Commissioner of Revenue Services, 304 Conn.
204, 219, 38 A.3d 1183, cert. denied, U.S. , 133 S.
Ct. 425, 184 L. Ed. 2d 255 (2012).
IV
Assuming, arguendo, that the majority is correct in
holding that the plaintiff’s wrongful conduct should bar
this claim, a proposition which I obviously oppose,
there is an additional allegation that has not been con-
sidered. The majority acknowledges that ‘‘[a]lthough
the complaint contains a single allegation that, because
of the defendant’s negligence, the plaintiff has and will
incur costs for mental health care necessary to his
recovery and maintenance, he has made clear in his
submissions to the trial court and this court that he is
not advancing a negligence claim independent of his
illegal conduct.’’ Respectfully, I disagree with the char-
acterization. In my view, the plaintiff is not seeking
damages for the legal consequences of his criminal acts.
He is seeking damages because the defendant’s alleged
negligent treatment failed to address his ‘‘habit’’ of view-
ing child pornography. It is axiomatic that he would
have to establish, at trial, that this negligence was the
proximate cause of any of his claimed damages. As the
majority indicates, the facts alleged in the plaintiff’s
amended complaint ‘‘are deemed admitted for purposes
of ruling on a motion to strike. See Murillo v. Seymour
Ambulance Assn., Inc., 264 Conn. 474, 476, 823 A.2d
1202 (2003).’’ ‘‘A motion to strike challenges the legal
sufficiency of a pleading, and, consequently, requires
no factual findings by the trial court. . . . [The court
takes] the facts to be those alleged in the [pleading]
. . . and . . . construe[s] the [pleading] in the manner
most favorable to sustaining its legal sufficiency. . . .
Thus, [i]f facts provable in the [pleading] would support
a cause of action [or special defense], the motion to
strike must be denied.’’ (Internal quotation marks omit-
ted.) Sullivan v. Lake Compounce Theme Park, Inc.,
277 Conn. 113, 117–18, 889 A.2d 810 (2006).
The plaintiff alleges, in his amended complaint dated
June 15, 2011, several grounds of negligence against
the defendant. He then alleges the following: ‘‘(13) The
plaintiff . . . faces being sentenced to a term of impris-
onment, serving a period of probation, registering as a
sex offender . . . and suffering the humiliation, public-
ity, embarrassment and economic repercussions . . . .
(15) As a consequence of the negligence and care-
lessness of the defendant . . . the plaintiff . . . has
been the target of a [police] raid and search of his
home and seizure of computers, cell phones and other
electronic devices. (16) As a consequence of the negli-
gence and carelessness of the defendant . . . the plain-
tiff . . . has incurred and in the future will be forced
to spend large sums of money for professional mental
health care including therapy and prescription drugs
necessary for his recovery and maintenance.’’ Clearly,
paragraphs 13 and 15 relate to the conduct that the
majority classifies as ‘‘wrongful.’’ Paragraph 16 is, how-
ever, a standard allegation in a malpractice action. It
can survive on its own, even if the court rules that the
wrongful conduct rule applies. The plaintiff reaffirms
this allegation in his brief when he states: ‘‘The plaintiff
has alleged as damages the need for ongoing therapy,
medications, humiliation, and emotional distress.’’ The
fact that the prime focus of the plaintiff’s argument was
related to the question of the ‘‘wrongful conduct’’ should
not prevent us from examining the entire complaint and
making a determination about the separate allegations
claimed as damages. Essentially, the complaint would
then read, if the offending paragraphs were removed,
that the defendant committed negligence and the plain-
tiff has to undergo additional treatment and incur bills
as a result thereof. I see no reason why this entire cause
of action should be stricken.
My opinion is buttressed by our law as it relates to
motions to strike. ‘‘The function of a motion to strike
is to test the legal sufficiency of a pleading, it admits
all facts well pleaded. See Practice Book § [10-39]. The
role of the trial court [is] to examine the [complaint],
construed in favor of the plaintiffs, to determine
whether the [pleading party has] stated a legally suffi-
cient cause of action.’’ (Internal quotation marks omit-
ted.) Dodd v. Middlesex Mutual Assurance Co., 242
Conn. 375, 378, 698 A.2d 859 (1997). Further, ‘‘[i]f any
facts provable under the express or implied allegations
in the plaintiff’s complaint support a cause of action
. . . the complaint is not vulnerable to a motion to
strike.’’ Bouchard v. People’s Bank, 219 Conn. 465, 471,
594 A.2d 1 (1991). Upon examination of the entire com-
plaint, in my view, paragraph 16, when coupled with
the negligence count contained in paragraph 14, states
a valid cause of action for medical malpractice. The
allegation contained in paragraph 16 has no relationship
to the ‘‘wrongful conduct’’ which the majority holds
violates the public policy of our state. My view is sup-
ported by the fact that we are obliged to construe the
complaint in favor of the plaintiff, to determine whether
the pleading party has stated a cause of action. In my
view, regardless of the wrongful conduct allegations,
the entire complaint should not have been stricken
because paragraphs 14 and 16 state a valid malpractice
claim for which the plaintiff submitted a good faith
certificate and opinion letter.
For all of the foregoing reasons, I would reverse the
judgment of the trial court, deny the defendant’s motion
to strike, and allow this case to proceed to a jury trial.
Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.
| |
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Identifying what cuts may be required.
Bricks should be laid to a straight line which generally involves running a string line at both ends of the wall. Bricks should be buttered to form perpends (“perps”).
Deviation from vertical in total height of bldg.
Relative vertical displacement between masonry courses.
Tolerances cannot breach minimum cavity width requirements.
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The Brick and Blocklayers Federation recommends that bricklayers select bricks and blend vertically from at least three pallets in order to achieve an adequate colour mix.
A bricklayer should also regularly check the veneer while laying from a viewing distance of 6.1m for obvious pockets of colour forming that may be unacceptable. | http://bbfnz.co.nz/bricks-and-blocks/brick-veneer-best-practice-guide/laying-bricks/ |
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abstract: 'Two-term Weyl-type asymptotic law for the eigenvalues of one-dimensional quasi-relativistic Hamiltonian $(-\hbar^2 c^2 d^2/dx^2 + m^2 c^4)^{1/2} + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ (the Klein-Gordon square-root operator with electrostatic potential) with the infinite square well potential $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is given: the $n$-th eigenvalue is equal to $(n \pi / 2 - \pi/8) \hbar c / a + O(1/n)$, where $2a$ is the width of the potential well. Simplicity of eigenvalues is proved. Some $L^2$ and $L^\infty$ properties of eigenfunctions are also studied. Eigenvalues represent energies of a ‘massive particle in the box’ quasi-relativistic model.'
address:
- |
Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science\
Wroc[ł]{}aw University of Technology\
ul. Wybrze[ż]{}e Wyspia[ń]{}skiego 27, 50-370 Wroc[ł]{}aw, Poland
- |
Institute of Mathematics\
Polish Academy of Sciences\
ul. [Ś]{}niadeckich 8, 00-976 Warszawa, Poland
author:
- 'Kamil Kaleta, Mateusz Kwa[ś]{}nicki, Jacek Ma[ł]{}ecki'
title: 'One-dimensional quasi-relativistic particle in the box'
---
Introduction and statement of the results
=========================================
In quantum physics, the state of a particle, or a system of particles, is represented by the *wave function* $\Psi(t, x)$, which satisfies the Schr[ö]{}dinger equation [ ]{} Here $H$ is the *Hamiltonian*, a (typically unbounded) self-adjoint operator, acting in the spatial variable $x$, and $\hbar$ is the reduced Planck constant. When the solution of has a time-harmonic form $\Psi(t, x) = e^{-i E t / \hbar} \Phi(x)$, it is called a *stationary state* with energy $E$. Solutions of this kind are in one-to-one correspondence with eigenfunctions $\Phi(x)$ and eigenvalues $E$ of the Hamiltonian $H$. The function $\Phi(x)$ is often called an *energy eigenstate*, and the corresponding $E$ is said to be an *energy level* of the particle. The number of linearly independent eigenstates $\Phi(x)$ with energy $E$ is the *degeneracy* of the energy level $E$. Given a Hamiltonian $H$, one of the fundamental questions is: What are the energy levels of the system, and what is their degeneracy?
Motion of a single particle subject to an electrostatic field is usually modeled by the Hamiltonian $H = -(\hbar^2 / (2m)) \Delta + V(x)$, where $m$ is the mass of the particle, $V(x)$ is the potential of the electrostatic field, and $\Delta$ is the Laplace operator. This model, however, is inconsistent with special relativity, and leads to erroneous results at high energies (see [@bib:ls10; @bib:t92]). A better model for particles at relativistic energies was proposed by Dirac in [@bib:d28]. On the other hand, Dirac’s equations are much more complicated, and therefore their mathematical treatment is often problematic (see [@bib:els08]). For this reason, at least in some applications (see [@bib:ls10] and the references therein, and [@bib:gko95; @bib:vz99]), one is often satisfied with an intermediate model, with the Hamiltonian $H$ given by [ ]{} Here $c$ is the speed of light, and $H_0 = (-\hbar^2 c^2 \Delta + m^2 c^4)^{1/2}$ is often called the *Klein-Gordon square root operator*, or the *quasi-relativistic Hamiltonian*. We often say that $H$ describes the motion of a *quasi-relativistic particle* in the potential $V(x)$. The purpose of this article is to study the stationary states and their energies for the *one-dimensional* quasi-relativistic particle in the *infinite square potential well*: [ ]{} In the non-relativistic setting, this model is referred to as the (one-dimensional) *particle in the box*, since the potential $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ constrains the particle not to leave the ‘box’ $(-a, a)$. Therefore, the problem studied in the present article can be described as the *quasi-relativistic particle in the box*. It is well-known that in this case the spectrum of $H$ is purely discrete, and the energy levels form an infinite sequence $E_1 < E_2 \le E_3 \le ... \to \infty$ (see Preliminaries for more details). Our main result can be stated as follows.
\[th1\] All energy levels are non-degenerate, and [ ]{}
It should be emphasized that the operators $H_0$ and $H$ are *non-local*. In the non-relativistic case, one typically solves the equation $H \Phi = E \Phi$ separately in the intervals $(-\infty, -a)$, $(-a, a)$ and $(a, \infty)$, and then matches the boundary conditions at $-a$ and $a$. For the non-local operator $H$, the equation in an interval has no sense unless the values of $\Phi$ in the complement of the interval are known. This means that one cannot apply the non-relativistic method; and indeed, this interval-wise method would yield the erroneous asymptotic formula $E_n = (n \pi / 2) (\hbar c / a) + O(1/n)$, with the *phase shift* $-\pi/8$ missing. Non-locality of this and similar Hamiltonians has caused considerable confusion; see [@bib:jxhs10] for further discussion.
The proof of Theorem \[th1\] follows closely the approach of [@bib:kkms10; @bib:k11]. The problem studied in [@bib:kkms10] corresponds to a massless particle, described by the Hamiltonian $H = \hbar c (-d^2 / dx^2)^{1/2} + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$, while [@bib:k11] deals with Hamiltonians based on the fractional Laplace operator $(-d^2 / dx^2)^{s}$ for $s \in (0, 1)$. The argument relies heavily on the results of [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11], where the spectral theory for similar Hamiltonians with a *single infinite potential wall* (that is, the potential $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = 0$ for $x > 0$, $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise) was studied. The motivation of the articles cited in this paragraph is purely mathematical. For the discussion of some of their physical implications, see Preliminaries.
We remark that the Weyl-type asymptotic formula $E_n \sim (n \pi / 2) \hbar c / a$ as $n \to \infty$ is known since 1959, due to a general result by R. M. Blumenthal and R. K. Getoor [@bib:bg59]. Hence, formula essentially provides the second term (a phase shift of $-\pi/8$) in the asymptotic expansion. In fact, a stronger result is proved, with detailed estimates of the error term $O(1/n)$. The statement of this theorem requires some additional notation.
![Plot of ${\vartheta}_\mu$ (solid line) and $n \pi / 2 - (m c a / \hbar) \mu$ for $n = 1, 2, 3$ (dashed line) when $m c a / \hbar = 1$. For the electron ($m = 0.511\,\mathrm{MeV}$), this corresponds to the potential well of width $2a = 0.772\,\mathrm{pm}$. In this case, $\tilde{\mu}_1 \approx 1.295$, $\tilde{\mu}_2 \approx 2.792$, $\tilde{\mu}_3 \approx 4.342$.[]{data-label="fig:mu"}](theta.pdf){width="\textwidth"}
![Plot of ${\vartheta}_\mu$ (solid line) and $n \pi / 2 - (m c a / \hbar) \mu$ for $n = 1, 2, 3$ (dashed line) when $m c a / \hbar = 1$. For the electron ($m = 0.511\,\mathrm{MeV}$), this corresponds to the potential well of width $2a = 0.772\,\mathrm{pm}$. In this case, $\tilde{\mu}_1 \approx 1.295$, $\tilde{\mu}_2 \approx 2.792$, $\tilde{\mu}_3 \approx 4.342$.[]{data-label="fig:mu"}](mu.pdf){width="\textwidth"}
For $\mu > 0$, we define the phase shift function (see Figure \[fig:theta\]) [ ]{} Then ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is an increasing function, with limits ${\vartheta}_{0+} = 0$ and ${\vartheta}_\infty = \pi/8$. More precisely, [ ]{} these properties are established in Section \[sec:proofs\]. We define $\tilde{\mu}_n$ to be the (unique) positive solution of the equation (see Figure \[fig:mu\] for a geometric interpretation) [ ]{}
\[th2\] For all $n = 1, 2, ...$, [ ]{}
\[rem:limits\] Formula provides much more detailed information than . Thanks to the explicit estimate of the error term, it enables passing to a limit in various regimes. We discuss three examples of this kind. A formal verification is given in Section \[sec:proofs\].
1. By taking $m \to 0^+$ in , one recovers the results for $(-d^2/dx^2)^{1/2}$, the quasi-relativistic Hamiltonian of a massless particle in the infinite potential well, obtained earlier in [@bib:kkms10]. In this case we have, as in Theorem \[th1\], $E_n = (n \pi/2 - \pi/8) \hbar c / a + O(1/n)$ as $n \to \infty$.
2. In the non-relativistic limit $c \to \infty$, we recover the classical expression $(n \pi / (2 a))^2 \hbar / (2 m)$ for the *kinetic* energy in the (non-relativistic) particle in the box model. Indeed, for a fixed $n \ge 1$, we have [ ]{} Note that the phase shift $-\pi/8$ is absent in this case, and that in the limit, the energies grow as $n^2$, as opposed to linear growth in .
3. In , the error term decays exponentially fast with $c$ and $a$. On the other hand, $\tilde{\mu}_n$ is defined in a rather implicit way. One can try to replace it with a more explicit expression, at the price of a slower decay rate of the error term. For example, we have [ ]{} (for clarity, we write ${\vartheta}(\mu)$ for ${\vartheta}_\mu$ here). This estimate can be used for large energy levels of particles in potential wells of large width. If, for example, $\mu > 0$, $n \to \infty$ and $a = n \pi \hbar / (2 m c \mu) + o(n)$, then and series expansion immediately give [ ]{} See in Section \[sec:proofs\] for a slightly stronger version of , which is suitable also for non-relativistic limits $c \to \infty$.
By choosing *natural units*, we may assume, without losing generality, that $\hbar = c = m = 1$. This corresponds to *scaling properties* of the Hamiltonian $H$, discussed in detail in Preliminaries.
Theorem \[th2\] can be used to prove the following useful bounds for the energy levels.
\[prop:simplebounds\] For all $n = 1, 2, ...$, we have [ ]{}
We remark that the best bounds for $E_n$ known before were [ ]{} proved in [@bib:cs05]. Note that significantly improves the lower bound. For a further discussion, see Preliminaries.
By a general theory, the eigenstates $\Phi_n$ are real-valued and vanish outside $(-a, a)$. The methods of the proofs of main theorems can be used to extract some information about the shape of $\Phi_n$. In principle, the eigenstate $\Phi_n$ (normalized in $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$) corresponding to the energy level $E_n$ is similar to either sine or cosine function (depending on the parity of $n$). Our first result is an $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$ estimate.
\[prop:l2\] Let [ ]{} with $\tilde{\mu}_n$ defined as in Theorem \[th2\]. Then for all $n = 1, 2, ...$, the sign of $\Phi_n$ can be chosen so that [ ]{} Furthermore, $\Phi_n$ is an even function when $n$ is odd, and $\Phi_n$ is an odd function when $n$ is even.
We remark that the right-hand side of is $O(1/\sqrt{n})$ as $n \to \infty$, and $O(1/\sqrt{c})$ as $c \to \infty$. In particular, we recover the classical formula $\Phi_n = f_n$ in the non-relativistic limit $c \to \infty$. The error in comes mostly from the wrong *boundary behavior* of the approximation $f_n$. By a suitable modification of $f_n$ near $\pm a$, the decay rate of the error term in can be significantly improved; see Proposition \[prop:l2approx\] in Section \[sec:proofs\] for details.
The next result gives a uniform pointwise bound for the eigenfunctions. Noteworthy, the results for a single potential wall in [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11] suggest that the best admissible constant in is likely to be much closer to $1$.
\[prop:loo\] For all $n = 1, 2, ...$, [ ]{}
The remaining part of the article is divided into three sections. The article is meant to be accessible both for readers interested in mathematical physics and those working in theoretical mathematics. For this reason, in Preliminaries, we discuss the formal statement of the problem, its various reformulations, and relation to the theory of Markov semigroups. Furthermore, we recall known results used later in the proofs. In Section \[sec:halfline\] we present the results of [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11] and discuss their physical interpretation. Finally, all results are proved in Section \[sec:proofs\].
The proofs of main theorems are rather technical. For this reason, we conclude the introduction with an intuitive description of the proof of Theorem \[th1\]. In [@bib:k10], the (generalized, or continuum) eigenstates $F_\mu(x)$ were found for the quasi-relativistic particle with an infinite potential wall, $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = 0$ for $x > 0$ and $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise; see Section \[sec:halfline\] for more details. The case of the potential well, studied in this article, can be thought as a combination of two potential walls, one at $-a$, and the other one at $a$. We use the eigenfunctions $F_\mu(a + x)$ and $F_\mu(a - x)$ corresponding to these single potential walls, to define an *approximate* eigenstate $\tilde{\Phi}_n$ for the case of the potential well. (This approximation is different from the function $f_n$ in Proposition \[prop:l2\].)
More precisely, we define a function $\tilde{\Phi}_n$ in such a way that $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x) = a^{-1/2} F_\mu(a + x)$ for $x$ close to $-a$, and $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x) = (-1)^{n-1} a^{-1/2} F_\mu(a - x)$ for $x$ close to $a$. Inside $(-a, a)$, and away from the boundary, $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$ behaves as a sine or a cosine function, in a similar way as in Proposition \[prop:l2\]. We prove that for a certain energy $\tilde{E}_n$, we have $H \tilde{\Phi}_n(x) \approx \tilde{E}_n \tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$. Expansion of $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$ in the complete orthogonal set of (true, not approximate) eigenstates $\Phi_j(x)$ shows that $\tilde{E}_n$ must be close to some (true) energy level $E_{k(n)}$.
Careful estimates show that for each $n \ge 3$, the corresponding $E_{k(n)}$ are distinct. Furthermore, by an appropriate *trace estimate*, it follows that there can be no other energy levels than $E_1$, $E_2$ and $E_{k(n)}$ for $n \ge 3$, and therefore $k(n) = n$. Theorems \[th1\] and \[th2\] follow. Other results follow either directly from Theorem \[th2\], or from intermediate steps of its proof.
Preliminaries
=============
We begin with some notational remarks. Quantum states are in general complex-valued functions. In our case, however, all states will be real-valued. For this reason, unless explicitly stated otherwise, from now on all functions are assumed to take values in ${\mathbf{R}}$. By a function we always mean a Borel measurable function, and we extend the definition of any function $f$ defined on a subset $D$ of ${\mathbf{R}}$ to entire ${\mathbf{R}}$ by letting $f(x) = 0$ for $x \notin D$.
As usual, $L^p(D)$ ($p \in [1, \infty)$, $D {\subseteq}{\mathbf{R}}$) denotes the space of functions $f$ on $D$ such that $\|f\|_{L^p(D)} = (\int_D |f(x)|^p dx)^{1/p}$ is finite, and $f \in L^\infty(D)$ if and only if the essential supremum of $|f(x)|$ over $x \in D$, denoted by $\|f\|_{L^\infty(D)}$, is finite. By $C_c^\infty(D)$ we denote the space of smooth, compactly supported functions vanishing outside $D$, and $C_0(D)$ is the space of continuous functions in $D$ which vanish continuously at the boundary of $D$ and at $\pm \infty$ (if $D$ is unbounded).
A function $f(x)$ on $(0, \infty)$ is said to be *completely monotone* (on $(0, \infty)$) if $(-1)^n f^{(n)}(x) \ge 0$ for all $x > 0$ and $n = 0, 1, 2, ...$ By Bernstein’s theorem (see [@bib:ssv10 Theorem 1.4]), $f$ is completely monotone if and only if it is the Laplace transform of a (possibly infinite) Radon measure on $[0, \infty)$.
We denote the Fourier transform of $f \in L^2({\mathbf{R}})$ by ${\mathcal{F}}f$; when $f \in L^2({\mathbf{R}}) \cap L^1({\mathbf{R}})$, we have ${\mathcal{F}}f(\xi) = \int_{-\infty}^\infty f(x) e^{-i \xi x} dx$. The inverse Fourier transform is denoted by ${\mathcal{F}}^{-1}$. Occasionally, we denote the Laplace transform of a function $f$ by ${\mathcal{L}}f$, ${\mathcal{L}}f(\xi) = \int_0^\infty f(x) e^{-\xi x} dx$. We use mostly $x$, $y$, $z$ to denote spatial variables, and $\xi$ for a ‘Fourier space’ variable.
As usual, we write $f(n) = O(g(n))$ if $\limsup_{n \to \infty} |f(n) / g(n)| < \infty$, and $f(n) = o(g(n))$ when $\lim_{n \to \infty} |f(n) / g(n)| = 0$.
Formal definition of the Hamiltonian
------------------------------------
In this subsection we give a formal meaning to the definition of the Hamiltonian $H$. Further explanation of the notation used in formula is given in Subsection \[subsec:fk\] using a Feynman-Kac path integral approach.
The *free* one-dimensional quasi-relativistic Hamiltonian, or the Klein-Gordon square-root operator, is denoted by $H_0$: [ ]{} The operator $H_0$ is an unbounded, non-local, self-adjoint operator, acting on its domain ${\mathcal{D}}(H_0) {\subseteq}L^2({\mathbf{R}})$, and it is defined via the Fourier transform: $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$ if and only if $(1 + \xi^2)^{1/2} {\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)$ is square integrable, and [ ]{} In other words, $H_0$ is a *Fourier multiplier* with symbol $(\hbar^2 c^2 \xi^2 + m^2 c^4)^{1/2}$. Note that ${\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$ coincides with the Sobolev space $H^1({\mathbf{R}})$. By Plancherel’s theorem, $H_0$ is positive-definite, and the quadratic form associated to $H_0$ satisfies [ ]{} for all $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$. Formula states that the total energy, measured by $H_0$, is greater than the rest energy $m c^2$.
Let $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ denote the infinite square potential well of width $2a$, as in . For brevity, we denote $D = (-a, a)$; hence $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x) = 0$ for $x \in D$ and $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise. Since $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is highly singular, the definition of $H = H_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is problematic: multiplication by $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is not well-defined on ${\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$. Clearly, $H f$ can only be defined when $f$ vanishes almost everywhere outside $D$. Furthermore, when $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$ and $f(x) = 0$ for almost all $x \notin D$, then we expect that $H f(x) = H_0 f(x)$ for $x \in D$. This motivates the following definition.
\[def:h\] Let $\tilde{H}$ be the unbounded, positive-definite symmetric operator with domain ${\mathcal{D}}(\tilde{H}) = C_c^\infty(D)$, $D = (-a, a)$, given by the formula $\tilde{H} f(x) = H_0 f(x) {\mathbf{1}}_D(x)$. We define $H$ to be the *Friedrichs extension* (or the *minimal self-adjoint extension*) of $\tilde{H}$. This means that the quadratic form of $H$ is the closure of the quadratic form of $\tilde{H}$. More precisely, a function $f \in L^2(D)$ belongs to the domain ${\mathcal{D}}(H^{1/2})$ of the quadratic form of $H$ if and only if:
1. there is a sequence $f_k \in C_c^\infty(D)$ convergent to $f$ in $L^2(D)$, and such that ${\langle \mbox{$f_k - f_l$}, \mbox{$\tilde{H}(f_k - f_l)$} \rangle}_{L^2(D)} \to 0$ as $k, l \to \infty$.
The operator $H$ is associated to the form defined above; that is, $f \in L^2(D)$ is in the domain ${\mathcal{D}}(H)$ of $H$ if and only if it satisfies (a), and furthermore:
1. there exists $H f \in L^2(D)$ such that ${\langle \tilde{H} g, f \rangle}_{L^2(D)} = {\langle g, H f \rangle}_{L^2(D)}$ for $g \in C_c^\infty(D)$.
Condition (b) automatically defines the action of $H$ on ${\mathcal{D}}(H)$. Note that in condition (a), we have ${\langle f_k - f_l, \tilde{H}(f_k - f_l) \rangle}_{L^2(D)} = \| H_0^{1/2} (f_k - f_l) \|_{L^2({\mathbf{R}})} = \| H^{1/2} (f_k - f_l) \|_{L^2(D)}$.
More generally, suppose that $D$ is an open subset of ${\mathbf{R}}$, $V(x) = 0$ for $x \in D$ and $V(x) = \infty$ for $x \notin D$. Then by $H_0 + V(x)$ we mean the Friedrichs extension in $L^2(D)$ of the operator with domain $C_c^\infty(D)$, which maps a function $f \in C_c^\infty(D)$ to $H_0 f(x) {\mathbf{1}}_D(x)$.
The above definition mimics the well-recognized non-relativistic case. There the Hamiltonian corresponding to the particle in the box model is based on the *Dirichlet Laplace operator* in $D$, which is the Friedrichs extension (in $L^2(D)$) of the Laplace operator restricted to $C_c^\infty(D)$. Noteworthy, the self-adjoint extension of the Laplace operator restricted to $C_c^\infty(D)$ is not unique (an example of a different extension is the Neumann Laplace operator in $D$), hence the choice of the Friedrichs extension might seem arbitrary. On the other hand, Proposition \[prop:esa\] below states that the operator $\tilde{H}$ in Definition \[def:h\] is essentially self-adjoint, and hence $H$ is the *unique* self-adjoint extension of $\tilde{H}$. That is, the phrase ‘Friedrichs extension of $\tilde{H}$’ in Definition \[def:h\] can be replaced with ‘the closure of $\tilde{H}$’.
The following characterization of the domain of the quadratic form of $H$ seems to be well-known to specialists.
\[prop:domain\] Suppose that $f \in L^2(D)$, $D = (-a, a)$. Then the condition (a) of Definition \[def:h\] is equivalent to each of the following:
1. $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H^{1/2})$;
2. $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0^{1/2})$;
3. $(\hbar^2 c^2 \xi^2 + m^2 c^4)^{1/2} |{\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)|^2$ is integrable on ${\mathbf{R}}$.
In other words, ${\mathcal{D}}(H^{1/2})$ is the set of functions in ${\mathcal{D}}(H_0^{1/2})$ vanishing outside $D$.
Note that an analogous statement is true for $D = (0, \infty)$ (with a very similar proof), but not for arbitrary open sets $D {\subseteq}{\mathbf{R}}$ (a typical example of a domain $D$ for which the equivalence of (a1) and (a2) fails is the complement of the Cantor set).
Equivalence of (a2) and (a3) follows right from the fact that $H_0$ takes a diagonal form in the Fourier space. Also, (a) is equivalent to (a1) by Definition \[def:h\] and the definition of the square root of an operator. Finally, (a) clearly implies (a2). Hence, it suffices to prove that (a3) implies (a).
For an arbitrary function $f \in L^2(D)$, denote $M_{\varepsilon}f(x) = f((1 + {\varepsilon})^{-1} x)$. Suppose that (a3) is satisfied. Fix $h \in C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$ satisfying $h(x) = 0$ for $x \notin (-a, a)$, $h(x) \ge 0$ for $x \in (-a, a)$, and $\int h(x) dx = 1$. Let $h_{\varepsilon}$ be the approximation to the identity, given by $h_{\varepsilon}(x) = {\varepsilon}^{-1} h({\varepsilon}^{-1} x)$. Note that $h_{\varepsilon}$ is supported in $(-{\varepsilon}a, {\varepsilon}a)$. We define $g_{\varepsilon}= h_{\varepsilon}* f$ and $f_{\varepsilon}= M_{\varepsilon}g_{\varepsilon}$. Since $g_{\varepsilon}\in C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$ is supported in a compact subset of $(-(1 + {\varepsilon}) a, (1 + {\varepsilon}) a)$, we have $f_{\varepsilon}\in C_c^\infty(D)$. By Plancherel’s theorem, [ ]{} where $v(\xi) = 1 + (\hbar^2 c^2 \xi^2 + m^2 c^4)^{1/2}$. We claim that the right-hand side converges to $0$ as ${\varepsilon}\to 0^+$. Once this is proved, the sequence $f_{1/k}$ converges to $f$ in $L^2(D)$ and ${\langle f_{1/k} - f_{1/l}, \tilde{H} (f_{1/k} - f_{1/l}) \rangle}_{L^2(D)} = \|H_0^{1/2} (f_{1/k} - f_{1/l})\|_{L^2({\mathbf{R}})}^2 \to 0$ as $k, l \to \infty$, that is, $f_{1/k}$ satisfies condition (a). Hence, it remains to prove the claim.
Observe that [ ]{} and that ${\mathcal{F}}f$ is a continuous function. Hence ${\mathcal{F}}f_{\varepsilon}(\xi)$ converges pointwise to ${\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)$. Furthermore, we have $0 \le {\mathcal{F}}h(\xi) \le 1$ and $0 \le v(\xi) \le v((1 + {\varepsilon}) \xi)$, so that [ ]{} By the assumption (a3), $v(\xi) |{\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)|^2$ is integrable. Therefore, the family of functions $v(\xi) |{\mathcal{F}}f_{\varepsilon}(\xi) - {\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)|^2$ (${\varepsilon}\in (0, 1)$) is tight and uniformly integrable. This proves our claim.
The properties of $H$ for multi-dimensional domains $D$ have been studied in [@bib:cks12; @bib:r02], which adopt a probabilistic definition of $H$; see Subsection \[subsec:fk\] for further discussion.
Scaling
-------
A significant simplification of the spectral problem for $H$ is possible thanks to the well-known scaling properties of the operators $H_0$ and $H$. Below we show that the number of parameters can be reduced to one, and we may assume that, for example, $c = \hbar = m = 1$, with the only free parameter $a$, half of the width of the potential well . This procedure is standard, see, for example, [@bib:cks12; @bib:r02], and in physical terms, this is simply the choice of natural units.
Recall that $D = (-a, a)$. In this paragraph only, we denote by $\bar{H}$, $\bar{H}_0$, $\bar{\Phi}_n$, $\bar{E}_n$ and $\bar{D}$ the corresponding objects with $\hbar, c, m, a$ replaced by $1, 1, 1, \bar{a} = \hbar^{-1} m c a$, respectively. By (or ), if $f(x) = \bar{f}(\hbar^{-1} m c x)$, then [ ]{} In particular, this means that $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$ if and only if $\bar{f} \in {\mathcal{D}}(\bar{H}_0)$. By Definition \[def:h\], [ ]{} It follows that [ ]{} We have thus proved that it suffices to consider only the one-parameter family of Hamiltonians, corresponding to $c = \hbar = m = 1$ and $a > 0$.
It is easy to check that the above scaling is consistent with the results given in Theorems \[th1\] and \[th2\], and Propositions \[prop:simplebounds\]–\[prop:loo\]. Therefore, it is sufficient to prove them only when $c = \hbar = m = 1$. For easier reference, we state the simplified versions of main theorems.
Let $E_n$ be the sequence of energy levels of the Hamiltonian [ ]{} where $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x) = 0$ for $(-a, a)$ and $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise. Then $E_n$ are non-degenerate, and [ ]{}
For $n \ge 1$, let $\tilde{\mu}_n$ be the unique solution of [ ]{} where [ ]{} Then [ ]{}
To simplify the notation, whenever possible, we assume that $c = \hbar = m = 1$; for example, we prove Theorems \[th1\]’ and \[th2\]’ rather than their original versions. The general, non-scaled case only needs to be considered in the verification of Remark \[rem:limits\].
Free Hamiltonian and its Markov semigroup {#subsec:free}
-----------------------------------------
The evolution of a quantum state is described by the group of unitary operators $\exp(i t H)$ generated by the Hamiltonian $H$. However, when studying the spectral theory of $H$, it is often more convenient to work with the semigroup of self-adjoint contractions $\exp(-t H)$, $t \ge 0$ (note that all of the operators $H$, $\exp(i t H)$ and $\exp(-t H)$ have the same eigenfunctions). It turns out that, as in the non-relativistic case, this semigroup is a sub-Markov semigroup, related to a certain stochastic process. Using this semigroup approach, one can relatively easily obtain some simple properties of $H$ and its eigenvalues. Below we only state the results, and we refer the reader to [@bib:bbkrsv09 Chapter 5] and to [@bib:cms90] for the full exposition.
In this subsection, we focus on the free Hamiltonian (in natural units $c = \hbar = m = 1$) [ ]{} and the closely related operator [ ]{} where for brevity we let [ ]{} Note that $A_0$ measures the total energy (given by the Hamiltonian $H_0$) minus the rest energy $m c^2 = 1$. For this reason, it is often called the *kinetic energy* operator. Both $H_0$ and $A_0$ have the same domain, and are nonnegative-definite on $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$ (cf. ). Their spectra are $\sigma(H_0) = [1, \infty)$ and $\sigma(A_0) = [0, \infty)$, and both operators are Fourier multipliers with symbols, respectively, $(\xi^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ and $w(\xi^2) = (\xi^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$.
The operator $-A_0$ generates a strongly continuous semigroup of self-adjoint contractions [ ]{} with $t \ge 0$; $T_0(0)$ is the identity operator, $T_0(t)$ is the Fourier multiplier with symbol $\exp(-t w(\xi^2))$, and [ ]{} For $t > 0$, the operator $T_0(t)$ is a convolution operator, and it has an everywhere positive, continuous, symmetric kernel function $T_0(t; x - y)$: for all $f \in L^2({\mathbf{R}})$, [ ]{} The Fourier transform (in the $x$ variable) of $T_0(t; x)$ is $\exp(-t w(\xi^2))$, and $T_0(t; x)$ is integrable function, with total mass $1$. Hence, $T_0(t)$ is a *Markov operator*, and formula defines a contraction on every $L^p({\mathbf{R}})$ ($p \in [1, \infty]$), and also on $C_0({\mathbf{R}})$, the space of continuous functions on ${\mathbf{R}}$ convergent to $0$ at $\pm \infty$. In each of these Banach spaces, we can define the generator of the semigroup $T_0(t)$ in a similar way as in ; for example, [ ]{} We abuse the notation and use the same symbol $-A_0$ for the generator of the semigroup $T_0(t)$ in any of the spaces $L^p({\mathbf{R}})$ or $C_0({\mathbf{R}})$. This causes no confusion: if $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(A_0; L^p({\mathbf{R}}))$ for different values of $p$, then $A_0 f$ does not depend on the choice of $p$. Also, if $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(A_0; L^p({\mathbf{R}})) \cap {\mathcal{D}}(A_0; C_0({\mathbf{R}}))$, then both definitions of $A_0 f$ coincide. Finally, $C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$ is contained in ${\mathcal{D}}(A_0, L^p({\mathbf{R}}))$ ($p \in [1, \infty]$) and in ${\mathcal{D}}(A_0; C_0({\mathbf{R}}))$, and it is the core of $A_0$ in each of these Banach spaces except $L^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$. Whenever we write ${\mathcal{D}}(A_0)$, we mean ${\mathcal{D}}(A_0; L^2({\mathbf{R}}))$.
For $f \in C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$ we have, by Fourier inversion formula, [ ]{} where [ ]{} $K_1$ is the modified Bessel function of the second kind, and ‘${\operatorname{pv}\!\!\int}$’ denotes the Cauchy principal value integral: [ ]{} In particular, $A_0$ is a non-local operator; see [@bib:r02 Lemma 2] for a proof of and .
We choose, following [@bib:cms90] and others, to work with the semigroup generated by $-A_0$ rather than $-H_0$, because the constant $1$ is an invariant function for $T_0(t) = \exp(-t A_0)$. This choice is not essential, since the relation $\exp(-t H_0) = e^{-t} T_0(t)$ enables one to switch freely between the two semigroups.
Relativistic L[é]{}vy process {#subsec:fk}
-----------------------------
Recall that the Hamiltonian for the quasi-relativistic particle in the box model is given by $H = H_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$, formally defined in Definition \[def:h\]. We define in a similar manner $A = A_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$, and we let $T(t) = \exp(-t A)$. It is easy to see that $A = H - 1$ and $T(t) = e^t \exp(-t H)$. We denote, as usual, $D = (-a, a)$.
In this subsection, we give an alternative construction of $H$, $A$ and $T(t)$, involving some theory of Markov processes. Probabilistic concepts described here are never used outside this subsection. Hence, the reader unfamiliar with Markov processes may freely skip this part, noting only that the operators $T(t)$ admit a kernel function $T(t; x, y)$ such that $0 \le T(t; x, y) \le T_0(t; x - y)$ and $T(t; x, y) = 0$ whenever $x$ or $y$ is outside $D$. Note that here $D = (-a, a)$, but the extension to more general open sets (in particular, to $D = (0, \infty)$, corresponding to a single potential wall $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$) is straightforward.
The operator $-A_0$ (acting on the $C_0({\mathbf{R}})$ space) is the Feller generator of a stochastic process $X(t)$, called the *relativistic L[é]{}vy process*, or simply *relativistic process*. It is a L[é]{}vy process: it has independent and stationary increments, and c[à]{}dl[à]{}g (right-continuous, with left-limits) paths. In fact, $X(t)$ is a subordinate Brownian motion; see [@bib:bbkrsv09 Chapter 5]. We write ${\mathbf{P}}_x$ for the probability law for the process starting at $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, and ${\mathbf{E}}_x$ for the corresponding expectation. Hence, ${\mathbf{P}}_x(X(t) \in dy) = T_0(t; x - y) dy$; that is, $T_0(t; x - y)$ is the *transition density* of $X(t)$. The paths of $X(t)$ are discontinuous: $X(t)$ is a jump-type process (the intensity of jumps, or the *L[é]{}vy measure*, is given by $\nu(y) dy$, see ). Let $D = (-a, a)$, and define the *time of first exit from $D$* [ ]{} Let $X^D(t)$ be the *part of $X(t)$ in $D$*, or *$X(t)$ killed upon leaving $D$*: the (sub-Markovian) stochastic process with lifetime $\tau_D$, equal to $X(t)$ for $t \in [0, \tau_D)$. Then for $t > 0$ and $x, y \in {\mathbf{R}}$, the transition density of $X_t^D$ is given by *Hunt’s formula*, [ ]{} It is known that $T(t; x, y) = T(t; y, x)$, $T(t; x, y) = 0$ whenever $x \notin D$ or $y \notin D$, and $0 \le T(t; x, y) \le T_0(t; x, y)$. The corresponding semigroup of sub-Markov operators is [ ]{} for $f \in L^p({\mathbf{R}})$ ($p \in [1, \infty]$) or $f \in C_0({\mathbf{R}})$. Since $T(t) f = 0$ for any $f$ supported outside $D$, $T(t)$ is not strongly continuous in $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$. It is, however, strongly continuous in $L^2(D)$ (with the usual identification of $L^2(D)$ as a subspace of $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$). On its $L^2(D)$ domain, the generator $-A$ of $T(t)$ coincides with the operator $-(H - 1)$, where $H$ is defined analytically in Definition \[def:h\]. Again, the definition of $A$ can be extended to $L^p(D)$ ($p \in [1, \infty]$) and $C_0(D)$, with appropriate domains. We remark that $T(t)$ maps $C_0(D)$ to $C_0(D)$ also for $D = (0, \infty)$, but not for all open sets $D {\subseteq}{\mathbf{R}}$ ($D = {\mathbf{R}}\setminus \{0\}$ being a simple counterexample).
Finally, the semigroup $T(t)$ can be thought as a Feynman-Kac transform of $T_0(t)$, corresponding to the potential $V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$. Indeed, since $\{t : X(t) \notin D\} \cap (\tau_D, \tau_D + {\varepsilon})$ almost surely has positive Lebesgue measure, the functional $\int_0^t V_{\mathrm{well}}(X(s)) ds$ is almost surely equal to zero when $t \le \tau_D$, and infinity otherwise. (The last sentence remains true for $D = (0, \infty)$, which corresponds to the single potential wall $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$; however, it is not true for general open sets $D$.) Hence, [ ]{} with $\exp(-\infty)$ understood to be $0$. If $V(x)$ is bounded, $A_0 + V(x)$ can be understood literally (because multiplication by $V(x)$ is well-defined on ${\mathcal{D}}(A_0)$), and a formula similar to defines a semigroup generated by $A_0 + V(x)$ (see [@bib:cms90; @bib:ks06]). In the case of the potential well, $A_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is formally not well-defined, but still makes sense, and it is natural to understand $A_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ as the generator of the semigroup . This explains the notation used in , and Definition \[def:h\].
We turn back to the analytical setting, and refer the interested reader to [@bib:cks12; @bib:ks06; @bib:r02] for recent developments on the relativistic process $X(t)$, or to [@bib:ksv11] and the references therein for research related to processes $X(t)$ corresponding to more general Bernstein functions $w(\xi)$. For various estimates of $T(t; x, y)$ and the Green function for $A$ in the quasi-relativistic setting (for multi-dimensional domains $D$), see [@bib:r02; @bib:cks12]. Similar estimates for some other Hamiltonians $H_0$ can be found in [@bib:b00; @bib:bgr10; @bib:cks10; @bib:ksv10; @bib:k97].
Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues {#subsec:green}
------------------------------
Some spectral properties of $A$ and $H$ follow immediately from the general theory of strongly continuous semigroups of compact self-adjoint Markov operators. There is a complete orthonormal set of eigenfunctions $\Phi_n \in L^2(D)$ of $T(t)$, and the corresponding eigenvalues have the form $e^{-t \lambda_n}$, where the sequence $\lambda_n$ is nondecreasing and unbounded. Furthermore, $\Phi_n \in L^\infty(D)$ (because the kernel $T(t; x, y)$ is bounded for each $t > 0$), and even $\Phi_n \in C_0(D)$ (by an argument used for example in [@bib:cz95] for the non-relativistic case). By the symmetry of $D = (-a, a)$, we have $T(t; x, y) = T(t; -x, -y)$, and hence the spaces of odd and even $L^2(D)$ functions are invariant under the action of $T(t)$. Therefore, we may assume that every $\Phi_n$ is either an odd or even function. The *ground state eigenvalue* $\lambda_1$ is positive and simple, and the corresponding *ground state eigenfunction* has constant sign in $D$; we choose it to be positive in $D$. The functions $\Phi_n$ are also the eigenfunctions of $A$, the generator of the semigroup $T(t)$, and $H = A + 1$; the corresponding eigenvalues are $\lambda_n$ and $E_n = \lambda_n + 1$, respectively. Therefore, we have [ ]{} Relatively little is known about $\lambda_n$, $E_n$ and $\Phi_n$, in particular, no closed-form formulae are available. The asymptotic result $\lambda_n \sim n \pi / (2 a)$, already mentioned in Introduction, follows directly from a very general result of [@bib:bg59] (see Theorem 2.3 therein). Best known estimates of $\lambda_n$ are found in [@bib:cs05 Theorem 4.4], where it is proved, also in a much more general setting, that: [ ]{} In the non-natural units, the above estimate takes the form stated in Introduction in . The upper bound in is a rather simple consequence of *operator monotonicity* of the function $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$, while the lower bound requires much more effort. In the proof of Theorems \[th1\] and \[th2\] below we only use the upper bound of for $n \le 2$ to show simplicity of $\lambda_2$. We also apply for small $n$ in the proof of Proposition \[prop:simplebounds\]. It should be pointed out that for large $n$ or large $a$, the estimates in Theorem \[th2\] are much better than both and . They also improve bounds for *sums* of eigenvalues $E_n$, obtained in [@bib:hy09].
Essential self-adjointness {#subsec:esa}
--------------------------
The following interesting result seems to be new. It provides an important property of the quasi-relativistic particle in the box model, which contrasts sharply with the non-relativistic setting. For this reason we decided to include it, despite the fact that it is not required for the main results of the article (it is referred to only in the remark following Definition \[def:h\]).
\[prop:esa\] The operator $\tilde{H}$ given in Definition \[def:h\] is essentially self-adjoint on $L^2(D)$.
Denote by $J_0 = (-d^2 / dx^2)^{1/2}$ the one-dimensional fractional Laplace operator, and let $\tilde{J}$ and $J$ be defined as in the first part of Definition \[def:h\], but with $H_0$ replaced by $J_0$. On $C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$, the operator $J_0 - H_0$ is a Fourier multiplier with bounded symbol $|\xi| - (\xi^2 + 1)^{1/2}$, and hence it extends to a bounded operator on $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$. Therefore, also $\tilde{J} - \tilde{H}$ extends to a bounded operator on $L^2(D)$. Hence $\tilde{J}$ is essentially self-adjoint if and only if $\tilde{H}$ is essentially self-adjoint. Below we prove that $\tilde{J}$ is essentially self-adjoint. (With some effort, the following argument could be modified to work directly with $H$; however, the theory for the fractional Laplace operator $J_0$ is much better developed than the corresponding one for $H_0$, so references to literature are much easier in the case of $J_0$.)
Clearly, $\tilde{J}$ is a symmetric unbounded operator on $L^2(D)$, with domain ${\mathcal{D}}(\tilde{J}) = C_c^\infty(D)$. Furthermore, there is ${\varepsilon}> 0$ such that $\|\tilde{J} f\|_{L^2(D)} \ge {\varepsilon}\|f\|_{L^2(D)}$ for $f \in {\mathcal{D}}(\tilde{J})$ (because the ground state eigenvalue of $J$ is positive; see [@bib:bk04; @bib:bk09; @bib:k98; @bib:cs97]). Hence, $\tilde{J}^{-1}$ is a bounded operator defined on the range of $\tilde{J}$. We claim that the range of $\tilde{J}$ is dense in $L^2(D)$. Once this is proved, it follows that the closure of $\tilde{J}^{-1}$ is a bounded self-adjoint operator on entire $L^2(D)$. This means that the closure of $\tilde{J}$ is the inverse of a bounded self-adjoint operator, and the desired result follows.
Suppose, contrary to our claim, that there is a nonzero $g \in L^2(D)$ orthogonal to the range of $\tilde{J}$. Then for any test function $f \in C_c^\infty(D)$, [ ]{} By Plancherel’s theorem and Fourier inversion formula, the right term is equal to , where $\check{f}(y) = f(-y)$ (note that $\check{f} * g \in C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}}) {\subseteq}{\mathcal{D}}(J_0)$). Replacing $f$ by $\check{f}$, we obtain that for all $f \in C_c^\infty(D)$, [ ]{} Let $h_{\varepsilon}\in C_c^\infty(D)$ (${\varepsilon}\in (0, a/2)$) be an approximation to the identity: $\operatorname{supp}h_{\varepsilon}{\subseteq}[-{\varepsilon}, {\varepsilon}]$, $h_{\varepsilon}\ge 0$ and $\int h_{\varepsilon}(x) dx = 1$. Furthermore, we assume that $h_{\varepsilon}\le 1 / {\varepsilon}$ and $h_{\varepsilon}(-y) = h_{\varepsilon}(y)$. For $x \in (-a + {\varepsilon}, a - {\varepsilon})$ the function $f(y) = h_{\varepsilon}(x + y)$ is in $C_c^\infty(D)$. Hence, [ ]{} That is, $J_0 (h_{\varepsilon}* g)(x) = 0$ for $x \in (-a + {\varepsilon}, a - {\varepsilon})$.
In the remaining part of the proof we use the notion of harmonicity with respect to $J_0$ (or with respect to the corresponding stochastic process, the symmetric $1$-stable L[é]{}vy process), explained in detail, for example, in [@bib:bb99] (see [@bib:cks12; @bib:r02] for the closely related notion of harmonicity with respect to $H_0$). Since in this article the concept of harmonicity is used only in this proof, we are very brief here. A function $h$ is said to be *$J_0$-harmonic* in a domain $U {\subseteq}{\mathbf{R}}$ if for all intervals $[x_0 - r, x_0 + r] {\subseteq}U$ and all $x \in (x_0 - r, x_0 + r)$ it satisfies a mean-value property [ ]{} where $P_{x_0, r}(x, y)$ is the *Poisson kernel for $J_0$*. A closed-form formula for $P_{x_0, r}(x, y)$ is known due to M. Riesz ([@bib:r38]), we have [ ]{} Here $|x - x_0| < r < |y - x_0|$; if this condition is not satisfied, we take $P_{x_0, r}(x, y) = 0$.
It is proved in [@bib:bb99 Theorem 3.12], that *weak harmonicity* of $h_{\varepsilon}* g$ (that is, the condition $J_0 (h_{\varepsilon}* g)(x) = 0$ for $x \in (-a + {\varepsilon}, a - {\varepsilon})$) implies (strong) harmonicity. Hence, for all $x \in (-a + 2 {\varepsilon}, a - 2 {\varepsilon})$, [ ]{} By the explicit formula for the Poisson kernel, [ ]{} The properties of $h_{\varepsilon}$ and a short calculation yield that for some constant $C$, [ ]{} see [@bib:b97; @bib:bb99; @bib:bkk08] for a similar *regularization of the Poisson kernel*. We conclude that [ ]{} By Schwarz inequality, [ ]{} Let ${\varepsilon}= 1/n$ and $n \to \infty$. The left-hand side converges to $|g(x)|$ (for almost all $x \in D$), and the right-hand side tends to $0$. It follows that $g(x) = 0$ for almost all $x \in D$, contrary to our assumption that $g$ is nonzero. The proposition is proved.
Noteworthy, the above argument works also for the fractional Laplace operator $(-d^2 / dx^2)^{s}$ and the related operator $(-d^2 / dx^2 + 1)^{s}$, but only when $s \in (0, 1/2]$. For $s \in (1/2, 1]$, Proposition \[prop:esa\] fails: the corresponding operators are not essentially self-adjoint on $L^2(D)$.
Quasi-relativistic particle in the presence of a single infinite potential wall {#sec:halfline}
===============================================================================
The main subject of this article is the quasi-relativistic particle in an infinite potential well. As described in Introduction, a potential well can be viewed as a superposition of two infinite potential walls, and the case of a single infinite potential wall was recently solved in [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11]. The framework of these papers is purely mathematical. In this section we state some of the results of [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11] in the context of quasi-relativistic particles.
Non-relativistic case
---------------------
It seems instructive to begin with the well-understood classical, non-relativistic model, where the free Hamiltonian is given by $H_0 = -d^2 / dx^2$ (for simplicity, we omit the multiplicative constant $\hbar / (2 m)$). The eigenfunctions of $H_0$ are the free wave solutions $e^{i \mu x}$ ($\mu \in {\mathbf{R}}$), corresponding to energies $E = \mu^2$. These eigenfunctions are not $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$ functions. Nevertheless, any (complex-valued) $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$ function $\Phi$ can be written as a ‘mixture’ of free waves (or a ‘wave packet’) by means of the Fourier transform, at least when ${\mathcal{F}}\Phi$ is integrable: [ ]{} On its domain, $H_0$ acts under the integral sign, [ ]{} at least when $\mu^2 {\mathcal{F}}\Phi(\mu)$ is integrable. In other words, the Fourier transform diagonalizes the action of $H_0$: for any $\Phi \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_0)$, [ ]{} For real-valued functions, one can replace complex-valued free waves $e^{i \mu x}$ ($\mu \in {\mathbf{R}}$) by real-valued ones, $\sin(\mu x)$ and $\cos(\mu x)$ ($\mu > 0$).
Consider now a non-relativistic model with an infinite potential wall $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = 0$ for $x > 0$, $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise. The corresponding Hamiltonian $H_{\mathrm{wall}}= H_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$ is defined as in the second part of Definition \[def:h\] (with non-relativistic $H_0$ and $D = (0, \infty)$), and it is the Dirichlet Laplace operator in $(0, \infty)$. The eigenfunctions of $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ must vanish in $(-\infty, 0]$ and they are eigenfunctions of $H_0$ on $(0, \infty)$ (here we use the locality of the operator $H_0$). Therefore, $F_\mu(x) = \sin(\mu x) {\mathbf{1}}_{(0, \infty)}(x)$ ($\mu > 0$) is the eigenfunction of $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ corresponding to the energy $E = \mu^2$. Again, $F_\mu \notin L^2((0, \infty))$, but the Fourier sine transform [ ]{} diagonalizes the action of $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$. More precisely, $(2 / \pi)^{1/2} {\mathcal{F}}_{\sin}$ extends to a unitary operator on $L^2((0, \infty))$, and for all $\Phi \in {\mathcal{D}}(H)$, [ ]{}
The free wave solutions both for $H_0$ and for $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ are not square-integrable, so that, strictly speaking, they are not eigenstates of $H_0$ and $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$. Instead, they are *generalized eigenfunctions*, or *continuum eigenfunctions*, of $H_0$ and $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$, and the integral decomposition of any state into the free waves is called *generalized eigenfunction expansion*. The primary goal of [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11] was to provide similar generalized eigenfunction expansion for a class of Hamiltonians $H_{\mathrm{wall}}= H_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$ with a single infinite potential wall, based on non-local free Hamiltonians $H_0$.
Quasi-relativistic case
-----------------------
We return to the quasi-relativistic setting. We assume that $c = \hbar = m = 1$ (scaling), so that $H_0 = (-d^2 / dx^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ is a Fourier multiplier with symbol $(\xi^2 + 1)^{1/2}$. As in the non-relativistic case, the free wave solutions $e^{i \mu x}$ for $\mu \in {\mathbf{R}}$ (or $\cos(\mu x)$ and $\sin(\mu x)$ for $\mu > 0$, when one prefers real-valued functions), are the generalized eigenfunctions of $H_0$. The only difference here is in the corresponding energies, which are now given by $E = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ instead of the classical expression $E = \mu^2$.
With the presence of the infinite potential wall $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = 0$ for $x > 0$, $V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = \infty$ otherwise, the situation is more complicated due to non-locality of $H_0$. Nevertheless, it can be expected that the effect of non-locality decays as the distance to the potential wall increases, that is, the generalized eigenfunction corresponding to the energy $E = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ should be asymptotically equal to $\sin(\mu x + {\vartheta}_\mu)$ as $x \to \infty$, for some ${\vartheta}_\mu \in [0, 2 \pi)$. This is indeed the case, and the phase shift ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is given by .
The operator $H_{\mathrm{wall}}= H_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$ is defined in the second part of Definition \[def:h\], with $D = (0, \infty)$. The results of Subsection \[subsec:fk\] extend to the case of a single potential wall; in particular, $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ acts (as an unbounded operator) on any of the spaces $L^p((0, \infty))$ ($p \in [1, \infty]$) or $C_0((0, \infty))$, with the corresponding domain denoted by ${\mathcal{D}}(H_{\mathrm{wall}}; L^p((0, \infty)))$ etc. We remark that also Proposition \[prop:esa\] holds true for the single potential wall, but the proof requires some modifications (roughly, one needs to consider $J_0 + 1$ instead of $J_0$).
As in Preliminaries, we define the kinetic energy operators $A_0 = H_0 - 1$ and $A_{\mathrm{wall}}= A_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = H_{\mathrm{wall}}- 1$. The following definition and theorem is a compilation of [@bib:k10 Theorems 1.1, 1.3 and Example 6.2] and [@bib:kmr11 Theorem 1.10], applied to the operator monotone function $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$. Note that in [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11], the function $w$ is denoted by the symbol $\psi$.
![Plot of $G_\mu(x / \mu)$ for $\mu = 1/20, 1/2, 1, 10$ (blue, magenta, yellow, green).[]{data-label="fig:g"}](f.pdf){width="\textwidth"}
![Plot of $G_\mu(x / \mu)$ for $\mu = 1/20, 1/2, 1, 10$ (blue, magenta, yellow, green).[]{data-label="fig:g"}](g.pdf){width="\textwidth"}
\[def:halfline\] For $\mu > 0$, let [ ]{} where ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is given by and $G_\mu$ is a completely monotone function on $(0, \infty)$, given by the formula [ ]{} with [ ]{}
\[th:halfline\] The functions $F_\mu$ are generalized eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ and the kinetic energy operator $A_{\mathrm{wall}}$ for the quasi-relativistic particle in the presence of a single infinite potential wall; the corresponding energies are $E = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ (total energy) and $\lambda = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ (kinetic energy). The operators $H_{\mathrm{wall}}$ and $A_{\mathrm{wall}}$ admit the generalized eigenfunction expansion. More precisely, let [ ]{} for $f \in L^1({\mathbf{R}}) \cap L^2({\mathbf{R}})$. Then $(2 / \pi)^{1/2} \Pi$ extends to a unitary mapping on $L^2((0, \infty))$. Furthermore, for $\Phi \in L^2((0, \infty))$, [ ]{} and if $\Phi \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_{\mathrm{wall}})$, then [ ]{} Furthermore, $F_\mu \in {\mathcal{D}}(H_{\mathrm{wall}}, L^\infty((0, \infty)))$ for all $\mu > 0$, and $H_{\mathrm{wall}}F_\mu = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} F_\mu$, $A_{\mathrm{wall}}F_\mu = ((\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1) F_\mu$.
The derivation of the formula for $F_\mu$ relies on a Wiener-Hopf method, and the proof of Theorem \[th:halfline\] involves complex variable methods; see [@bib:k10; @bib:kmr11] for details.
As a part of [@bib:k10 Theorem 1.1] we have ${\vartheta}_\mu \in [0, \pi/2)$. By [@bib:k10 Proposition 4.17], ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is continuous and differentiable in $\mu > 0$. The formula for the Laplace transform of $F_\mu(x)$ is also given in [@bib:k10 Theorem 1.1], for $\xi \in {\mathbf{C}}$ with $\operatorname{Re}\xi > 0$, [ ]{} We need an estimate of ${\mathcal{L}}F_\mu(\xi)$. For real $\xi$ this is proved in [@bib:kmr11 Corollary 5.1], which in our case gives [ ]{} for $\xi > 0$ (here we can take $C = \sqrt{2}$; a reverse inequality also holds true with a different constant, but we only need the upper bound.) For complex $\xi$ with $\operatorname{Re}\xi > 0$, by combining [@bib:k10 Proposition 2.21(c) and Remark 4.12], we obtain [ ]{} (with constant $C = \sqrt{2}$). Here we use the fact that $(\mu^2 + \xi^2) {\mathcal{L}}F_\mu(\xi)$ is a complete Bernstein function, see [@bib:k10 Proposition 2.19 and Lemma 3.8]. This and give [ ]{} when $\xi \in {\mathbf{C}}$, $\operatorname{Re}\xi > 0$ (we can take $C = 2$ here).
Proofs {#sec:proofs}
======
This section is modeled after [@bib:kkms10 Appendix C and Sections 8–10]. Some of the results of this part do not depend on detailed properties of $H_0$, and can be applied to a wider class of models based on the free Hamiltonians $H_0 = w(-d^2 / dx^2) + C$, where $w$ is an *operator monotone function* (also called *complete Bernstein function*) and $C \in {\mathbf{R}}$. This more general case will be studied in a separate article.
Estimates for $\mathcal{A}_0$
-----------------------------
Recall that $A_0 = H_0 - 1 = (-d^2 / dx^2 + 1)^{1/2}$, and for $f \in C_c^\infty({\mathbf{R}})$, by we have [ ]{} where $\nu(z)$ is a symmetric, unimodal, positive kernel function given by . We denote the right-hand side by ${\mathcal{A}}_0 f(x)$ (with a calligraphic letter ${\mathcal{A}}$) whenever the integral converges.
\[prop:genest1\] Let $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, $b > 0$, and let $g$ have an absolutely continuous derivative in $(x - b, x + b)$. Then [ ]{}
The result follows directly from the definition of ${\mathcal{A}}_0$ (see ) and Taylor’s expansion for $g$, [ ]{} when $z \in (-b, b)$.
For $b > 0$, we define, as in [@bib:kkms10 Appendix C], an auxiliary function: [ ]{} Note that $q$ is $C^1$, $q'$ is absolutely continuous, $0 \le q''(x) \le 1 / b^2$ ($x \in {\mathbf{R}}\setminus \{-b, 0, b\}$), and $q(x) + q(-x) = 1$.
\[prop:genest\] Let $b > 0$, let $f \in L^1({\mathbf{R}})$, and suppose that $f''(x)$ exists and is continuous for $x \in [-b, b]$. Define [ ]{} Let $q(x)$ be given by , and define $g(x) = q(x) f(x)$. For $x \in (-\infty, 0)$, we have [ ]{} More precisely, for $x \in (-\infty, -b]$ we have [ ]{} and for $x \in (-b, 0)$, [ ]{}
We have $g(y) = q(y) f(y) = 0$ for $y \le -b$. Furthermore, $q(y)$, and hence also $g(y)$, have absolutely continuous derivative in $[-b, b]$. For $y \in (-\infty, b) \setminus \{-b, 0\}$ we have $|q(y)| \le 1$, $|q'(y)| \le 1/b$, $|q''(y)| \le 1/b^2$, and $g''(y) = f(y) q''(y) + 2 f'(y) q'(y) + f''(y) q(y)$. It follows that for $y \in (-\infty, b) \setminus \{-b, 0\}$, [ ]{} Let $x \in (-b, 0)$. By Proposition \[prop:genest1\], we have [ ]{} Since $x - b \le -b$, we have $g(y) = 0$ for $y \in (-\infty, x - b]$. Furthermore, for $y \in [x + b, \infty)$ we have $|g(y)| \le |f(y)|$ and $\nu(y - x) \le \nu(b)$. It follows that [ ]{} When $x \in (-\infty, -b)$, then $g(x) = 0$ and $g''(x) = 0$, and we simply have (again using monotonicity of $\nu$) [ ]{} Using the inequalities $q(y) \le (b + y)^2 / (2 b^2)$ and $\nu(y - x) \le \nu(b + y)$ for the first integral on the right-hand side, we obtain [ ]{}
Approximate eigenfunctions
--------------------------
Definition \[def:halfline\] and Theorem \[th:halfline\] yield generalized eigenfunctions $F_\mu(x)$ for the operators $H_{\mathrm{wall}}= H_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x)$ and $A_{\mathrm{wall}}= A_0 + V_{\mathrm{wall}}(x) = H_{\mathrm{wall}}- 1$, corresponding to the eigenvalues $(\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ and $(\mu^2 +1)^{1/2} - 1$, respectively. Below we construct approximations to eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of $H = H_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ and $A = A_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x) = H - 1$.
Recall that $D = (-a, a)$ for some $a > 0$, the half of the width of the potential well . We fix an auxiliary number $b \in (0, a)$; later we choose $b = a / 3$ to optimize constants. For $n \ge 1$ let $\tilde{\mu}_n$ be a solution of [ ]{} (this is a scaled version of ), and let [ ]{} Here ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is defined by . Since $a \mu + {\vartheta}_\mu$ is a continuous function of $\mu$, it takes all values between ${\vartheta}_{0+} = 0$ and $\infty$. In particular, a number $\tilde{\mu}_n$ satisfying always exists. Furthermore, since ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is nondecreasing in $\mu > 0$ (see the next section), the solution $\tilde{\mu}_n$ of is unique.
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![Plot of $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a + x)$ (magenta), $-(-1)^n F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a - x)$ (blue) and $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ (black dashed) for $a = 1$ and (a) $n = 1$; (b) $n = 2$; (c) $n = 3$; (d) $n = 4$.[]{data-label="fig:phitilde"}](ffphi1.pdf "fig:"){width="35.00000%"} ![Plot of $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a + x)$ (magenta), $-(-1)^n F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a - x)$ (blue) and $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ (black dashed) for $a = 1$ and (a) $n = 1$; (b) $n = 2$; (c) $n = 3$; (d) $n = 4$.[]{data-label="fig:phitilde"}](ffphi2.pdf "fig:"){width="35.00000%"}
[(a)]{} [(b)]{}
\[1em\] ![Plot of $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a + x)$ (magenta), $-(-1)^n F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a - x)$ (blue) and $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ (black dashed) for $a = 1$ and (a) $n = 1$; (b) $n = 2$; (c) $n = 3$; (d) $n = 4$.[]{data-label="fig:phitilde"}](ffphi3.pdf "fig:"){width="35.00000%"} ![Plot of $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a + x)$ (magenta), $-(-1)^n F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a - x)$ (blue) and $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ (black dashed) for $a = 1$ and (a) $n = 1$; (b) $n = 2$; (c) $n = 3$; (d) $n = 4$.[]{data-label="fig:phitilde"}](ffphi4.pdf "fig:"){width="35.00000%"}
[(c)]{} [(d)]{}
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Our goal is to show that $\tilde{E}_n$ is close to some eigenvalue of $H$, or, equivalently, that $\tilde{\lambda}_n$ is close to some eigenvalue of $A$. To this end, we define an approximate eigenfunction $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$ of $H$ and $A$, using the eigenfunctions $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a + x)$, $F_{\tilde{\mu}_n}(a - x)$ for single potential walls at $-a$ and $a$. We let (see Figure \[fig:phitilde\]) [ ]{} with the auxiliary function $q$ defined by . Here $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, but we have $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x) = 0$ for $x \notin D$, so that $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n \in L^2(D)$. The notation introduced above is kept throughout this section. Note that $\tilde{\lambda}_n$ depends on $a$ and $n$, while $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ depends also on $b$. Note also that $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$ is not normed in $L^2({\mathbf{R}})$, its norm is approximately equal to $\sqrt{a}$ (see Lemma \[lem:norm0\]); this is why we denote it with a lowercase letter, and reserve $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$ for $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x) / \|\tilde{{\varphi}}_n\|_{L^2(D)}$.
\[lem:domain\] We have $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n \in {\mathcal{D}}(A)$ and $A \tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x) = {\mathcal{A}}_0 \tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ for almost all $x \in D$.
For brevity, in this proof we write $\tilde{\mu} = \tilde{\mu}_n$ and $\tilde{{\varphi}} = \tilde{{\varphi}}_n$. The operator $A = A_0 + V_{\mathrm{well}}(x)$ is defined in Definition \[def:h\]. Hence, we need to check two conditions: (a) there are $f_k \in C_c^\infty(D)$ such that $f_k \to \tilde{{\varphi}}$ in $L^2(D)$ and ${\langle f_k - f_l, A_0 (f_k - f_l) \rangle}_{L^2(D)} \to 0$ as $k, l \to \infty$; and (b) ${\langle \tilde{{\varphi}}, A_0 g \rangle}_{L^2(D)} = {\langle {\mathcal{A}}_0 \tilde{{\varphi}}, g \rangle}_{L^2(D)}$ for $g \in C_c^\infty(D)$. We first verify (b).
Note that ${\mathcal{A}}_0 \tilde{{\varphi}}(x)$ is well-defined for all $x \in D \setminus \{-b, b\}$, since $\tilde{{\varphi}}$ is smooth in $D \setminus \{-b, b\}$ and bounded on ${\mathbf{R}}$. Furthermore, by the definition of ${\mathcal{A}}_0$ (see ), for any $g \in C_c^\infty(D)$, [ ]{} which is $0$ by Fubini, provided that the double integral converges. Denote the integrand by $I(x, z) \nu(z)$, and let ${\varepsilon}= \operatorname{dist}(\operatorname{supp}g, {\mathbf{R}}\setminus D) / 3$, so that $\operatorname{supp}g {\subseteq}(-a + 3 {\varepsilon}, a - 3 {\varepsilon})$. When $z \ge {\varepsilon}$, then $|I(x, z)| \le C_1(\tilde{{\varphi}}, g)$. Suppose that $z \in (0, {\varepsilon})$. If $x \notin (-a + 2 {\varepsilon}, a - 2 {\varepsilon})$, then $I(x, z) = 0$. Otherwise, by first-order Taylor’s expansion of $I(x, z)$ around $z = 0$ (note that $I(x, 0) = (\partial / \partial z) I(x, 0) = 0$) with the remainder in the integral form, we obtain that $|I(x, z)| \le C_2(\tilde{{\varphi}}, g) z^2$. We conclude that $|I(x, z) \nu(z)| \le C_3(\tilde{{\varphi}}, g) \min(1, z^2) \nu(z)$, which implies joint integrability of $I(x, z) \nu(z)$. Hence, condition (b) is satisfied.
By Proposition \[prop:domain\], in order to verify (a), one only needs to show that $(1 + \xi^2)^{1/2} |{\mathcal{F}}\tilde{{\varphi}}(\xi)|^2$ is integrable on ${\mathbf{R}}$. Let $f(x) = q(a - x) F_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$, so that $\tilde{{\varphi}}(x) = f(a + x) - (-1)^n f(a - x)$ (see ). Hence, it suffices to prove integrability of $(1 + \xi^2)^{1/2} |{\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)|^2$.
Fix ${\varepsilon}> 0$ and let $\tilde{q}(x) = q(a - x) e^{{\varepsilon}x}$. It is easy to check that the distributional derivatives $q$, $q'$ and $q''$ are integrable functions, and the third distributional derivative of $q(x)$ is a finite signed measure on ${\mathbf{R}}$. Hence, $\tilde{q}(x)$ has the same property. Therefore, ${\mathcal{F}}q(\xi)$ and ${\mathcal{F}}q'''(\xi) = -i \xi^3 {\mathcal{F}}q(\xi)$ are bounded functions, and so $|{\mathcal{F}}\tilde{q}(\xi)| \le C_4({\varepsilon}, a, b) / (1 + |\xi|)^3$.
The Fourier transform of $e^{-{\varepsilon}x} F_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$ is ${\mathcal{L}}F_{\tilde{\mu}}({\varepsilon}+ i \xi)$, and the Fourier transform of $f(x) = q(a - x) F_{\tilde{\mu}}(x) = \tilde{q}(x) e^{-{\varepsilon}x} F_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$ is given by the convolution [ ]{} Suppose that $\xi > 0$. To estimate $|{\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)|$, we write [ ]{} By , we have [ ]{} Hence, [ ]{} For the other integral in , we use $|{\mathcal{L}}F_{\tilde{\mu}}({\varepsilon}+ i s)| \le C_6({\varepsilon}, \tilde{\mu})$: [ ]{} Therefore, for $\xi > 0$, [ ]{} Since ${\mathcal{F}}f(-\xi) = \overline{{\mathcal{F}}f(\xi)}$, the above estimate holds for all $\xi \in {\mathbf{R}}$. We conclude that for all $\xi \in {\mathbf{R}}$, [ ]{} and the right-hand side is integrable. The proof is complete.
For brevity, in the remaining part of the article we use the following notation: [ ]{} The following results are stated for $A$ and $\tilde{\lambda}_n$; their reformulation for $H$ and $\tilde{E}_n$ is straightforward.
\[lem:approx0\] We have [ ]{} More precisely, we have [ ]{}
The argument below follows exactly the method developed in [@bib:kkms10 Lemma 1], and applied also in [@bib:k11 Lemma 1]. Since in this proof we consider $n$ fixed, we simplify the notation and write $\tilde{\mu} = \tilde{\mu}_n$, $\tilde{\lambda} = \tilde{\lambda}_n = (\tilde{\mu}^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ and $\tilde{{\varphi}} = \tilde{{\varphi}}_n$.
Recall that $F_{\tilde{\mu}}(x) = \sin(\tilde{\mu} x + {\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}}) {\mathbf{1}}_{(0, \infty)(x)} - G_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$, and $G_{\tilde{\mu}}(x) = 0$ for $x \le 0$. Note that by , [ ]{} Hence, by and , for all $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, [ ]{} In a similar way, for all $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, [ ]{} so that, again by , for all $x \in {\mathbf{R}}$, and [ ]{} Denote [ ]{} It follows that $\tilde{{\varphi}}(x) = F_{\tilde{\mu}}(a + x) + g(x) - h(x)$. For $x \in (-a, 0)$, we have ${\mathcal{A}}_0 F_{\tilde{\mu}}(a + x) - \tilde{\lambda} F_{\tilde{\mu}}(a + x) = 0$ and $h(x) = 0$. Hence, for $x \in (-a, 0)$, [ ]{} We estimate each of the summands on the right-hand side separately.
First, we apply Proposition \[prop:genest\] for the function $f$. Since $G_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$ is a completely monotone function, $G_{\tilde{\mu}}(x)$, $-G_{\tilde{\mu}}'(x)$ and $G_{\tilde{\mu}}''(x)$ are nonnegative convex functions of $x \in (0, \infty)$. Hence, [ ]{} Furthermore, [ ]{} By Proposition \[prop:genest\], for $x \in (-a, -b)$, [ ]{} and for $x \in (-b, 0)$, [ ]{} Note that $|g(x)| = 0$ for $x \in (-a, -b)$, and for $x \in (-b, 0)$ we have [ ]{} Finally, $\nu(y)$ decreases for $y > 0$. Hence, integrating by parts, we obtain that for $x < 0$, [ ]{} By combining the above estimates and , we conclude that for $x \in (-a, -b)$, [ ]{} and for $x \in (-b, 0)$, [ ]{} By symmetry, similar estimates hold also for $x \in (0, a)$. Integration in $x$ gives formula with $A \tilde{{\varphi}}(x)$ in the left-hand side replaced by ${\mathbf{1}}_D(x) {\mathcal{A}}_0 \tilde{{\varphi}}(x)$. The result follows by Lemma \[lem:domain\].
\[lem:norm0\] We have [ ]{} More precisely, [ ]{}
As in the previous proof, we write $\tilde{\mu} = \tilde{\mu}_n$, $\tilde{\lambda} = \tilde{\lambda}_n$ and $\tilde{{\varphi}} = \tilde{{\varphi}}_n$. By , [ ]{} It follows that [ ]{} By direct integration and , [ ]{} Furthermore, [ ]{} Finally, using $G_{\tilde{\mu}}(x) \le G_{\tilde{\mu}}(0+) = \sin({\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}})$, [ ]{} and the lemma is proved.
Let $\sigma(A)$ denote the spectrum of $A$. Recall that the spectra of $A$ and $H$ are purely discrete (see Subsection \[subsec:green\]), and the eigenvalues of $A$ and $H$ (repeated according to multiplicity) are denoted by $\lambda_n$ and $E_n = \lambda_n + 1$, respectively.
\[prop:dist0\] We have [ ]{} More precisely, let $A^{{\mathrm{even}}}$ and $A^{{\mathrm{odd}}}$ be the restrictions of $A$ to the (invariant) subspaces of $L^2(D)$ consisting of even and odd functions, respectively. Then holds with $\sigma(A)$ replaced by $\sigma(A^{{\mathrm{even}}})$ when $n$ is odd, and by $\sigma(A^{{\mathrm{odd}}})$ when $n$ is even.
Let $E(d\lambda)$ be the spectral measure of $A$. Since $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n \in L^2(D)$, we have [ ]{} as desired. Furthermore, since $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$ is either an even or odd function, we can replace $A$ by $A^{{\mathrm{even}}}$ or $A^{{\mathrm{odd}}}$, respectively, depending on the parity of $n$.
Estimates of $\vartheta_\mu$ and $G_\nu$
----------------------------------------
Before we apply the results of the previous subsection, we need some detailed estimates. Recall that the (singular) kernel $\nu$ of $A$ is given by , $\nu(z) = K_1(|z|) / (\pi |z|)$, where $K_1$ is the modified Bessel function of the second kind.
For $x \in {\mathbf{R}}\setminus \{0\}$, we have [ ]{}
Let $x > 0$. By the definition of the Bessel function and a substitution $\sinh t = s$, we have [ ]{} Since $\sqrt{1 + s^2} - 1 \ge \max(0, s - 1)$, [ ]{} We conclude that $e^x \nu(x) = e^x K_1(x) / (\pi x) \le (x + 1) / (\pi x^2)$, which is the desired upper bound. In a similar manner, $\sqrt{1 + s^2} - 1 \le s$, and therefore $e^x K_1(x) \ge 1$. The lower bound follows.
Since $(1 + x) e^{-x} \le 1$, we have, in particular, $\nu(x) \le 1 / (\pi x^2)$. This simple bound is often used below. With the notation of , for $x > 0$ we therefore have [ ]{} Furthermore, [ ]{} for $x > 0$.
The function ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is increasing in $\mu$, converges to $0$ as $\mu \to 0^+$, and to $\pi/8$ as $\mu \to \infty$. Furthermore, for $\mu > 0$ we have [ ]{} In particular, [ ]{}
By and dominated convergence, for $\mu > 0$ we have (see [@bib:k10 Proposition 4.17]) [ ]{} the integral above is evaluated using the first Euler substitution. In particular, ${\vartheta}_\mu$ increases with $\mu$. Furthermore, can be rewritten as (see [@bib:k10 Proposition 4.16]) [ ]{} Hence, by dominated convergence, ${\vartheta}_\mu \to 0$ as $\mu \to 0$ and [ ]{} for the last equality, see [@bib:k10 Proposition 4.15]. These properties of ${\vartheta}_\mu$ were already noticed in [@bib:k10 Example 6.2]. By and the inequality $\log(1 + s) < s$ ($s > 0$), we also obtain that [ ]{} as desired.
By series expansion of $d {\vartheta}_\mu / d \mu$ (using ) near $0$ and $\infty$, one easily obtains and .
For any $a > 0$, $a \mu + {\vartheta}_\mu$ is increasing in $\mu \in (0, \infty)$. Hence, as it was observed in the previous section (see the remark following ), the solution $\tilde{\mu}_n$ of the equation $a \mu + {\vartheta}_\mu = n \pi / 2$ ($a > 0$, $n \ge 1$ fixed) is unique.
For $a > 0$ and $n \ge 1$, we have [ ]{} In particular, [ ]{}
Since ${\vartheta}_\mu$ is increasing, we have [ ]{} This gives and the lower bound of . Furthermore, by the mean value theorem, and , [ ]{} This, combined with the inequality $\tilde{\mu}_n^2 > ((n - 1/4) \pi / (2 a))^2$ (which follows from ) and , gives the upper bound of .
We now turn to estimates of $G_\mu$.
For $\mu, x > 0$, [ ]{} and [ ]{}
By [@bib:k10 Lemma 4.21], $G_\mu(x) \le G_\mu(0+) = \sin({\vartheta}_\mu)$. This and give : [ ]{} Furthermore, again by [@bib:k10 Lemma 4.21], with $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ we have [ ]{} We have $1 / \sqrt{1 + s} \ge 1 - s/2 + s^2/32$ for $s \le 8$. Hence, whenever $\mu^2 \le 8$, [ ]{} When $\mu^2 > 8$, the right-hand side is negative, so the inequality between left and right-hand sides holds for all $\mu$. It follows that $\int_0^\infty G_\mu(x) dx \le \mu^{-1} (\cos({\vartheta}_\mu) - 1 + \mu^2 / 8) \le \mu / 8$. This proves one part of . Furthermore, by and concavity of $\cos$ on $[0, \pi/8]$, [ ]{} for all $\mu > 0$. Hence, by , [ ]{} When $\mu \le \pi / (2 \tan (\pi/8))$, the minimum in is equal to $1$, and hence the right-hand side of is clearly an increasing function of $\mu \in (0, \pi / (2 \tan (\pi/8))]$. We claim that it is increasing also when $\mu \ge \pi / (2 \tan (\pi/8))$. Indeed, [ ]{} the right-hand side is increasing in $\mu \ge \pi / (2 \tan(\pi/8))$ and positive for $\mu = \pi / (2 \tan(\pi/8))$. Hence, the derivative of the right-hand side of is positive for $\mu \ge \pi / (2 \tan (\pi/8))$, and our claim is proved. The right-hand side of converges to $\cos(\pi / 8) - 1 / \sqrt{2}$ as $\mu \to \infty$. We conclude that [ ]{} proving the other part of .
Let $u(x) = (1 + x) e^{-x}$. For $\mu, x > 0$, we have [ ]{}
By and estimates $\mu / (1 + \mu^2)^{1/2} \le 1$, $(r^2 - 1)^{1/2} \le r$, $\mu^2 + r^2 \ge \mu^2$, we have [ ]{} By integration, with the notation $u(x) = (1 + x) e^{-x}$, [ ]{} In a similar manner, using $(1 + x + x^2/2) e^{-x} \le 2 (\sqrt{3} - 1) e^{-(\sqrt{3} - 1)/2} u(x/2) < 1.016 u(x/2)$ (which is easily proved by elementary calculus), [ ]{} and by $(1 + x + x^2/2 + x^3/6) e^{-x} \le 4 e^{-\sqrt{3/2}} u(x/2) < 1.176 u(x/2)$ (again easily proved by a short calculation), [ ]{}
Notation $u(x) = (1 + x) e^{-x}$ is kept throughout this section. Note that $u(x)$ is a decreasing function of $x \in (0, \infty)$.
Estimates for eigenvalues
-------------------------
We are now in position to apply Lemmas \[lem:approx0\] and \[lem:norm0\]. Recall that $\lambda_n$ and $E_n = \lambda_n + 1$ are the eigenvalues of $A$ and $H$, respectively, and $0 < \lambda_1 < \lambda_2 \le \lambda_3 \le ... \to \infty$. The corresponding normalized eigenfunctions are denoted by $\Phi_n$. On the other hand, $\tilde{\lambda}_n = (\tilde{\mu}_n^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$, $\tilde{E}_n = (\tilde{\mu}_n^2 + 1)^{1/2}$ and $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n / \|\tilde{{\varphi}}_n\|_{L^2(D)}$ (see , and ) are approximations to $\lambda_n$, $E_n$ and $\Phi_n$. In the definition of $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$, we take $b = a/3$ (this choice optimizes some constants below). The following results are stated for $A$, $\lambda_n$ and $\tilde{\lambda}_n$, but they can be trivially reformulated for $H$, $E_n$ and $\tilde{E}_n$.
\[lem:main\] For every $a > 0$, the eigenvalues $\lambda_n$ are simple. The eigenfunction $\Phi_n$ is an even function when $n$ is odd, and $\Phi_n$ is an odd function when $n$ is even. Furthermore, for all $a > 0$ and $n = 1, 2, ...$, [ ]{} If $a > 0$ and $\tilde{\mu}_n a > 1.251$, then [ ]{}
The argument is divided into four steps.
*Step 1.* We estimate each term on the right-hand side of and , so that in the next step we can apply Lemmas \[lem:approx0\] and \[lem:norm0\]. We use the notation .
Recall that $b = a / 3$. We introduce the function $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$, as in Preliminaries. Denote, in this step only, $\kappa = 1/3$, so that $b = \kappa a$. Since $(a - b)/2 \ge b$ and $a - b \ge b$, by we have [ ]{} Hence, [ ]{} By , $\nu_0(b) \le b / \pi$ and $\nu_0(2b) \le 2 b / \pi$. Hence, [ ]{} By we have $\nu_\infty(b) \le 1 / (\pi b)$, so that [ ]{} Since $w(\mu^2) = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1 \le \mu$, we also have [ ]{} By , $\nu(x) \le u(x) / (\pi x^2)$. This and give [ ]{}
*Step 2.* Recall that $\tilde{\lambda}_n = w(\tilde{\mu}_n^2)$. For brevity, denote $\tilde{\mu} = \tilde{\mu}_n$. By Lemma \[lem:approx0\], we obtain [ ]{} This proves . Lemma \[lem:norm0\], ${\vartheta}_\mu \le \pi/8$ and give [ ]{} By Proposition \[prop:dist0\], there is an eigenvalue $\lambda_{k(n)}$ (*a priori* $k(n)$ may depend on $a$, though later we show that in fact $k(n) = n$) such that [ ]{} provided that the right-hand side is well-defined, that is, $\tilde{\mu}_n a > 1.251$. In the next step we show that this is the case when $n \ge 3$. Proposition \[prop:dist0\] also states that we may assume that the eigenfunction $\Phi_{k(n)}$ has the same type of parity as $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$, that is, it is an even function for odd $n$, and an odd function for even $n$.
For $n \ge 3$, we denote the right-hand side of by ${\varepsilon}_n$, and define the intervals [ ]{} We have thus proved that each of the intervals $I_n$ ($n \ge 3$) contains an eigenvalue $\lambda_{k(n)}$. Below we show that these intervals are mutually disjoint.
*Step 3.* Clearly, ${\varepsilon}_n$ decreases with $n$. Furthermore, by , $a \tilde{\mu}_3 \ge 3 \pi / 2 - \pi/8 > 4.319$ and $a \tilde{\mu}_4 \ge 4 \pi/2 - \pi/8 > 5.890$. It follows that the right-hand side of is well-defined for $n \ge 3$ (as claimed in the previous step), and [ ]{} Since $w(\mu^2) = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ is a convex function of $\mu$, by the mean value theorem, for $\mu_1 < \mu_2$ we have [ ]{} Hence, using also and $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge 4.319 / a$ ($n \ge 3$), we obtain that for $n \ge 3$, [ ]{} the last inequality is proved as follows: [ ]{} and the right-hand is equal to $1$ for $s = 0$, and is strictly decreasing in $s > 0$: [ ]{} It follows that the intervals $I_n$ ($n \ge 3$) are mutually disjoint. (In fact we have proved that the larger intervals $(w((n \pi / 2 - \pi/8)^2 / a^2) - {\varepsilon}_n, w((n \pi / 2)^2 / a^2) + {\varepsilon}_n)$ are mutually disjoint, see Figure \[fig:intervals\].) Since $\lambda_{k(n)} \in I_n$, all numbers $k(n)$ ($n \ge 3$) are distinct. Furthermore, by an argument similar to the one used above, [ ]{} indeed, for the last inequality we have [ ]{} Hence, $\lambda_{k(n)} > w(\pi^2 / a^2)$ for $n \ge 3$. On the other hand, by , $\lambda_j \le w((j \pi)^2 / (2 a)^2)$. It follows that $k(n) \ge 3$ for $n \ge 3$. To show simplicity of eigenvalues, it remains to prove that there are no other eigenvalues than $\lambda_1$ (which is known to be simple), $\lambda_2$ (which lies in the interval $(\lambda_1, w(\pi^2 / a^2))$) and $\lambda_{k(n)}$ ($n \ge 3$; all distinct and greater than $w(\pi^2 / a^2)$). This is done in the next step.
![Plot of the intervals $(a \, w((n \pi/2 - \pi/8)^2 / a^2) - a {\varepsilon}_n, a \, w((n \pi/2)^2 / a^2) + a {\varepsilon}_n)$ for $n = 3, 4, 5, ...$ (each of them contains $a \lambda_n$, an eigenvalue multiplied by $a$), and the function $a \, w(\pi^2 / a^2)$ (the upper bound for $a \lambda_2$, the second eigenvalue multiplied by $a$); here $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$.[]{data-label="fig:intervals"}](intervals.pdf){width="70.00000%"}
*Step 4.* Recall that $T(t; x, y)$ ($x, y \in {\mathbf{R}}$, $t > 0$) and $T_0(t; x - y)$ ($x, y \in D$, $t > 0$) are kernel functions of the (sub-)Markov operators $\exp(-t A)$ and $\exp(-t A_0)$. The Fourier transform of $T_0(t; x)$ is $\exp(-t w(\xi^2))$, and $0 \le T(t; x, y) \le T_0(t; x - y)$ for all $x, y \in D = (-a, a)$, $t > 0$. For $t > 0$, we have the following trace estimate (cf. [@bib:bk09; @bib:k98]; [@bib:kkms10 Section 9]; [@bib:k11 Section 5]) [ ]{} In the last step, Fourier inversion formula was used. Below this estimate is compared with the lower bound for the sum of $\exp(-\lambda_{k(n)} t)$.
For $a > 0$ and $n \ge 3$, let [ ]{} Clearly, $\delta_n$ is decreasing and $\delta_n \to 0$ as $n \to \infty$. By , [ ]{} Hence, [ ]{} Furthermore, by the definition of $\tilde{\mu}_n$ and monotonicity of ${\vartheta}_\mu$, [ ]{} Using these two inequalities and monotonicity of $\delta_n$, we obtain that for any $N \ge 3$, [ ]{} Let $J_N$ be the set of those $j \ge 1$ for which $j \ne k(n)$ for all $n \ge N$. It follows that [ ]{} Taking the limit as $t \to 0^+$, and using the definition of $\tilde{\mu}_N$, we obtain that [ ]{} Note that as $N \to \infty$, we have $\delta_N \to 0$, and ${\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_N} \to \pi/8$. Take $N$ sufficiently large, so that $a \delta_N < {\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_N}$ ($a > 0$ is fixed). For this $N$, we have $\# J_N < N$. On the other hand, $J_N$ must contain $\lambda_1$, $\lambda_2$ and $\lambda_{k(n)}$ for $n = 3, 4, ..., N-1$. It follows that $\# J_N = N - 1$, and therefore there are no other eigenvalues than $\lambda_1$, $\lambda_2$ and $\lambda_{k(n)}$ ($n \ge 3$), as claimed in the previous step. In particular, $k(n) = n$ for all $n \ge 3$, and all eigenvalues are simple.
Formula follows now from . Furthermore, $\Phi_n = \Phi_{k(n)}$ is an even function for odd $n \ge 3$, and an odd function for even $n \ge 3$ (by Proposition \[prop:dist0\]; see Step 2). Clearly, $\Phi_1$ is an even function (e.g. because it is positive in $D$). Finally, the fact that $\Phi_2$ is an odd function follows by a minor modification of [@bib:cs05 proof of Theorem 3.4]: by restricting attention to either even or odd functions, one obtains that (see Proposition \[prop:dist0\] for the notation) [ ]{} In particular, the smallest eigenvalue of $A^{{\mathrm{odd}}}$ is less then $w(\pi^2 / a^2)$, so the only candidates are $\lambda_1$ and $\lambda_2$ (as shown in the previous step). Since $\Phi_1$ is an even function, we conclude that $\Phi_2$ is odd. The lemma is proved.
Alternatively, one could prove that $\Phi_2$ is odd as follows. Clearly, $a \tilde{\mu}_2 \ge \pi - \pi/8 > 2.748$. Hence, if ${\varepsilon}_2$ denotes the right-hand side of for $n = 2$, then ${\varepsilon}_2 < 0.424 \pi u(b) / a$, and by Proposition \[prop:dist0\], there is an eigenvalue $\lambda_{k(2)}$ of $A^{{\mathrm{odd}}}$ in the interval $I_2 = (\tilde{\lambda}_2 - {\varepsilon}_2, \tilde{\lambda}_2 + {\varepsilon}_2)$. By using the results of Step 3, one easily proves that [ ]{} and so $k(2) < 4$. Since $\Phi_1$ and $\Phi_3$ are even functions, we must have $k(2) = 2$, and so $\Phi_2$ is an odd function.
Clearly, a higher-dimensional analogue of holds true: Let $D = B(0, a)$ be a ball in ${\mathbf{R}}^d$ and $V(x) = 0$ for $x \in D$, $V(x) = \infty$ otherwise. Fix a $d$-dimensional spherical harmonic $Y(u)$ ($|u| = 1$) of order $l \ge 0$. Suppose that $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ (or, more generally, that $w(\xi)$ is an operator monotone function), and let $A_0 = w(-\Delta)$, where $\Delta$ is the Laplace operator in ${\mathbf{R}}^d$. Let $(\mu_n^Y)^2$ and $\lambda_n^Y$ denote the $n$-th smallest eigenvalue of $-\Delta + V(x)$ and $A_0 + V(x)$, respectively, among the eigenvalues corresponding to the eigenfunctions of the form $f(|x|) Y(x / |x|)$ (therefore, $a \mu_n^Y$ is the $n$-th zero of the Bessel function $J_{d/2+l-1}$). Then $\lambda_n^Y \le w((\mu_n^Y)^2)$. The proof again is a minor modification of the argument used in [@bib:cs05 proof of Theorem 3.4].
Recall that by a scaling argument, we only need to prove the statement of the theorem for $\hbar = c = m = 1$; that is, we prove Theorem \[th2\]’. The proof relies on Lemma \[lem:main\]. By , we have $a \tilde{\mu}_n \ge 7 \pi/8 > 2.748$ for $n \ge 2$, and by and , $a \tilde{\mu}_1 \ge \pi/2 - {\vartheta}_{\pi/(2 a)} \ge \pi/2 - 1/a > 1.520$ when $n = 1$ and $a \ge 20$. By , in both cases, [ ]{} Formulae and for $n \ge 2$ or $a \ge 20$ are proved. In the remaining case $n = 1$ and $0 < a < 20$, we use a more direct approach. By and the definition of $\tilde{\lambda}_n$ (see and ), both $\lambda_1$ and $\tilde{\lambda}_1$ are bounded above by $w(\pi^2 / (4 a^2)) = (\pi^2 / (4 a^2) + 1)^{1/2} - 1$. Hence, [ ]{} Observe that $e^{a/3} / (6 + 2 a)$ is increasing in $a > 0$. Hence, for $a \in (0, 6]$, [ ]{} In a similar manner, $e^{a/3} / (a (3 + a))$ is increasing for $a \ge 6$, and so for $a \in [6, 20]$, [ ]{} It follows that [ ]{} for all $n = 1, 2, ...$ and $a > 0$. Since $E_n = \lambda_n + 1$ and $\tilde{\lambda}_n = (\tilde{\mu}_n + 1)^{1/2} - 1$, formula implies .
Recall that by , ${\vartheta}_\mu = \pi/8 + O(1/\mu)$ as $\mu \to \infty$. Furthermore, $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge n \pi / (2 a) - \pi / (8 a)$, so that ${\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_n} = \pi/8 + O(1/n)$ as $n \to \infty$. Hence, [ ]{} $O(1/n)$ here and below corresponds to asymptotic estimates as $n \to \infty$. It follows that [ ]{} By , we obtain that [ ]{} as desired (recall that $E_n = \lambda_n + 1$). Simplicity of eigenvalues is a part of Lemma \[lem:main\].
In this part the general case is studied, without the scaling assumption $c = \hbar = m = 1$.
1. We fix $\hbar$, $c$, $a$ and $n$. When $m \to 0^+$, the right-hand side of converges to $8 \hbar c / (a n)$. On the other hand, by and the estimates of ${\vartheta}_\mu$, we have (as in the proof of Theorem \[th1\]) $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge (n \pi/2 - \pi/8) \hbar / (m c a)$, ${\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_n} = \pi/8 + O(m)$, and [ ]{} as $m \to 0^+$. It follows that [ ]{} Therefore, passing to a limit $m \to 0^+$ in , we conclude that [ ]{}
2. Now $\hbar$, $m$, $a$ and $n$ are fixed, and we let $c \to \infty$. The right-hand side of converges to $0$ exponentially fast. Furthermore, ${\vartheta}_\mu = O(\mu)$ as $\mu \to 0^+$, and by , $\tilde{\mu}_n = O(1/c)$ as $c \to \infty$. Hence, ${\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_n} = O(1/c)$, and so [ ]{} as $c \to \infty$. This gives [ ]{} and follows by . Higher order (with respect to $1/c$) expansions similar to can be easily obtained from in a similar manner.
3. Denote, for brevity, $\bar{a} = \hbar^{-1} m c a$. By , and again , [ ]{} By , ${\vartheta}_{\tilde{\mu}_n} \le {\vartheta}_{n \pi / (2 \bar{a})} \le \min(n / \bar{a}, \pi/8) \le (\pi/2) n / (\bar{a} + n)$. Furthermore, $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge n \pi / (2 \bar{a}) - \pi / (8 \bar{a}) \ge 3 n \pi / (8 \bar{a}) \ge n / \bar{a}$. It follows that [ ]{} Finally, since $w(\mu^2) = (\mu^2 + 1)^{1/2} - 1$ is convex, by the mean value theorem, [ ]{} Using $(2 \bar{a} / (n \pi))^2 + 1 \ge (1/2) (2 \bar{a} / (n \pi) + 1)^2 \ge (2 / \pi^2) (\bar{a} / n + 1)^2$, we conclude that [ ]{} This and proves that [ ]{} Formula follows.
It suffices to consider the case $c = \hbar = m = 1$. The upper bound in for $n \ge 1$ is just the upper bound in . The lower bound for $n = 1$ is trivial. Let, as usual, $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$. Since $w(\xi^2) / 2 > w(\xi^2 / 4)$, the lower bound for $n = 2$ also follows from the corresponding lower bound of . Finally, let $n \ge 3$. As in Step 3 of the proof of Lemma \[lem:main\], using we find that [ ]{} and the lower bound in for $n \ge 3$ follows.
Properties of eigenfunctions
----------------------------
We already know that approximations $\tilde{\lambda}_n$ and $\tilde{E}_n$ are indeed close to true eigenvalues $\lambda_n$ and $E_n$. Define $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x) = \tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x) / \| \tilde{{\varphi}}_n \|_{L^2(D)}$. In this subsection we show that also $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$ are good approximations to true eigenfunctions $\Phi_n(x)$. Recall that $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n(x)$ is defined by , with $b = a / 3$, as in the previous subsection.
In order to prove Propositions \[prop:l2\] and \[prop:loo\], we need the following result.
\[prop:l2approx\] The sign of $\Phi_n$ can be chosen so that [ ]{}
Let $\alpha_{n,j} = {\left< \tilde{{\varphi}}_n, \Phi_j \right>}_{L^2(D)}$, so that $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n = \sum_{j = 1}^\infty \alpha_{n,j} \Phi_j$ in $L^2(D)$. Note that $\alpha_{n,j} = 0$ when $n$ and $j$ are of different parity. Since we can replace $\Phi_n$ by $-\Phi_n$ if necessary, with no loss of generality we assume that $\alpha_{n,n} \ge 0$. Furthermore, we let $\beta_n = \| \tilde{{\varphi}}_n \|_{L^2(D)}$. We have [ ]{} Observe that by , and , with $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$, [ ]{} and for $n \ge 3$, in a similar manner, [ ]{} Since $\alpha_{n, n+1} = \alpha_{n, n - 1} = 0$, it follows that [ ]{} Finally, since $\tilde{\mu}_n a \ge 3 n \pi/8 > 1.178 n \ge 1.178$, formula gives [ ]{} Formulae , and combined together yield [ ]{} as desired.
The last statement of the proposition was already proved in Lemma \[lem:main\]. Hence, we only need to prove .
By a scaling argument, it suffices to consider only the case $c = \hbar = m = 1$. As in the proof of Proposition \[prop:l2approx\], we let $\beta_n = \| \tilde{{\varphi}}_n \|_{L^2(D)}$. We have [ ]{} By Lemma \[lem:norm0\], as in , [ ]{} In a similar manner, by and , [ ]{} Hence, [ ]{} By a simple calculation, the minimum is always less than $1.414$. Hence, [ ]{} the last inequality follows from $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge 3 n \pi / (8 a)$. By the definition of $\tilde{{\varphi}}_n$ and $f_n$ (see and ), [ ]{} so that by and (and $3 n \pi / (8 a) \le \tilde{\mu}_n \le n \pi / (2 a)$ in the last inequality), [ ]{} Finally, by Proposition \[prop:l2approx\], we have [ ]{} By an explicit calculation, the numerator on the right-hand side does not exceed $5.318$, and a careful estimate gives that it is also less than $35 / a$. Hence, [ ]{} By collecting all above estimates, we conclude that [ ]{} When $a \le 0.204 n$, then the first argument of the minimum is smaller than $0.887 n / a$, which is less than the other argument of the minimum. For $a > 0.204 n$ (and $n \ge 1$), [ ]{} and the proof is complete.
Again we only consider the case $c = \hbar = m = 1$. Recall that $T(t; x, y)$ and $T_0(t; x - y)$ are the kernel functions of the operators $T(t) = \exp(-t A)$ and $T_0(t) = \exp(-t A_0)$. By definition, $T(t) \Phi_n = e^{-\lambda_n t} \Phi_n$. By the formula for the Fourier transform of $T_0(t; x)$, we have [ ]{} Let $t = 1 / (2 \lambda_n)$ and $\beta_n = \| \tilde{{\varphi}}_n \|_{L^2(D)}$. We have [ ]{} Since $T(t)$ is a contraction on $L^\infty(D)$, we have (by and ) [ ]{} for the third inequality, note that $q(-x) + q(x) = 1$ and $q(x), q(-x) \ge 0$. Furthermore, [ ]{} By Proposition \[prop:l2approx\], and the identity $(2 t + 1) / (2 t) = 1 + \lambda_n$, [ ]{} By , [ ]{} and therefore [ ]{} Clearly, the numerator in the right-hand side is a bounded function of $a > 0$. By a careful estimate, we find that it is less than $14$. We conclude that [ ]{} Applying the above estimates to gives [ ]{} Finally, by , ${\left| \beta_n^2 - a \right|} < 1.584 / \tilde{\mu}_n$. Together with $\tilde{\mu}_n \ge 3 \pi n / (8 a) > 1.178 n / a$, for $n \ge 2$ this gives [ ]{} and so (for $n \ge 2$) [ ]{} This already proves that $\tilde{\Phi}_n(x)$ are bounded uniformly in $x \in D$ and $n = 1, 2, ...$. To prove , we need to combine with a similar estimate for small $n$.
First, we need a different version of : [ ]{} For $t = 1 / (2 \lambda_n)$, we obtain [ ]{} Let $w(\xi) = (\xi + 1)^{1/2} - 1$. Since $w(\xi^2) (1 + w(\xi^2)) = \xi^2 + 1 - \sqrt{1 + \xi^2} \le \xi^2$, the upper bound of gives [ ]{} Arguing as in the previous case, we obtain [ ]{} Hence, [ ]{} A combination of (for $n \ge 16$) and (for $n \le 15$) gives $\| \Phi_n \|_{L^\infty(D)} \le 7.333 a^{-1/2}$ for all $n \ge 1$.
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Are there any Penny Stocks that pay dividends?
For those that wonder if there are any penny stocks that pay dividends you can check out the following article for a few. Some of them are technically just over the price of a penny stock, but currently there are a few of them that are penny stocks. This is just 1 list, but if you do some further research I'm sure you could find more penny stocks that offer dividends as well.
NOTE: This article at the link below is from May 2018 so make sure to do your DD before getting into any positions, to make sure they still offer what you are looking for. And always remember, just because a stock offers a dividend doesn't necessarily mean it's a good investment, because if the stock price drops too much while you are holding it the amount you lose from the stock price dropping could be more than what you get from the dividend. | https://www.realtalktrading.com/blog/archives/03-2019 |
Here is the problem:
A rectangle has its base on the $x$-axis and its upper two vertices on the parabola $y=12-x^2$ What is the largest area the rectangle can have, and what are its dimensions?
Well, I don't really know where to start. My initial idea was to find inflection points because I figured that is where the vertices would be, but there are no inflection points because it is a parabola.
Then I though about finding where the derivative and the parabola cross, found it, but I don't know how that will help me.
I really don't know where to start.
Any help is appreciated, thanks. | https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/93238/calculus-word-problem/1533987 |
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