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This pear dessert is our favourite, we have been baking it for many years. We have a recipe for a poppy seed pie from an old pot cookbook. We bake this dessert in different variations, each time with different fruits according to the season. The recipe is for pear pie on a baking tin. The cake can be baked with fresh and compote fruit. The tart is very tasty and with ripe pears beautifully juicy. Poppy in the cake crunches pleasantly. This is a recipe for a fast baked dessert with pears. The making will take less than an hour. Ingredients - 1 cup of plain flour - 1 cup of semi-flour - 0, 5 cup caster sugar - 1, 5 cup unground poppy - 1 baking powder - 2 eggs - 1 cup milk - 1 cup oil - 6 – 7 pears - sheet greasing oil - coarse flour to sprinkle the baking sheet with Pear dessert recipe We start by preparing the pears we want to put on the cake. We pick ripe juicy pears with a thin skin. Wash the pears thoroughly, cut them in half, remove the stem, the core and cut them into half-moons. Depending on the size of the pear, we make 8-10 pieces out of each pear. Prepare the baking tray. Grease the plate with coconut oil or other grease and sprinkle it with coarse flour, or overlay it with baking paper. Prepare the dough for the pie. Whisk the eggs with sugar and oil into the foam. Mix both flours with poppy seeds and baking powder. Mix them oney by one together with the milk into the whipped foam. Spread the finished dough on the prepared baking tray. Put sliced pears on top of the cake. We stack them so that the cake not only tastes good, but also looks nice on the plate. Bake the pear cake in an oven heated to 180 ° C until it turns golden/brown for 35 – 40 min. Let the cake cool down, cut into pieces and serve. It tastes both children and adults. Do you enjoy baking? Are you looking for other recipes, which you can try or get inspired by? Take a look a tour other recipes here. If you are looking for other unbaked cake and dessert recipes, continue here.	https://kreativnitechniky.cz/en/pear-dessert/
Functional specialization in rhesus monkey auditory cortex. Neurons in the lateral belt areas of rhesus monkey auditory cortex prefer complex sounds to pure tones, but functional specializations of these multiple maps in the superior temporal region have not been determined. We tested the specificity of neurons in the lateral belt with species-specific communication calls presented at different azimuth positions. We found that neurons in the anterior belt are more selective for the type of call, whereas neurons in the caudal belt consistently show the greatest spatial selectivity. These results suggest that cortical processing of auditory spatial and pattern information is performed in specialized streams rather than one homogeneously distributed system.
How long can people living in the U.S. expect to live? 78.6 years of age, if you were born in 2017. That’s a decline of 0.1 year from 2016. This decline especially impacted baby boys: their life expectancy fell to 76.1 years, while baby girls’ life expectancy stayed even at 81.1 years. That’s the latest data on Mortality in the United States, 2017, soberly brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Underneath these stark numbers are the specific causes of death: in 2017, more Americans died due to unintentional injuries, lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer Disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, and suicide, increasing in prevalence among the top ten causes of death in the U.S. On the upside, deaths fell due to cancer, and rates for heart and kidney disease stayed relatively even. 1. The rates of death for younger ages significantly grew between 2016 and 2017 in the age cohorts 25-34 and 35-44. 2. For infant deaths, unintentional injuries significantly rose over the year. There was also a marked increase in maternal complications. 3. Drug overdoses were the cause of over 70,000 U.S. deaths — related to the growing use of synthetic opioids. That’s due to the fact that the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths with synthetic opioids (not methadone) increased by 45% between 2016 and 2017. This is shown in the third graphic, the line chart showing the hockey-stick growth of synthetic opioids since 2013. While there is obvious and important attention being paid to drug overdoses and the opioid crisis, and suicides among younger people, Americans should be mindful too of lack of significant progress dealing with mortality due to respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and the flu, along with infant deaths due to maternal complications and unintentional injuries. Health Populi’s Hot Points: It’s a stark, sad reality that Americans are losing years of life that could be conserved. The nation spends more resources on healthcare than any country on Planet Earth, and the ultimate ROI should be life-years, and quality of those life-years. If you look at the map, you’re seeing states by the rate of drug overdoses in 2017. The higher-than-national-average rates are in dark blue. This is not to say there aren’t deaths due to overdose in the green-hued states. But this is one lens on one’s ZIP code being a risk factor for health, and in this case, death from overdosing. This challenge is but one of many that are, partly, addressable by getting real about social determinants. For these deaths of despair, job security and unemployment, social connections and loneliness, access to healthcare services (THINK: mental health, anxiety, depression, pain), and education are all pathways to socioeconomic status and social security (meant in the phrase as written, not as the U.S. Federal program of “Social Security”). Three years later, there’s little national/Federal progress on resourcing the social determinants and personal/household economies that could help turnaround this public health challenge. (Most Americans didn’t feel a short-term sustained benefit from the recent tax reform legislation). While Congress and the President do chat about the opioid crisis, look for more action from the private sector and State Governors than Congress in 2019.	https://www.healthpopuli.com/2018/11/30/the-ultimate-health-outcome-mortality-is-rising-in-america/
The Development of an Instrument for Assessing Individual Ethical Decisionmaking in Project-based Design Teams: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative MethodsEthics and the development of ethical reasoning in engineering students is an important part ofengineering education and the accreditation criteria of ABET. Project-based design has become amore prominent pedagogy within current engineering education and offers opportunities whereethical considerations concerning technology, society, people and the environment often arise.Engineering ethicists in project-based design experiences have increasingly realized thesignificance of introducing ethical decisionmaking to engineering students. However, a majorchallenge is the lack of effective tools for assessing students’ ethical decisionmaking strategies,skills, and developmental processes in project-based design teams.This paper introduces the development of an instrument for assessing individual ethicaldecisionmaking in a project-based design context. First, we present the ethical theoreticalframework (e.g. Kohlberg’s moral development theory) and practical background (e.g. micro andmacro ethics in engineering) for the development of the instrument. Second, we describe theprocess in which the instrument has been developed. This process was inspired by the successfulstructure of the DIT2 (Defining Issues Test, Version 2) but tailored to the specific context ofproject-based engineering design. For example, our instrument consists of design ethicsscenarios that require students to make situational ethical judgments and then rate and rank aseries of items which they think are crucial for decisionmaking.In this paper, we also introduce the validation processes of our instrument by means of statisticalvalidation, expert review, and qualitative methods including non-participatory observations andsemi-structured interviews for triangulation. Finally, we discuss some limitations or conditionsof our instrument and propose suggestions for further research with the aim of improving thepractical effectiveness of the instrument in assessing students’ individual ethical decisionmakingin project-based design environment.Keywords: Ethical decisionmaking; Moral development; Ethical assessment; Mixed methods.	https://peer.asee.org/the-development-of-an-instrument-for-assessing-individual-ethical-decisionmaking-in-project-based-design-teams-integrating-quantitative-and-qualitative-methods
I accept the Law on Protection of Personal Data. With the present notice, Hotel Parets Els Pins, with CIF: 54450429E, Domicile in Avinguda L'estatut de Catalunya, 2, Barcelona, 08032, Barcelona, informs the users in compliment of the Section 13 of the EU Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and the Council, from April 27, 2016, regarding the Protection of Personal Data, with the purpose that they decide specifically, freely and voluntarily, if they want to facilitate the personal data that is requested in this website for the provision of its services. It is informed as well that the purpose of the treatment of the data the users facilitate is uniquely to take the request or consult that they make through this website and, in any case, if the users specifically consent it by marking the relevant box at the foot of the form of data collect, send them information about activities that may be of their interest, understanding that sending their data expressly authorize Hotel Parets Els Pins for treatment of their data with the purposes hereinbefore. The consent given, which constitutes the legal basis that legitimizes the treatment of data, is revocable at any time without any effect on the lawfulness of the treatment based on the consent prior to withdrawal. Unless specifically stated otherwise, it is necessary to complete all the data required in the data form. If not all the needed data is provided, Hotel Parets Els Pins can, depending on the case, refuse to process the given request. The given data will be preservated until the users decide to revoke the treatment consent. The users will have to fill the form with true, exact, complete and updated data, responding for damages that may be caused by a defective form filling with false, inaccurate, incomplete or not updated data. Hotel Parets Els Pins has adopted the security levels of Personal Data Protection demanded in the current Data Protection Legislation, installing the needed technical and organizational measures to avoid a lost, misuse, disturbance, unauthorized access et al. Likewise, Hotel Parets Els Pins promises to comply with the obligation of secrecy of personal data and the duty of preserving it and will adopt all the needed measures to avoid its disturbance, lost and unauthorized treatment or access, taking account of the technology status all the time. The users or people that represent you can exercise at any time the right of access, rectification, suppression and, in any case, objection to the stablished in the Regulation, sending a letter to the following adress: Avinguda L'estatut de Catalunya, 2, Barcelona, and/or email: [email protected] where the user identity is accredited. If Hotel Parets Els Pins provided a type of special service whith different specific conditions in terms of data protection, the primacy will be the application of the particular rules indicated for the particular service over those herein, in case of incongruity. Hotel Parets Els Pins reserves the right to modify the current policy, priorly informing the users about the changes to introduce. The users have the right to submit a claim to the Spanish Data Protection Agency if they consider their data protection rights have been violated. Copyright © 2011 \| Hotel Parets \| Legal warning \| Design by Microbit IT services.	http://www.hotelparets.com/eng/contacto
To cope with the richness in appearance variation found in real-world data under natural illumination, we propose to synthesize training data capturing these variations for material classification. Using synthetic training data created from separately acquired material and illumination characteristics allows to overcome the problems of existing material databases which only include a tiny fraction of the possible real-world conditions under controlled laboratory environments. However, it is essential to utilize a representation for material appearance which preserves fine details in the reflectance behavior of the digitized materials. As BRDFs are not sufficient for many materials due to the lack of modeling mesoscopic effects, we present a high-quality BTF database with 22;801 densely measured view-light configurations including surface geometry measurements for each of the 84 measured material samples. This representation is used to generate a database of synthesized images depicting the materials under different view-light conditions with their characteristic surface geometry using image-based lighting to simulate the complexity of real-world scenarios. We demonstrate that our synthesized data allows classifying materials under complex real-world scenarios. Synthesis of representative training data: The full Cartesian product of material data and environment lighting can easily be rendered by using a virtual camera with specified extrinsic and intrinsic parameters. The illustrated output image is generated using the material and illumination configuration highlighted in red. Representative images for the material samples in the 7 categories. If you have questions concerning the data, please contact Michael Weinmann.	https://pages.iai.uni-bonn.de/gall_juergen/projects/materialsynth/materialsynth.html
The Climate Bill for Northern Ireland represents a truly ground breaking effort on the part of a local coalition of climate activists, academics and legal professionals. The Bill attracted cross party support from a range of Assembly parties, a significant achievement given the often-polarised nature of politics within Northern Ireland. ‘The bill envisages Northern Ireland being carbon neutral by 2045 by cutting emissions across energy, transport, business, waste management and agriculture. As well as targets for greenhouse gases, it sets out plans for measures to tackle issues around water, soil quality and biodiversity loss. It also establishes a climate commissioner, who is independent of government, to oversee the work.’ The political commitments to the aims of the Climate Bill provide an obligation to address the inaction on climate breakdown on the part of successive Northern Ireland Executives and policy makers. Northern Ireland is the only region across the UK that doesn’t have specific climate legislation and a raft of indicators show that our natural world is suffering serious decline, causing harm to human health. Yet, our carbon emission reduction efforts are falling short when set against the gains made by other devolved regions. Scotland has achieved a 45% reduction in carbon emissions since 1990 while Wales managed a 31% reduction. Northern Ireland’s reduction is a mere 20% and of great concern is the fact that our rate of reduction has stagnated since 2014. The canary is singing when it comes to other environmental indicators across Northern Ireland. Ammonia pollution blights our countryside with 98% of Special Areas of Conservations impacted by toxic ammonia levels. Air quality is poor in various urban areas across the region with year-on-year breaches of air quality legal standards. There is serious decline in inland water quality standards. Analysis under the Water Framework Directive shows that there has been a deterioration in the water quality of Northern Ireland’s lakes and rivers since previous surveys in 2015 and 2018 with 95% of our lakes are in decline. Wildlife and our natural world are in decline with our Government failing to deliver in 83% of government commitments in their own Biodiversity Strategy. Time is not on our side in the face of this crisis. That’s why the Climate Coalition came together to draft this bill and I’m delighted to be lead sponsor along with co-sponsors from Sinn Fein, SDLP, UUP, Alliance and Independent MLAs. The bill has been submitted to the Speakers Office and we are in dialogue on technical aspects of the draft legislation at present. We are looking forward to making political progress in the New Year to shape the next nine years as the climate decade.	https://fortnightmagazine.org/articles/the-climate-bill-for-northern-ireland/
After a careful review of the available options, and spending some time reflecting on class content thus far, I have found myself attracted to the digital story telling option for the final project. I see this as a natural extension of the opening assignment of the course, the Mo’olelo, but with the added opportunity to reflect on how I might see my own story in the light of course content. I feel as if this will foster a nice sense of continuity for the semester, and a provide a 360 degree view of the course. The journey through my undergraduate Social Work education and training was a highly reflective exercise, as every semester presented not only opportunities to learn new content, theories, practice methods and skills, but also offered, along the way, insights into the social realities that I live, and have been personally conditioned by. Considering this, it might be easy to see how “yet another reflective assignment” may be a bit redundant, however, it seems apparent to me that these are not so common times that we are living. The larger events that have overshadowed all of our lives politically and socially as a nation, not only over the last few years, but even within these last few months here on campus, have most certainly left an indelible impression, for better or worse, upon the minds and hearts of us all, both personally and collectively. This project, therefore, might serve well as an opportunity to scrutinize my own lens of perception, and the attitudes and assumptions that inform it as a white male, and to hold them up to the rigor of critical analysis, yet again, and at this most interesting time in history. Reflecting on class content in the light of my personal story, I have, as I have in the past, often felt a bit culture-less. As a white male that never assimilated well into the greater social reality that I was exposed to, and openly dissenting from the dominant cultural views, norms, and attitudes which carefully informed my natural peer groups, I was often left by the wayside, cast out of the dominant stream of cultural expression. Unlike many of my peers, I had my own enculturation process violently interrupted, and while some of my cohorts seemed to recover from that experience more readily than I did, I never took to the recovery process, and lived a life plagued by the cultural imperialism that the majority of my peer group merely assimilated into. My whole enculturation process become a statement of counter-culture protest, part momentum and part intention, I became the antithesis of assimilation, and struggled to not become a mere parody of myself. Rejecting, with prejudice, everything from cosmological view to mere media expression, I found myself moving further and further outside of any norm of assimilation and cooperative living until I was found homeless and alone, searching for some ground to identify with, and for something to believe in. Because of this, I don’t feel as if I could merely bring some M&M’s to a celebration of my culture’s food, as I still find the shallow commercialism and consumerism that largely defines dominant western culture an utterly repugnant cancer. More sensitive issues are certainly at play in my life today that add to this sense of cultural in-between-ism, but it ought to be enough to say that, despite these truths, I recognize that I do walk with some unearned privileged in life, and find that it is worthwhile to continually evaluate, and reevaluate my own conditioning. Despite the fact that I may not identify with “whiteness” on a conscious level, or find myself intentionally playing into any sort of masculinity based dominance games, I understand that awareness is an ongoing project, and the cultivation of wisdom must be constantly attended to against the numb conditioning of our blind assumptions. Therefore, I propose to look at a particular aspect of my life story through the general lens of course content, with an eye on cultural imperialism, and form a strengths based perspective. I will, as I tend to, connect these insights to certain secular Buddhist theories, and demonstrate this as the core of the strengths based portion of the narrative, turning loss of identity into a strength that need not be tampered with. I look forward to this adventure, and to seeing what discoveries might emerge in the light of any new perspectives that have not, as of yet, presented themselves, throughout the course of the semester. Josh, thanks for sharing your ideas. Continue to be humbled by your insights and willingness to openly engage with sensitive and uncomofortable topics. Looking forward to seeing the final product towards the end of the semester. Good luck! I am really interested to see what you find and come up with through looking at your life story in a different way. This sounds like it will be a great project for the rest of us to see but also a great learning experience for you! Hi Josh! Thank you so much for your poweful insight. I think it is a beautiful thing to reflect on one’s own life to explore uncomfortable topics. I am really interested to see what you are able to find and come to terms with in exploring your life. I am ready to learn from you! I appreciate your willingness to share your journey. As someone who struggles balancing multiple identites being an American Pakistani Muslim, I can appreciate someone taking the time and being as vulnerable as you were. Like you, I think the best way to overcome our lack of understanding is by enddulging ourselves in what we don’t know in order to get better sense of who we are. There’s an element of that journey that I truly appreciate. Best of luck. Thanks so much for giving a great backgroud to why you want to do the project. I think it could be quite powerful. I like the interlay between being a person of privilege and at the same time rejecting the dominant culture. It is a sign of a reflective person who seeks justice and someone who is aware of the dynamics of oppression that occur regardless of the beliefs you hold. Just keep this in mind. As a POC, I can be 100% assimilated and still experience oppression based on culture and race. As a white person, you can be 100% against the dominant culture and still reap great privilege, even if you’ve felt like an outcast. Like it or not, others will asscribe an identity to you as much as you asscribe your own identity. The same goes for maleness. There are costs and benefits for stepping outside the box. You have suffered some costs, but those costs are not the same for others who step outside the box because of identity. The same is true for me. I think if you can take your analysis to this level and not just focus your own personal costs, but also the benefits, this could truly be a valuable learning experience for all who read it!	https://unfettered.net/final-project-proposal/
Poor balance in seniors and the elderly is associated with an increased risk of debilitating falls. As we age, due to weakening of our muscles and reduced bone density, we lose physical strength and may experience various forms of deterioration in our sense of balance. These changes increase our risks of falling. What causes loss of balance? Is poor balance in seniors and the elderly inevitable with aging? If you are reading this article, chances are that you may already be having loss of balance issues and are looking for answers. I know I did. I often wondered about my occasional disposition to poor balance and almost tripping for no apparent reason. By understanding why balance deteriorates, we can find ways to mitigate the effects of old age and maintain a good quality lifestyle beyond retirement. What is Balance? Balance plays a key role in our daily activities without us really being aware of it, whether it is standing, sitting or all other types of movement. It provides stability to the body. In your 50s, subtle changes begin to occur (Harvard Health Publications 2020). With aging, a decrease in ability to balance results in diminished confidence to be upwardly mobile. This causes many seniors to become “couch potatoes” which is counter-productive because it accelerates a further decline in muscle strength and balance and then affect the quality of life. Did you know that as balance declines in seniors and the elderly it causes them to begin to take shorter walking steps, and over time, this can deteriorate into a shuffle type of walk. Sound familiar? You have probably seen this slow calculated walk in some senior citizens. Taking these shorter steps mean that more energy will need to be expended to even travel short distances. No wonder the general complaint of being tired by many seniors! Is There A Simple Way to Check My Balance? Yes, there is. There are two simple exercises I learned could give you insight into your balancing coordination. I thought they were pretty straightforward when I read them. My results changed my mind…. EXERCISE 1 - Hold on to the backrest of a chair set against a fixed surface such as a wall or the dining table for safety. Balance on one leg for up to 30 seconds if you can. - Your goal is to maintain your center of gravity over your ankles. - Try balancing on each foot for up to 30 seconds. You should be able to do this. If you are unable to do so and you feel unsteady or wobbly, there is definitely room for improvement. - The ultimate goal of this exercise is for you to build strength and improve your balance by being able, over time, to eventually only hold onto the chair with one hand, then one finger and finally, let go completely as you do the exercise. EXERCISE 2 - Stand about 12 inches away from a wall where there is no clutter, or beside your kitchen counter for. Both will serve as a safety net to hold onto if you feel unsteady while doing the exercise. - Place one foot directly in front of each other and try to walk in a straight line from point A to point B. - If you feel unsteady or wobbly, there is room for improvement. - Continued practice should eventually allow you to conduct this exercise and improve muscle strength and balance without needing any support How Does Our Body Help Us Maintain Balance? Good balance is usually associated with having stable posture. To maintain balance, your muscles need to be strong enough and work efficiently in response to sensory information when you get out of bed, walk around, stand up from your chair and navigate different types of terrain (rough, smooth, mixed) every day to keep you from falling. HOW DOES THIS WORK? Three systems help coordinate nerve signal information between our bodies and our surroundings to maintain balance. These are the eyes, inner ear and semi-circular canals (vestibular), and sensory feedback from nerves in your skin, muscles, limbs, joints in ankles, knees, spine and neck. 1. Eyes (Visual System) – Sensory information coming from our eyes provide information about your surroundings such as what type of terrain is this; are there any obstacles in my way that I will need to navigate? Good vision is essential for this. 2. Inner ear (Vestibular system) – The fluid-filled snail shell shaped semicircular canal in the inner ear transmits sensory information about the position of the head and its movement relative to gravity – are you wanting to sit down, stand up, bend down, dance or do acrobatics? This is the organ of balance (Medicinenet 2019). 3. Sensory feedback from the musculoskeletal system made up of the limbs, joints, ankles and hips help maintain a stable stance for however you may want to move. To maintain balance, all three systems must work efficiently together as the sensory information from each are rapidly and continuously coordinated by the brain. The speed of processing by the brain becomes slower in aging adults and is one reason why they may be prone to falls. Falls are the leading cause of injuries – including injuries-for people older than 65 (HealthinAging 2017) What are the Causes of Balance Problems or Disorders? Balance problems are among the most common reasons that older adults seek help from a doctor, with vertigo being a common symptom (National Institute on Aging 2017). Poor balance can result in temporary or long-term balance problems, depending on the cause. Because balance problems may be caused by several factors, treatment may sometimes be difficult. General causes include the wearing of poorly fitting footwear, specific injury, a disorder, or a disease. Symptoms include feeling faint or lightheaded, sense of motion or spinning (vertigo), dizziness, unsteadiness, vision changes, and confusion (Mayo Clinic 2020) We will start by looking at some of the more obvious causes. More Obvious Causes of Poor Balance in Seniors 1. NORMAL BALANCE RELATED TRIPS & FALLS You may lose your balance if you accidentally trip over something, or when forcefully pushed as in a crowded mall. 2. SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR A sedentary behavior (becoming a couch potato) due to aging changes to the body accelerate diminishing muscle strength, balance, loss of bone and an increased risk of falls. 3. POORLY FITTING SHOES Distorted or painful feet and poorly fitting shoes can pass misleading information to the brain about the type of terrain you are walking on and therefore the nature of required contact with the ground when you are walking. 4. POOR VISION Eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration worsen your eyesight. They can cause increased susceptibility to glare and poor estimation of depth or height resulting in inaccurate judgment of distance, which can result in poor balance. If there are significant vision problems dizziness may occur and can lead to poor balance. Less Obvious Causes of Poor Balance in Seniors These include cognitive decline, medical conditions, circulation issues, medications and inner ear infections. COGNITIVE DECLINE AND POOR BALANCE IN SENIORS With age and inactivity, processing of sensory signals by the brain may become slower due to cognitive decline. As a result, maintaining balance and preventing harmful falls may require ever greater mental focus and prove more fatiguing. MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND POOR BALANCE IN SENIORS There are many medical conditions in older adults that can affect balance. The normal sensory feedback from your joints to the brain is reduced by swollen feet and ankles and poor flexibility. - Arthritis – stiffness in the weight bearing knee joints may cause errors in foot placement. - Diabetes can cause nerve damage or loss of blood circulation to the legs and feet. - Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological condition which could cause poor balance in elderly adults with the disease. - Alzheimer is a type of brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior which may cause poor balance. - Parkinson’s Disease – As the sufferer loses the ability to control muscles, balance can become a challenge. - Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, while rarer than other diseases mentioned, can also cause balance problems. The disease occurs when the shingles’ virus attacks the vestibular nerve in the ear. CIRCULATION ISSUES AND POOR BALANCE IN SENIORS - A sudden drop in blood pressure and other circulation issues can lead to balance problems. Standing or sitting up suddenly from a bed or a chair may cause light-headedness and dizziness (postural hypotension) and can lead to a sudden loss of balance in elderly adults. - Dehydration, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, use of diuretic medications, very hot weather are other known causes of light-headedness - A decreased blood flow to the brain, possibly from clogged arteries (atherosclerosis), heart problems (heart attack, slow heart or issues with the heart valves) or, long term neurological conditions (diabetes, Parkinson’s) may cause numbness to the face, arms or legs along with symptoms like hearing loss, double vision, or blurred vision (NHS (2020). MEDICATIONS AND POOR BALANCE IN SENIORS Many medications such as tranquilizers and anti- depressants may cause side effects of dizziness or vertigo. Some commonly prescribed medications among the older population are thought to be linked to dizziness, light-headedness, and increased fall risk (HealthinAging 2017). These include benzodiazepines, sedatives/tranquilizers, narcotics/opioids, sleeping pills, anti psychotics, blood pressure medicines, anti epileptics, and antidepressants INNER EAR INFECTIONS AND POOR BALANCE IN SENIORS Abnormalities in the inner ear or inner ear infections can cause vertigo which can also affect balance and increase the risk of falls. NHS (2017). Four Ear-Related Balance Problems a. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) state that BPPV is one of the most common types of balance disorders. Most people have never heard of BBPV, but it frequently presents in adults over 60 due to a head injury or an ear infection. Its main symptom is intense vertigo when moving the head and may even be triggered by rolling over in bed. b. Ménière’s Disease – This causes a sensation of feeling “full” accompanied by vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and sporadic hearing loss. Hearing loss can affect balance and increase the risk of falls. c. Labyrinthitis – When the inner ear becomes infected and inflamed, the result can be balance problems. Labyrinthitis is an inner ear infection often linked to a case of the flu. d. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome – Older adults may be more prone to shingles’ which is a skin condition caused by a virus. In some cases the shingles’ virus can affect facial nerves near the ear. This causes vertigo, ear pain and loss of the ability to hear. Prevention Tips Aside from the more obvious balance problems being easily prevented, treated or mitigated, many other balance problems are difficult to prevent. Management is primarily through lifestyle changes (see Article). Simple preventative tips include - Avoid smoking - Avoid exposure to anything that can congest your sinus. - Sit or lie down immediately you feel dizzy and relax - Prevent low blood pressure by drinking more water and avoiding alcohol. Avoid high blood pressure by exercising regularly, limiting your salt intake, and maintaining a healthy weight. What Can I Do? Obviously, if you are experiencing problems with your balance or having frequent episodes of dizziness, you must consult with your doctor or Healthcare provider. A comprehensive diagnosis can then be conducted, and treatment options recommended. Though there are often many factors involved with poor balance as seniors age, a lot of this decline is sometimes just simply due to inactivity. The good news is that this can usually be improved with exercise and training. Training will involve improving your body strength along with challenging your balance system daily with activities that require you to use the three systems involved in balancing. Seniors should aim to be active every day, walking as often as they can, and build up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, which should make you feel slightly out of breath and a bit warmer. This time can be accumulated in ten-minute bursts. At least two of these short bursts should build strength and balance: examples include lifting weights, yoga, Tai Chi, Otago or postural stability classes, and dancing. It’s never too late to start! What do you think about this and what are your related experiences? Leave your comments in the Comment Box below and I will respond.	https://metamorphosishub.com/poor-balance-in-seniors-why-oh-why/
With advancements in technology, computer science is everywhere. It dictates the working of our lives. You may have completed your B.Com Hons, but you will still have to have a basic idea of computer science in order to survive. It has become like a language without which communication is impossible. Here’s a fundamental basic concept in computer science, graphs. Let’s start by defining data structures and slowly work our way down. Data structure and its classification A data structure is a mathematical or logical way of organizing and storing data. They are classified into-primitive and non-primitive data structures. Under primitive data structures, we have integer (int), character (char), float, double. These are inbuilt or pre-defined data types which work according to a pre-defined set of rules. Sometimes these primitive data structures are not enough for a programmer to implement his ideas and run a code. In such cases derived and user-defined data structures (non – primitive) are necessary. Non – primitive data structures are further divided into – linear and non–linear data structures. Linear data structures include arrays, stacks, queues, lists wherein data or elements are stored sequentially; whereas in non-linear data structures data is not stored sequentially but usually in a hierarchical order Trees and Graphs are examples of this. What is a graph? Consider a non-empty set of vertices V and an ordered set of edges E. A graph G (V, E)is a set of these vertices and edges. It is a non – primitive, non – linear data structure. Usually, vertices are represented using 1-D arrays and edges using 2-D arrays. Definitions related to graphs Vertex – Each node of the graph is a vertex. Edge – The path between two nodes. Adjacency – Two vertices are said to be adjacent if they are connected to each other through an edge. Path – The sequence of edges between two vertices. Complete graph – a graph who’s each vertex is connected to every other vertex. Subgraph – A graph is said to be a subgraph of another graph if all the vertices and edges of the first graph are present in the second graph. Connectivity – two vertices are said to be connected if there is a path in the graph between the two vertices. Cycle – a cycle is a simple path in which the first and last vertex is the same. Degree – the degree of a vertex implies the number of other edges incident on that vertex. Types of graphs Directed graphs – A graph is said to be directed if it consists of an ordered pair of vertices, i.e. all its edges are directed. Undirected graph – A graph is said to be undirected if it consists of an unordered pair of vertices, i.e. all its edges are undirected. Importance of graphs A Graph is an important data structure because it represents relationships. Graphs are more expressive than trees as they can incorporate cycles, multiple edges etc. Being very powerful abstractions, graphs are important in data modeling. The concept of graphs is used in social networking, transportation networks, document links, for example searching for Best MBA Colleges in Pune and many links appear wherein each website is a vertex and each hyperlink is an edge. Also used neural networks, quantum field theory, robot planning etc. Note We would like to thank Harshith Kulal for this Community Contribution of CoderInMe.	https://coderinme.com/graph-database-and-data-structure-coderinme/
Massimo Tagliata, born 1973, begun his musical career very early as performer and composer. When he was 13 he took the exam for composer, transcriber and songwriter at the SIAE. While at 15 he focus on Argentinian tango. In 1994 Massimo Tagliata won the International competition “City of Castelfidardo”, category “Contemporary Music”. Then his interests in jazz and latin music grew up and developed. He has been traveling all around the world with famous musicians for many years and in 2012 he was one of the protagonists of Biagio Antonacci’s tour. 1. When you were about 20, you started important collaborations with musicians like Teo Ciavarella, Felice Del Gaudio and the group Banda Favela, whit whom he realized an important tour all over the greatest jazz clubs in Europe and in Japan. What did those experiences teach you? They taught me to study and focus on things in order to reach a high level and high quality results. Didactic preparation, as well as concentration, is fundamental. Those were years of hard studies and of in-depth analysis for me. 2. At the same time you have continued with your career of tango with the project Trio Lumiere, having concert not only in Italy, but also in the rest of the World. In what country have you found the best condition for a musician? It’s not easy to answer. Before 2001 USA offered many opportunities to musicians and there were lots of interesting chances not to be missed but today we live in a different World. I can’t choose a Country. In any case, I’m not a xenophile. 3. Thanks to your musical versatility, you easily move from jazz to tango, from pop music to forrò. How is it possible? I’m versatile in my job and fields. This is due to my first studies and experiences. I have played a lot in some public dance halls and in the past this meant learning a lot of different things. Those experiences have developed my quickness of mind. Moreover I have had special opportunities to work with great musicians who plays different instruments and focus on different styles. My curiosity and thirst of knowledge have done the rest. 4. In 2006 you founded the group “Marea” together with the guitarist Andrea Dessì. Marea has took part in the most important Italian jazz festivals, recorded CD, led to international partnerships. How was Marea born and what is its history? I met Andrea many years ago. Our musical histories are very different but his deep love for flamenco really struck me. So, we have decided to mix our stiles and create Marea. Our first cd has been enriched by the saxophonist Javier Girotto. Marea has also lead to many other international partnerships such as the project with Frank Marocco. He is a guide and an example for several accordionists and for me too. In 2008 we worked together and I spent a really satisfying period with him, full of teachings. 5. You have arranged Sognami, Biagio Antonacci’s song which has became a great pop success, at the top of the Italian charts for 16 weeks. Accordions get closer to the audience and other instruments. Have barriers been broken? It’s not enoght because it’s a long way. Richard Gallianò said that the accordion is a piano without braces. People has been appreciating accordions in the last 15/20 years and this instrument is no longer associated to low level popular music as in the past. Musicians have done a hard and difficult job in order to ennoble the accordion and thanks to people like Gallianò or Piazzolla the situation has been changed. Today the accordion has entered the Italian Conservatories while when I was 13 The Conservatory of Bologna refused me because of my accordion! 6. In 2008 you worked to a special project mixing electronic music with tango using both traditional instruments and keyboards or synthesizers. Where have you learned so specific knowledge about electronic instrumentation? I have always loved electronic fields. I’m famous for being a musician and many people don’t know that I have a recording studio where I work as producer and arranger. So I always had got a my own place, where I could study and this helped me very much. In 2008 I recorded “Lumière du tango” with trio Lumiere, an electronic tango CD, which was one of the first work in Italy. We have been inspired by Gotan Project. It has been very interesting. 7. What about your last working success? In 2009 I started working with Biagio Antonacci regularly. We have done together “Non vivo più senza te”, the summer success of the last year. In 2012 I followed him in tour. It has been a wonderful year, the arrival of hard working periods, a time full of great satisfactions and fulfilments.	https://www.strumentiemusica.com/en/interviews/from-antonacci-to-marocco-massimo-tagliatas-successful-projects/
The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of signaling polypeptides regulates a diverse array of physiologic functions including mitogenesis, wound healing, cell differentiation and angiogenesis, and development. Both normal and malignant cell growth and proliferation are affected by changes in local concentration of these extracellular signaling molecules, which act as autocrine and paracrine factors. Autocrine FGF signaling may be particularly important in the progression of steroid hormone-dependent cancers to a hormone independent state (Powers et al., Endocr. Relat. Cancer, 2000, 7, 165-197). FGFs and their receptors are expressed at increased levels in several tissues and cell lines, and overexpression is believed to contribute to the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, a number of oncogenes are homologues of genes encoding growth factor receptors, and there is a potential for aberrant activation of FGF-dependent signaling in human pancreatic cancer (Ozawa et al., Teratog. Carcinog. Mutagen., 2001, 21, 27-44). The two prototypic members are acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF or FGF1) and basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF or FGF2), and to date, at least twenty distinct FGF family members have been identified. The cellular response to FGFs is transmitted via four types of high affinity transmembrane tyrosine-kinase fibroblast growth factor receptors numbered 1 to 4 (FGFR-1 to FGFR-4). Upon ligand binding, the receptors dimerize and auto- or trans-phosphorylate specific cytoplasmic tyrosine residues to transmit an intracellular signal that ultimately reaches nuclear transcription factor effectors. Mitogenic signaling by these FGFRs is subsequently mediated via a number of pathways, including the ras/raf/MAP kinase cascade (Ozawa et al., Teratog. Carcinog. Mutagen., 2001, 21, 27-44). Alternative splicing of the mRNA from the FGFRs 1, 2, and 3 results in a wide range of receptor isoforms with varying ligand-binding properties and specificities. With seven different receptor possibilities and at least 20 ligands in the FGF family, there is a great deal of diversity in the FGF signaling pathway (Powers et al., Endocr. Relat. Cancer, 2000, 7, 165-197). Furthermore, expression and localization of the receptor isoforms is regulated in a tissue specific manner. Thus, the various FGFs may exert different influences upon different cell types by interacting with different receptor splice variants to initiate unique intracellular signaling cascades, leading to a panoply of cellular responses (Ozawa et al., Teratog. Carcinog. Mutagen., 2001, 21, 27-44). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (also known as FGF receptor-2, FGFR-2, Crouzon syndrome, craniofacial dysostosis 1 (CFD1), Pfeiffer syndrome, JWS, CEK3, ECT1, TK14, TK25, BFR-1, and K-Sam) as well as its splice variant, keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR or bek), have high affinity for the acidic and/or basic fibroblast growth factors, as well as the keratinocyte growth factor ligands. The human fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene was originally isolated as the protein tyrosine kinase 14 (TK14) from a human tumor cDNA library. High levels of amino acid homology to the chicken bFGF receptor, to a partial sequence of the mouse bek protein, and to another human protein encoded by the fms-like tyrosine kinase gene were noted, indicating that the human genome had at least two distinct fibroblast growth factor receptors. As further evidence that this was a true cell-surface receptor, overexpression of the TK14 gene in COS-1 cells lead to the appearance of new cell-surface binding sites for acidic and basic FGFs (Houssaint et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1990, 87, 8180-8184). Independently, fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 was cloned from a human brainstem cDNA library, using the murine bek gene as a probe (Dionne et al., Embo J., 1990, 9, 2685-2692). The human fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene was mapped to the 10q25.3-q26 locus (Dionne et al., Cytogenet. Cell. Genet., 1992, 60, 34-36). The keratinocyte growth factor receptor, a splice variant related to, but distinct from, fibroblast growth factor receptor 2, was cloned from a B5/589 mammary epithelial cell cDNA library (Miki et al., Science, 1991, 251, 72-75). KGF is expressed only by mesenchymal cells, such as fibroblasts and hair follicular dermal papilla cells, and KGFR is expressed only by epithelial tissues, such as epidermis and intestinal epithelium, generally in close proximity to cells that express KGF. This splice variant of fibroblast growth factor 2 is an important mediator of proliferation and differentiation in a wide variety of epithelial cells including hepatocytes, gastrointestinal epithelial cells, type II pneumocytes, transitional urothelial cells, and keratinocytes in all stratified squamous epithelia (Danilenko, Toxicol. Pathol., 1999, 27, 64-71). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 also propagates the potent osteogenic effects of FGFs during osteoblast growth and differentiation. Mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 2, leading to complex functional alterations, were shown to induce abnormal ossification of cranial sutures (craniosynostosis), implying a major role of FGFR signaling in intramembranous bone formation. For example, in Apert (AP) syndrome, characterized by premature cranial suture ossification, most cases are associated with point mutations engendering gain-of-function in fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (Lemonnier et al., J. Bone Miner. Res., 2001, 16, 832-845). Several severe abnormalities in human skeletal development, including Apert, Crouzon, Jackson-Weiss, Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata, and Pfeiffer syndromes are associated with the occurrence of mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. Most, if not all, cases of Pfeiffer Syndrome (PS) are also caused by de novo mutation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene (Meyers et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet., 1996, 58, 491-498; Plomp et al., Am. J. Med. Genet., 1998, 75, 245-251), and it was recently shown that mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 break one of the cardinal rules governing ligand specificity. Namely, two mutant splice forms of fibroblast growth factor receptor, FGFR2c and FGFR2b, have acquired the ability to bind to and be activated by a typical FGF ligands. This loss of ligand specificity leads to aberrant signaling and suggests that the severe phenotypes of these disease syndromes result from ectopic ligand-dependent activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (Yu et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2000, 97, 14536-14541). In keeping with the findings in humans, the heterozygous abrogation of one fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 allele in mice resulted in a splicing switch leading to a gain-of-function mutation. The consequences of this mutation are neonatal growth retardation and death, ocular proptosis, precocious ossification of the coronal sutures, zygomatic arch joints, and sternabrae, and abnormalities in secondary branching of organs that undergo branching morphogenesis in development, as well as other major defects in the kidney, lung, and lacrimal glands. This phenotype strongly parallels those of Apert and Pfeiffer syndrome patients (Hajihosseini et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2001, 98, 3855-3860). Gene rearrangements of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 have also been shown to lead to ligand independent activation of FGFRs (Powers et al., Endocr. Relat. Cancer, 2000, 7, 165-197). A constitutively active form of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 with an altered C-terminus was identified in a rat osteosarcoma cDNA library, and this isoform arose from a chromosomal rearrangement of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene with a novel gene, FGFR activating gene 1 (FRAG1). The FGFR-2/FRAG1 fusion protein seems to form constitutive dimers, resulting in autophosphorylation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 kinase domains and activation of the FGF signaling pathway (Lorenzi et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1996, 93, 8956-8961). KGFR and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 mRNAs were found to be overexpressed in both human pancreatic cancer cells and the adjacent pancreatic parenchyma (Ishiwata et al., Am. J. Pathol., 1998, 153, 213-222), and expression of the FGFR2-IIIb isoform of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 is downregulated in a subset of transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, further indicating the involvement of this gene in tumorogenesis (Ricol et al., Oncogene, 1999, 18, 7234-7243). The modulation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 activity and/or expression is an ideal target for therapeutic intervention aimed at regulating the FGF signaling pathway in the prevention and treatment of many cancers and hyperproliferative diseases. Investigative strategies aimed at modulating fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 function have involved the use of antibodies directed against a peptide fragment of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 to perturb ligand-receptor binding and functionally block signaling, and the use of antisense oligonucleotides. A phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotide 15 nucleotides in length which does not discriminate between any of the alternate splice forms of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2, spanning the translation start site was used to investigate the role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in FGF signaling. In the same study, two additional phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides 19 and 16 nucleotides in length were designed to be specific for KGFR and bek exon sequences, respectively (Post et al., Development, 1996, 122, 3107-3115). These antisense oligonucleotides were used to show that lung branching morphogenesis is reduced in cultures of embryonic rat lung explants when expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 is abrogated. KGFR-specific antisense oligonucleotides dramatically inhibited lung branching, while bek-specific antisense oligonucleotides reduced lung branching to a lesser degree (Post et al., Development, 1996, 122, 3107-3115). A phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotide of unspecified length, complementary to the translation start site of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 was used to investigate the role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 signaling in human glioblastoma cells (Yamada et al., Glia, 1999, 28, 66-76). Disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,566 are KGFR peptides which inhibit binding between keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and the FGFR-1, FGFR-2 and KGFR receptors. The sequence of the peptides is derived from regions in the receptors which specifically bind the growth factor. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of inhibiting the interaction of KGF and the receptor in a patient to treat various carcinomas (Bottaro et al., 1996). Disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,054,312 is a composition comprising a physiologically acceptable buffer and filamentous phage particles presenting a ligand that binds to a mammalian cell surface molecule, wherein the cell surface molecule is an FGF receptor, and the phage genome encodes a therapeutic gene product which is an antisense oligonucleotide (Larocca et al., 2000). Currently, there are no known therapeutic agents that effectively inhibit the synthesis of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. Consequently, there remains a long felt need for additional agents capable of effectively inhibiting fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 function. Antisense technology is emerging as an effective means for reducing the expression of specific gene products and therefore may prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications for the modulation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 expression. The present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 expression, including modulation of the truncated mutants and alternatively spliced forms of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 such as KGFR.
Dance is a growing area at Ladybridge and is unearthing new talent every year! Dance is part of the Key Stage 3 curriculum and we offer BTEC dance as part of our Key Stage 4 curriculum. We regularly take part in dance competitions at local and regional levels and use professional dancers to support and enhance the skills and performances of our students. We showcase our dance pieces through a series of dance shows and school performances each year. Our dance studio boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and new technologies such as apple TV. This helps students to analyse their own and others’ work, set targets for improvement and enhance their performance. Dance has given many of our students confidence and, with this, it has given them the motivation to be successful. Members of the Dance team:	http://www.ladybridgehigh.co.uk/curriculum/dance
The invention discloses a passenger capacity prediction method based on a distributed lag model. The method comprises the following steps: introducing measurement economics and an input-output model, screening a variable, namely traffic consumption, with the strongest correlation from three variables having a very strong correlation with passenger capacity by using a Pearson correlation coefficient method, starting from the angle of industrial structure adjustment and considering the influence of independent variables in the current year and before the current year, and integrating a measurement economics model method to construct a corresponding distribution lag model, so that the performance of a highway passenger capacity prediction model is more excellent.
The invention discloses a preparation method of a microorganism bacterium agent. Bacillus subtilis CGMCC1.3382, Dactylosporangium sp. ACCC No.40661 and Streptomyces roseoflavus ACCC No.40400 are used as preparation strains; all the strains are prepared into fermented solutions respectively; and the fermentation solutions are mixed and then are deeply fermented to obtain the microorganism bacterium agent. The series of the strains reasonably utilize the mutual effect of microorganisms, and the product has the characteristics of strong adaptability, good stability, uneasiness in ageing, strong pathogenic bacteria antagonism and the like; and the pathogenic bacteria of the potato scab can be efficiently resisted, the growth of plants is stimulated and the quality of crops is improved, so that the aims of yield increasing and high yield are realized.
Today, in fact as I write this (January 22, 2016), snow is falling heavily on certain parts of the eastern United States, and while the full fury of what meteorologists are calling “Winter Storm Jonas” hasn’t yet struck, it probably will have by the time most of you read this. The storm is expected to pack a huge wallop, burying many Eastern cities including New York in more snow than they’ve seen for a long time. (Just for the record, don’t fall for the climate change denial nonsense that blizzards “disprove” global warming). Predicting history–much less the weather–is always a tricky business, so we have no way of knowing if Jonas will be memorable in weather history, much less if it will achieve a durable moniker like “The Blizzard of 2016” or, God forbid, “The Great Blizzard of 2016.” While browsing news of the impending storm today, principally on Twitter, I got thinking about how blizzards and snow events resonate through American history, how we perceive them and what their experiences mean historically. I’ve done numerous articles on this blog profiling various blizzards, such as the “Nor’easter from Hell” of 1978, the Great Omaha Blizzard of 1975, the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940 and the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950. Why do we memorialize these storms the way we do? It’s a fair question. If you think about it, blizzards are sort of temporary apocalypses. A major snow event can paralyze transportation, knock out power, strand people in their houses or workplaces, cripple social services, and generally disrupt daily life to a significant degree. The temporary disruption can be very severe: though more of an ice storm than a blizzard, Montreal’s great storm of 1998 required the Canadian military to organize relief efforts. Blizzard and storm narratives often involve the same tropes we envision in a “zombie apocalypse”: normally busy urban streets dark and deserted, survivors hunkered down in their homes, a sense of “every man for himself” at least until order is restored. In the case of blizzards, though, order always is restored in hours or days after the storm passes and clean-up efforts can get underway. In a winter storm in Portland, Oregon in 2004 I remember Broadway was deserted and commuter trains were abandoned, their doors yawning wide open, in the middle of streets, an eerie sight to be sure, but it didn’t last very long. While blizzards do kill people regularly, and sadly Jonas probably will too, the vast majority of “survivors” will come through perfectly fine, perhaps with great stories to tell, but their lives will return to normal in fairly short order. Day of the Triffids was a classic science fiction novel written by John Wyndham in the 1950s that really set the apocalyptic genre. It has been filmed in 1962, 1981 and most recently (this trailer) in 2009. There are commonalities between fictional apocalypses and real-life blizzard narratives. There’s something about disaster and apocalypse that tempts and attracts us. As carefully ordered as our modern society is, we secretly long to see it in flames, or are darkly fascinated by what might happen if it starts to break down. Witness the enduring popularity of apocalyptic movies and books, everything from John Wyndham’s classic Day of the Triffids to modern stories about zombies (and my own books about zombie apocalypses occurring in the past). Blizzards and storms give us a unique opportunity to see what this is like in real life, with the “safe” feature of knowing that, for most of us, we won’t have to live in an apocalyptic world for longer than a few days, as long as it takes for power to be restored, streets dug out and chilly houses and apartments returned to habitability. That’s no comfort for the loved ones of the people who do die in blizzards, but again, because most of us can be pretty confident of surviving these disasters, the fascination of the breakdown of normal orders of living can be indulged. This was certainly the case for me personally when I was caught in another Portland snowstorm, that of Christmas 2008, which I detailed here (and Part II, here). Stranded alone by the storm with little capability of reaching the outside world, both due to the storm itself and peculiarities of the Christmas holidays, I quickly adapted into an altered mode of daily living, which proved as contemplative and interesting as it was alienating and inconvenient. When a major blizzard strikes a major city or region, like the Great Blizzard of 1888 in the Northeast, these kinds of experiences are shared broadly and eventually form a collective history that most people who live there can share. When I lived in Omaha in the 1980s I remember people talking about the 1975 storm as a means of commonality, of connection. “What did you do during the great snow?” might be a rite of inclusion into a community as much as it might seem to be small-talk. This may be why we “like” to remember blizzards and storms. And here we go again? These photos were taken in West Virginia at the commencement of the 2016 storm known as “Winter Storm Jonas.” Weather does matter in history. It’s part of our environment and affects our lives dramatically and constantly, from influencing what clothes we put on in the morning to what we share on social media (witness some of the photos in above, which were posted this morning by someone I follow on Twitter). Extreme weather events–ones that disrupt our daily routines, require unusual responses, or perhaps even threaten our lives and safety–become history in a unique and transformative way. A blizzard is an impersonal thing, a mass of cold air that has no consciousness, no ideology, no “point” in existing; it just is. Yet it’s our human responses to such an event that makes it history. This is the essence of environmental history, which is the study of humans’ relationships to the natural environment in the past. It remains to be seen if Winter Storm Jonas will merit a chapter in American environmental history, but certainly many other winter storms have, and those people who lived through them were the ones who defined what they are and how we remember them. History is above all a process of memory and narrative. Good luck to everyone on the East Coast, stay warm and safe.	https://seanmunger.com/2016/01/22/temporary-apocalypses-the-role-of-blizzards-in-american-history/
Remote work comes with several advantages and disadvantages. Today, we’re going to focus on one of the disadvantages – potential security breaches – and how you can decrease the security risks inherent in remote work. When all of your employees are in-office, it’s much easier to notice potential security risks, and to address those risks before they develop into something more problematic. With at-home setups, you have less control – so it’s important to spend the time to set things up properly. Setting your remote network up right Physical infrastructure The first step to addressing cybersecurity concerns is ensuring that your team’s home offices are properly configured. There are a number of steps you can take to accomplish this. First, your team member’s home office setup should be as similar as possible to their at-work setup. That means every device should be connected to the computer – and to other devices – in the same way as they’re connected to each other in the office. It can be helpful to make a checklist of every item your team members will need. You should also encourage (or even require) your team members to take pictures of their setup, to ensure that everything remains consistent. Using software for added security From there, there’s a lot of technical setup to be done. Some of it is relatively easy to explain. These steps include: - Ensuring every team member has automatic Windows Updates enabled, and checking for updates - Ensuring that anti-virus/anti-malware software is up-to-date - Explaining how to connect to the company’s VPN, and ensuring that the VPN isn’t connected to automatically - Uninstalling old/outdated/unnecessary programs - Uninstalling as many Chrome/Firefox extensions as possible (many older extensions have security vulnerabilities or were purchased by malicious actors) Then, there are things that are a bit more complicated to set up. Everyone working remotely should use a separate network for their work and home devices. Not every router is capable of doing this – and if you’re not tech-minded, a secondary network can be a hassle to set up. You’ll also want to ensure that computers on your network are equipped with DNS filters. They can block access to malicious websites. There are many other security features that become more important when you have a remote network, like managed detection and response. When your network is more vulnerable, you want to deploy as many security measures as possible. Work-from-home best practices Many of the security threats posed by at-home work don’t come from malice – they come from ignorance. A child might decide to play on their parent’s work computer, find a password scribbled on a note, and download malware. A team member might decide that checking their personal email and downloading an exciting new game on their work computer is a good idea – only to find they’ve been phished. These are the types of scenarios that can only be controlled by disseminating knowledge of best practices. Team members working remotely should be strongly encouraged to: - Use different passwords for their work computer - Not leave passwords lying around - Not open their personal email/social media/etc. on their work computer - Avoid clicking suspicious links/opening suspicious emails - Reporting suspicious behavior to their IT department This is only scratching the surface of the many steps you’ll need to take to ensure your network is secure when your workforce goes remote. If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, don’t worry: we’re here to help. Our San Antonio IT Services include comprehensive support for your remote workforce, whether you’re already working remotely or you’re just beginning to transition to remote work.	https://www.uprite.com/protecting-your-company-with-employees-working-remotely/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog
While the use of accounting adjustments is a common practice, the Department of Defense's (DOD) reliance on a large volume of nonroutine adjustments to prepare its financial statements is primarily a result of deficient business processes and limitations in accounting systems that DOD components use to process financial information. For example, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) continues to rely on forced-balance adjustments to replace the financial information that DOD's components submit to force agreement with Department of the Treasury balances without reconciling and researching the cause of differences (see figure). The recording of these adjustments was identified as a material weakness in DOD's internal control over financial reporting in its fiscal year 2018 financial statement audit. Forced-Balance Adjustment Process GAO found that DOD and DFAS policies and procedures for accounting adjustments are insufficient, outdated, and inconsistently implemented. For example, DOD's current policies do not define what constitutes adequate supporting documentation for system-generated adjustments, nor have DOD and DFAS established policies for identifying the cause of the adjustments, developing and implementing action plans to reduce the need for adjustments, and monitoring the effectiveness of those action plans. Because DOD and DFAS are not ensuring that their policies and procedures are up-to-date and consistently implemented, there is an increased risk that inaccurate, invalid, or unapproved adjustments will be recorded in DOD's core financial reporting system, resulting in a misstatement in DOD's consolidated financial statements. DOD and DFAS have undertaken initiatives to address some of the issues that contribute to the need for adjustments. Both organizations have developed strategies to decrease adjustments; however, neither has developed specific outcomes or detailed procedures for achieving stated goals in the strategies. Without clear procedures on how to implement its initiatives and a complete understanding across DOD of the issues contributing to the need for accounting adjustments, there is an increased risk that management efforts to reduce adjustments at the DOD consolidated level will be inefficient and ineffective. Why GAO Did This Study DOD remains the only major federal agency that has been unable to obtain a financial statement audit opinion. One of the contributing factors is DOD's large volume of nonroutine accounting adjustments, which are used for recording corrections or adjustments in an accounting system. This report examines accounting adjustments and their effect on the reliability of DOD's financial information, the extent to which DOD has established and implemented policies and procedures for recording accounting adjustments, and the extent to which DOD has taken actions to reduce adjustments recorded at the consolidated level. For this report, GAO reviewed DOD and DFAS's policies and procedures, interviewed DOD officials about the adjustment process, and reviewed initiatives to reduce the number of adjustments being recorded. GAO also selected a random sample of 242 adjustments recorded at the DOD consolidated level for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018 to determine whether the adjustments were recorded in accordance with established policies. What GAO Recommends GAO is making eight recommendations to DOD, which include updating and implementing policies and procedures on recording accounting adjustments and identifying steps to reduce the need for recording adjustments across the department. DOD agreed with all eight recommendations and cited actions to address them.
--- abstract: 'We have carried out density functional theory based calculations of the size dependent formation energy and geometry of Pt islands on Ru(0001), to model Pt-Ru nanocatalysts which have been recently proposed as fuel cell anode. The Pt islands are found to prefer two-dimensional structures. Furthermore, a monotonic decrease in the formation energy per Pt atom suggests a propensity of Pt atoms to wet the Ru(0001) surface. Calculated energy barriers for the diffusion of Pt monomers and dimers on the facets and through the edges of a superstructure modeling a Ru nanoparticle indicate that these edges help reduce considerably the diffusion rates across them such that the Pt atoms prefer to remain in the facet on which they were adsorbed originally and form 2D islands.' author: - 'Marisol Alc[á]{}ntara Ortigoza' - Sergey Stolbov - 'Talat S. Rahman' bibliography: - 'ptru.bib' title: 'Formation of Pt islets on facets of Ru nanoparticles: a first principles study' --- Introduction {#prI} ============ Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are considered a promising means for energy conversion in “hydrogen-based economy” because they work at low temperatures ($\sim$ 350-400 K) and use liquid methanol as fuel, which is easy to deliver and store. In DMFC, the same anode is used as a catalyst for both methanol reforming and for the oxidation of hydrogen obtained from the reforming. Although the carbon monoxide released in the course of this reaction is expected to be oxidized by hydroxyl radicals obtained from admixed water, experiments find that it still severely poisons the commonly used Pt anode by blocking the reactive Pt sites and, thereby, reducing the rate of hydrogen electro-oxidation. Similarly, in proton exchange fuel cells operating with pre-reformed gas, the anode is poisoned by carbon monoxide molecules, inevitably present in hydrogen obtained from hydrocarbons. It is known [@p1] that PtRu alloys are more tolerant to CO poisoning than pure Pt, though their tolerance is still unsatisfactory. The high content of expensive platinum in these alloys also speaks against their choice as cost effective catalysts. It is thus encouraging to note that nanoclusters of Ru exposed to spontaneous Pt deposition are much more tolerant to CO than commercial PtRu catalysts, [@p2; @p3] particularly since the content of Pt on these novel materials is significantly smaller than that in Ru-Pt alloys. For example, Brankovic et al. [@p2; @p3] deposited Pt on $\sim$2.5 nm size Ru nanoparticles and found that the 1:20 ratio (PtRu$_{20}$), which corresponds to $\sim$ 0.1 monolayer (ML) coverage, surpass substantially the catalytic performance of PtRu and Pt$_2$Ru$_3$ in the presence of CO. Assuming that Pt atoms form two dimensional (2D) islands on the facets of the Ru nanoparticles, [@p3] the CO tolerance was attributed [@p3] and explained [@sergey] on the basis of the spillover effect, which refers to the tendency of CO to leave the Pt island and diffuse towards Ru. As noted above, Pt coverage is critical for the catalytic properties of the Ru nanoparticles. [@p2; @uribe] Island size effects - tuned by Pt coverage - have also been reported for methanol electro-oxidation. [@p4] Earlier calculations have indicated that the CO adsorption energies on binary Pt-Ru systems, ranging from Pt(111) to surfaces of ordered Pt-Ru alloys to 1ML of Pt on Ru(0001), are reduced upon lowering Pt content. [@p5] Moreover, our recent calculation [@sergey] supporting the idea of CO spillover relies on the presence of small 2D Pt islands on the facets of Ru nanoparticles. All of the above suggest that the correlation between catalytic activity and coverage has implications on how Pt arranges itself on the Ru nanoparticles, as we shall see later. Indeed, the first step in obtaining a systematic understanding of the enhanced reactivity of this catalyst is the determination of the geometry and relative stability of the Pt islands on the nanoparticle facets. Towards this end we have adopted in this work a theoretical approach based on ab initio electronic structure calculations. Ever since the work by Stranski in 1927 about crystal growth, a large amount of effort has been dedicated to understanding the microscopic processes that control nucleation and epitaxial growth. [@markov] It is now recognized that the resulting structure when adatoms are adsorbed onto a surface is thermodynamically and kinetically controlled. The energetic barriers for the various processes to occur, the surface and/or post-growth annealing temperature, along with the deposition rate and technique, essentially determine the morphology of the deposited adatom structure at a given coverage. Three major types of growth modes have been observed in experiment. [@chang] The Frank van der Merwe mode refers to the two dimensional (2D) layer-by-layer growth, the Volmer-Weber growth describes three-dimensional (3D) clustering of adatoms on the bare substrate, while the Stranski-Krastanov mode consists of a mixture of the above two growth modes, i.e., 3D clustering occurs after one or a few complete adlayers are formed. [@chang; @markov] Theoretical models of heteroepitaxial growth suggest that the growth mode is determined by the competition of factors such as the surface energies of the bare substrate and the heteroepitaxial layer, the interface free energy, and the strain energy introduced by the lattice mismatch of the two species. [@chang; @markov; @copel] For example, a mismatch in the respective bulk lattice constants strains the interface and may set off the 3D clustering growth mode. [@chang] On the contrary, growth of adlayers with lower surface energy than the substrate may favor the 2D layer-by-layer growth mode. [@chang] Considerations along these lines, however, lead to ambiguities in predicting Pt growth on Ru(0001). While the higher cohesive energy of Ru (relative to Pt) may [@shutter; @kummi] imply that the surface free energy of Ru(0001) is higher than that of Pt(111) and point to 2D layer-by-layer growth, the stress caused by the Ru-Ru, Ru-Pt, and Pt-Pt bond length misfit (The bond lengths in bulk Ru and Pt are 2.706 [Å]{} and 2.775 [Å]{}, respectively. [@kittel]) may lead to 3D clustering. Of course, there may be a competition between the above two factors, leading to a critical Pt island size at which there is crossover between 2D and 3D growth mode or island-substrate atom exchange. [@p6; @p7] One of the goals in this work is to determine whether there is indeed a critical size beyond which 2D Pt islands are no longer stable on Ru(0001). Turning to the case of the Ru nanoparticles described in the experiments in question, [@p2; @p3] it is important to note that, while the experimental determination of the structure and chemical ordering of Pt-Ru nanoalloys represented a challenge[@russell; @mcbreen; @hills] until the recent work of Maillard et al.,[@maillard] the dominant features observed via surface X-ray scattering, scanning tunneling microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques, in 2-3 nm pure Ru nanoparticles on a carbon substrate have been consistent with the hexagonally close-packed (hcp) Ru single crystal structure.[@p3; @maillard] The Ru nanoparticles present well-defined facets with the lowest-surface-energy geometries, such as (0001), ($\overline{1}$101), etc.[@p3; @maillard] In the present study, as a first step in the modeling of the Pt-decorated Ru nanoparticles, we focus our attention on the formation of Pt islands as a function of size on Ru(0001), one of the most predominant and stable facet orientations.[@p19; @p3; @maillard] To this end, we carry out first principles calculations of the system’s total energy to determine the geometry and formation energy of Pt islands, as well as that of 1ML of Pt on Ru(0001). Clearly, the main drawback of such calculations is that the predictions are relevant to zero temperature and samples relaxed in infinite time. To partially include the system dynamics, we have taken into account the diffusivity of Pt adatoms since, particularly at temperatures well below room temperature, the three aforementioned growth modes can be understood in terms of diffusion barrier differences between on-step and step-descending hopping, Schwoebel barriers. [@schoebel; @tsong1; @tsong2] It is argued that if the energy barrier at the step edge is higher (reflective barrier) than that of adatom diffusion on the step - positive Schwoebel barrier - there is a probability that adatoms will be trapped on the step terraces and 3D clustering will be favored. On the contrary, if the Schwoebel barrier is zero or negative (non-reflective barrier), adatoms that happen to lie on the step terrace are more likely to hop onto the substrate and favor the 2D growth. [@tsong1] Moreover, in heteroepitaxial growth, the mixed Stranki-Krastanov mode dominates if the Schwoebel barrier is reflective for homo-steps (formed by the adatoms), but non-reflective for hetero-steps. [@tsong1; @tsong2] Furthermore, since Ru nanoparticles present facets with various geometries, it is reasonable to assume that the equilibrium shape is a polyhedron and, therefore, there are edges delimiting the facets. Theoretical[@kinoshita1; @kinoshita2] and experimental[@amalija] studies of the shape of Pt nanoparticles supported on carbon, for instance, have consistently concluded that they are in the form of cubo-octahedra, which is a shape characteristic of fcc packing. For hcp metals, in turn, one of the proposed structures for sufficiently large nanoparticles (with more than 500 atoms) is the so-called anticubo-octahedron[@ryan] or the truncated hexagonal bipyramid.[@barcaro2] The essential point is that, since the above polyhedra have several facets (14 for the cubo- and anticubo-octahedron[@ryan] and 20 for the truncated hexagonal bipyramid[@barcaro2]), one expects the morphology of the adsorbed Pt to be sensibly influenced by the diffusivity of Pt adatoms/islands through the edges of the Ru nanoparticles. To assess the possibility of diffusion of Pt monomers and dimers, we simulate two edges of a Ru nanoparticle using a superstructure described in the next section and calculate diffusion barriers of Pt monomers and dimers on its (0001) and ($\overline{1}$101) facets and across its edges. Note that our model for the facet geometries coincide with some of those detected in experiment[@maillard; @p3] and are also proper to the truncated hexagonal bipyramid.[@barcaro2] The rest of this article is organized as follows: Section \[prII\] presents the computational details, Section \[prIII\] contains our results and provides some discussion about Pt islands on Ru(0001) (subsection \[prIIIA\]) and of Pt diffusion on the (0001) facet and across the edges of our Ru nanostructure (subsection \[prIIIB\]). Section \[prIV\] summarizes our results and conclusions. Computational details {#prII} ===================== Periodic supercell calculations have been carried out within the density functional theory (DFT) framework, [@p10; @p11] using the plane wave and pseudopotential methods [@p12] as embodied into VASP (Vienna ab initio Simulation package), [@p13] and with ultrasoft pseudopotentials. [@p14] We have used a kinetic energy cutoff of 400 eV for the wave functions and 700 eV for the charge density to obtain convergent results with sufficient computational accuracy of the lattice constant of bulk Ru and Pt. Brillouin zones were sampled with either the $(4 \times 3 \times 1)$ or the $(3\times 3\times 1)$ Monkhorst-Pack k-point meshes, [@p15] depending on the size of the supercell, as we will see. Since the main uncertainty of DFT comes from the exchange-correlation potential, we have used two different approximations for the exchange-correlation functional: the Perdew and Wang generalized gradient approximation (GGA) [@p16] and the Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE) modified GGA [@p17], and compared some of the results obtained using these two approximations. To achieve force relaxation of the studied structures, the total energy of the system and the forces acting on each atom are obtained after each self-consistent electronic structure and minimized by the conjugated-gradient algorithm. [@p18] At equilibrium, forces on each atom are required to be below 0.02 eV/ [Å]{}. The diffusion barriers for monomers and dimers on the Ru superstructure are obtained by the direct dragging method. The 3D graphics presented in this work were generated by the Xcrysden program. [@xcrys] We note that in the calculations of the geometry and formation energy of Pt islands the usage of supercells may introduce contributions from island-island interactions, as a result of the imposed periodicity of the system. This is particularly true for the largest islands in the $3\times 4$ and $4\times 4$ supercells in which edge-atoms of neighboring islands are as close as third nearest neighbors (NN) of the Ru(0001) surface. A simple way to estimate this spurious interaction is to consider the interaction energy, $E^{int}$, between two Pt atoms adsorbed on Ru(0001) as their separation varies and defined as $E^{int} = E(2$Pt$/$Ru$) - 2E(1$Pt$/$Ru$)$, where $E(2$Pt$/$Ru$)$ is the adsorption energy of 2 Pt atoms on Ru(0001) in a $4 \times 4$ supercell and $E(1$Pt$/$Ru$)$ is the adsorption energy of 1 Pt atom on the same surface and supercell. We find that $E^{int} =$ -0.203, +0.074, and -0.018 eV, as the separation between the two Pt atoms increases from $1^{st}$ to $2^{nd}$, and $3^{rd}$ NN bond length, respectively. The interaction between $3^{rd}$ NN is thus expected to be 10 times smaller than that of $1^{st}$ NN. Accordingly, $E_{form}$, as calculated in this work, can be reliable up to $\pm$ 0.02 eV for the largest islands. 2D Pt islands on Ru(0001) {#prIIA} ------------------------- The facets of Ru nanoparticles are first modeled by a 5 layer Ru(0001) slab, which is the surface known to have the lowest energy. [@p19] Pt adatoms are placed on only one side of the slab. To avoid the interaction between surfaces and Pt adatoms of neighboring periodic supercells we have imposed a 15 [Å]{} vacuum layer, whereas to reduce the interaction between deposited Pt islands, the (0001) surface unit cells is extended to either $(3\times 4)$ or $(4\times 4)$ structures depending on the island size. The $(3\times 4)$ and $(4\times 4)$ supercells contained 60 and 80 Ru atoms, respectively, plus Pt atoms forming the island. Their corresponding surface Brillouin zone is sampled with a $(4\times 4 \times 1)$ and $(3\times 4 \times 1)$ k-point mesh, respectively. Monomer and dimer on faceted superstructure {#prIIB} ------------------------------------------- To model Pt diffusion through the Ru nanoparticles edges we have taken into consideration edges formed by facets of (0001) and ($\overline{1}$101) geometry, which are among the most stable Ru surfaces. [@p3; @p19] We consider a periodic 3D superstructure containing 116 Ru atoms and made of a 4-atom wide Ru(0001) facet and two Ru($\overline{1}101$) facets (see Fig. \[fig:pr1\]). The construction of this Ru supercell, which has $7 \times 4$ in-plane periodicity, is achieved by stacking five Ru(0001) layers: two of $7 \times 4$, one of $6 \times 4$, one of $5 \times 4$, and one of $4 \times 4$ atoms. The so obtained edges, on each side of the Ru(0001) have different local geometry which for convenience are labeled as $A$ and $B$. Atoms forming edge $A$ (edge $B$) are contiguous to hcp (fcc) hollow sites of the (0001) facet. The bottom two layers (see Fig. \[fig:pr1\]) were not allowed to relax to guarantee the stability of the superstructure. We impose a 15 [Å]{} vacuum layer between periodic superstructures along the direction perpendicular to the surface, as in the system described previously. The Brillouin zone is sampled with a $(2 \times 3 \times 1)$ k-point mesh. The adsorption energy and diffusion barriers of Pt monomers and dimers are calculated on the (0001) and the ($\overline{1}$101) facets. Results and Discussion {#prIII} ====================== To determine in-plane slab periodicity, we have calculated bulk lattice parameters using PW and PBE approximation for the exchange-correlation functional. The bond lengths of bulk Ru and Pt are found to be 2.706(2.744PBE) and 2.77(2.82PBE) [Å]{}, respectively, while the c/a ratio of bulk Ru is found to be 1.585 (PBE) [Å]{}. Pt islands on Ru(0001) {#prIIIA} ---------------------- We have calculated the optimized geometric structure and energetics of 1 to 5 Pt atom islands adsorbed on Ru(0001) using the $(3 \times 4)$ supercell and that of 1 to 9 Pt atom island on Ru(0001) using the $(4 \times 4)$ supercell. The relaxed structure and total energy of one Pt monolayer on Ru(0001) has been also obtained. To characterize the energetic stability of a given Pt island, we obtain its formation energy, which is defined as: $E_{form} = E($Ru$+$Pt$) - E($Ru$) - nE($Pt$_{at})$. Here, $E($Ru$+$Pt$)$ is the total energy of a Ru slab adsorbed with a $n$-atom Pt island, while $E($Ru$)$ and $E($Pt$_{at})$ denote the total energies of the clean Ru slab and a free Pt atom, respectively. Note that the formation energy of stable structures is negative. The structure with lowest average formation energy per Pt atom, $E_{form}/n$, will thus be distinguished as the energetically most favorable one. Fig. \[fig:pr2\](a) presents $E_{form}$/n as a function of the size of the island, $n$, for $n =$ 1-5 on the $(3 \times 4)$ supercell, as provided by PBE and GGA. Fig. \[fig:pr2\](b) displays the dependencies of $E_{form}/n$, for $n =$ 1-4, 6, 7 and 9, on the $(4 \times 4)$ supercell. Note that the values $n =$ 12 and $n =$ 16 represent full monolayer coverage of Pt for the $(3 \times 4)$ and $(4 \times 4)$ supercells, respectively. We find that both PBE and GGA provide similar qualitative dependencies: the larger island, the stronger the bonds. Such a trend culminates and is confirmed at full monolayer Pt coverage, which provides lowest $E_{form}/n$. The effect of atom detachment (from Pt islands) on $E_{form}$ has been studied as well. Fig. \[fig:pr3\] shows two configurations considered for the 7-atom Pt island adsorbed on Ru(0001). We find that the detachment (transition from the left to the right configuration in the figure) causes an increase in $E_{form}$ from -38.55 eV to -37.52 eV. Similar results have been obtained for the islands of other sizes. The increment of energy per Pt atom upon detachment, however, does not depend significantly on the island size and vary in the range of 0.11 - 0.14 eV. For instance, for a 2-atom Pt island, detachment leads to an increase in $E_{form}$ from -10.46 eV to -10.24 eV while, for a 3-atom island, the energy increases from -15.88 eV to -15.52 eV upon the detachment. We thus obtain a clear trend: the larger a two-dimensional Pt island (up to 1 ML) is, the lower its formation energy per atom. Thus, assuming that the free energy of the system in consideration is dominated by its DFT total energy, we conclude that Pt tends to wet Ru(0001). We have also performed calculations for some 3D Pt islands on Ru(0001) and found that their 2D isomers have lower energy. For example, two configurations of a 9-atom Pt island with 2D and 3D structures (see Fig. \[fig:pr4\]) were found to have $E_{form} =$ -50.06 eV and -48.54 eV, respectively. The above results indicate that Pt atoms overpower the stress effects derived from the Pt-Ru bond length misfit and have a propensity to increase their local coordination on Ru(0001) regardless of the chemical nature of the bonds, thus forming 2D islands up to $\sim$ 0.56 ML and, presumably, up to 1 ML (see Fig. \[fig:pr2\]). Of course our calculations do not include the case of larger Pt islands (more than 10 atoms) and leave open the question of formation of 3D structures in such cases. Nevertheless, there is experimental evidence that Pt may form 2D pseudomorphic islands up to full coverage through vapor deposition.[@p8] In turn, from the standpoint of ab initio calculations, our conclusion that Pt grows pseudomorphologically is justified only at low temperatures and after a long relaxation time. To take into account the kinetics of the system, we have looked at the diffusivity of a Pt adatom in the event that it be adsorbed on top of Pt islands. Consider, for example, the case presented in Fig. \[fig:pr4\]. The question is thus whether the Pt adatom will be trapped on top of the Pt island (as shown in the right inside of Fig. \[fig:pr4\]) or will it descend at the kink site on the Ru(0001) surface (left inside of Fig. \[fig:pr4\]). Our calculated activation barrier of the Pt monomer diffusion on the 8-atom Pt island from the hcp to fcc sites is $\sim$ 0.23 eV and from the fcc to hcp is $\sim$ 0.09 eV. The activation barrier for the step descent for a Pt monomer from the fcc to the kink site on the Ru(0001) is $\sim$ 0.39 eV (and $\sim$ 1.92 eV for the inverse process). Therefore, the Schwoebel barrier of this heteroepitaxial step descent of Pt monomers is $\sim$ +0.30 eV, pointing to 3D clustering growth. These opposing results hint why the growth mode of Pt on Ru(0001) sensibly depends on experimental conditions.[@kasberger; @p3] Spontaneous deposition of Pt, for example, has led to the conclusion that 3D structures follow the 2D pseudomorphic islands if the Ru nanoparticles are immersed for sufficiently long periods of time (not specified) into a 0.1M HClO$_4$ solution containing 0.1mM H$_2$PtCl$_6$,[@p27] whereas spontaneous deposition by two-minute immersion into 0.1 mM \[PtCl$_6$\]$^2-$ and subsequent rinsing with 0.1 M H$_2$SO$_4$ and ultra pure water lead to Pt nanoparticles with columnar shape of 10-15 MLs and 3-5 nm.[@p9] For the purpose of our analysis, however, we shall notice that both vapor deposition below 0.6 ML[@kasberger] and spontaneous deposition via short immersion into Pt-containing solutions[@p27] find that the probability for Pt adatom to arrive on top of a Pt island is low. Indeed, the Ru nanoparticles that we are trying to model are decorated with Pt at very low coverage ($\sim$ 0.1 ML) via spontaneous deposition by immersion in a \[PtCl$_6$\]$^{2-}$ and rinsed with 0.1 M H$_2$SO$_4$ solution at room temperature, [@p2] therefore, only formation of 2D islands is expected. Besides, there is indication that, even in the case of positive Schwoebel barriers, as long as the atom deposition rate is low and the diffusion speed fast, the reflective property of steps is valid only at temperatures well below room temperature for fcc(111) metals. [@tsong2] There still remains the question: why, despite the misfit, 2D configurations are favorable? In order to grasp further understanding of the issue, one must realize that a number of counter-trends must be taken into account. Firstly, the 2D growth is not all that surprising for the reason that the bond-length misfit between Pt and Ru amounts only to a few percent. Secondly, in the 2D Pt islands under consideration, the number of NN fluctuates from 3 (single atom) to 9 (full monolayer). Decrease in the number of NN usually causes reduction of the equilibrium interatomic distances. Indeed, we find that for a free standing Pt monolayer, in which every Pt atom has only 6 nearest neighbors, the equilibrium Pt-Pt NN distance is much shorter ($\sim$2.6 [Å]{}) than that in bulk Pt ($\sim$2.8 [Å]{}) and even shorter than the Ru-Ru NN distance in bulk Ru ($\sim$2.71 [Å]{}). The misfit in low dimensional structures is thus not a well defined quantity because of the dependency on the coordination number of the atoms in question. Correspondingly, the issue of stress induced by the bond-length misfit between the Pt nanostructures and the Ru surface atoms, neither one of which is expected to be at the bulk value given the diversity of their local geometric environment, is thus not clear for these heteroepitaxial system. In addition, Barcaro et al. have pointed out that heteroepitaxial Volmer-Weber (3D) growth is favored for those systems in which the adsorbed metal interacts more weakly with the substrate than with atoms of the same species.[@barcaro] In our particular case, however, we obtain that the Ru-Pt bond may in fact be stronger than that of Pt-Pt since our calculations show that the average formation energy per atom of a Pt monolayer on Ru(0001) ($\sim$ 5.89 eV) is higher than both the cohesive energy of Pt bulk ($\sim$ 5.85 eV) and the average cohesive energy per atom of the Pt surface ($\sim$ 5.6 eV). For the Pt atoms on the top of a hcp metal such as Ru, there is also an incommensurability in bulk structure. We find that the bulk NN bond length of Pt atoms certainly decreases when they arrange in an hcp structure. In that case, the bulk bond length misfit between Pt and Ru decreases from $\sim$ 2.8 to $\sim$ 1.4 [%]{}. Furthermore, the surface interlayer distance in Pt(111) expands to 2.49 [Å]{} ($\sim$ 1.0 [%]{} with respect to bulk), while that of the hypothetical Pt(0001) contracts to 2.39 [Å]{} notwithstanding that intralayer NN distances are 1.8 [%]{} smaller than in the fcc bulk. Therefore, both the reduced coordination in adsorbed Pt clusters and the Pt-Ru bond strength may quench the anticipated effect of bulk bond-length misfit in such a way that Pt atoms adsorbed on Ru(0001) surface tend to form 2D islands as large as possible up to one monolayer. Modeling Pt diffusion on the (0001) facets and through the edges of Ru nanostructures {#prIIIB} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the previous section, we have gained an understanding of the tendency of Pt atoms to form 2D islands, wetting the Ru(0001) surface rather than clustering in multiple 2D or 3D structures. The experimental evidence, however, suggests that Pt islands maintain small sizes on Ru nanoparticles, [@p3] say $\sim$0.5 nm (5 to 7 atoms), for 0.1 ML coverage. The difference in the characteristic of Pt surface alloys on Ru(0001) and on Ru nanoparticle is part of the reason for the substantial reactivity of Pt adatoms on Ru nanoclusters and not on Ru surfaces. If Pt atoms were to make as many bonds as possible on the Ru nanoparticle as they do on the Ru surface, one would expect that, even for low coverage ($\sim$0.1 ML), a large island should totally cover one of the facets of the Ru nanoparticles. For example, a hcp Ru nanoparticle of 2.5 nm with the proposed anticubo-octahedral structure [@p3; @ryan] could hold roughly $\sim$7 ($\sim$4) Pt atoms per squared (triangular) facet for homogeneous coverage of 0.1 ML ($\sim$ 70 Pt atoms), whereas the same coverage coalesced into a single island could totally cover one of the squared facets, which seems not to be the case. [@p3] Note that a similar argument would follow for a truncated hexagonal bipyramid. One main difference between the infinite surface and the nanoparticle is that the latter exhibits edges dividing its facets. It is natural to assume that they prevent Pt coalescence on the Ru nanoparticles. If this is true, 2D islands are formed on each facet, but they do not join together into a large unique island because the edges prevent those initial small islands from diffusing to other facets, thus persisting as few-atom 2D islands. Support for the aforesaid reasoning will be attained below by comparing the barrier for Pt atoms to diffuse on a (0001) facet with that for Pt to diffuse across the edges towards a ($\overline{1}$101) facet. ### Pt Monomers {#prIIIB1} The Ru nanostructure used for the above purpose is displayed in Fig. \[fig:pr1\]. It possesses 3 hcp (hcp1, hcp2, hcp3) and 3 fcc (fcc4, fcc5, fcc6) non-equivalent hollow sites on the (0001) facet, as shown in Fig. \[fig:pr5\](a). The calculated adsorption energies ($E_{ads}$) of Pt monomers on these sites are listed in Table \[tab:tpr1\]. We find that for all hcp sites $E_{ads}$ is higher than for any fcc site. Table \[tab:tpr1\] shows in addition that Pt monomers preferably sit on sites surrounded by 2 edge atoms (fcc4 and hcp3), rather than on those surrounded by only one (fcc6 and hcp1) or none (fcc5, hcp2) edge atom. Note also that the adsorption energy of a monomer on the (0001) facet is lower than on the infinite surface (5.13 eV). Across edge $A$, the first ($\overline{1}$101) available site is a 4-fold hollow site, denoted by “1” in Fig. \[fig:pr5\](b), whose adsorption energy, 5.66 eV, is substantially higher than that on hcp sites of the (0001) facet. Across edge $B$, the first ($\overline{1}$101) available site is a 3-fold hollow site, denoted by “2” in Fig. \[fig:pr5\](b), whose adsorption energy is 4.92 eV. The above results, incidentally, suggest that there may be a propensity of Pt to deposit on ($\overline{1}$101) facets in the long range. The calculated diffusion barriers, $\Delta E$, through edge $A$, appear to be highly asymmetric (see Fig. \[fig:pr6\](a)): $\Delta E$(hcp3 $\rightarrow$ “1”) = 0.49 eV and $\Delta E$(“1” $\rightarrow$ hcp3) = 1.10 eV. On the other hand, the shortest path for diffusion through the edge B connects the hcp1 site on the (0001) facet with the three-fold hollow site on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet (fcc4 $\rightarrow$ “2”). The barrier for diffusion along this path is found to be 0.22 eV, which is just slightly higher than the barriers for diffusion on the facet. However, our calculations indicate that the initial state for this process (hcp1 site) is metastable since its total energy is 80 meV higher than that for the monomer adsorbed on the neighboring fcc4 site. The diffusion of the Pt monomer through the edge B is thus a two-step process with diffusion from the hcp1 to fcc4 site on (0001) and then from that to the tree-fold site on ($\overline{1}$101). For the above reason, the overall probability of diffusion through the edge B is substantially reduced. Even at room temperature, the probability to find a Pt adatom on the fcc4 site is $\sim$ 24 times lower than that on the hcp1 site. Moreover, the hcp1 $\leftrightarrow$ fcc4 barrier is asymmetric (0.20 eV for hcp1 $\rightarrow$ fcc4 and 0.12 eV to diffuse back), which further reduces the diffusion probability. In order to estimate the probability of Pt diffusion predicted by these barriers, we have calculated roughly the diffusion rate of Pt monomers. The latter, dominated by the exponential of the energy barrier, is given by $R = D_0 e^{- \frac{\Delta E}{k_BT}}$, where $k_B$ is the Boltzmann constant, $T$ is the temperature, and $D_0$ is the diffusion prefactor [@p26] whose typical values are of the order of $\sim$ 10$^{12} s^{-1}$. By noting from above that the diffusion rate through the edge $B$ is reduced by a factor of $\sim$ 24 with respect to that from fcc4 $\rightarrow$ “2”, we obtain that the former is effectively $\sim$ 6$\times$10$^6~s^-1$, thus significantly smaller than that on the (0001) facet ($\sim$ 4$\times$10$^8$ and $\sim$1$\times$10$^{10} s^{-1}$, for hcp1 $\rightarrow$ fcc4 and fcc4 $\rightarrow$ hcp1, respectively). On the other hand, the diffusion rate through edge A ($\sim$ 3$\times$10$^{-7}$ and $\sim$ 6$\times$10$^3~s^-1$, for “1” $\rightarrow$ hcp3 and hcp3 $\rightarrow$ “1”, respectively) is found to be three orders of magnitude lower than that through edge $B$ and at least five orders of magnitude lower than that on the (0001) facet. Notice that since the barriers to diffuse back from the ($\overline{1}$101) facet to the (0001) facet through edge $B$ (“2” $\rightarrow$ fcc4) is only slightly larger (0.28 eV) than the barrier for diffusion in the opposite direction, diffusion across edge B may be actually inefficient. The rate at which Pt monomers return to the (0001) facet can nevertheless be expected to be lower than that by which they diffuse to the neighboring four-fold hollow site on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet, since the barriers for the latter process are significantly lower. The diffusion from the three-fold hollow site to the four-fold hollow site on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet is found to be a two-step process. It involves the diffusion to an intermediate local minimum posing a 0.12 eV barrier and a subsequent step with a barrier of only 70 meV. The barriers to return to the three-fold hollow site are, correspondingly, 0.20 eV and 0.6 eV. These values confirm that, at least energetically, monomers may have a propensity to remain on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet once they occupy it. However, exact implications of these rates and the impact of competing processes can only be visualized after kinetic effects are properly included, such as in kinetic Monte Carlo simulations which we leave as a further task. In summary, our results indicate that edges compel Pt monomers to remain on the facet where they are initially adsorbed, thus preventing the formation of large Pt islands on the Ru nanoparticles, although Pt monomers may diffuse across some edges more efficiently than across others. Of course, since the work reported here has not considered facets of the Ru nanoparticles that exhibit other geometries, the relative adsorption energies and diffusion barriers of these may expand and tune the occupancy landscape from the one we have inferred. ### Pt dimers {#prIIIB2} The results of previous sections indicate that clustering of 2D Pt islands on the Ru facets occurs readily and that, although the Ru edges hinder the inter-facet diffusivity of Pt monomers, they do not unquestionably prevent it at room temperature. Yet, in order for Pt islands to coalesce and form larger islands, they would have to diffuse through the edges. We therefore turn to the calculation of the energy barrier for a dimer to diffuse from hcp to fcc sites (on the (0001) facet) and through edge $B$, the easy edge for monomers to cross. Some of the sites that Pt dimers may adopt on the (0001) and the ($\overline{1}$101) facets, as well as the corresponding average formation energies per atom, are shown in Fig. \[fig:pr7\]. We find that $E_{form}/n$ of the dimer increases (by $\sim$ 0.12 eV) with respect to that of the monomer, suggesting that dimers would preferably form rather than diffuse as monomers through the easy edges. As in the case of monomers, dimers prefer to sit on hcp sites on the (0001) facet (see Fig. \[fig:pr7\](a) and (b)); similarly, the adsorption energy of Pt dimers at hcp sites near edge $B$ (only one edge-atom neighbor) and in the middle of the Ru stripe is almost the same (see Fig. \[fig:pr7\](a) and (c)). On the (0001) facet, when one of the atoms in the dimer comes closer to the edge and its coordination is reduced from 5 to 4 (compare Fig. \[fig:pr7\](c) and (d)), $E_{form}/n$ drops $\sim$ 0.16 eV, suggesting that there is a higher barrier for Pt dimers to approach the edges to the point where its atoms become more undercoordinated. On the ($\overline{1}$101) facet, analogously, $E_{form}/n$ is 0.52 eV lower for a dimer across the (0001) and ($\overline{1}$101) edges (see Fig. \[fig:pr7\](e)) than for a dimer sitting on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet close to the edge (see Fig. \[fig:pr7\](f)). As shown in Fig. \[fig:pr8\], the barrier for the dimer to diffuse from fcc to hcp sites has a height comparable to that for monomers while it is 2.5 times smaller for the inverse process, from hcp to fcc. The diffusion rates (1.4$\times$10$^9$ and 8.8$\times$10$^4 \: s^{-1}$, correspondingly) thus differ by four orders of magnitude, indicating that dimers are most of the time at hcp sites. This presents another indication that Pt dimers (or larger islands) would not leave the (0001) facet since, for it to diffuse across edge $B$, it must be on fcc sites. As shown in Fig. \[fig:pr9\], the diffusion across edge $B$ comprises two stages. The initial state of the first stage corresponds to the configuration shown in Fig. \[fig:pr7\](d) in which one atom is on a hcp1 site and the other is slightly beyond the edge whereas, in the final state, the atom at the hcp1 site diffuses to a fcc4 site and the other moves to a type “2 ” site (see Fig. \[fig:pr5\](b)) of the ($\overline{1}$101) facet, as shown in Fig. \[fig:pr7\](e). The energy barriers for the dimer to diffuse back and forth from the initial and final states are shown in Fig. \[fig:pr9\] while the corresponding diffusion rates for these processes are low ($\sim$ 10$^4$). Indeed, the energy barriers of the first stage are very similar to those for dimer diffusion from hcp to fcc sites (see Fig. \[fig:pr8\]) and for monomer diffusion through edge $A$ (see Fig. \[fig:pr6\]). Notice also that the final state described above is only an intermediate stage of the diffusion towards the ($\overline{1}$101) facet. For the second stage, the initial state is naturally the configuration shown in Fig. \[fig:pr7\](e) while the final state corresponds to that shown in Fig. \[fig:pr7\](f), in which both atoms sit on the ($\overline{1}$101) facet. The energy barrier to move from the initial to the final state (see Fig. \[fig:pr9\]) produces also a low diffusion rate of 6$\times$10$^3 \: s^{-1}$, while the inverse process, whose barrier is 3 times larger, provides a diffusion rate of $\sim$1.4$\times$10$^{-14} \: s^{-1}$, indicating that dimers like monomers on the ($\overline{1}$101) facets will most likely remain there. In short, edge $B$, which offers a low-barrier diffusivity path to monomers, renders to Pt dimmers two energy barriers for facet-to-facet diffusion, each representing a diffusion rate at least three orders of magnitude lower than those of the monomer. We expect the diffusion rates of trimers and other n-mers of Pt on Ru nanoparticle facets to be even lower than that found here for dimers. Summary {#prIV} ======= We have calculated from first principles the energetics and geometry of Pt islands deposited on Ru(0001), as well as the energy barriers for diffusion of Pt monomers and dimers through the edges intersecting the (0001) and ($\overline{1}$101) facets of a superstructure modeling a Ru nanoparticle. We find that the low coordination of Pt atoms composing the islands, the strong Pt-Ru interaction, and the hcp structure of the substrate promote formation of increasingly large Pt islands on Ru(0001), possibly up to 1ML, and avoid the 2D/3D crossover. On the other hand, the scenario is quite different when Pt atoms are deposited on Ru nanoparticles. In a simple model for (0001) factes with edges connecting to ($\overline{1}$101) orientations, we concur with experimental predictions that Pt atoms arrange homogeneously over the facets of Ru nanoparticles by spontaneous deposition and form 2D islands. We also predict that these islands do not coalesce into a large unique island because the edges of the Ru nanoparticles prevent monomers and dimers from diffusing to other facets. Our calculated barriers indicate that there may be some edges in the Ru nanoparticles for which the diffusion rate across-edge is several orders of magnitude lower than the diffusion rate on-facet, even for monomers. For those edges that may offer relatively low diffusion barriers to monomers, our calculated barriers for dimers suggest that dimers or larger islands, whose formation is more probable than the monomer diffusion, remain in the facet where they were formed since the diffusion rate across-edge is several orders of magnitude lower than that of monomers. We would like to thank R. Adzic for bringing this problem to our attention and for insightful discussions. This work was supported in part by US-DOE, under grant DE-FG02-07ER46354. -------------------- ----------- -------------------- ----------- -------------------- ----------- Label $E_{ads}$ Label $E_{ads}$ Label $E_{ads}$ (Fig. \[fig:pr5\]) (eV) (Fig. \[fig:pr5\]) (eV) (Fig. \[fig:pr5\]) (eV) 1 4.94 4 4.86 1 5.66 2 4.93 5 4.77 2 4.92 3 5.05 6 4.78 -------------------- ----------- -------------------- ----------- -------------------- ----------- FIG. 1. (color online) Model of the edges of a faceted Ru nanoparticle exposing a (0001) facet and two (1101) facets. Different colors distinguish the five layers parallel to the (0001) surface constituting the structure. FIG. 2. Average formation energy per atom, $E_{form}/n$, as a function of the size, $n$, of the island for $n = $ 1 - 5 on the (3x4) supercell (upper panel) and for $n$ =1 - 4, 6, 7, and 9 on the (4x4) supercell (lower panel). FIG. 3. (color online) Two configurations of a 7-atom Pt island (blue) on Ru(0001) (grey) showing the detachment of one Pt atom. The configuration in the right panel has lower $E_{form}/n$ than the configuration in the left panel by $\sim$0.14 eV (see text). FIG. 4. (color online) Two configurations of a 9-atom Pt island (blue) with 2D(left) and 3D(right) structure on Ru(0001) (grey) used in calculations. FIG. 5. (color online) Adsorption sites of Pt monomers (red) on the (0001) facet of the Ru nanoparticle model (blue). Numbers “1”, “2” and “3” indicate hcp sites and “4”, “5”, “6” indicate fcc sites. (b) Adsorption sites of Pt monomers on the (1101) facets of the Ru nanoparticle model. Numbers “1” and “2” indicate four-fold and three-fold hollow sites, respectively. FIG. 6. Energy barrier for the diffusion of a Pt monomer (a) across the edge A (see Fig. \[fig:pr5\]): hcp3 $\longleftrightarrow$ type “1” site, (b) on the (0001) facet: hcp1 $\longleftrightarrow$ fcc4, and (c) across the edge B: fcc4 $\longleftrightarrow$ type “2” site. FIG. 7. (color online) Adsorption sites and $E_{form}/n$ ($n$ = 2) of Pt dimers (red) on the facets of the Ru nanoparticle model (blue). (a) Top view of the (0001) facet showing a dimer at hcp2 sites. (b) Top view of the (0001) facet showing a dimer at fcc5 sites. (c) Top view of the (0001) facet showing a dimer at hcp1 sites. (d) Top view of the (0001) facet showing a dimer with one atom at a hcp1 site and the other beyond the edge of the same facet. The coordination number of the atoms is 5 and 4, respectively. (e) Top view of the (1101) facet showing a dimer with one atom at a fcc4 site and the other at a type “2” hollow site. (f) Top view of the (1101) facet showing a dimer at a type “2” and type “1” hollow sites of the same facet. FIG. 8. (color online) The upper three panels from left to right illustrate initial, transition, and final states, respectively, of the diffusion of a dimmer (red) from hcp to fcc sites, as seen from the top of the (0001) facet (blue). The lower panel shows the corresponding barriers of this process and the inverse, from fcc to hcp sites. FIG. 9. (color online) The upper five panels from left to right illustrate the two-step diffusion of the dimmer (red) across the edge intersecting the (0001) and the (1101) facets (blue). First, third, and fifth upper panels are local minimum energy configurations of the dimmer and the second and forth upper panels are transition states. The lower panel shows the barrier for the dimmer to diffuse back and forth from either local minimum energy configuration (see text). ![\[fig:pr1\]](ASRfig1){width="53.00000%"} ![\[fig:pr2\]](ASRfig2){width="53.00000%"} ![\[fig:pr3\]](ASRfig3){width="50.00000%"} ![\[fig:pr4\]](ASRfig4){width="50.00000%"} ![\[fig:pr5\]](ASRfig5){width="60.00000%"} ![\[fig:pr6\]](ASRfig6){width="50.00000%"} ![image](ASRfig7){width="100.00000%"} ![image](ASRfig8){width="100.00000%"} ![image](ASRfig9){width="85.00000%"}
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome receiving a statin, the price of alirocumab would have to be reduced to be cost-effective, according to a study published online Jan. 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Dhruv S. Kazi, M.D., from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues examined the cost-effectiveness of alirocumab in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome. Participants were U.S. adults with a recent first myocardial infarction and a baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of 1.81 mmol/L or greater who received either alirocumab or ezetimibe added to statin therapy. The researchers found that the addition of ezetimibe compared with a statin alone cost $81,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The cost of alirocumab was $308,000 per QALY compared with a statin alone. Replacing ezetimibe with alirocumab cost $997,000 compared with the combination of statin plus ezetimibe. A sensitivity analysis revealed that to be cost-effective relative to ezetimibe, the price of alirocumab would have to decrease from its original cost of $14,560 to $1,974 annually. "Because of our experience, we encourage other members of the academic community to become involved in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of new therapies in a timely manner," the authors write. "We believe that this involvement may positively influence the pricing and adoption of interventions that are useful to patients, just as important clinical trials have the potential to influence clinical practice."	https://www.mycme.com/home/price-of-alirocumab-would-have-to-be-cut-to-be-cost-effective/article/824651/
Snaps & better refresh notifications \| Ubuntu Automatic updates grant snap users an ability to receive timely patches to their software, both in aspects of security and functionality. This can be rather useful and convenient, especially for applications that have online access. On the other hand, automatic updates can potentially disrupt users’ workflows if they happen to coincide.	https://www.ubuntufree.com/snaps-better-refresh-notifications-ubuntu/
Coleman Technologies Blog Who Handles the IT at Your Company? Are They Doing These Critical Tasks? Depending on the size and complexity of your organization, managing technology can easily become a full-time job. If you are only calling a technician when you are dealing with a computer issue, then you might be sitting on a ticking time bomb. Whether you have internal staff responsible for managing your IT, or you rely on a third-party, you’ll want to make sure the following tasks are getting done. Windows and Server Updates Microsoft pushes out security updates and product updates for its operating systems regularly. Traditionally, these updates come out on the second Tuesday of each month, but additional updates and patches may be released on a different schedule. On top of that, if you get behind on your updates, sometimes it can take longer to apply them all, or there may be conflicts that prevent you from being able to automatically run updates. These updates are critical, and you shouldn’t rely on your individual users to keep their own laptops or workstations updated. Software Updates and Patches While Microsoft has a pretty regular schedule for updates, the other software that drives your business might not. Your IT department will need to be aware of everything being used, and how to check for and apply updates, and in some cases, have a testing bed to run updates on so they don’t disrupt day-to-day business. Antivirus Definition Updates Virus definitions are updated on a very regular basis, and for your antivirus to fully protect you, it needs to have the latest definitions applied, and it needs to be kept updated as well. This is usually an automatic process, but the end user can sometimes delay it from happening. Having a centrally managed antivirus solution can help remedy this, but even still, someone needs to be monitoring it, and making sure scans are run regularly and that the utility is doing its job properly. Daily Backup Checks You wouldn’t believe how many IT “professionals” skip this. It’s absolutely critical. If your company’s backup device isn’t properly taking backups, it’s not doing you any good. If something were to happen that causes you to need your backup, it would be a nightmare to only discover then that you haven’t been running backups for several months. It’s important to review backup logs and check for corruption and audit the entire backup regularly. If this isn’t getting done, you may as well assume you don’t have a backup in the first place. At least once a week, the daily backup check should also involve a random restore to make sure the process is working and that files and directories are actually being backed up properly. Each month, this should be done even more thoroughly. Check Event Logs on Servers This is another daily task that needs to be done, and can catch a lot of potential issues before they start affecting your staff and your bottom line. Server logs will often pick up on problems that are about to become bigger, so reviewing these daily will allow IT to make proactive adjustments and decisions to prevent downtime and solve issues before they escalate. Check Disk Space Across All Mission Critical Devices Done for both servers and active workstations, a full hard drive can bring your network to a stop and cause some pretty ugly issues depending on the device and how the drive is utilized. It’s a very quick check if your business has the right monitoring tools in place, and it can save you from a lot of hassle, especially in cases where you can’t simply free up storage and need to physically add more storage to a device. Review Wi-Fi, Firewall, and VPN Access Logs It’s important to know who or what is connecting to your network. Understanding network behavior and looking into traffic spikes and other unexpected events can often find problems before they get too big. Not only can this data be used to prevent network slowdown and other bottlenecking issues, but it can potentially detect fraudulent activity on the network and hopefully allow techs to stop it before it turns into something devastating. Provide Technical Support For Your Staff This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but on top of all of the critical IT tasks above, your IT department (or IT person/company/agency) needs to also be able to handle day-to-day support requests so your staff can continue to do their jobs without getting caught up with computer problems. These are just some of the regular tasks that our techs perform for all of the businesses who entrust us to manage their IT. There’s a huge difference between just having a computer person on call to fix issues as they arise, and having a company contracted to fully manage your IT. If you feel like your technology isn’t getting the TLC it deserves, give Coleman Technologies a call at (604) 513-9428 today.	https://colemantechnologies.com/blog/who-handles-the-it-at-your-company-are-they-doing-these-critical-tasks
Julian Steward and the logic of diffusion I’ve had a tremendous response to the last entry in the diffusion series, which discussed the treatment of cultural diffusion by the Boasian school. I really appreciate the pointers, which have taken me in some interesting directions that I might have missed. Meanwhile, I’m continuing on with my review. In the last post, I pointed out that Boas already had described the main elements necessary for a formal description of diffusion. Indeed, diffusion was of special importance to the Boasian view of culture, because it provided a mechanism by which culture history could come to be partially independent of race history. But despite its importance, neither Boas nor his students brought themselves to a reductive theory of diffusion. That is no surprise, in the context of early American anthropology, which was in many respects unwilling to generalize rules from the particular descriptions generated by ethnographers. But one of Kroeber and Lowie’s students, Julian Steward, did attempt a relatively formalized description of cultural diffusion. In a short 1929 article, “Diffusion and independent invention: a critique of logic,” the 27-year-old Steward showed frustration with anthropology’s failure to grapple with the diffusion problem in a concrete way. There exists a large proportion of anthropological data which admits of no clear-cut methodology but is usually handled according to inference and common sense logic. While this method may be soundly rational, the possibility of an enormous subjective element and fallacious logic is ever present and is demonstrated by the existence of the diffusion controversy. This controversy is made possible not only by the personal bias of the investigator but also by confusion of the principles upon which the solution is based. It is not my purpose to present a rule-of-thumb method for the settlement of the diffusion controversy but to inquire into its logical implications and discover whether these are not capable of formulation. While this will but formulate the principles implicit in most work, it will also reveal the possibility of certain confusions and inconsistencies (Steward 1929:491). Why was there a “diffusion controversy”? Steward describes the controversy as emerging from two extreme viewpoints about culture history – “extreme diffusionists” and “evolutionists.” In Steward’s description, this conflict comes down to a logical error of comparison. He describes this error with an example: “inverted speech,” which is “a custom of clowns and others of saying the reverse of what is meant.” This may be illustrated by inverted speech which occurs in North America in the Plains area, California, and the Southwest, and also occurs in Australia. Shall we account for these four occurrences by diffusion or independent invention. The solution depends upon inference from the assembled facts, but what is the logic of our reasoning? We ask: How probable is communication between these areas? How difficult an achievement is inverted speech? It is tempting immediately to postulate diffusion between the North American occurrences but independent invention for Australia. This would be solely on a basis of distribution and by this we should be prone to judge the uniqueness of the element (Steward 1929:491-492). Steward uses “uniqueness” as a synonym for improbability: an improbable feature shared by two societies is likely to result from a unique occurrence that had diffused to both. Continuing with inverted speech, Steward notes that the assumption of diffusion among the North American instances leads naturally to the conclusion that inverted speech is improbable – after all, it only occurred once in the entire continent. But the assumption of independent invention of the trait in Australia ...lead us to regard inverted speech as not so difficult an invention after all, for it clearly has been invented a second time. What logical justification would there be for the assumption that independent invention is inherently less possible for the Plains, California, and the Southwest than for Australia because the first three happen to be geographically more accessible (492)? Steward claimed that this comparison amounts to question-begging. Sure, if we assume that communication between two societies is likely, we will be predisposed to interpret diffusion. But this does not give us any real information as to whether independent invention happened. To address this problem, Steward suggests three “principles” to guide the interpretation of shared culture elements. I’m going to list these, which Steward presents as statements about probabilities, and recast them in terms of information theory. (1) The probability of independent invention is directly proportionate to the difficulty of communication between the localities In other words, if messages may pass easily between two locations, then we predict that the information comprising culture elements may pass easily also. Steward further describes two signs that may indicate the difficulty of communication. If the two localities share many culture elements, then we can infer that a regular communication was probably present. And if the localities communicated over a very long time, they may share many more things than if they have communicated only over a short time. (2) The probability of independent invention is directly proportionate to the uniqueness of the element. Steward adds: The uniqueness of a culture element -- that is, the probability of its being invented -- is the most difficult problem to determine. This will be decided by the investigator upon his experience and knowledge of the cultural setting and circumstances under which it may have been invented. But his decision must not depend upon either of the other two principles stated here. To the probability of an element of culture arising in a particular culture, the existence of this element in other localities and the difficulty of communication between the localities are totally irrelevant. This is probably the most important point in the essay: It would be desirable to maintain a separate test of the diffusion hypothesis with reference to the “uniqueness” of the element in question, so that this test could reinforce the test based on communication. As it was, each of these tests appeared to obviate the other, resulting in a circle. But Steward’s description of this point is totally unclear, and benefits from an information theoretic analysis. If we recast “uniqueness” as “reduction in Shannon entropy” (e.g., “information” in the technical sense), and understand that the entropy is a function of probabilities of the components of a culture element, then we can reformulate this principle: Independent invention is less probable when the shared element has a high information content. Still, this cannot be absolute: high information content is difficult to communicate. Communicating a long message across a noisy channel (like a culture contact) requires some work to maintain the fidelity of the information – and that work requires an incentive. In this sense, the “uniqueness” criterion must really break down into at least three separate properties: (1) the information content of the trait, (2) its value, and (3) synergy with the existing culture system. Value may refer to function, such as status marking or foraging utility. A culture element that conflicts with existing knowledge is less likely to be transmitted accurately; whereas one that is synergistic with existing knowledge might be picked up easily from a distant culture. In effect, “synergy” refers to the extent that the information content of a culture element is already familiar within the culture background. (3) The probability of independent invention is inversely proportionate to the probability of derivation from a common ancestral culture. This is a phyletic view of shared culture elements, that they come from original populations that split into daughter cultures. Again, when many elements are shared, this increases the probability of sharing for any single element. Yet after this discussion of principles, Steward comes to an uncomfortable conclusion. We are still left utterly unable to assess whether inverted speech was invented independently in different North American regions, or whether it diffused from one origin. Certainly it helps to know that we don’t know that, but that doesn’t give us a method, just a critique. What the problem really requires is some kind of measurement of the probabilities of invention and transmission. In the case of genetic transmission, we have well-defined probabilities, because actually there is very little information entropy in the system of a single gene with a finite (and small) number of alleles. But for culture elements, the information content may be much greater. With more information, we can imagine more ways for the information to be apportioned, as well as more different ways that transmission of the information might be disrupted. As to the “diffusion controversy,” that will be discussed further in the next post, where I cover Leslie White’s record on diffusion. References: Steward JH. 1929. Diffusion and independent invention: a critique of logic. Am Anthropol 31:491-495.	http://johnhawks.net/weblog/topics/history/culture/steward-culture-diffusion-2008.html
“We don’t have to be alike to be friends. We just have to care about each other.” ~UNKNOWN- . I'm convinced more than ever that people subconsciously view life the way they want to and there is nothing you can do to change what they see. In recent months I have become increasingly grateful for my upbringing, by upbringing I mean from as far back as I can remember until now. Based on the fact that I'm now almost 45, my upbringing would be considered my journey in life. I was recently interviewed by a 13 year old white male. The interview was based on his high school assignment to interview someone different from him in regards to a book that his class was reading about a black girl that had been treated differently because she was "too dark." I couldn't help but be impressed by a teacher that would assign such homework. Answering his questions only confirmed for me what I had recently come to realize about my life, which is the fact that I am very fortunate. Why do I consider myself fortunate you may ask, allow me to walk you through my brief 45 years of life. I'm fortunate not only because I have never personally experienced blatant racism. I am fortunate because I grew up in a home where I have never heard my mother make a derogatory statement about another person based on the color of their skin. I am grateful because life offered me a rainbow of experiences that completely shape who I am today. I grew up in Fort Worth Texas where I was surrounded by not only black and white people but also many Spanish speaking people as well as Vietnamese, Laos, and Philippine. From the 3rd grade to 10th grade one of my best friends was white and I practically lived at her house; her immediate family treated me as though I was one of the family. From childhood through 5th grade I went to an all black baptist church. From the 6th grade through 12th grade I went to a predominately white Methodist church. Both experiences as different as night and day but equally enriching. At 20 years old I began attending a non-denominational church that was extremely diverse in it's make up in every facet. I went to an Historically Black University, that actually was about 60/40 with regard to it's makeup of black to non-black students. An interesting fact being, those who lived on campus were made up of primarily black students. Upon graduating college as a single working person I have lived with a white family who had the disposition of Leave it to Beaver or Father Knows Best, seriously, I'm not exaggerating, they were absolutely wonderful to me and fascinating to watch since I grew up in a single parent home about 50 % of my life. Over a period of time I have had 5 different white roommates, some of whom their family welcomed me with open arms, while others wanted little to do with me. I attend an extremely diverse church now and live in a diverse neighborhood. My make up of friends is also equally different. As I contemplate my journey I'm beginning to wonder if my life experience is unique or even rare. I truly believe one's life experiences mold your worldview, how open or closed minded you are. I've come to the conclusion that most people see what they want to see and what they want to see more often than not depends on what they have been exposed to in their life time, especially those formative years. People more often than not want to see what makes them comfortable. What makes people comfortable may or may not have anything to do with reality. We are all prejudice as in we all prejudge. Not everyone is racist but I have come to believe some people to have some racist tendencies that they are seemingly completely unaware of. For those people I have to wonder, how did they grow up, what experiences have they had, what have they been exposed or not exposed to? I believe as a people we truly are more alike than different and I wish we were all in a place of valuing our differences and looking for our similarities. I believe then and only then will we get to a place where all lives will truly matter. Thank you for reading this post, I hope it makes you reflect on your own life's journey as well as consider how that journey impacts your perception and influence your reality on a daily basis. Just a girl with lots of random thoughts, ideas, dreams and opinions about...well everything!	https://www.q-avery.com/blog/archives/08-2016
This test also covers the measurement and recording of the profile of vehicular-traveled surfaces with an accelerometer established inertial reference on a profile-measuring vehicle. This instrument adopts the new type of semiconductor laser for a linear measurement (Section rut road data using a laptop computer with special software windows XP, makes real-time display and storage and collect Road, pile number, range, the smallest and largest rut change and the original data).It measure average rut value, graphic changes, calculate and generate reports, to facilitate further analysis. Specification: 1. Working distance: 100 mm - 120 mm 2. Working voltage: 12 v with power supply and charging tools, working time: 7h-12h 3. range of measurement:±20mm accuracy:0.1mm distinguishability:±0.01mm 4. distance of getting the point:0mm-20mm±1mm 5.The determination of spacing:5m-100m setting as required 6.testing speed:8km/h Service: 1. Warranty 1 year of replacement and return. 2, Providing factory visit and study, technical training 3, 24-hour technical support by e-mail or phone 4, Providing laboratory construction program design guidelines 5, Providing product design and OEM service Packing and Shipping: Trade Show: Certification:	https://www.zealchontesting.com/sale-8425976-walking-profiler-for-measuring-pavement-smothness-and-floor-flatness.html
As part of the continuing upgrades to the Olalla Water System, the RDOS is completing a design to replace the last sections of original water main, which will complete our rehabilitation of the distribution system. The last sections of water main requiring replacement are the laterals which provide water to the homes on 2nd street to 8th street. The replacement main will be constructed in the same location and water services will be renewed as a part of the scope of work. The RDOS will work with consultants and contractors to minimize the disruption to residents during construction. Header Replacement Work The header for the water system is a piece of metal water main located in the pump house used to install instruments for water operations and monitoring. The existing header is made out of ductile iron and coming to the end of its lifespan, the header has also started to show signs of wear due to its age. The header is an important component of the water system and any issues or leaks with the header would put the system completely out of commission until it was repaired. In order to replace the header the Regional District has contracted an experience metal shop to fabricate a 1:1 replacement of the using stainless steel instead of ductile iron, which is a longer lasting and more resilient material less susceptible to corrosion. The replacement project should not result in a disruption to water services, but residents will be informed when works are taking place and will be asked to keep extra water on hand just in case there are issues that arise during the installation. The installation of the new header is expected to take place in late spring 2021. \| \| Existing Header Water System Upgrades Starting in 2015 to 2020 A large part of the Olalla Water System was upgraded in 1998/1999 which included construction of a new well with pump, a concrete reservoir, a pump house complete with electrical controls and various watermain replacements. The remaining older watermains will now be upgraded to further the efforts of reducing leakage within the Olalla Water System. In September of 2015 the Regional District initiated various watermain upgrades to the Olalla Water System. The construction of the watermains is being completed in Phases. Phase 1 of the replacement project occurred in 2016 and Phase 2 was completed in 2017. Phase 3 was initiated in 2020. This phase will develop designs for all remaining old and leaking mains. The other upgrade for the Olalla Water System was the communication system. There were frequent issues with the current system causing RDOS operations staff to spend valuable time with false alarms and troubleshooting. In 2016, the Regional District upgraded the communications system and installed transfer switch to allow for a portable generator connection in the case of a power outage ensuring delivery of water to the Olalla system users. A permanent pump station back-up generator was installed in 2020. Designs were completed in order to facilitate the replacement of remaining old watermains in need of replacement because of water leakage. We will be looking for a future grant in order to fund the replacement. The Regional District continues to strive to develop an environmentally sustainable community and meet public needs through the development and implementation of key services. Planned work for 2020 also includes design of the remaining old watermain still in need of replacement in preparation for a future infrastructure grant opportunity. The Regional District continues to strive to develop an environmentally sustainable community and meet public needs through the development and implementation of key services.	https://www.rdos.bc.ca/index.php/public-works/engineering-reportsstudysprojects/water-systems/olalla-water-system/
U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,354 issued Dec. 4, 1990, entitled "Photographic Element Comprising An Ethyleneoxy-Substituted Amino Compound And Process Adapted To Provide High Contrast Development", by Harold I. Machonkin and Donald L. Kerr, describes silver halide photographic elements having incorporated therein a hydrazine compound which functions as a nucleator and an amino compound which functions as an incorporated booster. Such elements provide a highly desirable combination of high photographic speed, very high contrast and excellent dot quality, which renders them very useful in the field of graphic arts. Moreover, since they incorporate the booster in the photographic element, rather than using a developing solution containing a booster, they have the further advantage that they are processable in conventional, low cost, rapid-access developers. While the high-contrast photographic elements of U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,354 represent a major advance in the art, there is a continuing need to improve the properties of these photographic elements, for example, to provide increased photographic speed and even higher contrast. Moreover, enhanced developability of these high-contrast elements, which would enable the use of very short development times, would also be highly beneficial in the field of graphic arts. It is a well known expedient to increase photographic speed by the use of chemical sensitizing agents, and a very wide variety of different compounds are known to be useful as chemical sensitizers (see, for example, Research Disclosure, Issue No. 308, Item 308119, Paragraph III, December, 1989). However, the use of chemical sensitizing agents can adversely affect other properties of silver halide emulsions which contain a hydrazine compound that functions as a nucleator and an amino compound that functions as an incorporated booster, for example, it can adversely affect contrast or result in an increase in fog. Sodium thiosulfate is commonly used as a chemical sensitizing agent for photographic silver halide emulsions. Thiourea is also a well known chemical sensitizing agent as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,623,499 However, as shown herein, sodium thiosulfate and thiourea are not effective chemical sensitizers for emulsions that contain a hydrazine compound that functions as a nucleator and an amino compound that functions as an incorporated booster. Use of sulfur sensitizers, including thioureas, as compounds which are capable of selectively sensitizing the (100) plane of silver halide grains is described in European Patent Application No. 0 302 528, published Feb. 8, 1989. However, the emulsion systems described in this patent application do not contain a hydrazine compound that functions as a nucleator nor an amino compound that functions as an incorporated booster. Certain 1,1,3,3-tetra-substituted middle chalcogen urea compounds that are highly effective chemical sensitizers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,626. Use of these compounds as sensitizers in high-chloride emulsions that contain a hydrazine compound that functions as a nucleator and an amino compound that functions as an incorporated booster is described in the aforesaid copending commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 735,979, filed Jul. 25, 1991. It is toward the objective of providing an improved high-contrast photographic element--containing both a hydrazine compound that functions as a nucleator and an amino compound that functions as an incorporated booster--that has enhanced developability and that exhibits increased speed and increased toe contrast, without a concurrent increase in fog, that the present invention is directed.
Bali was founded around 2000 BCE by Austronesian people, Bali culture is closely related to the people of Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia and Philippines. Bali is an island in Indonesia which is known for its forested volcanic mountains, rice paddies, white sandy beaches with crystal clean water, Luxurious resorts and coral reefs. 83.5% of Bali population is Balinese Hinduism, which makes Bali, the only Hindu Majority province in Indonesia. Bali has seen a significant rise in tourism, contributing 80% of its economy and became the popular tourist destination in Indonesia. Bali is renowned for its developed arts, Traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting and music. Bali has the highest biodiversity of marine species with over 500 species can be found here. Bali is known as the land of gods because of large number of temples. Bali is a heaven of calm and relaxation with lush long beaches, forests, mountains, terraced rice fields, shopping markets and vibrant nightlife. Bali is known as the Romantic Destination as there are many beautiful attractions, beaches, luxurious villas with private pool. The temples of Bali are as beautiful as beaches and provided some perfect and romantic views for photographers. Bali attractions ranges from beautiful beaches to villas to forests and to temples which attracts tourist from across the world and contribute in making Bali as a popular tourist destination.	https://www.holidayswallet.in/international-travel-guide/bali-tourism.html
It’s about one moment – the moment before it all becomes clear. Jason Robert Brown succinctly sums up his own production in this line from the opening number of Songs for a New World, now playing at Spotlighters Theatre. That one moment refers to small instances and decisions which result in seismic shifts in our lives. Jumping from relatable shared experiences like break-ups and reunions to cataclysmic events such as the sinking of a ship full of immigrants, or (heaven forbid) the end of Christmas as we know it, Brown’s score covers a lot of territory very quickly. The result is a surprisingly inclusive tapestry of American experiences. While not every base is covered, Songs for a New World makes a valiant attempt to explore a diverse cast of characters and acknowledge each experience’s unique challenges while highlighting the common ground that unites us all as human beings. An important note for any interested theatre-goer, Songs for a New World is not your traditional musical experience. The production is a song cycle rather than a fully-fledged musical, which means there isn’t much in the way of a through-line or structured plot. Instead, it is a collection of songs that revolve around a common theme: life-altering decisions. However, directors Michael Tan and Andrea Bush cleverly organize the sporadic nature of the show by setting the piece in the lobby of a hotel. The transient nature of a lobby gives credence to the juxtaposition of songs and smooths the gap between storylines for a more approachable experience. The production flows well, and Tan and Bush’s structural design minimizes distraction from the star of the show: the music. As anyone who’s ever attempted to sing one of Brown’s compositions can tell you, this music is not for beginners. Brown is a master of launching complicated, dissonant chords at a breakneck pace, leaving musicians to cling to dear life. But when performed well, the result is energetic and enrapturing, bitterly nostalgic, or breathtakingly pristine. There are segments in this production where the cast and band find moments of true brilliance. When everything clicks, this production is better than a community production has any right to be. There were songs where I could’ve sworn Norbert Leo Butz or Shoshana Bean had made guest appearances. Each of the cast members (Erica Irving, Kristen Zwobot, Luis Matty Montes, and Andrew Worthington) find moments in their solo performances where they soar through Brown’s majestic score. Irving’s clarity of tone is an almost religious experience in “Christmas Lullaby”; Zwobot stops the show with a rendition of “Surabaya Santa” worthy of diva status; the early portions of Worthington’s “Flying Home” are tender and moving, and Montes’s “King of the World” is the most interesting and thoughtful take on the song I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the cast isn’t quite as cohesive as an ensemble, and some of the harmonies get the better of them, but overall the highlights far outweigh the occasional stumble. The set (designed by Alan Zemla) was also a delightful surprise. Spotlighters is an intimate space with a unique layout, which frequently offers an additional challenge when designing sets. But Zemla creates a polished, elegant feel with wood paneling, marble floors, professional quality signage, and a creatively-devised elevator. The elements worked together to flesh out an opulent hotel lobby akin to the Waldorf Astoria or Plaza Hotel. Songs for a New World is a difficult piece to tackle. The songs are individually splendid, but creating a cohesive production out of a handful of numbers is no easy task. Spotlighters’ unique approach elegantly simplifies the problem and creates a well-rounded story, which should be considered a monumental accomplishment in its own right. With the addition of powerhouse solo performances and beautiful vocal clarity, this production of Songs for a New World should not be missed. Songs for a New World plays through November 25, 2018, at Spotlighters Theatre– 817 Saint Paul Street in Baltimore, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (410) 752-1225, or purchase them online.	https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/11/06/review-songs-for-a-new-world-at-spotlighters-theatre/
By Janice Llanes Fabry Rye Neck High School is presenting the hilarious “Noises Off” at the Performing Arts Center October 26 and 27 at 7:30. The Rye Neck Theater Department, headed by Scott Harris, has never rested on its laurels and this year is no different. Not only does the fall play feature a talented cast and crew of students, but a two-story revolving set might come close to stealing the show. The 1982 Broadway classic farce by Michael Frayn is about a hapless company of actors attempting to stage a British play. The audience gets a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes during a performance. As a result, Harris explained, the play doesn’t work unless there’s a two-story set with both front and backstage points of view. “The audience gets to watch actors getting ready to go on stage to perform the play within the play. They get an insider’s view of the magic of theater,” said the director, who hired a set designer to construct the two floors, complete with a fulcrum for spinning. The students played a big part in assembling all the parts. “As always, our fall play is almost completely homegrown. Students run nearly all aspects of the production,” said Harris. “There’s been a flurry of activity at rehearsals every night since early September, as students have been learning lines, assembling costumes and props, making signs, and basically putting the whole thing together.” He introduced “Noises Off” to his acting classes last spring. The title comes from the theatrical stage cue that indicates sounds coming from offstage. The play was also made into a screamingly funny feature film in 1992 with a star-studded cast that included Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, and Marilu Henner. “We laugh all the time during rehearsals as the students practice the timing, the pratfalls, and the slapstick,” Harris remarked. “It’s a very challenging piece because the timing between the action and the dialogue is very specific.” The school’s fall play has become as much a staple of Rye Neck theater as their elaborate spring musical, albeit on a much smaller scale. All 11 actors have meaty roles and all 40 crew members are integral to the show. As Harris noted, “For those students who love theater but may not have the singing chops for the spring musical, this is a great option. Because it’s a smaller group, each student has a special connection and feels ownership in the play. It fills them up with joy.” Tickets are available at the door, general admission. Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for students/children.	https://ryerecord.com/in-the-wings-at-rye-neck/
This paper examines if the effect of parental labor market shocks on child development depends on the age of the child at the time of the shock. To address this question, we leverage rich Norwegian population-wide register data and exploit mass layoffs and establishment closures as a source of exogenous variation in parental labor market shocks. We find that, even though displacement episodes early in children’s lives have the largest impacts on household income (because they persist for many years), displacement episodes occurring in the children’s teenage years have the largest effects on human capital accumulation. We show that most of the effects operate through the intensive margin of schooling, and that children – across childhood – are significantly more influenced by maternal labor shocks compared to paternal labor shocks. In terms of mechanisms, we show that the heterogeneous effects across child age likely are driven by short-term increases in maternal stress rather than by differences in how the parents respond to the shocks.	https://openaccess.nhh.no/nhh-xmlui/handle/11250/3023380
The Trust’s library collection contains several thousand books, journals, pamphlets, ephemera and university dissertations which come from a wide variety of sources. Technical books were collected by the Technical Library and Intelligence Department of C & J Clark Ltd in order to support the manufacturing and design aspects of the business and to collate data on the shoemaking and leather industries. Books on fashion and costume history were acquired through the diverse interests of the company’s Shoe Museum, and collections in Quakerism and local history have often come from members of the wider Clark family. The Trust also holds the rare book collection of Street Meeting House (Society of Friends). The book collection covers a wide variety of topics including business history, shoe manufacturing, fashion and costume history, Quakerism, geneaology and local history, as well as Clarks in-house publications. The collection includes a wide range of publications in this area, such as richly illustrated oversize volumes with coloured fashion plates, technical shoemaking journals and handbooks, and general books on costume and fashion history. These publications constitute one of the treasure troves of the Trust’s wider collections. Shoe catalogues and price lists produced since 1848 show what was being made and sold over time by C & J Clark, making it possible to identify specific shoes and to date them precisely, as well as to trace the history of popular ranges and advertising campaigns. The Clarks shoe catalogue collection contains about 1,500 catalogues. The Trust’s collection continues to grow and is added to annually, showcasing the company’s current ranges for men, women, children as well as the Sport and Original ranges. The Trust also holds shoe catalogues for other major UK shoe manufacturers, although these are not as complete as for Clarks. Clarks has produced in-house publications since 1924, when the News Sheet was brought in to communicate the activities of the Factory Council. This widened its remit as the company expanded its manufacturing activities outside of Street after World War Two. The News Sheet finished in 1956 when it was replaced by the company’s very own newspaper, The Courier (1957-1992) and its successor Clarks International (1993-1996). This communicated news relevant to employees across the UK and beyond, such as factory openings, successful advertising campaigns and management restructurings as well as social items such as factory sporting events, beauty competitions, employee weddings and competitions. Clarks Comments was published from 1939-1973 and was targeted instead at a retail audience i.e. independent and Clarks shoe shops selling Clarks shoes. This concentrated on giving information on style shoes and exhibitions, advertising campaigns, window-dressing competitions, interviews with key members of the family and firm and sometimes articles of interest about Street’s local history. These two library collections come from Millfield, home of William Stephens Clark, and Whitenights, home of William’s son Roger Clark. The family’s strong interests in Quaker history, local and American history, biography and family history (including the life of William’s father-in-law John Bright MP) are strongly evident, as well as education and shoemaking. The collections contain books, serials, pamphlets and ephemera, the earliest items dating from the 1660s, just at Quakerism was starting to take a hold in the Westcountry and in Street itself. Many items have inscriptions from one or several subsequent members of the Clark family. Most of the collection is in English, although some items are in German, French and Italian. Some interesting non-print items are included in these book collections, such as the bound typescript diaries of John Bright MP, the minute books of the Street and District Nursing Association (1900-1953), the Street Child Welfare Association (1908-1958) and the Somerset Moral Welfare Association (Street branch, 1835-1887). Papers of two 19th century literary societies, the Avaloniana and the Street Budget, pre-date those of the Village Album, which is still active in Street today. Collection overviews of the Millfield and Whitenights book collections give further details for those interested in finding out more. The Meeting House transferred their rare book collection to the Trust in 2013 and it is currently being catalogued. The collection was accumulated through the Monthly Meeting of the Middle Division of Somerset, specifically with reference to British and American Quakers. This collection contains primarily religious texts and printed journals of eminent Quaker figures such as George Fox, alongside publications of the Society of Friends. The collection is mainly 18-19th century but does include some 17th century items such as Stephen Crisp’s Account of Travels (1696) and William Penn’s Harmony of Divine and Heavenly Doctrines (1696). The oldest item in the Meeting House collection dates from 1665.	https://alfredgilletttrust.org/collections/library/
Many of you have written to me stressing the importance of maximizing one’s health by engaging in appropriate lifestyle behaviors. I agree that this is a vitally important theme, and thus offer the following excerpt from The Myths of Modern Medicine for your consideration: “I’m Just the Patient; I’m Not Part of the Problem” Sarah Matthews had always struggled with her weight. Her life was a series of disappointing attempts to control her insatiable appetite. It came at a hefty price—to her self-esteem, her relationships, and ultimately to her health. Though her physician had long counseled her to lose weight and begin to exercise, Sarah continued her habit of consuming more than four thousand calories a day. Her weight at age forty-two had swelled to more than 280 pounds, and her joints were showing the wear of carrying such a big burden. But it was more than Sarah’s joints that were beginning to fail. Her annual physical revealed that she was perilously close to becoming a full-blown diabetic. Her blood pressure hovered at 160/100, which is very high, and the slightest exertion made her short of breath. At this pace, Sarah’s life would be dramatically shortened. As a diabetic, she would run the risk of blindness, loss of limbs, and eventually death. If her blood pressure remained high, coronary-artery disease would naturally follow—potentially precipitating a stroke or heart attack. Furthermore, recently published research suggested that the earlier one becomes obese, the greater the probability of developing atherosclerosis. This time, her physician was unflinching in his strongly worded advice: “Lose the weight now. There are no more tomorrows.” Sarah broke down in tears. It was not a lack of desire to lose weight; she simply didn’t know how to win the battle against her lifelong demon. Fortunately, her physician had a dedicated nurse educator, who not only started Sarah on the path to recovery but enlisted the help of a counselor, a nutritionist, and an exercise coach. Frightened by the prospect of a grim future, Sarah became compliant. Though it took more than a year, she successfully shed just shy of one hundred pounds through daily diet and exercise. Her lab values responded in tandem with her changes in lifestyle. After eighteen long, difficult months, Sarah was able to stop taking her medications. What appeared to be the beginning of a lifelong path of advancing chronic illness had been stopped in its tracks. Taking Personal Responsibility for Our Behavior The message emblazoned in every chapter of this book has been that our health-care system has gross deficiencies that can seriously affect your care. Numerous strategies have been outlined about how to increase the probability of receiving the “right” care for you and your family. Yet the best strategy of all is to simply not need care in the first place. That means taking exquisitely good care of ourselves—a lesson that Sarah is learning late in life. Sarah was not merely the patient. She was also the problem. It was her eating behavior—not some random disease or virus—that was causing her to develop debilitating, chronic conditions. Had she maintained her current trajectory, these conditions could have robbed her of joy, health, and ultimately her life. In the process, Sarah would have required an increasing onslaught of medications and other interventions, all of which would have brought their own associated risks and contributed to feeding the national health-care bill. Granted, not all of us seem to suffer the ill effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. Some people get away with murder when it comes to their bodies. My mother was such a person. Finding the best restaurants and bakeries was a lifelong passion for her, though she somehow stayed slim. Her idea of strenuous exercise was a full day of shopping. Her habits finally caught up with her at the age of sixty-five, though, when her severely blocked arteries necessitated quadruple-bypass surgery. Having her chest brutally cracked open slowed her down for a short time, but before long she was back to her diet of candy, cookies, fried chicken, and steaks. My mother’s diet contributed to her development of cardiovascular disease (including a heart attack), transient-ischemic events (TIAs—or “mini-strokes”), and insulin-dependent diabetes. Despite her multiple comorbidities, she lived another twenty-two years and seemed to enjoy almost every minute. There are always exceptions, but poor lifestyle choices eventually catch up with most of us, taking a major toll on our health and well-being. Whether it is smoking, overindulging in food or alcohol, or foolishly taking chances with drugs, promiscuous sexual behavior, or the need for speed when behind the wheel of an automobile, our choices often determine our fates. Proof can be found in the data collected by the Centers for Disease Control, who keep close tabs on our nation’s health. The CDC’s website contains some startling illustrations of the impact of lifestyle choices on the health of the population: - Seven out of ten deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke account for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year. - In 2005, 133 million Americans—almost one out of every two adults—had at least one chronic illness. - Obesity has become a major health concern. One in every three adults is obese, and almost one in five youths between the ages of six and nineteen is obese. - Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness among adults age twenty to seventy-four. - Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States behind diet, physical activity, and tobacco.[i] The bottom line is that we are a chronically ill nation and our illnesses are not merely debilitating but also costly—resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars spent unnecessarily on health-care expenditures every year. And the situation is deteriorating! It doesn’t have to be this way. We have the power to change our nation’s prognosis. Many of the chronic diseases we experience are either preventable or can be delayed until the latter stages of our life. This simple yet profound message was preached for more than thirty years by Dr. James Fries. The question is, Do we have the will to change? Compression of Morbidity: A Fancy Term for a Simple Goal The July 17, 1980, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine featured a landmark article by Jim Fries, MD, professor of medicine at Stanford University. The article became one of the most frequently cited scientific references in the emerging field of wellness. Fries focused on the impact of chronic disease, which he described as “responsible for more than 80 percent of all deaths and for an even higher fraction of cases of total disability. Arteriosclerosis (including coronary-artery disease and stroke), arthritis, adult-onset diabetes, chronic obstructive-pulmonary disease (including emphysema), cancer, and cirrhosis represent the overwhelming majority of our health problems. They are widespread conditions that originate in early life and develop insidiously; the probability of their occurrence increases with age.”[ii] Fries’s contribution did not lie in describing the inescapable spiral of chronic disease into disability and death. Rather, it was his challenging theory of the “compression of morbidity” that suggested the progression of disease and infirmity could be forestalled. “Disability and lowered quality of life due to the most prevalent chronic diseases are thus inescapably linked with eventual mortality,” he wrote. “These chronic diseases are approached most effectively with a strategy of ‘postponement’ rather than cure. If the rate of progression is decreased, then the date of passage through the clinical threshold is postponed; if sufficiently postponed, the symptomatic threshold may not be crossed during a lifetime, and the disease is ‘prevented.’”[iii] Fries is stating that, while we cannot escape the human condition, by taking care of ourselves we can stay vital, active, and healthy until the very twilight of our lives. In Fries’s mind, that would be living the good life. He even went so far as to point to behavior changes that would compress morbidity, saying that “some chronic illnesses definitely can be postponed; elimination of cigarette smoking greatly delays the date of onset of symptoms of emphysema and reduces the probability of lung cancer. Treatment of hypertension retards development of certain complications in the arteries. In other illnesses, circumstantial evidence of similar effects of postponement is strong, but proof is difficult: that arteriosclerosis is retarded by weight reduction or exercise is suggested by associative data but has not yet been proven.”[iv] I was fortunate enough to meet Jim Fries when he was part of a panel assembled by my mentor, Martin Seligman, at the University of Pennsylvania. Seligman, who was working under a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, had assembled some of the brightest minds in preventative medicine to define the emerging field of positive health, including Dr. Fries. Fries obviously lives by the tenets he preaches, for he appeared to be in great physical condition. In the intervening three-plus decades since Fries published this article, our knowledge on wellness and prevention has expanded greatly. Thousands of researchers have built on Fries’s foundational research, and the accumulated knowledge provides us with powerful but disheartening information on the degree to which our population is managing their lifestyle behaviors to affect wellness: - More than one-third of all adults do not meet recommendations for aerobic physical activity based on the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and 23 percent report no leisure-time physical activity at all in the preceding month. - More than forty-three million American adults smoke. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and cigarette smoking causes almost all cases. - Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to over fifty-four different diseases and injuries.[v] If you are wondering how that compares to other people in other nations, “in terms of individual behaviors, Americans are less likely to smoke and may drink less heavily than their counterparts in peer countries, but they consume the most calories per capita, abuse more prescription and illicit drugs, are less likely to fasten seatbelts, have more traffic accidents involving alcohol, and own more firearms than their peers in other countries.”[vi] As we saw in the opening chapter of this book, our nation pays dearly for its behavior as evidenced by our poor population health status relative to every other industrialized nations. Regardless of one’s nationality, the trick is not in knowing merely what to modify but how to modify our behaviors so that we live longer, happier, healthier lives. If you would like to learn more, please consider reading: The Myths of Modern Medicine: The Alarming Truth About American Health Care, John Leifer, 2014 (Rowman & Littlefield). [i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion,” last modified August 13, 2012,http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm. [ii] James F. Fries, “Aging, Natural Death, and the Compression of Morbidity,” New England Journal of Medicine 303 (July 7,1980):doi:10.1056/NEJM198007173030304. [iii] Ibid., 248. [iv] Ibid. [v] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.” [vi] Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2012),	https://www.leiferreport.com/tag/positive-health/
Q: Is it possible to half-way synchronize javascript functions that include async calls? I am wondering if there exists a way to half way synchronize javascript functions, where data is requested on the fly. I don't want to make it purely blocking (which I guess is impossible), I just want a nice way to write the overall algorithm in one piece. Let's take the following example: function(){ command1; var x1 = something; async_function(x1, callback1); } function callback1(data){ var x2 = command2(data); async_function2(x2, callback2); } function callback2(data1){ command3(data1); } I would like to write something like: function(){ command1; var x1 = something; call(async_function, [x1], callback1); var x2 = command2(data); call(async_function2, [x2], callback2); command3(data1); } I tried playing around with the caller property of functions, but I'm not familiar enough with the execution environment. I also tried writing a function "call" like above, using the apply function to pass in a custom callback which returns the result of the async function to it's caller. What bugs me is that while programming\debugging, I have to follow the code from one function into another into another (just like the movie inception). I want one place to write the high-level algorithm without decomposing it into many functions. For example, If I want to write A* algorithm, but the "getNeighbors" function is asynchronous. A: Since what you are really talking about here is a stylistic/readability issue (at least, that's the way I read it), you might be a little out of luck, because all the all alteratives I can think of aren't great. Really you have two options, write multiple distinct functions like you have done above, or use closures to bring it all "inline" (as it were), where you will quickly run into issues with keeping the horizontal whitespace sane. That being said, if you really do want to keep it all in a single block that looks like one procedure, I would probably go with the closure option: function(){ command1; var x1 = something; async_function(x1, function (data){ var x2 = command2(data); async_function2(x2, function (data1){ command3(data1); }); }); } Which could of course be spaced out like this, quite close to your desired example: });}); } ...but personally I would probably try and stick to the first version. In general though I wouldn't do either. I would keep it broken down into small and obviously named routines, I find it makes for much more readable code in the long run and any sane IDE will allow you to jump from function call to function definition and vice versa, so navigation shouldn't be too much of an issue. A: I can't guarantee that this would solve the issues you're running into, but Queuing is often used to chain a series of asynchronous calls so that they happen one after another. I wrote a Queue script a while ago which I will be using as an example: (function () { var q = new Queue(); q.queue(function (next) { //this gets run first //next is used to dequeue the next item in the queue someAsyncCall(someData, /callback/next); }, function (next) { //this gets run second someOtherAsyncCall(moreData, next); }, function (next) { //this gets run third moarAsync(allthedata, next); }); }()); Queues allow for code flow to be written in a linear fashion without massive amounts of nesting. This particular implementation doesn't handle data passing directly. A: You should look into Deferreds. You can implement your functions and execute them sequentially, regardless of the fact the the code inside the function is async. Once the first finishes the second will be triggered and so on.
Resolution from the Pastors of the Eldora Circuit of Iowa District East. To Express Serious Concern with the Catechism Revision The following resolution was drafted for the purpose of discussion and dissemination among our fellow brothers in the Ministry. It is also intended to demonstrate to the Committee the gravity of our concerns about the contents of the Catechism Revision in its current form. There are numerous areas of concern that we have with the theological content and general direction of the Revision, particularly in the first two sections of the Revision on the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed. One of our chief concerns is the first article language that is woven into almost every part of the Catechism explanation, even when the subject matter does not call for it. Additionally, the Catechism explanation focuses almost exclusively on God as Creator rather than on God as Father. Also problematic, in our opinion, is the removal of any confrontation with sin in the Commandments, where the negative prohibitions of the Law are spoken of in a positive context. This essentially takes the teeth out of the Law and makes the Law seem attainable. Finally, language that is considered offensive to feminists is conspicuously avoided, for example, replacing “men” with “human creatures.” We do not find this to be helpful, nor do we approve of being politically correct at the expense of biblical faithfulness. With that in mind, we offer the following resolution: WHEREAS, the Synod has undertaken a revision of the Small Catechism with Explanation and has invited feedback from the members of Synod, and WHEREAS, condition for membership in the Synod requires “exclusive use of doctrinally pure agenda, hymnbooks, and catechisms in church and school” (Handbook 2013, p. 15), and WHEREAS, this Catechism revision marks a radical departure from the questions and answers in previous versions of the Synod’s catechisms, and WHEREAS, the Catechism revision omits the distinction between Law and Gospel in its explanation of Holy Scripture and mistakenly places our trust in the Bible in the fact that it has “led us to trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord” (Q8, p. 12) rather than in its divine authorship and inerrancy, and WHEREAS, the Catechism revision softens the force of the Law by (1) presenting the negative prohibitions of the Law in the context of keeping the law, and (2) omitting the traditional (and helpful) “God forbids…God requires” language that was present in previous versions of the Catechism, and WHEREAS, many of the questions in the First Commandment focus on the human side of things (e.g. “We cherish,” “we take God seriously”) rather than simply stating what God requires and forbids of us, and WHEREAS, the explanation of the sixth commandment lacks any helpful instruction on how to curb and avoid temptation to sexual sin, such as one finds in the 1912 Catechism: “That we quench the evil desires with God’s Word and prayer, industry and temperance, and that we flee and avoid all opportunity for unchasteness,” and WHEREAS, the prominence of first article language throughout the sections on the Ten Commandments and the Creed (including the second and third articles) is not only unnecessary, but leads to a confusion of Law and Gospel, introduces a new and foreign way of speaking about humanity (e.g. “human creatures/nonhuman creatures”) and essentially supplants Redemption as the primary theological theme, and WHEREAS, in the section on the Creed, the Fatherhood of God is barely mentioned (three bullet-points on p. 58) and God is identified more by his work (Creator) than by who He is ontologically (Father) (See especially Q96, p. 56, which mistakenly says that the Creed begins by confessing God as “Maker” rather than “Father”), and WHEREAS, the focus on creation theology leads to an undue and even unbiblical focus on environmental issues (see, e.g. Questions 61-62), and WHEREAS, the Catechism Revision omits question 23 from the 1991 Catechism, which is essential for our understanding of the Law, “Who is able to keep this and other commandments?” and WHEREAS, in several instances, material that should be presented at the outset of a topic is made available as supplemental material. For example, the Doctrine of the Trinity is explained only in a “Supplement to the Creed” (p. 108) and Q24 “Who is the only true God” is left to the end of the First Commandment in “Connections and Applications,” and WHEREAS, the Catechism Revision is pedagogically inferior to the previous version of the Catechism, expanding answers into long paragraphs that do not facilitate easy assimilation by a younger age group, be it therefore RESOLVED, that the pastors of the Eldora Circuit of the Iowa District East express our serious concerns regarding the doctrinal purity of this Catechism Revision to the Revision Committee, and be it finally RESOLVED, that the Committee be urged to exercise caution and restraint in revising the 1991 Catechism, taking a more conservative approach. Respectfully submitted,	https://steadfastlutherans.org/2016/10/proposed-catechism-revision-resolution-express-concern/
The Drones are the main antagonists of the 1983 sci-fi video game Benji: Space Rescue for the Commodore 64. They are a dangerous group of robots from another universe who want to kidnap every scientist on Earth and take over their universe. Origin It is unknown what universe they came from or how they knew humanity. However, it is possible that they wanted to be free from their world and explore another universe. When they discovered humans, they realized that they might be studied and that the humans can become a threat to their kind, so they captured the scientists to prevent themselves from being discovered. Gameplay Benji's mission is to save a number of scientists that are being held by robot drones somewhere in the solar system. Once he is on board, the player must take them safely back to Earth. This can be done by going into the engine room and selecting the planet of the player's choice, and the player can modify the warp and jump settings to get to the planet faster or slower. The transporter room shows the amount of food, fuel, torpedoes and rescued scientists on board. The player can beam up more supplies provided and are the right distance from a planet that has such supplies. The weapons room controls the ship's defences. When cruising the planet's surface, Benji's ship's alarm will sound if it detects enemy movement. This is followed by the drones chasing Benji and shooting at him with their lasers. The time taken to fly between two planets reflects the speed and distance. If the calculations are wrong, the ship misses its destination and an asteroid storm has to be negotiated. On reaching the planet, Benji's ship can be taken down to the planet surface. While fighting the drones, the player can use the keyboard's function keys to either fire torpedoes or phasors. Also, while transporting scientists, the player must supply them with rations in order for them to survive. Benji is constantly running out of fuel, meaning that the player needs to stock up while orbiting space. Higher ranks have Benji rescuing more scientists and navigating an asteroid field. Benji has a specific number of star days to rescue the scientists. If the player runs out of time, fuel or rations, the game is over. The higher the level, the larger the number of scientists, problems and computations for Benji. Personality The Drones are extremely dangerous, ruthless, cunning and intelligent creatures who want to capture every scientist on Earth. The purple ones are the most cunning, the green ones are the most powerful, the blue ones rely only on self destruction, and the gray drones are the same as the blue ones, except they're the rarest type of drones. Whenever Benji choses a harder rank, the Drones would become more formidable and dangerous and increase their numbers as they begin to shoot at Benji. The Drones would trap the captive scientists under a purple base and Benji would have to shoot the drones down and beam the scientists out of the base. It is implied on the game's cover that they were planning on conquering the entire universe. Gallery Images Videos Trivia - If the player chooses the harder ship rank for Benji, the phasors only stun the green drones and the torpedoes only stun the purple drones, as the purple drones shoot phasors and the green drones shoot torpedoes and Benji would have to use the same weapon against them. - Whenever Benji flies towards the ground level on a planet, the drones would sometimes destroy themselves as they fly too close to the ground. - The blue drones are the only type of drones that don't shoot lasers at Benji. Instead, they rely on suicide bombings against Benji. - If the player chooses the hardest ranks for Benji (Wing Leader, Group Captain, Commodore and Fleet Marshal), the drones would move the scientists' base before Benji would arrive in the planet. - The easiest rank for Benji, "Pilot Officer", shows that the drones only capture six scientists and bring them to the farthest location from Earth in the Solar System, which is Pluto.	https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Drones
Blood sugar 187 mg/dl (10.38mmol/l) fasting – is that good or bad? we help you interpret your blood sugar values. you have tested your blood sugar fasting and the result was 187 mg/dl. let’s have a look at the blood sugar gauge:. A blood sugar level below 60 mg/dl, or a drop of more than 100 mg/dl an hour at any time indicates hypoglycemia. average a1c test level. an a1c test is performed to measure the average of a person’s blood sugar levels over the last 3 months. the results of the test are presented as a percentage. the average range falls in between 4-6%.. That early morning jump in your blood sugar? it’s called the dawn phenomenon or the dawn effect. it usually happens between 2 and 8 a.m. generally, the normal hormonal changes your body makes in. Blood sugar 187 in morning blood sugar . blood sugar 187 in morning . apr 6, 2018 dtn staff. twitter. pinterest. google plus. facebook. when to test blood sugar in type 2. one of the topics that comes up a lot in the email i get from visitors to my what they don’t tell you about diabetes web site is the question of when is the best time to test. If your blood sugar is low at 3 a.m., but high in the morning, you probably suffer from the somogyi effect. if your blood sugar is elevated at 3 a.m. and then higher still in the morning, you. .my mother checked my blood sugar level this morning. she is diabetic. yesterday it was 173, this morning it was 211 after ony having coffee with cream and sugar, what does 187 blood sugar mean blood sugar level of 187 what does blood sugar level of 101 mean. High morning blood sugar. by mary (sacramento, ca.) question comment: i have the same problem, before bed, it is normal but when wake up in the morning, the blood sugar level rasies up to 144. i am not taking any medicine and then i checked the hba1, the reading is normal, about 5.6%. what else i can do to bring down the reading of the. High morning blood sugar. by mary (sacramento, ca.) question comment: i have the same problem, before bed, it is normal but when wake up in the morning, the blood sugar level rasies up to 144. i am not taking any medicine and then i checked the hba1, the reading is normal, about 5.6%. what else i can do to bring down the reading of the. A blood sugar level below 60 mg/dl, or a drop of more than 100 mg/dl an hour at any time indicates hypoglycemia. average a1c test level. an a1c test is performed to measure the average of a person’s blood sugar levels over the last 3 months. the results of the test are presented as a percentage. the average range falls in between 4-6%..	http://thelazydiabetic.com/2019/04/13/blood-sugar-187-in-morning/
The promoters of this company are pioneers in the infrastructure sector and have been involved in several path breaking infrastructure projects across the country and are committed to take the company to new heights with the objective of creating for it a position of eminence in the booming infrastructure sector. The promoters’ and company’s experience in infrastructure is rich and significant in nature and is going to doubtlessly serve development as a solid base as the company undertakes various world class projects in this arena. The Company excels in finding various routes to bring in the required finance, technology and expertise that are necessary for the implementation of the projects undertaken be it Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Amalgamation or Strategic Alliances. By undertaking path breaking infrastructure projects globally, with international tie-ups, the company is on its way to create value for the shareholders, partners in progress and create an indelible image of our mighty nation in the eyes of the world. We have a lot of Customer who have taken our services.	http://bfuindia.in/
Why should anyone care about the importance of ATP production? 0 votes Even though the production of ATP occurs within individual cells, a multicellular organism requires the energy produced to carry out vital functions essential for survival. Any organism would quickly die without constant production of ATP. The memorization of foreign-sounding biochemical terms was required by the instructor. Understanding glycolysis and cellular respiration permits insights into how different organisms manage their energy needs in different environments. Both the first and third answers are correct.
Instrument strictly reserved for hunters and essentially employed in hunting activities. The luba use the whistle to call the dogs before, after and during the hunt. By means of established sound codes, they warn other hunters to place themselves at strategic places during the beats. They also serve to announce the end of the hunt. Before using the whistle, the player wets the inside cavity with some drops of palm oil. This produces a sweeter sound. On some occasions it is employed during dances, being used as an instrument of rhythmic accompaniment.	https://musicaparaver.org/instruments/type/aerophone/origin/africa/page/2/2779
Jackson Carman is an American footballer who is currently a member of the Clemson Tigers. He plays as an offensive tackle for the National College Athletic Association(NCCA) Division I side after joining the team in 2018 as a freshman. Along with playing football, Carman is a student of Sociology at Clemson University. He wears jersey number 79 for the Clemson Tigers and won the 2018 national championship with them at the age of 18. Jackson Carman was rated a 5-star recruit and best collegiate prospect in the state of Ohio by ESPN. Below are 10 facts about Jackson Carman that will help you know the exciting college football prospect even more: Quick Facts: Jackson Carman \|Name\|\|Jackson Carman\| \|Birthday\|\|January 22, 2000\| \|Age\|\|21\| \|Gender\|\|Male\| \|Height\|\|6 Feet 5 Inches\| \|Weight\|\|152 kg\| \|Nationality\|\|American\| \|Profession\|\|Footballer\| \|Parents\|\|Ken Carman, Mary Carman\| \|Married/Single\|\|Single\| \|@jacksonxcarman\| \|@jackthejiant\| 10 Facts about Jackson Carman - Jackson Carman is currently a footballer at Clemson University and is a part of their football team, therefore he does not earn a salary yet. - As he does not have any earnings, Jackson Carman’s net worth is something that has not been estimated as of January 2021. - Jackson Carman is the son of Ken and Mary Carman. He shares his birthday with his mother Mary. - Born on January 22, 2000, in Fairfield, Ohio, USA, Jackson Carman’s age as of January 25, 2021, is exactly 21 years old. He celebrated his birthday just 3 days ago. - Carman went to Farfield Highschool and joined Clemson University in 2018. - The 21-year-old has a height of 6 feet 5 inches and has a weight of 152kg. He is of American nationality and black ethnicity. - There are currently no announcements made by Carman about him having a girlfriend, therefore we can assume he is single at the moment. - Jackson is a very active person on the internet and has accounts on Instagram and Twitter. - His Instagram account is @jacksonxcarman, it is a verified account with over 12k followers. - He also has a verified Twitter account which is @jackthejiant and it has over 14k followers.	https://www.b.wikiage.org/who-is-jackson-carman-salary-net-worth-parents-girlfriend-age-height/
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 62/600,182 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 16, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and priority to which is claimed. The present invention relates to a storage assembly. In particular, the invention relates to a ladder storage assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,952 to Lasnetski discloses a rack for use in automotive vehicles or other storage areas for supporting a ladder or similar device hanging from an overhead support such as a ceiling. A roller track is provided for the movable support at one end of the ladder, and a sling supports the opposite end. U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,853 to Trusty et al. discloses a ladder and equipment storage rack and method. In one form of the invention, a ladder and equipment rack is provided with mounts that connect to struts or other hanger devices to easily adapt to hold a ladder or other equipment. The storage rack can be used in vehicles, buildings or any other locations for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,720 to Kumher et al. discloses a multi-position ladder, a longitudinally extending support member for supporting the ladder, and a connecting member connecting the support member and the ladder. The connecting member includes a sliding bar, a pivot bar, and a rotating arm, the sliding bar being in sliding engagement with the support member for permitting lateral shifting movement of the ladder along the support member to one of multiple generally vertical use positions, the pivot bar extending laterally outwardly from the sliding bar for permitting pivotable movement of the ladder about the pivot bar between a generally vertical use position and one of multiple storage positions, and the rotating arm providing tilting movement of the ladder towards or away from a wall to which the support member is attached. The ends of the rotating arm are slidably received in elongated slots in the uprights of the ladder for permitting sliding movement of the ladder relative to the rotating arm. A locking assembly permits selective securing of the free end of the ladder to the support member in a storage position. The present invention provides, and it is an object to provide, an improved ladder storage assembly. There is accordingly provided a storage assembly for storing a foldable ladder within a structure. The assembly includes a first protrusion connectable to first rails of the ladder. The assembly includes a second protrusion connectable to second rails of the ladder. Each of the protrusions includes an enlarged distal end portion. The assembly includes a linear guide track connectable to the structure and to which the distal end portions of the protrusions are slidably received and retained when the ladder is in a folded position. The ladder couples to the structure thereby. There is also provided a ladder storage assembly for a foldable ladder. The assembly includes a guide track having a longitudinally-extending slot and an enlarged slot portion. The assembly includes a pair of pin members with enlarged distal end portions shaped to fit through the enlarged slot portion and slidably engage with the guide track thereafter when the ladder is in a folded position. There is further provided a method of storing a foldable ladder within a vehicle having a roof and an inside. The method includes coupling a guide track with an enlarged slotted portion to the roof of the vehicle within the inside thereof. The method includes coupling one or more pin members having enlarged distal end portions to first rails and second rails of the ladder such that the distal end portions align with each other when the ladder is in a folded position. The method includes inserting the distal end portion of a forward said pin member through the enlarged slotted portion and into the guide track, and thereafter pushing the ladder forward to enable the distal end portion of a rearward said pin member to align with the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track. The method includes inserting the distal end portion of the rearward said pin member through the enlarged slotted portion and into the guide track, and thereafter moving the distal end portion of the rearward said pin member away from the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track. FIGS. 8 to 12 40 42 44 46 48 Referring to the drawings and first to , there is provided a storage assembly for storing a foldable ladder within a structure, in this example within a vehicle, in this case a van on an inner top surface of a roof thereof. FIG. 10 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 3 50 52 54 56 58 60 61 42 62 64 58 54 52 66 68 60 62 64 66 68 52 42 67 69 As seen in , the foldable ladder is an A-frame type ladder in this example and has a top , includes a top plate or step at the top thereof, has bottom , includes ladder shoes at the bottom thereof, and has a front and rear which extend between the top and bottom thereof. The ladder has a horizontal axis which extends from the bottom to the top thereof and which is positioned between the front and rear thereof. As best seen in , the ladder includes a pair of first or front rails and that extend along front thereof between the bottom and top thereof. The ladder includes a pair of second or rear rails and which extend along rear thereof and which extend from the bottom to the top thereof. Referring to , the front rails and and the rear rails and pivotally connect together near top of the ladder , and the ladder includes spreader bars and , so as to enable the ladder to move from an unfolded position (not shown) in which bottom portions of the front and rear rails are spaced-apart from each other, to the folded position seen in . FIG. 2 FIG. 2 FIG. 2 42 70 72 74 76 78 80 72 42 Referring back to , the ladder includes a plurality of spaced-apart horizontal members, in this example steps extending between the front rails, as shown by bottom step in . The ladder includes a plurality of spaced-apart horizontal members, in this example steps extending between the rear rails, as shown by bottom step in . The bottom steps each include braces in this example, as shown by braces , , and for step . Foldable ladders, including their various parts and functionings, are known and ladder will thus not be discussed in further detail. FIG. 1 40 82 84 86 62 64 82 88 90 92 94 84 86 88 62 64 96 98 92 94 100 102 82 42 52 90 108 84 86 82 Referring to , the ladder storage assembly includes an upper or first mount subassembly, in this example in the form of an elongate bracket . The bracket is L-shaped in this example, and has a pair of ends and that align with front rails and , respectively. The bracket includes a first plate and a second plate coupled to and extending perpendicular to the first plate. The first plate has apertures and extending therethrough adjacent to the ends and of the bracket in this example. The first plate couples to front rails and via fasteners, in this example bolts and , which extend through apertures and and engage with nuts and . The bracket thus couples to and extends between the front rails of the ladder in this example and therefore couples to top step of the ladder. The second plate has an opening, in this example a cut-out portion that is rectangular in shape and which is positioned between ends and of the bracket . FIG. 1 40 110 62 64 42 82 84 86 61 110 112 114 88 42 112 110 114 As seen in , the ladder storage assembly includes a forward or first protrusion that couples to the front rails and of the ladder via bracket in this example. The protrusion is positioned between the ends and of the bracket and aligns parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ladder in this example. The first protrusion includes a distal end portion or head and an elongate member, in this example a shank or shaft that couples the head thereof to plate and thus ladder . The head of the protrusion is beveled, a frustum in shape in this example, and in the form of a fastener head in this example. The head of the first protrusion couples to and extends outwards from shaft . FIG. 2 40 116 66 68 42 72 118 120 122 124 Referring to , the ladder storage assembly includes a lower or second mount subassembly, in this example a plate member coupled to the rear rails and of the ladder via bottom step . The plate member is rectangular in this example and has a pair of apertures and extending therethrough adjacent to sides and thereof. 40 126 66 68 42 116 110 122 124 61 126 128 130 116 42 130 126 114 110 128 126 126 130 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 The ladder storage assembly includes a rearward or second protrusion connectable to the rear rails and of the ladder via the plate member . The second protrusion is similar to protrusion in this example, and is positioned between the sides and of the plate member and aligns in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ladder in this example. The second protrusion includes a distal end portion or head and an elongate member, in this example a shaft that couples the head thereof to plate and thus ladder . Shaft of protrusion is longer than shaft of protrusion seen in . Referring back to , the head of protrusion is beveled, a frustum in shape in this example, and in the form of a fastener head in this example. The head of the second protrusion couples to and extends radially outwards from shaft . FIG. 5 110 126 40 112 128 61 42 Referring to , the protrusions and of the ladder foldable assembly are shaped such that the heads and thereof align with each other parallel to axis when the ladder is in its folded position in this example. The protrusions may comprise fasteners that threadably couple to the ladder, with positioning of the heads of the protrusions relative to the ladder being threadably adjustable thereby. FIG. 8 40 132 132 46 48 44 134 136 138 140 142 As seen in , the ladder foldable assembly includes a guide track . The guide track in this example is a channel in the form of a straight strut channel. The guide track is connectable to the inner top surface of the roof of the van . The guide track has a first or forward end pointing towards the front of the van, a second or rearward end adjacent to the rear of the van, and a longitudinally-extending opening or slot at the bottom of the guide track which extends between the forward and rearward ends thereof. FIG. 6 132 144 146 148 149 150 152 154 156 As seen in , the guide track comprises an upper elongate member or plate having a pair of peripheral edge portions and , has a bottom , and includes a pair of elongate side members and which couple to and extend perpendicularly downwards from the peripheral edge portions of the plate to said bottom. Each of the side members includes distal catches, in this example distal hook-shaped, inwardly-extending edge portions and . FIGS. 3 and 4 142 132 114 130 110 126 112 128 132 158 112 128 110 126 132 As seen in , the slot of the guide track is shaped to receive the shafts and of the protrusions and . The slot of the guide track is shaped to be too narrow to permit the heads and of the protrusions from passing therethrough. The guide track has an enlarged aperture, in this example an enlarged slot portion through which the heads and of protrusions and can pass for positioning the protrusions within the guide track. The heads of the protrusions are slidably received and retained within the guide track thereafter. The protrusions may be referred to as a pair of pin members with enlarged heads shaped to fit through the enlarged slot portion and slidably engage with the guide track thereafter. FIGS. 3 and 4 FIG. 3 40 160 162 164 132 134 134 160 149 132 Referring to , the ladder storage assembly includes a biasing member, in this example a hydraulic damper . The hydraulic damper includes an outwardly-biased piston that slidably engages with and is received within a cylinder . The hydraulic damper in this example is positioned within the guide track in this example adjacent to end thereof. However, this is not strictly required and the hydraulic damper may be positioned adjacent to the guide track near end in other embodiments for example. Also, the biasing member need not be a hydraulic damper may take other forms in other embodiments. Referring to , the hydraulic damper may be positioned level with or, in this case, above the bottom of the guide track . FIG. 5 FIG. 5 FIG. 7 162 165 112 110 132 128 126 158 168 112 110 170 128 126 158 132 42 128 126 158 159 132 112 110 158 As seen in , the piston includes a distal end that is circular in this example and configured to engage with the head of the first protrusion positioned within the guide track . The head of the second protrusion is configured to fit within the enlarged slot portion of the guide track and enter within the guide track only upon the head of the first protrusion member is acting against and compressing the piston as seen by arrow of numeral in . Upon the head of the second protrusion entering within the guide track and the ladder thereafter being released by the user, the hydraulic damper biases the head of the first protrusion , as shown by arrow of numeral in , and thus the head of the second protrusion , rearward and away from the enlarged slot portion of the guide track . Inadvertent dislodgement of the ladder from the guide track is inhibited thereby. To remove the ladder , the above steps are taken in reverse, with the ladder being pushed forward towards the front of the van, until the head of the second protrusion passes through enlarged slot portion and is then removed from the guide track and abuts stop member positioned reward of the slot portion. The stop member is positioned within the guide track , is a rectangular prism in shape in this example and extends within the guide track to inhibit sliding therethrough. The ladder may thereafter be pulled outwards from the rear of the van until the head of the first protrusion passes through the enlarged slot portion . FIG. 9 FIG. 3 FIGS. 3 and 10 FIG. 5 42 44 132 48 172 110 126 62 66 42 112 128 112 158 132 174 128 126 Thus, and referring to , there is provided a method of storing the foldable ladder within van . The method includes coupling the guide track to the roof of the van within the inside thereof. Referring to , the method includes coupling the first protrusion and second protrusion to front rails and rear rails of the ladder , such that the heads and of the protrusions align with each other when the ladder is in a folded position. Referring to , the method includes inserting the head of the first protrusion through the enlarged slotted portion and into the guide track . The method includes next pushing the ladder forward, as shown by arrow of numeral , to enable the head of the second protrusion to align with the enlarged slotted portion of the channel, as seen in . The method includes inserting the protrusion of the second protrusion through the enlarged slotted portion and into the guide track. 160 132 128 126 158 112 110 162 128 126 132 160 128 126 176 44 158 132 42 44 FIG. 5 FIG. 12 FIG. 7 FIG. 12 FIG. 7 The method further includes disposing hydraulic damper within the guide track such that insertion of the head of the second protrusion through the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track is only possible by first pushing the head of the first protrusion against the hydraulic damper so as to move the piston to the retracted position seen in . When the head of the second protrusion is within the guide track , the method next includes releasing the ladder as seen in . Referring to , this causes the hydraulic damper to move the head of the second protrusion towards the rear of the van , seen in , and away from the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track seen in . The above steps may be followed in reverse to remove the ladder from the vehicle thereafter. 40 FIG. 8 FIG. 7 The ladder storage assembly as herein described may enable the vehicle to more roomy when the ladder is removed therefrom as seen in . Referring to , the protrusions so coupled to the ladder ensures that only a compact rail remains within the vehicle when the ladder is not therewithin. FIGS. 13 to 15 FIGS. 1 to 12 FIGS. 1 to 12 82 1 40 1 40 1 40 show a first mount subassembly . of a ladder storage assembly . according to a second embodiment. Like parts have like numbers and function as the embodiment shown in with the addition of “.1”. Ladder storage assembly . is substantially the same as the assembly shown in with the following exceptions. 82 1 178 180 90 1 84 1 86 1 82 1 178 180 88 1 90 1 88 1 62 1 64 1 FIG. 14 FIG. 15 FIG. 15 In this embodiment, the subassembly . includes a pair of hollow protuberances that are tubular in shape, in this example sleeves and . The sleeves couple to plate . and are aligned adjacent to ends . and . of the subassembly in this example. As seen in , the subassembly . is approximately c-shaped in side profile in this example. Referring to , the sleeves and and plates . and . are configured such that plate . aligns with and extends substantially in parallel with rails . and . when the ladder is in its folded position seen in . FIG. 15 52 1 42 1 182 184 178 180 42 1 Referring to , the top step . of ladder . includes a pair of recesses and extending therethrough and through which sleeves and . Ladder . may be a Werner®-type ladder in this example. 82 1 52 1 186 188 190 192 194 178 180 194 196 198 52 1 200 202 204 206 82 1 50 1 42 1 The subassembly . couples to the top step . via a pair of fasteners, in this example carriage-type bolts and with bolt heads and which abut an upper planar surface of the top step. The bolts extend through the sleeves and with threaded ends and of the bolts extending outwards from the planar underside of the top step .. Nuts and couple to the threaded ends of the bolts, with washers and abutting the underside of the top step and being interposed between the top step and nuts in this example. In this manner, subassembly . selectively couples to the top . of ladder .. FIG. 16 FIGS. 1 to 12 FIGS. 1 to 12 132 2 40 2 40 2 40 shows a guide track . of a ladder storage assembly . according to a third embodiment. Like parts have like numbers and function as the embodiment shown in with the addition of “.2”. Ladder storage assembly . is substantially the same as the assembly shown in with the following exceptions. 44 2 208 210 212 214 216 210 218 220 222 224 226 44 2 In this embodiment, a vehicle in the form of a pickup truck . is shown. The truck has a rear bed with auxiliary framing, in this example an open/overhead rack or in the form of truck rack coupled thereto. However, this is not strictly required and the auxiliary framing may be in the form of a camper shell in another example. The truck rack includes a first side frame subassembly comprising in this example vertically-extending, spaced-apart frames and . The truck rack includes a second side frame subassembly comprising in this example vertically-extending, spaced-apart frames and . The side frame subassemblies couple to and extend in parallel with sides and of the truck . in this example. 210 228 230 214 216 232 220 222 230 232 224 226 44 2 234 236 238 240 242 230 232 234 236 238 240 242 140 2 44 2 The truck rack includes a roof subassembly comprising a first horizontally-extending side frame coupling to and extending between frames and , and a second horizontally-extending side frame coupling to and extending between frames and . The side frames and are configured to extend in parallel with the sides and of the truck . in this example. The roof subassembly includes in this example a plurality of horizontally-extending, spaced-apart cross-member frames , , , and which couple to, extend between and extend perpendicular to side frames and thereof. Frames , , , and are configured to extend in parallel with the rear . of the truck . in this example. 40 2 132 2 244 234 236 238 240 242 228 210 212 218 140 2 44 2 136 2 132 2 40 2 FIGS. 1 to 12 The ladder storage assembly . includes guide track . which couples to and extends along the underside or bottom portions of frames , , , and of the roof subassembly . Each of the bottom portions of the frames may be referred to as an inner top surface of the truck rack . The guide track is centrally positioned between the side frame subassemblies and in this example, and extends from the rear . of the truck . towards the front . of the truck. The guide track . and protrusions of the ladder, such as those shown in , are otherwise substantially similar in parts and functions as has been previously described. In this manner, ladder storage assembly . is adapted to be used in association with canopies of pickup trucks, for example. It will be appreciated that many variations are possible within the scope of the invention described herein. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the ladder storage assembly as herein described may also be used for other walled or planar surfaces for other applications, such as for and within garages, storage sheds and the like. It will also be understood by someone skilled in the art that many of the details provided above are by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be determined with reference to the following claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an upper portion of a foldable ladder, the ladder being shown in fragment and in a folded position, together with an upper protrusion and mounting subassembly of a ladder storage assembly according to a first aspect; FIG. 2 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a lower portion of the foldable ladder of shown in fragment and in its folded portion, together with a lower protrusion and mounting subassembly of the ladder storage assembly of ; FIG. 3 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation view of the ladder and ladder storage assembly of , with the assembly including a guide track having an enlarged slotted portion and with the first protrusion of shown in the process of being inserted within the guide track via the enlarged slotted portion thereof; FIG. 4 FIG. 3 FIG. 3 4 4 is a sectional view of the ladder storage assembly of taken along lines -, together with part of the ladder of being shown in fragment, with a hydraulic damper of the ladder storage assembly also being shown; FIG. 5 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevation view of the ladder and ladder storage assembly of , with the first protrusion of the assembly shown inserted within the guide track and moving the hydraulic damper to a retracted position, with the second protrusion of the assembly shown in inserted within the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track; FIG. 6 FIG. 5 FIG. 5 6 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the ladder storage assembly of taken along lines -, together with part of the ladder of being shown in fragment and the hydraulic damper of the assembly also being shown; FIG. 7 FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevation view of the ladder and ladder storage assembly of , with the protrusions of the assembly shown within the guide track, with the hydraulic damper shown in an extended position, and with the second protrusion of the assembly rearward of the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track and abutting a stop member of the assembly; FIG. 8 FIG. 7 is a rear, side perspective view of a van with its rear doors open to show the guide track of the ladder storage assembly of mounted to the inner top surface of the roof of the van; FIG. 9 FIG. 8 FIG. 1 is a rear, side perspective view of the van of , together with a person gripping the ladder of in its folded position and elevating the upper portion of the ladder towards the guide track of the ladder storage assembly; FIG. 10 FIG. 9 FIG. 9 is a rear, side perspective view of the van of , together with the person of shown inserting the first protrusion of the ladder storage assembly into the enlarged slotted portion of the guide track of the ladder storage assembly; FIG. 11 FIG. 10 FIG. 10 is a rear, side perspective view of the van of , together with the person of shown pushing the ladder so slidably engaged to the guide track via the first protrusion of the ladder storage assembly, further into the van so as to slidably couple the second protrusion to the guide track; FIG. 12 FIG. 11 FIG. 11 is a rear, side perspective view of the van of , together with the person of , with the ladder shown fully stored within the van and mounted to the roof of the van via the ladder storage assembly; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a first protrusion and mounting subassembly for a ladder storage assembly according to a second aspect; FIG. 14 FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the first protrusion and mounting subassembly of ; FIG. 15 FIG. 13 is a fragmentary, perspective view of an upper portion of a foldable ladder together with the first protrusion and mounting subassembly of shown coupled thereto; and FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of a pickup truck having a rear bed and a truck rack coupled to the rear bed, together with a guide track of a ladder storage assembly according to a third embodiment, the guide track being shown coupled to the truck rack.
The American Turkish Society, founded in 1949, presented the award for Excellence in Philanthropy, which recognizes pioneering individuals and organizations for their contributions to the lives of people in their respective fields, to the Vehbi Koç Foundation that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Society’s Annual Gala in New York City brought together Turkish and American diplomats, senior representatives from the public and private sectors, artists, scientists and opinion leaders. Peggy Rockefeller Dulany, the Gala Chair and founder of Synergos, a global organization helping solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, presented the award to Semahat Arsel, the Chair ofVehbi Koç Foundation. At the award ceremony on November 1, 2019,Semahat Arsel was accompanied by Erdal Yıldırım, General Manager of Vehbi Koç Foundation, Esra Koç, daughter of the late Mustafa Koç, and Ümit Taftalı and Lawrence M. Kaye, co-chairs of the American Turkish Society.	https://www.vkv.org.tr/haber_detay.aspx?hl=en&id=252
The state will recommend to the EWRC to set two rates for electricity, water, heating and gas, based on consumption per household. The aim is to introduce a reduced tariff for less consumption, and everything above it will be paid at market prices. This is one of the measures in the government's anti-crisis package that is being presented today. Among the measures are another 0% VAT on bread, modernization of pensions by nearly 20%, higher tax breaks for families with children and discounts on fuel, including gasoline and diesel - these are just some of the measures in the anti-crisis package adopted in within yesterday's coalition council. The measures are aimed at supporting Bulgarian citizens and businesses in the face of the unprecedented crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and high energy prices. According to the decision of the partners in the ruling coalition, pensions will be updated from July 1 instead of the current 6.1%, an average of 20%. This includes a firm increase in all pensions by BGN 60 and an additional percentage increase. According to the so-called "Swiss rule" will recalculate the pensions of 770 thousand retirees from October 1, and from 2008 will recalculate each pension with 100% growth in average insurance income or 100% inflation, whichever is more favorable and what is the higher amount of the pension for the particular pensioner. Thus, for a year and a half the decisions of the ruling coalition lead to a drastic increase of over 55% of the minimum pension and from July 1 it will be BGN 467. Calculations also show that for the previous 12 years, pensions have risen by an average of about BGN 100, while now only within a year the increase will be by BGN 167, according to the government information service. The anti-crisis package also provides compensation for high fuel prices. All citizens until the end of the year will be able to take advantage of a discount of 25 st./l. for petrol 95 and diesel, methane and propane-butane. For a period of one year the VAT on bread will be reduced to 0%, and for the same period the VAT on wine and beer will be refunded to 20%. With regard to heating, VAT on heating and hot water is expected to be 9% within one year. It will also be reduced to 9% VAT on natural gas for end users / household needs for a period of 1 year. It is exempt from excise duty on electricity, natural gas, methane. In support of families with children, as a long-term measure it is planned to increase the amount of tax relief for children from BGN 4,500 to BGN 6,000 per year, and it will be possible to use it every three months during the year. The VAT rate for books continues to be lower at 9%. The package of anti-crisis measures also includes increasing the threshold for mandatory VAT registration from BGN 50,000 to BGN 100,000; taxation of excess profits of electricity in order to compensate non-household consumers; electronic vouchers for the convenience of employees, as their total amount will be increased to BGN 1.2 billion; reduction of the interest rate to 8% for overdue payments to the state, municipalities, utilities, etc. Most of the measures will be settled in the forthcoming update of the budget in the middle of this year, with different deadlines for entry into force and implementation. The necessary legislative changes will also be made.	https://3e-news.net/en/a/view/33602/the-state-proposes-to-the-ewrc-to-prepare-two-separate-prices-for-utility-services-social-and-market
When the CARES law was passed in March, payments were suspended and the interest rate was temporarily set at 0% for federal student loans. The student loan relief will expire on January 31, 2021. Will President-elect Joe Biden extend the temporary relief? Nobody knows. While there is uncertainty about what will happen after Jan. 20, 2021, we have some idea of the long-term changes that could occur in student loans when Biden takes office. These proposals will need to be approved by Congress to become law, but here is a summary of what Biden has proposed so far in regards to student loans. At March 22, 2020, Biden tweeted that it would write off up to $ 10,000 for each federal student loan borrower. This cancellation was originally proposed by Democrats for inclusion in the CARES law. That was not made into law, but it is possible that the Biden administration will include the cancellation of $ 10,000 as part of a future stimulus package. Biden’s plan for education beyond high school includes changes to current federal loan repayment and forgiveness programs. Currently, borrowers on an income-based repayment plan (IDR) are required to pay 10-20% of their income above the federal poverty line for their student loans. The Biden plan would limit that to 5% of income over $ 25,000. In addition, there would be no monthly payment required and no accrued interest for those earning less than $ 25,000 per year. New and existing federal student loans will automatically be enrolled in the IDR plan. Borrowers have the choice to opt out. This is a major change from the current complex system. In the current federal system, borrowers choose and enroll in one of the many plans available, which can be confusing. According to the proposed plan, the remaining loan balance will also be automatically written off after 20 years of payments. There would be no income tax on the amount remitted under this new long-term rebate program. Biden’s proposal suggests putting a cap on the amount of forgiveness a borrower can get under the Public Service Loan forgiveness program (PSLF). Again, PSLF registration is automatic for “people working in schools, government and other non-profit institutions”. However, the remission amount of the PSLF is $ 10,000 in undergraduate or graduate debt for each year of qualifying service, up to five years, which means that the maximum remission amount would be $ 50,000. , unlike the unlimited amount under the current rules. While this may be bad news for borrowers hoping to get more than $ 50,000 in tax relief, the proposed plan allows for up to five years of tax relief. before national or community service to count for the PSLF. It has generally been very difficult to obtain the discharge of student loans in bankruptcy. Biden has promised to enact Obama-Biden administration legislation to allow the release of private student loans in bankruptcy. The Biden plan also includes ideas for reducing the need for some students to take out student loans in the first place. The plan proposes to make public colleges and universities free for all families with incomes below $ 125,000. These tuition-free colleges and universities would include community colleges and state colleges and no private colleges except historically black private colleges and universities (HBCU) or institutions serving minorities (MSI). Only tuition and related expenses would be free. Students and their families would still pay for other expenses, such as accommodation and food. Again, these plans will not become law unless approved by Congress. But it’s good to keep track of changes in the law that may affect your student loans and your repayment strategy. If you need help developing a strategy, contact a student loan professional for help!	http://money.thehesy.com/joe-bidens-student-loan-plan-whats-in-it-for-you/
Thoratec Switzerland GmbH is part of Abbott Laboratories, one of the world’s leading companies in medical devices and healthcare. We are the global market leader for implantable and extracorporeal blood pump systems based on magnetic bearings. Our lifesaving medical devices, which are developed and produced on-site in Zurich, are used for the short- and long-term treatment of patients suffering from severe heart disease. Our Zurich site employs approximately 100 people, covering areas including R&D and manufacturing. Currently, we are expanding our innovative and high-caliber R&D team in Zurich and an exciting opportunity exists for a motivated and talented: Electrical Engineer R&D In this role, you will be working as part of a team responsible for the planning and execution of electrical engineering activities during product development, from conceptualization to pilot production. The tasks range from prototyping, requirements engineering, test plan creation and execution, and supporting project planning and tracking activities. Your contributions are key to our team in delivering leading medical devices that save lives across the globe, and you will be interfacing and collaborating with teams in Switzerland and the USA. Responsibilities: Define and guide creation of electrical requirements, specifications, and designs to optimize the system performance and ensure compliance to applicable standards. Support the analysis for safety, efficacy, usability, and system security of medical devices using bench and field testing from an Electrical Engineering point of view. Collaborate in the technical support activities of design/drafting, field testing, lab testing, protocol preparation, test analysis, and documentation to support design history file generation, as well as regulatory and patent submissions (including US FDA and EU MDR). Interface with the interdisciplinary product development team consisting of individuals from various departments and outside vendors in the concept, design, and testing of products. Support in the planning of project schedules including budget planning and implementing control of activities according to schedule. Apply sound, systematic problem-solving methodologies in identifying, prioritizing, communicating, and resolving issues originating from internal failures or customer complaints. Ensure effective lines of communication and feedback with internal and external stakeholders to ensure prompt attention and resolution of conditions that adversely affect quality or reliability. Qualifications: Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent. 0-5 years of relevant experience in the design and development of mechatronic devices, preferably in the medical device business. Proficiency in Altium or similar electronic design automation software. Technically savvy, innovative, and collaborative mindset. Excellent verbal and written communication skills (English and German). Knowledge of project management processes. Willingness to travel on occasion for training purposes and for undertaking research and evaluation activities. Do you like the sound of this job and think you’ve got what it takes? Then send us your CV today. We look forward to receiving your application as pdf An Equal Opportunity Employer Abbot welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce. We provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.	https://network.symplicity.com/zurich-che/electrical-engineer-rd/3D2EFDE48F0A4A4E901807BCC32DBABA/job/?vs=28
Lucie Brock-Broido was born on May 22, 1956, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She completed her B.A. and M.A., both in 1979, at Johns Hopkins University, before earning an M.F.A. from Columbia University in 1982. As a poet, Brock-Broido brings her complex, feminine voice to such topics as love, relationships, sorrow, culture, time, and art. Her style is spare, introspective, and symbolic, and she has been compared to Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, and Sylvia Plath. In addition to seeing her work published in literary journals and anthologies, Brock-Broido completed three published volumes of poetry: A Hunger (1988), The Master Letters (1995), and Trouble in Mind (2004), which includes “After Raphael.” A Hunger was reprinted three times between 1988 and 1994. Considering the many volumes of poetry published every year to a dwindling readership, this book was an impressive debut. Brock-Broido taught poetry and creative writing. She was an assistant professor of...	http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-after-raphael/bio.html
The Dickinson household is saved from domestic chaos with the arrival of Ada Concannon, a "neat little Irish person, fresh off the boat". Amherst in the 1800's is a pastoral environment for the homesick young maid who finds in the gifted middle child, Emily, a fellow feeling; they were born on the same day, they share a sense of mischief and a love of baking. Emily's fledgling poetry and passion for words is her true vocation but as it begins to dominate her mind, she retreats from the small world around her and enters her infamous White Phase. The friendship that forms between the two women is tested when Ada's personal safety and reputation is violated and Emily finds herself tasked with defending her maid against her own family and those she loves, with shocking consequences. Reviews ‘A beautifully-constructed novel that charts the relationship between Dickinson and an Irish maid, Amy Concannon. As compelling as it is lyrical.’ -New European ‘O’Connor movingly describes the poet’s need to put the soul’s secret stirrings into words… This charming novel, full of baking aromas and household hints…returns, towards the end, to a lovely, untamed buoyancy through Emily’s poetic vision of hope.” ’ -The Sunday Times ‘O’Connor brings one of America’s most beloved poets to life. [She] is a gifted writer; not only does she bring a believable sense of poetry (clay is “deathly cool around my fingers”) and self-assurance to Emily, she is also capable of conveying complex feeling succinctly, a talent shared by her historical heroine. This novel has the possibility of being a book club juggernaut.’ -Starred review, Publishers Weekly ‘“A satisfying and enjoyable read from one of Ireland's more unsung talents, who deserves to make the step to a much wider readership.’ -The Irish Independent ‘O’Connor’s novel is both sensitive and realistic, romantic yet also psychologically profound.’ -The Independent ‘Irish writer Nuala O’Connor breathes new life into reclusive poet Emily Dickinson in her mesmerizing U.S. debut. Like one of Dickinson’s poems, the deceptively simple narrative packs a powerful punch.’ -Margaret Flanagan, Booklist ‘Secrets will always out. In the same way as Emily Dickenson’s poems were once the best kept secret in Massachusetts, Nuala O’Connor’s luminous prose has long been one of Ireland’s most treasured literary secrets. Now through her superb evocation of 19th century Amherst, an international audience is likely to be held rapt by the sparse lyricism and exactitude of O’Connor’s writing. ’ -Dermot Bolger ‘Like a Dickinson poem, Miss Emily seems at first a simple story of friendship, but gradually reveals itself as a profound meditation on the human condition. O’Connor accomplishes this unfolding, just as Dickinson did, with her exquisite use of language.	https://sandstonepress.com/books/miss-emily
This book contains a series of selected papers presented at two symposia entitled `Scientific study of rock art', one held in the IFRAO Congress of Rock Art in La Paz, Bolivia, in June 2012, the other held in the IFRAO Congress in Caceres, Spain, in September 2015; as well as some invited papers from leading rock art scientists. The core topic of the book is the presentation of scientific approaches to the materiality of rock art, ranging from recording and sampling methods to data analyses. These share the fact that they provide means of testing hypotheses and/or of finding trends in the data which can be used as independent sources of evidence to support specific interpretations. The issue of the materiality of visual productions of the distant past, which in archaeological theory has attracted much attention recently and has stimulated much conceptual debate, is addressed through a variety of scientific approaches, including fieldwork methods, laboratory work techniques and/or data analysis protocols. These, in turn, will provide new insights into human agency and people-image engagements through the study of rock art production, display and use.	https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Robert-G-Bednarik/Paleoart-and-Materiality--The-Scientific-Study-of-Rock-Art/20101622
Our mission is to create an environment in which Calgary’s Francophone community can thrive, and to provide an adequate and long-lasting infrastructure to foster its economic, social, cultural and educational well-being. This mission involves four main components: Community Engagement Social cohesion and the participation of community associations is central to the life and development of a community. Associations are strongholds that sustain civic expertise. It is therefore appropriate to seek to establish a delicate balance between community association members (clients) and community organizations (service providers) within Calgary’s Francophonie. In short, our aim is to create a space for community experimentation and expression. The ESPACE FRANCO is therefore embarking upon various voluntary cooperative programs to strengthen partnerships that are respectful and build more robust relationships with the employment and business sectors, which are dynamic forces in Calgary, in order to enhance its community image; Employment Calgary’s Francophonie is a community that is made up mostly of economic migrants. As a result, employment is a priority for this community. Activities conducted in the ESPACE FRANCO will allow Calgary’s Francophonie to strengthen its socio-economic development by creating long-term jobs, by working together with private-sector businesses and Francophone and capacity-building organizations; Increasing the Visibility of Calgary's Francophonie A strong community is defined by its capacity to become known by other communities, to shine, and to transcend. The ESPACE FRANCO provides Calgary’s Francophonie with a platform that is sure to promote its visibility within the city of Calgary; Education and the Promotion of Francophone Cultural Values Calgary’s Francophonie is diverse, culturally rich and sophisticated. The ESPACE FRANCO provides the city with the gathering place that it needs in order to develop, promote itself and export its products and services. It is a place for mixing, where practical and concrete action leading to social transformation take place, and where the focus is on living together.	https://espacefrancoyyc.ca/mission/?lang=en
When continuous data are coded to categorical variables, two types of coding are possible: crisp coding in the form of indicator, or dummy, variables with values either 0 or 1; or fuzzy coding where each observation is transformed to a set of "degrees of membership" between 0 and 1, using co-called membership functions. It is well known that the correspondence analysis of crisp coded data, namely multiple correspondence analysis, yields principal inertias (eigenvalues) that considerably underestimate the quality of the solution in a low-dimensional space. Since the crisp data only code the categories to which each individual case belongs, an alternative measure of fit is simply to count how well these categories are predicted by the solution. Another approach is to consider multiple correspondence analysis equivalently as the analysis of the Burt matrix (i.e., the matrix of all two-way cross-tabulations of the categorical variables), and then perform a joint correspondence analysis to fit just the off-diagonal tables of the Burt matrix - the measure of fit is then computed as the quality of explaining these tables only. The correspondence analysis of fuzzy coded data, called "fuzzy multiple correspondence analysis", suffers from the same problem, albeit attenuated. Again, one can count how many correct predictions are made of the categories which have highest degree of membership. But here one can also defuzzify the results of the analysis to obtain estimated values of the original data, and then calculate a measure of fit in the familiar percentage form, thanks to the resultant orthogonal decomposition of variance. Furthermore, if one thinks of fuzzy multiple correspondence analysis as explaining the two-way associations between variables, a fuzzy Burt matrix can be computed and the same strategy as in the crisp case can be applied to analyse the off-diagonal part of this matrix. In this paper these alternative measures of fit are defined and applied to a data set of continuous meteorological variables, which are coded crisply and fuzzily into three categories. Measuring the fit is further discussed when the data set consists of a mixture of discrete and continuous variables.	https://www.recercat.cat/handle/2072/214622
On a trip to Morocco in March 2018, my sister and I learned how to make Tajin in Morocco. It was delicious! I wrote about my experience in Morocco here and here. This class was included with our G Adventures trip and was optional to the group. My sister and I love to cook new things so it was a no brainer for us. The other two participants happened to be the other sister pair of the group. We made the tajine in the hotel restaurant kitchen where the chef and our G Adventures Tour Guide, “Chief Experience Officer” translated and helped. We enjoyed the delicious dinner alongside our fellow travelers and have a new go-to recipe to use at home. What’s more fun is that you can buy the tajine pot at almost any market and take it home as a beautiful and practical souvenir from your trip to Morocco. To give some background about tajine, it is a Maghrebi (also known as Northwest Africa) dish which is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. The cooking-pot and its traditional broth are primarily prepared in the Middle East and North Africa. In North Africa, it is called a tajine, while in the Middle East it is called a maraq (broth) or a qidra (cooking pot). There are different ways to prepare the tajine. In the original qidra style, saman (clarified butter) is used to lubricate the surface and a puree of chopped onion is added for flavour and aroma. For muqawlli-style cooking, the ingredients are placed in olive oil to enrich the flavours. Moroccan tajine dishes are slow-cooked savory stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables or fruit. Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tajines. The sweet and sour combination is common in tajine dishes like lamb with dates and spices. Tajines are generally served with bread. Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tajine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is important in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available. To start planning your next trip to Morocco or with G Adventures, fill out our trip planning form.	https://peregrinekinship.com/2020/02/25/making-tajine-in-morocco/
Seb (age three years four months) is at playgroup. There are a couple of sand trays grouped together and lots of familiar containers and utensils available. Nearby are some hollow blocks that the children are using as pretend ovens. Seb is very talkative, initiating and directing the play until later when an older, very experienced child comes along. Seb shows previous knowledge of cooking and baking as he checks if the cakes are ready and warns the others that the ovens are hot. He shows high levels of involvement and well developed social skills as he confidently engages with the other children. 1 Although the children are well supervised, there is no direct adult involvement and the children are directing their own play. It is the ready accessibility of the equipment and materials that has enabled the children to take control of their play. Seb had earlier carried the hollow blocks closer to the sand to create the ‘ovens’. Having more than one sand tray allows children to transport the sand from one to the other and opens up play possibilities as children organise the space between the two. Similarly, there are familiar containers and utensils in the sand and these are ‘open-ended’ enough to support the children’s imaginative play. As well as the usual plastic pots and jugs, there are also trays and things from home, such as foil containers. These might well have helped to trigger the ideas of cooking or baking, but could equally have been employed in a variety of other imaginative uses. The tea trays in particular are a focus for collaborative play and problem-solving as the children transfer their ‘baking’ around the space and into the ovens. 2 It is clear from all the photographs that this is a child who is very involved in the play. By looking at his facial expressions we can see interest, concern and enquiry as well as pleasure and satisfaction. He is displaying high levels of engagement, and at times leads the play by involving others and by telling the story of what is happening. Observing children’s levels of involvement is a valuable way of assessing a child’s emotional wellbeing, as well as their interaction with the activity and the processes involved in their learning. A child who is anxious, unhappy, agitated or in discomfort is unlikely to show such high levels of involvement. But it is worth remembering that it is possible to be very involved with something while appearing to do very little. A child watching and listening to Seb for a sustained period and occasionally handing him something is likely to be processing information and learning at a high level also. A useful tool for assessing children’s levels of involvement and well-being is the Leuven Involvement Scale, devised by Ferre Laevers at the Centre for Experiential Education in Belgium.	https://www.sirenfilms.co.uk/master-chefs/
Chris Dickinson, Ph.D. \| \| Visual-Spatial Cognition Lab \| \| Vita Research Statement Teaching Statement Publications Lab Facilities Studying Tips Psychology Department ASU Home Page \| \| I am interested in understanding the nature of the visual-spatial representations of the world that we create as we view the world around us. In particular, I am interested in how people remember the spatial expanse of views of scenes, and how various aspects of scene layout and structure affect memory for this aspect of scene views. I am also interested in the extent to which people remember where they have looked during visual search, as well as how they represent these searched locations in memory, and the extent to which they use this memory to avoid revisiting previously searched locations. I use a combination of psychophysical and eye-tracking measures to examine these issues. I am also interested in applying eye-tracking methodology to other research areas, such as judgment and decision-making and clinical psychology. In addition, I am interested in how principles derived from research on semantic memory can be applied to the classroom—in terms of helping students to develop effective studying techniques and helping educators incorporate these principles into their teaching techniques and curriculum development. This interest has grown out of my own teaching experiences. As a cognitive psychologist, I try to incorporate these principles into my own course development and teaching methods, and I also provide them to my students in the form of studying advice (please see the link for more studying-related information). Prospective graduate students and undergraduate researchers should feel free to contact me.	https://www.appstate.edu/~dickinsonca/
This interdisciplinary project investigates whether Tanzanian agroforests appropriately support farming livelihoods, food security and adaptive capacities under CC, using Rural Moshi as a case study. This involves: 1) exploring CC impacts on agroforestry livelihoods, 2) CC effects on soil fertility and crop productivity and 3) examining how farmers adapt. Hypothetically, CC will worsen food insecurities due to diminishing agroforests, which reduce soil fertility. Using the sustainable livelihoods and food security four pillars theoretical frameworks, the fieldwork will include interdisciplinary research. 90 farmers will be interviewed using selective and chain sampling, allowing for agroforesters vs non-agroforesters cross-comparisons. Qualitative and quantitative methods are necessary, using collection instruments involving: interviews, crop yield assessments, soil sampling and secondary data analysis. Where required, interview coding, statistical analysis and mapping analytical tools will be applied. Project outcomes could impact Tanzanian, agricultural and food-secure organisation's CC policy, and advance forestry CC adaptation knowledge, allowing for future research.	https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1952772
Acute and chronic pain management in children is increasingly characterized by either a multimodal or a preventive analgesia approach, in which smaller doses of opioid and nonopioid analgesics, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local anaesthetics, N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists, α2-adrenergic agonists, and voltage-gated calcium channel α-2 δ-proteins, are combined alone and in combination with opioids to maximize pain control and minimize drug-induced adverse side effects. A multimodal approach uses nonpharmacological complementary and alternative medicine therapies too. These include distraction, guided imagery, hypnosis, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and acupuncture. Using the neurophysiology of pain as a blueprint, the molecular targets and strategies used in multimodal pain management are described. Finally, weight-based dosage guidelines for commonly used opioid and nonopioid analgesics are provided to facilitate therapy.	https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/multimodal-analgesia-in-children-4
Fixed deposits or FDs are one of the most popular investment vehicles for the simplicity and safety that they offer. With returns higher than regular savings accounts, and virtually no risk as they are regulated by the RBI, FDs are preferred by a large number of investors looking for a stable option to invest their savings in. However, the key to generating the best returns from your FD investment is understanding how fixed deposit interest is calculated. FD returns are dictated by two main factors: - Interest Rate - Tenure The higher the interest rate, and the longer the tenure of your FD, the greater your returns. Types of Fixed Deposits Before we understand how fixed deposit interest rate is calculated, it is important to understand the two types of FDs based on interest rate: - Cumulative FD – In a cumulative FD, you are allowed to withdraw your payout only at maturity. The advantage, in this case, is that the interest keeps getting compounded till the end of the terms. Banks typically offer a slightly higher interest rate in the case of cumulative FDs - Non-cumulative FD – In non-cumulative FDs, you can withdraw your interest quarterly, semi-annually, or annually depending on your bank and the scheme opted by you. Banks usually offer a discounted rate of interest in this case. How To Calculate Fixed Deposit Interest There are two ways to calculate interest rates on FDs – manually, and using an FD interest rate calculator. How to Calculate FD Interest Rate Manually – To do this, first, you need to know what the tenure of your FD is. We can assume two cases here: Tenure Less than 6 Months –In this case, simple interest is applicable on your FD. To calculate the interest on your FD, simply use the formula for simple interest below: Interest = Principal x Rate of Interest (%) x Tenure of FD in Years/ 100 Tenure Greater than 6 Months – In this case, compound interest will apply to your FD. One also needs to be mindful of whether one has opted for a cumulative or non-cumulative FD as this will also have an effect on how fixed deposit interest is calculated. The formula for calculating compound interest is: A = Principal (1+rate of interest/n) ^ (n * Tenure) Where A = Amount at maturity, and n = number of times the amount is compounded in a year. How to Calculate FD Interest Using Online Calculator – Calculating FD interests manually can be cumbersome and is prone to human errors. It is better to use an online FD interest rate calculator such as this one by Finserv MARKETS. All you need to do is enter the principal amount, the tenure of the FD, and the interest rate to get the amount you can expect at maturity. The Bottom Line It is advisable to calculate how much you can expect upon maturity before investing in an FD. You can either do this manually, using the formulae for simple and compound interest, or you can use a simple online FD interest calculator that offers accurate, error-free, and fast calculations.	https://investasiusaha.com/how-to-calculate-interest-rate-on-fixed-deposit/
Reading, Writing and Speaking & Listening are at the heart of our English curriculum at Ashchurch Primary School, and it is our aim that no matter what the circumstances that every child will learn to become confident readers, writers, speakers and listeners. Our intent is to teach children the key skills that they need, and provide many opportunities to consolidate and develop those skills over their years at primary school. Jesymn Ward says, “I believe there is power in words” and we believe that too, whether it is written, spoken, heard or read. To equip a child with the skills and an enjoyment of English is to equip them beyond school. Our desire is to encourage a love of English so that they become life-long learners, carrying the skills and the experiences they have had at Ashchurch into later life. We do this by creatively implementing the National Curriculum (NC) for English which is underpinned by experiences and purpose. Our lesson planning is based on the work of the 2014 National Curriculum, leading literacy consultants, organisations such as the National Literacy Trust, Talk4Writing, VIPERS and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. In this way, our curriculum draws upon many different influences to create the greatest impact in the lives of our children. How will we develop English in the classroom? - provide many different opportunities to develop oracy skills - systematic teaching of phonics - systematic teaching of letter formation - systematic teaching of spelling - structured writing lessons with a strong focus on vocabulary choice and modelled writing - purposeful writing outcomes with real audiences - opportunities for children’s writing to be celebrated and shared both with and beyond the school community - Guided Reading groups in EYFS - Guided Reading groups in KS1 and KS2 - Intervention and booster groups at all stages to support those who are assessed as underachieving or ‘at risk’ - One to one reading support. How do we teach EYFS writing? Emergent writing is taught through the systematic teaching of synthetic phonics supported through Twinkl Phonics. As their phonic knowledge increases, this will be reflected in their writing. Their developing knowledge of key words and sentence construction is supported through reading and writing activities, including shared reading and writing and independent writing. How do we teach Key Stage One and Two Writing? To help develop children’s writing we use a range of approaches which include: - Modelled, shared and guided writing - Independent or paired writing - Peer and self-assessment against success criteria - Continual opportunities for oral rehearsal of sentences and texts - Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation activities, taught both discretely and as part of writing units - Phonics in EYFS, KS1 and in KS2 for teaching of spelling Our curriculum content, which is underpinned by the National Curriculum 2014, ensures that a range of text types are taught from Years 1 to 6. During each term, we teach poetry, rhymes, non-fiction and stories. Oral skills are encouraged and used regularly across all year groups. In order to improve language and communication, Nessy (Based on the Science of Reading) is used as an intervention where necessary. Alongside explicit English lessons, we include additional writing experiences through the implementation of Learning Means The World where they link to our current theme. What does writing look like across the school? - Writing always has a purpose and an audience from the outset. - Writing is displayed and celebrated all over the school. - Teachers provide regular constructive and encouraging feedback both verbally and through marking. - Writing is taught as a carefully sequenced activity. - Writing is often linked to class topics to promote engagement. - Children are often given opportunities to respond to each others writing. - Time is given in lessons for children to respond to marking and feedback. How do we develop children’s oracy skills? - Listening to and performing stories, poems, rhymes and songs - Questioning across the curriculum - Reciting and reading aloud - Opportunities to take part in drama activities - Re-telling and role play. - Opportunities for children to discuss what they have read and written. - Opportunities for children to discuss what others have read or written. - Debates - Collaborative group work involving reporting back. - Presenting in front of an audience. What does Reading look like across the school? At Ashchurch Primary reading is at the heart of everything we do, and our curriculum is centred on reading high-quality texts. All texts relate directly to developing children’s knowledge and understanding, as well as broadening their social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness. We believe that every child should leave school as literate learners who have a passion for reading for pleasure. The Importance of Reading at Ashchurch Primary School: - Reading is given high priority in whole school development planning so that every pupil, regardless of background or circumstances will learn to read and have access to high quality texts. - There is a whole school approach by staff to encourage a love of reading and develop a deeper understanding of texts through reading through stories, rhymes, poems and non-fiction. - Teachers provide structured and well thought out reading programmes across the school based on the expectations laid out in the National Curriculum and the Early Learning Goals, with a systematic approach and clear expectation of pupils’ phonics progress across Reception to Year 2. - Teaching and learning of phonics begins from the very start of school; teachers ensure books are well matched to the sounds being taught in the phonic programme. - Teachers use frequent assessment to ensure that children who fall behind are offered targeted support immediately. - We encourage parents and carers to support their child’s reading at home, and staff offer support where parents/carers themselves struggle with reading. To ensure that every child becomes a competent and skilled ‘reader’ we implement the following: - Systematic teaching of phonics using Twinkl Phonics - Use of cued articulation to support the learning of phonics. - Teaching of comprehension skills through 1:1 reading, Focus Reading Groups, Whole Class Teaching of Reading and regular independent reading times throughout the day. - Immersing children in great literature through daily story time. - Providing children with a great variety of text types to read for pleasure both within the classroom and the school library. - Exposing children to a wide range of authors, illustrators and poets and providing time for children to share recommendations. - Giving children time to read for pleasure and to have control over their own reading choices. - Creating spaces around the school in which children can enjoy reading E.g in the school garden. - Giving children access to carefully banded reading schemes so that home reading books match their phonic and reading ability. - Establishing a reading culture within the school in which every member of our school community is regarded as a reader. \|Reception Reading Spine\|\|Y1 Reading Spine\|\|Y2 Reading Spine\|\|Y3 Reading Spine\|\|Y4 Reading Spine\|\|Y5 Reading Spine\|\|Y6 Reading Spine\| Handwriting Spelling PLEASE CLICK ON THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM SUBJECT LINKS BELOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE KS1 and KS2 NATIONAL CURRICULUM The National Curriculum primary programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 1 and 2.	https://www.ashchurchprimary.co.uk/page/english/121789
Ideas for Reducing Built Up Stress Within the Family Taking care of the elderly in your family can be extremely stressful. Despite your best intentions and the close bond you share with them, you can begin to feel under pressure, often leading to health problems of your own. The dual pressure of handling your own work, family, and also caring for your elderly parents can take a big toll on your physical, mental and emotional health as it leaves you with little time to take care of yourself. The stress of caring for your elderly parents can become a serious issue if not addressed in a timely manner. Signs of stress The first step in handling built-up stress in the family is to recognize the signs of the stress. Depression is, of course, the first sign that you’re under stress. If you’re constantly feeling sad or have become prone to frequent bouts of crying, take it as a sign of stress. Depression can also lead to a strong sense of anxiety and withdrawal. This can get manifested in a perpetual feeling of having insufficient time for yourself or a general anxiety about the future. You may also not want to participate in your favorite activities or even to spend time with friends and family. Loss of concentration and insomnia are other signs that you’re under stress. Even when you sleep, you may wake up in the middle of a nightmare. Since you’re constantly thinking of your parents and the things you need to do for them, everything else takes a back seat. So you may find yourself unable to focus on work or other activities such as eating. Irregular eating habits can, in turn, lead to sudden weight gain or loss. As a stressed caregiver, you may also begin to feel perpetually tired or exhausted. It may become increasingly difficult for you to get out of your bed in the morning – a sure sign that you need to do something about it. The helplessness and depression linked with caregiving at times translate into anger, often at the person you’re caring for. You may end up yelling at your loved one more frequently and even get angry at other family members (perhaps because you feel they’re not helping out enough). Physical health problems such as catching ‘flu or colds more frequently are also seen among caregivers as they stop taking care of themselves. Reducing the stress Once you’ve learned to recognize the symptoms of stress, it’s important to tackle the problem as early as possible. Remaining under stress for long isn’t going to help you or your loved one. So how do you go about minimizing the caregiving stress? Though not easy, it’s possible to alleviate some of the stress you may be facing due to constant care of your elderly parents. Here are 14 tips for reducing stress: - Take breaks by handing over the caregiving task to someone else. You need to switch off from the constant pressure of caregiving to be able to counter the resultant stress and to rejuvenate. - Don’t overdo it. Yes, it’s possible that part of the stress is because you’re overdoing the care. Learn to say `no’ to things that aren’t feasible or practical, and learn to identify the signs when your loved one becomes unreasonably demanding. - Don’t wallow in guilt. Nobody is perfect, so there’ll be things you won’t be able to manage despite your best efforts. - The financial strain of caring for your elderly parents can also contribute to your stress. See how best you can reduce the cost and take financial help from other family members, if need be. - Try to control your reactions, particularly anger. Perhaps you can join a support group for caregivers. Sharing your concerns and problems with others who’re in a similar situation may help. - Find time for yourself and for doing, at least, some of the activities that you’ve always enjoyed. It may be exercising, cooking, watching TV or simply taking a long and luxurious bath. - Exercise and proper meals are a great way of cutting down on your stress levels. - Follow a planned schedule. Take one task at a time and complete it before moving on to the next. - Set personal health goals and visit your doctor regularly for check-ups. - Get out of the house and spend time with yourself and with your friends every day. - You may also find positive thinking or meditation useful in such circumstances. - If handling the responsibility alone is too much, assign some of it to other family members. - Be frank and open with your loved ones. Let them know what they should or shouldn’t expect. Communication, as we all know, can be a big stress-buster in a tense situation. - Find ways to boost your spirits. Summary Just remember that you simply can’t afford to burn out while taking care of your elderly parents. Once you assume the role of a caregiver, you’ll be faced with a lot of changes in your life. Household schedules will be disrupted, your workload will seem to be perpetually piling up and there’ll also be the added financial pressure to cope with. This can be extremely stressful, especially in the long-term. The physical and emotional ramifications of such stress can be devastating indeed. Increasing irritability, a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, perpetual exhaustion and lack of energy can soon begin to get to you in such circumstances. It’s vital, for your own good and that of your loved ones, to take immediate steps at the first sign of trouble. Thank you for reading our blog. If you have found some good ways to release stress, please share by leaving a comment below.	http://seniormobilitynetwork.com/14-tips-for-reducing-stress
Twelve Steps to Recovery Are the Twelve Steps to recovery right for you? The program has been a popular set of guidelines for helping an individual with their addiction for almost a full century, yet many people do not truly understand what has made it so impactful. Particularly to the modern reader, it may seem like an outdated philosophy given that it is filled with religious references, but the fundamentals at its core are valuable regardless of an addict’s background and belief system. Those who do not practice Christianity have modified the steps to better reflect their spiritual beliefs. There are even some alternatives to the 12-Step program that focus on the individual’s ability to exercise internal control. Little Creek Lodge follows a 12-step model, and offers a structured environment based on the Three Stages of Care, for adult males. An important part of the recovery process is developing healthy, sober relationships with others, based on mutual trust, respect and understanding. Are the Twelve Steps Right for You? For most support groups, all that is required to join is a desire to begin recovery. Most people join a support group by simply walking in the door of a meeting near them. No invitation is required and it’s truly up to the person to want to be there. Remember that support groups are what you make of them. If you are willing to be open and honest and a good listener who supports fellow members, you will get a lot out of your group, including hope and motivation for a healthier you. Do you have to be religious to do the twelve steps? While there are many opinions surrounding the 12-Step program, it’s important to emphasize that an individual does not need to be religious or believe in God to make the program work. Although the 12 Steps were written from a Christian point of view, the concepts are open to interpretation. The steps are meant to act as a guide that people use to help one another achieve and maintain abstinence from substances to which they are addicted. At most, these principles can be considered spiritual in nature. They focus on the larger ideas of faith, honesty, humility, and repentance. In fact, in AA tradition, these twelve steps are known as the 12 spiritual, not religious, principles. What are the Twelve Steps? Hailed as the standard for recovery from nearly any type of addiction, the Alcoholics Anonymous model of 12 steps and 12 traditions is one of the oldest treatment programs around. Whereas 12-step meetings are the “fellowship” part of the mutual support groups, the twelve steps themselves are the essence of the actual program. The guidelines are outlined in these “steps” towards recovery: - Step 1: Honesty Admitting we are powerless over the addiction. - Step 2: Faith Believing in a higher power (regardless of form) can help. - Step 3: Surrender Deciding to surrender control over to a higher power. - Step 4: Soul Searching Taking a personal inventory. - Step 5: Integrity Admitting to a higher power, oneself, and another human the wrongs done. - Step 6: Acceptance Willing to have a higher power correct any flaws in one’s character. - Step 7: Humility Asking a higher power to remove those flaws. - Step 8: Willingness Making a list of wrongs done to others and being willing to make amends. - Step 9: Forgiveness Reaching out to those who have been hurt, unless doing so would harm the person. - Step 10: Maintenance Continuing to take personal inventory and admitting when wrong. - Step 11: Making Contact Seeking insight and connection with a higher power through meditation and prayer. - Step 12: Service Carrying the message of the 12 Steps to others in need. These are the directions that provide members a path that leads to lasting sobriety and a drug-free lifestyle. Newcomers are not asked to accept or follow these Twelve Steps in their entirety if they feel unwilling or unable to do so. They will usually be asked to keep an open mind, to attend meetings at which recovered alcoholics describe their personal experiences in achieving sobriety, and to read AA literature describing and interpreting the AA program. The purpose is to recover from compulsive, out-of-control behaviors and restore manageability and order to your life. It’s a way of seeing that your behavior is only a symptom, a sort of “check engine” light to discover what’s really going on under the hood. Are there steps to follow after the Twelve Steps? What you receive, you must pass on. The final step of the program urges the recovering addicts to go out and repay their second chance in life by helping others who are suffering from addiction. This means the twelfth step never really ends. The beauty of the twelve steps is finding a new sense of purpose, and strengthening your ties to a positive recovery community. Why are the steps in that order? In both AA and NA, there are no hard-and-fast rules. Ultimately you have to work the program in a way that makes sense for you. At meetings, those in recovery share their experiences, strengths and hopes with each other, and sometimes recover using surprisingly different paths. The Steps are meant to be addressed in sequential order, but there’s no one “right” way to approach them. Sometimes people need a break between Steps, sometimes people need to spend longer on one Step than another, some people never stop working the 12 Steps because they become part of life. What is usually the hardest step to get past? Whether you’re working the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Al-Anon, or any other program, the most difficult of all the steps is probably step 5. This is the one that asks us to admit “our wrongs” and to do so in front of our higher power and another person. Admittedly, it’s hard to find someone who is not nervous about step 5, and some people put it off as long as possible. However, this step is also one of the most fulfilling steps along the road to recovery because it allows us to let go of the past. How long should the steps take to complete? There is no race, no rush, no hurry. There is no definite calendar when it comes to step work and – you guessed it – there is no timeline. With this being said, most sponsors encourage the AA newcomer to attend 90 meetings in 90 days. That may seem like a lot and it may seem like a long time to commit to going to meetings. However, most 12-step programs, including those for people addicted to drugs, encourage new members to commit to those 90 meetings in 90 days Do the steps really work? There are several studies that have shown that people who were involved in mutual support groups were more likely to remain abstinent than those who tried to quit “on their own. Pros of the Twelve Steps - The Twelve Steps are widely known, established and organized. (It’s one of the oldest programs around.) - Those struggling with substance abuse have access to a supportive network of peers. - It’s easy to find a meeting where the Twelve Steps are practiced. - There’s little to no cost to those in need—it’s a free intervention to address chronic disease. Cons of the Twelve Steps - Some people aren’t interested in participating in group settings. - Due to the anonymous nature of the group, there’s a lack of official shared success rates. - The Steps are criticized for not addressing the needs of those struggling with mental illness. - When the Twelve Steps were originally created, science had yet to prove a genetic link to addiction. Where can I go to get help with the Twelve Steps? Are you interested in finding a 12 Step program that could help you beat your addiction? With more than 50,000 Alcoholics Anonymous groups nationwide, you’re bound to find one that works for you. At Little Creek Lodge, you have the time to discover who you are while learning how to love yourself and be loved by others. You learn how to form intimate relationships and have fun while engaging in a sober lifestyle.	https://littlecreekrecovery.org/twelve-steps-to-recovery/
Items dating back to the Iron Age have been found at a housing site in Sawtry. An archaeological excavation has been carried out at the area of land, off Gidding Road, by archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology East. Housebuilder Bovis Homes organised the excavation and invited local residents along to see some of the pottery and glass which has been discovered. Debbie Rigger, marketing co-ordinator at Bovis Homes, said: "Everyone had a fantastic time on our guided tour of the excavation site - it was hugely informative and everyone could touch and find out more about a variety of fascinating items. "It was a great experience to see and touch the array of Roman artefacts found on the site, and to speak to the archaeologists personally about what they found here and how they plan their excavations. "The archaeologists showed me how they, with such a small trowel, uncover the most delicate of buried items such as the small Roman brooches with all their detail and artistry. "There were all sorts of facts about the animal bones too - like horse teeth never stop growing throughout a horse's life." Most Read - 1 Evidence of Huntingdon's past revealed during excavations - 2 BID's new Huntingdon town manager has plans for 2022 - 3 Fatal crash blocks A1M in Cambridgeshire - 4 Bypass and junction improvements preferred plan for St Ives - 5 Garage demolition opponents set up Facebook group - 6 Camp Beagle protestor has charges against him dropped - 7 St Neots man in court on drugs charges - 8 Serious case review launched into death of Teddie Mitchell - 9 Plumbing ringleader who ‘traded under multiple names’ jailed - 10 Supermarkets issue urgent product recall after salmonella found in products The earliest remains on the site are from a small Iron Age farmstead dating back to 350-50 BC. Romans later settled on the site. Matt Brudenell, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology East, said: "It was wonderful to show local residents around the location. The archaeological excavations at the Sawtry site have revealed evidence of settlement dating back more than 2,000 years. "The earliest remains relate to a small Iron Age farmstead with roundhouses and stock enclosures dating 350-50 BC. This was replaced by a larger Roman settlement located on higher ground towards Gidding Road, laid out along a trackway. "No structures survived, but a series of ditched paddocks, enclosures and gullies were revealed either side of the trackway, as well as gravel extraction pits and large waterholes. Finds recovered from the settlement suggest Roman activity was focused on the period between mid-first to mid-third century AD. "They include pottery, animal bone, shell, fired clay, but also fragments of glass and two cooperalloy brooches. The settlement was a farm and may have specialised in livestock rearing." After the excavation, Oxford Archaeology East will weigh and catalogue all the archaeological artefacts found and they will be sent to specialists for analysis. Results of the excavation will be submitted to the Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record - a public record of the county's archaeology.	https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/pottery-and-glass-found-at-housing-site-in-sawtry-dates-5201150
How to Pick Lottery Numbers – Is There a Strategy? Č Do you ever wonder how to pick lottery numbers? I mean, what’s the best way to choose them? Is there a strategy? The good news is that there are strategies. The bad news is that these strategies won’t actually increase your odds of winning. What’s the point, then, in wasting your time and money on these strategies? Here’s the good news: There are systems that can pick lottery numbers for you, regardless of whether you like to use them or not. In fact, these systems are so good that most people don’t even realize they exist. So, is there a strategy then? Here’s the bad news: There is no strategy. Why, if you ask? Because no one has come up with one. If you’re asking that question, you should probably stop playing the lottery. But, if you’re not a big time lottery player, these strategies are exactly what you need to get in your game back in action. So, how do these strategies work? A lot of the systems have a statistical approach to them. That means, you can’t just pick numbers around the edges of whatever pattern is on the play slip. Instead, you’re going to have to pick numbers in the middle. Generally, the way you do that is by taking the middle live numbers that haven’t been drawn yet and using them as your guide. Once you’re done with the initial part, you’re going to repeat the process using the same numbers. There are a lot of different ones of these strategies, but the basic one is definitely not complicated. You’re going to find it quite easy to work the numbers. For instance, if the machine gives you 6-12-21-33-47, then you would look for numbers in that range on the play slip. Once you have all the live numbers, you have to create a new series of numbers by extracting the first two numbers and then the three numbers on the edge. Doing this will give you a new set of numbers to play in the next drawing. In order to check if your strategy is working, you’re going to need to see if the numbers are appearing in the drawing. If they are, then you’re guaranteed to win playing the lotto. But if they’re not, then you may still be able to use an alternative strategy. One good way is to monitor the draws. You can see how many time a number or a group of numbers are drawn over a period of time. Usually, the more often a number is drawn, then the more likely it is for it to appear again. If you’re playing Ohio’s 6/52 game, you’re going to see that hot numbers are usually drawn along with cold ones. As far as groups go, a number may be drawn in two or three consecutive drawings. Hot numbers may be drawn the most, but rarely (usually that’s why they’re called hot numbers). The least drawn number is the coldest. It may take several drawings for a cold number to appear, so if you’re playing all odd or all even numbers, then you’re risking the chance of having your numbers drawn most of the time. If you’re playing all even numbers, then you’re risking the chance of having the same number to appear twice as often. Alternately, you can also start keeping track of what the machines are doing. It’s kind of like keeping track of which numbers come up during a slot machine game. The machines are equipped with little perforations where the ball can fall. If you’re playing roulette and you notice that the ball has not landed on a number for a while, then you might want to move to a different wheel. Of course, the more you play, the more the odds of the game are stacked against you. There’s no guarantee that the odds will always work in your favor, though. It all just depends on how much you’re willing to spend. The more you’re willing to spend, the more your odds of winning are. Of course, there are those times that you can totally ignore what the odds are and, instead, play perfect Bingo. It doesn’t work, though. The odds won’t work. If the odds are stacked against you, then no amount of studying will make you feel any better. You can never feel completely secure playing Bingo when the odds are against you. That will only cause you to lose more money. A good way to make money playing pokerace99 is to know when to stop. It’s easy to get into a winning streak. You can also lose a lot of money if you don’t know when to stop. Knowing that you’ve lost enough money is sometimes hard to bear, but you have to remember that you have to stop at some point. Stopping is absolutely the right thing to do.	https://www.nike-outlets.us.org/2021/03/
It is observed that there are numerous cultures, societies, political systems in the world. The governments regulate the social systems according to the political, cultural, and economic condition of a country. The structure of healthcare systems is also an extension of the country's political system. It is observed that the characteristics of each society and culture are major factors defining the healthcare system followed in a country. There are multiple models available in the world for healthcare systems. All have their own advantages and disadvantages for societies living in respective countries. An example can be quoted that United Sates healthcare system is different from most followed system in European countries. Similarly the systems followed in other parts of the world are also significantly different including Asia, Africa, and Middle East. These differences can also be investigated in terms of the economic, political, and social differences present among various countries. The culture of a country is also a notable factor in defining the basic organizations of a healthcare system. The countries have a distinct healthcare system which ranges from developed countries e.g. United States, Scandinavian region to the developing countries e.g. Thailand, South Africa, and under developed regions e.g. Ghana and Bangladesh (Matcha 2003). Furthermore the differences among industrialized, developed, developing, and under developed nations exist in relation to the healthcare systems. These differences are also fueled through a divide in economic conditions to a large extant. A country facing challenges on economic fronts struggle to provide adequate healthcare support for their citizens. The healthcare systems followed throughout the world can be categorized as primary, seconder, and tertiary. The purpose of the division is based on defining the structure, management, organization, resources, and delivery of the healthcare to citizens of the country. According to Matcha (2003) Roemer healthcare model, Elling's conceptual healthcare system, multi-aid model, and corporatist model of healthcare are notable examples of practical approaches adopted by various countries. Country Rational: South Africa: The country selected is South Africa which is populated with 47 million inhabitants. The history of the country is full of wars, struggle for equality among various races, and sever healthcare crisis. The country has faced challenges with basic healthcare system. It has faced sever attacks of deadly diseases, virus, and poor health conditions due to lack of food and nutrients. The country is also a victim of HIV AIDS, malaria, and die-aria (Cooper, Moodley, Zweigenthal, Bekker, Shah & Myer2009). These issues have been attacking the population of the country at various times. The per capita in consumption rate of food is also a notable factor in creating all above mentioned issues of healthcare. The country has also been associated with increased crime rate along with low income for African communities. The country has also been a part of long British colonial rule (Clark 2009). However today, the country can be classified as a contemporary model of racial reconciliation. The citizens of the country played a significant role in creating a harmonized society and elected democratic government has adopted policies for development and rehabilitation of economy. In the fields of healthcare the government faced multiple challenges. The healthcare system of the country was highly fragmented and poor conditions of hospitals also required major restructuring (Seekings&Nattrass2011). The healthcare system in South Africa can be characterized as divided and fragmented system. The system followed in the country is based on the hospital-based medicine healthcare system. The sector is also observed as overly invested with string traces of underdeveloped primary health care facilities. The large population of the country is still struggling to get appropriate health facilities (Karim & Karim 2010). The system incorporates both public and private healthcare facilities. The public facilities are offered through government operating hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and basic healthcare... The private healthcare is operated by doctors, specialists, and physicians. The parallel operations of both systems have several advantages and shortcomings. It is also a threat for equitable healthcare for the populations. The rich can still gain access to the healthcare facilities through private hospitals offering a quality healthcare while charging heavy fees for providing facilities. The government operated hospitals are also operational while presence of numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is also operating various healthcare programs throughout the country creating a third dimension to the healthcare system (Zwegenthal, Reynolds, Coetzee, Duncan & Petersn 2009). Report Literature Review: Numerous countries are adopting the approach to decentralize their healthcare system. These approaches are adopted to effectively cater the needs of local communities. The management of the healthcare systems is given in the hands of communities and local administrations. The policy and local politics influences the structure and management of the healthcare system. It is an efficient approach to provide extensive healthcare facilities. The resources are also generated locally as well as central grants are also an integral part of the system. The decentralized approach is also vital in promoting local autonomy and wasting power to the communities at local levels (Johnson & Stoskopf 2010). However it is observed that the local systems for healthcare also carry disadvantages. The decision making process at the local levels is not as effective as it is with the central system. The amount of information, capabilities, and resources at central levels are large as compared with the local systems. It is required to take a balanced approach towards systems (Johnson & Stoskopf 2010). It can be argued that an integrated system is beneficial in providing effective control as well as local delivery of healthcare facilities. It can be achieved that a central policy and strategic approach is adopted to be followed throughout the country. However the delivery system is developed at local levels and middle to front line decision making is dedicated to the local authorities. Johnson et al. (2010) observed that in United States costs of healthcare systems are increasing in relation to the GDP. The percentage of healthcare cost in the country is reported as 16%. While other developed nations including United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany are reportedly spending approximately 10% of their GDP for providing healthcare facilities to their citizens. Generally the healthcare spending increase in considered as a positive sign in case the economy of the country is growing and system is working appropriately. However the current conditions of global economy does not allow countries to increase their healthcare spending. Analysis of healthcare system in South Africa: South Africa is considered as a developing country. It has faced several challenges in the economic and political fields. The country is also part of the region where major causes of death are related to chronic diseases. Johnson & Stoskopf (2010) provides a detailed review of statistics in South Africa. It indicates a birth rate of 18.5 with a life expectancy for children at 49.0 / 52.5 as at year 2005. The country is also ranked 3rd in the World Bank aid program for healthcare. It is also notable that the country's doctors and physicians also left the country to practice abroad due to crumbling economic, political, and security situations. A number of countries are facilitated through the requirement programs of doctors and nurses of South African origin. It indicates that the health system has faced human resources challenges along with the economic conditions. The country is running parallel healthcare systems and it is observed that public healthcare as well as private sector is also operating with in the country. The healthcare facilities offered by the government include hospitals and clinics providing citizens of the country. The services and medicine provided by the state operated healthcare system charge a minimal amount. The individuals face multiple difficulties during using this system. It is also observed that at times the facilities are not adequate to provide required treatment. The second type of the system is denoted as private healthcare system. The doctors working in government hospitals as well as the physicians are also allowed to operate their own private practice. In the private clinics the specialists operate from private places as well as they utilize their own infrastructure. The patients visiting private clinics are charged with increased amounts as fees. Furthermore mostly high income group visits private health clinics. The divide in the healthcare system is inherited by the country. Healthcare policy: According to McCoy (2011) the democratic elections were held in the country in 1994 and a newly elected governement had multiple challenges in terms of restricting the country as well as creating an independent constitution. The state drafted an independent constitution defining the fundamental rights for its citizens. The healthcare policy is also derived from their constitution. It entitles the citizens to access a healthy environment and access to healthcare services. Furthermore the food deficiency is also addressed through the policy that adequate food will be provided to the citizens. The introduction of social security reforms were also notable advances for the country's healthcare system. The… Bibliography: Clark, D 2009, South Africa: The People, Crabtree Publishing, USA. Cooper, D, Moodley, J, Zweigenthal, V, Bekker, LG, Shah, I & Myer, L 2009, Fertility intentions and reproductive health care needs of people living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa: implications for integrating reproductive health and HIV care services, AIDS and Behavior, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 38-46. Coovadia, H, Jewkes, R, Barron, P, Sanders, D & McIntyre, D 2009, The health and health system of South Africa: historical roots of current public health challenges, The Lancet, Vol. 374, No. 9692, pp. 817-834. De Haan, M, Dennill, K & Vasuthevan, S 2005, The health of southern Africa, Juta and Company Ltd.	https://www.paperdue.com/essay/healthcare-system-in-south-africa-healthcare-100048
For management purposes, it is of great importance to investigate interactions between human activities and seal conservation. Previous research show that harbor seal and grey seal diet often consist of commercially important fish species harvested by human. Hence, information about the effects of seals on marine fisheries is crucial, and it is of great importance to investigate seal foraging areas and how they overlap with areas important for commercial fisheries. Further, suggestions have been made that one of the main reasons for the decline in the Icelandic harbour- and grey seal populations is by-catch in lumpsucker and cod gillnets. In order to better understand the factors contributing to declines in Icelandic seal populations, we urgently need to increase knowledge regarding spatial and trophic interactions between seals and fisheries and also to assess the impact of environmental variability on seal foraging habitat. By using state-of-the-art biologging tags, we are the first to track the movements of grey seals in Iceland. This data will be used to quantify spatial overlap with commercial fisheries, identify important at-sea areas and undertake species distribution modelling. In brief, movement data will initially be processed using statistical packages that allow us to integrate location error and model the most likely positions of an animal at a specific time. We will then explore seal behaviour in several ways including (1) quantifying the proportion of time each individual spends in different areas, (2) defining different behavioural states along a foraging route (e.g., transit, or foraging) using Hidden Markov models, and (3) developing species distribution models based on habitat data (bathymetry, sea surface temperature, and proxies of marine productivity). In short, our project will provide the baseline data that is necessary to understand grey seal habitat requirements and ultimately the factors contributing to population trends. Areas that are identified as important at-sea areas for grey seals will be compared to areas used for commercial fisheries.	https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/research/harbour-seal/seal-fisheries-interaction
What Are The Different Skills Used In Science Below is result for What Are The Different Skills Used In Science in PDF format. You can download or read online all document for free, but please respect copyrighted ebooks. This site does not host PDF files, all document are the property of their respective owners. How to Assess Student Performance in Science sions (communication skills, ability to work in groups) and other dimensions (life-long learning). While they are objective and efficient, traditional measures may not serve these kinds of goals as well. The purpose of this manual is to encour-age discussions among science teachers about desired student outcomes in science This list of teaching strategies and activities was developed Reference skills: Teaching students how to use reference items, dictionary, glossary, etc. for a certain type of text (like science). Reinforcing math skills through games: Using games to follow-up a lesson in order to reinforce learned skills and use the skills in another context. Teaching Science Process Skills SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS Science process occurs naturally, spontaneously in our minds. By logically breaking down the steps in our thinking, we can use science process to find out how to answer our questions about how the world works. Science process is not just useful in science, but in any situation that requires critical thinking. People Also Ask Science and Technology - NSW Education Standards Science and Technology K 6 Syllabus 7 Science and Technology Key The following codes and icons are used in the Science and Technology K 6 Syllabus. Outcome Coding Syllabus outcomes are coded in a consistent way. The code identifies the subject, Stage, outcome number and the way the content is organised. What is ICTs and what types of ICTs are commonly used in ICTs are used differently in different school subjects Uses of ICTs for simulations and modeling in science and math have been shown to be effective, as have word processing and communication software (e-mail) in the development of student language and communication skills. Year 7 standard elaborations Australian Curriculum: Science the solution for different groups in society informed situations knowledge from different science disciplines and diverse cultures has been used to solve a real-world problem informed explanation of possible implications of the solution for different groups in society of situations knowledge from different science disciplines and Cultivating 21 Century Skills in Science Learners: How of 21st Century skills they foster in young learners. Following this I review the landscape of science instruction in classrooms today, then use the current literature to build a case for a different vision of teaching and what it would take to prepare educators to support this vision. Foundational Skills for Science Communication Aug 07, 2019 specific content, and teaching philosophy that different organizations used to teach communication skills and motivate engagement. Similarly, they observed that members of the science communication and public engagement community were hungry to better connect to share insights and best practices (Besley & Dudo, 2017, 2018; Besley, Dudo, & Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices psychology (the science of human behaviors), sociology (the science of social groups), and economics (the science of firms, markets, and economies). The natural sciences are different from the social sciences in several respects. The Teaching Reading in Science - ASCD different skills than they may have used in the past. In addition to the general reading skills needed to comprehend narrative text, readers of science text also must be able to apply the following knowledge and skills: Understand specialized vocabulary terms and phrases that are unique to science. Understand vocabulary terms and TEACHING METHOD IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: THE NEED FOR A PARADIGM Olosunde, Ojebisi and Isola, 2011). Based on this, it is important to review the different type of teaching methods in science education, their disadvantages and the need for a shift of paradigm. TEACHING METHODS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION There are different teaching methods employed in science education in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Effective strategies for teaching science vocabulary science text cards by writing statements about science concepts on index cards. Working individually or in small groups, students discuss the statements before sorting. A number of different formats can be used: True/false cards. These cards include statements drawn from the text. Students sort the cards into true and false piles. 2014 5K Science FFS - South Carolina KINDERGARTEN SCIENCE Students should be able to use and practice the: Science and Engineering Practices - Students will use the science and engineering practices, including the process skills of scientiﬁ c inquiry to develop understandings of science content. Relationships Among Organisms and Environments The Data Science Skills Competency Model This stage is the core of the data science execution, where different algorithms are used to train the data and the best algorithm is selected. A data scientist should know: Multiple modelling techniques Model validation and selection techniques What differentiates a data scientist is understanding the Computer Programming Skills for Environmental Sciences skills are pervasive throughout environmental science, as evidenced by the range of quantitative courses that employ some level of programming (e.g., watershed hydrology, natural resource economics, water quality management, atmospheric chemistry, energy systems) and by the demand for these skills in the workforce (Box 1). Kindergarten Science Standards of Learning for Virginia The Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools identify academic content for essential components of the science curriculum at different grade levels. Standards are identified for kindergarten through grade five, for middle school, and for a core set of high school courses Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS AND STRATEGIES SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS AND STRATEGIES enables students to apply knowledge proficiently in a variety of contexts in repeated performances. They promote the participation of studies in civic life and develop their ability to address societal conflicts and problems. Throughout pre K-12 education, such skills and strategies must be developed through Research Article Teaching Strategies Employed by Physical educators and fifteen form two students. Three focus group discussions were used to obtain the views of the three apply several teaching strategies. e were used more affected by a host of factors such as negative attitudes of teachers, lack of examinations in the subject, lack of time, lack of appropriate equipment and facilities. Big Idea 1- The Practice of Science - Discovery Education Big Idea 1- The Practice of Science 4. Have students complete the Crime Scene Investigation Integrated Science Simulation. Students will practice using science process skills. 5. Ask students to identify the skills that they used during the simulation (i.e., observation, GRADE 5 SCIENCE Administered April 2009 Use the information below and your knowledge of science to help you answer questions 11 13. Hydroelectric Power People rely on electricity to do many jobs. A source of energy is needed to produce this electricity. Sometimes this energy comes from coal, wind, solar, or nuclear power. It can also come from moving water. Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals used in assessing workforce knowledge and skills, identifying training needs, developing workforce development and training plans, crafting job descriptions, and conducting performance evaluations. The Core Competencies have been integrated into curricula for Science Georgia Standards of Excellence Kindergarten Standards Science Literacy and the follow up work, A Framework for K-12 Science Education were used as the core of the standards to determine appropriate content and process skills for students. The Science Georgia Standards of Excellence focus on a limited number of core disciplinary ideas and crosscutting concepts which build from Kindergarten to high Supporting the - Science in Pre-K many different skills. These skills are The key to high-quality teaching is to gear activ-ities to children s pro-gressively more complex approaches to under-standing the world. Photos courtesy of the authors Science Education: Effective Methods of Teaching Elementary teaching method. Students in the study improved their science skills and grades by using productive learning. The productive on learning strategy is just one method that can be used to teach science in middle school classrooms. Productive learning is a method in which students work in groups to teach each other the information FIVE NOTETAKING METHODS Oct 08, 2010 may change depending on the class that you re in (for example, a science class versus a humanities class). Here are 5 methods that are proven to be successful. Read over each one and decide if there s one that might work for you. These styles are described in the format you would use to take notes in class. You might Year 8 standard elaborations Australian Curriculum: Science Students examine the different science knowledge used in occupations. They explain how evidence has led to an improved understanding of a scientific idea and describe situations in which scientists collaborated to generate solutions to contempo problems. METHODS OF TEACHING SCIENCE - DDCE, Utkal Science does not simply sit down & pray for things to happen, but seeks to find out why things happen. It experiments and tries again and again and sometimes fails and sometimes succeeds & so bit by bit it adds to human knowledge. This modern world of ours is very different from ancient world or the middle ages. Teaching The Science Process Skills The Virginia Science SOL match the different classiﬁcation skills to the different grade levels. In kindergarten, children are expected to sequence a set of objects according to size. The kindergarteners are also expected to separate a set of objects into two groups based on a single physical attribute. (See Science SOL K.1.) Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science considered standards and include a science and engineering practice (everyday skills of scientists and engineers), disciplinary core ideas (science ideas used by scientists and engineers), and crosscutting concepts (ways of thinking like scientists and engineers). The PreK standards emphasize one dimension; the science and engineering practices. Scientific enquiry and engaging primary-aged children in science concepts whilst working scientifically, with a particular focus on the nature of science and authenticity in learning about science concepts. Case Study One: Year 5 children (age 9-10 years) learning about the nature of science via working scientifically When learning about Earth and Space in Key Stage 2 (age 7-11), non-statutory Creating a Career Objective 5. Skills Skills are special talents, functions (General Skills), or tasks (Specific Skills) that you have learned to do well. They are behaviors you exhibit and are most likely developed through academic, work, and leisure experiences. Some of these same skills might be used in one occupation or transferred to several What types of knowledge do teachers use to engage learners in and skills of various kinds related to scientific work (e.g. planning investigations, working with data, communicating findings, constructing arguments, etc.) understanding of science-specific assessment strategies Skills used MAKING OBSERVATIONS CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING Science in your world Loudspeakers are built into wooden or plastic cabinets that are carefully designed to make the sound louder and to make sure most of it comes out of the front of the cabinet, so less sound is lost at the back. 4 Try combining different objects and materials to make something a bit more complex. 1 3 2 Follow these steps Scientific enquiry Contents - ASE Be a scientist A necessary toolkit of practical skills is developed and added to over time. Communicate effectively. Technical and scientific vocabulary is learned, practised and used, as children communicate evidence in a variety of ways, often with different audiences in mind. EFFECTIVE SCIENCE INSTRUCTION: WHAT DOES RESEARCH TELL US? Science education has received renewed attention in the United States in the last several decades, with calls for a scientifically literate citizenry in this increasingly technological society. Science for All Americans(American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989) laid out a vision describing TeachingScience asInquiry - Corwin National Science Education Standards 8 and Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy 9 are perhaps the most influential. Both documents recom - mended the enactment of a science curriculum that embraces an inquiry-oriented approach to science teaching. According to the NationalResearchCouncil,scientificinquiryis Constructivism in Science Classroom: Why and How to science education materials. There are several constructivist models available that can be used for designing the proper learning experiences to the students. The 5 E's model proposed by Roger Bybee can be conveniently implemented in science classroom. This model was developed under the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) project.	https://fremarket.top/cde455e/what-are-the-different-skills-used-in-science
You searched for: Academic Unit Astronomy Remove constraint Academic Unit: Astronomy Type Theses Remove constraint Type: Theses « Previous \| 1 - 50 of 57 \| Next » Sort by Published Latest Best Match Published Latest Published Earliest Title A-Z Title Z-A Number of results to display per page 50 per page 10 per page 20 per page 50 per page 100 per page Search Results 1. Orbits, Orbitals, and Dark Matter Halos: Nature and Relationships Yavetz, Tomer Dov 2022 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Dark matter (Astronomy) Orbits Orbital mechanics Perturbation (Quantum dynamics) 2. Uncovering Shocking Mysteries Buried in the Ejecta of Classical Novae and Magnetars Babul, Aliya Nur Virji 2022 Theses Astrophysics Solar radio bursts Synchrotrons Stars, New Magnetization Electromagnetic waves Magnetars 3. Evolution of Neutral Hydrogen Properties of Galaxies With Respect to Large-Scale Structure Over One-Third the Age of the Universe Blue Bird, Julia AM 2021 Theses Astrophysics Hydrogen Stars--Formation Galaxies--Evolution Red shift 4. It’s Not Just a Phase: Measuring the Properties of Short-Period Exoplanets from Full Orbital Phase Curves Jansen, Tiffany Channelle 2021 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Extrasolar planets Planets--Orbits Planets--Crust--Temperature Albedo--Measurement 5. Mapping Ultra-Low Surface Brightness H-alpha Emission Around Nearby Galaxies Melso, Nicole 2021 Theses Astronomy Galactic halos Supernovae Ionized gases Photoionization of gases--Measurement Stars--Formation Ultraviolet spectra 6. Modeling the formation, evolution, and observation of first stars Kulkarni, Mihir Sanjay 2021 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Stars--Formation Big bang theory Baryons Dark matter (Astronomy) Solar radiation 7. Probing the Ultraviolet Milky Way: The Final Galactic Puzzle Piece Mohammed, Steven M. 2021 Theses Astronomy Ultraviolet radiation Ultraviolet spectra Stars--Color Stars--Age--Measurement Red giants United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration California Institute of Technology 8. The Angular Momentum of the Circumgalactic Medium and its Connection to Galaxies in the Illustris and TNG Simulations DeFelippis, Daniel 2021 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Angular momentum Galaxies--Formation Galaxies--Observations Magnetohydrodynamics--Mathematical models Kinematics Cold gases 9. The Detection and Description of Symbiotic Accretion From Cool Evolved Stars Lucy, Adrian B. 2021 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Cool stars White dwarf stars Stars--Color Accretion (Astrophysics) 10. Why Are We Here?: Constraining the Milky Way's Galactic Habitable Zone McTier, Moiya 2021 Theses Astrophysics Habitable planets Life on other planets 11. Decoding Starlight with Big Survey Data, Machine Learning, and Cosmological Simulations Blancato, Kirsten Nicole 2020 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Stars--Observations Galaxies--Evolution Machine learning Cosmology--Computer simulation Time-series analysis Statistics Neural networks (Computer science) 12. Extracting cosmological information from small scales in weak gravitational lensing data Zorrilla Matilla, Jose Manuel 2020 Theses Astronomy Gravity Gravitational lenses 13. On the Detection and Characterization of Exomoons Through Survey and Targeted Observations Teachey, Alexander Macaulay 2020 Theses Astronomy Satellites Solar system Light curves Hubble Space Telescope (Spacecraft) 14. Signatures of accretion disks around coalescing black hole binaries Derdzinski, Andrea Marie 2020 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy Physics Black holes (Astronomy) Accretion (Astrophysics) Gravitational waves--Measurement 15. The Shapes of Planet Transits and Planetary Systems Sandford, Emily Ruth 2020 Theses Astronomy Extrasolar planets Light curves Planets--Transits Dwarf stars Binary stars 16. Chemistry and Radiative Feedback of Early Galaxies: Seeding the First Supermassive Black Holes Wolcott-Green, Jemma Rose 2019 Theses Astronomy Black holes (Astronomy) Galaxies--Evolution Spectrum analysis Galactic halos 17. Stellar Feedback and Chemical Evolution In Dwarf Galaxies Emerick, Andrew James 2019 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Galaxies--Evolution Molecular evolution Stars--Formation 18. A Bayesian Approach to the Understanding of Exoplanet Populations and the Origin of Life Chen, Jingjing 2018 Theses Astronomy Extrasolar planets Life--Origin Statistics Bayesian statistical decision theory 19. An Object-Oriented, Python-Based Moving Mesh Hydrodynamics Code Inspired by Astrophysical Problems Fernandez, Ricardo 2018 Theses Astronomy Hydrodynamics--Computer simulation Astrophysics Cooling Computer science 20. Dynamics and Detection of Tidal Debris Hendel, David Anthony 2018 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Galaxies--Formation Space debris 21. Stellar and gas dynamics in galactic nuclei Generozov, Aleksey 2018 Theses Astronomy Stellar dynamics Gas dynamics Galactic nuclei 22. Stellar Streams, Dwarf Galaxy Pairs, and the Halos in which they Reside Pearson, Sarah 2018 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Galaxies Stars--Globular clusters Celestial mechanics 23. The Cycle of Gaseous Baryons Between the Disk and Halo Zheng, Yong 2018 Theses Astronomy Baryons Galactic halos Astrophysics 24. The Relationship Between Stellar Rotation and Magnetic Activity as Revealed by M37 and Alpha Persei Núñez, Alejandro 2018 Theses Stars--Rotation Stars--Magnetic fields Low mass stars 25. A Population of Short-Period Variable Quasars from PTF as Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates Charisi, Maria 2017 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Quasars Black holes (Astronomy) 26. Magnetic Fields in the Interstellar Medium Clark, Susan E. 2017 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy Physics Interstellar matter Interstellar magnetic fields 27. Open Clusters as Laboratories for Stellar Spin Down and Magnetic Activity Decay Douglas, Stephanie Teresa 2017 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Stars--Open clusters Stars--Magnetic fields 28. Supernovae Feedback in Galaxy Formation Li, Miao 2017 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy Galaxies--Formation Supernovae 29. The Wolf-Rayet Star Population of the Milky Way Galaxy Kanarek, Graham Childs 2017 Theses Stars--Catalogs Stars--Populations Wolf-Rayet stars Astronomy 30. Cosmology in the nonlinear regime with weak gravitational lensing Liu, Jia 2016 Theses Galaxies--Observations Statistical astronomy Cosmic background radiation Astronomy Astrophysics Physics 31. Double White Dwarfs as Probes of Single and Binary Star Evolution Andrews, Jeffrey 2016 Theses White dwarf stars Binary stars Stars--Evolution Astronomy Astrophysics 32. Inferring the 3D gravitational field of the Milky Way with stellar streams Price-Whelan, Adrian Michael 2016 Theses Dark matter (Astronomy)--Measurement Galactic halos Astrophysics Astronomy 33. Observationally Constrained Metal Signatures of Galaxy Evolution in the Stars and Gas of Cosmological Simulations Corlies, Lauren Nicole 2016 Theses Galaxies Galaxies--Evolution Cosmology--Computer simulation Galactic halos Astronomy Astrophysics 34. Predicting Electromagnetic Signatures of Gravitational Wave Sources D'Orazio, Daniel John 2016 Theses Galactic nuclei Galactic nuclei--Spectra Neutron stars Electromagnetic waves Gravitational waves Black holes (Astronomy) Astronomy Astrophysics 35. Radio Observations as a Tool to Investigate Shocks and Asymmetries in Accreting White Dwarf Binaries Weston, Jennifer Helen Seng 2016 Theses White dwarf stars Symbiotic stars Radio astronomy Astronomy 36. Gas in Galaxies in Different Environments across Cosmic Time Fernández, Ximena 2015 Theses Astronomy 37. High Energy Studies of Astrophysical Dust Corrales, Lia Racquel 2015 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy Physics 38. Using Hydrodynamic Simulations to Understand the Structure and Composition of the Circumgalactic Medium of Milky Way-sized Galaxies Salem, Munier 2015 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy 39. AGN Feedback in Cool-Core Galaxy Clusters Li, Yuan 2014 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy Active galactic nuclei Stars--Open clusters 40. Compact Galactic Neutral Hydrogen Clouds in the GALFA-HI Survey Saul, Destry Rose 2014 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics 41. Dwarf Galaxies in a Cosmological Context: A Testbench for Galaxy Modeling Simpson, Christine Mary 2014 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics 42. FIREBall, CHAS, and the diffuse universe Hamden, Erika 2014 Theses Astronomy 43. Gas around Galaxies and Cluster: The Case for the Virgo Cluster Yoon, Joo Heon 2014 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics 44. Observing and Modeling the Optical Counterparts of Short-Period Binary Millisecond Pulsars. Schroeder, Joshua 2014 Theses Astronomy 45. The Role of Cold Gas in Massive Galaxy Evolution Lemonias, Jenna 2014 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics 46. Understanding the Nature of Stellar Chemical Abundance Distributions in Nearby Stellar Systems Lee, Duane Morris 2014 Theses Astronomy Statistics Nuclear chemistry 47. Extreme Stellar Populations in the Universe: Backsplash Dwarf Galaxies and Wandering Stars Teyssier, Maureen Elizabeth 2013 Theses Astrophysics Astronomy 48. Neutral Hydrogen in Local Group Dwarf Galaxies Grcevich, Jana 2013 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics 49. Nonlinear Data Assimilation: Towards a Prediction of the Solar Cycle Svedin, Andreas 2013 Theses Astronomy Astrophysics Mathematics 50.	https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/search?f%5Bdepartment_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Astronomy&f%5Bgenre_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Theses&per_page=50&sort=Published+Latest
One of the main tasks I must fulfil as BA Coordinator is planning the schedule for next year. Calculations used to be simple: 1 credit was the equivalent of 10 teaching hours and, so, a full time, tenured teacher was supposed to teach 24 credits, 240 hours. My contract specifies that I work 37,5 hours per week, so if I multiply by 48 weeks a year (minus a 4-week holiday) the total is 1,800 hours. Deduct the 240 hours and I was left with 1,560 hours to prepare classes, do research and contribute to the Department’s management. Then several things happened a few years ago. The new ECTS system was introduced. This means that for 1 credit students work a total of 25 hours, of which one third (5) is classroom time. Teaching 6 ECTS no longer meant for us, teachers, 60 hours but, oddly enough 50. Suddenly, those of us teaching 24 credits were teaching 200 and not 240 hours. Odd. My university decided then to add an extra ratio for each taught hour that would account for preparation, correction, etc, and, don’t ask me how, we ended up with a strange figure: 560 hours of teaching. For the first time, the size of groups was taken into account, so that teaching a compulsory subject to 70 students would count for many more hours than teaching an elective subject to 15. Fair enough (though I’ve never understood the mathematical formula that was applied). This year my university has finally approved a formal scale to calculate our teaching hours which takes into account the Wert Decree of two years ago. The decree famously decreed that tenured teachers with Ministry-certified research should teach less, those with no certificates (I mean ‘tramos’) should teach more. My university has dragged its feet about this as, I assume, there must have been much pressure from teachers who didn’t to want teach more than 24 ECTS. I don’t know. The question is that if you have three ‘tramos’ you are entitled to teaching only 16 ECTS, if your last ‘tramo’ has not expired yet you teach 24, but if it did expire you teach 28 for the next three years, hoping you’ll get it back. If you do no research then it’s 32. Now consider that the 28ers and 32ers are not supposed to teach, anyway, more than 240 classroom hours, the same as the 24ers. Still with me? Our Vice-Rector for Faculty is a mathematician. He has determined that in order to know how many hours we should teach we need to multiply our ECTS by 17.5. So, if you teach 16 ECTS, that’s 280 hours; 24 ECTS, then 420; 28 ECTS, that’s 490 and, finally, 32 ECTS amount to 560 hours. That’s the total teaching time, remember, including the famous 240 maximum presential hours, plus supervising BA, MA and PhD dissertations. Now add to this a second mysterious ratio which calculates teaching hours according to the size of the group. Your group is less than 20, then multiply your teaching hours (6ECTS = 50) by 1.5. Between 20 and 29, then by 1.7. Etc, etc. So far, I have spent two gruelling mornings, calculator in hand, trying to work out a) how many hours each member of our staff is supposed to teach (we’ve been given a figure for the reductions each person is entitled to, but not the actual hours); b) the sum total of the teaching hours per person taking into account the figure for each group/subject. We have a computer application which simply shows the results of someone else’s calculations for the groups but not an application we, poor Coordinators, can use to calculate variations on the official figures. The results? Well, same as without all the formulas, for we need to teach what we need to teach and without more staff there’s nothing much we can change. I forgot to say that MA teaching time is treated as if were BA teaching time… Actually, with all those numbers in our hands, we can prove that most faculty members will have to tutor BA and MA dissertations for free. PhD dissertations are always tutored for free, as although the hours are eventually added, this does alter our dedication in a particular year. Take my own case: I must teach 210 hours (I’m a 16er and get a reduction as Coordinator), but my two subjects next year amount to 220 hours. I need to supervise at least two BA dissertations and 1 MA dissertation since both degree programmes simply need my help. That’s 35 extra hours… All this si quite confusing but at least at UAB we’re still lucky that we have no computer programme clocking in our research and management time (well, for management that might be good). In other Catalan universities some bureaucrat has quantified in hours activities as impossible to calculate as writing an article. Or, if you care to know, preparing a lecture: one day it may be three or four hours, the next one 1 minutes (if you just check what you did last year). We’re civil servants and should be accountable to the public for the hours we work, I know that. I also know that, somehow, my frantic use of the calculator is preferable to the computer doing the calculations for me –at least, there’s a human touch there. In the end, though, I’m not sure who all these numbers benefit. Nor whether they do reflect at all our real activity, whether we do more or less than we should. That’s my main concern.	https://blogs.uab.cat/saramartinalegre/es/2014/04/06/a-calculating-woman-planning-next-years-schedule/
Message from the Director General The United Nations proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity to promote greater understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This years theme is forest biodiversity, in recognition of 2011 as the International Year of Forests, and drawing attention to the great value of forest biodiversity to our lives, livelihoods, and wellbeing. Forests cover close to one-third of the earths land surface and contain more than two-thirds of the worlds terrestrial species. They are biodiversity rich and vibrant ecosystems, containing a wondrous array of birds, animals, and plants. Forest biodiversity is an integral part of the history of human development as it is the basis for more than 5,000 products, from aromatic oils distilled from leaves, to herbal medicines, fuel, food, furniture, and clothing. Forests prevent soil erosion and help to regulate the climate; they provide clean water, inspire us in art, research, and religion, and are essential for our survival and wellbeing all seven billion of us. As a service provider, forests play a broad role. Standing forests are able to remove about 15 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere every year by sequestering carbon; in so doing, they become valuable carbon sinks. Fuelwood is the primary source of energy for heating and cooking for an estimated 2.6 billion people globally. In 2005, the global sales of pharmaceuticals sourced from animals, plants, or microorganisms reached US$ 14 billion. We often take the services provided by forests the Earths natural capital for granted. Over the last quarter of a century, the world economy has quadrupled. At the same time, 60 per cent of the worlds major ecosystem services, which underpin livelihoods, have been degraded or used unsustainably. This is because economic growth has been accomplished partly by drawing on natural capital without allowing stocks to regenerate, and through allowing widespread ecosystem degradation and loss. Since 2000, primary forests have decreased by more than 40 million hectares, mostly due to logging and agricultural expansion. Invasive species are colonising forested areas rampantly. Climate change is adding to the vulnerability of forest ecosystems. The challenges in maintaining forested biodiversity are increasing day-by-day. The Hindu Kush-Himalayas, the working area of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), is one of the most dynamic regions in the world with rich and remarkable biodiversity. Approximately 25 per cent of the region is forest. The region, with its varied landscapes and soil formation, and variety of vegetation types and climatic conditions, is well known for its unique flora and fauna showing a high level of endemism. However, forest-based resources in the HKH are declining, mainly due to lack of incentives for local communities to conserve forest biodiversity and the trading of pollution for economic growth. The communities living in this fragile and biologically rich ecosystem are highly dependent on forest resources as they are marginalised from mainstream development. Their dependence on forest-based resources is higher than that of people in the lowlands and elsewhere. Nearly three-quarters of the people in the region live in rural areas, most dependent on land-based activities for their subsistence living. ICIMOD has been advocating for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development through its mountain perspective framework, which is characterised by understanding the specific characteristics of mountain conditions such as fragility, inaccessibility, marginality, diversity, specific niche opportunities, and human adaptation practices. ICIMOD has also been active in facilitating its regional member countries through various conservation and development approaches, such as participatory natural resources management. It has fostered regional cooperation in applied research on conservation and management using the ecosystem approach and taking the existence of transboundary landscapes into account. ICIMOD is supporting sharing and mainstreaming of information and best practices in the region and highlighting crosscutting issues such as policy, governance, and equity and gender. To celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity, ICIMOD is organising a talk programme. Two distinguished experts, Dr Krishna Chandra Poudel from the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Nepal, and Dr Ram Prasad Chaudhary from Tribhuvan University will discuss themes related to Sustainable management of forests for conserving biodiversity, developing the local economy and adapting to climate change on 23 May at ICIMOD Headquarters in Kathmandu. Conserving biodiversity and assuring continuous ecosystem services to support life on Earth is our responsibility, and ICIMOD is committed to it! On the International Day for Biological Diversity, ICIMOD calls for everyone to contribute to the cause, in whatever form possible, so that we make a difference.	http://www.icimod.org/?q=3672
essay ASAP? The theory of multiple intelligence theory makes important provisions on the ways of promoting efficiency in the learning activities among the students. Knowledge of the multiple intelligence theory has been highly applicable to the current shifts in the running of management of institutions. The approach has provided a baseline on the transformative and inclusive objectives of learning. There is an emphasis on giving students a learning experience that makes them develop an all-round personality that will make them fit in the various sectors of the society. Educators in the various teaching levels have embraced the multiple intelligence theory due to its effectiveness in the learning activity among the students. Teachers present their lessons in multiple ways to ensure that the students attain the required competencies. Examples of methods through which teachers present their lessons to incorporate the multiple intelligence theory include role play, collaborative learning, reflections, and arts activities. A recent assessment of outcomes of classroom learning reveals attainability on the objectives of the theory of multiple intelligences. Notably, Howard Gardener developed the approach to overcome the shortcomings of traditional learning on intelligence. Multiple intelligence theory marked a departure from the conventional method of education whereby the teacher would deposit knowledge into the student’s mind and then put a requirement on the learner to replicate the same in the future (Frames of mind 13). Therefore, Gardener used the theory to explain the eight intelligence of learning and stipulated that each person has a minimum of one dominant intelligence that guides personal learning. The three of Gardener’s multiple intelligences include linguistic, logical-mathematical, and spatial. A teacher can employ the three intelligences to improve the learning experiences in the classroom. Most learning experiences are inclined towards linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences (Frames of mind 17). This has made educators have a high preference for the two intelligences over the others. The linguistic intelligence entails the sensitivity that educators instill to learners on spoken and written language and ability to use the language to accomplish specific goals. Moreover, the intelligence covers the capacity for rhetorical expression and use of language as a means of remembering information (Frames of mind 18). In a nutshell, linguistic intelligence highlights on the verbal expression of learners. Therefore, the teacher is under obligation to sharpen the auditory skills of learners as well as enable the learners to think in words. A teacher can implement and instill linguistic intelligence when working with a student on the topic of demand and supply in economics. Introduction of the new terms is the fundamental consideration for the educator when demonstrating the topic using linguistic intelligence. The teacher can read the words aloud and proceed to write the terms on the board. Notably, the lesson should start with an introduction to the terms “demand” and “supply” to give the student a hint of the topic under discussion (Armstrong 40). A short explanation on the subject follows, and the teacher can proceed to explain other essential terms in the topic. Examples of other words on the topic that require a linguistic intelligence approach include equilibrium point, the elasticity of demand, and the supply function. Additionally, the teacher will incorporate a semantic approach to the topic of demand and supply by guiding the students in the verbal pronunciation of various terms in the topic. The teacher will test the linguistic intelligence of students by requiring them to write an essay that explains the movements of demand curve and supply curve. The logical-mathematical intelligence covers the aspects of logical reasoning, abstractions, critical thinking, and numbers. The educator seeks to establish that the students think conceptually as well as get the capacity to distinguish between logical and numerical patterns. Howard Gardner stipulates that logical-mathematical intelligence is about the ability to understand trends, reason in a deductive manner and think logically (Multiple intelligences 7). In this case, the teacher assesses the scientific and mathematical thinking capability of the student. Specific ways exemplify the use of logical-mathematical intelligence to demonstrate learning in the economics topic of demand and supply. The teacher can use mathematical formulas to help the student get a good glimpse of the topic. For example, mathematical formulas are applicable when deriving the demand function and supply function. The student will be obliged to follow the exact steps in the formula to understand the whole concept on the way the function is derived (Armstrong 45). The learning process would proceed by teaching the students to solve quantitative problems that apply the concepts of demand and supply using the derived functions. Finally, the teacher can impart knowledge on logical reasoning by helping the student in the utilization of quantitative values to make logical decisions and conclusions. Spatial intelligence incorporates visual judgment and the ability to develop a clear picture in an individual’s mind. This intelligence gives the learner the ability to think in images and pictures hence enhancing accurate visualization. As a result, the learner gains recognition over the utilization of patterns in critical thinking. The learners with spatial intelligence understand the subject through visuals such as charts, tables, and graphs (Multiple intelligences 12). A teacher can use the illustration of the graphs of demand and supply to enhance the visual intelligence of students. Similarly, tables on variables of demand and supply can provide clear demonstrations on the topic (Armstrong 52). Finally, the teacher can evaluate the understanding of students by instructing them to draw graphs that indicate the equilibrium demand and supply. Conclusively, the discussion has indicated on the way multiple intelligence theory promote effectiveness in the learning activities among students. Educators have adopted requirements of the theory to ensure that students get all-around personality from the learning experience. The three of Gardener’s multiple intelligences which have been discussed include linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, and spatial intelligence. Finally, applications of the three intelligences in demonstrating demand and supply has been explored. - Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple intelligences in the classroom. Ascd, 2009. - Gardner, Howard. Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic books, 2011. - Multiple intelligences: New horizons in theory and practice. Basic books, 2008.	https://us.grademiners.com/examples/multiple-intelligence-theory
Since 1994, Extron Institute has been dedicated to providing instructor-led training to enhance understanding throughout the professional AV industry. Education tools range from presentations and discussions through demonstrations and hands-on experiences, ensuring that each participant has the opportunity to grasp the concepts and techniques taught by the Instructors. Training is offered worldwide through Extron offices in the US, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Japan, and China. Extron Institute provides education and supports our customers as they gain knowledge of and experience with different AV technologies and product solutions. Why Extron Institute? Course Introduction Video Certification Extron certification programs are designed to validate your knowledge and practical skills on the latest AV technologies. Training Extron training offers an optimum learning experience, while providing hands-on learning with the most state-of-the-art AV technologies.	https://www.extron.nl/article/institute?tab=training
What is the Difference Between Hypoglycemia Vs Diabetes? Articles What is the Difference Between Hypoglycemia Vs Diabetes? Hypoglycemia and diabetes represent two opposing ends of a spectrum. Hypoglycemia is defined as low blood sugar level in the body that can lead to fatal conditions, whereas diabetes is when the blood sugar level is higher than the normal range. Diabetes is a syndrome, or a collection of signs and symptoms of high blood sugar. In general, there are two types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when patients require insulin to sustain their daily activities because their own immune cells have attacked and destroyed most of the insulin-producing cells in their pancreas. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition where patients have elevated levels of insulin that are not put to use because the cells in their body have become resistant to insulin. Additionally, factors such as diet and an inactive lifestyle leads to further hormonal imbalances that impede blood sugar metabolism. Hypoglycemia is a sign of danger and not necessarily a disease on its own. It is most frequently caused by certain medications, such as insulin injections, oral anti-diabetic medications, and alcohol. Other causes, such as liver, heart, or kidney failure and tumors that produces excess insulin, such as insulinoma, are less common. There are three developments or symptoms that will indicate a hypoglycemia diagnosis: the development of certain symptoms, such as tremors, muscle weakness, dizziness, blurry vision, hunger, and sweating; low blood sugar levels during the onset of these symptoms; and the recovery from these symptoms upon the administration of glucose or the hormone called glucagon. People with diabetes will experience symptoms such as increased eating and drinking, excessive urination, and unintentional weight loss. Patients with these symptoms should undergo clinical investigations into their fasting glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin levels and other metrics. Diabetes can have a multitude of causes, and these causes usually determines its time of occurrence in the patient and the type of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, it has been reported that it is caused by antibodies in the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas in 90% of the cases, while type 2 diabetes are caused by genetic inheritance in 90% of the cases. Overall, the differences between hypoglycemia and diabetes are vast, and they should never be confused for one another.	https://www.canadianinsulin.com/articles/type-2-diabetes/hypoglycemia-vs-diabetes.html
. Home Mobile Quiz What is the definition of social problem a. Social condition or pattern of behavior that people believe warrants public concern and collective action to bring about change. 1. What are the two elements in the definition of a Social Problem? a. Objective reality – existence of social condition b. Subjective perception – belief the condition is harmful to society. 1. What are norms? a. Behavior guidelines, socially defined rules of behavior 1. Define and differentiate the two subtypes of norms. a. Folkways – manors and customs, minor norms b. Mores - Strongly held norms that have moral connotations 1. What is social structure? a. The way society is organized Status position within a social group Role set of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a status ascribed status what you are born into achieved status what you have acquired by choice Define social institutions An established and enduring pattern of social relationships Name the five major social institutions in our society a. Family b. Religion c. Politics d. Economics e. Education 1. What is social marginality? State of being placed outside the main stream in social settings How does social marginality help us better understand social problems Allows us to look in from the outside to see how society is set up Compare and contrast the macro level and micro level of sociological analyses a. Macro – focuses on social processes within or between social institutions b. Micro – focuses on social behavior & interactions among individuals 1. Briefly describe how the structural-functional perspective explains social problems. a. Society is a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain the stability of the whole. manifest function intended positive outcome latent function unintended positive outcome dysfunction. negative side effect Name the two explanations of social problems provided by the structural- functionalists a. Social pathology – malfunctions of institutions b. Social disorganization – rapid social change 1. How can social problems be solved according to the structural-functionalists? a. Repair weak institutions b. Restore shared values and norms 1. Briefly describe how the conflict perspective explains social problems. a. Society is comprised of different groups and interests that compete for power and scarce resources. Economic determinism structure of economy shapes all other aspects of society. Those who own the power of production over lap those who own money, power, and prestige. Class Conflict Ruling class posess the means of production. Workers must sell labor to make a living. Alienation a feeling of powerlessness & meaninglessness. How is the view of Dahrendorf different from Marxism? a. Because of different groups with opposing values and interests. How can social problems be solved according to the conflict theorists? Reduce inequalities & competition at the macro level in society What is Thomas’ theorem? If situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences Briefly describe the Symbolic Interactionists’ explanation on social problems by using the concepts such as labeling and self-fulfilling prophecy. a. Labels are created and reacted to by society as such. b. Self-fulfilling prophecy – the prophecy by which belief / prediction results in behavior that makes the original conception come true. 1. How can social problems be solved according to the symbolic interactionists? a. Through negotiations and change of definitions. absolute poverty lacking the means to secure the most basic necessities of life. relative poverty having deficiencies in resources compared with other members of society. 1. How is income different from wealth? Income is earnings where wealth is total assets minus debts 1. Briefly describe how the Davis-Moore Thesis explains social stratification. a. Meritocracy – stratification based on personal merit. b. Functions as a reward system for vital social roles i. Filled by the ablest ii. Promotion of equal opportunities 1. Name the age group that has the highest rate of poverty in the U.S. a. Children – K-18 What proportion does this age group represent in the U.S. poverty population? . 1/3 of the population Describe what “feminization of poverty” means, then briefly explain the mechanism through which this phenomenon occurs in society. a. 2/3 of adult poor population is female b. They are young, less educated, and bearing children. What is poverty rate? percentage of population below the government’s poverty line, currently 12% (12.5%) Describe how the U.S. poverty line is currently calculated. established by SS admin in 1965, assumes average family spends 1/3 total income on food. What is the current federal minimum wage? $7.25 Define working poor. . Those who spend more than 27 weeks a year in the labor force and whose income falls below poverty line. Why does intergenerational poverty occur? more likely to be in poverty if you were raised in poverty Compare and contrast 1) cultural explanation and 2) structural explanation of a cycle of poverty. a. cultural – transmission of cultural traits which produce poverty b. deteriorating neighborhoods abandoned by legitimate businesses means tested eligibility based on income age tested benefits at a certain age by having paid into the program. Identify the year of welfare reform. 1996 Name the program that replaced the previous program for families in poverty (i.e., Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and identify the two major reforms of the new program as discussed in the lecture. a. Temporary assistance to needy families. i. requirements for evidence of efforts to leave welfare ii. Time limit Identify the major problem that the U.S. public housing assistance has been facing? social disorder and crime. What is the major obstacle to employment among U.S. single parents? a. cost of child care. race Race is based on physical characteristics ethnicity. ethnicity is based on cultural characteristics. Classification of people has significant consequences on our perception. Name two consequences that lead us to make inaccurate judgment on people a. overgeneralization – all members b. illusion of out-group homogeneity stereotypes set of characteristics attributed to all members of a social category prejudice attitude toward or strong disliking for members of a certain group ethnocentrism judging other groups with reference to one’s own group Define minority group. a. category of people who have unequal access to resources in society and who tend to be the target of prejudice and discrimination. What does U.S. Census classification tell us about the state of U.S. diversity? . It reflects public awareness of diversity. assimilation members of a subordinate group become absorbed into the dominant culture Amalgamation cultural attributes of diverse groups are blended together to form a new society incorporating the unique contributions of each other. pluralism a state in which groups maintain their distinctness but respect each other and have equal access to social resources. Primary assimilation in personal / intimate relationships Secondary assimilation in public areas and social institutions. 60. Define racism. a. Linking the biological conditions with alleged socio-cultural capabilities and behavior to assert the superiority of one race. aversive racism subtle and unintentional modern racism because laws and policies prohibit discrimination any social disadvantages of minorities must be their own fault. individual discrimination based on individual prejudices institutional discrimination a. normal operations and procedures of social institutions result in unequal treatment of minorities overt discrimination based on a persons own prejudices adaptive discrimination. based on prejudices of others (restaurant owner example) 60. What are the three factors discussed in class that contribute to the lower levels of education achieved by racial/ethnic minorities compared to non-Hispanic whites? a. Employment – lower incomes on average b. Education – residential segregation – inadequate funding in economy for disadvantaged areas c. Segregation in school system increasing since 1990s 66. Define segregation. a. Spatial and social separation of categories of people by social characteristics de jure segregation by law or authority de facto segregation a. by custom or practice 66. What are the two factors that contribute to persistent housing segregation in the U.S.? a. Redlining b. Geographic steering Redlining loans denied for the purchase of housing in minority neighborhoods Geographic steering realtors showing homes only in minority neighborhoods 66. What is affirmative action? a. Policies and practices in the work place and educational institutions to promote equal opportunity as well as diversity 66. Briefly describe the history of U.S. affirmative action between 1974 and 2003. Moving away from traditional AA and claiming reverse discrimination 66. Briefly describe the current U.S. public attitudes toward affirmative action. a. Little more than 50% support AA 66. Which minority group constitutes the largest beneficiary of affirmative action policies? a.	https://www.freezingblue.com/flashcards/print_preview.cgi?cardsetID=26968
The event becomes a great opportunity to spend a day sharing the excellence and knowledge with other professionals in the legal field in a proactive networking On December 5th, 2019, the First Edition of the European Legal Awards will take place in Paris. The chosen place to celebrate this event is the iconic Ritz hotel that will celebrate a gala dinner which main purpose will be to create the perfect environment for the honourees to share a day with other lawyers, promoting excellence and knowledge through teaching, research and proactive networking. The professional awarded cover the most varied areas and the act will recognize their work and dedication in a sector of permanent evolution, where the update has immediate effects. A complete list with all the honourees will be realised after the event, as well as a chronicle of the gala and the testimonial of each winner, highlighting their feelings after getting the award.	https://www.theeuropeanawards.eu/noticias/paris-calling.-the-first-edition-of-the-european-legal-awards-will-be-celebrated-on-december-5th-n81
RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Ser. No. 108200564, filed Jan. 11, 2019, which is herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND Field of Disclosure Description of Related Art The disclosure relates to a pulling device. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a hard-disk pulling device. Since the requirement for data storage is gradually increased, a server is able to be loaded with a large number of hard disk units for providing information access services outwardly. For example, a server rack having a single rack unit (“1U”) in height size is used to be loaded with a certain number of hard disk units stacked side by side therein. In order to facilitate the maintenance and installation of the hard disk units, each of the hard disk units is usually installed in one removable tray, and then the removable trays are respectively inserted into the server rack. Thus, a user is able to substitute or repair one of the hard disk units by withdrawing the respect the removable tray outwardly. However, because of the limited width and height of the “1U” server rack, a maximum receiving space of the “1U” server rack has been nearly full so that space utilization of the “1U” server rack and the number of hard disk units are no longer to be effectively improved, thereby hindering the efficiency of the server in providing the information access services. Therefore, how to develop a solution which not only facilitates the withdrawing of the hard disk units but also improves the storing capacity of the hard disk units so as to improve the foregoing deficiencies and inconvenience is an urgent and important issue for related industry. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides a hard-disk pulling device to solve the problems of the prior art. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a hard-disk pulling device is provided, and includes a first separating plate, a second separating plate, a cover member, a hook portion and a linkage mechanism. A receiving space is defined between the first separating plate and the second separating plate for receiving a hard disk unit. The cover member is pivotally connected to the first separating plate to selectively cover the receiving space. The linkage mechanism includes a first linking rod and a second linking rod. The first linking rod is pivotally connected to the cover member. The second linking rod is pivotally connected to the first linking rod and the first separating plate. The hook portion is connected to one end of the linkage mechanism facing away from the cover member for directly abutting against the hard disk unit. When the cover member is rotated to expose the hard disk unit received in the receiving space, the cover member pulls the hook portion through the linkage mechanism such that the hook portion pushes the hard disk unit out of the receiving space. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the second linking rod is formed in an L type, and the second linking rod includes a first rod body and a second rod body connected to the first rod body. An included angle is defined between the first rod body and the second rod body. One end of the first rod body facing away from the second rod body is pivotally connected to the first separating plate, and one end of the second rod body facing away from the first rod body is fixedly connected to the hook portion, and one end of the first rod body facing away from the cover member is pivotally connected to an intersection of the first rod body and the second rod body. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the cover member is formed with a lug. The lug is protrudingly located on one side of the cover member, and one end of the first linking rod facing away from the hook portion is pivotally connected to the lug. When the cover member covers the receiving space to conceal the hard disk unit received in the receiving space, the lug is located within the receiving space. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the first separating plate is provided with a first sliding slot. The first sliding slot is disposed on one side of the first separating plate facing towards the receiving space. The second separating plate is provided with a plurality of first protruding posts and a plurality of second protruding posts. The first protruding posts are spaced arranged along a long axis direction of the second separating plate, and the second protruding posts are spaced arranged along the long axis direction of the second separating plate, so that a second sliding slot is defined between the first protruding posts and the second protruding posts, and the second sliding slot is arranged opposite to the first sliding slot. Two opposite sides of the hard disk unit are received and supported in the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot, respectively. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the cover member is provided with a third sliding slot, the third sliding slot is disposed on one surface of the cover member facing towards the receiving space. When the cover member partially pushes the hard disk unit out of the receiving space, the first sliding slot is connected to the third sliding slot, and one of the opposite sides of the hard disk unit is collectively located in the first sliding slot and the third sliding slot. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the cover member has an elastic portion, and the elastic portion is protrudingly located on an inner surface of the cover member. When the cover member covers the receiving space, the elastic portion pushes the hard disk unit into the first sliding slot from the third sliding slot. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the hook portion is located aside an imaginary extension line of a long axis direction of the first linking rod. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the second linking rod is a linear rod, and the hook portion is directly formed at one end of the first linking rod facing away from the cover member. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the cover member is formed with an inner surface and two side surfaces. The inner surface is located between the side surfaces. When the cover member covers the receiving space, the inner surface of the cover member faces towards the receiving space. The first linking rod is provided with a curved portion. The curved portion and the hook portion are respectively located at two opposite ends of the first linking rod, and the curved portion is pivotally connected to one of the side surfaces of the cover member. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, in the foregoing hard-disk pulling device, the cover member further includes a first pivot. The cover member is pivotally connected to the first separating plate through the first pivot. The linkage mechanism further comprises a second pivot, a third pivot and a fourth pivot in which the first linking rod is pivotally connected to the cover member through the second pivot, and pivotally connected to the second linking rod through the third pivot, the second linking rod is pivotally connected to the first separating plate through the fourth pivot, so that the first separating plate, the second linking rod, the first linking rod and the cover member are collectively formed to be a four-bar linkage structure. Thus, through the construction of the embodiments above, the hard disk unit can be chosen to operate without a removable tray. Thus, even if the receiving space of the server rack is constant, the above-mentioned hard-disk pulling device can not only facilitate the withdrawing of the hard disk units but also improve the storing capacity of the hard disk units, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the server in providing information access services. The above description is merely used for illustrating the problems to be resolved, the technical methods for resolving the problems and their efficacies, etc. The specific details of the disclosure will be explained in the embodiments below and related drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a server according to one embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 2 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the server of viewed along a line A-A; FIG. 3 FIG. 1 is a top view of the hard-disk pulling device of ; FIG. 4A FIG. 4B FIG. 3 - are continuous schematic views expressing the hard-disk pulling device of ; FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of a server according to one embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 6 FIG. 5 is a top view of the hard-disk pulling device of ; and FIG. 7A FIG. 7B FIG. 6 - are continuous schematic views expressing the hard-disk pulling device of . DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 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. According to the embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. FIG. 1 FIG. 3 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 1 FIG. 3 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 10 10 200 10 100 100 110 110 110 120 110 200 200 120 110 Reference is now made to to , in which is a partial exploded view of a server according to one embodiment of the disclosure, is a cross-sectional view of the server of viewed along a line A-A, and is a top view of the hard-disk pulling device of . As shown in to , the server includes a rack . The rack includes a plurality of accommodating units . The accommodating units are stacked in an array (for example, 2×12). However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. Each of the accommodating units is configured to receive a single hard disk unit , and each of the accommodating units is provided with a hard-disk pulling device . Each of the hard-disk pulling devices is used to facilitate a user to withdraw the hard disk unit received in the accommodating units . FIG. 2 FIG. 3 200 210 220 300 400 430 230 210 220 120 300 210 230 400 230 400 410 420 410 300 420 410 210 430 400 300 120 230 As shown in to , each of the hard-disk pulling devices includes a first separating plate , a second separating plate , a cover member , a linkage mechanism and a hook portion . A receiving space is defined between the first separating plate and the second separating plate for receiving one of the hard disk units . The cover member is pivotally connected to the first separating plate for rotating to cover or expose the receiving space . The linkage mechanism is located within the receiving space , and the linkage mechanism includes a first linking rod and a second linking rod . The first linking rod is pivotally connected to the cover member . The second linking rod is pivotally connected to the first linking rod and the first separating plate . The hook portion is connected to one end of the linkage mechanism facing away from the cover member for directly abutting against the hard disk unit received within the receiving space . FIG. 2 210 213 213 210 230 210 211 212 212 211 213 211 212 120 213 In the embodiment, as shown in , the first separating plate is provided with a first sliding slot . The first sliding slot is disposed on one surface of the first separating plate facing towards the receiving space . More specifically, a cross section of the first separating plate is U-shaped, and includes a plate body and two side plates . The side plates are respectively disposed on two opposite long sides of the plate body and extend in the same direction. Thus, the aforementioned first sliding slot is collectively defined by the plate body and the side plates , and is used to provide the hard disk unit to slide into the aforementioned first sliding slot . 220 221 222 221 220 222 220 223 213 221 222 120 213 223 120 230 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 The second separating plate is provided with a plurality of first protruding posts and a plurality of second protruding posts . The first protruding posts are spaced arranged along a long axis direction (e.g., X axis, ) of the second separating plate . The second protruding posts are spaced arranged along the long axis direction (e.g., X axis, ) of the second separating plate , so that a second sliding slot which is located opposite to the first sliding slot is defined between the first protruding posts and the second protruding posts . Thus, two opposite sides of the hard disk unit can be received in and supported by the first sliding slot and the second sliding slot , respectively. Therefore, the hard disk unit can be directly received in the receiving space , however the disclosure is not limited thereto. 300 310 320 310 311 312 313 311 312 313 300 230 120 230 311 300 230 315 311 313 300 320 312 310 313 212 210 501 300 220 210 230 120 230 The cover member includes a bracket and an external panel . The bracket is formed with an inner surface , an outer surface and two side surfaces . The inner surface and the outer surface are facing away from each other, and located between the side surfaces . Thus, when the cover member covers the receiving space to conceal the hard disk unit received in the receiving space , the inner surface of the cover member faces towards the receiving space . A third sliding slot is collectively defined by the inner surface and the side surfaces of the cover member . The external panel is fixedly disposed on the outer surface of the bracket . One of the side surfaces is pivotally connected to one of the side plates of the first separating plate through a first pivot . Thus, the cover member can be rotated to the second separating plate being relative to the first separating plate so as to cover the receiving space for concealing the hard disk unit received in the receiving space . 300 314 314 300 410 430 314 314 313 210 313 320 300 230 120 230 314 230 120 Furthermore, the cover member is formed with a lug . The lug is protrudingly located on one side of the cover member , and one end of the first linking rod facing away from the hook portion is pivotally connected to the lug . More specifically, the lug is disposed at one end of the side surface closer to the first separating plate , and protrudingly formed at one edge of the side surface facing away from the external panel . Thus, when the cover member covers the receiving space to conceal the hard disk unit received in the receiving space , the lug is located within the receiving space , and located above the hard disk unit . 300 321 320 311 310 300 230 321 120 213 315 121 120 111 100 Also, the cover member has an elastic portion which is a part of the external panel , and is protrudingly located on the inner surface of the bracket . Thus, when the cover member is rotated to cover the receiving space , the elastic portion pushes the hard disk unit into the first sliding slot from the third sliding slot so as to assist the connection port of the hard disk unit to physically plug into an electrical connecting port installed in the rack . FIG. 2 FIG. 3 410 410 410 314 300 502 420 420 421 422 421 423 421 422 421 422 421 210 422 430 422 421 430 410 300 423 421 422 503 421 422 421 422 1 421 2 422 421 422 212 210 504 210 420 410 300 In the embodiment, as shown in and , the first linking rod is in a linear shape, that is, the first linking rod is a linear rod. One end of the first linking rod is pivotally connected to the lug of the cover member through a second pivot . The second linking rod is formed in an L type, and the second linking rod includes a first rod body and a second rod body connected to the first rod body . An intersection of the first rod body and the second rod body has an included angle θ that is defined between the first rod body and the second rod body . One end of the first rod body is pivotally connected to the first separating plate , and one end of the second rod body is fixedly connected to the hook portion . More specifically, one end of the second rod body facing away from the first rod body is fixedly connected to the hook portion . One end of the first linking rod facing away from the cover member is pivotally connected to the intersection of the first rod body and the second rod body through the third pivot . More specifically, both of the first rod body and the second rod body are linear-shaped, that is, each of the first rod body and the second rod body is a linear rod. The included angle θ that is defined between a long axis direction D of the first rod body and a long axis direction D of the second rod body is between 0-180°. One end of the first rod body facing away from the second rod body is pivotally connected to one of the side plates of the first separating plate through the fourth pivot so that the first separating plate , the second linking rod , the first linking rod and the cover member are collectively formed to be a four-bar linkage structure. 430 430 420 120 120 It is noted, the hook portion may be a bolt or a folding plate, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the hook portion may also be an idling wheel, or integrally formed on the second linking rod . In addition, since the hard disk unit is the most common hard disk product, which means that the hard disk unit can be operated without a tray such that the hard disk unit can also be considered as a bare disk or a naked disk. FIG. 3 410 430 410 410 Furthermore, as shown in , as a long axis direction E of the first linking rod has an imaginary extension line E, and the hook portion is located aside the imaginary extension line E of the first linking rod , rather than directly located on the imaginary extension line E of the first linking rod . FIG. 4A FIG. 4B FIG. 3 FIG. 3 FIG. 4A 200 300 300 120 230 300 430 400 430 120 230 300 410 420 420 430 430 120 - are continuous schematic views expressing the hard-disk pulling device of . As shown in and , when a user opens the cover member to rotate the cover member to expose the hard disk unit from the receiving space , the cover member pulls the hook portion through the linkage mechanism , so that the hook portion pushes the hard disk unit out of the receiving space . More specifically, the cover member sequentially pulls the first linking rod and the second linking rod , so that the second linking rod starts to be rotated to pull the hook portion . Therefore, the hook portion pushes the hard disk unit outwardly. FIG. 4A FIG. 4B 300 120 230 300 430 400 120 315 213 300 120 120 213 315 As shown in and , when the user continues to rotate the cover member to be further away from the hard disk unit in the receiving space , the cover member continues to pull the hook portion through the linkage mechanism so that the hard disk unit starts to move into the third sliding slot from the first sliding slot , that is, when the cover member completes the pulling step of the hard disk unit , one of the opposite sides of the hard disk unit is collectively located in the first sliding slot and the third sliding slot . FIG. 5 FIG. 6 FIG. 5 FIG. 5 FIG. 6 FIG. 3 FIG. 3 11 201 201 200 201 450 401 440 441 442 441 430 442 440 441 210 313 300 441 430 440 430 440 is a partial exploded view of a server according to one embodiment of the disclosure, and is a top view of the hard-disk pulling device of . As shown in and , in the embodiment, the hard-disk pulling device of this embodiment and the hard-disk pulling device of are substantially the same, however, at least some differences of the hard-disk pulling device of this embodiment from that in are that, the second linking rod of the linkage mechanism is formed as a linear rod, rather than an L type body. Also, the first linking rod includes a curved portion and a linear portion . The curved portion and the hook portion are respectively located at two opposite ends of the linear portion of the first linking rod , and the curved portion is bent towards the first separating plate , and pivotally connected to one of the side surfaces of the cover member . More particular, the curved portion and the hook portion are directly located at two opposite ends of the first linking rod , respectively. For example, the hook portion is a curved structure that is integrally formed at the end of the first linking rod . FIG. 7A FIG. 7B FIG. 6 FIG. 6 FIG. 7A 201 300 300 120 230 300 440 450 450 300 440 430 430 300 120 300 440 450 450 300 440 430 430 120 300 - are continuous schematic views expressing the hard-disk pulling device of . As shown in and , when the user opens the cover member to rotate the cover member to expose the hard disk unit from the receiving space in a rotation direction C, the cover member pulls the first linking rod and the second linking rod , so that the second linking rod matches the moving direction of the cover member , that is, the first linking rod is rotated in the rotation direction C, and then the hook portion is pulled, so the hook portion starts to push in the direction of the cover member Hard disk unit . The cover member pulls the first linking rod and the second linking rod so that the second linking rod is moved in the moving direction of the cover member , that is, the first linking rod is rotated in the rotation direction C so as to pull the hook portion . Therefore, the hook portion starts to push the hard disk unit towards the cover member . FIG. 7A FIG. 7B 300 120 230 300 120 230 440 As shown in and , when the user continues to rotate the cover member to be further away from the hard disk unit in the receiving space , the cover member pulls one part of the hard disk unit out of the receiving space through the first linking rod . 220 100 210 100 110 210 210 100 210 220 110 More specifically, a plurality of the second separating plate are equidistantly and transversely arranged in the rack along the Y axis, and a plurality of the first separating plates are respectively arranged in the rack . In each of the accommodating units , two first separating plates are provided. These first separating plates are vertically arranged in the rack along the Z axis, and the first separating plates are attached to the second separating plate of another adjacent accommodating unit . Thus, through the construction of the embodiments above, the hard disk unit can be chosen to operate without a removable tray. Thus, even if the receiving space of the server rack is constant, the above-mentioned hard-disk pulling device can not only facilitate the withdrawing of the hard disk units but also improve the storing capacity of the hard disk units, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the server in providing information access services. Although the 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 disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
The history of Nigerian music is a rich and diverse one that spans several decades. Here is a brief overview of the key periods and styles in Nigerian music history: Pre-Colonial Era (Before 1900s) Nigerian music has a long and varied history that predates the arrival of European colonizers. Traditional Nigerian music is a product of the different ethnic groups that make up the country. The music was used for social and cultural events, as well as for religious purposes. Early Modern Era (1900s-1960s) With the advent of colonialism, Western music began to influence Nigerian music. Missionaries brought their hymns and choruses, and these were adapted to Nigerian rhythms and melodies. Highlife music, a genre that blends traditional Nigerian music with jazz and Western instruments, emerged in the 1930s and became very popular. Post-Independence Era (1960s-1980s) After Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the music industry began to flourish. Juju music, a genre that combines traditional Yoruba music with Western instruments, became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Other genres that emerged during this period include Afrobeat, which was created by Fela Kuti, and fuji music, which blends traditional Yoruba music with Islamic influences. Contemporary Era (1990s-Present) In the 1990s, Nigerian music began to undergo a transformation. Hip-hop and R&B began to influence Nigerian music, and genres such as Naija pop, which blends traditional Nigerian rhythms with Western pop music, emerged. Nigerian music has continued to evolve and grow in popularity, with artists such as Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy gaining international recognition. In conclusion, Nigerian music has a long and rich history that has been shaped by the country’s diverse ethnic groups and cultural influences. From traditional music to modern genres like Afrobeats, Nigerian music continues to inspire and entertain audiences around the world.	https://www.yabaloaded.com/history-of-nigerian-music/
Compiler v/s Interpreter A software program designed or used to perform tasks such as processing source code to machine code is known as a Language Processor. Interpreters, Compilers and Assemblers are the three primary types of a Language Processor. These Language processors are found in languages such as Fortran and COBOL. Let us confine our discussion to finding the differences between a compiler and an interpreter. Let’s first get familiar with these terms. Source Code: It is the code written in a high-level language, the language which is understandable by us humans. Machine Code: It is the code which the computer understands and it is written in binary i.e. 0’s and 1’s. And now for the conversion of a Source Code to a Machine Code, we either use a compiler or an interpreter. Both compilers and interpreters can perform this conversion. But the differences arise in the processes they follow, during this conversion i.e., based on their working. Compiler: A compiler reads a program written in the high-level language and converts it into the machine or low-level language. The entire source code gets converted at once, and after it’s done, the user gets the compiled code which can be executed. A compiler only after scanning the entire program generates the error message. while working with a compiler debugging becomes relatively difficult. The Parser is the first phase in the compiler which recognizes the syntax details of the language. It’s also famously known as the Lexical Analyzer. The Intermediate Code Generator module generates an equivalent intermediate code of the source code which can recognize Syntax errors. If something’s found wrong, it will produce an object code and an error message. If it doesn’t find any errors, the compiler converts the source code into machine code. The compiler links the various code files to programs such as .exe and the program finally runs. Compilers generally take a large amount of time to read and process the source code. However, the overall execution time is relatively faster than interpreters. Interpreter: An interpreter also reads the program written in high-level language and converts it into the machine code. The source code statements are analysed and executed line by line. Due to this reason, during the program development phase, an interpreter is preferred over a compiler. An interpreter doesn’t generate any intermediate code like a compiler; hence it is highly efficient in memory. It continuously converts the source code to machine code till it encounters the first error. Once an error is detected, it stops working and this makes debugging much easier. Interpreters usually take less amount of time to analyse the source code as it reads one line at a time, converts it and executes it. However, the overall execution time is comparatively slower than compilers. Interpreter performs most of the processes like lexing and type checking similar to a compiler. But instead of generating code from the syntax tree, it will try to directly process the syntax tree to access and execute the statements. The reason why an interpreter is comparatively slower in the execution of a program than a compiler is that it may have to repetitively process the same syntax tree. Throughout the discussion, we have seen that both the compiler and interpreter’s tasks are the same. But the dissimilarity is that a compiler will convert the code into machine code (create an exe) before the program runs and an interpreter converts the source code into machine code when the program is actually running.	https://www.i2tutorials.com/compiler-v-s-interpreter/
A scene layer is a type of layer that is optimized for displaying large amounts of 3D data in a scene. A scene layer displays one of five data types: points, point cloud , 3D object , building, or an integrated mesh. The scene layer complies with the Indexed 3D Scene layer (I3S) format. The I3S format is an open 3D content delivery format used to disseminate 3D GIS data to mobile, web, and desktop clients. Visualizing your information in 3D makes it easier to intuitively understand and experience geographic information in a realistic way. Even audiences unfamiliar with GIS can understand complex and detailed data by viewing it in a 3D scene on the web. Being able to capture the three-dimensional nature of objects in the real world allows you to analyze, measure, and query information with more precision. For example, you can analyze the development impact on a community or the impact of flooding. You can use scene layers in many different scenarios from 3D basemaps to modelling urban areas by visualizing buildings, trees, or bridges. The amount of detail in a scene layer will depend on your needs. For example, a building can be represented as a 3D object scene layer showing the outer shell of a building or as a building scene layer including all assets within the building, such as furniture or light fixtures. Scene layers are used by many ArcGIS applications such as Scene Viewer, ArcGIS Earth, and ArcGIS Pro. When shared to ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online, a scene layer becomes a web scene layer. Scene layers are cached to improve drawing performance. The cache contains different levels of detail (LODs); which LOD is used depends on the distance at which the data is being viewed. This means that when you zoom out and increase the distance to your features, the complexity of the 3D data is decreased as well. Below are common capabilities you can use with each type of scene layer. Scene Layer Capabilities \|Functionality\|\|3D object\|\|Building\|\|Integrated mesh\|\|Point\|\|Point cloud\| Symbology RGB textures Labeling Not available Not available Query Not available Pop-ups Not available Editing Not available Not available Geoprocessing Clip, Project, Line of Sight, Intervisibility, Extract Multipatch from Mesh Work with web scene layers You can share scene layers to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. Depending on the way the scene layer has been created, different capabilities are available for the different scene layer types. Web scene layers from a scene layer package A scene layer package (.slpk) contains the scene layer cache that can be published as a web scene layer. Use the Validate Scene Layer Package geoprocessing tool to evaluate a scene layer package file to determine its conformity to I3S specifications. Web scene layers generated from a scene layer package are shared from ArcGIS Pro by selecting the option to cache locally when configuring the web scene layer. For more information on sharing web scene layers, see Share a web scene layer. They can additionally be shared using the Create Building Scene Layer Package, Create Point Scene Layer Package, Create Point Cloud Scene Layer Package , Create 3D Object Scene Layer Package , Create Integrated Mesh Scene Layer Package, and the Share Package geoprocessing tools. Web scene layers with associated feature layers Feature-based scene layers such as 3D object, building, or point scene layers can retain the connection to the feature layer the scene layer was created from. For example, if all your building information is persisted in a multipatch feature class in your enterprise geodatabase, you can share by reference. The scene layer, together with the associated feature, build a unit, allowing you to maintain the scene layer by editing the geometry and attributes. Web scene layers that have an associated feature layer provide dynamic statistical information that you can use for symbology or definition queries. When you access the attribute table of the scene layer, the table from the associated feature layer will be displayed. The following table lists the ways to create and share a web scene layer. \|Source\|\|Share As\|\|Published Layer\| Scene Layer Package Web scene Share package tool Web scene layer Point Layer, 3D Object Feature Layer, Multipatch Layer, Building Layer Web layer or web scene layer with feature option checked Web scene layer with associated feature layer Point Layer, 3D Object Feature Layer, Multipatch Layer, Building Layer Web layer or web scene layer with feature option unchecked Web scene layer 3D object scene layers A 3D object scene layer can be used to represent and visualize objects such as buildings that are explicitly modeled in three dimensions. A 3D object scene layer is typically used to create large city models that can be shared. The objects can be displayed with textures or with color symbology, depending on the content that is being visualized. A 3D object scene layer is a true 3D object and only absolute height can be defined in the elevation properties. Building scene layers Building scene layers allow you to share building information across the ArcGIS platform. Building information is derived from a BIM (Building Information Modeling) model representing buildings. In the current release, you can use Revit data or feature classes created from the BIM File To Geodatabase geoprocessing tool to create a building scene layer. Integrated mesh scene layers Three-dimensional mesh data is typically captured by an automated process for constructing 3D objects out of large sets of overlapping imagery. The result integrates the original input image information as a textured mesh including 3D objects, such as buildings and trees, and elevation information. Integrated mesh scene layers are generally created for citywide 3D mapping. They are often captured by drone and cannot be restyled. Point cloud scene layer Point cloud scene layers provide fast display of large volumes of symbolized and filtered point cloud data. They are optimized for the display and sharing of many kinds of sensor data, including lidar. Point cloud scene layers help share 3D point cloud content across the platform. Point scene layers To ensure fast visualization in all clients, cached point scene layers are used to display large amounts of point data in ArcGIS Pro and a web scenes. For example, you can use a scene layer to display the trees in a city using preset layers. Point scene layers are automatically thinned to improve performance and visibility at greater distances. Automatic thinning means that not all features are displayed at greater distances. As you zoom in, additional features are displayed until you reach the highest level of detail, when all points will be shown.	https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/2.8/help/mapping/layer-properties/what-is-a-scene-layer-.htm
LETTERS: Ensure Africa free trade deal benefits all citizens Last week was a busy one for trade and development actors following the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area. But are such trade liberalisation agreements sufficient to address bottlenecks and barriers that continue to constrain economic growth and poverty elimination on the continent? Do African economies have the resources to implement what they are signed up for? And what is the role of development actors in mitigating the drawbacks of agreements they are supporting? These are all important questions, as it is in everyone’s interest that these agreements should leverage the highest and most inclusive economic benefit, and not benefit some at the expense of others. As we know, trade liberalisation will affect our economies in different ways. Vocal critics of free trade argue that removing all barriers and other protectionist measures will devastate economies, incite dumping, put enterprises out of business, displace communities, and shut factories. And yes, without appropriate planning, that might happen. LETTERS: More queries than answers from insurance figures Optimists cite more favorable trading opportunities, investment climate and economic growth as benefits to African Union membership. However, poor infrastructure, weak governance, pervasive insecurity, corruption are several potential drawbacks that may negatively impact government revenue, historically strategic sectors, and vulnerable smallholder farmers. Many opportunities exist to prepare weak African economies for trade liberalisation at the enabling environment level, sector level, enterprise level, and social level. For example, supporting investment in regional value chains and promoting inter-regional trade can expose and unlock the comparative advantages of economies. It can also facilitate regional distribution of agricultural inputs for increased agricultural production and profitability. Harmonising regional policy through legal and regulatory reform can give Africa and international investor’s access to larger markets on a regional basis, supporting economies of scale and cost competitiveness. Introducing a single, standardised document for customs clearance throughout the region will greatly help. Investing in technical and vocational education and training can help upgrade the skills of the labour force to meet the demands of the private sector. In Kenya, vocational education and training programmes are providing training in plumbing, electricity, cooking, welding, construction, masonry, automobile mechanics, and public works to supply needed skills to continue the our country’s rapid economic growth.Building the capacity of institutions in investment promotion and export development can help implement needed enabling environment reforms and sensitize the private sector to barriers lifted and opportunities created. The countries should simplify the tax payment structure and greatly streamline the business registration process, making it easier and less risky for investors to start operations and for the government to collect revenue. For example, in Rwanda you can register a company within six hours and start operations. Sector-based support for industries that have a comparative advantage will promote systemic changes for greater impact than supporting specific firms. Programmes supporting fruit, nut and vegetable agribusinesses in new product development, processing, and packaging technology while adding value will create great market of the farm produce. READ: Why Africa trade deal will be a game changerThey are also establishing export market linkages to help build competitiveness and exploit opening regional markets for agricultural products.Entrepreneurship programmes in the past proven to spur new sectors development, especially in the services industry, which many Africa economies still lag behind on. Such programs actively promote entrepreneurship development and the start-up of new businesses by creating awareness of how to transform creative ideas into business realities.Development actors need to maintain close communication with host-country policy-makers, the private sector, and civil society to make sure that their programming remains current and consistent with the needs of these economies. They should also leverage the increased capacity of host-countries’ public sectors, private sectors, and civil societies to create the needed momentum for increased and inclusive economic growth.	https://www.genghis-capital.com/newsfeed/letters-ensure-africa-free-trade-deal-benefits-all-citizens/
On Tuesday, August 20th and Wednesday, August 21st, District 91 conducted equity training for all its staff members. The equity training is part of an ongoing collaboration with the National Equity Project (NEP) based out of Oakland California. Over the two days, NEP facilitators took participants through a series of special group exercises designed to develop strategies focusing on issues of inequity including culture, race and different ability as they pertained to personal bias, classroom practices, and school and district structures. On Day 2, participants worked on specific equity-related tactics for their schools. Going forward, each school will have its own Equity Team and will continue training throughout the year as part of their professional development. NEP Vision Statement We believe that every child has the right to a quality education, and we support people to become leaders who make good on that promise. NEP Mission Statement - Our mission is to dramatically improve educational experiences, outcomes, and life options for students and families who have been historically underserved by their schools and district. - We work to build culture, conditions, and competencies for excellence and equity in districts, schools, classroom, non-profits, and communities. We work with partners across the U.S. and are always seeking new partners who are committed to achieving equity in education. - We offer deep, authentic, and supportive partnership, meeting our clients where they are through a range of customized coaching and consulting services. What NEP Offers District 91 The NEP possesses deep expertise in educational theory, pedagogy, cultural competency, racial justice and facilitation and mediation. We have a solid infrastructure, built and supported by inspired, super-competent leadership, a leadership that is diverse, forward-thinking, non-hierarchial - modeling the best of what District 91 wants in their schools. - Forest Park School District 91 - Equity Imperative Recognizing that systemic bias has plagued our educational system, we commit to nurturing dialogue around all issues of inequity, including culture, race, faith, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and different ability, as they pertain to classroom practices, school and district structures, and policies and procedures. We support actions removing barriers to opportunities that allow children to reach their full potential. Given this imperative, the District 91 Board of Education will: - Ensure that all board decisions consider disparities of those who have been marginalized in society; - Require the evaluation of the impact of all proposed programs, systems, curriculum, and instructional methods on marginalized groups and individuals; - Provide students with equitable resources, opportunities and supports; - Promote practices that attract and retain a qualified workforce, diverse in experiences, reflecting the demographic diversity of our students; - Ensure board members and staff receive training promoting an understanding of racial identity and cultural competencies, identifying and addressing implicit and explicit biases; - Provide a variety of opportunities to involve our diverse community members as active collaborators to ensure that all constituents can be involved and are welcomed to do so; and - Acknowledge and address possible inequities when adopting all board policies.	https://www.fpsd91.org/Page/1531
'Total return is the amount of value an investor earns from a security over a specific period, typically one year, when all distributions are reinvested. Total return is expressed as a percentage of the amount invested. For example, a total return of 20% means the security increased by 20% of its original value due to a price increase, distribution of dividends (if a stock), coupons (if a bond) or capital gains (if a fund). Total return is a strong measure of an investment’s overall performance.'Applying this definition to our asset in some examples: 'The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a useful measure of growth over multiple time periods. It can be thought of as the growth rate that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period.'Using this definition on our asset we see for example: 'Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index. Volatility can either be measured by using the standard deviation or variance between returns from that same security or market index. Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security. In the securities markets, volatility is often associated with big swings in either direction. For example, when the stock market rises and falls more than one percent over a sustained period of time, it is called a 'volatile' market.'Applying this definition to our asset in some examples: 'The downside volatility is similar to the volatility, or standard deviation, but only takes losing/negative periods into account.'Applying this definition to our asset in some examples: 'The Sharpe ratio (also known as the Sharpe index, the Sharpe measure, and the reward-to-variability ratio) is a way to examine the performance of an investment by adjusting for its risk. The ratio measures the excess return (or risk premium) per unit of deviation in an investment asset or a trading strategy, typically referred to as risk, named after William F. Sharpe.'Using this definition on our asset we see for example: 'The Sortino ratio measures the risk-adjusted return of an investment asset, portfolio, or strategy. It is a modification of the Sharpe ratio but penalizes only those returns falling below a user-specified target or required rate of return, while the Sharpe ratio penalizes both upside and downside volatility equally. Though both ratios measure an investment's risk-adjusted return, they do so in significantly different ways that will frequently lead to differing conclusions as to the true nature of the investment's return-generating efficiency. The Sortino ratio is used as a way to compare the risk-adjusted performance of programs with differing risk and return profiles. In general, risk-adjusted returns seek to normalize the risk across programs and then see which has the higher return unit per risk.'Which means for our asset as example: 'Ulcer Index is a method for measuring investment risk that addresses the real concerns of investors, unlike the widely used standard deviation of return. UI is a measure of the depth and duration of drawdowns in prices from earlier highs. Using Ulcer Index instead of standard deviation can lead to very different conclusions about investment risk and risk-adjusted return, especially when evaluating strategies that seek to avoid major declines in portfolio value (market timing, dynamic asset allocation, hedge funds, etc.). The Ulcer Index was originally developed in 1987. Since then, it has been widely recognized and adopted by the investment community. According to Nelson Freeburg, editor of Formula Research, Ulcer Index is “perhaps the most fully realized statistical portrait of risk there is.'Which means for our asset as example: 'Maximum drawdown is defined as the peak-to-trough decline of an investment during a specific period. It is usually quoted as a percentage of the peak value. The maximum drawdown can be calculated based on absolute returns, in order to identify strategies that suffer less during market downturns, such as low-volatility strategies. However, the maximum drawdown can also be calculated based on returns relative to a benchmark index, for identifying strategies that show steady outperformance over time.'Applying this definition to our asset in some examples: 'The Maximum Drawdown Duration is an extension of the Maximum Drawdown. However, this metric does not explain the drawdown in dollars or percentages, rather in days, weeks, or months. It is the length of time the account was in the Max Drawdown. A Max Drawdown measures a retrenchment from when an equity curve reaches a new high. It’s the maximum an account lost during that retrenchment. This method is applied because a valley can’t be measured until a new high occurs. Once the new high is reached, the percentage change from the old high to the bottom of the largest trough is recorded.'Which means for our asset as example: 'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.'Using this definition on our asset we see for example:	https://logical-invest.com/app/etf/rew/proshares-ultrashort-technology
A new study from researchers at MIT suggested that open windows and good heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are starting points for keeping classrooms safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is more to it, according to the study. Massachusetts (US), August 12 (ANI): A new study from researchers at MIT suggested that open windows and good heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are starting points for keeping classrooms safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is more to it, according to the study. The findings of the study were published in the journal 'Building and Environment'. The study showed how specific classroom configurations may affect air quality and necessitate additional measures, beyond HVAC use or open windows, to reduce the spread of aerosols -- those tiny, potentially Covid-carrying particles that can stay suspended in the air for hours. "There are sets of conditions where we found clearly there's a problem, and when you look at the predicted concentration of aerosols around other people in the room, in some cases it was much higher than what the [standard] models would say," Leon Glicksman said, an MIT architecture and engineering professor who is co-author of a new paper detailing the research. Indeed, the study showed that some circumstances can create a concentration of potentially problematic aerosols ranging from 50 to 150 per cent higher than the standard baseline concentration that experts regard as "well-mixed" indoors air. "It gets complicated, and it depends on the particular conditions of the room," Glicksman added. The authors of the paper are Gerhard K. Rencken and Emma K. Rutherford, MIT undergraduates who participated in the research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program with support from the MIT Energy Initiative; Nikhilesh Ghanta, a graduate student at MIT's Center for Computational Science and Engineering; John Kongoletos, a graduate student in the Building Technology Program at MIT and a fellow at MIT's Tata Center; and Glicksman, the senior author and a professor of building technology and mechanical engineering at MIT who has been studying air circulation issues for decades. The battle between vertical and horizontal SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is largely transmitted in airborne fashion via aerosols, which people exhale, and which can remain in the air for long periods of time if a room is not well-ventilated. Many indoor settings with limited airflow, including classrooms, could thus contain a relatively higher concentration of aerosols, including those exhaled by infected individuals. HVAC systems and open windows can help create "well-mixed" conditions, but in certain scenarios, additional ventilation methods may be needed to minimise SARS-Cov-2 aerosols. To conduct the study, the researchers used computational fluid dynamics -- sophisticated simulations of airflow -- to examine 14 different classroom ventilation scenarios, nine involving HVAC systems and five involving open windows. The research team also compared their modelling to past experimental results. One ideal scenario involves fresh air entering a classroom near ground level and moving steadily higher until it exits the room through ceiling vents. This process is aided by the fact that hot air rises, and people's body warmth naturally generates rising "heat plumes," which carry air toward ceiling vents, at the rate of about 0.15 meters per second. Given ceiling ventilation, then, the aim is to create upward vertical air movement to cycle air out of the room, while limiting horizontal air movement, which spreads aerosols among seated students. This is why wearing masks indoors makes sense: Masks limit the horizontal speed of exhaled aerosols, keeping those particles near heat plumes so the aerosols rise vertically, as the researchers observed in their simulations. "If you wear well-fitting masks, you suppress the velocity of the [breath] exhaust to the point where the air that comes out is carried by the plumes above the individuals," Glicksman said. "If it's a loose-fitting mask or no mask at all, the air comes out at a high enough horizontal velocity that it does not get captured by these rising plumes, and rises at much lower rates," Glisksman added. Two problematic scenarios But even so, the researchers found, complications can emerge. In their set of simulations focused on closed windows and HVAC use, airflow problems emerged in a simulated classroom in winter, with cold windows on the side. In this case, because the cold air near the windows naturally sinks, it disrupts the overall upward flow of classroom air, despite people's heat plumes. "Because of the cold air from the window, some air moves down," Glicksman said. "What we found in the simulations is, yes, a masked person's heat plume would rise toward the ceiling, but if a person is close to the window, the aerosols get up to the ceiling and in some cases get captured by that downward flow, and brought down to the breathing level in the room. And we found the colder the window is, the larger this problem is," Glicksman explained. In this scenario, someone infected with Covid-19 sitting near a window would be particularly likely to spread their aerosols around. But there are fixes for this problem: Among other things, placing heaters near cold windows limits their impact on classroom airflow. In the other set of simulations, involving open windows, additional issues became evident. While open windows are good for fresh air flow overall, the researchers did identify one problematic scenario: Horizontal air movement from open windows aligned with seating rows creates significant aerosol spread. The researchers suggested a simple fix for this problem: installing window baffles, fittings that can be set to deflect the air downward. By doing this, the cooler fresh air from outside will enter the classroom near the feet of its occupants, and help generate a better overall circulation pattern. "The advantage is, you bring the clean air in from outside to the floor, and then [by using baffles] you have something that starts to look like displacement ventilation, where again the warm air from individuals will draw the air upward, and it will move toward the ceiling," Glicksman said. "And again that's what we found when we did the simulations, the concentration of aerosol was much lower in those cases than if you just allow the air to come in directly horizontally," Glicksman added. The energy penalty In addition to the safety implications during the pandemic, Glicksman notes that better airflow in all classrooms has energy and environmental consequences. If an HVAC system alone is not creating optimal conditions inside a classroom, the temptation might be to crank up the system full blast, in hopes of creating greater flow. But that is both expensive and environmentally taxing. An alternate approach is to look for classroom-specific solutions -- like baffles or the use of high-efficiency filters in the recirculating HVAC air supply. "The more outside air you bring in, the lower the average concentration of these aerosols will be. But there's an energy penalty associated with it," Glicksman said. Glicksman also emphasised that the current study examines air quality under specific circumstances. The research also took place before the more transmissible Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus became prevalent. This development, Glicksman observed, reinforces the importance of "reducing the aerosol concentration level through masking and higher ventilation rates" throughout a given classroom, and especially underscored that "the local concentration in the breathing zone [near the heads of room occupants] should be minimised." And Glicksman emphasised that it would be useful to have more studies exploring the issues in depth. "What we've done is a limited study for particular forms of geometry in the classroom," Glicksman said. "It depends to some extent on what the particular conditions are. There is no one simple recipe for better airflow. What this really says is that we would like to see more research done," Glicksman concluded. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Now you know that some types of content and format on webpages can pose barriers for people with disabilities. The next steps are to develop an action plan to fix web content that is currently inaccessible and implement procedures to ensure that all new and modified web content is accessible. The website accessibility checklist included in this section helps you assess what needs to be done. Technology is changing, and many website designers are using creative and innovative ways to present web-based materials. These changes may involve new and different access problems and solutions for people with disabilities. This Chapter discusses just a few of the most common ways in which websites can pose barriers to access for people with disabilities. By using the resources listed at the end of this Chapter, you can learn to identify and address other barriers. In 2010, the DOJ issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) called the Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations. An ANPRM is not law but a published notice in the Federal Register used by an agency to feel out its proposal and get feedback/comments before making it a rule; It’s a prudent move by federal agencies to try and get everything right before making a law. An employer cannot require you to take a medical examination before you are offered a job. Following a job offer, an employer can condition the offer on your passing a required medical examination, but only if all entering employees for that job category have to take the examination. However, an employer cannot reject you because of information about your disability revealed by the medical examination, unless the reasons for rejection are job-related and necessary for the conduct of the employer's business. The employer cannot refuse to hire you because of your disability if you can perform the essential functions of the job with an accommodation. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life. Nice Article! It is very important to work under guidelines if you don’t want to get sued and don’t want to pay the penalties. But more importantly it is better to give each user hassle free user experience over your website. Being ADA Compliant means your website works well for people with disabilities and they can easily access and navigate your website. This title prohibits private places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Examples of public accommodations include privately-owned, leased or operated facilities like hotels, restaurants, retail merchants, doctor’s offices, golf courses, private schools, day care centers, health clubs, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and so on. This title sets the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of facilities. It also requires public accommodations to remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense. This title directs businesses to make "reasonable modifications" to their usual ways of doing things when serving people with disabilities. It also requires that they take steps necessary to communicate effectively with customers with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities. This title is regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice. This past September marked the first time a judge ruled that the ADA applies even to businesses without a physical location. Scribd, an e-book subscription service is considered to provide "a place of public accommodation." Their services are not accessible to blind persons because they cannot be read with a screen reader. The judge reasoned, "Now that the Internet plays such a critical role in the personal and professional lives of Americans, excluding disabled persons from access to covered entities that use it as their principal means of reaching the public would defeat the purpose of this important civil rights legislation." In 2018 alone, there were around 1,000 lawsuits related to website accessibility. Industries affected include e-commerce stores, restaurants, consumer goods companies and more. These lawsuits even impacted major corporations such as Hershey's, Burger King and Nike, to name a few. With no slowdown in lawsuits expected, it's essential that companies comply with ADA standards to avoid costly litigation and negative press. The truth is, this law does not require employees to change the job description of any position. This legislation is intended to target employers who will not hire, or make their offices accessible to, qualified people with disabilities. For example, a studio would not be required to hire a blind photographer, but they would be not be allowed to turn down a photographer who uses a wheelchair simply because they do not want to build a ramp. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, if the government entities receive federal funding, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 generally require that state and local governments provide qualified individuals with disabilities equal access to their programs, services, or activities unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of their programs, services, or activities or would impose an undue burden.2 One way to help meet these requirements is to ensure that government websites have accessible features for people with disabilities, using the simple steps described in this document. An agency with an inaccessible website may also meet its legal obligations by providing an alternative accessible way for citizens to use the programs or services, such as a staffed telephone information line. These alternatives, however, are unlikely to provide an equal degree of access in terms of hours of operation and the range of options and programs available. That’s good news if you are one of the many Americans who have a visual, hearing, or mobility disability that makes it difficult to access some information on the web. If you are a business owner who hasn’t made provisions to ensure that your website and other online assets are ADA compliant, you could be looking at a host of legal and financial penalties. With roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) was enacted in 1990. According to the National Network, it was designed to “prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public”. ADA law has changed significantly in the past 55 years, with the potential for more changes in the future.	https://pligghosting.com/ada-website-accessibility5/ada-law-and-interactive-process-ada-law-instagram.html
Aboriginal Australians have developed, and are bound by, highly complex belief systems that interconnects the land, spirituality, law, social life and care of the environment. These Traditional people share a common belief in the creation or “Dreaming”. The creation myths tell of legendary totemic beings who wander over the continent during the Dreamtime, singing out the name of everything that crossed their path – birds, animals, plants, rocks, waterholes – and so singing the world into existence. Many of the Dreamtime stories are presented as elaborate song cycles (Songlines). They provide the Aboriginal with a map, recording details of the landscape and expressing the relationship between the land and their people. Listening to the song of the land is the same as walking along the Songline and observing the land. A knowledgeable person is able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the song, which describe the location of landmarks, waterholes and other natural phenomena. The Songlines combine to form a labyrinth of invisible pathways which meander all over Australia. By singing the songs in the appropriate sequence, indigenous people could navigate vast distances, often travelling through the deserts of Australia’s interior. Some Songlines even span the lands of several different language groups. However, language is not a barrier to the Songline, because the melodic contour of the song describes the nature of the land over which the song passes. The rhythm is what is crucial to understand the song. The Songlines encompass spirituality, law and culture which ensures the continuity of all living things. Aboriginal people regard all land as sacred and according to tradition these songs must be continually sung to keep the land ‘alive’. Similarly, we can consider the Trail Guide’s ‘Dreamtime’ as a journey of realisation, discovery and understanding of ‘wilderness’ or ‘spirit of place’. It is a progression of ‘spontaneous intuitive insights’ or ‘enlightenment’. Something that can’t be learnt from a book, but develops with extended periods on Trail. Collectively we can contribute to Trail Guide’s Dreamtime by exploring ‘wilderness’ related concepts out on Trail and establishing an open forum for discussion amongst each other. This will allow us to revisit and share our Dreamtime, which will eventually develop into our own Songline. Think of the Trail Guide’s Songline as our message. Our personal definitions and feeling of how to facilitate a holistic Trail experience will differ. So too will our ‘style’ of delivering the message. Perhaps this can be compared to the different languages the Songline transcends. As long as the rhythm of our song (our message or ethos) is the same, we are building towards something that is much bigger than us. It is a collective contribution to a Trail Guide’s Culture. As Trail Guides, we are the traditional owners and carriers of our Songline and it must be continually sung to keep the culture ‘alive’.	https://www.lowveldtrails.co.za/trails-guide-dreamtime/
Organized by Louvre Abu Dhabi in partnership with Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet with the support of France Muséums, the exhibition will showcase the cultural and artistic exchange between the Chinese and Islamic civilizations from the 8th to the 18th century. Visitors will be able to explore cultural connections through more than 200 artworks from the collections of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Musée Guimet and 12 international museums and institutions, alongside a wide-ranging cultural program. Dragon and Phoenix places in dialogue artifacts from two worlds rich in culture, arts, and sciences: China (the dragon) and the Islamic world (the phoenix). The exhibition showcases the connections, artistic influences and remarkable untold stories of more than 800 years of exchange through land and sea trade routes, from the establishment of the first Arab merchant colonies in Canton in the 8th century until the beginning of the 18th century. Journeying from the Mashriq and the Arabian Peninsula through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean, and to China and Vietnam, the exhibition reveals a long and rich history of mutual admiration and influence reflected in both material and immaterial exchanges. Dragon and Phoenix particularly aims to highlight unconventional centers of artistic and cultural production. With both a physical exhibition at the museum and an online experience, it will shed light on how centuries of cultural exchange and the prolific artistic production between the two worlds reveal a dominance of coveted luxury materials and artworks between the 8th and 18th centuries. The exhibition is curated by Sophie Makariou, President of Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, with the support of Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director, and Guilhem André, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Chief Curator of Asian and Medieval arts. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, said, "Louvre Abu Dhabi and its esteemed partner museums have developed a well-deserved reputation for mounting world-class, incisive exhibitions that bring to light previously unknown or underestimated cultural interactions and exchanges. “Given Abu Dhabi’s location as a historical and ongoing crossroads for trade, art and culture, it seems especially fitting that this exhibition is being held here at Louvre Abu Dhabi." Manuel Rabaté, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said, "Dragon and Phoenix — Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds continues our mission of narrating stories of cultural connections, exploring exchanges between the Chinese and the Islamic worlds through the prolific artistic production of these cultures." Sophie Makariou, president of Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, said, "This exhibition tells the story of two civilizations — the Islamic and ancient Chinese worlds. The long history of exchange between these two cultural centers began in the aftermath of the Qur’anic revelation, with the establishment of Damascus, and continued unabated after the formation of the Islamic caliphate. “Until the 15th century, the trade routes, coined by Ferdinand von Richtofen as ‘The Silk Road’, were arduous but essential conduits of exchange between people, ideas, culture and products. Dragon and Phoenix — Centuries of Exchange between Chinese and Islamic Worlds tells the stories of these cultural exchanges which took place over eight centuries." Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said, "The exhibition reinforces the role of Louvre Abu Dhabi in highlighting transcultural relationships as well as the need to adopt novel approaches in the field of historical research. “For nearly a thousand years — from the 8th century to the threshold of the 18th century — these two cultures were entwined through trade, scientific curiosity, and artistic production. Each observed and inspired the other. Our story of mutual influence and inspiration ends deliberately at the cusp of the 18th century, when alternative models with a radically new aesthetic appeared." With more than 200 artifacts spread across five sections the first four following a historical timeline, and the fifth focusing on literary traditions of calligraphy and poetry Dragon and Phoenix showcases this history of a fluid global context of artistic and cultural exchanges in earlier times. The exhibition features a diversity of artworks, including paintings, silverware, ceramic, glassware, manuscripts and luxury fabrics, with an international repertoire combining Arab epigraphy, chinoiseries, lotuses, geometrical decoration, dragons, phoenixes and many other fantastic bestiaries. Dragon and Phoenix features artworks from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection, as well as loaned objects from Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, Musée du Louvre, Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Archives nationales, Cité de la céramique – Sèvres et Limoges, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Musée de Cluny – musée national du Moyen Âge, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, Musée national de la Renaissance – Château d’Ecouen, Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle, and Musée des Tissus de Lyon. The cultural program for Dragon and Phoenix is a sensory journey across the narrative of the exhibition and will present a variety events and projects including a hand-picked selection of weekend film screenings and Dragon Boats as a new seasonal offering, in addition to the current yoga and kayaking activities at the museum.	https://iqna.ir/en/news/3475678/louvre-abu-dhabi%E2%80%99s-new-dragon-and-phoenix-exhibition-to-explore-chinese-islamic-cultural-exchange
Dashoguz hosted the Friendship Festival of the peoples of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan from 16 to 17 November. A publicist Mikhail Stolonogov told CentralAsia.news about the cultural event and shared historical facts about the friendly relations between the two nations. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan foster dialogue of cultures The joint festival was very diverse, covering many facets of contemporary art, and allowed getting an idea of the achievements and development trends of national cultures. The scale of the event is illustrated by a great number of foreign guests who arrived in Dashoguz. A versatile programme was prepared for the participants of the cultural event, which included guided tours to the unique monuments of ancient oriental architecture in the Kunyaurgench State Historical and Cultural Reserve, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It also included concerts, performances, film festival, creative meetings and exhibitions. Foreign guests took an active part in a colourful Turkmen toy, which vividly illustrated the best national traditions of hospitality. Historical affinities of two peoples For many centuries, representatives of age-old cultures and civilizations have lived in the ancient lands of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This contributes to building a specific worldview of the two peoples, famous for kindness, peacefulness, openness and breadth and generosity of soul. For thousands of years, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, located on one of the busiest crossroads of the ancient and most important transcontinental trade routes, have contributed to establishing relations between different peoples and states of Asia and Europe. This largely influenced the formation of the unique history of the two peoples, which includes all stages of the evolution of mankind, civilizations, statehood, art, culture and architecture. The richest historical heritage of the two nations is an impressive part of the treasury of universal cultural values. This, undoubtedly, is an important factor for further development of national cultures and enrichment of the Turkmen-Uzbek dialogue in this area. The peoples of the two states have a huge potential for expanding large-scale bilateral cooperation in mutual interests.	http://en.centralasia.news/18082-turkmenistan-and-uzbekistan-strengthen-cultural-ties.html
When it comes to abundance, the stars we see at night (approximately 5,000) shine dimly compared to the number of plant and animal species in Virginia’s Piedmont, which may exceed 20,000, although the real number — if ever known — is almost certainly larger. If that’s surprising, it’s because the “big” species we usually see, like oak trees and deer, take up a lot more space in our minds than they do on a species roster. In reality, “small” organisms — fungi and insects, among others — represent life’s greatest diversity, numerically dwarfing their larger counterparts. These organisms, big and small, are never far. On a short walk, we might come across dozens or hundreds. Pill bugs, sumac bushes, and crows, for example, may not seem terribly interesting or consequential, but the Piedmont’s flora and fauna — known collectively as its biodiversity — are an absolute necessity for the area’s human residents. Working together, plants and animals keep soils fertile, pollinate fruits and vegetables, produce fresh air, keep water clean, and help regulate climate. In short, they maintain a local life-support system without which the Piedmont would be a wasteland. Although most of the region may look like a model of rural health, we know that its plants and animals are under intense pressure. How? Because species like the Rusty-patched Bumblebee and Purple Fringeless Orchid are telling us in the clearest way possible: by disappearing. And they are not alone. Once common birds like the Common Nighthawk, Northern Bobwhite, and Eastern Whip-poor-will are now scarce in the region. Other species are gone. Since European colonization, Virginia has likely lost 72 species. In the Piedmont, another 59 are in serious decline — more than at any other time in modern history. Some of these species range outside of the Piedmont and their downturns can’t be blamed entirely on local changes. Their dwindling numbers are symptomatic of a much larger problem. Human alterations to the planet have forced extinction rates into overdrive, reaching levels not seen for the last 65 million years. And if trends continue, half the world’s total plant and animal species could be facing extinction by the end of the century. This wouldn’t be a loss just for wildlife enthusiasts, it would be a loss for everyone who depends on traditional economic and agricultural practices. Like biodiversity itself, threats to flora and fauna vary by continent and region. In the Piedmont, there are many challenges, but experts agree that several rise above the others. Habitat Loss, Fragmentation, and Degradation During winter, local Wood Ducks spend months living in frigid water, impervious to conditions that would send us scrambling for shelter. Even so, we dismiss the feat with four words, “They’re used to it.” But what happens when “it” — the circumstances that animals and plants are accustomed to — change? Like us, their survival depends on a few basic requirements: food, water, shelter, and space. And when these conditions – known as habitat — deteriorate or disappear, they follow suit. In the Piedmont, this happens in several ways. The first, and most obvious, way is when habitat is destroyed for new construction. While some counties do a better job of restricting urban expansion than others, this has not stopped forests and fields from being converted into roadside malls, roads, and residential areas. New homes, of course, aren’t without greenspace; they have yards. But for wildlife, a well-manicured lawn, at best, offers little food, water, or shelter; at worst, it poses mortal risks when sprayed with pesticides, which kill pollinators like butterflies and bees. Multiplied across the landscape, habitat loss has a fragmenting effect, breaking large forests and grasslands into a patchwork of small, distinct spaces. In the Piedmont, these usually take the form of isolated woodlots among surrounding farms. Although they may look fine, these forests lack the critical mass necessary to maintain long-term health. They’re susceptible to invasive species and other threats, and slowly break down as their natural communities deteriorate. Habitat health isn’t just a forest issue. Given that farms cover much of the Piedmont, agricultural practices have a big impact on local biodiversity. Eastern Meadowlarks and many other grassland birds, for example, rely on local pasture for nesting sites. This can have deadly results, though, when fields are hayed before chicks fledge. Similarly, removing streamside forests and allowing cattle to graze and defecate in waterways is detrimental for aquatic species. The Dwarf wedgemussel, a freshwater mollusk, is already gone from Fauquier County, and eleven other mussel species are threatened in the region. Invasive Species If you think you know your neighbors well after a few years, imagine the relationships local plants and animals have after living together for millennia. These connections helped form a community that has flourished, in part, thanks to a natural system of checks and balances, maintaining native populations at sustainable levels. The Piedmont’s natural equilibrium, however, is in growing trouble thanks to the human-introduction of invasive species that don’t play by local rules. These species outcompete natives and multiply to nightmarish levels, upending the ecological fabric of our natural communities. They come in many forms. A fungus from China, the Chestnut blight, decimated the Piedmont’s Chestnut trees in the first half of the twentieth century. More recently, insects like the Emerald Ash-borer and Wooly Adelgid have begun killing off our Ash and Eastern Hemlock trees. Meanwhile, more than 80 species of invasive plants have besieged the Piedmont, sending destructive ripples throughout the food chain. For example, while caterpillars feast on native plants, they can starve on invasives. This means lower reproduction rates for Eastern Bluebirds and other songbirds that depend on caterpillars to feed their chicks in invasive-dominated areas. Making things worse, invasive plants have found unlikely allies among our native White-tailed Deer. Thanks to human influence, deer populations have surged across the Piedmont in recent decades — and their impact has been dramatic. Not only do deer inadvertently spread the sticky seeds of some invasive plants, their voracious grazing threatens the health of native forests and plants. Protecting the Piedmont’s Biodiversity Despite the challenges, local citizens and organizations are actively working to protect the Piedmont’s biodiversity. Piedmont landowners have put nearly 500,000 acres under conservation easement, protecting it from development. But there is still more to do and plenty of ways to make an impact. Create and Improve Habitat Most of the Piedmont is privately owned, which means that landowners have a large role to play in protecting biodiversity. Doing so is probably easier than you think. For starters, next time you feel compelled to tidy your lawn, relax. By leaving leaves, saving snags, and mowing a little less, you can improve habitat for local wildlife. If you want to do more, remove invasive species and plant natives. Remember, when it comes to protecting biodiversity, everything counts: a single oak tree can feed and provide shelter for hundreds of species. If you’re interested in a conservation easement or would like to improve wildlife habitat on your property, the Piedmont Environmental Council can help. If you own a farm and would like to protect streams and improve livestock health, reach out to the local Natural Resources and Conservation Service or John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District for support. The Virginia Department of Forestry can also provide stewardship recommendations to improve the health of your woodlot. Learn More Many organizations offer educational programs for children or adults. These include The Clifton Institute, Virginia Working Landscapes, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Friends of the Rappahannock, and Bull Run Mountains Conservancy. For more intensive training, sign up for the Virginia Master Naturalist training program. The Virginia Native Plant Society provides excellent online resources and the Virginia Department of Forestry offers identification guides to local trees and shrubs. Volunteer Locally Volunteering to support land stewardship and citizen science efforts is a great way to get involved. Opportunities are available with The Clifton Institute, Virginia Working Landscapes, Friends of the Rappahannock, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Leadership, and Bull Run Mountains Conservancy. By Jeremy Cox on March 18, 2020, Bay Journal In Virginia, climate change is about as welcome as ants at a picnic. But across a portion of the state’s southeast, ants are part of the problem. Since 1960, the annual average temperature in Virginia Beach, the region’s most populated city, has risen about 3 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That warming trend has opened the door for fire ants — normally living in more southerly areas — to gain a stubborn foothold in the state, Virginia agricultural officials say. And it’s growing larger. “It’s an unfortunate side effect” of climate change, said Eric Day, a Virginia Tech extension entomologist. “We have warmer winters and warmer summers, so it certainly makes for good conditions for fire ants.” The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced in December that it was expanding its fire ant quarantine to five new counties and two separate cities. With the addition, the quarantine now spans one or two counties deep along the North Carolina border from just west of Interstate 95 east to the Atlantic Ocean, an area nearly the size of Connecticut. The quarantine applies to both the black and red fire ant varieties, but the red is more commonly seen in Virginia, officials say. Both damage crops and deliver a nasty sting. Since their accidental transmittal from South America to the United States in the 1930s, red fire ants have spread across most of the Southeast from the marshy tip of Florida to the windswept plains of Oklahoma. When the first fire ant infestation was discovered in Virginia in 1989, agricultural officials blamed the interstate trade of plants and sod. They grew so widespread that by 2009 the state announced its first quarantine in the Hampton Roads region. It has become clear with their continued spread westward along the state’s southern border in recent years that colonies are now marching up from the South on their own, Day said. That shift points for the first time away from humans as a cause for their proliferation in the state and toward a new climate reality, he added. Fire ants resemble garden-variety ants, making them difficult to spot, experts say. Tell-tale signs of their presence are their mounds, which can reach up to 2 feet high and damage farm equipment. The ants themselves prey on corn, soybeans and other crops, causing further headaches for farmers. Their sting, though, may be their defining attribute. Anyone who unwittingly wanders into a nest typically emerges with a foot or leg stippled with burning welts that turn into itchy, white pimples that last for days. In extremely rare cases, the victim can suffer deadly anaphylactic shock. Christopher Brown, who works in purchasing and product development for the Lancaster Farms plant nursery in Suffolk, knows the sensation all too well. “It’s not like getting stung by a bee where it’s one sting and that’s it,” he said. “When you get bitten by a fire ant, you’re going to get bit five to 10 times depending on how long it takes you to realize you stepped on a fire ant mound.” Suffolk was one of the first areas to be quarantined in 2009. The designation prohibits transporting anything that can carry fire ants out of the area unless it is certified as ant-free. Regulated items include gardening soil, plants, sod, used farm equipment and freshly cut timber. At Lancaster Farms, workers blend an insecticide called Talstar into their pine bark potting material to kill any ants that may be there, Brown said. It takes a few cents’ worth of the chemical to treat each pot, he estimated; a 15-gallon pot includes about 10-cents’ worth. That expense adds up quickly because the nursery churns out hundreds of thousands of plants each year. “It’s a cost of business,” Brown said. Fire ants are at the vanguard of an army of pests expected to trudge northward as fossil fuel emissions continue heat up the planet during this century. A U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored study in 2005 predicted that warming temperatures will increase the “habitable area” for red fire ants by 21% by the end of this century, pushing their upper boundary about 80 miles northward. By some time between 2080–89, fire ants could occupy a swath of Virginia as far west as Roanoke and stretching along a line bearing northeast toward the District of Columbia, according to the study. Maryland and Delaware can expect to see their first invasions by that time as well, it says. Fire ants in VA Topic suggested by Barry Buschow Alabama Cooperative Extension System describes Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) as an aggressive invader of forestlands throughout the eastern United States. Boy is that an understatement! If my small plot of woodlands is any example, stilt grass is a never-ending juggernaut. But as the map below shows, I’m not alone in the Eastern United States in having stilt grass. The plant was accidentally introduced into the Tennessee around 1919 as a result of being used as a packing material in shipments of porcelain from China. Stilt grass is considered one of the most damaging invasive plant species in the United States. It is well adapted to low-light levels. Infestations spread rapidly with flowering and seed production in late summer. The seed can remain viable in the soil for up to five years. Infestations also impact the diversity of native species, reduce wildlife habitat, and disrupt important ecosystem functions. In particular, stilt grass can reduce growth and flowering of native species, suppress native plant communities, alter and suppress insect communities, slow plant succession and alter nutrient cycling. However, it does serve as a host plant for some native satyr butterflies, such as the Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius and the endangered Mitchell's Satyr Neonympha mitchellii (Wikipedia). Correct identification is necessary before beginning any management activities. Fortunately, Japanese stilt grass has a unique combination of characteristics that make field identification possible. A field guide published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System provides simple descriptions and clear pictures of these characteristics along with details on how to distinguish several common look-a-like species. Since Japanese stilt grass is an annual grass, the primary goal is to prevent it from producing seeds. Management techniques include hand pulling, mowing, spraying, burning, goats, and biological control. The New York Botanical Garden's website provides some simple tips on controlling stilt grass. However, choosing the right combination of control methods, applied at the right time, is important so as not to further damage the environment or ecosystem. For instance, the widespread use of herbicides has greatly contributed to wiping out native milkweed plants contibuting to the 80 percent decrease in monarch butterflies in the past 20 years. Everything has trade-offs. Happy pulling! Other References USDA Website \| \| The Reading Corner Books - Click Here Research - Click Here Field Guides - Click Here Nature in the News - Click Here Other Blogs VA Native Plant Society - click John Muir Laws' Blog - click Megan's Nature Nook - click Nine Nature Blogs to Follow - click Have a blog or blog idea? Let us know (click) What is a blog? Categories All Archives August 2021 Blog Administrator:	https://www.oldragmasternaturalists.org/ormn-blog/category/invasives
When a family experiences hunger, it means much more than missing one meal. It means not knowing when their next meal will be. Or having to decide between paying the electric bill or feeding your kids dinner. The stress of hunger impacts a person’s ability to learn and succeed, on the job and in the classroom. Right now, one in every eight families are experiencing hunger. But you can help these local families by volunteering. United Way of Greater Knoxville partners with local organizations to end hunger in our community. Check out the list below to find the right opportunity for you. 8 Ways to Volunteer to End Hunger 1. Collect non-perishable food Donating non-perishable food items or hosting a food drive in your neighborhood, at work or among friends is a great way to give back. Families experiencing hunger rely on donated food at food pantries to help them stretch their budgets. Tip: Focus on healthy foods like proteins and whole grains to help increase access to healthy food for local families. Or before you start the drive, call ahead to a pantry to find out what they need most. 2. Write a lawmaker Advocacy is a big asset to the anti-hunger movement. You can help keep anti-hunger programs in place and encourage lawmakers to pass policies that prioritize access to healthy foods for families. Here are a few suggestions on what to advocate for: Protect access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. SNAP provides access to food for those who cannot afford it. It's an important temporary lifeline for millions of Americans – mostly children, seniors and veterans – many of whom are in school or work but can’t make ends meet. Support the Child Nutrition program reauthorization. Call on Congress to protect and strengthen access to the Child Nutrition programs to ensure all kids can be healthy and thrive. Ask to increase funding for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a program that stabilize families when their incomes and assets are limited and ensure babies, mothers, children and families have access to nutritious food in tough times. 3. Sign up for a shift at a food bank Food banks need volunteers to sort donations, stock shelves, prepare meals and serve food. Giving back by donating your time, even if it’s only a few hours, will make you feel great and have a big impact for local families. Tip: Volunteer outside of the holiday season, for example in February or for your birthday, to spread the volunteer love throughout the year. 4. Join a backpack food event Most kids from families who are hungry receive free or reduced school lunches, and some receive breakfast too. But on the weekends and during the summer those kids miss those important meals. Backpack events create take home bags that give kids consistent access to the healthy, nutritious food they might otherwise miss. 5. Meal delivery to seniors For seniors who are ill or otherwise unable to go to the grocery store or a restaurant, a home delivered meal can be an important resource. These meals also help seniors in need maintain a well-balanced diet. Volunteers prepare and deliver meals to seniors and offer companionship when they do. 6. Help at a community garden Community gardens and farms are an important resource in providing healthier items, like fresh fruits and vegetables and eggs, to families who are hungry. Volunteer opportunities are often seasonal, but some farms do operate year round. 7. Pick up food from local stores and restaurants Sometimes food is still safe to eat but can no longer be sold in local grocery stores or at restaurants. Instead of throwing food out, stores and restaurants often donate it to local food pantries and food banks. Volunteers can help collect those items and transport them to local organizations. 8. Donate Don’t have time to volunteer? Donate! United Way of Greater Knoxville works with many local organizations who lead the fight against hunger. By donating you are amplifying our collective impact in the community. For example, a local food pantry can stretch five dollars into twenty dollars through bulk purchasing. You can also combine donations with any of the volunteer ideas above. For example if you are hosting a food drive, ask everyone to donate one dollar with every item they bring in. Going the extra step can make a tremendous impact and build a stronger community!	https://unitedtoact.org/unitedwayknox/8-volunteer-ideas-to-help-end-hunger
Native American Cultures Young scholars examine artifacts and pieces of art from various Native American cultures. Using the internet, they research the culture that the artifact came from in more detail noting their lifestyle and contributions to the culture itself. They develop questions related to the connection between art and culture. 31 Views 48 Downloads Concepts Resource Details Start Your Free Trial Save time and discover engaging curriculum for your classroom. Reviewed and rated by trusted, credentialed teachers.Try It Free New Review Native American Literature Celebrate and honor Native American culture with this set of graphic organizers that showcases literature like The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses and A Boy Called Slow as well as three other Native American literature books. Learners compare... 4th - 6th English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable Native Americans of the Chesapeake Bay: Using Primary vs. Secondary Sources Discover the rich Native American culture that existed at the time of early European exploration into the Chesapeake region through analysis of several primary and secondary sources. 4th - 5th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable Idea Book – For Creating Lessons and Units About American Indians Augment a unit on the traditions and legacies of Native Americans with an informational packet. With pages that detail the tribal origins of commonly used words, a list of ways that Native American customs influenced American democracy,... 2nd - 8th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable A Life in Beads: The Stories a Plains Dress Can Tell Young learners discover how the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes preserved native culture through the making of traditional dresses, identifying the resources used to make the dresses and discussing behind the meaning behind some American... 4th - 6th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable What Impact did European Explorers have on the Native American Culture? Engage your fifth graders in a Socratic discussion on the impact European explorers had on Native American culture. Everything is outlined in a highly structured fashion, from what the teacher does, to what the student does. The lesson... 5th English Language Arts CCSS: Designed To Honor & Comfort Native Quilting Traditions "Native American history leaps boldly off the colorful quilts and patchwork designs." Learners discuss Native American identity and symbolism by reading about a variety of Native quilters and their unique art process, and participate in... 4th - 8th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable Features of Culture Explore the melting pot in your own classroom with a lesson that focuses on cultural beliefs, traditions, and traits. Middle and high schoolers examine the details of their own identified cultures before sharing them with peers, and... 6th - 12th Social Studies & History CCSS: Adaptable Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct... 4th - 6th Social Studies & History Native American Cultures There is a lot to this Native American exploration plan, delve into it! A WebQuest focuses research with 3 expeditions (printable if resources dictate). Scholars keep track of findings on a KWL chart (consider a more note-taking specific... 6th - 8th Social Studies & History Introducing Culture Growing up within a culture leaves a lot of ideas and values unspoken. Take a closer look at the cultures in which your learners live with a discussion activity that addresses cultural identity and traits of those living within the...	https://www.lessonplanet.com/teachers/native-american-cultures-5th-8th
- Think about a special occasion speech that you would like to present on a topic of your choice. - The speech can be for any context and any length, but the purpose must be to commemorate an occasion. See the list of example occasions for inspiration. - Download and answer each question in the Unit 1 Touchstone Template based on the speech you are thinking of: Touchstone1Template.doc - Consider your audience, purpose, and thesis. Answer each of the questions related to audience, purpose, and thesis. Answer in detail, using complete sentences. - Review the rubric to ensure that you understand how you will be evaluated. Contact a Sophia learning coach with any questions. - Review the checklist and requirements to ensure that your Touchstone is complete. - Submit your completed Unit 1 Touchstone Template on Sophia.	https://smartacademicwriting.com/2021/03/22/think-about-a-special-occasion-speech-that-you-would-like-to-present-on-a-topic-of-your-choice/
Some of the immediate effects of traumatic brain injuries are noticeable once a victim has sustained such an injury. Severe brain injuries cause loss of consciousness and coma, which are generally graded using the Glasgow Coma Scale to establish the severity of the brain injury. Short-term side effects of such injuries can include short-term hospitalization and rehabilitation. These short-term consequences are the result of side effects that doctors can observe through extensive medical testing shortly after the injury occurs and in the weeks following the injury. However, while new research may allow medical professionals to better diagnose traumatic brain injuries and predict their immediate consequences, it is still extremely difficult to anticipate the long-term side effects of traumatic brain injuries. Many of the long-term side effects do not manifest until weeks, months, years, or even decades after an injury has occurred. Unfortunately, medical science has little research to allow medical professionals to accurately predict how a traumatic brain injury will affect a specific individual. However, research ahs shown some of the more common effects that traumatic brain injuries – especially repeated injuries – can have on victims. It is important to keep these potential long-term side effects in mind when planning for a victim’s care, or when pursuing compensation from someone that caused such an injury. Brainline.org provides some information on the potential long-term side effects of moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries so that families and victims can plan accordingly. Anticipating Long-Term Effects According to the Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center, there is no uniform traumatic brain injury. The extent of a traumatic brain injury is dependent upon the individual circumstances surrounding the injury, including: - Severity of the initial injury; - Rate and completeness of physiological healing; - Types of functions affected; - Meaning of dysfunction in the individual’s life, in the context of his/her roles, values, and goals; and - Resources available to aid the recovery of function, etc. Basically, many factors must be considered in trying to anticipate the long-term side effects a particular traumatic brain injury might have. It is often impossible to ascertain what long-term effects will remain from the initial injury until a victim has finished their initial recovery period, which could take months or years. When the initial recovery period has been completed, medical professionals can gain a better understanding of any lingering deficits that stem from the injury. By studying these deficits, it may sometimes be possible to determine if any other impairments may surface later in life as a result of the injury. Thinking and Cognition A typical lasting effect of a traumatic brain injury can often be seen in a victim’s cognitive function. Often, people that have sustained moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries experience problems with executive functions. Executive functions refer to the procedure of complex processing of large amounts of detailed information from the world around us. Thus, victims may have difficulty with some of the following tasks: - Keeping track of time; - Coordinating complex events; - Planning ahead; and - Making decisions involving substantial outside information. Individuals may seem easily overwhelmed with otherwise routine tasks, or when a routine is interrupted for some reason. It may take them longer to speak or make a point, and they may take more time for problem-solving and other higher-order cognitive processes. Some individuals may be able to use rehabilitation services to find ways to compensate for these difficulties, while the damage in others may be severe enough to require constant assistance with certain tasks. Behavior and Mood A victim’s personality can be subtly or or substantially altered by a traumatic brain injury. Such alterations in a victim’s behavior may have a serious impact on the victim’s loved ones, as it may alter how the victim behaves on a regular basis. Some of the characteristics of a victim may no longer be the same, and a victim can also engage in distinctly different behaviors than they may have previously engaged in. For example, some victims may exhibit dependent behaviors while others lack inhibition they once had in social situations. Some victims may be irritable or aggressive while others may become docile and withdrawn. Many victims have difficulty in adapting their pattern of behavior to appropriately fit a given social situation. All of these changes in mood and behavior can be emotionally challenging for the victim’s loved ones, especially because many victims may not be aware of the difference between who they once were and who they are now. Sensory and Other Changes Victims may also experience changes in vision. Vision may become reduced or blurred, or victims may have trouble interpreting a visual stimulus. Other senses may also be affected. Hearing, touch, smell, and taste can all be affected by a traumatic brain injury because they are all functions routed through the brain. An individual may become overly sensitive to a particular smell or fabric, or their taste in food could completely change from what it was prior to the injury. Some victims also experience seizures and other complications that result from extensive damage to the nervous system as a result of traumatic brain injury. Planning for Challenges Traumatic brain injuries are extremely challenging for victims and their families. Many side effects of moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries require long-term care that may involve medical professionals. Initial treatment can be costly and have a significant impact on a family’s financial resources. When traumatic brain injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence, or are made worse because they were improperly diagnosed by a medical professional, victims and their families may be eligible to seek compensation to help offset large out-of-pocket medical costs that may accompany such injuries. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti to schedule a consultation about your possible case today, and find out what option are available to you based on the circumstances of the injury in question.	https://www.chicagobraininjurylawyerblog.com/anticipating-long-term-side-effects-traumatic-brain-injury/
A service center is an operating unit that provides services, typically within the Emory community. Users are charged for actual usage of services at a rate based on direct costs. A recharge is a way to charge internally (i.e., between units/departments) when the costs of providing goods/services are recovered through recharge rates. Additionally, recharges are typically not institution-wide. There are a few general scenarios that suggest the need for a rate change: - Consistent over/underrecovery (recovering too much or too little money) - There is a change in the unit type used to calculate the rate (i.e., from per hour to per test) - There has been a change in how the costs are allocated You should also analyze actual activity from the prior year in order to effectively assess whether your rates seem accurate. Submit a service center rate proposal to the Cost Accounting team as soon as you've confirmed the need to change your rate. Be sure to check out the template and checklist we offer as resources. A rate renewal is required two years after your previous rate approval date. Although the preference is for rates to be submitted after a core activity is approved, in some cases they can be submitted ahead of time. Please contact us for more details. Unallowable Costs Including unallowable expenses in your rate calculation is against policy and can lead to a compliance issue. Rates cannot be approved until the unallowable expenses are removed from the calculation. Capital equipment cannot be charged to a service center but the equipment's depreciation can be charged. A depreciation schedule should be included in your submission whenever new equipment is added to your activity. Additionally, rates should be revised if the equipment cost(s) impact the activity. Keep in mind that you can use a separate speedtype to purchase new equipment. This provides transparency and ease for accounting and/or reconciliation purposes. Equipment depreciation should not be included if all or part of the equipment was paid for by the federal government or if it is already included in the F&A rate. Administrative effort should not be included in your rate calculation if it is not directly related to the service center activity. For example, a Department Administrator's time most likely would not be factored into the rate(s) since it's unlikely for any or a portion of their time to be allocated to a specific activity. However, if any of their effort can be directly attributed to the activity, it should be factored into the rate(s). Billing Service center revenue should post to account 8XXXX under fund 2614. Typically, the speedtype/smartkey and project number should remain consistent. Internal customers include other Emory departments and campuses. External customers include institutions outside of Emory, faculty, staff, students, non-federal entities, and industry clients. If you provide service to entities outside of Emory, you should collect sales tax. If the operations include providing a service, procedures should be established for the purpose of tracking time. This ensures that you are billing for the work accurately. Examples include performing time studies or using timesheets to capture how much effort is related to the service being offered. Other Normally a service center should break-even so there wouldn’t be a balance to transfer. If a deficit was built from overcharging internal customers with rates that were too high, it wouldn’t be appropriate to address the deficit with capital from another service center. However, if the balance resulted from charging higher rates to external customers, it can be used to cover another service center’s deficit. Software that costs over $5K is capitalized and therefore should be depreciated. Since the useful life for software is 10 years, the depreciation start date would be the date actual usage of the software began and those costs would be straight-lined over that period of time (with partial months being prorated). This avoids a large increase in your rate(s). An example that includes partial month prorating is below: Total cost of software/equipment is $405,000. Useful life for software/equipment is 10 yrs aka 120 mos (10 yrs x 12 mos per yr). Usage of software/equipment began on 2/18/21 so the depreciation duration will be 2/18/21 – 2/17/31. Note: Usage begins within the month, not at the beginning, so both the first and final mos of depreciation will be prorated. How to calculate the monthly expense for full months (Mar 2021 – Jan 2031): - $405,000 / 10 yrs = $40,500 per yr - $40,500 / 12 mos = $3,375 per mo - $3,375 x 119 mos = $401,625.00 in total How to calculate the monthly expense for partial/prorated months: (Feb 2021) - 2/18/21 - 2/28/21 (11 days out of 28 days) - $3,375 / 28 days = $120.54 per day - $120.54 x 11 days = $1,325.89 in total (Feb 2031) - 2/1/31 – 2/17/31 (17 days out of 28 days) - $120.54 x 17 days = $2,049.11 in total - $401,625.00 + $1,325.89 + $2,049.11 = $405,000.00 Remember to make sure your depreciation total is equal to your total cost.	https://rbo.emory.edu/cost-studies/faqs.html
The invention provides a vehicle-mounted storage battery charging method and device and an electric vehicle, and relates to the field of vehicle-mounted storage batteries. The vehicle-mounted storage battery charging method comprises the following steps: acquiring the residual electric quantity of a low-voltage battery; judging whether the low-voltage battery needs to be wirelessly charged according to the residual electric quantity of the low-voltage battery; and after determining that the low-voltage battery needs to be charged, determining a wireless charging mode according to the state of the vehicle. According to the vehicle-mounted storage battery charging method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the low-voltage system is completely isolated from the high-voltage system, and electric energy can be obtained from external charging besides the high-voltage power battery; and the integrated chip controls the charging mode and the discharging mode of the low-voltage storage battery. A battery management system BMS constant power is canceled, and the low-voltage whole vehicle network controller is awakened by a low-voltage storage battery controller. The problem that the low-voltage storage battery system lacks electricity is solved, the low-voltage system is isolated from high voltage, and the safety of the vehicle is improved.
Highfive BMS implements the following functions: (1) Measurement of battery terminal voltage (2) Energy balance between the cells of a single battery: It is the equilibrium charging for the single battery, which makes every battery in the pack can reach the equilibrium state. The balance technology is the key technology of a battery energy management system, that is being studied and developed in the world. (3) Measuring the total voltage of the battery pack (4) Measurement of total current in battery pack (5) SOC calculation Accurately estimate the State of Charge (SOC) of the power battery pack, that is the remaining capacity of the battery, ensure that SOC is to be kept within a reasonable range, and prevent battery damage due to over charge or over discharge. (6) Dynamic monitoring of the working state of the power cell group: During battery charging and discharging, the terminal voltage and temperature, charge and discharge current and battery total voltage of each battery in real time, and prevent battery from overcharging or overdischarging. (7) Real time data display (8) Data recording and analysis At the same time, abnormal battery must be selected out and replace one to maintain the reliability and efficiency of the whole battery pack operation.	http://hiedesign.com/index.php/bms-2/
The objective of this thesis is to investigate the use of CFD methods to evaluate the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle. CFD methods, in some cases can be used as a substitute to physical testing if verified workflows are used. They can be used for rapid evaluation of design changes without the delays caused by wind tunnel testing. In this study various models such as the Ahmed body, DrivAer model, AeroSUV model, GTU model, full-scale trailer truck model has been simulated at various conditions. The first study was with the simplified model of an automobile referred to as, the Ahmed body which is a crude representation of the variation of the C-pillar slant angles. Next, more detailed models known as the DrivAer, AeroSUV and GTU which are detailed modular models of a sedan, an SUV, and a pick-up truck class of vehicles in various combinations of configurations, were simulated. All three models also include an open engine bay configuration which has a simplified engine, transmission, and exhaust system. The radiator is replaced with a simple cuboid porous area to simulate the velocity drop. Finally, the aerodynamic performance of a full-scale trailer truck and a simple drag reducing device like a cabin air deflector and its effect on the drag coefficient were analyzed. Moreover, a homogenous platooning scenario, of trucks trailers where the trucks are moving at a distance of 5m between each other was investigated. Recommended Citation Gopala, Anirudh, "A Study of Automotive Aerodynamics Using CFD" (2021). Graduate Theses. 2.	https://digitalcommons.kettering.edu/graduate_theses/2/
MSI performs design and comprehensive analysis of centrifugal and axial compressors of all sizes and horsepower. Markets served include energy, oil & gas, aerospace & defense, and automotive, among others. MSI performs 3-D finite element analysis of stress, deflection, and vibration. CFD is used to perform aerodynamics evaluation from meanline performance analysis to complex analyses of primary and secondary flow fields through all stationary and rotating components. Detailed experimental evaluations can also be performed in the field or in MSI’s laboratory test rigs. Testing capabilities include performance and efficiency quantification, nozzle load stresses, rotor pressure and stress oscillation as reported by multi-channel telemetry, vibration modal testing and vibration operating deflection shapes (ODS) testing. MSI was contracted by a customer to investigate a series of blade cracking problems in a compressor impeller. An FEA model of the impeller was created to perform a natural frequency modal analysis.	https://www.mechsol.com/applications/equipment-served/industrial-rotating-machinery/compressors/
2011 US GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy The 2011 Taxonomy contains updates for accounting standards and other improvements since the 2009 Taxonomy as used by issuers filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Financial Accounting Standards Board issued proposed improvements to the taxonomy in the fall of 2010, allowing users of the taxonomy to provide feedback on the updates and the opportunity to become familiar with and to incorporate new element names for their filings. We encourage users to read the release notes and other provided guidance and supporting documents, which contain the details of these changes. Questions about using this taxonomy for creating and submitting eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) tagged interactive data files in compliance with SEC rules should be directed to the SEC Office of Interactive Disclosure. SEC contact details and guidance are available at the SEC’s portal on XBRL. The SEC currently supported taxonomies are listed on the "Standard Taxonomies" page. You can view the taxonomy through the entry points provided below or download the entire taxonomy for use in your software tool of choice. Taxonomy View To view the taxonomy, select one of the links below. The 'Entire 2011 US GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy’ choice will provide you with a complete 2011 Taxonomy and is the recommended view regardless of industry. Use the industry specific links for a filtered view to aid taxonomy navigation. These industry views do not include all elements that you may find relevant for your particular filing. We have included guidance for using the taxonomy viewer/commenting tool.	http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/Page/SectionPage&cid=1176158877609
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION TECHNICAL FIELD BACKGROUND ART SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 1. Description of Overall Configuration [Overall Configuration] [Power System] [Various Sensors] 32 [Mode Selector Switch ] 34 [ECU ] 2. Control of the Present Embodiment (1) Calculation of Basic Drive Force Fb (2) Setting Vehicle Speed Upper Limit Value Vmax (3) Calculation of Target Drive Force Ftar 14 (4) Control of Inverter 3. Relationship Between Vehicle Speed Upper Limit Value Vmax and Traveling Mode M (2) When S Mode Switches to E Mode 4. Advantages of the Present Embodiment 5. Modifications This is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/518,322, filed Jun. 21, 2012, which is a National Phase Entry of International Application No. PCT/JP2011/074430, filed Oct. 24, 2011, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-252051, filed Nov. 10, 2010. The disclosures of the prior applications are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. The present invention relates to an electric vehicle propelled by an electromotive force generated by an electric motor when the electric motor is supplied with electric power from an electric energy storage device. One technology that is concerned with electric vehicles is a technology for controlling a propulsive motor (electric motor). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,455 (hereinafter referred to as “U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,455A”) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-121405 (hereinafter referred to as “JP06-121405A”). o 1 According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,455A, the maximum speed of an electric vehicle is limited based on a traveling state and a manipulated state of the vehicle, and a remaining battery power level (see, column 6, line 29 through column 7, line 58, and FIGS. 2 through 10). More specifically, a condition is set as to whether a maximum speed control process, an acceleration control process, or both of such processes should be performed, based on the traveling state and manipulated state of the vehicle (see, column 6, line 64 through column 7, line 7, and FIG. 10). In addition, if the maximum speed control process is performed, then a maximum limit speed (V) is set depending on the remaining battery power level (DODs) (see, column 6, lines 29 through 34, and FIG. 7(a)). If the remaining battery power level drops to a preset value (DOD) (S31: YES), and if the driver enters a signal indicating that a traveling performance limit control process should be performed (S34: YES), then the maximum speed control process is performed depending on the settings (S39: YES, and subsequent steps) (see, column 7, line 44 through column 8, line 14). According to JP06-121405A, an electric vehicle is disclosed, which is capable of selecting a driving performance-oriented power mode and a highly efficient driving-oriented economy mode (see, paragraph [0006]). More specifically, a field current is set depending on the rotational speed of an AC motor in the power mode, and a field current is set depending on the torque command in the economy mode (see, Abstract). For switching between the power mode and the economy mode, a mode switching device (13) may be used (see, paragraph [0007]), or an automatic mode switcher (22) may be used (see, paragraph [0012]). When the mode switching device is used, a low-pass filter (20) prevents a field current command from changing too quickly (see, paragraph [0010]). For switching between traveling modes, the automatic mode switcher weights the economy mode and the power mode depending on a depth to which the accelerator pedal is depressed (see, paragraph [0012]). In addition, a membership function may be used to smoothly switch between traveling modes (see, paragraph [0012]). A practice also is known in which three or more traveling modes are provided. See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-302055 (hereinafter referred to as “JP2007-302055A”). 0 According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,455A, although the maximum limit speed (V) (vehicle speed upper limit value) is set to a certain set value, the maximum limit speed is set in relation to a remaining battery power level (DODs), as shown in FIG. 7(a), and plural traveling modes are not taken into account. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vehicle, which is capable of appropriately controlling an electric motor in the presence of a plurality of traveling modes. According to the present invention, there is provided an electric vehicle propelled by motive power generated by an electric motor when the electric motor is supplied with electric power from an electric energy storage device, comprising selectable traveling modes having different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, the traveling modes including a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode, the second traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value smaller than the first traveling mode. The second traveling mode is a traveling mode in which priority is given to a traveled distance per unit amount of electric power consumption. If a traveling mode with a greater vehicle speed upper limit value is switched to a traveling mode with a smaller vehicle speed upper limit value, and if an actual vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode, a vehicle speed gradual reduction control process may be performed to gradually reduce the vehicle speed to the vehicle speed upper limit value after switching of the traveling mode. The aforementioned traveling modes, which have different vehicle speed upper limit values for the electric vehicle, may also include a third traveling mode having a vehicle speed upper limit value greater than the first traveling mode and the second traveling mode. An absolute value of a vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient, which is representative of a reduced degree of the actual vehicle speed in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, may be set to a greater value when the third traveling mode is switched to the second traveling mode than when the third traveling mode is switched to the first traveling mode. A gradual reduction upper limit value, which is representative of the vehicle speed upper limit value used in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, may be set from the actual vehicle speed depending on the vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient. The gradual reduction upper limit value may be reduced depending on the actual vehicle speed, if the actual vehicle speed becomes lower than the gradual reduction upper limit value during the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process. FIG. 1 10 10 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 34 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a “vehicle ”) includes a propulsive motor (hereinafter referred to as a “motor ”), an inverter , a battery , an accelerator pedal , an opening sensor , a vehicle speed sensor , an acceleration sensor , current sensors and , a resolver , a mode selector switch , and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as an “ECU ”). 12 10 16 14 12 16 16 The motor is a three-phase AC brushless motor, which generates a drive force F [N] (or a torque [N·m]) for the vehicle based on electric power that is supplied from the battery through the inverter . The motor also regenerates electric power (regenerative electric power Preg) [W], which is output to the battery in order to charge the battery . The regenerative electric power Preg may also be output to other accessories (not shown). 14 12 14 12 16 The inverter , which comprises a three-phase bridged structure, performs DC/AC conversion to convert a direct current into a three-phase alternating current, and to supply the three-phase alternating current to the motor . The inverter also serves to convert a three-phase alternating current generated in a regenerative mode of the motor into a direct current, and to supply the direct current to the battery . 16 16 16 14 16 16 12 The battery comprises an electric energy storage device including a plurality of battery cells. The battery may be a lithium ion secondary battery, a nickel hydrogen secondary battery, or a capacitor. In the present embodiment, the battery is a lithium ion secondary battery. A DC/DC converter may be connected between the inverter and the battery for stepping up or stepping down the output voltage of the battery or the output voltage of the motor . 20 18 34 22 10 34 24 10 34 The opening sensor detects the depth (accelerator opening θp) [°] to which the accelerator pedal is depressed from the original position thereof, and outputs the detected accelerator opening θp to the ECU . The vehicle speed sensor detects an actual vehicle speed V [km/h] of the vehicle , and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the ECU . The acceleration sensor detects an acceleration ΔaV [km/h] of the vehicle , and outputs the detected acceleration ΔaV to the ECU . 26 12 34 28 12 34 26 28 26 28 12 26 28 12 34 The current sensor detects a U-phase current (U-phase current Iu) of the motor , and outputs the U-phase current Iu to the ECU . Similarly, the current sensor detects a W-phase current (W-phase current Iw) of the motor , and outputs the W-phase current I2 to the ECU . The current sensors and may detect currents in a combination of phases other than a combination of U and W phases, insofar as the current sensors and are capable of detecting currents in two of the three phases of the motor . In addition to the current sensors and , another current sensor may be added for detecting a V-phase current (V-phase current Iv) of the motor , and for outputting the V-phase current Iv to the ECU . 30 8 12 12 12 8 34 The resolver detects an electric angle , which is representative of the angular displacement of an output shaft (not shown) of the motor , or the angular displacement of a rotor (not shown) of the motor , i.e., an angular displacement in a fixed coordinate system of the rotor with respect to a stator (not shown) of the motor , and outputs the electric angle to the ECU . 32 10 32 34 The mode selector switch is capable of switching between traveling modes of the vehicle , i.e., a normal mode (hereinafter referred to as an “N mode”), an economy mode (hereinafter referred to as an “E mode”), and a sport mode (hereinafter referred to as an “S mode”). The mode selector switch indicates whatever mode is currently selected to the ECU . The N mode represents a standard traveling mode, in which a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1 [km/h] is set as an upper limit value (set value) for the vehicle speed V. 10 10 10 The E mode represents a traveling mode in which higher priority is given to electric power consumption of the vehicle than in the N mode or in the S mode. The E mode also has a lower output response of the vehicle than in the N mode or in the E mode. Electric power consumption is signified by a distance [km/kWh] that the vehicle travels per unit amount of electric power consumption, and may be referred to as an amount of electric power consumption per traveled distance [kWh/km]. In the E mode, a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax2 [km/h] is set as an upper limit value (set value) for the vehicle speed V. The vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax2 in the E mode is lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1 in the N mode or the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 in the S mode (Vmax3>Vmax1>Vmax2). In the E mode, other settings can be changed in comparison with such settings in the N mode and the S mode. For example, as disclosed in JP2007-302055A, settings can be changed concerning the damping force of a variable-damping-force damper, the level of intervention under yaw control based on a distribution of front, rear, left, and right wheel braking forces, the steering reaction force of an electric power steering system, control of a four-wheel-drive mechanism capable of distributing front, rear, left, and right wheel torques, control of transmission, and control of a fuel injection/drive-by-wire (FI/DBW) apparatus (see Table 1 of paragraph [0016] of JP2007-302055A). 10 The S mode represents a traveling mode in which higher priority is given to the output response of the vehicle than in the N mode or in the E mode. The S mode also has a lower electric power consumption than in the N mode or in the E mode. In the S mode, a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 [km/h] is set as an upper limit value (set value) for the vehicle speed V. The vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 in the S mode is set to a value that is higher than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1 in the N mode and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax2 in the E mode (Vmax3>Vmax1>Vmax2). The vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 may be set such that no numerical value is assigned thereto (no upper limit value). In the S mode, other settings can be changed in comparison with such settings in the N mode and the E mode. For example, settings can be changed as disclosed in JP2007-302055A (see Table 1 in paragraph [0016]). The vehicle speed upper limit values Vmax1, Vmax2, Vmax3 will hereinafter be referred to collectively as a “vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax”. 34 14 32 12 34 40 42 44 FIG. 1 The ECU controls the inverter based on output signals from the various sensors and the mode selector switch , so as to control the output force (motive force) of the motor . As shown in , the ECU includes an input/output unit , a processor , and a storage unit . 42 50 12 52 54 12 56 14 According to the present embodiment, the processor has a basic drive force calculating function for calculating a basic drive force Fb [N] of the motor , a vehicle speed upper limit value setting function for setting a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, a target drive power calculating function for calculating a target drive force Ftar [N] of the motor , and an inverter control function for controlling the inverter based on the target drive force Ftar, or based on a target torque, which is determined on the basis of the target drive force Ftar. 44 42 44 The storage unit serves to store software executed by the processor as well as various data used thereby. The storage unit includes a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory. 50 The basic drive force calculating function determines a basic drive force Fb depending on the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax and the selected traveling mode (hereinafter referred to as a “traveling mode M”). More specifically, the sum of a drive force required to cruise at the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax (hereinafter referred to as a “cruise drive force Fcru”) [N] and a prescribed value A is set as a basic drive force Fb. 10 12 For example, when the vehicle is accelerated toward the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, the motor is energized using the basic drive force Fb as the target drive force Ftar. When the vehicle speed V approaches the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax (i.e., when the vehicle speed V exceeds a threshold value lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax), the target drive force Ftar is gradually reduced. The target drive force Ftar converges to a value, which is produced by subtracting the prescribed value A from the basic drive force Fb (cruise drive force Fcru), so that the vehicle speed V will not exceed the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. The prescribed value A is the greatest value in the S mode and the smallest value in the E mode. FIG. 2 52 42 34 1 34 32 is a flowchart of a sequence for setting the vehicle speed upper limit value using the vehicle speed upper limit value setting function of the processor in the ECU . In step S, the ECU judges a traveling mode M based on the output signal from the mode selector switch . 2 34 2 3 34 12 In step S, the ECU judges whether or not the traveling mode M has switched from the S mode to the N mode or the E mode. If the traveling mode M has not switched from the S mode to the N mode or the E mode (S: NO), then in step S, the ECU performs a normal control process. The normal control process is a control process for setting a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax depending on the present traveling mode, while changing the target drive force Ftar in order to equalize the vehicle speed V to the set vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. Alternatively, as disclosed in JP06-121405A, a field current may be set depending on the rotational speed of the motor in the S mode, and a field current may be set depending on the target torque in the N mode and the E mode. 2 34 If the traveling mode M has switched from the S mode to the N mode or the E mode (S: YES), then the ECU performs a vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, so as to gradually reduce the vehicle speed V to the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1 or Vmax2 after switching of the traveling mode M (to the N mode or the E mode). FIG. 3 11 34 44 34 is a flowchart of the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process. In step S, the ECU reads a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax depending on the traveling mode after switching (hereinafter referred to as a “mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new”) [km/h] from the storage unit . However, the ECU does not immediately set the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new as a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, which is to be determined in a present processing cycle (hereinafter referred to as a “vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present)”), but gradually reduces the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) until finally the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) becomes the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new. Therefore, the present vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax remains the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 depending on the traveling mode (S mode) before switching. 12 34 In step S, the ECU sets an upper limit change Vmax (vehicle speed gradual reduction gradient) depending on the traveling mode after switching. The upper limit change ΔVmax refers to a change in the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, which can be reduced in one processing cycle. If the S mode has changed to the N mode, then the upper limit change ΔVmax is a negative value X1. If the S mode has changed to the E mode, then the upper limit change ΔVmax is a negative value X2. The absolute value of the value X2 is greater than the absolute value of the value X1 (\|X2\|>\|X1\| and X1>X2). Therefore, the reduced amount in the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in one processing cycle is greater when the S mode changes to the E mode than when the S mode changes to the N mode. 13 34 44 14 34 22 In step S, the ECU reads a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in a previous processing cycle (hereinafter referred to as a “vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous)”) from the storage unit . As described above, at the start of the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous) is the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax3 depending on the traveling mode (S mode) before switching. In step S, the ECU acquires a vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed sensor . 15 34 14 15 34 16 19 In step S, the ECU judges whether or not the vehicle speed V acquired in step S is equal to or greater than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous). If the vehicle speed V is equal to or greater than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous) (S: YES), the ECU repeats steps S through S, so as to gradually reduce the vehicle speed V to the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1 or Vmax2 in the traveling mode (N mode or E mode) after switching. 16 34 12 16 34 More specifically, in step S, the ECU sets the sum of the upper limit change ΔVmax (=X1 or X2), which was set in step S, and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous) as a current vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present). Since the upper limit change ΔVmax is a negative value, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) is smaller than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous). The upper limit change ΔVmax may be a positive value, in which case in step S, the ECU may subtract the upper limit change ΔVmax from the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous). 17 34 16 54 In step S, the ECU outputs the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present), which was set in step S, to the target drive power calculating function . 18 34 11 18 19 34 15 15 34 15 18 FIG. 3 FIG. 2 In step S, the ECU judges whether or not the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) is equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new, which was read in step S. If the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) is not equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (step S: NO), then in step S, the ECU sets the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) as a new vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous) for a next processing cycle, after which control returns to step S. Before returning to step S, the ECU may judge whether or not the traveling mode M has been switched. Control may return to step S only if the traveling mode M has not been switched. The present vehicle speed gradual reduction control process may be brought to an end if the traveling mode M has been switched. If the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) is equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (step S: YES), then control exits from the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process shown in , and returns to the sequence shown in . 15 20 34 20 21 34 21 17 If the vehicle speed V is smaller than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(previous) (S: NO), then in step S, the ECU judges whether or not the vehicle speed V is greater than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new. If the vehicle speed V is greater than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (S: YES), then in step S, the ECU sets the present vehicle speed V as a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present). It is thus possible to gradually reduce the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) from a value equal to the present vehicle speed V. After step S, control returns to step S. 20 22 34 If the vehicle speed V is equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (S: NO), then at that time, the vehicle speed V can be the to be lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in the traveling mode M after switching. In step S, the ECU sets the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new as a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present). 23 34 22 54 In step S, the ECU outputs the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present), which was set in step S, to the target drive power calculating function . 54 The target drive power calculating function calculates a target drive force Ftar based on the basic drive force Fb, the vehicle speed V, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, the acceleration ΔaV, the traveling mode M, and a minimum drive force Fmin. FIG. 4 54 42 34 is a functional block diagram showing a process for calculating the target drive force Ftar using the target drive force calculating function of the processor in the ECU . 54 60 22 52 According to the target drive force calculating function , a first subtractor calculates the difference D1 [km/h] between the vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed sensor and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, which was set by the vehicle speed upper limit value setting function . 62 60 32 FIG. 5 FIG. 5 Then, a target acceleration table sets a target acceleration ΔaVtar [km/h/s] based on the difference D1 calculated by the first subtractor and the traveling mode M from the mode selector switch . is a characteristic diagram (map) showing the relationship between the difference D1 and the target acceleration ΔaVtar for each traveling mode M. As shown in , when the difference D1 remains the same (except when the difference D1 is zero), the absolute value of the target acceleration ΔaVtar is greater in the N mode than in the E mode, and is greater in the S mode than in the N mode. As the absolute value of the difference D1 becomes greater, the absolute value of the target acceleration ΔaVtar also becomes greater. 64 24 62 A second subtractor calculates the difference D2 [km/h/s] between the acceleration ΔaV from the acceleration sensor and the target acceleration ΔaVtar from the target acceleration table . 66 66 22 32 FIG. 6 FIG. 6 A vehicle speed feedback gain table (hereinafter referred to as a “vehicle speed FB gain table ”) sets a gain Gv based on the vehicle speed V from the vehicle speed sensor and the traveling mode M from the mode selector switch . is a characteristic diagram (map) showing the relationship between vehicle speed V and the gain Gv for each traveling mode M. As shown in , when the vehicle speed V remains the same, the gain Gv is higher in the N mode than in the E mode, and is higher in the S mode than in the N mode. As the vehicle speed V becomes lower, the gain Gv becomes greater. 68 64 66 70 76 68 A multiplexer calculates the product D2×Gv of the difference D2 calculated by the second subtractor and the gain Gv from the vehicle speed FB gain table . Then, a third subtractor calculates the difference D3 between the target drive force Ftar from a delay unit (hereinafter referred to as a “target drive force Ftar(previous)”) and the product D2×Gv calculated by the multiplexer . 72 50 70 74 A minimum value selector compares the basic drive force Fb determined by the basic drive force calculating function and the difference D3 calculated by the third subtractor with each other, and outputs the smaller of such values to a maximum value selector . 74 44 72 56 76 10 The maximum value selector compares a minimum drive force Fmin read from the storage unit with either the basic drive force Fb or the difference D from the minimum value selector , and outputs the greater of such values, which represents a target drive force Ftar in the present processing cycle (hereinafter referred to as a “target drive force Ftar(present)”), to the inverter control function and the delay unit . The minimum drive force Fmin is set to a value that causes the vehicle to creep. 76 70 The delay unit outputs the target drive force Ftar(present), which is determined in the present processing cycle, as a target drive force Ftar(previous) to be used in a next processing cycle to the third subtractor . According to the present embodiment, as described above, the target drive force Ftar is calculated based on the basic drive force Fb, the vehicle speed V, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, the acceleration ΔaV, the traveling mode M, and the minimum drive force Fmin. 72 More specifically, a basic drive force Fb or a minimum drive force Fmin used in an initial processing cycle is set as a target drive force Ftar(present). Thereafter, when the difference D3 becomes smaller than the basic drive force Fb, the minimum value selector sets the difference D3 as the target drive force Ftar(present). The difference D3 is the difference between the target drive force Ftar(previous) and the product D2×Gv. Consequently, since the difference D3 is gradually reduced by any one of increasing the product D2×Gv (if the product D2×Gv is positive), reducing the product D2×Gv (if the product D2×Gv is negative), and reducing the target drive force Ftar(previous), the target drive force Ftar(present) is reduced. 72 Stated otherwise, since the minimum value selector outputs the smaller one of the basic drive force Fb and the difference D3, the target drive force Ftar(present) will never exceed the basic drive force Fb. The difference D2 is the difference between the acceleration ΔaV and the target acceleration ΔaVtar. The gain Gv is set depending on the vehicle speed V and the traveling mode M. Therefore, the product D2×Gv enables the target drive force Ftar(present) to be increased or reduced while making up for any excess or shortage of the acceleration ΔaV with the gain Gv, which depends on the vehicle speed V and the traveling mode M. 64 70 64 70 For example, when the acceleration ΔaV and the target acceleration ΔaVtar are positive, if the acceleration ΔaV is greater than the target acceleration ΔaVtar (if the vehicle is accelerated excessively), then the difference D2 calculated by the second subtractor is a positive value. Since the gain Gv is a positive value, the difference D3 calculated by the third subtractor becomes smaller. Further, when the acceleration ΔaV and the target acceleration ΔaVtar are negative, if the absolute value of the acceleration ΔaV is smaller than the absolute value of the target acceleration ΔaVtar (if the vehicle is decelerated insufficiently), then the difference D2 calculated by the second subtractor is a positive value. Since the gain Gv is a positive value, the difference D3 calculated by the third subtractor becomes smaller. FIG. 6 10 As shown in , assuming that the vehicle speed V remains the same, the gain Gv is higher in the N mode than in the E mode, and the gain Gv is higher in the S mode than in the N mode. Accordingly, the output response of the vehicle can be increased in the S mode, whereas electric power consumption can be increased in the E mode. FIG. 3 The target acceleration ΔaVtar is set based on the difference D1 between the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. Further, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is gradually reduced by the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process (see ). Consequently, it is possible to gradually change the target acceleration ΔaVtar when the S mode is switched to the N mode or the E mode. According to the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, the absolute value of the upper limit change ΔVmax (=X2) upon switching from the S mode to the E mode is greater than the absolute value of the upper limit change ΔVmax (=X1) upon switching from the S mode to the N mode. Therefore, when the S mode is switched to the N mode, the time required until the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new is reached can be relatively shortened. 34 14 26 28 30 14 The ECU controls the inverter based on the target torque, which is calculated based on the target drive force Ftar(present) thus determined, the U-phase current Iu from the current sensor , the W-phase current Iw from the current sensor , and the electric angle θ from the resolver . A specific process for controlling the inverter is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-240125, for example. The target torque can be calculated by multiplying the target drive force Ftar(present) by the radius of the road wheels (not shown). (1) when S Mode Switches to N Mode FIG. 7 FIG. 7 is a diagram simply showing an example of the relationship between vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax when the S mode is switched to the N mode. In , it is assumed that the S mode is selected up to time t1, and that the N mode is selected after time t1. 80 82 FIG. 7 Straight lines , in indicate visually the different degrees to which the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are reduced when the S mode is switched to the N mode, and when the S mode is switched to the E mode. 80 80 82 82 More specifically, the straight line is a straight line, the gradient of which is of a negative value X1, extending from the value of the vehicle speed V (=the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax) at time t1. Stated otherwise, the straight line is a straight line, which is plotted based on the assumption that the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are made equal to each other at all times by the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, after the S mode has been switched to the N mode at time t1. Similarly, the straight line is a straight line, the gradient of which is of a negative value X2, extending from the value of the vehicle speed V (=the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax) at time t1. Stated otherwise, the straight line is a straight line, which is plotted based on the assumption that the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are made equal to each other at all times by the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, after the S mode has been switched to the E mode at time t1. 2 34 4 15 20 21 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 If the S mode is switched to the N mode at time t1 (S: YES in ), then the ECU starts the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process (S). More specifically, at time t1, the vehicle speed V is lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax (Vmax3) in the traveling mode M (S mode) before switching, and is higher than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1) (S: NO→S: YES in ). Therefore, at time t1, the vehicle speed V is set to the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) (S). 15 16 17 18 19 From time t1 through time t2, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is gradually reduced (S: YES→S→S→S: NO→S as carried out repeatedly), and the vehicle speed V also is gradually reduced. 15 20 21 17 19 From time t2 through time t3, the vehicle speed V is quickly reduced, and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax also is reduced (S: NO→S: YES→S→S→S18: NO→S as carried out repeatedly). 18 3 FIG. 2 At time t3, if the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax becomes equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax1) (S: YES), then the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is brought to an end, and control returns to the normal control process (S in ). FIG. 8 FIG. 8 is a diagram simply showing an example of the relationship between vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax when the S mode is switched to the E mode. In , it is assumed that the S mode is selected up to time t11, and that the E mode is selected after time t11. 80 82 90 92 FIG. 7 FIG. 8 Similar to the straight lines , shown in , straight lines , in indicate visually the different degrees to which the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are reduced when the S mode is switched to the N mode, and when the S mode is switched to the E mode. 90 90 92 92 More specifically, the straight line is a straight line, the gradient of which is of a negative value X1, extending from the value of the vehicle speed V (=the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax) at time t11. Stated otherwise, the straight line is a straight line, which is plotted based on the assumption that the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are made equal to each other at all times by the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, after the S mode has been switched to the N mode at time t11. Similarly, the straight line is a straight line, the gradient of which is of a negative value X2, extending from the value of the vehicle speed V (=the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax) at time t11. Stated otherwise, the straight line is a straight line, which is plotted based on the assumption that the vehicle speed V and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax are made equal to each other at all times by the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, after the S mode has been switched to the E mode at time t11. 2 34 4 15 20 21 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 If the S mode is switched to the E mode at time t11 (S: YES in ), then the ECU starts the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process (S). More specifically, at time t11, the vehicle speed V is lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax (Vmax3) in the traveling mode M (S mode) before switching, and is higher than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax2) (S: NO→S: YES in ). Therefore, at time t11, the vehicle speed V is set to the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax(present) (S). 15 16 17 18 19 From time t11 through time t12, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is gradually reduced (S: YES→S→S→S: NO→S as carried out repeatedly), and the vehicle speed V also is gradually reduced. 15 20 21 17 18 19 From time t12 through time t13, the vehicle speed V is quickly reduced, and the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax also is reduced (S: NO→S: YES→S→S→S: NO→S as carried out repeatedly). 18 3 FIG. 2 At time t13, if the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax becomes equal to or smaller than the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new (vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax2) (S: YES), then the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is brought to an end, and control returns to the normal control process (S in ). 10 12 12 12 According to the present embodiment, as described above, the vehicle has a plurality of traveling modes (N mode, E mode, and S mode) with different vehicle speed upper limit values Vmax, respectively. The vehicle speed upper limit values Vmax are switched depending on a selected one of the traveling modes. Thus, it is possible to set a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax depending on each traveling mode, and to control the output power of the motor depending on the selected traveling mode. Therefore, the motor can be controlled appropriately. For example, depending on the selected traveling mode, the output power of the motor from can be prevented from being increased or reduced more than necessary. 10 The vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is smaller in the E mode than in the N mode or the S mode. Therefore, the E mode functions as a traveling mode in which priority is given to electric power consumption. Generally, after the vehicle speed V, which increases, exceeds a vehicle speed at which electric power consumption is highest (highest-electric-power-consumption vehicle speed or economic speed), electric power consumption is reduced as the vehicle speed V increases. Therefore, if the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in the E mode is set to a value that increases electric power consumption more so than the vehicle speed upper limit values Vmax in the N mode or the S mode, then it is possible for the vehicle to travel with high electric power consumption in the E mode, even if the vehicle speed V is equal to the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. According to the present embodiment, when a traveling mode having a higher vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is switched to a traveling mode having a lower vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax (i.e., when the S mode is switched to the N mode or the S mode), if the actual vehicle speed V exceeds the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, then the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is carried out in order to gradually reduce the actual vehicle speed V to the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. In this manner, the vehicle speed V is prevented from changing abruptly upon switching between traveling modes, thereby achieving better riding comfort. 10 12 According to the present embodiment, the traveling modes, which have different vehicle speed upper limit values Vmax, include the S mode, which has a vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax higher than the N mode or the E mode. Therefore, the vehicle has three traveling modes, each having a different vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, respectively, whereby the motor can be controlled more appropriately. 16 According to the present embodiment, an absolute value of the upper limit change ΔVmax is higher when the S mode is switched to the E mode than when the S mode is switched to the N mode (\|X2\|>\|X1\|). Therefore, the time required to reach the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new is made shorter when the S mode is switched to the E mode, as opposed to the upper limit change ΔVmax remaining the same upon switching between the traveling modes. Therefore, at the time that the S mode is switched to the E mode, traveling resistance is quickly lowered in order to reduce energy loss, thus making it possible to increase the cruising distance that the electric vehicle E can travel continuously using the stored energy of the battery . FIG. 9 10 10 More specifically, as shown in , as the vehicle speed V becomes higher, the electric power consumption of the vehicle (based on the traveling resistance) increases. Therefore, when the S mode is switched to the E mode, the vehicle speed V is quickly reduced in order to improve electric power consumption, thereby improving the cruising distance of the vehicle . 15 20 21 FIG. 3 According to the present embodiment, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, which is used in the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, is set from the actual vehicle speed V depending on the upper limit change ΔVmax. If, during the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process, the vehicle speed V becomes lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax, then the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax is lowered depending on the vehicle speed V (S: NO→S: YES→S in ). The vehicle speed V can thus be made to reach the mode-switched vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax_new more rapidly. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various alternative arrangements may be employed based on the present disclosure of the invention. For example, the present invention may employ the following arrangements. 34 10 34 In the above embodiment, the ECU is incorporated in the vehicle . However, the ECU may be incorporated in other mobile bodies (for example, ships or aircraft) having a plurality of traveling modes. 16 10 16 16 In the above embodiment, only the battery serves as the drive source of the vehicle . However, an engine may be mounted in addition to the battery (hybrid vehicle), or a fuel cell may be mounted in addition to the battery (fuel cell vehicle). 10 10 10 10 In the above embodiment, the vehicle has three traveling modes, including the N mode, the S mode, and the E mode. However, the vehicle may have at least two traveling modes each of which has a different vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax. For example, the vehicle may have only the N mode and the E mode, or the vehicle may have a combination of other modes (at least one of a race mode and a snow mode, as disclosed in JP2007-302055A) in addition to or instead of the N mode, the S mode, and the E mode. 32 In the above embodiment, the mode selector switch is used to switch between traveling modes. However, another means may be used to switch between traveling modes. For example, an automatic traveling mode switcher may be used, as disclosed in JP06-121405A. In the above embodiment, the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is carried out only when the S mode is switched to the N mode, or when the S mode is switched to the E mode. However, the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process may be carried out when the N mode is switched to the E mode. Stated otherwise, the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process may be carried out if the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in the traveling mode M after switching is lower than the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax in the traveling mode M before switching. If the vehicle speed gradual reduction control process is carried out when the N mode is switched to the E mode, then the upper limit change ΔVmax may be the same as the value X2 when the S mode is switched to the E mode. In the above embodiment, when the S mode is switched to the N mode, the upper limit change ΔVmax is a negative value X1, whereas when the S mode is switched to the E mode, the upper limit change ΔVmax is a negative value X2, so that the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax and the vehicle speed V change more abruptly when the S mode is switched to the E mode than when the S mode is switched to the N mode. Stated otherwise, the upper limit change ΔVmax acquires different values when the S mode is switched to the N mode and when the S mode is switched to the E mode, thereby enabling the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax and the vehicle speed V to change more abruptly when the S mode is switched to the E mode. When the S mode is switched to the E mode, the vehicle speed upper limit value Vmax and the vehicle speed V may be changed abruptly in other ways. For example, instead of the upper limit change ΔVmax being switched to different values, coefficients may be established by which the upper limit change ΔVmax is multiplied. In this case, the coefficient that is used when the S mode is switched to the E mode may be greater than the coefficient that is used when the S mode is switched to the N mode. Alternatively, the upper limit change ΔVmax may be provided only when the S mode is switched to the E mode. Further, alternatively, instead of using the upper limit change ΔVmax, coefficients may be established by which the target drive force Ftar is multiplied. In this case, the coefficient that is used when the S mode is switched to the E mode may be smaller than the coefficient that is used when the S mode is switched to the N mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a sequence for setting a vehicle speed upper limit value using a vehicle speed upper limit value setting function of a processor in an electronic control unit (ECU); FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a vehicle speed gradual reduction control process; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a process for calculating a target drive force using a target drive force calculating function of the processor in the ECU; FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between the difference between vehicle speed and a vehicle speed upper limit value and a target acceleration for each traveling mode; FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between vehicle speed and a gain for each traveling mode; FIG. 7 is a diagram simply showing an example of a relationship between vehicle speed and a vehicle speed upper limit value, when a sport mode (S mode) is switched to a normal mode (N mode); FIG. 8 is a diagram simply showing an example of a relationship between vehicle speed and a vehicle speed upper limit value, when the S mode is switched to an economy mode (E mode); and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between vehicle speed and the electric power consumption of a vehicle (based on traveling resistance).
Mild temperatures and periodic weak weather systems were the common themes during the month of October. Although temperatures were around or slightly below average during the day, overnight low temperatures were well above average, making October the third consecutive month of warmer than normal conditions in central Washington after six months of cooler than average conditions. Temperatures were generally around 1 to 1.5 degrees above normal in eastern Washington, but only slightly above normal in western Washington. A warm air mass and poor radiational cooling conditions were the two causes of the warm night-time conditions. The AWN site at Moxee observed the warmest October average low temperature since at least 1989. The first widespread frost in south-central Washington occurred on the morning of Tuesday, October 25th, with low temperatures ranging from the upper teens in Ritzville to the 40s in warm regions such as Wahluke Slope (44°F), which is near Mattawa, and Tokeland (41°F), which is on the coast. However, temperatures quickly warmed into the 50s during the afternoon. The following morning (Wednesday, October 26th) featured similar conditions, and nearly all areas of central and eastern Washington fell below freezing. Interestingly, the only notably cold mornings of the month occurred from October 25th to the 27th. The warm overnight low temperatures were the result of a mild and moist southwesterly flow and a warmer than normal air mass with relatively high dew point temperatures. Moisture in the air acts as a source of latent heat, and prevents significant night-time cooling. Even on clear and calm nights, the temperature will not drop below the dew point because of condensation. On many nights during October, the surface was unable to decouple from the atmosphere as it often does during autumn, due to winds and mixing from passing systems. Night-time radiational cooling was further inhibited by periodic cloud cover. Locations such as Moxee that normally experience significant radiational cooling at night were most affected by the weather pattern of the past month and thus recorded more significant positive departures from normal than other locations. Unlike during the spring, most of Washingtons October cooling comes from in-situ radiative heat loss that occurs as the land cools in response to decreasing solar radiation. October is truly a transition month for central Washington. The average temperature drops significantly during the month. Unlike the slow rise of temperatures that occurs during the long springtime period, central Washingtons brief autumn season is highlighted with quickly falling temperatures as we progress, seemingly instantly in some years, from summer to winter during October. While temperatures in the 80s are commonplace early in the month, 20s are common by Octobers end. At Prosser (WSU IAREC), the historical average high temperature falls by nearly 20 degrees from October 1st (73.1°F) to Halloween (53.9°F). Also, the complexion of the weather pattern changes, as the jet stream may become more active over the Pacific Northwest during the month, while the continent generally becomes cooler than the Pacific Ocean by Octobers end. Although October and April have very similar average temperatures in central Washington, they are entirely different types of months, since the average temperature change is more drastic in October than in April. Specifically, early October is much warmer than late April, while late October is much cooler than early April, such that these two months are certainly not mirror images of one another. October began with a transition from above average temperatures and summer-like weather to cooler and fall-like conditions. Periods of rain fell from the third to the sixth of October with cloudy conditions area wide and particularly windy conditions at the coast. Following this wet period, temperatures were generally above normal for much of the rest of the month. Another wet system impacted the northwest on Monday the 10th, bringing rainfall and windy conditions. Tuesday, October 11th was mostly sunny but windy in eastern Washington, with lingering rain in western Washington. Additional light rain fell during the middle of the month. Very warm conditions occurred during the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, as highs were generally in the 60s and low 70s. Very mild overnight low temperatures for late October occurred on Saturday, October 22nd, with some locations near the Tri-Cities experiencing lows in the 50s. The mild start to the day coupled with sunny skies, a warm air mass, and down slope Chinook winds caused temperatures at certain sites to reach into the 70s. A cold front moved through the region on Sunday night and Monday, October 24th was cooler and drier. The dry, continental air mass brought the first significant frost event of the fall on Tuesday morning, October 25th, with low temperatures in the 20s in many locations, and high temperatures in the 50s. After a frosty morning in the 20s on Wednesday, October 26th, the high temperatures were only in the 40s in many locations thanks to increasing cloud cover. The weekend of October 29th and 30th again brought warm temperatures to eastern Washington with highs in the 60s and even low 70s in some locations near Walla Walla. Rain fell in western Washington on Friday, October 28th and Sunday, October 30th, and monthly rainfall was around 5 inches in parts of southwestern Washington. The month ended with cooler and drier air entering the region on Monday, October 31st. Moxee experienced its latest first autumn frost (low temperature below 32 degrees) on record (1990 to present) this year. The first frost of autumn 2011 occurred on October 24th, while the average first frost date is September 28th. Prior to this year, the latest first frost occurred on October 6th, while the earliest occurred on September 17th. October 2011 experienced only 8 days (the last eight days of the month) with low temperatures below 32 degrees, while the October average is 15. The maximum number of days with sub-freezing temperatures was 23 in 2002, while the previous minimum was also 8 days in 2004 and 2005. In fact, the average low temperature of 38°F was 4.9 degrees above average and also 1.6 degrees warmer than the previous warmest October average low temperature. There were three frost days at Prosser (WSU IAREC) this month, which is typical of October. The most October frost days by far (since 1989) was 13 in 2002, while 1994 and 2010 recorded only one each. The first autumn frost occurred on October 25th in 2011, which is about a week later than the average first frost date of October 18th, although there is significant year to year variability. 2006 did not register autumn sub-freezing temperatures until October 30th, while 2000 recorded its first autumn frost on September 23rd. The average high temperature at Prosser (WSU IAREC) in October was 62.7°F, while the average low was 42.5°F. While the monthly average high temperature was 0.4 degrees below normal, the average low temperature was 3.4 degrees (1.8 standard deviations) above average. Temperatures during the month ranged from 74.5°F on October 1st to 27.5°F on October 27th. Prosser received 0.6 inches of rain during October, and the average wind speed was 3.5 mph. In general, Washington did not experience the extremes in temperature during October 2011 that sometimes occur during this changeable weather month. Average high temperatures were around or slightly below normal due to rainfall and a lack of heat early in the month. Meanwhile, average low temperatures were 2.2 to 4.9 degrees above average in eastern Washington, but only 0.6 degrees warmer than normal in western Washington at Mt. Vernon. The average low temperature of 38°F at Moxee was nearly five degrees and almost two standard deviations above normal. Temperatures at Sequim, Ellisforde, and Brewster Flat fell below freezing during the morning of Thursday the 13th. Temperatures at Sequim dropped into the upper 20s and the Bellingham area fell below freezing during the morning of Sunday, October 16th. Temperatures at Broadview (near Ellensburg) dropped below freezing during the morning of October 17th. The high temperatures of 71 at Prosser (WSU IAREC) and 75 degrees at WSU Tri-Cities were well above normal for late October. The low temperature at CBC Pasco was a balmy 56.1 degrees. The low temperature at the Broadview site dropped to 18 degrees. The low temperature at Pullman dropped to 19 degrees. Nearly an inch of rain fell at the WSU AWN weather station in Long Beach. The high temperature at College Place, near Walla Walla, was a mild 72 degrees. The grape harvest is down 25 to 30% from last year due to last years November freeze, and is two to three weeks later than normal. It is evident that the level of damage was generally worse than expected and varied significantly over short distances (Yakima Herald Republic, October 10th). However, the weather cooperated this month with no significantly cold temperatures until October 25th. Above normal overnight low temperatures were beneficial in keeping cold conditions away from a delayed 2011 apple crop for longer than normal in October. The Prosser 3 Year (2008 to 2010) Average Accumulated Growing Degree Days (GDD) value for April 1 to October 31 is 2,475 GDD, while the 2011 accumulated GDD is still lower at 2,317 GDD, although the mild October has caused the 2011 GDD value to catch up to its value for 2010. On October 31st, 2002, under cold and dry northerly flow, the temperature at Prosser (WSU IAREC) fell to an October record cold reading of 11.4 degrees. La Niña has returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean and is expected to continue through the spring of 2012 such that Washingtons weather is expected to be wetter than normal during the winter with cooler than normal conditions possible later in the winter and spring.	http://weather.wsu.edu/index.php?page=AWN_October_2011_Weather_Review&menu_item=news
Invitation to QUESCREN’s Education and Vitality Forum: Supporting English-Language Minority Education in Quebec Focusing on the needs of Quebec’s English-language education system, this event will bring together researchers, practitioners, community stakeholders, and policy-makers to share and discuss best practices and initiatives that support the diverse English-speaking communities. Dates: November 3 through 5, 2021 Time: 12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Format: Online Price : Free Participants will have the opportunity to: - Identify strategies for inclusive and quality English-language education - Present findings on the impact of the global health pandemic on education - Share experiences on current educational challenges Forum activities will take place in English, with simultaneous French translation provided for the 4 keynote speakers. Questions and comments in French are welcome for all forum activities without simultaneous translation. Registration:	https://procede.ca/invitation-to-quescrens-education-and-vitality-forum/
Aluminum alloys are widely used in engineering structures and components due to their light weight and excellent mechanical properties. However, the alloying elements which contribute to the good mechanical properties also make the alloy prone to localized corrosion. One of the most common and economic approaches to protect Al alloys from corrosion is to apply coatings as protective layers. For example, powder coatings and magnesium-rich primers (MgRP) are both widely used for the corrosion protection of Al alloys. By establishing a holistic program that incorporates workforce training, the nation's first baccalaureate degree in Corrosion Engineering, and world-class research in corrosion and materials performance; The University of Akron (UA) is establishing a program that will create a pipeline of critical resources that will ensure that future investments in equipment and infrastructure revitalization are designed and implemented in a manner that minimizes the impact of corrosion and thus reduces the life-cycle cost to sustain those assets. Low Cr (3 to 5%) bearing steels have been developed and used in CO2 environment as materials to meet "Fitness for Purpose". However, the SSC and SCC resistance of low Cr bearing steel have not been clarified. This paper presents the effect of carbon content, microstructure, and tempering temperature on the SSC and SCC resistance as well as CO2 corrosion resistance of low Cr steel (3%Cr steel). Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe pipeline sections projected to exhibit wire breaks were detected - and one not so - were excavated, removed, inspected, and dissected. Corrosion had initiated upon the inner surface of shorting straps and spread to the prestressing wires. A mechanism for this corrosion is presented and the findings discussed. Chloride induced corrosion is recognized as a significant disease in the nation's concrete infrastructure. This paper will provide an overview of the various corrosion mitigation techniques available and then focus on two innovative methods of using discrete anodes embedded within the concrete to provide corrosion protection to existing structures. Results of inhibitor performance at slug flow in a 101.6 mm inner diameter horizontal pipeline. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrom microscope (SEM) techniques are used to reveal that the strong bubble impact, high shear stress and turbulent intensity are the reasons for a poor performance of inhibitor. This presentation summarizes the development and expansion of a comprehensive information system for corrosion of metals and alloys in high temperature gases. New insights in analysis of thermochemical data for the Fe-Ni-Cr-Co-C-O-S-N system are being compiled. Corrosion mechanisms emphasized are oxidation, sulfidation, sulfidation/oxidation, and carburization. A case history is described involving microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of AISI Type 304L stainless steel piping failure after being in contact with untreated stagnant, low chloride potable water for nine months. Specialized microbiological analysis techniques, including scanning electron and optical cmicroscopy, were used in the failure analysis. This research effort was designed to evaluate stress-oriented hydrogen-induced cracking (SOHIC) behavior of a broad range of advanced plate steels (0.002 wt% sulfur) that were not produced to enhance resistance to cracking in wet H2S environments. Test results indicated that SOHIC resistance was adversely affected by microstructural (ferrite/pearlite) banding. However, additional factors also played a role in determining SOHIC behavior.	https://store.ampp.org/corrosion-monitoring-and-control

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