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abstract: 'An estimated half of the world’s languages do not have a written form, making it impossible for these languages to benefit from any existing text-based technologies. In this paper, a speech-to-image generation (S2IG) framework is proposed which translates speech descriptions to photo-realistic images without using any text information, thus allowing unwritten languages to potentially benefit from this technology. The proposed S2IG framework, named S2IGAN, consists of a speech embedding network (SEN) and a relation-supervised densely-stacked generative model (RDG). SEN learns the speech embedding with the supervision of the corresponding visual information. Conditioned on the speech embedding produced by SEN, the proposed RDG synthesizes images that are semantically consistent with the corresponding speech descriptions. Extensive experiments on two public benchmark datasets CUB and Oxford-102 demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed S2IGAN on synthesizing high-quality and semantically-consistent images from the speech signal, yielding a good performance and a solid baseline for the S2IG task.'
address: |
$^1$School of Software Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.\
$^2$Multimedia Computing Group, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.\
$^3$College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, China.
bibliography:
- 'mybib.bib'
title: 'S2IGAN: Speech-to-Image Generation via Adversarial Learning'
---
**Index Terms**: Speech-to-image generation, multimodal modelling, speech embedding, adversarial learning.
Introduction
============
The recent development of deep learning and Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) [@goodfellow2014generative; @mirza2014conditional; @balaji2019conditional] led to many efforts being carried out on the task of image generation conditioned on natural languages [@reed2016generative; @zhang2018stackgan++; @xu2018attngan; @qiao2019mirrorgan; @yin2019semantics; @tan2019semantics]. Although great progress has been made, most of the existing natural language-to-image generation systems use text descriptions as their input, also referred to as Text-to-Image Generation (T2IG). Recently, a speech-based task was proposed in which face images are synthesized conditioned on speech [@oh2019speech2face; @wen2019face]. This task, however, only considers the acoustic properties of the speech signal, but not the language content. Here, we present a natural language-to-image generation system that is based on a spoken description, bypassing the need for text. We refer to this new task as Speech-to-Image Generation (S2IG). This is similar to the recently proposed task of speech-to-image translation task [@li2020direct].
This work is motivated by the fact that an estimated half of the 7,000 languages in the world do not have written forms [@lewis2015ethnologue] (so-called unwritten languages), which makes it impossible for these languages to benefit from any existing text-based technologies, including text-to-image generation. The Linguistic Rights as included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights state that it is a human right to communicate in one’s native language. For these unwritten languages, it is essential to develop a system that bypasses text and maps speech descriptions to images. Moreover, even though existing knowledge and methodology make ‘speech2text2image’ transfer possible, directly mapping speech to images might be more efficient and straightforward.
In order to synthesize plausible images based on speech descriptions, speech embeddings that carry the details of semantic information in the image need to be learned. To that end, we decompose the task of S2IG into two stages, i.e., a speech semantic embedding stage and an image generation stage. Specifically, the proposed speech-to-image generation model via adversarial learning (which we refer to as S2IGAN) consists of a Speech Embedding Network (SEN), which is trained to obtain speech embeddings by modeling and co-embedding speech and images together, and a novel Relation-supervised Densely-stacked Generative Model (RDG), which takes random noise and the speech embedding embedded by SEN as input to synthesize photo-realistic images in a multi-step (coarse-to-fine) way.
In this paper, we present our attempt to generate images directly from the speech signal bypassing text. This task requires specific training material consisting of speech and image pairs. Unfortunately, no such database, with the right amount of data, exists for an unwritten language. The results for our proof-of-concept are consequently presented on two databases with English descriptions, i.e., CUB [@wah2011caltech] and Oxford-102 [@nilsback2008automated]. The benefit of using English as our working language is that we can compare our S2IG results to T2IG results in the literature. Our results are also compared to those of [@li2020direct].
Approach
========
Given a speech description, our goal is to generate an image that is semantically aligned with the input speech. To this end, S2IGAN consists of two modules, i.e., SEN to create the speech embeddings and RDG to synthesize the images using these speech embeddings.
{width="90.00000%"}
Datasets
--------
CUB [@wah2011caltech] and Oxford-102 [@nilsback2008automated] are two commonly-used datasets in the field of T2IG [@reed2016generative; @zhang2018stackgan++], and were also adopted in the most recent S2IG work [@li2020direct]. CUB is a fine-grained bird dataset that contains 11,788 bird images belonging to 200 categories and Oxford-102 is a fine-grained flower dataset contains 8,189 images of flowers from 102 different categories. Each image in both datasets has 10 text descriptions collected by [@reed2016learning]. Since there are no speech descriptions available for both datasets, we generated speech from the text descriptions using tacotron2 [@shen2018natural] which is a text-to-speech system[^1].
Speech Embedding Network (SEN)
------------------------------
Given an image-speech pair, SEN tries to find a common space for both modalities, so that we can minimize the modality gap and obtain visually-grounded speech embeddings. SEN is a dual encoder framework, including an image encoder and a speech encoder, which is similar to the model structure in [@merkx2019language].
***The image encoder (IED)*** adopts the Inception-v3 [@szegedy2016rethinking] pre-trained on ImageNet [@russakovsky2015imagenet] to extract visual features. On top of it, a single linear layer is employed to convert the visual feature to a common space of visual and speech embeddings. As a result, we obtain an image embedding $V$ from IED.
***The speech encoder (SED)*** employs a structure similar to that of [@merkx2019language]. Specifically, it consists of a two-layer 1-D convolution block, two-layer bi-directional gated recurrent units (GRU) [@cho2014learning] and a self-attention layer. Finally, speech is represented by a speech embedding $A$ in the common space. The input of the SED are log Mel filter bank spectrograms, which are obtained from the speech signal using 40 Mel-spaced filter banks with 25 ms Hamming window and 10 ms shift.
More details of SEN, including the framework illustration, can be found on the project website[^2].
### Objective Function
To minimize the distance between a matched pair of an image feature and speech feature while maintaining discrimination of the features compared to features from other bird (CUB) or flower (Oxford-102) classes, matching loss and distinctive loss are proposed.
***Matching loss*** is designed to minimize the distance of a matched image-speech pair. Specifically, in a batch of image-speech embedding pairs $\left\{ {\left( {{V_i},{A_i}} \right)} \right\}_i^n$, where $n$ is the batch size, the probability for the speech embedding $A_i$ matching with the image embedding $V_i$ is $$\label{eq:A-V_matching}
\small
P\left( {{V_i}|{A_i}} \right) = \frac{{\exp \left( {\beta S\left( {{A_i},{V_i}} \right)} \right)}}{{\sum\nolimits_{j = 1}^n {{M_{i,j}}\exp \left( {\beta S\left( {{A_i},{V_j}} \right)} \right)} }},$$ where $\beta$ is a smoothing factor, set as 10 following [@xu2018attngan]. $S\left( {{A_i},{V_i}} \right)$ is a cosine similarity score of ${A_i}$ and ${V_i}$. As in a mini-batch, we only treat $\left( {{V_i},{A_i}} \right)$ as a positive matched pair, therefore we use a mask $M_{i,j} \in \mathbb{R}^{n\times n}$ to deactivate the effect of pairs from the same class. Specifically, $$\small
{M_{i j}}=\left\{\begin{array}{ll}
{0,} & {\text { if } A_{i} \text { matches } V_{j}}\; { \& } \; {i \ne j}, \\
{1,} & {\text { otherwise }},
\end{array}\right.$$ where $A_i$ matches $V_j$ means they come from the same class. The loss function is then defined as the negative log probability of $P\left( {{V_i}|{A_i}} \right)$: $$\small
{{\cal L}_{A - V}} = - \sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {\log } P\left( {{V_i}|{A_i}} \right).$$ Reversely, we also calculate ${{\cal L}_{V - A}}$ for $V_i$ matching $A_i$. The matching loss is then calculated as $${\cal L}_m = {{\cal L}_{A - V}} + {{\cal L}_{V - A}}.$$
***Distinctive loss*** is designed to ensure that the space is optimally discriminative regarding the instance classes. Specifically, both speech and image features in the embedding space are converted to a label space by adding a perception layer, i.e., ${\hat V_i} = f\left( {{V_i}} \right)$ and ${\hat A_i} = f\left( {{A_i}} \right)$, where $\hat V_i, \hat A_i \in \mathbb{R}^{N}$ and $N$ is the number of classes. The loss function is given by $$\small
{\cal L}_d = - \sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {\left( {\log \hat P\left( {{C_i}|{{\hat A}_i}} \right) + \log \hat P\left( {{C_i}|{{\hat V}_i}} \right)} \right)},$$ where ${\hat P( {{C_i}|{{\hat A}_i}} )}$ and ${\hat P( {{C_i}|{{\hat V}_i}} )}$ represent softmax probabilities for ${{\hat A}_i}$ and ${{\hat V}_i}$ belonging to their corresponding class ${C_i}$.
***Total loss*** for training SEN is finally given by $$\label{eq:distinctive_loss}
\small
{{\cal L}_{SEN}} = {{\cal L}_m} + {{\cal L}_d}.$$
Relation-supervised Densely-stacked Generative Model (RDG)
----------------------------------------------------------
After learning the visually-grounded and class-discriminative speech embeddings, we employ RDG to generate images conditioned on these speech embeddings. RDG consists of two sub-modules, which are a Densely-stacked Generator (DG) and a Relation Supervisor (RS), see Figure \[fig:network\_gan\].
### Densely-stacked Generator (DG)
RDG uses the multi-step generation structure [@zhang2018stackgan++; @qiao2019mirrorgan; @yin2019semantics] because of its previously shown performance. This structure generates images from small scale (low-resolution) to large scale (high-resolution) step by step. Specifically, in our model, ${\rm{64}} \times {\rm{64}}$, ${\rm{128}} \times {\rm{128}}$, and ${\rm{256}} \times {\rm{256}}$ pixel images were generated in multi-steps. To fully exploit the information of the hidden feature $(h_i)$ of each step, we design a densely-stacked generator. With the speech embedding $A$ as input, the generated image in each stacked generator can be expressed as follows: $$\small
\begin{array}{*{20}{l}}
{{h_0} = {F_0}\left( {z,{F^{ca}}(A)} \right),}\\
{{h_i} = {F_i}\left( {{h_0}, \ldots ,{h_{i - 1}},{F^{ca}}(A)} \right),i \in \left\{ {1,2} \right\},}\\
{{I_i} = {G_i}\left( {{h_i}} \right),i \in \left\{ {0,1,2} \right\}},
\end{array}$$ where $z$ is a noise vector sampled from a normal distribution. $F^{ca}$ represents Conditioning Augmentation [@zhang2017stackgan; @zhang2018stackgan++] that augments the speech features thus produces more image-speech pairs. It is a popular and useful strategy which is used in most recent text-to-speech generation tasks [@tan2019semantics; @xu2018attngan; @qiao2019mirrorgan]. $h_i$ is the hidden feature from the non-linear transformation $F_i$. $h_i$ is fed to the generator $G_i$ to obtain image $I_i$.
### Relation Supervisor (RS)
To ensure that the generator produces high-quality images that are semantically aligned with the spoken description, we propose a relation supervisor to provide a strong relation constraint to the generation process. Specifically, we form an image set for each generated image $I_i$, i.e., $\{ I_i, {\hat I}_i^{GT}, {\hat I}_i^{RI}, {\hat I}_i^{MI}\}$ indicating the generated fake image, the ground-truth image, a real image from the same class as $I_i$, and a real image from a different randomly-sampled class, respectively. We then define three types of relation classes: 1) a positive relation $L_1$, between ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ and ${\hat I}_i^{RI}$; 2) a negative relation $L_2$, between ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ and ${\hat I}_i^{MI}$; 3) an undesired relation $L_3$, between ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ and ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$. A relation classifier is trained to classify these three relations. We expect the relation between $I_i$ and ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ to be close to the positive relation $L_1$, because $I_i$ should semantically align with its corresponding ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$, however, it should not be identical to ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ to ensure the diversity of the generated results. Therefore, the loss function for training the RS is defined as: $$\small
\begin{array}{l}
\begin{aligned}
{L_{RS}} = & - \sum\limits_{j = 1}^3 {\log \hat P\left( {{L_j}\left| {{R_j}} \right.} \right)} - \log \hat P\left( {{L_1}\left| {{R_{GT-FI}}} \right.} \right),
\end{aligned}
\end{array}$$ where $R_j$ is a relation vector produced by RS with the input of a pair of images with relation $L_j$, e.g., ${R_1} = RS \big( {\hat I}^{GT},{{\hat I}^{RI}} \big)$. ${{R_{GT-FI}}}$ is the vector of relation between ${\hat I}_i^{GT}$ and $I_i$. Note that we apply RS only to the last generated image, i.e., $i=2$, for computational efficiency.
### Objective Function
The final objective function of RDG is defined as: $$\small
{{\cal L}_{{G}}} = \sum_{i=0}^2 {\cal L}_{G_i} + {\cal L}_{RS},$$ where the loss function for the $i$-$th$ generator $G_i$ is defined as: $$\small
\begin{array}{l}
\begin{aligned}
{{\cal L}_{{G_i}}} = & - {\mathbb{E}_{{I_i} \sim {p_G}_i}}\left[ {\log {D_i}\left( {{I_i}} \right)} \right] + \\
&- {\mathbb{E}_{{I_i} \sim {p_G}_i}}\left[ {\log \left( {{D_i}\left( {{I_i},{F^{ca}\big(A\big)}} \right)} \right)} \right].
\end{aligned}
\end{array}$$ The loss function for the corresponding discriminator $D$ of RDG is given by: $$\small
{{\cal L}_{{D}}} = \sum_{i=0}^2 {\cal L}_{D_i},$$ where the loss function for the $i$-$th$ generator $D_i$ is given by: $$\small
\begin{array}{l}
\begin{aligned}
{{\cal L}_{{D_i}}} =& - {\mathbb{E}_{{{\hat I}_i} \sim {p_{dat{a_i}}}}}\big[ {\log {D_i}\big( {{{\hat I}_i}} \big)} \big] + \\
&- {\mathbb{E}_{{I_i} \sim {p_G}_i}}\big[ {\log \big( {1 - {D_i}\big( {{I_i}} \big)} \big)} \big] + \\
& - {\mathbb{E}_{{{\hat I}_i} \sim {p_{dat{a_i}}}}}\big[ {\log {D_i}\big( {{{\hat I}_i},{F^{ca}\big(A\big)}} \big)} \big] + \\
& - {\mathbb{E}_{{I_i} \sim {p_G}_i}}\big[ {\log \big( {1 - {D_i}\big( {{I_i},{F^{ca}\big(A\big)}} \big)} \big)} \big],
\end{aligned}
\end{array}$$ Here, the first two items are unconditional loss that discriminate the fake and real images, and the last two items are conditional loss discriminating whether the image and the speech description match or not. The $I_i$ is from the model distribution $G_i$ at the $i^{th}$ scale, and ${\hat I}_i$ is from the real image distribution $p_{data_i}$ at the same scale. The generators and discriminators were trained alternately.
Evaluation Metrics
------------------
We use two metrics to evaluate the performance of our SI2GAN model. To evaluate ***diversity and quality*** of the generated images, we used two popular evaluation metrics for quantitative evaluation of generative models as that in [@zhang2018stackgan++]: Inception score (IS) [@salimans2016improved] and fréchet inception distance (FID) [@heusel2017gans], where, a higher IS means more diversity and a lower FID means a smaller distance between the generated and real image distributions, which indicates better generated images.
The ***visual-semantic consistency*** between the generated images and their speech descriptions is evaluated through a content-based image retrieval experiment between the real images and the generated images, and evaluated using mAP scores. Specifically, we randomly chose two real images from each class of the test set, resulting in a query pool. Then we used these query images to retrieve generated fake images that belong to their corresponding classes. We used the pre-trained Inception-v3 to extract features of all images. Higher mAP indicates a closer feature distance between fake images and their ground truth images, which indirectly shows a higher semantic consistency between generated images and their corresponding speech descriptions.
Results
=======
\[tab:mainresult\]
----------------------------------------- -------- ---------- ----------- ------------------- ----------- ----------- -------------------
(r)[3-5]{} (r)[6-8]{} Evaluation Metric Input mAP FID IS mAP FID IS
StackGAN-v2 text 7.01 20.94 4.02$\pm$0.03 9.88 50.38 3.35$\pm$0.07
MirrorGAN$\dagger$ text — — 4.56$\pm$0.05 — — –
SEGAN$\dagger$ text — — **4.67$\pm$0.04** — — –
[@li2020direct]$\dagger$ speech — 18.37 4.09$\pm$0.04 — 54.76 3.23$\pm$0.05
StackGAN-v2 speech 8.09 18.94 4.14$\pm$0.04 12.18 54.33 **3.69$\pm$0.08**
S2IGAN speech **9.04** **14.50** 4.29$\pm$0.04 **13.40** **48.64** 3.55$\pm$0.04
----------------------------------------- -------- ---------- ----------- ------------------- ----------- ----------- -------------------
: Performance of S2IGAN compared to other methods. $\dagger$ means that the results are taken from the original paper. The best performance is shown in bold.
Objective Results
-----------------
We compare our results with several state-of-the-art T2IG methods, including StackGAN-v2 [@zhang2018stackgan++], MirrorGAN [@qiao2019mirrorgan] and SEGAN [@tan2019semantics]. StackGAN-v2 is a strong baseline for the T2IG task and provides the effective stacked structure for the following methods. Both MirrorGAN and SEGAN are based on the stacked structure. MirrorGAN utilizes word-level [@xu2018attngan] and sentence-level attention mechanisms, and a “text-to-image-to-text” structure for T2IG, and SEGAN also uses word-level attention with extra proposed attention regularization and a siamese structure. In order to allow for a direct comparison on the S2IG task to StackGAN-v2, we reimplemented StackGAN-v2 and replaced the text embedding with our speech embedding. Moreover, we compare our results to the recently released speech-based model by [@li2020direct].
The results are shown in Table \[tab:mainresult\]. First, our method outperformed [@li2020direct] on all evaluation metrics and datasets. Compared with the StackGAN-v2 that took our speech embedding as input, our S2IGAN also achieved higher mAP and lower FID on both datasets. These results indicate that our method is effective in generating high-quality and semantically consistent images on the basis of spoken descriptions. The comparison of our S2IGAN with three state-of-the-art T2IG methods show that the S2IGAN method is competitive, and thus establishes a solid new baseline for the S2IG task.
Speech input is generally considered to be more difficult to deal with than text because of its high variability, its long duration, and the lack of pauses between words. Therefore, S2IG is more challenging than T2IG. However, the comparison of the performances of StackGAN-v2 on the S2IG and T2IG tasks shows that StackGAN-v2 generated better images using speech embeddings learned by our SEN. Moreover, the StackGAN-v2 based on our learned speech embeddings outperforms [@li2020direct] on almost all evaluation metrics and datasets, except for the slightly higher FID on CUB dataset. Note that [@li2020direct] takes the native StackGAN-v2 as the generator, which means that the only difference between [@li2020direct] and the speech-based StackGAN-v2 in Table \[tab:mainresult\] is the speech embedding method. These results confirm that our learned speech embeddings are competitive compared to text input and the speech embeddings in [@li2020direct], showing the effectiveness of our SEN module.
### Subjective Results
The subjective visual results are shown in Figure \[fig:mainresult\]. As can be seen, the images synthesized by our S2IGAN (d) are photo-realistic and convincing. By comparing the images generated by (d) S2IGAN and (c) StackGAN-v2 conditioned on speech embeddings, we can see that the images generated by S2IGAN are clearer and sharper, showing the effectiveness of the proposed S2IGAN on synthesizing visually high-quality images. The comparison of StackGAN-v2 conditioned on (b) text and (c) speech features embedded by the proposed SEN shows that our learned speech embeddings are competitive compared with the text features embedded by StackGAN-v2, showing the effectiveness of SEN. More results are shown on the project website^\[ft:project\]^.
To further illustrate S2IGAN’s ability to catch subtle semantic differences in the speech descriptions, we generated images conditioned on speech descriptions in which color keywords were changed. As Figure \[fig:semanticvisual\] shows, the visual semantics of the generated birds, specifically, the colors of the belly and the wings, are consistent with the corresponding semantic information in the spoken descriptions. These visualization results indicate that SEN successfully learned the semantic information in the speech signal, and that our RDG is capable of capturing these semantics and generating discriminative images that are semantically aligned with the input speech.
![Examples of images generated by different methods.[]{data-label="fig:mainresult"}](images/FIG4_VisualResult4.pdf){width="0.85\linewidth"}
![Generated examples by S2IGAN. The generated images are based on speech descriptions with different color keywords.[]{data-label="fig:semanticvisual"}](images/FIG5_Semantic2.pdf){width="0.80\linewidth"}
Component analysis
------------------
An extensive ablation study investigated the effectiveness of key components of SI2GAN. Specifically, the effects of the densely-stacked structure of DG, RS, and SEN were investigated by removing each of these components respectively. Removing any component resulted in a clear decrease of the generation performance, showing the effectiveness of each component. Details can be found on the project website^\[ft:project\]^.
Discussion and Conclusion
=========================
This paper introduces a novel speech-to-image generation (S2IG) task and we developed a novel generative model, called S2IGAN, which tackles S2IG in two steps. First, semantically discriminative speech embeddings are learned by a speech embedding network. Second, high-quality images are generated on the basis of the speech embeddings. The results of extensive experiments show that our S2IGAN has state-of-the-art performance, and that the learned speech embeddings capture the semantic information in the speech signal.
The current work is based on synthesized speech, which makes the current S2IG baseline an upper-bound baseline. The future work will focus on several directions. First, we will investigate this task with natural speech instead of synthesized speech. Second, it will be highly interesting to test the proposed methodology on a true unwritten language rather than the well-resourced English language. Third, we will further improve our methods in terms of efficiency and accuracy, for example, by making end-to-end training more effective and efficient and by applying attention mechanisms to our generator to further improve the quality of the generated images. An interesting avenue for future research would be to automatically discover speech units based on corresponding visual information from the speech signal [@harwath2019towards] to segment the speech signal. This would allow us to use segment- and word-level attention mechanisms, which have shown to lead to improved performance on the text-to-image generation task [@xu2018attngan], to improve the performance of speech-to-image generation.
[^1]: https://github.com/NVIDIA/tacotron2
[^2]: For more details on the model and results, please see: <https://xinshengwang.github.io/project/s2igan/>
| |
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We are ready to die and shall die cheerfully and proudly, you must not grieve for all of this.
You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.
You will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles.
Treat every moment as a gift, that is why it is called the present.
I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.
The principles of living greatly include the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and trial with humility.
To this end, we should help and support one another and strive for peace and union among ourselves. This is the wine that cheers and strengthens travelers along the narrow path of Jesus Christ.
Try and fail,but don't fail to try.
You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.
Cheerful Sensibility - Cheerful Sensibility is the first studio album by South Korean band F.T. Island, released on 5 June 2007. The album contains 13 songs divided into two
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (film) - Cheerful Weather for the Wedding is a 2012 British comedy drama film directed by Donald Rice and starring Felicity Jones, Luke Treadaway, and Elizabeth
Reasons to Be Cheerful - Cheerful is the name of: Reasons to Be Cheerful, a 2018 multimedia project including the album American Utopia by David Byrne Reasons to Be Cheerful:
Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3 - "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3" is a song and single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, initially released as the single "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 / Common
The Cheerful Fraud - The Cheerful Fraud is a 1927 silent film comedy directed by William A. Seiter and starring Reginald Denny and Gertrude Olmstead. It was produced and distributed
The Beatles - describe the Beatles' musical evolution: In their initial incarnation as cheerful, wisecracking moptops, the Fab Four revolutionised the sound, style, and
The Cheerful Soul - The Cheerful Soul (Italian:Anima allegra) is a 1919 Italian silent comedy film directed by Roberto Roberti and starring Francesca Bertini. It is based
American Utopia - musical component of a larger multimedia project titled Reasons to Be Cheerful, which attempts to spread positivity. Byrne announced the album and posted
Hilary (name) - the Latin hilarius meaning "cheerful", from hilaris, "cheerful, merry" which comes from the Greek ἱλαρός (hilaros), "cheerful, merry", which in turn comes
Things of the spirit are what count: brotherhood – in a day when there is too much hatred at home and abroad; cheerfulness – in a day when the pessimists have the floor and cynics are popular; service – in a day when millions are interested in getting or grasping, rather than giving
It is the color closest to light. In its utmost purity it always implies the nature of brightness and has a cheerful, serene, gently stimulating character. Hence, experience teaches us that yellow makes a thoroughly warm and comforting impression.
Today is a gift from God - that is why it is called the present.
To preserve our cheerfulness amid sicknesses and troubles, is a sign of a right and good spirit.
Since God has given me a cheerful heart, He will forgive me for serving Him cheerfully.
Don't think for a minute that bad publicity and endless criticism don't leave their claw marks on everyone concerned. Your friends try to cheer you up by saying lightly, "I suppose you get used to it, and ignore it." You try. You try damned hard. But you never get used to it. It always wounds and hurts.
What helps luck is a habit of watching for opportunities, of having a patient but restless mind, of sacrificing one's ease or vanity, or uniting a love of detail to foresight, and of passing through hard times bravely and cheerfully.
How come everybody cheers when chicks flash their T&A, but when I pull out my D&Bs, i'm a registered sex offender.
To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them. | https://quotlr.com/quotes-about-cheers |
Local anglers and hunters have come up with a plan to help Norfolk County reduce its costs.
The Long Point Area Fish and Game Club offered last week to assume responsibility for Norfolk’s annual pheasant re-stocking program.
The club already manages more than half the 700 or so pheasant released into the wild each year. At the June 9 meeting of Norfolk council, president Jim Greenwood said the club is willing to take on 100 per cent of the responsibility if the county wishes to delegate it.
“The club is willing to increase the time spent on release to reduce the cost to the county,” Greenwood said in a presentation via video link.
The stocking of pheasant for hunting purposes has been a municipal responsibility in Norfolk since the 1960s. The birds released today are raised on a farm north of Delhi. Many are released in west Norfolk because the birds prefer the grassland habitat in this part of the county.
The Long Point fish and game club is also willing to line up storefront businesses that will sell municipal small-game licences. Advocates for the program say the pheasant more than pay for themselves in terms of the economic activity they generate.
Pheasant has been a popular game bird in North America for hundreds of years.
“They are basically a wild chicken,” says Dan Nagy of Eli’s Guns and Archery in Simcoe. “That is, no drugs, no steroids. Very lean, very tasty.”
Council directed staff to enter into negotiations with the fish and game club for the transfer of the stocking program. Staff will report back before council’s summer recess. | |
Arabidopsis thaliana: A plant belonging to the mustard family. See also: Arabidopsis thaliana genome
The Arabidopsis Information Resource The Arabidopsis Information Resource ... preserves and distributes seed and DNA resources of Arabidopsis thaliana and ...
Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress , is a small flowering plant in the mustard family . Arabidopsis has no inherent agricultural value and is even considered a weed ...
About Arabidopsis. Summary; History of Arabidopsis thaliana; Common names for an uncommon weed. Geographic distribution of ecotypes and the history of some favorite "lab" strains.
Arabidopsis thaliana: another "model organism" This little plant has become to plant biology what Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans are to animal biology.
Several species belong to the Arabidopsis genus, the most well known member and the one most extensively used in research is Arabidopsis thaliana (L ... | https://drugster.info/medic/term/arabidopsis-thaliana/ |
The State Health Department has rebutted the claims, stating that patients are kept in different wards based on their medical conditions.
The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has reportedly segregated wards of COVID-19 patients along religious lines. The Health Department, however, has strongly rebutted the reports.
Normally, at civil hospitals, wards are segregated as per gender: male and female.
Officials of the hospital are tight-lipped after local media reported the issue, but insiders said the decision was taken after a large number of cases were reported from a cluster of a religious gathering in Delhi and their contacts in minority dominated pockets of the city.
In a tweet, the Health Department strongly rebutted the report. Patients were kept in different wards based on their medical condition, severity of the symptoms and age, purely based on the advice of treating doctors, it said.
As per the data, more than 50% of the total cases from Ahmedabad have emerged from select clusters of minority pockets in the city.
A doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that certain patients from the majority community were not comfortable being in the same ward with patients of the minority community.
“After some patients complained, it was decided to segregate them on temporary basis,” the doctor said.
| |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND
BRIEF SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Taiwanese Patent Application No. 097110182, filed Mar. 21, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a touch panel device, and particularly to a capacitive touch panel device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In daily life, touch panels are widely used in all kinds of electronic products, such as cash machines of financial organ, guide information systems of department store, personal digital assistants (PDA), and notebooks. Generally, the touch panels are classified as resistive touch panels, capacitive touch panels, acoustic wave touch panels and optical touch panels according to their sensing principle wherein the resistive touch panel is the most extensively used touch panel with the lowest price among all, but the capacitive touch panel gains increasingly attention and popularity now.
FIG. 1
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Referring to , a structure of a typical capacitive touch panel device is shown. The capacitive touch panel includes a flat substrate , a first electrode unit formed on a top surface of the flat substrate and a second electrode unit formed on a bottom surface of the flat substrate . A first conducting line is formed on periphery area of the top surface of the flat substrate and extended toward inside to electrically connect with the first electrode unit . A second conducting line is formed on periphery area of the bottom surface of the flat substrate and extended toward inside to electrically connect with the second electrode unit . A first extending wire and a second extending wire and are respectively electrically connected with the first and second conducting lines and for receiving power source or controlling signal.
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When the power source or the controlling signal is provided to the first and second electrode units and via the first and second extending wires and and the first and second conducting lines and , an electric field is formed around the flat substrate . When a finger of a user or a conductor is contacted or closed to the capacitive touch panel device, the electric field between the first and second electrode units and is correspondingly changed. Accordingly, a capacity at a touch point is changed. Thus the capacitive touch panel device can detect coordinates of the touch point according to the changes.
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In a manufacturing process of the capacitive touch panel device, the first and second extending wires and are respectively formed on the periphery areas of the top and bottom surfaces of the flat substrate via bonding wire for respectively connecting to the first and second conducting lines and . Thus the first and second extending wires and can electrically connected to the first and second electrodes units and via the first and second conducting lines and . However, when the first and second extending wires and extend outside the periphery area of the flat substrate , a variable interval between the first extending wire and the second extending wire results in an interference signal therebetween. The interference signal can interfere with the detecting of the coordinates of the touch point, and decrease a yield rate of the capacitive touch panel device.
What is needed, therefore, is a touch panel device which is capable to overcome the above described problem.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a touch panel device having simple structure and being manufactured easily.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a touch panel device having simple structure, and the electronic-magnetic interference comes from outside of the touch panel device can be reduced.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a touch panel device. The touch panel device includes a substrate, an insulating layer form on a surface of the substrate, a plurality of first electrode groups and a plurality of second electrode groups. Each first electrode group includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of first connecting wires each electrically connecting two adjacent first electrodes. Each second electrode group includes a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of bridge connecting wires each electrically connecting two adjacent second electrodes. The first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups are alternately formed on a surface of the insulating layer away from the substrate. The bridge connecting wires are formed on the surface of the substrate contacting with the insulating layer.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a touch panel device, which comprises a transparent substrate, a transparent insulating layer and a sensing unit. The transparent insulating layer is formed on a surface of the substrate. The sensing unit comprises a plurality of first electrode groups and a plurality of second electrode groups, wherein each second electrode group comprises a plurality of electrodes and a bridge connecting wires electrically connecting two adjacent electrodes. The first electrode groups and the electrodes of the second electrode groups are alternately formed on a surface of the insulating layer to define a sensing plane corporately, the bridge connecting wires are formed between the substrate and the sensing plane.
The touch panel device has some advantages. For example, the sensitivity of the touch panel device is improved because the first electrode groups and the electrodes of the second electrode groups are nearer to the touch surface, and the uniformity of the sensitivity is improved because the first electrode groups and the electrodes of the second electrode groups are formed on the same surface. Moreover, the structure is much simpler than some other touch panels. Furthermore, by forming the insulating layer, the first and second electrode groups are farther away from other modules (such as Liquid Crystal Display Module, LCM) such that the electronic-magnetic interference from these modules can be reduced. In another aspect, as the bridge connecting wires are covered by the insulating layer and the insulating layer can be polished to form a flat plane, the first electrode groups and the electrodes of the second electrode groups can be easily formed on the surface of the insulating layer.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the touch panel device will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of touch panel device wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this touch panel device, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the present invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
FIG. 2
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Referring to and , a touch panel device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The touch panel device includes a substrate , at least one first electrode group , at least one second electrode group , an insulating layer , and an anti-scratch layer .
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In this embodiment, the touch panel device includes a plurality of first electrode groups and a plurality of second electrode groups . The first electrode groups and the second electrode groups are disposed at a same side of the substrate . The insulating layer is formed on a surface of the substrate . The anti-scratch layer covers the first electrode groups and the second electrode groups for protecting them. In addition, an anti-reflection layer or other protecting layer can be formed on the anti-reflection layer .
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Each of the first electrode groups includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of first connecting lines . The first electrodes are spaced arranged along a straight line. Two adjacent first electrodes are electrically connected via the first connecting lines . Referring to , the first electrodes are diamond shapes. Two adjacent corners corresponding to short diagonal respectively belong to two adjacent diamond shaped first electrodes are electrically connected via the first connecting line such that the first electrodes are arranged in the straight line along a direction of an X axis as shown in . Understandably, the configuration of the second electrodes can also be design to other forms according to actual demand without limitation of the diamond shape in this embodiment.
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
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Referring to and , each of the second electrode groups includes a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of bridge connecting line-segments . In each second electrode group , all the bridge connecting line-segments are called as bridge connecting wire. The second electrodes are spaced arranged along a straight line, and two adjacent second electrodes are electrically connected via a bridge connecting line-segment . In this embodiment, the second electrodes are diamond shapes, and two adjacent corners corresponding to long diagonal respectively belong to two adjacent diamond shaped second electrodes are electrically connected via a bridge connecting line-segment . Thus the plurality of second electrodes are arranged in the straight line along a direction of a Y axis as shown in . Understandably, the configuration of the second electrodes can also be design to other forms according to actual demand without limitation of the diamond shape in this embodiment.
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Also referring to and , each second electrode group includes a plurality of bridge connecting line-segments respectively connected between two adjacent second electrodes . Each bridge connecting line-segment includes a first conductive part and two second conductive parts respectively connected to two ends of the first conductive part . In this embodiment, each first conductive part is a connecting line-segment. A length of the connecting line-segment is approximately equal to an interval of two adjacent second electrodes . The two ends of the first conductive part are electrically connected to two adjacent second electrodes respectively via the two second conductive parts .
FIG. 4
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Referring to together, in each second electrode group , a plurality of first conductive parts are spaced arranged along a straight line and formed on a surface of the substrate . In other words, the first conductive parts cover a part of the surface of the substrate . The insulating layer is formed on the surface of the substrate to cover the first conductive parts and a part of the surface without the first conductive parts formed thereon. The insulating layer has a flat insulating surface opposite to the surface of the substrate . Due to the flat insulating surface of the insulating layer , a process for forming the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups on the insulating layer is relatively simple.
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Furthermore, the insulating layer defines a plurality of through holes therein. Each pair of through holes correspond to two ends of each first conductive part . The second conductive parts are formed by filling conductive materials in the through holes . Such that one end of the second conductive part is electrically connected to the first conductive part and the other end of the second conductive part forms a conducting pad on the insulating surface of the insulating layer . The conducting pads are configured for electrically connecting the second electrodes when the second electrodes are formed on the insulating surface of the insulating layer to cover the conducting pads.
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The second electrodes is formed on the insulating surface and positions of the second electrodes correspond with the first conductive parts and the second conductive parts such that two adjacent second electrodes are electrically connected with each other via the corresponding first conductive part and the second conductive parts . In further description, the plurality of first conductive parts are arranged on the surface of the substrate according to a predetermined demand. Two second conductive parts are respectively disposed on the two ends of the first conductive part . The plurality of second electrodes are formed on the insulating layer corresponding to two ends of the first conductive parts and electrically connected with the first conductive parts via the second conductive parts . Thus, the bridge connecting line-segments including the first conductive parts and the second conductive parts are formed in the insulating layer . In other words, the second electrodes and the bridge connecting line-segments are located in different layers. That is, the plurality of second electrodes on the insulating surface can be electrically connected to each other by a bridge connecting manner via the bridge connecting line-segments including the first conductive parts and the second conductive parts formed in the insulating layer .
FIG. 2
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Referring back to , since the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of first connecting lines are also formed on the insulating surface of the insulating layer , the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups are formed on the insulating surface of the insulating layer , in another word, are located in a same layer to define a sensing plane corporately.
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The first electrode groups arranged in straight lines are paralleled to each other on the insulating surface of the insulating layer . The second electrodes of the second electrode groups arranged in straight lines are also paralleled to each other on the insulating surface of the insulating layer . The first electrode groups and the second electrode groups are alternately arranged. In this embodiment, the first electrodes arranged in straight lines and the second electrodes arranged in straight lines are alternately arranged to form a matrix. In the matrix formed by the first electrodes and the second electrodes , the first electrodes do not cross or overlap with the second electrodes such that the first electrodes and the second electrodes are separated with each other and alternately formed on the insulating surface of the insulating layer .
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The substrate can be made from transparent materials, such as glass, polymeric methyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphtalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC) or other appropriate transparent materials. The substrate can also be made from opaque materials. The first electrode groups and the second electrode groups can be made from transparent conductive materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or other opaque materials. The insulating layer can be made from transparent insulating materials such as silicon dioxide or opaque insulating materials.
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In other words, the substrate , the first electrode groups , the second electrode groups and the insulating layer can all made from transparent materials. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the substrate , the first electrode groups , the second electrode groups and the insulating layer can all made from opaque materials. In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, the substrate , the first electrode groups , the second electrodes of the second electrode groups and the insulating layer are made from transparent materials and the bridge connecting line-segments of the second electrode groups are made of an opaque material such as sliver or copper. As long as sizes of the bridge connecting line-segments of the second electrode groups are small enough, the touch panel device can also be employed in a transparent environment. The touch panel device made from transparent materials can be used in different touch devices having touch screen, such as mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA), global position systems (GPS) etc. The touch panel device can also be made from printed circuit board (PCB) or flexible printed circuit (FPC) when it is employed in other applications.
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The above described anti-scratch layer covers the first electrode groups and the second electrodes for preventing them from damages from an external force. The anti-scratch layer includes a touch surface configured for being contacted with the finger or other conductive element.
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Comparing with the conventional touch panel device, the touch panel device provided in above described embodiment has the following advantages. Firstly, because the first electrode groups and the second electrode groups are closed to the touch surface , the sensitivity of the touch panel device are correspondingly increased. Secondly, because the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups are disposed in the same layer, an even sensitivity can be achieved when the conductive element is closed to or contacted with the touch surface . In addition, due to the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups are disposed in the same layer, the configuration of the touch panel device becomes relatively simple, thus, the manufacturing process of the touch panel device is simplified. Thirdly, because of the existence of the insulating layer , the first electrode groups and the second electrodes are far away from a light control module (LCM) which is disposed at another side of the substrate opposite to the insulating layer . An interference of a sensing process of the touch panel device generated by the LCM can be depressed. Fourthly, flat surface of the touch panel device is propitious to perform a latter optical adjusting method such as reflecting the light. Lastly, because the bridge connecting line-segments of the second electrode groups are disposed in the insulating layer and the insulating layer includes a flat insulating surface , it is easy for the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode group to be formed on the insulating surface .
FIG. 5
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Referring to to , a touch panel device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The touch panel device is similar to the touch panel device except for the configurations of second electrode groups . The touch panel device includes a plurality of second electrode groups . Each second electrode group includes a plurality of second electrodes and a bridge connecting wire for electrically connecting two adjacent second electrodes . The bridge connecting wire includes a first conductive part and a plurality of second conductive parts electrically connected to the first conductive part . The first conductive part is a line-shaped conducting line corresponding to the plurality of second electrodes . The number of the second conductive parts is equal to the number of the second electrodes such that the second conductive parts respectively correspond to the second electrodes . Each second electrode is electrically connected to the first conductive part via a corresponding second conductive part . Thus the second electrodes are electrically connected in series. In this embodiment, an end of each second conductive part is connected to the first conductive part and the other end of each second conductive part is connected to an end of each second electrode .
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Understandably, the position of connections between the second conductive parts and the second electrodes are not limited to the end of the second electrodes . In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the second conductive parts can be electrically connected to any portion of the second electrodes . For example, referring to to , a touch panel device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is similar to the touch panel device . A difference therebetween is that an end of each second conductive part is connected to the first conductive part and the other end of each second conductive part is connected to a middle portion of the second electrodes .
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Comparing with the conventional touch panel device, the touch panel devices , have advantages same with that of the touch panel device . Furthermore, because the touch panel devices , only have one line-shaped first conductive part , respectively, which respectively correspond to the plurality of second electrodes , , a manufacturing process of the touch panel device , is further simplified.
FIG. 11
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Referring to , a touch panel device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The touch panel device is similar to the touch panel device except for configurations of the second electrode groups . The touch panel device includes a plurality of second electrode groups . Each second electrode group includes a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of bridge connecting wires . Two adjacent second electrodes are electrically connected to each other via a bridge connecting wires . Each bridge connecting wire includes a first conductive part and two second conductive parts respectively connected to two ends of the first conductive part . The first conductive part and two second conductive parts are integrated into one body. In this embodiment, the first conductive part and two second conductive parts are integrated into one body to form each U-shaped bridge connecting wire .
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Comparing with the conventional touch panel device, the touch panel device has advantages same with that of the touch panel device . Furthermore, because each bridge connecting wire are integrated into one body by the first conductive part and two second conductive parts , a reliability of the electrical conductivity of the bridge connecting wires is increased. Moreover, a process of forming the though holes in the insulating layer and filling the conductive materials in the through holes can be omitted. Therefore, a manufacturing process of the touch panel device is further simplified.
In the above-described embodiments, the elements employed in the first electrode groups and the second electrode groups such as the electrodes, the connecting lines and the first and second conductive parts of the bridge connecting line-segments can be made from same materials such as ITO.
FIG. 12
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Referring to and , touch panel devices , according to a fifth and a sixth embodiments are respectively shown. The touch panel devices , are similar to the touch panel device . The touch panel device showing in further includes a conductive layer on a surface of the substrate opposite to the insulating layer. The touch panel device showing in further includes a conductive layer formed in the insulating layer adjacent to the bridge connecting line-segments or bridge connecting wires. The conductive layer , are configured for shielding interference of the LCM to the sensing electrode of the touch panel devices , . The conductive layer can also be formed in a net-shape to decrease the capacitance thereof. In an alternative embodiment, the conductive layer , can both be employed in a touch panel device. Understandably, such shielding structure can also be applied in other touch panel devices as described above.
To sum up, the configuration of the bridge connecting line of the touch panel devices does not be limited by the illustrated embodiments. The touch panel device can be achieved as long as the first electrode groups and the second electrodes of the second electrode groups are disposed in a same layer or defined a sensing plane corporately, and the bridge connecting line-segments or bridge connecting wires are disposed in a layer different to the sensing plane. In other words, the bridge connecting line-segments or bridge connecting wires are disposed on the substrate and are insulated with the first electrode groups by the insulating layer.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including configurations ways of the electrodes and materials and/or designs of the electrode. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view of a conventional touch panel device.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel device according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
is a schematic vertical view of the touch panel device of .
FIG. 4
FIG. 2
is a schematic, exploded view of the touch panel device of .
FIG. 5
is a schematic, exploded view of the touch panel device according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
is a schematic vertical view of the touch panel device of .
FIG. 7
FIG. 5
is a cross-sectional view of the touch panel device of .
FIG. 8
FIG. 7
is an enlarged view of the part A in .
FIG. 9
is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel device according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 10
FIG. 9
is a enlarged view of the part B in .
FIG. 11
is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel device according to a fourth embodiment.
FIG. 12
is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel device according to a fifth embodiment.
FIG. 13
is a cross-sectional view of a touch panel device according to a sixth embodiment. | |
In turn, U (International Currency).S. authorities saw de Gaulle as a political extremist. But in 1945 de Gaullethe leading voice of French nationalismwas forced to reluctantly ask the U.S. for a billion-dollar loan. The majority of the demand was given; in return France assured to curtail government aids and currency control that had actually given its exporters benefits on the planet market. Open market depended on the totally free convertibility of currencies (Fx). Arbitrators at the Bretton Woods conference, fresh from what they perceived as a disastrous experience with floating rates in the 1930s, concluded that significant monetary fluctuations could stall the complimentary circulation of trade.
Unlike national economies, nevertheless, the global economy does not have a main government that can provide currency and handle its usage. In the past this issue had actually been resolved through the gold standard, but the architects of Bretton Woods did not consider this option possible for the postwar political economy. Instead, they established a system of repaired currency exchange rate handled by a series of freshly created worldwide organizations utilizing the U.S - Nesara. dollar (which was a gold standard currency for central banks) as a reserve currency. In the 19th and early 20th centuries gold played an essential role in global financial deals (Depression).
The gold standard preserved fixed exchange rates that were viewed as desirable because they minimized the threat when trading with other countries. Imbalances in worldwide trade were in theory corrected automatically by the gold standard. A nation with a deficit would have diminished gold reserves and would hence have to decrease its money supply. The resulting fall in demand would decrease imports and the lowering of costs would improve exports; thus the deficit would be remedied. Any country experiencing inflation would lose gold and for that reason would have a decline in the amount of money readily available to invest. This decrease in the quantity of cash would act to reduce the inflationary pressure.
Based on the dominant British economy, the pound ended up being a reserve, transaction, and intervention currency. However the pound was not up to the difficulty of working as the primary world currency, provided the weak point of the British economy after the 2nd World War. Bretton Woods Era. The designers of Bretton Woods had conceived of a system wherein currency exchange rate stability was a prime objective. Yet, in a period of more activist financial policy, federal governments did not seriously think about completely repaired rates on the model of the classical gold standard of the 19th century. Gold production was not even adequate to satisfy the needs of growing global trade and investment.
The only currency strong enough to meet the rising needs for worldwide currency transactions was the U.S. dollar. The strength of the U - Fx.S. economy, the fixed relationship of the dollar to gold ($35 an ounce), and the dedication of the U.S. Fx. government to transform dollars into gold at that rate made the dollar as good as gold. In reality, the dollar was even better than gold: it earned interest and it was more flexible than gold. The rules of Bretton Woods, stated in the posts of contract of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Restoration and Advancement (IBRD), attended to a system of repaired exchange rates.
What emerged was the "pegged rate" currency regime. Members were required to establish a parity of their nationwide currencies in regards to the reserve currency (a "peg") and to maintain currency exchange rate within plus or minus 1% of parity (a "band") by intervening in their foreign exchange markets (that is, buying or selling foreign money). Nesara. In theory, the reserve currency would be the bancor (a World Currency Unit that was never carried out), proposed by John Maynard Keynes; however, the United States objected and their demand was approved, making the "reserve currency" the U.S. dollar. This implied that other nations would peg their currencies to the U.S.
dollars to keep market exchange rates within plus or minus 1% of parity. Thus, the U. Exchange Rates.S. dollar took control of the role that gold had played under the gold requirement in the international financial system. On the other hand, to reinforce confidence in the dollar, the U.S. agreed separately to link the dollar to gold at the rate of $35 per ounce. At this rate, foreign federal governments and central banks could exchange dollars for gold. Bretton Woods developed a system of payments based upon the dollar, which defined all currencies in relation to the dollar, itself convertible into gold, and above all, "as good as gold" for trade.
currency was now successfully the world currency, the requirement to which every other currency was pegged. As the world's crucial currency, most international transactions were denominated in U.S. dollars. The U.S. dollar was the currency with the most acquiring power and it was the only currency that was backed by gold (Cofer). Additionally, all European nations that had actually been involved in The second world war were extremely in financial obligation and transferred big amounts of gold into the United States, a reality that contributed to the supremacy of the United States. Therefore, the U.S. dollar was strongly valued in the remainder of the world and therefore ended up being the key currency of the Bretton Woods system. However throughout the 1960s the costs of doing so became less tolerable. By 1970 the U.S. held under 16% of international reserves. Change to these changed realities was restrained by the U.S. dedication to fixed currency exchange rate and by the U.S. responsibility to convert dollars into gold as needed. By 1968, the attempt to protect the dollar at a fixed peg of $35/ounce, the policy of the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations, had actually ended up being progressively untenable. Gold outflows from the U.S. accelerated, and despite gaining guarantees from Germany and other nations to hold gold, the unbalanced spending of the Johnson administration had transformed the dollar scarcity of the 1940s and 1950s into a dollar glut by the 1960s.
Special illustration rights (SDRs) were set as equivalent to one U.S. dollar, but were not usable for deals besides between banks and the IMF. World Currency. Countries were needed to accept holding SDRs equivalent to three times their allocation, and interest would be charged, or credited, to each country based on their SDR holding. The original interest rate was 1. 5%. The intent of the SDR system was to avoid countries from purchasing pegged gold and selling it at the greater free enterprise rate, and provide nations a reason to hold dollars by crediting interest, at the exact same time setting a clear limitation to the quantity of dollars that might be held.
The drain on U.S - Bretton Woods Era. gold reserves culminated with the London Gold Swimming Pool collapse in March 1968. By 1970, the U.S. had seen its gold coverage weaken from 55% to 22%. This, in the view of neoclassical financial experts, represented the point where holders of the dollar had actually lost faith in the capability of the U.S. to cut spending plan and trade deficits. In 1971 a growing number of dollars were being printed in Washington, then being pumped overseas, to spend for government expense on the military and social programs. In the first six months of 1971, possessions for $22 billion got away the U.S.
Unusually, this choice was made without seeking advice from members of the global monetary system and even his own State Department, and was soon called the. Gold rates (US$ per troy ounce) with a line around marking the collapse Bretton Woods. The August shock was followed by efforts under U.S. management to reform the international financial system. Throughout the fall (fall) of 1971, a series of multilateral and bilateral settlements between the Group of Ten nations happened, seeking to redesign the exchange rate program. Fulfilling in December 1971 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the Group of Ten signed the Smithsonian Agreement.
vowed to peg the dollar at $38/ounce with 2. 25% trading bands, and other nations consented to value their currencies versus the dollar. The group likewise planned to balance the world financial system using unique drawing rights alone. The arrangement failed to encourage discipline by the Federal Reserve or the United States government - Reserve Currencies. The Federal Reserve was concerned about a boost in the domestic joblessness rate due to the devaluation of the dollar. Dove Of Oneness. In effort to weaken the efforts of the Smithsonian Arrangement, the Federal Reserve lowered rate of interest in pursuit of a formerly established domestic policy objective of complete national employment.
and into foreign reserve banks. The inflow of dollars into foreign banks continued the money making of the dollar overseas, defeating the objectives of the Smithsonian Contract. As a result, the dollar cost in the gold free market continued to cause pressure on its official rate; not long after a 10% devaluation was announced in February 1973, Japan and the EEC countries decided to let their currencies float. This proved to be the beginning of the collapse of the Bretton Woods System. The end of Bretton Woods was officially validated by the Jamaica Accords in 1976. By the early 1980s, all industrialised countries were utilizing floating currencies.
On the other side, this crisis has revived the dispute about Bretton Woods II. On 26 September 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, "we must rethink the financial system from scratch, as at Bretton Woods." In March 2010, Prime Minister Papandreou of Greece wrote an op-ed in the International Herald Tribune, in which he said, "Democratic governments worldwide should establish a brand-new worldwide financial architecture, as vibrant in its own method as Bretton Woods, as bold as the development of the European Neighborhood and European Monetary Union (Global Financial System). And we need it fast." In interviews corresponding with his meeting with President Obama, he suggested that Obama would raise the concern of new policies for the worldwide monetary markets at the next G20 meetings in June and November 2010.
In 2011, the IMF's handling director Dominique Strauss-Kahn specified that enhancing work and equity "need to be placed at the heart" of the IMF's policy program. The World Bank indicated a switch towards higher emphases on task development. Following the 2020 Economic Recession, the managing director of the IMF announced the emergence of "A New Bretton Woods Minute" which details the need for collaborated financial response on the part of reserve banks around the world to attend to the continuous financial crisis. Dates are those when the rate was introduced; "*" indicates drifting rate supplied by IMF Date # yen = $1 United States # yen = 1 August 1946 15 60.
50 5 July 1948 270 1,088. 10 25 April 1949 360 1,450. 80 until 17 September 1949, then decreased the value of to 1,008 on 18 September 1949 and to 864 on 17 November 1967 20 July 1971 308 30 December 1998 115. 60 * 193. 31 * 5 December 2008 92. 499 * 135. 83 * 19 March 2011 80 (Nesara). 199 * 3 August 2011 77. 250 * Note: GDP for 2012 is $4. Triffin’s Dilemma. 525 trillion U.S. dollars Date # Mark = $1 United States Note 21 June 1948 3. 33 Eur 1. 7026 18 September 1949 4. 20 Eur 2. 1474 6 March 1961 4 Eur 2. 0452 29 October 1969 3.
8764 30 December 1998 1. 673 * Last day of trading; transformed to Euro (4 January 1999) Note: GDP for 2012 is $3. 123 trillion U.S. dollars Date # pounds = $1 US pre-decimal worth value in (Republic of Ireland) worth in (Cyprus) value in (Malta) 27 December 1945 0. 2481 4 shillings and 11 12 pence 0. 3150 0. 4239 0. 5779 18 September 1949 0 - Inflation. 3571 7 shillings and 1 34 cent 0. 4534 0. 6101 0. 8318 17 November 1967 0. 4167 8 shillings and 4 pence 0. 5291 0 - World Currency. 7120 0. 9706 30 December 1998 0. 598 * 5 December 2008 0.
323 trillion U.S. dollars Date # francs = $1 US Note 27 December 1945 1. 1911 1 = 4. 8 FRF 26 January 1948 2. 1439 1 = 8. 64 FRF 18 October 1948 2. 6352 1 = 10. 62 FRF 27 April 1949 2. Depression. 7221 1 = 10. 97 FRF 20 September 1949 3. 5 1 = 9. 8 FRF 11 August 1957 4. 2 1 = 11. 76 FRF 27 December 1958 4. 9371 1 FRF = 0. 18 g gold 1 January 1960 4. 9371 1 new franc = 100 old francs 10 August 1969 5. 55 1 brand-new franc = 0.
627 * Last day of trading; transformed to euro (4 January 1999) Note: Values prior to the currency reform are revealed in brand-new francs, each worth 100 old francs. GDP for 2012 is $2. 253 trillion U.S. dollars Date # lire = $1 US Keep In Mind 4 January 1946 225 Eur 0. 1162 26 March 1946 509 Eur 0. 2629 7 January 1947 350 Eur 0. 1808 28 November 1947 575 Eur 0. 297 18 September 1949 625 Eur 0. 3228 31 December 1998 1,654. 569 * Last day of trading; transformed to euro (4 January 1999) Note: GDP for 2012 is $1. | https://global-currency.matthew-sharpe.net/page/global-currency-reset-horizon-freedom-pub-pegs--JdhvruH18S5v |
Biodiversity is a matter of interest and concern to the entire world.
As a result, there are lots of biodiversity organizations and NGOs that have risen to meet these concerns to ensure this system, which is essential to human beings, is preserved.
Such Biodiversity Organizations and NGOs include:
1. UNEP’S Convention on Biological Diversity
This organization is out to preserve biological diversity and ensure its components are continually used and maintained. They also ensure that the benefits from the use of genetic resources are shared equally.
2. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
This is one of the top biodiversity organizations that connects people and their source of living with biological diversity, thereby protecting and building the environment. IIED works in different parts of the world but is based in London.
3. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Millennium assessment ensures the continued use of the ecosystem, checks the changes in the ecosystem, and the result/effect of this change in the life of humans.
4. World Wildlife Fund
This program supports the preservation of the world’s biodiversity by raising funds and working together with other similar groups to achieve stable financial support for global biodiversity.
5. E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation
This is one of the top biodiversity organizations that initiate and build businesses in the area of conservation and give strategies that will help to protect the biological diversity in the environment.
6. Plant Conservation Alliance
This organization uses joint efforts to keep the ecosystem by restoring native habitat and making sure that native plants do not go out of existence.
7. Conservation International
This is one of the top biodiversity organizations that, this organization collaborates with other organizations like the government, universities, local communities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to ensure the protection of life on earth and show that humans flourish well when their society is in equilibrium with nature.This is one of the top biodiversity organizations that
8. Society for Conservation Biology
This international organization is committed to the promotion of studies related to the things that affect biological diversity. Such items could be a loss, maintenance, and restoring of biodiversity. They publish the conservation magazine and the journal on conservation biology.
9. Fauna & Flora International
This organization is known to create new ideas and programs that have become excellent examples of conservation programs. An example of such purposes includes the creation of protected areas like Kruger Serengeti National Parks, which preserves wildlife and ecosystem.
10. International Union for Conservation Of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
This international organization is the oldest in the world. Its job is to value nature, make sure that it is effectively used mainly as a solution to food and climate challenges around the world.
11. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
The mission of the wildlife conservation society is to encourage people to study zoology, create the highest zoo ever, and encourage the protection of wildlife.
12. United Nation Environment Program
This organization drives the campaign to fight global warming, thinning of the ozone layer, and other such problems that affect the environment around the entire globe. The UNEP also has plans of actions to control the reduction of natural resources and protect the ecosystem.
13. Oceana
Oceana foundation’s sole mission is to carry out a definite campaign that is science-based and has a target delivery date to achieve planned goals of restoring and preserving the oceans of the world.
14. International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
This organization protects plants both wild, and the ones grew by cultivation. They do this by ensuring the application of the right measures for pest control and prevention, thereby preserving plant species.
15. Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
This global group brings together organizations with the common interest of having a future that is food-secured. They aim to raise food security, improve the nutrition and health of humans, and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas.
16. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
The primary aim of this organization is to preserve plants and ensure the maintained use of the materials of plants for feeding and cultivation and the just distribution of the advantages gotten from the use of these natural plant materials.
17. Center for Biodiversity and Conservation
The mission of this organization, which studies biodiversity is to conserve biodiversity by reducing factors that are seriously threatening the cultural and biological diversity around the world. This goes a long way to keep and preserve our biological diversity.
18. Nature conservancy
The nature conservancy organization preserves nature by protecting acres of land and river miles all around the globe. Every year and in all parts of the world, they also carry out numerous projects to conserve the marine.
19. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
This convention is an agreement that makes sure that wildlife does not go into extinction. They do this by monitoring the global trade of wild plants and wild animals’ specimens and ensure that this wildlife doesn’t cease to exist as a result of this trade.
20. Xerces Society
Xerces is an international organization that is not for profit. Their mission is to keep wildlife safe by preserving invertebrates and their place of natural occurrence.
21. Earth Island Institute
This nonprofit institute uses education to promote the preservation of the earth. They create and back up plans with the sole aim of opposing or thwarting the factors that are dangerous to our environment’s biological diversity.
22. Sierra Club
The nature conservancy organization preserves nature by protecting acres of land and river miles all around the globe. Every year and in all parts of the world, they also carry out numerous projects to conserve the marine.
23. BioGem
This is a movement launched by the Natural Resources Defense Council to make sure that our planet is maintained by preserving our biogems and ensuring that our unique wild places remain wild and not go into extinction.
24. 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
This group connects other groups from different nations who are also leading in the development of biodiversity and also check the progress towards reaching the goal of the convention on biological diversity (CBD) 2010.
25. UN Biodiversity Planning Support Program
This is a movement by the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Environment Program to help nations to carry out National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans of the UN convention.
Nature and wildlife are essential to us and necessary for the balance and safety of our ecology. These organizations and NGOs help to conserve the planet and show the beauty of nature and ensure they do not become extinct. | https://environheroes.com/25-top-biodiversity-organizations-and-ngos/ |
Throughout this chapter, we’ve seen how linear algebra can be used to tackle systems of linear equations. This is important because of the various contexts in which systems of linear equations appear: even besides areas of math, several areas of physics rely on our ability to solve these systems.
One important area is circuits, which measures how electricity flows throughout various devices. Mathematically analyzing these circuits is extremely important for evaluating their efficacy: too little power into a device and the device won’t work; too much, and the device will overload. As we’ll see throughout this quiz, linear algebra provides the toolbox for analyzing circuits.
Let’s first define some of the basic modules present in circuits. In order to get to the actual math part, we won’t go through all of them, but we’ll touch on the important ones. Let’s start our exploration by looking at voltage (rather than current just yet).
First, the basic idea is that current travels through wires, in such a way that the voltage of each contiguous segment of wire (measured in volts, or V) is the same. In other words, there is no change in the potential across any part of the wire. When two or more circuit elements meet, we refer to that point as a node. Since the potential across a given wire segment is assumed constant, we can include the wire joining two or more circuit elements in the definition of a node. For example, the following circuit has two nodes, each with their own voltage:
How many nodes are in the following circuit?
The main purpose of analyzing circuits is to determine which nodes have which voltages, which in turn tells us how the voltage changes across modules, and thus tells us how much voltage the module uses.
The first of these modules is a simple battery, or voltage source. A battery with voltage enforces the difference between the positive node (the node connected to the positive part of the battery) and the negative node (the node connected to the negative part of the battery). For example,
Kirchhoff's voltage rule: The sum total of potential changes along a closed circuit is 0.
The circuit below contains three batteries, with voltages , and . Use Kirchhoff's voltage rule to determine which of the following must be true.
Hint: Think of traveling around the circuit once clockwise. When the wire enters a battery from the negative side and exits from the positive side, the total potential goes up by the value of the battery; when a wire enters through the positive side and exits the negative side, the potential goes down by the value of the battery.
Before we look at our next module, we have to introduce the idea of current (measured in amperes, or A). Current is the flow of electricity through wires, which can in turn power modules such as lights. As such, current travels over modules as well as through wires.
An important property of current is Kirchhoff’s law: the amount of current going into a node is the same as the amount of current going out of a node. For instance, one possible circuit could be the following:
We are now ready to introduce the second major module we’ll be working with: a resistor. If we apply the same potential difference across geometrically similar conductors, very different currents can result. The resistance of a conductor (measured in ohms, or is given by where is the applied voltage difference and is the resulting current. Not all conductors have constant , but it is usually a very good approximation in common applications.
An ideal resistor (or Ohmic conductor) is a circuit element obeying Ohm’s law where is constant.
As an example, consider the following circuit, which contains a battery and two resistors of strengths and respectively.
Current enters the negative side of the battery and exits the positive side as it makes a clockwise journey around the closed circuit. When it passes through the battery, the charges in the current gain potential, which has to be lost across the resistors according to Kirchhoff's voltage law.
Let's say that the red node (left) is at voltage the green node (middle) is at voltage and the blue node (right) is at voltage Then according to Ohm's law, the current across the resistor is
According to Kirchhoff's current law, the current traveling across the resistor is the same as the current flowing across the resistor. What is the value of this current?
The last few problems illustrate a remarkable fact: using just batteries and resistors, we can induce a current across a module, which allows the module to use that current for power. This is why circuits are so important!
Unfortunately, circuits are usually much more complicated than the simple examples we’ve seen here. In the next couple problems, we’ll work through a much more complex circuit--and see how linear algebra ties into the analysis.
Over the next few problems, we’ll analyze the following complex circuit:
Here, a lightbulb is modeled as a resistor. Our goal will be to find the current travelling across the bulb (remember, if the current is too little, the bulb won’t turn on; if the current is too much, the bulb will burn out).
First of all, how many nodes are in this circuit?
From the previous problem, we see there are 4 nodes. We can assume for simplicity that the pink node has V voltage. This means there are three nodes we don’t know the voltage of, and thus there are 3 variables we will need to solve for. As we’ve seen previously, this means we need to find 3 equations linking them.
Suppose the red node has voltage V, the green node has voltage V, and the blue node has voltage V. Analyzing the red node first, which of the following is true?
Now let’s look at a more complicated situation, namely the green node.
Recall that Ohm’s law allows us to write the currents in terms of , and . For instance, the current across the resistor flowing from the red node to the green node is i.e. the potential difference between the green and red nodes divided by the resistance.
There are three currents to worry about if we focus on the green node. Find the three currents and apply Kirchoff’s law to the green node. Which of the following expressions must equal 0?
Hint: Negative currents flowing out is the same thing as positive currents flowing in.
In the last problem, we saw that applying Ohm’s and Kirchhoff’s laws to the green node gives which (after multiplying both sides of the equal sign by 300 and simplifying) can be rewritten as Applying the same process to the blue node, which of the following equations is true?
We’ve now reduced to a system of three equations: Now we can finally find the current traveling across the bulb. What is this current?
In this chapter, we explored the mathematical analysis of circuits, which is integral to correctly setting up electrical systems. As we saw, using just the simple modules of batteries and resistors, we are able to induce a current that can power a lightbulb (or many other things, like the computer you are reading this on!).
As we saw, simple circuits can be analyzed “by hand,” but more complex circuits require a chunk of linear algebra to fully understand. Fortunately, the tools we’ve developed throughout this chapter reduce the problem to a systematic process, from which we can understand precisely what setup is necessary to--for instance--light a bulb.
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Philippians. It’s a book full of contradiction. Paul is in prison yet is writing of joy, contentment, and gladness over and over again. For this set we wanted to have this contradiction play out on stage in a visual way.
The main contrast in this design comes from an order and chaos juxtaposition. We took more of the leftover 2x4s from our Credo set, painted them gray, and used them as our component element for the build. (These 2x4s will have a total of 28 weeks of use after this series wraps – a key feature of making our set design budget stretch further over the course of a year.)
For the full photo set click here.
The chaos in the center of the stage was a unique challenge to tackle. It needed to look organic and fragile, yet able to hold itself up without visible supports. One of our builders happened to have 4″ construction screws with him at the time which proved most helpful in solving this challenge.
Holt Venue
REO Town Venue
Westside Venue
The projection motif for this set is very vibrant and bold, a representation of Paul’s joy and a stark contrast to the struggles he’s going through. We have the text “Joy Happens” in bold letters on the back walls of all our venues as a constant reminder that in all of life’s circumstances, we ought to choose a life of joy. | https://rivproductions.com/2016/02/08/joy-happens/ |
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Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus 6th Edition - Solutions by Chapter
Full solutions for Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus | 6th Edition
ISBN: 9780840068071
This expansive textbook survival guide covers the following chapters: 13. Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus was written by and is associated to the ISBN: 9780840068071. This textbook survival guide was created for the textbook: Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, edition: 6. Since problems from 13 chapters in Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus have been answered, more than 17017 students have viewed full step-by-step answer. The full step-by-step solution to problem in Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus were answered by , our top Calculus solution expert on 11/23/17, 05:03AM.
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Back-to-back stemplot
A stemplot with leaves on either side used to compare two distributions.
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Boundary
The set of points on the “edge” of a region
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Constant of variation
See Power function.
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Decreasing on an interval
A function f is decreasing on an interval I if, for any two points in I, a positive change in x results in a negative change in ƒ(x)
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Difference of complex numbers
(a + bi) - (c + di) = (a - c) + (b - d)i
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Ellipsoid of revolution
A surface generated by rotating an ellipse about its major axis
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Graph of an inequality in x and y
The set of all points in the coordinate plane corresponding to the solutions x, y of the inequality.
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Horizontal translation
A shift of a graph to the left or right.
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Line graph
A graph of data in which consecutive data points are connected by line segments
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Normal distribution
A distribution of data shaped like the normal curve.
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Octants
The eight regions of space determined by the coordinate planes.
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Polar coordinate system
A coordinate system whose ordered pair is based on the directed distance from a central point (the pole) and the angle measured from a ray from the pole (the polar axis)
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Proportional
See Power function
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Quartic regression
A procedure for fitting a quartic function to a set of data.
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Quotient identities
tan ?= sin ?cos ?and cot ?= cos ? sin ?
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Randomization
The principle of experimental design that makes it possible to use the laws of probability when making inferences.
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Reduced row echelon form
A matrix in row echelon form with every column that has a leading 1 having 0’s in all other positions.
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System
A set of equations or inequalities.
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Vertex form for a quadratic function
ƒ(x) = a(x - h)2 + k
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y-coordinate
The directed distance from the x-axis xz-plane to a point in a plane (space), or the second number in an ordered pair (triple), pp. 12, 629. | https://studysoup.com/tsg/calculus/161/precalculus-mathematics-for-calculus |
The toco toucan remains a widespread bird. Its dislike of dense forest has enabled it to escape the fate of many other toucans threatened by destruction of their rainforest home to make way for farmland and villages.The toco toucan is also able to adapt to man-made habitats, such as commercial plantations. But it soon vanishes from those areas where all the large trees have been felled.
% The toco toucan bathes high above ground by splashing its plumage in rainwater-filled hollows of a tree's branch or trunk.
The garish colors and huge bill size of the toco toucan serve to intimidate small birds, so the toucan can raid their nests.
Adult toco toucans make unusually restless parents. A toucan rarely sits on its eggs for more than an hour before letting its mate take over.
Many species of toucan seek A Show off refuge in the canopy of tropical The toco toucan is easy to forests, but the toco toucan spot, even in the treetops. prefers relatively open habitats and is absent from much of the Amazon rainforest, preferring savannah woodland, palm groves, riverside trees and forest edges.
This toucan is fond of coconut and sugar plantations and clearings, and is a familiar sight around villages and farms. It is however; entirely dependent on large trees, as it feeds, sleeps and nests high in the treetops. One of the main limitations on where the toucan can live is the availability of nest sites — the species uses tall, living trees with natural holes just large enough to accommodate it.
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Acai, Maqui And Many Other Popular Berries That Will Change Your Life And Health. Berries have been demonstrated to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet. Each month or so it seems fresh research is being brought out and new berries are being exposed and analyzed for their health giving attributes. | https://www.birdwatchingblog.us/breeding-season-2/conservation-krp.html |
Any ideology is comprised of various different ideas. Political Ideologies for encompass and consist of sets of doctrines, principles and symbols of various institutions, movements or groups of people in the society. Political Ideology describes the way and manner in which the members of a particularly given society operate and live. The political ideology also comprises of the beliefs of the people in the society, their mindsets and the manner in which they conduct tasks and activities. Elections In any given nation, for example, are based on and depend on the type of Political ideology the people of a particular society believe in.
The Role of Political Ideology in Societies
Political ideology in a given societies plays a significant and vital role. The way that power is exercised and allocated among the leaders in the society depends on the political ideology. The manner in which the people conduct the election of leaders in the community is dependent on political ideology. It is thus vital and essential to note that the political ideology plays an important and critical role in determining the manner in which people in different societies are governed. Political ideology also shapes the way persons or individuals in a given societies view issues and the world. Optimism or pessimism is thus determined by political ideology.
Types of Political Ideologies
There are several types of political ideologies that are used in different societies. These political ideologies determine the forms of government in these societies and the manner in which the leaders exercise power. Conservative Ideology, for example, is one in which the citizens hold the belief that the government should avoid interfering with their lives as much as possible. They believe that people should take charge of their lives and have more responsibility for what they do. In such societies, change is likely to be rejected and unacceptable. Change is likely to bring about a negative impact on such societies as the citizens are mainly pessimistic about issues. Those who are conservatives believe in self-government and responsibility for their lives. On the other hand, Liberalism is an ideology in which the citizens believe that the governments should be highly involved in their lives. The citizens pressure the government for reforms that positively bring changes to the societies. Diversity is embraced in such societies. People believing in such ideologies are optimistic of the world and the future and have faith in their governments. The imperfections in such societies are handled by the governments by the governments. | https://www.educationalbookstores.com/political-ideology-an-academic-essay-example-worth-reading |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to an adaptor for an image capture device for fundus photography and, in particular, but not exclusively, relates to an adaptor for a smartphone to enable the smartphone to capture images of the fundus of an eye that would otherwise not be possible by the smartphone.
FIG. 1
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shows the basic structure of a human eye which comprises a cornea , a pupil , a lens , and a retina . The retina is an internal light sensitive layer at the back of the eye and is primarily responsible for vision. Light from a distant object or light source travelling in a near parallel path enters the eye through the pupil and is focused at a point on the retina by the refractive power of the cornea and lens . The light focussed on the retina is detected by photoreceptor cells of the retina , and converted into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is transferred by retinal ganglion cells, through the optic nerve of the eye , into the brain for visual processing. This is generally how a human can see the outside world.
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Unlike the cornea , the retina is currently not replaceable. Currently there is no artificial retina or other substitutes that can provide sufficient visual function in the event the retina fails. Unfortunately, the retina is quite vulnerable to various problems and diseases and is therefore subject to failure. Consequently, care should be taken to ensure the health of the retina. Furthermore, since the retina is the only portion of the central nervous system visible from outside the human body, inspection of the retina can enable detection of other health issues such as diabetes. Therefore, examination of the retina is one of the most important aspects of an eye examination because it enables the detection and prevention of pathological conditions that can result in irreversible visual loss or other health related issues.
An eye examination is traditionally carried out by a specialist eye doctor, commonly referred to as an ophthalmologist, who visually inspects the fundus of the eye using an ophthalmoscope. One limitation of an ophthalmoscope is that it is unable to contemporaneously record visual details of the fundus which means that the ophthalmologist is required to subsequently document his findings of the visual inspection of the retina in text or drawings. Accurate recording or documentation of images of the fundus require another instrument commonly referred to as a retinal camera or fundus camera. The process of taking photographs of the retina is called fundus photography. Fundus photography provides photographic documentation of the retina and facilitates documentation, monitoring, case discussion, mass screening, and even telemedicine.
Conventional fundus cameras are usually large machines that must be table mounted and connected to a desktop computer system for image storage and organisation. Such conventional cameras are not helpful for bed-bound patients, infants and children, or other patients that cannot easily move or cooperate for accurate positioning relative to the camera. Furthermore, such cameras limit the examination to the clinic or hospital. Outreach screening with such fundus cameras is therefore very difficult.
Recently, a number of portable fundus cameras have been developed to address these mobility issues. These portable fundus cameras have greatly expanded the ability to conduct funduscopic or ophthalmoscopic examinations. However, portable fundus cameras still require relatively complicated connection to a computer system for photo storage, processing and organisation. Auto-analysis and telemedicine is possible with such cameras, but is still limited to specialist centres that have the dedicated facilities and computer systems for assessment.
With the advent of smartphones and other portable image acquisition devices, retinal imaging with smartphones is gaining popularity. One advantage of using a smartphone for retinal imaging is that it does not require connection to remote computer systems. Smartphones also allow instant image capture, review, analysis, organisation and sharing of fundus photographs. As smartphones are popular among health care professionals, every suitably qualified health care professional with a smartphone and an appropriate adaptor has the necessary technology to perform fundus photography.
Apart from the ease of use, there are many additional advantages of using a smartphone and adaptor to take photographs of the fundus. With constant improvements in smartphone camera technology, the resolution of fundus photographs will correspondingly improve. Various smartphone software can also be developed by third parties to further improve diagnostic performance and facilitate patient care. As modern smartphone cameras can offer high light sensitivity, smartphones can be used to take fundus photographs under lower illumination levels than traditional ophthalmoscopy apparatus.
There are a number of such adaptors on the market. However, most of them offer a limited field of view (at most around 50 degrees of view). This limited field of view can only show the central part of the retina. In order to provide a more comprehensive screening of the retina, a much wider field of view is needed. On the other hand, the adaptor should be small and lightweight to facilitate portable clinical use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved adaptor for a portable image acquisition device for fundus photography with a wider field of view.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adaptor for attachment to an image acquisition device, the image acquisition device having one or more camera apertures for enabling capture of one or more images entering the image acquisition device via the one or more camera apertures, the adaptor comprising
a housing defining a passage, the housing configured to permit light waves to enter one or more camera apertures of the image acquisition device from the adaptor exterior via the passage and to permit light waves to exit the passage to the adaptor exterior,
an objective lens arrangement within the passage having an optical axis, a front focal point, and a back focal point,
a secondary lens arrangement within the passage having an optical axis, a front focal point, and a back focal point, the secondary lens arrangement positioned in the passage such that, when the adaptor is attached to an image acquisition device, the secondary lens arrangement is along a possible light pathway between the objective lens arrangement and one or more camera apertures of the image acquisition device,
wherein a diameter of the secondary lens arrangement is greater than or equal to a diameter of the objective lens arrangement,
wherein the objective lens arrangement and the secondary lens arrangement are together configured to magnify an image of a pupil of the eye in proximity to a plane of one or more camera apertures of the image acquisition device when the pupil of an eye is positioned so that the pupil plane substantially coincides with the front focal point of the objective lens, the magnified image of the pupil having a diameter which is dependent on the respective focal lengths and relative spacing of the objective and secondary lenses, at least one of the one or more camera apertures positioned within the diameter of the magnified image when the adaptor is attached to an image acquisition device, and
wherein the objective lens arrangement and the secondary lens arrangement are together configured to focus light waves from a light source directed into the passage toward the secondary lens from a position in proximity to one or more camera apertures, offset from the optical axis of the secondary lens and within the diameter of the magnified image of the pupil, said light waves focussed at a point external of the adaptor and offset from the optical axis of the objective lens.
Advantageously, an adaptor according to the present invention may be attached to an image acquisition device such as smartphone with image capture capabilities to enable the smartphone to capture images of objects positioned in close proximity to the smartphone with a wide field of view. Thus, when the adaptor is attached to a smartphone with image capture capabilities, the smartphone may be used to capture images of a wide field of view of the retina of an eye when the eye is in close proximity to the adaptor and smartphone. Due to the configuration of the optical system of the adaptor in relation to an appropriately positioned light source, the adaptor may be positioned such that illumination light enters the pupil at the periphery of the pupil when the optical axis of the adaptor is aligned with the optical axis of the lens of an eye such that back scatter at the pupil plane due to illumination light from the adaptor is advantageously minimised. Therefore, an adaptor of the present invention permits images of the retina with a wide field of view to be captured by a smartphone without illumination light of the adaptor substantially interfering with a viewing pathway for light waves exiting the eye and into the adaptor for capture by the smartphone.
The adaptor may further comprise the light source. Additionally or alternatively, the light source may be separate from the adaptor and the adaptor may be configured to permit light from the light source to enter the passage. The light source may comprise one or more light emitting diodes.
The adaptor may further comprise one or more polarizers associated with the light source to polarise light from the light source and one or more other polarizers arranged to filter light entering one or more camera apertures from the passage when the adaptor is attached to an image acquisition device. The one or more polarizers may be associated with the light source polarises light differently from the one or more other polarizers so that polarised light from the light source is filtered out by the one or more other polarizers.
The secondary lens arrangement may be positioned such that, when the adaptor is attached to an image acquisition device, the back focal point of the secondary lens is located in proximity to the plane of one or more camera apertures of the image acquisition device so that the image acquisition device can focus the light waves received from the passage of the adaptor and capture one or more images.
The objective lens arrangement may have a shorter focal length than the secondary lens arrangement.
The objective lens arrangement may be positioned relative to the secondary lens arrangement such that the back focal point of the objective lens arrangement at least substantially coincides with the front focal point of the secondary lens arrangement.
The objective lens may be moveable relative to the secondary lens such that the position of the back focal point of the objective lens can be adjusted relative to the position of the front focal point of the secondary lens.
The objective lens arrangement and the secondary lens arrangement may each comprise a condensing lens. The objective condensing lens and the secondary condensing lens may each comprise a pair of doublet lenses, for each pair, the doublet lenses being arranged such that their more convex sides face toward one another.
The adaptor may further comprise a means for attaching the adaptor to the image acquisition device.
The image acquisition device to which the adaptor is intended to be attached may be a smartphone or tablet computer.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fundus photography system comprising an image acquisition device and an adaptor according to the first aspect. The image acquisition device may be associated with a mounting device comprising means for attaching the adaptor to the mounting device to hold the adaptor in a position relative to the image acquisition device at which an optic axis of the adaptor is at least substantially aligned with an optic axis of the camera aperture of the image acquisition device. The mounting device may comprise a protective case for attachment to the image acquisition device. The means for attaching may comprise one or more magnets.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using a fundus photography system according to the second aspect, comprising the steps of arranging the system such that the front focal point of the objective lens substantially coincides with the pupil plane of the pupil of an eye and such that the centre of the pupil is substantially aligned with the optical axis of the objective lens,
directing light into the passage toward the secondary lens from a position in proximity to one or more camera apertures of the image acquisition device, offset from the optical axis of the secondary lens and within the diameter of the magnified image of the pupil, and
capturing with the image acquisition device an image of a retina of the eye received by the image acquisition device from the eye interior via the adaptor.
FIG. 2
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Referring to , there is a shown a system for fundus photography comprising a smartphone and an adaptor for attachment to and use with the smartphone to enable the smartphone to capture images of the fundus of a human eye .
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The smartphone comprises an image capture system having a camera aperture , a lens and an image sensor (not shown) in the form of a CMOS chip which is configured to receive light waves from the smartphone exterior via the camera aperture and lens , and convert the received light waves into electrical signals for further processing by the smartphone . The smartphone further comprises a light source (not shown) for illuminating objects for image acquisition, a processor (not shown), a memory (not shown), and a display screen (not shown) for interacting with the smartphone and viewing images or video footage captured by the image capture system. Whilst a smartphone is described in the present embodiment, it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that other mobile image capture devices such as tablet computers may be used with the adaptor for enabling the image capture devices to capture images of the fundus of the human eye.
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The adaptor comprises a housing having a first end for attachment to the smartphone and a second end remote from the first end and configured to be directed toward the pupil of a human eye for receipt of light waves from inside the human eye . The housing defines a passage or tube along which light waves may travel between the first end and the second end . The tube comprises a base tube portion extending from the first end of the housing and a tube extension portion arranged at the second end of the housing and slidably engaged with the base tube portion so that the tube extension portion can move relative to the base tube portion . The base tube portion comprises a base aperture at the first end of the housing and the tube extension portion defines a tube extension aperture at the second end of the housing to enable light waves to enter and exit the tube and travel between the first end and second end of the housing .
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The tube extension portion comprises an objective lens arrangement configured to redirect light entering and exiting the housing at the second end via the tube extension aperture . The base tube portion comprises a secondary lens arrangement configured to redirect light waves travelling along the tube . In the embodiment depicted, the objective lens is a relatively high-powered compound condensing lens and the secondary lens is also a compound condensing lens of a relatively lower converging power than the objective lens . Both the objective condensing lens and the secondary condensing lens comprise a pair of positive achromatic doublet lenses , , , and are arranged in parallel such that they share a common optic axis which is substantially aligned with the centre of the base aperture and tube extension aperture . The objective lens has a front focal point OFP and a back focal point OBP which are equidistant either side of the objective lens . Likewise, the secondary lens has a front focal point SFP and back focal point SBP which are equidistant either side of the secondary lens . This optical system is chosen because it can capture a wide area of the retina of an eye with minimal distortion and aberration. However, it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that other optical systems comprising condensing lenses that have sufficient converging power but with minimal aberration are possible.
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The doublet lenses , of the objective lens are substantially identical to one another and arranged such that the more convex sides of the doublet lenses , face one another. Likewise, the doublet lenses , of the secondary lens are substantially identical to one another and arranged such that their more convex sides face one another. The diameter of the secondary lens is chosen to be greater than or equal to the diameter of the objective lens . In the embodiment depicted, the doublet lenses , of the objective lens have a diameter of approximately 20 mm and an effective focal length of approximately 10 mm on each side respectively of the objective lens arrangement. The doublet lenses , of the secondary lens have a diameter of approximately 25 mm and an effective focal length of approximately 30 mm on each side respectively of the secondary lens .
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The secondary lens is fixed in place within the base tube portion at a position spaced from the first end by approximately 30 mm so that the back focal point substantially falls within a region between with the plane of the base aperture and the plane of the camera aperture when the adaptor is attached to the smartphone . The objective lens is fixed in place within the tube extension portion and movable with the tube extension portion relative to the base tube portion and, hence, the secondary lens . Thus, the position of the objective lens can be adjusted such that the back focal point OBP of the objective lens substantially coincides with the front focal point SFP of the secondary lens .
FIG. 2
FIGS. 3 and 4
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Referring to in combination with , the adaptor further comprises a light module comprising a pair of light emitting diodes (LEDs) , arranged either side of the base aperture and configured to direct light waves into the tube toward the secondary lens . The distance between the inner edges of the LEDs , represents the inner border of the light emitted by the light module and the distance between the outer edges of the LEDs , represents the outer border of the LEDs , . The base aperture is sized and positioned such that when the adaptor is correctly attached to and aligned with the smartphone the base aperture is aligned with and surrounds the camera aperture so that light waves can enter the camera aperture from the adaptor exterior via the tube .
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A linear polarizer , is positioned in front of each LED , such that only light waves of a particular polarization emitted by each LED , are permitted to enter the tube so as to reduce unwanted reflections from smooth surfaces. An analyser comprising a plate linear polarizer is positioned across the base aperture so that only light waves of a particular polarization are permitted to enter the camera aperture from the tube . The axis of polarization of the LED polarizers , is separated from the axis of polarization of the analyser by a 90 degree angle so that the polarized light from the LEDs , is filtered out by the analyser and does not enter the camera aperture and interfere with the quality of the image received by the smartphone via the adaptor .
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Whilst a pair of LEDs , are shown in the present embodiment, it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that other combinations are possible with respect to the number of LEDs, and the colour temperature, wavelength, and intensity of the light, all of which may be varied according to imaging conditions and requirements. For example, the adaptor may comprise only a single LED or a ring of LEDs encircling the base aperture. In addition, whilst linear polarizers are used in the present embodiment, any suitable type of polarizer may be used provided that the polarization orientation of the analyser is different from the polarization orientation of the LED polarizers so that light from the LEDs that might be reflected inside the tube is filtered out and does not interfere with the image received by the smartphone camera. For example, a circular polarizing filter may be used in place of one or more of the linear polarizers.
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The adaptor further comprises a power source in the form of a cell battery contained within a compartment of the housing separate from the tube . The cell battery is electrically connected to the light module to provide power to the light module when required to be operational. Activation of the light module by a user is facilitated by a switch arranged on the housing and operable between an “on” position in which the LEDs , are powered to emit light and an “off” position in which no power is provided to the LEDs , . In an alternative embodiment, the adaptor may be configured to draw power from the smartphone battery either through direct electrical contact or wireless power transfer.
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The adaptor further comprises a series of magnets spaced apart about the first end of the housing and configured to be attracted to correspondingly positioned magnets of a smartphone case . The smartphone case is sized and configured to be connected to the smartphone to protect the smartphone and to permit the adaptor to be accurately positioned relative to the camera aperture of the smartphone . The magnets of the smartphone case and the corresponding magnets of the adaptor are positioned such that when the adaptor is attached to the combined smartphone and smartphone case , the base aperture is aligned with and surrounds the camera aperture such that the optic axis of the objective lens and secondary lens is substantially aligned with the optic axis of the lens of the smartphone . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other suitable means of attachment are possible such as sliding engagement, fasteners, and clips.
FIG. 5
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With reference to , the adaptor is configured to re-direct light waves from inside the eye along a first pathway and into the camera aperture of the smartphone . This pathway from the eye to the camera may be referred to as a viewing pathway. When the optic axis of the adaptor is aligned with the optic axis of the lens of an eye , a cone of light waves emanating from a point of the retina passes through the pupil of the eye and is collimated by the cornea of the eye so that it is directed toward the objective lens via the second end of the adaptor . The objective lens serves to focus the light waves on a back focal point OBP, thereby forming a real image at an intermediate image plane between the objective lens and the secondary lens . When the position of the objective lens relative to the secondary lens is such that the back focal point OBP of the objective lens substantially coincides with the front focal point SFP of the secondary lens , the light waves related to the real image are collimated by the secondary lens to produce parallel light waves that are directed toward the camera aperture through the base aperture . The smartphone lens focusses the parallel light waves onto the smartphone sensor for image capture. Since the light waves entering the smartphone camera aperture are parallel, the smartphone perceives the image of the retina at infinity.
FIG. 6
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Referring to , the adaptor is capable of redirecting light waves from a large area of the retina toward the camera aperture so that a large field of view (a large circle of the retina ) is visible through the adaptor . Only the chief light waves from the retina are depicted for illustrative purposes. The true field of view achievable by the adaptor is determined primarily by the numerical aperture of the objective lens as defined by the equation Numerical Aperture=n Sin θ (where n is the refractive index of the imaging medium, which is 1.0 for air). Since a higher numerical aperture translates into a greater true field of view, the numerical aperture should be as large as possible, for example 1.0, to enable the adaptor to achieve a large true field of view. The chief light waves entering the adaptor from the eye are collimated by the objective lens , thereby sending parallel light waves towards the secondary lens , which focusses the collimated light waves at the secondary lens' back focal point SBP. Since the secondary lens is spaced from the back aperture such that the back focal point coincides with the back aperture in proximity to the camera aperture , all of the chief light waves are received by the smartphone camera and fall upon the sensor. Ideally, the size of the image falling upon the sensor should be equal to the sensor area to achieve maximum image resolution.
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Since the secondary lens diameter is greater than or equal to the objective lens diameter, all of the light waves within the light cone defined by the chief light waves are received by the smartphone . Otherwise, if the secondary lens diameter is less than the objective lens diameter, light waves from the peripheral part of the retina may be lost at the periphery of the secondary lens and vignetting at the edges of the image may result.
The field of view of the optical system can be calculated as followed:
For the true field of view (TFOV),
tan(TFOV/2)=diameter of objective lens/(2×focal length of objective lens)  (1)
For the apparent field of view (AFOV) at the smartphone camera:
tan(AFOV/2)=diameter of objective lens/(2×focal length of secondary lens)  (2)
Thus, in the embodiment depicted, the TFOV and the AFOV are calculated as follows:
The actual field of view of the retina=2×tan−1 (20/20)=90 degrees
The apparent field of view at the camera side=2×tan−1 (20/60)=36.9 degrees
Therefore, the retinal image size visible on the smartphone display will appear as 36.9 degrees of arc.
FIG. 7
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With reference to , the adaptor is configured to direct light from the light module along a second pathway which is different from the first pathway. This second pathway from the light module to the eye may be referred to as an illumination pathway. Light waves from the LEDs , of the light module pass through the polarizers , and are directed to the secondary lens which redirects the light waves toward the objective lens . For illustrative purposes, the light pathway of light waves emanating from the inner edges of the LEDs , are shown. As can be seen, a cone of light waves emanating from an inner edge of one LED is redirected by the secondary lens such that the light waves proceed as a parallel beam of light at an oblique angle toward the objective lens . This oblique angle is calculated based upon the distance between the inner edge of an LED and the centre of the base aperture, and the distance from the LED to the secondary lens plane as measured along a line parallel to the principal axis. Likewise, the cone of light emanating from the inner edge of the other LED is redirected as a parallel beam of light at an oblique angle toward the objective lens . The oblique angle is determined by the equation:
θ=tan(distance from inner edge to centre of base aperture/distance from LED to secondary lens plane)  (3)
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When the adaptor is appropriately positioned relative to an eye such that the centre of the pupil is aligned with the principal axis of the adaptor and the pupil is at a working distance from the end of the adaptor , both beams of light are focussed by the objective lens toward respective points on the pupil plane of the eye but offset from the principal axis. The light module , secondary lens , and objective lens are together configured such that each beam from the light module is focussed at a point in the vicinity of the pupil edge, away from the pupil centre. Thus, the beams diverge upon passing through the pupil to cover and, hence, illuminate a wide area of the retina .
FIG. 8
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With reference to , a complete ray diagram is shown comprising the illumination pathways (depicted in dotted lines) of the cones of light emanating from the inner edges of the two LEDs , , the chief rays of light (depicted in bold lines) reflected from the retina toward the adaptor , and the example marginal rays (depicted in thin solid lines) reflected from a central point of the retina toward the adaptor . As can be seen, the illumination pathways are different from the viewing pathways of the chief rays and marginal rays such that the light travelling along the illumination pathway enters the eye at a peripheral region of the pupil that does not interfere with the region of the viewing pathway exiting the pupil .
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FIG. 9
FIG. 10
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When constructing the adaptor and internal optical system, the aperture stop formed by the pupil defined by the iris of the eye must be taken into account as this impacts upon the position of the light source relative to the back aperture and camera aperture . The pupil of an average human is adjustable in diameter between a minimum diameter of approximately 2 mm and a maximum diameter of approximately 8 mm. With reference to which depicts a simplified system comprising only an objective lens for refocussing light from inside the eye , the image of the pupil is projected to infinity as shown by the divergent dotted lines. With the introduction of the secondary lens into the optical system, as shown in , the image of the pupil is re-focussed at the back focal point SBP of the secondary lens . The magnification of the image of the pupil is dependent on the respective focal lengths of the objective and secondary lenses and is given by the equation:
=focal length of secondary lens/focal length of objective lens.  (4)
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In the present embodiment, assuming the average pupil diameter of a human eye (after being subject to dilating eye drops) is 8 mm, and with an effective focal length of the objective lens of 10 mm, and an effective focal length of the secondary lens of 30 mm, the diameter of the magnified image of the pupil is 8×30/10=24 mm. Thus, provided the light source can be configured to emit light from a position within an area having a diameter of 24 mm centred about the camera aperture , simultaneous illumination and viewing of the fundus of the eye through the pupil is possible using an adaptor according to the present embodiment. Since the aperture stop of modern smartphone cameras is around 2-3 mm, and since the size of modern LED units can be as little as 1 mm across, the camera aperture and light source can be combined together within a small area less than 24 mm across without much difficulty. It will be apparent to the skilled person that one or more LED units could be positioned outside of this area but combined with one or more fibre optic cables to direct light into the tube from a position within this 24 mm diameter.
FIG. 11
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The impact of pupil size on design considerations for the adaptor is further illustrated with reference to which depicts the minimum and optimal illumination pathways of the adaptor . As can be seen, the illumination pathways of light emanating from the inner edges and outer edges, respectively, of the LEDs , of the light module is shown. Light waves from both the inner edges and outer edges of the LEDs , are projected through the secondary lens and objective lens and redirected to form parallel rays directed toward the pupil plane of the eye . The image formed by the inner border defines the minimal pupil diameter required for permitting entry of the light waves for illumination of the eye interior. The image formed by the outer border defines the optimal pupil size such that all light from the LEDs , can enter the eye interior. Thus, for optimal illumination and imaging performance, the pupil should be dilated to its maximum extent. However, as can be seen, even with a small pupil size, provided the pupil is greater in diameter than the diameter of the image formed by the inner edges of the LEDs , , illumination of the eye interior and imaging of the fundus is still possible.
The geometrical relationship between the position of the light source relative to the camera aperture and pupil size is given by:
optimal pupil size/focal length of objective lens=distance between outer edges of the LEDs/focal length of secondary lens  (5)minimal pupil size/focal length of objective lens=distance between inner edges of the LEDs/focal length of secondary lens  (6)
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Thus, for the described embodiment, assuming a lowest possible pupil diameter of 2 mm and a maximum possible pupil diameter of 8 mm, the minimum and maximum distances between the inner and outer edges, respectively, of the LEDs , are as follows:
minimum distance between inner edges=(2*30)/10=6 mmmaximum distance between outer edges=(8*30)/10=24 mm
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Therefore, in the embodiment depicted, the light source is arranged to direct light into the tube toward the secondary lens from a point or region positioned in an area between a maximum diameter of 24 mm and a minimum diameter of 6 mm centred on the back aperture (i.e. between 12 mm and 3 mm from the back aperture centre) and, hence, camera aperture when aligned along the principal axis. Thus, illumination light will be focussed by the adaptor at a point in space in front of the adaptor at which an appropriately positioned eye will receive illumination light into the eye interior via the pupil. Provided the eye is positioned such that the optical axis of the pupil is aligned with the principal axis, the illumination light is focussed at a position offset from the principal axis at or about the pupil plane at a peripheral region of the pupil .
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FIG. 12
Focussing illumination light at the peripheral region of the pupil plane is particularly important when attempting to optimise fundus photography as it reduces backscattering of light caused by the patient's cornea and lens . Referring to , if the back aperture and light source are placed at the same optical position, light waves from the light source will be directed by the adaptor along an illumination pathway that passes through the same region of the cornea and lens as light waves travelling along the viewing pathway. Because the cornea and lens are optically dense media that produce a relatively strong back-scattering effect, the viewing pathway is severely contaminated by such back-scattering, thereby rendering the image of the retina virtually un-viewable.
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FIG. 13
The adaptor according to the present invention has therefore been configured such that, when the eye is appropriately positioned relative to the adaptor and smartphone system, the illumination pathway and the viewing pathway mainly intersect at the retina rather than the central region of the cornea and lens , thereby producing a relatively glare-free image of the retina . With reference to , this is achieved by positioning the LEDs , para-axially relative to the back aperture and substantially coplanar with the back aperture or camera aperture such that the whole illumination beams of the LEDs are shifted obliquely. This ensures that the images of the LEDs , are focused at the edge of the pupil thereby avoiding crossing of the illumination pathways with the viewing pathways at the lens and pupil plane . At the corneal plane, crossing of the illumination pathway and viewing pathway is unavoidable but manageable since the region of crossing of the pathways is dispersed across a wider area. As a result, the back-scattering effect due to illumination light at the central cornea is relatively mild and, thus, the image of the retina that is obtainable is of acceptable quality and, advantageously, may have a wide field of view.
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Whilst it is preferable for the light source , to be coplanar with the back aperture or camera aperture , or somewhere there between, the adaptor will still work relatively effectively if the light source is deviated axially (along the principal axis) slightly such that the final location of the image of light source , will also be deviated slightly axially, e.g. slightly beyond or before the pupil plane. However, an axial deviation of the light source of more than a few millimetres will result in a corresponding deviation of the image of the light source relative to the pupil of the eye , e.g. into the middle of eyeball, such that only a narrow field of retina illumination is achievable, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the adaptor and the field of view that can be captured by the system.
17
9
29
41
39
3
5
5
17
FIG. 15
viewing
−1
It is possible to modify the adaptor such that the central part of the cornea occupied by the viewing pathway is absolutely uncrossed and devoid of illumination light so that the illumination light does not cause backscattering that might interfere with the captured image of the retina . This might be done by positioning a physical aperture (not shown) within the tube along the illumination pathway between the secondary lens and the objective lens such that light waves that would otherwise cross the central part of the cornea are blocked. Uncrossing of the illumination pathway and the viewing pathway is depicted in which shows the cone of illumination light from the two LEDs in dotted lines entering the anterior chamber between the cornea and the pupil and focussing on the pupil plane at a periphery of the pupil offset from the pupil centre. Light waves exiting the eye via the pupil along the viewing pathway are depicted in solid lines and remain uncrossed with the illumination pathway through the anterior chamber. However, in this case, the area of the retina that can be simultaneously illuminated and viewed will be smaller because the physical aperture blocking the incoming illumination light waves also has the effect of blocking light waves from the eye interior travelling along the viewing pathway, thereby limiting the maximum field of view. The maximal field of view in this arrangement is given by the equation:
θ=2*tan(pupil diameter/(4*anterior chamber depth))  (7)
For an assumed maximal pupil diameter of 8 mm and a typical anterior chamber depth of 4 mm, the maximum viewing angle attainable for a completely uncrossed arrangement is 53.1 degrees. Therefore, whilst backscattering can be eliminated with an appropriately positioned physical aperture within the adaptor , the maximum field of view is significantly less than the maximum field of view of 90 degrees attainable with the above described embodiment without a physical aperture.
39
41
39
17
5
9
39
39
41
41
35
19
39
41
41
41
35
19
FIG. 14
Since the objective lens is movable relative to the secondary lens such that the position of the back focal point OBP of the objective lens can be adjusted, the adaptor is capable of capturing fundus photographs in eyes with different refractive errors. With reference to , for a person with hypermetropia (i.e. far or long sighted), light waves from inside the eye through the pupil are divergent such that the image of the retina is focussed by the objective lens further from the objective lens and closer to the secondary lens (as depicted by broken lines). Therefore, light waves of this image will also exit from the secondary lens as divergent rays that are not directed as a parallel beam through the base aperture and camera aperture , respectively. By adjusting the position of the objective lens relative to the secondary lens , it is possible to position the intermediate plane of the real image such that it coincides with the front focal point SFP of the secondary lens so that the light waves are focussed by the secondary lens through the base aperture and camera aperture for focussed image capture.
39
41
39
41
17
39
7
9
Whilst the objective lens in the present embodiment is movable relative to the secondary lens , due to advances in smartphone camera technology, for patients with refractive error, in certain circumstances it may not be necessary to move the objective lens relative to the secondary lens such that their respective front and back focal points coincide. This is because the smartphone camera auto focus can obtain a sharp image even when receiving unfocussed light waves via the adaptor . Whether or not the camera autofocus has the ability to account for refractive error of the human eye and produce a sharp image can be estimated by determining the location of the intermediate image focused by the objective lens for given refractive errors as calculated using the thin lens equation:
1/focal length=1/object distance+1/image distance  (8)
The refractive error of the human eye is measured in dioptres, which is the reciprocal of the focal length of the eye lens in metres. This number refers to the power of the lens, in dioptres, required to be placed in front of the eye in order to focus parallel rays of light onto a single spot on the retina . Normally, the refractive error of human eyes seldom exceeds the range from −20 dioptres (short sightedness) to +20 dioptres (long sightedness).
FIG. 14
FIG. 16
FIG. 16
21
15
9
1
3
5
39
39
3
39
9
39
With further reference to and also to , in the case of a person with hypermetropia that results in divergent light waves entering the smartphone camera lens , the smartphone acts as if a real object is placed in front of the smartphone camera. depicts a ray diagram for a patient at the extreme end of long sightedness with +20 dioptres of hypermetropia. For such a patient, light waves from a point on the retina emerge from the eye as if originating from an object/point located 50 mm behind the corneal plane. Assuming the cornea is 4 mm in front of the pupil , when the objective lens having a focal length of 10 mm is positioned such that the front focal point is at or about the pupil plane, the objective lens is approximately 6 mm in front of the cornea . Thus, in this position, light reaching the objective lens from a point on the retina is equivalent to an object being situated 56 mm to the left of the objective lens .
9
39
39
41
41
41
21
9
21
Using the thin lens equation (1/10=1/56+1/image distance), the intermediate image of the retina formed by the objective lens is located 12.2 mm to the right of the objective lens . Thus, the intermediate image is formed approximately 2.2 mm to the right of the secondary lens front focal point SFP. This results in the light waves of the retina image remaining slightly diverged after passing through the secondary lens , thereby giving rise to the formation of a virtual image approximately 379 mm to the left of the secondary lens . Therefore, including the distance of approximately 30 mm from the secondary lens to the camera lens , the smartphone camera perceives the image of the retina as if it is located 409 mm from the lens . This perceived distance is easily within the autofocus capabilities of modern smartphones.
FIG. 17
FIG. 18
9
1
3
17
39
5
3
9
39
39
41
41
21
21
9
39
41
41
39
41
9
Referring to , for a patient with −20 dioptres of myopia (extreme short sightedness), the image of the retina emerges from the eye as convergent rays which focus at a point located 50 mm to the right of the cornea . Again, assuming the adaptor is arranged such that the objective lens is positioned 10 mm from the pupil and 6 mm from the cornea , the image of the retina appears as a real image located 44 mm to the right of the objective lens . Applying the thin lens equation (1/10=−1/44+1/image distance), the intermediate image is located approximately 8.1 mm to the right of the objective lens . Thus, the intermediate image is formed approximately 1.9 mm to the left of the front focal point SFP of the secondary lens . Consequently, the light rays relating to this image emerge as converging rays upon passing through the secondary lens and continue as converging rays into the smartphone lens . Since the lens is unable to focus converging rays at the sensor, it is difficult or impossible for the smartphone camera to adjust its lens so as to capture a sharp image of the retina . Thus, for a short sighted person, minor adjustment of the position of the objective lens relative to the secondary lens may be required to bring the intermediate image to a position that substantially coincides with the SFP of the secondary lens . In this particular example, therefore, as depicted in , the objective lens position may be shifted approximately 2 mm closer to the secondary lens in order to obtain a sharper image of the retina with the smartphone camera.
65
15
17
61
63
17
19
21
15
43
59
1
33
5
43
1
5
9
5
5
17
37
39
41
19
15
When in use, the smartphone case is attached to the smartphone and the adaptor is accurately positioned using the magnets , such that the principal axis of the adaptor is aligned with the optic axis of the camera aperture and lens of the smartphone . The light module is activated with the switch to provide illumination and the camera of the smartphone is turned on. The practitioner manoeuvres the combined fundus camera in proximity to the patient's eye such that the focal point of the objective lens substantially coincides with the pupil plane and such that the tube extension is directed toward the patient's pupil . Light waves from the light module are directed into the eye via the periphery of the pupil , thereby illuminating the eye interior and causing light to be reflected by the retina out from the eye interior via the pupil . The reflected light emanating from the pupil is received by the adaptor via the tube extension aperture where it is redirected by the objective lens toward the secondary lens and further focussed toward the camera aperture and onto the sensor. The image of the patient's retina falling on the sensor is readily captured by the smartphone camera in live mode. Advantageously, no flash is required. Furthermore, no direct physical contact between the device and the patient's eye is required, thereby avoiding potential eye injury or spreading of infections. The image captured by the smartphone may then be processed with appropriate smartphone software for storage, analysis and sharing. With the advent of pattern-recognition technology, auto-capture may be possible in the future with such a device.
Whilst no flash is required in the above described embodiment, in an alternative embodiment, it is envisaged the light source could be provided by the smartphone flash rather than a dedicated light module. For example, the housing may be adapted such that the first aperture or an additional aperture permits light from the flash of the smartphone to enter the tube of the adaptor. In such an embodiment, a polariser is arranged on the housing to extend across the region of entry of light from the flash into the tube so as to polarize light from the flash entering the tube. In this embodiment, since no dedicated light module and, hence, no separate power source is required, such an embodiment may be simpler and cheaper to manufacture than the first described embodiment.
17
17
It is envisaged that the adaptor could be used with other image acquisition devices or be incorporated into an image acquisition device specifically designed for fundus photography. For example, the adaptor could form part of a more specialised piece of equipment for use during eye surgery.
17
17
17
17
35
45
35
17
35
35
17
FIG. 19
It is also envisaged that the adaptor could be used with image acquisition devices comprising more than one camera aperture. For example, with reference to , the adaptor could be used with image acquisition devices capable of capturing 3 dimensional images and videos. Provided the camera apertures and one or more light sources are configured to lie within the diameter of the magnified image of the pupil in proximity to the camera apertures, the adaptor should be capable of illuminating the retina of an appropriately positioned eye and capable of enabling the image acquisition device to capture a 3-dimensional image of the retina. In such an embodiment, the light source may be arranged in between two camera apertures, all of which are arranged to lie within the diameter of the magnified pupil image at or about the plane of the camera apertures. For example, the adaptor could be modified to comprise two base aperture arranged either side of a centrally located light source . The relative positioning of the base apertures may such that when the adaptor is attached to a camera capable of stereoscopic image acquisition, the base apertures are substantially aligned with a pair of camera apertures of the image acquisition device so that light may enter the camera apertures via the adaptor .
With such an embodiment, the stereoscopic image acquisition device and adaptor will be capable of capturing two dissimilar images of the fundus which may be combined to form a stereoscopic image. The larger the separation between the camera apertures, the more dissimilar the images acquired will be.
It is envisaged that the adaptor could be modified to accommodate even more camera apertures of an acquisition device as dependent on the type of acquisition device to which the adaptor is intended to be attached. The adaptor could also be modified to include or accommodate any number of light sources for enhanced imaging and diagnostic capabilities. As above, the main requirement is that the light sources and camera apertures are arranged to be contained within the magnified image of the pupil produced by the optical system of the adaptor at or about the plane of the camera apertures.
Whilst the light sources can be placed anywhere in proximity to the camera apertures, they should preferably be placed as far from a camera aperture as possible but still within the confines of the magnified pupil image at or around the one or more camera apertures to minimise back scatter and glare that might arise at the pupil plane or corneal plane and that would otherwise interfere with the viewing pathway.
17
1
In addition, whilst a camera aperture should ideally be aligned with the principal axis of the optical system of the adaptor for capturing the clearest image, even when the camera apertures are slightly offset from the principal axis, they should still be capable of capturing an image of the retina from received light travelling from the eye along the viewing pathway. However, in this slightly offset arrangement the captured image may suffer from a degree of blurring at a side of the pupil image furthest from the camera aperture, although this may actually be advantageous for 3-dimensional image capture.
The above embodiments are described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in further detail below by way of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—
FIG. 1
shows a cross section of an eye receiving light from a light source;
FIG. 2
shows a schematic representation of an adaptor including attachment means and the adaptor's relationship with a smartphone and smartphone cover;
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
shows a schematic cross section of part of the adaptor shown in in combination with a smartphone when viewed from above;
FIG. 4
FIG. 2
shows part of the adaptor shown in and its intended positional relationship with the lens of a smartphone;
FIG. 5
FIG. 2
shows a ray diagram of a viewing pathway with respect to image position in relation to parts of the adaptor shown in and the eye;
FIG. 6
FIG. 2
shows a ray diagram of a viewing pathway with respect to field of view in relation to parts of the adaptor shown in and the eye;
FIG. 7
FIG. 2
shows a ray diagram of illumination pathways in relation to parts of the adaptor shown in and the eye;
FIG. 8
FIG. 2
shows a complete ray diagram of illumination pathways and a viewing pathway in relation to parts of the adaptor shown in and the eye;
FIG. 9
FIG. 2
shows a ray diagram indicating the relationship between an aperture stop and a part of the adaptor shown in ;
FIG. 10
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the relationship between pupil diameter and the viewing pathway;
FIG. 11
FIG. 2
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the relationship between pupil size and illumination pathway in relation to parts of the adaptor shown in ;
FIG. 12
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the relationship between the illumination pathway and the viewing pathway when the aperture of a camera and a light source are arranged at the same optical position;
FIG. 13
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the relationship between the illumination pathway and the viewing pathway when the optical position of the light source is offset from the optical position of the lens;
FIG. 14
shows a ray diagram comparing the image pathway of a normal sighted person with a far sighted person and demonstrating the focussing ability of a smartphone camera;
FIG. 15
shows a schematic representation of the anterior chamber between the pupil and the cornea and the relationship between light travelling along an illumination pathway and light travelling along a viewing pathway through the anterior chamber;
FIG. 16
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the effect of refractive error in the eye of a long sighted person relative to the optical system of the adaptor;
FIG. 17
shows a ray diagram demonstrating the effect of refractive error in the eye of a short sighted person relative to the optical system of the adaptor;
FIG. 18
shows a ray diagram demonstrating adjustment of the position of the objective lens relative to the secondary lens of the adaptor to account for refractive error in a short sighted person in order to capture a focussed image using the smartphone; and
FIG. 19
shows a part of an alternative embodiment of an adaptor and its relationship to pupil size. | |
School of Theatre Arts to Present Electrifying Xanadu
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University’s School of Theatre Arts will present Douglas Carter Beane, John Farrar and Jeff Lynne’s musical comedy Xanadu from April 10-15 at the Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall (2 Ames Plaza East, Bloomington).
Based on the Universal Pictures 1980 cult classic movie of the same title, Xanadu is hilarity on wheels, quite literally, as characters roller-skate through this musical adventure. The Tony-award nominated musical centers around the lovely Greek muse Kira (Kara Ryan ’19), who helps chalk artist Sonny Malone (Jeffrey Keller ’19) rediscover his creativity. The production also features the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends John Farrar, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Jeff Lynne.
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Jean MacFarland Kerr will direct the production. Cast members include: Dana Clouser ’18 (Calliope), Stefano Egleston ’20 (Thalia), Kamilah Lay ’19 (Erato), Jace LeGarde ’19 (Danny), Jessica McGrew ’19 (Melpomene), Kira Rangel ’20 (Euterpe) and Braden Tanner ’20 (Terpsicore).
Curtain is at 8 p.m. each evening except for the matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 15. Tickets are $14 for Friday and Saturday, and $12 for Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Wednesday’s performance is free. All other performances are $2 for students with an ID. Tickets can be purchased at the School of Theatre Arts box office or online.
For additional information, please contact the box office at (309) 556-3232 or visit www.iwu.edu/theatre. | https://www.iwu.edu/news/2018/events/school-of-theatre-arts-to-present-electrifying-xanadu.html |
Q:
How to take this integral? It looks like as Gamma but I'm confused.
x and b are real. b is constant.
$$\int _{ -\infty }^{ +\infty }{ { e }^{ { (ix+b) }^{ 2 } } } dx$$
What the answer should be?
A:
By contour shifting,
$$\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-(x - bi)^2} \, dx = \int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-x^2}\, dx \tag{*}$$
To justify this, consider the contour integral
$$\int_{C(R)} e^{-z^2}\, dz$$
where $R > 0$ and $C(R)$ is a positively oriented rectangle parallel to the axes, with vertices at $-R, R, R - bi$, and $-R - bi$. The integrals along the vertical edges of $C(R)$ are $O(e^{-R^2})$, so they are negligible as $R\to \infty$. Furthermore, since $e^{-z^2}$ is entire, Cauchy's theorem gives $\int_{C(R)} e^{-z^2}\, dz = 0$. Hence, the contour shifting is justified and $(*)$ holds. Since $(ix + b)^2 = (i(x - bi))^2 = -(x - bi)^2$, we have
$$\int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{(ix + b)^2}\, dx = \int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-(x - bi)^2}\, dx = \int_{-\infty}^\infty e^{-x^2}\, dx = \sqrt{\pi}.$$
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Last week, as they were wrapping up the year with final exams, BHP teacher Kathy Hays asked her Big History class to write letters of advice to next year’s BHP students. It turns out she has a very reflective, helpful, and honest class! Here are a few of our favorite responses—you might even share them with your own incoming class.
NGC 5806, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. ESA/Hubble & NASA. CC BY 3.0.
If you are reading this, you are a student who just entered the Big History Project. Congratulations! The Big History Project is a complex program that allows you to learn in a new way. Exciting, right? You don’t kick off the course with asking how the Civil War started on the first day of school, you start looking waaaaaay back to the beginning. The beginning of space, time and the entire Universe, 13.8 billion years ago. This class is valuable because you will learn a lot of useful skills that you can use in the future, such as critical reading and writing. I was challenged by this class, but it’s good to be challenged. The Investigations helped me to improve my writing. I can now make and support an argument with evidence. Also, I learned how to do a research paper with the Little Big History Project.
This class gives you challenging tasks and assignments to do that actually make you think (crazy, right?), but I was able to pull through because of all the great sources of information that helped me. It was really fun to look at all the different disciplines Big History used as we studied history. Some of the skills I learned are how to use citations in my essays, incorporating text as evidence, and making a counterclaim. Big History may be a challenge at first, but you’ll get the swing of things pretty fast. Have fun and enjoy your year!
During your time in this course your perspective on the world around you will change greatly. This class can be challenging when it comes to essays and other activities, but make the most of it. Appreciate that you get to think at a higher level, and see how you can help the world and its future. This course can become difficult, but it is a way to remind you to be humble. You learn about the world around you, as well as the amazing opportunities the class provides. Don’t just float by. Join the discussions, because the more discussions you have, the more you will learn. I will take away the ability to write a great essay, and be able to better communicate with my peers.
Big History is a challenging, yet fun subject to learn. The most valuable thing I got from the class is the critical thinking skills. Every article, video, and source you look at makes you think, “is this reliable, what evidence can I find to make it reliable, and can this evidence be confirmed?” You use critical thinking skills throughout the entire year. The most challenging part of the course, to me, was writing the Investigation essays. I really struggled on using all the sources to the fullest, and justifying them to make an intelligent claim. I got through all the challenges of Big History by listening and taking detailed notes when we were having discussions. I also told myself that I was able to move forward and conquer the challenges.
I have better writing and presentation skills. I’m extremely shy so I don’t like presentations all that much. Being in this class helped to bring me out of my shell and speak louder to an audience. My writing skills from the beginning of the year have improved greatly. I went from getting twos and threes on my Investigation essays, to all fives at the end of the year. These skills I have gained will be with me throughout my high school experience. They are skills I hope you improve on too. Big History may seem difficult at first, but if you listen and stay engaged you will understand. I hope your year in Big History is a great one!
Big History is a class explaining how the Universe began and how it is going to be in the future. It covers all aspects and elaborates on thresholds. The most valuable thing from the class is the knowledge gained. I didn’t think much about the future until I took Big History. It makes you consider what the world is going to be like during your lifetime, and many years afterwards. From the information we learn, we try to predict the fate of the people and planet.
I was challenged when writing unit Investigations. They forced me to think critically, use evidence to make an argument, compare evidence, and to see the other side of the argument. To thrive in this class, you have to have an open mindset and a passion for learning. Some skills I have gained over the year are critical thinking, the ability to write in limited time frames, and to read thoroughly. The Big History Project has immensely benefited my education and I would choose it again over any other history class.
Over the past school year in Big History class, I have learned so much about the significance of focusing on a much larger scale. After this course, I realize that the seemingly big moments in human history, like the World Wars are not so big after all. While events like these affect human life, they are rather small on the whole Big History scale. Keeping this in mind, however, I now know the importance of scale when looking at the history of the Universe. In this course, I have found that scale is one of the most valuable aspects.
Overall, this course challenged me to think more critically when dealing with the early Universe. We learned that this early history is history we do not know for sure happened. It is just an educated theory; it is an origin story. These lessons sometimes contradicted my beliefs, but over the first couple units, I learned to keep an open mind. The best way to overcome learning difficulties is to keep an open mind and be aware of different perspectives.
This Big History course allowed me to keep in mind that the beginning of history did not begin with the first units in standard history classes. After this class, I know that the history of the Universe is just as important as world history, and that there is so much more that we know, but so much that we still do not know about our Universe.
When taking a Big History class, the most valuable thing you learn or take away is the ability to look at problems, ideas, etc., on a big or small scale. It helps you develop different perspectives while looking at the same event.
I can say I was challenged when we looked at and were asked to answer the Driving Question for each threshold. I persisted by watching the Big History videos and reading the articles, and participating in our class discussions. A skill that I learned and will continue to use throughout my high school career is claim testing. I know I will have to do research in the future, and claim testing will enable me to check my sources to make sure my information is accurate. I hope you have a great year in Big History.
Big History is a course that forces you to think. It introduces many valuable concepts such as claim testing, collective learning, scale and perspective. This class does provide many challenges. Personally, I was challenged with the Big Bang and the creation of stars and planets. What challenged me was the fact that there was nothing, then out of nowhere, a Universe. I also didn’t quite understand how chemical elements formed and came to Earth. I persisted by taking notes, listening, asking questions, and doing additional research. I also asked my friends who were in the class.
Big History has taught many skills that will stick with me throughout high school as well as my adult life. Collective learning has been used to help humans become the dominant force on the planet. As the world zones connected, collective learning rapidly increased. This is the idea that having information, sharing and improving upon it allows for advancement.
With much of the fake news today, claim testing is a great way to test if a source is reliable. A good way to claim test is checking for Authority, Logic, Intuition, and Evidence (remember: ALIE).
One major concept that I will use is perspective. Not only can it be used for Big History, but you can use it to see something from another person’s point of view on a topic.
At some point during the course, I started to feel disconnected and discouraged. I realized I had stopped asking questions and participating in discussions. In the end, I saw how Big History will help me in the long run. You start to see the concepts discussed in class out in the real world and see it applied in real life. It can be a lot of work, but it’s work that will strengthen your skills in school, life, and assist lessons being taught, I really enjoyed the What Do You Know, What Do You Ask activity. It let us put ourselves into a new discipline and ask questions to try to investigate an event in history. We got to incorporate science and history to solve a modern world problem.
This course was very interesting and though it provided some bumps in the road, it really all tied together in the end to create a long, beautiful narrative of the Universe. I hope you have a fun year! Remember, keep questioning!
What you know about history is the tiniest fraction of what you are going to learn in Big History. What is important is to have an open mind and question things because debates and decisions will be a big part of the class. The first three units had me lost at times, but when we started getting to life on Earth, I realized the value of life and how complex we are. This course challenged me to think in ways I never thought I could think. The more involved you are in the class, the more you will persist, learn and enjoy it. The biggest takeaway I got from this class was from the Investigation essays, and using evidence to prove my point. I went from being in the two and three range on the rubric to all fives and one four! This class may be difficult at times, but if you apply yourself it will be fun and exciting to learn. Also, you’ll get familiar with Crash Course and you may not be able to watch John Green for a while. You will leave the class definitely prepared for the rest of your high school career.
About these students’ teacher: Kathy Hays has been teaching for 30 years, and this year is her second teaching Big History. She teaches five BHP classes a year, and so reaches about 130 ninth-grade students. Her school is on a semester schedule with daily 52-minute periods. Kathy’s favorite thing about teaching Big History is the opportunity to learn with her students! | https://blog.bighistoryproject.com/2017/06/01/dear-future-big-history-student/ |
The conversion factor from feet to inches is 12, which means that 1 foot is equal to 12 inches:
1 ft = 12 in
To convert 63 feet into inches we have to multiply 63 by the conversion factor in order to get the length amount from feet to inches. We can also form a simple proportion to calculate the result:
1 ft → 12 in
63 ft → L(in)
Solve the above proportion to obtain the length L in inches:
L(in) = 63 ft × 12 in
L(in) = 756 in
The final result is:
63 ft → 756 in
We conclude that 63 feet is equivalent to 756 inches:
63 feet = 756 inches
Alternative conversion
We can also convert by utilizing the inverse value of the conversion factor. In this case 1 inch is equal to 0.0013227513227513 × 63 feet.
Another way is saying that 63 feet is equal to 1 ÷ 0.0013227513227513 inches.
Approximate result
For practical purposes we can round our final result to an approximate numerical value. We can say that sixty-three feet is approximately seven hundred fifty-six inches:
63 ft ≅ 756 in
An alternative is also that one inch is approximately zero point zero zero one times sixty-three feet. | https://convertoctopus.com/63-feet-to-inches |
Q:
numpy covariance matrix
Suppose I have two vectors of length 25, and I want to compute their covariance matrix. I try doing this with numpy.cov, but always end up with a 2x2 matrix.
>>> import numpy as np
>>> x=np.random.normal(size=25)
>>> y=np.random.normal(size=25)
>>> np.cov(x,y)
array([[ 0.77568388, 0.15568432],
[ 0.15568432, 0.73839014]])
Using the rowvar flag doesn't help either - I get exactly the same result.
>>> np.cov(x,y,rowvar=0)
array([[ 0.77568388, 0.15568432],
[ 0.15568432, 0.73839014]])
How can I get the 25x25 covariance matrix?
A:
Try this:
import numpy as np
x=np.random.normal(size=25)
y=np.random.normal(size=25)
z = np.vstack((x, y))
c = np.cov(z.T)
A:
You have two vectors, not 25. The computer I'm on doesn't have python so I can't test this, but try:
z = zip(x,y)
np.cov(z)
Of course.... really what you want is probably more like:
n=100 # number of points in each vector
num_vects=25
vals=[]
for _ in range(num_vects):
vals.append(np.random.normal(size=n))
np.cov(vals)
This takes the covariance (I think/hope) of num_vects 1xn vectors
A:
Reading the documentation as,
>> np.cov.__doc__
or looking at Numpy Covariance, Numpy treats each row of array as a separate variable, so you have two variables and hence you get a 2 x 2 covariance matrix.
I think the previous post has right solution. I have the explanation :-)
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WHAT IS ETHICS? Each society forms a set of rules that establishes the boundaries of generally accepted behavior. These rules are often expressed in statements about how people should behave, and they fit together to form the moral code by which the society lives. Unfortunately, the different rules often have contradictions, and people are sometimes uncertain about which rule to follow. For instance, if you witness a friend copy someone else’s answers while taking the exam, you might be caught in a conflict between loyalty to your friend and the value of telling the truth.
The term morality refers to social conventions about right and wrong that are so widely shared that they become the basis for an established consensus. However, individual views of what is moral may vary by age, culture group, ethic background, religion, life experiences, education, and gender. In the United States, for example, issues such as abortion, the death penalty, and gun control are continuously debated, and both sides feel that their arguments are on solid moral ground.
Definition of Ethics Ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior within a society. Ethical behavior conforms to generally accepted norms-many of which are almost universal. However, although nearly everyone would agree that lying and cheating are unethical, opinions about what constitutes ethical behavior often vary dramatically. Ex. attitudes towards software piracy – that is, the practice of illegally making copies of software or enabling others to access software to which they are not entitled-range from strong opposition to acceptance of practice as a standard approach to conducting business.
In 2007, 38% of all software in circulation worldwide was pirated- at a cost of nearly $48 billion USD. Highest piracy rate 93% - Armenia 92% - Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, and Moldova Lowest piracy rate 22% - New Zealand 21% - Luxembourg 20% - United States
Virtues - Vices Virtues are habits that incline people to do what is acceptable. Ex. Fairness, generosity, loyalty Vices are habits of unacceptable behavior. Ex. Vanity, greed, envy and angry People’s virtues and vices help define their personal value system - the complex scheme or moral value by which they live.
Importance of Integrity Your moral principles are statements of what you believe to be rules of right conduct. A person who acts with integrity acts in accordance with a personal code of principles. One approach to acting with integrity-one of the cornerstone of ethical behavior-is to extend all people the same respect and consideration that you expect to receive from others.
For example, you might believe it is important to do as your employer requests while also believing that you should be fairly compensated for your work. Thus, if your employer insists that you do not report the overtime hours that you have worked due to budget constraints, a moral conflicts arises. You can do as your employer requests, or you can insists of being fairly compensated, but you cannot do both. In this situation, you may be forced to compromise one of your principles and act with an apparent lack of integrity. Another form of inconsistency emerges if you apply moral standards differently according to the situation or people involved. For example, you might consider it morally acceptable to tell a little white lie to spare a friend some pain or embarrassment, but would you lie to work colleague or customer about a business issue to avoid unpleasantness?
Many ethical dilemmas are not as simple as right versus wrong but involve choices between right versus right. As an example, for some people it is “right” to protect the Alaskan wildlife from being spoiled and also “right” to find new sources of oil to maintain U.S. reserves, but how do they balance these two concerns?
The difference between Morals, Ethics and Laws Morals are one’s personal beliefs about right and wrong. Ethics describes standards or codes of behavior expected of an individual by a group to which an individual belongs. For example, the ethics of the law profession demand that defense attorneys defend an accused client to the best of their ability, even if they know that the client is guilty. Laws is a system of ruled that tells us what we can and cannot do. Laws are enforced by a set of institutions. Legal acts are acts that conform to the law.
Moral acts conform with what an individual believes to be the right thing to do. Laws can proclaim an acts as legal, although many people may consider the act immoral – for example, abortion.
Ethics in Business World Ethics has risen to the top of the business agenda because the risks associated with inappropriate behavior have increased, both in their likelihood and in their potential negative impact. • Collapsed of financial institutions due to unwise and unethical decision making over the approval of mortgages and lines of credit to unqualified individuals and organizations. • Numerous US companies moving operations to 3rd world countries, where employees work in conditions that would not be acceptable in most developed parts of the world. • In today’s recessionary economic climate, organizations are extremely challenged to maintain revenue and profits.
Why Fostering Good Business Ethics Is Important Organizations have at least 5 good reasons for promoting a work environment in which employees are encouraged to act ethically when making business decisions: • Gaining the good will of the community • Creating an organization that operates consistently • Fostering good business practices • Protecting the organization and its employees from legal action • Avoiding unfavorable publicity
Gaining the Good Will of the Community Although organizations exist primarily to earn profit and provide service to customers, they also have some fundamental responsibilities to society Microsoft ‘s statement of values Our Values As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. We are committed to our customers and partners and have a passion for technology. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality.
Examples of IT organizations’ socially responsible activities
The good will that socially responsible activities create can make it easier for corporations to conduct their business. For example, a company known for treating its employee well will find it easier to compete for the best job candidates. On the other hand, companies viewed as harmful to their community may suffer a disadvantage. For example, a corporation that pollutes the air and water may find that adverse publicity reduces sales, impedes relationships with some business partners, and attracts unwanted government attention.
Creating an Organization That Operates Consistently Organizations develop and abide by values to create an organizational culture and to define a consistent approach for dealing with the need of their stakeholders-shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the community. Consistency means that employees know what is expected of them and can employ the organization’s value s to help them in their decision making. Consistency means that stakeholders, customers, suppliers and community know what they can expect of the organization
Although each company’s value system is different, many share the following values: • Operate with honesty and integrity, staying true to organizational principles • Operate according to standards of ethical conduct, in words and in action • Treat colleagues, customers, and consumers with respect • Strive to be the best at what matters most to the organization • Value diversity • Make decisions based on facts and principles
Fostering Good Business Practices In many cases, good ethics can mean good business and improved profits. Companies that produce safe and effective products avoid costly recalls and lawsuits. Companies that provide excellent service retain their customers instead of losing them to competitors. Companies that develop and maintain strong employee relation suffer lower turnover rates and enjoy better e employee morale. Suppliers and other business partners often place priority on working with companies that operate in a fair and ethical manner.
Protecting the Organization and Its Employees from Legal Action In a 1909 ruling, the US Supreme Court established that an employer can be held responsible for the acts of its employees even if the employees act in a manner contrary to corporate policy and their employer’s directions. The principle established is called respondeat superior, or “let the master answer”. Example The collapse in 2002 of Arthur Andersen , one of the “Big Five” international accounting firms. Andersen was indicted for obstruction of justice for shredding of documents associated with the auditing work that a few of its partners performed for Enron. Andersen was forced to relinquish its auditing license. It closed its US offices due to lack of clients and some 26,000 employees lost their jobs.
A coalition of several legal organizations argues that organizations should “be able to escape criminal liability if they have acted as responsible corporate citizens, making strong efforts to prevent and detect misconduct in the workplace.” One way to do this is to established ethics and compliance programs. Indeed, in 1991, Department of Justice established sentencing guidelines that suggest more lenient treatment for convicted executives if their companies have ethics programs. Fines for criminal violations can be lowered by up to 80% if the organization has implemented an ethics management program and cooperates with authorities.
Avoiding Unfavorable Publicity The public reputation of a company strongly influences the value of its stock, how consumers regard its products and services, the degree of oversight it receives from government agencies, and the amount of support and cooperation it receives from business partners. Thus, many organizations are motivated to build a strong ethic program to avoid negative publicity. If an organization is perceived as operating ethically, customers, business partners, shareholders, consumer advocates, financial institutions and regulatory bodies will usually regard it more favorably.
Improving Corporate Ethics The Ethics Research Center has defined the following characteristics of a successful ethics program: • Employees are willing to seek advice about ethics issues • Employees feel prepared to handle situations that could lead to misconduct • Employees are rewarded for ethical behavior • The organization does not reward success obtained through questionable means • Employees feel positively about their company
Appointing a Corporate Ethics Officer A corporate ethics officer also called a corporate compliance officer provides an organization with vision and leadership in the area of business conduct. • he/she should be a well-respected, senior-level manager who reports directly to the CEO • Comes from diverse backgrounds, such as legal staff, human resource, finance, auditing, security or line operations
Typically the ethics officer tries to established an environment that encourages ethical decision making through the actions. Specific responsibilities include: • Responsibility for compliance – that is, ensuring that ethical procedures are put into place and consistently adhered to throughout the organization • Responsibility for creating and maintaining the ethics culture that the highest level of corporate authority wishes to have • Responsibility for being a key knowledge and contact person on issues relating to corporate ethics and principles
Ethical Standards Set by the Board of Directors The board of directors is responsible for the careful and responsible management of an organization . In a for-profit organization, the board’s primary objective is to oversee the organization’s business activities and management for the benefit of all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and community. In a nonprofit organization, the board reports to a different set of stakeholders, particularly the local community that the nonprofit serves.
Establishing a Corporate Code of Ethics A code of ethics is a statement that highlights an organization’s key ethical issues and identifies the overarching values and principles that are important to the organization and its decision making. It includes a set of formal, written statements about the purpose of the organization, its values, and the principles that should guide its employees’ actions. An organization’s code of ethics applies to its directors, officers, and employees.
The code of ethics focuses employees on areas of ethical issues, and provides mechanisms for reporting unethical conduct and fostering a culture of honesty and accountability within the organization. The code of ethics helps ensure that employees abide by the law, follow necessary regulations and behave in an ethical manner. It must be easily accessible by employees, shareholders, business partners and the public. It must be continually be applied to a company’s decision making and emphasized as an important part of its culture. Breaches in the code of ethics must be identified and dealt with appropriately so that the code’s relevance is not undermined.
Intel’s Code of Conduct, May 2007, found at www.intel.com/intel/finance/docs/code-of-conduct.pdf, which offers employees guidelines designed to deter wrong doing, promote honest and ethical conduct, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. It also expresses its policies regarding the environment, health and safety, intellectual property, diversity, nondiscrimination, supplier expectations, privacy, and business continuity.
Intel’s five principles of conduct • Intel conducts business with honesty and integrity • Intel follows the letter and spirit of the law • Intel employees treat each other fairly • Intel employees act in the best interests of Intel and avoid conflict of interest • Intel employees protect the company’s assets and reputation
Conducting Social Audits In a social audit, an organization reviews how well it is meeting its ethical and social responsibility goals, and communicates its new goals for the upcoming year. This information is shared with employees, shareholders, investors, market analysts, customers, suppliers, government agencies and the communities in which the organization operates. For example, each year Intel prepares its Corporate Responsibility Report, which summarizes the firm’s progress towards meeting its ethical and social responsibility goals.
Requiring Employees to Take Ethics Training An organization’s code of ethics must be promoted and continually communicated within the organization, from top to bottom. Organizations can do this by showing employees examples of how to apply the code of ethics in real life. Example Comprehensive ethics education program – presented in small workshop formats in which employees apply the organization’s code of ethics to hypothetical but realistic case studies. Employees may also be given examples of recent company decisions based on principles from the code of ethics. Ethics training not only makes employees more aware of the company’s code of ethics and how to apply it, but also demonstrates that the company intends to operate in an ethical manner. It can also reduce a company’s liability in the event of legal action.
Including Ethical Criteria in Employee Appraisals • 43% of organizations include ethical conduct as part of an employee’s performance appraisal. • Treating others fairly and with respect • Operating effectively in a multicultural environment • Accepting personal accountability for meeting business needs • Continually developing others and themselves • Operating openly and honestly with suppliers, customers and other employees
Creating Ethical Work Environment How management can affect employees’ ethical behavior
Including Ethical Considerations in Decision Making The decision making process further and point out where and how ethical considerations need to be brought into the process. • Develop a Problem Statement • Identify alternatives • Evaluate and Choose an Alternative • Implement Decision • Evaluate Results
Develop a Problem Statement A problem statement is a clear, concise description of the issue that needs to be addressed. A good problem statement answers the following questions: • What do people observe that causes them to think there is a problem? • Who is directly affected by the problem? • Is there anyone else affected? • How often does it occur? • What is the impact of the problem? • How serious is the problem?
It is the most critical step, without a clear and correct statement of the problem, the decision will not solve the problem. - gather and analyze facts - make no assumptions - identify stakeholders affected by the decision Good and poor problem of statement • Our product supply organization is continually running our of stock of finished products, creating an out-of-stock situation over 15% of our customer orders, resulting to over $300,000 in lost sales per month. • We need to implement a new inventory control system. (possible solution) • We have a problem with finished product inventory. (not specific enough)
Identify Alternatives During this stage of decision making, it is ideal to enlist the help of others, including stakeholders, to identify several alternative solutions to a problem. In providing participants information about the problem to be solved, offer just the facts, without your opinion, so you don’t influence others to accept your solution. During the brainstorming process, try not to be critical of ideas, as any negative criticism will tend to “shut down” the group, and the flow of ideas will dry up. Simply write down the ideas as they are suggested.
Evaluate and Choose an Alternative Once a set of alternatives has been identified, the group attempts to evaluate them based on numerous criteria. • Effectiveness at addressing the issue • The extent of risk associated with each alternatives • Cost and time to implement As part of the evaluation process, weigh various laws, guidelines, and principles that may apply. Also consider the likely consequences of each alternative from several perspectives – What is the impact on you, your organization, other stakeholders and the environment?
Philosophers have developed many approaches to ethical decision making. Four common philosophies are the following: | https://fr.slideserve.com/zed/professional-ethics-for-information-technology |
Sourdough English Muffins
If you've made sourdough bread you know the conundrum of what to do with all that leftover starter. It feels wrong to throw it away. After all, you worked so hard to grow it! Well, I have found my favorite use for that extra starter; Sourdough English Muffins. The difference in taste from these Sourdough English Muffins versus store bought is staggering. I may never eat store bought again.
Let's get started. When I feed my starter, (which for me is usually weekly since I store it in the fridge when I'm not baking), I also feed the leftover to be able to make the Sourdough English Muffins the next day. The Sourdough English Muffin dough will need to sit overnight so you can bake the next morning.
I mix up 135g of starter, 1 1/4 cup of water and 400g of unbleached all purpose flour in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter overnight.
In the morning, the dough will have doubled or tripled and look like this.
Now we will add 2 t. salt, 2 t. baking soda and 35g of honey and mix well. You can start cooking right away or let the dough sit for 10-15 minutes.
Ready your cooking materials by heating a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Put 1 cup of flour on a dinner plate and have a cooling rack and spatula handy.
Take a large spoonful of the muffin dough and drop it into the flour. Roll the dough in the flour a bit and then shape into a ball with your hands. I have noticed the muffins rise better in the pan if I take the time to keep incorporating flour into the dough ball by squeezing the dough in my hands and then putting it back on the plate and rolling it in more flour. I repeat this step until the dough doesn't get sticky in my hands as I shape it. If you can't squeeze/roll it into a ball without it sticking then roll it in more flour.
Drop the ball into the hot cast iron skillet. I can fit four into my cast iron skillet and cover with a lid large enough to cover the skillet without touching the muffins. I use one of my large pot All Clad lids. Let the muffins cook covered for 4 minutes and then flip and cook covered 4 minutes on the second side. Remove the cooked muffins to a wire rack to cool.
My favorite way to eat these muffins is toasted with butter and salt or toasted with fresh homemade jam like blueberry or peach. My husband slathers peanut butter and honey on his. They don't last long in our house! | https://www.theeverhopefulgardener.com/post/sourdough-english-muffins |
Abstract submission process started on 20 December, 2013. All abstracts must be received on or before July 11th, 2014.
To participate at the congress, you must register first and later on, start the submission abstract process.
The review process starts once you have registered on this website and have chosen the role of “author” to fill out the registration form and later on to submit your abstract.
The congress has two formats: the on-line and the on-live congress. All accepted abstracts will be included at the on-line event. Acceptance of the abstract and assignment to a session are determined solely by the Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee will determine the abstracts to present at the on-live congress.
Authors of the accepted abstracts for oral presentation should refer to the Scientific Committee the audiovisual aids they would need as support for their presentation.
The Scientific Committee shall have up to 15 days to notify the authors.
Abstracts should be submitted via the website http://www.microbio_parasito_sida_med_tropical.sld.cu/index.php/ from December 20, 2013 and will be received until July 11th, 2014. After this date, participation at the congress and abstract inclusion at the congress proceedings are not guaranteed.
All abstracts must be submitted electronically through the electronic abstract submission system http://www.microbio_parasito_sida_med_tropical.sld.cu/index.php/
a) Full name of author(s) or lecturer (in case she/he is not the same person)
b) Title
c) Postal address
d) Phone number, fax and e-mail
e) Abstract must be attached in Word System. Attached abstract must be written with the following structures:
• Abstract must be written in sheet of papers of 8.5 x 11 with 2,5 margins at both sides
• 12 point-Arial with single space between lines
• Word limit of 250 words
• Author must respect the structure for scientific names
• Write the main authors´ name, beginning with the first surname and next the name separated by commas. Semicolon will be used to separate authors´ name, in case
of more than one author
• In case of using numbers, symbols and acronyms, authors must use them with the international norm
Authors must keep the following order:
• Title (written in bold and capital letter)
• Author´s name
• Name and e-mail of the institution, country of origin
• Introduction / Objectives
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
Key Aspects
Papers must be related to the topics of the Congress.
After the deadline of abstract submission, author/lecturer either in poster or oral presentation will be informed about his/her acceptance. The Scientific Committee will be responsible for this acceptance decision.
Lecturers must add the registration to the Congress in order to be included in the Program.
All abstracts accepted by the Scientific Committee will be included in the Proceedings of the Congress. Oral presentations (master lectures, round tables or symposia) will be made preferably with audiovisual aids.
There is a designated area for poster presentations. Size of these posters: 110cm high x 80cm wide. Poster design (material, color, text, amount of figures, so forth) will be from author´s and exhibitor´s viewpoint, respecting the limits of the designated area
Poster structure: Title, author´s full name, introduction/objectives, materials, methods, results and conclusions
An abstract, written in English, will be included in the Program if author/lecturer requires it.
Main categories for the topics of paper: | http://www.microbio_parasito_sida_med_tropical.sld.cu/index.php/microbiologia/2014/information/readers |
New Lamps for Old: A History of the Royal Australasian College of Ophthalmologists.
Published: 1992
Stock No. 225688
$50.00 Online price
Marrickville: People and Places.
Published: 1994
Stock No. 225698
$45.00 Online price
A Family Affair.
Published: 1982
Stock No. 225870
$40.00 Online price
The Convict Settlers of Australia. An Enquiry into the Origin and Character of the Convicts transported to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land 1787-1852.
Published: 1965
Stock No. 226023
$85.00 Online price
Stand & Deliver! 100 Australian Bushrangers 1789 - 1901.
Published: 1991
Stock No. 226194
$50.00 Online price
The Women of Meroogal.
Published: 1988
Stock No. 226505
$40.00 Online price
Mac Bridge: The Man and his Recollections. Selections from his works by H. Ashford and M. Ashford-MacDougall.
Published: 1983
Stock No. 226280
$40.00 Online price
Red Cross VAs: A History of the VAD Movement in New South Wales.
Published: 1999
Stock No. 226393
$50.00 Online price
Ships Employed in The South Seas Trade 1775-1861 (Parts I and II) and Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen Transcripts of Registers of Shipping 1787-1862 (Part III).
Published: 1986
Stock No. 226021
$60.00 Online price
Grave Reflections. Vol. 1.
Published: c.1980s?
Stock No. 225909
$40.00 Online price
Ipswich Municipal Centenary.
Published: 1960
Stock No. 224994
$35.00 Online price
Dragon Rampant.
Published: 2007
Stock No. 224826
$50.00 Online price
Taste and Science: The Women of the Macleay Family 1790-1850.
Published: 1988
Stock No. 226507
$40.00 Online price
The Ferry The Branch The Creek. Aspects of Hawkesbury History.
Published: 1987
Stock No. 225685
$45.00 Online price
Tales from Tangerine & World War I Diary of Pte. A.G. Kirk M.M.
Published: 2002
Stock No. 221217
$40.00 Online price
Pictures and Royal Portraits. Illustrative of English and Scottish History from the Introduction of Christianity to the Present Time. 2 vols.
Published: 1880
Stock No. 222176
$2,200.00 Online price
Gunners in Borneo: Artillery During Indonesian Confrontation 1962-66.
Published: 2008
Stock No. 221215
$60.00 Online price
Sesqui-Centenary Celebrations.
Published: c.1938
Stock No. 223433
$20.00 Online price
The Gentry Family in America 1676 to 1909. Including notes on the following families related to the Gentrys: Claiborne Harris Hawkins Robinson Smith Wyatt Sharp Fulkerson Butler Bush Blythe Pabody Noble Haggard and Tindall.
Published: 1909
Stock No. 222088
$50.00 Online price
It's Not All Bull. Biography of Colin Pearse of Yarragadee and family back to 1830. By G. Watson. | http://berkelouw.com.au/rare-books/genealogy?page=11 |
Shrimp are decapod crustaceans with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata. More narrow definitions may be restricted to Caridea, to smaller species of either group or to only the marine species. Under a broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long narrow muscular tails (abdomens), long whiskers (antennae), and slender legs. Any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to be called one. They swim forward by paddling with swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens, although their escape response is typically repeated flicks with the tail driving them backwards very quickly. Crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas shrimp have thin, fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.
Shrimp are widespread and abundant. There are thousands of species adapted to a wide range of habitats. They can be found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes. To escape predators, some species flip off the seafloor and dive into the sediment. They usually live from one to seven years. Shrimp are often solitary, though they can form large schools during the spawning season.
They play important roles in the food chain and are an important food source for larger animals ranging from fish to whales. The muscular tails of many shrimp are edible to humans, and they are widely caught and farmed for human consumption. Commercial shrimp species support an industry worth 50 billion dollars a year, and in 2010 the total commercial production of shrimp was nearly 7 million tonnes. Shrimp farming became more prevalent during the 1980s, particularly in China, and by 2007 the harvest from shrimp farms exceeded the capture of wild shrimp. There are significant issues with excessive bycatch when shrimp are captured in the wild, and with pollution damage done to estuaries when they are used to support shrimp farming. Many shrimp species are small as the term shrimp suggests, about 2 cm (0.79 in) long, but some shrimp exceed 25 cm (9.8 in). Larger shrimp are more likely to be targeted commercially and are often referred to as prawns, particularly in Britain.
Shrimp are swimming crustaceans with long narrow muscular abdomens and long antennae. Unlike crabs and lobsters, shrimp have well developed pleopods (swimmerets) and slender walking legs; they are more adapted for swimming than walking. Historically, it was the distinction between walking and swimming that formed the primary taxonomic division into the former suborders Natantia and Reptantia. Members of the Natantia (shrimp in the broader sense) were adapted for swimming while the Reptantia (crabs, lobsters, etc.) were adapted for crawling or walking. Some other groups also have common names that include the word "shrimp"; any small swimming crustacean resembling a shrimp tends to be called one.
The following description refers mainly to the external anatomy of the common European shrimp, Crangon crangon, as a typical example of a decapod shrimp. The body of the shrimp is divided into two main parts: the head and thorax which are fused together to form the cephalothorax, and a long narrow abdomen. The shell which protects the cephalothorax is harder and thicker than the shell elsewhere on the shrimp and is called the carapace. The carapace typically surrounds the gills, through which water is pumped by the action of the mouthparts. The rostrum, eyes, whiskers and legs also issue from the carapace. The rostrum, from the Latin rōstrum meaning beak, looks like a beak or pointed nose at the front of the shrimp's head. It is a rigid forward extension of the carapace and can be used for attack or defense. It may also stabilize the shrimp when it swims backward. Two bulbous eyes on stalks sit either side of the rostrum. These are compound eyes which have panoramic vision and are very good at detecting movement. Two pairs of whiskers (antennae) also issue from the head. One of these pairs is very long and can be twice the length of the shrimp, while the other pair is quite short. The antennae have sensors on them which allow the shrimp to feel where they touch, and also allow them to "smell" or "taste" things by sampling the chemicals in the water. The long antennae help the shrimp orient itself with regard to its immediate surroundings, while the short antennae help assess the suitability of prey.
Eight pairs of appendages issue from the cephalothorax. The first three pairs, the maxillipeds, Latin for "jaw feet", are used as mouthparts. In Crangon crangon, the first pair, the maxillula, pumps water into the gill cavity. After the maxilliped come five more pairs of appendages, the pereiopods. These form the ten decapod legs. In Crangon crangon, the first two pairs of pereiopods have claws or chela. The chela can grasp food items and bring them to the mouth. They can also be used for fighting and grooming. The remaining four legs are long and slender, and are used for walking or perching.
The muscular abdomen has six segments and has a thinner shell than the carapace. Each segment has a separate overlapping shell, which can be transparent. The first five segments each have a pair of appendages on the underside, which are shaped like paddles and are used for swimming forward. The appendages are called pleopods or swimmerets, and can be used for purposes other than swimming. Some shrimp species use them for brooding eggs, others have gills on them for breathing, and the males in some species use the first pair or two for insemination. The sixth segment terminates in the telson flanked by two pairs of appendages called the uropods. The uropods allow the shrimp to swim backward, and function like rudders, steering the shrimp when it swims forward. Together, the telson and uropods form a splayed tail fan. If a shrimp is alarmed, it can flex its tail fan in a rapid movement. This results in a backward dart called the caridoid escape reaction (lobstering).
In this page you can download free PNG images: Shrimps PNG images clipart free download
In this gallery "Shrimps" we have 49 free PNG images with transparent background. | https://pngimg.com/images/animals/shrimps |
Answering pertinent questions about Southeastern Michigan with statistics and maps
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Detroit Tops List of Regional Crime Rates
The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released data on known criminal offenses for the year 2015. For this post, these criminal offenses have been turned into rates per 10,000 residents to accurately show how reported crimes differ between the some of the most well known cities in each county in Southeastern Michigan.
The cities featured in this post are
Ann Arbor: Washtenaw County
Detroit: Wayne County
Howell: Livingston County
Monroe: Monroe County
Pontiac: Oakland County
Port Huron: St. Clair County
Warren: Macomb County
Of the nine crimes featured, Detroit had the highest rate of the seven featured cities for all but one. Conversely, of the nine featured crimes, Howell had the lowest rates for six of them.
Overall, property crimes had the overall highest rates of the crimes discussed in this post while murder and nonnegligent manslaughter had the lowest. Property crime rates also had the largest difference between the city with the highest rate (Detroit) and the city with the lowest rate (Howell).
According to the FBI, Detroit had the highest murder rate in 2015 of the seven cities examined in this post. This rate was calculated to be 4.4 per 10,000 residents; this was equivalent to 295 murders for a population of about 673,000. Howell, Monroe and Ann Arbor had zero reported murders while Port Huron had a rate of .7 and Pontiac and Warren had rates of .1
According to the FBI forcible rape is defined as “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Attempts or assaults to commit rape by force or threat of force are also included; however, statutory rape (without force) and other sex offenses are excluded.”
In 2015, of the cities highlighted in this post, Pontiac had the highest reported rape rate per 10,000 residents at 11.5; this was equivalent 69 reported rapes to law enforcement for a population of about 60,000. Ann Arbor had the lowest rate at 4.9, which was equivalent to 58 total rapes known to law enforcement. Detroit’s forcible rape rate per 10,000 residents was 7.8 in 2015, or 530 total rapes known to law enforcement.
According to the FBI robbery is defined as “the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.”
Of the featured cities, Detroit had the highest robbery rate per 10,000 at 51 and Ann Arbor had the second highest at 35. In total, Detroit had 3,457 reported robberies while Ann Arbor had 42. Howell had the lowest rate at 2 with two reported robberies.
According to the FBI, aggravated assault is defined as “an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury.”
In 2015 Detroit had the highest aggravated assault rate of the cities featured in this post. Detroit’s 2015 rate was about 112.5 per 10,000 residents, and Pontiac had the second highest rate at 90.5. Ann Arbor had the lowest aggravated assault rate of the seven cities featured at 10.8.
According to the FBI, property crime “includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims.”
Detroit had the highest property crime rate of the seven cities featured at 409 per 10,000 residents. The city with the second highest property crime rate was Pontiac at 258 per 10,000. Howell had the lowest rate of the featured cities at 152.7. There was a 257 point difference between Howell and Detroit, making this the largest rate difference of the featured cities.
According to the FBI burglary is defined as, “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred.”
Similar to the property crime rate standings, Detroit and Pontiac had the highest rates of the featured cities. Detroit’s property crime rate per 10,000 residents in 2015 was 116 while Pontiac’s was 93. Howell again had the lowest rate of the cities at 12.5 with Ann Arbor coming in just above it at 23.1.
According to the FBI, larceny theft is defined as “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.”
Detroit had the highest larceny-theft rates of the featured cities in 2015 at 215.7 and Monroe had the second highest rate at 185. Monroe’s rate was equivalent to 373 reported crimes for a population of 20,074 while Detroit’s rate was equivalent to 14,523 reported crimes for a population of about 673,000. Howell again had the lowest rate at 132.9; this was equivalent to 128 reported crimes for a population about about 9,600.
According to the FBI, motor vehicle theft is defined as “the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.”
The highest motor vehicle theft rate of the featured cities was 77 per 10,000 residents for the city of Detroit. This rate was equivalent to 5,216 motor vehicle thefts for a population about 623,000. The city with the second highest motor vehicle theft rate was Warren with a rate of about 39. In 2015 Warren had 521 reported motor vehicle thefts for a population of about 135,000. Ann Arbor had the lowest motor vehicle theft rate of 6 per 10,000 residents in 2015 of the feature cities.
According to the FBI, arson is “any willful or malicious burning or attempting to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.”
Ann Arbor had five reported arsons in 2015, giving it the lowest rate at .5, while Detroit had 842 reported arsons for a rate of 12.5. Port Huron had the second highest rate at 5.2 with 12 reported arsons.
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Join us (virtually) for the announcement of the next winner of the Crook’s Corner Book Prize! The Chapel Hill Public Library and Flyleaf Books have generously offered to co-host this event with us on Tuesday, January 11th, 2022 and our judge Ron Rash will be joining us to chat with the winner.
Crook’s Corner Book Prize Submission Deadline Extended
March 31, 2020
Submissions are now open for next year’s Prize. Due to difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the submission deadline has been extended to June 1, 2020. For details on how to submit, please visit our Submission Guidelines.
5th Annual Crook’s Corner Book Prize Shortlist Announced
September 16, 2017
Three wildly various books by emerging writers will vie for the fifth Crook’s Corner Book Prize, awarded each year to the best debut novel set in the American South. This year’s Shortlist for the $5000 prize includes books featuring: a whip-smart eleven-year-old navigating grief in a distinctly quirky family; young lovers coming of age in the crucibles of post-Katrina New Orleans and the Mexican drug cartels; the imagined relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, illuminated by primary source documents about the Founding Father’s shifting views on slavery. “It would be difficult to conjure three more different books,” says Anna Hayes, president of the Crook’s Corner Book Prize Foundation, “and each one a marvel.”
THE SHORTLIST
Rabbit Cake
by Annie Hartnett
(Tin House Books)
Annie Hartnett graduated from Hamilton College, the Bread Loaf School of English, and the MFA program at the University of Alabama. She currently teaches classes on the novel and the short story at Grub Street, an independent writing center in Boston.
The Infinite
by Nicholas Mainieri
(HarperCollins)
Nicholas Mainieri earned his MFA from the University of New Orleans, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in New Orleans and teaches writing and literature at Nicholls State University.
Thomas Jefferson Dreams of Sally Hemings
by Stephen O’Connor
(Viking)
Stephen O’Connor has published a wide variety of short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. This is his first novel. He teaches in the MFA program at Sarah Lawrence College.
Inspired by the prestigious book awards given by famous Parisian literary cafés, the prize is co-sponsored by the iconic Southern restaurant, Crook’s Corner Café and Bar, in Chapel Hill, NC. “No one has a tougher time getting published and gaining recognition than first novelists,” Hayes says. “We thought this could offer a welcome boost to new talent.” Although eligible books must be set predominantly in the South, the prize is open to writers from anywhere.
This year’s winner will be chosen by author Elizabeth Cox, whose most recent novel is A Question of Mercy, and will be announced January 8, 2018.
Media contacts: Katharine Walton at 919-357-4400 or [email protected] and Cindy Hamel at Cindy Hamel PR 917-544-1793 or [email protected]. | https://crookscornerbookprize.com/author/crookscornerbookprize/ |
Ever wanted to trace your family’s roots? Take better photos on your iPhone? Get the most out of travel?
This month, the office of Student Activities and Leadership Development is hosting a Try It Tuesdays initiative to introduce students to new hobbies that can be practiced safely during and after the pandemic.
Try It Tuesdays highlight skills that connect to campus offices and organizations, in partnership with experts in certain fields. The series kicked off Feb. 2 with a session on photography; the next sessions will be genealogy on Feb. 9, travel hacking on Feb. 16, and palmistry (with tarot card readings) on Feb. 23. All sessions begin at 7PM on Zoom.
The activities don’t stop when this month ends. Starting in March, SALD will feature a new club every Tuesday at 7PM that students can try by attending a meeting or an open practice.
“We want students to be bold and try new, fun activities while staying safe and stopping the spread of COVID. The goal is that during the spring semester, students are introduced to a new skill or hobby that develops into a passion."
Emily Rocha, assistant director of SALD
Check out SALD’s calendar of events or email [email protected] for more information. Registration is required only for the tarot card readings because there is a limited number of spots.
Passion was a key word in the photography class taught by Andy Murphy ’17, assistant director of digital strategy. His first question to the class: “What are you passionate about photographing?”
Most said animals, travel sites or landscapes, so he used those subjects to help them explore features and settings on their iPhones that will make images and colors pop. They talked about the importance of lighting, and the “exposure triangle” of aperture, iso and shutter to help turn their shots from meh to memorable.
Zariyah Fowler '21 enjoys snapping photos of her dog and two cats - when she can get them to hold still.
“I tend to simply snap an image I want to capture and don’t think twice about it. Andy’s photography class focused on some unique features that iPhone cameras have that I never knew about!”
One of the tips the class touched on was the use of portrait mode, which offers photo enhancement. Fowler said she has been taking more pictures of her pets in this mode to really bring out their features. They also covered posing subjects, getting good expressions, and editing photos. | https://www.siena.edu/news/story/try-it-tuesday/ |
To apply for a scholarship a letter of motivation or a research exposé is required. The following guidelines will help you.
How do I write my letter of motivation?
A letter of motivation is required when you apply for a study scholarship or a grant for a language or specialist course. This letter gives you the chance to describe your personality and the reasons why you are applying for a DAAD scholarship.
The following information and questions will help you to write an informative letter of motivation.
Why do you wish to take the study programme or attend the language or specialist course for which you are applying?
What appeals to you about the university you have chosen?
What are your expectations of studying in Germany or attending the course (personal, professional, for your career)?
Why are you applying for a DAAD scholarship?
What do you expect of this scholarship?
How will the scholarship help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals?
Here you can outline special extracurricular achievements and commitments or personal qualities that say something about your character.
The letter of motivation should be between one and three DIN A4 pages long.
How should I introduce my research project? – Or: How do I write a research exposé?
In a research exposé, you define the goals of your research work, reflect upon the theoretical and methodical procedure and you describe the individual steps.
What is the content of your research project?
How do you plan your work schedule?
What is the current level of research?
Which theories/work of other academics do you refer to?
What theoretical framework and what academic model are you using? Discuss why you are drawing on this theory or model. Are there competing theories/models and why are you not using them for your work?
What do you intend to find out?
What objectives are you pursuing with your project?
How do you intend to answer the research questions?
How do you want to collect data (document analyses, quantitative or qualitative survey, experiment, etc.)?
What academic literature will you use?
What preparatory work have you already completed, and what preparatory work will you have completed by the time the scholarship begins?
How much time do you need for the individual research phases (before, during and, if applicable, after the scholarship period)? | https://www.worldwidecollege.in/singleblog/Study-in-Germany/DAAD-scholarships-/3116 |
Q:
Custom validation using IF() and Len()
I made a custom phone format ###-###-#### so that a phone # can be entered only as 5555555555 => 555-555-5555 or as 555-555-55555.
I need a non-vba solution i.e one I can enter in the Data Validation window that checks the cell length and validates it if the length is 10 OR 12.
I have been trying for a long time but can not get it by trial and error or googling.
My best guess is (which does not work)
=IF((LEN(E2:E32)=12,0),( LEN(E2:E32)=10,0))
Thanks
A:
This is not easy since Excel does not have a built in pattern matching function - you can only use built in functions in validation checks.
There is a solution though!
Fortunately you can check validation based on the state of a dependent cell. That's the approach we'll take here.
1) Your first job is to format the telephone number as text (my functions assume you've done this) so Excel doesn't trim leading zeros. In practice you'd format the whole column that way. Let's assume cell A1 will contain the phone number.
2) The validation formula will be ridiculously large if you attempt to put it in one cell and will be difficult to maintain. What we will do is put the validation stuff "off-spreadsheet"; i.e. in a column that's normally not visible to the user. That said, we'll use columns B,C and D for clarity. (Just cut and paste these elsewhere once you're done).
3) In B1 put =OR(C1,D1)
4) In C1 put =IFERROR(IF(LEN(A1)=10,VALUE(A1)*0 + 1,FALSE),FALSE). This validates the format with no dashes.
5) In D1 put =IFERROR(IF(OR(LEN(A1)=12,LEN(A1)=13),IF(AND(MID(A1,4,1)="-",MID(A1,8,1)="-"),VALUE(LEFT(A1,3) & MID(A1,5,3) & MID(A1,9,32767)) * 0 + 1,FALSE),FALSE),FALSE). This validates the format with the dashes.
Three tricks I'm using are (i) IFERROR is used to write False if the result would otherwise be #VALUE. This allows me to be more woolly in the programming, and (ii) the VALUE(n) * 0 + 1 pattern returns 1 if n is a number and, conveniently will compute #VALUE and delegate this to the surrounding function if n is not a number. Finally (iii) the 32767 in the MID function allows us to compare the remaining characters in a string without having to use a more clumsy RIGHT expression. 32767 is the limit on the number of characters in a cell. Perhaps I'm out by 1 here; no downvotes due to that please ;-)
6) Lastly, for cell A1, choose custom validation and set =B1 as the validation formula.
This does it! It will pass all your three formats:
5555555555, 555-555-5555 or 555-555-55555 where you've used 5 as a wildcard digit.
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Long, curved shank hooks are tailor made for incorporating into rigs that give a high level of anti-ejection and ultimately create strong hook holds.
With their extended curved shank these hooks mechanically twist and turn extremely aggressively when inhaled or mouthed by a feeding carp. This aggressive action forces the hook point to take hold in the bottom lip where it inevitably takes the strongest possible hook hold.
Hookbaits can be mounted in a variety of ways with these hooks, either on a conventional hair trapped in position with a small section of 0.5mm silicone tubing (set opposite the hook point or barb is best), or mounted onto a sliding rig ring or small rig swivel that can be held in place with a Covert Hook Stop to enhance the rigs anti-eject properties (highly recommended for use with pop ups).
These Longshank Mugga hooks are ideal for use on 360 rigs.
Available in Sizes 4, 6, 8 and 10 in Barbed or Barbless. | https://gardnertackle.co.uk/product/long-shank-mugga/ |
Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1: Five things we learned from Premier League draw
Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1: Which incidents caught the eye in the Premier League draw? (Pic: GETTY)
Jurgen Klopp’s side started brightest at the Emirates, creating a number of chances in the first-half, but lacking a killer edge to make their pressure pay.
The Reds were finally put ahead just after the hour mark, Gunners stopper Bernd Leno’s parried clearance only finding James Milner, who gladly drilled through three defenders and Leno to find the back of the net.
With the match entering the final 10 minutes, you could be forgiven for thinking the game would fizzle out into a 1-0 Liverpool win.
But Alexandre Lacazette had other ideas, curling past the out of position Reds keeper Alisson to take a share of the spoils.
Virgil van Dijk missed three good chances to extend his search for a goal to nearly 10 months.
The centre-back found himself clean through with Arsenal stopper Bernd Leno, firing straight at the German’s chest, before two towering headers either side of half time also failed to find the back of the net.
The Holland captain memorably scored on his debut, a 2-1 FA Cup win against Everton, but has failed to net in 34 appearances since. | |
productivity in STP values less than 50 PPM. Fertilizer rate determination and application practices Soil test ... yield goals, and the 4R’s of nutrient stewardship (the right rate, right placement, right timing, and ... field for application of organic nutrients if at all possible Apply no more than a 2 year rate of ...
-
ASK THE EXPERT
https://fsr.osu.edu/features/ask-expert
Ohio Farm Custom Rates 2018 12:20 p.m. Commodity Markets—Today’s Yo-Yo 12:40 p.m. Uncertainty and ... Ohio Farm Custom Rates 2018 10:40 a.m. Where Have All the Inputs Gone? 2017 Costs of Ohio Corn and ... Rates 2018 10:40 a.m. “Disease X” in Farm Animals 11:00 a.m. Avian Influenza Commodity ...
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Subsurface Placement of Nutrient
https://agbmps.osu.edu/bmp/subsurface-placement-nutrient
2001). Banded fertilizer rates can be reduced by 25–50 percent. The goal in fertilizer addition is to ... fertilizers are used, limits to nitrogen and potassium total rates exist. Due to the potential of injury from ... 17 percent of the application rate might be possible. Figure 34. Effect of phosphorus placement on ...
-
Spinner-Disc Spreader Set Up and Calibration
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-561
application rate such as with variable-rate application (VRA). Figure 1 shows that set-up, maintenance, and ... feed gate height by product categories (e.g. fertilizer or lime) based on the desired application rate ... (lb/ac). Rate controllers required calibration of the metering mechanism to insure accurate application. ...
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Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents 2016-17
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aede-16-17
Resources Ohio cropland values and cash rental rates are projected to decrease in 2017. According to the ... primary factors affecting these values and rates are land productivity and potential crop return, and the ... cropland values and rental rates. Professionals surveyed were farm managers, rural appraisers, agricultural ...
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Crop Nutrition Apps
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-55202
Calculate nutrition products and application rates based on lab analysis and info sheets. View fact sheets ... herbicides, plant population, seed rate, and seed blending to ensure optimal yields. Cost: Free Account ... available to crops that follow forage legumes in the rotation. Cost: Free Account needed? No Corn N Rate ...
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Constructed Wetlands (NRCS 656)
https://agbmps.osu.edu/bmp/constructed-wetlands-nrcs-656
Suitability Rating (CSR 80) treating about 100 acres of drainage, would cost just over $10,000 for design and ... the seed to ensure that planted materials have an acceptable rate of survival, and site preparation ...
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Boom Sprayer Calibration
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-520
application rate in gallons per acre, or GPA. For example: If you catch an average of 15 ounces from a set of ... nozzles, the actual application rate of the sprayer is equal to 15 GPA. With this method, make sure that ... output rate, check for clogs and clean the tip, or replace the nozzle. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the ...
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Choosing a Pesticide Product
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-67
used, equipment required, application rate, and handling instructions. Different formulations may be ...
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Riparian Forest Buffers (NRCS 391)
https://agbmps.osu.edu/bmp/riparian-forest-buffers-nrcs-391
removal varies with seasonal hydrology. The removal rate for a forest buffer is 93 percent during a low ... trees tend to survive at a higher rate. Land taken out of production should be considered in the cost ... | https://mcic.osu.edu/search/site/bioinformatics%20rates?page=7&f%5B0%5D=hash%3Ag5s418&f%5B1%5D=hash%3Aom8u5n&f%5B2%5D=hash%3Asqe1np&f%5B3%5D=hash%3Apr1wnh&f%5B4%5D=hash%3Addmcho |
where is the Laplace operator. This equation is known as the biharmonic equation. The class of biharmonic functions includes the class of harmonic functions and is a subclass of the class of poly-harmonic functions (cf. Harmonic function; Poly-harmonic function). Each biharmonic function is an analytic function of the coordinates .
From the point of view of practical applications the biharmonic functions in two variables are the most important. Such biharmonic functions can be represented using harmonic functions or , in the form
or
where , while is a constant. The main boundary value problem for biharmonic functions is the following: To find a biharmonic function in the domain that is continuous together with its first-order derivatives in the closed domain and satisfies on the boundary the conditions
|(*)|
where is the derivative with respect to the normal on , and are given continuous functions of the arc length on the contour . The above representations of biharmonic functions give the solution of problem (*) in an explicit form for the case of the disc , starting from the Poisson integral for harmonic functions .
Biharmonic functions in two variables may also be represented as follows:
using two analytic functions of the complex variable . This representation makes it possible to reduce the boundary value problem (*) for an arbitrary domain to a system of boundary value problems for analytic functions, for which a method of solving was developed in detail by G.V. Kolosov and N.I. Muskhelishvili. This method was developed while solving various planar problems of elasticity theory (cf. Elasticity theory, planar problem of), in which the main biharmonic function is the stress function or the Airy function , (cf. Airy functions).
References
|||A.N. [A.N. Tikhonov] Tichonoff, A.A. Samarskii, "Differentialgleichungen der mathematischen Physik" , Deutsch. Verlag Wissenschaft. (1959) (Translated from Russian)|
|||N.I. Muskhelishvili, "Some basic problems of the mathematical theory of elasticity" , Noordhoff (1975) (Translated from Russian)|
|||M.A. Lavrent'ev, B.V. Shabat, "Methoden der komplexen Funktionentheorie" , Deutsch. Verlag Wissenschaft. (1967) (Translated from Russian)|
Comments
An axiomatic treatment of biharmonic functions, similar to that of harmonic functions, is given in [a1], [a2]. | https://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Biharmonic_function&oldid=13691 |
Wildfires are a growing danger in Texas as the state sees record-breaking heat.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, 99% of the state is experiencing some level of drought and there are currently more than a dozen active wildfires.
We all know it is hot and dry. There are outdoor burn bans in almost every county in Texas.
"The wildfires in Palo Pinto, Somervell, and Walker counties occurred in high-risk fuel types, which can exhibit extreme fire behavior when critically dry and exposed to elevated or critical fire weather," Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Analyst Luke Kanclerz said. "In these fuels, resistance to control is often high and makes suppression efforts challenging for firefighters."
This map shows 15 active fires (in red). Some of these fires are well contained, but others are not.
Here are the active fires in the state as of Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., according to Texas A&M Forest Service:
- Chalk Mountain Fire, Somervell County - est. 6,000 acres, 10% contained
- East County Fire, Kaufman County - 500 acres, 40% contained
- Weeber Fire, Milam County - 20 acres, 70% contained
- West Bend Fire, Wichita County - 6,522 acres, 80% contained
- Spinning Buffalo Fire, Castro County - 180 acres, 90% contained
- Diamond Gate Fire, Coke County - 50 acres, 25% contained
- Walnut Creek Fire, Bastrop County - 36.2 acres, 90% contained
- Gregg 4074 Fire, Gregg County - 3.4 acres, 90% contained
- Fire, Palo Pinto County - 500 acres, 10% contained
- Nelson Creek Fire, Walker County - 1,852 acres, 80% contained
- Stanifer Branch Fire, Bosque County - 160 acres, 80% contained
- King Creek Fire, Kaufman County - 458 acres, 95% contained
- Honey Creek Fire, Uvalde County - 273 acres, 60% contained
- Nethery Road Fire, Kimble County - 3,262 acres, 90% contained
- Salado Brook Fire, Williamson County - 46.8 acres, 75% contained
The Chalk Mountain Fire is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth and is the largest wildfire in the state right now.
Meanwhile, another 21 wildfires were already extinguished so far this year.
According to Texas A&M, 214 Texas counties currently have burn bans including Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery, Walker, Wharton, and San Jacinto Counties.
Texas A&M said there is a significant risk of wildfires in east Texas, including the towns of Palestine, Crockett, Huntsville, Tyler, and Marshall.
"We have had some pretty significant wildfires over there for that area, 200 hundred acres is a pretty big wildfire for that area in the Pine Plantation, so we have seen a lot of upticks in things like that so yeah, a lot of activity for that side of the state." Juan Rodriguez with Texas A&M Forest Service said.
Firefighters across the state are doing what they can to stop these fires, including using aircraft and ground crews.
Forest Service officials said they have resources staged across Texas to quickly respond to fires.
If you see a wildfire, report it immediately. A quick response can save lives and property.
For current conditions and wildfire outlook, see the Texas Fire Potential Outlook.
For more on this story, follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. | https://abc13.com/texas-active-wildfires-fire-ban-am-forest-service-harris-county/12063568/ |
A classic chocolate souffle is a recipe you’ll turn to again and again for dinner parties, celebrations and quiet dinners for you and your love! It bakes in nearly half the time of a regular cake and happens to be gluten and dairy free, as well. So what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a yummy Brix Chocolate souffle and your favorite bottle of wine?
I used Brix Medium Dark Chocolate for this particular souffle recipe, but you can substitute any variety of Brix that you prefer or already have on hand.
Ingredients & Instructions:
5 oz. Brix Medium Dark Chocolate 6 large eggs (3 yolks, 6 whites)
1/3 c. sugar 1/4 t. vanilla
1/4. t cream of tartar 1 T. coconut oil
Using a wooden cutting board or hard surface, chop chocolate into at least 1″ pieces and place in microwaveable safe bowl; melt in 45 second increments, stirring frequently (or melt via a double boiler). Separate egg yolks from egg whites and add 3 lightly beaten egg yolks to the melted chocolate and stir until stiff (be careful that your chocolate is not too hot or your eggs will scramble).
Beat all 6 portions of egg whites with the cream of tartar on low-medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar in small portions and continue to beat at medium speed until all sugar is added. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites form stiff peaks.
Stir a small portion of egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture to loosen (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup) and then gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg white mixture. Be very gently at this step or you risk liquefying the egg whites and then the souffle won’t rise as well.
Lightly grease one 6 cup ramekin (or two 4 cup ramekins) with a small amount of coconut oil and a sprinkle of sugar. Bake on the center rack at 375°F for 25 minutes until souffle is puffy and slightly crusty on tope, but not fully cooked in the middle. Serve immediately with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries (optional). | http://brixchocolate.com/brix-chocolate-sort-souffle/ |
Climber:
Susan Mackenzie
Others in Party:
Stuart Mackenzie
Date:
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Ascent Type:
Successful Summit Attained
Motorized Transport to Trailhead:
Car
Peak:
Monte Lèsima
Location:
Italy
Elevation:
5656 ft / 1723 m
Ascent Trip Report
Access on foot is allowed. After walking up the road to the radar station there is a narrow path round it to the cross which marks the summit. The top can be reached by a pleasant walk through the woods but we chose not to use it.
Summit of Monte Lesima (2017-10-10). Photo by
Susan Mackenzie
.
Click here for larger-size photo.
Summary Total Data
Total Elevation Gain:
833 ft / 253 m
Round-Trip Distance:
2.5 mi / 4 km
Route:
Up tarmac road to the dome
Trailhead:
1KM south of Passo della Ritorta 4823 ft / 1470 m
Quality:
2 (on a subjective 1-10 scale)
Route Conditions:
Road Hike, Maintained Trail
Weather:
Cool, Calm, Partly Cloudy
Ascent Statistics
Time:
1 Hours 15 Minutes
Descent Statistics
Time:
1 Hours
This page has been served 106 times since 2005-01-15.
Copyright © 1987-2021 by Peakbagger.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=885586 |
Tag Archives: Vast landowners
It’s time for a fairy tale, so pull up a chair and I’ll tell ye me yarn… Once upon a time there existed two great tribes in all the world. They were sworn enemies because of generations of bigotry and fear. They built their civilizations in lands far, far away from one another. Yet many wars occurred between them because of their fears and greed.
If each had desired to ensure that both became prosperous, then neither would have gone to war with the other and neither would have needed the protection of warriors. But the world did not progress nor will it ever much, for that is the nature of man.
Each tribe therefore kept great armies of warriors and made their greatest warriors king. Each king created coins from shiny metals to aid his people in trade and commerce. Each king also divvied up his lands according to loyalties and kinsmanship. Some tribesmen received vast estates, but half of the tribesmen received no land at all.
Upon their vast lands, the most favored of tribesmen aspired to expand commerce and to increase their lands further. With land as collateral, vast landowners were given coins by the king to spur the work of others on their lands.
Whenever a tribesman was deemed ready and able to provide future labor, he was provided coins through debt contract to purchase goods from other tribesmen. Metals bound the work of each tribesman to the benefit of the vast landowners, to the king, and to his kingdom.
The king and vast landowners expected each able tribesman to do all manners of work for the tribe. Those that contributed most received the most coins and could therefore live most comfortably within the tribe. However, provisions were made so that all tribesmen who worked diligently could eat and have shelter, for this was the other side of the coin of man’s nature.
For those tribesmen that could not work enough to feed themselves, other tribesmen were commanded by a vote of all tribesmen to share their wealth so that each might eat. Through this vote, the kings endeared their subjects against insurrection, for all men were better off in their kingdoms than in facing the world alone.
This is where the similarities between the kingdoms stopped. For one kingdom became very prosperous, well before the other. One kingdom was wise to invest labor in schools, roads, and laws to govern commerce. Over time, because of its investment, some ingenious tribesmen were able to capitalize the tribe’s investment through their own ingenuity to create much better means of commerce, and they became wealthy in coins.
They accumulated many more coins than they could use, for even when they lavished coins to obtain the finest huts and goods, they still had stockpiles of coins. They found with so many coins they did not need a king. So they set about to use their excess coins to grow great armies of warriors to break free of the king, to form an empire, and to colonize the other tribe, for this was still the nature of man.
They then forced the other tribe to take less gold for each hour worked and to accept less goods in trade. They forced the other tribe to dig for raw materials, while keeping the skilled trades to themselves, claiming these labors to be worthy of more coins.
After many generations, a calm came over the lands of the two tribes, and many forget the true nature of man, that of bigotry and fear, lust for power and enslavement of others. Assuming the world had evolved to a peaceful existence, the vast landowners and ingenious men of commerce found that they could employ the colonized tribe for many less coins. So, instead of using these coins to employ their own tribesmen, they gave fewer coins to the other tribe in exchange for labor, and slowly the colony began to prosper.
But in transferring coins to the colony, the vast landowners and ingenious men of commerce idled their own tribesmen. Skills were lost, assets were obsoleted, and the empire slowly withered. Little by little, more and more tribesmen could not earn enough coins to feed their families. Fear and mistrust overtook the once great civilization.
The vast landowners and ingenious men of commerce had made great profits from the colonized people, but in so doing, they impoverished their own tribe. Their choices stressed the coffers of taxation. Empty coffers brought into question the very nature of the empire’s commitment to its people. Too many needed fed.
Vast landowners forgot that they had been given their land by virtue of their kinsmanship. Ingenious men of commerce forgot that they were able to capitalize their ingenuity on the infrastructure provided by the investments of others. And all of the empire’s elite forgot that the darkest nature of man can ultimately only be suppressed by warriors.
Over time, the empire withered and the colony continued to prosper until it was more powerful than the empire. The colony then refused to accept less coins for its labor. And it refused to help fill the coffers of the empire that were now barren. After a generation had passed, the colony became the empire and the empire turned colony. Now a colony, its people were given less coins for their labor by the colony turned empire.
Where once vast landowners and men of ingenuity had grown their stockpiles of coins, they now found in a mere few generations more that their stockpiles of coins were gone. They had foolishly squandered their inheritance. They no longer could afford their warriors and accepted their fate in watching the nature of man rise against them.
Clif Carothers, President U.S. Air Ambulance
America Can Reach Full Employment Quickly
This blog was started to share a job voucher idea for all able bodied Americans to have an opportunity to work. I will share other related thoughts and appreciate your comments as well as your ideas to employ America now.
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) and ask for a shared ministry form. Use it to let us know your contact information and areas of interest. Then, when an opportunity is available, we’ll contact you and you can let us know if you are available.
Pilgrim volunteers
Cook and serve at the Damiano soup kitchen the fourth Monday of every month. Food preparation begins at 8:30 and serving begins at 11:30.
Deliver meals-on-wheels in the neighborhood near the church. Mondays-Fridays, 10:30-noon. Most volunteers serve on a designated day each week.
Cook and serve homemade meals to groups in the community such as phone bank volunteers and Monday meals sponsored by United Campus Ministry. Occasionally, often 3-4 times during a calendar year.
Assist families with the physical move from CHUM’s family shelter into more permanent housing. As needed. Usually on a Saturday.
Read to children in a classroom at Myers Wilkins Elementary School.
Distribute weekend food packages to go home with children from Myers Wilkins Elementary School.
Travel to Guatemala to build homes and support the education of children through Common Hope, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Next trip in June 2015. Cost approximately $1800 for food, lodging and airfare. Participation in group fund-raising for Common Hope.
Provide cookies for the county jail Christmas party
Provide Christmas gifts for children recommended by case workers
Participate in and support events sponsored by Pilgrim to benefit the larger Duluth community:
Hogwarts Party the last Sunday in October;
Book Sale the first Saturday in June
Occasional concerts to benefit scholarships or community needs
Agencies or organizations where Pilgrims volunteer may have set requirements or expectations for volunteers. Pilgrim volunteers donate time and professional skills for programs within the church. Donated time and service are welcome gifts that strengthen our congregation’s life and our bonds with the larger community:
Landscaping
Building maintenance
Music
Graphic arts
Teaching
Baking
Meal preparation
Child care
Technological expertise
New volunteers will work alongside experienced Pilgrim volunteers. Some volunteer opportunties may require training or screening. | http://pilgrimduluth.org/volunteer-opportunities/ |
The present invention relates to methods of identifying portions of proteins involved in protein-protein interactions, to methods of constructing biologically active peptides involved in protein-protein interactions, and to biologically active peptides.
Protein binding or protein-protein interactions can be broadly defined as the discrete interaction of the surface of one protein with the surface of another protein. Such discrete interaction arises when residues of one protein are proximally located to residues of another protein and attractive forces between the residues such as vander Waals forces, ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds exist. Specific protein-protein interactions which occur in higher living organisms include but are not limited to those in which involve: a receptor-binding protein binding to a receptor; a pathogen antigen binding to a host cell receptor; protein interactions at cellular attachment sites; and, adhesion proteins interactions.
Examples of receptor-binding proteins, hereinafter also referred to as ligands, include cytokines, hormones and growth factors. These proteins bind to receptors on cells and cause changes in cellular activity or function. For example, cytokines are a variety of proteins which are cellular messengers, each cytokine having a specific effect upon a cell. Likewise, hormones and growth factors are also messengers which affect the function and activity of cells.
Pathogens are infectious organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses and, additionally, neoplasms, all of which express specific antigens. Such typically, there are specific sites on antigens, hereinafter referred to as binding epitopes or epitopes, which bind to a complementary portion of a cellular protein called a receptor site.
A great deal of effort has been expended in search of compounds which specifically either simulate, that is mimic, or block protein-protein interactions in cells.
With respect to cytokines, hormones and growth factors, a great deal of effort has been made to purify the natural proteins from natural sources or to synthetically produce them by chemical means or using recombinant DNA technology. While some success has been achieved, these molecules are quite large, difficult to handle and expensive to obtain. A great deal of effort is also directed at discovering synthetic ligands which either mimic the activity of natural proteins or which block the activity of natural proteins. Blocking natural protein activity can be achieved by either competing for the receptor with an inactive ligand (antagonist) or by having an agent bind to the natural protein and thereby prevent it from binding to the receptor.
There is a need for synthetic peptides and/proteins which mimic the activity of the natural biologically active proteins which interact with receptors. Such mimicking molecules would be useful as agents to affect the cells in the same way as the natural protein. Likewise, the discovery of antagonists, that is, molecules which block the receptor without having an effect on cellular function or activity would be useful. Furthermore, the discovery of agents which specifically interact with biologically active proteins and thereby render them unable to bind to receptors is also desirable. Molecules that prevent binding by a natural biologically active protein to its receptor in cases where the natural protein is believed to an agent associated with a disease condition or disorder are useful as drugs for preventing or treating such disease conditions or disorders. A great deal of knowledge has been developed in the field of immunology, including at the molecular level.
Advances in molecular biology have indicated that immunoglobulins, major histocompatibility complex antigens and T-cell receptors are all members of a family of molecules referred to as the immunoglobulin superfamily. During evolution, it is likely that a single, useful gene duplicated, and its copies diverged to create related molecules with distinct functions. Accordingly, immunoglobulins, which are agents of humoral immunity; T-cell receptors, which are associated with humoral as well as cellular immunity; and major histocompatibility complex molecules, involved in antigen presentation and the discrimination between self and nonself, all share homologies inherited from their common ancestor and exhibit related biological functions.
Of the members of the superfamily, the structure and function of immunoglobulins is best understood.
Immunoglobulin molecules consist of a constant region and a variable region. The constant region is associated with cellular effector functions whereas the variable region participates in antigen recognition and binding.
Immunoglobulins of the most common class, IgG, consist of two heavy chains and two light chains linked together by noncovalent associations and also by covalent disulfide bonds. Each of the chains possesses a constant as well as a variable region. In the immunoglobulin molecule, the variable region is subdivided into framework regions, which are similar in structure among immunoglobulins, and hypervariable, complementarity determining regions (CDRs) which participate directly in antigen binding in the immunoglobulin active site.
X-ray crystallographic studies of purified immunoglobulin molecules have indicated that the active site is a crevice formed by the heavy and light chain variable regions, and that the dimensions of the active sites vary among immunoglobulin molecules consequent to amino acid sequence variations (Hood et al., 1978, in xe2x80x9cImmunology,xe2x80x9d The Benjamin/Cummings publishing Co., Inc., Menlo Park, p. 208). Amino acid sequence, crystallographic structure, and specially designed hapten probes have been used in conjunction with computer analysis to elucidate the relationship between an immunoglobulin and the antigen which it recognizes.
Pathogens generally express antigens which are recognized by host immune systems as foreign and become the target of an immunological response to eliminate the infectious pathogen. Pathogen antigens often bind to cellular receptors on a host""s cells as part of the process of infection of the host by the pathogen. In order to immunize the host and reduce the effectiveness of the pathogen to mount a challenge to the host, a number of vaccination strategies have been devised.
Several strategies have been employed to develop safe, effective vaccines against viral and bacterial pathogens. At present most vaccines in use consist of live attenuated pathogens, killed pathogens, components of a pathogen, or modified toxins (toxoids). See Institute of Medicine, xe2x80x9cVaccine Supply and Innovationxe2x80x9d, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press (1985). While these preparations have been successfully used for many infectious diseases, many pathogens exist where these approaches have not worked or have not been applicable. Certain pathogens are potentially too dangerous to contemplate the use of attenuated or even inactivated preparations. The risk of developing cancer from immunization with certain retroviruses, or of developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from immunization with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) underscores the drawbacks associated with the use of whole virus preparations for vaccination. In addition many pathogens display a marked antigenic heterogeneity that makes effective vaccination difficult. These considerations have led us to seek alternative method for effective immunization.
The idiotype network theory of N. K. Jerne, Ann. Immunol. (Paris) 125:337-389, (1974), implies that an anti-idiotypic antibody raised against a neutralizing antibody specific for a pathogen would mimic that pathogen immunologically. Immunization with the anti-idiotype should result in the development of a significant anti-pathogen response with the elicitation of neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immunity. In recent years there have been several examples where this strategy has been effective, including reovirus type 3. See Sharpe, A. H., et al., J. Exp. Med. 160:195-205 (1984); Kauffman, R. S., et al., J. Immunol., 131:2539-2541, (1983); and Gaulton, G. N., et al., J. Immunol. 137:2930-2936. With respect to Sendai virus, see Ertl, H. C. and Finberg, R. W., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:2850-2854 (1984). For report relating to rabies see Reagen, K. J. et al., J. Virol. 48:660-666 (1983). This approach has been discussed in connection with polio virus in Uydeltaag, F.G.C.M. and Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., J. Immunol. 134:1225-1229 (1985).
One of the key aspects of this approach is that a portion of the anti-idiotype mimics a portion of the pathogen antigen and induces a neutralizing response. Thus a potent anti-idiotype vaccine would seem to be an ideal immunogen in cases where intact pathogen could not be used or where irrelevant non-neutralizing epitopes dominate the immune response. However, the practical application of anti-idiotypes as vaccine has been limited by the difficulties in making human monoclonal antibodies and in the danger of producing serum sickness by using xenogeneic antibodies.
Another method currently under intensive investigation is the use of synthetic peptides corresponding to segments of the proteins from pathogenic microorganisms against which an immune response is directed. This approach has been successful in several instances including feline leukemia virus (Elder, J. H. et al., J. Virol. 61:8-15, 1987), hepatitis B (Gerin, J. L., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 80:2365-2369 1983), Plasmodium falciparum (Cheung, A., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:8328-8332, 1986), cholera toxin (Jacob, C. O., et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 16:1057-1062, 1986) and others. When these peptides are capable of eliciting a neutralizing immune response they appear to be ideal immunogens. They elicit a specific response and typically do not lead to deleterious effects on the host. However, it can be difficult to predict which peptide fragments will be immunogenic and lead to the development of a neutralizing response.
It would be desirable to develop immunogens that elicit a response to specific neutralizing epitopes without causing responses to extraneous epitopes that could xe2x80x9cdilutexe2x80x9d the specific response or lead to harmful immune complex formation.
The present invention relates to a method of identifying specific linear and constrained discrete portions of a biologically active proteins involved in protein-protein interactions. By identifying such specific and discrete portions, biologically active peptides can be constructed which mimic the biological activity of the biologically active protein or which block the activity of the biologically active protein. Thus, biologically active peptides can be constructed which act as ligands that act on mammalian cells by binding to the receptor sites of those cells to alter or affect their function or behavior, or to prevent the binding of the natural biologically active protein to the cellular receptor, thereby preventing the biologically active protein from affecting the cell.
The present invention relates to a method of identifying specific linear and constrained discrete portions of pathogen antigens which either serve as epitopes for neutralizing antibodies or which are involved in pathogen binding to host cell receptors. By identifying discrete portions of pathogen antigens which are neutralizing epitopes, biologically active peptides can be constructed which are useful as components of vaccines against the pathogen. An effective neutralizing immune response will be elicited in a vaccinated individual. By identifying discrete portions of pathogen antigens which are involved in pathogen binding to host cell receptors, biologically active peptides can be constructed which are useful as agents which block pathogen attachment to cellular receptors. Additionally, by identifying discrete portions of pathogen antigens which are involved in pathogen binding to host cell receptors, biologically active peptides can be constructed which mimic pathogen antigens and act on mammalian cells by binding to the receptor sites of those cells to alter or affect their function or behavior, or which prevent or alter the effect which pathogen antigens would otherwise have upon those cells.
The present invention relates to the field of biologically active peptides which have some shared and/or similar amino acid sequences to the amino acid sequences of cellular receptor sites and thereby compete with such cellular receptors for binding to either biologically active proteins or pathogen antigens. In addition, the invention relates to the field of biologically active peptides which have some shared and/or similar amino acid sequences to the amino acid sequences of the ligand surface that attaches to a cellular receptor site. The ligand mimetic peptide can be used as a stimulant or inhibitor of that receptor. Where the biologically active peptide competes in pathogen/receptor binding, the biologically active peptides are useful to prevent pathogen attachment and thereby prevent infection. Where the biologically active peptide competes in biologically active protein/receptor binding, the biologically active peptides are useful to prevent ligand/receptor binding and thereby prevent the effect on cellular function or behavior normally associated with the biologically active protein/receptor binding.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a method of constructing a peptide capable of eliciting a neutralizing immune response against a pathogen in a mammal. A method of the invention comprises the steps of identifying a neutralizing epitope of a pathogen antigen by first generating a neutralizing antibody specific for a pathogen, then generating an anti-idiotypic antibody specific for the neutralizing antibody and then identifying the CDR amino acid sequence of the anti-idiotypic antibody that corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a pathogen antigen. Using that information, a peptide is synthesized that corresponds to or is identical to the portions of the antibody and antigen that correspond to each other.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of immunizing a host mammal against infection by a pathogen that comprises such an antigen by inoculating a mammal with a peptide that corresponds to the neutralizing epitope of a pathogen antigen.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method of constructing a peptide capable of preventing a pathogen or a biologically active protein from binding to a cellular receptor. A method of the invention comprises identifying an amino acid sequence of a portion of a pathogen antigen or a biologically active protein which binds to the cellular receptor by first generating an anti-receptor antibody capable of preventing a pathogen or a biologically active protein from binding to the cellular receptor and then identifying an amino acid sequence of the anti-receptor antibody that corresponds to an amino acid sequence of the pathogen antigen or the biologically active protein. Using that information, a peptide is synthesized that corresponds to or is identical to the portions of the antibody and antigen that correspond to each other.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of treating a host mammal to prevent or reduce the severity of an infection by a pathogen by constructing a peptide capable of preventing a pathogen from binding to cellular receptor and administering the synthetic peptide to a mammal in an amount effective to prevent or reduce the likelihood that the pathogen will infect cells of the host.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of constructing a peptide capable of preventing a pathogen or a biologically active protein from binding to a cellular receptor. A method of the invention comprises identifying an amino acid sequence of a cellular receptor which directly interacts with an amino acid sequence of a pathogen antigen or a biologically active protein during receptor binding by first generating an antibody specific for the pathogen or the biologically active protein which is capable of preventing the pathogen or the biologically active protein form binding to the cellular receptor and then identifying an amino acid sequence of the CDR of the antibody which corresponds to an amino acid sequence of the cellular receptor. Using that information, a peptide is synthesized that corresponds to or is identical to the portions of the antibody and antigen that correspond to each other.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of constructing a biologically active peptide comprising the steps of identifying an amino acid sequence of a biologically active portion of a biologically active protein which directly interacts with a cellular receptor when the biologically active protein binds to the cellular receptor, wherein such binding causing an effect on an activity or function of cell. The amino acid sequence of the biologically active portion of the biologically active protein identified by first generating an anti-receptor antibody against a cellular receptor, the anti-receptor antibody being capable of effecting an activity or function of a cell and then identifying an amino acid sequence of the CDR of the anti-receptor antibody that corresponds to an amino acid sequence of the biologically active protein. Using that information, a peptide is synthesized that is corresponds to or is identical to the portions of the antibody and antigen that correspond to each other.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of effecting or altering activity or function of a mammalian by contacting a cell with an amount of such a biologically active peptide sufficient to effect or alter activity or function of the cell.
The invention relates to synthetic biologically active peptides comprising or consisting essentially of amino acid sequence that correspond to an amino acid sequence of an antigen or biologically active protein and an amino acid sequence of an anti-idiotypic antibody or an anti-receptor antibody.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to apparatus and methods of heating and/or heating a load using microwave and radio frequency (RF) energy.
Field uniformity, and therefore heating uniformity in a work load, is one of the grand challenges of microwave and radio frequency (RF) heating. An electromagnetic wave can propagate within a cavity in a number of different modes. These modes include: 1) TE mode, in which the transverse electric waves (H waves) are characterized by the electric vector (E) being perpendicular to the direction of propagation; 2) TM mode, in which transverse magnetic waves (E waves) are characterized by the magnetic vector (H vector) being perpendicular to the direction of propagation; and 3) TEM mode, in which both the electric vector (E vector) and the magnetic vector (H vector) are perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
The field distribution in a resonant cavity (e.g., a microwave cooking cavity) depends on the number of modes that can be excited within a cavity. In practice though, only one mode may be excited at a single point in time, such that over a cooking cycle it is necessary to assign individual time slots for the mode being excited. Several strategies have been employed to excite multiple modes or disturb the dominant mode structure over the cooking period (e.g., using time slices or multiplexing over time of modes of interest), including turntables, mode stirrers and multiple waveguide feeds. Most of these strategies are frustrated by the lack of frequency and phase control associated with magnetron sources.
Many microwave packaged foods now come with “susceptors,” which consist of a conductive (usually resistive) material painted or otherwise located on the food box, and which absorb electromagnetic energy and convert it to convective heat in order to provide browning. For example, a susceptor disk may be included on the inside top of a pie box in order to brown the surface of the pie, when the pie is microwaved.
Although some solutions, such as including susceptors in food packaging, may improve the quality of uniform cooking to a certain extent, conventional methods are sub-optimal. Accordingly, what are needed are methods and apparatus to more evenly heat loads within a microwave oven system.
The following detailed description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the words “exemplary” and “example” mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary or an example is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, or the following detailed description.
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to solid-state heating apparatus that may be incorporated into stand-alone appliances or into other systems. Generally, the term “heating” means to elevate the temperature of a load (e.g., a food load or other type of load) to a higher temperature. As used herein, the term “heating” more broadly means a process by which the thermal energy or temperature of a load (e.g., a food load or other type of load) is increased through provision of RF power to the load. Accordingly, in various embodiments, a “heating operation” may be performed on a load with any initial temperature, and the heating operation may be ceased at any final temperature that is higher than the initial temperature. That said, the “heating operations” and “heating systems” described herein alternatively may be referred to as “thermal increase operations” and “thermal increase systems.”
The electric field distribution within a heating cavity of a microwave heating system or other RF heating system during heating operations (e.g., when microwave electromagnetic energy is injected into the heating cavity through a waveguide or other resonant element) may be non-uniform, with some locations within the heating cavity receiving more electromagnetic energy than average, and other locations receiving very little electromagnetic energy or none at all. Areas with higher peak electric field magnitudes may result in “hot spots” in portions of a heated load at those areas. Areas with low or no peak electric field magnitudes may result in “cold spots” in portions of a heated load at those areas.
According to various embodiments, redistribution and/or random scattering of electromagnetic energy within the heating cavity (e.g., using re-radiators disposed in the heating cavity) may help to smooth the electric field distribution within the heating cavity, allowing a load within the heating cavity to be heated more evenly. Re-radiator placement within the heating cavity may be customized according to the characterization of a particular heating system. Alternatively, a programmable array of re-radiators may be included in the heating cavity, which includes connections between pairs of re-radiators of the array and/or between the re-radiators of the array and ground that may be selectively enabled and disabled by controlling one or more switches. The programmable array of re-radiators is not necessarily in a pre-designed arrangement for electric field redistribution and/or random scattering in one particular heating system with a specific set of characteristics and corresponding electric field distribution, but may instead be reconfigured to provide electric field redistribution and/or random scattering for a variety of heating systems with a variety of characteristics and corresponding electric field distributions.
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is a perspective view of a heating system , in accordance with an example embodiment. Heating system includes a heating cavity , a control panel , one or more microwave power generation modules , , a power supply (e.g., power supply , ), and a system controller (e.g., system controller , ). The heating cavity is defined by interior surfaces of top, bottom, side, and back cavity walls , , , , and an interior surface of door . With door closed, the heating cavity defines an enclosed air cavity. As used herein, the term “air cavity” may mean an enclosed area or volume that contains air or other gasses (e.g., heating cavity ).
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According to an embodiment, each of the microwave power generation modules , is arranged proximate to one of cavity walls , . During operation of the heating system , a user (not illustrated) may place one or more objects (e.g., food and/or liquids) into the heating cavity , and may provide inputs via the control panel that specify a desired heating duration and a desired power level. In response, a system controller (not illustrated) causes the microwave power generation modules , to radiate electromagnetic energy in the microwave spectrum (referred to herein as “microwave energy”) into the heating cavity . More specifically, the system controller causes the microwave power generation modules , to radiate microwave energy into the heating cavity for a period of time and at one or more power levels that are consistent with the user inputs. The microwave energy increases the thermal energy of the object (i.e., the microwave energy causes the object to heat up).
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In the embodiment illustrated in , a microwave power generation module , is arranged proximate to each of multiple cavity walls , . In alternate embodiments, more or fewer microwave power generation modules may be present in the system, including as few as one microwave power generation module proximate to a single cavity wall or to door . In other alternate embodiments, multiple microwave power generation modules may be proximate to any given cavity wall and/or to door .
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One or more re-radiators may be included at (e.g., on or proximate to) one or more of the side walls , , and , in regions , , and . Additionally or alternatively, one or more re-radiators may be included at either or both of the top and/or bottom walls , , and/or on an interior of door . As used herein, a “re-radiator” refers to an antenna that absorbs electromagnetic energy that impinges on the antenna (e.g., electromagnetic energy emitted by one or more of the microwave power generation modules , ) and then re-radiates that electromagnetic energy, generally with a different phase from other re-radiators of the system . Re-radiators are passive radiators, in an embodiment, in contrast with active radiators that are driven by a direct connection to a power supply or transmitter. The re-radiators may include one or a combination of dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, and hairpin antennas, for example.
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As an example, the heating system may be characterized (e.g., using electromagnetic simulation and modeling) to identify areas of electric field non-uniformity in the heating cavity during the heating of a load. The re-radiators may be selectively placed at positions at (e.g., on or proximate to) the walls , , and that are expected to correspond to higher than average and lower than average peak electric field magnitudes based on the characterization of the heating system .
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For example, if the re-radiators include patch antennas, the patch antennas may be disposed on the walls , , and/or . As another example, if the re-radiators include monopole or dipole antennas, the monopole or dipole antennas may include antenna elements that are proximate to the walls , , and/or , but that may not be considered to be directly “on” the corresponding wall(s). Dielectric material may be disposed between the re-radiators and the wall(s) at which they are disposed to provide electrical insulation. One or more insulated through-holes may be included in the walls , , and/or , and conductors of the re-radiators may pass through these through-holes to connect to circuitry (e.g., the switching circuitry shown in ) outside of the cavity , for example. Alternatively, the re-radiators may be arranged in one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) arrays in one or more of the regions , , and/or positioned irrespective of electric field characterization of the heating system .
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Each re-radiator may be selectively activated (e.g., disconnected from ground) or deactivated (e.g., connected to ground) by controlling switches coupled between each re-radiator and one or more ground terminals. Additional switches may be coupled in transmission paths between each of the re-radiators , such that each re-radiator may be selectively connected to or disconnected from any given one or more of the other re-radiators . For example, a first re-radiator that is located in a first region associated with high peak electric field magnitude may be selectively connected to a second re-radiator that is located in a second region associated with low peak electric field magnitude so that electro-magnetic energy absorbed by the first re-radiator may be re-radiated by both the first and second re-radiators. This may significantly reduce the disparity between the peak electric field magnitudes at the first and second regions. In some embodiments, a phase shifter (e.g., phase shifter , ) may be coupled between two connected re-radiators of the re-radiators , such that the phases of the RF signals emitted by the two connected re-radiators are shifted with respect to one another by a predetermined amount or, for embodiments in which the phase shifter is a variable phase shifter, by a selected amount. In some embodiments, the re-radiators may selectively operate in a random scattering mode in which each of the re-radiators is disconnected from ground and from each of the other re-radiators . The random scattering mode may improve electric field coverage within the cavity without selectively targeting any particular region for re-radiation.
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Each microwave power generation module , is configured to produce and radiate microwave energy into the heating cavity , which introduces an electric field in the cavity . The radiated energy has a wavelength in the microwave spectrum that is particularly suitable for heating liquid and solid objects (e.g., liquids and food). For example, each microwave power generation module , may be configured to radiate microwave energy having a frequency in a range of about 2.0 gigahertz (GHz) to about 3.0 GHz into the heating cavity . More specifically, each microwave power generation module , may be configured to radiate microwave energy having a wavelength of about 2.45 GHz into the heating cavity , in an embodiment. Although each microwave power generation module , may radiate microwave energy of approximately the same wavelength, the microwave power generation modules , may radiate microwave energy of different wavelengths from each other, as well. Further, in embodiments of other systems (e.g., radar systems, communication systems, and so on) that include embodiments of microwave power generation modules, each microwave power generation module , may radiate microwave energy within a relatively wide bandwidth (e.g., a bandwidth anywhere within the microwave spectrum of about 800 megahertz (MHz) to about 300 GHz).
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As will be described in further detail below, each microwave power generation module , may be implemented as an integrated “solid state” module, in that each microwave power generation module , includes a solid state circuit configuration to generate and radiate microwave energy rather than including a magnetron, as is typical in a conventional microwave oven. Accordingly, embodiments of systems in which embodiments of microwave power generation modules are included may operate at relatively lower voltages, may be less susceptible to output power degradation over time, and/or may be relatively compact, when compared with conventional magnetron-based microwave systems.
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The heating system of is embodied as a counter-top type of appliance. Alternatively, components of a heating system may be incorporated into other types of systems or appliances. Accordingly, the above-described implementation of a heating system in a stand-alone appliance is not meant to limit use of the embodiments only to those types of systems.
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Although heating system is shown with its components in particular relative orientations with respect to one another, it should be understood that the various components may be oriented differently, as well. In addition, the physical configurations of the various components may be different. For example, control panel may have more, fewer, or different user interface elements, and/or the user interface elements may be differently arranged. In addition, although a substantially cubic heating cavity is illustrated in , it should be understood that a heating cavity may have a different shape, in other embodiments (e.g., cylindrical, and so on). Further, heating system may include additional components (e.g., a fan, a stationary or rotating plate, a tray, an electrical cord, and so on) that are not specifically depicted in .
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is a simplified block diagram of a heating system (e.g., heating system , ) that includes multiple microwave power generation modules , , , in accordance with an example embodiment. In various embodiments, heating system may include from 1 to N microwave power generation modules -, where N can be any integer (e.g., an integer from 1 to 20). In addition, heating system includes system controller , user interface , power supply , heating cavity , and re-radiators (e.g., re-radiators , -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, ) that include at least a first re-radiator - and a second re-radiator -. It should be understood that is a simplified representation of a heating system for purposes of explanation and ease of description, and that practical embodiments may include other devices and components to provide additional functions and features, and/or the heating system may be part of a much larger electrical system.
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User interface may correspond to a control panel (e.g., control panel , ), for example, which enables a user to provide inputs to the system regarding parameters for a heating operation (e.g., the duration of a heating operation, the power level for a heating operation, codes that correlate with particular heating operation parameters, and so on), start and cancel buttons, mechanical controls (e.g., a door latch), and so on. In addition, the user interface may be configured to provide user-perceptible outputs indicating the status of a heating operation (e.g., a countdown timer, audible tones indicating completion of the heating operation, and so on) and other information.
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System controller is coupled to user interface and to power supply . For example, system controller may include a one or more general purpose or special purpose processors (e.g., a microprocessor, microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and so on), volatile and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash, various registers, and so on), one or more communication busses, and other components. According to an embodiment, system controller is configured to receive signals indicating user inputs received via user interface , and to cause power supply to provide power to microwave power generation modules - for time durations and at power levels that correspond to the received user inputs.
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Power supply may selectively provide a supply voltage to each microwave power generation module - in accordance with control signals received from system controller . When supplied with an appropriate supply voltage from power supply , each microwave power generation module - will produce microwave energy, which is radiated into heating cavity . As mentioned previously, heating cavity defines an air cavity. The air cavity and any objects (e.g., food, liquids, and so on) positioned in the heating cavity correspond to a load for the microwave energy produced by the microwave power generation modules -. The air cavity and the objects within the air cavity present an impedance to each microwave power generation module -.
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According to an embodiment, each microwave power generation module - includes an oscillator sub-system , frequency tuning circuitry , an impedance matching element , a resonant element , and bias circuitry . According to an embodiment, the oscillator sub-system includes an input node , an output node , amplifier arrangement , and resonant circuitry . In addition, the oscillator sub-system may include input impedance matching circuitry and/or output impedance matching circuitry coupled between transistor and the input node and/or the output node , respectively.
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In an embodiment, oscillator sub-system is a power microwave oscillator, in that the elements of the oscillator sub-system are configured to produce an oscillating electrical signal at the output node having a frequency in the microwave spectrum with a relatively high output power (e.g., an output power in a range of about 100 Watts (W) to about 200 W or more). Resonant circuitry , which is coupled along a feedback path between the output and input nodes , , completes a resonant feedback loop that causes the amplified electrical signals produced by the amplifier arrangement to oscillate at or near the resonant frequency of the resonant circuitry . In an embodiment, the resonant circuitry is configured to resonate at frequency in the microwave spectrum. According to a more particular embodiment, resonant circuitry is configured to resonate at a frequency of about 2.45 GHz. Accordingly, amplified electrical signals produced by the amplifier arrangement at the output node oscillate at or near 2.45 GHz. It should be noted that, in practice, embodiments of the resonant circuitry may be configured to resonate at different frequencies to suit the needs of the particular application utilizing the heating system . According to an embodiment, the resonant circuitry includes a ring oscillator. In other embodiments, oscillator sub-system may implement a type of resonator other than a ring oscillator (e.g., a mechanical or piezoelectric resonator or another type of resonator).
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In the illustrated embodiment of , the amplifier arrangement is implemented as a transistor having an input terminal (or control terminal) coupled to an amplifier input node and an output terminal coupled to an amplifier output node . In the illustrated embodiment, the transistor includes a field effect transistor (FET) having a gate terminal connected to the amplifier input node , a drain terminal connected to the amplifier output node , and a source terminal connected to a node configured to receive a ground reference voltage (e.g., about 0 Volts, although the ground reference voltage may be higher or lower than 0 Volts, in some embodiments). Although illustrates the source terminal being coupled directly to ground, one or more intervening electrical components may be coupled between the source terminal and ground. In an embodiment, the transistor includes a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor FET (LDMOSFET). However, it should be noted that the transistor is not intended to be limited to any particular semiconductor technology, and in other embodiments, the transistor may be realized as a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor, another type of MOSFET, a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), or a transistor utilizing another semiconductor technology.
FIG. 2
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In , amplifier arrangement is depicted to include a single transistor coupled in a particular manner to other circuit components. In other embodiments, amplifier arrangement may include other amplifier topologies and/or the amplifier arrangement may include multiple transistors or various types of amplifiers. For example, amplifier arrangement may include a single ended amplifier, a double ended amplifier, a push-pull amplifier, a Doherty amplifier, a Switch Mode Power Amplifier (SMPA), or another type of amplifier.
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Frequency tuning circuitry includes capacitive elements, inductive elements, and/or resistive elements that are configured to adjust the oscillating frequency of the oscillating electrical signals generated by the oscillator sub-system . In an exemplary embodiment, the frequency tuning circuitry is coupled between the ground reference voltage node and the input node of the oscillator sub-system .
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According to an embodiment, the oscillator sub-system also may include amplifier input impedance matching circuitry coupled between the input node of the oscillator sub-system and the amplifier input . The impedance matching circuitry is configured to match, at the resonant frequency of the resonant circuitry , the input impedance of the amplifier arrangement (at the amplifier input node ) to the impedance of the resonant circuitry and the frequency tuning circuitry (at node ). Similarly, and according to an embodiment, the oscillator sub-system may also include amplifier output impedance matching circuitry coupled between the amplifier output and the output node , where the output impedance matching circuitry is configured to match, at the resonant frequency of the resonant circuitry , the output impedance of the amplifier arrangement (at the amplifier output node ) to the impedance of the resonant circuitry .
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Heating cavity and any load (e.g., food, liquids, and so on) positioned in the heating cavity present a cumulative load for the electromagnetic energy (or RF power) that is radiated into the cavity by the microwave power generation module(s) - (e.g., with different locations within the cavity corresponding to different peak electric field magnitudes). More specifically, the cavity and the load present an impedance to the system, referred to herein as a “cavity input impedance.” The cavity input impedance changes during a heating operation as the temperature of the load increases.
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Bias circuitry is coupled between the amplifier arrangement and a node configured to receive a positive (or supply) voltage (e.g., from power supply ). In an embodiment, the voltage difference between the supply voltage at node and the ground voltage node is less than about 50 Volts. In other embodiments, the voltage difference may be more than 50 Volts. According to an embodiment, bias circuitry is configured to control the direct current (DC) or nominal bias voltages at the gate and drain terminals of the transistor , in order to turn the transistor on and to maintain the transistor operating in the active mode during operation of the oscillator sub-system . In this regard, the bias circuitry is coupled to the gate terminal of the transistor of the amplifier arrangement at the amplifier input node and the drain terminal of the transistor at the amplifier output node . In accordance an embodiment, bias circuitry includes a temperature sensor and temperature compensation circuitry configured to sense or otherwise detect the temperature of the transistor and to adjust the gate bias voltage at the amplifier input node in response to increases and/or decreases in the temperature of the transistor or the amplifier arrangement . In such an embodiment, bias circuitry may be configured to maintain substantially constant quiescent current for the transistor in response to temperature variations.
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In addition, in an embodiment, bias circuitry may include power detection circuitry . Power detection circuitry is coupled between the output node of the oscillator sub-system and the distal end of the resonant element (e.g., power detection circuitry may be coupled to the output node , to impedance matching element , or to the resonant element , in various embodiments). Power detection circuitry is configured to monitor, measure, or otherwise detect the power of the oscillating signals provided at the output node . In an embodiment, power detection circuitry also is configured to monitor or otherwise measure the power of signal reflections from the resonant element . In response to detecting that the power of the signal reflections exceeds a threshold value, power detection circuitry may cause bias circuitry to turn off or otherwise disable amplifier arrangement . In this manner, power detection circuitry and bias circuitry are cooperatively configured to protect amplifier arrangement from signal reflections in response to changes in the impedance at the resonant element .
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Impedance matching element is coupled between the output node of oscillator sub-system and resonant element , and resonant element is coupled to impedance matching element . Impedance matching element is configured to perform an impedance transformation from an impedance of the oscillator sub-system (or the amplifier arrangement or transistor ) to an intermediate impedance, and resonant element is configured to perform a further impedance transformation from the intermediate impedance to an impedance of heating cavity (or the air cavity defined by heating cavity ). In other words, the combination of impedance matching element and resonant element is configured to perform an impedance transformation from an impedance of the oscillator sub-system (or the amplifier arrangement or transistor ) to an impedance of heating cavity (or the air cavity defined by heating cavity ).
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Resonant element is configured to radiate microwave energy into the heating cavity . More specifically, resonant element includes one or more antennas, waveguides, and/or other hardware components configured to translate the oscillating electrical signals at the oscillator output node to electromagnetic microwave signals at the resonant frequency of resonant circuitry . For example, in a heating system application where the resonant circuitry is configured to produce signals at a resonant frequency of 2.45 GHz, resonant element translates the oscillating electrical signals at the oscillator output node to microwave electromagnetic signals at 2.45 GHz and directs the microwave signals into the heating cavity of the heating system . Resonant element may include, for example, a dipole antenna, a patch antenna, a microstrip antenna, a slot antenna, or another type of antenna that is suitable for radiating microwave energy.
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illustrates a heating system that includes multiple microwave power generation modules -. As indicated previously, other embodiments of heating systems may include as few as one microwave power generation module, or may include more than three microwave power generation modules. When the heating system includes multiple microwave power generation modules, the microwave power generation modules may be identically configured (e.g., they may resonate at the same frequency, radiate microwave energy at the same power level, and so on), and may be operated simultaneously or in a defined sequence. Alternatively, the microwave power generation modules may be configured differently (e.g., they may resonate at different frequencies, and or may radiate microwave energy at different power levels). In such alternate embodiments, the microwave power generation modules may be operated simultaneously or in a defined sequence.
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During operation of the system , the ratio of electric field to magnetic field in the heating cavity is separated by the impedance of the cavity medium. In some embodiments, the microwave energy may be launched into the cavity with voltage driven antennas in order to generate a high electric field, since dielectric heating is directly proportional. During operation, a first, voltage-type of re-radiator - may be positioned in a region of high electric field, and energy received by the first re-radiator - may be fed through a transmission path to a second, voltage-type of re-radiator - that is positioned in an area of low electric field. The second re-radiator - may then radiate the received energy into the area of low electric field. However, in other embodiments, a current-type of re-radiator - may be positioned in a high magnetic field position, and energy received by the current-type of re-radiator - may be fed through a transmission path to a voltage-type of re-radiator - that is positioned in an area of low electric field. Again, the voltage-type of re-radiator - may then radiate the received energy into the area of low electric field. In either embodiment, the first re-radiator - plus the transmission path acts as a passive repeater, which essentially moves power from one area of the cavity (i.e., the area in which the first re-radiator - is located) to another area of the cavity (i.e., the area in which the second re-radiator - is located) in order to match into new mode conditions.
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The re-radiators essentially include passive antennas, in an embodiment. Voltage-types of re-radiators may include, but are not limited to, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, and combinations or variations thereof, while current-types of re-radiators may include, but are not limited to, loop antennas, hairpin antennas, and combinations or variations thereof, for example. While only two re-radiators - and - are shown, it should be understood that re-radiators may include a 1D or 2D array of or a non-uniform arrangement of two or more passive radiators. The re-radiators - and - may be selectively placed at positions at (e.g., on or proximate to) a wall of the heating cavity .
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In an embodiment, the re-radiators - and - may be placed at locations within the heating cavity that are expected to correspond (e.g., based on characterization of the system ) to a higher than average peak electric field magnitude (or magnetic field magnitude) and a lower than average peak electric field magnitude, respectively, when RF energy is supplied in the heating cavity (e.g., by the microwave power generation module(s) -). A “transmission path” between the re-radiators -, - can include a conductive transmission line that may be configured to selectively electrically connect and electrically disconnect the re-radiators -, -. The transmission path may include one or more switches, for example, and the re-radiators - and - may be selectively connected together (i.e., via the closing of a switch coupled between the re-radiator - and the re-radiator - by the system controller ) so that a portion of the electromagnetic energy absorbed by one re-radiator - may be transferred through the closed switch and emitted by a second re-radiator -, thus raising the peak electric field magnitude in the proximity of the second re-radiator - and effectively redistributing the electric field in the heating cavity . By redistributing the electric field in the heating cavity in this way, the load may be heated more evenly.
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The transmission path also may include a phase shifter, which may also be selectively coupled between the re-radiator - and the re-radiator -. A switch coupled in series with the phase shifter may be opened or closed to selectively shift the phase of signals passed between the re-radiator - and the re-radiator -. The phase shifter may be a fixed phase shifter that is configured to provide a predetermined amount of phase shift, or the phase shifter may be a variable phase shifter that provides an amount of phase shift corresponding to commands received from the system controller .
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In an embodiment, each of the re-radiators - and - may be selectively “detuned”, or removed from operation, for example, by connecting the re-radiator -, - to ground. For example, a first switch may be coupled between the re-radiator - and ground, and a second switch may be coupled between the re-radiator - and ground. Closing the first switch may short the re-radiator - to ground, effectively deactivating the re-radiator - by disabling its ability to re-radiate. Closing the second switch may short the re-radiator - to ground, effectively deactivating the re-radiator - by disabling its ability to re-radiate.
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In an embodiment, the re-radiators may be arranged in a programmable 1D or 2D array, with each of the re-radiators being selectively connectable to ground (e.g., via switches coupled between the re-radiators and ground, where the switches may be controlled by the system controller ). In this manner, the re-radiators may be selectively enabled (i.e., configured to re-radiate) and disabled (i.e., configured not to re-radiate), and may be selectively connectable to each other re-radiator of the 1D or 2D array of re-radiators (e.g., via switches coupled between any given pair of the re-radiators that may be controlled by the system controller ) so that the electric field within the heating cavity may be selectively redistributed. In some embodiments, a variable phase shifter may also be included in series with the switch between each given pair of the re-radiators , or as a separate switchable connection between each given pair of the re-radiators , so that the phase of signals emitted by the re-radiators may be selectively controlled (e.g., by the system controller ). By selectively enabling and disabling connections between the re-radiators themselves and between the re-radiators and ground, the array of re-radiators may be customized to provide electric field redistribution and/or random scattering of the electric field of a variety of heating cavities having varied electromagnetic characteristics.
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In some embodiments, the electromagnetic field characteristics of the cavity could be determined in the factory (e.g., to determine areas of the cavity in which higher-than-average and lower-than-average electromagnetic fields typically are present during operation), and the re-radiators could be positioned in such higher-than-average and lower-than-average electromagnetic field areas. Further, the system controller could be programmed to selectively connect and disconnect sets of re-radiators based on this pre-characterization of the electromagnetic field characteristics of the cavity . In addition or alternatively, system may include one or more sensing devices (e.g., optical cameras, infrared cameras, and so on) disposed in the cavity , and the sensing devices ** may sense or infer the electric and/or magnetic field distribution in the cavity during operation and provide signals to the system controller indicating the sensed field distribution. Based on the signals, the system controller can dynamically control connectivity between sets of re-radiators to facilitate transfer of energy from areas of high electric or magnetic fields to areas of low electric fields, as previously described.
FIG. 3
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FIG. 2
FIGS. 1, 2
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shows an illustrative circuit for a pair of re-resonators - and - (e.g., re-resonators , , ) and switchable connections (e.g., transmission paths) from the pair of re-resonators - and - to each other and to ground. It should be understood that the re-resonators - and - may represent any two re-resonators of a larger array of re-resonators, and is not limited to only adjacent pairs of re-radiators or only x arrays of re-radiators. The re-resonators - and - may be disposed at first and second locations at (e.g., on or proximate to) one or more interior walls of a heating cavity (e.g., heating cavity , ) of a heating system (e.g., heating systems , , ). When active (e.g., when not selectively shorted to ground) each re-resonator -, - may absorb or re-emit electromagnetic energy in the heating cavity at the first and second locations, respectively. For example, the electromagnetic energy absorbed by a re-resonator -, - may be from an electric field generated in the cavity by applying RF energy in the form of an RF signal to one or more microwave power generation modules (e.g., by the microwave power generation module(s) -, ) of the heating system with source resonant element (e.g., resonant element , ).
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The circuit may include the pair of re-resonators - and -, and one or more transmission paths coupled between the re-resonators -, -. A first transmission path may selectively enable a direct connection between the re-resonators -, - without a phase shift, and a second transmission path may selectively enable a direct connection between the re-resonators -, - with a phase shift. Only one of the first or the second transmission path would be controlled to connect the re-resonators -, - at any given time. In alternate embodiments, the circuit may include only one of the first or second transmission paths.
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Circuit further includes switches , , , and , and a phase shifter . The switches , , , and may include electric and/or mechanical switches such as transistors or relays, for example. The phase shifter may be fixed (e.g., providing a predetermined amount of phase shift) or variable (e.g., providing a variable amount of phase shift). The switches , , , and and the phase shifter may be coupled to and controlled by a system controller (e.g., system controller , ). For example, the system controller may control the state of the switches , , , (e.g., open or closed), and may select the amount of phase shift provided by the phase shifter , when the phase shifter is a variable phase shifter.
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Along the first transmission path, switch is electrically coupled between the re-resonator - and the re-resonator - (e.g., without intervening components). Closing the switch electrically connects the re-resonator - to the re-resonator -, so that electromagnetic energy absorbed by either or both of the re-resonators - and - is distributed between both of the re-resonators - and -.
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For example, while excitation energy is applied to the microwave generation module, an electric field is generated in the cavity with a first magnitude at the re-resonator - (i.e., at the first location) and a second magnitude at the re-resonator - (i.e., at the second location). When the switch is closed while the RF energy is being applied, the resultant electromagnetic energy absorbed by the re-resonators - and - is redistributed between the re-resonators -, -. If the first magnitude is greater than the second magnitude, for example, the energy redistributed from the first re-resonator - to the second re-resonator - caused by closing the switch is re-radiated by the second re-resonator -, which may cause the magnitude of the electric field at the second location to increase to a third magnitude, where the third magnitude is greater than the second magnitude.
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Along the second transmission path, the switch and the phase shifter (PS) are electrically coupled in series between the re-resonator - and the re-resonator - (e.g., in parallel with the switch ). Closing the switch connects the re-resonator - to the re-resonator - through the phase shifter , so that electromagnetic energy absorbed by each of the re-resonators - and - is phase shifted and distributed between both of the re-resonators - and -.
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The switch is electrically coupled between the re-resonator - and ground. Closing the switch shorts the re-resonator - to ground, preventing the re-resonator - from effectively re-resonating, effectively disabling the re-resonator -. The switch is electrically coupled between the re-resonator - and ground. Closing the switch shorts the re-resonator - to ground, preventing the re-resonator - from effectively re-resonating, effectively disabling the re-resonator -.
FIG. 4
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FIGS. 1-3
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Now that embodiments of the electrical and physical aspects of heating systems have been described, various embodiments of methods for operating such heating systems will be described in conjunction with . More specifically, is a flowchart of a method of operating a heating system (e.g., system , , ) with one or more microwave generation modules (e.g., microwave generation modules , , , ) and a plurality of re-resonators (e.g., re-resonators , -, -, -, -, ), in accordance with an example embodiment.
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The method may begin, in block , when the system controller (e.g., system controller , ) receives information that indicates parameters for performing a microwave heating operation, and that indicates that the microwave heating operation should start. For example, the information indicating the parameters may be derived from user inputs provided through a user interface (e.g., of the control panel , ; user interface , ) of the system. The information may convey the duration of a heating operation, and the power level of the heating operation, for example.
According to various embodiments, the system controller optionally may receive additional inputs indicating the load type (e.g., meats, liquids, or other materials) and/or the load weight. For example, information regarding the load type may be received from the user through interaction with the user interface (e.g., by the user selecting from a list of recognized load types). Alternatively, the system may be configured to scan a barcode visible on the exterior of the load, or to receive an electronic signal from an RFID device on or embedded within the load. Information regarding the load weight may be received from the user through interaction with the user interface, or from a weight sensor of the system. As indicated above, receipt of inputs indicating the load type and/or load weight is optional, and the system alternatively may not receive some or all of these inputs.
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The start indication may be received, for example, after a user has place a load (e.g., load , ) into the system's heating cavity (e.g., heating cavity , ), has sealed the heating cavity (e.g., by closing the door), and has pressed a start button (e.g., of the control panel , ; user interface , ). In an embodiment, sealing of the cavity may engage one or more safety interlock mechanisms, which when engaged, indicate that microwave energy supplied to the heating cavity will not substantially leak into the environment outside of the cavity. Disengagement of a safety interlock mechanism may cause the system controller immediately to pause or terminate the heating operation.
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In block , the system controller causes a power supply (e.g., power supply , ) to provide power to one or more microwave generation modules (e.g., microwave generation modules , , , ) in a way that will cause the microwave generation module(s) to produce one or more excitation signals that are consistent with the parameters specified for the heating operation.
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In block , the excitation signal(s) may be conveyed to respective resonant element(s) (e.g., resonant element , ) of the microwave generation module(s). For example, the excitation signals may be oscillating electrical signals produced by a resonant circuit (e.g., resonant circuit , ) at a predetermined resonant frequency (e.g., 2.45 GHz)
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In block , the resonant element(s) may supply microwave energy into the heating cavity in response to the excitation signal(s). For example, the resonant element(s) may convert oscillating electrical signals received from the resonant circuitry into microwave electromagnetic signals at 2.45 GHz, and direct these signals into the heating cavity.
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FIG. 3
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In block , the system controller may selectively activate (or deactivate) one or more re-radiators (e.g., re-radiators , , -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -C, A, B) disposed in the heating cavity. For example, the system controller may activate or deactivate the re-radiators by controlling one or more switches (e.g., switches , , ) coupled between the re-radiators and ground. In addition, in some embodiments, the system controller may electrically connect sets of re-radiators by controlling one or more other switches (e.g., switches , , , -, -, ) coupled between re-radiators, such that electromagnetic energy absorbed by a first re-radiator may be transferred to a second re-radiator through transmission paths that include the activated switches. For example, if higher magnitude electromagnetic energy is initially present in the region of the first re-radiator compared to the electromagnetic energy in the region of the second re-radiator, a portion of the electromagnetic energy at the first re-radiator may be transferred to and emitted by the second re-radiator through one of the activated switches along the transmission paths, thus decreasing the disparity in magnitude of the electromagnetic energy in the two regions and effectively redistributing the electric field in the heating cavity.
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In block , for embodiments of the heating system that include a variable phase shifter (e.g., phase shifter , ) coupled along the transmission path between two of the re-radiators, the system controller may selectively control the magnitude of phase shift applied by the variable phase shifter to electrical signals being transferred between the two re-radiators. For example, the system controller may selectively control the phase shifter to apply phase shifts in a range of zero degrees to 180 degrees, according to some embodiments. The resonant element(s) may continue to supply the microwave energy until provision of the excitation signal is discontinued, at which point the method ends.
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252
566
566
576
1
576
2
566
shows a perspective view of the interior of a heating cavity (e.g., heating cavity , ) of a heating system (e.g., heating system , , ). The heating cavity includes first and second re-radiators - and - disposed at (e.g., on or proximate to) different walls of the heating cavity (although re-radiators - and - could be disposed on the same wall, as well). A load (e.g., load , ) is disposed over a region on the bottom wall of the heating cavity. During heating operations performed by the system , RF energy (e.g., microwave energy) is supplied into the heating cavity by one or more microwave generation modules (not shown; e.g., microwave generation modules , , , ) and, as a result, an electric field may be created in the heating cavity . The magnitudes of this electric field at various locations is affected by the mode of propagation currently supported in the cavity , and the distance of a given location from resonant element(s) of the microwave generation module(s) that are supplying microwave energy into the cavity. Electric field magnitude may initially (e.g., prior to activation of the re-radiators - and -) be unevenly distributed throughout the cavity (e.g., due to the mode of propagation and non-idealities intrinsic to the heating cavity ).
FIG. 5B
FIGS. 1-3
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
500
576
1
576
2
176
276
376
1
376
2
564
508
302
576
1
576
2
508
210
500
576
1
576
2
566
512
514
shows a top-down view of the system along a plane that intersects the first and second re-radiators -, - (e.g., re-radiators , , -, -, ), and the load . A switch (e.g., switch , ) may be coupled between the first re-radiator - and the second re-radiator -. The switch may be controlled by a system controller (e.g., system controller , ) of the heating system to be open in the present example, thus electrically isolating the first re-radiator - from the second re-radiator -. Different regions within the heating cavity are shown to be delineated based on peak electric field magnitude within those regions. For example, while a given amount of excitation energy is supplied to resonant element(s) of the microwave generation module(s), the region may have a first, relatively low electric field intensity (e.g., an average peak electric field magnitude of around 60 V/m), while region may have a second, relatively high electric field intensity (e.g., an average peak electric field magnitude of around 120 V/m).
508
514
576
1
508
576
2
512
576
2
516
512
514
516
FIG. 5C
When the switch is closed, electromagnetic energy in at least the region is absorbed by the first re-radiator -, transferred through the transmission path that includes switch to the second re-radiator -, and emitted into the region by the second re-radiator -. The resultant redistribution of the electric field is shown in . A new region results from the redistribution of the electric field and may have an average peak electric field magnitude that is greater than that of former region . This field may or may not be less than that of former region . For example, the region may have an average peak electric field magnitude of around 90 V/m.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
FIGS. 1, 2
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5A, 5B, 5C
FIGS. 3, 5
FIG. 2
FIGS. 3, 5
FIG. 2
600
100
200
640
240
650
250
251
252
676
1
676
2
676
3
676
4
176
276
376
1
376
2
576
1
576
2
608
1
302
508
676
1
676
2
210
608
2
302
508
676
3
676
4
664
284
640
show cross-sectional side-views of a heating system (e.g., heating system , , ), which includes a heating cavity (e.g., heating cavity , ), microwave generation module (e.g., microwave generation modules , , , ), re-radiators -, -, -, - (e.g., re-radiators , , -, -, -, -, ), a first switch - (e.g., switch , , ) that controllably connects or disconnects the re-radiator - and the re-radiator - based on instructions received from a system controller (not shown; e.g., system controller , ), a second switch - (e.g., switch , , ) that controllably connects or disconnects the re-radiator - and the re-radiator - based on instructions received from the system controller, and a load positioned in the heating cavity. Microwave energy supplied to by a resonant element (e.g., resonant element , ) of the microwave generation module causes an uneven electric field to be created in the heating cavity . The average peak magnitudes of the electric field at different locations within the cavity are differentially shaded in the present example.
FIG. 6A
FIG. 6B
676
1
676
3
676
2
676
4
608
1
608
2
676
1
676
3
676
2
676
4
608
1
608
2
676
1
676
2
676
3
676
4
676
1
676
3
676
2
676
4
In the example shown in , the average peak electric field magnitude proximate to the re-radiators - and - is roughly three-times greater than the average peak electric field magnitude proximate to the re-radiators - and - while the switches - and - are open. For example, the average peak electric field magnitude proximate to the re-radiators - and - may be about 180 V/m, whereas the average peak electric field magnitude proximate to the re-radiators - and - may be about 30 V/M. When the switches - and - are closed, as shown in , the electric field in the cavity is redistributed as electromagnetic energy proximate to and absorbed by the re-radiator - is passed to and emitted by the re-radiator -, and electromagnetic energy proximate to and absorbed by the re-radiator - is passed to and emitted by the re-radiator -. For example, the average peak electric field magnitude at the re-radiators - and - may be lowered to about 120 V/m and the average peak electric field magnitude at the re-radiators - and - may be increased to about 60 V/m.
The connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the subject matter. In addition, certain terminology may also be used herein for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting, and the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.
As used herein, a “node” means any internal or external reference point, connection point, junction, signal line, conductive element, or the like, at which a given signal, logic level, voltage, data pattern, current, or quantity is present. Furthermore, two or more nodes may be realized by one physical element (and two or more signals can be multiplexed, modulated, or otherwise distinguished even though received or output at a common node).
The foregoing description refers to elements or nodes or features being “connected” or “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, “connected” means that one element is directly joined to (or directly communicates with) another element, and not necessarily mechanically. Likewise, unless expressly stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element is directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element, and not necessarily mechanically. Thus, although the schematic shown in the figures depict one exemplary arrangement of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an embodiment of the depicted subject matter.
In an example embodiment, a thermal increase system may be coupled to a heating cavity for containing a load. The thermal increase system may include a microwave generation module, a first re-radiator, a second re-radiator, a first transmission path, and a controller. The microwave generation module may be configured to supply radio frequency (RF) energy to the heating cavity, such that an electric field is created in the heating cavity. The first re-radiator may be disposed in the heating cavity at a first location. The second re-radiator may be disposed in the heating cavity at a second location. The first transmission path may include a first switch coupled between the first re-radiator and the second re-radiator. The controller may be configured to control the first switch.
In some embodiments, when the first switch is closed by the controller while the RF energy is supplied, the first re-radiator may absorb electromagnetic energy at the first location and transfer the electromagnetic energy to the second re-radiator through the first transmission path, and the second re-radiator may emit the electromagnetic energy at the second location to redistribute the electric field.
In some embodiments, when the first switch is opened by the controller, the first re-radiator may be electrically isolated from the second re-radiator.
In some embodiments, the thermal increase system may further include a second switch coupled between the first re-radiator and ground, and a third switch coupled between the second re-radiator and ground. The controller may be configured to control the second switch to selectively short the first re-radiator to ground, and control the third switch to selectively short the second re-radiator to ground.
In some embodiments, the thermal increase system may further include a phase shifter that is connected in series with the first switch along the first transmission path.
In some embodiments, the thermal increase system may further include a second transmission path including a fourth switch coupled between the first re-radiator and the second re-radiator in parallel with the first transmission path.
In some embodiments, the first re-radiator may include a passive antenna selected from a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna, and a hairpin antenna.
In some embodiments, the first re-radiator and the second re-radiator may be voltage-type re-radiators, each comprising a passive antenna selected from a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna, and a hairpin antenna.
In some embodiments, the first re-radiator is a current-type re-radiator comprising a passive antenna selected from a loop antenna and a hairpin antenna, and the second re-radiator may be a voltage-type re-radiator comprising a passive antenna selected from a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, and a patch antenna.
In an example embodiment, a thermal increase system may include a heating cavity, a microwave generation module, an array of re-radiators, a first switch, a second switch, and a controller. The microwave generation module may be configured to supply microwave energy to the heating cavity, creating an electric field in the heating cavity. The array of re-radiators may include at least a first re-radiator disposed in the heating cavity at a first location and a second re-radiator disposed in the cavity at a second location. The first switch may be coupled between the first re-radiator and ground. The second switch may be coupled between the second re-radiator and ground. The controller may be configured to control the first switch and the second switch.
In some embodiments, the thermal increase system may further include a first transmission path including a third switch that electrically connects the first re-radiator to the second re-radiator when closed, wherein controller is configured to control the third switch.
In some embodiments, when the third switch is closed by the controller and the microwave energy is supplied, the first re-radiator may absorb first electromagnetic energy at the first location and transfer the first electromagnetic energy through the first transmission path to the second re-radiator, and the second re-radiator may emit the first electromagnetic energy at the second location to redistribute the electric field.
In some embodiments, the thermal increase system may include a phase shifter coupled in series with the third switch along the first transmission path.
In some embodiments, the phase shifter may include a variable phase shifter, and wherein the controller is configured to select an amount of phase shift provided by the variable phase shifter.
In some embodiments, the array of re-radiators may include an array of passive antennas selected from dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, and hairpin antennas.
In an example embodiment, a method of operating a thermal increase system may include steps of radiating, by a microwave generation module that is disposed proximal to a heating cavity, microwave energy into the heating cavity, and selectively connecting, by a controller, a first re-radiator disposed in the heating cavity at a first location to a second re-radiator disposed in the heating cavity at a second location to enable energy absorbed by the first re-radiator to be transferred to the second re-radiator for radiation of energy by the second re-radiator into the heating cavity.
In some embodiments, the method may further include a step of applying, by a phase shifter, a phase shift to the energy passed between the first re-radiator and the second re-radiator.
In some embodiments, the phase shifter may be a variable phase shifter, and the controller may control a magnitude of the phase shift applied by the variable phase shifter.
In some embodiments, the method may further include steps of selectively connecting, by the controller, the first re-radiator and ground, and selectively connecting, by the controller, the second re-radiator and ground.
In some embodiments, the first and second re-radiators may each include a passive antenna selected from a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna, and a hairpin antenna.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a heating appliance, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 2
is a simplified block diagram of a heating apparatus, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 3
is a block diagram of a switching circuitry coupled to two re-radiators.
FIG. 4
is a flowchart of a method of operating a heating system that includes one or more microwave generation modules, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 5A
is a simplified perspective view inside a heating cavity of a heating appliance having re-radiators, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 5B
is a top-down view inside the heating cavity along a plane intersecting the re-radiators and a load showing peak electric field magnitudes of different regions while the re-radiators are disconnected from one another, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 5C
is a top-down view inside the heating cavity along a plane intersecting the re-radiators and a load showing peak electric field magnitudes of different regions while the re-radiators are connected to one another, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 6A
is a cross-sectional side-view inside a heating cavity of a heating system having re-radiators showing electric field magnitude of different regions while the re-radiators are disconnected from one another, in accordance with an example embodiment.
FIG. 6B
is a cross-sectional side-view inside the heating cavity of the heating system showing electric field magnitude of different regions while pairs of the re-radiators are connected to one another, in accordance with an example embodiment. | |
As a young professional in the academic field, I’ve been thinking carefully about the ways in which I make myself visible in the realm of social media carefully. I think it is unlikely and unreasonable for a scholar of my generation (very early Millennial) to be completely removed from social media and the Internet at large. Also, as I am exploring the possibilities of adding Digital Humanities components to my work, familiarity and comfort with digital tools is becoming more and more of a thing.
So why track my productivity in a public forum like Twitter?
First of all, it helps keep me honest. Studies have shown that accountability is the biggest predictor of success when it comes to creating new habits or achieving long term goals like weight loss or completing a degree. I know my dissertation group in grad school was a huge help in terms of structure, support and accountability to keep working, plugging away. Having fellow scholars to talk to, who could celebrate along with me that I wrote 12 WHOLE PAGES this week, was a big deal, both in terms of keeping motivated and in terms of staying sane during the isolating and lonely process of writing. While my colleagues here at Georgia Tech are amazing and wonderful, we aren’t all working on the same things, in the same field, or even on the same kinds of projects. Many would happily applaud my current accomplishments (I’ve added 80 sets of records to the database today!) they aren’t in the same trench and they aren’t digging with the same kind of shovel.
Second, I have come to realize that so much of the work that we as faculty and scholars do is invisible. I had a rather candid conversation with students last semester about why it took me SO LONG to get papers back to them (to be clear, SO LONG = 2 weeks). I asked the students how many of their papers I had to grade, and they looked around the room and said 22. I said, ok, but I have two other sections of this class, so multiply that number by 3. Asked how long they thought it took me to grade each paper, (or how long they hoped I spent on each paper), they gave a fair estimate of 15-20 minutes each. So even if I did nothing but grade, 70ish papers at 15 minutes a pop is nearly 18 hours of grading. Then, adding in the rest of the work for our class, which was teaching 3 sections for 1 hour a pop, three times a week, plus at least an hour of prep for each of those classes has me at 12 hours of teaching/prep time a week. Add another 4 hours a week for office hours and I’m spending 16 hours a week still working FOR them, but not on grading their papers. Then we add in things like eating, sleeping, commuting to and from campus (we live in Atlanta after all) and my students started to very quickly feel like 2 weeks turn around on their papers was reasonable after all. Then I started adding in the work they don’t see. Answering emails. Departmental committees and service requirements. And my research work – I spend probably 5-10 hours a week reading, either fiction in my field or academic articles and I try to write for 30-45 minutes every day. All of this on top of having a family and a social life. By the time I stopped adding things to that list, my students were kind of aghast at how much work I did and realized that when I said I spent all of my spring break grading their papers, I wasn’t kidding.
So to me, making the work that I am doing over the summer (and possibly into the school year) public does some of the work of making that labor more visible. It gives me something to point to when acquaintances or family members joke “It must be nice to have the summer off.”
Third, one of the things I struggled most with early in graduate school was the never-ending nature of our jobs. Once all the papers are graded, the classes for this week prepped and the inbox set to zero, there are articles to write, journals and new books to read, research to conduct, service to complete, students to mentor, networking to maintain . . . it can make a person crazy. Early on, I had to set goals for myself of what a “full day” of work looked like and find a way to turn that off at a reasonable hour. | https://rebekahfitzsimmons.com/2017/07/ |
The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. All relevant data are within the Supporting Information files.
Introduction {#sec001}
============
Grizzly bears living in coastal North America have several possible life history strategies that incorporate various amounts salmon in their diet. One possible life history strategy is for grizzly bears to forage on salmon whenever they are available. This strategy brings bears into close contact with each other because places where bears can efficiently catch spawning salmon are often few and clumped, which may increase the risk of injury for smaller bears \[[@pone.0172194.ref001]\]. Further, bears that forage predominantly on salmon are larger, have greater reproductive output, and often occur at higher densities than other grizzly bear populations \[[@pone.0172194.ref002]\].
A second foraging strategy for bears living in coastal North America is to forage predominantly on the abundant vegetation available in this wet ecosystem and consume other protein sources opportunistically. When not foraging on salmon, grizzly bears tend to focus foraging efforts on emergent and easily digestible vegetation, the starchy roots of some plants and, fruits of many shrub species \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\]. All three forms of vegetation are available in large quantities in the Stikine River valley because the treeline is very low, the valley bottoms are flat, moist and regularly disturbed and, there are large numbers of snow avalanche chutes that are maintained in early seral forb or shrub dominated meadows.
A third possible foraging strategy is to preferentially hunt the various mammals available. For example, grizzly bears are known to prey on moose and caribou (*Rangifer tarandus*) in the spring, particularly calves, which are most vulnerable during the first 6--8 weeks of life \[[@pone.0172194.ref004],[@pone.0172194.ref005]\]. Moose were not abundant in this ecosystem \[[@pone.0172194.ref006]\] but they are a potential source of protein for bears, while caribou were absent. But grizzly bears in the Stikine River area may have somewhat unique food habits. Anecdotal reports suggest that some grizzly bears regularly hunt mountain goats or, following the spring thaw, that some bears scavenge the remains of mountain goats killed in avalanches and preserved in snow during the winter months. Marmots appear abundant and may also be an important food source for grizzlies during the summer and fall. Throughout much of their North American range, neither mountain goats nor marmots are abundant and are not known to be important food sources for grizzly bears \[[@pone.0172194.ref007],[@pone.0172194.ref008]\]. However, MacHutchon and Mahon \[[@pone.0172194.ref009]\] suggested that marmots were an important food for grizzly bears during the fall in the Babine River watershed of central BC. Understanding the importance of these species in the diet of local bear populations would help to understand the importance of habitats used by marmots and goats to bears because both species occur in specific habitats.
All three foraging strategies may be combined within and among years, especially by female bears. By employing diverse foraging strategies female bears may minimize predation risk of their cubs \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\]. Also, flexible foraging behavior gives bears the opportunity to switch foods when a preferred food is less abundant or unavailable. Understanding the different foraging strategies employed by individual bears could aid in predicting development impacts, planning mitigation, and designing monitoring strategies.
Salmon are known to be an important food source for bears in many coastal areas and this diet component cannot be accurately measured using traditional scat-based diet analyses because fish are mostly protein and little fish remains are found in scats \[[@pone.0172194.ref010]\] and, scats from pure protein meals are not preserved for long in the environment. Stable isotope analysis permits the estimation of the proportional contribution of major food items to the assimilated diet of a consumer. When bears are sampled using hair traps and individually identified via genetic analysis, hair can be used to index individual bear diet during the period of hair growth \[[@pone.0172194.ref011],[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. In addition, seasonal diet can be calculated by sectioning hairs by length \[[@pone.0172194.ref013],[@pone.0172194.ref014]\]. Hair growth was observed from late spring to early fall in captive bears \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\] but hair growth has not been documented in wild bears. Grizzly bears appear to have a full covering of guard hair, at least on their back, throughout the summer (B. McLellan, BC Ministry of FLNRO, personal communication) which suggests some variation in the beginning of re-growth of guard hairs. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values have been used to assign diet for bears in many recent studies however, assigning more than 3 food types with 2 markers is often imprecise because some food items have similar isotopes signatures \[[@pone.0172194.ref016]\]. Adding a third marker such as sulfur may allow greater resolution of food types and more precise assignment of the salmon fraction \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\], and perhaps other foods.
Sulfur is an abundant element in the ecosphere and in organic tissue. It is also important to protein structure because sulfur is a necessary element in two amino acids \[[@pone.0172194.ref017]\]. Sulfur isotope ratios are highly variable in rock and soil but nearly fixed in the ocean environment \[[@pone.0172194.ref017]\]. This variability makes it difficult to create general baseline signatures for diet analysis unless the diet item is derived from the ocean. Sulfur and nitrogen isotope values are commonly related, presumably because both index the protein intake and growth in the consumer. However there is little fractionation of sulfur during somatic growth hence sulfur does not indicate trophic position as effectively as nitrogen. Nehlich \[[@pone.0172194.ref017]\] provides a very thorough recent review of the geochemistry of sulfur and its applications in diet and place of origin analysis.
The objectives of this study were to: 1) examine whether adding δ^34^S values to a mixing model that included δ^15^N and δ^13^C more precisely estimated salmon in the diet of grizzly bears compared to δ^15^N and δ^13^C alone, 2) assess whether δ^34^S values, in conjunction with δ^13^C and δ^15^N, would improve the proportional contributions of moose, marmot, and mountain goat to the diet of grizzly bears and, 3) examine the sectioning of hair by length to index seasonal trends in the above diet measures, and 4) consider the period of hair growth using hair length and sample collection date compared to the arrival date of salmon in this system.
Study area {#sec002}
----------
Our Stikine River study area was located in north-western British Columbia approximately 1000 km north of Vancouver, adjacent to the Alaska panhandle, and approximately 90 km northeast of Wrangell, Alaska. The area is transitional between coastal and interior climatic influences. Low elevation forests are conifer dominated while alpine tundra dominated above about 1000 m. Topography is very rugged and includes many large glaciers and steep, rocky peaks above 2,000 m. A diversity of habitat types exist within the study area including extensive floodplain habitat and wetlands, as well as moist alpine meadows, and mature forest. Five species of salmon were available beginning about July 1 until late October throughout the western half the study area.
Materials and methods {#sec003}
=====================
Field sampling {#sec004}
--------------
Hair samples were collected from grizzly bears using baited barbed wire hair traps. Only liquid attractant was used at bait sites and they were distributed systematically across the study area using a grid \[[@pone.0172194.ref018]\]. We also placed barbed wire across trails near salmon streams although they were not systematically distributed due to the heterogeneous nature of spawning habitat. We did search for spawning areas along all plausible streams in the study area. Sampling occurred from July 15 to September 17, 2004 and was designed to generate a precise population estimate.
Our field methods were approved by the Animal Care Committee and the Resource Inventory Standards Committee for the Government of the Province of British Columbia. No permit was required for this work because the methods were non-invasive and did not involve capturing an animal and, the animal of study was neither endangered nor protected by law. This study took place entirely on public land. All tissue samples from dead animals except marmots were donated by hunters or Provincial Conservation Officers and these animals were all killed and collected during a legal hunt. No animals were specifically killed for this study. Samples of 5--10 marmot hairs came from the Museums of University of Alaska-Fairbanks and University of California-Berkley from specimens legally collected by museum staff. These samples were provided because they contributed minimal damage to the specimens and these specimens continue to be held by these institutions.
The study area was split into coastal and interior areas based on the presence of salmon in each sub-drainage and, each individual bear that we detected was assigned to a life history group based on their detection locations. Coastal bears were assumed to prefer and rely on salmon for the majority of their diet while interior bears were assumed to select foods of terrestrial origin. Bears that were detected in both parts of the study area were assigned to the coastal group if any of their locations were within 100 m of a salmon spawning area where bears were known to fish. Additional sampling during 2005 resulted in many repeated detections (1--9 per individual) and all detection data were used to assign bears to a life history group. Diet data were not considered when assigning bears to a life history group and thus group assignments were putative.
Hair preparation and analysis methods {#sec005}
-------------------------------------
Standard microsatellite genotyping of six loci was used to identify individuals that left hair samples \[[@pone.0172194.ref019]\]. Lab methods and procedures used to control genotyping errors are described in Paetkau \[[@pone.0172194.ref020]\] and were subsequently further tested \[[@pone.0172194.ref021]\]. Additionally, a larger suite of 14 micro-satellites was analyzed for each individual identified to further test for genotyping errors. Genetic analysis was conducted by Wildlife Genetics International in Nelson, BC, Canada.
Isotope analysis was conducted for all individual bears detected during hair sampling in 2004 for which entire guard hairs were available (n = 91 bears). Complete guard hairs (2 to 4 per sample) were cut in thirds based on length for 40 bears. Each portion of the complete guard hair (i.e., tip, middle and base) was analyzed separately to investigate seasonal variation in diet. Single complete hairs were analyzed for the remaining 51 bears. The longest hair available was chosen and hair length and the presence of a root were recorded. The presence of a root confirms the entire hair was analyzed assuming no portion of the tip had broken off.
The date when a hair sample is collected may influence the isotope signature observed because the sampled hair may have grown the previous year or, it may be from the year of sampling and hence may not be finished growing. Hair samples that were grown during the year of sampling will represent diet for only part of the period of hair growth. We choose hair samples that were collected as early in the sample period as possible and presumed these hairs were grown the previous season. We also selected the longest hairs in the sample for isotope analysis. We choose these samples because we wanted to measure annual diet, to the extent possible with guard hair. Guard hair begin shedding in late May or June and presumably new hair begin growing soon thereafter \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\], although hair may begin growing at different times \[[@pone.0172194.ref013]\] complicating the estimation of diet.
Bear guard hair are thought to grow at constant rates \[[@pone.0172194.ref013],[@pone.0172194.ref022]\]. If this is true then there must be considerable variation in the start time for growth because there is large variation in guard hair length in northern bears. Alternatively, different types or lengths of hair may grow at different rates \[[@pone.0172194.ref023]\]. Bears in northern latitudes have about 5 months to grow guard hair (June-October) and interior bears commonly have guard hair \>12 cm long \[[@pone.0172194.ref013]\]; coastal bears appear to have shorter hair. The fastest hair growth rate for guard hair is likely to be 3 cm/month because the longest hairs observed in interior bears was about 15 cm \[[@pone.0172194.ref013]\] and the maximum growth period for many of these bears was five months given their long denning periods \[[@pone.0172194.ref024]\]. Coastal bears more commonly have guard hair 10 cm long (this study) and these hairs appear fully grown in October based on observations of live bears. This observation suggests guard hair also may grow 2 cm/month in some cases, which is more similar to the 1.5 cm/month rate observed by Felicetti et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref022]\] in captive bears. Shorter growth periods imply faster growth.
We used hair growth rates to assign each sample to a year of sampling. Sample collection date was assumed to be the mid-point between the date of setting and checking the trap. We also assumed hair began growing June 1 and ended October 31. Hair that grew \>3 cm/month based on the June-October growth period were considered to have grown the year previous because the growth rate would have been even higher if they had grown the year they were sampled (usually about double). Hair that grew \>2 cm/month were also considered to have been grown the year previous though with less certainty. Hair that grew \< 2 cm/month were considered to have grown the summer of sampling, and the end date of the growth period was thus the sample collection date not October 31. In summary, we had three classes of samples: those where we were quite sure they were grown the previous year, some we were not as certain they were grown the previous year, and those which were likely grown during the summer we sampled.
Foods for which there was no published isotope data were collected in the field and subjected to isotope analysis. We were unable to collect many marmot samples in the field and requested hair samples from museums that had specimens from near our study area. Where possible we ran hair and muscle samples for the same individuals to test whether hair generated similar results to muscle at the time of death.
All hair samples were washed for 2 hours at room temperature in 2:1 CHCl3:CH3OH, rinsed four times with ultrapure water, and air dried at room temperature for a minimum of 72 hours. If present, root bulbs were removed and returned to the sample package. Meat, skin, and plant tissue were washed four times with ultrapure water, freeze dried, and ground to a fine powder before analysis. Fat was not extracted from food or bear hair samples because it is a key macronutrient for bears and is highly selected for in fall and perhaps other seasons. Isotopic analyses of carbon and nitrogen were done at The Water Resource Sciences Lab, UBCO, Kelowna, Canada using an elemental analyzer (EA) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Samples were combusted and the tissue carbon and nitrogen converted to CO~2~ and N~2~, which were separated chromatographically with a Euro EA. Ratios of ^15^N/^14^N and ^13^C/^12^C in the gases were measured with a Micromass IsoPrime isotope ratio mass spectrometer with standard reference gases (CO~2~ and N~2~), and calibrated to National Institute of Standards and Technology calibration standards. Replicate standard reference materials (valine) were run at the start and end of the sample run, and after every nine samples. Standard deviations of ^15^N/^14^N and ^13^C/^12^C to standard reference materials were 0.49 ‰ and 0.02 ‰, respectively.
Sulfur analysis was conducted at the US Geological Survey lab in Boulder, USA. Sulfur samples (\~1--2 mg) were weighed into tin boats (5 mm × 7 mm) and \~1.5 mg of V^2^O^5^ added prior to sealing. Sulfur isotope measurements of hair and putative diet items were analyzed by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The analytical set-up consisted of a Thermo GasBench II interfaced on the back end of an elemental analyzer (Costech Analytical) operated under normal conditions for sulfur analysis. The GasBench, which is coupled to a Thermo Delta Plus XP, provides a means of automated cryo-trapping of SO~2~ analyte gas for the specific objective of measuring S isotope ratios of small organic samples, similar to the design by Fritzsche and Tichomirowa \[[@pone.0172194.ref025]\]. Samples were scaled to V-CDT using internal laboratory sulfate standards that have been calibrated to NBS 127 (+21.1 ‰) and IAEA-SO6 (-34.05 ‰). Analytical precision specific to sulfur isotope analysis by cryo-trapping was +/- 0.4 ‰ or better.
Diet analysis {#sec006}
-------------
Diet can be partitioned only if potential foods are isotopically distinct \[[@pone.0172194.ref026]\]. Foods with similar isotope signatures are therefore often grouped together for analysis and general food baseline isotope ratios are used to estimate diet \[[@pone.0172194.ref027],[@pone.0172194.ref028]\].
We calculated source baseline isotope signatures for moose, marmot and mountain goat from samples collected from our study area, or nearby, in the case of marmots. Other mammal species were either not present, such as ground squirrels (*Spermophilus columbianus*), or rare, such as deer (*Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis*). Ants from Princess Royal Island on the mid-coast of BC had similar δ^13^C and δ^15^N signatures to moose in this study (T. Shardlow, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nanaimo, BC retired, pers. comm.). Harbor seals (*Phoca vitulina*) were found throughout the salmon inhabited streams in the study area during summer, but there were no observations of grizzly bears capturing seals. Any consumption of seal or other marine organisms would likely have been assigned as salmon due to similarities in isotopic values for salmon and other marine organisms. Because we only analyzed 2 of the 6 available salmon species, we used the general salmon baseline for δ^13^C and δ^15^N values presented by Mowat and Heard \[[@pone.0172194.ref012]\], which included isotopic data from the 5 common salmon species ([Table 1](#pone.0172194.t001){ref-type="table"}). We used our data to calculate the δ^34^S baseline for salmon which included data from coho (*O*. *kisutch*) and sockeye (*O*. *nerka*) salmon only ([Table 1](#pone.0172194.t001){ref-type="table"}). Bears eat many species of plants through the year hence developing a plant baseline, or baselines, based on a local collection would be difficult and complex. Instead, we used the generalized baselines presented by Mowat and Heard \[[@pone.0172194.ref012]\] that were calculated from individual bears that were assumed to have eaten a vegetarian diet based on their δ^15^N values ([Table 1](#pone.0172194.t001){ref-type="table"}).
10.1371/journal.pone.0172194.t001
###### Mean isotope ratios and generalized isotope endpoints, corrected for trophic fractionation, that we used to calculate diet proportions for grizzly bears.
Data for salmon and plants for δ^13^C and δ^15^N are taken from Mowat and Heard (2006); endpoints for δ^34^S and generalized meat are derived from data from this study.
{#pone.0172194.t001g}
Food class δ^13^C Δδ^13^C SD δ^15^N Δδ^15^N SD n[^1^](#t001fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} δ^34^S Δδ^34^S SD n
------------------------------- -------- --------- ---- -------- --------- ---- ----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- --------- ------------------------------------------- ----
North Coast generalized meat -24.8 -22.8 1 2.5 6.5 1 107 0.6 1.6 4.5[^2^](#t001fn002){ref-type="table-fn"} 31
Generalized anadromous salmon -19.9 -18.9 1 12.5 15.2 1 338 19.1 15.3 0.5 21
Generalized plant baseline -26.6 -24.6 2 -2.8 2.8 3 200 -2.0[^3^](#t001fn003){ref-type="table-fn"} -0.4 4.2 44
^1^This sample size applies to both carbon and nitrogen.
^2^This is the mean of the SD for moose, goat and marmot.
^3^This is the mean for all bear samples where δ^15^N \< 3.7.
Consumers preferentially accumulate heavy isotopes and this discrimination process must be accounted for when calculating diet fractions \[[@pone.0172194.ref029]\]. Felicetti et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\] calculated the trophic shift of δ^13^C, δ^15^N and δ^34^S from diet to blood plasma by feeding captive bears mixed diets while building on previous work by Hilderbrand et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref011]\]. We used the equation from Felicetti et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\] to calculate trophic fractionation between diet and hair for δ^15^N because this equation was specific to our study species. The diet-plasma relationship for δ^13^C was less precise than the relationship for δ^15^N. In addition, there is evidence that diet to hair fractionation is greater in bears, and other mammals, than diet to plasma \[[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref030],[@pone.0172194.ref031]\]. Previous authors have reduced bear hair δ^13^C values by 1--2 ‰ to account for the greater fractionation of δ^13^C in hair \[[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. Given the uncertainty in the diet-hair relationship for δ^13^C we followed other recent authors \[[@pone.0172194.ref014],[@pone.0172194.ref032]\] and used a fixed fractionation value of 3.7 (SD = 0.2). Discrimination for sulfur decreases with increasing δ^34^S in the diet \[[@pone.0172194.ref015],[@pone.0172194.ref033]\]. We used the relationship presented in Florin et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref033]\] to calculate sulfur fractionation because they tested a broader range of values with a larger sample size than Felicetti et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\]. However, the relationships presented in the two independent studies were nearly identical and very precise.
We calculated diet proportions using the R package Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR; \[[@pone.0172194.ref034]\]). We used informative priors when calculating diet ratios for coastal and interior groups of bears based on previous results near the study area \[[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. For the coastal analyses we used priors of salmon = 0.4, moose = 0.05, goat = 0.05, marmot = 0.05, vegetation = 0.45 and a standard deviation of 0.1; these are mean diet proportions for the group that must sum to 1. For interior analyses we used priors of salmon = 0, moose = 0.2, goat = 0.1, marmot = 0.1, vegetation = 0.6 and again a standard deviation of 0.1 ([S6 File](#pone.0172194.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We used uninformative priors to estimate diet for individual bears because previous work has shown that individual bears may assimilate δ^13^C and δ^15^N entirely from plant matter or almost entirely from salmon \[[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. Similarly, an individual that finds a moose or goat carcass could have a seasonal diet that is nearly pure meat during a single season. We did not incorporate concentration dependence because we did not have all the information required to do so \[[@pone.0172194.ref014]\], particularly in regards to sulfur.
Sectioned hair samples were used to examine the seasonal timing of the consumption of meat. Ungulate hunting was likely most common in spring after young were born while marmot hunting was likely most common in fall after they were hibernating. We used whole hair samples from all 91 individual bears to compare the diet between putative coastal and interior groups and the sexes ([S7 File](#pone.0172194.s007){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Whole hair values for sectioned samples were derived by taking the mean of the 3 sectioned values.
Other statistical analysis {#sec007}
--------------------------
Pearson correlation was used to test for simple bivariate relationships among continuous variables. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between bear sex, the presence of a root on a hair, hair length, and hair collection date and the stable isotope ratio.
Results {#sec008}
=======
Precision of isotope measures {#sec009}
-----------------------------
Measurement error varied among bears and samples. Multiple hairs from the same sample were analyzed for two bears; these represent different hairs taken from the same bear on the same day. One set of hairs had low variation among measures \[Standard Deviation (SD) δ^13^C = 0.03, SD δ^15^N = 0.04, SD δ^34^S = 0.45, n = 3\] while another had much higher variation for all three isotope ratios (SD δ^13^C = 0.50, SD δ^15^N = 0.17, SD δ^34^S = 4.27, n = 4 for δ^13^C and δ^15^N and n = 3 for δ^34^S). Different samples, which were collected at different places and times, were run for three bears and variation among samples was modest (SD δ^13^C = 0.13, SD δ^15^N = 0.12, SD δ^34^S = 1.09, n = 3). Variation in δ^34^S values was about an order of magnitude greater than δ^13^C or δ^15^N values. We conclude that process error, even between hairs within a single sample, was much greater than measurement error of the analytical instruments. Much of this error appears to be variation among hairs from the same bear and year and hence does not measure an external ecological process but rather differences in the physiological growth process.
Isotope ratios of potential grizzly bear foods {#sec010}
----------------------------------------------
Paired samples of marmot hair were depleted for all three isotopes compared to muscle ([Table 2](#pone.0172194.t002){ref-type="table"}). Sockeye and coho skin and muscle samples had similar stable isotope ratios except coho skin was depleted for δ^13^C compared to muscle ([Table 2](#pone.0172194.t002){ref-type="table"}). One sample of coho eggs was depleted for δ^13^C, enriched for δ^15^N, and similar for δ^34^S compared to coho muscle samples ([Table 2](#pone.0172194.t002){ref-type="table"}). Coho eggs had higher δ^15^N and similar δ^13^C signatures compared to muscle from spawning adults in southcentral Alaska\[[@pone.0172194.ref035]\]. Coho from southcentral Alaska had higher δ^13^C and similar δ^15^N to data presented here \[[@pone.0172194.ref035]\]. There was greater variation in stable isotope signatures among species of salmon \[[@pone.0172194.ref035],[@pone.0172194.ref036]\] and citations therein. The δ^34^S values for coho and sockeye salmon were similar for both species and all tissue types and, similar to the value for Chinook (*O*. *tshawytscha*) presented by Felicetti et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\] (δ^34^S = 19.5, sample size not given), which presumably originated from south of this study area near Seattle, USA. The sulfur signature for salmon was extremely precise compared to other foods ([Table 3](#pone.0172194.t003){ref-type="table"}).
10.1371/journal.pone.0172194.t002
###### The mean difference between isotope ratios of muscle and hair or skin for three potential grizzly bear foods.
Delta values are the average difference compared to muscle. A single sample of coho eggs was compared to the mean coho muscle values because this sample was taken from a unique fish.
{#pone.0172194.t002g}
Species Δδ^13^C SD Δ δ^15^N SD Δ δ^34^S SD n
----------------------- --------- ----- ---------- ----- ---------- ----- ---
Marmot muscle---hair -3.0 0.9 -1.6 0.8 -2.4 0.5 2
Sockeye muscle---skin 0.5 1.7 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.4 6
Coho muscle---skin -2.3 0.7 -1.0 1.3 0.6 0.5 4
Coho muscle---egg -1.5 2.7 0.5 1
10.1371/journal.pone.0172194.t003
###### A comparison of mean isotope ratios of various tissue types for four potential grizzly bear prey species from the lower Stikine valley of northeast British Columbia.
{#pone.0172194.t003g}
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species δ ^13^C SD δ^15^N SD δ^34^S SD n
---------------- --------- ----- -------- ----- -------- ----- ----
**Herbivores**
Moose hair -26.5 0.6 3.5 0.8 -2.7 4.4 2
Moose muscle -27.1 0 1.3 0.9 -4 4.6 2
Marmot hair -24.5 1.1 1.2 2.0 5.4 6.8 14
Marmot muscle -26.2 0.6 2.7 0 -3 0.7 2\
**Salmon**
Sockeye skin -21.3 1.2 11.3 1.9 19 0.7 6
Sockeye muscle -20.8 1.5 11.7 1.5 19 0.5 6
Coho skin -17.8 0.7 11 2.3 18.8 0.4 4
Coho roe -22.8 11.5 19 1
Coho muscle -20.1 1.1 10 2.7 19.5 0.2 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Isotope ratios of terrestrial mammal species were similar given the variation around the means ([Fig 1](#pone.0172194.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Marmots had higher δ^34^S values than moose or mountain goats but variation in δ^34^S values was large (Tables [2](#pone.0172194.t002){ref-type="table"} and [3](#pone.0172194.t003){ref-type="table"}). Moose were depleted in δ^13^C and δ^34^S but had similar values for δ^15^N compared to marmots and mountain goats. We used the values in [Table 4](#pone.0172194.t004){ref-type="table"} as endpoints for moose, marmot and mountain goats in diet analysis. We reduced the marmot hair samples by 1.5 for δ^13^C because hair was enriched for δ^13^C ([Table 3](#pone.0172194.t003){ref-type="table"}) and this has been observed for other species \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\]. We did not reduce the δ^13^C values for moose and goat hair because hair was not enriched for these 2 species ([Table 3](#pone.0172194.t003){ref-type="table"}). This may be explained by the fact that hind-gut fermenters break their food down to constituent molecules which does not allow shunting of fat directly to build hair which is the likely cause of the enriched value for δ^13^C in single gut digesters like bears and marmots.
{#pone.0172194.g001}
10.1371/journal.pone.0172194.t004
###### Mean isotope ratios for seven potential grizzly bear foods from the lower Stikine valley of northeast British Columbia.
δ^13^C values for marmot hair samples were reduced by 1.5. ^b^*n* = 1 for sulfur in this category.
{#pone.0172194.t004g}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Species δ ^13^C SD δ^15^N SD δ^34^S SD n
--------------------------------- --------- ------ -------- ----- -------- ----- ----
**Herbivores**
Moose hair and muscle -26.8 0.5 2.4 1.4 -3.4 3.7 4
Marmot hair and muscle -26.0 1.1\ 1.4 1.9 4.4 7.0 16
Mountain goat hair -24.5 0.4 1.4 0.7 0.7 2.8 11
**Salmon**
Sockeye muscle and skin -21.0 1.3 11.5 1.7 19.0 0.6 12
Coho muscle, skin and roe -18.9 1.5 10.5 2.4 19.2 0.4 8
**Plants**
Skunk cabbage tissue -30.3 2.7 3.5 1.5 -8.8 8.9 8
Huckleberry fruit without seeds -30.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 3.1 ^b^ 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skunk cabbage [(*Lysichiton americanus*)]{.ul} had unusually high δ^15^N values ([Table 4](#pone.0172194.t004){ref-type="table"}; \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\]) and low δ^34^S values. Most terrestrial plants have negative values for δ^15^N \[[@pone.0172194.ref012],[@pone.0172194.ref015]\] and values near zero for δ^34^S \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\], similar to our results for huckleberry (*Vaccinium membranaceum*; [Table 4](#pone.0172194.t004){ref-type="table"}). The sulfur baseline for plants was calculated from the δ^34^S value for all grizzly bear hair samples where δ^15^N was \<3.7, after Mowat and Heard \[[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. This δ^15^N value was the mean value for four bear populations that were known to eat little meat plus one SD. Generalized baselines used to estimate diet are summarized in [Table 1](#pone.0172194.t001){ref-type="table"}.
Grizzly bear isotope ratios {#sec011}
---------------------------
Grizzly bear stable isotope values were correlated for all 3 isotopes we measured which was demonstrated by the roughly linear relationships in 2-dimensional space ([Fig 1](#pone.0172194.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Values of δ^13^C and δ^15^N are often correlated in bear samples \[[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref037]\]; the flat part of the relationship at low isotope values is likely due to the variation in δ^13^C values among plants foods \[[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. One sample had high δ^15^N but low δ^13^C and δ^34^S, which can only currently be explained by near total reliance on terrestrially derived meat. Two other samples had high δ^34^S but moderate to low δ^15^N, which can only be currently explained by consumption of white-bark pine nuts or perhaps other mast \[[@pone.0172194.ref015]\]. All data generated for this study are available in the Supporting Information for this paper.
Timing of sample collection and hair length {#sec012}
-------------------------------------------
Mean date of hair collection was 14 days earlier for interior bear samples (13 August, range 26 July-9 Sept) than coastal samples (27 Aug, range 29 July-14 Sept; [Fig 2](#pone.0172194.g002){ref-type="fig"}). Hair selected for isotope analysis were longer from interior samples than coastal samples (interior = 10.1 cm, SD = 2.14, n = 40; coast = 7.3 cm, SD = 2.21, n = 54). Hair length declined with the date of sample collection (r = -0.43, n = 94, P \< 0.001) and this was most apparent in the coastal sample group ([Fig 3](#pone.0172194.g003){ref-type="fig"}). The shorter hairs were likely partially grown hairs from 2004 while the longer hairs were likely from the previous year. Low δ^15^N and δ^34^S values were observed for all possible collection dates and hair lengths but, high δ^15^N and δ^34^S values were only observed later in the collection period for shorter hairs only (Figs [2](#pone.0172194.g002){ref-type="fig"} and [3](#pone.0172194.g003){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pone.0172194.g002}
{#pone.0172194.g003}
Regression analysis suggested that interior males had δ^13^C ratios 1.9 ‰ (SE = 0.39) higher than females. Hairs with roots were enriched by 0.9 ‰ (SE = 0.36) compared to hairs that did not have roots but, neither hair length nor collection date were related to δ^13^C (F = 7.27, r^2^ = 0.49, n = 35, P \< 0.001). None of the above four variables (bear sex, hair length, date of collection, presence of root) were related to δ^15^N or δ^34^S (P \> 0.39 and 0.35 respectively, n = 38 bears) for interior bears. Isotope ratios were not different between sexes in the coastal group (P \> 0.28, n = 39). Sulfur isotope values increased with collection date and decreased with hair length in the coastal sample (F = 7.42, r^2^ = 0.30, n = 38, P = 0.002) as did δ^13^C (F = 3.67, r^2^ = 0.09, n = 39, P = 0.06) and δ^15^N (F = 2.85, r^2^ = 0.07, n = 39, P = 0.1). In summary, for whole hairs from interior bears, the presence of a root bulb, the length of the hair, collection date and the sex of the bear were not consistently related to isotope values. For the coastal group, isotope signatures declined with hair length and increased with the date of sample collection but the presence of a hair root and the sex of the bear were not related to the values of any of three stable isotopes.
Discerning terrestrial meat sources in the grizzly bear diet {#sec013}
------------------------------------------------------------
Based on δ^13^C and δ^15^N data, the diet fractions for moose, mountain goat and marmot had lower 95% credible intervals of \<1% for both coastal and interior groups of bears, while upper credible intervals varied from 19 to 34%. The mean diet fractions for the three species varied from 8--17% for both areas. There was only small improvement in the assignment of the three mammal prey when sulfur was added to the mixing model. Four lower credible intervals were still \<1% and upper intervals varied from 19 to 30%. The diet fraction for interior bears was 17% moose (CI 5--30%) and 8% goats (CI 1--25%) for the coastal group using data from all three isotopes. The improvement in results with the addition of sulfur to the dataset was less when no priors were used.
At the individual level, the addition of sulfur data identified some bears that had probably consumed one of the 3 mammalian prey species. Individual analyses using δ^13^C and δ^15^N generated diet fractions with lower intervals of zero for all 3 prey species, 40 bears and 3 seasons (360 estimates in total). When sulfur was included in the diet analysis, 18 of these 360 estimates had lower credible intervals \>1% (range 1--21%); 2 of these were for moose and 16 were for marmot. For comparison, credible intervals for the vegetation fraction were \>1% for 89 of 120 observations using two isotopes and 88 of 120 using three isotopes. Similarly, for the salmon fraction credible intervals were \>1% for 31 of 120 observations using two isotopes and 33 of 120 using three isotopes. One interior bear appeared to have eaten more mountain goat than other bears but the diet fraction assignments were very imprecise for this food source and the lower credible interval was \<1%. The group analysis suggested interior bears ate mostly moose as a meat source. In conclusion, the addition of sulfur data to the diet analysis of these samples did not change the diet fractions or markedly improve the precision of the predictions when the results were presented by season and life history group. The sulfur data did identify 18 samples where the consumption of two of the three mammal prey was probable however, in 271 other cases the diet fraction was estimated to be \>10% yet the precision of the prediction encompassed zero.
Does sulfur increase the precision of assigning the marine diet portion? {#sec014}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The inclusion of sulfur to the diet calculation of the coastal group of whole hair samples generated nearly identical salmon diet fractions to the use of δ^13^C and δ^15^N alone, although the credible interval width was reduced by 8%. In a similar analysis, we combined terrestrial prey signatures because all three were similar and previous researcher have often chosen to do this. Again, diet fractions were very similar with and without sulfur and the reduction in credible interval width for the salmon diet fraction was trivial.
Seasonal trends in diet {#sec015}
-----------------------
As expected, salmon consumption increased through the summer but four bears had high salmon fractions during the month of June when salmon were not known to be available ([Fig 4A](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}). These four bears were located near two streams that were known to support early chinook runs (July); spawning salmon arrived in most other streams beginning in August. No bears that were detected in the east side of the study area, which does not support spawning salmon, had meaningful salmon fractions although, some individuals that lived in the west side of the study did not have salmon fractions in their diet either. Eight of 13 coastal bear samples known to be from the previous year had salmon fractions \<5% and, 7 of 25 coastal samples that may have been from the previous year had salmon fractions of \<5%. Interior bears had high vegetation fractions in all 3 seasons and so did some coastal bears ([Fig 4B](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Coastal bears that ate salmon ate progressively less vegetation through the summer. Three coastal bears had vegetation diet fractions of zero in all seasons. Mountain goat tended to be eaten by coastal bears early in the year ([Fig 4C](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}) while marmots were consumed in the summer and fall ([Fig 4D](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Six coastal bears may have consumed moose early in the year while interior bears ate moose more consistently throughout the year ([Fig 4E](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pone.0172194.g004}
Discussion {#sec016}
==========
The addition of sulfur isotope data to estimate the proportional contribution of salmon or terrestrial sources of meat to the diet of grizzly bears did not greatly increase precision over the use of carbon and nitrogen isotope data alone. Measures for all three isotopes were correlated, which limited the separation of the consumers in the mixing space. And, isotope values of all three terrestrial herbivores were very similar, which further reduced separation. Foods that have isotope signatures that are much different from other foods of interest will generate more precise diet measures. All terrestrial herbivores have similar δ^13^C, δ^15^N and δ^34^S values (\[[@pone.0172194.ref012],[@pone.0172194.ref014]\], this study) so the use of sulfur will not likely help separate these foods for more precisely estimating diet in other places either unless C~3~ plants are a food source for some of the herbivores and not others. Sulfur signatures for salmon are much higher than for terrestrial food and nearly fixed at 19 ‰. However, the variation in signatures of non-salmon foods, especially plants, added considerable uncertainty to the models. The use of δ^34^S to estimate population level diet will require more local data on non-salmon foods to improve markedly upon estimates using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes alone. Plant sulfur signatures will vary locally because they take sulfur from soils, groundwater and precipitation, which often have quite different isotope ratios, and there is great variation in the amount plants fractionate sulfur \[[@pone.0172194.ref017]\]. The use of sulfur to estimate terrestrial diets will likely require precise mapping of local diet items. Future researchers with similar goals to this study may want to consider using other markers such as elemental proportions or ratios that are not correlated to carbon and nitrogen values and hence show better separation in the mixing space.
The use of three stable isotopes helped to identify individuals that had diets that were unusual compared to the average diet of the population. For example, several bears had enriched δ^13^C values while the δ^15^N and δ^34^S values were low and hence indicative of a plant-dominated diet. This may be the result of a selected plant being enriched for ^13^C. Similarly, several coastal bears expressed δ^15^N that would suggest the consumption of salmon but δ^34^S values were indicative of a diet dominated by terrestrial food sources. In some of these cases the δ^13^C value was similar to a plant-based diet while in others the δ^13^C value suggested the consumption of terrestrial meat ([Fig 1](#pone.0172194.g001){ref-type="fig"}). These bears may have consumed a large proportion of terrestrially derived meat or, foraged heavily on plants with enriched δ^15^N such as skunk cabbage. Our data suggest 15 bears ate measurable amounts of marmots in summer or fall. Many other individual bears also had sizable diet estimates for the three herbivores though the lower credible interval was zero. In fact, the three herbivore signals were so confounded that for many individuals the diet fractions for all 3 sources had lower credible intervals of zero and a total terrestrial meat fraction of 30--50%. Despite this poor precision, our data suggest that both male and female bears in the Stikine River valley hunt marmots and capture them regularly enough that they contribute measurably to their diet. Moose were consumed less frequently which is likely explained by their lower abundance compared to other food sources. In addition, guard hairs only sample diet between late spring and fall. If bears are preferentially hunting or scavenging terrestrial prey in early spring, such as moose calves or winter killed mountain goats, this will not be reflected in our diet estimates. Similarly, if bears preferentially dig for marmots in late fall before denning, this too may not be reflected in our measures of diet.
Isotope data demonstrated that many grizzly bears rely on salmon in the western portion of the study area where salmon occur. Salmon consumption begins in July and continues to the end of guard hair growth in the fall ([Fig 4A](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}). These data confirm the importance of the summer chinook and sockeye runs and the late fall coho runs to many resident bears. But, about one third of the bears that were detected in the coastal portion of the study area did not appear to consume salmon during the year of our study ([Fig 4](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}). Coastal bears are known to rely heavily on salmon for their nutrients \[[@pone.0172194.ref002],[@pone.0172194.ref012]\] and this is supported by results from the adjacent area of mainland Alaska \[[@pone.0172194.ref038]\]. Our data suggest some bears living in salmon bearing drainages may not consume salmon, even when it is available in their home range, but continue to exploit the productive upper elevation portion of the ecosystem during the salmon season, perhaps to avoid other bears \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\]. Extra-territorial movements to salmon streams by bears that live in areas that do not support salmon have not been documented for grizzly bears \[[@pone.0172194.ref018]\], which is supported by our data here.
Grizzly bears to the north and east of the our study area on the Edziza and Spatsizi plateaus acquired about half their nutrients from terrestrial prey, most likely ungulates \[[@pone.0172194.ref012]\]. Our data suggest bears in the lower Stikine river area also derive a measurable portion of their nutrition from terrestrial prey. The coastal group appeared to prey on herbivores to a similar extent compared to the interior group, in contrast to bears living on nearby coastal islands which appear to eat herbivores rarely \[[@pone.0172194.ref002],[@pone.0172194.ref038]\].
Many observers have noted that coastal grizzly bears have shorter hair than interior bears. No bear that had high δ^15^N or δ^34^S values had guard hair longer than 11 cm while bears with moderate or low δ^15^N and δ^34^S values had guard hairs up to 16 cm long ([Fig 2](#pone.0172194.g002){ref-type="fig"}). Interestingly, several bears that we classed as coastal, because they were detected in a drainage that supported spawning salmon, had guard hair longer than 12 cm and no salmon in the diet. The mechanism for the difference in pelage is unknown but our data suggest that both phenotypes can exist in the same area and that the short-haired phenotype eats salmon while the long-haired phenotype does not, despite the availability of salmon in or near its home range.
Most sectioned hair samples showed the expected increase in salmon assimilation from the tip to the basal section of the hair. However, a number of individual bears had salmon in the diet before the known arrival date of salmon. Three bears had salmon fractions \>50% of their diet from the period before salmon were known to be in the ecosystem. There are several possible explanations for this observation: 1) the hair may not have begun to grow until the salmon arrived in the ecosystem, 2) the bears found earlier runs of salmon that were unknown to field staff or by moving out of the study area, 3) these bears were digesting stored fat or protein from the previous year which was derived from salmon consumption. We cannot discount any of these explanations but we suspect the first explanation is the most likely to be true. Belant et al \[[@pone.0172194.ref039]\] also presented isotope data that suggested salmon consumption occurred before salmon had arrived in the Denali ecosystem in Alaska. Further, many researchers have presented data suggesting individual bears derived nearly all of their annual nutrition from salmon even though salmon do not occur in any ecosystems for the entire non-denning season and, observational data confirm that these same bears eat many other foods than salmon, especially plants in spring \[[@pone.0172194.ref002],[@pone.0172194.ref003],[@pone.0172194.ref012],[@pone.0172194.ref032]\]. In [Fig 4](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"} we assumed that hair began growing June 1 and the results clearly suggested a number of bears were eating salmon during the month of June before salmon were available. We are quite certain there were no salmon available in June and only a few in July. If we assume guard hair began growing July 1 then the chronology of salmon arrival and their appearance in bear diet fits much better. If hair growth begins in summer not spring then most of our hair samples were likely grown the previous year. We discount explanation 2 above based on two years of intensive fieldwork and the observations of many other people on the land. We cannot discount the importance of catabolism of endogenous tissue as the reason for elevated isotope values in spring. Other researchers have shown grizzly bears to catabolize fat until midsummer \[[@pone.0172194.ref040]\]. However, the catabolism of endogenous fat is unlikely to be used to build structural tissue such as hair because it is more efficient to create, or route, amino acids from protein in the diet \[[@pone.0172194.ref031]\]. High δ^15^N and δ^34^S values in spring-grown hair are more likely generated by catabolism of endogenous proteins that were created during a period when the animal was consuming salmon.
Hair samples collected later in the summer were enriched for both nitrogen and sulfur suggesting that salmon consumption increased through the summer. Sectioned hairs also showed a trend to increasing salmon consumption later in the summer. The increasing relationship between date of collection and sulfur and nitrogen values in our data suggest that some guard hair removed in summer were grown the current year. These samples only index diet for a portion of the year. Some previous researchers may not have captured a complete season of growth if the hair samples they analyzed were collected at various times during the summer and fall. Samples collected in spring and fall are most certain to be annual samples but we caution that hairs may begin growing at different times \[[@pone.0172194.ref013]\]. We conclude that the period of hair growth is uncertain in wild bears and hence so is the temporal scale of diet analysis based on guard hair. We recognize that using the diet estimate for a sample to predict hair growth period is circular given both diet and growth period are unknown and argue for more controlled studies of this question.
This uncertainty may be minimized by selecting the longest hair for analysis because these hairs presumably are grown over the longest period, assuming a constant rate of growth (but see \[[@pone.0172194.ref023]\]). The suggestion that longer hair were grown the previous year, and therefore represent a longer period of growth is supported by the observation that δ^34^S values decreased with hair length. However, we collected many hair samples in September that were as long as the longest hair collected suggesting at least some guard hairs are finished growing by that time or, alternatively, that not all guard hairs are shed every year. Our data suggest the growth rate of guard hair in wild grizzly bears may be higher than 1.5 cm/month. We suggest using hairs that are longer than 10 cm for coastal bears and \>12 cm for interior bears. These numbers should be adjusted as more hairs are measured, especially for coastal areas. Given the uncertainty around both the start and end of the growth period and, the variation in signatures among hairs from the same sample, using multiple hairs for each isotope analysis could reduce variation within individuals and generate a diet measure for a more standardized period.
If possible, only hairs with roots should be selected for analysis and this may necessitate coordination with genetic analysis so that hairs that have the roots removed for genetic analysis are identifiable to later users. Also, hair should be cut a standard distance above the bulb, perhaps 1--2 mm to ensure the full length of the shaft is available for stable isotope analysis. That said, our data suggest that the bias due to the use of hairs without roots is small.
This study and others have shown that there can be considerable variation in stable isotope signatures among hairs from the same bear \[[@pone.0172194.ref012],[@pone.0172194.ref013]\]. Ben-David et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref003]\] suggest running enough replicate samples from individual bears to reduce the variation among samples below the measurement errors. For studies where the objective is to estimate population level diet, effort may be best devoted to increasing the sample size of individuals to better sample the populations of interest. But, if the study objective is to compare diets of individual animals, then effort would be better devoted to repeated sampling of individuals over time and space.
Our analysis of bear foods presented the first isotope data for marmot and confirmed that marmot isotope ratios are similar to other terrestrial herbivores. Salmon skin probably had lower δ^13^C values than muscle because it is higher in fat and fat is known to be depleted for δ^13^C in many organisms. This observation may be important because bears often preferentially select the brain, roe and skin when feeding on abundant salmon ([Fig 5](#pone.0172194.g005){ref-type="fig"}). We also found that huckleberries, a key fall food for grizzly bears in interior BC, have similar stable isotope values to other plant foods which means isotope analysis is not likely to be helpful in assessing the importance of fall berries to annual diet. Hopkins et al. \[[@pone.0172194.ref041]\] found sulfur was informative in separating human foods from other bear foods in Alberta, Canada. Adding sulfur as a diet marker, though not highly informative for salmon or terrestrial meat, may be quite helpful in separating plant components of the diet because there are appears to be considerable variation in plant sulfur signatures.
{#pone.0172194.g005}
Supporting information {#sec017}
======================
###### Raw isotope data.
(raw data.xls)
(XLS)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Isotope values for potential diet items for the SIAR analysis.
(sources.txt)
(TXT)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Trophic correction values for the SIAR analysis.
(corrections.txt)
(TXT)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Consumer (grizzly bear) data for entire guard hairs (n = 94 samples from 91 bears).
(All annual samples.xls)
(CSV)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### Consumer (grizzly bear) data for sectioned guard hairs (n = 120 samples from 40 bears).
(All sectioned samples.xls)
(CSV)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### R code for the annual analysis in [Fig 1](#pone.0172194.g001){ref-type="fig"}.
(Stikine_annual hair_script.R)
\(R\)
######
Click here for additional data file.
###### R code for the seasonal analysis in [Fig 4](#pone.0172194.g004){ref-type="fig"}.
(Stikine_seasonal hair analysis_script.R)
\(R\)
######
Click here for additional data file.
Our thanks to the Tahltan Nation for supporting this study in their territory. This work was funded by NovaGold Inc, the University of British Columbia and the BC Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. We acknowledge the University of California, Berkeley, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks for providing marmot hair samples. We thank Rod Flynn for sharing ideas and data and Rachel Brock and Kim Poole for reviewing an earlier version of the manuscript and the many employees of Rescan Environmental Services Ltd. and NovaGold Inc. for helping with fieldwork and logistics. Thanks to David Arkinstall for leading the carbon and nitrogen analysis, Craig Stricker for leading the sulfur analysis, the staff at Wildlife Genetics International for doing the genetic analysis, and Clayton Lamb for helping with programming in R.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**We have the following interests. This study was partly funded by NovaGold Inc. NovaGold was a commercial mining company and provided funding to the lead author to collect the data including paying his salary during the fieldwork. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter our adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.
[^2]: **Conceptualization:** GM.**Formal analysis:** GM DL.**Funding acquisition:** GM.**Investigation:** GM.**Methodology:** GM PJC.**Resources:** PJC.**Visualization:** GM DL.**Writing -- original draft:** GM.**Writing -- review & editing:** GM PJC DL.
| |
In Search of an Ancient Global Magnetic Field on Venus
The crust of Venus could contain minerals that would tell us whether or not the planet once had a global magnetic field.
A recent study indicates that minerals on the surface of Venus could tell scientists whether or not the planet once had a global magnetic field as powerful as the Earth’s. Venus has no magnetic field today, but some models indicate that the planet could have supported a global magnetic field up until a billion years ago.
Earth’s global magnetic field is thought to be tied to properties of the planet’s fluid, metallic core. If conditions were similar on Venus at some point in the planet’s past, evidence of an ancient magnetic field could be found in magnetized rocks at Venus’ surface. Magnetized rocks have already been identified on the Moon, Mars, and Mercury. However, the surface of Venus is so hot that many scientists believe ancient magnetization in rocks would not be stable enough to survive on the surface today.
The new study shows that common minerals (such as magnetite) could be stable on Venus for billions of years, even when exposed to current Venus surface temperatures. In fact, the team behind the research believes that there could be enough magnetized material in the Venusian crust for it to be detected by low altitude orbiters or aerial missions to the planet’s atmosphere.
Studying planetary magnetic fields can help astrobiologists understand the origin and evolution of terrestrial planets. Venus also provides important data for comparative planetology. Venus is a similar size to the Earth, but the surface of Venus is far from habitable for life as we know it. Analyzing the differences between the Earth and Venus can help astrobiologists better understand how a planet’s climate, environment, and physical properties are tied to habitability.
The study, “Detectability of Remanent Magnetism in the Crust of Venus,” was published in Geophysical Research Letters. The work was supported by the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS). NExSS is a NASA research coordination network supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Program. This program element is shared between NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) and the Astrophysics Division. | https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/in-search-of-an-ancient-global-magnetic-field-on-venus/ |
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
2. Related Art
SUMMARY
Application Example 1
Application Example 2
Application Example 3
Application Example 4
Application Example 5
Application Example 6
Application Example 7
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
First Exemplary Embodiment
Modified Example 1
Modified Example 2
Modified Example 3
Modified Example 4
The disclosure relates to a carriage and a recording apparatus.
Ink jet-type recording apparatuses are in wide use. In an ink jet-type recording apparatus, ink is ejected from nozzles as ink droplets, and positions where the ink droplets land are controlled. Then, a predetermined pattern is drawn with the ink droplets. There is demand for shortening time taken for printing to improve convenience. Further, the number of ink droplets ejected per unit of time is increased to accelerate drawing.
A plurality of nozzles are provided in a nozzle head, and a plurality of the nozzle heads are provided in a carriage. Then, the carriage moves parallel to a printing medium. Ink droplets are ejected simultaneously from the plurality of nozzles. Then, when the ink droplets travel from the nozzles toward the printing medium, an air current is generated as the ink droplets travel. This air current is turbulence and a form of the current varies. Then, when the air current affects a travel direction of the ink droplets, the ink droplets land in positions distant from intended positions. When the landing positions deviate in this manner, darkness inconsistency called ripples is generated.
JP-A-2010-162873 discloses a method for preventing such ripples. According to this method, a nozzle plate is provided with nozzles and protrusions each having a prismatic shape and extending parallel to a nozzle row, and the protrusions are provided on the side of the nozzle row. These protrusions prevent occurrence of vortices, and thus, prevent occurrence of ripples.
In JP-A-2010-162873, the nozzle plate is provided with the nozzles and the protrusions. This configuration is effective when there is a low ink droplet discharge rate. However, when there is a high ink droplet discharge rate to increase a drawing speed, vortices generated in a nozzle arrangement direction result in a variation in the landing positions of the ink droplets. Therefore, there is demand for a carriage capable of preventing ink droplets landing on a recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern.
According to the disclosure, the following aspects or application examples can be realized.
A carriage according to Application Example 1 includes a head including a nozzle surface, the nozzle surface including nozzles configured to eject ink droplets, and at least one plasma actuator configured to apply an air current flowing along the nozzle surface.
According to Application Example 1, the carriage includes the head and the plasma actuators. The head include the nozzle surface provided with the nozzles, and the ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles. The plasma actuators apply the air current to a first air current flowing along the nozzle surface.
When the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles travel, an air current is generated and travels parallel to the ink droplets travel. This air current will be referred to as a second air current. As an ejection rate of the ink droplets increases, turbulence is generated in the second air current in the peripheries of the ink droplets. The turbulence in the second air current disturbs a travel direction of the ink droplets. When the ink droplets are affected by the turbulence in the second air current, the ink droplets landing on a recording medium form a ripple-like pattern.
The plasma actuators apply the air current further to the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface. The first air current affects the turbulence in the second air current traveling in the travel direction of the ink droplets, and prevents the turbulence in the second air current occurring in the peripheries of the ink droplets from stagnating. Accordingly, the ink droplets traveling can be prevented from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current. As a result, the carriage can prevent the ink droplets landing on the recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern.
In the carriage according to the above-described application example, the nozzles may be arranged in a second direction intersecting with a first direction in which the carriage travels, and the nozzles may constitute a nozzle row, and places where the nozzles are not provided at the nozzle row and the ends of the nozzle row may be included within a range where the plasma actuators apply the air current in the second direction.
According to Application Example 2, the carriage travels in the first direction. Then, the nozzles are arranged in the second direction intersecting with the first direction, and constitute the nozzle row. Accordingly, the nozzle row extends in the second direction. The plasma actuators are longer in the second direction than the nozzle row. Then, the nozzle row is located within the range where the plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current. Further, the place where the nozzles are not provided at the ends of the nozzle row is also located within the range where the plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current.
The plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current in a place where the nozzle row is provided. Further, the plasma actuators also apply the air current to the first air current in the places where the nozzles are not provided at the ends of the nozzle row. For this reason, the first air current can flow at the ends of the nozzle row as quickly as in the middle of the nozzle row. As a result, also at the ends of the nozzle row the ink droplets traveling can also be prevented from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current, as with in the middle of the nozzle row.
In the carriage according to the above-described application example, the carriage may move back and forth in the first direction, and plasma actuators may be disposed to sandwich the head in the first direction, and the plasma actuators disposed on a side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head may apply the air current to the head.
According to Application Example 3, the carriage moves back and forth in the first direction. When the carriage travels, the first air current travels from the travel direction side of the carriage to the head. And, the plasma actuators are disposed to sandwich the head in the first direction. The plasma actuators disposed on the side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head are different in a forward path and a return path in which the carriage travels. Then, the plasma actuators disposed on the side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head apply the air current to the head. Accordingly, during the movement of the carriage in the forward path and also in the return path, therefore the head can be passed through the air current applied by the plasma actuators in a direction identical to a travel direction of an air current generated as the carriage travels.
The carriage according to the above-described application example may further include a main body unit configured to support the head and the plasma actuators, and at least one of a plurality of concave portions or a plurality of convex portions may be disposed on an air current surface that is a surface on which a gas flows along the nozzle surface in the main body.
According to Application Example 4, the carriage includes the main body unit configured to support the head and the plasma actuators. The air current surface is a surface on which a gas flowing along the nozzle surface flows in the main body. At least either the plurality of concave portions or the plurality of convex portions are disposed on the air current surface. Some of the air current flowing along the air current surface flows along the concave portions or the convex portions, and also some of the air current travels straight. In this case, the air current flowing along the concave portions or the convex portions and the air current traveling straight interfere each other and generate fine turbulence. Fluid body resistance in the air current surface can be reduced by this turbulence. As a result, the first air current can flow efficiently.
In the carriage according to the above-described application example, the air current surface may include: a first region in which at least either the plurality of concave portions or the plurality of convex portions are disposed, and second regions in which neither the concave portions nor the convex portions are disposed. The second regions may be disposed to sandwich the first region in the second direction intersecting with the first direction in which the carriage travels, and the nozzles may be provided in the first region.
According to Application Example 5, the main body unit of the carriage includes the first region and the second regions. At least either the plurality of concave portions or the plurality of convex portions are disposed in the first region. Then, neither the concave portions nor the convex portions are disposed in the second regions. Thus, the first air current flows more efficiently in the first region than in the second regions.
Then, the second regions are disposed to sandwich the first region in the second direction intersecting with the first direction in which the carriage travels. When the carriage travels in the first direction, a direction in which the first air current flows can be so controlled that the first air current flowing in the first region flows into the first direction without flowing toward the second regions.
The nozzles are provided in the first region. Accordingly, it is possible the first air current flowing in the first region to pass along the nozzle surface efficiently.
In the carriage according to the above-described application example, the main body unit may include a current introducing portion configured to guide the air current flowing along the nozzle surface in the first direction in which the carriage travels.
According to Application Example 6, the main body unit is provided with the current introducing portion in the first direction in which the carriage travels. Then, the current introducing portion moves air located on the side corresponding to the direction in which the carriage moves. Then, the moved air becomes the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface. Accordingly, the current introducing portion can take in the first air current efficiently as the carriage travels.
A recording apparatus according to this application example may include the above-described carriage.
According to Application Example 7, the recording apparatus includes the above-described carriage. The above-described carriage is a carriage capable of preventing ink droplets landing on a recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern. Accordingly, the recording apparatus can be implemented as a recording apparatus including a carriage capable of preventing ink droplets landing on a recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern.
Some exemplary embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. Note that elements in the drawings are illustrated at different scales for each element to illustrate the elements at recognizable sizes in the drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 16
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
1
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1
A first exemplary embodiment will describe an example of a recording apparatus with reference to the drawings. The recording apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to . is an overall perspective view illustrating a structure of the recording apparatus. As illustrated in , a recording apparatus is a roll-to-roll type large-format ink jet printer configured to handle a recording medium comparatively large. The recording apparatus has a shape longer in one direction along the ground. A lengthwise direction of the recording apparatus corresponds to an X-axis direction, and a left side in corresponds to a +X-axis direction. A direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction along the ground corresponds to a Y-axis direction. A direction of gravitational acceleration corresponds to a −Z-axis direction.
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The recording apparatus includes legs . Wheels are provided on the −Z-axis direction sides of the legs , and the recording apparatus is movable. The wheels are each provided with a locking function (not illustrated), and the wheels are prevented from rotating when the recording apparatus is in use. A housing unit is provided on the +Z-axis direction sides of the legs , and a printing unit and a control unit configured to control the recording apparatus are provided inside of the housing unit .
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An operation panel is provided on the +Z-axis direction side and the −X-axis direction side of the housing unit . The operation panel includes an operation unit and a display unit . The operation unit includes a push-type switch and the like. An operator operates the operation unit when the operator inputs printing conditions and the like and makes various types of instructions. The display unit includes a liquid crystal display device and the like. A printing condition setting screen and the like are displayed in the display unit .
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A guide rail , a guide rail , and a carriage are provided in the printing unit . A head (not illustrated) configured to eject ink as ink droplets is provided in the carriage . The guide rail and the guide rail extend in the X-axis direction, and the carriage travels along the guide rail and the guide rail .
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A discharge port is provided on the +Y-axis direction side of the housing unit , and a recording medium discharged by the printing unit is discharged from the discharge port . A downstream side support unit is provided on the −Z-axis direction side of the discharge port . The downstream side support unit guides the recording medium discharged from the discharge port . An ink attachment unit is provided on the −X-axis direction side of the downstream side support unit . Ink is housed in the ink attachment unit .
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A medium feed section is provided on the −Y-axis direction sides of the legs . The medium feed section supplies the recording medium to the printing unit . A medium take-up section is provided on the +Y-axis direction sides of the legs . The medium take-up section takes up the recording medium discharged from the discharge port . The medium take-up section includes a tension roller and second holders . The tension roller includes a rod-shaped member extending in the X-axis direction, and applies constant tension to the recording medium . Thus, the tension roller prevents wrinkling from occurring in the recording medium . The second holders take up and hold the recording medium in a cylindrical shape.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
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is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram illustrating the structure of the recording apparatus. As illustrated in , the medium feed section includes a first holder . Then, the first holder holds a first roll body in which the recording medium unused is wound in a cylindrical shape. The medium feed section includes a motor (not illustrated). Then, the medium feed section rotates the first roll body in a counter-clockwise direction with the X-axis direction being as an axis. Thus, the recording medium is supplied from the first roll body to the printing unit . Note that types of the recording medium broadly include a paper type and a film type. Specific examples of the recording medium of the paper type include woodfree paper, cast coated paper, art paper, and coat paper, and specific examples of the recording medium of the film type include synthetic paper, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP).
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An upstream side support unit , a platen , and the downstream side support unit are provided in this order from the −Y-axis direction side toward the +Y-axis direction side between the housing unit and the legs . The upstream side support unit , the platen , and the downstream side support unit guide the recording medium . Then, the upstream side support unit , the platen , and the downstream side support unit constitute a transport path of the recording medium .
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A supplying port is provided between the upstream side support unit and the housing unit . The recording medium supplied from the medium feed section is guided to the supplying port via the upstream side support unit . Transport rollers are provided between the upstream side support unit and the platen . The transport rollers include a transport driving roller and a transport driven roller . The transport driving roller and the transport driven roller extend in the X-axis direction intersecting with the +Y-axis direction side corresponding to a movement direction of the recording medium . The transport driving roller is disposed on the −Z-axis direction side of the transport path . The transport driven roller is disposed on the +Z-axis direction side of the transport driving roller . The transport driven roller rotates following the rotation of the transport driving roller
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The transport rollers include a spring (not illustrated). Then, the spring presses the transport driven roller against the transport driving roller . In a state where the transport driven roller is pressed against the transport driving roller , the transport rollers nip the recording medium and feed the recording medium to the printing unit in the +Y-axis direction. A transport motor (not illustrated) configured to rotate the transport driving roller is provided inside of the housing unit . The transport motor is driven to rotationally drive the transport driving roller , and thus, the recording medium nipped between the transport driven roller and the transport driving roller is transported in the +Y-axis direction.
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The recording medium having passed through the transport rollers moves along the platen . Then, the recording medium having passed through the platen moves along the downstream side support unit . The discharge port is provided between the downstream side support unit and the housing unit . The recording medium is discharged from the discharge port to the outside of the housing unit . The recording medium having passed through the discharge port moves along the downstream side support unit toward the medium take-up section .
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In the medium take-up section , the recording medium printed onto by the printing unit is taken up into a cylindrical shape and formed into a second roll body . The second holders sandwich a core member (not illustrated) to hold the core member, and the recording medium is taken up onto the core member and forms the second roll body . One of the second holders includes a winding motor (not illustrated) configured to supply rotational force to the core member. The winding motor is driven and the core member rotates. Thus, the recording medium is taken up onto the core member. The tension roller sags under its own weight and presses the recording medium from the back surface side of the recording medium . Thus, the tension roller applies tension to the recording medium .
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A carriage moving unit is provided inside of the housing unit . The carriage moving unit moves the carriage back and forth in the X-axis direction. The X-axis direction in which the carriage moves will be referred to as a main scanning direction. The carriage is supported by the guide rail and the guide rail disposed along the X-axis direction. Then, the carriage is capable of moving back and forth in the ±X-axis directions by the carriage moving unit . For example, a mechanism in which a ball screw and a ball nut are combined, a linear guide mechanism, or the like can be employed as the mechanism of the carriage moving unit . Further, the carriage moving unit is provided with a motor (not illustrated) as a power source for moving the carriage along the X-axis direction. When the motor is driven under the control of the control unit , the carriage moves back and forth along the X-axis direction.
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Head units serving as heads, and a reflective sensor are provided in the carriage . The head units eject ink droplets onto the recording medium transported along the platen . The reflective sensor is an optical sensor including a light source unit (not illustrated) and a light receiving unit (not illustrated). The light source unit emits light in the −Z-axis direction, the light receiving unit receives the resulting reflected light, and a detection value based on intensity of the reflected light received by the light receiving unit is output to the control unit . Moreover, while the carriage moves in the X-axis direction, the reflective sensor carries out the detection. The control unit senses positions of both end portions in the X-axis direction of the recording medium , based on the detection value. Then, the control unit calculates a length in the X-axis direction of the recording medium . The length in the X-axis direction of the recording medium corresponds to a width of the recording medium . Then, according to the detected width of the recording medium , the head units eject ink droplets onto the recording medium to carry out printing.
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In addition, an adjustment mechanism is provided inside of the housing unit . The adjustment mechanism is disposed at both end portions in the X-axis direction of the guide rail and the guide rail . Then, the adjustment mechanism is a mechanism configured to adjust a separation distance between the head units and the recording medium . The adjustment mechanism changes positions in the Z-axis direction of the head units .
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
12
10
11
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a
a.
is a schematic side view illustrating a structure of the carriage. As illustrated in , the carriage moves back and forth in the X-axis direction along the guide rail and the guide rail . The direction in which the carriage moves will be referred to as a first direction . The carriage includes a main body unit , and the head units are provided in the main body unit . Although the number of the head units is not particularly limited, in the first exemplary embodiment, the eight head units are provided in the one carriage , for example. Each head unit includes a nozzle surface on the −Z-axis direction side, and nozzles configured to eject ink droplets are provided on the nozzle surface
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a
a.
Further, plasma actuators are provided on a surface of the −Z-axis direction side of the main body unit . Then, the main body unit supports the head units and the plasma actuators . The plasma actuators apply an air current flowing along the nozzle surface . Current introducing portions are provided on both sides of the main body unit in the first direction in which the carriage moves and configured to guide the air current flowing along the nozzle surface
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a
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The current introducing portions are deeply recessed on the nozzle surface sides. An air current flowing along the nozzle surface between the nozzle surface and the recording medium will be referred to as a first air current . When air comes into contact with the current introducing portion located on a side surface of the travel direction side of the carriage , the current introducing portion guides the air to between the nozzle surface and the recording medium . Then, the air guided to between the nozzle surface and the recording medium becomes the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface . A surface of the main body facing the platen will be referred to as an air current surface . The air current surface is a surface on which a gas flowing along the nozzle surface flows. Since the current introducing portions are recessed on the nozzle surface sides, the first air current is taken in efficiently as the carriage moves.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
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12
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a
a
a.
is a schematic plan view illustrating the structure of the carriage. As illustrated in , a central side of the current introducing portion in the −X-axis direction is recessed in the +X-axis direction more deeply than the ±Y-axis direction sides. Then, the nozzle surface is disposed on the +X-axis direction side of a place recessed in the +X-axis direction. Similarly, a central side of the current introducing portion in the +X-axis direction is also recessed in the −X-axis direction more deeply than the ±Y-axis direction sides. Then, the nozzle surface is disposed on the −X-axis direction side of a place recessed in the −X-axis direction. By means of the current introducing portions having such shapes, air can flow from the ±Y-axis direction sides of the carriage to the nozzle surface
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a
a
A direction orthogonal to the first direction in a plane parallel to the nozzle surface will be referred to as a second direction . The nozzle surface is shaped as a long rectangle in the second direction . Then, nozzles are arranged in the second direction to constitute a nozzle row . Note that a direction in which the nozzle row extends may be any direction intersecting with the first direction , and is not limited to the second direction .
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c
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The head units provided in the main body unit include a first head unit , a second head unit , a third head unit , a fourth head unit , a fifth head unit , a sixth head unit , a seventh head unit , and an eighth head unit in this order from the +X-axis direction side to the −X-axis direction side. The plasma actuators are disposed to sandwich the head units in the first direction .
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c
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The plasma actuators provided in the main body unit include a first plasma actuator , a second plasma actuator , a third plasma actuator , a fourth plasma actuator , a fifth plasma actuator , a sixth plasma actuator , a seventh plasma actuator , an eighth plasma actuator , and a ninth plasma actuator in this order from the +X-axis direction side to the −X-axis direction side.
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a
b
a
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c
b.
Each of the plasma actuators includes a + side plasma actuator and a − side plasma actuator . The + side plasma actuator applies an air current in the +X-axis direction. Then, the − side plasma actuator applies an air current in the −X-axis direction. The first plasma actuator is the − side plasma actuator
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c
c
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j
When the carriage travels in the +X-axis direction, the first plasma actuator applies an air current to the first head unit . The second plasma actuator to the eighth plasma actuator each include the + side plasma actuator and the − side plasma actuator . When the carriage travels in the +X-axis direction, the − side plasma actuator of the second plasma actuator applies an air current to the second head unit . Similarly, the − side plasma actuators of the third plasma actuator to the eighth plasma actuator apply an air current to the third head unit to the eighth head unit , respectively.
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a
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a
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a
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j.
When the carriage travels in the −X-axis direction, the + side plasma actuator of the second plasma actuator applies an air current to the first head unit . Similarly, the + side plasma actuators of the third plasma actuator to the eighth plasma actuator apply an air current to the second head unit to the seventh head unit , respectively. The ninth plasma actuator is the + side plasma actuator . Then, the ninth plasma actuator applies an air current to the eighth head unit
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12
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32
In this manner, the plasma actuators are disposed to sandwich the head units in the first direction . The carriage moves back and forth in the first direction . Then, the plasma actuators corresponding to the direction in which the carriage travels relative to the head units apply an air current to the head units .
37
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The plasma actuators disposed on the side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head units are different in the forward path and the return path in which the carriage moves back and forth. Then, the plasma actuators disposed on the side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head units apply an air current to the head units . Accordingly, during the movement of the carriage in the forward path and also in the return path, the plasma actuators apply the air current in the direction identical to the travel direction of the first air current generated as the carriage moves, therefore the head units can be passed through this air current.
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
FIGS. 5 and 6
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36
38
38
32
38
12
32
14
a
a
is a schematic side view illustrating the structure of the carriage, and is an overall perspective view illustrating main parts and shapes of the current introducing portions of the carriage. As illustrated in , the current introducing portions are recessed in the X direction more deeply than the side surfaces of the main body unit . Then, the surfaces constituting each of the current introducing portions include a curved surface, a flat surface, and the like formed continuously. Then, since the current introducing portions are recessed deeply on the nozzle surface sides, the current introducing portion on the side corresponding to the direction in which the carriage travels is capable of taking in air and causing the air to flow between the nozzle surface and the recording medium .
FIGS. 7 and 8
FIG. 7
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a
b
a
a
b
a
are schematic diagrams for explaining operations of the plasma actuators. Since the operations of the plasma actuators are known, general description of the operations of the plasma actuators will be given without the detail. In , the travel direction of the carriage is the +X-axis direction. In this case, the first air current travels in the −X-axis direction. The plasma actuators are each provided between the head units adjacent to each other. Each of the plasma actuators includes the + side plasma actuator and the − side plasma actuator . The + side plasma actuator applies an air current in the +X-axis direction. The − side plasma actuator applies the air current in the −X-axis direction.
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a
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a
The + side plasma actuator and the − side plasma actuator each include a lower electrode and an upper electrode . Then, a dielectric member is provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode . The lower electrode and the upper electrode are shaped in rectangles extending in the Y-axis direction, and are disposed parallel to each other. Then, when the − side plasma actuator is viewed from the Z-axis direction side, the upper electrode is disposed in the −X-axis direction of the lower electrode . When the + side plasma actuator is viewed from the Z-axis direction side, the upper electrode is disposed in the +X-axis direction of the lower electrode . A silicon plate, an epoxy plate, a Teflon (trade name) sheet, a polyimide sheet, or the like can be used as a plate material of the dielectric member . The lower electrode and the upper electrode may be any conductive material, and the material is not particularly limited, and a metal such as silver, copper, and aluminum can be used.
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a
b.
The upper electrode is grounded by a chassis ground . Then, an AC power source and a switch are connected in series between the upper electrode and the lower electrode . The AC power source has a voltage of several Kv and a frequency of several KHz. The switch switches a voltage supplied by the AC power source to one of the + side plasma actuator and the − side plasma actuator
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b
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b
When the carriage travels in the +X-axis direction, the control unit drives the − side plasma actuator . Then, the control unit switches a circuit of the switch to supply an AC voltage to the lower electrode of the − side plasma actuator . In this case, an AC magnetic field is formed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode . This AC magnetic field forms discharge plasma on the −X-axis direction side of the lower electrode of the − side plasma actuator . A region where this discharge plasma is formed will be referred to as a plasma region .
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Distribution of electrons accumulated in the lower electrode and electrons accumulated on a surface of the −Z-axis direction side of the dielectric member differs depending on whether a voltage of the lower electrode rises or falls. Then, an ionization state of air in the plasma region becomes asymmetrical between a case where a voltage of the lower electrode rises and a case where a voltage of the lower electrode falls. For this reason, momentum biased in the −X-axis direction is produced in air. Note that normally, less than 1 ppm of air is ionized in the plasma region . A small number of accelerated charged particles collide with the remaining large number of neutral air molecules and produce macro momentum.
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b
a
a
In this manner, when electrons and ions move between the lower electrode and the dielectric member , the electrons and ions collide with air molecules, and the air molecules move in the −X-axis direction. Thus, the − side plasma actuator applies the air current flowing in the −X-axis direction along the nozzle surface to the first air current .
FIG. 8
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6
37
6
50
45
37
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45
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a
a
a.
As illustrated in , when the carriage travels in the −X-axis direction, the control unit drives the − side plasma actuator . Then, the control unit switches the circuit of the switch to supply an AC voltage to the lower electrode of the + side plasma actuator . In this case, an AC magnetic field is formed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode . This AC magnetic field forms discharge plasma on the +X-axis direction side of the lower electrode of the + side plasma actuator
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a
a
a
Then, when electrons and ions move between the lower electrode and the dielectric member , the electrons and ions collide with air molecules, and the air molecules move in the +X-axis direction. Thus, the + side plasma actuator applies the air current flowing in the +X-axis direction along the nozzle surface to the first air current .
FIG. 9
FIG. 9
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37
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a
is a schematic plan diagram illustrating main parts of a bottom surface of the carriage, and is a diagram illustrating the carriage traveling in the +X-axis direction. As illustrated in , the nozzle row is arranged extending in the second direction . Then, the plasma actuators also have shapes extending in the second direction . The range where the plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current will be referred to as a first range .
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a
Then, the range where the nozzle row is provided in each of the head units will be referred to as a second range . The second range is a smaller range than the first range . Accordingly, the first range also includes places where the nozzles are not provided at both ends of the second range . The places in the first range where the nozzles are not disposed will be referred to as third ranges . The third ranges are disposed at both the ends of the second range . In other words, the range where the plasma actuators apply the air current in the second direction also includes places where the nozzles are not provided at the nozzle row and the ends of the nozzle row .
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a
a
Thus, the plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current located at the second range where the nozzle row is provided. Further, the plasma actuators also apply the air current to the first air current located at the third ranges where the nozzles are not provided at the ends of the nozzle row . For this reason, the first air current also flows at the ends of the nozzle row at a similar rate to a rate in the middle of the nozzle row .
FIGS. 10 to 13
FIGS. 10 and 11
FIG. 10
FIG. 11
FIG. 10
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a
are schematic diagrams for explaining an effect that the first air current has on a second air current generated by ejection of ink droplets. each illustrate a state where the plasma actuators are not driven. is a diagram illustrating the carriage from the Y-axis direction side, and is a diagram illustrating the carriage from the X-axis direction side. As illustrated in , the nozzles are provided on the nozzle surface of each head unit . Note that the number of nozzle rows and the number of the nozzles in each head unit are reduced to make the drawing more understandable. Then, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles . Since the carriage moves in the first direction relative to the platen , the ink droplets are observed in the first direction as traveling at a slight angle relative to a vertical direction.
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When the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles travel, an air current is generated as the ink droplets travel. This air current will be referred to as a second air current . As an ejection rate of the ink droplets increases, turbulence is generated in the second air current in the peripheries of the ink droplets . Then, a vortex-shaped rotational flow is generated in the second air current . Thus, since the second air current also affects places distant from the ink droplets , the second air current becomes turbulence. Then, the turbulence in the second air current deviates a travel direction of the ink droplets .
FIG. 11
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14
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14
a
b
a
b
As illustrated in , the turbulence in the second air current generates a place where a gap between places where the ink droplets land on the recording medium is a first gap having a great width, and a place where the gap is a second gap having a small width. When the head units travel in the first direction with the first gap and the second gap remaining in this manner, the ink droplets landing on the recording medium form a ripple-like pattern.
FIGS. 12 and 13
FIG. 12
FIG. 13
FIG. 12
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a
each illustrate a state where the − side plasma actuator is driven. is a diagram illustrating the carriage from the Y-axis direction side, and is a diagram illustrating the carriage from the X-axis direction side. As illustrated in , the − side plasma actuator is driven. Then, the − side plasma actuator applies the air current to the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface . The first air current affects the turbulence in the second air current traveling in the travel direction of the ink droplets , and prevents the turbulence in the second air current occurring in the peripheries of the ink droplets from stagnating. Accordingly, the plasma actuators are capable of preventing the ink droplets traveling from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current .
FIG. 13
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14
As illustrated in , the turbulence in the second air current is prevented, and thus, a variation in the gap between the places where the ink droplets land on the recording medium reduces. When the head units travel in the first direction in a state where a variation in the gap is reduced in this manner, the ink droplets landing on the recording medium are prevented from forming a ripple-like pattern.
FIG. 14
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14
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41
is a graph illustrating a relationship between a velocity of the first air current and a positional deviation amount in the Y-direction of the ink droplets landing on the recording medium. The ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles without movement of the carriage . In this case, a difference between positions where the ink droplets land on the recording medium and positions directly below the nozzles is the positional deviation amount. A horizontal axis represents the velocity of the first air current , and a vertical axis represents the positional deviation amount of the places where the ink droplets land. A velocity-positional deviation correlation line indicates the positional deviation amount with respect to the velocity of the first air current .
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61
The positional deviation amount is approximately 40 μm when the velocity of the first air current is 0 m/S. The positional deviation amount decreases to approximately 12 μm when the velocity of the first air current is 0.3 m/S. The positional deviation amount decreases to approximately 10 μm when the velocity of the first air current is 0.6 m/S. A ripple observance line represents a boundary at which a ripple is confirmed. A ripple is confirmed when the positional deviation amount is greater than or equal to 13 μm. Accordingly, the positional deviation amount may be less than the ripple observance line .
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The positional deviation amount is close to the ripple observance line when the velocity of the first air current is 0.3 m/S. When an average velocity of the first air current is 0.3 m/S, the velocity may drop below 0.3 m/S. For this reason, a ripple is likely to be observed. Accordingly, the velocity of the first air current may be greater than or equal to 0.6 m/S.
FIG. 9
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a
With reference to again, the air current occurring by the plasma actuators is applied to the first air current in the second range and also in the third ranges . As a result, the ink droplets traveling are prevented from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current , as with in the middle of the nozzle row .
FIG. 4
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a
With reference to again, a region on the air current surface where the head units and the plasma actuators are provided will be referred to as a first region . The nozzles are provided in the first region , and at least one of a plurality of concave portions or a plurality of convex portions are further disposed in the first region .
FIG. 15
FIG. 15
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a
a
a
is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram for explaining an action of the concave portions provided on the air current surface. As illustrated in , when concave portions are provided on the air current surface in the first region , some of the first air current flowing along the air current surface flows along the concave portions , and some of the first air current travels straight. In this case, the air current flowing along the concave portions and the air current traveling straight interfere and generate fine turbulence. Fluid body resistance in the air current surface is reduced by this turbulence. As a result, the first air current flows efficiently.
FIG. 16
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a
a
a
a
is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram for explaining an action of the convex portions provided on the air current surface. As illustrated in FIG. , when convex portions are provided on the air current surface in the first region , some of the first air current flowing along the air current surface flows along the convex portions , and some of the first air current travels straight. In this case, the air current flowing along the convex portions and the air current traveling straight interfere and generate fine turbulence. Fluid body resistance in the air current surface is reduced by this turbulence. As a result, the first air current flows efficiently. Note that either the concave portions or the convex portions may be arranged in the first region , or both the concave portions and the convex portions may be provided in the first region . Fluid body resistance in the air current surface is also reduced by this turbulence in this case. As a result, the first air current flows efficiently.
FIG. 4
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65
65
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65
With reference to again, regions on the +Y-axis direction side and the −Y-axis direction side of the first region will be referred to as second regions . The second regions are disposed to sandwich the first region in the second direction . Then, neither the concave portions nor the convex portions are disposed in the second regions . Thus, the first air current flows more efficiently in the first region than in the second regions .
65
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42
12
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65
Then, the second regions are disposed to sandwich the first region in the second direction . Thus, when the carriage moves in the first direction , a direction in which the first air current flows is controlled to cause the first air current flowing in the first region to flow in the first direction without flowing toward the second regions .
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32
a
Then, the nozzles are provided in the first region . Accordingly, the first air current entering the first region passes along the nozzle surface efficiently.
According to the first exemplary embodiment as described above, there are the following effects.
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a
a
a.
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the carriage includes the head units and the plasma actuators . Each of the head units includes the nozzle surface provided with the nozzles , and the ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles . The plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface
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14
When the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles travel, the second air current is generated as the ink droplets travel. As the ejection rate of the ink droplets increases, turbulence is generated in the second air current in the peripheries of the ink droplets . The turbulence in the second air current disturbs the travel direction of the ink droplets . When the ink droplets are affected by the turbulence in the second air current , the ink droplets landing on the recording medium form a ripple-like pattern.
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12
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a
a
The plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface . The first air current affects the turbulence in the second air current traveling in the travel direction of the ink droplets , and prevents the turbulence in the second air current occurring in the peripheries of the ink droplets from stagnating. Accordingly, the ink droplets traveling are prevented from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current . As a result, the carriage is capable of preventing the ink droplets landing on the recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern.
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a
a
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the carriage moves in the first direction . Then, the nozzles are arranged in the second direction intersecting with the first direction , and constitutes the nozzle row . Accordingly, the nozzle row extends in the second direction . The plasma actuators are longer in the second direction than the nozzle row . Then, the nozzle row is located within the first range where the plasma actuators apply the air current . Further, the first range where the plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current also includes the third ranges where the nozzles are not provided at the ends of the nozzle row .
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a
a
The plasma actuators apply the air current to the first air current located in the second range where the nozzle row is provided. Further, the plasma actuators also apply the air current to the first air current located in the third ranges where the nozzles are not provided at the ends of the nozzle row . For this reason, the first air current flows at the ends of the nozzle row as quickly as in the middle of the nozzle row . As a result, the ink droplets traveling are also prevented from being affected by the turbulence in the second air current at the ends of the nozzle row , as with in the middle of the nozzle row .
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a
a
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the carriage moves back and forth in the first direction . When the carriage moves, the first air current travels from the travel direction side of the carriage to the head units . Then, the plasma actuators are disposed to sandwich each head unit in the first direction . The plasma actuators disposed on the side toward which the carriage travels relative to the head units are different in the forward path and the return path. Then, the plasma actuators disposed on the sides toward which the carriage travels relative to the head units apply the air current . Accordingly, during the movement of the carriage in the forward path and also in the return path, the head units are caused to pass through the air current applied by the plasma actuators in the direction identical to the travel direction of the first air current generated as the carriage moves.
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a
a
a
a
a
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the carriage includes the main body unit configured to support the head units and the plasma actuators . Then, a gas flowing along the nozzle surface flows along the air current surface of the main body unit . The plurality of concave portions or the plurality of convex portions are disposed in the air current surface . Some of the first air current flowing along the air current surface flows along the concave portions or the convex portions , and some of the first air current travels straight. In this case, the first air current flowing along the concave portions or the convex portions and the first air current traveling straight interfere each other and generate fine turbulence. Fluid body resistance in the air current surface is reduced by this turbulence. As a result, the first air current can flow more efficiently.
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According to the first exemplary embodiment, the main body unit of the carriage includes the first region and the second regions . At least either the plurality of concave portions or the plurality of convex portions are disposed in the first region . Then, neither the concave portions nor the convex portions are disposed in the second regions . Thus, the first air current flows more efficiently in the first region than in the second regions .
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Then, the second regions are disposed to sandwich the first region in the second direction intersecting with the first direction in which the carriage moves. When the carriage moves in the first direction , the direction in which the first air current flows can be so controlled that the first air current flowing in the first region flows in the first direction without flowing toward the second regions .
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a
Then, the nozzles are arranged in the first region . Accordingly, the first air current entering the first region can pass along the nozzle surface more efficiently.
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12
a
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the main body unit is provided with the current introducing portions in the first direction in which the carriage moves. Then, the current introducing portions move air located on the side corresponding to the direction in which the carriage moves. Then, the moved air becomes the first air current flowing along the nozzle surface . Accordingly, the current introducing portions are capable of taking in the first air current efficiently as the carriage moves.
1
12
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1
1
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14
According to the first exemplary embodiment, the recording apparatus includes the carriage . The carriage is the carriage capable of preventing the ink droplets landing on the recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern. Accordingly, the recording apparatus is implemented as the recording apparatus including the carriage capable of preventing the ink droplets landing on the recording medium from forming a ripple-like pattern.
Note that the first exemplary embodiment is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Many variations and modifications can also be made by one of ordinary skill in the art within the technical spirit of the disclosure. Modified examples will be described below.
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In the first exemplary embodiment, the nozzle row is located within the range where the plasma actuators apply the air current in the second direction . When the ink droplets landing on the recording medium and present in a place facing a portion at the end of the nozzle row do not form a ripple-like pattern, the portion at the end of the nozzle row may not be located within the range where the plasma actuators apply the air current in the second direction . In other words, the plasma actuators may not be provided in a place where a ripple-like pattern is not formed. Since the length in the second direction of each of the plasma actuators is reduced, the weight of the carriage is reduced.
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In the first exemplary embodiment, the carriage moves back and forth in the first direction . The plasma actuators are disposed to sandwich each head unit in the first direction . When the direction in which the carriage moves as the ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles is one direction, each of the plasma actuators may be disposed on one side in the first direction of each head unit . Then, the plasma actuators may be disposed on the sides of the head units corresponding to the direction in which the head units move as the ink droplets are ejected. In this case, similarly, the plasma actuators are capable of applying the air current along the nozzle surface . Then, since the number of the plasma actuators is reduced, the weight of the carriage is reduced.
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In the first exemplary embodiment, the concave portions or the convex portions are provided in the first region of the main body unit . In a case where a ripple-like pattern is not formed on the recording medium even when the concave portions or the convex portions are not provided in the first region , the concave portions and the convex portions may be omitted. Since the concave portions and the convex portions are not provided, the recording apparatus is manufactured with high productivity.
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In the first exemplary embodiment, the current introducing portions are provided in the main body unit . In a case where a ripple-like pattern is not formed on the recording medium even when the current introducing portions are not provided, the current introducing portions may be omitted. Since the current introducing portions are not provided, the recording apparatus is manufactured with high productivity.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-140629, filed Jul. 20, 2017. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-140629 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
FIG. 1
is an overall perspective view illustrating a structure of a recording apparatus.
FIG. 2
is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram illustrating the structure of the recording apparatus.
FIG. 3
is a schematic side view illustrating a structure of a carriage.
FIG. 4
is a schematic plan view illustrating the structure of the carriage.
FIG. 5
is a schematic side view illustrating the structure of the carriage.
FIG. 6
is an overall perspective view illustrating main parts and a shape of a current introducing portion of the carriage.
FIG. 7
is a schematic diagram for explaining operations of plasma actuators.
FIG. 8
is a schematic diagram for explaining operations of the plasma actuators.
FIG. 9
is a schematic plan view illustrating main parts of a bottom surface of the carriage.
FIG. 10
is a schematic diagram for explaining an effect that a first air current has on a second air current generated by ejection of ink droplets.
FIG. 11
is a schematic diagram for explaining an effect that the first air current has on the second air current generated by ejection of ink droplets.
FIG. 12
is a schematic diagram for explaining an effect that the first air current has on the second air current generated by ejection of ink droplets.
FIG. 13
is a schematic diagram for explaining an effect that the first air current has on the second air current generated by ejection of ink droplets.
FIG. 14
is a graph illustrating a relationship between a velocity of the first air current and a positional deviation amount in a Y-direction of ink droplets landing on a recording medium.
FIG. 15
is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram for explaining an action of concave portions provided on an air current surface.
FIG. 16
is a schematic side cross-sectional diagram for explaining an action of convex portions provided on the air current surface. | |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to China Application Serial Number 202010160323.2, filed Mar. 10, 2020, which is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
Description of Related Art
The present disclosure relates to a light source system, and more particularly, to a light source system of a projection module.
A fluorescent wheel is a wavelength conversion element. As a key optical element in a projector, it converts light from a light source into fluorescent light. After the wavelength conversion material on the fluorescent wheel absorbs light of a specific wavelength, the internal electrons will transition from the ground state to the excited state, and then energy will be released by means of radiation such as photons and phonons. Photon conversion refers to the emission of photons of other wavelengths as the colored light of the projector when the excited electrons are discharged to the ground state. Phonon conversion refers to the excited electrons are directly released in the energy band through thermal energy, which causes the temperature of the fluorescent wheel to rise.
However, some problems would be caused in conventional projector: (1) it is necessary to use a collimating lens and a dichroic mirror to divide different colored lights (for example, three primary colors), however, complicating optical path often makes the optical system bulky, and the number of optical components to be used also leads to higher costs; (2) the collimating lens used in the optical path will be transmitted through by different colored lights in plurality directions, so that overheated and broken may be caused; and (3) the fluorescent wheel is sandwiched between two lenses for receiving light, so it may be difficult to dissipate heat because of the narrow space between the lenses.
Accordingly, how to provide a light source system to solve the aforementioned problems becomes an important issue to be solved by those in the industry.
SUMMARY
An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a light source system which can effectively solve the aforementioned problems.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a light source system includes a fluorescent wheel, a color wheel, at least one light reflector, and a light source module. The fluorescent wheel includes at least one fluorescent section. The color wheel includes a filter portion. The at least one light reflector has a reflective curved surface which has a first focal point and a second focal point conjugated to each other. The first focal point is located on a rotation path of the at least one fluorescent section. The second focal point is located on a rotation path of the filter portion. The light source module is configured to emit light to the first focal point.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the reflective curved surface is a concave surface.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a contour of the reflective curved surface partially matches a contour of an ellipsoid.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the color wheel has a light-facing surface. The light-facing surface has a normal line extending through the second focal point and the reflective curved surface.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the fluorescent wheel further includes a substrate. The at least one fluorescent section is disposed on the substrate.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one light reflector is located at a side of the substrate.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one light reflector extends to opposite sides of the substrate.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one light reflector has a slit. The fluorescent wheel partially passes through the slit.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the color wheel has a light-facing surface. The light-facing surface has a normal line extending through the first focal point and the second focal point.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a number of the at least one light reflector is two. The two light reflectors are respectively located at opposite sides of the substrate. The second focal points of the two light reflectors coincide.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the substrate is a reflective substrate.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the substrate is a transmissive substrate.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the fluorescent wheel further includes a reflective section disposed on the substrate. The at least one fluorescent section and the reflective section are arranged in a ring shape.
Accordingly, in the light source system of the present disclosure, various colored lights (including the light emitted by the light source module and the light converted by the fluorescent wheel) are reflected by the reflective curved surface of the light reflector to the color wheel. In other words, the various colored lights reach the color wheel via the same light path. Therefore, the light path of the light source system of the present disclosure is relatively simple, and the cost can be reduced without using a collimating lens and a dichroic mirror. Furthermore, the fluorescent wheel of the present disclosure does not need to be sandwiched between two lenses, so the heat can be easily dissipated. In addition, the reflective curved surface of the light reflector of the present disclosure has a first focal point and a second focal point respectively located on the fluorescent wheel and the color wheel, and the reflective curved surface is configured to reflect light from one of the first focal point and the second focal point to the other of the first focal point and the second focal point. Therefore, even if a part of the light focused by the light source module on the first focal point is not converted by the fluorescent wheel, this part of the light will be reflected by the reflective curved surface to the color wheel, and then be reflected back to the fluorescent wheel sequentially by the color wheel and the reflective curved surface. As a result, the light usage can be effectively improved.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2
is a partial side view of a fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3
is a front view of the fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 6
is a partial side view of a fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments, and thus may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only example embodiments set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
FIGS. 1 to 3
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIGS. 1 to 3
FIG. 1
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Reference is made to . is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. is a partial side view of a fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. is a front view of the fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in , the light source system includes a fluorescent wheel , a color wheel , a light reflector , a light source module , and a light integrator . The fluorescent wheel includes a substrate , a fluorescent section , and a reflective section , and is configured to rotate around an axis A. The fluorescent section and the reflective section are arranged on the substrate in a ring shape around the axis A. The color wheel includes a filter portion and is configured to rotate around an axis A. The light reflector is located at a side of the substrate and has a reflective curved surface (indicated by a dashed line in ). The reflective curved surface has a first focal point F and a second focal point F conjugated to each other. The first focal point F is located on a rotation path of the fluorescent section . The second focal point F is located on a rotation path of the filter portion . The light source module is configured to emit light to the first focal point F. The light integrator is configured to receive the light passing through the filter portion of the color wheel and guide the light to, for example, a projection module (not shown) for use.
FIG. 1
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Specifically, as shown in , the light source module includes a light emitter , a lens , a diffuser , and a reflecting mirror . The light emitter is configured to emit light. In some embodiments, the light emitter is a blue laser light source, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. The lens is configured to focus or transmit the light emitted by the light emitter . The reflecting mirror is configured to reflect the light passing through the lens so that the light is focused on the first focal point F. The diffuser is optically coupled between the lens and the reflecting mirror , and is configured to even out the light, thereby solving the problem of the light speckle of the laser light source.
FIG. 1
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As shown in , the reflective curved surface is a concave surface. In some embodiments, a contour of the reflective curved surface partially matches a contour of an ellipsoid, so that the reflective curved surface has two conjugate focal points (i.e., the first focal point F and the second focal point F). Hence, the reflective curved surface can reflect the light from the first focal point F to the second focal point F, and can also reflect the light from the second focal point F to the first focal point F.
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In some embodiments, the light emitted by the light source module is blue light. The fluorescent section of the fluorescent wheel is a yellow fluorescent powder section. The filter portion of the color wheel includes a red section, a green section, and a blue section that are arranged on the color wheel in a ring shape around the axis A. When the fluorescent wheel rotates to make the first focal point F be located on the fluorescent section , most of the light emitted by the light source module is converted into yellow light by the fluorescent section , and the yellow light is reflected by the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reaches the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, if the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the red section of the filter portion , red light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator ; and if the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the green section of the filter portion , green light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator . In addition, when the fluorescent wheel rotates so that the first focal point F is located on the reflective section , the light emitted by the light source module is sequentially reflected by the reflective section and the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reaches the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the blue section of the filter portion , and blue light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator . Hence, the light source system can sequentially output three primary colors of light, such as red light, green light, and blue light, according to the time sequence for use by the projection module.
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It should be noted that with the aforementioned optical configuration, a small part of the light emitted by the light source module that is not converted by the fluorescent section will be sequentially reflected by the surface of the fluorescent section and the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reach the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, if the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the red section or the green section of the filter portion , the light that has not been converted by the fluorescent section is sequentially reflected back to the fluorescent wheel by the filter portion and the reflective curved surface of the color wheel for conversion, thereby effectively improving the light utilization rate.
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Furthermore, it can be known from the foregoing optical configuration that various colored lights (including the light emitted by the light source module and the light converted by the fluorescent wheel ) are reflected by the reflective curved surface of the light reflector to the color wheel . In other words, the various colored lights reach the color wheel via the same light path. Therefore, the light path of the light source system of the present disclosure is relatively simple, and the cost can be reduced without using a collimating lens and a dichroic mirror. Furthermore, the fluorescent wheel of the present disclosure does not need to be sandwiched between two lenses, so the heat can be easily dissipated. It should also be noted that, in order to increase the range of light received from the fluorescent wheel , the width of the light reflector can be increased by an appropriate amount. In this way, the position and reflection angle of the reflecting mirror should be adjusted accordingly, so that the light of the light emitter can enter the fluorescent wheel without being blocked by the light reflector .
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In some other embodiments, the light emitted by the light source module is blue light. The fluorescent section of the fluorescent wheel includes a yellow fluorescent powder section and a green fluorescent powder section that are arranged on the color wheel in a ring shape around the axis A. The filter portion of the color wheel includes a red section, a yellow section, a green section, and a blue section When the fluorescent wheel rotates to make the first focal point F be located on the yellow fluorescent powder section of the fluorescent section , most of the light emitted by the light source module is converted into yellow light by the fluorescent section , and the yellow light is reflected by the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reaches the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, if the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the red section of the filter portion , red light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator ; and if the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the yellow section of the filter portion , yellow light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator . When the fluorescent wheel rotates to make the first focal point F be located on the green fluorescent powder section of the fluorescent section , most of the light emitted by the light source module is converted into green light by the fluorescent section , and the green light is reflected by the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reaches the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the green section of the filter portion , and green light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator . When the fluorescent wheel rotates so that the first focal point F is located on the reflective section , the light emitted by the light source module is sequentially reflected by the reflective section and the reflective curved surface to the second focal point F and reaches the filter portion of the color wheel . At this time, the rotating color wheel causes the first focal point F to be located on the blue section of the filter portion , and blue light can be filtered out and outputted to the light integrator . It should be noted that, during the design, the fluorescent section of the fluorescent wheel may include fluorescent powder of other colors which may be matched with the filter portion of the color wheel to generate colors required by the projection module. In addition, in some embodiments, the blue section of the filter portion of the color wheel may be transparent glass or a diffuser.
FIG. 1
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As shown in , in some embodiments, the color wheel has a light-facing surface . In order to reflect the light that has not been converted back to the fluorescent wheel sequentially by the filter portion of the color wheel and the reflective curved surface for conversion, a normal line N of the light-facing surface that passes through the second focal point F may be designed to extend through the reflective curved surface . Hence, the light that has not been converted by the fluorescent section can be reflected back to the fluorescent section for conversion in a substantially opposite direction, thereby effectively improving the light utilization rate.
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FIG. 1
In some embodiments, the substrate shown in is a reflective substrate, but the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 1
FIG. 4
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Reference is made to . is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in , compared to the light source system as shown in , the light reflector of the light source system of the present embodiment extends to opposite sides of the substrate of the fluorescent wheel . Specifically, the light reflector has a slit . The substrate of the fluorescent wheel partially passes through the slit . With the structural configuration, even if the light not converted by the fluorescent section is reflected by the filter portion of the color wheel to the lower side of the substrate in , the light reflector extending to the lower side of the substrate can still use the reflective curved surface to reflect the light that has not been converted by the fluorescent section back to the fluorescent wheel .
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FIG. 4
FIG. 4
In some embodiments, the substrate shown in is a transmissive substrate, and the light that is not converted by the fluorescent section can also pass through the substrate from the lower side to reach the fluorescent section on the upper side of the substrate . In some embodiments, the substrate shown in is a reflective substrate, and a fluorescent section is correspondingly disposed on the lower side of the substrate so as to be aligned with the fluorescent section on the upper side of the substrate , such that the light that is not converted by the fluorescent section can be directly converted by the fluorescent section located at the lower side of the substrate .
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a
In some embodiments, in order to reflect the light that has not been converted by the fluorescent section back to the fluorescent wheel sequentially by the filter portion of the color wheel and the reflective curved surface shown in for conversion, a normal line N of the light-facing surface that passes through the second focal point F a may be designed to extend through the first focal point F. Hence, the light that has not been converted by the fluorescent section can be reflected back to the fluorescent wheel through the lower side of the substrate .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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FIG. 4
FIG. 5
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Reference is made to . is a perspective view of a light source system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in , compared to the light source system as shown in , the light source system of the present embodiment includes two light reflectors . The two light reflectors are respectively located at opposite sides of the substrate , and the second focal points F of the two light reflectors coincide. With the structural configuration, even if the light not converted by the fluorescent section is reflected by the filter portion of the color wheel to the lower side of the substrate in , the light reflector located at the lower side of the substrate can still use the reflective curved surface to reflect the light that is not converted by the fluorescent section back to the fluorescent wheel .
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FIG. 4
In some embodiments, the first focal points F of the two light reflectors can also coincide, such that a combination of the two light reflectors in the present embodiment are substantially equivalent to the light reflector shown in .
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
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Reference is made to . is a partial side view of the fluorescent wheel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in with reference to , a fluorescent section is correspondingly arranged on the lower side of the substrate so as to be aligned with the fluorescent section on the upper side of the substrate , and the first focal points F of the two light reflectors are located on the rotation path of the upper and lower fluorescent sections respectively, such that the light that is not converted by the fluorescent section can also be directly converted by the fluorescent section located at the lower side of the substrate .
111
FIG. 5
In some embodiments, the substrate shown in is one of a reflective substrate and a transmissive substrate.
According to the foregoing recitations of the embodiments of the disclosure, it can be seen that in the light source system of the present disclosure, various colored lights (including the light emitted by the light source module and the light converted by the fluorescent wheel) are reflected by the reflective curved surface of the light reflector to the color wheel. In other words, the various colored lights reach the color wheel via the same light path. Therefore, the light path of the light source system of the present disclosure is relatively simple, and the cost can be reduced without using a collimating lens and a dichroic mirror. Furthermore, the fluorescent wheel of the present disclosure does not need to be sandwiched between two lenses, so the heat can be easily dissipated. In addition, the reflective curved surface of the light reflector of the present disclosure has a first focal point and a second focal point respectively located on the fluorescent wheel and the color wheel, and the reflective curved surface is configured to reflect light from one of the first focal point and the second focal point to the other of the first focal point and the second focal point. Therefore, even if a part of the light focused by the light source module on the first focal point is not converted by the fluorescent wheel, this part of the light will be reflected by the reflective curved surface to the color wheel, and then be reflected back to the fluorescent wheel sequentially by the color wheel and the reflective curved surface. As a result, the light usage can be effectively improved.
Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims. | |
Dublin Crew’s current fleet consists of 14 boats total: seven 8+, six 4+ and one double. Here is some history behind the boats’ names, including some that are retired.
THOMAS STOCKDALE (UNKNOWN) – RETIRED. The purchase of this four+ is unknown. The first boat of Dublin Crew. On the way to its first regatta, the bow was punctured by an object. Concerned that it would not be able to be rowed, the parents of the Founding Five went to the local store, purchased duct tape, and covered the hole – the result, a first-place finish. The bow of the boat continues to be stored (with the duct tape) in the Dublin Crew erg room.
DIRIGO (DIRIGO 1991) – RETIRED. An unnamed eight+.
J.R. Mason (Vespoli 1992) – RETIRED. This eight+ was named after J.R. (Jim) Mason, a key contributor as it relates to time, talent and treasure to the early success of the Dublin Crew program.
VESPI 4 (VESPOLI 1995) – RETIRED. An unnamed four+.
FOUNDING FIVE (DIRIGO 1996) – RETIRED. This four+ was named after the first five members (women) of Dublin Crew in 1991, rower Sarah Cooper-Novak, rower Leah Glowacki, rower Jacque Newman, rower Wendy Swart and coxswain Lisa Leppert.
JOHN & SALLY LEPPERT (VESPOLI 1996) – RETIRED. This eight+ was named after John and Sally Leppert, parents of the Founding Five coxswain, Lisa Leppert, and longtime supporters of Dublin Crew including housing the boats in winter for many years.
RACER (VESPOLI 1997) – An unnamed eight+.
MEL DODGE (VESPOLI 1998) – RETIRED. Purchased from GCRA in 2009, this eight+ was named after Mel Dodge, a Columbus philanthropist.
DR. GREGORY BROOKES (VESPOLI 2000) – RETIRED. This eight+ was named after Dr. Gregory Brookes. Dr. Brookes was the athletic team doctor for Dublin City Schools from 1982 until his passing in 2000. He is most noted for his visionary impact in athletics. He felt sports could be utilized to facilitate growth in other areas off the playing field. He made it his goal to assist children and families navigating into young adulthood. Dr. Brookes believed that through athletics, band and extracurricular activities children could have many positive school encounters. His ongoing vision is carried on by professionals who continue to impact students within our community today.
VESPI 8 (VESPOLI 2001) – RETIRED. An unnamed eight+.
RUSS MERRITT (VESPOLI 2002 ) – This four+ was named after Russ Merritt, who donated his time as the Varsity Men’s Coach for several years and longtime friend of Dublin Crew. In fact, for years, his pontoon boat was used for Ohio Governors Cup.
CASTO (VESPOLI 2004) – This four+ was named after The Casto Company, which donated storage space for winter storage as well as discounted space for the erg room during the 2011-13 seasons.
JENNIFER HARVIE (VESPOLI 2004) – This double was named after Jennifer Harvie, wife of long-time Dublin Crew coach and volunteer, Gregory Harvie.
GREGORY T. HARVIE (VESPOLI 2005) – This eight+ was named after Greg Harvie, longtime Dublin Crew coach, volunteer, and friend.
LCpl WESLEY DAVIDS (VESPOLI 2005) –RETIRED This four+ was named after LCpl Wesley Davids as part of his will. Davids, Dublin Crew Alumni, and Class of 2003, was a member of the Marine Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, 4th Division in Columbus. He died in May 2005 from an explosion while conducting combat operations in Karabilah, Iraq.
JOSEPH A. FRENCH (VESPOLI 2005) – RETIRED. This eight+ was named after Joseph French, a former Dublin Crew Parent, President, and longtime volunteer and friend.
LUCKY ’13 (2011) – This four+ was the first boat purchased by Dublin Crew in more than 6 years and was named after the Class of 2013 of Dublin Crew. Donations to this boat came from the families of Jacob Bauer (Class of ’13), Chance and Sarah Davis (Class of ’14 and ’13, respectively), Dani Figliuolo (Class of ’13), Olivia Gugliemotto (Class of ’12), Bailey and Maddie Irelan (Class of ’12 and ’13, respectively), Marshall Leaver (Class of ’13), Megan Levine (Class of ’13), Jake Marshall (Class of ’13), Luke Neuroth (Class of ’13), Sharon Zhang (Class of ’13).
THE MILES (SCHOENBRED UNKNOWN) – RETIRED. This was an eight+.
PARRISH (VESPOLI 2012) – This four+ was named after Dana Parrish and her family. Dana has been the Ohio Governor’s Cup Coordinator. She served as an officer of Dublin Crew and her children were active with Dublin Crew. Her daughter went on to row at the University of Miami (FL). Dana continues to row to this day with Greater Columbus Rowing Association.
JOANNE COOPER-NOVAK (HUDSON 2013). This eight+ was named after the founder of Dublin Crew in 1991. After visiting with members of the Greater Columbus Rowing Association, Joanne recruited Robin Kingma and Kelly Mackey to volunteer their services for 2-1/2 years to get the Dublin Crew program started. After five weeks of practice, Dublin Crew participated in their first race, The Speakmon Regatta. Despite all of the teams being college teams at this regatta, Dublin Crew captured a highly respectable second place.
POWER 10 (HUDSON 2014). This four+ was named in honor of all the alumni of Dublin Crew as Dublin Crew established in 2014 its alumni relationship model, the Power 10 Club. Power 10 is a rowing term referencing 10 hard power strokes during a race. In terms of our alumni relationship model, it also refers to the opportunity for Dublin Crew friends and alumni to stay in touch with the Club and its activities with a minimum donation of $10 per year. The power of this donation will propel the Club to future success.
THE COACH (HUDSON 2016) – The 4+ was named in honor the coaches that have made an impact on athletes that have rowed or coxed for Dublin Crew over the past 25 years. | https://www.dublincrew.org/about-us/dublin-crew-boat-history/ |
By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be over 65. Since the inception of the “Many Helping Hands” approach in 1982, the government has introduced an array of policies and funding structures to accommodate our rapidly ageing population, starting in the family before diffusing out to the state. Here are analyses and studies on these eldercare policies.
2. Community-based person-centred primary care
Rather than racking up risks and rates in acute care, the future of primary care lies in the life course: regular check-ups to maintain good health while preventing disease, quality care that revolves around the patient and not the physician or institution, and a system that smoothes transitions between different levels of care. The literature in this section presents the ins and outs of person-centred care, from home- and centre-based services to systems that include caregivers in their support.
3. Geriatric counselling
Counselling has sometimes been received with scepticism by the older population, just as mental illness often goes unrecognised and underreported. However, as awareness of psychological health increases so does acceptance of the techniques used to treat it. Here are studies on the experience of geriatric counselling by the elderly as well as some methods of psychological intervention.
4. Dementia care system
48,000 people in Singapore live with dementia, a number that is on the rise. Dementia is a growing concern both worldwide and in Singapore, for its prevalence and complexity. Its incurable attack on memory and the mind make it uniquely hard on caregivers. Here is a range of literature dealing with various issues of dementia: the caregiver experience, ethnic variations, independence, personhood, and more.
5. Ageism & Elder abuse
The “ageing problem”, “silver tsunami”, “demographic time bomb”—these are just some of the alarmist phrases commonly used to refer to the ageing population. If age comes for us all, why does ageism so effortlessly persist? Ageist attitudes and stereotyping are the breeding grounds for age discrimination in areas like employment or healthcare. One particularly serious consequence of ageism is elder abuse. Usually perpetuated by a family member, it comes in many forms—physical, emotional, sexual, financial, and neglect—and, like other forms of abuse, goes severely underreported.
6. Participation and independence
Life doesn’t stop at retirement. Older persons can enjoy their golden years with more exercise, volunteering, and other meaningful activities, while others still hope to return to the workforce. The literature here reviews community living, leisure activities, independence, employment, and financial security. Remember: Longevity is opportunity.
7. Caregiving
Much has been said on the ‘caregiver burden’: the physical and emotional toll that arises when the caregiver is overwhelmed and unsupported. You’ll find research on that here. But you’ll also find the underreported positive aspects of caregiving: emotional fulfilment, meaning making, and more. Caregiving is a complex experience; here is a well-rounded round up of the literature.
8. Age-friendly living
The city of the future is a city for all ages. This reaches beyond handrails or sheltered walkways, encompassing anything from telehealth to an accessible network of service providers. Here you’ll find ideas and case studies on age-friendly transport, housing, and cities.
9. Gerontechnology
Dozens of new technologies for the elderly are churned out year by year. Actual adoption of said technologies is an uphill battle, with issues of design, accessibility, need, and even ethical concerns. Here are systematic reviews of the vast array of available gerontechnologies as well as studies on their use and adoption.
10. Gender
Women outlive men while having fewer savings of their own. This has led to a phenomenon that comes hand in hand with an ageing population: the feminisation of ageing. As women are more likely to use long-term care services and be affected by eldercare policy, it is critical for policymakers to recognise this gendered perspective. In this section, you will learn about the health, sociocultural, and economic implications that accompany older women. | https://tsaofoundation.org/what-we-do/research-and-collaboration/issues-in-population-ageing |
The Sûreté du Québec has suspended its aerial search for businessman Stéphane Roy and his 14-year-old son, both of them missing since contact was lost with their helicopter as it flew in the northern Laurentians on July 10.
The search for Roy, founder of the Serres Sagami tomato production company, has required flyovers of 20,000 square kilometres of densely wooded territory in the northern Laurentians between Lac-De la Bidière and Ste-Sophie.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Sûreté du Québec suspends aerial search for missing businessman, son Back to video
SQ spokesperson Claude Doiron said the provincial force’s helicopter search was, like those of the Canadian Armed Forces, completed and that the aerial searches are suspended.
But he added that the investigation is continuing and that further aerial searches might occur during the next few days should investigators determine a specific area on which to focus.
“At the moment we have no evidence on the ground to direct our search,” Doiron said. “We’re asking people who are in the woods, who are hiking on foot, to keep an eye open and contact us should they obtain any information that could further our investigation.”
The Canadian Armed Forces announced on Saturday that they were ending their aerial search for the helicopter carrying Roy and his son Justin. | https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/surete-du-quebec-suspends-aerial-search-for-missing-businessman-son |
MJMMG’s (MJM Management Group) Andrew Bryant was recently featured on CNN’s Office with a View. In this informative piece, Andrew treats viewers to information about great places to work and enjoy San Francisco, including Yerba Buena Gardens and Union Square Park—two properties managed by MJMMG.
Turning Public Space into community value
This video spot is a shining example of how these public spaces are active and inclusive community gathering places in a dynamic city. The segment also highlights Westfield San Francisco Centre and the Ferry Building. The piece is being shown in more than 40 airports nationwide.
Join the conversation
Did you recently see the story on CNN while traveling? If not, now’s the time to share. We look forward to your comments and conversation. And if you have a public space challenge and would like to discuss your specific needs, let’s connect.
As Founder + CEO of MJMMG, Mary J. McCue leads a multi-disciplinary team that plans, activates and programs award-winning public spaces throughout the US. Send Mary an email or just call 415.477.2600. | https://mjmmg.com/mjmmg-on-cnn/ |
The approach used to calculate downtime for complicated projects is consistent with the literature: simulation. Researchers evaluate current downtime study on Shipping Corporation in this report. As a result, the existing approach for determining downtime for complex projects is untrustworthy; in fact, due to the significant simulation uncertainty, it is highly unsafe to utilise current methodology to make predictions on downtime distribution. We advocate utilising a stochastic metocean condition generator in the simulation to reduce simulation uncertainty. These uncertainties, however, may be managed by the model used, & they can also be quantified. Finally, a comparison1should be drawn between simulation uncertainty in HADDOCK & combined model, parametric, & simulation uncertainty in a stochastic model simulation.
I. INTRODUCTION
A maritime operation is an action (for example, hoisting or dredging) that has a1net or 'calm-weather' duration & a set of operating constraints, based on the equipment and the activity performed. As a result, the actual duration of operation is determined by weather conditions at time of execution: if the operating limitations are exceeded, downtime1occurs. The objective for this research is that precise information regarding the projected downtime1during a marine project, such as installation of Offshore Wind Farm foundations, is critical information during the tender process of such a project. Marine shipping corporation has created an in-house software tool to analyse1downtime (HADDOCK), but further study is needed to determine the (AI) validity and completeness of technique, particularly for complicated projects involving several consecutive operations. The goal of this thesis is to provide insight into the available methods for delay analysis in various categories of marine operations, as well as to investigate the applicability of a new stochastic1model to use in downtime simulations, which generates binary1workability sequences based on Markov1theory. Based on1these findings, recommendations1are offered to the shipping firm in order to assist enhance the current downtime analysis process.
The sequence of actions that must be performed, the equipment designed for these processes, and the location of project all lead to deterministic1planning. A deterministic1project plan does not include any1risks that might alter the plan; thus, a probabilistic plan is created using a risk model. A probabilistic1planning will not offer a single project1duration, but1rather a range or probability1distribution of possible durations. It1basically mimics the real project execution, including (some of the) potential dangers, depending on the model's complexity. A cost estimate can also be produced based on the projected time bandwidth. There are several ways for estimating the (risk-adjusted) project1duration. This is historically based on1most likely values. Risks & uncertainty can then be incorporated by raising the deterministic duration by a percentage. This % can be thought of as either a random variable or a1deterministic constant. Another alternative is to perform a Monte Carlo analysis.
The estimated project length can be predicted more precisely with a more specific evaluation of the particular hazards to which the project is susceptible. External (e.g., poor weather, unanticipated occurrences) & intrinsic (e.g., work rates or1engineering complexity) uncertainty of activities can be distinguished. Weather risk is one of external risk variables1that contribute to the overall risk of a maritime project, and it is only risk addressed in this thesis.
A cost/benefit analysis of two choices available to decrease weather risk is one purpose of a weather risk study. These options are to start the project at time that results in the least weather1risk or to employ different equipment.
During project execution, actual length and cost are determined by the (potential) occurrence of risk-marked events. Finally, it is hoped that the project's actual cost and duration would fall within the range predicted by the probabilistic risk model (otherwise1very unlikely events occurred or there would be1something wrong with model).
HADDOCK is1used to estimate the predicted weather downtime during a complicated project, which is crucial information during the bidding phase. Depending on stage or'strategy' of the tender, downtime and/or workability1information is used in various ways. The tender specifics are not yet evident in the high-level plan, and just a workability % is required. As the contract process progresses, the operating cycles become1clearer, necessitating a more complete downtime1analysis. This article focuses on downtime evaluation necessary in a thorough tender strategy.
Table 1: Current Downtimei Analysis Method in Haddock For Each Category of Marineioperations
|
|
TYPE OFIMARINE OPERATION
|
|
DOWNTIMEIANALYSIS METHOD
|
|
DOWNTIMEIRISK PRESENTATION
|
|
Continuous operation
|
|
Joint probability distribution / wave scatter
|
|
% of workability
|
|
Single weather window
|
|
Distribution of empirical persistency
|
|
Weather window cumulative probability distributions
|
|
Complex project
|
|
Raw data simulation (no stochastic model)
|
|
Project duration or downtime cumulative probability distribution (Pxx values)
II. REQUIREMENTS
In order for a downtime analysis approach for complicated projects to be beneficial in their operations, Shipping Corporation has established the following conditions.
III. PROJECT INFORMATION
The tender team offers project planning information. This comprises the intended vessel(s) as well as a description of the procedures that must be carried out. Each operation has a net duration, is either linked or uncoupled, and has operating constraints (for example, wave height and/or period limits, wind speed limits). Figure 1 depicts a fictitious example of operational limitations for Hs and Tp, as they are frequently schematized. The purple line represents the equipment's real operating limit, while the blue boxes are two instances of how limits are frequently stated. It is obvious that this method of modelling1operational restrictions understates real workability. On the other hand, operational limitations are often developed from practise and so are not known exactly.
Furthermore, the vessel captain always has the last say on whether or not the procedure is carried out. Some captains in dredging projects take operating constraints with a "grain of salt" and rely on their own1judgement and/or expertise. Exceeding limit will not cause the ship to sink, but it may produce a malfunction in suction tube, which is then captain's responsibility. Because of the greater insurance costs and hazards, the limit(s) specified by the Marine Warranty Surveyor (MWS) are1always observed in offshore projects. All project data is supplied as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that can be loaded into HADDOCK.
IV. DOWNTIME CALCULATION
HADDOCK's downtime analysis for complicated projects follows vander Wal and de Boer's approach: a simulation on hindcast1metocean data (i.e. no stochastic data generator). To begin, the workability1per time step is computed (i.e. determine whether or1not each time step in dataset is workable or not for that specific equipment). If time step is deemed practicable, the workability value is one; otherwise, it is zero. Because the project includes many operations & hence more than one operational restriction, this workability is computed for each of the norms. These are combined into a single 'workability-array,'1which serves as the foundation for the subsequent downtime and persistency calculations. A 'workability sequence' is a column from workability-array (excluding the date/time column(s).
Table 2: Example of A “Workability-Array”
|
|
TIME
|
|
OPERATION 1
|
|
OPERATION 2
|
|
OPERATION 3
|
|
0:00
|
|
0
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
1:00
|
|
0
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
2:00
|
|
0
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
3:00
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
---
|
|
---
|
|
---
|
|
---
V. INFLUENCE OFIPROJECT START DATE ON DOWNTIME
In a tender, Shipping Corporation also wants to know difference in downtime if project begins on a date other than Q, such as Q + 1, Q + 2, and so on. In other words, they want to know what influence a delayed project start date has on downtime. With this information, it is possible to determine the ideal date to begin the project, to minimise amount of projected downtime, 1or to change the project length mentioned in tender to account for additional downtime caused by a delay in start date. Figure 4 depicts effect of project start date on P50 & P80 values of project's actual duration. The picture depicts a'saw-tooth' pattern as a result of the project duration's dependent on dates that are close together (because they will encounter same storm). This may also be seen in "dwt-array," where the actual project length is lowering in expectation of a peaceful phase. This saw-tooth pattern is not practical in terms of project downtime forecasting in the long run. To assess the effect of the project start date on the project duration, sampled project durations must be independent, which current technique does not allow for.
VI. ADVANTAGES OFICURRENT METHOD FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS
A. If the necessary input data set is provided, the model may be applied to any sea on the planet.
B. There is no limit to number of1metocean criteria for operational restrictions or operations.
C. Because the simulation is done using hindcast data, the premise and outcomes of the calculation are simple to comprehend and evaluate.
D. Because the simulation is based on real hindcast data, modelling dependency between metocean parameters is not a concern.
VII. LIMITATIONS OFICURRENT METHOD FORICOMPLEX PROJECTS
A. The study is computationally demanding; algorithm computes actual project duration for each time step in dataset, but only a subset of these values may be utilised to generate project duration ECDF.
B. The outcome is an empirical cumulative1probability distribution of project length & downtime per operation, but confidence limits are not tight (high simulation uncertainty) due to limited sample size: ±20 years of data yields ±20 project1duration samples. (This means that condition 5 is only partially met.)
C. Actual project1durations generated for start dates1close to one1other are not independent, resulting in a high sensitivity to project start date due to no generalisation for months/seasons.
The approach used to calculate downtime for complicated projects is consistent with the literature: simulation. However, calculation\\\'s validity is very dependent on available data: because no stochastic model is used, each year in dataset can only offer one sample of project length (since project has a specific start date). This leads in a significant simulation uncertainty: ± 46.58 percent for 17 years of data & a confidence interval of 95 percent. As a result, to address the study question, the existing approach for determining downtime for complex projects is untrustworthy; in fact, due to the large simulation uncertainty, it is extremely unsafe to utilise current methodology to make predictions on downtime distribution. We advocate utilising a stochastic metocean condition generator in the simulation to reduce simulation uncertainty. These uncertainties, however, may be managed by the model used, & they can1also be quantified. Finally, a comparison should be1drawn between simulation uncertainty in HADDOCK & combined model, parametric, & simulation uncertainty in a stochastic model simulation. This is something that needs to be looked at more. Not all weather generators are acceptable since two of requirements are that (1) approach should be able to analyse downtime for all types of maritime projects and (2) numerous metocean characteristics. For example, using multivariate distributions to represent correlations between more than two metocean characteristics might become theoretically difficult (high parametric uncertainty) and hence unsuitable for application in reality. As a result, a probabilistic1Markov model that does not simulate precise values of metocean parameters but simply1whether or not the operational constraints are breached appears to be a possibility. When compared to a model that simulates the real values of the metocean parameters, this1Markov model \\\'abstracts\\\' the actual metocean conditions by providing binary workability sequences, reducing number of parameters that must be estimated (i.e. relatively low parametric uncertainty). We must ensure that this abstraction does not oversimplify environmental1processes, i.e. that model uncertainty is not excessive. Furthermore, it is critical to select a model that generates realistic persistence1because this is a driver for downtime if precise weather periods are required; this also influenced the choice of a Markov process. Such a1model1does not yet exist, which is the thesis\\\'s problem. In the next two chapters, such1a model will be provided, using stages established by Harling : 1) Convert continuous metocean data set to1workability sequences depending on required operational restrictions after reducing the raw data to an acceptable form. 2) Construction of a model of real system that neither oversimplifies system to point where model1becomes trivial, nor carries over so many features of real system that the model becomes intractable. The Markov model will include only seasonality and time-dependence of metocean conditions, as well as coupled operations. 3) In a sampling experiment, combine data and the model, run a simulation1on \\\'new\\\' workability1sequences created by Markov1model, & estimate an ECDF for1downtime based on these1samples.
R. J. van der Wal and G. de Boer, Downtime analysis techniques for complex offshore and dredging operations, (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004) pp. 93–101. J. Harling, Simulation techniques in operational research, OR , 9 (1958). R. T. Walker, J. van Nieuwkoop-McCall, L. Johanning, and R. J. Parkinson, Calculating weather windows: Application to transit, installation and the implications on deployment success, Ocean Engineering 68, 88 (2013). M. O’Connor, T. Lewis, and G. Dalton,Weather window analysis of irish west coast wave data with relevance to operations & maintenance of marine renewables, Renewable Energy 52, 57 (2013). J. Dowell, A. Zitrou, L. Walls, T. Bedford, and D. Infield, Analysis of wind and wave data to assess maintenance access to offshore wind farms, in Proceedings of the European Safety, Reliability and Risk Management (ESREL) (2013) pp. 743–750. D. Martins, G. Muraleedharan, and C. G. Soares, Weather window analysis of a site off portugal, (2015). W. Xie, B. L. Nelson, and R. R. Barton, Statistical uncertainty analysis for stochastic simulation, Under review (2014). K. S. Hickmann, J. M. Hyman, and S. Y. Del Valle, Quantifying uncertainty in stochastic models with parametric variability, arXiv preprint arXiv:1503.01401 (2015). G. Leontaris, Design of a probabilistic decision support tool for the cable installation of an Offshore Wind Farm, Master’s thesis, TU Delft (2015).
Copyright © 2022 Dipayan Saha, Abhijit Mangaraj. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. | https://www.ijraset.com/research-paper/assessment-of-current-downtime-analysis |
Job Summary:
The Field Application Scientist works with the Regional and Key Account Managers to ensure customer adoption, success, acceptance, and driving additional revenue growth with the technologies offered by NanoString Technologies.
Territory: Pacific Northwest and Western Canada
Essential Functions:
- In partnership with the Regional Account Managers (RAMs) and Key Account Managers (KAMs), identify sales opportunities through identification and relationship building with P.I.s in positioning the power and utility of NanoString's technologies for their research or developmental efforts
- In pre-sales environments, conduct seminars, give technical sales presentations, and collaborate with P.I.s in the building and designing of projects to either support the purchasing of an nCounter system or through partnership with an institutional/regional core lab or CRO (if available)
- In post-sales environments, train new customers on the system, partner with clients in project scoping and design elements to increase CodeSet adoption and usage, conduct data analysis sessions with regional customers to accelerate full adoption of the technology, provide on-site troubleshooting as needed, and participate in the cultivation of revenue generating post-sales support and consultative opportunities
- Partner closely with the Regional Account Managers (RAMs), Key Account Managers (KAMs) and Internal Sales Representatives (ISRs) in the positioning of new technologies as they are released. Develop partnerships that may contribute to early access programs for these technologies
- Collaborate with the in-house Technical Services team and other Field Applications Scientists in the post-sales support of customers and their applications
- Contribute to the development and refinement of the processes and materials used by the global support teams in the information and tools needed by the global team in advancing the needs of our customer
Requirements:
- Commercial/Industry experience desirable (as a Scientist, FAS, or sales/sales support role)
- Requires a Ph.D. in a molecular biology/biochemistry related field
- At least 3 years of relevant practical laboratory experience and technical expertise
- Focused research/academic experience in any of the following fields is highly preferred: Immunology, Immuno-oncology, and/or Oncology
- Experience and/or deep understanding of the following areas highly preferred: Gene Expression analysis, miRNA, Copy Number Variation, IHC, Flow Cytometry, RNASeq, QPCR, and Protein Expression assays
- Experience with biostatistics and computational data analysis is strongly preferred
- Requires excellent communication skills, verbal and written
- Ability to travel up to 60%
- Experience in a technical customer support role desirable
- An understanding of drug discovery/development process and/or immune oncology space is desirable
- Strong working knowledge of the sales process as well as a good understanding of the Miller Heiman selling process and terminology preferred but not required
Other:
See benefits at NanoString
NanoString is an EOE
NanoString participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is a web-based system that allows an employer to determine an employee's eligibility to work in the US using information reported on an employee's Form I-9. The E-Verify system confirms eligibility with both the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For more information, please go to the USCIS E-Verify website. | https://boards.greenhouse.io/nanostring/jobs/4500418002 |
The League sent questionnaires to all town and school committee candidates whose names were provided by the Town Clerk and to candidates who declared their intention to run as write-in candidates.
The League asked candidates to answer this question: What are the first two issues you would address if elected, and how would you address them? The candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words, and the responses in this guide are as the candidates wrote them.
You can also watch the Candidates' Night forum held March 5. That program will be rebroadcast frequently until the election on cable channels 8 and 31 and is also available online as a video on demand at http://www.sudburytv.org.
The town election is Monday, March 26, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Precincts 1, 1A, 2 and 5 vote at the Fairbank Community Center. Precincts 3 and 4 vote at Town Hall.
One candidate in the race for two seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional school committee withdrew, leaving one candidate in that race. Three people subsequently declared their intentions with the Town Clerks to run as write-in candidates for the school committee, and their responses are included below. Other people may choose to conduct write-in campaigns.
Daniel E. Carty Address: Stonebrook Road Occupation: Senior Manager, process improvement, Quest Diagnostics
Upon reelection I will first continue what I have started; collaboratively looking for efficiency gains across SPS, L-S, and the Town to guarantee sustained effectiveness for ALL students and the Capital committee I chair will deliver a long-term financing plan prior to Fall Town Meeting. Second I will fundamentally change how we manage projects. Five phases should be used but Sudbury historically only uses three + Initiate, Plan, and Execute. Two upcoming warrant articles asking to recoup long dormant unused project money highlight that we are missing Monitor and Close. Adding them will help ensure your tax dollars are best spent.
Janie Wilson Dretler Address: Goodman's Hill Road Occupation: Freelance photographer
As selectwoman I will pursue proactive action on our most urgent issues: Sudbury Station, Eversource, and public safety. We must continue to fight Sudbury Station and Eversource through litigation and advocacy. We must also move forward cost-effective plans for the Route 20 fire station to ensure essential, life-saving services for all residents.
Second, we must create a clear outline of priorities to inform where we spend our money and time. We can do this through ongoing community dialogue, benchmarking and best practice exploration, and a culture of continuous improvement throughout the capital and master planning process.
William Schineller Address: Jarman Road Occupation: Vice President, engineering, Black Duck Software
I value education, love Sudbury's outdoors, history, and community spirit. I want great schools to maximize potential of students of all abilities. I want thriving businesses along an attractive Boston Post Road, to ease our residential tax burden. I want spaces and services to keep all residents active, healthy, and safe as we age.
1) Eversource. If Town loses, Appeal! Present Governor Baker the Route 20 `win-win'. (Use my voice immediately. I am not an abutter.) 2) Fairbanks. Engage Permanent Building Committee for value engineering. As Selectman, I would serve the entire community. Visit billforsudbury.com Vote Bill, March 26.
Lisa V. Kouchakdjian Address: Meadowbrook Circle Occupation: Lawyer
The Sudbury School Committee must foster a collaborative atmosphere that motivates and inspires our students, teachers and community. Leadership needs to improve trust between the community and the School Committee. In seeking re-election to the Sudbury School Committee, I would like to continue (1) to strengthen in-district academic programs and provide teachers the supports they need to challenge all learners; and (2) to advocate for the development and implementation of changes to District Policy to require short and long-term planning, and to mandate the School Committee conduct yearly line by line assessment of the school budget.
Jennifer Jackson Address: Easy Street Occupation: Tutor, stay-at-home mom
If elected, the first two issues that I will address are:
Improving communication and encouraging an open dialogue among parents, staff, community members and administration, we have seen too many groups left alienated and frustrated over the past year. Issues such as preserving music education, the Odyssey trip, examining SED rental fees etc., should be handled in a way that makes the community feel part of the discussion - not marginalized.
Creating clear, easy to access budget - Confidence and trust are built when taxpayers understand where our money goes and demonstrate how it adheres to long-term planning and goals.
Silvia Nerssessian Address: Dutton Road Occupation: Finance, former school board chair
Through forward thinking leadership, I will help facilitate collaboration between the School Committee and Administration to strengthen the vision of the District. We must first set short and long term goals for the School Committee to support the strategic goals of the District - academic and financial. This will guide our budgeting process to ensure the highest quality of learning for our students.
Also extremely important to me is further enhancing the collaboration across all committees, and all cost centers in a unified way to honor our commitment not only to our schools but all residents and taxpayers of Sudbury.
Carole Kasper Address: Concord Road, Lincoln Occupation: Management Consultant, trainer, facilitator
If elected to the L-S School Committee, I would prioritize relationship-building between the towns of Lincoln and Sudbury, and especially between the three school committees in our tri-district. Further, I would prioritize both physical and social safety for all students as well.
I would address both of these priority areas via iterative district strategic planning that includes a collective vision, our strategic performance areas, and the prioritized short-term and long-term tactics that best accomplish our plan. The plan would originate with our superintendent/principal, include input from faculty, staff, students, and community members, and be utilized to assess ongoing district performance.
Write-in Candidates:
Cara Endyke Doran Address: Beechwood Avenue, Sudbury Occupation: International health
If you want input, write in Cara Endyke Doran for LS School Committee. Increasing community engagement and strengthening strategic planning with aligned budgets are my two priorities. In preparing my platform, I have engaged in open conversations with the LSRHS community to determine the most pressing issues. I will continue these dialogues if elected. For example, community members have raised concerns over the recent loss of school programs and school safety. I will incorporate your concerns throughout the planning process and ensure our school budget reflects our values. Together, we can make the best decisions for LSRHS.
Siobhan Hullinger Address: Washington Drive, Sudbury Occupation: Parent/volunteer
Our greatest strength is our people and we are fortunate to have an incredible support system through our individual towns, the LSPO, administration, staff, our METCO partners as well as many dedicated hidden warriors. I will work to improve collaboration with these groups to address school safety while preserving an open campus feel, improve academic and social transitions, ensure a greater partnership with teacher and parent organizations, address issues related to changes in start times, and supporting the essential importance of our Music and Arts programs. Putting the words of each election season into action will require leaving protectionism behind.
Ellen Winer Joachim Address: Craig Lane, Sudbury Occupation: Attorney
I have three priorities:
Elizabeth T. Quirk Address: Scotts Wood Drive Occupation: Attorney
One of the key functions of the Town Moderator is to encourage participation in Town Meeting by as many voters as possible. This year, babysitting will be available at the first night of Annual Town Meeting (May 7), which will allow parents of young children the chance to attend. As Moderator, I will work with the Board of Selectmen to raise awareness of Town Meeting issues, and also plan to work to demystify the Town Meeting process for newcomers, making it as user-friendly as possible within the confines of our bylaws.
Joshua M. Fox Address: Brimstone Lane Occupation: Attorney
The Board of Assessors implements the Senior Means-Tested Real Estate Tax Exemption. The Board is required to conduct an asset review to determine whether applicants have "excessive assets that place them outside of the intended recipients." I will continue to implement this program as intended by our voters, and will ensure that our seniors are educated about the availability of this exemption.
Another important responsibility of the Board of Assessors is to review discretionary needs-based abatements. I will continue to ensure that our citizens most in need are granted discretionary abatements on a fundamentally fair basis.
Lily Gordon Address: Dutton Road Occupation: Lawyer
As a lawyer and one who has been involved in the technology industry, I am committed to maintaining open access to information and preserving the rights of citizens as provided by the First Amendment. In times of rapid social, economic and political change, it is essential that libraries remain true to these values.
Technology brings both rewards and challenges. I look forward to providing the best services to meet the needs of all our patrons.
Marie D. Royea Address: Blacksmith Drive Occupation: Volunteer
The Goodnow Library continues to provide our community with valuable resources and unique programs relevant to our time. As our personal lives become more isolated and fragmented, a common meeting place offering shared experiences as well as many avenues for individual growth becomes compellingly more important. Funding and innovation are the two issues which require ongoing attention to safeguard and enhance this treasure of Sudbury.
It has been my privilege to serve as Library Trustee for the past three years and I would consider it an honor to be reaffirmed for that position.
Linda M. Huet Address: Pine Ridge Road Occupation: Perioperative RN
Due to the state legalization of marijuana, we must now adapt to this change. A series of nonbiased forums would enable residents to address issues and voice concerns as they emerge prior to and following the initiation of retail sales slated to begin July 1st.
Emotional and behavioral health is extremely vital to the individual and the community in which one resides. Therefore, the Board of Health has actively employed a full time registered nurse and a licensed social worker in response to this need. Collectively, we must do more to promote the availability of these invaluable resources.
Theresa M. Layden Address: Boston Post Road Occupation: Part-time receptionist
As an elected Housing Commissioner I can play a direct role in supporting affordable housing in our community. Before retiring I managed an affordable apartment complex of 156 units for 2 years and a second low income complex for another 2 years. My experience in affordable housing management and the time I have spent as an Associate member of the Housing Authority brings a practical set of skills to my role as an Affordable Housing Commissioner.
One of my first priorities is to promote our effort to get funding for future housing development from MassHousing Planning for Housing Production Program.
Robert C. Beagan Address: Pine Street Occupation: Software engineer
The first issue that I would continue to try and address is figuring out how we can address our playing field shortage while also figuring out how we can save funds for the replacement of our artificial turf playing fields.
The second issue that I would like to address is the need to take the great work of the Community Center Task Force and help to try and make a new Community Center in Sudbury a reality. Our existing structure at Fairbanks is failing, in a number of ways, and it is time to address it.
James J. Marotta Address: Goodman's Hill Road
Did not reply.
Stephen Garvin Address: Bowditch Road Occupation: Civil engineer
If re-elected, I intend to continue my responsibilities as Chair and focus on the review of submissions before the board with an emphasis on the following issues:
1. Advancing the Town Master Plan to keep this vital process that the Town has prioritized on track.
2. Creating more opportunities for the Boards to meet and collaborate + allowing for efficiency in meeting for the public and the sharing of perspectives while increasing transparency. On both the Board and Chair level, members have met in 2017 and early 2018 to help facilitate more interaction and coordination between Boards.
Nancy Kilcoyne Address: Hickory Road Occupation: Self-employed
My primary focus as a recently-appointed Sudbury Planning Board member is to oversee responsible development, keeping it within the confines of Town bylaws, and to be respectful of identified goals of the Town.
I intend to contribute greatly to the updating of the Town's Master Plan, utilizing my varied background in planning, development, archaeology and editing at National Geographic, as well as my graduate degree in Urban Planning/ Real Estate Development.
I will encourage citizen engagement to enrich our valued strengths: High quality of life with access to nurtured and preserved natural and historical resources.
I appreciate your support.
(One-year term, vote for one)
Charles G. Karustis Address: Candlewood Circle Occupation: Consultant
I have served on the Planning Board since May 2018, and since then, have worked on a small sub-committee with town planning staff to develop the RFP for our new, comprehensive Master Plan. This document is an important planning resource for Sudbury over the next 10 years, and I look forward to assisting the Board and community with developing this plan. I also am the Planning Board representative on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Design Task Force, and again, am excited to help shape the development of this valuable community resource. | http://www.sudburyleague.com/2018VoterGuide.html |
Format: Hardback 11" by 8¾"
with 112 pages
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The main body of the book consists of 74 articles describing dwellings, allmost all of which are detached houses. Most articles occupy one or two sides of the book, although in some cases two features share a single side. Each feature has at least one external photograph of the house; some have interior shots as well. There are 152 black-and-white photographs altogether. Most are very attractive and well-reproduced in my copy. Each feature includes floor plans of the building, and short notes under the headings: Site, Plan, Construction, Finishes, Services and Cost. Some of the floor plans are small on the page but being very finely printed can stand some enlargement. The Welwyn Garden City houses are on pages 30 and 85.
The 14-page introduction in the book is illustrated with
6 cartoon line-drawings by G. Brian Herbert.
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PREFACE
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IN this book are collected together nearly eighty small houses recently built and designed by architects. Although the houses have been selected between the general limits of £500 and £2,500, the great majority are well under the cost of £2,000. Each house is illustrated by exterior views and plans, and in a number of cases the interiors are shown as well. A few examples taken from recent housing schemes are also included. Notes appended to every house point out special features in the site and plan, and give particulars of construction, finishes and the building cost (exclusive of the site unless otherwise stated). In the introduction the editor deals with some of the problems that affect the building of the small house today — the lessons taught by the recent building boom, the evils of ribbon development, and the question of "style": he also points out why it is essential to employ an architect, and explains the work that the architect does. The introduction is illustrated with drawings by G. Brian Herbert.
Acknowledgment is due to those architects who have granted permission for photographs and plans of their work to be included in this book.
May, 1937.
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INTRODUCTION
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THERE is no subject on which everyone holds stronger views than they do about houses. No assembly of concrete things affects people more sharply and permanently than the surroundings in which they live; from nothing else can one judge so shrewdly what a person's character and views are likely to be, and the mildest of people have the most determined, and on occasions ferocious, ideas about the kind of house in which they would like to live.
These things make the writing of an introduction to a book on houses extremely difficult. At the same time they compel some discussion of the more fundamental questions which affect housing accommodation. For, where everyone differs profoundly on details, it is only on the broader aspects that agreement is possible at least on what ought to be wanted before the whole matter is obscured by what individuals have actually demanded and got.
The word "house" is, first of all, used here as a synonym for "dwelling" not so much because this book is about houses as because we are still by general desire, and overwhelmingly, in fact, a nation of house dwellers. The flat, however luxurious, convenient or hotly defended against tactless visitors, is still regarded as a substitute for a house.
It may be that in a highly industrialised and densely grouped community this is a ridiculous attitude and must eventually be changed. But it is still the one most generally held. And an attempt to describe some of the problems of the smaller house today — why it is placed where it is, why it looks like it does, why it is made of such a variety of materials and in such oddly different shapes — must necessarily take account of the most widely held views.
The many causes of the general preference for living in a house do not in detail concern this book. The past achievements of Britain in house building, the failure of urban living conditions to improve at a pace equalling industrial development, the past social predominance of those living in country houses, a desire for a house and garden "all one's own" — all these are part causes of our feeling that the best place to live is in a house and the best place to put a house is in the country; and no one in England is likely to doubt the reality of the general ambition to own something like a country house.
Although the causes of this ambition are not of the first importance here, the results of it which have taken place during the present century, and particularly since the War, should be very carefully thought over by everyone who is today thinking of buying or building a house.
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Before the War only a few fortunate persons amongst those who earned their livelihoods in towns could afford to live at any distance from their work. Since the War this opportunity has been immensely extended. Transport facilities have been speeded up and the motor-car has been brought to a state of reliability which enables any owner with parking accommodation near his place of work to live fifteen miles away. In addition, the final obstacle to house ownership, the lack of ready money, has been met by building societies. So that today everyone having an income of over £200 can aspire to owning, eventually, his or her own house. The results of these developments deserve to be called terrific. A huge number of families wanted something as near to a country house as they could afford, and suddenly a considerable proportion of them were given the opportunity of having such houses.
In the housing boom which then began, about 1923-24, and which was hardly beginning to fall off in 1936, the problem of the small house as it is today came into existence. A multitude of mistakes were made, in layout, planning, structure and appearance, which will last as long as the houses built. But from those mistakes, and the fewer valuable developments which accompanied them, the prospective house owner can learn so much that it is worth considering them in some detail.
When the housing boom first started it was obvious that the public had put up with a lot in their old houses which they did not intend to have in the new. They wanted more space, less housework, and cooking and other equipment far and away better than what they had had before. And, rather naturally, they wanted more than the building and associated industries could supply at the price.
The small house problem, in those exciting times, began to take a definite threefold form. It became the problem of where to put the house; the extent and arrangement of the accommodation it contained, and the form and quality of its materials and equipment.
Sometimes in the alternate price-cutting and purse-stretching of the boom, fortunate people got exactly what they wanted. More often something had to be sacrificed in one or all categories.
The first problem which faced those supplying the demand was where to put the houses built. Local planning regulations allowed something like twelve houses to be put on each acre of ground, while popular demand was not for terrace houses (which can be spaciously arranged to this density), but for detached houses. The semi-detached house proved a tolerable compromise and began to achieve its present ubiquity. Then it was found that if these houses, each on its 30- to 40-foot strip, were strung out along an existing road, "services" (water, gas, electrical and sewage conduits) were much more accessible, and a much smaller charge for road making could usually be set against each house than if a new road had been specially made at right-angles to that existing. In times of keen competition, when the "Two Hundred Pound House" was in headlines as often as the "Hundred Pound Car," the cheaper house was the one that sold; and ribbon development came into its own.
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It should be emphasised here that there is no reason why semi-detached houses should not be very good houses indeed, even on 30-foot strips. The danger and the harm of such houses is in their mechanically continuous development in strips; the greater distances imposed on residents walking to shops, railway stations or other social centres; the cutting down of trees and banishing of open spaces; and the consequent monotony in the whole neighbourhood's appearance.
The whole question of the best grouping of houses is extremely complex. All that is known for certain at present is that ribbon development is inefficient and harmful from every aspect. And the lesson for the prospective householder today is that the wise choosing of a site for a house is of the very greatest importance. For a house sited amongst ribbon development, or on land which may be so developed, will probably command a bad price in twenty years' time.
This first result of the building boom may be in the long run the most important to the country at large, but it was another which made itself felt much more immediately to house buyers.
The majority of those who wanted houses in the early years of the boom either could not afford, or imagined they could not afford, the services of an architect. They did not want to wait for nine months or a year, could not be bothered with making the decisions involved, or preferred to buy something they could see and examine before making up their minds.
To cater for this desire a very large number of builders and other firms built houses on a speculative basis for sale. And less scrupulous speculators took advantage of the fact that little of what is important in a house shows on the surface.
As competition in selling ready-made houses became keener, a given sum apparently bought more and more space, brighter finishes, more labour-saving devices and much more lavish equipment. Every new house began to have a tiled bathroom, heated towel rails and linen cupboards, fancy fireplaces, a parquet floor and a carved staircase. While all this seeming loveliness was provided in reality by scamped workmanship and by materials which became poorer and poorer in lasting qualities. The building industry in consequence got a bad name which in general it did not deserve. The tragedy of the boom was that far too many of the uninstructed public would buy anything so long as it was the cheapest. In consequence a tiny minority of building firms, by exploiting this tendency, were able to force the rest to follow them or go out of business.
We are still suffering from this second result of the building boom, which is commonly known as "jerry-building." There was, however, a bright side even to the price-cutting competition which made jerry-building a household word.
Extreme competition in house building led to flimsiness and shoddy work. But it also stimulated, extended and transformed every material and organisation in the industry. Standards of accommodation and equipment, at least in theory, leaped upwards; and new methods which would have taken twenty years to come into general use before the War were rejected or in large scale use after a year's strenuous trial.
The 11-inch cavity wall, the bituminous sheeted flat roof; the glazed panels for use in bathrooms and kitchens; the rubber and lead-sheathed flexible electric cable; and particularly the use of plywood and similar products in large areas, are a few examples of thoroughly satisfactory products which were finally proved or first appeared during the housing boom and are now in almost universal use. And a very large contribution to better housing has been made by them.
On the whole, however, from the point of view of the ordinary man who hopes to own a house, this second influence of the boom was for the worse. Superficially he got more for his money. In practice, after five years of steady expense in remedying faults in the house that he had bought, his bargain had in many cases become a bad one. Competition and an enormous demand had compelled the sacrifice of something. Lasting quality was chosen as the least obvious of sacrifices and the public was left to bear the consequences.
The last of the influences of the housing boom on the small house problem was, on the whole, the most pernicious, and is the one which the layman finds most difficult to understand. It is the effect of the boom upon the form, the internal and external expression, of the mass of houses.
The simplest possible discussion of this influence seems to the average member of the public to become so complex, practical questions seem to be so wrapt up in matters artistic, that he is tempted to think the whole business tiresomely unnecessary. The layman is, however, implored not to take up an attitude so easy. For the question of the form of a house is not today merely a matter of personal whims; nine-tenths of it is a matter of hard cash, and so on the lowest basis deserves the watchful attention of the most practical man or woman. In any case no general improvement in our small houses can be expected until the public does understand the problems involved, and therefore the intelligent layman can reinforce his determination by considerations of national duty.
To understand this third influence of the boom it is necessary to ponder momentarily over two of its many causes. The first is what the mass of house buyers wanted and still want in their "perfect house"; and the second is the conditions under which the houses they actually got were built.
The majority of people, as has been said, wanted something like a country house. They did not like a terrace house because it reminded them of the dreariness and congestion of towns. They did like a "country house" — because they liked the romantic idea of a country cottage or house; because they wanted a garden for the children; because they wanted more space.
The builders supplying the houses soon found themselves in a difficulty — the difficulty that hundreds of houses in long rows were apt to be monotonous in appearance, a quality the public did not want. The "unique" and "individual" house was then invented.
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The competition in prices usually compelled the plan and construction of all houses to be much the same. (To the layman thinking of the innumerable possible plan shapes for a house this may seem strange; but it is nevertheless the case.) The builders in search of "original" house forms could not, at anything near the prices then ruling, supply "genuine" Georgian, Tudor, Jacobean or Elizabethan houses in the sense of faithfully reproducing the structural and decorative methods employed in those periods. They therefore decided to fulfil the reasonable desire for something a little different by superficial faking. And fake they did, and in many cases still do.
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Now if this huge parody of famous historical styles had not impaired the efficiency of the houses upon which it was inflicted, had cost practically nothing and had been recognised by all concerned just as fun, no harm would have been done. In the event it did a very great deal of harm. Anyone who is thinking of buying or building a house of their own should think carefully about its results.
First, how much did this faking affect cost ? The half-timbering, the twisted chimneys and fancy porches (to begin with pure embellishments) were naturally done as cheaply as possible. But on a house costing the purchaser £900 such whimsies might easily cost the builder £35; and this £35 spent on, say, better electrical equipment would make all the difference to the owner between fifteen years' trouble-free service and a constant stream of minor defects, annoying repairs and small shocks.
So much for the finance of fancy embellishment. The struggle for more eye-catching individuality, moreover, soon went much further. The main form of houses could not be altered; but the roofs, windows, stairs, doors and out-houses could easily be made more intriguing — and were so made.
Roofs were broken in multitudes of gables, verges and valleys (these joints between different wall and roof surfaces are always weak points and expensive to make watertight). Bay windows were thrown out in every direction and cute little windows and acutely dangerous twisting stairs appeared in thousands. The layman who likes these things, as he is perfectly entitled to do, may exclaim here, "And why not ?"
The answer as it bears on the layman's pocket lies in modern building materials and organisation. Skilled labour is very expensive, materials moderately cheap. Thus a contemporary building tends to be more efficient in use and cheaper in cost of erection when it is built of materials used in large areas and simple shapes. Similarly, a house costing £1,000 and simple in plan and shape can be built of better materials and have better quality domestic equipment than one costing the same money which has its roof-line and walls full of breaks, bulges and bay windows.
The prospective house owner is so provided with a standard for judging houses which is very reliable indeed when applied to those costing less than £3,000. The simpler and plainer a house looks, the better value it is likely to be for its cost and the more lastingly comfortable and economical to live in. And because of these qualities it is almost certainly the better architecture.
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"The simpler the better" seems a loose way of defining good architecture today; but it is generally true, and generally true however much the building costs. The cheap and highly skilled craftsmanship was the material which in the past allowed the building of the "complicated" fine architecture of our cathedrals and country houses. Now we have different materials which must be used in large and simple areas, and architecture, which is an art based directly on materials, must change with them. In the past our architecture was complicated or ornate naturally; today complication is no longer spontaneous and is therefore usually badly done.
Once the layman has realised these principles behind house-building today and is armed with a test of the fundamentals which can be applied widely and reliably, he or she can move on to the large decisions that must be come to about every house.
He can spend £1,750 on getting the utmost material value from present building and equipment resources; he can spend £1,500 to the best advantage in the same way and keep £250 for special features — first-class bathrooms, fine panelling, or a carefully designed garden. Or he can dedicate £400 to old facing bricks, tiles and so on, to get a "lived-in" external appearance.
But what he must realise is that he cannot get all these things for £1,750. He must not think that Elizabethan or Californian Spanish external forms are just two ways of building as cheap as any other. Technical resources today have made simple and sensible external form the "norm" which is the most efficient and economical (as well as the best architecture). To deviate from it in any way means, to a greater or lesser extent, that the Georgian doorway necessitates a poorer boiler and the thatched roof compels the laying of less durable floors.
It is hoped that this outline of the influences of the housing boom on the small house has given the layman some idea of what must be borne in mind in assessing the "real value" of a house. If he takes the question of the house he would like to have at all seriously, he must constantly remember that concentration on one ingredient of his perfect house may be done, and to some extent must be done, at the expense of other ingredients.
The best course of action for the individual concerned depends entirely on how strongly he feels about houses. He may find a house already built which has approximately the rooms needed and buy it to save time and thought. On the other hand, he may feel that getting what he wants, having a house specially made to his own measure and ideas, is well worth the excitement and delay. It is as a guide to these last that this book is intended.
Having come to the great decision that the adventure of building is justified, there arises immediately the problem of how to get the best value from the money available without spoiling all pleasure by any of the mistakes which have been rather gloomily emphasised in the earlier part of this introduction.
The layman is assured that certainty of avoiding bad mistakes, as well as the certainty of having sound quality in his house, can only be obtained by consulting an architect at once — before even ideas on the accommodation wanted are settled or the place decided in which it would be nice to live.
To some people this advice may seem altogether too much of a plunge. They may imagine that architects are luxurious people to employ, all very well for a town hall or a millionaire's country seat, but far too big an extravagance for a man or woman wanting to spend £750 to £2,500. Or they may feel that an architect is only useful when the site is bought and the rooms needed are all settled — that he then adds the architecture as a decorative and perhaps just a shade unnecessary extra.
These views are entirely erroneous. A fully-qualified architect assures all-round good value in a house in a way that cannot be obtained by other means; but he must be consulted from the very beginning if the clients' ideas are to be reconciled with the economies now possible in building. Assurance, however, may not be enough for the practical man who wants to know exactly where he stands.
He may wonder where he will be if an architect prepares designs which he does not like; he may have heard (correctly) that an architect's total fees on building work costing £1,000 will amount to about £8o, and on a greater building outlay (for a single building) to 6 per cent., or £120 on a £2,000 house.
The practical business man may well say: "I have no doubt that if I employ an architect I may get a better built and better-looking house, but will the savings and help that he will give me offset nearly £100 on the small amount I have to spend ? Surely if I employed a builder direct and spent the £100 myself I would get better value for money."
Or he may think to himself: "Quite apart from the fact that an architect gets a commission on what he spends, not on what he saves, I have heard that they are expensive fellows who will be persuading me into little artistic extras that I can't really afford. Now if I employ a builder I can be really firm."
These questions are so obviously sensible and important to a client of limited means and without knowledge of building technicalities that they deserve careful attention — particularly in a book showing nearly eighty houses designed by architects. And since no assurance is as convincing as a demonstration, it seems worth getting as near to a demonstration as this introduction can and summarising what an architect really does to earn his money and save his client's money in the building of a small house.
Where an architect has been called in at the very beginning of the building venture, the first problem to be considered is the choice of a site. And a very difficult problem it is, for once decided it cannot possibly be changed whatever happens near it in the future; the statements of estate agents being in this connection often far removed from the true facts.
Clients usually have ideas as to the locality in which they want to live, but thereafter begins the balancing of alternatives which will continue until the last piece of furniture is moved in: whether a more costly site and nearness to shops or railway station are preferable to a lower site cost and more open surroundings coupled with more remote services in the way of water, gas and electricity. There are also more direct questions: Is the neighbourhood going "up" or "down" ? What are local rates ? Is it "ripe for development" or in a backwater ? Who owns adjoining property ?
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It is by enquiring into these less thrilling aspects of a house that an architect begins to earn his money. All play a part in deciding whether a site will be a good or bad investment and of them the service question is one of the most important.
All houses must have a cold-water supply, both for drinking and washing, and provision for drainage. It is convenient for all houses to have also a gas and electricity supply. lf these "services" are already available, the client does not have to spend capital providing them. On the other hand, if they are there already, so are other houses, and a client who wants space and peace may think money for their provision well spent.
Whatever he wants, the client will find his architect ready to help him in these decisions, pointing out advantages and disadvantages, and making certain that the local water supply is not poison to strangers.
Finally, the best all-round bargain of a site is bought and the next stage of house building, far more stimulating to laymen, is ready to begin: the stage of deciding what one can have for one's money.
(Here, in parenthesis, it is best to answer one of the practical man's questions. What happens if he does not like his architect's designs ? Not the slightest difficulty need arise in this matter if the client is plain spoken with the architect he consults from the start. The architect will readily agree a reasonable fee for advice in choosing a site, preparing sketch designs and a rough estimate of cost on the clear understanding that the client is under no obligation to go further if he is not thereafter favourably impressed with the price or design. Fees and expenses for preparing such "sketch designs" for a £2,000 house would probably be agreed at not more than £12.)
Nearly every client, as has been said, has special ideas on what he wants in his house. Several small living rooms, a perfectly quiet study, three bathrooms — some such feature is the ambition of everyone, and at existing prices few can have them all. The advantage of the architect lies in the client being able to get the most he can while being certain that quality will not be sacrificed in ways he does not see. It may be irritating to be told that only one of two ambitions can be fulfilled for the money, but it is also worth something to be able to complain bitterly to an expert that one wants more rooms while being sure that he will not retaliate with damp walls or a leaking roof. And the client, having got a good architect, is free to exercise this right very fully; and usually does.
The Treacherous Question of Style
Then, after the site and accommodation of the house, the client and his architect come to a much more subtle problem over which feeling sometimes runs very high in this country.
It is the question, already considered in connection with the housing boom, of the house's external and internal form — what is usually called the style. The appearance of a house is very important, but it should grow sensibly out of the accommodation and structural methods incorporated in the building. Occasional correspondence in the press about "modern" houses in the country conveys an impression that a style is chosen as if from half a dozen samples and then imposed unflinchingly on the building underlying it.
This is, or in all good architecture should be, quite untrue; and those who are thinking of building today should bear in mind that style in its commonest sense is important only as the client thinks it is important.
If he feels deeply attracted by the lightness and simplicity of the most modern work, or the solidity and craftsmanship of traditional building forms, he should naturally go to an architect with whose work he feels specially in sympathy. But the man or woman who wants a house which is just soundly contemporary will find the majority of architects see eye to eye with them already; and the insistence on any particular style is unnecessary and unwise.
The layman in a few cases, however, may not be satisfied with this answer. Surely, he may maintain, there is some absolute standard of values — surely there must be one building form which is more essentially right for our houses today than any of the others ?
So probable a question is most dangerously tempting, but for reasons in which space has a certain part it cannot be answered here except by a slightly fuller explanation of what is meant by "modernism" and "traditionalism."
Today it may be said that the architects called modern are trying to use all available materials to achieve the well-lighted spaciousness and simplicity in surroundings, intimately related with the open air, which they feel are most suited to the lack of pomp, fussiness, and maidservants which is the life of most of us. On the other hand, the traditional architects feel that building and craftsmanship methods which have proved satisfactory during centuries should not be lightly abandoned, and that, modified to suit the more complicated equipment of the modern house, such established building forms are still the best for present needs.
At the moment, building in accordance with either "extreme" view is uneconomical in the sense that almost identical accommodation can be provided more cheaply, and with equal lasting qualities, by other means. In fact, the all-round cheapest methods of construction may be said to be now half-way between these "extremes," and to be moving slowly towards the "modern."
In the houses illustrated in this book there are examples of nearly every type. But the most rapid turning of the pages will show the difference between all of them and the eye-catchers of the speculative housing boom. There is no gimcrack half-timbering, quaint porches, and jumbled roofs; no sacrifice of convenience to salesmanship. In these houses even the layman can see that the first things have been put first: convenient arrangement of well-shaped rooms, lasting structural soundness and good quality equipment. Only after and from these practical qualities has the external expression been developed to make the completed house.
This certainty of convenience never being sacrificed to effect is the third economy that an architect brings. The two remaining are those in which an architect's fees may be expected to justify themselves to the most hard-headed of practical men.
If a client himself approaches two or more firms of builders for a competitive price for the house he wants, he faces the difficulty of deciding which is the best price. He can, of course, easily see which is the lowest price and which offers him the most accommodation; what he cannot know is the quality of what is being offered to him.
For the client who wants to make sure of a good bargain, and even for the builder who does not like tendering "blind," there is here no alternative to the architect. The procedure followed by the architect is specially designed to result in the lowest price for work exactly calculated and plainly understood by each competing builder.
The architect first prepares dimensioned and detailed drawings of the house, called working drawings; he then prepares a specification in which the quality and type of all materials and equipment are stated; finally (in all work over £1,500 or so), he or his quantity surveyor prepares a bill of quantities showing the amount of every item of material and labour used in completing the building. After this, all three descriptions (drawings, specification and bill of quantities) are sent to a number of reliable firms asking them to tender — that is, to submit an inclusive price for the work.
The economy of this system needs no strong emphasis. No builder is guessing at what is wanted, nor, if he is that kind, wondering what he can get away with in poor quality. What each builder has got to do is plainly before him; and, therefore, if he wants the job, he puts in the lowest price consistent with a reasonable profit, knowing that to ask for an unreasonable profit is to risk losing the job. In addition, this system allows for no later dispute as to what is and is not an "extra"; whether the builder should have carried out a particular item of work can be immediately decided from the contract documents.
The last economy that an architect ensures on a building contract comes from his supervision of work in progress.
Builders throughout the country (and this should be remembered at a time when hard things are being said about builders) are in general only too keen to do a good job whenever it is possible. But here and there a foreman is not proof against all human failings. If the use of a certain material is specified for a house and the builder has a large stock of a similar but not quite so good a product left over from another building, the temptation to use the not quite so good is very real. Similarly the builder's workmen may have been accustomed to making the joints between roof surfaces in a simpler (and perhaps not quite so thorough) way as that demanded by the contract.
These things may seem trivial to a client who is trying to keep expense to a minimum. Here he can only be implored to alter such an impression. Getting damp which has been caused through careless workmanship out of a house is one of the most maddening ways in which it is possible to spend a large sum of money.
The regular and unannounced visits of inspection by the architect while the house is building make certain that human failings do not destroy the standard set by the contract. These are the principal advantages that the employment of an architect brings to the man or woman building a house. To reckon their value in cash, it is not enough to think only of the money spent up to the moment of moving into the shiningly new building. The daily press during the last few years has been full of the complaints of those who imagined that expense ceased the first time they shut their own front door. The real test of a house is what it costs to keep it enjoyable to live in.
It is after the first year that the economy of a well-built house begins to appear. And it is only when a man reckons what it has cost him to build and to maintain his house for ten years that he has a total which can justly be compared with similar expenditure on other houses.
The Houses Illustrated
Those who have read the previous notes on small house building in the last fifteen years, and on possible hazards and ways of avoiding them, may possibly have felt a little disturbed. They have probably heard of such things as jerry building and ribbon development before, but problems to which attention must be paid in building a house may seem even bigger than they had thought.
These notes, however, have been included for the special notice of those who think that architects are unpractical people; whereas, in fact, the architect today is practical before all else. They are intended to emphasise the ways in which he is practical and to explain the ways in which he plans and controls building work on behalf of his clients. In them it is hoped that those who are wondering whether they can afford the adventure of building to their own measure can find a basis for their ideas, before turning to what really matters in this book — the houses costing between £500 and £2,500 which are illustrated in it.
The information which can help them most effectively in making up their minds is given for every house. The plans show the amount of accommodation, as well as the way in which the special requirements of other sites and clients have been expressed, such as the compactness of the house on page 101, which cost under £800, and the nursery with its own door to the garden in the house on page 32. From the plans also can be seen how the important questions of labour saving and comfort for the domestic staff have been answered for different clients.
The descriptive notes accompanying each house take the story of the plans a stage further. They contain the client's principal demands and limitations and advantages of the site, the type of construction used and, most important for the prospective house owner, the quality of decorative finish and domestic equipment which it has been possible to include for the price of each house. Some of the terms used for modern materials may be unfamiliar to laymen, but they are stated with technical exactitude for very sufficient reasons. Modern materials are legion, and some are good and some not so good; and the technical names are included to show the exact standard of material that has been used.
Lastly, the photographs show the external and in many cases the internal design of the houses. It has been attempted to include an example of each of the principal directions in which architects are trying at present to find the perfect smaller house; and to make sure that each house is good of its kind.
From this introduction and the illustrations and descriptions of the houses illustrated, the layman will, it is hoped, be able to learn what an architect does and how he works, how it is possible to get a lastingly satisfactory house built to one's own requirements and, of special importance, that such a house costs no more than one obtained in any other way.
H.M.W.
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ARCHITECTS AND HOUSES ILLUSTRATED
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Click on the image for a fit-on-screen view.
For a larger size click on the LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH button.
Below are the pages featuring the two houses
from Welwyn Garden City, | http://cashewnut.me.uk/WGCbooks/web-WGC-books-1937-1.php |
We know that kids’ earliest experiences have lasting effects throughout their lives. Well, what about the long term effects of playtime in their early life? Young children learn and begin to understand the world around them through play. The neighborhood playground offers a variety of learning experiences for children at any age. They learn to take turns on the slides and swing sets. Children begin to interact with other kids, making new friends in the sandbox. Additionally they are getting good exercise by climbing up the slide or running around the field playing tag. By having active playtime early in life, children are more likely to continue being active throughout their lives and make more healthy choices.
Children Spend Less Time Playing
Unfortunately, a recent policy brief issued by the Alliance for Childhood reports that there has been a steady decline in children’s play over the past forty years:
"Compared to the 1970s, children now spend 50% less time in unstructured outdoor activities. Children ages 10 to 16 now spend, on average, only 12.6 minutes per day in vigorous physical activity. Yet they spend an average of 10.4 waking hours each day relatively motionless. A sedentary lifestyle often goes hand in hand with obesity and other health problems. Children used to play for hours each day, burning calories and keeping fit and healthy. At the same time, play helped them socialize with others, develop mental acuity, and reduce stress. With the decline of play, all areas of child development have suffered, but the impact on health and obesity is most alarming" (Alliance for Childhood, 2010).
A decline in children’s play is alarming for multiple reasons. Spending less time playing means that children are developing at slower rates and leading less active lifestyles. This lack of physical activity at such an early age could have lasting negative developmental and health consequences such as childhood and adult obesity.
Sedentary Lives Contribute to Obesity
Obesity rates in the United States have been on the rise for the past twenty years. Even more alarming is the increasingly high rate of childhood obesity (CDC, 2011). A possible contributor to high rates of childhood obesity is the elimination of recess and physical education classes in schools. According to a 2006 School Health Program Report Card, Memphis City Schools did not require a recess period for all elementary classes. Even further, a 2009 Memphis Youth Risk Behavior Survey reports that 70% of students did not attend a PE class daily at school, and 17% of youth were obese (CDC, 2009). Not only are kids not playing at home, but also they are losing playtime and physical activity classes in school.
In response to the high instance of childhood obesity, President Obama created the Whitehouse Task Force on Childhood Obesity, whose first task was to create a report on the state of childhood obesity in the United States. The taskforce is charged with creating an interagency plan to end childhood obesity. As part of this initiative, Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move Campaign. The program targets children at all ages from zero to 18 and uses a multi-pronged approach to combating childhood obesity by emphasizing regular exercise and healthy eating habits to children and their caregivers. The Campaign also works to provide healthy and affordable foods in the schools and their neighborhoods (Let’s Move, 2011).
In response to striking rates of childhood obesity and the loss of time for physical activity in the schools, the City of Memphis is beginning to target neighborhood safety so that kids and families can feel safe playing outside in their neighborhoods. The Let’s Move Memphis Chapter, in partnership with Mayor Wharton and the Memphis Police Department, has begun to establish “safe zones” around city parks during peak physical activity hours, 5:30 am - 7:30 am and 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm. These “safe zones” will have a higher concentration of police officers during peak hours, which will allow residents to feel more comfortable exercising or playing outside. The program was launched in mid June and will initially focus on the Hickory Hill Community Center, Frayser Park, Alcy Samuels Park near the airport, Southside Park in South Memphis, and several parks in Whitehaven.
Our Children Need More Opportunities to Play
Memphis children of all ages are losing playtime at home and at school. Kids used to play outside for hours. Now they are spending more time inside playing on the computer or watching television. A recess period is not required of all elementary classrooms, and 70% of Memphis students are not required a daily PE class. This loss of play has negative consequences both for child development and health. Limited physical activity, when combined with poor nutrition, has led to an alarmingly high rate of childhood obesity in Memphis at 17%. In response to this high rate, the Memphis Chapter of the Let’s Move Campaign has worked with the city to establish safe zones around city parks during peak activity hours so that families can once again feel safe playing outside.References: | http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/research-to-policy/policy/kids-no-longer-play-while-moms-away |
Chests of drawers with many drawers allow you to organize and sort your wardrobe so that you do not waste time searching. Solidly made of good quality materials, it will allow the furniture to be used for many years. The combination of the color of sonoma oak and the color of white creates a feeling of harmony and peace around this furniture, allowing you to fully relax in their surroundings.
Technical data
- Line: Trendline
- Collection: Milo
- Furniture assembled: No.
- Width: 145 cm
- Height: 90 cm
- Depth: 38 cm
- Type of furniture: Standing
- Furniture type: Horizontal
- The door - structure: Full
- Door Type: Hinged (Opened)
- Number of doors: 2
- Number of shelves: 4
- Number of drawers: 4
- Corner furniture: No.
- Includes a mirror: No.
- Glass elements: No.
- Wall mount: Yes
- Hinges: side
- Keyboard shelf: No.
- Inner width of the drawers: 41.2
- Inner height of drawers: 10.6
- Inner depth of drawers: 28.7
- Maximum load capacity of the shelf: 7 kg
- The maximum capacity of the drawer: 3 kg
- The maximum extension of the drawer: 23 cm
- Number of packages: 2
color:
front: sonoma oak, white
body: sonoma oak
execution: | https://stradefurniture.com/en/milo/279-collection-milo-two-door-chest-of-drawers-with-four-drawers-5900945015426.html |
Microalgae from the ice bottom and the ice-water interface were collected in southeastern Hudson Bay (Canada) along inshore-offshore transects during April and May 1989 and 1990. The transects extended from the mouth of the Grande rivière de la Baleine (Great Whale River; almost fresh waters) to 25 km offshore (saline waters). Salinity and nutrients at the ice-water interface exhibited marked horizontal gradients which were more pronounced in 1990 than in 1989. Algal concentrations as well as species diversity and evenness also presented horizontal structures. Canonical Correspondence Analyses (CCA) showed that a large part of the variation in species abundances (i.e. 43 to 50%) could be explained by environmental variables, especially salinity. Given the spatial structure of salinity, Partial CCA were used to assess the direct relationships between environmental variables and algae, independent of purely spatial processes. In 1990 (strong inshore-offshore gradient), most of the effect of salinity on algal abundances reflected the spatial structure determined by the river plume. At the interface, there was a strong increase of taxonomic richness and diversity and of biomass at the edge of the under-ice plume, which reflected an ecotone situation. The significant positive relationship between species richness and algal biomass, at the ice-water interface, suggests that the interdispersion of habitats, which characterizes ecotones, had a direct impact on the production of organic matter in the under-ice plume. | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v133/p229-240/ |
As the artist in residence at the Orange County Great Park, Woodward creates sculptures that explore the relationship between nature and manmade environments. He earned his bachelor’s in studio art from UC Irvine, and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from Cal State Long Beach.
Creation
About 80 percent of his sculptures include audio elements and greenery, and all are built to support plant growth. This piece incorporates bonsai trees, MP3 players, sound equipment, water pumps, grow lights, timers, and steel. The trees are planted in speakers so the sound pulses up through them.
Inspiration
Woodward’s work focuses on our immediate environment and ecosystem. He doesn’t consider his sculptures “green” or ecofriendly, but a study of how society manipulates the environment to suit its needs. “It’s important to maintain a balance between our immediate environment and the world at large.”
>>Online Only
Browse a gallery of Andre Woodward
This article originally appeared in the September 2012 issue. | https://www.orangecoast.com/eventsartist-spotlight/happy-when-it-rains1/ |
George Lucas Strikes Back
“American works of art belong to the American public; they are part of our cultural history.
People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society.
These current defacements are just the beginning. Today, engineers with their computers can add color to black-and-white movies, change the soundtrack, speed up the pace, and add or subtract material to the philosophical tastes of the copyright holder. Tomorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with ‘fresher faces,’ or alter dialogue and change the movement of the actor’s lips to match. It will soon be possible to create a new ‘original’ negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires.
[…]
Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.”
— George Lucas, 1988
Perhaps the video below is more plausible than you might otherwise think…. | https://ordinary-times.com/2011/09/02/george-lucas-strikes-back/ |
TDycore is a set of dynamical cores for simulating three-dimensional land processes in order to address questions about the hydrological cycle at a global scale. TDycore applies higher-order, spatially-adaptive algorithms on geometries that capture features of interest to study the subsurface transport of water and energy.
TDycores provides two dynamical cores:
a finite element (FE) version based on an H-div conforming space
a finite volume (FV) version based on the multi-point flux approximation (MPFA)
Both dycores can use meshes with hexahedral or triangular prismatic cells with planar faces. The prismatic cells are aligned logically along a z axis. | https://tdycore.org/intro.html |
Arc welding is not only a traditional but a high-performance joining technique. Connection technology differentiates between procedures with melting electrodes (MIG/MAG) and non-melting electrodes (TIG). In practice, the terms arc welding and path welding are used as synonyms. When welding processes are automated using robots, manual teaching competes with offline programming.
In day-to-day operation, manual teaching is still the most commonly used form of programming. This method both requires extensive process knowledge and leaves the system unable to actively produce welds while teaching is in progress. While in manufacture of large quantities of simple parts this may potentially be profitable, the method is quite inefficient for small batch sizes and high variation of workpieces.
In his technical article, Jörg Fasel explains how using FASTSUITE Edition 2 for offline programming opens up a new, economical approach.
The article is supplemented by a 14-page methodology catalogue which describes the programming approach of FASTSUITE Edition 2 for arc welding in various applications.
Please fill out the form to download the article. You will receive a direct link immediately upon completion. | http://www.fastsuite.com/en_EN/about/newsroom/news-detail/news/fastsuite-ready-set-go-748.html?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=02977a049a43d10cf06103825b73ae4f |
Go green!
Gogerly, Liz2018
Books
It's Anjali's birthday party and the children have had a great time. But looking around the room at the end, they see mountains of rubbish, from food waste to wrapping paper, burst balloons and small plastic toys. What will happen to all of this waste? Through chatting to teachers and local people, the children learn all about 'going green'. From landfills to litter, plastic mountains in oceans and global warming. But it's not all doom and gloom. They discover that there are ways that they can take action to help save their environment and the planet. By walking to school or switching off lights when they don't need them, this book is full of ideas for reducing and reusing. They find out what happens at a recycling centre and about the huge amount of objects that can be recycled or reused. They learn how to take action outside by helping nature, reducing waste at school dinners, and saving energy and water at home. At the end they hold a fun Eco Festival to raise awareness of how easy it is to 'go green'! 'Stop and Think' panels encourage readers to think about the problem in their local area and 'Take Action' panels give advice for how readers can get involved.
Go green! / written by Liz Gogerly ; illustrated by Miguel Sanchez.
London : Franklin Watts, 2018.
48 pages : colour illustrations ; 27 cm.
Includes glossaryIncludes bibliographical references and index. | https://bayside.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?SETLVL=&BRN=342296 |
Welcome to the IPMA-HR HR Resources page, designed to give our public sector HR professional members quick and easy access to critical, time-saving “best practices” and peer-provided solutions specific to their own challenges. These resources keep our members current on trends and developments within the profession. HR Resources provides quick and easy access to sample policies and RFPs to help solve unique challenges within human resources.
Members can now earn points toward recertification by submitting policies and programs for inclusion in the database. Qualified members will receive one point per submission per year, for a maximum of three points toward recertification.
Visit Engage, IPMA-HR's member-only community. Our open forum gives you real-time access to other public sector HR professionals and the opportunity to share resources with one another.
Flint, MI
PURPOSE: To define and provide procedures to: (1) ensure compliance with the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act and the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act , (2) ensure that the employment and promotion system is free from discrimination based on disability, (3) to address reasonable accommodation requests and make appropriate decisions regarding undue hardship in regard to public accommodations and telecommunications.
No categories have been created yet.
Milwaukee, WI
Policies & Procedures Library
Commerce, CA
To establish a policy that maintains an alcohol and drug free workplace and to ensure compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.
The City greatly benefits from the services provided by skilled and motivated volunteers and encourages involvement by Port Orange citizens. The procedures for recruitment, selection and placement assist the City and the Volunteer to establish and maintain a beneficial relationship. Volunteers are individuals who are non-paid, including interns and work study program students.
Notice is hereby given that the City of Port Orange is soliciting Requests for Proposals for Employee Group Health Insurance Benefits. Proposals will be accepted in the Purchasing Office, a division of the Finance Department, Port Orange City Hall, 1000 City Center Circle, Port Orange, Florida until 2:30 pm on February 13, 2014 or pursuant to addendum issued by the City
Yakima County, WA
It is the philosophy of Yakima County to support recruitment and motivation of well qualified, productive employees and to encourage and recognize activities that make a positive difference in the lives of Yakima County residents. The County therefore desires to recruit and retain individuals who demonstrate initiative, high ethical standards, team orientation and willingness to accept responsibility for performance.
To establish rules of conduct for all City of Commerce employees in regards to the use of all Electronic Communications to perform essential job duties.
The utilization of social media outlets provides entities with unique opportunity to use new and emerging networking technology to reach out to respective target audiences in promoting and sharing relevant information.
City of Austin, TX
Third-party social media sites have become a valuable resource for sharing of information with the community, and as such should be a component of the City of Austin's overall communications strategy. This administrative bulletin is designed to provide reasonable and flexible guidelines for the use of social media as a communications too.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting discrimination against employees and applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate based on filing or supporting a lawsuit. The EEOC promulgates regulations enforcing the laws and issues guidance documents.
PURPOSE: To establish residency requirements for current and future City of Flint Employees.
he utilization of social media outlets provides entities with unique opportunity to use new and emerging networking technology to reach out to receptive target audiences in promoting and sharing relevant information.
City of Charlotte
To provide guidance to City of Charlotte employees or contractors in the implementation of social media applications in order to:
The City of Annapolis is committed to creating a workplace that is free of all employment discrimination and harassment based upon, Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Age, Family status, National Origin, Marital Status, Disability, Genetic Information or Sexual Orientation. Such conduct, whether committed by employees, management personnel, vendors, citizens, members of the public or other non-employees, will not be tolerated. This policy governs conduct in the workplace and at all other work-related activities, such as business trips, and work-related functions.
The City of Albany provides health and welfare benefit programs, which include medical, pharmacy, dental and vision coverage for employees and their eligible dependents, flexible spending account, life insurance, long-term disability, deferred compensation, Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS)/Oregon Public Services Retirement Program (OPSRP) retirement programs, and credit union membership.
The vehicle Use Policy provides for the administration of the use of town owned vehicles and privately owned vehicles by town employees and town officials in the conduct of town business.
City of Albany, NY
In an effort to recognize that employees may have a need for a leave in addition to other City accrued leave, the employee may be granted a leave of absence according to this policy.
To provide exempt status employees not eligible for overtime pay additional paid leave.
West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner
The purpose of this policy is to establish written guidelines pertaining to the attendance requirements for employees of the West Virginia Officers of the Insurance Commissioner.
Pottawatomie County, KS
This policy on Electronic Communication Devices (ECD) is set forth to identify the appropriate use of ECDs in the work place in order to promote a safer, more productive work environment. ECDs include but are not limited to: cellular phones, pagers, radios, walkie-talkies, and other electronic and voice message systems. This policy applies to all employees. | https://www.ipma-hr.org/stay-informed/policy-topics/page/20 |
Food Service Supervisor Cover Letter
Here is the Food Service Supervisor Cover Letter example:
Dear Ms. Adrienne Long,
I am writing to express my interest in the position of Food Service Supervisor with Ceres Food Group, Inc.
I have a bachelor’s degree in catering and hotel management and over five years of experience managing the kitchen of a large hotel chain. I have a valid ServSafe certificate and extensive knowledge of food preparation, procedures and storage. I have experience performing management duties such as keeping records of food costs, meals served, inventory and man-hours.
I have very strong leadership skills with the ability to oversee the hotel kitchen staff, assign shifts and to handle all other duties required to keep daily operations running smoothly and efficiently. I have experience working with and training employees, conducting evaluations and taking disciplinary action for anyone breaking company policy.
I know and have the ability to enforce all rules and regulations concerning the safe handling of food and the cleanliness of the kitchen, equipment and dining area. I have the experience to ensure all cookware, utensils and workstations are clean and sanitized.
I have the interpersonal skills to interact with the guests, thank them for visiting and to ensure they are satisfied with their meals. I also have the ability to solve any problems that arise with the guests or with the staff. The attached resume has a complete look at my work history and skills relevant to this position and I have included references from past employees.
You can reach me for an interview by calling (555)-555-5555 and I hope to meet with you soon.
Sincerely, | https://www.greatsampleresume.com/cover-letter/examples/food-service/supervisor |
Dual stimuli-responsive supramolecular boron nitride with tunable physical properties for controlled drug delivery.
The new concept of modifying and tailoring the properties of existing two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials by invoking the assembly of supramolecular networks upon association with a adenine-functionalized macromer (A-PPG) has significant potential to facilitate the development of highly water-dispersible few-layered 2D nanosheets. In this study, we propose that water-soluble A-PPG directly self-assembles into a long-period stacking-ordered lamellar structure over the surface of hexagonal boron nitride (BN) in aqueous solution, due to the efficient non-covalent interactions between A-PPG and BN nanosheets. The layer number of BN nanosheets can be easily tuned by altering the mass ratio of the A-PPG and BN blend, and the resulting exfoliated nanosheets also exhibit excellent temperature/pH-responsive behavior, biocompatibility and extremely high drug-loading capacity (up to 36.2%), features that are highly desirable yet exceedingly rare in traditional 2D nanomaterials. Importantly, in vitro drug release studies showed the drug-loaded nanosheets function as a stable nanocarrier with excellent stability and drug entrapment under normal physiological conditions. Increasing the environmental temperature to 40 °C or decreasing the pH to 5.5 triggered rapid release of the encapsulated drug from the drug-loaded nanosheets, suggesting this newly developed material has potential as a novel multi-responsive 2D nanocarrier to safely deliver drugs and effectively facilitate controlled drug release under specific microenvironmental conditions. This study provides new insight towards the promising application of this system in controlled release drug delivery systems.
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We know God desires to shine a light into our world and into our hearts. There’s hope, somewhere. Through the darkness a light begins to shine. Thomas Merton describes this glimmer of hope:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Discernment begins with this kind of trust. We trust that God will communicate to us those “deep-down things” in some way. Give me a sign! we may cry out. Signs are indeed ways God communicates with us, though they may not be angels or lightning bolts. Saint Paul makes the prayer “that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value…” (Philippians 1:9-10) For Mary, God’s sign is actually an angel. She is told that she will be an instrument in bringing this light of hope into the world. This is the good news we find in decision-making, that there is a choice in which God’s will is done. Her answer: Yes. She could have said no, but this one’s clear for her.
Good and Free
For the average God-follower who wishes to make a decision, they must first ensure the choices before them are for good. Saint Ignatius makes this clear to his followers. We have no point in deciding between good and evil choices because, obviously, we should choose what is good for God’s kingdom. Choices for good may be deciding between jobs, marriage and religious life, staying in this city or moving across country for school, pursuing a master’s degree or staying with your current job.
These choices ought to be placed before us in freedom. We should be at a sort of equilibrium when going into a discernment. For Ignatian spirituality this is key. I should be able to say, “I will be okay with either of these choices if God leads me to it.” We shouldn’t go into discernment with our mind made up. This is an un-freedom. Ignatius gives several exercises for making decisions. Here’s a sample:
- Logical: Draw up a list of pros and cons for each choice and see which one seems to make more sense logically.
- Imagine: Place yourself before God or Jesus and tell him you’ve made one decision over the other. How does he react? What does he say? Separately, do the same with the other choice.
- Gut: Picture yourself committing to one decision. What feelings arise? Make a note of these and then do the same with the other choice.
- Pretend: Try living with one of the choices for a few days, as if you’ve really committed to it mentally. Note in a journal how it was. Then go another few days as if you’ve committed to the other choice.
This is data that will lead you to a decision: your head, your heart, your feelings, your experiences. With patience and prayer, clarity will slowly form. Mary’s story doesn’t end at the Annunciation. No, she, like any good discerner and pray-er, ponders what just happened… Ignatius recommends you take all the things you experienced in your prayer and discernment time, even any kinds of decisions you’ve made (like Mary’s yes) and ponder them, relish them, reflect on them. Again, no rush. Mary had some months to ponder what her future would be like, about her pending marriage, and giving birth to and raising the God-child. Mary had more choices ahead of her. But she pondered all these things with freedom. Paul Coutinho, SJ says,
When good things happen in Mary’s life, she accepts the good and celebrates it without clinging to it. And during the painful times in life, she flows with the pain without clinging to either the good or the painful.
Mary’s kind of freedom, that is, not clinging, is a surrendering to God’s will. It exemplifies a true cooperation with the divine which leads to the incarnation of Jesus. By discovering this freedom within us, we can better cooperate with the divine through discernment. Putting aside our own expectations—though not dismissing our deep desires—will lead to a new incarnation in the form of a decision. | https://godinallthings.com/2013/12/07/discerning-advent-annunciation/ |
Open the window to facilitating creative learning! Do you want to change your world by teaching permaculture? Due to popular request Graham Burnett will be leading this four day introduction to creative and participatory teaching and learning in partnership with May Project Gardens in south London. Please note that places are STRICTLY LIMITED on this course, so apply soon to avoid disappointment!
This intensive 4 day course facilitated by experienced permaculture teacher Graham Burnett will be suitable for anybody interested in regenerative learning or teaching creatively, including those new to teaching permaculture as well as experienced teachers, nature educators, teaching assistants and anybody else who is looking for new ideas and approaches within their practice.
The course will be lively, interactive and inclusive, using a diversity of teaching styles and methods. During the course participants will work together collaboratively, with a focus on sharing ideas, experiences and developing and exploring tools and techniques for enabling effective and creative learning, as well as the practicalities of convening and running courses. There will be plenty of opportunities to put your own learning into practice, and to develop and deliver your own teaching session in a supported and safe environment. | https://www.permaculture.org.uk/education/course/creatively-teaching-permaculture-4-day-intensive-course-graham-burnett |
World Congress on
May 18-19, 2020, Valencia, Spain.
Email : [email protected]
World Congress on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases is an International Conference organized by ConferenceEra on May 18-19,2020, at Valencia, Spain. WCAPD-2020 invites and unites researchers, scholar’s, students, academicians, research organizations, and making the congress a perfect platform to share most happening scientific advancements, progressive research in Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Diseases over the globe.
WCAPD -2020 allows multiple opportunities for scientific networking and knowledge sharing interaction. As well as the active poster discussion sessions, panel discussions for speakers and participants to engage beyond discussing the data, into envisioning a future that integrates rapidly evolving therapies, surgical procedures in Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Diseases. WCAPD -2020 will be a communicating environment to share deliberate current challenges and ways to move the field forward. The conference will foster the exchange of ideas and spur multidisciplinary collaborations. | https://conferenceera.com/alzheimers-parkinsons-diseases-conference/ |
Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both reduced the relative burden of government, largely because they were able to restrain the growth of domestic spending. The mini-documentary from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity uses data from the Historical Tables of the Budget to show how Reagan and Clinton succeeded and compares their record to the fiscal profligacy of the Bush-Obama years.
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If we want to get on the right track again in this country then we must lower taxes for the job creators. Dan Mitchell points out that tax policy is not the only policy you need to pay attention to:
There are five major policy areas, each of which counts for 20 percent of a nation’s grade.
- Size of government
- Regulation
- Monetary Policy
- Trade
- Rule of Law/Property Rights
Tax Rates Impact Economic Performance, but other Policies also Matter
September 17, 2012 by Dan Mitchell
I’m a big fan of fundamental tax reform, in part because I believe in fairness and want to reduce corruption.
But I also think the flat tax will boost the economy’s performance, largely because lower tax rates are the key to good tax policy.
There are four basic reasons that I cite when explaining why lower rates improve growth.
- They lower the price of work and production compared to leisure.
- They lower the price of saving and investment relative to consumption.
- They increase the incentive to use resources efficiently rather than seek out loopholes.
- They attract jobs and investment from other nations.
As you can see, there’s nothing surprising or unusual on my list. Just basic microeconomic analysis.
Yet some people argue that lower tax rates don’t make a difference. And if lower tax rates don’t help an economy, then presumably there is no downside if Obama’s class-warfare tax policy is implemented.
Many of these people are citing David Leonhardt’s column in Saturday’s New York Times. The basic argument is that Bush cut tax rates, but the economy stunk, while Clinton increased tax rates and the economy did well.
The defining economic policy of the last decade, of course, was the Bush tax cuts. President George W. Bush and Congress, including Mr. Ryan, passed a large tax cut in 2001, sped up its implementation in 2003 and predicted that prosperity would follow. The economic growth that actually followed — indeed, the whole history of the last 20 years — offers one of the most serious challenges to modern conservatism. Bill Clinton and the elder George Bush both raised taxes in the early 1990s, and conservatives predicted disaster. Instead, the economy boomed, and incomes grew at their fastest pace since the 1960s. Then came the younger Mr. Bush, the tax cuts, the disappointing expansion and the worst downturn since the Depression. Today, Mitt Romney and Mr. Ryan are promising another cut in tax rates and again predicting that good times will follow. …Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan would do voters a service by explaining why a cut in tax rates would work better this time than last time.
While I’ll explain below why I think he’s wrong, Leonhardt’s column is reasonably fair. He gives some space to both Glenn Hubbard and Phil Swagel, both of whom make good points.
“To me, the Bush tax cuts get too much attention,” said R. Glenn Hubbard, who helped design them as the chairman of Mr. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers and is now a Romney adviser. “The pro-growth elements of the tax cuts were fairly modest in size,” he added, because they also included politically minded cuts like the child tax credit. Phillip L. Swagel, another former Bush aide, said that even a tax cut as large as Mr. Bush’s “doesn’t translate quickly into higher growth.” Why not? The main economic argument for tax cuts is simple enough. In the short term, they put money in people’s pockets. Longer term, people will presumably work harder if they keep more of the next dollar they earn. They will work more hours or expand their small business. This argument dominates the political debate.
I hope, by the way, that neither Hubbard nor Swagel made the Keynesian argument that tax cuts are pro-growth because “they put money in people’s pockets.” Leonhardt doesn’t directly attribute that argument to either of them, so I hope they’re only guilty of proximity to flawed thinking.
But that’s besides the point. Several people have asked my reaction to the column, so it’s time to recycle something I wrote back in February. It was about whether a nation should reform its tax system, but the arguments are the same if we replace “a flat tax” with “lower tax rates.”
…even though I’m a big advocate for better tax policy, the lesson from the Economic Freedom of the World Index…is that adopting a flat tax won’t solve a nation’s economic problems if politicians are doing the wrong thing in other areas.
There are five major policy areas, each of which counts for 20 percent of a nation’s grade.
- Size of government
- Regulation
- Monetary Policy
- Trade
- Rule of Law/Property Rights
Now let’s pick Ukraine as an example. As a proponent of tax reform, I like that lawmakers have implemented a 15 percent flat tax.
But that doesn’t mean Ukraine is a role model. When looking at the mix of all policies, the country gets a very poor score from Economic Freedom of the World Index, ranking 125 out of 141 nations.
Conversely, Denmark has a very bad tax system, but it has very free market policies in other areas, so it ranks 15 out of 141 countries.
In other words, tax policy isn’t some sort of magical elixir. The “size of government” variable accounts for just one-fifth on a country’s grade, and keep in mind that this also includes key sub-variables such as the burden of government spending.
Yes, lower tax rates are better for economic performance, just as wheels matter for a car’s performance. But if a car doesn’t have an engine, transmission, steering wheel, and brakes, it’s not going to matter how nice the wheels are.
Not let’s shift from theory to reality. Here’s the historical data for the United States from Economic Freedom of the World. As you can see, overall economic policy moved in the right direction during the Clinton years and in the wrong direction during the Bush-Obama years.
To be more specific, the bad policy of higher tax rates in the 1990s was more than offset by good reforms such as lower trade barriers, a lower burden of government spending, and less regulation.
Similarly, the good policy of lower tax rates last decade was more than offset by bad developments such as a doubling of the federal budget, imposition of costly regulations, and adoption of two new health entitlements.
This is why I have repeatedly challenged leftists by stating that I would be willing to go back to Bill Clinton’s tax rates if it meant I could also go back to the much lower levels of spending and regulation that existed when he left office. | https://thedailyhatch.org/2013/02/22/there-are-five-major-policy-areas-each-of-which-counts-for-20-percent-of-a-nations-grade/ |
Argentina’s economic policies under Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were hugely impactful in the country’s recovery and general development, yet the Kirchner administrations are often painted with the same broad leftist brush often used to categorize Latin American governments. This kind of blanketed cataloguing obscures the economic nuances of important features of Argentina’s governance like social safety nets, market openness, and property rights. This report will classify Kirchnerism in a more appropriate context, measured against economic policy in other Latin American countries. Measuring economic policy under the Kirchners with economic policy under Menemism and Peronism for comparison allows for a greater understanding of Kirchnerism as being differently statist, nationalist, or free market than its previous iterations while measuring economic freedom against other countries in Latin America helps to show that economic policy under the Kirchners was, especially in regards to exports and international trade, more market-friendly than economic policy under other left presidents like Chávez in Venezuela or Correa in Ecuador.
The impressive recovery of Argentina’s economy under Nestor Kirchner, the rapid rise of GDP per capita, and subsequent development are attributable at least in part to Kirchnerism’s economic policy. Placing those economic measures into a larger context and economic classification serves to highlight the continuities as well as discontinuities between the economic policies of the Kirchners and those of previous Peronist administrations. This comparison reveals the extent to which Peronism and Menemism have survived in Argentina’s economic policy as well as the impact that some of Nestor’s center-right policies may have had as a result of a more open export economy. There may also be implications for future policy-making, as Nestor’s more open-minded attitude toward international trade and certain private enterprises did not negatively impact the social safety nets or negatively impact the poor, in defiance of Leftist economic orthodoxy.
The first step in an economic classification of the Kirchner era will be establishing definitive criteria for the various subcategories of the Left. Before Kirchnerism can grouped as radical left or pragmatic left, statist or more free enterprise, those categories must be defined in the context of Latin America. Defining these subcategories is helpful in discerning in what way Kirchnerism is a continuation of Menemist and even Peronist economic policy. This will be accomplished by using paradigms from the center left and far left as benchmarks from which to measure the Kirchner era.
After defining subcategories of the Left, trends in economic policy will be established within the timeline of the Kirchner era using the Economic Freedom of the World: 2015 Annual Report. The Annual Report details the change in economic freedom from 2005 to 2013 in key areas of policy and clearly outline which of those areas veered left, stabilized, or even moved to the right. I shall expand upon the specific policies behind the changes in economic freedom in smaller subgroups as well as the larger policy areas more generally. Governmental size, property rights, inflation control, and regulation will be covered more generally as the vast majority of subcategories within those policy areas uniformly moved to the left while international trade, foreign investment, and commerce will be dissected into their component parts due to their strong degree of variation.
Once the various iterations of the Left have been codified and economic policy movement in the Kirchner era explained, I shall explain how Kirchner’s policies compare with those of other Latin American leaders and highlight similar left-leaning patterns with regards to neoliberal social safety nets and inflation stabilization through state intervention as well as contrast the stark differences in regards to international trade tariffs, certain regulatory barriers, and the emphasis on Argentina’s export economy.
Finally, I shall provide evidence, citing similarities with Peronism domestically and differences in international economic policy in other Latin American countries, that Kirchnerism is a more protean incarnation of Peronism with a pragmatic approach to international trade and exports.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is perhaps the best contemporary representative of the pragmatic, more market-oriented neopopulism in Latin America. Despite calls for redistributive policies in Brazil, Lula consistently pushed strong neoliberal policies in line with the more traditional Washington Consensus orthodoxy, emphasizing fiscal discipline and trade liberalization (Weyland, 2010). Continuing the market-oriented policies of his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Lula’s administration focused a great deal on centrist macroeconomic policy at the expense of social policy. Between 2005 and 2010, government consumption and transfers and subsidies dropped significantly, top marginal tax rates were cut nearly in half, revenue from trade rose, and credit and labor markets were deregulated (Fraser Institute, 2015). Regulatory trade barriers were slashed and compliance costs were minimized as a result of Lula’s emphasis on scaling up the Brazilian export economy. Prioritizing fiscal health and monetary stability over redistribution and social welfare places Lula firmly in the Left’s pragmatic camp.
Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela, the radical leftist analogue in Latin America, set economic policy characterized by extreme statist control and continued oil dependency, making him a good representative of a paradigmatic radical neopopulism. Chávez’s approach also emphasized huge fiscal and discretionary spending (Weyland, 2010). Revenue from domestic oil production aided in the redistribution of wealth enacted through Chávez’s hyperpopulist social programs. Mass land reform and worker-controlled cooperatives were implemented as a means to transfer political and economic agency to the public. Chávez more generally cultivated a business environment unwelcoming to private enterprise. Chávez’s Venezuela was prone to nationalization of businesses with little notice including the utilities sector, construction, communication, steel, rice processing, and others. According to Weyland’s The Performance of Leftists Governments in Latin America, “Essentially, Venezuela has experienced a dramatic expansion of the state in almost every domain of the economy through nationalizations, firm buyouts, expropriations, direct subsidies, special credits, heavy spending, and business-unfriendly regulations” (Weyland, 2010). These policy directions seem to affirm that Venezuela under Chávez adhered strongly to a radical, statist ideology of the far Left.
The economic legacy of the Kirchner era falls somewhere between the two extremes. In many respects, economic policy under the Kirchners adhered closely to the more traditional statist approach in Latin America. From 2005 to 2013, the years of the two Kirchner administrations included in the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World: 2015 Annual Report, many facets of economic policy echoed the leftist ideologies of previous leaders. The top marginal tax rate increased dramatically, property rights were less respected, and inflationary policy as a result of government consumption and overreach was much less constrained than it was in 2000 (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). Regulatory costs grew higher throughout the late 2000s and inflation shot up. In terms of credit market regulation, state ownership of banks persisted and interest rate controls, originally free from state influence, were now controlled by the Central Bank (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). Labor market regulation generally grew stronger over the Kirchner era, with hiring and firing regulations as well as the minimum wage and union strength dropping several points in the Economic Freedom Index (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). Business regulations also grew more stringent, with administrative requirements and bureaucracy costs making private enterprise more costly (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). All of these regulations and statist policies are in line with the more traditional far Left in Latin America and Argentina’s low Economic Freedom Ranking in at the end of the Kirchner era, 151 out of 157 sovereign states measured, reflects that clearly.
However, in several important ways the Kirchners deviated from the Latin American leftist orthodoxy during their time in office. A departure from Perón-era protectionism, Kirchner’s trade policies were better suited to the globalized economy of the early 2000s (Wylde 2011, 448). Unlike Perón and Menem, Kirchner was much more focused on bringing down the international debt and, to that end, paid back its several billion dollar IMF debts as soon as the country was able. This served to both end IMF influence on Argentina’s international economic policies as well as break, at least in theory, Argentina’s seemingly endless cycle of large recurring debts (Wylde 2011, 449). In addition to scaling back Argentina’s debt, Kirchnerism also placed huge importance on developing Argentina’s promising but underdeveloped export economy. Through careful maintenance of a stable and competitive real exchange rate (SCRER), incentives were introduced in the trade sector and foreign investment was encouraged. According to Christopher Wylde’s “State, Society, and Markets in Argentina,” “Peronismo was based on ISI, and therefore largely closed to external economic forces through tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs). Kirchnerismo stands in stark contrast to this model, with active promotion of an open economy through effective state management (Gerchunoff and Aguirre, 2004).” Kirchner’s emphasis on competitive exchange rates and liberalized trade regulations served to bolster the Argentine export economy. In addition to the statist goals and policies embraced by Kirchnerism (see above section), bringing down Argentina’s debt and pushing to strengthen the export economy was also a priority, and one much more in line with the pragmatic left.
Drawing from Lula’s Brazil and Chávez’s Venezuela as paradigmatic representations of the pragmatic Latin American Left and the radical neopopulist Left respectively, benchmarks can be set from which to better judge the position of Kirchner’s Argentina on the spectrum of Latin American economic policy. In terms of country rankings, Lula’s moderate Brazil falls near the middle of developing countries of the Economic Freedom Index (118 of 157) while Chávez’s radically statist Venezuela ranks dead last (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 47, 180). In many respects, Argentina’s economic policies do not differ greatly from the radical neopopulism of Venezuela. In terms of money growth, inflation, freedom to own foreign currency bank accounts, top marginal tax rates, overall respect for property rights, control of capital movement, credit market regulation, labor market regulation, business regulation (with the notable exception of startup costs), Argentina’s economy under Kirchner was decidedly statist and policies veer to the far Left (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). The rankings certainly reflect this, as Argentina dropped from 110th to 151st in only 8 years. In these areas, the individual sector rankings score much the same as Venezuela’s in the Chávez era (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 180). However, there are a number of key exceptions. Kirchner’s policies also reflect a willingness to strengthen the export market by encouraging domestic manufacturing and bringing down the debt. In line with the rankings of the more moderate Brazil, Argentina rates highly in soundness of money, money growth, and standard deviation of inflation (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). In a more centrist move to encourage growth in the manufacturing sector, Argentina also eliminated most hours regulations, raised generalized private sector credit, and minimized the cost of starting new businesses (Gwartney, Lawson, Hall 2015: 31). While in most cases Argentina cleaved to the far left in line more with the traditional Latin American leftist orthodoxy present in Chávez’s Venezuela, Kirchnerism can also be defined by its tendency to swing to the center, aligning itself more with the Washington Consensus and Brazilian economic policy under Lula.
It seems clear that, while primarily statist in nature, Argentina under Kirchner nevertheless deviated from leftist doctrine when it come to halting cyclical debt and the cementing the strength of the export sector in the international economy. Kirchnerism is, in many ways, a continuation of Peronist policies, emphasizing authoritarian-populist economic policies (Wylde 2011, 440). Unlike Perón, however, Kirchner social spending was always targeted towards a specific social group, never blanketed. Kirchner’s spending policies were more in line with “neoliberal-style safety net models of social welfare” as opposed to Peronist out-and-out clientelism and wider-reaching class welfare programs (Wylde 2011, 441). Real and substantive input from the business elite also informed policy negotiations about organized labor and economic development, a marked break from the Perón era (Wylde 2011, 442). Kirchner’s welfare policies were similar in many ways to those of Menem, who for the most part avoided redistributive tax policies (Wylde 2011, 446). However, Menem’s ‘neoliberalism by surprise’ liberalization policies reminiscent of Eastern European shock therapy economics were far to the right of Kirchner’s statism. In essence, the Kirchner era can be described most accurately as a continuation of radical leftist economic policies in its statist nature, Perónism in its authoritarian populism, Menemism in its social policies, and pragmatic center leftist in regards to lowering the national debt and strengthening Argentina’s export economy.
Gwartney, James, Robert Lawson, and Joshua Hall (2015). Economic Freedom of the World: 2015 Annual Report. Vancouver: Fraser Institute. N.p., 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
Levitsky, Steven., and Maria Victoria Murillo. "Argentina: From Kirchner to Kirchner." Journal of Democracy 19.2 (2008): 16-30. Web.
Murillo, María Victoria. "Curtains for Argentina's Kirchner Era." Current History (2015): n. pag. Web.
Weyland, Kurt. "The Performance of Leftist Governments in Latin America: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues." Leftist Governments in Latin America Successes and Shortcomings (2010): 1-27. Print.
Wylde, Christopher. "Post-neoliberal Developmental Regimes in Latin America: Argentina under Cristina Fernández De Kirchner." New Political Economy 21.3 (2016): 322-41. Web.
Wylde, Christopher. "State, Society and Markets in Argentina: The Political Economy of Neodesarrollismo under Néstor Kirchner, 2003-2007." Bulletin of Latin American Research 30.4 (2011): 436-52. Web. | http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1517/navigating-the-leftist-spectrum-in-argentina-an-economic-classification-of-the-kirchner-era |
This thesis examines two complementary approaches to the study of galaxy evolution using multiwavelength large area galaxy surveys. The first part of the thesis focuses on a statistical study of the overall galaxy population, namely the evolution of galaxy luminosity functions, while the second part of the thesis aims to study an interesting population of rare galaxies selected based on their radio and optical properties, namely high redshift radio galaxies selected from SDSS and FIRST. We compute the luminosity function (LF) for the general galaxy population and as a function of type using photometric redshifts derived from the SDSS Southern Survey. We present a new maximum likelihood estimator and show that it accounts for the uncertainties associated with photometric redshifts. In addition to three existing parameterizations, we introduce the use of cubic BSplines to fit the luminosity function. We show evidence for the evolution of the luminosity function, but defer much of the analysis until a better photometric redshift dataset is available. The second part of the thesis describes the Distant Radio Galaxies Optically Non- detected in SDSS (DRaGONS) survey. Our new selection criteria appear to be very efficient at identifying high redshift radio galaxies, including a substantial population of shallow spectrum radio sources missed by competing selection techniques. These sources, when confirmed, will have a dramatic effect on the empirical z-alpha relation. I describe the environment of early galaxy formation through the study of nearby Extremely Red Objects (EROs) and faint K-band galaxy counts. We find an excess number of faint EROs and galaxies around a subset of DRaGONS candidates, indicating that massive galaxies form in overdense environments. 10% of DRaGONS galaxies are redder than expected, which indicates moderate obscuration and the possible presence of ongoing star formation. These objects, which we dub Red DRaGONS, could represent a significant radio-loud population missing from optically selected AGN surveys. | https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/10019/ |
Sixteen Engineering II students represented John Bapst recently in the Matthew R. Simmons Windstorm Challenge, held at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine. In this challenge, students built prototype floating wind turbine platforms and test them in UMaine’s W2 Ocean Engineering Lab with simulated ocean conditions. The goal was to create the most steady free-floating platform for a spinning wind turbine, which generates electricity in offshore waters. In the challenge, all teams put their platforms to a 90-second test in the wave basin, and present their design processes to panels of professional engineers. Up to 75 points are awarded for a team’s test result, and up to 25 points for their presentation.
John Bapst students participating (with their team names) were Owen Butler ’22, Avery Starks ’23, Aaron Willard ’23, and Jameson Cole ’23 (Polycarb Pirates); Hunter Clukey ’23, Corbin Fogg ’22, and Tom Luong ’22 (FBI 2); Logan Parker ’22, Jack Perkins ’22, and Finn Oldenburg ’24 (FBI 1); Christian Mooers ’22, Steven McLean ’22, and Keller Whitney ’23 (Vengeance), and Shannon Murphy ’23, Claire Metzger ’25, and Tyler McGoldrick ’22 (Flat Earth Society). The students’ instructor in Engineering II is Mr. Mike Dudley of the John Bapst science faculty.
The Simmons Windstorm Challenge is the centerpiece of the Engineering II curriculum, which focuses on an advanced, multiple-iteration engineering project in order to teach principles of design, project management, engineering documentation, CAD, custom manufacturing, and use of a multi-iteration engineering design process. This challenge poses several difficulties all semester, and even producing a design through several iterations is a major achievement.
Taking home the win in the high school division was The Flat Earth Society. FES scored first in the wave testing portion, and turned in a nearly perfect presentation to score a total of 97 out of a possible 100 points in the challenge. For their win, Shannon, Claire, and Tyler were awarded a paid internship at Advanced Structures and Composites worth $20k yearly, contingent upon their attendance at UMaine.
Congratulations to all participants. | https://www.johnbapst.org/news/congratulations-to-engineering-ii-students-and-their-win-in-the-simmons-windstorm-challenge/ |
The starting salary of Product Manager, is between $53,924.00 and $63,440.00 whereas the maximum salary range is between $101,920.00 and $117,208.00.
|Minimum Annual Pay||Maximum Annual Pay|
|$53,924.00||$117,208.00|
- Currency : CAD
- Annual Salary : $84,177.00
- Weekly Pay : $1,572.00
- Fortnightly Salary : $3,143.00
- Monthly Salary : $6,810.00
Product Manager, Salary Comparison by Gender
This pie chart demonstrates the gender share for Product Manager,. As indicated, the golden colour represents the percentage share for women and the green represents the percentage share for men.
As shown in the chart, male employees are involved significantly more as Product Manager, compared to female. Their involvement is 53% while of female is only 47%.
Salary Distribution Based on Years of Experience
The line graph shows Product Manager, salary in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on an annual basis. In this graph specifically, it is indicated that as the years of experience increases, so does their wages.
For Product Manager, having experience between 1-4 years, their salary is around $82,529.44.
Once the experience reaches 5-9 years Product Manager, salary would increase again to a total of $87,412.50, adding $4,883.06 from the last salary increase.
After reaching the 10-19 year experience in their career, another increase in salary will be added to a total of $94,355.98.
And finally, once the Product Manager, gains 20 years of experience or more, their salary would reach $113,412.82.
Prominent Skills Affecting Product Manager, Salary
The bar graph data indicates the importance of specific skills which can have a direct impact on Product Manager,'s salary. It clearly highlights the skills needed for a post of Product Manager, when hired by an employer.
The most vital skill expected of Product Manager, is Business Strategy which impacts the most than the rest of the skills indicated with a staggering 2% comparatively. Therefore, one’s salary would greatly depend on their skills in Business Strategy.
The skill least likely to affect one’s pay would be Strategic Planning with 1%. It can be said that Strategic Planning skill will unlikely impact the salary.
Compensation Statistics Based on Experience Levels
This combination of a line and the bar graph shows how the experience affects the salary of Product Manager,. Companies are considering factors like training and education directly affecting the salary offered to you as an employee. The line graph shows the salary increment with the increase in experience whereas the bar graph shows the comparision of how the salary is getting affected based on experience level.
As shown in the trends, lowest earning is $81,652.00 whereas the highest earning is $108,588.00 which clearly shows the salary increases with the level of expertise.
Experienced person will earn the maximum salary of $108,588.00 at 29%. So to summerize, Early Career earns 3% less than the average salary, Mid Carrer earns 2% more than the average salary, Late Career earns 8% more than the average salary, Experienced earns 29% more than the average salary. | https://rollthepay.com/Canada/Ontario/product-manager-product-management-skills-salary-toronto/ |
The Integrated Developer Environments (IDEs) are essentially text editors with additional features that make writing code and building software easier. Text with special meaning, such as string literals, types, function names, and so on are often colored differently by syntax highlighting, or you may get autocomplete options as you're typing. Some editors even point out errors in your code before you've executed it.
There are many options to choose from, and mostly, it comes down to personal preference, but we will look at some of the more popular choices as well as how to set them up to build Go projects.
The most popular editors include the following:
You can ... | https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/go-design-patterns/9781788390552/apas05.html |
This week Berliners have been celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This concrete barrier, which split the city into a West Berlin – controlled by the USA and its allies, and an East Berlin- where the Soviet Union dictated all aspects of daily life, was one of the most poignant symbols of the decades-long Cold War.
A series of events across Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe earlier in 1989 led to the eventual breaching of the Wall in central Berlin, allowing throngs of East Berliners to stream freely through the broken barrier and into the streets of West Berlin on the evening of November 9th, 1989. It was a pivotal moment in history that sent shock waves around the world and set the stage for peaceful revolutions all across Eastern Europe, finally leading to the break-up and decline of the Soviet Union.
A young Iranian immigrant and artist, Kani Alavi, watched that evening’s jubilant chaos in the streets from his apartment window, just opposite the famous central Berlin border crossing known as Checkpoint Charlie. What the young artist witnessed that night, and on those that followed, moved him to spear-head an effort to preserve a portion of the wall in order to create an open air gallery where artists could celebrate the triumph of freedom over oppression.
As you might imagine, this was no small effort. When the wall came down and East and West Germany began the process of reunification, developers descended on the prime city-center parcels of land that had remained dormant for decades. In the end, Alavi and his allies were able to persuade the government to set aside an almost mile-long stretch of the wall where they created the East Side Gallery.
Artists from all over the world were recruited to come to Berlin and paint sections of the still-standing wall. In total, there were 118 artists from 21 countries who came to share their own personal images, a true reflection of the freedom of speech and self-expression that had once been forbidden on the wall’s eastern side. Alavi’s own work, It Happened in November, is one of the most prominent scenes now viewed by around three million tourists each year.
The efforts of Alavi and his group to create the East Side Gallery resulted not only in preserving a rich piece of history, but they also established one of Germany’s most visited tourist sites. Alavi’s concept, and the smashing success of Berlin’s East Side Gallery, has also been used as a model for other cities across the globe who sought to create outdoor street art districts.
Note: I shot these photos of the East Side Gallery in 2015 and it will be obvious to the viewer that the murals painted twenty-five years earlier in 1990 have not all aged well. Nonetheless, this section of the old Berlin Wall has continued to provide a space for self-expression, regardless of critics’ opinions.
And, additional selections:
Travel Tip: If you find yourself in Berlin and decide to visit the East Side Gallery, go in the early morning. The light will be angled for the best views, plus you’ll be far more likely to snap shots of the murals without unwanted tourists crowding your lens. I went in the afternoon, the light wasn’t good and there always seemed to be at least one tourist posing in front of the most interesting murals. | https://myquest.blog/2019/11/10/celebrating-berlins-east-side-gallery/?like_comment=4594&_wpnonce=72a8b5ed75 |
Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela emphasises need to find right balance between individual freedoms and security while attendees applaud references to Czech plans to use gun owners as last defence against terrorists
Attendees at a conference on new amendments to the European Union’s Firearms Directive welcomed with applause a bullish speech extolling plans by the Czech interior minister to have every gun owner in the country registered as a reservist in the military in a bid to bypass EU calls for tighter gun ownersgip controls, but also to serve as a last line of defence against terrorists.
Tomasz W. Stępień, president of Firearms United, spoke after a keynote speech by Malta’s Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, who emphasised the importance of striking the right balance between individual freedoms and security.
Stępień said it was a good thing that “the threat from the EU had brought together shooters from different disciplines.”
The conference on Saturday was organised following the European Commission’s revision of the EU Firearms Directive in December.
Abela acknowledged that the revision to the firearms directive had been passed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU after long negotiations.
“The negotiations were by no means easy and Malta too expressed serious reservations on the commission's original proposal,” he said. “And while the final text might not meet everyone's expectations, despite significant improvement on the original draft, it did reach a reasonable compromise between security concerns and individual freedoms.”
The minister stressed that one of the major shortcomings of the current EU framework was the lack of a deactivation standard and a lack of a requirement to register deactivated firearms. Had this issue been addressed earlier, lives lost to terrorist attacks could have been saved, he said.
“We all know that neither organised crime nor terrorists will be bothered by our firearms legislation,” Abela said. “Steps taken so far merely make it more difficult for criminals to get hold of legitimate firearms, considering there are improperly deactivated weapons still in circulation in the EU.”
He called for increased cooperation among EU states and for more robust enforcement to tackle such problems.
The only way to ensure the sustainability of legitimate firearm activity was to come up with a sound legal framework, he said, adding that Malta would be incorporating this directive into national legislation in the coming months.
Malta would still retain its existing general framework, which had stood the test of time, Abela said.
“I am convinced that Malta's arms act has struck a balance between security considerations on one hand and individual freedoms on the other.”
Stępień said that the fluid nature of firearm categories under the new legislation was causing consternation amongst EU gun enthusiasts. One example was magazine capacity, which is currently something that could change which category an otherwise identical firearm would fall into.
“I just cannot see any logic in why a plastic box with a steel spring can change the way I see my firearm,” he said. “You can print a magazine on a 3D printer nowadays; we've done it.”
The absence of standards on automatic firearms that had been converted to shooting semi-automatic was also of concern.
“Instead of establishing a standard, the EU spent its energy on saying we couldn’t have this weapon, but I don't think so.” Stępień said. ”I feel that the European Commission's behaviour is becoming an unbearable dictatorship to us.”
AMACS representative Vincent Borg told the conference that a balance was not necessarily a compromise of rights.
“We are not servants, we elect our servants,” he said as he introduced a recorded message from MEP Miriam Dalli. In the message, Dalli said that she had tabled several measures on this directive and assured viewers she would be monitoring developments.
“EU citizens are feeling more insecure. This is not a supposition, this is a fact,” Dalli said, pointing to numerous terrorist attacks in EU countries in recent months. “The world is changing and we must adapt to changing realities.” The EU had acted by coming up with the revised firearms directive, she said.
Security should never come at the expense of sports shooters, reenactors, Dalli remarked. The onus was on the EU to ensure that member states adhered to the directive properly, while addressing the problem of illegal weapons smuggled into the EU.
“This cannot be successfully achieved without combating black market trade in weapons on the dark web. Illegal weapons are the root cause and must be addressed.”
In a similar video clip, MEP Roberta Metsola stated that her position “had been clear from day one” and that terrorism and legal firearm ownership were not to be placed in the same basket.
A knee-jerk reaction to terror was the wrong approach, the MEP insisted. “We must do something other than simply giving the impression of action,” she said.
She had also presented amendments aimed at doing away with the imaginary link between terrorists and firearms collectors.
FESAC chairman and local firearms dealer Stephen Petroni, gave a presentation on what he called “the most bizarre proposals” and their impact on collectors of historical firearms.
He said the commission's reaction to the terrorist attacks was to impose severe restrictions on legally held firearms. It had insisted that the museums deactivate their firearms. This was due to a very poor understanding on the part of the commission of the role of museums – to study and conduct research, he said.
Moreover collections had to be frozen, no new additions – therefore history was to be frozen. “The commission could never be forgiven for having the audacity of proposing the destruction of historical weapons. We shall never ever ever forgive the commission for coming up with these proposals,” Petroni said, likening it to ISIS's destruction of the ancient temples of Palmyra.
“I am not a professional lobbyist,” Petroni said. “What I do is out of passion, I do for people like you.”
“Our main objective will remain the full exemption of recognised collectors from the directive which the Commission has managed to delete through deceit. When you know you have been falsely accused, there is no way you will shut up.”
Court reporter Matthew Agius is a Legal Procurator and Commissioner for Oaths. Prior to re...
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Moderation is the process which ensures that assessment of the outcomes described in the NQF standards and qualifications is fair, reliable and valid.
Moderator training course will equip learners with the required knowledge and skills to conduct moderation of outcomes based assessment (internal or external). The Moderator training course will further your understanding of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and will help you in developing your skills and acquiring a variety of qualifications within the fields of Education Training and Development Practices and Human Resource Development.
Answering 20 key questions every moderator should know
Examining the big picture of moderation
How moderators check the work of assessors
How moderators ensure Learner’s Rights were afforded
How moderators ensure assessments are manageable
How moderators apply policies and procedures
Examining portfolios from a moderator’s perspective
How moderators work with RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
How moderators leave their footprint
How moderators interact with SETAs
Review moderation systems and policies
Leaner should have a good comprehension of English.
Conduct Outcomes-Based Assessment Qualification. | https://afritraining.co.za/courses/moderation-course-5-8-november-promotion/ |
Last week the Los Angeles City Council Homeless and Poverty Committee approved a motion made by Councilman Mike Bonin in October to have a feasibility study for permanent supportive housing at 12901 Venice Blvd, Mar Vista.
The building is a Disability Community Rights Center (DCRC) and is used to assist persons with disabilities and seniors to achieve and/or maintain self-directed independent lives in the community. It was known as the Westside Center for Independent Living. The site is 13000 square feet and is 89 percent owned by the City of LA and 11 percent by DCRC.
The motion states “to evaluate the property to determine its suitability for development as permanent supportive housing and continued use as a DCRC headquarters and independent living center.”
This was presented to the West Mar Vista Residents Association in November by Field Deputy Hanna Levien as a possible additional building on the site to provide permanent supportive (PSH) housing for the homeless with the continued operation of the DCRC.
The minutes of the meeting recorded their concerns:
a) The safety of many schoolchildren who walk to and from school past the facility is a concern. Will it be a secure facility? Who will the service provider be?
b) Homeless people just hanging out. This would be a concern to the businesses nearby that are run by women. Also, there aren’t that many publicly owned facilities in MV, so this plan may bring an influx of homeless here rather than helping to curb homelessness in MV. How does a homeless shelter fit with the idea of a “Great Street”? What services will be provided, so that during the day people won’t just be hanging out?
c) It’s a busy intersection, and the safety of pedestrians is already a concern (since kids aren’t always careful at this intersection). Will traffic police be present to insure pedestrian safety, especially at peak hours?
d) People feel a lack of confidence in the City’s ability to control the behavior of possible residents of this facility. It is only fair that we be notified of what population will be served there. The fear was expressed that people who need help can’t be categorized, and therefore this facility won’t be selective but will take any type of homeless person. Some residents might object to long-term housing, not transitional housing, and to certain kinds of homeless individuals. Will it be a sober living facility? A positive example – for battered women – is the homeless center nat Beethoven and Washington for women with children. This could be a model for the facility at Beethoven and Venice, since it has posed no problems for nearby residents.
e) There is a lot of apprehension about this plan, and there should be an open dialog and residents should be permitted to hear the City’s plans before things start happening. Ms. Levien stated that we need to keep listening to each other. There are excellent service providers, excellent models, excellent neighbors. MV is the only area where nothing is being done for homeless. Ms. Levien will be talking with Allison (?) about LAUSD’s view of this matter, and she will also be talked with Metro. President Ali asked that we be given an update at our next meeting January. | https://veniceupdate.com/2019/01/23/dcrc-site-approved-for-feasibility-study-for-psh-homeless/ |
"A Crocus in Winter is a feast for the eyes! This extraordinary book is an artistic and tender account of a life transition inevitably experienced by every human being - recovery from the loss of a loved one. In here those profound emotions are expressed in beautiful and provocative ways, with humor and wit thrown in when it's needed most. As an accomplished artist, Andi's paintings and prose permit the reader to easily identify with each image and verse. Only through expressing her naturally born creativity was she able to manage the most challenging time in her life, the loss of her adored husband, famous singer and songwriter, Dan Seals. She shares her process to inspire others to seek their own ways of coping with their own loss. A perfect book for anyone who experiences loss, in whatever form it comes.
"Profound. I couldn't put it down. What a gift you are giving other people. "
Patricia Couto, Former Director, Nashville Crisis Center
"..this exceptional masterpiece... will keep on giving me valuable insights and lessons." MaryAnn Varner
"What a glorious labor of love. It is completely wonderful!"
Teresa Chandler
"...prose and paintings that so lovingly move the heart and fill the soul."
Sue Ballew St. Clair
VESSELS:HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? | https://andiseals.com/about |
Faisal is a HCPC Registered Chartered Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society. His professional work has centred on mental health and he has specialised in working with forensic patients.
While managing a forensic mental health unit, Faisal became interested in the application of Health Psychology theories, frameworks and principles within these settings. His work has focused on optimising the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of patients while exploring concepts such as coping, social support and illness perceptions. He completed his Professional Doctorate (DPsych Health) at City, University of London and worked as a visiting Lecturer at University College London.
Faisal’s principle area of research has centred on adherence to treatment and the development of the therapeutic relationship, particularly the impact of illicit drug use, social support, side effects and illness perceptions on adherence to anti-psychotic medication. He joined the Department of Psychology and Wellbeing in January 2020 and lectures on the MSc in Health Psychology and the Undergraduate Psychology programme. | https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/directory/faisal-satti/ |
Have you ever thought about the “artistic” side of scientific discovery? In a famous lecture in 1959, British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow, lamented that ‘intellectual life’ was split into two cultures—namely the sciences and the humanities—and that this was a major limitation for addressing the world’s problems. Nowadays scientists are increasingly reaching out to writers, poets, artists, and musicians to help them interpret and share their data and findings, not as tables, figures, and statistics, but rather by creating new works of art that reach a far wider audiences. One such arts-science alliance is a recent interpretation of the long-term data from Lake Annie, a 67′ deep, 90-acre sinkhole lake located on the property of Archbold Biological Station. Lake Annie is celebrated by scientists worldwide for the data from the sediments at the bottom of the lake which document the history of Florida extending back nearly 40,000 years. The lake is also important scientifically for its long-term monitoring of many lake measures including water depth, temperature, pH, color, oxygen levels, and plankton communities.
Evelyn Gaiser giving her TEDxFIU talk. Photo by Luca Marazzi.
Evelyn Gaiser sampling from boat. Photo by Archbold Biological Station.
Inspired, she decided to combine her two passions, science and music, and convert a couple of years of Lake Annie data into a musical composition. She said, “I set the average temperature to middle C, and scoring every degree above or below this as a higher or lower musical note, I translated the seasonal shifts in lake temperature.” Her result was an eerily beautiful melody. Partnering with student Marcus Norris from the Music School at Florida International University, her ‘data notes’ were transformed into a musical composition. You can listen to it online, as the premiere of “Lake Annie’s Song” is performed by the University’s student string trio during Gaiser’s recent TEDxFIU talk. Repeat the song a couple of times and you will begin to recognize the joyful start to spring and the transition to deeper, darker, winter sounds.
You can listen to Evelyn’s TEDxFIU talk and the moving performance of Lake Annie’s Song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7fCmHG3h7k. | https://archboldedublog.org/2018/03/21/playing-lake-annies-song/ |
The Classics and Archaeology program is one of the leading international centres for the study of the ancient world. Staff in the program are involved in ground breaking research projects, many of which are funded by the Australian Research Council. Current projects range from fieldwork and archaeological surveys to the development of award-winning multimedia study resources. The program offers access to world-class research facilities such as the classics and archaeology collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art.
Staff expertise ranges from the analysis of material artefacts to the study of ancient texts and culture and their theoretical and methodological implications. The published work of our staff reflects these research strengths as does the current research undertaken by graduates within the program. Read through the sections for more information.
The Classics and Archaeology program embraces and seeks to advance the broad study of the Mediterranean including classical Greece and Rome, the Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations of prehistoric Greece, as well as Egypt, the Near East, and the fringe of the Eurasian steppes (including central Asia) from the origins of settled life (c. 10,000 BCE) to the Late Antique period (5th century CE). Within this vast, but interconnected region, the program maintains continuity and coherence by emphasising the role of overlapping periods and shared border zones in the development of cultures and civilizations. The program also encourages a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to the ancient world through our engagement in the study of ancient languages (Greek, Latin, Akkadian, Egyptian, and Syriac) and/or texts in translation including myth, literature, history, religion, and philosophy as well as with the study of material culture (archaeological remains, art, and architectural monuments).
Although each staff member is involved in particular research projects, we are a community of scholars united by our research interests in the study of identity (gender and ethnic), archaeological and anthropological theory, the archaeology, history, prehistory, study of great transitional periods in the regions noted above, architecture, colonization and migration, historiography, ethnography, ancient ceramics, collections and heritage management, and many other themes.
The Classics and Archaeology program is one of the leading international centres for the study of the ancient world. Research in the program is groud-breaking with staff involved in a number of projects, many of which are funded by the Australian Research Council. Current projects range from fieldwork and archaeological surveys to the development of award-winning multimedia study resources.
The Classics and Archaeology program has a library of about 10,000 books that include Classical texts, dictionaries and works of reference. There is also a large Archaeology collection, which includes a number of rare periodicals and excavation reports on Classical, near Eastern and Egyptian archaeology.
Equipped with microscopes, drawing facilities and an archaeological study collection, the laboratory is used for practical classes. It is also available to graduates for their research.
Researchers in the program have the unique advantage of drawing upon the University's Classics and Archaeology Collection.
Location: The collection is located at The Ian Potter Museum of Art. | https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/school-of-historical-and-philosophical-studies/research/environment/classics-and-archaeology |
Risk: Are We Speaking the Same Language?
I’m the son of a middle school English teacher. He recently shared with me this exercise he does with his kids. He chooses a word that has a role in different parts of speech, asking them to use different examples of the word in different contexts (verb, noun, adjective, etc.) Try it out. How do you define the word “round”? It’s a shape, sure. It’s also a way to make math easier to digest, right? We could all go out to dinner and I could offer to buy a round, too. Completely different uses and definitions for the same word.
I’m reminded of Dad’s class lesson when I feel a bit disconnected in client conversations. I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking I’m speaking the same language as my clients, when sometimes, I’m not. The financial industry is full of words that in the real world may mean something a bit different than how the financial industry may define it. The word “risk” fits that bill.
The finance industry defines risk as something measurable. You may have heard it referred to as standard deviation, the mathematical term. It may be variable, but it still has known limits. With investments, we commonly call it volatility (although I sometimes call it “wiggle”), which is actually measurable. If you think about it, measurable risk is why insurance companies are so profitable.
From my experience, my clients seem to define risk differently. In everyday life, we tend to think of risk as uncertainty. It’s the unknown. It’s what’s left over after we’ve thought of everything else. We tend to chalk risk up to being something that we simply can’t identify or can’t control, and thus, may want to completely avoid.
Those are two very different definitions. And would explain why, at times, its hard for me to communicate why I think it’s ok to take risks when planning for the future.
What I need to better communicate is what the word risk, within known limits, means. My definition isn’t talking about the odds of losing everything we’ve worked hard for our whole lives. It’s about taking risk with parameters. It’s about understanding the trade-offs between the best and worst case scenario, and assessing that the worst-case scenario still doesn’t mean jeopardizing everything. It’s calculated. It’s not too different than the forecast saying 75% sunny, only 25% chance of rain, and feeling OK about that picnic you planned.
Once we learn to recognize that we are not talking about the same “risk,” we can assess the trade-off between the important financial decisions you have to weigh. Insurance or no insurance (the act of transferring risk)? Do you invest in bonds or equities or do you park our life savings in cash?
Dad has a Webster’s to reference for his kids. There isn’t a universal financial industry dictionary for consumers. All the more important that you make sure you and your advisor(s) are talking the same language, especially when it comes to setting the right expectations on something as emotional as “risk.”
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Playing the 'Futures' game during Leadership Corvallis' Community by Design Day.
The arduous task of tasting local breweries' and meaderies' products during Economic Vitality Day.
Leadership Corvallis learns about 2Towns Cider during Economic Vitality Day.
Leadership Corvallis offers area residents a chance to learn about a variety of government and non-profit agencies and businesses in Corvallis and Benton County.
Upon graduation, class participants are equipped with knowledge, insight and inspiration to assume volunteer and leadership roles in the community.
Community leaders help develop topics and interact with participants as guest speakers and session facilitators.
Graduates of Leadership Corvallis enrich Corvallis businesses and organizations with their comprehensive understanding of how the community functions. With their newly-developed skills, they are able to use forward thinking and team building on the job and in volunteer efforts.
Did you hear the good news? Applications for the 2019-20 Leadership Corvallis program are now open!
This is a great opportunity to learn about a variety of government and nonprofit agencies and businesses in Corvallis and Benton County and become a leader in the community.
We’re excited to share our first feature in a series of Q&As with Leadership Corvallis alumni. Take a few minutes to read about Julie Manning and her experience with the program.
Julie Jones Manning was part of a small work group assembled by Hans Neukomm, Sr. in the early 1990s to develop what was to become the Leadership Corvallis program. | https://www.leadershipcorvallis.com/ |
The City of Huntington Beach Management Assistant Program is designed to attract and develop talented and aspiring individuals and provide them with a unique opportunity to work in a local government in Southern California. Through this program, participants will gain in-depth professional working experiences and skills including a wide variety of professional development and networking opportunities to assist participants in becoming future public sector leaders.
Management Assistant Internship will be a unique opportunity for experiential learning for graduate students interested in public service. Under close supervision, Management Assistant Interns will provide administrative and operational support on a variety of high-level, complex projects for various departments on a rotational schedule.
Students will gain insight in critical areas of local government and have the opportunity to use problem-solving, communication and decision-making skills as they gain valuable work experience.
Term
Part-time positions (up to 27 hours/week), 1-year term, renewable through graduation
Hourly Pay
$15.72 - 19.47
Program Requirements
Possession of a Bachelor's degree and current enrollment in a Master's degree program in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, Environmental Studies or directly related field from an accredited college or university.
Apply to program using online application.
Subscribe to receive automatic notices regarding open application periods.
For more information about the program and eligibility, please contact HR department at 714-536-5492.
City of Huntington Beach
Human Resources
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, CA
Phone: (714) 536-5492
Fax: (714) 374-5370
Email: | https://huntingtonbeachca.gov/government/departments/human_resources/management-assistant-internship-program/ |
Abstract: Workflow management technologies have been dramatically improving their deployment architectures and systems along with the evolution and proliferation of cloud distributed computing environments. Especially, such cloud computing environments ought to be providing a suitable distributed computing paradigm to deploy very large-scale workflow processes and applications with scalable on-demand services. In this paper, we focus on the distribution paradigm and its deployment formalism for such very large-scale workflow applications being deployed and enacted across the multiple and heterogeneous cloud computing environments. We propose a formal approach to vertically as well as horizontally fragment very large-scale workflow processes and their applications and to deploy the workflow process and application fragments over three types of cloud deployment models and architectures. To concretize the formal approach, we firstly devise a series of operational situations fragmenting into cloud workflow process and application components and deploying onto three different types of cloud deployment models and architectures. These concrete approaches are called the deployment-driven fragmentation mechanism to be applied to such very large-scale workflow process and applications as an implementing component for cloud workflow management systems. Finally, we strongly believe that our approach with the fragmentation formalisms becomes a theoretical basis of designing and implementing very large-scale and maximally distributed workflow processes and applications to be deployed on cloud deployment models and architectural computing environments as well.
Keywords: Cloud workflows; cloud deployment model; workflow application fragmentations; information control net
1 Introduction
Workflow management technology is used to model, automate, monitor, and optimize repetitive tasks within a variety of workflow processes, including business processes and scientific workflow processes. As the proliferation of distributed computing systems and the service-oriented architecture (SOA) has progressed rapidly, the field of workflow management has encountered a new challenge: The transition from conventional workflow management technology into this new state of the art technology. In particular, the need for scalability and on-demand services for large-scale workflow processes has been emphasized in traditional workflow management environments. In this regard, cloud computing deserves to be considered as the most well-suited computing environment for managing large-scale workflow processes, particularly for scientific workflows. Accordingly, many researchers and practitioners have begun to recognize the potential of the cloud workflow management system (CWMS), which runs on a cloud computing environment, and the need to further develop its functionalities needed.
A CWMS is capable of enacting complex workflow processes requiring massive computing resources distributed across multiple clouds. Therefore, technical efforts for scalability are not required because computing infrastructure services are provided by third-party providers (e.g., Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM), and one can easily access their services at any time. The availability of on-demand-service is another advantage of the CWMS. End users with different goals (e.g., process designers and process performers) can access the CWMS and immediately request and receive the services they require.
In this paper, we focus on distributing workflow applications across multiple cloud environments. Workflow applications, which are implementations of tasks (or activities) comprising workflow processes, are characterized by their heterogeneity and demand for substantial computing resources. For instance, a scientific workflow process, which is a type of large-scale workflow process, generally consists of a set of data-intensive tasks implemented as diverse and massive applications for scientific experiments. Therefore, the effective distribution of workflow applications across different cloud environments would lead to greater management and maintenance capabilities for large-scale workflow processes. To address this issue, we propose an approach to workflow application fragmentations based on cloud deployment models to satisfy high-level requirements related to the execution of cloud workflow processes (e.g., the security issue). We also present formalisms for describing cloud workflow models and workflow application fragmentations based on deployment models. Concretely, the formalisms we propose are based on the information control net theory , which was developed for modeling workflow processes. We add a new modeling feature for specifying cloud deployment information to this theory to fit our approach.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we detail the need for workflow application fragmentations and describe how workflow applications can be fragmented based on cloud deployment models. In Section 3, we provide some formal definitions and describe our proposed algorithm for workflow application fragmentations. In Section 4, we introduce a preliminary architecture for a cloud workflow engine supporting our proposed approach. In Section 5, a summary of related works will be presented. Finally, we conclude this paper and discuss future work in Section 6.
2 Cloud Workflow Environments with Cloud Deployment Models
2.1 Cloud Deployment Model
Over the past few years, we have witnessed an era of remarkable growth in the field of cloud computing and its applications. Although there is no doubt that cloud computing is the most attractive option for building enterprise information systems, there are still issues that must be addressed carefully. One of the key issues in cloud computing is deployment models. It is important to choose a method for deploying cloud services based on the preferences of an organization. IT policy, business characteristics, the required level of data governance, elasticity, and security should be taken into account when selecting a deployment model. Regarding cloud deployment, there are four major types of deployment models: private, community, public, and hybrid. Details of each deployment model are summarized in Tab. 1.
The private cloud model is characterized by being built and provided for only a single organization. That organization has ownership of the management and operations of the cloud infrastructure and services. However, this means that most of the responsibility for the availability of services and data privacy also belongs to that organization. In terms of computing resource utility, a private cloud may be well-suited for organizations that already own data centers and developed IT infrastructure and want to reutilize existing in-house computing resources. On the other extreme, a public cloud can be accessed by any customers with different needs and concerns. Organizations using a public cloud may benefit from the advantages of the offerings provided by cloud providers, such as scalability and reliability of services, as well as fast deployment. Because of these benefits, the public cloud model is the dominant deployment model in cloud computing. However, there is the potential for failure of service-level agreements (SLAs) because the organization does not claim full control of the cloud infrastructure. A community cloud infrastructure is constructed to support a specific inter-organizational project. The community consists of member organizations that have shared concerns or objectives, and their cloud is managed by the community (single or multiple members) or a third-party organization. The core function of a community cloud is to accelerate cooperation between member organizations and the integration of resources for the project. Although there are excellent examples of community clouds, such as the European organization for nuclear research, known as CERN, the challenges of interoperability and compliance still exist. Finally, a hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more deployment models (private, community, and public). Organizations apply this model to leverage the advantages of multiple models by the outsourcing low-priority activities (or high-computation tasks) to a public cloud and controlling core activities through a private cloud .
2.2 The Rationale of Workflow Application Fragmentations
Historically, workflow management technology and systems are known to have originated from efforts in the field of office automation in the mid-80s. Technological maturation was achieved in the early 90s , and these systems now have two main branches: business process management (BPM), and scientific workflows.
• Workflow applications in business domains: BPM technology, as a successor to workflow technology, has been actively employed in many industries, including the financial, e-government, and manufacturing industries. In particular, as the SOA concept has become a key role in the development of enterprise information systems in recent years, most industries are leveraging these technologies for orchestrating and enacting web services (e.g., WS-BPEL). In this context, the migration issue for traditional workflow applications has arisen (i.e., the transformation from legacy systems to web services). Consequently, many enterprises have begun focusing on exploiting the potential of cloud computing for migrating workflow applications and accelerating their business process enactments. For example, traditional workflow applications in the banking industry are typically composed of numerous program functions and implemented on legacy systems. In this situation, Reference suggested that the employment of cloud computing would facilitate the separation of tasks for the business processes of a banking firm and their related workflow applications into a sensitive task group and non-sensitive/computation-intensive task group. The tasks in these groups could then be performed flexibly, either on-premise or in the cloud.
• Workflow applications in scientific domains: Cloud infrastructures are more crucial in scientific workflows compared to the BPM domain. In fact, several scientific experiments require substantial data-intensive tasks and encompass a wide variety of workflow applications that perform scientific tasks [5,6]. In order to handle such vast computations, distributed computing paradigms (e.g., grid and cluster computing) have naturally been introduced to enable scientists to analyze their data in a parallel and distributed manner. In particular, cloud computing is the most attractive option for scientists because it masks the complexities of developing and managing a computing infrastructure for scientific experiments. According to , many fields of science, such as astronomy, physics, biology, and geology, have been supported by scientific workflow technology through cloud computing.
In summary, the cloud workflow has proven useful in automating and managing large-scale workflows for business and scientific experiments to achieve competitive advantages by utilizing cloud computing (e.g., scalability and alleviation of concerns regarding maintenance). In this context, we argue that a proper method to fragment and deploy workflow applications in different cloud environments should be considered during the stages of designing and implementing a CWMS. The term “workflow application” refers to an invoked application, which includes program logic for the execution of one or more tasks within a workflow process. Workflow applications have historically been implemented in the form of legacy systems or monolithic programs that are not strongly integrated with a workflow management system. For the numerous workflow applications operating in heterogeneous environments, standardization and maintenance issues became increasingly difficult and led to the requirement for expensive modernization efforts. As web service-based technology has emerged, coarse-grained workflow applications have been decomposed and reconstructed for the granularity of service to fit modern business processes or other business needs. In this context, we introduce a new approach to fragment and distribute a group of workflow applications based on cloud deployment models. This approach facilitates the intentional configuration of workflow application distributions to satisfy high-level requirements for operating a CWMS (e.g., privacy concerns for enacting workflow processes).
2.3 Cloud-Deployment-Specific Workflow Environments
Assuming that an organization exploits a cloud deployment model when designing and implementing a CWMS, the operational environment will vary to a large extent upon the selected deployment model.
• Private-model-based environment: The environment for a cloud workflow management system consists of three sublayers: the cloud environment layer (CEL), workflow process layer (WPL), and workflow management system layer (WMSL), as shown in Fig. 1. According to the private model, the set of workflow applications pertaining to security-critical tasks or workflow processes is deployed on a private cloud. The CEL manages migrated workflow applications and is accessed only by a specific organization. The WPL and WMSL are also built and operated within the coverage of the organization. If an organization requires a high degree of security for the execution of workflow processes and the core processes fall within an intra-organizational scope, the private deployment model should be selected as the best-fitting model.
• Community-model-based environment: The community cloud deployment model assumes that many organizations participate in a community with a common goal and have expectations for co-ownership of the cloud. Therefore, in this model, each organization independently manages its own WMSL to provide the system functionalities for performing shared workflow processes (i.e., inter-organizational processes). As you can see in Fig. 2, the layers that a single organization can control are limited to WMSLs while WPLs and CELs are controlled and managed by community members. A supply chain management (SCM) process in which multiple business organizations collaborate during the entire process from manufacturing to distribution is a good example of this model. In the field of scientific workflows, many international research projects adopt the community deployment model and operate inter-organizational workflow processes for large-scale scientific experiments.
• Public-model-based environment: According to the characteristics of the public model, all workflow applications are openly exposed and shared with all organizations accessing a public cloud. Organizations, such as research institutes, enterprises, and government agencies, that independently manage WMSLs and WPLs, are permitted to freely utilize workflow applications provided by a public cloud managed by a third-party provider, as shown in Fig. 3. For example, APROMORE is a public-model-based cloud platform that shares business process models and resources and supports business process analytics. Many related researchers have utilized and contributed to this public platform. Therefore, the public model is attractive because it encourages public interest through workflow application sharing and communication activation.
• Hybrid-model-based environment: The hybrid model, which includes multiple deployment models, is an appropriate model for organizations that simultaneously operate inter- and intra-organizational workflow processes. Additionally, this model is well-suited to environments in which cloud bursting is crucial when enacting large-scale workflow processes.
As above, we describe different cloud workflow environments based on their type of cloud deployment model. For the sake of clarity, we presented simple examples, in which a single deployment model was applied to, and assumed a process-wise deployment strategy. However, the ultimate operational environment for cloud workflows that we pursue in this study is geared toward multi-cloud environments with activity-wise deployments. In other words, it is more natural and practical to apply a deployment model to each activity so that workflow applications invoked from each activity will be deployed to different cloud environments, rather than deploying the entire workflow applications to a specific cloud. This feature enables more sophisticated configurations for the enactments of cloud workflows and related workflow application distributions. Fig. 4 illustrates a composite environment for cloud workflows that encompasses multiple deployment models, processes, and organizations, and facilitates activity-wise deployments of workflow applications.
3 Formal Description of Our Approach
In this section, we formally describe the cloud workflow model that represents the theoretical basis for this work. We then describe the steps for workflow application fragmentations based on cloud deployment models. Additionally, the information control net (ICN) theory, presented in , is used as a process modeling theory in this paper.
3.1 Cloud Workflow Model
A workflow process is described by incorporating information from a few primary aspects: control-flow, data, organization, and resources. Based on this convention, we add the cloud aspect to the ICN methodology to describe cloud workflow processes. Fig. 5 depicts the meta-model of our ICN-based cloud workflow. This meta-model consists of essential entity types and their relationships. The following are the basic definitions of the primary entity types in the meta-model.
• Cloud workflow process: Defined by a predefined set of activities (or tasks) and their precedence/succession relationships. A CWMS has functionalities for modeling, enacting, and controlling defined workflow processes in cloud environments.
• Activity: An entity type that represents the basic unit of work comprising a cloud workflow process. Each activity has not only precedence relationships with other activities but also association relationships with the entity types of several aspects of the cloud workflow, e.g., transition condition, relevant data, role, workflow application, and deployment type.
• Role: A logical unit of the organizational structure. It is concerned with duties, skills, and authorities required for the execution of a particular activity. In addition, each role can take responsibility for multiple activities.
• Actor: A person capable of performing an activity through the associated role. Each actor can participate in multiple roles.
• Relevant data: Input/output data objects used to perform an activity. They can also be embedded in transition conditions corresponding to disjunctive patterns (i.e., OR-split and XOR-split) for making decisions in a workflow process enactment.
• Workflow application: A software program that is invoked during the phase of execution of an activity and automatically processes related computational tasks.
• Deployment type: Refers to the cloud environment responsible for executing a particular activity. Workflow applications associated with the execution of the activity will be deployed on different cloud environments based on this specified information.
As described above, a completely defined ICN-based cloud workflow model contains workflow entities for various aspects and the relationships between those entities. In this paper, we focus on the cloud aspect, particularly focusing on fragmenting workflow applications based on the deployment types assigned to activities. The following is a definition of a partial workflow model (PWM), which serves as the cloud-deployment-oriented portion of the cloud workflow model:
Definition 1 (Partial workflow model). A partial workflow model (PWM) is formally defined as a six-tuple , where is a finite set of activities, is a finite set of workflow applications, is a finite set of cloud deployment types, and three mapping functions () are defined as follows:
• , where, is a multi-valued mapping function from an activity to a set of activities which directly precede to in the execution orderings; is a multi-valued mapping function from an activity to a set of activities which directly success to in the execution orderings.
• , where, is a multi-valued mapping function from an activity to a set of applications invoked for the execution of ; is a multi-valued mapping function from an application to a set of activities which invoke s during their execution.
• , where, is a multi-valued mapping function from an activity to a set of deployment types associated with ; is a multi-valued mapping function from a deployment type to a set of activities associated with .
Fig. 6 presents an example PWM. In this figure, activities, workflow applications, and deployment types are visualized as circles, double-lined squares, and pentagons, respectively. The visualization of a pentagon for the hybrid deployment type is skipped because this type can be specified as a combination of other deployment types (e.g., private and public). For the control-flow aspect, the model depicts the precedence relationships between activities (unidirectional arcs) and gateway activities such as OR-split/join (small empty circles) and AND-split/join (small-filled circles). The invocation relationships between activities and workflow applications are depicted as bidirectional dotted arcs, and the association relationships between activities and deployment types are depicted as dotted edges. Finally, the two triangles represent the start and end events of the PWM, respectively.
The model contains eight activities (), ten workflow applications (), and three deployment types . There are many-to-many relationships established between activities and workflow applications, e.g., the activity invokes two workflow applications (s1, s3) in its execution and the workflow application s3 is invoked from three activities in their executions. Except for the activity , each activity has an association with a single deployment type. The activity is connected to two deployment types because of the assignment of the hybrid deployment type. Consequently, the workflow application s9 invoked from the activity will be deployed on both private and public cloud environments. The detailed formal representation of the model is listed in Tab. 2.
3.2 Workflow Application Fragmentations
In order to formally describe the step of workflow application fragmentations, we define the workflow application fragment model that is a transformation result from a partial workflow model by a fragmentation algorithm.
Definition 2 (Workflow Application Fragment Model). A workflow application fragment model is formally defined as a six-tuple , where is a finite set of activities, is a finite set of workflow applications, is a finite set of cloud deployment types, and is a set of arcs, and two mapping functions are defined as follows:
• , where, is a multi-valued mapping function from a deployment type to a set of workflow applications distributed in a cloud environment of ; is a multi-valued mapping function from a workflow application to a set of deployment types iff s is deployed in cloud environments of .
• , where, is a multi-valued mapping function from an arc to a set of activities is in between and ; is a multi-valued mapping function from an activity to a set of arcs in which is placed on.
A workflow application fragment model is a network model in which the cloud deployment type that acquires each workflow application fragment is a nodal type. The flow relationships between these deployment types are formed through the execution of the cloud workflow process in the example model. The following represents details of the proposed algorithm for the theoretical fragmentation of workflow applications in a cloud workflow model. Specifically, the algorithm transforms a PWM (Definition 1) to a workflow application fragment model (Definition 2) by linking deployment types and workflow applications based on the relationships with the corresponding activities.
The fragment model generated by the fragmentation algorithm is graphically represented in Fig. 7. The application fragment assigned to each cloud deployment type by the algorithm is expected to be physically deployed on the corresponding cloud environment using appropriate distribution mechanisms. The arcs between the nodes of cloud deployment types represent flow relationships (e.g., the relationship from to , and its in-between activity ). In summary, the fragment model formally and graphically represents both the information related to workflow application distribution and the execution flow of a deployment-type-centered cloud workflow process.
A formal representation of the generated fragment model is provided in Tab. 3. For convenience of explanation, two atypical deployment types are introduced. We can interpret this information as the presence of undetermined cloud environments where the start and end events of the example process occur.
4 Conceptual Architecture of a Cloud Workflow Engine
Thus far, we have discussed the concept of cloud deployment models and formalisms of workflow application fragmentations through these models. To put our approach into practice, we now describe the conceptual architecture of a cloud workflow engine while accounting for the execution of cloud workflow processes using application fragmentation based on deployment models. The conceptual architecture includes client components, the workflow engine, and cloud environments. An overview of this architecture is illustrated in Fig. 8.
The architecture includes client components, such as the workflow process modeler, runtime clients, and monitoring and analysis clients, and they have graphical user interfaces for end-users. They communicate with the workflow engine that provides the functionality supporting cloud workflow management actions. The workflow engine is the core component of the CWMSs and it consists of two major parts: The modeling and deployment part, and the enactment part.
• Modeling and deployment part: The components in this part are responsible for assisting in the various phases of modeling and deployment of cloud workflow processes. First, a workflow process designer performs process modeling using various information, such as model definitions, organizational information, and relevant data provided by the modeling data agent. In this step, the information about the deployment types corresponding to each activity should be specified. After the completion of the process modeling step, the designed model is submitted to the workflow engine for deployment. Using the process model parser, the model is transformed into an executable model (e.g., WS-BPEL) and the process model verifier determines if syntax errors exist within the transformed model. Finally, based on the specified deployment type information, the workflow application manager automatically deploys workflow applications on different cloud environments through communications with application service brokers. The overall procedure for process model deployment is depicted in Fig. 9.
• Enactment part: A deployed process model can be instantiated by a human worker who has the authority to create a process instance or by triggering an event with a specific condition for starting the process. The statuses of all activated process instances are managed by the process instance manager. The enactment scheduler builds concrete plans that specify execution orders for active instances with consideration for the current statuses of cloud environments. The work item handler requests the application service broker to execute a task within the active process instance and the broker determines which cloud should perform the execution based on deployed workflow applications. As an operational example, Fig. 10 presents a sequence diagram representing a scenario in which a process instance of the deployed model is initiated by a runtime client. A certain automatic task then is executed through the invocation of web services corresponding to the required workflow applications deployed on cloud environments.
To apply our approach to CWMSs, we presented a preliminary system architecture, largely focused on the workflow engine. According to this architecture, the step of workflow application fragmentation is performed when deploying a process model via communication between the workflow application manager and application service brokers that are responsible for a group of homogeneous cloud environments. Although the presented architecture requires additional elaboration to facilitate the implementation of a CWMS, it suggests that our deployment-based fragmentation approach is viable and can potentially aid in the flexible distribution of large-scale applications for cloud workflow processes.
5 Related Work
The convergence of workflow management systems with distributed computing paradigms and their potential synergies have long been discussed as a major research topic. Beyond past paradigms, such as cluster computing and grid computing [10,11], many researchers and practitioners have been contemplating cloud computing as a promising solution for managing large-scale workflow processes.
Regarding cloud workflow management, its fundamental characteristics were investigated in [4,12–14]. From the viewpoint of BPM, Reference discussed the state of the art of cloud workflow management and its open challenges, such as scheduling [15–17], resource allocation , and decentralized coordination. In other hand, [12,13] examined the feasibility, architectural issues, and performance aspects of executing data-intensive scientific workflows in cloud environments. In particular, both studies concentrated on the integration of existing scientific workflow management systems and cloud environments by leveraging open cloud platforms, such as Aneka and OpenNebular.
A few general issues associated with cloud computing have also been examined in conjunction with cloud workflow management. To achieve cost-effective computation, Reference presented a data storage strategy to efficiently store the intermediate data sets of scientific workflows. Similarly, Reference formulated a task-resource mapping method to achieve cost-optimized executions of cloud workflow applications. On the other hand, the issue of the guarantee of security for cloud workflow management has been discussed in a few studies. For instance, to enhance security for large-scale workflow management systems, Reference proposed the application programming interface (API) for specifying the access control based on the wall security model.
The main topic that we concentrated on in this paper was the fragmentation and distribution of workflow applications for cloud workflow processes. References [22,23] investigated the properties of workflow applications that support the execution of human tasks of workflow processes and presented a classification framework for workflow applications based on levels of granularity.
Regarding the fragmentation issue, Reference proposed a process-mining-based fragmentation method. Based on the actual performance of process executions discovered from event logs, they attempted to optimize model fragmentation to reduce the lead time for process execution and, to achieve efficient resource utilization. Similarly, Reference proposed a dynamic fragmentation method to enhance the scalability and elasticity of distributed executions of workflow processes. Both studies attempted to improve overall performance and flexibility, but detailed fragmentation criteria were not considered. Reference presented a fragmentation framework including various fragmentation criteria that facilitate the distribution of workflow models and their applications by considering syntactic aspects (e.g., control-flow and data-flow) and semantic factors (e.g., instance-based, activity-based, and role-based).
In contrast to other studies on the fragmentation issue, our work sets a scope for fragmentation at the activity level so that a group of workflow applications will be partitioned and distributed based on the deployment types attached to each activity. Therefore, the deployment-type-based approach we are pursuing will enable us to configure the sophisticated deployment of workflow applications to satisfy high-level requirements at the stages of designing and implementing a CWMS.
6 Conclusion
In CWMSs, it is crucial to find an appropriate method of distributing the executions of large-scale workflow processes to accomplish the objectives (e.g., scalability and performance of process executions) that are expected when applying cloud computing to the workflow management.
We have presented an approach to workflow application fragmentations based on cloud deployment models. To conceptualize our approach, a series of deployment-model-based operational environments for cloud workflow management was described. For the sake of clarity, we also presented formal descriptions for the workflow application fragmentation of an ICN-based cloud workflow model by specifying activity-wise deployment type information. Through our fragmentation algorithm and the resulting fragment model, we formally verified our approach.
In summary, the main advantages of our approach are as follows: First, the capability to satisfy high-level requirements is the major merit of our approach. Activity-wise deployment allows us to distribute workflow applications with an adequate reflection of desired high-level requirements (e.g., security issues and aligning business policy with IT policy). Second, we can achieve higher degrees of scalability and flexibility in the execution of cloud workflow processes by applying different deployment models. For example, cloud bursting, in which a CWMS outsources computation-intensive tasks within a private cloud to a public cloud, can be enabled by applying the hybrid deployment model. We believe that our approach contributes to the foundation of the design and implementation of CWMSs for large-scale workflow processes executed on multiple clouds. In the future, we will concretize our fragmentation concept to embody a CWMS based on deployment-model-based fragmentation.
Acknowledgement: The authors would like to thank the support of Contents Convergence Software Research Institute and the support of National Research Foundation of Korea.
Funding Statement: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant Number 2020R1A6A1A03040583).
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to report regarding the present study. | https://www.techscience.com/cmc/v67n3/41613/html |
The price of natural gas will go down somewhat for Nevada customers of Southwest Gas.
The Public Utilities Commission approved the reductions this past week, just as many customers begin to see their monthly bills increase because of increased heating demands as nighttime temperatures drop toward the freezing mark.
A spokesman said the reduced rates were made possible primarily because the prices Southwest paid for gas on the wholesale market went down between April 2006 and March 2007.
A Carson City area residential customer using a winter average of 99 therms of gas will see their monthly gas bill drop about $14.87 to an average of $134.17.
Southern Nevada customers, who use an average of 66 therms during the winter, will see their bills drop about $8 a month.
A commission spokesman said the new rates take effect Thursday. | https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/southwest-lowers-gas-prices/ |
We often receive enquiries from organisations looking for help in developing policies for IT use by staff. Although we don’t have a standard policy, this article looks at why organisations need to have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), provides a framework for what the policy should contain, and how to implement it. Links to some background resources are also provided.
"Any organisation needs to inform its people about the type of behaviour it expects of those using technology in the workplace and about the consequences for abusing technology privileges".
An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is the policy which provide this information to users of the organisation's ICT resources be they staff, volunteers, clients, trainees, management committee, trustees and so on.
Organisations are required by law to have certain policies e.g. Health & Safety (if there are any employees then it is a legal requirement) and disciplinary and grievance (if over 20 employees then mandatory). It is good practice, and often a requirement to conform with quality standards such as Quality Mark, Pqasso and Investors in People, to have certain policies in place e.g. Equal opportunities, Environmental, Data protection & confidentiality; and… ICT!
In addition, policies exist for the protection and guidance of the organisation and individuals by giving users ground rules for acceptable use of the equipment etc. so there are no misunderstandings. They should also provide guidelines if, for example, misuse occurs. An AUP also demonstrates to potential funders that the organisation is professional in its approach to managing users.
The Acceptable Use Policy Framework Document contains suggested headings and topics which will be applicable for a typical Acceptable Use Policy for a small voluntary sector organisation. Lasa does not advocate the use of "model" policies as they tend to be adopted without consideration of the finer points or for the needs of the organisation.
The framework has attempted to cover most of the areas which will be required for an AUP but not all need be adopted e.g. if an organisation only has a small number of standalone PCs then the specific items on networks etc. will not be necessary. Of course, should the organisation change its ICT infrastructure then the AUP will need to be revised - we suggest that the AUP is reviewed every year as new technologies etc. will have impacted upon it.
The following is a suggested process for initiating and implementing an AUP - this will differ depending on the size and nature of the organisation.
Initiate - discuss in team/staff/volunteer/management committee meetings etc.
SurfControl has a variety of resources including "How to write an AUP"
Voluntary but not Amateur - published by London Voluntary Sector Council which, although it does not contain specific information on AUPs, is an excellent plain-English guide to the law for voluntary and community groups (see the publications section). | http://www.dot-communications.org.uk/index.php?id=178 |
Home Roofing and False ceiling Roofing Sheets Ideas Diy Corrugated Metal Headboard Roofing Sheets Ideas 106 And 107
Brief description from Roofing Sheets Ideas above :
Depending on the region, other commonly applied roofing materials installed by roofers include concrete tiles, clay tiles, natural or synthetic slate, single-ply (primarily EPDM rubber, PVC, or TPO), rubber shingles (made from recycled tires), glass, metal panels or shingles, wood shakes or shingles, liquid-applied, hot asphalt/rubber, foam, thatch, and solar tiles. "Living roof" systems, or rooftop landscapes, have become increasingly common in recent years in both residential and commercial applications.
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San Francisco Rent Ordinance Section 37.9(e) states:
“It shall be unlawful for a landlord or any other person who willfully assists the landlord to endeavor to recover possession or to evict a tenant except as provided in Section 37.9(a) and (b). Any person endeavoring to recover possession of a rental unit from a tenant or evicting a tenant in a manner not provided for in Section 37.9(a) or (b) without having a substantial basis in fact for the eviction as provided for in Section 37.9(a) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject, upon conviction, to the fines and penalties set forth in Section 37.10A. Any waiver by a tenant of rights under this Chapter shall be void as contrary to public policy.”
Despite the language of the above quoted section, it has become a common practice in the Landlord Tenant community to engage in and consummate the buyout of a Tenants Tenancy. Landlords have substantial monetary upside in successfully buying out a tenant and a tenant in turn reaps a large financial gain as a result. The buyout negotiation process is not however without liability. There are however, certain steps that can be taken in order to negotiate in a manner which helps to insulate against liability. These steps are:
DO NOT THREATEN OR INSUATE THAT YOU WILL EVICT A TENANT IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUTOR NEGOTIATE A BUY OUT. Threatening evictions is illegal and may create the basis for a wrongful eviction lawsuit against a Landlord. The tenant may also feel harassed by such conduct which could also result in a lawsuit. If the tenant indicates he, she or they are not interested, do not proceed any further.
Avoid any written negotiation. This will help to reduce the possibility of creating a binding agreement where there was no intent to do so. It will also decrease the possibility of the use of any written negotiations being used in any subsequent court proceedings as evidence.
Give the Tenant a very specific time frame in which he, she or they have to respond to any buyout offer. This will ensure that the process proceeds in a timely fashion and prevents delay.
Once an agreement is reached have an attorney with experience in drafting buy out agreements reduce the terms of the buyout to writing which contains, among all the other terms, a full release of liability.
There is no rule or specific computation used to determine what is an appropriate amount for a buyout . I personally have done buyouts for as little as $5000 and as much as $100,000.00. However, with the passage of Proposition H, the minimum starting point for most buyout is approximately $4, 700 per person , which is the amount which a tenant would receive if he, or she were evicted for a no fault eviction (i.e, Owner Move In, Relative Move In). A Landlord should undertake a cost benefit analysis of the particular situation in order to determine what amount is financially feasible and beneficial to pay. As part of this analysis, a Landlord should attempt to determine what type of financial gain he or she will make as a result of a successful buyout, and how long it will take to recoup any money paid for a buyout in the assessment of how much to pay the tenant. This process should be approached as a pure business decision, leaving emotion aside.
While buyouts are, as of this writing, negotiated and consummated on a regular basis with little liability to Landlords, this situation may change come the November 2008 election. Supervisor Daly has put forward legislation which seeks to amend the language of Section 37.2 of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance which if successfully approved by the voters, will effectively put an end, at least temporarily, to buyouts. The legislations seeks among other things to define harassment as “Any act or omission by or on behalf of an owner that causes or is intended to cause any person lawfully entitled to occupancy of a dwelling unit to vacate such dwelling unit or to surrender or waive any rights in relation to such occupancy.” The legislation would further amend the rent ordinance to prohibit a Landlord from “Influence(ing), attempt(ing) to influence a tenant to vacate a rental unit through fraud, intimidation or coercion, including attempts to coerce the tenant o vacate with offer(s) of payments to vacate which are accompanied by threats or intimidation which continue to be offered after the tenant(s) has told the Landlord that such offers of payment are unwelcome.” This proposed legislation contemplates civil and criminal penalties, among other things, for its violation.
While the San Francisco City Attorney has already expressed the opinion that such legislation would not be constitutional, if it passes in November, which all indicators suggest it will, the legislation will put at end to tenant buy outs, at least temporarily. The constitutionality of the legislation will be challenged and it will most likely be held unconstitutional. However, the court process to challenge the constitutionality of the legislation will take many months or even years and unless, during that process, the courts enjoin the legislation, tenant buyouts will be unlawful until the court ultimately determines that the legislation is in fact unconstitutional. Therefore, Landlords who are considering tenant buyouts should initiate the negotiation process sooner rather than later.
Daniel R. Stern, Esq. | https://davewassermansf.com/section-37-9e/ |
Trends in Step-determined Physical Activity among Japanese Adults from 1995 to 2016.
We tried to clarify the trends in step-determined physical activity (PA) among Japanese adults from 1995 to 2016. Raw data from the National Health and Nutrition Surveys Japan (NHNS-J) performed between 1995 and 2016 were used, in compliance with the Statistics Act of Japan. NHNS-J was conducted annually by the Japanese government (the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare) using a representative Japanese sample, with the same sampling method every year except in 2012 and 2016. A 1-d pedometer survey was conducted each year as a part of the NHNS-J, on a weekday in November specified by each individual. Because of the difference in age distribution of the samples, age-adjusted mean steps per day were calculated from 1995 to 2016 by sex. The time trends of step-determined PA levels among Japanese adults were described and examined using Joinpoint regression. The highest age-adjusted mean number of steps for men was 8235 steps per day in 2000, whereas it was 7667 steps per day in 2015. The highest age-adjusted mean numbers of steps for women were 7474 steps per day in 1998 and 6691 steps per day in 2015. The age-adjusted step-determined PA trend showed significantly decreasing trend from 1997 to 2008 in men (annual percentage change, -0.74; P < 0.001) and from 1998 to 2008 (annual percentage change, -1.30; P < 0.001) in women, by Joinpoint regression. The age-adjusted step-determined PA among Japanese adults between 1995 and 2016 decreased from around 1997 to 1998 until around 2008, but since then, the decreasing trend became unclear both in men and in women. Continuous monitoring of PA trends is essential to assess the effectiveness of policies.
| |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments herein relates to a method for selective partitioning of via structures in printed circuit boards.
To allow signals to travel between different conductive layers in a multilayer printed circuit board PCB, plated via structures are used. Often the plating is done to the whole inner surface of the via, but the plating can also be done selectively at certain parts within the same via to allow for more efficient use of conductive layers in the PCB.
Figures 1A and 1B
illustrate two examples of selective partitioning of via structures known from prior art.
Figure 1A
Figure 1A
illustrates a multilayer PCB 100 with a plurality of conductive layers 101-106 sandwiched with a plurality of dielectric layers 111-113,121-122. also illustrates a via structure 140 in the PCB 100. The via 140 comprises two plated electrically conductive portions 141 and 142 and between the two plated portions is an electrically isolating portion 145.
Figure 1B
Figure 1A
illustrates another multilayer PCB 200 with a plurality of conductive layers 151-156 sandwiched with a plurality of dielectric layers 161-163,171-172 and a via structure 190. The via 190 also comprises two plated conductive portions 191 and 192 but between the two plated portions is an electrically isolating portion 195 that is larger than in .
The electrically isolated portions 145 and 195 are produced by using plating resist layers 143 and 193 of different thickness.
Figure 1A
A disadvantage with using a relatively thin plating resist layer 143 as in is that the distance between the two plated portions 141 and 142 may be insufficient in order to achieve a valid isolation distance, especially for high voltage electronics.
Figure 1B
A disadvantage with a thick plating resist layer 193 as in is that the manufacturing process is more work intensive as the PCB need a number of additional preparation steps such as milling open portions in the dielectric layers before the thick plating resist layer 193 can be applied.
With this background it is the object to obviate at least some of the disadvantages mentioned above.
The object is achieved by an improved method to partition a via structure by using two plating resist layers in the PCB separated by at least one dielectric layer as to produce an electrically isolating portion of the via structure between two electrically conducting portions of said via structure.
One advantage of using the improved method is that only one drilling operation is needed when drilling the holes for the via. There is no need for high tolerance back drilling or sequential laminations with separate drilling for each sequential configuration.
Another advantage is that using two (or more) plating resist layers an arbitrary size of the conductive portions and the isolating/non-conductive portions of the via can be created allowing for more flexible circuit design.
The method allows to create non-conductive portions of different sizes in the via using the same type and thickness of the plating resist layers. This has the additional advantage of simplifying the manufacturing process and there is no need to keep plating resist layers with different thickness in stock.
The invention embodiments will now be described in more detail and with preferred embodiments and referring to accompanying drawings.
1A
1B
Figures and
are block diagrams illustrating partitioned via structures.
2A, 2B
Figures
3
and are block diagrams illustrating a PCB and the method steps for producing an improved via structure within said PCB.
4 and 5
Figures
are block diagrams illustrating other embodiments of improved via structures.
6
Figure
is a flow chart illustrating the method steps for producing the improved via structures.
Figures 2A, 2B
3
6
Figure 2A
An embodiment of a method for producing an improved via structure is illustrated in , and . illustrates four steps of the method applied on one and the same PCB 200. The PCB 200 has a plurality of conductive layers (normally copper layers) 201-208 and sandwiched between the copper layers 201-208 are dielectric layers as prepreg layers 211-214 and laminate layers 221-223 respectively. Prepreg which is an abbreviation for pre impregnated is a fiber weave impregnated with a resin bonding agent.
Figure 6
Before lamination, islands of at least two plating resist layers 231-234 are added at predetermined places on the copper layers 203-206 on the laminates 221-223 in step 1 (as shown in ).
Figure 2A
Figure 6
Figure 6
Figure 6
Figure 2B
Figure 3
6
Figure 6
The plating resist layer can also be added directly on the laminate (not shown in ). In the lamination process, the islands of the plating resist layers are embedded in the prepreg layers 212 and 213 as seen in step 2 (as shown in ). In step 3 (as shown in ) a through hole 240 is drilled in the PCB 200 through the copper layers 201-208 and the plating resist layers 231-234. In step 4 (as shown in ) and before plating, a thin layer 251 of chemical copper, is added to the inside of through hole 240 by placing the PCB 200 is a seed catalyzing bath. This thin layer 251 adheres to all inner parts of the through hole 240 except for the plating resist layers 231-234 as seen in positions 252 and 253 in . In step 5 (as shown in and ) the PCB is placed in an electrolytic copper plating bath. As the portion 254 of the thin layer 251 of chemical copper located between the two plating resist layers 231 and 232 and the portion 255 located between the two plating resist layers 233 and 234 are electrically isolated from the other conductive layers no copper is plated on these portions during the electrolytic plating process. After copper plating of the through hole 240, the thin copper layer that remains on portions 254 and 255 is removed by using micro etch (or an equivalent post processing operation). The resulting via structure is seen in step 6 (as shown in ) with three conductive portions 301-303 and two non-conductive portions 254 and 255 where the non-conductive portions 254 and 255 have a significant larger isolation distance than when using one thin plating resist layer only.
Figures 2A, 2B
3
Figure 4
In the embodiment illustrated in and the plating resist layers 231 and 232 are embedded in the same prepreg layer 212. The improved method is not limited to this configuration. illustrates an embodiment of a PCB 400 having a plurality of copper layers 401-407 and dielectric layers 411-413 and 421-423. In the PCB 400 the plating resist layers 431 and 432 are embedded in different prepreg layers 412 and 413 apart from each other and where the non-conductive portion 451 becomes larger.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The improved method is not limited to producing through hole vias only but can also be applied to blind vias or vias with different diameters within the same via structure. An example of the latter is illustrated in . In , a via structure in a PCB 500 is divided into two via portions 530, 535 with different diameters. The narrower via portion 530 is electrically isolated from the broader via portion 535 by using two plating resist layers 541,542 in the same manner as described above. The broader via portion 535 is produced by an additional step of back drilling with a larger drill before the seed catalyzing bath in step 4. The resulting plated portion 546 of the broader via portion 535 can for example be used for mounting components to the PCB 500. As the plated portion 545 of the narrower via portion 530 is isolated from the plated portion 546 of the broader via portion 535 it can be used for conducting current between other conductive layers in the PCB 500.
The embodiments can be implemented in a apparatus that further includes at least one microprocessor, a computer-readable medium including computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one microprocessor, are configured to control fabrication equipment to perform the methods described herein. Embodiments can also be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations thereof. Storage device suitable for embodying the computer program instructions include signals capable of programming a data processing system, all forms of non-volatile memory including, but not limited to: semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash devices; magnetic disks (fixed, floppy, and removable); other magnetic media such as tape; optical media such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray disks; and magneto-optic devices. Any of the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, specially-designed application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) or suitably programmed field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). | |
The Main Reception Room is the focal point of One Moorgate Place with its impressive domed glass ceiling and colourful stained-glass windows. Filled with history, striking murals by George Murray portray the room in a different era and context. These original paintings complement the impressive stone columns and the elaborate chandelier to present a stunning and captivating space.
This is a very flexible space and can be used for a wide range of events. Popular occasions include standing receptions with bubbles and canapés, along with private dining or small exhibitions.
This space can be used in conjunction with the Great Hall; a walkway between the two rooms provides easy access and a natural flow when moving from an exhibition space to the main conferencing space.
There is accessible access to the Main Reception Room through the Great Hall via a chair lift. If you are planning on hiring the Main Reception Room exclusively, please be aware if there is a separate event on in the Great Hall, there is no step-free access. | https://www.onemoorgateplace.com/main-reception/ |
Day 12 Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. We took a taxi to the Minsa Textile Institute & Minsa Craft Center and were met with lovely yarns drying outside the entrance. It is a large shop with a little museum upstairs. We spent quite a long time there. The weavers were winding huge warps onto beams to be put into looms when an order was placed for that color and design. There were tens of warp beams on the shelves to be woven as needed. We weren’t allowed to show photos of the process or the things in the shop. The shop was very attractive with contemporary colors and designs using traditional techniques woven on this island. Too bad I can’t show photos. Minsa technique means narrow weaving for obi for men and women. This shop used the warp faced technique with wider warps for lovely products to sell. Some examples were placemats, pillow covers, small coasters and lots of bags of all sizes. Everything was beautifully made.
Skeins drying after being dyed. The ones with the white plastic sticking out were ones that had been tied before dying. The area with the ties resisted the dye and will remain undyed. The cloth woven with these specially dyed threads in patterns is what is called “ikat”. Ikat is pronounced “e-cot”. See the next photo for a closer look.
A close look at the threads tied for ikat cloth. When they are put on the loom the tied will be removed and the yarns will be beige and white.
In the afternoon we visited a small weaving studio where the patterned “ikat” cloth was woven on looms with the pattern warp on a reel device that fit onto the back of the loom. This I had never seen before. Instead of tying the pattern threads they were painted on the warp threads while the warp was on tension on this reel device. This meant that the patterns lined up perfectly and didn’t need adjusting like we had been seeing before on the other islands. The next photos will show closer looks.
Here is the warp with the pattern painted on it.
There are two warps on the loom. The patterned one and a white one which is the main part of the cloth. The two are integrated in the heddles and woven together.
This is what the woven cloth looks like. Besides the warp threads being patterned the weft threads are patterned as well by tying the ikat threads and then dyeing them. We call it double ikat when both warps and wefts are dyed in these ways. The warps are the vertical threads and the wefts are the horizontal threads. | https://peggyosterkamp.com/2017/05/japan-tour-2017-day-12/?shared=email&msg=fail |
BOBO CHOSES is a Spanish brand based in Barcelona. Their collections are playful, with strong colors and patterns that evoke childhood.
The brand has a strong commitment, both social and ecological, through its production (based in Barcelona) and its fabrics (organic or recycled cotton).
Within their collections, I’ve chosen to focus on theirpermanent Iconic collection, made only with organic cotton and recycled cotton from previous collections (unsold pieces, scraps of fabric left from the production process, articles of clothing already worn and brought back by customers). The pieces are dyed naturally, with dyes from vegetal and mineral origin. The impact: less water consumption (-70% thanks to natural dyeing vs conventional dyeing), reduced CO2 footprint, less energy consumption.
This collection reinterprets best-selling patterns from the brand as a gift to all Bobo Choses fans. | https://www.123cerises.com/produit/bobo-choses-i-little-apples-pink-leggings/?lang=en |
Joshua DiggsJones Day
Joshua R. Diggs practices corporate law, with a focus on capital markets transactions, corporate governance, and securities law compliance. He regularly represents issuers in a wide range of transactions, including equity offerings, shelf registrations, high yield and investment-grade debt offerings, and tender and exchange offers.
He also advises public and private companies on securities disclosure and reporting obligations and corporate governance matters. In addition, his experience includes domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters.
Josh has acted on behalf of clients in a variety of industries, including food, chemicals, consumer products, technology, and real estate. His recent client representations include Axiall Corporation, Flowers Foods, Newell Brands, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Rayonier, and Roper Technologies.
EDUCATION:
- University of Virginia (J.D. 2015);
- Emory University (B.A. 2012)
BAR ADMISSIONS : Georgia
EXPERIENCE:
- Eastman Chemical completes $800 million notes offering, concurrent cash tender offer, and notes redemptions
- YETI Holdings completes $288 million IPO
- Axion BioSystems raises capital in Series A round
- Emrgy raises additional capital in private placement of Convertible Notes
- Roper Technologies completes $1.5 billion public offering of Senior Notes
- ArunA Biomedical issues $5.3 million of Common Stock in Reg D offering
- ArunA Biomedical issues $3.7 million of Common Stock in Reg D offering
- Newell Brands sells Tools division to Stanley Black & Decker for $1.95 billion
- Newell Brands completes €271 million exchange offer and $295 million exchange offer. | https://lawtally.com/lawyers/joshua-diggs/ |
PARIS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- France's security law has been "implemented in a balanced way" and fulfilled its due role in fighting terrorism and maintaining internal security, according to a government report.
The Law to Strengthen Internal Security and the Fight Against Terrorism, adopted by the French government on Oct. 30, 2017 in order to end a long-time state of emergency across the country threatened by repeated terror attacks, conforms with the spirit of legislators, the enforcement team of the French Senate which oversees the law said in a report in February.
The law comprises four key measures. Firstly, it permits the establishment of protection perimeters in order to ensure security at events, such as sports and cultural events, or in particularly vulnerable places. The prefect will be able to authorize visual bag inspections and security frisking by private security agents, under the supervision of police officers and gendarmes. Internal security forces will also be able to search vehicles with the consent of the driver.
Secondly, it allows the closure of places of worship when "words, writings, activities, ideas or theories" that incite or endorse terrorism, and incitement "to hatred and discrimination" are used there.
Thirdly, it allows the administrative authority to put in place administrative controls and individual monitoring measures against any person of whom there is serious reason to believe their behavior constitutes a "particularly serious" threat and who enters into regular contact with individuals or organizations with terrorist intent or who supports or adheres to views that incite terrorism.
Fourthly, it allows prefects to order, only with the prior authorization of the judge supervising releases and detention, the entry and search of any place if there is serious reason to believe it is being frequented by a person posing a terrorist threat or who is in contact with such person or persons.
In order to prevent the terrorist threat more effectively, there are two important additional measures.
It approves administrative investigations for civil servants in positions of authority and who pose a risk of radicalization, and where necessary, to take appropriate action, either by transferring, suspending or removing the person or persons concerned.
It also grants the ability to carry out identity checks in border areas or within a 10 km radius of airports and international stations.
Further measures approved by the law include introducing a new legal system for surveillance of wireless communications, extending the scope and duration for carrying out checks in border areas, and the creation of a new criminal offense for parents who incite their children to commit acts of terrorism or travel abroad for that purpose.
France suffered a series of deadly terror attacks in November 2015. The government then declared the state of emergency, which was extended until Nov. 1, 2017. | http://english.eastday.com/World/auto/u1ai8679624.html |
Browse Santorini destinations to check weather at a time of year that suits you. Major cities, towns and resorts are shown alphabetically below.
Popular Santorini destinations
Below are average maximum temperatures at popular destinations in Santorini in July. Select a destination to see the weather overview and compare average conditions with today's forecast.
All Santorini destinations
- Firostefani
- Imerovigli
- Kamari
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- Messaria
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- Pyrgos
- Thira
Santorini weather map: Select a destination
Select a destination from the Santorini weather map below to view the individual weather guide. Can't find the Santorini weather destination you are after? Try the destination search. | https://www.weather2travel.com/destinations/greece/santorini/ |
Remains of 35 people discovered in death pits in north Warsaw
The remains of 35 people, mostly women and children, were found by the researchers from the Institute of National Remembrance Search and Identification Office (IPN BPiI) in a death pit in Warsaw’s district of Białołęka in the north part of the city.
Death pits with remains of at least 29 people discovered in Warsaw
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The place was selected on the basis of the testimony of a witness to the German crime from the beginning of WWII.
“From March 22 to April 2, 2021, a team of archaeologists and anthropologists conducted search and exhumation works in the forest area of the Białołęka district (Skierdowska Street). The case was reported to the Institute of National Remembrance by a local historian dealing with the past of this district, He found an eyewitness to the execution of 13 men by German soldiers in the fate of the local areas,” the report by the BPiI wrote.
The preliminary anthropological research carried out by the specialists of the Search and Identification Office on the site revealed that the bodies of 35 people were buried here, including 3 men, 16 women and 14 children (aged 1-14). The age and sex of the other two people are yet to be determined. Elements of clothing (shoes, belts, buttons, glasses) were found on some of the skeletons.
“During the excavation works, long and short distance firearm bullets were found in skulls and pelvises of the victims. (…) The current state of the field research and the fact that the number of bodies and their sex does not coincide with the testimony of the eye witness allows for asserting that the research in this area should be continued,” the BPiI stated.
The head of the Branch Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation in Warsaw was notified about the discovery. He has already launched an investigation into the case.
For many years, the Institute of National Remembrance has been searching for secret burial places of the victims of totalitarian regimes in Poland and abroad. These searches focus mainly on the victims of communist terror, who, according to the estimates of IPN historians, could have murdered over 50,000 people in Poland in the years 1944-1956. | |
The “Joy of giving week” is a ‘festival of philanthropy’ that aims to become a part of the Indian ethos wherein people from all walks come together to give their time, money and resources. It is a noble step in the service of humanity.
BVIMR is deeply concerned with the people's welfare and the environment in which they live. To meet this end, BVIMR conducts a number of social activities round the year for the welfare of people and to keep the environment safe.
In accordance with this, on 25th October 2018, Social and Eco club of Bharti Vidyapeeth University organized “Daan Utsav” under the guidance of the faculty coordinator, Ms. Seema Choudhary. Six boxes were placed inside the college campus. The students and faculty members were requested to generously contribute to the cause by donating clothes, toys and other articles useful for the people in need. Students went to a village in Haiderpur and distributed the collected material among the needy. | http://www.bvimr.com/Events_Detail.aspx?nid=110 |
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