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Unity
December 12, 2018
In recent years, there has been much talk about reconciliation and unity. Most of this discussion has been beneficial and Biblical, and much overdue. Unfortunately, the well-meaning desire for unity has shifted the goal posts so that it might be more easily achieved. If we are to work towards Biblical unity, we have to have a Biblical definition as a common starting point and finish line.
The last prayer of Jesus in John 17 contains Jesus’s farewell prayer for the Church. His final desires for his disciples and those who would come later expressed through praying to the Father. One of the recurring themes of this prayer is his desire for the disciples to be “one” (John 17:11, 20-23). This ‘oneness’ is unity as defined Biblically.
I’d like to offer a Biblical definition of unity, and encourage us all to continue to strive for that God-inspired, Jesus-purchased, and Spirit-powered reality. In order to understand what unity is, I’m going to start with a few similar ideas that are often confused with unity, namely “ cooperation” and “collaboration”.
Cooperation – Working Together (Hands)
Cooperation is where most Christians stop in their pursuit of unity. Simply getting two or more churches together to do an event can be a herculean effort. Something as simple as a bookbag drive, community cleanup, or even a cookout becomes infinitely more complicated when multiple church congregations get involved. So much so that most churches are content to not cooperate at all. If asked why they don’t cooperate with the church down the street, the church members will tell that same story of “the one time they tried”.
For those who do attempt cooperation regularly, the sheer workload surely deserves the Biblical commendation Badge of Unity. All those hours coordinating multiple schedules, volunteers, even ordering cool new shirts must indicate the struggle of achieving unity. Cooperation between churches around events is a beautiful thing. It is an apologetic unto itself to see churches working together, especially across denominational and cultural lines. This should be celebrated and sought after, but this is not unity.
Collaboration – Thinking Together (Head)
One step past cooperation is collaboration. This is nearing the Biblical peak of Unity as it involves churches not just doing events together, but thinking about ways to serve their cities and their members in deeper more significant ways. Most collaboration happens within denominations or networks, but there are some organizations that seek to reach across those identity markers. An example in Charleston would be the Hub, or Mission Charleston. These organizations are about more than churches doing things together, the goal is to think, pray, and work together.
Collaboration often looks like cooperation but the nuance of difference is what makes it special. The major difference between cooperation and collaboration is when the invitation comes. With cooperation, a church may have an idea of an event to do, and they will invite another church to participate. The key is that a church has something in mind that they are inviting others into. And usually if the invited church decides not to participate the event is going to happen anyway. With collaboration, there is no event without another church being on board. It’s a “together or not at all posture”.
Unity – Feeling Together (Heart)
For those reading who have pursued cooperation, and have attempted collaboration you may be a little anxious to continue reading. Cooperation is hard. Collaboration is slow and tedious at times. What more could there be?!
In Corinthians 12 Paul lays out a multi-layered metaphor of unity within the church. But, if you’re not reading closely, you might miss the actual definition:
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. 23 And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, 24 which our respectable parts do not need.
Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:20–26)
Did you catch it? Look again at verse 25. Paul is contrasting unity with its theological opposite, division. This verse contains the simplest definition of unity I’ve found in scripture: “having the same concern for each other.”
Unity is more than an issue of the hands (cooperation) or head (collaboration), but it is an issue of the heart. Do we care about each other in the same way? Does our heart mourn with those who mourn? Do we feel the pain of injustice, loneliness, desperation with our brothers and sisters? Does a church bombing in another country cause us to mourn? Does a church growing in our own city excite us? Do the cares and concerns of our brothers and sisters become our cares and concerns? Cooperation is good. Collaboration is needed. But unity is commanded. Unity is what Jesus purchased by his blood. Jesus didn’t just die to make sinners into saints. Jesus died to make sinners into saints who are siblings. You are adopted into the family of God, and you are not an only child. We are irrevocably connected with each other. The Bible would go even as far to say that we (you and I) have become one in Christ.
To achieve this change of heart is impossible in our own strength. Needs in the community can spark cooperation. A dynamic leader can inspire collaboration. But Unity is a work of the Spirit. It comes through prayer and a willingness to move from where you are to where God wants you to be. This is what Jesus died for, and this display of Unity is what the world is waiting to see.
“May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.” – John 17:21
Philip Pinckney is the Lead Pastor of Radiant Church (RadiantCharleston.com) in North Charleston, SC. He earned a BA from The Citadel and is currently finishing a Master's degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Philip is also the Director for 1Charleston (1Charleston.org), an organization started in 2014 to help the Church understand and embrace the multi-ethnic gospel. He is the grateful husband to Jenny and they have a wonderful son.
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Bhor is located in India at the longitude of 73.85 and latitude of 18.17. Swargate is located in India at the longitude of 73.86 and latitude of 18.5 .
The total straight line distance between Bhor and Swargate is 36 KM (kilometers) and 713.65 meters. The miles based distance from Bhor to Swargate is 22.8 miles. This is a straight line distance and so most of the time the actual travel distance between Bhor and Swargate may be higher or vary due to curvature of the road .
Bhor is located around 36 KM away from Swargate so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Swargate in 0.73 hours. Your Swargate travel time may vary due to your bus speed, train speed or depending upon the vehicle you use.
Bus timings from Bhor to Swargate is around 0.61 hours when your bus maintains an average speed of sixty kilometer per hour over the course of your journey. The estimated travel time from Bhor to Swargate by bus may vary or it will take more time than the above mentioned time due to the road condition and different travel route. Travel time has been calculated based on crow fly distance so there may not be any road or bus connectivity also.
Swargate is located nearly south side to Bhor. The given south direction from Bhor is only approximate. The given google map shows the direction in which the blue color line indicates road connectivity to Swargate . In the travel map towards Swargate you may find en route hotels, tourist spots, picnic spots, petrol pumps and various religious places. The given google map is not comfortable to view all the places as per your expectation then to view street maps, local places see our detailed map here.
The following diriving direction guides you to reach Swargate from Bhor. Our straight line distance may vary from google distance.
Travelers and visitors are welcome to write more travel information about Bhor and Swargate.
It can be your previous travel experience between Bhor and Swargate.
Available transport routes to reach Swargate like train routes, bus routes, air routes and cruise routes.
Tourist places or any other important places on the routes between Bhor and Swargate.
Hotels, restaurant information on the way to Swargate.
Photos related to Bhor and Swargate or en route. | http://distancebetween2.com/bhor/swargate |
Evolution of US Manufacturing
Perspective on how leading US manufactures internalize and react to true costs of off-shoring, lack of skilled workers in the US, need to increase speed-to-market and accelerate competitive response.
Published in Finer Points Superabrasives Industry Review Summer, 2014
Updated Topic Discussion
Overview
With economic indicators painting an ambiguous near-term outlook, many US manufacturers question the timing and feasibility of new capital investment and hiring. Key takeaways from projects we completed in the last six months suggest the pressure to reduce expenses and find new efficiencies cannot be ignored, but US manufacturers who rely solely on unit cost and doing more with less may be left behind. In order to spur growth/productivity, findings indicate that leading US manufacturers are moving beyond the process standards of Deming, Six Sigma and LEAN manufacturing.
Why?
There is no agreed upon list of all causes, however, the following three reasons are most often cited as triggers for redefining how and where works gets done:
Recalculating the true cost of off-shoring
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) calculations have led US manufacturers to question the belief that off-shoring production--particularly to Asia—is the most effective response to global competition.
When the true cost of offshoring (delays due to miscommunication, thousand mile freight runs and slow reaction times to fast changing market conditions) are added to scrap and rework costs, the actual cost advantage of offshoring is significantly reduced.
A study released by MIT (US Re-shoring: A Turning Point, January, 2014) reports 33.6% of respondents are “considering” bringing manufacturing back to the US, 15.3 % of U.S. companies are “definitively” planning to re-shore activities.
Lack of skilled workers in the US
Returning manufacturing capacity to the US has its own set of problems. With skilled tradesmen already in short supply, added to the projection of a record number of retiring workers, one of the top priorities for manufacturers will be to explore new avenues of automated production.
Speed to market/Accelerated competitive response
The ability to commercialize ideas quickly is critical to defending market share as products continue to see shortened life cycles. Process innovation is pursued to compress time-to-market, react to market/competitive change, and wring profitability from short life cycles.
Leading manufacturers’ internalize and respond to these three factors, redesigning processes to be progressively:
- SMART
- GLOBAL
- SUSTAINABLE
SMART
When leading manufacturers redesign processes to be “SMART”, they integrate robotics with automation.
Although Leaders incorporate robotic automation selectively, it is emerging as the new normal how works get done in the following applications:
A. Consumer Packaged Goods
Robot manufacturers and equipment integrators expect the use of robots to grow significantly in the consumer packaged goods sector over the next five years. Trends in Robotics-Market Assessment published by PMMI February, 2014 supports this projection.
Demand for robots is driven by growth of flexible packaging (for pouches, resealable bags, and stand up containers) and increasing use of light-weighted glass and PET bottles (for wine, beer, and water). These material change-outs make obsolete mechanical drop/side loaders and reduce the efficiency of manual packaging. They prompt investment in top-loaded robotic pick n place systems that are better suited for case packing flexible/light-weighted packaging formats.
A. Medium/Low Volume Manufacturing
Historically, robot automation has not been an option for short-runs or high-mix lines. Robot automation in these applications has been either too costly or complex to consider.
Two recent technical developments may create a game-changing environment for medium and low volume runs.
1. “ROBOT IN A BOX/COLLABORATIVE ROBOTS”
A new class of robots has emerged (2012-2013). They work directly alongside employees with no safety caging and are designed to bridge the gap between manual assembly and hard automation. Co-robots in Figures 1 and 2 are easily moved and reprogrammed to solve new tasks, meeting short-run production challenges.
2. PLUG AND PLAY CAPABILITY
Robots with re-designed interfaces eliminate the need for in-depth programming and extensive engineering line support. Robot Manufacturer Yaskawa Motoman, for example, introduced Kinetiq Teaching (Q3 2013) a control box for programming the motions of a robot that makes setup of robotic welding robots “as easy as playing candy crush”.
Kinetiq Teaching simplifies setup so machinists and welders can adjust welding parameters on-the- fly; it becomes as fast to weld 6 brackets with a robot as it is to weld them by hand.
GLOBAL
Leading manufacturers redefine not only how, but where work gets done.
For leading US manufacturers, regional operations are the strategic response to creating value on a global basis. Leaders embrace a regional manufacturing strategy to drive delivery of quality products, on time, at a global price.
“Next-Shoring: A CEO’s Guide” by Katy George, Sree Ramaswamy and Lou Rassey published in the McKinsey Quarterly January, 2014 defines this shift to strategic regional manufacturing as “next shoring”.
Next-shoring isn’t about the shift of manufacturing from one place to another but about adapting to, and preparing for, the changing nature of manufacturing everywhere.
McKinsey discussions with leading manufacturers highlight:
A. In order to capture demand in both mature and emerging markets, it is important to manufacture in facilities that are close to both.
B. The ability to respond to individual market needs is critical– not the ability to produce where labor cost is lowest.
SUSTAINABLE
Leading manufacturers have found running a company to create profit and to simultaneously address its environmental impact, saves hundreds of millions of dollars and grows market share.
To drive profitability and sustainability, leading manufacturers embed Sustainability into the fabric of the organization, not bolt it on. Leaders create a plan, put programs in place to achieve it, rigorously measure it, and publicize results. Experienced change-makers within the organization champion the process.
Leaders describe the path to sustainability as a 3 phase process:
Phase 1: Tie Sustainability to Tangibles
Energy Efficiency is the galvanizing low hanging fruit of Sustainability. In Phase 1, fundamental programs to reduce energy/water consumption, recycle, and minimize waste drive a Sustainability mentality. Performance is visible, widely reported, ranked, and rated.
Phase 2: Gain Traction, Scale up
Leaders commit to energy efficiency in Phase 1; when goals are met they declare victory and announce bolder goals and broaden the reach of Sustainability. In Phase 2, the supply chain is integrated into the organization’s sustainability program (Tier 1 suppliers are an extensions of ourselves). External advisory boards are formed to challenge the initiative beyond fundamentals-- outreach priorities are agreed upon and results measured.
Phase 3: Lead and Influence
In Phase 3 the mindset shifts from “doing less bad” to building a differentiation.
Sustainability directs what leaders think and do– how they:
- Innovate
- Collaborate within and outside the organization
- Build competitive advantage
Sustainability has momentum. It’s in the products we make and how we make them, in every plant and supplier relationship around the world. CSR Hub®, the world’s largest corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings and sustainability information database, indicates less than 1% of 8900 global manufacturers monitored have achieved all three levels, to net positive environmental and social impact.
Conclusion
Leaders in US manufacturing must move beyond the process standards of Deming, Six Sigma, and LEAN manufacturing.
Driving SMART, GLOBAL and SUSTAINABLE initiatives, visionary leaders recognize the need for continuous innovation. | https://www.frohman-associates.com/blog/2014/06/manufacturers-initiatives-for-success/ |
Welcome to Digital Photography.
General Rules
- Show up on time
- Work hard (smart)
- Be nice (coachable)
Senior Contract Expectations Consequences
Specific Rules
- When instruction is in progress you must be entirely focused on the person addressing the class. Turn off your monitors and make sure all smart devices are put away. Can’t focus when I’m teaching?- Don’t expect to learn much.
- Have respect for the classroom; do not waste materials, do not deface the tables, walls, or white board. Leave the classroom a little neater than you entered it.
- No food or drink, except water. This is a computer lab, so no snacks! I hate it when kids are so lazy they stuff the trash from their snack by their computers. Mess with the classroom, and you may lose class privileges.
- I dismiss the class. Do not gather by the door or leave without my permission. Work bell to bell. Pet peeve alert!
- Spend class time working. Try. Take risks. Do your best.
Procedures- what does your daily life look like?
- Entering the classroom– you are expected to enter the classroom quietly. The warm-up or days work will be on the big screen. Start your PC and begin work. You are expected to work quietly until instruction begins.
- Whole class focus–during this time you are expected to be engaged in the class demonstration, discussion, or instruction. This means that you are quiet, seated, and facing whoever is addressing the class; you are raising your hand to speak, and all personal electronic (auditory) devices are put away. What does RESPECT look like? You focused on the lesson, eyes on the teacher, seated facing the speaker, asking relevant questions, phone put away- actively trying to understand and absorb the new assignment.
- Lab time–When the class starts this is your cue to begin working on the day’s project. During this time you may get up freely to get materials, sharpen pencils, etc… You may talk quietly to a neighbor or listen to your iPod as long as you are working (and as long as your neighbors cannot hear your music). Please note that this is a privilege that will be revoked if it is abused. Abuse of this privilege includes texting, snapchat, twitter, internet use, gaming, and talking on the phone in class. If and when the demonstration or teaching is happening, you are expected to immediately stop what you are doing, be quiet, remove your headphones, put away any devices, and focus on the teacher.
- Log out from your computer when done. She who respects herself, respects the world around her- show that respect for yourself in how you treat your classroom. Last period of the day please shut down all computers. What does respect look like? – It looks like a clean room. Chairs pushed in, camera cabinet clean and organized with lanyards hung neatly. I can always tell those kids who do not respect themselves- they give no respect to others.
- Dismissal–under no condition may you leave the classroom without the teacher’s permission or without the pass. Always use the huge, wooden pass for the bathroom or to go to your locker. The pass is only for one person at a time. Please use the pass for 5-7 minutes at most, as others may need it after you. Abuse this privilege?- you will lose this privilege. Choose to skip out early? I will mark you tardy or absent! When the class ends at the bell you are expected to stop working and clean up your workstation.
Absences and Tardiness
If you are absent to class ten (10) or more times to class, you can be dropped from that class with an “F”. If you are late to class 15 or more times, you can be failed from the class. I will give you reminders if you start to come to class late 2-5 times. It is your responsibility to be in class, with your materials out ready to learn when class begins. If you are coming in at the last second and rushing to gather materials or begin the warm-up, then you are late to class.
Since kids like to argue over this, let’s keep it simple: If the bell rings, you should ALREADY be here, seated, working, and ready to start class.
If you are absent or tardy it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what was missed and be prepared to work that day. If you miss a class, please come and see me during nutrition or lunch when you return. Walking in and asking the next day: “Did I miss anything?” is a dumb question.
If you choose to miss class more than 10 times or come late to class more than 15 times you are really saying to me that your excuses mean more to you than this class- expect that your grade will suffer. Since life is going to be full of challenges and problems to solve, the small problem of getting to school or class on time is great practice at this.
If the class starts at the same time and in the same place every day and all year long and you cannot get yourself there on time, I would be worried about your chances of success in most things in life…Do you know what it means to others when you are late to their class/party/event ?- it says to them that your time is more important that theirs. It says that you care more about whatever you did to make yourself late, than the thing you were late for or to.
At the end of the year, those of you who still make the choice to break this attendance policy will play the Karma Game! If you do not meet the requirements, you fail the class and earn no credit.
Grading
Grades fall into three categories:
- Your grades are earned, not given- take responsibility for this class by earning the grade you want. This is your class, your education, your life. Don’t make the teenage mistake of putting the responsibility for that on anyone but you.
- 1. Class Participation– most of your grade will be based on participation. If you work to your potential you will earn points. Included in this is your work on art exercises, participation, and conduct. Basically, if you work hard and are respectful of your environment you will receive full credit. Any day that you do not work to your potential those points will be deducted. For example, if we do a drawing exercise for 30 minutes and you draw for the entire time, you earn the entire 50 its. If you talk, text, or are off task for half the time, you will only earn half the points.
- 2. Art Projects– Each unit will conclude with an art project. These will be worth 100 points. They will be graded according to the accompanying rubric , with half of all points earned simply by participation, the other half earned by completing the objectives set forth in the unit and explained in the rubric. Projects are where you SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW.
- 3. Exercises– Exercises are worth 25 or 50 points each and they require only your full participation for earning full credit. Exercises are where you make mistakes and learn from them.
- Every school day that something is late loses you 5 points of credit. Don’t let late assignments hurt your chances of success!
- At the end of the school year some students freak out and cry/get mad/blame others for their lack of work each day of the year. Don’t make choices you will regret, spend each day working bell-to-bell OR choose to accept the low/failing grade you earn when you make those choices. If you have been playing on your phone all year or surfing the Web when you know you should be working- that was YOUR choice.
Choices
You are in high school now, middle school is over. I’m here to coach you towards college/career/life, so I will have young adult expectations of you. Begin to “get” the concept that you run your life- nobody else. I cannot and will not try to control your behavior- that is your life.
All I can do is observe you make choices and provide consequences. If you are making good choices, then you will find positive consequences coming to you. If you are choosing to break the rules of this class, come late to class, be disrespectful, or not work to the best of your ability- you will find yourself on the receiving end of some consequences.
This class is yours to tackle. Success or failure is completely up to you! If you go above and beyond you will be rewarded with that excellent life you have been busy searching for (extra credit and/or exemptions from class requirements also)!
Making mistakes is not the problem for teens. You are great at making mistakes! What you sometimes forget is how to effectively learn from these mistakes. How will you learn from yesterday? What are your goals for tomorrow?
Which would you rather have? Results? Or your excuses? You can only have one…
Consequences
1st time– warning/conversation
2nd time– privilege revoked/one-on-one conversation after class
3rd time- referral to the office/call home/ detention
In addition to this you will lose participation points for the day.
Problems/Questions/Need Help?
– I am always here in Rm 93A at lunch and at Nutrition.
Issues with your grade?- I promise to do my best to take care of them during lunch or nutrition. | https://benjaminclancy.com/digital-photography/class-rules-and-expectations/ |
Pharmaceutical Manager, AuditsHybrid
At Medvantx, we deliver care that goes beyond the pharmacy. We offer our customers a better way to support their patients through innovative patient-centric pharmacy practices, nationwide dispense, and fulfillment services. For over two decades, we've been committed to enabling access to fast and affordable care. At Medvantx Pharmacy Services, you'll play a crucial role in our efforts to do just that.
Business Update:
THIS ROLE IS HYBRID. THE CANDIDATE MUST RESIDE WITHIN 4-5 HOURS OF SIOUX FALLS, SD OR LOUISVILLE, KY.
Job Summary/Objective
Medvantx is searching for a creative, resourceful, integrative thinker for an important role that is responsible for leading and overseeing Customer, Vendor, and Internal Audits. In this position, the individual will be an integral contributor to Medvantx continuous improvement efforts by championing organizational process and system excellence.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop a risk-based and fit-for-purpose audit schedule that reflects an appropriate level of review across all areas and obtain endorsement from key stakeholders as well as Quality management.
- Monitor the progress and maintain updates to the audit schedule.
- Lead and conduct Customer, Vendor, and Internal Audits, and support Regulatory audits as needed.
- Support the hosting and management of audits, both onsite and in a virtual setting.
- Manage all aspects of the audit lifecycle including audit requests, scheduling, planning, drafting, and issuing audit agendas, executing, issuing reports, evaluating responses, requesting clarification, issuing audit observations, follow up on audit response, and closure of audits.
- Ensure audit reports are timely and robust, listing the applicable regulations potentially at issue, providing specific examples where gaps could exist, noting positive examples/best practices observed, and providing suggestions for future improvements.
- Drive Risk Mitigation and Continuous Improvement initiatives by partnering with functional stakeholders during the audit observation response and ensuing CAPA processes.
- Develop or enhance department policies and procedures while ensuring ongoing and continuous compliance with applicable regulations.
- Lead or assist in investigations to determine root cause analyses for CAPAs
- Lead or assist in managing serious breach and/or CAPAs
- Track all CAPAs along with status
- Contributes to process improvements
- Establish, deploy, and manage the development of an effective internal audit / vendor quality auditing / assessment program
- Mentor junior staff in the accomplishment of their assigned duties
Critical Skills
- Experience conducting internal or vendor audits
- Must thrive working in a fast-paced, innovative environment while remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful, and efficient.
- Ability to adapt quickly to shifting needs and/or priorities.
- Able to interface well with all levels of personnel.
- Excellent teamwork, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills, both internally and externally.
- Strategic thinker, open-minded and flexible to adopting new ideas.
- Motivated, committed and self-managed.
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- Experienced leader or mentoring experience
- Excellent written and oral skills
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- 6+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry.
- 5+ years of experience in a Quality Compliance related role.
- 3+ years conducting customer, internal, or vendor audits
- Requires travel up to 30%
Preferred Qualifications:
- Quality Assurance Qualification/Certification
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period.
Supervisory Responsibility
Will have managerial responsibility
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, obligations, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Medvantx Pharmacy Services helps pharmaceutical brands do more than just survive in an ever-changing marketplace – we help them thrive in it. Medvantx provides powerful and personalized support to pharmaceutical manufacturers, health care providers, and their patients. We service the specialty needs of pharmaceutical manufacturers by offering patient assistance programs and providing efficient intake solutions, nationwide dispense and fulfillment services, quality aftercare through counseling and customer service, safe and secure data handling, dependable inventory management and logistics, and insightful reporting and accounting. Serving more than 50 pharmaceutical manufacturers and managing more than $7.5 billion of prescriptions annually, Medvantx has been redefining pharmacy for over 20 years.
Medvantx is proud to have earned Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites® (VIPPS®) accreditation through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®). Only 5% of online pharmacies meet the nationally endorsed standards of quality, safety, and security set by the NABP®.
Medvantx is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran or disability status, or other protected characteristics.
AmeriPharm, Inc. and Vytal, LLC are wholly owned subsidiaries of Medvantx, Inc. a Delaware Corporation. | https://medvantx.com/careers/job-details/?gh_jid=4772335004 |
Blood Oxygen levels, also known as oxygen saturation or SpO2, is the amount of oxygenated haemoglobin circulating in the blood i.e it indicates how well the body carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Most of the oxygen in the body is carried by the red blood cells, which collect oxygen from the lungs and deliver it to different parts of the body. Oxygen levels above 95-100 are considered normal and a value between 91-94 requires regular monitoring (prone breathing helps improve levels in this situation), values below 91 indicates hypoxemia, low blood oxygen levels.
The second wave of COVID-19 is affecting the youth more than the elderly. Reports suggest that the younger generation is taking time to realize the infection in their bodies which is spreading the virus more rapidly. In spite of low blood oxygen levels, a person shows no signs – a condition known as happy hypoxia (low levels of oxygen at tissue levels).
The most efficient way to measure blood oxygen level is through an ABG test, which requires a blood sample of a person and is done in a laboratory. So, an alternative test can be done using a small device known as a pulse oximeter – a small device which is clipped on a person’s finger. It measures the blood oxygen by light absorption through a person’s pulse. This is not very accurate compared to the ABG test as it depends on many factors like dirty fingers, nail polish and poor circulation to the extremities.
Symptoms of Low Oxygen Levels
- Shortness of breath or breathlessness is an uncomfortable condition which makes it difficult to get air fully into the lungs
- Throbbing headache: lack of oxygen in the brain causes sudden and rapid increase in blood pressure in the brain, leading to throbbing headache
- Restlessness is a feeling to constantly move, not being able to calm the mind or a combination of both.
- Dizziness and confusion is a feeling of lightheadedness or a feeling of fainting while confusion is a situation when a person is not able to think straight. Dizziness is a temporary feeling which might come and go while confusion affects a person’s thinking capacity. Extremely low levels of oxygen can also lead to loss of consciousness or inability to stay awake or even get up.
- Rapid breathing: Low oxygen levels in the blood causes shortness of breath and a hunger for air. Because of incomplete exhalation, carbon-di-oxide concentration increases in the body causing rapid breathing
- Chest pain: Not getting enough oxygen into the lungs creates an urge to breathe deep and this repeated action causes pain and discomfort in the chest.
- High blood pressure: Low levels of oxygen in the blood narrows down the pulmonary arteries which squeezes the blood into a narrow space, leading to increased blood pressure.
- Changes in colour of skin, lips or the extremities to blue or cherry red or shades varying between the two known as cyanosis usually happens when oxygen levels are extremely low and the person feels too cold to touch.
- Lack of coordination also called coordination impairment happens when there is disruption in communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Walking does not require much effort on a regular basis but when a person has low oxygen levels, they might wobble or have difficulty in lifting their legs. This usually happens when there is less oxygen supply to the brain.
- Visual disorders: Lack of oxygen supply to the eyes causes blurred vision, burning, excessive tearing and scratching. Excessive tear production is due to inflammation of the glands in the eyes or blockage of tear ducts. There could also be redness of the eyes due to inflammation of the conjunctiva.
- Sense of euphoria is a feeling of excitement and happiness. Some people show symptoms of a high, which you usually have when taking drugs or side effects of any medicine. This is due to the lack of oxygen which creates confusion and people fail to realize their oxygen levels are low.
- Rapid heartbeat: The heart sends electrical signals which make it beat and pump blood. This signal begins in the upper right chamber of the heart called the Sino Atrial Node, also the pacemaker which controls heartbeat. These electrical signals are controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System and low oxygen levels make the ANS transmit these signals at a faster rate and increase the demand for more oxygen causing rapid heart rate
The above-mentioned symptoms and the complications can easily be prevented when a person is alert and knows the symptom and measures their blood oxygen levels or SpO2 on a regular basis. SpO2, along with other symptoms of COVID-19 such as high body temperature can be easily monitored through the GOQii Smart Vital. As the new wave of COVID is said to affect children, you might also consider getting the GOQii Smart Vital Junior for your kids and imbibe healthy habits in them from a young age! | https://goqii.com/blog/tag/healthcare/page/3/ |
Ne-Na Contemporary Art Space
Ne-Na Contemporary Art Space international residency program offers artists an opportunity to execute site specific projects which engage with and utilize the local culture of Northern Thailand. The residency offers the artist the opportunity to develop their practice by implementing contemporary concepts and approaches in a new and culturally specific context.
Ne-Na Contemporary Art Space is a non-proft artist-in-residence program that was founded in Chiang Mai Thailand in 1998 by a group of Swedish and Thai artists led by artist/curator Shukit Panmongkol. The program aims at the inter-cultural exchange of individual experiences, professional development, international cooperation, and to professionally support contemporary artists in establishing and developing their work.
We are the platform for international artists to negotiate the traditional and popular art and culture of Thailand through their work. The program gives artists the opportunity to develop and expand their work and engage in intercultural exchange amidst a supportive network of local and international artists. Ne-Na invites and welcomes artists to learn about the traditional northern Thai (Lanna) culture, and to explore possibilities in sustainable, self-sufficient living.
The program is divided between two sites: Monfai Cultural Centre at the inner suburb of Chiang Mai city, and the annex site, just outside the city in Mae Rim. The buildings of both sites are reconstructions of traditional Lanna style architecture.
Monfai Cultural Centre Monfai is an open-air living museum which preserves the traditions and culture of the Lanna people. Monfai Cultural Centre is a popular venue for traditional wedding ceremony, the joyful people in traditional costumes with food, music and dance. The authenticity and beauty of the Monfai building has attracted many film-makers and television productions, making it a popular film location. At Monfai, artists can engage with the traditional culture of Northern Thailand as well as the network of artists, performers, artisans and craftspeople in Chiang Mai who are involved in the activities of the cultural center. The Monfai accommodation contains an open plan, messy studio with artificial light that is particularly good for light 3 dimensional projects. There is a shared kitchen with full cooking facilities, five private ensuit bedrooms, internet, furniture and a washing machine.
The Annex site is located on the hillside area in Mae Rim, an agricultural area just a half-hour drive from downtown Chiang Mai city and close to the village of Mae Ram which has many tourist attractions, shops and cafe, this can be easily reached by bike or the onsite motorbike. The spacious, open plan building contains many potential studios, expansive gardens and lawns, and a huge natural and artificially lit outdoor covered workshop perfect for large constructions and performances. A large elegant natural and artificially lit gallery is available for exhibitions and screenings, and when available it can be used as studio space.
Ne-Na welcome residence artists to attend the learning of traditional activities, such as making flower garlands, cooking, dancing, working with bamboo, among many other things for free!!!. Ne-Na provides space to work and the team will take you around the sites as well as provide you with the necessary information. Assistance in purchasing art supplies and what ever materials or anything that you may require for your art practice.
Ne-Na is well connected in the Chiang Mai art scene and Chiang Mai university. Ne-Na will provide you with the exhibition space to showcase your work. | https://resartis.org/listings/ne-na-contemporary-art-space/ |
The Clarksville Downtown Market is a weekly open-air market featuring farmers and artisans who offer locally-grown fresh produce, food items, and handcrafted products. The Market strives to provide an opportunity for customers to connect with local businesses while enhancing the quality of life in our community. Enjoy live music, meet our Market mascot, “Corny the Cob,” and participate in special events on select market days.
DATES & TIMES
Saturdays, May 15 through October 2, 2021 (No market Saturday, September 11.)
8:00 AM to Noon
*Market dates and hours are subject to change due to weather
LOCATION
1 Public Square
Clarksville, TN 37040
Additional guidelines will be followed to keep the market safe and accessible for all patrons during this season of COVID-19:
- Vendors and patrons will be strongly encouraged to wear
- facial coverings.
- Vendors will be required to wear gloves.
- On-site crowd control will limit the number of patrons
- allowed on the market grounds at one time.
- Patrons cannot touch the merchandise prior to purchase.
- Caution tape will be placed at each tent to ensure a
- safe distance between patrons and vendors.
- No reusable bags will be allowed (only disposable plastic
- bags).
- Hand sanitizer will be available for patrons. | https://www.visitclarksvilletn.com/event/clarksville-downtown-market/176/ |
CHICAGO — The Bears rookie quarter back, Mitch Trubisky, is in some deep water after a very controversial comment he made in an interview on WSCR-AM 670,Wednesday.
When asked to name the greatest basketball player of all time, the Ohioan said LeBron James.
Trubisky went on to explain that since he’s from LeBron’s home state, he can’t help the bias.
“I grew up watching LeBron. That’s really all I know,” he said in the interview.
Chicago knows that the right answer to a question regarding the greatest ever in basketball is Michael Jordan.
We’ll let this slide this time Trubisky. | https://wgntv.com/2017/08/09/lebron-vs-mj-debate-sparked-again-by-bears-rookie-qb-mitch-trubisky/ |
The Galápagos Islands are indeed a special place. Located about a two-hour flight away from the coast of Ecuador, the archipelago is home to a vast number of flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
In fact, the English naturalist Charles Darwin stopped by the Galápagos Islands in 1835 during his round-the-world voyage on board the HMS Beagle. His observations of the unique plants and animals there contributed to the formulation of his renowned theory of natural selection, which accounts for the diversity of all living things on our planet.
Even if you have no interest in the study of living things, the opportunity to get up close to the creatures that live in the islands and the waters around them should not be missed. As these creatures have evolved in isolation without human contact for a long period of time, they are generally less shy of humans.
This allows for some really sublime encounters with them, which I had the good fortune of experiencing during my brief time there:
1. Observe the cute Galápagos sea lions snoozing on the benches in town
These sea lions will probably be the most common animal you see in the Galápagos Islands. They will be found at almost every beach, pier and park bench—snoozing without any regard about the world.
The way they move their round bodies on land is also adorable. Try not to get too close to the young sea lions though, as their mothers may get aggressive.
2. Even better, play with them while snorkelling in the water
If you do visit the Galápagos Islands, you must at least know how to swim. Most of the animals you’ll see there are found in the sea. Hence, you will not be able to get close to them unless you are in the water yourself!
One of my most magical moments in the Galápagos Islands occurred when I was swimming alone in a quiet bay in San Cristóbal Island and all of a sudden, a pod of sea lions came by. They started swimming all around me as if playing and a cheeky one even nibbled on my big toe!
3. Confront your fears and swim with sharks
Kicker Rock (León Dormido) off San Cristóbal Island is a great place to view sharks. Even without scuba diving, you will probably get to spot a few of them swimming around the area. If you are lucky, you might even get to see the elusive hammerhead sharks (I didn’t).
Don’t worry too much about the sharks too. They are probably more afraid of you than you of them.
4. Admire the gracefulness of the Galápagos green turtle in water
Watching the Galápagos green turtle gracefully glide through the water can almost be said to be a meditative experience. It was really relaxing to just swim beside them and watch them do their own thing.
5. Try to take a photo of the speedy Galápagos penguin swimming
The Galápagos penguin is the only penguin in the wild that lives north of the Equator. This small penguin is exceptionally quick in water and it was extremely difficult to snap a photo of it swimming in water.
6. Ponder over the mystery of the “sneezing” marine iguanas
If you observe the ubiquitous marine iguanas around the islands, you will probably notice that every few minutes, they will eject some sort of liquid from their nostrils, almost like sneezing! This is why you should not bring your camera too close to them should you want to take a close-up photo.
As the only lizard species on earth that has adapted to a marine lifestyle, the “sneezing” that you will observe is actually a trait these marine iguanas have developed to expel the salt they ingested while foraging for algae at sea.
7. Relax by the tidal pools and watch the little critters living in them
One thing I like about rocky beaches is that they often have tidal pools. You never know what little critters you can find in them. I can spend hours just looking at the crabs and sea anemones living in this unique world defined by the ebb and flow of the tides.
You may also come across sleeping sea lions nestled within some of the crevices in the rocks. They look so comfortable that you might just be tempted to lie down beside them to take a nap too (which I did).
8. Appreciate the slow life by looking at Galápagos tortoises
I did not get to see any wild Galápagos tortoises while I was in the islands, but I got my tortoise fix by visiting the various tortoise sanctuaries on each of the main islands.
As these tortoises have lifespans of over 100 years in the wild, they can really afford to take their time to do things, including mating.
All in all, the Galápagos Islands are an unforgettable travel destination, especially if you consider yourself a nature lover. The full range of wildlife encounters you may experience if you do decide to visit will definitely go beyond the list above. So head over with sharp eyes and an open mind, and be ready to soak in the fragile splendour of our natural world! | https://www.tripzilla.com/galapagos-island-animal-encounters/54378 |
Psychological distress was associated with a higher risk of death from stroke, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Psychological distress includes factors such as anxiety, depression, sleeping problems and loss of confidence, and is common in approximately 15%-20% of the general population.Although there is evidence linking psychological distress to coronary artery disease, there is a dearth of data linking psychological distress with the risk of death from stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases.
Researchers from UCL (University College London), United Kingdom, sought to understand this link and looked at data from a large study of 68 652 men and women who participated in the Health Survey for England. The mean age of participants was 54.9 years, 45.0% were male and 96.1% were white.
To measure psychological distress, the researchers used the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), a widely used measure in population studies. Psychological distress was evident in 14.7% of participants, and those reporting distress were younger and more likely to be female, to be from lower income groups, to smoke and to use hypertension medications. Over an average of 8.1 years' follow-up, there were 2367 deaths from cardiovascular disease (1010 from ischemic heart disease, 562 from cerebrovascular disease and 795 from other cardiovascular-related deaths.)
"Psychological distress was associated with death from cardiovascular disease, and the relation remained consistent for specific disease outcomes, including ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease," writes Dr. Mark Hamer, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, with coauthors.
"We saw an association between psychological distress and risk of cerebrovascular disease among our participants, all of whom had been free from cardiovascular disease at baseline," state the authors. "This association was similar in size to the association between psychological distress and ischemic heart disease in the same group."
The researchers suggest that questionnaires could be useful screening tools for common mental illnesses to help reduce risk factors for death from cardiovascular disease.
---
On the Net: | http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112636002/risk-of-death-from-stroke-increases-with-psychological-distress/ |
This tutorial describes how to write a test suite using the TET C language API binding. The source code for the test suite can be found in Appendix A.
This tutorial is designed to illustrate how a test suite can be structured under TET, as well as how individual test cases and their test purposes relate to each other and to the API. The test suite has been deliberately kept simple and realistic. For example, one test purpose compares the returned error code against an expected error code of a failed system call, while another test purpose in the same test case checks the successful execution of the system call.
Small segments of code from the test suite appear in the following sections to help illustrate specific points. Refer to the appropriate section in Appendix A to see the code in its entirety.
1.2 Defining a Test Suite
Test suites reside in subdirectories of $TET_ROOT (or alternately $TET_SUITE_ROOT, which is an Extended TET feature). The name of the subdirectory and the test suite are the same. The following figure shows the component files of the sample test suite, called C-API:
The make-up of this test suite is similar to the demo test suite which comes with the TET: an install script and cleantool in the bin directory; configuration files for test build, execution, and cleanup; a control file, tet_scen; a result codes file, tet_code; several test cases in a directory structure under the directory ts; and a results directory.
The control file, tet_scen, lists the components of the test suite; and its contents determine the scenarios that can be used in running the test suite. The following figure shows the contents of the control file, tet_scen, for the C-API test suite.
The control file lists five scenarios for the test suite: all (required), chmod, fileno, stat, and uname. Since the test suite is composed of four test cases, one for the chmod system call, one for the fileno system call, one for the stat system call, and one for the uname system call, the control file has been written to allow each test case to be handled as a separate scenario, or for the whole test suite to be run at once with the all scenario.
The lines enclosed in double quotation marks are optional information lines that get passed into the journal file. The lines that begin with a slash or stroke character (/) name the executable test cases associated with each scenario. Note that even though these lines begin with a slash character, their location is relative to the local directory (the root directory for the test suite). In this instance, the test cases are in a subdirectory named ts.
The cleantool is used to remove unwanted files after the build of each test case. It is invoked in the source directory of the test case. In this case it is set to exec make clean to remove unwanted object files as defined in each makefile.
1.3 Defining Common Test Case Functions and Variables
Since most test suites lend themselves to lots of code redundancy, making an effort to group together common functions and variables can greatly simplify the writing and debugging of a test suite. With the C-API test suite, which is very small, no common functions and variables other than the standard ones in tetapi.h were created.
One additional result code was invented, however, which would normally be defined in a test suite specific header file. But because it is only used within one test case in this very small test suite, it is instead defined within uname-tc.c as follows:
1.4 Initializing Test Cases
Every test case requires some minimum initialization of functions and variables. The fileno-tc test case provides a good illustration of how this initialization can be handled.
After the #include statements, several functions are declared. TET provides the option of naming both a startup and cleanup function. The named startup function will be called before the first test purpose is executed; and the cleanup function will be called after all test purposes have been executed. In this test case, only the cleanup function is named. The cleanup function cleanup() removes files created during the course of the test case.
The stat-tc test case includes a more substantial cleanup function, as well as a startup function. It requires that a file be created before the first test purpose, so this is handled by the startup function; this same file, as well as another file and a directory created during the tests, is then removed in the cleanup function. See Appendix A for a complete code listing of the stat-tc test case.
The fileno-tc test case includes four test purposes, contained in the functions: tp1, tp2, tp3, and tp4. First the functions are declared (including an extra function which is a child process of tp4), as shown above. Then they are listed in the tet_testlist array with the invocable component to which they belong. In this case, each test purpose can be executed individually, so they are assigned to separate invocable components. If, say, tp2 depended on prior execution of tp1, then they would be assigned the same IC number. After the array is set, any test case wide declarations are made. This commonly includes a buffer to use for constructing information lines to be output with tet_infoline().
1.5 Controlling and Recording Test Case Execution Results
Identifying and executing highly specific tests is central to any test case. Each test purpose in a test case typically targets one specific test that is loosely or strongly related to the other test purposes contained in the test case. The central purpose of each of these test purposes is to relay information about the execution of the test for the tester to examine later. This relaying of information can take the form of informational messages describing the test being executed, fatal or non-fatal errors that were encountered, and specific test execution results, such as pass or fail.
The chmod-tc test case contains three test purposes:
Functions tp1 and tp2 are shown here and are described below.
The comments for the code should clarify what is happening on each line. However, it is important to note that a lot of useful diagnostics have been written right into the tests. If any of the system calls fail, whether it is the one being specifically tested or one that the test relies on, that failure will be reported. Also, the tests begin the same, with a message about the test's purpose; and they end the same, with a pass/fail result being reported.
This sort of consistency yields two important benefits:
Some test cases may require user verification of information generated by a test case. An example of this can be found in the uname-tc test case when system specific information is being reported.
Since the information from uname will be different on every machine, the output needs to be reported and then verified. Here the information is simply being printed out for the tester to see and check, but no attempt has been made to interact with the tester to receive verification of the information and then use that verification to set the pass/fail result. Instead, a result code of INSPECT has been used.
1.5.1 Child Processes and Subprograms
Some test purposes require the creation of a child process or execution of a subprogram. The Toolkit provides three interfaces to facilitate this:
An example of their use can be found in test purpose tp4 of the fileno test case:
All the testing is done in the child, so the function tp4() simply calls tet_fork() and ignores the return value. If it needed to do any processing after the call to tet_fork(), it should check that the return value was one of the expected child exit codes before continuing. The arguments to tet_fork() are: a function to be executed in the child; a function to be executed in the parent (in this case no parent processing is required, so a null function pointer TET_NULLFP, defined in tet_api.h, is used); a timeout period in seconds; and, a bitwise OR of the valid child exit codes (in this case the only valid exit code is zero).
The file fileno-t4.c contains the definition of tet_main():
1.6 Cleaning Up Test Cases
Since test cases often change and/or create data, it is important to cleanup this data before exiting the test case. As explained earlier, one way to do this is to specify a cleanup function with TET's tet_cleanup utility. The cleanup function named in the stat-tc test case provides a good example.
The cleanup function is called when all the test purposes have finished executing. As shown, it simply removes the files and directory that were created during the test. | http://tetworks.opengroup.org/tutorial/ |
Bread (Non) enjoys exalted status in Uzbek society.
Legend claims that rulers once paid the minters of coins in bread. And in the 11th century, Non was recommended as a cure for debilitating disease. Great respect is shown towards Non. When a member of the family leaves (for example, on a trip, or for military service), he bites a fresh Non, which is hung up to safeguard his return. At a meal, the Non is broken into pieces and shared around the table. Non is never placed face-down - the patterned, seeded side is always kept facing up. Non is never left on the ground or thrown away in public. It is a further custom that anyone who finds a piece on the ground should pick it up, kiss it and touch it to their forehead three times.
To make Non, wheatflour dough, sprinkled with sesame or poppy, is placed against the clay walls of a tandyr oven. Only when it falls, is it baked to perfection.
Photo was taken in the Jewish Quarter.
Critiques | Translate
ciakgiak (30) 2009-12-14 5:02
Hello Michael,
this image is splendid, the light on the face of the woman is really amazing so that her expression! Superb composition my dear friend, congratulations.
Friendly regards.
Giorgio
wolf38 (30) 2009-12-14 7:03
Hello Michael. The subtle Photo pleases me very well, because it shows the everyday life realistically. The composition is perfect. Informative text. Compliment for this landmark photograph. Best regards, Wolfgang.
akm (1216) 2009-12-14 8:54
Hello Michael,
Your lovely photo and informative note make an excellent post. The woman is indeed holding the precious bread with reverence. I find myself wanting to know what she's thinking -- she seems perhaps to be counting -- but at the same time wanting to respect her privacy. Thank you.
Regards, | https://en.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Uzbekistan/photo1157290.htm |
Ten years of data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory combined with numerical models reveal the deep low musical notes of the Sun.
A team of solar physicists led by Laurent Gizon of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) and the University of Göttingen in Germany has reported the discovery of global oscillations of the Sun with very long periods, comparable to the 27-day solar rotation period. The oscillations manifest themselves at the solar surface as swirling motions with speeds on the order of 5 kilometers per hour. These motions were measured by analyzing 10 years of observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Using computer models, the scientists have shown that the newly discovered oscillations are resonant modes and owe their existence to the Sun’s differential rotation. The oscillations will help establish novel ways to probe the Sun’s interior and obtain information about our star’s inner structure and dynamics. The scientists describe their findings in a letter to appear today in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
In the 1960’s the Sun’s high musical notes were discovered: The Sun rings like a bell. Millions of modes of acoustic oscillations with short periods, near 5 minutes, are excited by convective turbulence near the solar surface and are trapped in the solar interior. These 5-minute oscillations have been observed continuously by ground-based telescopes and space observatories since the mid 1990’s and have been used very successfully by helioseismologists to learn about the internal structure and dynamics of our star – just like seismologists learn about the interior of the Earth by studying earthquakes. One of the triumphs of helioseismology is to have mapped the Sun’s rotation as a function of depth and latitude (the solar differential rotation).
In addition to the 5-minute oscillations, much longer-period oscillations were predicted to exist in stars more than 40 years ago, but had not been identified on the Sun until now. “The long-period oscillations depend on the Sun’s rotation; they are not acoustic in nature”, says Laurent Gizon, lead author of the new study and director at the MPS. “Detecting the long-period oscillations of the Sun requires measurements of the horizontal motions at the Sun’s surface over many years. The continuous observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard SDO are perfect for this purpose.”
The team observed many tens of modes of oscillation, each with its own oscillation period and spatial dependence. Some modes of oscillation have maximum velocity at the poles (movie 1), some at mid-latitudes (movie 2), and some near the equator (movie 3). The modes with maximum velocity near the equator are Rossby modes, which the team had already identified in 2018. “The long-period oscillations manifest themselves as very slow swirling motions at the surface of the Sun with speeds of about 5 kilometers per hour – about how fast a person walks”, says Zhi-Chao Liang from MPS. Kiran Jain from NSO, together with B. Lekshmi and Bastian Proxauf from MPS, confirmed the results with data from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), a network of six solar observatories in the USA, Australia, India, Spain, and Chile.
To identify the nature of these oscillations, the team compared the observational data to computer models. “The models allow us to look inside the Sun’s interior and determine the full three-dimensional structure of the oscillations”, explains MPS graduate student Yuto Bekki. To obtain the model oscillations, the team began with a model of the Sun’s structure and differential rotation inferred from helioseismology. In addition, the strength of the convective driving in the upper layers, and the amplitude of turbulent motions are accounted for in the model. The free oscillations of the model are found by considering small-amplitude perturbations to the solar model. The corresponding velocities at the surface are a good match to the observed oscillations and enabled the team to identify the modes (see movies).
“All of these new oscillations we observe on the Sun are strongly affected by the Sun’s differential rotation”, says MPS scientist Damien Fournier. The dependence of the solar rotation with latitude determines where the modes have maximum amplitudes. “The oscillations are also sensitive to properties of the Sun’s interior: in particular to the strength of the turbulent motions and the related viscosity of the solar medium, as well as to the strength of the convective driving,” says Robert Cameron from MPS. This sensitivity is strong at the base of the convection zone, about two hundred thousand kilometers beneath the solar surface. “Just like we are using acoustic oscillations to learn about the sound speed in the solar interior with helioseismology, we can use the long-period oscillations to learn about the turbulent processes”, he adds.
“The discovery of a new type of solar oscillations is very exciting because it allows us to infer properties, such as the strength of the convective driving, which ultimately control the solar dynamo”, says Laurent Gizon. The diagnostic potential of the long-period modes will be fully realized in the coming years using a new exascale computer model being developed as part of the project WHOLESUN, supported by a European Research Council 2018 Synergy Grant. | https://theuncoverreality.in/2021/07/20/long-period-oscillations-of-the-sun-discovered-planetary-science/ |
A big controversy erupted back in April when Ted Kennedy called Iraq “George Bush’s Vietnam;” commentators on the right like Instapundit and Jonah Goldberg accused Kennedy of preaching defeatism, while people on the left, like Mark Kleiman and Matt Yglesias, tried to argue that Kennedy hadn’t really meant an unwinnable quagmire; Kleiman eventually relented when Eugene Volokh pointed to Kennedy using the “q” word:
Eugene Volokh finds a news account of a Senate debate today in which Kennedy explicitly likens the Iraq situation to Vietnam, describing both as “quagmires.” Unlike Kennedy’s Brookings speech, this is unambiguously defeatist language. I don’t know whether it’s accurate analysis . . . but, accurate or not, it’s fair to say that having it used on the Senate floor is likely to make it harder to convince, e.g., Ali al-Sistani to come down on our side rather than Sadr’s side.
Well. Now, we have John Kerry running a campaign commercial criticizing ads run by Bush “[i]n the face of the Iraq quagmire . . .” Defeatism has become the major theme of the Kerry campaign in the closing weeks, to the point where he would run an ad just assuming that the war in Iraq is a “quagmire.”
Don’t say you weren’t warned. | https://baseballcrank.com/2004/09/27/war-the-q-word/ |
Annotated Bibliography On Gender Discrimination And The Rise Of Feminism In America
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia. "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing." Revised edition for Burlington County College. NY: Pearson (2011).Th...
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1.3 Problem StatementIt is clear that there lacks a general convention that protects the rights of seniors. In any case, the instruments protect against possible age disc...
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Camera, Laura. Education Department Asks Schools to Combat Anti-Muslim Discrimination. 5 January 2016. Web. 1 December 2016.Laura Camera, an education reporter, focusses...
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Before 1960s, there was high discrimination on employment based on compensation, conditions, terms and privileges because of individual's race, religion, color, nationali... | https://midtermguru.com/essays/category/discrimination |
Roger Robinson (born May 2, 1940) is an American actor who won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for the 2009 revival of ...
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Roger Robinson is a writer, musician and performer who lives between England and Trinidad. He describes himself as "a British resident with a Trini sensibility".
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Roger Robinson, Actor: The Pack. Roger Robinson was born on May 2, 1940 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Pack (2011), ...
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Roger Robinson ran for England and New Zealand at world level, and set masters marathon ... By Roger Robinson ... Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson.
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Dub Poet / Writer Performer. One of the most versatile and internationally respected dub poets. Writing songs about common people and their plight.
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Roger Robinson - Internationally known author, runner and scholar.
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A competitive runner for 64 years (so far), I raced at elite level, including masters, for almost 30. I've never counted my races, but there must have been well over ...
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Complete your Roger Robinson record collection. Discover Roger Robinson's full discography. Shop new and used Vinyl and CDs. | https://www.ask.com/web?q=Roger++Robinson%C2%A0 |
At Electrical Distribution Design, customer satisfaction is a main priority. That is why we offer a set of training packages to our customers. Upon request, we will send engineers and software specialists to our customer’s facility for DEW/ISM training. Training is performed hands-on in a classroom with trainees working directly with real data. We prefer to use our customer’s own data but training models are available.
The training comes in two main packages.
Module Specific Training
A module represents a business process that uses a combination of features and/or applications. Our DEW/ISM expert will go over the basic functions of the software, as well how to use many of our applications and modules necessary for in-depth modeling. These applications include:
- Basic User Training
- Model Building
- Loads, Measurements, and Load Modeling
- DER Analysis
- Distribution Planning
- Conservation Voltage Reduction
Applications Specific Training
An application is a self contained analysis in DEW/ISM that can be a part of a module or performed standalone. Some of the applications our DEW/ISM experts provide training for are:
- Phase Balancing
- Capacitor Design
- Protection Coordination
We also provide a complimentary DEW/ISM User Guide and application guides, along with our easy to use support page. | http://www.edd-us.com/training/ |
When using the OPEN approach to system development, we start with the metamodel—known as the M2 level in the terminology of the Object Management Group (see Figure 1). The metamodel presents the entities we can instantiate into our process (as shown in Figure 2), a process usually described at the organizational level (M1 level in Figure 1). The instances we create may be our own, or may be selected from a predefined set: predefined Activities and Tasks for OPEN are defined in The Open Process Specification,1 while predefined Techniques are outlined in The OPEN Toolbox of Techniques.2 These predefined Activities can be thought of as belonging to a process component repository (see Figure 3). All these instances are then configured together using the rules of the metamodel, thus creating a personalized sequencing, according to a chosen life-cycle model such as contract-driven, spiral, fountain, waterfall, etc. The configured process instances together form an organizational-level (or M1 level) process. When you ask a company, "What process are you using?," the given relates to this M1 level. Finally, whenever that process is effected on a particular project, with actual individuals filling the roles, real calendar deliverables, and so on, then we have an M0-level process instance (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Three levels in the metalevel hierarchy for process.
The process component instances (M1) that have been identified in the literature were published as part of the OPEN book series1,2 as noted above. However, technology is always changing and there were a number of gaps in these books that have been filled in over the last few years. In this and my next few columns, I address some of these gaps. In particular, I address work that has recently been done to add to OPEN (at the M1 level) Activities, Tasks, and Techniques relevant to:
Figure 2. A process is instantiated from a process metamodel and the instantiated components are then assembled into an organization-specific process.
In addition, a version of the OPEN process framework has been created to address not software or software-intensive system development, but the process by which an industry actually introduces object and/or component technology into their organization. This is called a transition process,3 and I will outline this in a later column.
Figure 3. Process components are stored and selected in a repository using a set of construction guidelines. The result is a personalized OO/CBD process instance highly suitable for the current project.
COMPONENT-BASED DEVELOPMENT
Component-based development (CBD) is no different from traditional or object-oriented development in that it too needs a process—a process by which the particular characteristics of components can be fully exploited. That process is the framework that the creation of the software solution occurs, taking into account a wide variety of issues, including (but not exclusively) project management, organizational culture, individuals' skills, tool availability, quality criteria imposed by the end user/client of the software, and, of course, reuse strategies.
In CBD, we typically focus on the use of encapsulated and plugable components as units of deployable code,4 although this definition is extended in Objects, Components, and Frameworks with UML: The Catalysis Approach (Chapter 10)5 to include designs, specifications, text documents, etc.—in fact anything that can be described by a UML package. Since components are known almost exclusively by their interfaces,4, 6 these must therefore be trusted, clearly specified, and useful. Hence, both unit and integration testing are clearly very important.7 Components also need to be "composable," i.e., there must be an easy way of "gluing" them together, requiring minor enhancements or variations in use with current OO modeling languages and processes.
From this 50,000-foot view, the issues of CBD are not that dissimilar from those in object-oriented development, except that there is a greater focus on integration rather than synthesis,8 on creating reusable assets, and on obtaining and using previously created components. In comparison with an object-oriented approach, a component package includes definitions of the interfaces it requires, as well as what it provides; components tend to have more complex actions at their interfaces, not just individual messages, and are coarser grained5—indeed, a component may contain several objects inside it. Components are also more static than objects, although both work through polymorphic interfaces.5 We can then use existing development processes, such as the ones described here in OPEN, and ask what modifications need to be made in order for them to be equally suitable for CBD.
EXISTING OPEN SUPPORT FOR CBD
The extent to which OPEN may or may not already support CBD can be examined in terms of how many CBD-related issues are covered in its Activities, Tasks, and Techniques. Here we identify the extent of pre-existing support for components, and, in particular, reuse; and then suggest new process element instances to fill in the gaps.9
Three of the existing OPEN Tasks1 focus on reuse. These are immediately applicable to CBD, although they require additional comment and discussion focused on components, as well as objects.
"For reuse" focuses on the creation of reusable assets. Domain-wide thinking is needed, together with additional effort that must be expended to bulletproof the components. "With reuse," on the other hand, takes those existing, well-crafted components and advises how they can be used in the present project.
Barriers to successful reuse of components are partly sociological because developers are often reticent in considering the use of someone else's code, and partly based on the widespread belief in the myth that reuse occurs for free simply by using inheritance. At a technical level, reuse is just as likely (probably more likely) to result from the use of some form of composition or "aggregation"—this is particularly true for components. Therefore, we should note in passing that there are difficulties in using or adopting UML's notions of aggregation and composition to components.10 Thus, fixing UML's composition support is more crucial in CBD than in OO software development. Proposals are already scheduled for the UML Version 2.0 committees.
Lastly, component repository management is a little different from managing a library of classes for OO development. There is, however, another Task in OPEN: "Develop software development context plans and strategies" that has existing subtasks to establish plans and strategies. None of these address the organization's (or team's) policy on components—clearly an extension will be needed.
In addition to the three pre-existing OPEN Tasks discussed above, there are also a significant number of Techniques in OPEN relevant to component usage. The most relevant are those that focus on reuse, and they include:
together with a number of more technical techniques not solely focused on components or reuse. These include (in alphabetical order) application scavenging, CIRT indexing, completion of abstractions, domain analysis, framework creation, genericity specification, idioms, mechanisms, pattern recognition, and revision of inheritance hierarchies (generalization for reuse).2
EXTENDING THE SUPPORT
In this section, we focus primarily on the "with reuse" aspects of component-based development, deferring the issues of how to build these components until later. Some good advice on component creation as well as component utilization can be found in Objects, Components, and Frameworks with UML: The Catalysis Approach.5
It is clear that OPEN needs to augment existing Tasks and/or to include new Tasks and Subtasks that are specifically focused on component selection and use. Creating applications from preexisting components is a prime example of "with reuse." Currently in OPEN, this focus area is described by a Task that relates to activities such as domain analysis and application build. For OO application development, this has been adequate. However, for CBD, the whole focus of acquisition and integration of components (including Commercial Off the Shelf [COTS]) is really a parallel for (at least part of) the Build Activity of software applications development. OPEN's support for "with reuse" has thus been elevated9 to the level of an Activity rather than a Task. In so doing, it was renamed "Component Selection." This new OPEN activity has three associated tasks. These are based on the work of Kuruganti.11
It then remains for appropriate Techniques to be identified to fulfill these tasks and, if necessary, to identify and add any such missing techniques to OPEN's "Toolbox."2 Secondly, outsourcing is increasing, resulting in companies having to evaluate the utility of COTS packages. It is thus opportune to include in OPEN a discussion of COTS Selection under this same "with reuse" Activity (Component Selection). This is especially useful because the three Tasks identified for components are equally viable for COTS selection—we just need to consider COTS software as being analogous to a large component.
Lastly, we note the need for a new Task: "Integrate Components" that describes how the selected components and/or COTS are synthesized into the application. This may be a substitute or a complement to the existing OPEN Task: "Code."
ACTIVITY: COMPONENT SELECTION
Component selection is described as finding pieces to fit into an underlying jigsaw puzzle, identifying not only the required component(s) but also the necessary granularity.12
For OPEN's Component Selection Activity, we utilize ideas of Kuruganti.11 Her methodology for component selection stresses the need to evaluate various vendor offerings of components in identifying the best-fit solution for your particular problem, noting that this may be difficult because of a lack of understanding of components, framework, and architecture issues; incomplete understanding of functional requirements and deployment constraints that must be met; and inhomogenously packaged offerings from different vendors.
Each of the three new tasks identified as being supportive of this new Component Selection Activity has pre-specified inputs and outputs,11 as well as roles, primarily of the people involved. Each is also said to operate across three dimensions: functional specifications, operational/performance attributes, and deployment factors.
TASKS TO SUPPORT COMPONENT SELECTION ACTIVITY
Task: "Screen the candidate list of components"
The goal of this Task is to identify vendors and available components. These are then screened against a list of requirements (which also may simultaneously evolve). The pre-conditions relate to the draft specification for required features (services) of the components, performance constraints, target platforms, and expectations from vendors regarding business alignment. The post-conditions are a ranked list of screened components, possible revisions to requirements, and refined component specifications. Producers involved with this task include system designers, system architects, and product managers.
There are also a number of subtasks:
Task: "Evaluate the potential components"
The goal of this Task is to undertake a full evaluation of the candidates identified in Task: "Screen the candidate list of components." The pre-conditions are thus equivalent to the post-conditions of that Task. The post-conditions include evaluation results from each candidate component, revisions to software architecture and component specifications, and finally, a ranked list of vendors and their components. The producers involved are software developers, designers, and systems engineers.
Appropriate subtasks are:
Kuruganti11 notes that this task is crucial for CBD and should be conducted extremely diligently. She also notes that if one component (and vendor) clearly stands out from the rest, then the decision-making process Task: "Choose appropriate components") is obviated.
Task: "Choose appropriate components"
For this, a decision-making task, we need to choose the most appropriate component(s). This task is only needed if there is no clear winner already. The pre-condition is equivalent to the post-condition of Task: "Evaluate the potential components." The post-conditions include a decision on the "make or buy" question and, in the latter case, the recommended vendor. Additionally, risk assessments should be attached to any decision. A mitigation plan is optional (see OPEN Subtask: "Develop contingency plan"1). Producers involved are technical and product managers, as well as system architects.
There are a number of appropriate subtasks:
Subtask: "Establish policy on components, COTS, and outsourcing"
In the documentation on OPEN,1 one of the major project management (PM) Tasks is "Develop software development context plans and strategies." Existing subtasks focus on various plans (e.g., contingency, security) and strategies (e.g., change management). One additional subtask focusing on CBD is needed: Subtask "Establish policy on components, COTS, and outsourcing."
The use of software elements from elsewhere is often influenced by both individual and corporate mindsets. There is too often a wariness about using other people's work—although thankfully this is beginning to change. As a supply of high-quality components continues to become available in the marketplace, so the trend toward COTS software and/or components will likely increase. At the same time, an increasing number of organizations are now outsourcing their IT. This means that by downsizing the in-house IT skillset, more emphasis must be placed on developing skills related to testing and evaluation of third-party software. Policies need to be developed regarding evaluating the quality levels of suppliers. This has been one of the elements in a Total Quality Management (TQM) approach in manufacturing for many years, but often requires a time interval in which to build up mutual trust. In other words, "buy or build" decisions need to be made, either on a high level (as a departmental policy) or on a per-project basis.
SUPPORTING TECHNIQUES FOR COMPONENT SELECTION TASKS
The introduction of these new OPEN Tasks and subtasks requires three new, compatible techniques. These are QESTA,13 checklists, and compliance matrix templates.
New OPEN Technique: QESTA
QESTA stands for:
Quantification—define the metric for each characteristic to be evaluated.
Examination—values for each metric are found for each product under examination.
Specification—values are interpreted as "good" or "bad."
Transformation—values are normalized.
Aggregation—an algorithm is used to create a single number from the set of values from the Transformation step.
QESTA13 seems an excellent candidate to be an OPEN Technique. It is useful not only for evaluating COTS (as originally proposed in "A Generic Process and Terminology for COTS Software"13), but also for evaluating components, as required here. Indeed, both COTS and component apps are discussed in the new OPEN Task: "Evaluate the potential components."
New OPEN Technique: Checklist
The idea of using a checklist of criteria is straightforward. A list of appropriate criteria is compiled and importance levels are assigned: e.g., critical (must have), preferable (nice to have), and optional. The actual criteria used depends on the Task to which this Technique is applied. For example, Kuruganti,11 provides specific checklist criteria useful for the three tasks described earlier.
New OPEN Technique: Compliance Matrix Template
In a compliance matrix, the features of interest are listed in a column on the left-hand side, and the performance criteria is listed along the top (typically). Then for each feature, each of the performance criteria is evaluated as met or not met. Ticks or crosses are put in the matrix elements and an overall visualization is constructed to evaluate whether or not (or to what extent) the proposed component complies with the requirements.
New OPEN Task: "Integrate Components"
Since components already exist, they do not need to be coded. In other words, the OPEN Task: "Code" is redundant. Rather, components need to be integrated together or composed. In essence, this is coding at a coarser granularity. The interfaces of the components would ideally be immediately plugable, but in many cases, "glue" will need to be written, perhaps using a scripting language or creating some other form of inter-component "adapter."5 Existing OPEN Subtask: "Integrate with existing, non-OO systems" is also clearly relevant here.
SUMMARY
Although originally formulated for OO software development, the OPEN approach has shown to be useful for CBD. However, to provide adequate support for CBD, additional Activities, Tasks, and Techniques have required formulation, while older ones have required some minor enhancements. The modular and metalevel definition of OPEN facilitates making such extensions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is Contribution #00/13 of The Centre for Object Technology Applications and Research (COTAR). | https://adtmag.com/articles/2001/04/01/adding-cbd-to-open.aspx |
The standard protocol for assessing the extent or development of cancer is through the usage of imaging machines like PET and CT scans, but such machines can expose the patient to loads of excessive radiation that increases their risk of secondary cancers later in life.
Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine in California tested a new whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that could eliminate the exposure risk altogether.
Sources
- New Stanford-developed method finds tumors in children without exposing them to radiation, Scope medical blog, 18 Feb 2014.
- New radiation-free imaging method ‘effectively diagnoses cancer’
MedicalNewsToday, 19 Feb 2014.
- Ionising radiation-free whole-body MRI versus 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT scans for children and young adults with cancer: a prospective, non-randomised, single-centre study, TheLancetOncology, 19 Feb 2014.
- Technique allows for radiation-free detection of tumors
ScienceDaily, 18 Feb 2014. | https://desdaughter.com/2014/02/27/magnetic-resonance-imaging/ |
We are born, we attend, we die—but what then of morality? If existence precedes essence and if human being is a sphere of attention, so that our "essence" is simply a dynamic embodied processing in the world, then there seems to be little room to argue that we can live our lives with others in a way that is genuinely moral. My approach will be different from Sartre's infamous Kantian-like proposal delivered as a speech in France, ideas which he later acknowledged as half-baked thoughts on ethics and existentialism (Sartre 1976 and 1985). It will also not involve the embrace of a socialistic ethics, as Sartre tended to do later in his career. Instead, this chapter draws its primary inspiration from existentialist philosopher and theologian Martin Buber.
Publication details
Full citation:
Arvidson, (2006). Morality and the sphere of attention, in The sphere of attention, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 149-176.
This document is unfortunately not available for download at the moment. | http://ophen.org/PubliView.php?publi=147086 |
Today, more than 500 organizations and their funders and allies are working to achieve equality for LGBT people. These groups are united in their vision of a nation where LGBT people have the same chances as other Americans to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country and take care of the ones they love. As a whole, the LGBT movement spends about $530 million each year and employs thousands of people in locations across the country.
Achieving LGBT equality requires many different approaches and strategies, as well as work at all levels of society. Some LGBT organizations work to change laws and policies through involvement in court cases, lobbying and elections. Others work directly to serve LGBT people in need, often focusing on those who are hurt or whose opportunities are limited because of social stigma and inequitable laws. Still other organizations work to help educate the American public and change people’s attitudes about LGBT Americans and the need for change.
The LGBT movement’s success will require that LGBT advocates, allies and funders understand the larger movement and work together to strategically apply their resources. MAP provides information and analysis about the health, capacity and focus of the LGBT movement. Our goal is to help LGBT organizations and their allies and supporters understand the strengths and weaknesses of the movement, current levels of activity and funding in priority areas, and where resources are needed most. Additionally, MAP provides tools that LGBT organizations can use to help strengthen their individual capacities in key areas from leadership to fundraising to financial management and more. | http://lgbtmap.org/lgbt-movement-capacity |
Some giant footfalls of history have returned to Nelson.
The story of New Zealand's only known dinosaur footprints, which were discovered in northwest Nelson in the mid 1990s, is part of a national touring exhibition that has just opened in Nelson.
It attracted almost 1000 viewers in its first few days, Nelson Provincial Museum chief executive Peter Millward said.
The exhibition is an outreach project by GNS Science and tells the story of the first discovery of dinosaur footprints in New Zealand.
The 70 million-year-old imprints in the sandstone and mudstone of Golden Bay were found by sedimentologist Dr Greg Browne - not by stumbling upon strange saucer shapes in the rocks but through a slow process of deduction.
Dr Browne, who is a scientist with GNS Science, said the discovery said as much about the science of the area as it did about dinosaurs and the history of life in New Zealand.
The area that is now northwest Nelson, which is made up of New Zealand's oldest rocks and landforms, tells the story of a close geological link with Australia.
Dr Browne said dinosaurs were among the fauna of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana that became Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand.
"There used to be a great southern continent called Gondwana, or Gondwanaland, that existed in the Mesozoic Period, so we're talking 70 million years plus," Dr Browne said.
"It was a large continent that started to split up around about 100 million years ago and Zealandia began splitting away from the eastern seaboard of the Australian continent."
He said it was "just by chance really" that dinosaurs were living on the part that split away over millions of years to become New Zealand.
"Vegetation and animals that were part of the eco-system were transferred into an island."
Mr Millward explained that the rate of movement was about the same as the time it took fingernails to grow.
Footprints from the past
The dinosaurs that walked across the tidal flats of northwest Nelson in the late Cretaceous Age, which followed the Jurassic Period, left footprints that can be seen today.
The prints left by the toeless clawless sauropods range in size from five to 60 centimetres wide and up to 50 centimetres deep.
Sauropods, which had club-like feet, were the largest animals that ever lived in New Zealand, and were bigger than today's whales. The plant eaters were up to 40 metres long and weighed up to 100 tonnes. They were swimmers, which explained their coastal habitat.
The exhibition in Nelson has attracted throngs of excited school children, some of them fresh from having seen the latest dinosaur fright movie - Jurassic World. Connor McDonald, 12, was among them. He said he was fascinated by dinosaurs: "No one really knows about them."
The dinosaurs of New Zealand became extinct after the cataclysmic extraterrestrial event that destroyed much of life on earth, Dr Browne said.
"At the end of the Cretaceous Age, the big impact of a comet hitting the earth [in the area now known as the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico] was felt around the world."
He said, by geological timeframes, New Zealand's dinosaurs became extinct in an instant. | https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/regional/278192/when-dinosaurs-walked-golden-bay |
Meraki is a group of undercover operatives—split into separate genres of expertise—with a mission to hunt down all cliches, stereotypes, and plot holes in the world and defeat them with unrivaled training in the art of storytelling.
Though Headquarters is based in a simple courtyard, each surrounding building opens into a different genre world, giving the agents easy access to their mission locations.
The central courtyard is used for debriefing meetings, training sessions, and the frequent pizza feasts, often accompanied by a superb song parody or two. Between missions, the MEERKATs could be mistaken as any ordinary riffraff, but that is merely an artful disguise.
The camaraderie and team spirit keeps the agents strong despite the challenges of the missions, and their unparalleled dedication makes them a formidable force.
Jane Maree is an adventurer exploring the endless wonders of God’s creation. She started writing by accident, but since the beginning has loved the enchantment of words on paper. If you say anything about pizza, superheroes, books, or any of her many fandoms, she’ll come running.
Aside from crafting worlds using only twenty-six letters, she is a passionate Jesus-lover, freelance editor, self-trained martial artist, songwriter, and musician. In her spare time, she’s often off on adventures in the name of story research.
She seeks to inspire her readers to step out and become the heroes of hope this world needs. | https://storyembers.org/meraki/ |
If n is the given number, then make a diagonal matrix of size 2*2 with the square of that number.
Is my wife right?
14043 Solvers
only input
478 Solvers
Return area of square
2376 Solvers
convert matrix to single column
224 Solvers
Remove the Zero
202 Solvers
Matrix Generation.
37 Solvers
find the relation...
47 Solvers
Find the area of a rectangle if length of the diagonal is given.
96 Solvers
Choose a web site to get translated content where available and see local events and offers. Based on your location, we recommend that you select: .
You can also select a web site from the following list:
Select the China site (in Chinese or English) for best site performance. Other MathWorks country sites are not optimized for visits from your location. | https://es.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/cody/problems/2429?s_tid=prof_contriblnk |
Ten years' worth of words, ten years' worth of photographs, ten years' worth of recipes. Thousands of ingredients, thousands of preparation steps, and thousands of grams of chocolate and flour, and here we are. Ten years ago, I clicked the Publish button for the first time; and timidly but bravely, I have immersed myself in what has become a calling for me.
As I always emphasise, beauty is in the simplicity and lots of rich chocolate flavour, and this cake is no different. There is something almost comforting about the effortlessness of this cake. Deep caramel mousse base, light as air cake layers, and plenty of cream for a lavish decoration.
Despite its many layers, it does come together quite quickly, and it indeed serves a crowd. Feel free to decorate it entirely to your liking, be it with lots of toasted hazelnuts, maybe some honeycomb, or perhaps with a caramel shard or two. The beauty of baking lies in the joy of creating your own masterpiece each and every time.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers
250 grams plain flour
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
100 grams light brown sugar
500 ml whole milk
100 grams apricot jam
40 ml vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the chocolate caramel cream
150 grams sugar
50 ml cold water
200 ml milk, divided
40 grams cornflour
75 grams butter, diced
100 grams dark chocolate (75% of cocoa solids), chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
20 grams hazelnut praline
200 ml double cream
5 grams gelatine
Preparation
Start by making the chocolate caramel cream filling. Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in the cold water, tip in the sugar, and gently shake the pan to somewhat distribute the sugar, without stirring it. In a medium bowl, whisk together 100 ml of cold milk and the cornflour, and set it aside. Place the saucepan on medium high heat, and let the sugar melt, and then start to cook, without stirring. Once it comes to a boil, cook for about 10 minutes, until it becomes a deep amber colour. For a long time, it will seem like the sugar syrup is not changing into caramel, but do not step away from the stove, as it will turn into caramel incredibly quickly.
Once it is amber and fragrant, very carefully pour the remaining milk into it. It will bubble and splash, so be careful. Let it cook for a minute or two, until all of the caramel melts into the milk, then pour in the cornflour mixture. Cook, until thickened and blended, for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove it from the heat, and start adding small pieces of butter and dark chocolate, whisking constantly. Add one piece at a time, and do not stop whisking, until the filling is smooth and blended. Cover the top with cling film, and let it cool down to room temperature.
While the filling is cooling down, start making the cake layers. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a large bowl, add in the brown sugar, whisk well, and set it aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the jam and the oil. Blend them really well, especially if the jam was cold from the refrigerator. Once blended, add in the vanilla and milk, and mix again. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and whisk until combined. Weigh the batter and divide it between seven small cake pans (15 cm), lined with baking parchment. If you have to bake in batches, it will still be fine; the batter will still bake up as intended. Bake them in a preheated oven, at 200C, for about 7-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the very centre comes out clean. The layers will be very thin and soft; let them cool for about 5 minutes in the pans, remove them to a cooling rack, and let them cool completely.
By this time, the filling will be at room temperature, which is exactly what is needed, so remove the cling film, transfer the caramel chocolate custard into a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high, until completely creamy. Add the gelatine into a small bowl, pour in two tablespoons of cold water, and let it bloom. Add the vanilla bean paste and the hazelnut praline into the caramel chocolate cream, and blend again very well, so it almost resembles a chocolate spread. In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, whip the double cream until soft peaks form. When the gelatine has bloomed, heat it up over the lowest heat, or in the microwave, until melted, but do not let it boil. Add a few teaspoons of the chocolate cream to the melted gelatine, mix very well, then pour everything back into the filling, and blend. Add about a third of the whipped cream to the filling, and gently fold it through. Once somewhat blended, add in the rest, and keep softly folding until it resembles a chocolate mousse.
To assemble, place the first cake layer onto the cake platter, place a tall acetate strip around it, and close a small cake ring around everything, to keep it in place. Carefully spread a portion of the caramel chocolate mousse, and top with another cake layer. Keep layering the cake until all of the material is used. Top the surface of the last cake layer with cling film so it does not dry out, and place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.Once chilled properly, decorate the cake to your liking, and serve with strong, freshly brewed coffee. Yields 20 servings.
Author's note: To decorate, I used 100 ml of double cream, two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, as well as some chopped walnuts and cinnamon honeycomb candy. | https://www.tinavesic.com/2020/03/chocolate-cake.html |
Are Pavers Really Durable and Low-maintenance?
Posted by KENAN SEODOKTORU
Paving stones also help to give a magnificent appearance outdoors. Due to its durable feature, paving stones can be used in many places. Paver stones are not very fast to install , but once they are installed , they are low-maintanence. Why Are Paving Stones Used Outdoors? They are intended to be stylish, rather than simply looking outside. For this reason, such products are used. After the application processes are carried out without any problems, an impressive beauty that is desired to be seen outside begins to come to the fore. It will not be affected as it will be a product... | https://tiletrader.com/blogs/news/tagged/paving-stones |
The present invention relates to acousto-optical (A-O) modulators and, more particularly, to a piezo-optic (P-O) modulator in which light is totally internally reflected from a shallow phase grating created at a modulating surface.
The increasing use of lasers in a wide variety of high speed application (printers, communication devices, etc.) has resulted in a need for modulating the amplitude, phase, frequency and/or direction of the laser beam at megahertz to gigahertz frequencies. This need has been met, to some extent, by developing high quality optical materials whose properties can be altered by applying an electrical or magnetic field so as to produce an interaction with an optical wave projected through the material. Initial efforts were directed to electro-optic (E-O) light modulators which ultilized the principle that an electric field applied to a certain group of crystals would alter the refractive index of the crystal. This approach, while feasible, has two main drawbacks: the scope of suitable crystals materials is very limited and the crystals are prone to optical damage.
Acousto-optical devices, on the other hand, utilize the principle that the refractive index of a relatively broad range of materials can be modulated by generating an acoustic strain field within the material. This is generally accomplished by affixing a transducer to a surface of the modulator. The transducer then converts electrical signals into propagating acoustic waves which interact with optical waves at a volume of intersection within the material.
In contrast to E-O modulators, A-O devices can thus be any one of a broad range of materials chosen for their optical properties. They also would not generally be prone to the optical damage inherent in using the E-O crystals.
Prior art A-O modulators, typified by the embodiments shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,731,231; 3,800,303; 3,617,931 and 3,938,881, are not suitable for amplitude modulation of light at rates of 100 MHZ and above. The restrictions on the modulation rates achievable in these prior art devices derive from the physical nature of the propagating strain fields created within the interaction medium. These fields are propagated sequentially into the medium so as to establish an acoustic diffraction grating at a desired location. To maximize modulation rates, the acoustic wave and the optical wave must both be precisely focused so that a small interaction length is obtained. The rise time of the diffracted light is equal to the time required to establish the grating across the width of the light beam. Since rise time is a function of the transducer bandwidth and the width of the interaction cross-section of the light with the acoustic wave, this finite time interval imposes a modulation limit on these devices.
Since prior art A-O modulators utilize focused acoustic waves, additional disadvantages exist. The focusing elements are difficult to manufacture and to position; high acoustic power densities in the interaction region are also required.
Various other approaches have been examined to achieve higher A-O modulation rates. William Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,261, discloses a method of confining the light/sound interaction length within guided waves in thin film structures. Manhar L. Shah in an article published in the Applied Physics Letters Vol. 23, No. 10, November 1973, describes a fast acoustic diffraction type thin film optical waveguide modulator. This guided wave technology, while improving diffraction efficiency somewhat, is still subject to several problems. The optical wave must be coupled in and out of the guide, and the confinement of light to the thin film generally requires careful mode control of the incident light and creates high power density in the film.
Another approach has been to explore the effects of using the so-called total-internal-reflective (TIR) principle. Briefly stated, a light wave traveling in a bulk optical material is totally reflected from a modulating surface at a high angle of incidence. At the modulating surface, a shallow phase grating has previously been formed either electro or acousto-optically. E-O TIR modulators have been developed by Scibor-Ryliski and disclosed in Electronic Letters, Vol. 9, pp. 309-310 (1973) and Vol. 10, pp. 4-6 (1974). See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,338 by Hattori et al. In these modulators, light propagates in an electro-optic crystal and the phase grating is formed by attaching inter-digital electrodes at the modulating surface. While this approach is relatively inexpensive and is capable of very fast rise times, it suffers from two problems: crystal materials appropriate to this device are prone to optical damage; and light reflected from the modulating surface contains undesirable wavefront phase irregularities because of the presence of the inter-digital electrodes.
An A-O TIR structure has been developed by Kramer, Araghi and Das and described in a paper read before the 1976 IEEE/OSA CLEOS Conference. In this device, a Rayleigh acoustic wave is propagated sequentially along the surface of a bulk material forming a shallow phase grating at this modulating surface. The modulator is positioned so that the focused beam is totally internally reflected from the acoustic propagation surface. While this device provides greater efficiency than the A-O thin film devices previously described, optimum efficiency is limited by the finite Rayleigh wave propagation time. Hence, this device also has a relatively long rise time, hence, modulation limitations.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art A-O devices in that the alternating regions of the strain field comprising the shallow strain diffraction grating propagate in parallel (rather than sequentially) across a light beam and are produced by an external stress (P-O effect) instead of an internal stress (A-O effect) associated with a propagating elastic wave. The light beam is directed so that it is totally internally reflected at, and interacts with, the strain diffraction grating. This configuration permits much higher modulation rates than previously thought possible. A further distinction over the prior art is the optical isolation of the transducer elements to prevent possible differential phase shifts from occurring if the light beam were reflected from those elements. The invention is, of course, distinguishable over the prior art E-O modulators in that the interaction medium is not of the limited class of crystals required for the E-O type modulator.
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American Airlines is picking a fight with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) because of incredibly long wait lines at major airport hubs that are delaying passengers on the way to their destinations.
“The lines at TSA checkpoints nationwide have become unacceptable,” American spokesman Ross Feinstein said in a statement Wednesday. “The result: our customers are waiting in TSA lines greater than one hour.”
The company says wait times got “exponentially worse” in the first quarter of 2016.
During the spring-break week of March 14-20, nearly 6,800 American Airlines passengers missed flights because of checkpoint delays.
Airports with the worse delays during Spring break included Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia.
“As we approach spring and summer, we are concerned that these lines will grow even longer,” Feinstein said.
It’s not just the airlines that are complaining about horrible TSA wait times. Charlotte-Douglass International Airport wrote to the TSA complaining about insufficient staffing at its checkpoints, resulting in longer lines. At one point travelers were waiting two to three hours to get through checkpoints.
For its part, the TSA says it has been tightening operations and improving inspections. It has also pushed more people to sign up for its pre-screening program.
Officials at the TSA say they are forced to take their time to avoid allowing terrorists onto domestic and international flights. | http://www.businesspundit.com/american-airlines-lashes-out-at-horrible-tsa-wait-times-04-2016/ |
Has Populism Won?
The War on Liberal Democracy
by Daniel Drache and Marc D. Froese
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Pub Date 18 Oct 2022 | Archive Date 22 Nov 2022
Description
From Trumpian America to Putin’s nationalist Russia, and Poland to the Philippines, rapid change and rising inequality have fueled a retreat into tribalist nationalism fed by a fear of being left behind. Has Populism Won? The War On Liberal Democracy by Daniel Drache and Marc D. Froese, examines exactly how populist leaders reach into this fear, using it as a lever to power with empty promises of looking out for the little person and promising a return to national greatness. This is happening in countries spread across the globe and the political spectrum, arising in the right and the left alike, and recently brought into harsh relief against Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Why are we so susceptible to this pernicious political style at this moment? How did we get here? And more importantly, will we get back to more even-handed governments?
Has Populism Won? is written as a warning about the toxic impact of hate speech and the big lie on liberal democracy.
“This book is special because it looks at the big picture, as well as is comparative and evidence-driven,” Drache says. “The narrative has many examples of populist leaders and examines the similarities and differences of these leaders, illiberal movements, conservative ideas and radical goals. It looks at the public policy record of the hard-right populists with respect to foreign policy, COVID-19, global governance and the motivation of rank-and-file activists. The appeal and attraction of authoritarian populism is as much psychological as economic and political, stoking anger and rage against the political class and the state.”
Filled with original research, political scientists Drache and co-author Marc D. Froese have written a chilling, compelling analysis of the rise of populism, and reveal what it will take to douse the flames. This is an essential read for anyone concerned about the encroachments on freedom and the rule of law around the world.
Author Bio:
Political scientist and author Daniel Drache has documented and mapped hyper-globalization and its consequential impacts on communities and peoples for more than two decades. He has published over 20 books on global political economy, Canada-US relations, NAFTA, the iconography of social movements, defiant publics, trade governance, and social media. A Prof. emeritus and Department of Politics and Research fellow at the Robert Centre for Canadian Studies at Toronto’s York University, Drache has also taught in France, India, Argentina, South Korea, Australia, Brazil and China. | https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/271116 |
On Feb. 8, the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice (DOJ) publicized new guidance, titled “Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs.” The guidance sets forth sample questions prosecutors may ask when evaluating a company’s compliance program in the context of a criminal investigation. This document is the latest direction released under the Fraud Section’s “compliance initiative,” which began when the Fraud Section hired Hui Chen as a full-time compliance expert in November 2015. This guidance provides insights into how the DOJ will assess the effectiveness of a company’s overall compliance program, with a specific focus on how the program will be viewed in the context of the underlying misconduct identified.
Under the United States Attorney’s manual, federal prosecutors are counseled to consider several principles when investigating and deciding whether to charge corporate entities. These factors, commonly known as the “Filip Factors,” include two that focus on a company’s compliance program: (1) “the existence and effectiveness of the corporation’s pre-existing compliance program” and (2) the company’s remedial efforts “to implement an effective corporate compliance program or to improve an existing one.” The intent of the new Fraud Section guidance is to provide more specific examples of how federal prosecutors will probe a company’s compliance program under these factors in the process of investigating and resolving an enforcement matter.
The questions set forth in the new guidance reveal a broad-based “pressure testing” of a company’s compliance program as part of the DOJ’s investigative process. The questions are organized under 11 general topics and reflect distilled guidance from a variety of sources, including the United States Sentencing Guidelines, the DOJ and Securities and Exchange Commission’s November 2012 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guide, the Fraud Section corporate resolution agreements and, perhaps reflecting an emphasis on global standards, guidance from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. For each topic, the questions posed are designed to look behind a company’s paper program and evaluate how the program has been implemented, updated and enforced in practice.
In a more narrow sense, the document reaffirms that the DOJ expects a company to go beyond just remediation of the specific issue identified and requires a broader evaluation of the issue in the context of the company’s overall compliance program. In particular, prosecutors will evaluate the compliance program in light of the identified misconduct as well as the implications of the misconduct on the “big picture” compliance environment, including, for example, whether adequate resources are devoted to compliance, how management reinforces compliance and whether the company’s board of directors has appropriate oversight of the program.
Because it provides general insight into the government’s expectations of how a corporate compliance program should operate in practice, the guidance has broader utility, however, even for companies that do not have an identified problem. The document makes clear that it is not enough to have strong written policies and procedures; a company must also demonstrate that the program has been effectively put into practice, is subject to continuous improvement and is enforced through appropriate incentives and disciplinary measures. Companies should review the guidance and evaluate their compliance programs in light of the questions posed to ensure that they are prepared before a problem arises.
The document contains probing questions regarding the following 11 topics: | https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2a1a3795-aa44-4594-b683-0089c8373f74 |
DMAIC - An Approach to Problem-Solving
The DMAIC model remains the core roadmap for almost all Lean Six Sigma problem-solving approaches that drive quality improvement projects. It is used to ensure a robust problem-solving process is followed to give the best chance of the best solution being found.
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”. Albert Einstein
What is the DMAIC Model?
DMAIC is short for: Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control. These are the key phases that each project must go through to find the right solution.
As you can quickly see from the 5 DMAIC phases they follow a logical sequence as we will go through in more detail below. But they also make sure you do not try to jump to implementing a solution before you have properly, defined and measured what you are going to be an improvement.
We all love to jump to solutions, but the DMAIC problem-solving structure helps us have a more rigorous approach so that we do not short cut the process and perhaps miss the best solution or perhaps implement the wrong solution as well.
DMAIC - The 5 Phases
The phases throughout the DMAIC model have and can be broken down in many different ways. One of the best approaches we have found is from Opex Resources.
DMAIC Define Phase
The purpose of the Define phase is ultimately to describe the problems that need to be solved and for the key business decision-makers to be aligned on the goal of the project.
All too often, teams have identified solutions without actually defining what it is they will actually be trying to do or perhaps not do. This can lead to internal confusion and often solutions which completely miss the business requirements and needs.
An outcome of the Define stage is a clear Project Charter that gains project approval.
The Define Phase can be broken down into 5 key areas:
- Define the Business Case
- Understand the Consumer
- Define The Process
- Manage the Project
- Gain Project Approval
DMAIC Measure Phase
In the measure phase, the goal is to collect the relevant information to baseline the current performance of the product or the process. In this stage, we want to identify the level of “defects” or the errors that go wrong and use the baseline to measure our progress throughout the project.
The key goal of this phase is to have a very strong and clear measure/baseline of how things are performing today so that we can always monitor our progress towards our goals.
Many projects are delivered without clear benefits being shown because the team never fully baseline the current status before making changes.
The Measure phase can be broken down into 5 key areas:
- Develop Process Measures
- Collect Process Data
- Check the Data Quality
- Understand Process Behaviour
- Baseline Process Capability and Potential
DMAIC Analyse Phase
The goal of the Analyse phase is to identify which process inputs or parameters have the most critical effect on the outputs. In other words, we want to identify the root cause(s) so that we know what critical elements we need to fix.
During this phase, the teams need to explore all potential root causes using both analytical approaches, statistical approaches or even graphical tools such as VSM’s and Process maps to uncover the most important elements which need to be changed/fixed.
The Analyse phase can be broken down into:
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- Analyse the Process
- Develop Theories and Ideas
- Analyse the Data
- and finally, Verify Root Causes
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DMAIC Improve Phase
The goal of the improve phase is to identify a wide range of potential solutions before identifying the critical solutions which will give us the maximum return for our investment and directly fix the root cause we identified.
During this phase, the team brainstorm, pilot, test and validate potential improvement ideas before finally implementing the right solutions. With each pilot, the team can validate how well it improves the key measures they identified back in Define and Measure. When the team finally roll out the solution, the results should be seen if the right solution has been found and implemented correctly.
The Improve phase can be broken down into:
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- Generate Potential Solutions
- Select the Best Solution
- Assess the Risks
- Pilot and Implement
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DMAIC Control Phase
The final part of the DMAIC Model is the Control phase where we need to ensure that the new changes become business as normal and we do not revert to the same way of working as before.
During this phase, we want to ensure that we close the project off by validating the project savings and ensure the new process is correctly documented. We also need to make sure that new measures and process KPI’s are in place and finally that we get the business champion to sign off on both the project and the savings.
The Control phase can be broken down into:
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- Implement Ongoing Measurements
- Standardise Solutions
- Quantify the Improvement
- Close The Project
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The key closing documents of the Control Phase is a Control Plan that documents all the changes and process steps with key risks, standard work instructions and the Project Close-Out document signed by the business owners to accept the change and the validated benefits.
The DMAIC Model vs. A3 Management vs. 8D Problem Solving
The DMAIC model is not the only project management roadmap. Two others which are important is the A3 format which originally comes from Toyota and is very Lean focused and the 8D which draws more of the DMAIC structure but with the 1-page idea of the A3.
Everyone has there own preference but each method is interchangeable. The DMAIC Structure lends its self naturally to a multi-slide Powerpoint presentation. Whereas the A3 is a single-page document which is perfect for internal communication and adding into War Rooms and Control Towers.
What’s important is that every problem-solving approach follows the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act) Scientific Problem Solving format. The reset is just a preference or using the right tool in the right circumstances.
LOOKING TO IMPROVE A PROCESS? START ONLINE TODAY!
The first step into the world of Lean Six Sigma is through our online Lean Academy. Check out the links below!
Lean Six Sigma and Minitab (5th Edition): The Complete Toolbox Guide for Business Improvement
We recommend this book to any candidate who is studying for their Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification or for any Lean Six Sigma professional as a reference and reminder guide, even if you do not use Minitab.
Summary of the DMAIC Approach
The DMAIC Model refers to a data-drive improvement cycle used to drive improvements across all our processes. It is used heavily in Lean Six Sigma as it offers a robust problem-Solving approach to drive long term changes.
The DMAIC approach to problem-solving provides a framework to ensure each critical stage of an improvement process happens to give the best chance to deliver a real-world solution that does what we want it to do. It helps avoids the traps of jumping to solutions and helps manage an entire complex project over multiple months in a single framework.
It can and should be used for all improvement projects. | https://leanscape.io/dmaic-model/ |
The use of methylene blue in the treatment of anaphylactic shock induced by compound 48/80: experimental studies in rabbits.
In this study, the isolated use of methylene blue (MB) in the treatment of anaphylactic shock induced by Compound 48/80 (C48/80), a potent histamine releaser, was examined, and the study of the effects of MB on the function of the aorta artery endothelium was accomplished in vitro. MB was used in a single 3.0 mg/kg dose, and C48/80 was used in a single 4.5 mg/kg dose. The study protocol included the following experimental groups, containing six animals each: group I (control), animals in the absence of any drug action; group II (MB), MB infusion; Group III (C48/80), anaphylactic shock induced by using C48/80; group IV (C48/80 + MB), anaphylactic shock treated with MB infusion at the moment of major hypotension; and group V (MB + C48/80), prevention of anaphylactic shock with MB by means of MB infusion minutes before the 4.5 mg/kg C48/80 infusion. Nitric oxide plasma levels were measured in each of the experimental groups. After the in vivo studies were performed, an in vitro study was conducted using segments of the abdominal aortas of the rabbits to determine the effect of MB on the arterial endothelium. The results obtained in the present investigation have shown that MB intravenous infusion does not change the mean arterial pressure when compared with the control group (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05); that C48/80 is effective in producing experimental anaphylactic shock (n = 6, P < 0.05); that the attempt to prevent anaphylactic shock with MB results in a mean prolongation of animal survival ranging from 17 to 34 min (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05); that MB is effective in reversing anaphylactic shock in all the studied rabbits (n = 6, P < 0.05); that absolute and percentage plasma nitrate values obtained with the experimental groups do not differ (n = 6, each group, P < 0.05); and that the in vitro study of segments of abdominal aorta has shown that there has not been endothelial dysfunction in any of the groups (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05). The good results obtained in this study open a research path that may offer data to define new paradigms for treating anaphylaxis.
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On the days that Eva goes to school. We discourage her from watching any TV. Just trying to put her into a learning state of mind is all. So on those mornings we try to do some activities with her. Since I have been doing SwagsGiving we’ve had lots of toys to choose from. Eva is very partial to the building toys like the KRE-O Optimus Prime and the LEGO Master Builder Academy Sets. I pulled out my original set of LEGO bricks along with some bricks from the Arctic set and the Life on Mars sets and started building. This Space Dragster sort of thing is what I came up with.
When we play LEGO Eva puts together people and then decides if they can do things. She doesn’t put many bricks together right now but does offer suggestions on the things we create. We are making a house, sorry, a barn on wheels that has a propeller on the front. I have been trying to apply the techniques that I’ve been learning from the LEGO Master Builder Academy set for Locking and Sideways building but the older sets didn’t have much in the way of sideways building parts. But I decided not to go all symmetrical like I usually do and try something different. I just kept putting pieces on where I probably should have cut back a bit. The next thing to do on the Master Builder To Do list is to design something with the set. That should be interesting.
Babywatch 2011 still continues. | http://www.benspark.com/pre-school-lego-creativity.html |
Q:
How to prove that sum given by generating function diverges for given value of $x$
I have a generating function: $A(x)=\dfrac{3-8x}{1-4x+6x^2-3x^3}$ (also I have a recurrence from which this function is built). I have to prove that sum $\sum\limits_k a_k\left(\dfrac{4}{3}\right)^k$ diverges, where $a_k$ is $k$-th recurrence member.
As far as I found in books standard method for getting asymptotic for $a_k$ is to factor $A(x)$ into simple fractions. But in this case I have complex roots for cubic equation and some unusable coefficients in $\dfrac{A}{x_1-x}+\dfrac{B}{x_2-x}+\dfrac{C}{x_3-x}$. So I wonder if there is some simpler/other method for getting asymptotic or proving divergence.
I've looked on something about 150 members of recurrence using WolframAlpha: members change sign (six members negative, six positive, and so on) and absolute value increases. But this method hardly counts as a proof.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
A:
Hint: The given function has a singularity at $x=1$, so its radius of convergence cannot be larger than $1$.
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The invention provides a process control method which comprises the following steps: step a, receiving a target output variable; step b: computing a target procedure variable by a preset process prediction model and a feedback control model, wherein, the process prediction model is used for describing a functional relation between the procedure variable and the output variable, a target function of the feedback control model is used for solving the target procedure variable which has the minimum distance from a preset reference value, and a constraint condition of the feedback control model is that the target output variable and the target procedure variable correspond with the process prediction model; step c, inputting the target procedure variable to actual process equipment to obtain an actual output variable; and step d, judging the deviation between the target output variable and the actual output variable, adjusting the preset process prediction model and repeating the step b if the deviation does not meet a preset requirement, or ending the step if the deviation meets the preset requirement. The process control method has relatively obvious effect on reducing the computational complexity and improving the control precision. | |
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales are designed to measure five factors of cognitive ability. These five factors include fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing and working memory. Both verbal and nonverbal responses are measured. Each of the five factors is given a weight and the combined score is often reduced to a ratio known commonly as the intelligence quotient, or IQ. Theoretically then the Stanford-Binet test measures a person’s ability to learn.
Fluid reasoning is the ability to solve (usually abstract) problems in which no prior knowledge is required. The nonverbal aspect of fluid reasoning is tested with object series matrices. Generally speaking, a test subject is shown a series that illustrates a pattern and is asked to complete the pattern. Verbal absurdities and verbal analogies are used to test a person’s verbal fluid reasoning. Verbal absurdities are simply statements that are silly or impossible. Upon hearing these statements, test takers are asked to explain why they are silly or impossible. Analogies reveal the relationship between concepts. For example, a person might be asked a classification question in the guise of the analogy “an apple is to fruit as celery is to __________.” (vegetable).
Knowledge is defined as someone’s accumulated stock of general information that has been committed to long-term memory. The nonverbal sub-tests from this factor are tested with procedural knowledge and visual absurdities. Similar to verbal absurdities, visual absurdities are pictures that contain silly or impossible scenarios that the examinee is asked to explain. Nonverbal procedural knowledge is tested using gestures. For example, a young test subject might be asked to explain basic human needs, like eating, using gestures. The verbal sub-test includes vocabulary questions, which may be administered using toys or flash cards.
Quantitative reasoning measures a person’s numeracy. Depending on a test subject’s level, questions in this section can include basic counting, addition and subtraction. At higher levels, measurement, geometry and word problems are included. Math concepts are presented in both verbal and nonverbal formats.
Visual-spatial processing involves the recognition of both patterns and spatial relationships and the ability to recognize the whole from its constituent parts. The nonverbal portion of this sub-test usually includes assembling puzzles and patterns. A test subject is often provided a form board, or frame, and a number (the quantity determined by the test subject’s age and ability) of different shaped pieces that can be assembled to fill the frame. The verbal portion includes questions about direction and tests a subject’s ability to identify spatial relationships in pictures.
Working memory is defined as the multiple processes that capture, sort and transform information in a person’s short-term memory. Nonverbal working memory is assessed using delayed response and block span techniques. For example, like the game Concentration, a test subject might be asked to recall a previously presented picture. Block span simply involves tapping out a sequence on a series of blocks and asking the test subject to repeat the sequence. Verbal working memory is tested using last word and sentence recall exercises. | https://stanfordbinettest.com/all-about-stanford-binet-test/what-does-stanford-binet-test-measure |
Q:
Vectorisation of a category
I have no experience with category theory at all, but I recently stumbled upon the following construction. Since it is extremely elementary and seems rather natural, it should be known, but I have not been able to find it in the literature, probably because I was looking in the wrong places and/or for the wrong keywords.
Given a small category $C$, define a new category $\mathrm{Vec}(C)$ as follows. The objects of $\mathrm{Vec}(C)$ are all subsets of $\mathrm{Ob}(C)$. Given $T,U \subset \mathrm{Ob}(C)$, a morphism $f \in \mathrm{Hom}(T,U)$ is a map from $T$ into the free (real) vector space generated by the morphisms of $C$, with the additional property that $f(x)$ belongs to the span of $\{\mathrm{Hom}(x,y)\,:\, y \in U\}$ for every $x \in T$. Given furthermore $g \in \mathrm{Hom}(U,V)$, we define
the composition $h = gf$ by $h(x) = g(\mathrm{cod}(f(x)))f(x)$ (with a hopefully obvious abuse of notation being used here, just extend everything by linearity). The identity $id_T$ is then given by $id_T(x) = id_x$.
There is a functor $F \colon \mathrm{Vec}(C) \to \mathrm{Vec}$ mapping $T$ to the free vector space $F(T)$ generated by $T$ and $f$ to the linear map such that $F(f)(x) = \mathrm{cod}(f(x))$ (we again make an abuse of notation by extending $\mathrm{cod}$ to a linear map), so in a way one can interpret morphisms in $\mathrm{Vec}(C)$ as linear maps that carry some additional information around.
Did people consider this or a similar construction before and where can I read about it?
A:
As Eric Wofsey observed in the comments, your construction is almost the what you get by freely adjoining coproducts to the linearization of your category. Indeed, your construction is the full subcategory of this on those objects with no repeated summands (a decently natural condition from representation theory); but that's evil (a technical condition --- roughly meaning a notion that doesn't play well under equivalences of categories) unless your original category is skeletal (also an "evil" condition). Let me explain in a bit more detail, and provide some remarks about your category.
Given a category $C$ and a field (indeed, a commutative ring will do) $\mathbb K$, there is a $\mathbb K$-linear category that I would probably write $\mathbb K C$, but I've once used $\mathbb K\cdot C$ and I've seen $\mathbb K[C]$ and even $\mathbb K\otimes C$. It is defined as having the same objects as $C$ and, for objects $x,y$, $\hom_{\mathbb K C}(x,y) = $ the free vector space with basis $\hom_C(x,y)$. It has the following property: for any $\mathbb K$-linear category $D$, functors $C \to D$ are the same as $\mathbb K$-linear functors $\mathbb K C \to D$. In this sense it is the free linearization.
You may now play other games. Eric suggested considering freely adjoining direct sums. Recall that in a linear category, a direct sum of two objects $x,y$ is an object $x\oplus y$ with morphisms $i_x : x \to x\oplus y$, $i_y : y \to x\oplus y$, $p_x : x\oplus y \to x$, and $p_y: x\oplus y \to y$ such that the compositions $p_x i_x$ and $p_y i_y$ are identities, the compositions $p_x i_y$ and $p_y i_x$ are $0$, and $\mathrm{id}_{x\oplus y} = i_x p_x + i_y p_y$. Let $C'$ be a linear category. (In our case $C' = \mathbb K C$.) Then the free category with direct sums generated by $C'$ can be presented as having as its objects all finite-length vectors of objects of $C'$, and as its morphisms all matrices filled in by morphisms in $C'$. I've seen this category called $\mathrm{Mat}(C')$. Eric suggested a different presentation, in which vectors are replaced by multisets. These are "the same" in the sense of giving equivalent categories because any vector of objects is naturally isomorphic to any permutation thereof, so only the underlying multiset of the vector "matters".
Freely adjoinging direct sums is idemptotent, in the sense that if you take a linear category with direct sums and freely adjoint direct sums again, you get back an equivalent category. This is not true for general "free" functors, but follows from the fact that direct sums are "absolute", in the sense that they are preserved by any linear functor. A good exercise is to write down an explicit equivalence between $\mathrm{Mat}(C')$ and $\mathrm{Mat}(\mathrm{Mat}(C'))$.
Your category $C''$ lives between $C'$ and $\mathrm{Mat}(C')$, since you don't admit all objects. But there is an equivalence $\mathrm{Mat}(C'') \to \mathrm{Mat}(C')$, which you should work out.
A special case of a linear category is the category $\mathrm{Vect}$ itself. It certainly has all direct sums, and so linear functors $C' \to \mathrm{Vect}$ are the same as linear functors $\mathrm{Mat}(C') \to \mathrm{Vect}$. Two linear categories are Morita equivalent if their categories of functors to $\mathrm{Vect}$ are equivalent. I can't resist mentioning the following fact. An idempotent $f: x \to x$ (i.e. an endomorphism $f$ such that $f^2 = f$) is split if there is an object $[f]$ with maps $p_f : x \to [f]$ and $i_f : [f] \to x$ such that $f = i_f p_f$ and $p_f i_f = \mathrm{id}_{[f]}$. Similar to the above, there is a universal way to split all idempotents. It is usually called the "Karoubi envelop". Doing it twice is the same as doing it once, because split idempotents are absolute. Since in $\mathrm{Vect}$ all idempotents split, every category is Morita equivalent to its Karoubi envelop. The remarkable fact is that linear categories $D$ and $E$ are Morita equivalent if and only if the categories you get by first doing the $\mathrm{Mat}$ construction and then the Karoubi envelop construction are equivalent (in the sense of categories).
Earlier, I mentioned the notion of "evil" constructions, which are those constructions that respect isomorphisms, rather than equivalences, of categories. In my post so far, every time I say "the same as" I have meant in the sense of equivalences: "the" category with such and such property is unique up to equivalence, not isomorphism. Thus my constructions have been non-evil. Your construction is evil: if you input the trivial category with one object $x$ and only the identity morphism, you get out the category with two objects $\emptyset,x$. If instead you input the category with two objects $x,y$ and a unique isomorphism between them, you output the category with essentially three objects: $\emptyset$, $x\oplus y$, and the isomorphic objects $x$ and $y$. So probably you had meant to use multisets or vectors to get the category Eric mentioned.
Finally, let me discuss your functor. For any $C$, there is a functor $C \mapsto *$, where $*$ denotes the one-object category with only the identity morphism. If I am not mistaken, your functor (or, rather, its $\mathrm{Mat}$ version) is the application of $\mathrm{Mat}$ to this functor; note that $\mathrm{Mat}$ takes functors to functors, and $\mathrm{Mat}(*)$ is the category $\mathrm{Vect}^{fd}$ of finite-dimensional vector spaces. This functor loses hecka information, and does not in any reasonably way find $\mathrm{Mat}(\mathbb K C)$ as a category of vector spaces with extra structure. One way to say this precisely is that your functor is not "monadic" (I'll let you look it up).
There is a way to find $\mathrm{Mat}(\mathbb K C)$, or rather its Karoubi envelope $\mathrm{Kar}(\mathrm{Mat}(\mathbb K C))) = \mathcal C$, as a category of vector spaces with structure, although it is evil. For every object $x\in C$, there is a functor $\hom(x,-) : \mathcal C \to \mathrm{Vect}$. Consider the functor $\bigoplus_{x\in C} \hom(x,-)$. If I am not mistaken, this is monadic. (Perhaps I should use the direct product rather than the direct sum.) Then $\mathcal C$ is, I think, equivalent to the category of compact projective modules for this monad. Note that this construction is evil because it treats isomorphic but non-equal objects as different.
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The project or research protocol is the document that describes the planning of the different stages of an investigation.
This protocol document has traditionally been called, from the Greek protokollen, the first sheet of a papyrus that describes the procedures to carry out some activity.
This term is used in English-speaking countries, although with another connotation. The Royal Spanish Academy defines it in a meaning as “Written and detailed plan of a scientific experiment, a clinical trial or a medical intervention”; In fact, the use of this word is so widespread that in this paper both terms (protocol and project) will be used interchangeably.
Scientific research is one of the most elaborate activities of human thought; in chapter 1 it was pointed out that it is the main activity carried out by the human being to promote the advancement of knowledge and eliminate ill-founded practices or beliefs.
We understand by knowledge the conscious and informed knowledge that we are capable of communicating and discussing, which corresponds to the Greek term episteme, which is distinguished from vulgar or doxa knowledge.
Scientific knowledge is that obtained through a methodology and according to some scientific method. This set of knowledge about the world, as well as the human activity destined to achieve them, is what is called science (from the Latin scire which means: “to know, to know”, and from the Greek sophia, “the art of knowing “).
Science must not pursue the illusory goal that its answers are definitive, or even probable. Its progress is directed towards an endless purpose: to discover incessantly new, deeper problems and justify our answers in this regard. As Bunge states, “Science does not pretend to be true nor, therefore, final, incorrigible and certain.”
To this end, the research must be properly planned, for which the preparation of the project or protocol is indispensable.
The research protocol allows the researcher to explain scientific reasoning; order your ideas in relation to the study problem; determine through the definition of the objectives and hypothesis what is intended to be obtained with the investigation; establish the most appropriate method, techniques and procedures, as well as define the characteristics of the subjects under study and guarantee their safety.
Likewise, it is useful to establish the necessary resources and the time required for the execution of each of the stages and thus avoid making arbitrary decisions in the development of the investigation. | https://marianopaz.com/guidelines-for-the-design-of-the-research-project/ |
Nursing workforce levels are not high enough to meet patient demand, report warns
The Royal College of Nursing says particularly attention needs to be paid to the numbers of district nurses
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The number of nursing posts in the Welsh NHS still does not reflect the needs of people receiving care, a damning report has concluded.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) , in a new study of nursing levels in Wales, claims the NHS workforce has remained static despite patient demand increasing.
The organisation says it has major concerns that some nursing teams do not have sufficient numbers of senior registered nurses to provide quality clinical leadership and ensure excellence in patient care.
'Fundamental part of healthcare delivery'
It has particular worries over the levels of district nurses who care for people in their communities in a bid to reduce hospital admissions.
More than 60 nurses across Wales launched a campaign in the Senedd on Wednesday to emphasise that nursing is a fundamental part of healthcare delivery.
It followed a Welsh Conservative debate in the Assembly which put the “staffing crisis” in the NHS under the microscope.
Tina Donnelly, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales
Tina Donnelly, Director RCN Wales, said: “This campaign highlights some of the real concerns of our members including the need to invest in nursing education and the alarming shortage of district nurses.
“We have also used the campaign to showcase the excellent care given by some of our truly great nurses here in Wales.”
First nation in Europe
The Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016, which came into force in March and made Wales the first nation in Europe to introduce “safe” nurse staffing levels, was put in place to protect patient lives and the provision of quality care.
But the RCN believes it should be extended to other areas of care such as mental health, maternity and the community.
Read More
Tina Donnelly added: “The passing of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act by the National Assembly for Wales was a great achievement but now we need to put it into practice. Investing in the nursing profession will directly improve the quality of patient care.”
The RCN has called on the Welsh Government to ensure the numbers of pre-registration student nurses commissioned is maintained at the right level to meet workforce requirements rather than the ‘boom and bust’ cycles previously seen.
It also wants the Welsh Government to note the high levels of agency nurses being used in the NHS, who provide the equivalent value of an extra 1,062 newly-qualified nurses.
Pay drop 'in real terms'
The report also claims NHS nurses have seen a 14% real-terms fall in pay since 2010 which is affecting morale.
In response, a Welsh Government spokesman said: “Nurses are vital to the NHS and patients recognise this – in our recent patient experience survey 99% of patients felt that they were treated with dignity and respect.
“We are increasing nurse training places by 10% this year; this is in addition to the 22% increase in 2015-16.
“This is the highest level of nurse training places commissioned in Wales since devolution.
“The overall number of nurses providing community services has increased by 17% over the past six years, from 3,338 full time equivalent community nursing staff in 2009 to 3,915 in 2015.
“The funding for training modules to support community nurses to provides care has continued, with the potential for these community nurses to become district nurses once all the modules are completed.
“Health boards are keen to develop a more effective skills mix at local level, using highly experienced district nurses to direct, lead and advise community nursing teams.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the RCN on this, as we work together to improve services.”
'Whole-system approach to workforce planning'
Addressing the NHS workforce as a whole, the Welsh Conservatives called on Cabinet Secretary for Health Vaughan Gething to bring forward a comprehensive strategy to tackle staff recruitment and retention issues.
Following the debate, Chairman of BMA Welsh Council Dr Phil Banfield said: “We have long called for a whole-system approach to workforce planning across primary, community, secondary, public health and social care.
“This needs to take account not only current, but projected future demands.
“We urgently need to see a long-term strategy for the NHS that addresses the workforce challenges we face in Wales.
“BMA Cymru Wales has highlighted the need to have a vision of what healthcare in Wales will look like in the future in order for Wales to plan to attract, train and retain the expert professionals needed to lead and deliver such services.”
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As a global organization protecting the poor from slavery and violence in the developing world, International Justice Mission has many powerful stories to tell.
“One of the most powerful means for ending slavery is found in the act of simply telling the authentic stories of those who suffer under injustice,” said Vera Leung, IJM’s director of creative services, “and the stories of rescue and justice through the work of common human beings.”
But in a busy non-profit environment, there isn’t always time or resources to share stories in an engaging and visually appealing way.
“Our stories were often stuck in templated pages that felt boring and did not do our beautiful photography justice,” Vera explained.
But since using Shorthand, Vera has found it is possible to create visually engaging stories within IJM’s time constraints.
In their first Shorthand story Transformation: Cambodia, IJM wanted to share the story of a dramatic reduction in child sex trafficking, told from the viewpoint of brave women and men leading the fight.
They used compelling, autoplay video to grab the reader’s attention in the title section, followed by a series of striking, full-screen images.
“We wanted the best format to show this portraiture so that you could connect with the people on the ground, see their conviction and see their hope shine through,” said Vera.
“The immersive experience that Shorthand allowed us to create connected people to the change in Cambodia and kept them engaged with the story.”
Transformation: Cambodia is now one of the most shared pages on IJM.org, something Vera attributes, at least in part, to creating the story with Shorthand.
“We believe the compelling, beautiful, engaging way in which you discover this story contributes to actually wanting to share it with your own networks,” she said. | https://nydla.org/slido/international-justice-mission/ |
Australia-based artist Margarita Georgiadis uses painting as a way to transform her visions into a tangible reality and as a way of dealing with her own emotions. After the death of her father, Georgiadis felt overwhelming sorrow and says, “My past and present simply vanished.” Rather than sinking into a deep depression, the artist began to explore her feelings in an attempt to understand the empty feelings of nothingness.
During that time, she began painting these passionate portraits, which suggest an overwhelming sadness and fragility of the subjects as they endure the fleeting moments of passing time. The artist's dark palette and soft paint strokes are a perfect match for the unhappiness that fills the canvas. As viewers observe Georgiadis' subjects, we become voyeurs, peering into intimate and private moments of despair.
These captivating scenes of uncertainty, filled with sad eyes and sorrow-filled gestures, suggest that we are seeing just a small piece of the much more full and complete story. The artist says, “Each of my paintings are like fragments of an unknown story, like a film still, removed from the sequence of the entire film; the viewer is only presented with one frame in order to evaluate and comprehend the infinite possibilities of narrative that surrounds each painting.” Georgiadis' paintings are so powerful that viewers can't help but linger, wondering why each person seems to have such a heavy heart. | https://mymodernmet.com/margarita-georgiadis-paintings/ |
Richard Poffenbaugh provides answers to recently submitted garden questions.
Friend and reader-submitted garden questions continue to accumulate. Here are recent ones I've answered.
Question: What is the length of our Mansfield-area growing season?
Answer: The number of days varies slightly from year to year. Generally, I use the number 150 days for our growing days without frost. A few years I have seen no frost until late October or early November.
The 150 days extends from May 15 to Oct. 10 or thereabout. Like all parts of Ohio, there are many micro-climates that add or subtract several days each year.
Q: Why are common annuals that usually aren't bothered by deer?
A: Try ageratum, dusty miller, dwarf marigold, snapdragon, white sweet alyssum, fibrous begonia and zinnia. Also, now is a good time to plant colorful pansies.
Q: Why do the number of cutworms vary in numbers in my garden? One year they were numerous and the next year I couldn't find any in the same plot.
A: Cutworms are short, fat C-shaped larva that live in the soil and are found usually in April and May. They climb up a stem of pepper or other plant and cut the stem off. There are many reasons such as weather, predators (birds) or lack of them, disease, etc.
For example, if two insect pests mate and lay 500 eggs, only one male and female need to survive out of 500 to maintain the population. An insect with multiple generations each year can readily increase because of more than one generation breeding. An insect with multiple generations each year can increase much faster than with a single generation.
Q: For some reason, I can't grow a yucca to flower. What am I doing wrong?
A: This plant grows and flowers best in poor, infertile soil with little water and in full sun. In fertile, well-prepared flower bed with regular irrigation and fertilization, they likely will be disappointing. It's a plant that likes neglect.
Q: You mention growing gloxinias from seeds from time to time. Where can seeds be purchased?
A: Stokes Seeds, P.O. Box 548, Buffalo, New York 14240-0548, call 1-800-263-7233. You will find 25 pelleted seeds for $3.50 or 250 pelleted seeds for $12,70; shipping is $7.95.
Q: How long should faded daffodil flowers and leaves remain on plants?
A: Remove flowers when they begin to fade to prevent seeds. Let green leaves remain until they turn yellow in June. As long as leaves are green, the plant is making food for next year.
Q: Last year, some of our asparagus stalks formed red berries on the stalks. What are they?
A: They are reproductive berries on female stalks. In time, they will spread more asparagus stalks. You do not want more seedling stalks, only male stalks. When planting, purchase only male stalks.
Q: Are black raspberries easy to grow and when do they become ripe?
A: They are an easy, small fruit to grow and begin to ripen in July. They have one crop per year. We use them for delicious pies and they are easy to freeze. It's nice to also use them with other fresh fruit for summer desserts.
At end of July, remove all old canes to make space for new canes, which will bear fruit next summer. Next March, cut back new canes about half-way so they produce side shoots for more fruits. I have grown them for 50 years and look forward to a new crop of fruits each July!
Just a note: My next column will appear Tuesday, May 7. | https://ux.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/life/2019/04/15/garden-timely-questions-april/3448764002/ |
This ultra-creamy Vegetable Wild Rice Soup is chock-full of delicious vegetables and a wild rice blend, with no dairy or other animal ingredients. Recipe from BudgetBytes.com.
INGREDIENTS
•8 oz. baby bella mushrooms ($1.69)
•2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
•2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
•1 yellow onion ($0.32)
•3 ribs celery ($0.37)
•1/2 lb. carrots ($0.45)
•1/4 tsp dried thyme ($0.03)
•1/4 tsp dried sage ($0.03)
•1 cup wild rice blend (uncooked) ($1.55)
•4 cups vegetable broth ($0.52)
•1 13 oz. can full-fat coconut milk ($2.49)
INSTRUCTIONS
1.Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add the olive oil and mushrooms to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms are fully wilted and browned on the edges (cook until all the moisture is released, evaporated, and the mushrooms begin to actually brown for the best flavor).
2.While the mushrooms are sautéing, mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and peel and slice the carrots.
3.Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and sage to the pot with the mushrooms. Continue to sauté for about five minutes more, or until the onions are soft.
4.Finally, add the wild rice blend and vegetable broth, and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes with the lid in place (or however long the instructions on your brand of rice suggests for cooking).
5.Once the soup has simmered and the rice is tender, add the coconut milk. Stir to combine and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes more. Finally, taste the soup and add salt if needed (I did not add any, but this will depend on the salt content of your broth). Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping! | https://northendbreezes.com/whats-cooking-in-the-north-end-3/ |
How do you unlock a door without a key?
Another great tool to use is a screwdriver. A small or thin screwdriver will work best on interior doors or doors with privacy handles. Simply push the screwdriver into the hole on the doorknob straight through for as far as you can. Then, turn or twist the screwdriver until the lock opens.
Jeb Brewster34 подписчикаПодписатьсяLocking and unlocking a push bar, panic bar or crash bar
How do you open a door when the mechanism is broken?
Look along the throat of your broken doorknob for a small set screw or a small slit. Use a small hex key to loosen the setscrew, or insert a small flat-head screwdriver into the slit to release the knob. Pull the knob off the spindle.
Is there a key that can open any door?
A bump key can open any lock that it fits into. It’s helpful to have in your pocket if you ever lose your keys, because it can open your door lock and your deadbolt, even if they normally require seperate keys.
What is the easiest way to pick a lock?
The easiest way to pick a lock is to use the fast and dirty method: scrubbing.
- Insert Tension Wrench into the Bottom of Key Hole and Apply Slight Pressure. …
- Insert Pick at Top of Lock. …
- While Applying Slight Torque to Your Wrench, Scrub Your Pick Back and Forth in the Key Hole. …
- Repeat Until All the Pins Set.
13.09.2020
How do you get into a locked bedroom door?
Give the Old Credit Card Trick a Try on a Locked Door
- Stick a credit card into the crack that exists between a door and a door frame.
- Gently move the credit card down in the direction of the lock on the door.
- Tilt the credit card in the direction of the doorknob on the door once it reaches the latch for the lock.
4.03.2020
How do I pick a deadbolt?
How to Pick a Deadbolt
- Put the tension wrench in the bottom of the deadbolt keyhole.
- Turn the tension wrench, using steady pressure and keeping pins from falling back.
- Put the pick into the top of the deadbolt keyhole and push the pins up, making sure to keep them up with the tension wrench. | https://wackerhardware.com/types-of-doors/how-do-you-open-a-door-chain.html |
BAMAKO, Mali—I was talking to Yaya Sarro, a molecular biologist at the National Laboratory, when the biological samples from the newest possible Ebola case arrived for diagnosis. It was six days after Mali’s first patient, a two-year old girl who had taken a long bus ride from Guinea with her grandmother and sister, tested positive for Ebola. She died on Oct. 24, 600 km northwest of the capital in Kayes. Now Malians, hospital staff, contact tracers, the ministry of health, a few journalists and a coalition of international partners were anxiously waiting for the next case to appear. Eighty-five people were under surveillance, mostly in Kayes, but some in the capital. Families were in isolation.
Two stocky doctors had brought the sample from Selingué, a town on the border between Guinea and Mali, where a man had died after presenting a few of the unspecific symptoms of Ebola’s profile. Hours earlier, the doctors took samples of his blood, saliva, and mucus from his nose. They packaged the samples in a plastic tube, triple-wrapped it in a custom box and drove to Bamako. They handed over the box as Yaya left to suit up.
Bamako’s national laboratory sits atop one of two wide hills behind the capital of Mali. On one peak is the presidential palace; on the other is the hospital and medical school. Inside is a level-3 biosafety laboratory (BSL), outfitted by the American National Institute of Health to handle Tuberculosis, HIV and as of this summer, Ebola. The lab is run by Malian doctors and infectious disease scientists. No one knows if or how the disease will spread in Mali; however it does, a drop of it will come to this lab first.
If Ebola stays in Mali, this lab will be the country’s invaluable resource. Amadou Kone, another molecular biologist, said that when the little girl’s samples arrived last week, they had results within hours. That is staggeringly fast and not just for West Africa. In April, before samples were tested here, a few cases of Ebola were suspected in Bamako. People were put into isolation, their samples sent to Dakar or Atlanta. The results took three weeks to come back while panic and rumor spread on the streets of the capital and frightened patients sat in quarantine. “Our work can allow families to go home,” Yaya said.
As Yaya and his colleague re-emerge in blue jumpsuits and step into the clean room’s antechamber, Dr. Ousmane Koita, who runs the lab, plays valet. We watched through glass windows.
Photo by Colin Baker Labcoats are not permitted beyond the thresholds of BSL2 or BSL3 lab. This sticker is found at the entrance to the break room, where any materials other than food and office supplies are strictly prohibited.
Level-3 biosafety facilities have negative air pressure. They have backup systems and alarms should a ventilator malfunction. Their humidity and temperature are controlled. Air goes in but it does not go out. There is an autoclave, work hoods, boxes of gloves, paper towels, and bottles of disinfectant. Sound doesn’t move between the interior and the exterior. Ebola is designated a level-4 biosafety virus in Europe, America, Singapore and Australia: handling it requires showers, dressing procedures and total isolation from the rest of the building. But no level-4 facilities exist in West Africa—the nearest is in Gabon. So in April, when the disease was proving its tenacity in neighboring Guinea, American doctors saw the threat and nominated Bamako’s level-3 lab capable of diagnosing Ebola. That is how a room designed to protect researchers from TB and HIV became a room where they could also defuse the world’s scariest bug.
Photo by Colin Baker The room adjacent to the BSL3 laboratory. Yaya has just entered to put on his blue jumpsuit.
Photo by Colin Baker Dr. Ousmane Koita prepares Yaya and his colleague in the antechamber to the BSL3 lab.
Photo by Colin Baker According to the NIH, the buddy system is vital while suiting and un-suiting when handling dangerous infectious diseases. Yaya and his colleague supervise each layer as it is added.
Photo by Colin Baker Dr. Koita tapes the first pair of gloves to seal the inner layer of the suit. Another will be added.
The white cardboard box of samples is sitting on the floor in the antechamber at Yaya and his colleague’s feet. They pull on Tyvek paint suits, grey booties, white respirator masks, plastic goggles. They look ready for a day of asbestos scrubbing. The purple, long-fingered gloves come on. Sarro tells me these are strong and expensive. Koita takes a roll of masking tape and winds it around Kone’s wrists. A second pair of gloves, a blue shower cap to cover the hair and the hood are pulled tight. Kone and his colleague are heating up; their hands look a little bit limper. They let Koita pull white bibs over their chests and tie them around the back. “Like a cook,” Sarro tells me. Finally, the plastic facemask. Koita turns them around and checks the points of vulnerability. He touches their wrists, their waist, their face; the valet checking his man before the duel against the box. Koita leaves the room. Yaya’s colleague opens the door to the lab, kicks the cardboard box through and seals himself in.
Photo by Colin Baker Some materials are needed from outside. Amadou finds vials and solution in the adjacent room, and Yaya and his colleague collect them through a window.
Photo by Colin Baker Laboratory equipment inside the facility is the same as equipment outside. Here, solution is pipetted into the sample.
Within 15 minutes of opening the box, Yaya and his colleague have mixed the samples with lysing agents that destroy cellular structure, leaving behind a soup of impotent genetic material. They give us thumbs up. After marking the tubes with a Sharpie, they begin cleaning up and stripping down. Everything is slathered with disinfectant.
This part, crucial in any contact with possible Ebola, is geometrically confusing. They scrub everything down and squirt chlorine over their hands and clothes, then peel off their protective layers. First the facemasks, then the hoods, the goggles, and the top gloves all are flung into red biohazard bags. Soon their faces are exposed. They unzip their jumpsuits and shimmy, pulling the suits down and off with the gloves. But they’re still inside the dirty chamber, the level-3 biosafety containment lab, the place where a moment ago possible Ebola was assumed to be everywhere. They must pay attention, Sarro tells me, to pull from the inside of the suit only. That maintains the clean envelope they are creating. The gloved hands remove every piece, then come off themselves, from the inside, fingers last.
Photo by Colin Baker By the time the samples reach the BSL2 working hood, they are completely deactivated. Infection is no longer a risk, but contamination is.
Photo by Colin Baker The samples are prepped for the polymerase chain reaction, in which enzymes and proteins will cleave and copy the genetic material in the sample to amplify its signal millions of times. Tags matching genes on the Zaire strain of Ebola will allow the researchers to declare whether this sample is positive or negative.
Photo by Colin Baker Mali’s best SmartCycler machine is used to identify the genetic contents of the sample. In Liberia, two such machines are used daily.
Within the hour the samples are under a new hood in the next room (biosafety Level-2, suitable for most biological and chemical agents), sitting in a red tray marked EBOLA along the side. The samples are in six small, milliliter doses, mixed with reagents and amplifying solutions. These are placed in an American-made Polymerase Chain Reaction machine, the workhorse of genetic analysis, which will alternate hot and cold over the next hour while enzymes make millions of copies of the suspect RNA. The results will be compared to the Zaire strain, the Uganda strain, the Sudan strain, and a control. A single genetic match, about 70 bases long, proves Ebola. It is 8pm. By 9:30pm, a green line on a computer screen will be flat if the dead man was negative, or curved gently upwards if he was positive.
For Sarro and Kone, diagnosing Ebola is no more frightening than diagnosing anything else. They joked in the BSL2 room that Ebola is a delicate bug, easy to break. Tuberculosis, which is airborne, is far scarier. For a molecular biologist, “at our level, the virus is always dead,” said Kone. Are they surprised to have identified Ebola in Mali? “No, it was a matter of time” said Dr. Koita. They are confident that if the government and health ministries track contacts and push public hygiene, Ebola will not last. Some responders are less sure. We eat bananas and soda in the break room after pumping hand sanitizer.
I knock on Koita’s door at 8:45pm—I want to know the shape of the green line. “The results,” he tells me, “go from here directly to the ministry and to the president.” Apparently information stays on the inside, and I’m outside.
Mali’s first Ebola case triggered a huge and swift response, motivating flights of experts from abroad and trucks of material to the affected site within days, in large part because this lab provided a diagnosis in real-time. I’m told the next day that Tuesday night’s sample was negative, as the doctors had expected. The body was released to the family
The biologists worked on Tabaski, the most important holiday for Malian Muslims. They work nights and weekends. They will likely be on-call for a long time.
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When pain is discussed, medications are often brought forth as the primary means of management. The focus of Dr. McSweeney’s presentation to the SLE Workshop honors the contribution of traditional medical approaches to pain management, while offering information on complementary and alternative therapies for pain. Many people with lupus have discussed medical treatments for pain with their doctors. For a variety of reasons, they may want to explore what non-pharmaceutical options exist. This is an opportunity to learn about what can be done that has the potential to offer additional relief.
Although the therapies presented here are grouped together as both complementary and alternative, it is more accurate to say that they are complementary. It is not advisable to replace a prescribed regimen of medication, especially without consulting a doctor. Instead, complementary therapies can be added to a pain management plan in order to provide an extra measure of relief. At times, people are able to reduce the dose of their medications due to the added effects. Another benefit is the ability to proactively do something on one’s own to assist with the plan laid out by the doctors. It can be helpful to know that there are methods other than medication that can be effective.
When discussing pain in lupus, it is important to look at the whole picture created by lupus. Many members of The SLE Workshop have identified pain as one of the major components of their lupus. Because pain plays such a major role for so many people, it is important that people with lupus have a variety of tools for managing pain.
With a simple pain condition, such as banging your finger, there is a source you can identify. There is also a clear course of action that resolves the pain. Pain experienced with lupus is different. It is part of the systemic condition and is not as easily resolved. To deal with the pain, the cause of the pain may not always be addressed, but rather the ways the body expresses the pain, such as inflammation. Interventions such as anti-inflammatory medications reduce the pain, even if they don’t change the lupus itself.
Stress can also contribute to pain. This is the point where most complementary treatments can be of assistance. Even though the cause of the pain itself is not being directly addressed, reducing stress can often help to reduce pain, or at least help to deal more effectively with the pain.
Another point where pain can be addressed is with the immune system imbalance. Prednisone, for example, works to decrease the activity of an overactive immune system. Some complementary therapies aim to assist with immune system imbalance. This does not mean that complementary therapies are a cure for lupus, and that’s not the case. Some therapies can, however, have an impact on the immune system.
There are five categories. Some therapies cross over the categories.
1. Mind-Body: techniques for using your thoughts to have an impact on your body. Also, body therapies that target how the use of the body can have an impact on your emotions. Generally you can learn these and then do them yourself.
Abdominal breathing is a simple technique to calm yourself down, open up the lungs, and get more oxygen into the body. This is done by taking deep breaths, initiating from the abdominals, holding the breath for a moment and then releasing.
Relaxation training is learning how to relax the muscles of the body by talking yourself through letting go of tension in the muscle groups of the body.
Guided imagery can be used for lots of different health conditions. This involves the process of mentally imaging a calming, relaxing experience which can include releasing pain from the body.
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. It was developed to deal with all kinds of pain: emotional pain, the pain of dealing with life, the need to find some kind of peace and calm. Physical pain is often connected to emotional pain. Many people find that meditation can help calm their mind in response to pain.
Biofeedback is done using equipment to give you feedback, or tell you, what’s going on in your body. Relaxation techniques are then used to help the body relax.
The Gate Control Theory states that we have pain because there are messages going from the site of pain through the spinal cord to the brain where it registers that you have pain. The brain then signals back to the body. With chronic pain, however, nerves may fire continuously, even though there may not be any increase at a pain site. If we can shut off some of the pain messages in the spinal cord going up, or if the brain can actually send out different chemicals such as endorphins, than you can feel less pain and interrupt the chronic pain cycle. It’s not that your lupus condition is getting better and suddenly everything is fine, but that the brain and spinal cord are moderating some of the pain sensation. When practicing a mind body therapy such as guided imagery, your brain is calm and relaxed and therefore not processing, as much pain and you feel better.
2. Alternative treatments. This category is referred to as treatments because you would seek the help of a practitioner.
*Acupuncture can be helpful for pain and can have a beneficial effect on the immune system, but will not stop the lupus. Traditionally, 8-10 treatments are conducted by a practitioner. The treatments begin in a schedule of 2-3 times a week, reducing down to once a week. Acupuncture does not work for everyone. If you are not finding any relief by the 8th session, it’s probably not something that’s going to work for you.
Massage can be helpful and relaxing. It might be helpful to find a practitioner who is aware of lupus. The pressure used by a masseuse may be too great and cause more pain if the practitioner is unaware of the needs of a person with lupus.
3. Movement Therapies. These therapies use physical movement to help with both pain, and with calming the mind. These therapies tend to be very mind body focused. By calming the mind, the body is less sensitive to pain.
Some examples of movement therapies are Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong. Qigong may have a balancing effect on the immune system. With the eastern therapies the goal is to achieve balance in the mind-body system. It’s not something that will cure but that can help. It’s a matter of trying the different therapies and coming up with what works for you. Some classes are geared to people who suffer from pain, and one of those would be the best to take. It is also important to keep in mind that movement therapies are active and may not be helpful during a lupus flare.
The Arthritis Foundation has put together a useful supplement guide. See also their information regarding this on their website, www.arthritis.org. Two of the most popular supplements for lupus are fish oil (omega 3 fatty acid) which targets inflammation, and DHEA, which has been thought to be helpful for lupus, but there are still some concerns about the side effects. It is a hormone. The ones at the health store are too low in dosage to make a difference, so if you’re serious about trying DHEA, you would want to talk to a doctor who could prescribe it at a higher dose. Again, you want to be careful about putting hormones into your body.
Homeopathy is a very gentle noninvasive remedy. Individuals report variations in helpfulness. It’s a complicated treatment where a practitioner will spend over an hour assessing your lifestyle and recommend treatments that are personalized. Practitioner visits tend to be expensive, although treatment generally involves very few visits. The remedies themselves are inexpensive.
5. Energy Medicine. These therapies address the energy fields of the body.
Reiki is similar to therapeutic touch where you barely touch a person in order to balance out the energy field on the body, smoothing out the energy. It can be very calming and can target specific points on the body such as the throat or the abdomen.
Aroma Therapy: Some people say it works on the energy system, others think it responds to specific sensory receptors. Aromatherapy may help decrease pain by promoting relaxation. Too many or too strong scents can be overwhelming and not helpful. Some scents are over stimulating. Lavender, chamomile, and peppermint are calming, which is the goal.
If you try a therapy and it’s not for you, then it’s not for you. It’s important to be patient and work on finding the combination that provides you with the greatest relief.
During flare-ups, lupus symptoms should be addressed differently. This includes the use of complementary and alternative therapies. Pain can occur both during and between flare-ups. Strenuous activities should be avoided during a flare. Even something like meditation can be difficult to practice during a flare, since it can be difficult to concentrate. Anything that causes physical or mental stress should be avoided during a flare-up. Therapies marked with an asterisk (*) are considered mild enough to use during a flare, and can help decrease pain at these times. As with any change in lupus treatment plans, pain management or otherwise, it is important to discuss changes with your doctor before they are made., a free support and education group held monthly as HSS. | https://www.hss.edu/conditions_complementary-alternative-therapies-for-pain.asp |
America’s favorite serial killer. Dexter has relocated to the rural town of Iron Lake, NY, living under the alias of “Jim Lindsay.” He lives in a cabin in the woods and is a sales associate at the local store, Fred’s Fish and Game. It’s been nearly a decade, but it’s only a matter of time before Dexter’s Dark Passenger inevitably beckons.
Dexter’s deceased sister who was a cop in the Miami Metro Police Department, and possibly the only person he truly loved. Deb re-appears in a new iteration to challenge Dexter in every way possible.
Harrison is the son Dexter tried to protect by faking his own death and walking away years ago. After too long in the foster care system, Harrison tracks his father to the small town of Iron Lake, New York. Because he, like Dexter, witnessed the murder of his own mother, Dexter will always be concerned about whether his son carries similar ‘dark urges’ to those of Dexter’s.
Angela Bishop is the first Native-American Chief of Police in Iron Lake. And the first female to hold that job as well. She was inspired to become a cop after a tragic event in her past. Though the community underestimates her, Angela is the only one who notices a pattern of crimes in the area, and she’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth. She’s also Dexter’s love interest… which, of course, leads to some intriguing complications.
Audrey is the brash and opinionated adopted teenage daughter of Indigenous single mom Police Chief Angela Bishop. Popular at school, Audrey is always the first to rally her classmates to protest injustice in their community. And she’s never afraid to speak her mind, no matter who it might offend, which sometimes makes for trouble with her mother.
Kurt Caldwell was born and raised in the town of Iron Lake. In fact, some consider him the unofficial mayor of their small town. He’s realized the American dream by going from driving big rigs, just like his father did, to now owning several trucks and the local truck stop. Powerful, generous, loved by everyone – he's a true man of the people. If he’s got your back, consider yourself blessed. But should you cross him, or hurt anyone that he cares for… God help you.
Logan is a sergeant in the Iron Lake Police Department and the assistant wrestling coach for the local high school. Having experienced tragedy at a young age, Logan prides himself on stepping up for those in need – making him one of the good guys, both for the kids he coaches and the town he serves and protects. | https://www.sho.com/dexter-new-blood/cast |
Big data took center stage at the fifth Microsoft Research Asia Joint Labs Symposium, held on November 2, 2013, in Hefei, China. Gathering under the theme of “Research Collaborations in the Big Data Era,” more than 50 faculty and graduate students, representing 10 labs, joined more than 20 Microsoft researchers to discuss the future of data-intensive science.
The fifth Joint Labs Symposium featured a lively panel discussion about collaborations in the era of big data.
The symposium is just one of many activities of the Microsoft Research Asia Joint Lab Program (JLP). Since its founding in 1999, the JLP has facilitated comprehensive cooperation between Microsoft Research and faculty and students at leading Chinese research universities. The program promotes joint research, advances academic exchange, and fosters talent development. Microsoft Research Asia has established 10 joint labs, eight of which have been named “Key Laboratories” by the Chinese Ministry of Education, a designation that allows them to compete for government funds. To date, the JLP has completed more than 200 joint projects and given rise to over 1,000 academic papers. Equally important, more than 1,000 students have participated in JLP, fueling a robust talent pipeline.
The fifth Joint Labs Symposium brought together key faculty and students from all 10 joint labs and provided a forum to showcase achievements, enhance scientific research, and cultivate high-caliber talent. The day’s events were broken into three segments. The first focused on urban informatics empowered by big data. The second centered on the role of cloud computing in the analysis of big data. The third featured a lively panel discussion about collaborations in the era of big data—a spirited dialogue that delved into a host of issues, including the potential of cloud services for research; the sharing of data, algorithms, tools, and even research stacks via virtual machines; and issues of data privacy.
The symposium highlighted the importance that Microsoft Research places on collaboration with major academic institutions. We look forward to another year of fruitful cooperation, as we advance together into the realm of data-intensive research. | http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/symposium-celebrates-research-collaborations/ |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
The present application relates to the technical field of automobile testing, and in particular, to a method, an apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle.
During developing and testing of a vehicle, a calibration of the full vehicle is needed. In order to make the vehicle have a good dynamic performance, it is particularly important to calibrate a dynamic model of the vehicle accurately.
The premise of accurate calibration of the dynamic model of the vehicle is required to obtain a dynamic parameter of the vehicle under various and different working conditions. In the prior art, for testing of the dynamic parameter of the vehicle, the form of manually measuring is mostly taken, where the vehicle is driven by a human to record traveling data, on which the calculation of the dynamic parameter is based. For example, when calibrating a dynamic model of a vehicle, it is necessary to manually measure a friction coefficient of the vehicle at different speeds. During testing the friction coefficient, a driver needs to drive the vehicle slowly from a low speed to a high speed, or even an extreme speed, so that traveling data may be recorded by a relevant recording equipment during the manual acceleration process and then analyzed and calculated by an engineer to obtain the dynamic parameter.
However, test data required in the calibration process also includes the dynamic parameter of the vehicle under an extreme condition; therefore, manual measurements need to be performed by highly trained professional personnel, which is both costly and prone to danger.
The present application provides a method, an apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle to achieve an automatic measurement of a dynamic parameter by utilizing the characteristic of automatic driving of an autonomous vehicle, thereby reducing cost for calibrating the vehicle and improving safety during the test.
obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle;
controlling the vehicle to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, detecting and recording traveling data of the vehicle; and
determining a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data.
In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle, including:
In a possible design, after the determining a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data, the method further comprises:
calibrating a vehicle dynamic model of the vehicle according to the dynamic parameter.
In a possible design, the control parameter comprise at least one of the following types of parameters: dynamic control parameter, direction control parameter, and brake control parameter.
In a possible design, the obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle comprises:
selecting parameter values of at least two types of parameters from preset dynamic control parameter, preset direction control parameter, and preset brake control parameter as the control parameter for the vehicle.
In a possible design, the traveling data comprises at least one of the following:
driving speed of the vehicle, steering wheel angle of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, temperature data of the vehicle, and tire data of the vehicle.
In a possible design, the detecting traveling data of the vehicle comprises:
receiving data transmitted from different types of sensors that are set on the vehicle to obtain the traveling data.
an obtaining module, configured to obtain a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle;
a detecting module, configured to control the vehicle to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, and detect and record traveling data of the vehicle; and
a processing module, configured to determine a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data.
In a second aspect, the present application further provides an apparatus for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle, including:
In a possible design, the apparatus further includes:
a calibration module, configured to calibrate a vehicle dynamic model of the vehicle according to the dynamic parameter.
In a possible design, the control parameter comprise at least one of the following types of parameters: dynamic control parameter, direction control parameter, and brake control parameter.
In a possible design, the obtaining module is specifically configured to:
select parameter values of at least two types of parameters from preset dynamic control parameter, preset direction control parameter, and preset brake control parameter as the control parameter for the vehicle.
In a possible design, the traveling data includes at least one of the following:
driving speed of the vehicle, steering wheel angle of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, temperature data of the vehicle, and tire data of the vehicle.
In a possible design, the detecting module is specifically configured to:
receive data transmitted from different types of sensors that are set on the vehicle to obtain the traveling data.
In a third aspect, the present application further provides a vehicle, including any possible apparatus for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle according to the second aspect.
In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor is caused to implement any possible method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle according to the first aspect.
a processors; and
a memory for storing an instruction executable by the processor;
where the processor is configured to perform any possible method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle according to the first aspect by executing the executable instruction.
In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides an electronic device, including:
The present application provides a method, an apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle, where a control parameter is obtained for an autonomous vehicle, and then the vehicle is controlled to travel automatically under a given environment according to the control parameter, meanwhile, traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, at last, a dynamic parameter of the vehicle is determined according to the traveling data. In this way, the characteristic of automatic driving of an autonomous vehicle is utilized to achieve an automatic measurement of the dynamic parameter, thereby reducing cost for calibrating the vehicle and significantly improving safety during the test. Additionally, human error caused by manually driving during the test can be avoided effectively.
FIG 1
is an application scenario diagram of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG 2
is a schematic flowchart of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 3
is a schematic flowchart of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to another exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 4
is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 5
is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to another exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 6
is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device shown according to an exemplary embodiment.
In order to illustrate technical solutions of embodiments of the present application or of the prior art clearly, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. It is apparent that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative efforts.
In order to make objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and thoroughly described with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. It is apparent that the described embodiments is a part, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained based on the embodiments of the present application by those of ordinary skill in the art without paying any creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.
The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", and the like (if present) in the description and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, which are not necessarily used for describing a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such used data are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "including" and "containing" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, a method, a system, a product, or a device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those explicitly listed steps or units; instead, it may include other steps or units that are not listed explicitly or are inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
is an application scenario diagram of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle provided in the embodiment is applied to a vehicle with a function of automatic driving. In order to collect data for the vehicle and possibly calibrate write data, an external device may also be connected for monitoring and inputting.
The premise of accurate calibration of the dynamic model of the vehicle is required to obtain a dynamic parameter of the vehicle under various and different working conditions. In the prior art, for test of the dynamic parameter of the vehicle, the form of manually measuring are mostly taken, where the vehicle is driven by a man to record traveling data, on which the calculation of the dynamic parameter is based. In a manually test process, it is often necessary to drive the vehicle to a limit state, and then obtain a parameter of the vehicle in various states. Such test process is extremely dependent on professional drivers. There are also greater risks in the test process, such as rollovers, crashes, and skidding, etc.
In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a method, an apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle, where a control parameter is obtained for an autonomous vehicle, and then the vehicle is controlled to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, meanwhile, traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, at last, a dynamic parameter of the vehicle is determined according to the traveling data. In this way, the characteristic of automatic driving of an autonomous vehicle is utilized to achieve an automatic measurement of the dynamic parameter, thereby reducing cost for calibrating the vehicle and significantly improving safety during the test. Additionally, human error caused by manually driving during the test can be avoided effectively..
The following describes the method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle in detail with reference to several specific implementations.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
is a schematic flowchart of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the method for testing a dynamic parameter provided in this embodiment includes:
Step 101: obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle.
Specifically, in a test environment, an autonomous vehicle may be controlled automatically by obtaining a control parameter for the autonomous vehicle.
It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the foregoing control parameter may include at least one of the following parameters: dynamic control parameter, direction control parameter, and brake control parameter. Specifically, for the dynamic control parameter, it may include engine revolution, transmission gear, current engine output torque and the like. For the direction control parameter, it may include steering wheel angle, steering wheel rotation speed, steering wheel rotation acceleration and the like. Furthermore, for the brake control parameter, it may include braking time, braking force, and so on.
For example, when obtaining a relevant dynamic parameter about vehicle side slip by the vehicle, the autonomous vehicle may be controlled to accelerate gradually. When a sensor learns that the vehicle is about to experience side slip, current traveling data of the vehicle is recorded. The sensing technology for occurring side slip is common technology in the prior art, which is not repeated in this embodiment.
In addition, in order to have a wider range of adjustability in testing a dynamic parameter of an autonomous vehicles, the above mentioned control parameter can be arbitrarily combined to traverse various kinds of test conditions, thereby outputting a more reliable and comprehensive test result. Specifically, obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle may include: selecting parameter values of at least two types of parameters from preset dynamic control parameter, preset direction control parameter, and preset brake control parameter as the control parameter for the vehicle. For example, the dynamic control parameter may be fixed, while the direction control parameter and the brake control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; or the direction control parameter may be fixed, while the dynamic control parameter and the brake control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; or the brake control parameter may be fixed, while the dynamic control parameter and the direction control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; in this way, various kinds of testing conditions can be traversed.
Step 102: controlling the vehicle to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, detecting and recording traveling data of the vehicle.
Specifically, the vehicle is controlled to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, and the traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded.
The detection of the traveling data of the vehicle may be performed by a set sensor thereon. Specifically, the detecting the traveling data of the vehicle includes: receiving data transmitted from different types of sensors that are set on the vehicle to obtain the traveling data.
For example, the detection of the vehicle side slip can be achieved through a detection manner with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP). The ESP system is comprised of a control unit, a steering sensor (to monitor a steering angle of a steering wheel), a wheel sensor (to monitor a rotation speed of each wheel), a side slip sensor (to monitor the state that the vehicle body rotates about the vertical axis), a lateral acceleration sensor (to monitor a centrifugal force when the vehicle turns), etc., the control unit determines the operation state of the vehicle through signals from these sensors.
The traveling data of the vehicle may be stored by a storage device of the autonomous vehicle itself, or may be stored and displayed by an external device. Specific recording process is not limited in this embodiment.
And the traveling data includes at least one of the following: driving speed of the vehicle, steering wheel angle of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, temperature data of the vehicle, and tire data of the vehicle. It is worth noting that specific data included in the traveling data is not limited in this embodiment, which may be adaptively adjusted according to specific test items.
Step 103: determine a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data.
After the vehicle is controlled to travel under the given environment according to the control parameter, and the traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, the dynamic parameter of a vehicle can be determined according to the traveling data. The determination of the dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data may be the same as a data processing part that is performed after a manual test, which is a common technology in the existing vehicle testing process. Methods and steps for processing the traveling data are not specifically limited in this embodiment.
In this embodiment, a control parameter is obtained for an autonomous vehicle, and then the vehicle is controlled to travel automatically under a given environment according to the control parameter, meanwhile, traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, at last, a dynamic parameter of the vehicle is determined according to the traveling data. In this way, the characteristic of automatic driving of an autonomous vehicle is utilized to achieve an automatic measurement of the dynamic parameter, thereby reducing cost for calibrating the vehicle and significantly improving safety during the test. Additionally, human error caused by manually driving during the test can be avoided effectively.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
is a schematic flowchart of a method for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to another exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the method for testing a dynamic parameter provided in this embodiment includes:
Step 201: obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle.
Specifically, in a test environment, an autonomous vehicle may be controlled automatically by obtaining a control parameter for the autonomous vehicle.
It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the foregoing control parameter may include at least one of the following parameters: dynamic control parameter, direction control parameter, and brake control parameter. Specifically, for the dynamic control parameter, it may include engine revolution, transmission gear, current engine output torque and the like. For the direction control parameter, it may include steering wheel angle, steering wheel rotation speed, steering wheel rotation acceleration and the like. Furthermore, for the brake control parameter, it may include braking time, braking force, and so on.
For example, during obtaining a relevant dynamic parameter about vehicle side slip, the autonomous vehicle may be controlled to accelerate gradually, current traveling data of the vehicle is recorded when a sensor learns that the vehicle is about to experience side slip. The sensing technology for occurring side slip is common technology in the prior art, which is not repeated in this embodiment.
In addition, in order to have a wider range of adjustability in testing a dynamic parameter of an autonomous vehicles, the above mentioned control parameter can be arbitrarily combined to traverse various kinds of test conditions, thereby outputting a more reliable and comprehensive test result. Specifically, obtaining a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle may include: selecting parameter values of at least two types of parameters from preset dynamic control parameter, preset direction control parameter, and preset brake control parameter as the control parameter for the vehicle. For example, the dynamic control parameter may be fixed, while the direction control parameter and the brake control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; or the direction control parameter may be fixed, while the dynamic control parameter and the brake control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; or the brake control parameter may be fixed, while the dynamic control parameter and the direction control parameter are combined arbitrarily for the test; in this way, various kinds of testing conditions can be traversed.
Step 202: controlling the vehicle to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, detecting and recording traveling data of the vehicle.
Specifically, the vehicle is controlled to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, and the traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded.
The detection of the traveling data of the vehicle may be performed by a set sensor thereon. Specifically, the detecting the traveling data of the vehicle includes: receiving data transmitted from different types of sensors that are set on the vehicle to obtain the traveling data.
For example, the detection of the vehicle side slip can be achieved through a detection manner with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP). The ESP system is comprised of a control unit, a steering sensor (to monitor a steering angle of a steering wheel), a wheel sensor (to monitor a rotation speed of each wheel), a side slip sensor (to monitor the state that the vehicle body rotates about the vertical axis), a lateral acceleration sensor (to monitor a centrifugal force when the vehicle turns), etc., the control unit determines the operation state of the vehicle through signals from these sensors.
The traveling data of the vehicle may be stored by a storage device of the autonomous vehicle itself, or may be stored and displayed by an external device. Specific recording process is not limited in this embodiment.
And the traveling data includes at least one of the following: driving speed of the vehicle, steering wheel angle of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, temperature data of the vehicle, and tire data of the vehicle. It is worth noting that specific data included in the traveling data is not limited in this embodiment, which may be adaptively adjusted according to specific test items.
Step 203: determine a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data.
After the vehicle is controlled to travel under the given environment according to the control parameter, and the traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, the dynamic parameter of a vehicle can be determined according to the traveling data. The determination of the dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data may be the same as a data processing part that is performed after a manual test, which is a common technology in the existing vehicle testing process. Methods and steps for processing the traveling data are not specifically limited in this embodiment.
Step 204: calibrating a vehicle dynamic model of the vehicle according to the dynamic parameter.
Specifically, after the determining a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data, the method further includes: calibrating a vehicle dynamic model of the vehicle according to the determined dynamic parameter.
Specifically, by providing enough kinds of environment (for example, in terms of friction gradient characteristic) in a sufficiently large empty field, using autonomous driving to gradually explore from slow to fast, test results with great accuracy can be obtained under various states on the premise that the safety is ensured, various dynamic parameters can be determined to establish a dynamic model of the vehicle.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
an obtaining module 301, configured to obtain a control parameter for an autonomous vehicle;
a detecting module 302, configured to control the vehicle to travel under a given environment according to the control parameter, and detect and record traveling data of the vehicle;
a processing module 303, configured to determine a dynamic parameter of the vehicle according to the traveling data.
is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle provided in this embodiment includes:
In this embodiment, a control parameter is obtained for an autonomous vehicle, and then the vehicle is controlled to travel automatically under a given environment according to the control parameter, meanwhile, traveling data of the vehicle is detected and recorded, at last, a dynamic parameter of the vehicle is determined according to the traveling data. In this way, the characteristic of automatic driving of an autonomous vehicle is utilized to achieve an automatic measurement of the dynamic parameter, thereby reducing cost for calibrating the vehicle and significantly improving safety during the test. Additionally, human error caused by manually driving during the test can be avoided effectively.
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
Based on the embodiment shown in , is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle shown according to another exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle provided in this embodiment further includes:
a calibration module 304, configured to calibrate a vehicle dynamic model of the vehicle according to the dynamic parameter.
In a possible design, the control parameter comprise at least one of the following types of parameters: dynamic control parameter, direction control parameter, and brake control parameter.
In a possible design, the obtaining module 301 is specifically configured to:
select parameter values of at least two types of parameters from preset dynamic control parameter, preset direction control parameter, and preset brake control parameter as the control parameter for the vehicle.
In a possible design, the traveling data includes at least one of the following:
driving speed of the vehicle, steering wheel angle of the vehicle, location information of the vehicle, temperature data of the vehicle, and tire data of the vehicle.
In a possible design, the detecting module 302 is specifically configured to receive data transmitted from different types of sensors that are set on the vehicle to obtain the traveling data.
The above processing module 303 may be configured as one or more integrated circuits to implement the above method, for example: one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital signal processor (DSP), or one or more field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. As another example, when one of the above modules is implemented in the form that a processing element schedules a program code, the processing element may be a general purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other processors that can call a program code. As yet another example, these modules can be integrated together and implemented in the form of a system-on-a-chip (SOC).
In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may physically exist separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware, or in the form of hardware plus software functional unit.
FIG. 4 to FIG. 5
FIG. 2 to FIG. 3
It is worth noting that the apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle in the embodiment shown in can be used to execute the method in the embodiment shown in . The specific implementation manners and technical effects are similar, which are not repeated herein.
FIG. 4 to FIG. 5
In another aspect, the present application provides a vehicle, including the apparatus for testing a dynamic parameter of a vehicle according to the embodiments shown in .
The present application further provides a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor is caused to implement the technical solution according to any one of the foregoing method embodiments, where the implementation principles and technical effects are similar, which are not repeated herein.
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
a processor 401;
a memory 402 for storing an executable instruction for the processor;
the processor 401 is configured to implement the method for testing dynamic parameter of vehicle provided by any one of the foregoing method embodiments by executing the executable instruction.
is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the electronic device 40 provided in this embodiment includes:
The processor 401 is configured to execute the technical solution described in any one of the foregoing method embodiments by executing the executable instruction. The implementation principles and technical effects are similar, and details are not repeated herein.
At last, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not limited thereto. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified, or that some or all of the technical features can be replaced with equivalents, and these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the range of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. | |
Baseheight Ratio and Stereoscopic Coverage
From Figure 3-6 it is also evident that the stereoscopic parallax p and thus depth impression can be increased when the eye base B is increased, an option we do not have in reallife viewing, but is possible and desirable in artificial stereoscopic viewing. If the base between the exposure stations in relation to their height (the photographic base-height ratio) is larger than the base of our eyes in relation to the viewing distance (the stereoviewing base-height ratio), the stereomodel appears exaggerated in height by the same factor (Wolf and Dewitt, 2000). The exaggeration factor varies with image overlap and focal length and is typically between two and six times for conventional aerial photographs.
Stereoscopic photographs from professional aerial surveys are acquired in blocks of multiple flightlines in such a way that full stereoscopic coverage of the area is ensured with multiple stereopairs (Fig. 3-8). Each photograph overlaps the next photograph in a line by approximately 60% (forward overlap or endlap), while adjacent lines overlap by 20-30% (sidelap). In mountainous terrain, the overlap can be
increased in order to avoid gaps of stereoscopic coverage by relief displacement and sight shadowing.
The required air base or distance between exposure stations B is dependent on the dimensions of the image footprint and the desired endlap. If D is the image coverage in direction of the flightline and PE the percent endlap, B calculates as:
(Equation 3-5)
The same equation can be used for calculating the required distance between adjacent flightlines for a desired sidelap PS; keep in mind, however, that SFAP cameras most probably feature a rectangular image format (¿l x dw) and a decision has to be made as to its longitudinal or transversal orientation along the flightline (substituting D in Eq. 3-5 by Dl or Dw, respectively).
For platforms with approximately constant ground velocity Vg, the time interval AT between exposures is:
(Equation 3-6)
The more precisely a platform is navigable, the easier it is to follow a pre-arranged flightplan with systematic design. Figure 3-9 shows the actual flightpath of a survey taken by the autopiloted model airplane presented in Chapter 8.5.2, which comes quite close to the conventional blocks of aerial photography. However, with most SFAP platforms, it is usually difficult to achieve such a regular flightline pattern, and it is indeed not a prerequisite for stereoscopic analysis. Stereomodels also can be created from images which overlap in a much more irregular pattern as long as all parts of the area are covered by at least two photos each with sufficient base-height ratio (Fig. 3-10). It should be pointed out, however, that some digital photo-grammetry systems designed for analyzing standard aerial
(Equation 3-5)
(Equation 3-6)
imagery may have difficulties in dealing with irregular image blocks.
The vertical exaggeration of relief in the stereomodel plays an important role in 3D analysis. However, which base-height ratio is "sufficient" for stereoscopic analysis depends on the desired degree of depth impression and (if applicable) measurement accuracy for the particular relief type. Small height variations of gently undulating terrain are better viewed and measured with an extra-large base-height ratio, while the analysis of high-relief terrain, which already exhibits larger stereo-parallaxes due to radial distortion, tolerates lower base-height ratios. In general, errors in planimetry and height decrease with increasing base-height ratio and increasing stereo-parallaxes (Wolf and Dewitt, 2000; Kraus, 2004; Kraus et al., 2007).
For a stereo survey with a given image scale S, wide-angle lenses may be used at lower flying heights than smaller-angle lenses, thus increasing the base-height ratio (Fig. 3-11). In addition, wide-angle lenses cause larger relief displacement and thus larger stereoscopic parallaxes than smaller-angle lenses, even if both are taken with the same base-height ratio. For stereoscopic purposes, images taken with wide-angle lenses from lower flying heights are therefore preferable to images taken with smaller-angle lenses from larger flying heights—quite contrary to the case of monoscopic mapping or mosaicking (see below) where distortion-minimized images are desired.
A typical SFAP problem regarding the stereo-capability of photographs taken from kites, balloons, and drones is the variability of scales and tilting angles that is often unavoidable. From the authors' experience, difficulties with stereoscopic viewing and image matching (see below) may arise if the image scales differ more than 10% or so. Stereoviewing is also hampered by image obliqueness. For unfavorable constellations of nadir angles, tilting may even have the additional effect of extinguishing the stereo-parallaxes regardless of good base-height ratios.
The only solution is to take as many photographs as possible during a survey and carefully choose the best of them for analysis (see Chapter 11.5.). Taking more photographs is always a good way to increase chances for success, regardless of the mission's nature or purpose.
Digital Cameras For Beginners
Although we usually tend to think of the digital camera as the best thing since sliced bread, there are both pros and cons with its use. Nothing is available on the market that does not have both a good and a bad side, but the key is to weigh the good against the bad in order to come up with the best of both worlds. | https://www.tanguayphotomag.biz/aerial-photography/baseheight-ratio-and-stereoscopic-coverage.html |
'Environmental catastrophe': Crews race to slow massive oil spill along Southern California coast
LOS ANGELES — Crews in the water and along the Southern California coastline worked feverishly Sunday to stunt the growing environmental disaster from one of the largest oil spills in recent California history after a possible underwater pipeline leak sent more than 100,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.
Booms, a temporary floating barrier that is used to contain marine spills, were deployed on the ocean surface to try to contain the oil while divers sought to determine where and why the leak occurred. On land, there was a race to find animals harmed by the oil and to keep the spill from harming any more sensitive marshland in Orange County.
Crews were able to remove more than 3,000 gallons of oil from the ocean off the coastline Sunday, according to Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
The oil spill reached the shores of Huntington Beach late Saturday, a popular destination about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles after a suspected pipeline burst linked to an oil rig about 5 miles off the coast. The owner of the pipeline, which is one of the largest oil producers in Southern California, shuttered production due to the spill. Officials say more oil will wash ashore this week, covering both beaches and wildlife in thick crude tar.
Late Sunday, Laguna Beach, another popular beach destination, announced all its beaches would close due to the spill's spread south across the region. Photos and videos from the coastline showed pancake-sized clusters of thick black oil lining the shores. Residents were also pictured rescuing birds covered in black sludge. Foley said Sunday morning dead birds and fish has already been washing ashore.
At least 126,000 gallons of crude spilled into the waters off Orange County starting late Friday or early Saturday when boaters began reporting a sheen in the water, officials said. Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said the amount of gallons of oil that leaked into the water is likely higher, though the energy company that owns the pipeline said totals likely wouldn't be much higher.
Carr added officials had not been informed how quickly oil was leaking or how much had poured into the ocean since it started Saturday.
"In a year, that has been filled with incredibly challenging issues, this oil spill constitutes one of the most devastating situations that our community has dealt with in decades," she said, calling the spill an "environmental catastrophe."
The spill originated from a broken pipeline connected to an offshore oil platform known as Elly. The platform is connected by a walkway to another platform, Ellen, located just over 8.5 miles off Long Beach and operated by Beta Operating Company, according to the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Beta is owned by its parent company, Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp.
Amplify Energy Corp is one of the largest oil producers in Southern California. Its president and CEO Martyn Willsher said they noticed an issue during an inspection Saturday morning and notified the U.S. Coast Guard. The pipeline was sectioned off at both ends and the pumps were shutdown by Saturday night and remained that way Sunday, he said.
Willsher said the company is still examining how this happened and whether it was indeed a leak. Inspections are done every other year, he said, adding the facilities were built in the 1970s and 1980s and that Amplify Energy Corp has owned and maintained the pipeline for about 9 years.
"We are investigating the source and potential cause of this incident. Like I said we will continue to work with unified command to ensure that this recovery effort is concluded as quickly as possible," he said. "We're all deeply impacted and concerned about the impact not just the environment but you know, the fish and wildlife as well."
Can toxic algae kill humans? California officials are warning of poisonous blooms
Willsher promised the company would "do everything in our power to ensure that this is recovered as quickly as possible."
He added he does not believe the amount of oil spilled into the ocean likely won't increase much higher than 126,000 gallons because that was the total capacity of the entire pipeline.
Huntington Beach Police spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said 126,000 gallons of oil had created a spill almost 6 nautical miles long. Carrey warned of "substantial ecological impacts" for the beach and wetlands. About 4 miles of coastline were closed to the public.
"Due to the toxicity of the spill, the city is asking that all individuals remain clear of the beach and avoid coming into contact with oiled areas," she said in a statement.
Deepwater Horizon spill:'Invisible' and 'toxic' oil made the Deepwater Horizon spill worse than thought, study says
Officials warned the public about the dangers of being near the coastline, with toxic fumes that can cause vomiting, dizziness and irritation to the nose, eyes and throat. If one touches the toxic sludge, it could be absorbed by the skin and cause irritation.
Those wishing to help clean up or rescue animals harmed by the disaster were told to not go out to the beaches but instead contact the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to coastal preservation and cleanups.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife's spill response team was aiding the cleanup effort.
The oil spill also forced the cancellation of a popular air show as authorities raced to minimize the ecological damage. Officials canceled the final day of the annual Pacific Air Show that typically draws thousands of spectators to Huntington Beach, a city of 200,000 people.
"The size of the spill demanded prompt and aggressive action," Carrey said. "Minimizing damage and impacts to our city's sensitive wetlands and marine environment are of the utmost importance."
This news is developing into the evening:For an update later tonight, sign up for the Evening Briefing.
The U.S. Coast Guard was leading the spill response, saying details on the cause of the spill were under investigation. Crews led by the Guard deployed skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further incursion into the wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
The Coast Guard said it received a report of an oil sheen Saturday morning. Aircraft were sent up to view the breadth of the spill, and the Oiled Wildlife Care Network was monitoring for tainted wildlife. Officials urged locals not to touch oiled wildlife.
"Trained spill response contractors are working to clean up oil. Public volunteers are not needed and could hinder response efforts," the Coast Guard said. "We request that members of the public stay away from the area."
Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer at the environmental group Oceana, said it's time President Joe Biden deliver on his campaign promise to end offshore drilling.
"When we drill, we spill," Savitz said. "It’s well past time to prevent future oil spills by permanently protecting our coasts."
The spill comes three decades after a massive oil leak hit the same stretch of Orange County coast. On Feb. 7, 1990, the oil tanker American Trader ran over its anchor off Huntington Beach, spilling nearly 417,000 gallons of crude. Fish and about 3,400 birds were killed.
In 2015, a ruptured pipeline north of Santa Barbara sent 143,000 gallons of crude oil gushing onto Refugio State Beach. | https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/03/oil-spill-off-coast-southern-california/5980450001/ |
United States Steel Corporation [NYSE: X] jumped around 0.02 points on Friday, while shares priced at $24.09 at the close of the session, up 0.08%. The company report on June 29, 2021 that U. S. Steel to Work with Equinor to Assess Hydrogen, Carbon Capture and Storage Development.
United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) (“U. S. Steel”) announced execution of a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Equinor US Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR). Under the MOU, the companies will study the potential for carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) and hydrogen development in the tri-state region of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
United States Steel Corporation stock is now 43.65% up from its year-to-date (YTD) trading value. X Stock saw the intraday high of $24.39 and lowest of $23.71 per share. The company’s 52-week high price is 29.97, which means current price is +49.35% above from all time high which was touched on 05/10/21.
Compared to the average trading volume of 24.23M shares, X reached a trading volume of 15013075 in the most recent trading day, which is why market watchdogs consider the stock to be active.
What do top market gurus say about United States Steel Corporation [X]?
Based on careful and fact-backed analyses by Wall Street experts, the current consensus on the target price for X shares is $29.39 per share. Analysis on target price and performance of stocks is usually carefully studied by market experts, and the current Wall Street consensus on X stock is a recommendation set at 2.90. This rating represents a strong Buy recommendation, on the scale from 1 to 5, where 5 would mean strong sell, 4 represents Sell, 3 is Hold, and 2 indicates Buy.
JP Morgan have made an estimate for United States Steel Corporation shares, keeping their opinion on the stock as Underweight, with their previous recommendation back on June 16, 2021. While these analysts kept the previous recommendation, UBS raised their target price from $15 to $30. The new note on the price target was released on June 04, 2021, representing the official price target for United States Steel Corporation stock. Previously, the target price had yet another raise from $24 to $32, while Morgan Stanley kept a Overweight rating on X stock. On May 04, 2021, analysts increased their price target for X shares from 15 to 35.
The Average True Range (ATR) for United States Steel Corporation is set at 1.17, with the Price to Sales ratio for X stock in the period of the last 12 months amounting to 0.61. The Price to Book ratio for the last quarter was 1.30.
How has X stock performed recently?
United States Steel Corporation [X] gain into the green zone at the end of the last week, gaining into a positive trend and gaining by 1.90. With this latest performance, X shares dropped by -6.95% in over the last four-week period, additionally plugging by 43.65% over the last 6 months – not to mention a rise of 240.74% in the past year of trading.
Overbought and oversold stocks can be easily traced with the Relative Strength Index (RSI), where an RSI result of over 70 would be overbought, and any rate below 30 would indicate oversold conditions. An RSI rate of 50 would represent a neutral market momentum. The current RSI for X stock in for the last two-week period is set at 46.87, with the RSI for the last a single of trading hit 47.07, and the three-weeks RSI is set at 48.03 for United States Steel Corporation [X]. The present Moving Average for the last 50 days of trading for this stock 25.16, while it was recorded at 23.75 for the last single week of trading, and 18.38 for the last 200 days.
United States Steel Corporation [X]: Deeper insight into the fundamentals
Operating Margin for any stock indicates how profitable investing would be, and United States Steel Corporation [X] shares currently have an operating margin of -7.24 and a Gross Margin at -4.39. United States Steel Corporation’s Net Margin is presently recorded at -11.96.
Return on Total Capital for X is now -8.31, given the latest momentum, and Return on Invested Capital for the company is -14.09. Return on Equity for this stock declined to -29.58, with Return on Assets sitting at -9.84. When it comes to the capital structure of this company, United States Steel Corporation [X] has a Total Debt to Total Equity ratio set at 134.94. Additionally, X Total Debt to Total Capital is recorded at 57.44, with Total Debt to Total Assets ending up at 42.37. Long-Term Debt to Equity for the company is recorded at 128.31, with the Long-Term Debt to Total Capital now at 54.61.
Reflecting on the efficiency of the workforce at the company, United States Steel Corporation [X] managed to generate an average of -$49,893 per employee. Receivables Turnover for the company is 8.97 with a Total Asset Turnover recorded at a value of 0.82.United States Steel Corporation’s liquidity data is similarly interesting compelling, with a Quick Ratio of 0.80 and a Current Ratio set at 1.40.
Earnings analysis for United States Steel Corporation [X]
The progress of the company may be observed through the prism of EPS growth rate, while Wall Street analysts are focusing on predicting the 5-year EPS growth rate for X. When it comes to the mentioned value, analysts are expecting to see the 5-year EPS growth rate for United States Steel Corporation go to 8.00%.
Insider trade positions for United States Steel Corporation [X]
There are presently around $4,342 million, or 67.30% of X stock, in the hands of institutional investors. The top three institutional holders of X stocks are: BLACKROCK INC. with ownership of 35,325,203, which is approximately 32.879% of the company’s market cap and around 1.00% of the total institutional ownership; VANGUARD GROUP INC, holding 22,784,626 shares of the stock with an approximate value of $548.88 million in X stocks shares; and STATE STREET CORP, currently with $270.3 million in X stock with ownership of nearly 23.832% of the company’s market capitalization.
Positions in United States Steel Corporation stocks held by institutional investors increased at the end of August and at the time of the August reporting period, where 207 institutional holders increased their position in United States Steel Corporation [NYSE:X] by around 56,087,904 shares. Additionally, 124 investors decreased positions by around 11,638,880 shares, while 69 investors held positions by with 112,519,065 shares. The mentioned changes placed institutional holdings at 180,245,849 shares, according to the latest SEC report filing. X stock had 73 new institutional investments in for a total of 7,318,089 shares, while 55 institutional investors sold positions of 4,419,937 shares during the same period. | |
As of 1 January 2019, workers in Poland employed using more flexible, task-based ‘civil law contracts’ will be entitled to join or form trade unions and to benefit from protection previously reserved for trade union members.
As of 1 January 2019, workers hired under Polish civil law contracts, a more flexible, task-based form of contract not regulated by the Labour contract (for example workers who are hired on the basis of mandate contracts and contracts for services) can join trade unions in a similar way to employees. The new law (described here) awards them numerous union rights (similar to employees). The rules on reporting the number of union members have been also changed and employers now have the right to verify the number of members reported by the union. In view of these changes in the regulation relating to trade unions, entrepreneurs are recommended to take into consideration, in particular, the following points relating to cooperation with unions.
Civil contractors who are union representatives have the right to paid time off for their union activity. However, using time off for union work does not affect deadlines specified in their contracts.
They can be protected against termination of their contracts. If a contract is terminated in breach of this protection, an entrepreneur is obliged to pay the contractor six months’ pay as compensation. However the contractor cannot make a claim for reinstatement to work.
There are some changes regarding the criteria for representation in unions in the process of employment-related collective bargaining. In addition to the general criteria for representativeness (having 8% or 15% of all workers hired by a given entrepreneur, including civil contractors), it is necessary for at least 5% of employees (that is, workers in an employment relationship, not under a civil contract) to be employed by a given entrepreneur.
The list of information that can be requested by unions from an employer has now been specified by law.
Unions are now obliged to report their number of members to the employer twice a year (previously the requirement was to report quarterly). The number of their members means the total number of employees (workers in an employment relationship regardless of how long they have been union members) and civil contractors (assuming that they have been union members for at least six months).
The employer has the right to challenge the number of members reported by the union. When this happens, it must be verified by a court. | https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=6e048d04-0d5b-43da-b9dc-023d6b4606d4 |
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Nicholas John Higham FRS is a British numerical analyst. He is Royal Society Research Professor and Richardson Professor of Applied Mathematics in the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester. In this blog, it covers the popular topic, such as: (1) Top 5 Beamer Tips (2) The Nearest Correlation Matrix (3) The Top 10 Algorithms in Applied Mathematics (4) A Black Background for More Restful PDF viewing (5) Typesetting Mathematics According to the ISO Standard (6) Fourth Edition (2013) of Golub and Van Loan’s Matrix Computations (7) The Rise of Mixed Precision Arithmetic (8) Second Edition (2013) of Matrix Analysis by Horn and Johnson (9) Half Precision Arithmetic: fp16 Versus bfloat16 (10) Managing BibTeX Files with Emacs (11) Five Examples of Proofreading (12) Implicit Expansion: A Powerful New Feature of MATLAB R2016b (13) Dot Grid Paper for Writing Mathematics (14) Programming Languages: An Applied Mathematics View (15) Three BibTeX Tips (16) Better LaTeX Tables with Booktabs (17) The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics (18) Numerical Methods That (Usually) Work (19) What’s New in MATLAB R2017a? (20) What Is Numerical Stability?
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This textbook was born of a desire to contribute a viable, free, introductory Numerical Analysis textbook for instructors and students of mathematics. The ultimate goal of Tea Time Numerical Analysis is to be a complete, one-semester, single-pdf, downloadable textbook designed for mathematics classes. Now includes differential equations. Over 350 pages Over 1000 lines of code Over 200 figures Open source
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- Numerical analysis -- Data processing Textbooks
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First Semester in Numerical Analysis with Julia presents the theory and methods, together with the implementation of the algorithms using the Julia programming language (version 1.1.0). The book covers computer arithmetic, root-finding, numerical quadrature and differentiation, and approximation theory. The reader is expected to have studied calculus and linear algebra. Some familiarity with a programming language is beneficial, but not required. The programming language Julia will be introduced in the book. The simplicity of Julia allows bypassing the pseudocode and writing a computer code directly after the description of a method while minimizing the distraction the presentation of a computer code might cause to the flow of the main narrative.
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- Mathematics and Statistics
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- Numerical analysis -- Data processing Mathematics Julia (Computer programming language) Textbooks
- Resource Type: | https://oer.lib.polyu.edu.hk/catalog?f%5Bdiscipline_2_sim%5D%5B%5D=Mathematics+and+Statistics&f%5Bdiscipline_3_sim%5D%5B%5D=Numerical+Analysis&locale=en |
Leila Tong Ning and Dai Mung Mung appeared at a new store opening for skincare brand, Pommier. Leila is currently busy filming a series, thus she does not have any plans for Christmas yet. She bought a new video game as a present to reward herself. Leila can have fun "bowling" at home.
Leila has always been a big video game fan and recently she played so frequently that her hands hurt. But she is not concerned that this will result in anti-social behavior, as multi-users can often play together. She enjoys playing video games with her parents as well as elder brother. Leila believes that video games can be a good family bonding experience.
Dai Mung Mung celebrated her 22nd birthday this past Tuesday. She celebrated with several friends, while one male fan kept following her and blew her a kiss. At first Mung Mung was a little afraid. She urged the male fan to return home early and he turned out to be quite shy, so she realized he did not have any ulterior intentions. | http://entertainment.fashionistic.com/leila-tongs-christmas-plans-1431/ |
Washington is in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States (which excludes Alaska and Hawaii). It’s bordered by British Columbia, Canada, in the north; Idaho in the east; Oregon in the south (the Columbia River forms most of the border with this state); and the Pacific Ocean in the west.
What are the 4 borders of Washington state?
Washington, constituent state of the United States of America. Lying at the northwestern corner of the 48 conterminous states, it is bounded by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north, the U.S. states of Idaho to the east and Oregon to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
What forms a border with Washington state?
Washington is the northwestern-most state in the contiguous United States. It borders the Canadian province of British Columbia along the 49th parallel north, Idaho in the east, and the Pacific Ocean in the west. The Columbia River defines a long section of the state’s border with Oregon in the south.
How many borders does Washington have?
Washington State has 13 land border crossings along the 427 miles it shares with British Columbia. The most popular of these crossings are the four that primarily serve the Vancouver-Seattle area; Peace Arch, Blaine Surrey, Lynden Aldengrove, and Sumas Huntingdon.
What part of Canada is closest to Washington State?
Driving Across the U.S. / Canadian Border in the State of Washington. The State of Washington has 13 drivable border crossings across it’s 687 kilometres (427 miles) border with British Columbia, Canada.
What are the 5 land regions in Washington?
Washington State Regions. You will create an electronic brochure for one of Washington State’s five major regions ( Coastal Region, Puget Sound Lowlands, Cascade Mountains, Columbia Plateau, Okanogan Highlands ).
What is the northern boundary of Washington?
To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean. Its northern border lies mostly along the 49th parallel, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait, and Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.
Which state is Washington DC belong to?
Washington, DC, isn’t a state; it’s a district. DC stands for District of Columbia. Its creation comes directly from the US Constitution, which provides that the district, “not exceeding 10 Miles square,” would “become the Seat of the Government of the United States.”
Can I cross the Canadian border from Washington?
Peace Arch Crossing, Blaine, WA Open 24 hours a day, this crossing on Interstate-5 is the main route for passenger cars traveling from Western Washington into Canada. R.V.’s can cross the border here, but commercial trucks must use the Truck Crossing.
Why is DC not in Washington?
So, to compromise, George Washington himself chose a location bordering the Potomac River. The northern Maryland and the southern Virginia would be the two states to cede land for this new capital, which was founded in 1790. So, in short, statehood for D.C. would directly contradict the Constitution.
What is the capital of Washington?
If you’re not going far, the simplest way to enter Canada is to drive. Motorists traveling from Washington can cross the border at the Peace Arch or Pacific Highway in Blaine, Lynden-Aldergrove in Lynden, or Sumas-Huntingdon in Sumas.
How many hours is Canada from Washington state?
Canada To Washington travel time Canada is located around 733 KM away from Washington so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Washington in 14.68 hours.
How long is the drive from Washington to Canada?
The total driving time is 8 hours, 40 minutes. Your trip begins in Washington, District of Columbia. It ends in Toronto, Canada. If you’re planning a road trip, you might be interested in seeing the total driving distance from Washington, DC to Toronto, Canada. | https://www.washingtoncountyinfo.com/answers-to-questions-about-washington/what-borders-washington-state.html |
After missing a couple of days in a row I felt sluggish and not at all comfortable today. Still managed to gut out 5k in the pool (5500 SCY).
10 x 100 on 1:45 (alt. fr and pull)
1:00 rest
5 x 400 IM + 100 recovery swim on 10:00 (4 IMs in 7:19-7:30*)
10 x 100 on 1:45 (alt fr and pull)
200 IM on 4:00
4 x 100 IM on 2:00
400 EZ cool-down
The first 4IM was actually my slowest, I was still warming up I guess... but both fly and breast timing felt off today. At least I got back in the pool and didn't have any nagging soreness (or outright pain). | http://forums.usms.org/entry.php?28888-5K-Sunday |
I have an area in my house where I store keepsakes, seasonal decorations, my children’s school awards, old records, miscellaneous items I think I may someday use, and boxes of assorted junk. This place is my attic.
Although we don’t all have physical attics, we each have an intangible attic where our past is stored. It’s called our memories, and within its recesses are storage bins that represent a virtual timeline of our past. There are bins we like to revisit—memories of joy and fulfillment. But there are also bins of failures, disappointments, rejection, and hurts. These can come back to haunt us to the point that we feel unacceptable and unusable.
Everyone has things in her past that she wishes had never happened. It may be abuse, secret sin, drugs, divorce, rejection, rape—the list could continue. Think of the attic as the timeline of your life. It’s all there, and there is no changing it—it’s already history.
But have you ever known someone who was controlled by her storage? She clings tightly to everything that comes into her life and refuses to part with it. Soon her treasures overflow her storage places and pile into the living places of her home, restricting everyday activities.
This is what some of us allow the memories of the past to do in our lives—we let them control us. While it is true we cannot change what has happened in the past, we can lessen the influence and control it has on our lives now.
If anyone in Scripture could have felt self-rejection because of his past, it was the Apostle Paul. Paul murdered Christians. He tore apart families, hauling men and women off to prison and torture (Acts 8:3; 22:4–5).
That guilt alone would be overwhelming for anyone to deal with, but Paul had an added burden in that his past was public. He had to deal with other people’s rejection of him as well as his own. His past was so openly known that when he came to Christ, other Christians had great difficulty trusting him or allowing him to participate in ministry (Acts 9:26).
Yet, Paul was greatly used of God. He was the human author of much of the New Testament, as well as being an incredibly effective church planting missionary throughout the Roman Empire.
How could one with such a past as Paul’s become one so used by God? Paul, in Philippians 3:13–14, shared the secret to freeing himself from the grasp of the past as he wrote, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Did you catch Paul’s secret? It was to forget the past—to purposefully make a decision to turn his attention from it.
As I’ve had opportunity to share this truth with ladies, many have expressed that the choice to forget is beyond their ability.
“How can I forget my past?” they question. “It’s part of who I am! There’s no way.”
When Paul said “forgetting those things which are behind,” he didn’t mean that he completely erased them from his memory. That would have been impossible. In fact, much of Paul’s past is recorded in Scripture for everyone to see. None of us can (or should) forget our past in the sense that we pretend it didn’t happen. It’s part of our lives, and it is unchangeable.
Forgetting in this context isn’t a memory lapse; it is a memory release. It is a deliberate choice to release the past’s grip on our present.
The most helpful illustration to me of how this works is that of childbirth. When I was in labor with each of my four children, I was in a great deal of pain. Each contraction was completely consuming. For someone to try to tell me to forget the pain would have been ridiculous—it was all I could think about!
My youngest child is now grown, and I still remember that pain. But there is a big difference between experiencing the pain and remembering the pain. The pain of childbirth no longer consumes me when I think about it. It has released its grip on me.
This is what God wants us to do with the hurts and pain of our past. We can’t erase them, but we can refuse to allow them to have control over our lives today.
This article is an excerpt from the book The Choice Is Yours, available through Striving Together Publications. | http://ministry127.com/ladies-ministry/letting-go |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/KR2020/002902 filed Feb. 28, 2020, published in Korean, which claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0030710 filed Mar. 18, 2019, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a battery state estimating apparatus, and more particularly, to a battery state estimating apparatus for determining whether degradation of a battery cell is accelerated and also determining the degree of degradation acceleration.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, video cameras and portable telephones has increased sharply, and electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, satellites and the like have been developed in earnest. Accordingly, high-performance batteries allowing repeated charging and discharging are being actively studied.
Batteries commercially available at present include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium batteries and the like. Among them, the lithium batteries are in the limelight since they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries and also have very low self-charging rate and high energy density.
In recent years, as secondary batteries are applied to more fields, the secondary batteries are widely used not only in small-sized portable devices such as smartphones but also in medium-sized and large-sized devices such as electric vehicles including hybrid electric vehicles, and power storage devices.
The performance of the secondary battery degrades as the use period increases, compared to the initial stage. In addition, estimating the degree of performance degradation of the secondary battery is said to estimate the state of health (SOH) of the secondary battery, and the SOH of the secondary battery is an important factor in determining the replacement time of the secondary battery.
Conventionally, in Korean Publication KR 10-2016-0011448A, there has been proposed a device and method for measuring an open circuit voltage (OCV) of a battery, integrating a current flowing into the battery until the battery is fully charged, and calculating a full charge capacity charged to the battery by using the integrated current amount and the measured OCV.
However, KR 10-2016-0011448A just discloses a configuration that determines the degree of degradation on how much a battery has degraded ex post facto by measuring the loss of the full charge capacity of the battery, and does not provide any more specific information related to the degradation of the battery such as a present degradation rate of the battery. That is, KR 10-2016-0011448A just provides a battery degradation degree, which is information for determining a present or past state of the battery, and but does not provide any specific information, for example, for determining a battery state at a future point in time, such as a predicted deterioration rate or a predicted lifetime of the battery.
SUMMARY
Technical Problem
The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery state estimating apparatus, which may provide specific information about degradation of a battery cell.
These and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure may be understood from the following detailed description and will become more fully apparent from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, it will be easily understood that the objects and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by the means shown in the appended claims and combinations thereof.
Technical Solution
Advantageous Effects
In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery state estimating apparatus, comprising: a voltage measuring unit configured to measure a voltage of a battery cell and measure an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery cell whenever the measured voltage reaches a reference charge voltage; and a control unit configured to receive the OCV measured by the voltage measuring unit, calculate at least one of a voltage fluctuation rate or an electric resistance fluctuation rate based on a result obtained by processing the received OCV, determine at least one of: a voltage increase pattern or voltage decrease pattern based on the calculated voltage fluctuation rate and pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data when the voltage fluctuation rate is calculated, or a resistance increase pattern or resistance decrease pattern based on the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate and pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data when the electric resistance fluctuation rate is calculated, and determine one or more degrees to which degradation of the battery cell is changing according to at least one of the determined voltage increase pattern, voltage decrease pattern resistance increase pattern or resistance decrease pattern.
When both the voltage increase pattern or voltage decrease pattern and the resistance increase pattern or resistance decrease pattern are determined, the control unit may be configured to determine a first degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing based on the determined voltage increase pattern or voltage decrease pattern and determine a second degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing based on the determined resistance increase or resistance decrease pattern, wherein the second determined degree is independent of the first determined degree.
The control unit may be configured to calculate the voltage fluctuation rate based on a comparison between the received OCV and a pre-stored reference voltage.
The pre-stored reference voltage may be an OCV of the battery cell when the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage during a predetermined cycle of the battery cell.
The pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data may include a voltage fluctuation rate previously calculated by the control unit.
The control unit may be configured to calculate a plurality of voltage fluctuation rates during a present cycle of the battery cell and one or more previous cycles of the battery cell within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle of the battery cell among the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data; calculate a rate of voltage change between the calculated plurality of voltage fluctuation rates; and determine the voltage increase pattern or voltage decrease pattern based on the calculated rate of voltage change.
The control unit may be configured to determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing as a decelerated degradation in response to the voltage increase pattern being calculated based on the calculated voltage fluctuation rate and pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data, and determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing as one of an accelerated degradation or an linear degradation in response to the voltage decrease pattern being calculated based on the calculated voltage fluctuation rate and pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data.
The control unit may be configured to determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing to be a linear degradation in response to the calculated rate of voltage change being equal to or greater than a preset reference rate of voltage change, and determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing to be an accelerated degradation in response to the calculated rate of voltage change being less than a preset reference rate of voltage change.
The control unit may be configured to determine the voltage increase pattern or voltage decrease pattern only when the calculated voltage fluctuation rate being greater than a preset lower voltage limit and smaller than a preset upper voltage limit.
The control unit may be configured to calculate an internal resistance based on the received OCV and calculate the electric resistance fluctuation rate based on a comparison between the calculated internal resistance and a pre-stored reference resistance.
The pre-stored reference resistance may be calculated based on an OCV of the battery cell when the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage during a predetermined cycle of the battery cell.
The pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data may include a electric resistance fluctuation rate previously calculated by the control unit.
The control unit may be configured to calculate a plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates during a present cycle of the battery cell and one or more previous cycles of the battery cell within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle of the battery cell among the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data and calculate a rate of resistance change between the calculated plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates and determine the resistance increase pattern or resistance decrease pattern based on the calculated rate of resistance change.
The control unit may be configured to determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing as one of an accelerated degradation or a linear degradation in response to the resistance increase pattern being calculated based on the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate and pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data and determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing as a decelerated degradation in response to the resistance decrease pattern being calculated based on the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate and pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data.
The control unit may be configured to determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing to be an accelerated degradation in response to the calculated rate of resistance change being equal to or greater than a preset reference rate of resistance change and determine the degree to which degradation of the battery cell is changing as a decelerated degradation in response to the resistance decrease pattern being calculated based on the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate and pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data.
The control unit may be configured to determine the resistance increase pattern or resistance decrease pattern only when the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate is greater than a preset lower resistance limit.
A battery pack according to still another aspect of the present disclosure may comprise the battery state estimating apparatus according to any of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
An electric vehicle according to still another aspect of the present disclosure may comprise the battery state estimating apparatus according to any of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, since not only the degradation degree of the battery cell but also the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell is estimated, the present degradation state of the battery cell may be more accurately estimated, and the future degradation state of the battery cell may also be predicted more accurately.
In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, since the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell is classified into accelerated degradation, decelerated degradation and linear degradation and determined in detail, the degradation degree of the battery cell may be more specifically determined.
In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, since the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell is measured through various indexes, there is an advantage that the battery degradation degree may be more accurately determined or predicted.
In addition, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, since information about the degradation acceleration degree based on the OCV of the battery cell and the degradation acceleration degree based on the internal resistance is provided, respectively, the state information of the battery cell may be provided more specifically.
The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above, and other effects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation.
Therefore, the description proposed herein is just a preferable example for the purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Additionally, in describing the present disclosure, when it is deemed that a detailed description of relevant known elements or functions renders the key subject matter of the present disclosure ambiguous, the detailed description is omitted herein.
The terms including the ordinal number such as “first”, “second” and the like, may be used to distinguish one element from another among various elements, but not intended to limit the elements by the terms.
Throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as “comprising” or “including” any element, it means that the portion may include other elements further, without excluding other elements, unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the term “control unit” described in the specification refers to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.
In addition, throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as being “connected” to another portion, it is not limited to the case that they are “directly connected”, but it also includes the case where they are “indirectly connected” with another element being interposed between them.
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1
is a diagram schematically showing a battery pack including a battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1
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FIG. 1
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Referring to , a battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be electrically connected to a battery module including a plurality of battery cells to estimate the state of each of the plurality of battery cells . In addition, the battery state estimating apparatus may be included in a battery pack together with the battery module . shows an example in which one battery module and one battery state estimating apparatus are included in the battery pack , but the number of battery modules and battery state estimating apparatuses included in the battery pack is not limited to the number shown in . Similarly, the number of battery cells included in the battery module is not limited to the number shown in .
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FIG. 2
FIG. 2
The specific configuration of the battery state estimating apparatus will be described with reference to . is a block diagram schematically showing the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2
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Referring to , the battery state estimating apparatus may include a voltage measuring unit and a control unit .
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The voltage measuring unit may measure a voltage of the battery cell included in the battery module . That is, the voltage measuring unit may be configured to measure the voltage of each battery cell included in the battery module . Preferably, the voltage measuring unit may be configured to measure a charge voltage of the battery cell .
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For example, in the embodiment shown in , the battery state estimating apparatus may measure a voltage when a first battery cell C, a second battery cell C, a third battery cell C and a fourth battery cell C included in the battery module are charged, respectively. Specifically, the voltage measuring unit may measure the voltage of the first battery cell C through a first sensing line SL and a second sensing line SL, and measure the voltage of the second battery cell C through the second sensing line SL and a third sensing line SL. In addition, the voltage measuring unit may measure the voltage of the third battery cell C through the third sensing line SL and a fourth sensing line SL, and measure the voltage of the fourth battery cell C through the fourth sensing line SL and a fifth sensing line SL.
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The voltage measuring unit may measure an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery cell . That is, the voltage measuring unit may measure both the voltage and the OCV of the battery cell . In particular, the voltage measuring unit may measure the OCV of each battery cell whenever the measured voltage reaches a reference charge voltage. Here, the reference charge voltage may be a voltage that is preset and stored by a user or the like so that the voltage measuring unit may measure the OCV by using the same. That is, the reference charge voltage is a reference value by which the OCV of the battery cell may be measured by the voltage measuring unit , and may provide a time point when the voltage measuring unit should measure the OCV of the battery cell . For example, the predetermined voltage can be set to 4.2 V. The voltage measuring unit may measure voltages of the plurality of battery cells and measure the OCVs of the battery cells whenever the measured voltage of each battery cell reaches the predetermined voltage.
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For example, in the embodiment shown in , it is assumed that the reference charge voltage is set to V1 [V] for each battery cell . At this time, if the voltage of the first battery cell C reaches V1 [V] by charging, the voltage measuring unit may measure the OCV of the first battery cell C. Similarly, if the voltage of the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C or the fourth battery cell C reaches V1 [V], the voltage measuring unit may measure the OCV of the battery cell whose voltage reaches V1 [V].
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The control unit may receive the OCV measured by the voltage measuring unit . The control unit is configured to exchange electrical signals with the voltage measuring unit inside the battery state estimating apparatus , and may receive the measured OCV from the voltage measuring unit .
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The control unit may calculate a voltage fluctuation rate and/or an electric resistance fluctuation rate based on the result obtained by processing the received OCV. That is, the control unit may calculate a voltage fluctuation rate or an electric resistance fluctuation rate based on the received OCV, or both the voltage fluctuation rate and the electric resistance fluctuation rate.
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For example, in the embodiment shown in , the control unit may receive the OCV of the first battery cell C from the voltage measuring unit and calculate at least one of the voltage fluctuation rate and the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C based on the received OCV of the first battery cell C. Similarly, the control unit may receive the OCV of each of the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C and the fourth battery cell C from the voltage measuring unit and calculate at least one of the voltage fluctuation rate and the electric resistance fluctuation rate of each of the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C and the fourth battery cell C.
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If the voltage fluctuation rate is calculated, the control unit may determine a voltage increase and decrease pattern based on the calculated voltage fluctuation rate and pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data. Here, the voltage fluctuation rate data is reference data for comparison with the calculated voltage fluctuation rate, and may be stored in advance. The control unit may update the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data by adding the calculated voltage fluctuation rate to the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data. In addition, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern based on the updated voltage fluctuation rate data.
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For example, the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data may be data in which a voltage fluctuation rate previously calculated by the control unit is stored. In this case, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on all voltage fluctuation rates calculated from the cycle at which the reference voltage is calculated.
The voltage increase and decrease pattern may include various patterns such as a voltage increase pattern, a voltage decrease pattern and a voltage constant pattern. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be described that the voltage increase and decrease pattern includes a voltage increase pattern and a voltage decrease pattern, and the voltage increase pattern includes patterns such as a voltage constant pattern excluding the voltage decrease pattern.
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In addition, if the electric resistance fluctuation rate is calculated, the control unit may determine a resistance increase and decrease pattern based on the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate and pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data. Here, the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data is reference data for comparison with the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate, and may be stored in the storing unit in advance. The control unit may update the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data by adding the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate to the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data. In addition, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern based on the updated electric resistance fluctuation rate data.
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For example, the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data may be data in which an electric resistance fluctuation rate calculated in the past by the control unit is stored. In this case, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on all electric resistance fluctuation rates calculated from the predetermined cycle at which the reference resistance is calculated.
The resistance increase and decrease pattern may include various patterns such as a resistance increase pattern, a resistance decrease pattern and a resistance constant pattern. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be assumed that the resistance increase and decrease pattern includes a resistance increase pattern and a resistance decrease pattern, and the resistance increase pattern includes patterns such as a constant resistance pattern excluding the resistance decrease pattern.
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The control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to at least one of the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern and the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern. That is, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern is determined, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern. In addition, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern is determined, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern. Here, the degradation acceleration degree may be information indicating whether the degradation of the battery cell is getting faster or slower.
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For example, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C, and determine the degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C according to the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern. In addition, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C, and determine the degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C according to the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern.
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The battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the rate at which the present battery cell is degraded by synthesizing the previous history thereof, rather than determining only the degradation degree based on the present state of the battery cell . Accordingly, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may provide information capable of estimating the state of the battery cell at a future time point, thereby helping to predict the life of the battery cell or determine a future state.
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In addition, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of providing more specific state information for the battery cell by providing both the degradation acceleration degree according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell and the degradation acceleration degree according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell , when the battery cell is in a charge situation.
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In particular, the control unit may independently determine the degradation acceleration degree for each battery cell . For example, the control unit may determine at least one of the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern separately for the first battery cell C, the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C and the fourth battery cell C, respectively. In addition, the control unit may separately determine the degradation acceleration degree for each of the first battery cell C, the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C and the fourth battery cell C according to the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern. Also, the control unit may also separately determine the degradation acceleration degree for each of the first battery cell C, the second battery cell C, the third battery cell C and the fourth battery cell C according to the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern.
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That is, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may independently determine the degradation acceleration degree of each battery cell , it is possible to determine the degradation degree and the degradation acceleration degree of each battery cell , also predict the life of each battery cell . Specifically, the battery state estimating apparatus may calculate the degradation degree of each battery cell by measuring the OCV of each battery cell to calculate a loss capacity, and also may determine the degradation acceleration degree about how quickly each battery cell is degraded. Accordingly, the battery state estimating apparatus may estimate the future degradation degree of each battery cell according to the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell , and may also adjust the control condition of each battery cell according to the estimated degradation degree.
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For example, even battery cells of the same product line may not have exactly the same available capacity due to problems such as initial resistance variation or capacity variation. For example, it is assumed that the battery cells have a factory setting capacity of 1000 mAh, but the first battery cell C has an initial capacity of 900 mAh, and the second battery cell C has an initial capacity of 1000 mAh. If the present available capacities of the first battery cell C and the second battery cell C become equal to 800 mAh due to the use during the same period, even though the first battery cell C and the second battery cell C have the same available capacity, it is not accurate estimation of the state of the battery cell to determine that both battery cells have the same degradation degree due to the difference in initial capacity. In addition, even though the degradation degree of the first battery cell C is calculated as about 11% and the degradation degree of the second battery cell C is calculated as 20%, the calculated degradation degree is only meaningful as an index indicating only a present state of each of the first battery cell C and the second battery cell C according to the present capacity compared to the initial capacity, and is not suitable as an index for predicting a present degradation acceleration degree of each of the first battery cell C and the second battery cell C or a future situation such as an expected lifetime according to the degradation acceleration degree. That is, the ratio of the present capacity to the initial capacity of the battery cell is only an index for ex post determination of the deterioration degree of the battery cell , and it is not suitable as an index for determining the degradation acceleration degree, the future deterioration rate, or the expected lifespan of the battery cell .
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Meanwhile, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may accurately determine a present state of the battery cell by determining the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell . In addition, after determining the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell , the battery state estimating apparatus may take an action to change the control condition for the battery cell so that the life of the battery cell lasts longer.
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Here, the control unit may optionally include a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), another chipset, a logic circuit, a register, a communication modem, a data processing device, and the like, known in the art to execute various control logics performed in the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, when the control logic is implemented in software, the control unit may be implemented as a set of program modules. At this time, the program module may be stored in a memory and executed by the processor. The memory may be provided in or out of the processor, and may be connected to the processor by various well-known means. For example, the control unit is a processor provided in the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and may provide the determined degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell to a user through an output device such as a display device. In addition, the control unit may provide a notification for replacement or warning of the battery cell to the user through an external notification device based on the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell .
FIG. 2
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In addition, referring to , the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a storing unit . The storing unit may store the voltage fluctuation rate data and the electric resistance fluctuation rate data. That is, in the storing unit , voltage fluctuation rate data and electric resistance fluctuation rate data calculated by the control unit in the past may be stored. The control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit . In addition, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit .
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That is, the storing unit may store data or programs required for each component of the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to operate and perform, such as previous voltage fluctuation rate data and previous electric resistance fluctuation rate data calculated by the control unit . The storing unit is not particularly limited in its kind as long as it is a known information storage means that may record, erase, update and read data. As an example, the information storage means may include a random-access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read-only memory ROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a register, and the like. The storing unit may store program codes in which processes executable by the control unit are defined.
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If both the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern are determined, the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell based on the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern. For example, in the embodiment shown in , the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C, and determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C based on the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern. In addition, the control unit may be configured to determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell , which is independent of the first degradation acceleration degree, based on the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern. In the former example, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C independently from the first degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C, and determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C based on the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern. That is, if both the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C are determined, the control unit may calculate the first degradation acceleration degree and the second degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C, independent from each other.
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Specifically, when the battery cell is in a discharge situation, OCV may affect a change factor of resistance. For example, when the battery cell is discharged, the increase and decrease of the OCV affects the increase and decrease of resistance, so that the increase and decrease of the OCV and the increase and decrease of resistance may appear inversely. That is, in the discharge situation, the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell should be determined in consideration of the specificity that the OCV affects the resistance change factor of the battery cell . However, in the charge situation, the increase and decrease of the OCV of the battery cell and the increase and decrease of the resistance are independent factors not affecting each other, and thus the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree based on the voltage increase and decrease pattern and determine the second degradation acceleration degree based on the resistance increase and decrease pattern independently of the first degradation acceleration degree.
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The battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine both the degradation acceleration degree based on the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the degradation acceleration degree based on the resistance increase and decrease pattern in consideration of the specificity of the charge situation in which OCV and resistance do not affect each other. Therefore, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure provides various information about the state of the battery cell , it is possible to help in determining the state of the battery cell .
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In the above, it has been described that the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell based on each of the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern, when the battery cell is in a charge situation. Hereinafter, the process of determining the first degradation acceleration degree based on the voltage increase and decrease pattern and determining the second degradation acceleration degree based on the resistance increase and decrease pattern will be described in detail.
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First, the process of determining the first degradation acceleration degree based on the voltage increase and decrease pattern will be described. The control unit may calculate a voltage fluctuation rate by comparing the received OCV with a pre-stored reference voltage. Here, the pre-stored reference voltage is a reference value for comparison with the OCV measured by the voltage measuring unit , and may be a value stored in the storing unit in advance. That is, the reference voltage may be pre-stored in the storing unit , and the control unit may calculate the voltage fluctuation rate by comparing the reference voltage pre-stored in the storing unit with the OCV received from the voltage measuring unit .
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For example, the pre-stored reference voltage may include an OCV of the battery cell measured at a predetermined cycle time point. The voltage fluctuation rate may be obtained by comparing the pre-stored reference voltage with the OCV received from the voltage measuring unit by the control unit . In particular, the voltage fluctuation rate may be calculated as a ratio or difference of the pre-stored reference voltage and the measured value of OCV. That is, the control unit may receive the OCV measured at a cycle after the predetermined cycle time point from the voltage measuring unit , and calculate the ratio of the received OCV to the pre-stored reference voltage as a voltage fluctuation rate.
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For example, it is assumed that the reference voltage pre-stored for the first battery cell C is A1 [V]. In addition, it is assumed that the OCV of the first battery cell C measured at a first time point by the voltage measuring unit is B1 [V]. The control unit may calculate the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the first time point as the difference between A1 and B1. For example, the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the first time point may be calculated using the calculation formula of B1−A1. As another example, the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the first time point may also be calculated using the calculation formula of “(B1÷A1)×100”. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be described that the voltage fluctuation rate is calculated using the calculation formula of B1−A1.
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Preferably, the pre-stored reference voltage may include an OCV when the battery cell is charged at a predetermined cycle so that the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage. Here, the predetermined cycle may be a time point within a predetermined number of cycles from BOL (Beginning Of Life), and, for example, may be a first charge time point after shipment of the battery cell .
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For example, it is assumed that the reference charge voltage is set as 4.2 V. In this case, the voltage measuring unit may measure a voltage in an initial charge process (an initial state) of the first battery cell C, and measure an OCV when the measured voltage reaches 4.2 V.
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Preferably, the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data may be configured to include a voltage fluctuation rate calculated by the control unit whenever OCV is measured by the voltage measuring unit . That is, from the predetermined cycle to the present time point, the voltage measuring unit may measure OCV when the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage by charging, and the control unit may calculate a voltage fluctuation rate according to the OCV measured by the voltage measuring unit . In addition, the calculated voltage fluctuation rate may be included in the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit .
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For example, in the embodiment shown in , the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data for the first battery cell C may include voltage fluctuation rates of the first battery cell C calculated from a first time point to an N−1time point. Here, N is an integer of 2 or more, and when N is 2, the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data may include only the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C calculated at the first time point. If the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C is calculated at the Ntime point by the control unit , the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the Ntime point may be included in the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit . In this case, the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit may include first to Nvoltage fluctuation rates.
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The battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine a present voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit from the past time point to the present time point. That is, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure determines the present voltage increase and decrease pattern and the present degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell based on the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data in which the calculated voltage fluctuation rates are accumulatively stored, there is an advantage in that the degradation acceleration degree and the degradation degree of the battery cell may be more accurately determined, compared to the case where the degradation degree of the battery cell is determined only by the voltage fluctuation rate at a specific time point. In addition, since the determined degradation acceleration degree and the determined degradation degree may be utilized as information for estimating a future state of the battery cell , the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of providing information capable of estimating a future state based on not only the past and present states but also the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell .
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FIGS. 3 and 4
The control unit may calculate a rate of voltage change of a plurality of voltage fluctuation rates included within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle of the battery cell among the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data. Here, the rate of voltage change may include an average rate of change or an instantaneous rate of change of the voltage fluctuation rates. In addition, the plurality of voltage fluctuation rates included within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle may include a plurality of voltage fluctuation rates included within a preset number of cycles from the present cycle. For example, the control unit may calculate a rate of voltage change of a plurality of voltage fluctuation rates included within 50 cycles from the present cycle. The calculation of the rate of voltage change will be described in detail with reference to .
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
FIGS. 3 and 4
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
100
100
105
1
2
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
is a diagram showing a voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. is a diagram showing a voltage fluctuation rate of the second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to , the storing unit may store voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored for the first battery cell C and voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored for the second battery cell C at every cycle. Hereinafter, as shown in , a region including a preset number of cycles for the first battery cell C will be described as an In region. Similarly, as shown in , a region including a preset number of cycles for the second battery cell C will be described as a Jn region. Here, n is a positive integer. For example, if the preset number of cycles is 50, an I region may include 0 to 50 cycles of the first battery cell C, and an I region may include 51 to 100 cycles of the first battery cell C. For convenience of description, it is assumed that 0 cycle of the first battery cell C is included in the I region, and 0 cycle of the second battery cell C is included in the J region.
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
1
103
6
105
1
103
6
6
1
2
103
3
105
2
103
3
3
2
For example, it is assumed that a preset number of cycles to be included in one region is 50. In , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C is 300 cycle, the control unit may extract a voltage fluctuation rate of each cycle belonging to an I region including 251 to 300 cycles of the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit for the first battery cell C. That is, the control unit may calculate a rate of voltage change of the I region by comparing the voltage fluctuation rate of every cycle belonging to the I region of the first battery cell C with each other. Similarly, in , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C is 150 cycle, the control unit may extract a voltage fluctuation rate of every cycle belonging to the J region including 101 to 150 cycles of the voltage fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit for the second battery cell C. The control unit may calculate a rate of voltage change of the J region by comparing the voltage fluctuation rate of every cycle belonging to the J region of the second battery cell C with each other. Here, the rate of voltage change means a specific value for the rate of change.
103
FIG. 5
Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be assumed that the rate of voltage change is a positive change rate if it is equal to or greater than 0 and the rate of voltage change is a negative change rate if it is smaller than 0. In addition, an example in which the control unit calculates a rate of voltage change will be described in detail with reference to .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
2
1
is an enlarged view showing a region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. That is, is an enlarged view showing a voltage fluctuation rate included in the J region among voltage fluctuation rates calculated for the first battery cell C.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
103
11
103
11
11
103
103
2
2
21
22
103
2
1
21
22
Referring to the embodiment of , the control unit may calculate a rate of voltage change of a voltage fluctuation rate included in a region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs. At this time, the control unit may divide the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs into a plurality of sub regions based on the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs. Specifically, the control unit may divide a single region into a plurality of sub regions based on a cycle at which the rate of voltage change calculated in one region changes from a positive change rate to a negative change rate or from a negative change rate to a positive change rate. For example, in the embodiment of , the control unit may calculate an average rate of change for successive cycles included in the I region or an instantaneous rate of change for successive cycles included in the I region. Specifically, based on 80 cycle, the rate of voltage change of the I region may be calculated as a positive change rate, and the rate of voltage change of the I region may be calculated as a negative change rate. Accordingly, the control unit may divide the I region of the first battery cell C into the I region and the I region based on 80 cycle.
FIG. 5
103
2
21
22
21
22
103
That is, in the embodiment of , the control unit may divide the I region into the I and I regions and calculate the rate of voltage change for each of the I region and the I region. As such, the control unit may divide one region into sub regions and calculate a rate of voltage change for each sub region.
FIG. 6
FIG. 7
is an enlarged view showing another region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. is an enlarged view showing still another region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 6 and 7
103
4
6
103
4
41
42
43
44
6
61
62
Referring to , the control unit may divide the I region and the I region into a plurality of sub regions according to the calculated rate of voltage change. That is, the control unit may divide the I region into I, I, I and I sub regions and divide the I region into I and I sub regions.
FIG. 8
is an enlarged view showing a region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8
103
1
2
103
1
11
12
Referring to , the control unit may divide the J region into a plurality of sub regions according to the rate of voltage change calculated for the second battery cell C. That is, the control unit may divide the J region into J and J sub regions.
11
103
103
11
When calculating a rate of change between voltage fluctuation rates included in a region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs, the control unit may not calculate the rate of change by determining the region to which the present cycle belongs as just a single region. In addition, the control unit may determine a cycle time point at which the rate of voltage change changes from a positive change rate to a negative change rate or from a negative change rate to a positive change rate, and divide the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs into sub regions based on the determined cycle time point.
100
11
100
11
As described above, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not determine that the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs is only one region indiscriminately, and if necessary, the battery state estimating apparatus may divide the region into sub regions and calculate a rate of voltage change in more detail. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the present state of the battery cell may be more accurately determined.
103
103
103
In addition, the control unit may determine a voltage increase and decrease pattern based on the calculated rate of voltage change. Here, the voltage increase and decrease pattern may include a voltage increase pattern and a voltage decrease pattern. In particular, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern for the case where the calculated rate of change is a positive change rate as a voltage increase pattern. In addition, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern when the calculated rate of change is a negative change rate as a voltage decrease pattern.
FIGS. 3 and 5
1
1
103
1
1
103
1
1
103
1
1
22
2
103
103
1
For example, referring to , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change of the first battery cell C based on the voltage fluctuation rate included in the I region. In this case, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change of the I region as a value equal to or greater than zero. That is, the rate of voltage change of the I region may be calculated as a positive change rate. In addition, the control unit may determine the present voltage increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as a voltage increase pattern based on the result that the rate of voltage change is calculated as a positive change rate. In addition, if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region of the I region, the control unit may calculate a negative change rate based on the voltage fluctuation rate included in the corresponding region. Also, the control unit may determine the present voltage increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as a voltage decrease pattern based on the calculated negative change rate.
FIGS. 4 and 8
2
1
103
1
2
11
103
2
2
12
103
2
For example, referring to , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to the J region, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change based on the voltage fluctuation rate included in the J region. At this time, if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to the J region, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change of the second battery cell C as a value of 0 or above, and determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern as a voltage increase pattern. Conversely, when if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to the J region, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change of the second battery cell C as a value less than 0, and determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern as a voltage decrease pattern.
2
2
6
103
2
2
In addition, if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J to J regions, the control unit may calculate the rate of voltage change of the second battery cell C as a negative change rate, and determine the present voltage increase and decrease pattern of the second battery cell C as a voltage decrease pattern based on the calculated negative change rate.
100
11
11
100
11
11
11
11
That is, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of more accurately estimating a present state of the battery cell in consideration of not only the present state of the battery cell but also the previous state thereof. In addition, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure calculates the rate of voltage change of the battery cell and determines the voltage increase and decrease pattern based on the rate of voltage change, it has an advantage of providing information from which a future state of the battery cell may be easily estimated. In addition, even within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle, the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell may be determined more specifically and more concretely by dividing the region in which the rate of voltage change varies from negative to positive or from positive to negative into sub regions. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately estimate the present state of the battery cell .
103
11
11
11
11
11
The control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell as any one of accelerated degradation, linear degradation and decelerated degradation. Here, the accelerated degradation refers to a state in which the degradation of the battery cell is gradually accelerated, and the linear degradation refers to a state in which the degradation of the battery cell is not gradually accelerated like the accelerated degradation but is performed linearly. Conversely, the decelerated degradation refers to a state in which the degradation of the battery cell is performed gradually slowly. Hereinafter, the process of determining the first degradation acceleration degree according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern will be described.
103
11
The control unit may be configured to determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as decelerated degradation, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern is determined as the voltage increase pattern.
FIG. 3
1
1
103
1
103
1
11
103
11
For example, referring to as in the previous example, if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as the voltage increase pattern. The control unit may determine the present first degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C as decelerated degradation. That is, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as the voltage increase pattern, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell only as decelerated degradation.
FIG. 4
2
2
103
2
103
2
2
As in the previous example, referring to , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to the J region, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the second battery cell C as the voltage decrease pattern. The control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation according to the rate of voltage change of the J region determined as the voltage decrease pattern.
103
11
103
11
That is, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern is determined as the voltage decrease pattern, the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree as accelerated degradation or linear degradation based on the rate of voltage change of the battery cell . Conversely, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern is determined as the voltage increase pattern, the control unit may be configured to omit the process of calculating the rate of voltage change of the battery cell and determine the first degradation acceleration degree only as decelerated degradation.
100
11
11
11
Since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure determines the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell in detail as the accelerated degradation, the linear degradation or the decelerated degradation according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the rate of voltage change of the battery cell , there is an advantage of accurately determining and diagnosing the present state of the battery cell .
100
100
11
11
11
In addition, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern is determined as the voltage increase pattern, the battery state estimating apparatus may not separately calculate a rate of voltage change. That is, the battery state estimating apparatus determines the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as decelerated degradation only when the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as the voltage increase pattern, and this has an advantage of saving time required to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell .
11
11
Among the degradation acceleration degrees of the battery cell , the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation may be distinguished according to how fast the battery cell is degraded. Hereinafter, the criteria for distinguishing the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation will be described.
103
11
The control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as linear degradation, if the calculated rate of voltage change is greater than or equal to the preset reference rate of voltage change.
103
11
Conversely, if the calculated rate of voltage change is less than the preset reference rate of voltage change, the control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as accelerated degradation.
11
Here, the preset reference rate of voltage change is a reference change rate for determining the degradation acceleration degree as accelerated degradation or linear degradation, if the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as a voltage decrease pattern.
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7
1
22
42
44
62
103
1
For example, the preset reference rate of voltage change may be preset as the voltage fluctuation rate decreases by 1 mV at every 50 cycles. In the embodiment shown in , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to any one of the I, I, I and I regions, the control unit may compare the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs with the preset reference rate of voltage change.
103
1
1
The control unit may determine as linear degradation if the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs is greater than or equal to the preset reference rate of voltage change, and determine as accelerated degradation if the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs is less than the preset reference rate of voltage change.
FIGS. 4 and 8
FIGS. 4 and 8
2
12
2
3
4
5
6
103
2
2
12
2
6
103
2
Similarly, in the embodiment shown in , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J, J, J, J, J and J regions, the control unit may compare the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs with the preset reference rate of voltage change. Preferably, referring to , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of J, J to J region, the control unit may compare the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs with the preset reference rate of voltage change.
103
1
11
12
1
1
103
1
11
12
11
12
103
1
11
12
11
12
1
Here, the control unit may divide the J region into the J region and the J region based on the rate of voltage change of the J region. In the process of calculating the rate of voltage change of the J region, the control unit may divide the J region into the J region and the J region based on the point where the voltage increase and decrease pattern changes. Here, since the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the J region is a voltage increase pattern and the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the J region is a voltage decrease pattern, the control unit may divide the J region into the J and J regions based on 25 cycles. That is, the J region and the J region may be sub regions of the J region.
2
11
103
2
2
103
2
For example, if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to the J region, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the second battery cell C as a voltage increase pattern based on the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs. In addition, the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as decelerated degradation.
12
2
3
4
5
6
2
12
2
3
103
2
2
4
5
6
103
2
As another example, it is assumed that the rate of voltage change of the J, J and J regions is less than the preset rate of voltage change and the rate of voltage change of the J, J and J regions is equal to or greater than the preset rate of voltage change. If the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J, J and J regions, the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as accelerated degradation. Conversely, if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J, J and J region, the control unit may determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as linear degradation.
100
11
100
11
11
That is, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the preset reference rate of voltage change with the rate of voltage change of the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs. In addition, the battery state estimating apparatus may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell by subdividing the same into the accelerated degradation or the linear degradation, without indiscriminately determining the degradation acceleration degree for the voltage increase pattern. Therefore, the present state of the battery cell may be further subdivided and specifically diagnosed.
103
11
11
103
11
The control unit may be configured to determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell only when the voltage fluctuation rate calculated for the battery cell is greater than a preset lower voltage limit and smaller than a preset upper voltage limit. That is, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern only when the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell is within a certain range.
11
11
11
11
11
11
For example, if the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell is greater than or equal to the preset upper limit, this is the case where the OCV of the battery cell increases to a reference value or above, at which the battery cell may abnormally degrades and have a sudden drop risk. In addition, if the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell is smaller than or equal to the preset lower limit, this is the case where the OCV of the battery cell decreases to a reference value or below due to an electric short circuit or the like and the battery cell may be abnormally degraded.
103
11
11
Therefore, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern for the case where the battery cell is normally degraded, except for the case where the battery cell is degraded abnormally.
11
11
If the normal or abnormal state of the battery cell is not distinguished in advance, the degradation acceleration degree may be determined according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern in an abnormal state, and the battery control condition may be adjusted according to the determined degradation acceleration degree, which may further deteriorate the state of the battery cell .
100
11
11
11
11
Accordingly, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure first divides the state of the battery cell into a normal state or an abnormal state and then determines the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the degradation acceleration degree only when the state of the battery cell is a normal state, it is possible to shorten the time required to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell and to improve the accuracy of determining the state of the battery cell .
103
11
11
In the above, it has been described that the control unit determines the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell based on the voltage increase and decrease pattern, when the battery cell is in a charge situation. Hereinafter, the process of determining the second degradation acceleration degree based on the resistance increase and decrease pattern will be described in detail.
11
Here, the second degradation acceleration degree is the degradation acceleration degree determined according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell , and may be determined as any one of accelerated degradation, linear degradation and decelerated degradation, similar to the first degradation acceleration degree described above.
103
11
11
101
First, the control unit may calculate an internal resistance of the battery cell based on the OCV of the battery cell measured by the voltage measuring unit .
103
11
11
1
11
11
11
1
EoC
EoC
t1
EoC
EoC
EoC
t1
For example, the control unit may calculate the present resistance of the battery cell according to the calculation formula of “(|CCV−OCV|)÷i”. Here, CCVmay refer to a charge or discharge voltage of the battery cell measured after a time point t from the time point where the OCVof the battery cell is measured, OCVmay refer to the OCV of the battery cell measured when the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage in a charge situation, and imay refer to an amount of charge or discharge current that has flowed for the time t.
103
11
103
105
In addition, the control unit may be configured to calculate an electric resistance fluctuation rate by comparing the calculated internal resistance with a pre-stored reference resistance. Here, the pre-stored reference resistance is a reference value to be compared with the present resistance of the battery cell calculated by the control unit , and may be a value stored in the storing unit in advance.
11
103
11
Preferably, the pre-stored reference resistance may be a resistance of the battery cell measured at a predetermined cycle. The control unit may calculate the electric resistance fluctuation rate as a ratio or a difference of the resistance of the present battery cell to the pre-stored reference resistance.
1
1
103
1
101
103
1
1
FIG. 1
For example, for the first battery cell C shown in , it is assumed that the pre-stored reference resistance is A2 [Ω]. Also, it is assumed that the present resistance of the first battery cell C calculated by the control unit is B2 [Ω] based on the OCV of the first battery cell C measured by the voltage measuring unit at the first time point. The control unit may calculate the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the first time point as the ratio of B2 [Ω] to A2 [Ω]. For example, the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C at the first time point may be calculated using the calculation formula of “(B2÷A2)×100”.
105
11
11
105
Preferably, the pre-stored reference resistance may include a reference resistance calculated based on the reference voltage pre-stored in the storing unit . That is, the pre-stored reference resistance corresponds to the pre-stored reference voltage, and may be a resistance calculated based on the OCV when the battery cell is charged at a predetermined cycle so that the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage. The pre-stored reference resistance may be stored in the storing unit .
105
For example, in the storing unit , a reference voltage A1 [V] may be pre-stored, and a reference resistance A2 [Ω] calculated based on the reference voltage A1 may be pre-stored.
103
101
101
11
103
101
11
105
105
Preferably, the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data may be configured to include electric resistance fluctuation rates calculated by the control unit whenever OCV is measured by the voltage measuring unit . That is, from the predetermined cycle before the present cycle, the voltage measuring unit may measure the OCV when the voltage of the battery cell reaches the reference charge voltage by charging. In addition, the control unit may calculate the present resistance based on the OCV measured by the voltage measuring unit , and calculate the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell according to the calculated present resistance and the reference resistance pre-stored in the storing unit . Further, the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate may be included in the resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit .
FIG. 1
1
1
1
1
103
1
105
105
th
th
th
th
For example, in the embodiment shown in , the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored for the first battery cell C may include electric resistance fluctuation rates of the first battery cell C calculated from the first time point to the N−1time point. Here, N is an integer of 2 or more, and when N is 2, the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data may include only the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C calculated at the first time point. If the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C is calculated at the Ntime point by the control unit , the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell C calculated at the Ntime point may be included the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit . In this case, the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit may include first to Nelectric resistance fluctuation rates.
100
11
105
100
11
100
11
11
11
The battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit from the past time point to the present time point. That is, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data in which electric resistance fluctuation rates calculated in the past are accumulatively stored. In addition, since the battery state estimating apparatus determines the present degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell based on the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern and the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern, the degradation acceleration degree or the degradation degree of the battery cell may be more accurately determined, compared to the case where the degradation degree of the battery cell is determined only by the electric resistance fluctuation rate at a specific time point.
11
100
11
Also, since the determined degradation acceleration degree may be utilized as information for estimating a future state of the battery cell , the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage of providing information capable of estimating a future state based on the degradation acceleration degree as well as past and present states of the battery cell .
103
11
The control unit may calculate a rate of resistance change of a plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates included within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle of the battery cell among the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data. Here, the rate of resistance change may include an average rate of change or an instantaneous rate of change of the electric resistance fluctuation rates. In addition, the plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates included within a predetermined number of cycles from the present cycle may include a plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates included within a preset number of cycles from the present cycle.
103
FIGS. 9 and 10
For example, the control unit may calculate a rate of resistance change of a plurality of electric resistance fluctuation rates included within 50 cycles from the present cycle. The calculation of the rate of resistance change will be described in detail with reference to .
FIG. 9
FIG. 10
is a diagram showing an electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. is a diagram showing an electric resistance fluctuation rate of the second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 9 and 10
105
1
2
Referring to , the storing unit may store electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored for the first battery cell C and electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored for the second battery cell C at every cycle, respectively.
FIG. 9
FIG. 10
FIG. 9
FIG. 3
FIG. 10
FIG. 4
1
2
Hereinafter, as shown in , a region including a preset number of cycles for the first battery cell C is described as an In region. Similarly, as shown in , a region including a preset number of cycles for the second battery cell C is described as a Jn region. Here, the In region shown in may correspond to the In region shown in , and the Jn region shown in may correspond to the Jn region shown in .
FIG. 9
1
103
6
105
1
103
6
6
1
For example, it is assumed that the number of cycles preset to be included in one region is 50. In , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C is 300 cycle, the control unit may extract an electric resistance fluctuation rate of each cycle belonging to the I region including 251 to 300 cycles of the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit for the first battery cell C. That is, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the I region by comparing the electric resistance fluctuation rates of the cycles belonging to the I region of the first battery cell C with each other.
FIG. 10
2
103
3
105
2
103
3
3
2
Similarly, in , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C is 150 cycle, the control unit may extract electric resistance fluctuation rates belonging to the J region including 101 to 150 cycles among the electric resistance fluctuation rate data pre-stored in the storing unit for the second battery cell C. The control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the J region by comparing the electric resistance fluctuation rates of the cycles belonging to the J region of the second battery cell C with each other. Here, the rate of resistance change refers to a specific value for the rate of change.
Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it will be assumed that the rate of resistance change is a positive change rate when it is 0 or more and the rate of resistance change is a negative change rate when it is less than 0.
FIGS. 5 to 8
11
103
103
11
103
Similar to the example of calculating the rate of voltage change described with reference to , when calculating the rate of resistance change of the electric resistance fluctuation rates included in the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs, the control unit may not calculate the rate of resistance change by determining that the present cycle belongs to only one region. In addition, the control unit may determine a cycle at which the rate of resistance change changes from positive to negative or from negative to positive, and divide the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs into sub regions based on the determined cycle. That is, the control unit may divide a single region into a plurality of sub regions according to the rate of resistance change of the electric resistance fluctuation rates belonging to the single region and calculate a rate of resistance change for each of the divided sub regions.
FIG. 11
is an enlarged view showing a region of the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11
103
1
1
11
12
103
1
2
11
12
For example, in the example of , the control unit may calculate an average rate of change for consecutive cycles included in the I region or an instantaneous rate of change for continuous cycles included in the I region. Specifically, based on 10 cycle, the rate of resistance change of the I region may be calculated as a negative change rate, and the rate of resistance change of the I region may be calculated as a positive change rate. Accordingly, the control unit may divide the I region of the first battery cell C into an I region and an I region based on 10 cycle.
FIG. 11
103
1
11
12
11
12
103
That is, in the embodiment of , the control unit may divide the I region into the I and I regions and calculate a rate of resistance change for each of the I region and the I region. As such, the control unit may divide one region into sub regions and calculate a rate of resistance change for each sub region.
100
11
100
11
As described above, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure does not determine that the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs is only one region indiscriminately, and if necessary, the battery state estimating apparatus divides the region into sub regions and calculates a rate of resistance change in more detail, and thus there is an advantage in that the present state of the battery cell may be more accurately determined.
103
103
103
In addition, the control unit may determine a resistance increase and decrease pattern based on the calculated rate of resistance change. Here, the resistance increase and decrease pattern may include a resistance increase pattern and a resistance decrease pattern. In particular, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern as a resistance increase pattern when the calculated rate of resistance change is a positive change rate. In addition, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern as a resistance decrease pattern when the calculated rate of resistance change is a negative change rate.
FIGS. 9 and 11
1
1
103
1
1
1
11
103
11
11
103
1
For example, referring to , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the first battery cell C based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate included in the I region. If the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the I region as a value less than 0 (zero). That is, the rate of resistance change of the I region may be calculated as a negative change rate. In addition, the control unit may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as a resistance decrease pattern based on the result that the rate of resistance change is calculated as a negative change rate.
1
12
103
12
12
103
1
1
2
6
103
103
1
Conversely, if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the I region as 0 or above. Namely, the rate of resistance change of the I region may be calculated as a positive change rate. The control unit may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as the resistance increase pattern based on the result that the rate of resistance change is calculated as the positive change rate. Similarly, even when the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to any one of the I to I regions, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change as a positive change rate based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate included in the region. In addition, the control unit may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as the resistance increase pattern based on the result calculated as the positive change rate.
FIG. 10
2
1
6
103
2
103
2
2
103
2
As another example, referring to , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J to J regions, the control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs. The control unit may calculate the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs as 0 or above. That is, the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs may be calculated as a positive change rate. In addition, the control unit may determine the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the second battery cell C as a resistance increase pattern based on the calculated rate of resistance change.
100
11
11
11
That is, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure determines the present resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell according to the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate of the present cycle and the previous rate of resistance change stored in the pre-stored electric resistance fluctuation rate data, there is an advantage that the state of the battery cell may be estimated by considering not only the present state of the battery cell but also the previous state thereof.
100
11
11
In addition, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure calculates the rate of resistance change of the battery cell and determines the resistance increase and decrease pattern based on the calculated rate of resistance change, there is an advantage of providing information that allows to easily estimate a future state of the battery cell .
103
11
103
If the resistance increase and decrease pattern is determined as the resistance increase pattern, the control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation according to the calculated rate of resistance change. That is, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern is determined as the resistance increase pattern, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation.
103
11
103
In addition, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern is determined as the resistance decrease pattern, the control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as decelerated degradation. That is, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern is determined as the resistance decrease pattern, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree only as decelerated degradation.
FIGS. 9 and 11
1
11
103
1
103
1
For example, in the embodiment of , if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to the I region, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as the resistance decrease pattern. In addition, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C as decelerated degradation.
1
12
6
103
1
103
1
1
Conversely, if the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to any one of the I to I region, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the first battery cell C as the resistance increase pattern. In addition, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation according to the rate of resistance change of the region to which the first battery cell C belongs.
FIG. 10
2
1
6
103
2
103
2
2
As another example, in the embodiment of , if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J to J regions, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the second battery cell C as the resistance increase pattern. In addition, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation according to the rate of resistance change of the region to which the second battery cell C belongs.
11
11
11
That is, since the change factor of resistance caused by OCV is not considered in a state where the battery cell is in a charge situation, unlike the discharge situation, the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell may not be considered when determining the second degradation acceleration degree based on the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell .
11
100
11
Therefore, since the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell is determined based on the difference between the charge situation and the discharge situation, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage of determining specific state information about the degradation acceleration degree and the degradation degree of the battery cell and providing the determined state information.
11
11
103
11
11
As described above, among the degradation acceleration degrees of the battery cell , the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation may be classified according to how fast the battery cell is degraded. The control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as accelerated degradation if the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is a resistance increase pattern and the calculated rate of resistance change is greater than or equal to a preset reference rate of resistance change.
103
11
In addition, the control unit may be configured to determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as linear degradation if the resistance increase and decrease pattern is a resistance increase pattern and the calculated rate of resistance change is smaller than the preset reference rate of resistance change.
11
Here, the preset reference rate of resistance change is a reference change rate for determining the degradation acceleration degree as any one of accelerated degradation and linear degradation when the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as a resistance increase pattern. For example, the preset reference rate of resistance change may be preset such that the electric resistance fluctuation rate increases by 10% at every 100 cycles.
FIGS. 9 and 11
1
12
6
12
6
12
6
103
1
For example, in the embodiment of , it is assumed that the present cycle of the first battery cell C belongs to any one of the I to I regions, and the rate of resistance change of the I to I regions is smaller than the preset reference rate of resistance change. Since the rate of resistance change of the I to I regions is smaller than the preset reference rate of resistance change, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the first battery cell C as linear degradation.
FIG. 10
1
3
4
6
2
1
3
103
2
2
2
4
6
103
2
2
As another example, in the embodiment of , it is assumed that the rate of resistance change of the J to J regions is greater than or equal to the preset reference rate of resistance change, and the rate of resistance change of the J to J regions is smaller than the preset reference rate of resistance change. If the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any one of the J to J regions, the control unit may compare the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs with the preset reference rate of resistance change, and determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as accelerated degradation. Conversely, if the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs to any of the J to J regions, the control unit may compare the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the second battery cell C belongs with the preset reference rate of resistance change, and determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the second battery cell C as linear degradation.
100
11
That is, the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the preset reference rate of resistance change with the rate of resistance change and determine the degradation acceleration degree by subdividing the same into any one of the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation, without indiscriminately determining the degradation acceleration degree for the resistance increase pattern. Therefore, the present state of the battery cell may be further subdivided and specifically diagnosed.
103
11
103
11
11
11
11
11
103
11
11
The control unit may be configured to determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell only when the calculated electric resistance fluctuation rate exceeds a preset lower resistance limit. That is, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern only when the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell exceeds the preset lower resistance limit, and determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern. For example, the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell is smaller than or equal to the preset lower limit when the internal resistance of the battery cell decreases below a reference value due to an electric short circuit or the like, where the battery cell is abnormally degraded. Therefore, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern only when the battery cell is degenerated normally, except the case where the battery cell is degenerated abnormally due to an external factor such as an electric short.
11
11
If normal degradation and abnormal degradation of the battery cell are not classified in advance, the degradation acceleration degree may be determined according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern in an abnormal degeneration condition, and the battery control condition may be adjusted according to the determined degradation acceleration degree, which may further deteriorate the state of the battery cell .
100
11
11
11
Accordingly, since the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure determines the resistance increase and decrease pattern and the degradation acceleration degree only when the battery cell is in a normally degraded state, there is an advantage of shortening the time required for determining the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell and improving the accuracy of determining the state of the battery cell .
FIG. 12
is a diagram schematically showing a process of determining a degradation acceleration degree of a battery cell based on the voltage fluctuation rate by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a tree structure.
FIG. 12
11
11
103
11
103
11
103
Referring to , the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell may be determined according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell determined by the control unit . First, if the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell calculated by the control unit is equal to or smaller than the preset lower voltage limit or equal to or greater than the preset upper voltage limit, it may be determined as abnormal degradation. If the battery cell is determined to be abnormally degraded, the control unit may not determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern based on the voltage fluctuation rate.
103
11
11
That is, the control unit may be configured to determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern only when the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell is included in the normal range, and to determine the first degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern.
11
103
11
103
11
103
11
If the voltage fluctuation rate of the battery cell is greater than the preset lower voltage limit and smaller than the preset upper voltage limit, the control unit may determine the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell based on the calculated voltage fluctuation rate and the pre-stored voltage fluctuation rate data. In addition, if the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern is the voltage decrease pattern, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as any one of the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation, and if the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern is the voltage increase pattern, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as the decelerated degradation.
103
11
103
11
11
That is, if the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern is the voltage increase pattern, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell only as the decelerated degradation. Conversely, if the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern is the voltage decrease pattern, the control unit may compare the rate of voltage change of the battery cell with the preset reference rate of voltage change to classify the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell in more detail into any one of the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation.
FIG. 13
is a diagram schematically showing a process of determining a degradation acceleration degree of a battery cell based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a tree structure.
FIG. 13
103
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
Referring to , the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell according to only the determined resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell , regardless of the determined voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell . That is, when determining the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell in a charge situation, the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell may not affect each other. However, if the battery cell is in a discharge situation, since the OCV affects the change factor of the internal resistance of the battery cell , the voltage increase and decrease pattern may be considered first when determining the second degradation acceleration degree according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern.
11
103
103
11
103
11
11
103
11
11
If the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell calculated by the control unit is equal to or smaller than the preset lower resistance limit, the control unit may determine the degradation state of the battery cell as abnormal degradation. The control unit may not determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell if the degradation state of the battery cell is abnormal degradation, and the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell only when the degradation state of the battery cell is normal degradation.
11
103
103
11
11
103
11
11
103
11
If the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell calculated by the control unit is greater than the preset lower resistance limit, the control unit may determine the resistance increase and decrease pattern based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the battery cell . Here, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as the resistance decrease pattern, the control unit may determine the second degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell only as the decelerated degradation. Conversely, if the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as the resistance increase pattern, the control unit may determine the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as any one of the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation based on the rate of resistance change.
11
103
11
11
That is, only when the resistance increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell is determined as the resistance increase pattern, the control unit may determine the present degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell as any one of the accelerated degradation and the linear degradation based on the rate of resistance change of the region to which the present cycle of the battery cell belongs.
100
11
100
11
11
The battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine not only the degradation degree of the battery cell , namely the electric resistance fluctuation rate, but also the history of the degradation acceleration degree presently performed and the previous degradation acceleration degree. Therefore, the battery state estimating apparatus may more accurately determine the present state of the battery cell and further provide specific information that allows to predict a future situation such as the life of the battery cell .
11
11
100
100
11
11
That is, the user may check the state of each battery cell more specifically by obtaining the first degradation acceleration degree according to the voltage increase and decrease pattern of the battery cell and the second degradation acceleration degree according to the resistance increase and decrease pattern from the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Therefore, the battery state estimating apparatus may provide specific and various information about the state of the battery cell by determining the degradation acceleration degree of the battery cell in diversified ways using various indicators such as the voltage increase and decrease pattern and the resistance increase and decrease pattern and providing the determined information.
1000
100
1000
100
The battery pack according to the present disclosure may include the battery state estimating apparatus according to the present disclosure described above. In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include a battery cell, various electrical equipment (including battery management systems (BMS), relays, fuses, etc.) and a pack case, in addition to the battery state estimating apparatus .
100
100
In addition, as another embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery state estimating apparatus may be mounted to various devices using electric energy, such as an electric vehicle, an energy storage system (ESS), and the like. In particular, the battery state estimating apparatus according to the present disclosure may be included in an electric vehicle.
100
100
1000
1000
100
The electric vehicle according to the present disclosure may include the battery state estimating apparatus according to the present disclosure. Here, the battery state estimating apparatus may be included in the battery pack and may be implemented as a separate device from the battery pack . For example, at least a part of the battery state estimating apparatus may be implemented by an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle.
100
100
In addition, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a vehicle body or electronic equipment typically provided to the vehicle, in addition to the battery state estimating apparatus . For example, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery pack, a contactor, an inverter, a motor, at least one ECU, and the like, in addition to the battery state estimating apparatus according to the present disclosure.
100
However, the present disclosure is not particularly limited to other components of the vehicle other than the battery state estimating apparatus .
The embodiments of the present disclosure described above may not be implemented only through an apparatus and method, but may be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present disclosure or a recording medium on which the program is recorded. The program or recording medium may be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the above description of the embodiments.
The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
In addition, since the present disclosure described above can be substituted, modified and changed in various ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings, and all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined to enable various modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure is not construed as being limited to the drawing.
FIG. 1
is a diagram schematically showing a battery pack including a battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2
is a block diagram schematically showing the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3
is a diagram showing a voltage fluctuation rate of a first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4
is a diagram showing a voltage fluctuation rate of a second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5
is an enlarged view showing a region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6
is an enlarged view showing another region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7
is an enlarged view showing still another region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8
is an enlarged view showing a region of the voltage fluctuation rate of the second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9
is a diagram showing an electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10
is a diagram showing an electric resistance fluctuation rate of the second battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11
is an enlarged view showing a region of the electric resistance fluctuation rate of the first battery cell, calculated by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 12
is a diagram schematically showing a process of determining a degradation acceleration degree of a battery cell based on the voltage fluctuation rate by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a tree structure.
FIG. 13
is a diagram schematically showing a process of determining a degradation acceleration degree of a battery cell based on the electric resistance fluctuation rate by the battery state estimating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a tree structure.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE SIGNS
10
: battery module
11
: battery cell
100
: battery state estimating apparatus
1000
: battery pack | |
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a northwest–southeast route, and is signed north–south or east–west depending on the local orientation of the route.
The highway's northwestern terminus is at Portal, North Dakota, on the Canadian border, where it continues as Saskatchewan Highway 39. Its southeastern terminus is in Charleston, South Carolina, at Number 2 Meeting Street and White Point Gardens along the Charleston Harbor.
In North Dakota, US 52 continues from Highway 39 from the Canada–United States border at North Portal, Saskatchewan and Portal, North Dakota to the Red River in Fargo, a distance of 361 miles (581 km). US 52 is co-signed with US 2 near Minot, where it also intersects with US 83. US 52 is also co-signed with US 281 for 44 miles (71 km) between Jamestown and Carrington. US 52 is concurrent with Interstate 94 between Jamestown and the Minnesota state line, co-signed between Jamestown and Fargo; however, all of the interchanges for the Fargo/West Fargo portion of the route are unsigned.
In the state of Minnesota, US 52 enters the state with Interstate 94 at Moorhead and follows Interstate 94 southeast all the way to the Twin Cities. The portion of the highway which overlaps Interstate 94 is unsigned. From downtown St. Paul, US 52 continues on its own southeast to Rochester and the Iowa state line. MnDOT has a long-term goal of making US 52 a freeway with limited-access interchanges between St. Paul and Interstate 90 south of Rochester. South from Interstate 94 in St. Paul there is a freeway segment to just south of Concord Blvd in Inver Grove Heights. The portion of the highway between Inver Grove Heights and Pine Island is built to expressway standards. Another freeway segment begins from Pine Island, through Rochester, toward I-90. The highway then proceeds to the Iowa state line.
US 52 enters Iowa north of the unincorporated community of Burr Oak. It passes by Luther College on the west side of Decorah. At Calmar the road turns to a southwest–northeast orientation. It joins with US 18 just to the west of Postville. The two highways overlap until a point east of the unincorporated community of Froelich. US 52 roughly parallels the Mississippi River for the rest of its path through Iowa. At Luxemburg it joins with Iowa Highway 3 and turns east. The two highways run together to downtown Dubuque, where it intersects US 61 and US 151.
South of Dubuque, US 52, US 61, and US 151 share a freeway routing until US 52 departs in Key West to remain close to the Mississippi River. Just west of Sabula the highway turns to an east–west orientation at the junction of Iowa Highway 64 and the northern terminus of US 67. In Sabula, the highway becomes a wrong-way road; northbound traffic travels south, and vice versa, from Sabula to the new Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge, where US 52 crosses over the Mississippi River into Illinois.
North of Dubuque, Iowa, US 52 is routed on to a narrow and often winding road. While scenic, the road has been the scene of numerous accidents over the years owing to this nature. Between 1964 and 1967, this segment of the route was called Alternate US 52 and US 52 was rerouted south from Luxemburg to Dyersville along Iowa Highway 136, and east from Dyersville to Dubuque along US 20. After the completion of the Southwest Arterial in 2019, a similar alignment change will take place as US 52 will no longer follow the winding Iowa Highway 3 route, and instead share Iowa Highway 136 and US 20 to the intersection of the new four-lane Southwest Arterial and finally head southwest to US 61/US 151, where it would then be linked to the existing highway US 52, continuing on to Bellevue and Sabula.
The entire length of US 52 in Iowa is located within the unglaciated Driftless Area.
Looking west at the western US 52 and US 6 (McDonough Street) split on the southwest side of Joliet, Illinois.
In Illinois, US 52 runs southeast from the Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge at the terminus of Iowa Highway 64 and Illinois Route 64 in Savanna, passing through the cities of Dixon, Amboy and Mendota. US 52 then turns due south and then east, crossing Interstate 39 near Troy Grove. It continues east, passing through Shorewood and then through the southern portion of Joliet, where it is a major thoroughfare in the city of Joliet (Jefferson Street), avoiding the city of Chicago proper. It joins with U.S. Route 45 through Kankakee, and then runs concurrently with U.S. Route 24, east of Watseka to the Indiana state line.
In Indiana, US 52 runs in a northwest-southeast direction. It passes through Lafayette and Indianapolis. Northwest of Indianapolis, US 52 runs along the same general area as, and is considered an alternative route to, Interstate 65. In the Indianapolis area, it is overlapped with Interstate 865 and Interstate 465. East of Indianapolis, it is considered an alternative to Interstate 74 before joining it near the Ohio border.
When U.S. 52 went through Downtown Indianapolis, it went onto Brookville Road, then turned right onto English Avenue. It then joined U.S. 421 when it turns right onto Southeastern Avenue. US 52/421 joined U.S. 40 when it turned left onto Washington Street. It then splits into Washington Street (westbound) and Maryland Street (eastbound). US 52 then turned right onto West Street (from West Street, it turned left onto Maryland Street). U.S. 52 turned left on either Indiana Avenue or 16th Street (US 136). Eventually, U.S. 52 would overlap U.S. 136 on 16th Street. It then turned right onto Lafayette Road, which became Indianapolis Road when reaching Zionsville. When I-65 was completed through Downtown Indianapolis, U.S. 52 got on I-65 from the Lafayette Road interchange, and traveled on I-65 the rest of the way. In 1970, the route was re-routed onto the south belt of I-465 from Brookville Road to I-65. It was re-routed again on its current route around Indianapolis in either 2000 or 2001.
US 52 enters Ohio concurrently with Interstate 74 in northwestern Hamilton County. US 52 then merges with Interstate 75 from Interstate 74's terminus and exits onto Hopple Street in Cincinnati. It runs along Central Parkway and Central Avenue through downtown and then skirts the Cincinnati riverfront along Mehring Way past Paul Brown Stadium, Great American Ball Park, and U.S. Bank Arena, onto Pete Rose Way and Riverside Drive. From Cincinnati eastward, US 52 generally follows the Ohio River. There is a brief concurrency with Interstate 275 near California, a neighborhood on the far eastern edge of the city of Cincinnati. Towns along its path include New Richmond, Aberdeen, Ripley and Manchester. The section between Interstate 275 and New Richmond was modernized in the 1960s. Parts of the old route run parallel to the newer highway. Around Portsmouth and Ironton US 52 has several freeway or expressway sections. In Portsmouth, US 52 intersects with US 23. At Chesapeake, US 52 crosses the Ohio River into Huntington, West Virginia.
The sections of US 52 that follow the Ohio River are known as the Ohio River Scenic Byway, which is part of the National Scenic Byway Project. The section between SR 125 and SR 73 (near Portsmouth) is also designated as Scenic Scioto Heritage Trail. This portion of US 52, along the Ohio between Cincinnati and Huntington, is the only part where it falls in geographical sequence, south of US 50 and north of US 60.
US 52 passes by the birthplace of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant in Point Pleasant.
US 52 serves western and southern portions of West Virginia, running from Huntington to Bluefield. The highway is undergoing a major expansion project which began in 2007 and at current funding levels is likely to take many years to finish.
During its run through West Virginia, US 52 twice enters Kentucky briefly, along the Williamson, West Virginia bypass, in order to prevent the blasting of several hillsides in West Virginia. These stretches were completed in 1996 as part of the Corridor G (U.S. Route 119) project. The speed limit in West Virginia is 65 mph (105 km/h), but drops to 55 mph (89 km/h) along the Kentucky portions, as Kentucky law states that any non-freeway (as is US 52) must not have a speed limit higher than 55 mph (89 km/h). In each instances, however, US 52 re-enters West Virginia.
US 52 enters Virginia from West Virginia, and in Virginia closely follows Interstate 77. It enters southwestern Virginia near Bluefield and passes through Wytheville and Hillsville before leaving the state south of Cana.
US 52 enters North Carolina just north west of Mount Airy. It goes by Pilot Mountain, one of the most distinctive natural features in North Carolina. Through the Piedmont Triad region, US 52 is mostly a limited-access freeway. The route joins Interstate 85 Business into Lexington, North Carolina and shares Interstate 85 around Salisbury, North Carolina. The segment of US 52 from Interstate 40 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Lexington is currently being upgraded to Interstate highway standards for the future Interstate 285 corridor. The segment from northern Winston-Salem to just south of Mount Airy is expected to form part of the Interstate 74 corridor through North Carolina.
South of the Triad area, after splitting from Interstate 85 in Salisbury, US 52 is typically a two-lane route linking some of the state's smaller cities and towns. Albemarle is the largest municipality along this segment of US 52 to the South Carolina state line.
US 52 enters South Carolina northeast of Cheraw. From Darlington southward it is a multilane highway and freeway, passing through Florence, Lake City, Kingstree, Moncks Corner and North Charleston before US 52's terminus at number 2 Meeting Street and White Point Gardens in Charleston.
Historically, US 52 was routed along University Avenue between Minneapolis and St. Paul. In the 1980s and 1990s, the highway was gradually shifted onto its present route along Interstate 94. However, there was a gap in the definition of the highway for a few years until 1995. Since then, it has been routed along the interstate between the Twin Cities, although as of 2007, there was still a sign on University Avenue entering Hennepin County telling motorists to follow County Highways 36 and 37 to reach US 52—which kept them on University, then on 4th St. for historic westbound US 52. Historic westbound US 52 then crossed the Central Avenue bridge (current Minnesota State Highway 65) and turned onto the current routing of County Highway 81 northwest to Osseo. It then followed the current route of U.S. Highway 169 north to Anoka.
In Rochester, Minnesota, US 52 was recently expanded to six lanes. Long term plans have US 52 from St. Paul to Interstate 90 becoming a freeway, and some have suggested that when the conversion is complete, the freeway should become a spur route for Interstate 90 (I-X90). Currently, Interstate 90 has no spur routes in Minnesota.
On April 10, 2015, a rockslide dropped a boulder the size of a house onto the westbound lanes of US 52 in Lawrence County just east of the bridge over the Ohio River to Ashland, Kentucky, leading to closures and detours while two days of cleanup took place.
Established in 1926, US 121 traversed from Lexington, North Carolina, to Max Meadows, Virginia, estimated to be 107 miles (172 km). In North Carolina it overlapped with NC 66; in Virginia it was overlapped with SR 15. In 1934, US 52 was extended southeast into Virginia and North Carolina, and replaced all of US 121.
The city of Dubuque and surrounding jurisdictions proposed rerouting US 52 south from Luxemburg to Dyersville along Iowa Highway 136 and east from Dyersville to Dubuque along US 20's alignment. US 52 would then be routed onto the Southwest Arterial, bypassing the city of Dubuque and heading southwest to US 61/US 151, where it would then be linked to the existing highway US 52, continuing on to Bellevue and Sabula.
The Southwest Arterial will be a 6.1-mile (9.8 km), four-lane, divided freeway with priority-one access control (interchanges only) and will be completed in late 2019, replacing US 52's current path through downtown Dubuque and routing traffic around the southwest edge of the city.
Long term plans call for I-74 to be expanded eastward along the current US 52 corridor from its current eastern terminus of I-75 in Cincinnati to US 23, which has been proposed to be upgraded to Interstate Highway standards and be signed as I-73 in Portsmouth. Funding concerns have prevented the construction of both freeways in Ohio.
US 2 northwest of Burlington. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Minot.
US 281 in Carrington. The highways travel concurrently to Jamestown.
I‑94 in Jamestown. The highways travel concurrently to Saint Paul, Minnesota.
US 59 in Fergus Falls Township. The highways travel concurrently to the Buse–Dane Prairie township line.
I‑494 / I‑694 in Maple Grove. I-694/US 52 travels concurrently to Brooklyn Center.
I‑394 / US 12 in Minneapolis. US 12/US 52 travels concurrently to Saint Paul.
I‑35W in Minneapolis. The highways travel concurrently, but on separate lanes, through the city.
I‑35E in Saint Paul. The highways travel concurrently, but on separate lanes, through the city.
I‑35E / US 10 in Saint Paul. US 10/US 52 travels concurrently through the city.
US 63 in Rochester. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 14 in Rochester. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 18 in Post Township. The highways travel concurrently to Giard Township.
US 61 / US 151 in Dubuque. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 6 in Joliet. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 45 in Peotone Township. The highways travel concurrently to Ashkum Township.
US 24 in Concord Township. The highways travel concurrently to Kentland, Indiana.
US 24 / US 41 in Kentland. US 41/US 52 travels concurrently to Richland Township.
US 231 in Montmorenci. The highways travel concurrently to Wabash Township.
I‑65 in Center Township. The highways travel concurrently to Eagle Township.
I‑65 / I‑865 in Eagle Township. I-865/US 52 travels concurrently through the township.
I‑465 / I‑865 in Eagle Township. I-465/US 52 travels concurrently to Indianapolis.
US 421 in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 31 in Carmel. The highways travel concurrently to Indianapolis.
US 36 in Lawrence. The highways travel concurrently to Indianapolis.
I‑74 in Harrison Township. The highways travel concurrently to Cincinnati, Ohio.
I‑275 in Whitewater Township. The highways travel concurrently to Taylor Creek.
US 27 in Cincinnati. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I‑74 / I‑75 in Cincinnati. I-75/US 52 travels concurrently through the city.
US 27 / US 127 in Cincinnati. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 42 in Cincinnati. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 27 / US 50 in Cincinnati. US 27/US 52 travels concurrently through the city.
I‑275 in Cincinnati. The highways travel concurrently to Anderson Township.
US 62 / US 68 in Ripley. US 52/US 62 travels concurrently to Aberdeen. US 52/US 68 travels concurrently to Huntington Township.
I‑64 in Huntington. The highways travel concurrently to Kenova.
US 119 northeast of Nolan. The highways travel concurrently to Williamson.
US 19 in Bluefield. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 460 in Bluefield. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I‑77 in Bluefield. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Rocky Gap, Virginia.
I‑81 / US 21 in Wytheville. I-81/US 52 travel concurrently to Fort Chiswell.
I‑77 in Wytheville. The highways travel concurrently to Fort Chiswell.
US 11 in Wytheville. The highways travel concurrently to Fort Chiswell.
US 311 in Winston-Salem. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I‑40 / I‑285 / US 311 in Winston-Salem. I-285/US 52 travel concurrently to Lexington.
US 29 / US 70 in Lexington. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Spencer.
I‑85 / I‑285 in Lexington. I-85/US 52 travel concurrently to Salisbury.
US 74 in Wadesboro. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 1 in Cheraw. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of Cheraw.
US 15 / US 401 in Society Hill. US 15/US 52 travels concurrently to southwest of Society Hill. US 52/US 401 travels concurrently to Darlington.
US 301 in Florence. The highways travel concurrently to Effingham.
US 78 in North Charleston. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved March 25, 2018 – via Wikimedia Commons.
^ Clay, Jarrod (April 12, 2015). "US 52 Reopened After Crews Clear Debris From 1,500 Ton Boulder". Charleston, WV: WCHS-TV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
^ "US 52 Charleston, South Carolina, to Portal, North Dakota". Retrieved February 28, 2011.
^ Habegger, Becca (April 11, 2013). "Dubuque facing changes in southwest arterial, US Hwy 52". Waterloo, Iowa: KWWL-TV. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to U.S. Route 52.
This page was last edited on 9 April 2019, at 01:51 (UTC). | http://www.let.rug.nl/~gosse/termpedia2/termpedia.php?language=dutch_general&density=7&link_color=000000&termpedia_system=perl_db&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FU.S._Route_52 |
Haley & Aldrich is a 600+ person national engineering and environmental consulting firm with creative, technically strong staff who want to work in a collaborative environment to deliver exceptional value to our clients. We look for professionals with a passion for solving even the most complex client problems. This problem-solving ability and opportunity to be a change agent is a vital part of our culture, no matter what level or role a staff member holds.
The Buildings & Infrastructure Division at Haley & Aldrich is growing we are currently seeking an entry level Geotechnical Engineer to work in a technical support role with highly skilled professionals on diverse project teams in a dynamic environment. We offer new engineers the opportunity to work on challenging geotechnical and environmental services projects for a wide range of clients. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing group and company. This position entails travel to job sites and working outside of the office setting some of the time conducting site and subsurface characterization for environmental and geotechnical projects and/or monitoring contractor's geotechnical and environmental-related activities during construction. This position will be located in the McLean, VA office.
Provide construction monitoring/on-site engineering observation for both geotechnical and environmental projects.
Perform site reconnaissance to observe existing conditions, assess site access for subsurface explorations, and identify important site features.
Monitor subsurface exploration activities that include the use of test boring and geoprobe rigs and machine excavated test pits to gather soil and bedrock samples.
Conduct field investigations, including soil and groundwater sampling in accordance with applicable ASTM standards and other industry standard guidelines.
Compile, reduce, analyze, manage, and report field, instrumentation, geological, and/or environmental data, using spreadsheets and other tools.
Use of various geotechnical and environmental instrumentation and equipment.
Support preparation of written reports, proposals, cost estimates, and other client deliverables, including Phase I and Phase II ESAs.
Adhere to Site Specific Health and Safety Plans prepared for each project site. As applicable, participate in site safety briefings and audits by both contractors and Haley & Aldrich.
Ability to travel to temporary assignments across the U.S.
Haley & Aldrich is a nation-wide community, richly connected by networks of extraordinary people who seek to make the world a better place. We believe in creating potential through our people. If you are looking for an exciting opportunity where you can collaborate, fully engage, learn and put your expertise to work to handle important challenges, we want to talk with you! We offer excellent career growth, a highly competitive total compensation plan and a solid benefits package that includes; health, dental, vision; Short-Term/Long-Term Disability; 401K with match; generous vacation plan and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; long-term care and more.
Interested candidates should apply online at http://www.haleyaldrich.com/join-us/open-positions. | https://www.ceecareers.com/jobs/28468-geotechnical-engineer |
It snowed quite heavily in early February 2009. The children in Reception enjoyed watching the snowflakes falling and building an amazing snowman called Bob.
Happy, proud children with their snowman.
The children enjoyed making snowballs.
The snow felt very cold.
The snowflakes looked very pretty.
We enjoyed walking in the snow. | http://www.sttommor.bham.sch.uk/fun-in-the-snow/ |
The project lasts over 2 semesters and is divided into six milestones.
The goal of the milestones is to avoid a team from getting completely out of the time schedule and to find error sources, to solve the errors.
The given Task will be studied so a systems description, a requirements list and a time schedule can be made.
Different methods will be used to create multiple concepts to make an overview of choices of the different concepts.
A definite concept will be chosen and worked out in detail. The robot will be built after this concept.
Multiple reviews will be Held by the subteams with the experts before the actual M2 to clear uncertainties, find mistakes and to solve them. All the results of the reviews will be presented at M2 in front of the experts (final Review).
The goal of this milestone is to show the progress of every group in the team. In addition the bugs, the complications and the problems has to be shown and we have to explain how we solved these tasks. The first version of the website has to be online. A plan about the pending problems has to be shown. Therefore the experts get an overview about where we are working on in the project.
In this Milestone all the documents which belong to this project are handed over to the experts. This means final report, user guide, summary/flyer and the website has to be finished. The final report has to be designed in a way that a specialist can understand the development and if needed, it is possible for him to develop the robot further.
The team presents the robot to the experts. In this presentation will be shown if the the team has achieved the requirements of the requirements list. The cooperation of the two robots will be shown with the Partner team. Finally the team has to answer questions from the experts.
In the last milestone we will present our robot with the partner team to the experts, school colleagues, parents and other interested people. | https://www.ntb.ch/en/degree-programmes/bachelor-in-systems-engineering/systemtechnik/systemtechnik-projekt/2017/our-team/project-schedule/ |
- COVID-19: Learn about our most up-to-date guidance for participants and leaders on our COVID-19 Response page. All participants and leaders must agree to the COVID-19 Code of Conduct before participating in this Mountaineers event.
- Fri, Jul 19, 2019 09:00 AM to Sun, Jul 21, 2019 05:00 PM
- Horseshoe Cove Campground
- Bill Coady
- [email protected]
- 541-880-8222
- Everett Sea Kayaking Committee
- Everett
- vCal / iCal
- 58 (70 capacity)
Join the Everett Sea Kayak community for a fun weekend at Horseshoe Cove Campground at Baker Lake. Family and friends are invited. We visit, hike, ride bikes, walk dogs, paddle, read, sleep, and other stuff. There will be a group potluck on Saturday night, 7/20/19.
Reservations for individual campsites go fast so make sure you get on the website 6 months to the day (starting at midnight......no kidding....no later) before your arrival date and reserve your spot. We typically try to reserve spots on the north loop with campsites #6 through #20. Many folks share their campsites.
- Campground website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbs/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=17636&actid=29
- Reservations website: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/horseshoe-cove-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70281
Make your own reservations. Please let Ginger Stackpole [email protected] know which site you reserve. She keeps track of who and what is going on. We typically end up sharing some campsites. Not required but it allows a space for people with tents or last minute participants. Ginger can be reached at 425-232-9777 also. | https://www.mountaineers.org/locations-lodges/everett-branch/events/2019-baker-lake-shindig-with-everett-sea-kayakers |
Hitting a golf ball is a good example of applying force vectors.
When you hit a golf ball squarely, it should fly horizontally and on a slightly vertical path, as well a having a backspin, depending on the face angle of the golf club used. Hitting the ball with what is called an open face will provide an extra spin that makes the ball slice to the side. Hitting with a closed face causes the ball to hook in the other direction.
the direction of motion of the club head determines the direction of the force vector. This vector can be broken into two perpendicular components that determine the direction of motion of the ball and its spin.
Golfers can use golf clubs with different club head angles to vary the vertical direction as well as the spin. They can also adjust the way they hit the ball to change angles and spin.
What is the impact force?
What are the component vectors?
What is the result of the impact?
What are some golfer applications?
When swinging a golf club, the golfer wants to apply a force on the golf ball that will propel it in a specific manner.
The impact from the force of the golf club is broken into perpendicular vector components. The main force component goes through the center of the golf ball, The other force component is parallel to the club head.
The golf ball is propelled in a direction from the point of impact through the center of the ball. The other perpendicular component of the force causes the ball to spin due to the friction of the ball on the club head. Dimpling of the ball and groves in the club head facilitate the spinning.
A golfer might use a 8-iron or 9-iron that has a steep inclination angle, thus causing the ball to be propelled in a high arc and having a backspin that would prevent the ball from rolling after it hits the green.
Golfers use a driver that hits the ball more flush, resulting in a lower trajectory. Some golfers can adjust their swing to cause the ball to have a topspin, such that it will roll further.
Golfers can also hit the ball with an open or closed swing, as opposed to hitting the ball squarely, as in this illustration. Some golfers use an open club face when they hit the ball, as a way to cause it to slice. Others slice the ball because of a poor swing.
When you hit a golf ball, the direction of motion of the club head determines the direction of the force vector, which can be broken into two perpendicular components that determine the direction of motion of the ball and its spin. | https://www.school-for-champions.com/science/forces_golf.htm |
It’s been five months since the auditions in late October of 2003, when I found my name on a list of members of the chorus in the upcoming production of The Music Man at Henry Ford Community College.
At the time I was cast, the performance dates in April seemed ages away. But here I am. After weeks of practicing the dancing, singing, and learning how to apply layer after layer of stage make-up, I’m amazed when I realize that, come Friday, the curtains will rise, and the entire cast of “The Music Man” will bring one of the most famous all-American musicals to the Adray Auditorium.
For many cast members, this is just one of many productions that they will per-form in their lifetime, but for me, this is my first musical, and despite my appre-hensions, all of my expecta-tions have been exceeded. With Gerry Dzuiblinski, the director, Diane Mancinelli, the choreographer and the many helpful crew mem-bers backstage, it’s a comfort to know that they are helping to make this show a success, and have worked for hours with the entire cast, backstage and onstage, to help the musical run smoothly.
Every Tuesday and Thurs-day, we’d practice during the evening either in the dance studio with Diane or in the chorus room with the musical director, Kevin Dewey. It turned out that with a skilled number of musicians and singers in the cast, we learned the music faster than expected but our feet lagged behind
We couldn’t wait to start practicing onstage, since the relatively small dance studio was so crowded, and we were sick of bumping into each other and never having enough room to move around freely. Though we have lead dancers in the musical who’ve taken dance classes before, there are a lot of cast members who haven’t, so it took us a bit longer to get all the moves mastered.
Of course, in the beginning, many of us, especially myself, were worried that we would never get the dance steps learned cor-rectly, or that we’d forget the words to the songs or the lines of the script in time. I can’t remember how many times I went over the dance routines to “Shi-poopi” (the biggest dance number in the musical) in my head, and I can recall practicing it over and over again down in my basement until I finally got through the dance number without tripping all over my feet.
It’s taken many rehearsals and everyone’s dedication, but after all the sore feet, strained voices and a few bumps and bruises from accidents caused by moving the sets around, the whole cast is anxious to perform for the audiences at all nine of our shows that take place during upcoming weekends.
Besides dancing and sing-ing, the addition of cos-tumes was another aspect of the show that was hard to get used to. As if the stage lights weren’t hot enough, the costumes would only make us sweat even more onstage, and the full skirts and petticoats that most of the women wore made it difficult to dance.
It’s funny, however, that the things I’ve learned to master backstage are more challenging than the ones I’ve learned to improve on-stage. In January, when we started to work onstage, blocking scenes and rehearsing over and over, there were a lot of cast members out in the near lobby. Most of them were waiting for their cues to go onstage, and to pass the time, we’d talk about any-thing, whether serious or randomly hysterical. But when a former student at the college came back to help us perfect the show, we all got a big wake-up call. Sounds backstage travel a lot more than we thought they did, especially talking. Learning to be quiet back-stage was one of the hardest habits to break. It was even worse when I’d start laugh-ing backstage in the lobby, since everyone says I have one of the loudest laughs ever.
I had the most fun getting closer to a lot of the cast. Let’s face it, when many people are together for at least six hours a week, there is more than enough time to bond with each other, and the cast has both strengthened old friend-ships and discovered new friends along the way. When we first met each other, many faces we saw were hardly recognizable, but after all this time together, we’ve all become one big group of friends.
No matter how far we’ve come, there is still a long way to go before it’s all over. There are nine per-formances, where we’ll have to give our all to en-sure that the audience can laugh and hopefully have a great time. It’s hard to be-lieve that there was a time when I felt hopeless about the musical and thought we’d never make it at least decent, but when I think on it, I realized that I’m going to miss all the times, good and bad, that I’ve had with the cast. I’m lucky to have been in this musical, and hopefully I’ll be fortunate enough to have the oppor-tunity to work with some of the cast members with whom I’ve made friends.
Just four days, and I’ll be strapping my character shoes on and getting dressed in my Victorian-era costumes. It’s almost here, and I can’t wait! After all, there is nothing like hear-ing applause from the audi-ence, and knowing that this was a show that has been well done.
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The French Club, advised by French teacher Tammy Cook, began meeting on Monday’s from 2:00-2:30/3:00 p.m. in E206.
Members typically explore more about the French culture.
“French Club is not an extension of French class,” says Cook, “This allows students to experience the French culture in ways that we are not allowed to [experience] in class.”
Activities vary, at most meetings the club members usually receive a French snack, listen to French music and plan or do activities such as cooking, going on a field trip, or working on a fundraiser.
At the last meeting, Cook had brought in two Lyman’s pies for the students to sample, Apple Crumb and High top apple.
“They were so good, it made me wish that I had ordered an apple crumble,” says junior Annette Robak.
French Club recently held a Lyman Orchard pie fundraiser. Each club at LHS is allowed one fundraiser a year, so the fundraiser determines what they will be permitted to do for the year.
Cook was in charge of French club at a previous school and believed it was important that she accepted the roles and responsibilities of taking on French Club at LHS when Mr. Martin had retired.
French Club has now been run for 10 years with Cook. | https://www.ludlowcub.com/news/2014/10/29/french-club-is-back-in-action/ |
08 Sep Improving your vocabulary – why you need to be a vocab vulture!
Writing in the Telegraph last month, German Ambassador to London Peter Ammon described his disappointment at the falling number of British students learning his native language.
His comments preceded figures released a couple of weeks ago revealing a dip in pupils taking foreign languages at school – a drop which some academics blame on the rise of online tools such as Google Translate. Of course, having fewer students will ultimately mean fewer teachers, creating a vicious circle.
Ammon insisted: “While I recognise the importance of English, I believe language skills are more vital than ever.”
Sadly, it seems that the UK is not entirely in agreement. Research agency Populus conducted a survey for the British Council, which found that more than half of Brits (56%) point at foreign restaurant menus, while 45% assume locals will speak English, and 42% speak more slowly and loudly to make themselves understood. A perhaps surprising (and certainly rather embarrassing) 15% even attempt to communicate in English – with a foreign accent! A similar number avoid local cuisine altogether.
And yet, equally interestingly, 80% of respondents felt it important to “at least learn some phrases”.
Meanwhile the British Council’s Vicky Gough commented: “The decline in uptake of languages in schools is worrying … There is a somewhat alarmingly prevalent notion that … languages are ‘nice to have’, (yet) only a quarter of the world’s population speaks English.”
Whether you’re keen for your children to master French, German or Spanish, or are learning a foreign language yourself, it’s vital to absorb vocabulary like a sponge – or perhaps acquire it like a vulture, swooping down on new words and hanging on to them.
Vocab is an often underrated area of language learning, yet improving your vocabulary has a direct impact on your overall linguistic proficiency. And it helps speaking, listening, reading and writing skills come more readily. When you’re not grasping for words, you can focus on other aspects of language – such as sentence structure.
It’s the foundation on which to build linguistic proficiency, so it’s perhaps a misconception that vocabulary is less important than, for example, grammatical structures.
The worst communication breakdowns can occur when you don’t know the mot juste, rather than forget the right tense. (In the latter situation you can still make yourself understood, which is why more of us pack a dictionary than a grammar book.)
What’s more, the more extensive your vocabulary, the more words you’ll continue to absorb.
But vocabulary isn’t something you can cram the night before an exam. Even if you are an excellent linguist, you are highly unlikely to learn 200 new words overnight.
Study new words in your target language little and often, aiming for, say, 10 new words a day. Put them on Post-It notes on the bathroom or bedroom mirror, or on the fridge. Have a dedicated vocab notebook and read it en route to work or school. Get a friend or family member to test you on a daily car or bus journey, use flashcards and any memory techniques you can think of.
One final tip: whatever your target language, always learn the gender of new nouns – this is something which may not come entirely naturally at first to native English speakers, but it will make a huge difference when you begin to learn the idiosyncrasies of your new language’s grammar. Equally, learn the infinitive form of any new verbs.
So get into the vocab habit – or, if you’re a parent of a budding linguist, encourage your child to do so. Once you’ve mastered a word and recognised it in conversation or reading, it’s yours for ever. | https://thelearningcauldron.co.uk/improving-your-vocabulary-why-you-need-to-be-a-vocab-vulture/ |
Carriage rate of Haemophilus influenzae among preschool children in Turkey.
This study was designed to determine the prevalence of healthy Haemophilus influenzae carriers in a random sample of the preschool population in Kayseri, Turkey. The lack of H. influenzae type b (Hib) disease surveillance and epidemiological data on the throat carriage of Turkish children has caused a delay in the introduction of conjugated Hib vaccination into proposed national vaccination programs. Oropharyngeal cultures were collected and cultured on chocolate agar supplemented with 260 microg/ml bacitracin from 683 children between May and June, 2006. One hundred seven (15,6%) of the 683 children studied were found to be as H. influenzae carriers, and 29 (4,2%) isolates were serotype b. Beta-lactamase production was detected in four isolates (3.7%). According to multivariate analysis, the sex of the child and the number of people sharing the same room with the child significantly influenced the odds of carrying H. influenzae. Age, having older siblings, passive smoking, respiratory infection during the last 30 days, number of people in the household, attending kindergarten or a day-care center, and household income were not significant variables. Our results suggest that there is a strong relationship between exposure to large numbers of children and H. influenzae carriage.
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Our purpose is to describe in detail a convenient procedure for performing a new kind of item analysis. This new item analysis is different in a vital way from that described in textbooks like Gulliksen's Theory of Mental Tests and used in computing programs like TSSA2. The difference is that (a) test calibrations are independent of the sample of persons used to estimate item parameters, and (b) person measurements, the transformation of test scores into estimates of person ability, are independent of the selection of items used to obtain test scores.
The procedure for sample-free item analysis is based on a very simple model (Rasch, 1960, 1966a, 1966b) for what happens when any person encounters any item. The model says that the outcome of such an encounter is governed by the product of the ability of the person and the easiness of the item and nothing more! The more able the person, the better his chances for success with any item. The more easy the item, the more likely any person is to solve it.
This means that variation in additional item characteristics, like guessing and discrimination, must be dealt with during the construction and selection of items for the final sample-free pool. The aim is to create a pool of items with similar discrimination and minimal guessing. Since the method for measuring person ability is quite robust with respect to departures from the assumption that the only characteristic on which items differ is easiness, this aim is not difficult to satisfy. The procedure to be described includes a statistical test for item fit which facilitates the identification of "bad" items which do not conform to the assumptions of the model. [BDW would later say "specifications of the model."]
The use of this simple model for mental measurement makes it possible to take into account whatever abilities persons in the calibration sample happen to have and to free the calibration of test items from the particulars of these abilities. As a result no assumptions need be made about the distribution of ability in the target population or in the calibration sample.
In its mathematical form this model for sample-free item analysis says that the observed response ani of person n to item i is governed by a binomial probability function of person ability Zn and item easiness Ei . The probability of a right response is:
Pr(ani = 1) = Zn Ei /(1 + Zn Ei ) (1)
and the probability of a wrong response is:
Pr(ani = 0) = 1 - Pr(ani = 1) = 1/(1 + Zn Ei ). (1')
Taking advantage of the convention that ani = 1 means right and ani = 0 means wrong we can combine (1) and (1') to give:
Pr(ani ) = (Zn Ei )ani/(1 + Zn Ei ) (2)
It is also convenient to express (2) in an alternative form in which we write the model parameters Zn and Ei in a log form as follows:
Pr(ani ) = exp (ani (bn + di ))/(1 + exp(bn + di )) (3)
where bn = log Zn and di = log Ei .
An important consequence of this model is that the number of correct responses to a given set of items is a sufficient statistic for estimating person ability. This score is the only information needed from the data to make the ability estimate. Therefore, we need only estimate an ability for each possible score. Any person who gets a certain score will be estimated to have the ability associated with that score. All persons who get the same score will be estimated to have the same ability.
This encourages us to rewrite (3) in terms of score groups.
Pr(ani ) = exp (ani (bj + di ))/(1 + exp(bj + di )) (4)
where j is the score obtained by person n and all persons with a score j are estimated to have the same probability governing their responses to item i.
There are two stages in the measurement of person ability. The first stage, item calibration, consists in estimating the item parameters di and their standard errors. This is done by analyzing the responses of a sample of N persons to a set of k items. It is during this stage that items are discarded which do not satisfy the criteria considered important from the point of view of the model. In typical item analysis desirable characteristics of a test are high reliability and validity, therefore items with low indices of reliability or validity are dropped. For this sample-free model the essential criterion is the compatibility of the items with the model.
The failure of an item to fit the model can be traced to two main sources. One is that the model is too simple. It takes account of only one item characteristic - item easiness. Other item parameters like item discrimination and guessing are neglected. As a matter of fact, parameters for discrimination and guessing can easily be included in a more general model. Unfortunately their inclusion makes the application of the model to actual measurement very complicated, if not impossible. The sample-free model assumes that all items have the same discrimination, and that the effect of guessing is negligible. Our experience with the analysis of real data suggests that the model is quite robust with respect to departures from these assumptions.
The other source of lack of fit of an item lies in the content of the item. The model assumes that all the items used are measuring the same trait. Items in a "test" may not fit together if the "test" is composed of items which measure different abilities. This includes the situation in which the item is so badly constructed or so mis-scored that what it measures is irrelevant to the rest of the "test."
If a given set of items fit the model this is the evidence that they refer to a unidimensional ability, that they form a conformable set. Fit to the model also implies that item discriminations are uniform and substantial, that there are no errors in item scoring and that guessing has had a negligible effect. Thus the criterion of fit to the model enables us to identify and delete "bad" items. Item calibration is concluded by reanalyzing the retained items to obtain the final estimates of their easinesses.
In the second stage, person measurement, some or all of the calibrated items are used to obtain a test score. An estimate of person ability and the standard error of this estimate are made from the score and from the easinesses of the items used. The flexibility of being able to use some or all of a set of items in a "test" is an important advantage of this method of item analysis. Meaningful comparisons of ability can be made even when the particular items used to make the different measurements are not the same. The number of items selected for any measurement can be determined by the testing time available and the accuracy required.
In this procedure the "reliability" of a test, a concept which depends upon the ability distribution of the sample, is replaced by the precision of measurement. The standard error of the ability estimate is a measure of the precision attained. This standard error depends primarily upon the number of items used. The range of item easiness with respect to the ability level being measured, also affects the standard error of the ability estimate. But in practice this effect is minor compared to the effect of test length. It is possible to reach any desired level of precision by varying the number of items used in the measurement, just providing that the range of item easiness is reasonably appropriate to the abilities being measured.
We shall describe two methods for the estimation of item and person parameters and their standard errors. Both methods are such that ability estimates are obtained at the same time as item estimates. The equations used for person measurement, given calibrated items, are similar to those used during item calibration. The difference being that during person measurement the items are assumed calibrated, and so item easinesses are no longer estimated but kept fixed. However, one is not usually interested in ability measurement at the stage of item calibration. Usually a pool of items are calibrated first and then later used selectively for measurement.
The first method of estimation uses unweighted least squares and will be referred to as LOG. The second method uses maximum likelihood and will be referred to as MAX [also known as UCON and JMLE]. In general MAX is preferable to LOG. MAX gives better estimates of the model parameters, and the standard errors of estimate are better approximated. However, when the calibration sample is large, and the ability range of the sample is wider than the easiness range of the item parameters, then the item estimates obtained by LOG are equivalent to the estimates obtained by MAX.
In general we recommend that MAX be used whenever possible. Our reason for describing LOG is that it is conceptually and computationally simple. If a small computer is unavailable, LOG can be used to obtain rough parameter estimates and their standard errors.
Despite the simplicity of LOG we would like to emphasize that MAX is not much more complicated. The characteristic which makes MAX more difficult to use is its system of implicit equations which must be solved by an iterative procedure. This iterative procedure is easy to perform on a small computer but tedious on a desk calculator.
Methods
A. LOG Method:
1. Description.
The log method of estimation is based on using the observed proportion of successes aji /rj within a particular score group j as an estimate of the probability pji of obtaining a correct response, for any person in score group j, to an item of easiness Ei = exp di .
pji ~= aji /ri
pji = exp (bj + di )/(1 + exp(bj + di )) (5)
where bi is the ability associated with
score group j
ri is the number of persons in score group j
aji is the number of persons in score group j who get item i correct.
and (ri - aji )/ri ~= 1/(1 + exp (bj + di ))
so aji /(ri - aji ) ~= exp (bj + di )
and tji = log (aji /(ri - aji )) ~= bj + di , (6)
so tji = bi * + di * (7)
where di * = estimate of di
and bj * = estimate of bj .
This leads to the estimation equations
di * - d. * = t.i - t.. (8)
where d. * = (1/k) sum i=i to k (di *)
t.i = (1/(k - 1)) sum j=1 to k-1 tji
t.. = (1/k) sum i=1 to k t.i
Since there is an indeterminacy in the scale of easiness we can determine the scale so that d. * = 0 to give:
log Ei * = di * = t.i - t.. (9)
as the basic equation for estimating item easiness.
We also obtain an estimation equation for ability:
log Zj * = bj * = tj. - t.. (10)
Equations (9) and (10) are the basic estimation equations for the log method.
To calculate standard errors of the estimates bj * and di * we need expressions for the variance of tji . This is obtained from the variance of aji . The number of successes aji in the score group j has a binomial distribution, and hence the variance of aji , will be given by:
V(aji ) = ri pji (1 - pji )
where pji is the probability of obtaining a success. The variance of tji can be approximated from:
V(tji ) ~= (dtji /daji )2 V(aji )
~= 1/ri pji (1- pji )
or V*(tji ) = 1/ri pji *(1-pji *) (11)
where pji * = exp (bj * + di *)/(1 + exp (bj * + di *))
and (dtji /daji ) is the partial derivative of tji with respect to aji and equals 1/ri pji *(1-pji *)
From (9) we get for the variance of di *:
V(di *) = V(t.i - t.. ).
We know that the tji 's are independent with respect to variation in j, that is for given i, tji and tli are independent, because they come from different groups of persons. However, there is a relationship between tji and tjl , for any score group j because of the constraint sum i=1 to k aji - jri . In fact, the actual covariances between tji and tjl are very small. For simplicity we will assume that the tji 's are independent of each other in both directions. Then for the variance of di * we get:
V(di *) ~= (1 - 1/k)V(t.i ) < V(t.i )
so ~= V(t.i )
V*(di *) = (1/(k - 1)2 ) sum from i=1 to k-1 V(tji ). (12)
This approximation is conservative. The exact variances of estimates are smaller than those given by (12). The standard error of the ability estimate is approximated by:
V*(bi *) = (1/k2 ) sum from i=1 to k V(tji ). (13)
Procedure
A. Data Handling
The observations consist of the responses of N individuals to each of k items which compose the test. The response to an item is coded 1 or 0, 1 if the response is correct and 0 otherwise. (The procedure is restricted to dichotomous items, i.e., to items that can be coded right or wrong.)
A k-dimensional response vector I of 1's and 0's can represent the response of an individual to the test. Hence, the data could be conceived of as an N x k matrix containing the responses of all the N persons to the k items. However, for estimation that matrix contains superfluous information because the ability estimate of an individual is entirely dependent on his score - the exact pattern of responses is immaterial. We do not need to know the response of an individual to a particular item, but only his total score to classify him according to estimated ability.
The distribution of estimated ability for the whole sample can be summarized in a score vector R of dimension k-1. The element rj of the vector R is set equal to the number of persons with a score of j.
Scores of 0 and k are excluded because they do not contribute to the item calibration. They provide no differential information about the items. For these people all the items appear either equally hard or equally easy. In fact we cannot obtain point estimates of ability for such people. Items which everyone gets right or everyone gets wrong are also excluded. At the calibration stage we cannot obtain point estimates for them from the sample, and at the measurement stage at least among the calibrating sample they do not provide differential information about the ability of the individuals being measured.
Thus the original N x k data matrix can be collapsed into a (k - 1) x k matrix A, such that an element aji represents the number of persons with a score of j who get item i correct. This A matrix contains all the information bearing on test calibration.
The first step in the procedure then consists in computing A and R. The total number of persons N' (excluding those that get zero and maximum scores) can be counted at the same time. The most convenient way of setting up the matrix A and vector R is to read in one case (vector I) at a time. The score j is calculated by summing over all the responses.
j = sum i=1 to k (Ii ) (14)
or jn = sum i=1 to k ani .
If j = 0 or k the case is disregarded and the next case is read in. When j is in the permissible range the appropriate accumulation is made to R and A. This is demonstrated below in terms of a FORTRAN program segment which can be used as a subroutine acting on each case:
[Obsolete source code omitted]
I = Response vector I
IA = Matrix A in fixed point
K = Number of items k in test
RN = N' number of persons with scores not 0 or K
R = Vector R of score group sizes.
It is assumed that IA, R and RN are zeroed before any cases are accumulated into them.
If any rj is zero we disregard the score group j. An empty score group does not contribute any information to the item estimation or to the test for the item fit. Also in the case of the log method we cannot obtain ability estimates directly for empty score groups. Therefore, the number of useful score groups are score groups which have one or more persons in them. We compute m, the number of such useful score groups by scanning the vector R,
m = sum i=1 to k-1 xi (15)
where xi =1 if ri >0
xi = 0 if ri = 0.
The information from the data contained in R, A, N' and m is enough to enable us to estimate the model parameters and their standard errors.
b. Estimation
To get estimates by the log method we transform the data in A to a matrix T where the element tji is given by
tji = log (aji /(ri - aji )). (16)
We run into problems when aji = 0 or when aji = ri , because at these values tji is infinite. To avoid this difficulty we modify T such that:
tji = log ((aji +w)/((ri - aji +w)). (17)
where w = ri /N'.
The advantage of this adjustment is that now when aji = 0 or aji = ri then tji = ±log (1 + N'). These limits for extreme values of tji seem reasonable, because for N' persons log(1 + N') is an outside limit on the magnitude that any cell in T can take. Thus the matrix T is set up using the expression (17) for each element of the matrix.
The estimates di * are obtained from T using (9)
(18)
In principle this is as far as we need proceed to obtain item estimates by the log method, but the di *'s obtained above contain the extreme values for the empty and full cells in A, i.e., when aji = 0 or aji = ri . We can improve the estimates by substituting values for the unknown tji 's according to the model. To do this we also need the ability estimates, which are obtained from T by (10)
(19)
From the model the estimated value we get for the cell tji is:
tji * = di * + bj * + t.. (20)
therefore for the extreme cells we substitute this value in place of ±log(1 + N').
With these new values for the unknown cells in T we again compute di * and bj * according to (18) and (19). The results will differ from the previous values depending upon the number of empty and full cells in the matrix A.
The program steps in FORTRAN required for obtaining the estimates di *, bj * and the matrix T are shown below.
[obsolete source code omitted]
B is the vector of ability estimates
D is the vector of item estimates.
Methods
B. MAX Method:
1 Description.
Maximum likelihood is a widely used method for estimating model parameters. The assumption involved in obtaining parameter estimates is that the observed data is the most likely occurrence. Parameters are estimated so that they maximize the probability (likelihood) of obtaining the sample of observations.
The equations obtained when the condition of a maximum likelihood is satisfied for the sample free model (3) in the introduction are:
i=1,2...k (21)
i=1,2...k-1 (22)
where a+i = number of persons who get item i correct (item score)
j = the score, an ability estimate is obtained for each score
ri = number of persons in score group j,
and the log likelihood is
The method consists in computing di * and bj * from the implicit equations (21) and (22). It should be noted that each of the equations (21) involves only one item estimate, even though it does depend on all (k - 1) ability estimates bj *. Similarly, each equation in (22) involves only one ability estimate and of all the item estimates di *. We handle these equations as two independent sets, and solve them accordingly.
When the item estimates are assumed known, (22) is the set of equations used for person measurement. From (22) we can obtain a scoring table, a table which will show the estimated ability corresponding to every score, for a given set of items. This scoring table involves only the item estimates. Therefore, a scoring table can be provided for any specific test, and the ability of an individual can be estimated by looking up his score in the scoring table. Once the scoring table is obtained no further computations are necessary. Thus computations are in general only necessary at the item calibration stage. They become necessary at the measurement stage only if one does not want to use a set of items for which a scoring table has been provided.
The approximation of a standard error for item estimates can be approached in two ways. In equation (21) we can assume that the variance of the item estimate is due primarily to the uncertainty in the item score a+i . To a first approximation this gives:
which from (21) leads to:
(23)
An alternative is to approximate the standard error f m the asymptotic value of the variance of a maximum likelihood estimate. But this leads to the same equation (23).
To obtain estimates for the item parameters, we have to solve the two sets of equations (21) and (22). Since these equations are implicit in di * and bj *, we cannot solve them directly. In our analysis we use the Newton-Raphson procedure to solve for the unknown parameter estimates. This procedure is an iterative one. We start with an initial estimate x0 , and using the Newton-Raphson equation obtain an improved estimate x1 . Now using the new value x1 as the starting estimate, we repeat the procedure until the estimates do not change appreciably. If f(x) = 0 is the implicit equation to be solved for x, the value of x at the (n+1)th iteration is given by
xn+1 = xn - (f(xn )/f'(xn )) (24)
where xn = value of x at the nth iteration
f'(x) = df(x)/dx, the differential of f(x) with respect to x and f(x)/f'(x) is evaluated at x = xn .
Equation (24) is suitable for equations which are functions of only one unknown. This is adequate for our purposes because we can solve (21) and (22) as two independent sets of equations, in which each of the k equations in (21) and each of the (k - 1) equations in (22) are locally functions of only one unknown.
To facilitate a description of the procedure we write equations (21) and (22) in a form analogous to equation (24).
i = 1, 2 ... k
(25)
(26)
j = 1, 2 ... k-1
Also if
j = 1, 2 ... k-1
(27)
(28)
Since the method is iterative, we need some basis for termination. We employ two different criteria for judging whether convergence has been reached. An obvious consideration is to look at the average squared difference SD between the values of estimates obtained from two consecutive iterations. If SD is less than some criterion value SC, we stop the procedure, because insufficient improvement is obtained in the estimates by continuing the procedure further. An alternate criterion is to monitor the value of the likelihood function. This can be accomplished by computing the likelihood at each iteration and observing the rate of increase. If things are as they should be, the likelihood will increase rapidly at first, and then become approximately constant. The procedure can be stopped when the increase in the likelihood is less than some specified value CM.
Procedure
The first part of the procedure for MAX is the same as that described for LOG. The data is edited in exactly the same way, and the LOG procedure followed until initial item estimates are obtained. These item estimates are then used as the initial values for the iterative procedure described in MAX. The initial values for the ability estimates are taken to be zero.
Using the LOG item estimates and zero ability estimates as starting values, the iterative procedure, described by the Newton-Raphson equations (25) and (27), is continued until stable estimates are obtained both for the item and the ability estimates.
This is accomplished by solving (25) for the item estimates assuming that the abilities are zero. The obtained item estimates are substituted in (27) and these equations are solved for improved ability estimates. The improved ability estimates are then substituted in (25) and improved item estimates obtained. This procedure of alternately solving (25) and (27) using improved estimates at each stage is continued till the process converges.
Two criteria for convergence were described in the previous section. We use both criteria. First we examine the average squared deviation SD and then test the change in the likelihood ELD. If either SD or ELD is less than the specified criterion value we stop the procedure. The criterion values we use are 10-5 for SD and 10-2 for ELD. We find that these cut-off values ensure sufficient convergence. When the procedure is continued further no appreciable change is observed in the estimates. The FORTRAN programming steps required for implementing the successive solutions for (25) and (27) are shown below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
The log likelihood EL is initialized at a negative value since it is expected to increase. This is necessary to do in order to compute the change in the likelihood for the first iteration. The vector B, ability estimates, are initially set to zero, and the vector D, item estimates, are those obtained from the LOG method. From our experience we find that the maximum number of times we might expect to go through this procedure is less than 20, therefore we set the maximum index of the loop at 20. SC and CM are the criterion values discussed above, e.g. SC = 10-5 and CM = 10-2 and
K = number of items
NGK = K - 1, the number of score groups
R = vector of score group sizes
IA = data matrix in fixed point mode.
AP is the vector of item scores which can be computed from the data matrix as follows:
APi = sum i=1 to k-1 aji .
MAXLIK and LIKE are subroutines. MAXLIK performs the iterations for the individual sets of equations, i.e. for (25) and (27). LIKE computes the likelihood. The steps required for these subroutines are indicated below.
[obsolete source code omitted]
It should be noted that, as in the LOG method, here also the item estimates are constrained so that they add to zero, i.e. sum from i=1 to k di * = 0. The iterations for the Newton-Raphson method are performed in subroutine NEWT. It is a general subroutine and is applicable to any equation of the form:
where X = the unknown
C, and vectors A and Y are given constants.
The steps required for the programming are shown below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
Finally Subroutine LIKE is given below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
Once the item and ability estimates have been obtained, by the procedure described above, the standard error of item estimates is easily computed from equation (23). The vector SI of standard errors of the item estimates depends mainly upon the number of persons in the sample, i.e., the vector R of score group sizes. The larger the elements of this vector R, the smaller will be the standard errors. The program segment for computing SI is shown below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
Methods
C. Person Measurement
1. Ability Estimation:
This part of the procedure is especially important for test users. Ordinarily test users are not concerned with calibrating items. Given a pool of calibrated items, however, they want to estimate abilities for persons to whom sets of items have been administered.
As mentioned earlier, if a scoring table is provided with the items and all the items used to compute the scoring table are used in the test, there is no need to compute new ability estimates. They can be obtained immediately by referring to the scoring table. If only some of the items are used, however, one needs to compute the abilities and their standard errors for scores on this selection of items. That procedure is given in this section.
The equations to be solved have been discussed previously (22). The only way to solve these implicit equations (22) is by means of an iterative method. The Newton-Raphson procedure gives the relationship between two successive values of the estimates in terms of the functional form of the equation to be solved. This procedure was discussed previously (27), but we will restate the equations for the convenience of those interested in ability estimation only.
j=1,2,...,k- 1
j = the score, an estimated ability bj * is associated with each score
di = the item estimates, assumed known from the calibration of the item pool
k = number of items used for the test.
bn * = value of the estimate at the nth iteration
bn+1 * = value of the estimate at the (n+1)th iteration
g(b*)/g'(b*) is evaluated at b* = bn *.
Since we are solving the equations by means of an iterative method, we need some criterion for terminating the procedure. We stop the iterations when SD, the square of the relative change in the estimate, is less than some specified value SC. We find that no appreciable change is observed in the estimates if the procedure is carried on beyond the point when SD becomes less than 10-6. Therefore, we set SC = 10-5.
The FORTRAN program segment for this procedure is given below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
Thus we obtain an ability estimate for each of the k-1 scores 1, 2 ... k-1. One advantage of using this metric for the abilities instead of the observed score is that the scale of this metric is an interval scale, whereas, in general the raw score scale is not. Another important consideration is that abilities in this metric, obtained from different sets of calibrated items, are comparable. In the case of the raw score there is no rigorous method of putting the score on a common scale.
2. Standard Error of Ability Estimate:
The accuracy [precision] of any ability measurement is an important consideration. Not only do we want to be able to measure the ability of a person, but we would also like to know how well we have been able to make the measurement. The major contribution to the error variance of the ability estimate comes from the variance in scores produced by a given individual. As we shall later see, this part of the error variance depends upon the number of items and their easiness range. Therefore, in designing a measurement, for example constructing a test, it will be the accuracy desired which will determine the number and easiness range of the items selected for the ability estimation.
A smaller number of items is needed to produce a given level of precision in the measurement when the difficulty level of the items is approximately equal to the ability of the person being measured. This is similar to choosing items at the fifty per cent level of difficulty in classical item analysis. For a given set of k items the standard errors of the ability estimates corresponding to raw scores around k/2 will be smaller than the standard errors for the more extreme scores near 1 and k-1. Hence, by choosing items with the appropriate difficulties it is possible to economize on the number of items administered.
Another component which makes a small contribution to the variance of ability estimates comes from the imprecision in item calibration. This effect can be made negligible by calibrating the items on large samples so that the standard errors of item estimates are very small.
An approximation of the variance of the ability estimate b* is given by:
(29)
where
V(di ) is the variance of the item calibration di .
The first term in the right hand side of the expression (29) is due to the variance in the score and the second term is due to the imprecision of item calibration. The first term is always larger than the second. For example, if we assume that all V(di ) are one (usually V(di ) is much less than one) the second term is p(1-p) times the first. We know that the maximum value of p(1-p) is 0.25, therefore, the second term will, at the most, contribute one fourth as much variance as that due to the uncertainty in the score, in other words, at most 20 per cent of the total error variance. The magnitude of the first term depends primarily on the number of items, and to a lesser degree on the relationship between their easiness range and the ability being measured.
Given ability estimates, item estimates and their variances we can compute the standard errors of the ability estimates by means of the following FORTRAN program segment:
[obsolete source code omitted]
SA = vector of standard errors of ability estimates
K = number of items
B = vector of ability estimates
D = vector of item estimates
SI = vector of standard errors of item estimates.
D. Testing the Fit of the Item:
During item calibration it is necessary to decide whether all the items that have been tried are to be retained for the final pool. We need a statistical criterion for deciding whether an item is good enough from the point of view of the model.
To make this decision we need to investigate how the elements aji in the data matrix A depend upon the estimates di * and bj *. If we can derive the expectation E (aji ) of these elements in terms of the obtained estimates we can form a standard deviate
(30)
and use this deviate as the basis for a test of item fit. If item i fits the model, and the score group rj is large enough, then yji will have an approximately unit normal distribution.
Now aji has a binomial distribution with parameters pji , the probability of making a correct response, and rj , the number of persons with a score j. Therefore, the expectation of aji is given by:
(31)
and its variance by
Since bj and di are not known we use their estimates and approximate the expectation and variance of aji as
and
Examination of the matrix Y, with the standard deviates yji as elements, will show us how well the items fit, and indicate where there are signs of misfit.
From the matrix Y we can obtain statistics which will enable us to evaluate the fit of the model to the data as a whole, and we can also form approximate statistics which will help identify items which are bad, and hence need to be reconsidered. As discussed in the introduction, an item may not fit for a number of reasons. It may be badly constructed or incorrectly scored. Its discrimination may be very different from the discriminations of the other items. It could be measuring some ability other than that being measured by the rest of the items. In any case, the item will be detected so that it can be examined for deletion or revision.
The over-all statistic used in the procedure is a chi-square statistic χ2 which is obtained by summing the squared unit normal deviates over the entire matrix Y
(32)
with degrees of freedom = (k-1)(m-1)
where m = number of score groups with ri ><0.
The degrees of freedom are obtained from the number of observations in the data matrix, taking account of the loss of degrees of freedom due to constraints and parameter estimation. There are k x m observations in the data matrix. There are m constraints on the score margins since sum for i=1 to k aji = jrj . Finally (k-1) item parameters have been estimated. Therefore the degrees of freedom for χ2 are:
d.f.= km -m -(k-1) (33)
= (m-1)(k-1).
An approximate χ2 statistic can also be obtained for each item by summing yji 2 over the score groups to give
(34)
with
d.f. = m-1.
Since (34) is an approximate χi 2, we do not think it advisable to mechanically delete all items for which the χi 2 is significant at some level. We prefer to examine in detail items for which χi 2 is large. This may mean evaluating the possible effects of discrimination and guessing in these "bad" items. Then when we have decided which of the "bad" items to delete, we rerun the analysis to see how the remaining set of items look.
A FORTRAN program segment which will implement the procedure in this section is given below:
[obsolete source code omitted]
CH = mean square for the entire data.
CHI = vector of item mean squares.
R = vector of score group sizes.
M = number of occupied score groups with rj <>0.
IA = data matrix.
K = number of items.
D = vector of item estimates.
B = vector of ability estimates.
A (FORTRAN II) PROGRAM FOR SAMPLE-FREE ITEM ANALYSIS
This program estimates item and ability parameters from item analysis data according to the logistic response model:
[details of obsolete computer program omitted]
REFERENCES
Gulliksen, H. Theory of Mental Tests. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1950.
Rasch, G. Probabilistic Models for Some Intelligence and Attainment Tests. Copenhagen: Danish Institute for Educational Research, 1960. Chapters V-VII, X.
Rasch, G. An Individualistic Approach to Item Analysis. Readings in Mathematical Social Science. Edited by Lazarsfeld and Henry. Chicago: Science Research Associates Inc. 1966, 89-107. (a)
Rasch, G. An Item Analysis Which Takes Individual Differences into Account. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology. London: 1966. Vol. 19, Part l, 49-57. (b)
Wright, B. D. Sample-Free Test Calibration and Person Measurement. Proceedings of the 1967 Invitational Conference on Testing Problems. Princeton: Educational Testing Service, 1968, 85-101.
This memo was published as: Wright, B. D., & Panchapakesan, N. (1969) A procedure for sample-free item analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 29, 23-48. | https://www.rasch.org/memo46.htm |
Joshua Cohen is a Principal at Fat Pencil Studio
Last week I watched dash cam and body cam footage of a fatal police shooting in Charlotte, NC. It was both awful and frustrating. Awful because this is just the latest in a long line of racially charged police violence. Frustrating because the video is too blurry to make out important details. “If only we could enhance that,” I caught myself saying. As a visual expert, I should know better.
“Zoom and enhance” may work on TV shows, but in real life what you see in the video is what you get. Computers can adjust brightness and contrast but they can’t create new information. However, video footage is often more useful than it might seem on first viewing if you are patient enough to piece together clues that may be hidden in plain sight.
Fat Pencil Studio has worked on dozens of cases that included video evidence. There are many ways that we've been able to extract useful information from it. Some are relatively simple, such as adjusting brightness and contrast or syncing up multiple sources. Others involve paying careful attention to each frame and relating what is shown to other known facts. Here are two areas where this kind of analysis can be fruitful:
1. Timing. Video footage simulates motion by recording many still images at a regular interval. This consistent timeline tells us a lot about how objects are moving. In one case, it was important to know when a train operator applied the brakes. Interior footage of hanging bicycles gave us the clue we needed. The bicycles started swinging when the brakes were applied. This is hard to see in real time, so the ability to control playback speed and move frame-by-frame is an important tool when hunting for tiny movements.
2. Location. When viewing footage from a moving camera, keep an eye out for reference objects that have a fixed location. In the previous example the train passed several utility poles that were visible through the window. This allowed us to determine speed and location when the brakes were first applied. When a camera location is fixed (mounted on a building or a parked car) it is often possible to accurately pinpoint the location of objects that move through the frame. This science is called photogrammetry, and we used it to figure out whether a pedestrian was in a bus driver’s blind spot in this downtown Philadelphia collision.
The increasing use of surveillance cameras presents legitimate privacy concerns, but also a tremendous opportunity to figure out things that might have perviously been considered unknowable. I recently listened to Eye in the Sky, a Radiolab episode about using aerial surveillance of entire cities to get real-time actionable information about criminal activity, from burglary to murder. If you’ve ever been curious about the capability of government intelligence operations, you’ll want to hear to this story. It certainly got me thinking about the ethics of placing so many surveillance cameras on our buildings, cars, and even police officers. Personally, I’ve come to accept this dramatic increase in surveillance, but remain nervous about how it will be used. Will our legal system require agencies to release footage for a proper and thorough vetting? Even if it tells a story they don’t like? I hope so. Feature image credit: 1982 Blade Runner, one of the first known uses of the Zoom and Enhance trope. | https://fatpencilstudio.com/blog/zoom-and-enhance/ |
This delicious apple cake with caramel topping is easy to make. This recipe makes a large single layer moist cake. It also freezes well, if you manage to have cake leftover! This recipe was complimentary with the purchase of apples at Creasy Apple Farm. If you find yourself in the Picton area, this is a great place to stop for apples, pears or plums. There are many varieties to choose from, the samples are free and there's always a hard working family member around to guide you in your purchase. For this cake, I prefer to use the ever popular Honey Crisp apple. This variety of apple is aptly named, sweet, crisp and very juicy.That being said, the first few times that I made this cake I just used apples that I had on hand and the cake was a big hit!
If you are a novice cake baker, please read the notes at the end of this recipe.
Mix the ingredients by hand in the order given. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.Make the topping when the cake has almost finished baking.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan on top of the stove. Add 1/4 cup of milk and 1 cup of brown sugar. Bring to a boil while stirring. Set your timer and boil gently while stirring for 4 minutes. When the cake has finished baking, remove from the oven. Pour the caramel topping over the cake and return to the oven for a few minutes.Remove the cake when the topping bubbles. Place cake pan on a cooling rack.See if you can let it cool completely before you try a piece! Enjoy!!
1.I chop the apples in 1/2 to 1 inch sized pieces.
2. I stir the flour, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl and then combine with the other ingredients. This so that your baking soda doesn't directly encounter moisture which would render it useless as a leavening agent.
3. There is a generous amount of batter and it is VERY stiff to stir, so I use my largest bowl and a strong silicone spatula. Stir until ingredients are combined. Place in either a no stick Teflon or greased cake pan. Spread evenly with the spatula.
4. To see if your cake is done, check the center with a cake tester or a tooth pick. If you are uncertain about how to do this go here.
5. Watch the heat when making your caramel topping. Sugar scorches easily, and then your caramel will taste burned. I suggest boil carefully while stirring. On my stove top I can boil this mixture gently at a medium setting. Also, set your timer to boil accurately for 4 minutes. This makes the perfect caramel topping.
6. Before I pour the topping over the cake, I pierce the surface of the cake with a tooth pick in several places so as to allow the caramel to penetrate slightly. Then place the cake back in the oven for a few minutes until the topping is bubbling on the cake surface.
This great apple cake stays incredibly moist so you will want to refrigerate it after the first day. I usually remove mine from the cake pan in large pieces and place in a covered plastic container in the refrigerator. You can give each piece a few seconds in the microwave before serving for optimum flavor.
Hi Lori - Thanks for recommending cookware with Teflon® nonstick coatings while making your Apple Cake with Caramel topping recipe! I represent DuPont and it's always a pleasure to see people recommending our products in their recipes. | https://www.fadified.com/2013/03/apple-cake-with-caramel-top-recipe.html?showComment=1364849871648 |
---
abstract: 'Quantum strategies have been successfully applied to game theory for years. However, as a reverse problem of game theory, the theory of mechanism design is ignored by physicists. In this paper, the theory of mechanism design is generalized to a quantum domain. The main result is that by virtue of a quantum mechanism, agents who satisfy a certain condition can combat “bad” social choice rules instead of being restricted by the traditional mechanism design theory.'
address: |
Wan-Dou-Miao Research Lab, Suite 1002, 790 WuYi Road,\
Shanghai, 200051, China.\
[email protected]
author:
- Haoyang Wu
title: |
Quantum mechanism helps agents combat “bad”\
social choice rules
---
\#1[[\#1:]{}]{}
Introduction
============
Game theory is a very useful tool for investigating rational decision making in conflict situations. It was first founded by von Neumann and Morgenstern $^{1}$. Since its beginning, game theory has been widely applied to many disciplines, such as economics, politics, biology and so on. Compared with game theory, the theory of mechanism design simply concerns the *reverse* question: given some desirable outcomes, can we design a game that produces them?
As Serrano $^{2}$ has described, we suppose that the goals of a group of self-interested agents (or a society) can be summarized in a social choice rule (SCR). An SCR is a mapping that prescribes the social outcome (or outcomes) on the basis of agents’ preferences over the set of all social outcomes $^{3}$. The theory of mechanism design answers the important question of whether and how it is possible to implement different SCRs. According to Maskin and Sjöström $^{4}$, whether or not an SCR is implementable depends on which game theoretic solution concept is used (e.g., dominant strategies and Nash equilibrium). Reference 3 is a fundamental work in the field of mechanism design. It provides an almost complete characterization of social choice rules that are Nash implementable.
In 1999, some pioneering breakthroughs were made in the field of quantum games $^{5,6}$. The game proposed by Eisert *et al* $^{5}$ showed fascinating “quantum advantages” as a result of a novel quantum Nash equilibrium. Benjamin and Hayden $^{7}$, Du *et al* $^{8}$, Flitney and Hollenberg $^{9}$ investigated multiplayer quantum Prisoner’s Dilemma. Guo *et al* $^{10}$ gave a detailed review on quantum games. As a comparison, so far the theory of mechanism design is still investigated only by economists. To the best of our knowledge, up to now, there is no research in the cross field between quantum mechanics and mechanism design. Motivated by quantum games, in this paper, we will investigate what will happen if agents can use quantum strategies in the theory of mechanism design.
Section 2 of this paper recalls some preliminaries of mechanism design published in Ref. 2, while Sec. 3 reformulates the Maskin’s mechanism as a physical mechanism and proves that they are equivalent to each other. Section 4 generalizes the physical mechanism to a quantum domain and proves that under a certain condition, an original Nash implementable social choice rule will no longer be implemented. Section 5 draws the conclusions.
Preliminaries
=============
Let $N=\{1,\cdots,n\}$ be a finite set of *agents* with $n\geq
2$ and $A=\{a_{1},\cdots,a_{k}\}$ be a finite set of social *outcomes*. Let $T_{i}$ be the finite set of agent $i$’s types, and the *private information* possessed by agent $i$ is denoted as $t_{i}\in T_{i}$. We refer to a profile of types $t=(t_{1},\cdots,t_{n})$ as a *state*. Let $\mathcal
{T}=\prod_{i\in N}T_{i}$ be the set of states. At state $t\in\mathcal {T}$, each agent $i\in N$ is assumed to have a complete and transitive *preference relation* $\succeq_{i}^{t}$ over the set $A$. We denote by $\succeq^{t}=(\succeq_{1}^{t},\cdots,\succeq_{n}^{t})$ the profile of preferences in state $t$. The utility of agent $i$ for outcome $a$ in state $t$ is $u_{i}(a,t):A\times \mathcal {T}\rightarrow R$, i.e., $u_{i}(a,t)\geq u_{i}(b,t)$ if and only if $a\succeq_{i}^{t}
b$. We denote by $\succ_{i}^{t}$ the strict preference part of $\succeq_{i}^{t}$. Fixing a state $t$, we refer to the collection $E=<N,A,(\succeq_{i}^{t})_{i\in N}>$ as an *environment*. Let $\varepsilon$ be the class of possible environments. A *social choice rule* (SCR) $F$ is a mapping $F:\varepsilon\rightarrow
2^{A}\backslash\{\emptyset\}$. A *mechanism* $\Gamma=((M_{i})_{i\in N},g)$ describes a message or strategy set $M_{i}$ for agent $i$, and an outcome function $g:\prod_{i\in
N}M_{i}\rightarrow A$.
An SCR $F$ satisfies *no-veto* if, whenever $a\succeq_{i}^{t}b$ for all $b\in A$ and for all agents $i$ but perhaps one $j$, then $a\in F(E)$. An SCR $F$ is *monotonic* if for every pair of environments $E$ and $E'$, and for every $a\in F(E)$, whenever $a\succeq_{i}^{t}b$ implies that $a\succeq_{i}^{t'}b$, there holds $a\in F(E')$. We assume that there is *complete information* among the agents, i.e., the true state $t$ is common knowledge among them. Given a mechanism $\Gamma=((M_{i})_{i\in N},g)$ played in state $t$, a *Nash equilibrium* of $\Gamma$ in state $t$ is a strategy profile $m^{*}$ such that: $\forall i\in N,
g(m^{*}(t))\succeq_{i}^{t}g(m_{i},m_{-i}^{*}(t)), \forall m_{i}\in
M_{i}$. Let $\mathcal {N}(\Gamma,t)$ denote the set of Nash equilibria of the game induced by $\Gamma$ in state $t$, and $g(\mathcal {N}(\Gamma,t))$ denote the corresponding set of Nash equilibrium outcomes. An SCR $F$ is *Nash implementable* if there exists a mechanism $\Gamma=((M_{i})_{i\in N},g)$ such that for every $t\in \mathcal {T}$, $g(\mathcal {N}(\Gamma,t))=F(t)$.
Maskin $^{3}$ provided an almost complete characterization of social choice rules that were Nash implementable. The main results of Ref. 3 are two theorems: (i) (Necessity) If an SCR $F$ is Nash implementable, then it is monotonic. (ii) (Sufficiency) Let $n\geq3$, if an SCR $F$ is monotonic and satisfies no-veto, then it is Nash implementable. In order to facilitate the following investigation on quantum mechanism, we briefly recall the Maskin’s mechanism as follows $^{2}$:
Let $\mathbb{Z}_{+}$ be the set of non-negative integers. Considering the following mechanism $\Gamma=((M_{i})_{i\in N},g)$, where agent $i$’s message set is $M_{i}=A\times \mathcal {T} \times
\mathbb{Z}_{+}$, we denote a typical message sent by agent $i$ by $m_{i}=(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i})$. The outcome function $g$ is defined in the following three rules: (1) If for every agent $i\in N$, $m_{i}=(a,t,0)$ and $a\in F(t)$, then $g(m)=a$. (2) If $(n-1)$ agents $i\neq j$ send $m_{i}=(a,t,0)$ and $a\in F(t)$, but agent $j$ sends $m_{j}=(a_{j},t_{j},z_{j})\neq(a,t,0)$, then $g(m)=a$ if $a_{j}\succ_{j}^{t}a$, and $g(m)=a_{j}$ otherwise. (3) In all other cases, $g(m)=a'$, where $a'$ is the outcome chosen by the agent with the lowest index among those who announce the highest integer.
Physical mechanism
==================
It can be seen that in the Maskin’s mechanism, a message is an abstract mathematical notion. People usually neglect how it is realized physically. However, the world is a physical world. Any information must be related to a physical entity. Here we assume:
\(i) Each agent has a coin and a card. The state of a coin can be head up or tail up (denoted as $H$ and $T$ respectively).
\(ii) Each agent $i$ independently chooses a strategic action $\omega_{i}$ whether to flip his/her coin. The set of agent $i$’s action is $\Omega_{i}=${*Not flip*, *Flip*}. An action $\omega_{i}\in\Omega_{i}$ chosen by agent $i$ is defined as $\omega_{i}: \{H,T\}\rightarrow\{H,T\}$. If $\omega_{i}$=*Not flip*, then $\omega_{i}(H)=H$, $\omega_{i}(T)=T$; If $\omega_{i}$=*Flip*, then $\omega_{i}(H)=T$, $\omega_{i}(T)=H$.
\(iii) The two sides of a card are denoted as Side 0 and Side 1. The message written on the Side 0 (or Side 1) of card $i$ is denoted as $card(i,0)$ (or $card(i,1)$).
\(iv) There is a device that can measure the state of $n$ coins and send messages to the designer.
Based on aforementioned assumptions, we reformulate the Maskin’s mechanism $\Gamma=((M_{i})_{i\in N},g)$ as a *physical mechanism* $\Gamma^{P}=((S_{i})_{i\in N},G)$, where $S_{i}=\Omega_{i}\times C_{i}$, $C_{i}$ is agent $i$’s card set, $C_{i}=A\times \mathcal {T} \times \mathbb{Z}_{+}\times A\times
\mathcal {T} \times \mathbb{Z}_{+}$. A typical card written by agent $i$ is described as $c_{i}=(card(i,0),card(i,1))$, where $card(i,0)=(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i})$, $card(i,1)=(a'_{i},t'_{i},z'_{i})$. A physical mechanism $\Gamma^{P}=((S_{i})_{i\in N},G)$ describes a strategy set $S_{i}$ for agent $i$ and an outcome function $G:\prod_{i\in N}S_{i}\rightarrow A$. We shall use $S_{-i}$ to express $\prod_{j\neq i}S_{j}$, and thus, a strategy profile is $s=(s_{i},s_{-i})$, where $s_{i}=(\omega_{i},c_{i})\in S_{i}$ and $s_{-i}=(\omega_{-i},c_{-i})\in S_{-i}$. A *Nash equilibrium* of $\Gamma^{P}$ played in state $t$ is a strategy profile $s^{*}=(s^{*}_{1},\cdots,s^{*}_{n})$ such that for any agent $i\in
N$, $s_{i}\in S_{i}$, $G(s^{*}_{1},\cdots,s^{*}_{n})\succeq^{t}_{i}
G(s_{i},s^{*}_{-i})$. Figure 1 depicts the setup of a physical mechanism. From the viewpoint of the designer, the physical mechanism works in the same manner as the Maskin’s mechanism. The working steps of the physical mechanism are shown as follows:\
Step 1: Nature selects a state $t\in \mathcal {T}$ and assigns $t$ to the agents. Each coin is set head up.\
Step 2: In state $t$, if all agents agree that the social choice rule $F$ is Pareto-inefficient (or “*bad*”), i.e., there exist $\hat{t}\in \mathcal {T}$, $\hat{t}\neq t$, $\hat{a}\in
F(\hat{t})$ such that $\hat{a}\succeq^{t}_{i}a\in F(t)$ for every $i\in N$, and $\hat{a}\succ^{t}_{j}a\in F(t)$ for at least one $j\in
N$, then go to Step 4.\
Step 3: Each agent $i$ sets $c_{i}=((a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}),(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}))$ (where $a_{i}\in
A$, $t_{i}\in\mathcal {T}$, $z_{i}\in\mathbb{Z}_{+}$), $\omega_{i}=$*Not flip*. Go to Step 5.\
Step 4: Each agent $i$ sets $c_{i}=((\hat{a},\hat{t},0),(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}))$, then chooses a strategic action $\omega_{i}\in\Omega_{i}$ whether to flip coin $i$.\
Step 5: The device measures the state of $n$ coins and sends $card(i,0)$ (or $card(i,1)$) as $m_{i}$ to the designer if coin $i$ is head up (or tail up). The designer receives the overall message $m=(m_{1},\cdots,m_{n})$ and let the final outcome be $G(s)=g(m)$ using rule (1), (2) and (3) defined in the Maskin’s mechanism. END.
{height="2.5in"}
**Proposition 1:** Given an SCR $F$ and a state $t\in \mathcal
{T}$, $\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{P},t)$ is equivalent to $\mathcal{N}(\Gamma,t)$.
**Proof:** First, define a function $R:\{H,T\}\rightarrow\{0,1\}$, $R(H)=0$, $R(T)=1$. For any $s^{*}=(s^{*}_{1},\cdots,s^{*}_{n})\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{P},t)$ and $a=G(s^{*})$, if $a$ is generated by Step 4 and 5, then for each agent $i$, let $m^{*}_{i}=card(i,R(\omega^{*}_{i}(H)))$; if $a$ is generated by Step 3 and 5, then for each agent $i$, let $m^{*}_{i}=card(i,0)$. Obviously, $m^{*}=(m^{*}_{1},\cdots,m^{*}_{n})\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma,t)$.
Next, for any $m^{*}=(m^{*}_{1},\cdots,m^{*}_{n})\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma,t)$, for each agent $i$, let $s_{i}^{*}=(\omega_{i}^{*}, c_{i}^{*})$, where $\omega^{*}_{i}$=*Not flip*, $c_{i}^{*}=(m^{*}_{i},m^{*}_{i})$, then $s^{*}=(s^{*}_{1},\cdots,s^{*}_{n})\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{P},t)$. $\square$
**Example 1:** Let $N=\{Apple, Lily, Cindy\}$, $\mathcal
{T}=\{t_{1},t_{2}\}$, $A=\{a_{1},a_{2},a_{3},a_{4}\}$. In each state $t\in\mathcal {T}$, the preference relations $(\succeq^{t}_{i})_{i\in N}$ over the outcome set $A$ and the corresponding SCR $F$ are given in Table 1. Obviously, $F$ is monotonic and satisfies no-veto. By Maskin’s theorem, $F$ is Nash implementable. The SCR $F$ is “bad” from the viewpoint of the agents because in state $t=t_{2}$, all agents unanimously prefer a Pareto-efficient outcome $a_{1}\in F(t_{1})$: for each agent $i$, $a_{1}\succ^{t_{2}}_{i}a_{2}\in F(t_{2})$. Therefore when the true state is $t_{2}$, the physical mechanism enters Step 4.
Since every agent prefers $a_{1}$ to $a_{2}$ in state $t_{2}$, it seems that for each agent $i$, $(\hat{a},\hat{t},0)=(a_{1},t_{1},0)$ should be a unanimous $card(i,0)$, and “*Not flip*” be the same strategic action. As a result, the outcome $a_{1}$ may be generated by rule (1). However, $Apple$ has an incentive to unilaterally deviate from $(a_{1},t_{1},0)$ to $(a_{4},*,*)$ by flipping her coin, since $a_{1}\succ^{t_{1}}_{Apple}a_{4}$, $a_{4}\succ^{t_{2}}_{Apple}a_{1}$; $Lily$ also has an incentive to unilaterally deviate from $(a_{1},t_{1},0)$ to $(a_{3},*,*)$ by flipping her coin, since $a_{1}\succ^{t_{1}}_{Lily}a_{3}$, $a_{3}\succ^{t_{2}}_{Lily}a_{1}$. $Cindy$ has no incentive to deviate from $(a_{1},t_{1},0)$ because $a_{1}$ is her top-ranked outcome in two states. Therefore, $c_{Apple}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{4},*,*))$, $c_{Lily}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{3},*,*))$, $c_{Cindy}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{1},t_{1},0))$.
Note that either $Apple$ or $Lily$ can certainly obtain her expected outcome only if just one of them flips her coin and deviates from $(a_{1},t_{1},0)$ (If this case happens, rule (2) will be triggered). But this condition is unreasonable, because all agents are rational, nobody is willing to give up and let the others benefit. Therefore, both $Apple$ and $Lily$ will flip their coins and deviate from $(a_{1},t_{1},0)$. As a result, rule (3) will be triggered. Since $Apple$ and $Lily$ both have a chance to win the integer game, the winner is uncertain. Consequently, the final outcome is uncertain between $a_{3}$ and $a_{4}$, denoted as $a_{3}/a_{4}$.
To sum up, although every agent prefers $a_{1}$ to $a_{2}$ in state $t=t_{2}$, $a_{1}$ cannot be generated in Nash equilibrium. Indeed, the Maskin’s mechanism makes the Pareto-inefficient outcome $a_{2}$ be Nash implementable in state $t=t_{2}$. The underlying reason is just the same as what we have seen in the well-known Prisoner’s Dilemma, i.e., the individual rationality is in conflict with the group rationality. In this sense, the agents cannot combat the “bad” SCR under the classical circumstance.
Quantum mechanism
=================
In 2007, Flitney and Hollenberg $^{9}$ investigated Nash equilibria in $n$-player quantum Prisoner’s Dilemma. Following their procedures, we define: $$\hat{\omega}(\theta,\phi)\equiv \begin{bmatrix}
e^{i\phi}\cos(\theta/2) & i\sin(\theta/2)\\
i\sin(\theta/2) & e^{-i\phi}\cos(\theta/2)
\end{bmatrix},$$ $\hat{\Omega}\equiv\{\hat{\omega}(\theta,\phi):\theta\in[0,\pi],\phi\in[0,\pi/2]\}$, $\hat{J}\equiv\cos(\gamma/2)\hat{I}^{\otimes
n}+i\sin(\gamma/2)\hat{\sigma_{x}}^{\otimes
n}$, where $\gamma$ is an entanglement measure, and $\hat{I}\equiv\hat{\omega}(0,0)$, $\hat{D}_{n}\equiv\hat{\omega}(\pi,\pi/n)$, $\hat{C}_{n}\equiv\hat{\omega}(0,\pi/n)$.
In order to generalize the physical mechanism to a quantum domain, we revise the assumptions (i) and (ii) of the physical mechanism as follows:
1\) Each agent $i$ has a quantum coin $i$ (qubit) and a classical card $i$. The basis vectors $|C\rangle\equiv(1,0)^{T}$, $|D\rangle\equiv(0,1)^{T}$ of a quantum coin denote head up and tail up respectively.
2\) Each agent $i$ independently performs a local unitary operation on his/her own quantum coin. The set of agent $i$’s operation is $\hat{\Omega}_{i}=\hat{\Omega}$. A strategic operation chosen by agent $i$ is denoted as $\hat{\omega}_{i}\in\hat{\Omega}_{i}$. If $\hat{\omega}_{i}=\hat{I}$, then $\hat{\omega}_{i}(|C\rangle)=|C\rangle$, $\hat{\omega}_{i}(|D\rangle)=|D\rangle$; If $\hat{\omega}_{i}=\hat{D}_{n}$, then $\hat{\omega}_{i}(|C\rangle)=|D\rangle$, $\hat{\omega}_{i}(|D\rangle)=|C\rangle$. $\hat{I}$ denotes “*Not flip*”, $\hat{D}_{n}$ denotes “*Flip*”.
Based on aforementioned amendments, we generalize the physical mechanism $\Gamma^{P}=((S_{i})_{i\in N},G)$ to a *quantum mechanism* $\Gamma^{Q}=((\hat{S}_{i})_{i\in N},\hat{G})$, which describes a strategy set $\hat{S}_{i}=\hat{\Omega}_{i}\times C_{i}$ for each agent $i$ and an outcome function $\hat{G}:\otimes_{i\in
N}\hat{\Omega}_{i}\times\prod_{i\in N}C_{i}\rightarrow A$. We shall use $\hat{S}_{-i}$ to express $\otimes_{j\neq
i}\hat{\Omega}_{j}\times\prod_{j\neq i}C_{j}$, and thus, a strategy profile is $\hat{s}=(\hat{s}_{i},\hat{s}_{-i})$, where $\hat{s}_{i}\in\hat{S}_{i}$ and $\hat{s}_{-i}\in\hat{S}_{-i}$. A *Nash equilibrium* of a quantum mechanism $\Gamma^{Q}$ played in state $t$ is a strategy profile $\hat{s}^{*}=(\hat{s}^{*}_{1},\cdots,\hat{s}^{*}_{n})$ such that for any agent $i\in N$, $\hat{s}_{i}\in\hat{S}_{i}$, $\hat{G}(\hat{s}^{*}_{1},\cdots,\hat{s}^{*}_{n})\succeq^{t}_{i}
\hat{G}(\hat{s}_{i},\hat{s}^{*}_{-i})$. Figure 2 depicts the set-up of a quantum mechanism. Its working steps are shown as follows:
{height="2.3in"}
Step 1: Nature selects a state $t\in \mathcal {T}$ and assigns $t$ to the agents. The state of every quantum coin is set as $|C\rangle$. The initial state of the $n$ quantum coins is $|\psi_{0}\rangle=\underbrace{|C\cdots CC\rangle}\limits_{n}$.\
Step 2: In state $t$, if all agents agree that the social choice rule $F$ is “bad”, i.e., there exist $\hat{t}\in \mathcal {T}$, $\hat{t}\neq t$, $\hat{a}\in F(\hat{t})$ such that $\hat{a}\succeq^{t}_{i}a\in F(t)$ for every $i\in N$, and $\hat{a}\succ^{t}_{j}a\in F(t)$ for at least one $j\in N$, then go to Step 4.\
Step 3: Each agent $i$ sets $c_{i}=((a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}),(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}))$ (where $a_{i}\in
A$, $t_{i}\in\mathcal {T}$, $z_{i}\in \mathbb{Z}_{+}$), $\hat{\omega}_{i}=\hat{I}$. Go to Step 7.\
Step 4: Each agent $i$ sets $c_{i}=((\hat{a},\hat{t},0),(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}))$. Let $n$ quantum coins be entangled by $\hat{J}$. $|\psi_{1}\rangle=\hat{J}|C\cdots
CC\rangle$.\
Step 5: Each agent $i$ independently performs a local unitary operation $\hat{\omega}_{i}$ on his/her own quantum coin. $|\psi_{2}\rangle=[\hat{\omega}_{1}\otimes\cdots\otimes\hat{\omega}_{n}]\hat{J}|C\cdots
CC\rangle$.\
Step 6: Let $n$ quantum coins be disentangled by $\hat{J}^{+}$. $|\psi_{3}\rangle=\hat{J}^{+}[\hat{\omega}_{1}\otimes\cdots\otimes\hat{\omega}_{n}]\hat{J}|C\cdots
CC\rangle$.\
Step 7: The device measures the state of $n$ quantum coins and sends $card(i,0)$ (or $card(i,1)$) as $m_{i}$ to the designer if the state of quantum coin $i$ is $|C\rangle$ (or $|D\rangle$).\
Step 8: The designer receives the overall message $m=(m_{1},\cdots,m_{n})$ and let the final outcome $\hat{G}(\hat{s})=g(m)$ using rules (1), (2) and (3) defined in the Maskin’s mechanism. END.
Note that if $\hat{\Omega}_{i}$ is restricted to be $\{\hat{I},
\hat{D}_{n}\}$, then $\hat{\Omega}_{i}$ is equivalent to {*Not flip*, *Flip*}. In this way, a quantum mechanism is degenerated to a physical mechanism.
Given $n$ ($n\geq 3$) agents, consider the pay-off to the $n$th agent, we denote by $\$_{C\cdots CC}$ the expected pay-off when all agents choose $\hat{I}$ (the corresponding collapsed state is $|C\cdots CC\rangle$), and denote by $\$_{C\cdots CD}$ the expected pay-off when the $n$th agent chooses $\hat{D}_{n}$ and the first $n-1$ agents choose $\hat{I}$ (the corresponding collapsed state is $|C\cdots CD\rangle$). $\$_{D\cdots DD}$ and $\$_{D\cdots DC}$ are defined similarly. Unlike Flitney and Hollenberg’s requirements on the pay-offs, for the case of quantum mechanism, the requirements on the pay-offs are described as condition $\lambda$:\
(i) $\lambda_{1}$: Given a state $t$ and an SCR $F$, there exist $\hat{t}\in \mathcal {T}$, $\hat{t}\neq t$, $\hat{a}\in F(\hat{t})$ such that $\hat{a}\succeq^{t}_{i}a\in F(t)$ for every $i\in N$, $\hat{a}\succ^{t}_{j}a\in F(t)$ for at least one $j\in N$, and the number of agents that encounter a preference change around $\hat{a}$ in going from state $\hat{t}$ to $t$ is larger than unity. Denote by $l$ the number of these agents. Without loss of generality, let these $l$ agents be the last $l$ agents among $n$ agents.\
(ii) $\lambda_{2}$: Consider the pay-off to the $n$th agent, $\$_{C\cdots CC}>\$_{D\cdots DD}$, i.e., he/she prefers the expected payoff of a certain outcome (generated by rule 1) to the expected payoff of an uncertain outcome (generated by rule 3).\
(iii) $\lambda_{3}$: Consider the pay-off to the $n$th agent, $\$_{C\cdots CC}>\$_{C\cdots
CD}[1-\sin^{2}\gamma\sin^{2}(\pi/l)]+\$_{D\cdots
DC}\sin^{2}\gamma\sin^{2}(\pi/l)$.
**Proposition 2:** For $n\geq3$, given a state $t\in\mathcal{T}$ and a “bad” SCR $F$ (from the viewpoint of agents) that is monotonic and satisfies no-veto, by virtue of a quantum mechanism $\Gamma^{Q}=((\hat{S}_{i})_{i\in N},\hat{G})$, agents satisfying condition $\lambda$ can combat the “bad” SCR $F$, i.e., there exists $\hat{s}\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{Q},t)$ such that $\hat{G}(\hat{s})\notin F(t)$.
**Proof:** Given a state $t$ and a “bad” SCR $F$, since condition $\lambda_{1}$ is satisfied, then there exist $\hat{t}\in
\mathcal {T}$, $\hat{t}\neq t$, $\hat{a}\in F(\hat{t})$ such that $\hat{a}\succeq^{t}_{i}a\in F(t)$ for every $i\in N$, $\hat{a}\succ^{t}_{j}a\in F(t)$ for at least one $j\in N$, and the number of agents that encounter a preference change around $\hat{a}$ in going from state $\hat{t}$ to $t$ is larger than unity, i.e., $l\geq 2$. Let these $l$ agents be the last $l$ agents among $n$ agents. Hence, the quantum mechanism enters Step 4. Each agent $i$ sets $c_{i}=((\hat{a},\hat{t},0),(a_{i},t_{i},z_{i}))$. Let $c=(c_{1},\cdots,c_{n})$.
Consider the pay-off to the $n$th agent (denoted as *Laura*), when she plays $\hat{\omega}(\theta,\phi)$ while the first $n-l$ agents play $\hat{I}$ and the middle $l-1$ agents play $\hat{C}_{l}=\hat{\omega}(0,\pi/l)$, according to Ref. 9, $$\begin{aligned}
\langle\$_{Laura}\rangle=&\$_{C\cdots CC}\cos^{2}(\theta/2)[1-\sin^{2}\gamma
\sin^{2}(\phi-\pi/l)]\\
+&\$_{C\cdots CD}\sin^{2}(\theta/2)[1-\sin^{2}\gamma
\sin^{2}(\pi/l)]\\
+&\$_{D\cdots DC}\sin^{2}(\theta/2)\sin^{2}\gamma \sin^{2}(\pi/l)\\
+&\$_{D\cdots DD}\cos^{2}(\theta/2)\sin^{2}\gamma
\sin^{2}(\phi-\pi/l)\end{aligned}$$ Since condition $\lambda_{2}$ is satisfied, then $\$_{C\cdots
CC}>\$_{D\cdots DD}$, $Laura$ chooses $\phi=\pi/l$ to minimize $\sin^{2}(\phi-\pi/l)$. As a result, $$\begin{aligned}
\langle\$_{Laura}\rangle=&\$_{C\cdots CC}\cos^{2}(\theta/2)\\
+&\$_{C\cdots CD}\sin^{2}(\theta/2)[1-\sin^{2}\gamma
\sin^{2}(\pi/l)]\\
+&\$_{D\cdots DC}\sin^{2}(\theta/2)\sin^{2}\gamma \sin^{2}(\pi/l)\end{aligned}$$ Since condition $\lambda_{3}$ is satisfied, then $Laura$ prefers $\theta=0$, which leads to $\langle\$_{Laura}\rangle=\$_{C\cdots
CC}$. In this case, $\hat{\omega}_{Laura}(\theta,\phi)=\hat{\omega}(0,\pi/l)=\hat{C}_{l}$.
By symmetry, in Steps 4 and 5, if the $n$ agents choose $\hat{s}^{*}=(\hat{\omega}^{*}, c)$, where $\hat{\omega}^{*}=(\hat{I},\cdots,\hat{I},\hat{C}_{l},
\cdots,\hat{C}_{l})$ (the first $n-l$ agents choose $\hat{I}$, the other $l$ agents choose $\hat{C}_{l}$), then $\hat{s}^{*}\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{Q},t)$. In Step 7, the corresponding collapsed state of $n$ quantum coins is $|C\cdots
CC\rangle$ and $m_{i}=(\hat{a},\hat{t},0)$ for each agent $i\in N$. Consequently, in Step 8, $\hat{G}(\hat{s}^{*})=g(m)=\hat{a}\notin
F(t)$. $\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad
\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\square$
Let us reconsider Example 1. The quantum mechanism enters Step 4 when the true state is $t_{2}$. Since both $Apple$ and $Lily$ encounter a preference change around $a_{1}$ in going from state $t_{1}$ to $t_{2}$, condition $\lambda_{1}$ is satisfied. $c_{Apple}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{4},*,*))$, $c_{Lily}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{3},*,*))$, $c_{Cindy}=((a_{1},t_{1},0),(a_{1},t_{1},0))$. Let $Cindy$ be the first agent. For any agent $i\in\{Apple, Lily\}$, let her be the last agent. Consider the pay-off to the third agent, suppose $\$_{CCC}=3$ (the corresponding outcome is $a_{1}$), $\$_{CCD}=5$ (the corresponding outcome is $a_{4}$ if $i=Apple$, and $a_{3}$ if $i=Lily$), $\$_{DDC}=0$ (the corresponding outcome is $a_{3}$ if $i=Apple$, and $a_{4}$ if $i=Lily$), $\$_{DDD}=1$ (the corresponding outcome is $a_{3}/a_{4}$). Hence, condition $\lambda_{2}$ is satisfied, and condition $\lambda_{3}$ becomes: $3\geq5[1-\sin^{2}\gamma\sin^{2}(\pi/2)]$. If $\sin^{2}\gamma\geq0.4$, condition $\lambda_{3}$ is satisfied. According to Proposition 2, the message corresponding to $\hat{s}^{*}\in\mathcal{N}(\Gamma^{Q},t)$ is $m=(m_{1},m_{2},m_{3})$, where $m_{1}=m_{2}=m_{3}=(a_{1},t_{1},0)$. Consequently, $\hat{G}(\hat{s}^{*})=g(m)=a_{1}\notin
F(t)=\{a_{2}\}$.
To help the reader understand the aforementioned result, let the SCR in Table 1 be “No smoking”. Let $a_{1}$ and $a_{2}$ denote “Smoke” and “Drink” respectively, then everybody prefers smoking to drinking in state $t_{2}$. According to the traditional theory of mechanism design, the “No smoking” SCR can always be Nash implemented because it is monotonic and satisfies no-veto. However, by virtue of quantum strategies, the agents can combat the “No smoking” SCR!
**Remark:** In Maskin and Sjöström $^{4}$, the authors used a modulo game instead of the integer game. The rule 3 is replaced by “(3) In all other cases, $g(m)=a_{j}$, for $j\in N$ such that $j=(\sum_{i\in N}z_{i})(\mbox{mod }n)$”. Similar to aforementioned analysis, it can be derived that the results of this paper still hold.
Conclusion
==========
In conclusion, this paper considers what will happen if agents can use quantum strategies in the theory of mechanism design. Two results are obtained: (i) We find that the success of the Maskin’s mechanism is built on an underlying Prisoner’s Dilemma. (ii) Under the classical circumstance, if an SCR is monotonic and satisfies no-veto, then no matter whether it is “bad” or not (from the viewpoint of the agents), it can be Nash implemented. However, we find that when the additional condition $\lambda$ is satisfied, an original Nash implementable “bad” SCR will no longer be Nash implementable in the context of a quantum domain.
van Enk and Pike $^{11}$ pointed out that in quantum games, quantum strategies simply constructed a new game and solved it, not the original game. However, from the viewpoint of the designer, the interface between agents and the designer in the quantum mechanism is the same as that in the Maskin’s mechanism. Therefore, from the viewpoint of agents, quantum mechanism helps them combat “bad” social choice rules specified by the designer.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
===============
The author is very grateful to Ms. Fang Chen, Hanyue Wu (*Apple*), Hanxing Wu (*Lily*) and Hanchen Wu (*Cindy*) for their great support.
References {#references .unnumbered}
==========
J. von Neumann and O. Morgenstern, *Theory of Games and Economic Behavior* (Princeton University Press, USA, 1944).
R. Serrano, *SIAM Review* **46** (2004) 377.
E. Maskin, *Rev. Econom. Stud.* **66** (1999) 23.
E. Maskin and T. Sjöström, Implementation theory, in *Handbook of Social Choice and Welfare*, Vol. 1, eds. K. J. Arrow, A. Sen, K. Suzumura (Elsevier Science, New York, 2002).
J. Eisert, M. Wilkens and M. Lewenstein, *Phys. Rev. Lett.* **83** (1999) 3077.
D. Meyer, *Phys. Rev. Lett.* **82** (1999) 1052.
S.C. Benjamin and P.M. Hayden, *Phys. Rev. A* **64** (2001) 030301(R) .
J. Du, H. Li and X. Xu *et al*, *Phys. Lett. A* **302** (2002) 229.
A.P. Flitney and L.C.L. Hollenberg, *Phys. Lett. A* **363** (2007) 381.
H. Guo, J. Zhang and G.J. Koehler, *Decision Support Systems* **46** (2008) 318.
S. J. van Enk and R. Pike, *Phys. Rev. A* **66** (2002) 024306.
| |
What impact does driver detention at customer facilities have on safety and productivity? The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) set out to answer this with a new analysis comparing surveys conducted in 2014 and 2018. The full report and be downloaded here. ATRI’s analysis found that across the four-year period, detention frequency and length have increased, with negative impacts on driver productivity, regulatory compliance, and compensation.
Detention Frequency and Duration:
Drivers reported a 27.4 percent increase in delays of six or more hours. Most delays fell between one to four hours (see below):
These delays have a significant economic impact as 80 percent of drivers were late to or had to cancel their next scheduled pickup or delivery.
Detention Impacts and Gender:
Woman were 83.3 percent more likely than men to be delayed six or more hours (see below):
Women, on average reported about 55 percent of their appointments being delayed due to the actions of personnel at a customer facility, compared to 47 percent for men. At first look, it seems that there is an inherent bias against women truck drivers. However, the women interviewed by ATRI do not feel this is necessarily the case. One woman points out when backing into the dock the worker has no idea the driver’s gender. Others believe that women drivers tend to be more patient than their male counterparts and therefore less confrontational, which can lead to delays as workers will look to accommodate those who are constantly in their faces more.
Detention and Industry Sector:
Those who operate refrigerated trailers were more likely to experience delays than other freight haulers (see below):
Many new entrants and women haul refrigerated freight so there is a lot of cross-pollination between the longer detention times.
Detention and Hours of Service (HOS):
Almost 80 percent of drivers ran out of available on-duty hours while at a shipping or receiving facility as a result of being detained at a customer making HOS compliance difficult.
Detention and Driver Compensation:
For most drivers, detention fees are paid by the hour after two hours of being detained. The hourly rates ranged from $10 to $100 per hour. A small percentage of drivers received flat fees or a percentage of the load. Most drivers say the detention compensation is not adequate for covering fuel expenses, or lost wages. Furthermore, many complain that it is often difficult to generate detention payments from customers.
On the flip side, 80 percent of fleets report charging detention fees. About 72 percent charge a detention fee between $50 and $99 per hour of excessive detention with an additional 10 percent charging over $100 per hour. With a national average per-hour operating cost of $66.65 reported in 2017.
Detention and Motor Carrier Revenue:
Almost 70 percent of carriers and 80 percent of drivers expressed delays had a moderate or significant impact on their weekly revenue. Smaller carriers have more detention-related financial challenges than larger carriers. Around 43 percent of small carriers reported that detention created significant negative financial impacts versus 26 percent for large carriers. The average detention fee per hour across all fleet sizes at $63.71.
Causes and Possible Solutions:
Of course, there are some delays that are out of customer’s control such as traffic congestion and weather But, there are many reasons for the delay which are totally avoidable (see below):
So, what can be done to increase efficiency and minimize delays? Carriers believe better customer practices include:
- Organized, better planning, better communication
- Better scheduling, extending hours and keeping appointments
- Available space, equipment, and employees
- Drop and hook operation
- Better skilled employees
Drivers believe better customer practices include:
- Better scheduling or keeping appointments
- Available space, equipment, and employees
- Product is ready
- Organized and better planning
- Empathy for the driver and better communication with the driver
The fact that over the four-year period these surveys were conducted detention times has gotten worse is extremely troubling. Most carriers operate on thin margins and the US economy relies on the trucking industry to deliver freight in a safe, timely manner. Hopefully, when ATRI conducts this study again in four years we will see significant improvements. | https://newyorktruckstop.com/2019/09/09/driver-detention-impacts-on-safety-and-productivity-new-atri-study/ |
I've been writing about business platforms and ecosystems, laying the groundwork for the model I'm sharing here in this post. If you missed it, you might want to visit this post, which introduces the topic at a high level, and this post where I define ecosystems and platforms in more detail. Another that may be helpful is this one that outlines "nested strategy" -- keep the Enterprise level in mind as you read further here.
To recap: In order for a business to become future-ready, it must shift from a siloed, linear model to a more dynamic, ecosystem-based model. The metaphor for business changes from a machine to a biological system that simplifies complexity and enables agility and resilience.
I like Yochai Benkler's definition of platform: “a technical and organizational context in which a community can interact to achieve a specific purpose.”23 This takes the concept of platform well beyond the technology realm, but the same basic concepts apply. A platform in the technology context defines the shared purpose, standards and rules for anything that sits on the platform. Just as Apple developers must play by a different set of rules than Microsoft developers, one could argue that the entire Apple brand is a platform that defines an extremely coherent, differentiated plug-and-play environment and experience for customers and the broader ecosystem.
The platformed enterprise™
As discussed here, a core concept of an ecosystem is value exchange across diverse parties with complementary self-interest. To create a thriving business ecosystem, one must consider the "keystone species", ie. your priority customer. In a biological context, the keystone species is what holds an ecosystem together, and it influences all other types of plants and animals that make up that ecosystem. An ecosystem for a grey wolf is radically different than the one for a starfish. That means that the core value desired by your keystone customer informs your entire ecosystem internally and externally. For example, Apple's keystone customer type is "rebels who think different" -- which attracts and influences the entire ecosystem that forms around it regardless of customer type (individual, SMB or enterprise) or geography.
Which brings me to the model itself:
The model is built in layers, designed to simplify the complexity of organizations and extended partners, with everything sitting on top of the strategy layer.
The Strategy Layer
Strategy at the enterprise level must be defined first, and is entirely based on the keystone customer. When you first define the keystone customer mindset or psychographic (examples here in Enterprise level), it serves as the organizing principle to simplify business ecosystem design.
The strategy layer defines the required ecosystem for attracting your keystone species, the specific value sought by the diversity of "species" within that ecosystem, and how players and motivations interact to create differentiated value across the entire system. It includes customers, employees and partners (offerings and experiences), as well as the broader communities and the environment in which the organization operates (informing a more aspirational purpose, plus increased ROI for sustainability and CSR).
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully." - Steve Jobs
Focus is critical here; without a very clear definition and prioritization of your keystone species, you're left with trying to be all things to all people... which means you're nothing to anyone. No ecosystem will form or thrive around diluted focus with no clear way to decide what should be in or out of the system. Steve Jobs focused on a specific mindset, resulting in Apple being the first company to hit $1T in value.
The experience layer
This is the actual customer experience. It should itself be platformed, ie. fully seamless across departments and business units, and informed by the guidelines in the strategy. If you are aiming to create a platform-based business model, it sits in this layer; design should focus on the specific value exchange between platform participants.
But of course this focus on business model alone is not enough. You need to also apply platform principles to your…
operating model Layer
Your strategy and customer experience must be supported by an operating model (org structure, metrics, processes, etc) that is fully aligned and optimized for the specific value you’re trying to create. By defining the rules of the platform, you work more efficiently and eliminate redundancies. As you mature, you’ll also able to do things like externalize your core competencies across partners and a broader ecosystem to achieve unprecedented scale.
By thinking of your organization as a platform-based ecosystem designed to deliver a specific differentiated value, you can vastly streamline your business and achieve measurable efficiencies internally.
The Technology Layer
Most talk of platforms focus here, on the technology layer. But we believe that technology must be addressed last, because technology is an enabler of value creation. What value must be created across the ecosystem, across which entities, and how is that value exchanged? Digital transformation must be built on a solid understanding of the goals at the strategy, experience and operational layers in order to be successful.
In my opinion, this is the root cause of digital transformation failure. Digital is often tackled as a siloed initiative without being fully integrated into the rest of the business in a way that delivers a set of specific outcomes aligned with the enterprise-level differentiated value.
Questions or comments? As always, thanks for reading... your comments are very welcome. Stay tuned for more on this topic. | https://fartherbound.com/news/tag/value+platform |
The ERCIM Ethics Working Group is organizing a workshop/seminar on October 17/18th, 2022, targeted at researchers and Research Ethics Boards (REBs). The event will consist of keynotes, presentations, tutorials and interactive sessions, and will provide ample time for open discussions. Different outcomes are envisioned, including some which may be directed towards policy makers.
The responsible and ethical conduct of research in science and engineering is critical for excellence, socially relevant impact and public trust. The practice of ethical and regulatory review of research grew out of very harmful so-called medical research involving human subjects that came to light in the early 1970s, as the widespread adoption of ethical principles in the conduct of human studies were slow to develop up to that point despite the Nuremberg Code (1947). Institutional Review Boards and the Belmont Report (1979) then came out of the US, remaining today an essential reference along with the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) for Research Ethics Boards (REBs), the latter ensuring appropriate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research studies around the world. Regulations in the domain of biomedical research have been fairly effective in balancing the progress of research with the protection of research subjects, and have largely contributed to create a culture of ethical awareness around research involving human subjects.
Reflecting upon the ethical issues they faced, including some that existing oversight authorities may have been unaware of or that went beyond their usual purview, a group of computer science researchers described how the guidelines of the Belmont report can be usefully applied in fields related to research involving information and communication technology. The resulting Menlo Report (2012) adapted the three basic ethical principles established in the Belmont report - Respect for Persons/Autonomy, Beneficence, and Justice - to the context of computer security research, and added a fourth principle, Respect for Law and Public Interest. A key input of the Menlo Report is the need to perform a comprehensive stakeholder analysis to properly apply any of those principles in the complex setting of computer science and ICT research; while not the direct subjects of research, secondary stakeholders may also be harmed and may also have the right to autonomy and justice.
Digital and connected technologies have increasingly become intertwined with our individual and collective daily lives, mediating our communications, profiling our behaviours, changing how we think, live and act, and presenting new tensions that interrogate the applications of these guiding ethical principles. Research in digital sciences -- including computer science, automatic control, robotics and applied mathematics -- raises many new ethical challenges resulting from interactions between humans and deep tech. But in spite of previous efforts, researchers in these fields are often ill-equipped (and sometimes reluctant) to deal with potential ethical implications of their work and the current research framework is ill-suited to oversee the unique ethical risks emerging in association with such fields as data science and AI research. Typical questions in this context include:
About ethics in the era of big data and autonomous systems:
- What are the biggest ethical challenges posed by new, data-intensive research areas? How to proceed when both benefit and risk are typically intangible?
- How can one circumscribe such issues as bias and the prospect of societal harm that increasingly plague AI research? Is every line of research in digital sciences worth pursuing and every piece of digital tech worth building in view of potentially very harmful foreseen applications and use cases?
- How can the ethical risks to participants and other stakeholders be predicted and controlled as digital technologies change at such a fast pace?
- How to guarantee ethical considerations observance beyond ex-ante subject consent or REBs
- approval in computer science research projects, where researcher-subject relationships tend to be disconnected and dispersed, often involve a proliferation of data sources, and there is an inherent overlap between research and operations?
- How can crowdsourcing/micro tasking services, often an integral part of many data-intensive research programs, be used in a responsible and ethical way?
- Who is responsible if the machine malfunctions: the designer (who may be a researcher), the owner of the data, the owner of the system, its user, or perhaps the system itself?
- What is the researcher's responsibility for the behaviors and actions of a robot or autonomous system that he or she has contributed to design?
About best practices, training and awareness:
- What are the best practices researchers in digital sciences can follow to avoid unintended consequences of their work?
- How to raise awareness at an early stage of the career and incentivise researchers to be more ethically prepared? Do they need to be made accountable somehow?
- Is open science really the ideal context for ethical and responsible research to flourish?
- How can ethical considerations be incorporated at the earliest stages of a research project?
- How to foster regular and open discussions on questions of ethics and responsibility in research communities, in particular data-driven research communities?
- Is there such a thing as a reproducibility crisis in CS research?
About ethical review and regulation:
- How can researchers and REBs work to promote public trust in research in digital sciences, as IRBs have in human subject research?
- Should we reconsider what it means to be a REB in the digital age? How to adapt REB requirements to the specific context of research in digital sciences?
- Do we have a clear standard of what is ethically permissible in research in digital sciences? Can deceptive techniques be used and to what extent?
- Is the requirement introduced by major computer science research conferences that submissions have to include an Impact Statement (describing ethical aspects of the work and future societal consequences) and to undergo review by an internal Ethics Committee an adequate response?
- How does it articulate with the work of REBs?
- Will or should part of computer science research ethics eventually move from soft law oversight to binding regulations? What parallel can be drawn or lessons be learned from historical developments in the field of medical research?
- Should REBs merely review the ethics of research in digital sciences itself or also consider the broader research enterprise and context within which that research is situated?
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gives a high level of protection to individuals’ rights and personal data, provides for a framework to enable derogations (to be introduced by EU or Member State law) from these rights when scientific research is concerned.
- Are such derogations adequate and flexible enough to encompass the whole nature, process and demands of scientific research in digital sciences? Conversely, can a full implementation of these derogations render the research unethical and not in line with individuals’ interests?
About innovation and working with other fields:
- In terms of research ethics, what are the specifics of working in an interdisciplinary setting, in particular in digital health research? Are best practices, processes and tools of the fields under consideration easy to conciliate?
- Is doing research in digital sciences with industrial partners a long and bumpy road?
- In a world where many researchers found private companies, how to regulate situations where such companies may be the conduit of (data-intensive) research outside the ethical review of the researchers' home institutions?
- Should formal ethical review extend to research-led innovation? How will research -- that has to comply with increasingly complex ethical questions and procedures -- be affected if a clear distinction is made with innovation?
- How to conciliate the standard practice of digital platform innovation using subjects who are given improved or enhanced free services with the failing of such practices to be considered a voluntary participation element of informed consent according to the Menlo Report? | https://www.ercim.eu/beyond-compliance/abstract |
When the Mars Perseverance rover lands on the Red Planet on Feb 18, it will not only collect stunning images and rock samples, but the data it returns may also include some recorded sounds from Mars, which will be the first sound clips from any planet, NASA has revealed.
The rover has a pair of microphones that, if all goes according to plan, will provide an interesting and historic sound of Mars arrival and landing, as well as rover sounds, wind and other external noises. “It’s overwhelming all the science we can get with a tool as simple as a microphone on Mars,” said Baptiste Chide of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-author of the SuperCam microphone.
How many things sound on Earth will be slightly different on the Red Planet. This is because the Martian atmosphere is only 1 percent denser than Earth’s atmosphere at the surface and has a different composition than ours, which affects the emission and propagation of sound. “But the discrepancy between sounds on Earth and Mars would be much less dramatic than, for example, someone’s voice before and after inhaling helium from a balloon,” the US space agency said in a statement.
One microphone aboard Perseverance, located on the SuperCam instrument on the rover’s mast, will be used for scientific purposes and to record Perseverance and natural sounds on Mars. It will pick up the sounds of the rover’s laser converting rock into plasma as it hits a target to gather information about the rock’s properties, including hardness.
Read also: NASA’s Perseverance rover carries these 5 key items for its journey to Mars
Since the SuperCam microphone is located on the rover’s remote sensing mast, it can be pointed towards a potential sound source. An additional experimental microphone aboard the rover will attempt to record sounds during the mission’s highly complex entry, descent and landing (EDL) mission.
It can pick up, for example, the sounds of pyrotechnic devices launching a parachute, the Martian wind, the crunch of wheels on the surface of Mars and the roar of the descent vehicle’s engines as it flies away safely from the rover.
“We put a small grill at the end of the microphone to keep it out of the Martian dust,” said JPL’s Dave Gruel. “I think it will be really great to hear sounds from another planet.”
The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s mission is to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, and NASA will ensure a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 as part of NASA’s plans to explore the Moon of Artemis. | https://misrelate.com/india/well-finally-find-out-how-mars-sounds-like-the-perseverance-rover-to-collect-audio-clips-from-the-red-planet/ |
Q:
How to concatenate variable name AngularJS?
Concatenate variable name in HTML code like:
app.controller code
$scope.name ='abc';
$scope.abc123 = response.data;
HTML code
<h1>{{name}}</h1>
<h1>{{{{name}}123}}</h1> <!-- here i need value of abc123 -->
A:
You can this with controller as syntax:
var myApp = angular.module('myApp',[]);
myApp.controller("MyCtrl",MyCtrl);
function MyCtrl() {
this.name = 'abc';
this.abc123 = 'value';
}
vm.name+'123' is dynamic key and then get from vm
<div ng-app="myApp" ng-controller="MyCtrl as vm" >
Name value: {{vm.name+'123'}} and dynamic value: {{vm[vm.name+'123']}}
</div>
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Learning A-Z Level Correlation Chart. This correlation chart illustrates how Learning A-Z levels approximately correlate to other leveling systems commonly found in leveled reading materials.
The Learning A-Z Text Leveling System uses objective (quantitative) and subjective (qualitative) leveling criteria to measure text complexity. Teachers should use their professional judgment of additional qualitative criteria along with reader and task considerations to determine if an individual book at a given level is appropriate for a student. Printable Chart Word count Number of different words Ratio of different words to total words Number of high-frequency words Ratio of high-frequency words to total words Number of low-frequency words to total words Ratio of low-frequency words to total words Sentence length Sentence complexity Predictability Language pattern and repetition Print size, spacing, and number of words per page Illustration support Concept load Topic familiarity More about the Text Leveling System.
The Choking Dog: Reading Comprehension. "Come on, come on, move it, idiot!
" Joanne beat impatiently on the steering wheel of her Mercedes sports car. How stupid to get caught up in the rush hour! She had planned to leave work early this afternoon, at three o'clock, to give herself a chance to relax and have a bath before going out to a meeting of her local tennis club. But just at ten to three a client had arrived, and it was two hours before she had finished dealing with the man.
When she came out of her office, all the other staff in the Highlight Advertising Agency had already left. Owning a Dog: Reading Comprehension. Pulp Friction: Timed Scanning Exercise. Every second, one hectare of the world's rainforest is destroyed.
That's equivalent to two football fields. An area the size of New York City is lost every day. In a year, that adds up to 31 million hectares -- more than the land area of Poland. This alarming rate of destruction has serious consequences for the environment; scientists estimate, for example, that 137 species of plant, insect or animal become extinct every day due to logging. In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainforest valleys have been clearcut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct, and the habitats of grizzly bears, wolves and many other creatures are threatened.
Pulp Friction: Timed Scanning Exercise. Get Started. Calibre Audio Library - audio books for people with sight problems, dyslexia or disabilities. ARROW Tuition. Comparison of Literacy Interventions in the UK Professor Greg Brooks study, "What works for children and young people with literacy difficulties" 2013, investigated intervention schemes for improving literacy skills of children and young people.
His report studied almost 50 interventions aiming to improve reading, comprehension and spelling ability of students throughout the UK. A.R.R.O.W. is delighted to report that evidence provided by hundreds of learners showed A.R.R.O.W. Self Voice system achieved 'remarkable results' in all three areas; and in fact headed the tables given in the report for reading, comprehension and spelling. Drop Everything and Read—but How? After more than 20 years as the neglected goal of reading instruction (Allington, 1983; NICHD, 2000), fluency has finally become the hot topic among reading researchers, professional development providers, and teachers.
These days it is rare to pick up a reading journal, attend a professional conference, or sit in a faculty staff room at a school without hearing someone discussing reading fluency. Surely most every educator has heard the message that if students aren't sufficiently fluent in their reading, they won't have sufficient comprehension. Given this clear statement—supported by a strong consensus of high-quality research studies—teachers and administrators everywhere are searching for ideas to help their students become fluent readers. As someone who has conducted research on fluency over the past two decades, I find the current buzz both promising and troubling. I. Literacy for All: In conversation with Dr. Caroline Musselwhite.
These 11 video clips and related learning guides provide an opportunity to enhance and support teacher practice in the area of literacy for students with significant disabilities.
Dr. Caroline Musselwhite is an assistive technology specialist with more than 30 years of experience working with children and adolescents with significant disabilities. Give both Reinforcement AND Informative Feedback Dr. Caroline Musselwhite discusses the importance of providing students with feedback during the writing process. Classic Starts: A Best-Loved Library: Black Beauty/A Little Princess/Little Women/Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass/The Secret Garden: Amazon.co.uk: Sterling Publishing Company: 9781402794889: Books. How do we get them reading? This post is intended to help teachers who are at a complete loss as to why their pupils can’t read.
I’m not saying I have all the answers- what I am proposing is not a definitive solution to the problem of reading, but it outlines some of the things I wish someone had told me when I started teaching. There is a range of things you could do, of course. These are just some of the things I have learnt over the past few years that I have seen work well. Countless secondary schools across the country are faced with this problem. It is an absolute travesty that many children start secondary school unable to read. Step 1: Assessment. Wide Range Achievement Test 4 (WRAT4) The Wide Range Achievement Test 4 (WRAT4) has superceded the WRAT3 and is the latest offering in a test series first published in 1946.
The WRAT4 features: How do we get them reading? What Works? The latest edition of Prof Greg Brooks’ work provides important insights – and raises questions.
We’ve been reading with great interest the updated edition of emeritus Professor Greg Brooks’ ‘What works for children and young people with literacy difficulties? The effectiveness of intervention schemes’. Professor Brooks has a strong overview of literacy interventions in reading, writing and spelling, having completed this analysis five times since 1998. Dialogue - Examples and Definition of Dialogue. Dialogue Definition A dialogue is a literary technique in which writers employ two or more characters to be engaged in conversation with each other.
Mrs. Judy Araujo, Reading Specialist. The above comic strip was shown at our first RETELL class. This inspires us to remember that we are responsible for teaching every student, and we need to think of efficient ways to reach all of them. What is RETELL? : Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners RETELL is designed to provide ELLs access to effective instruction and close proficiency gaps. Who is responsible for teaching ELLs? First, please visit this GREAT site for effective learning and teaching ELL strategies: Reading Comprehension Skills for English Language Learners. English language learners (ELLs) often have problems mastering science, math, or social studies concepts because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects.
Understanding the Neuroscience Behind Reading. About Us. School Library Journal aspires to be an accelerator for innovation in schools and public libraries that serve the information, literacy, and technology needs of 21st century children and young adults. SLJ produces resources, services, and reviews that make library and education professionals savvier, and communities stronger. The Learning Network - The Learning Network Blog. Student account handout. Online Reading Activities. | http://www.pearltrees.com/juliashew/sen-reading-support/id15387473 |
The Preview panel is one of the panels that appears on the left side of the Convert Assistant.
Click the Preview tool to display this panel. It displays the current page of the document selected in the file list.
Page information icons
The icon in the top-right corner of the Preview panel gives page information.
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||This page is image-only. No text layer is detected, or password protection prohibits access to the text layer. The program can generate editable text from this page, but must use its built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for this.|
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Navigation tools
Use the Navigation tools under the Preview window to view pages in a source file to be converted, or to move among documents in the file list. From left to right: Go to first page of previous document; go to first page of current file; go to its previous page; go to a specified page; go to next page; go to last page and go to first page of next document in the list.
Page range
Use the Pages edit box to define a page range to be converted. By default all pages are converted. Use a hyphen and commas to separate instructions in the edit box, such as for specifying pages to be printed.
|Example||Pages to be converted|
|2||Page 2 only|
|3-7||Pages 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7|
|-5||Pages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5|
|11-||All pages from 11 to end of file|
|20-22, 15-18, - 3||Pages 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22|
The buttons beside the Pages edit box serve also for specifying a page range. | https://docshield.kofax.com/PowerPDF/en_US/4.0.0-u2prycyg8w/help/PowerPDF_help/c_previewpanel.html |
Thick small 4to (257 x 191 mm). Half–title, title–page printed in blue and black. Original calf vellum with the Homeric bow in gilt on covers (designed by Eric Gill), gilt–lettered spine, top edge gilt, others uncut and unopened; original slipcase with printed limitation label (light edgewear). Laid in with the publisher’s prospectus.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION PRINTED IN ENGLAND, LIMITED ISSUE, ONE OF 100 COPIES ON MOULD–MADE PAPER SIGNED BY JOYCE (from a total edition of 1000 copies, this copy unnumbered). THIS COPY WAS RESERVED FOR PRESENTATION BY THE AUTHOR, with the words inscribed below the limitation reading: “Presentation Copy”. The only other copy of this edition of 100 that we could locate that bears the presentation inscription (this copy also unnumbered) was from Joyce’s private library now housed in the Poetry Collection at the University at Buffalo. They also hold two other copies of the Bodley Head Ulysses (1/900) that also bear the words “Presentation Copy” on the edition statement: one having been owned by Sylvia Beach.
This Bodley Head edition is arguably THE MOST HANDSOME EDITION OF JOYCE’S MASTERPIECE EVER PUBLISHED. The text was based on the Odyssey Press edition (1932), revised by Stuart Gilbert at the request of Joyce, and generally considered to be the “final and definitive edition” of the novel (prospectus). “Following on from the successful appeal against the ban on Ulysses in America and the success of the Random House edition there, John Lane’s Bodley Head published Ulysses in an edition limited to 1000 copies, its first publication in its complete form in Britain. There was still some fear at the time that the book would be prosecuted, and an article in the Law Journal of 16 March 1929 had indicated several heads under which the publication of Ulysses could be challenged in England. Then, late in 1932, Joyce heard that the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, and his Attorney General, Sir Thomas Inskip, had discussed the book and had decided not to prosecute it if it was published in Britain. Joyce had wanted Faber & Faber to publish Ulysses in England, and Faber were already considering it even before the American ban on Ulysses was lifted in December 1933. But early in 1934, Faber decided that the time was not yet right in England. Publishers Jonathan Cape and Werner Laurie also decided against it… The plan was to bring out a limited edition of just 1000 copies, 100 copies of which would be a deluxe edition, signed by Joyce. It was also to be expensive: copies of the deluxe edition would sell for three guineas each while the 900 regular copies would sell for 30 shillings each. If that was successful, it would be followed by 3000 copies at fifteen shillings in 1935, and an unlimited edition selling for eight shillings and sixpence in 1936. In July 1934 Lane’s printers refused to print parts of the book, and Bodley Head had to set up its own printing company, Western Printing Services, to print it. Joyce, impatient with the slow pace of progress, threatened to withdraw, but Lane insisted he was going ahead. The problems between Lane and Joyce were added to when Laurence Meynell, in charge of typography and layout, suggested that Joyce should write descriptive running headlines for the top of each of the recto (right-hand) pages: Joyce refused. By then publication was scheduled for October 1935 but again Lane demurred, this time claiming that the prosecutor had been particularly vigilant in recent times and that it would be better to wait. Paul Léon, acting on Joyce’s behalf, worked closely with Allen Lane, John Lane’s nephew and later the founder of Penguin Books, to ensure that the book would be the best possible, and Léon was particularly complimentary about the meticulousness of the typesetting. Publication was now expected in 1936 and Joyce corrected the proofs while he was holidaying in Copenhagen in August and September. The last corrections were made by 3 September and printing of the 900 copies went ahead first because of a shortage of the paper for deluxe edition. The advertising campaign was low-key so as not to attract too much attention from the authorities. Advertisements claimed that this would be the ‘final and definitive edition’ of Ulysses but, despite the meticulousness of Lane’s printers, Joyce spotted mistakes in the appendices straight away, and Lane’s own readers discovered more. Joyce had been asked to write a preface to the book, but refused, and so the publisher decided to include material in appendices, as had happened with the Random House edition. Among the items included were the International Protest against Samuel Roth’s piracy, Judge John Woolsey’s decision, Morris Ernst’s Foreword to the Random House edition, and a Joyce bibliography” (The James Joyce Centre). Slocum & Cahoon 23. | https://auctions.potterauctions.com/_JOYCE__James__1882_1941___Ulysses__London__John_L-LOT60590.aspx |
EISENHOWER, Dwight David (1890-1969). Thirty-fourth President of the United States.
Typewritten Letter Signed to Frank O. Salisbury, 1 page 4to on paper of The White House, as from Augusta, Georgia, 31 December 1954. Thanking Salisbury for his Christmas card and sending congratulations on his eightieth birthday. | https://manuscripts.co.uk/stock/22648.HTM |
Material: Chiffon with top mesh. Not stretchable.
Details: A-line cut, scoop neckline, hidden back zip and lined.
Note :
Please allow 20-30% discrepancy in the product color due to lighting and monitor resolution (actual may appear darker/brighter). In such cases, the variance may not be considered as a defect.
There might be 1cm-2cm differences in the measurements given due to the different stretchable quality of the material and the way measurement is taken.
Measurements
Measurements : (measurements are taken laid flat, x2 for circumference) Check your sizes here
SIZE M:
Length: 84cm, Bust: 45cm, Waist: 37cm, Hips: 57cm, Shoulder: 36cm, Sleeve length: 41cm, Arm hole: 18cm
Length:33 inches, Bust:17.5 inches, Waist:14.5 inches, Hips:22.5 inches, Shoulder:14 inches, Sleeve length:16 inches, Arm hole:7 inches
SIZE L : | https://rentadress.com.my/products/dlablos-dress-navy |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/624,777, filed Jan. 31, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to gesture recognition from one or more images.
The detection and recognition of user gestures from images currently requires complex sensor suites, involving, for example, time-of-flight sensors, structured light sensors, and the like. Moreover, algorithms for determining user gestures from the sensor data from these sensor suites are complex and slow. As a result, current gesture recognition systems are impractical from a cost perspective and offer a poor user experience due to lag.
It would be desirable to develop an algorithm that can determine user gestures more quickly and can work robustly on lower cost hardware, such as single video camera systems. While such an algorithm may optionally be used on higher-end hardware with complex sensor suites, one of the advantages is being able to provide fast and accurate gesture detection from a video.
One embodiment relates to a pipeline of operations performed on a computer to quickly and accurately determine gestures of one or more users from a video. Steps in the pipeline may include detecting motion in an image frame, cropping the image frame around the motion, performing body pose estimation from the cropped image frame, and predicting the user's gestures from the pose estimation.
One embodiment relates to a method for determining body pose and hand gesture of a user. A computer system may detect motion of a user in an image frame of the video. The computer system may crop the image frame around the motion of the user to create a cropped image and may determine the body pose of the user from the cropped image. After determining the body pose, the system may predict the locations of the hands of the user and crop the image frame near these locations to create one or more cropped images of the hands. The system may predict the state of one or both hands of the user using these cropped images of the hands.
One embodiment relates to a method for controlling an electronic device by recognizing human gestures. The method may include detecting motion of a user in an image frame of a video. Coordinates of the motion in the image frame may be determined. A bounding box around the motion in the image frame may be created based on the coordinates of the motion. The image frame may be cropped based on the bounding box around the motion to create a cropped image. A full-body pose estimation may be performed on the cropped image to determine coordinates of one or more body part keypoints and confidence values for one or more of the body part keypoints. An arm location model may be applied to one or more body part keypoints and a direction in which the user is pointing may be predicted. The location of a body part associated with the user's hands may be determined based on the body part keypoints. One or more cropped images of the hands of the user may be created by cropping the image frame near one or more body part keypoints representing a body part associated with the user's hands. The coordinates of one or more hand keypoints may be determined from the one or more cropped images of the hands of the user. A hand gesture model may be applied to one or more hand keypoints to predict the state of a hand of the user. An electronic device may be controlled based on the predicted state of the hand of the user.
One embodiment relates to a method for analyzing gestures occurring in different image frames over time and detecting a multi-frame gesture. An electronic device may be controlled based on the multi-frame gesture.
In this specification, reference is made in detail to specific embodiments of the invention. Some of the embodiments or their aspects are illustrated in the drawings.
For clarity in explanation, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, however it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the invention covers alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within its scope as defined by any patent claims. The following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations on, the claimed invention. In the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In addition, well known features may not have been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.
In addition, it should be understood that steps of the exemplary methods set forth in this exemplary patent can be performed in different orders than the order presented in this specification. Furthermore, some steps of the exemplary methods may be performed in parallel rather than being performed sequentially. Also, the steps of the exemplary methods may be performed in a network environment in which some steps are performed by different computers in the networked environment.
Embodiments of the invention may comprise one or more computers. Embodiments of the invention may comprise software and/or hardware. Some embodiments of the invention may be software only and may reside on hardware. A computer may be special-purpose or general purpose. A computer or computer system includes without limitation electronic devices performing computations on a processor or CPU, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, mobile devices, cellular phones, smart phones, PDAs, pagers, multi-processor-based devices, microprocessor-based devices, programmable consumer electronics, cloud computers, tablets, minicomputers, mainframe computers, server computers, microcontroller-based devices, DSP-based devices, embedded computers, wearable computers, electronic glasses, computerized watches, and the like. A computer or computer system further includes distributed systems, which are systems of multiple computers (of any of the aforementioned kinds) that interact with each other, possibly over a network. Distributed systems may include clusters, grids, shared memory systems, message passing systems, and so forth. Thus, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in distributed environments involving local and remote computer systems. In a distributed system, aspects of the invention may reside on multiple computer systems.
Embodiments of the invention may comprise computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions or data stored thereon. A computer-readable media is physical media that can be accessed by a computer. It may be non-transitory. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, hard disks, flash memory, DVDs, CDs, magnetic tape, and floppy disks.
Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions which cause a computer to perform a function or group of functions. Some instructions may include data. Computer executable instructions may be binaries, object code, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, source code, byte code, scripts, and the like. Instructions may be stored in memory, where they may be accessed by a processor. A computer program is software that comprises multiple computer executable instructions.
A database is a collection of data and/or computer hardware used to store a collection of data. It includes databases, networks of databases, and other kinds of file storage, such as file systems. No particular kind of database must be used. The term database encompasses many kinds of databases such as hierarchical databases, relational databases, post-relational databases, object databases, graph databases, flat files, spreadsheets, tables, trees, and any other kind of database, collection of data, or storage for a collection of data.
A network comprises one or more data links that enable the transport of electronic data. Networks can connect computer systems. The term network includes local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), telephone networks, wireless networks, intranets, the Internet, and combinations of networks.
In this patent, the term “transmit” includes indirect as well as direct transmission. A computer X may transmit a message to computer Y through a network pathway including computer Z. Similarly, the term “send” includes indirect as well as direct sending. A computer X may send a message to computer Y through a network pathway including computer Z. Furthermore, the term “receive” includes receiving indirectly (e.g., through another party) as well as directly. A computer X may receive a message from computer Y through a network pathway including computer Z.
Similarly, the terms “connected to” and “coupled to” include indirect connection and indirect coupling in addition to direct connection and direct coupling. These terms include connection or coupling through a network pathway where the network pathway includes multiple elements.
To perform an action “based on” certain data or to make a decision “based on” certain data does not preclude that the action or decision may also be based on additional data as well. For example, a computer performs an action or makes a decision “based on” X, when the computer takes into account X in its action or decision, but the action or decision can also be based on Y.
In this patent, “computer program” means one or more computer programs. A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that single programs could be rewritten as multiple computer programs. Also, in this patent, “computer programs” should be interpreted to also include a single computer program. A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that multiple computer programs could be rewritten as a single computer program.
The term computer includes one or more computers. The term computer system includes one or more computer systems. The term computer server includes one or more computer servers. The term computer-readable medium includes one or more computer-readable media. The term database includes one or more databases.
FIG. 1
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illustrates an exemplary network environment in which the methods and systems herein may operate. Hardware sensor device may collect sensor data such as video. The hardware sensor device may be connected to network . The network may be, for example, a local network, intranet, wide-area network, Internet, wireless network, wired network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other networks. Electronic devices connected to the network may be controlled according to gestures captured and detected in video by the hardware sensor device . Gestures may be detected by processes described herein, which may be performed on the hardware sensor device or on other computer systems.
FIG. 2
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is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method that may be performed in some embodiments by a computer system. In step , a video is provided in a computer system, where the video may include one or more image frames. In step , the computer system detects motion of a user in an image frame of the video. In step , the image frame is cropped around the motion of the user to create a cropped image. In step , the body pose of the user is determined from the cropped image. Determining the body pose of the user from the cropped image rather than the full image frame may be faster and more efficient. In step , the image frame is cropped based on the predicted locations of the hands from the body pose to create one or more cropped images of the hands of the user. In step , the state of a hand of the user is predicted from the one or more cropped images of the hands of the user. Predicting the state of a hand of the user from the one or more cropped images of the hands of the user may be faster and more efficient than performing the operation on a larger image. The computer system may determine an overall gesture of the user from the user's body pose and the user's hand state. For example, a gesture may be “arm raised with closed fist” or “arm in left direction with pointing index finger.” The overall gesture of the user may be used to control an electronic device.
FIGS. 3A-B
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illustrate a flow chart of an exemplary method that may be performed in some embodiments by a computer system. In step , a video is provided in a computer system, where the video may include one or more image frames. In step , the computer system detects motion of a user in an image frame of the video. In step , coordinates of the motion in the image frame are determined. One method of determining coordinates of motion in image frame is comparing consecutives frames of a video and determining coordinates where pixel values change or values derived based on the pixel values change. In some embodiments, the computer system detects motion by determining the amount that a pixel value has changed between frames, or the amount that another values based on the pixel value has changed, and comparing it to a threshold value. If the difference exceeds the threshold, then the computer system determines that motion has occurred in the image frame.
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In step , a bounding box is created around the motion in the image frame based on the coordinates of the motion. In step , the image frame is cropped based on the bounding box around the motion to create a cropped image. In some embodiments, cropping may be performed on the exact coordinates of the bounding box, but in other embodiments the cropping may be performed on coordinates somewhat inside or somewhat outside of the bounding box. This may allow for slight variance in the detection of motion. In step , a body pose estimation is performed on the cropped image to determine the coordinates of one or more body part keypoints and confidence values for the one or more of the body part keypoints. In some embodiments, this may be a full body pose estimation. The return value of the body pose estimation may be a skeleton comprising one or more body part keypoints that represent locations of body parts. The body part keypoints may represent key parts of the body that help determine a human pose. Body part keypoints include an identifier of a particular body part, such as the right elbow, and a location in three-dimensional space. Body pose estimation may be performed, for example, based on features that tend to characterize certain parts of the human body. For instance, features may include image silhouettes, color, edges, gradients, shading, focus, or other features. Features may be encapsulated in image descriptors, which are a set of features characterizing a portion of the image. Image descriptors may be represented as vectors or arrays. In some embodiments, supervised or unsupervised learning may be used to associate image descriptors to certain body parts. In some embodiments, part-based models may be used to constrain the possible locations of body parts based on the constraints of joints within the human body. In step , an arm location model is applied to one or more body part keypoints and predicts a direction in which a user is pointing or other arm state. An arm location model may be a machine learning model that accepts body part keypoints as inputs and returns a predicted state of the arm or gestures. In some embodiments, a set of predicted states or gestures may be returned by the arm location model with associated confidence values indicating the probability that the state or gesture is present. In some embodiments, the arm location model may be trained with supervised learning by providing a labeled set of training examples associating a set of body part keypoints and the correct state or gesture. In other embodiments, the arm location model may be created with unsupervised learning. In step , the location of a body part associated with a hand, such as a hand, palm, wrist, or finger, is determined based on the body part keypoints. A body pose may include one or more body part keypoints identifying the location of the hands, palms, wrists, fingers, or other body parts associated with or near a hand. In step , one or more cropped images of the user's hands are created by cropping the image frame near one or more body part keypoints representing a body part associated with a hand, such as body part keypoints representing the hands, palms, wrists, or fingers. In step , hand pose estimation may be performed on one or both cropped images of the user's hands to determine the pose of the hand or hands, as represented by keypoints. The hand pose estimation may return coordinates of one or more hand keypoints that are determined from the cropped images of the user's hands. Hand keypoints include an identifier of a particular body part in the hand, such as the first joint of the index finger, and a location in three-dimensional space. In step , a hand gesture model is applied to the one or more hand keypoints to predict the state of a hand of the user. A hand gesture model may be a machine learning model that accepts hand keypoints as inputs and returns a predicted state of the hand or hand gesture. In some embodiments, a set of predicted states or gestures may be returned with associated confidence values indicating the probability that the state or gesture is present. In some embodiments, the hand gesture model may be trained with supervised learning by providing a labeled set of training examples associating a set of hand keypoints and the correct state or gesture. In other embodiments, unsupervised learning may be used to create the hand gesture model. In step , an electronic device is controlled based on the predicted state of the hand of the user. Moreover, the computer system may determine an overall gesture of the user from the user's body pose, arm location, and the user's hand state. The computer system may use other aspects of the overall gesture in addition to the hand state to control an electronic device. For example, a user pointing with his index finger with his arm facing left may be interpreted as something different from a user pointing with his index finger with his arm facing upwards.
For the purpose of detecting gestures to control electronic devices, it may be advantageous to perform many of the steps described as quickly and accurately as possible. In one embodiment, prior to doing pose estimation calculations, the computer system runs a motion detector to isolate the specific areas of an image where there is motion. These areas of the image are likely to contain people. Cropping the image frame to this area and performing subsequent calculations in this area may accelerate the speed of calculations. Similarly, the methods described above may isolate the likely areas where hands are located, further accelerating calculations of hand keypoints by restricting the calculations to a small area of the image. Accuracy of the detection of gestures may be increased by calculating the gesture model in two high level steps. The first for the full body, and the second for the user's hands. Each calculation may include calculating pose keypoints and then running a gesture model that accepts the pose keypoints as input and outputs a predicted state.
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Many variants of the described processes are possible. The processes herein such as, but not limited to, methods and may have more or fewer steps. Steps of the methods and are optional and may be omitted. Moreover, the steps may be performed in different orders or in parallel.
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It is contemplated that methods and may be performed on scenes involving two or more users. The methods and may be performed for each user in the scene. Thus, for example, motion may be detected representing multiple users and multiple bounding boxes created, one bounding box enclosing each user. The image frame may be cropped around the bounding boxes to create multiple images, one image for each user. Body pose estimation may be performed for each user to determine one or more body part keypoints of each user. Then arm location models may be applied to each user to determine the directions in which they are pointing. The locations of a body part associated with the user's hands may be determined based on the body part keypoints, and one or more cropped images of the users' hands may be created by cropping the images near the body part keypoints representing the body part associated with the hands. Coordinates of the one or more hand keypoints may be determined for each user from the cropped images of the users' hands. Hand gesture models may be applied for each user to predict the state of the hands of each user. One or more electronic devices may be controlled based on the predicted state of the users' hands.
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In some embodiments, only full body pose gestures are detected and hand keypoints are not calculated. For example, one variant of method may perform steps to and not the remainder of the steps. Similarly, one variant of method may perform steps to and not the remainder of the steps.
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In another embodiment, the angle of a user's arm may be determined instead of or in addition to direction. In steps to applying the body pose estimation and arm location model, the angle of a user's arm may be determined. The angle may be measured using two or more coordinates, such as horizontal and vertical coordinates, for example 60 degrees vertical and 40 degrees horizontal. The angle of the user's arm or arms may be used for gesture control instead of or in addition to the direction of pointing.
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Other embodiments may include additional sensors. One embodiment may include two or more cameras. Another embodiment may include a depth sensor. The additional sensors may provide more data used for gesture recognition. With two cameras, body pose estimation may be performed using the two images to determine the body part keypoints and/or hand keypoints. At steps of methods and where the image frame is cropped, both of the images from the two cameras may be cropped. For example, both images may be cropped around the motion detected in an image frame before body pose estimation is performed, and both images may be cropped near the body part keypoints representing a user's wrists or hands before hand keypoints are calculated.
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Similarly, with a depth sensor, the depth data may be used in the body pose estimation to determine the body part keypoints and/or hand keypoints. At steps of methods and where the image frame is cropped, the depth data may also be cropped. For example, the depth data may be cropped around the motion detected in an image frame before body pose estimation is performed, and the depth data may be cropped near the body part keypoints representing a user's wrists or hands before hand keypoints are calculated.
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In another embodiment, gesture recognition may be performed on a still image rather than a video. For example, in a variant of method , in step , motion of a user is detected using a motion sensor and a still image captured with a digital camera. The coordinates of the motion in the still image are provided by the motion sensor. The still image may be cropped based on the coordinates of the motion detected by the motion detector. Processing in method may continue from step as shown in .
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In a variant of method , in step , motion of a user is detected using a motion sensor and a still image captured with a digital camera. The coordinates of the motion in the still image are provided by the motion sensor. The coordinates determined by the motion sensor may be used to create a bounding box around the coordinates of the motion, and the still image may be cropped based on the bounding box to create a cropped image. Processing in method may continue from as shown in .
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illustrates an exemplary image frame that may be provided. Such an image frame may be collected from a video camera, such as in hardware sensor device .
FIG. 5
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illustrates an exemplary cropped image . In the image frame , a bounding box may be created around the motion in the image frame based on the coordinates of the motion. The image frame may then be cropped based on the bounding box to create the cropped image .
FIG. 6
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illustrates an exemplary full body pose estimation performed on the cropped image. One or more body part keypoints may be identified in the full body pose estimation, such as keypoints , , , . Exemplary keypoints may be represented as tuples of numerical values that describe locations and confidence levels of detected body parts. Body part keypoints may represent the locations of body parts such as wrists, elbows, shoulders, chest, hips, knees, feet, head, face, eyes, ears, temples, and so on. An exemplary format for a series of keypoints may be:
[931.785,437.888,0.912407,1029.8,588.676,0.8555,897.927,584.888,0.79514,705.499,566.078,0 0.818217,498.225,517.052,0.805196,1154.23,599.964,0.784383,1221.96,803.709,0.853831,1225. 8,995.886,0.83414,939.333,1011.01,0.566688,935.573,1346.56,0.388906,0,0,0,1105.24,1007.16, 0.565667,1109.04,1354.12,0.50593,0,0,0,931.726,415.271,0.560063,961.914,407.879,0.901622, 0,0,0]
Where every 3 numerical values represents a tuple of values: [X1, Y1, confidence_1], indicating the X and Y location of the keypoint identifying a body part or portion thereof on the image, and its associated confidence value. Confidence values may be calculated on a scale of 0 to 1, indicating how confident the computer system is that the keypoint correctly identifies the location of the associated body part. In an exemplary embodiment, 17 body part keypoints are used. In other embodiments, the number of body part keypoints may number 5-10, 10-20, 15-25, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, or so on.
An arm location model may be applied to the body part keypoints to predict the direction that a user is point in or the angle of the user's arm or arms. The output of the arm location model may be a set of states or gestures and the associated probabilities that the state or gesture is present. An exemplary output of an arm location model is presented in the following table, showing the predicted gesture in the left column and the confidence value that this is the correct gesture in the right column.
Gesture
Probability
Right Arm Up
2.1%
Right Arm Right
0.9%
Right Arm Left
99.4%
Left Arm Up
0.5%
Left Arm Right
0.2%
Left Arm Left
0.3%
In the above exemplary model, the model predicts that user has their right arm pointing to the left because it has the highest probability.
FIG. 7
701
702
701
702
710
711
illustrates exemplary cropped images of the user's hands , . In some embodiments, the cropped images of the user's hands , may be created by cropping the image frame near the body part keypoints identifying the user's wrists , or another body part associated with the user's hands.
FIG. 8
810
811
701
702
810
811
810
811
illustrates the exemplary hand keypoints , determined from one or more cropped images of the hands of the user , . Hand keypoints , may represent the positions of various parts of a user's hands in a scene. The hand keypoints , may be represented in the same or similar format to the body part keypoints using tuples including an X and Y coordinate and confidence value. In an exemplary embodiment, 20 hand keypoints are used. In other embodiments, the number of hand keypoints may number 5-10, 10-20, 15-25, at least 10, at least 20, at least 30, or so on.
A hand gesture model may be applied to the hand keypoints to predict the gesture or state of one or more of the user's hands. Based on the hand keypoints, the model predicts a gesture or state. The output of the hand gesture model may be a set of states or gestures and the associated probabilities that the state or gesture is present. An exemplary output of a hand gesture model is presented in the following table, showing the predicted gesture in the left column and the confidence value in the right column.
Gesture
Probability
Right Hand Open
92%
Right Hand Closed
0.5%
Right Hand Index Finger
2.3%
Left Hand Open
93%
Left Hand Closed
0.6%
Left Hand Index Finger
0.9%
In the above exemplary model, the model predicts that user's left and right hands are open because they have the highest probabilities.
FIG. 9
900
901
901
901
902
902
902
illustrates an exemplary scene collected from a video camera. In this image, there is one user on which body pose estimation has been performed. The arm gestures of the user may be determined. The arm gesture of the user may be determined to be a pointing gesture to the left of the scene. As a result of the pointing to the left gesture, an object to the left of the user may be controlled. In this example, the system determines that the lamp that the user is pointing at should be turned on and sends a signal to turn on the lamp . The image also shows bounding boxes around electronic, controllable devices. These devices can be identified either by object detection by the computer system or by pre-configuration by the user.
FIG. 10
602
603
710
711
illustrates exemplary body part keypoints, such as keypoints , , , . More or fewer body part keypoints may exist in various embodiments.
FIG. 11
810
illustrates exemplary hand keypoints . In other embodiments, more or fewer hand keypoints may be used. In one embodiment, a hand keypoint is used to represent the wrist, each finger-tip, and each joint in each finger and knuckle in the user's hand.
FIG. 12
1200
illustrates an exemplary method where a computer system analyzes multiple image frames in order to detect multi-frame gestures. Using this method, the computer system may detect gestures that cross multiple image frames, for example a grasp and drag gesture, arm raising or lowering gesture, or first raising or lowering gesture.
1201
200
300
1202
200
300
1203
1204
In step , the computer system detects a first gesture. It may detect the first gesture using, for example, methods or . The first gesture may comprise any or all of a user hand state, a user arm state, and a user body pose. In step , the computer system detects a second gesture, which may also be detected using methods or . The second gesture may comprise any or all of a user hand state, a user arm state, and a user body pose. In step , the computer system may continue on to detect additional gestures, such as a third, fourth, fifth, and so on, gestures in the same manner. In step , the computer system may determine an overall temporal gesture based on the first gesture and second gesture, and any additional gestures such as the third, fourth, fifth, and additional gestures. In this manner, the computer system may detect discrete gestures in different image frames and combine these gestures to determine an overall gesture that spans multiple frames. This gesture may be referred to as a temporal gesture because the gesture occurs across time.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to comprise the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood that changes in the form and details of the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Although various advantages, aspects, and objects of the present invention have been discussed herein with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that the scope of the invention should not be limited by reference to such advantages, aspects, and objects. Rather, the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to patent claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates an exemplary network environment that may be used in some embodiments.
FIG. 2
is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method that may be performed in some embodiments
FIGS. 3A-B
illustrate an exemplary method that may be performed in some embodiments
FIG. 4
illustrates an exemplary image frame that may be used in some embodiments.
FIG. 5
illustrates an exemplary cropped image that may be created in some embodiments.
FIG. 6
illustrates exemplary full body pose estimation on a cropped image that may be used in some embodiments.
FIG. 7
illustrates exemplary cropped images of the user's hands that may be created in some embodiments.
FIG. 8
illustrates exemplary hand keypoints that may be determined from one or more cropped images of the hands of the user.
FIG. 9
illustrates an exemplary scene collected from a video camera.
FIG. 10
illustrates exemplary body part keypoints in some embodiments.
FIG. 11
illustrates exemplary hand keypoints in some embodiments.
FIG. 12
is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method that may be performed in some embodiments. | |
In fact, though the study focused on the effects of ocean heatwaves during the heatwave that hit Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2016, researchers determined that this heatwave phenomenon affected 37% of coral reefs globally between 2014 and 2017.
According to this new study, extreme spikes in ocean temperatures can cause entire coral reef systems to decay and collapse in a matter of days. These increasingly severe thermal conditions are causing an unprecedented increase in the frequency and severity of mortality events in marine ecosystems, including on coral reefs. The degradation also puts at risk many other sea creatures that live in the sea coral.
Also, the researchers revealed that not only coral bleaching is threatening corals, but warmer seawater temperatures are also endangering the marine organisms.
The report showed that a severe marine heatwave will not only trigger bleaching events, but can lead to heat-induced death of the coral itself. "Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality", the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains on its website. "The water temperatures are so warm that the coral animal doesn't bleach-in terms of a loss of its symbiosis-the animal dies and its underlying skeleton is all that remains".
The researchers used CT scans of coral reefs to monitor the impact of extreme temperatures.
"We are just going so far beyond what's normal". "But what we're seeing here is that - when the coral tissue dies - it falls and breaks away from the skeleton", Dr Ainsworth explained. "Adopting these techniques more broadly will be central to understanding how this process occurs on reefs globally - we anticipate that heatwave mortality events, and rapid reef decay, will become more frequent as the intensity of marine heatwaves increase". This discovery fits into this category.
The team has also shown that even the skeletons are being eroded by the rapid growth of algae and bacteria, another unexpected product of severe heatwaves. "As we begin now to understand this impact, the question is how many more of these "unknown unknowns" might there still be that could bring faster and greater damage to coral reefs from climate change", he said.
Commenting on the analysis, Dr James Guest from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, who has been researching coral reef habitats for more than 15 years, said: "It is onerous to know how a lot we've got to keep saying that this is a huge problem before policy-makers resolve to do something about it".
"Across the globe coral reefs are still a source of inspiration and awe of the natural world, as well as being critically important to the communities that rely upon them", said Ainsworth. | http://stocknewspress.com/2019/08/10/heatwaves-kill-coral-reefs-far-faster-than-thought.html |
A cash loan is a financial service provided on the basis of a written contract concluded between a financial institution authorized to grant a loan and a borrower. In the contract, the lender undertakes to transfer a specified sum of money to the borrower’s disposal, and the borrower undertakes to use the loan in accordance with its purpose and return the borrowed amount increased by the lender’s remuneration, i.e. commission and interest.
In Poland, the right to grant loans is limited to banks, branches of foreign banks, branches of credit institutions, cooperative savings and credit unions or other institutions, which have been specified in the Banking Law. Although the terms loan and loan are commonly used interchangeably, however, these are different terms in the light of law – only entities defined in banking law can grant credit. Granting loans by unauthorized institutions is against the law. The situation is different when granting loans to which many non-bank companies and institutions are entitled.
The loan agreement contains detailed arrangements relating to all aspects of the loan. These include: date and place of signing the contract, specification of parties to the loan agreement, amount and currency of the loan, terms of loan activation, purpose of the loan and repayment period, commission and interest rate and terms of interest rate change, type of loan security, defining the method and time of making the funds available financial statements, information about the consequences of the breach of the contract and the possibility of withdrawal from the contract, as well as any individual arrangements that occurred between the parties to the loan agreement.
The decisive opinion on the possibility of granting the loan belongs to the entity that grants the loan, which is also entitled to control the use of the loan. The creditor is not obliged to grant a loan and may refuse to grant credit, even if the applicant for credit possesses a positive credit rating.
In order to ensure maximum certainty regarding the recovery of the funds made available, the lender may establish collateral for the cash loan. A popular form of security is a surety, which consists in a third party’s obligation to repay the borrower’s liabilities in the event that the borrower does not meet the terms of the loan agreement. Other forms of collateral are: blank promissory note, bank guarantee, loan insurance or property pledge (transfer of title, mortgage).
The interest rate on a cash loan is the factor that generates the highest costs that must be incurred in connection with taking out a loan. In the case of long-term loans, even the digits located in the second decimal place in the value of interest even have a bearing on the total amount to be paid. Although there are loans with zero interest, it is usually a promotional offer, and standard interest rates range from 5% to 20% on an annual basis.
When calculating the general cost of a loan, it is worth reviewing the so-called APR (Annual Actual Interest Rate), which includes the total cost of the loan, including all commissions, additional fees and more.
It is obvious that the amount of the loan installment depends on the amount of the loan and the repayment period. In the case of a loan with zero commission and zero interest, the monthly installment is the sum of borrowed money divided by the period (counted in months) in which we will give back the money. We must add commission and interest to this basic amount. As a rule, the bank offers two options for how to add these fees: fixed installments or decreasing installments. In the case of fixed installments, the total amount of interest accrued over the entire loan period is divided by the number of months and so we receive a monthly additional amount (interest), which should be added to the basic repayment amount (principal). If we choose decreasing installments, then each month the bank will calculate interest on the amount to be repaid, and thus in the initial period higher interest will have to be added to the repaid principal, which will gradually decrease to zero at the last installment.
Previous Post Previous post: Financial Problems – How to Deal with Debt? | http://www.usahcginjection.com/what-is-cash-loans/ |
The utility model relates to a cassette type circulating tape. The interior of a tape cassette is symmetrically provided with two tape wheels (2, 3) of the identical shapes and sizes. The center of each wheel is provided with a groove-shaped axle hole (9) matched with a drive shaft on a cassette mechanism to rotate. The inner side of each of the four corners of the cassette is provided with four guide wheels (4-7); the bottom of the cassette is provided with positioning holes (12, 13) and capstan holes (10, 11). A tape (8) passes by the wheels (2, 3) and the guide wheels (4-7), and the ends of the tape are adhered together to form the tape (8) in continuous operation. The tape is also provided with an infrared or photoelectric reflecting film (14). The utility model has the advantages of simple structure and high performance price ratio, serves as a special form of cassette tapes and matches with automatic control, language training, personifying toys, etc. | |
At the end of this programme, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate the benefits and risks of various treatment options across the treatment continuum in BCa, RCC, and PCa.
- Discuss strategies to identify and manage adverse events related to immunotherapy.
- Evaluate the role of immunotherapy vs VEGF-targeted therapies for RCC.
- Evaluate the role of imaging or biomarkers vs biopsy in active surveillance for localized prostate cancer.
- Discuss strategies for managing oligometastatic disease.
- Discuss the importance of personalized medicine, based on costs and patient preference, while minimizing toxicity and maximizing efficacy. | https://academy.siu-urology.org/siu/2021/B2B-GU-Cancer-Triad/315643 |
Joining Howard University in Fall 2017 as an assistant professor in the department of architecture, Dr. Ferdous has already been awarded a research grant by the Academy of Architecture for Health Foundation (AAHF). Dr. Ferdous also brings her Toyota Foundation Individual Research Grant awarded in Summer 2017 to Howard University.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the number of people aged over sixty-five years is currently 35 million. The number of people who will need long-term care services is estimated to reach 27 million by the year 2050 (from 15 million in 2000). Dr. Ferdous is concerned with this rapid growth of the need for effective long-term care facilities (LTCFs), stressing that now is the time to focus on long-term care facility design for the dementia patients among this fast-growing population.
Dr. Ferdous adds, "The physical environment is always recognized as a place to ameliorate positive behavioral changes, where social interaction is repeatedly considered an essential therapeutic intervention for people experiencing dementia to improve their quality of life. Research literature suggests that residents value social environment more than other aspects of the care facilities. A well-designed supportive physical environment both in a home and in LTCFs may reduce such challenging behaviors by fostering a positive attitude, such as lower agitation, an increase in social contact, more independence in conducting activities of daily living, and so forth. I think architectural design can create a supportive physical environment to improve social interaction. Positive social interaction is the most influential aspect of improving overall health and wellbeing."
Dr. Ferdous plans to present her research at the 2018 EDRA49 Annual Conference, the Environmental Design Research Association's annual conference, in June.
Read a complete overview of Dr. Ferdous' research initiative: Positive Health Outcomes by Environmental Design: The Role of Spatial Configuration in Designing Physical Environment for People Experiencing Dementia. | http://www.arch.cea.howard.edu/news/assistant-professor-farhana-ferdous-awarded-aahf-research-grant |
All the theory, all the knowledge, all the heartbreak and drama... starts here.
In 2012, XJ Randall started a blog to enhance his association with nature and with God. What he didn't know is that his venture into the unknown was expected for a very, very long time.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
XJ Hall: Modes of Truth and Survival
Here is an essay from my first philosophy class, btw it wasn't taken at a major university, only at a community college. This proves that you can become enlightened without having to submit to the parameters of an accredited university.
As a deviant at ten it often seemed fitting to fabricate the truth. I knew consequences were grave and as my social stability was threatened I had to choose to get hurt or survive. I thought about ways I could have avoided a damaging situation by telling a better fib. But how often do children, moreover the populous in general, think that telling the truth will lead them to survive? This is my point. Through college education I have come to realize that truth is very powerful and is made of many factors that are aligned. My postulations lead me to believe that truth is the physical entity or entities that aid in promoting human survival, that is, the betterment of self worth for an individual and for those who interact with that individual. Its existence relies on at least two individuals who depend on each other, which can also be defined as a society: a network consisting of connecting human nodes that are unequal because of the natural qualities of man. Were it not for the social contract of society, the natural qualities of man would push him to follow desires that ultimately lead to self-destruction, the opposite of truth. Thus, the survival of society is based on truth. In my philosophy, I aim to explain that truth is a real physical entity, that its detection is related to survival of society, and that those who know it will always choose to use it.
First, I will start out by describing how I came to the conclusion that all truth is physical. It's popular usage defines it as something that is or verifies reality. Because nothing can override its power, truth is seen as universal: what is true is true what is not is not. Therefore, one may question what is true when two realities are present. Within logical explanation the answer is that both realities are true and only an error or lack of knowledge prevents one from knowing this. To illustrate this I will give a couple simple examples. A blind man and a deaf woman both go to the cinema to see the movie Inception. The blind man can not see the movie and the deaf woman can not hear the movie but obviously the movie and all its properties still exist. This is similar to studies of the mind. A mentally ill person's reality considered to be delusional is no less true than the reality of someone who is not. The error for both of these situations exists in what is detected: people assume that what is not detectable is not true. However, new research and technologies today prove the existence of mind altering factors that were once thought to be abstract. Memories and ideas are now being proven, through logic, to be physical entities that have the potential to be detected when the technology exists. As Materialism suggests, the folk practices of yesterday that were unable to explain phenomena of the mind are being replaced by scientific and mathematical evidence while studies such as philosophy, psychology, and sociology compliment the data. Thus, what realities people consider to be abstract, unexplainable, and unprovable will be verified by evidence in the future. It is only a matter of time before an infinite amount of evidence leads to the realization that all reality is detectable and physical. Thus, if all reality is physical then all truth must be physical as well.
This is extremely important because gaining knowledge from truth, from physicality, will lead to a better understanding of survival, but I will explain that at the same time if all knowledge is perfected it has the potential to collapse society. Picture a network of nodes, a structure of energetic shaking dots having great potential energy, that are all held in place by their connections and dependencies on each other. If all nodes lost their connections with each other the structure would vanish and they would violently be released. Now picture society as this network of nodes, or individuals. It has been proven that society's inequality is the basis for its existence based on each individuals abilities and needs and how they interact with each other. The knowledge of truth is a threat based on this inequality. If the individuals in society came to a point in which their research gave them the knowledge to become self dependent, society would collapse. The individuals that once chose to survive would then choose to self-destroy.
Now enhancing this a step further, the network of nodes can be applied to the groups that make up society. The physical detections of reality will not only be used on an individual basis for secular research, but for macro religious research as well. As stated, the realities of two different individuals can be different but true at the same time. Take the case of realities of two different religions that are upheld by its followers. The stratification of religious beliefs promote inequality within society and aid society on a macro level. The religious societies can use the knowledge of truth based on physical evidence to enhance their survival. But because survival is based off of truth, and truth is universal, ultimately, all religions will realize that what they are advocating in their beliefs are identical. This would mean the end of religion altogether as people and societies set aside their differences for Truth.
However, it does not mean that an individual's power, the ability that comes from knowing truth, can not be used for survival, if there is still inequality in society. In my previous statement, I assumed that all nodes in a network would leave the network once they were self dependent and had the power to do so. But this leaves out the exception of those who choose not to leave the network even if they do have the power. In any case, an individual would not leave the network, if they wouldn't have the power to do so, or if they did they would choose not to do so.
In my next point I will explain why this is so. Individuals with free-will who know truth will choose to follow the truth under all circumstances. This is because I believe our choices are free. I believe this because believing in the contrary would be to believe that people have no control over their own choices: that those who do not know truth do not have the power to conquer oppressive forces, or in other words, make the appropriate choice to handle a situation. Thus, those with limited power may feel that they were forced by outside forces to make a choice, but it is one's ignorance of truth that ultimately leads them to make a choice they are unhappy with, or a choice that hinders their survival. So a person who has truth will always make the correct decision for survival, instead of self destruction. But this does not account for the network of people who do not know the ultimate truth to survive but have become self dependent and so are more likely to disband and let society self-destruct.
Ultimately, no matter how small or big the society, the individuals that make it must know some truth in order to survive. They must depend on each other, sharing their abilities of technology and receiving power from truth. The spectrum of scenarios goes far beyond what I have listed but it gives a brief understanding of what were to occur when societies individuals know truth. In most cases society will stick together and not collapse either because its individuals know truth and choose to stick together, or because the individuals do not know truth, and thus do not have the power to become self dependent. I understand that there are flaws in my design and I wish to graphically illustrate it if I had more time. But, overall, truth is a very complex thing to understand and it should be reviewed and thought of more crucially in order to understand it more.
| |
Researchers have increased demands to publish and now are provided with many avenues of doing so, including open access. These broader factors have given rise to predatory publishers, or academic publishers that use questionable practices to solicit, review, and distribute original research.
Open Access & The Rise of Predatory Publishers. Open access publishers distribute their information with minimal or no restrictions. They generally operate by having the costs of publishing be covered by authors who pay a fee to have their research articles published. A drawback to this is the emergence of publishers that misuse the open access model. Instead of freely distributing information for the benefit of creating new knowledge, predatory publishers aim to make a profit off authors who are eager to pay for their research to be published.
The Problem. New and emerging research heavily relies on established knowledge to inform their studies, so the information it uses needs to be valid and accurate. Predatory publishers utilize questionable publishing conduct and ethics in terms of soliciting research, their editorial processes, and utilizing peer review, all of which affect the quality of information being published. Later studies that are informed by such publications are liable to be based on flawed or inaccurate premises, and may lead to negative outcomes. An additional problem with predatory publishers is their journals and articles may be found in established indexes and databases as PubMed, ProQuest, and others while doing a literature review.
Possible Solutions. Critically appraise an article of interest in terms of content, organization, and writing conventions. Identify the authors, their affiliations, and credentials, which can often be found in an article. Review the article’s hypotheses, and evaluate the research design and analyses used in the study; see if they are appropriately used and accurate. Consult with handbooks or ask colleagues about unfamiliar aspects of the study. Check the references or works cited for completeness and if they consistently follow a given format. In addition, examine a publisher and journal title and determine whether or not they are established or credible.
A researcher will become cognizant of high impact journals, research organizations, and publishers as he or she reads more literature within their field. However, some journals with scholarly titles may still have the attributes of a predatory publication, so let the reader beware.
The best way to determine that a publication is reputable is to perform due diligence.
Predatory publishers do not have set attributes, and 'official' lists do not exist. Consider the following ways to determine the quality and reliability of a publication in question.
1. Visit its home page.
Examine the following information to determine the legitimacy of a journal or other publication; this can often be found through their home page. For an example, compare the journal Geophysical Research Letters with International Journal of Geophysics and Geochemistry.
2. Consult with UlrichsWeb (FAUNet ID required).
UlrichsWeb often provides the following information about a publication:
3. Check the journal title, if it is an open access journal, with a reputable open access organization or web page.
4. Ask around. Ask your colleagues where they publish or what they use, as well as the journals they thought were questionable. Librarians can also provide insight and information. | https://libguides.fau.edu/c.php?g=325509&p=5305406 |
- Format:
- Ebook(EPUB)
- Related Formats:
- Paperback, Hardback, Ebook(PDF)
- ISBN:
- 9781783099252
- Published:
- 22nd Nov 2017
- Publisher:
- Multilingual Matters
- Dimensions:
-
- Availability:
- Available
This book reports on the state of academic journal publishing in a range of geolinguistic contexts, including locations where pressures to publish in English have developed more recently than in other parts of the world (e.g. Kazakhstan, Colombia), in addition to contexts that have not been previously explored or well-documented. The three sections push the boundaries of existing research on global publishing, which has mainly focused on how scholars respond to pressures to publish in English, by highlighting research on evaluation policies, journals' responses in non-Anglophone contexts to pressures for English-medium publishing, and pedagogies for supporting scholars in their publishing efforts.
This timely collection sheds light on how publishing policies and practices are shaping global academic knowledge-making. Its impressive geolinguistic reach, with attention to a wide range of contexts and many contributions from beyond the Anglophone centre, brings a richness and nuance that make it a powerful inaugural text for the new Studies in Knowledge Production and Participation series.
Lucia Thesen, University of Cape Town, South Africa
This book consistently provides new and valuable insights into the various causes and consequences of the growing dominance of English in research publishing. To the best of my knowledge there are no other publications currently available that do as much or do it as well.
Sally Burgess, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in understanding the contemporary world of academic publishing, whether as a writer who is seeking to disseminate knowledge, or as a research educator supporting novice scholars as they navigate the complexities of publication. The pressure to publish high-level research in English is not likely to disappear soon, but it is books like this that push us to recognise the power relations at play in global knowledge production. There is much to look forward to in this new series.
Doctoral Writing SIG, May 2018
The co-editors have done an excellent job of editing, organizing, and arranging the four parts [of the book] into logical and cohesive subdivisions. The issues related to the dominance of English as the language of knowledge production is dealt with directly...Curry and Lillis make it clear that there is a conspiracy of factors that have led to this situation and they point how it is being addressed in positive ways. This book should be recommended reading for professors who teach in a graduate program and for their students.
Language Problems and Language Planning 42:2
Mary Jane Curry is an Associate Professor in the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester, USA. Theresa Lillis is a Professor in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics, The Open University, UK. They are the authors of A Scholar's Guide to Getting Published in English: Critical Choices and Practical Strategies (Multilingual Matters, 2013) and Academic Writing in a Global Context: The Politics and Practices of Publishing in English (Routledge, 2010).
- Mary Jane Curry and Theresa Lillis: Problematising English as the Privileged Language of Global Academic Publishing
Section 1: Evaluation Practices Shaping Academic Publishing
- Lynn Nygaard and Rocco Bellanova: Lost in Quantification: Scholars and the Politics of Bibliometrics
- Robin Nagano and Edit Spiczéné: Phd Publication Requirements and Practices: A Multidisciplinary Case Study from a Hungarian University
- Yongyan Li and Rui Yang: Chinese Business Schools Pursuing Growth through International Publication: Evidence from Institutional Genres
Section 2: Scholars' Practices and Perspectives
- Birna Arnbjornsdottir and Hafdis Ingvarsdottir: Issues of Identity and Voice: Writing English for Research Purposes in the Semi Periphery
- John Harbord: Language Policy and the Disengagement of the International Academic Elite
- Laurie Anderson: Publishing in Pursuit of an Academic Career: The Role of Embedded and Encultured Knowledge in National Job-market Entry Strategies of Elite Early Career European Scholars
Section 3: Academic Journal Policies and Practices
- Aliya Kuzhabekova: The Reaction of Scholarly Journals to Impact-Factor Publishing Requirements in Kazakhstan
- Cheryl Sheridan: Blind Peer Review at an English Language Teaching Journal in Taiwan: Glocalized Practices within Globalization of Higher Education
- Melba Cardenas and Isobel Rainey: Publishing from the ELT Periphery: The Profile Journal Experience in Colombia
- Cheryl Ball, Andrew Morrison and Douglas Eyman: The Rise of Multimodality in Academic Publishing
- Francoise Salager-Meyer: Open Access: The Next Model for Research Dissemination? | https://multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/?k=9781783099252 |
Reimposing lockdown is a big decision and the State Cabinet will meet soon in this regard, says Health Minister Eatala Rajender
Faced with a significant rise in the number of novel coronavirus cases, the Telangana government has decided to intensify testing from Tuesday.
Health Minister Eatala Rajender said there had been a spike in the number of cases ever since the restrictions were lifted and the increase was observed mainly in some parts of the west and south Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao held a detailed review meeting on tackling the spread of the virus with senior officials on Sunday and the State Cabinet would meet in the next four to five days for taking a decision on the future course of action.
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“The Chief Minister stressed the need for strict measures to check the spread of the virus. Reimposing lockdown is a big decision and the State Cabinet will meet soon in this regard,” he said.
The Chief Minister was in favour of strict enforcement of restrictions in the containment zones and it was, therefore, decided to intensify tests in the GHMC limits in general and containment zones in particular.
The number of persons tested every day had increased to 4,000 from 1,500 and the tests were being conducted in line with the guidelines issued by the Indian Council for Medical Research. The government had kept 17,081 beds ready in different hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients.
Of these, around 10,000 would be equipped with oxygen supply, which was essential in the treatment of the virus-affected people within a week. More than 3,500 beds had already been equipped with oxygen supply systems and establishing supply lines for the nearly 6,500 remaining beds would be completed in the next four to five days.
This was in addition to recruitment of 4,500 new doctors and nursing staff and these new recruits would be deployed at all the designated treatment centres within a day or two. The government had initiated several confidence building measures to ensure that people did not panic.
However, apprehensions were being raised among the people due to “irresponsible” posts in the social media complaining about the absence of facilities at the government hospitals and indifference the medical personnel were displaying in treating the patients. The Minister recalled that several health department employees (258), police personnel (185) and some elected representatives tested positive for the disease.
Only a head nurse working in the government hospital succumbed to the virus while two others died because of the co-morbidity conditions. All others were treated and cured of the virus. “It is not proper to cast aspersions on the government as nobody can question the commitment of the government and Chief Minister in taking steps necessary to check the spread of the virus,” he asserted.
The Minister said the fatality rate of 1.7% in the State which was almost half of the national average of more than 3 % was indicative of the steps that had been put in place to check the spread of the virus.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said the government had put in place necessary mechanisms to ensure that tests were conducted wherever required and the people, on their part, should take adequate care duly following the guidelines to ensure that they stayed safe. | |
Many programs and agencies collect data about their clients and service use but they may not have the time and resources to use those data to inform their decision making. This post shares some simple approaches for how to use data to improve programs.
An Interview with Gregg Keesling
RecycleForce is a social enterprise in Indianapolis that provides subsidized jobs to citizens returning from prison. MDRC interviewed its president, Gregg Keesling, about how his program works and what effect COVID-19 has had on his company and employees.
An Interview with Jenny Taylor
Jenny Taylor, vice president of career services for Goodwill of North Georgia, describes her successful subsidized jobs program targeting noncustodial parents (mostly fathers), how it has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it could be expanded to serve more people.
The Critical Role of Nonprofits, Public Agencies, and Social Enterprises
The surging unemployment rate brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to remain unusually high for many months. The findings from two large-scale studies suggest that public/nonprofit employers are much more likely to hire disadvantaged workers whose wages are subsidized than are private, for-profit employers.
Home Visiting and Coordinated and Integrated Early Childhood Systems
Funders at all levels are investing in programs to support expectant parents and families with young children. MDRC is conducting research in that field in three areas: integrating systems of services that work together, getting families and children the right services, and building evidence about promising models.
Testimony Before the New York City Council Committee on Higher Education
In the City University of New York’s innovative program, CUNY’s least prepared students delay matriculation, beginning instead with noncredit, time-intensive instruction aimed at eliminating developmental needs after one semester, preparing participants for college courses, and improving academic outcomes. An independent evaluation will help determine CUNY Start’s effect on academic success.
Subsidized employment programs use public funds to create jobs for the unemployed. This two-page memo describes how they can provide short-term income support to individuals with serious barriers to employment or to broader groups during poor economic times — while having positive effects on reducing recidivism, increasing child support payments, or reducing reliance on welfare.
In this essay, originally published in Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Dan Bloom reviews what research says about subsidized jobs programs – and how they can be a strategy both for tough economic times and for the hard-to-employ in better labor markets.
A Summary of Impact and Implementation Findings from Head Start CARES
This two-page issue focus summarizes the main findings from Head Start CARES, a test of three distinct classroom-based approaches to enhancing children’s social-emotional development: Incredible Years Teacher Training Program, Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies), and Tools of the Mind–Play.
Presented Before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Human Resources Subcommittee
On July 30, 2014, MDRC’s Dan Bloom testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources on what research says about the effectiveness of subsidized employment programs in promoting work, reducing poverty, and improving other important outcomes. | https://www.mdrc.org/publications?f%5B0%5D=field_intervention%3A707&f%5B1%5D=field_publication_type%3A781&f%5B2%5D=field_intervention%3A753&f%5B3%5D=field_intervention%3A761&f%5B4%5D=field_publication_type%3A782 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to a multiple antenna control technique in wireless communication field, more particularly to a multiple antenna mode control method based on Access Point (Base Station).
In wireless communication system, multiple antenna techniques are commonly used. According to their basic principles, these techniques can be classified into three categories: spatial multiplexing, spatial diversity and beam forming.
The core idea of the spatial multiplexing technique lies in that a sending end and a receiving end respectively use a plurality of antennas arranged in proper positions or with different polarities to form a plurality of channels independent with each other between the sending end and the receiving end. As a result, the sending end can send different data to different channels and the receiving end can receive these data respectively to acquire greater spectral efficiency.
The core idea of the spatial diversity technique lies in that a transmitter and a receiver use a plurality of antennas arranged in proper positions or with different polarities to produce an independent fading channel. The sending end encodes a same signal and sends it to different channels to achieve the spatial diversity. Due to the employment of the coding technique, the spatial diversity technique can obtain some coding gain in addition to diversity gain.
The core idea of the beam forming technique lies in that a transmitter and a receiver use a plurality of antennas arranged in proper positions to enable the sending end and the receiving end to get channels with the same or similar fading characteristics. The difference among the different channels lies in different routes, according to which the receiving end can get the Direction of Arrivals (DOA) of a signal conveniently and processing gain can be obtained by adjusting the phase of the receiving antenna and making the array antennas point at the coming direction of the signal.
The spatial multiplexing technique is usually applicable to the condition of a good-quality channel; the spatial diversity technique is applicable to a complex environment of multi-path fading; and the beam forming technique is applicable to an open and outdoor channel environment with a main path. However, due to the different basic principles employed respectively, it is difficult to use these three techniques in a multiple antenna system at the same time. Therefore, only one of the above three multiple antenna systems is usually applied in wireless communication system.
With people's increasing demand on wireless mobile services, it becomes a goal pursued by wireless communication system to acquire the greatest performance by different techniques in different scenarios. Therefore, a multiple antenna mode control method is in urgent need to enable wireless communication system to cover a mobile Station and an Access Point with the spatial multiplexing, the spatial diversity and the beam forming techniques at the same time, and to allow the sending and the receiving ends to select a suitable multiple antenna mode for transmitting data according to the specific channel environment.
To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a multiple antenna mode control method based on Access Point to construct a communication mode supported by different communication systems in a specified multiple antenna mode. Therefore, both the sending and receiving sides can make an adaptive selection of a suitable multiple antenna mode for data transmission.
The multiple antenna mode control method based on Access Point provided in the present invention includes the following steps: step 1, the Access Point periodically sends out a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point; step 2, a Station reports a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, or reports a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, to the Access Point; and step 3, a multiple antenna mode is chosen from a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point for communicating.
Step 1 further comprises: the Access point periodically sends a specific broadcast frame with information of the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point by broadcasting in a manner that the Station can analyze.
The multiple antenna mode set refers to all transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes likely to be supported by the Access Point and the Station, the multiple antenna mode set supported by the Access Point refers to all transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Access Point, and the multiple antenna mode subset supported by the Access Point refers to part of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Access Point, wherein, each multiple antenna mode is determined according to the antenna numbers of both sending and receiving sides as well as a corresponding algorithm. The transmitting antenna modes and the receiving modes of a same Access Point are not peer-to-peer.
In Step 2, the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station further comprises: after receiving the multiple antenna mode set or subset sent out by the Access Point, the Station acquires the valid multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point; and the Station reports to the Access Point multiple antenna mode information, which is configured by the Station according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station and carried in a specific frame.
In step 2, the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point further comprises: after receiving the multiple antenna mode set or subset sent out by the Access Point, the Station acquires the valid multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point and the Station reports to the Access Point the valid multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
Step 2 still further comprises: after the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, the Access Point returns to the Station an acknowledgement, in which the Access Point further emphasizes or restricts the multiple antenna mode set or subset likely or necessary to be employed for communicating between the Access Point and the Station according to the acquired multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
The multiple antenna mode set supported by the Station refers to all transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Station, and the multiple antenna mode subset supported by the Station refers to part of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Station, wherein each multiple antenna mode is determined according to the antenna numbers of both sending and receiving sides and a corresponding algorithm. The sending antenna modes and the receiving antenna modes by the same Station are not peer-to-peer.
Step 3 further comprises: with either the Station or the Access Point taken as a sending side, a multiple antenna mode is chosen form the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point for broadcasting, multicasting or unicasting; the step of a multiple antenna mode is chosen from a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point comprises: the sending side chooses a multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and sends the information of the multiple antenna mode been chosen to the receiving side in a manner that the receiving side can analyze; and the sending side sends data to be sent in the multiple antenna mode, while the receiving side receives and analyses the information, and receives the data in a corresponding multiple antenna mode thereafter.
In Step 3, the step of a multiple antenna mode is chosen from a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point comprises: the sending side and the receiving side agree in advance on a multiple antenna mode of data to be sent, the sending side sends the data to be sent in the multiple antenna mode, while the receiving side receives the data in a corresponding multiple antenna mode, wherein the multiple antenna mode is one mode of the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
Therefore, the present invention may solve the technical problems in the background techniques that do not support the selection of an optimal rate with multiple services available in the network and are not adaptive to wireless channels, especially wireless mobile channels in multiple application scenarios. Furthermore, based on multiple antenna capability information sent out by the Access Point in the present invention, a multiple antenna capability negotiation process is established between the Station and the Access Point, to construct a communication mode supported by different communication systems in a specified multiple antenna mode. Meanwhile, during the subsequent service transmission after the completion of the negotiation, the Station and the Access Point can communicate with each other in a reliable or high-speed multiple antenna mode supported by both the sending and receiving sides. Thereby, the error frame rate is reduced, and the network throughput is increased. Therefore, the present invention is particularly applicable to high-throughput wireless communication systems.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description given below and will partly become apparent upon examination of the following description or may be understood from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
With reference to the drawings above, a description of the preferred embodiments is to be given below. It is to be understood that the preferred embodiments herein intend only to describe and explain the invention, not to limit the invention.
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
is a flow chart of the multiple antenna control method in WLAN of the invention's embodiment. As illustrated in , a Station (STA) reports a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station to an Access Point (AP); the Access Point returns a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point to the Station, or returns a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point to the Station; a multiple antenna mode is chosen from the multiple antenna mode set supported by both the Station and the Access Point for communicating.
FIG. 1
As shown in , the method for data transmission in WLAN of the embodiment includes the following steps:
101
S, the Access Point periodically sends out a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by itself;
More exactly, the Access Point configure multiple antenna mode information according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by itself, and read the configuration result in an multiple antenna mode subfield of capability information field in a specific broadcast frame (e.g. a beacon frame). The Access Point sends out to the Station the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point through periodical broadcasting of the broadcast frame.
Wherein, the multiple antenna mode information comprises information that can exclusively determine the multiple antenna mode; for example, the information could be transmission rate information, which is usually a combination of modulation mode, coding mode and antenna mode in practice. Through the transmission rate information, the multiple antenna mode supporting the transmission rate can be exclusively determined.
The specific broadcast frame (e.g. a beacon frame) is analyzable to all Stations in systems of the same kind.
The multiple antenna mode set comprises multiple antenna mode sets comprising of all transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes likely to be supported by all Stations and the Access Point, agreed in advance according to a communication protocol, wherein each multiple antenna mode is determined by antenna numbers of both sending side and receiving side as well as a corresponding algorithm, and the number of the multiple antenna mode sets is countable NA.
The multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point comprises the multiple antenna mode sets supported by the Access Point and the multiple antenna mode subsets supported by the Access Point, wherein each multiple antenna mode is determined by the antenna numbers of both sending and receiving sides as well as a corresponding algorithm.
The multiple antenna mode set supported by the Access Point refers to all of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Access Point.
The multiple antenna mode subset supported by the Access Point refers to part of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Access Point. For example, if the Station supports N(N≦NA) modes, the N modes constitute the multiple antenna mode set supported by the Access Point. According to application scenarios or specific configurations, the Access Point only reports M (M≦N) modes supported by the Access Point, and information of the M modes is called the multiple antenna mode subset information supported by the Access Point.
The transmitting antenna modes and the receiving antenna modes of a same Access Point could be not peer-to-peer. For example, the Access Point supports a selective combining sending of 2 antennas during sending, but a space-time code receiving of 2 antennas during receiving.
The step includes: the Access Point periodically sends a broadcast frame with information of the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point through broadcasting, in a manner the Station can analyze.
105
S, the Station reports multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station or multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point to the Access Point;
More exactly, after receiving the specific broadcast frame (such as a beacon frame) sending by the Station, the Station acquires the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point through analyzing the antenna mode subfield of the specific broadcast frame. The Station configures the multiple antenna mode information according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, and reads the configuration result in the multiple antenna mode subfield of capability information field of the specific broadcast frame. Through sending the specific broadcast frame, the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station is reported to the Access Point.
The multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station comprises the multiple antenna mode set supported by the Station and the multiple antenna mode subset supported by the Station, wherein each antenna mode is determined by the antenna numbers of both sending and receiving sides as well as a corresponding algorithm.
The multiple antenna mode set supported by the Station refers to all of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Station.
The multiple antenna mode subset supported by the Station refers to part of the transmitting antenna modes and receiving antenna modes supported by the Station. For example, if the Station supports n (n≦NA) modes, the n modes constitute the multiple antenna mode set supported by the Station. According to application scenarios or specific configurations, the Station only reports m (m<n) modes supported by the Station, and information of the m modes is called the multiple antenna mode subset information supported by the Station.
The receiving antenna mode could be unequal to the transmitting antenna mode of the same Station. For example, the Station supports a space-time code sending of 2 antennas during sending, but a selective combining receiving of 2 antennas during receiving.
The step of the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, further includes: After receiving the multiple antenna mode set or subset sent out by the Access Point, the Station acquires multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and reports to the Access Point multiple antenna mode information carried by a specific frame (e.g. an association request frame) and configured by the Station according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station.
The step of the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, further includes: after receiving the multiple antenna mode set or subset sent out by the Access Point, the Station acquires valid multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and reports to the Access Point the valid multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
There are two ways for the Station to configure the multiple antenna mode information according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station. One is to configure an antenna mode subfield with the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station; and the other is to configure an antenna mode subfield with the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
After the Station reports to the Access Point the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, the Access Point may either return or not return an acknowledgement; in the returned acknowledgement, the Access Point may further emphasize or restrict the multiple antenna mode set or subset likely or necessary to be employed for communication between the Access Point and the Station, according to the acquired multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
The significance of the above-mentioned emphasis or restriction lies in that the Station and the Access Point can acquire the mutually supported multiple antenna modes through the first half of the negotiation. At this moment, the Station narrows again the scope of the multiple antenna modes, selecting coercively several some multiple antenna modes from the multiple antenna modes supported by both the Station and the Access Point for further restriction. If no restriction is conducted, it is considered to be emphasis.
110
S, a multiple antenna mode is chosen for communicating from a multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point.
The step further includes: with either the Station or the Access Point as an sending side, a multiple antenna mode is chosen from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point for broadcasting, multicasting or unicasting.
The step of selecting a multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point could be: a sending side selects a multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and sends its mode information in a manner the receiving side could analyze, to be followed immediately by data to be sent in the multiple antenna mode. The receiving side first analyzes the mode information, and then receives the data from the sending side in a corresponding mode.
The step of selecting a multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point could also be: sending and receiving sides agree in advance a multiple antenna mode, which is one of the multiple antenna set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point of data to be sent. And then, the sending side sends the data to be sent in the mode hereof, while the receiving side receives the data in a corresponding mode.
More specifically, two methods are employed to realize the step.
The first method: when there are data to be transmitted, a sending side, either the Station or the Access Point, selects a multiple antenna mode, with consideration of either or both of the two elements, the current channel quality condition and the demand on Quality of Service (QoS) of the data to be sent. During the sending process, the sending side first writes the multiple antenna mode in a field related to the antenna information of a physical frame header. The format of the physical frame for sending data consists of two parts: the first part is a physical frame header sending in a basic rate, i.e. the most reliable transmission rate, and analyzable whether the receiving side supports the multiple antenna mode or not; a second part is the transmission data sent in the multiple antenna mode. The receiving side is able to receive and analyze the physical frame header and acquire the multiple antenna mode employed by the subsequent sent data from the field related to antenna information in the physical frame header. The receiving end receives the sent data in a corresponding multiple antenna mode thereafter.
The field related to antenna information could simply be the antenna mode information, or mapping information of the antenna mode and modulating mode and coding mode.
The second method: first, a connection is established between the Station and the Access Point in a way that either the Station or the Access Point first sends a connection request, in which a multiple antenna mode supported by both the sending and receiving sides is assigned, and the other side gives a response acknowledgement. After the connection is established, if either one of the Station and the Access Point has transmission data matching the connection, it can send the transmission data in a corresponding multiple antenna mode, while the other can receive in a corresponding multiple antenna mode. A plurality of connections can be established between the Station and the Access Point and multiple antenna mode of each connection could either be the same or not.
When selecting a multiple antenna mode, the sending side may consider either or both of the two elements of the current channel quality condition and the demand on QoS of the data to be sent, wherein the element of current channel quality condition may be considered in view of previous experience or the statistics and measurement of recent or current transmission condition. At the first sending a selected multiple antenna mode to a specific receiving end, the selected multiple antenna mode can be chosen from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, transmitted in the maximum rate, the most reliable rate, or a middle rate of the two rates.
Thereby, the multiple antenna control method in WLAN of the present embodiment can employ different multiple antenna modes according to the channel condition and the demand of data on QoS, to adapt to changes of channel quality caused by mobility or other factors.
FIG. 2A-FIG
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3B
2
. C are detailed flow charts showing the multiple antenna mode in Wireless Local Area Network of one of the invention's embodiments. and show the format of a physical frame of a return frame in one of the invention's embodiments. Now with reference to the above drawings, a description of the preferred embodiments is to be given below.
FIG. 2
As shown in , the flow comprises:
200
S, a negotiation starts;
205
S, the Access Point sets the multiple antenna mode information in a beacon frame;
0
0
0
2
7
2
7
In the present embodiment, there are all together NA multiple antenna modes, respectively M˜MNA, wherein M, the corresponding transmission rate of which is R˜RNA means not to use the multiple antenna mode or not to support the multiple antenna mode. In the present embodiment, NA bits being taken to indicate the subfield of a transmission rate, if the i (0≦i≦NA) bit is “1”, it indicates that the Station supports the Mi type transmission rate, corresponding to Mi type multiple antenna mode. For example, if the 2nd and the 7th bits of the subfield are “1”, with other bits being “0”, it indicates the Access Point supports both R and R transmission rates, and correspondingly, the Access Point supports both M and M multiple antenna modes. If bits of the subfield are all “0”, it indicates basically transmits the rate set of the Access Point, i.e. the Access Point doesn't employ several specific transmission rates corresponding to the multiple antennas modes, and correspondingly, the Access Point does not support the multiple antenna modes, or supports the multiple antenna modes, but refuses to employ them. It may be specified more exactly in other bits of the capability information whether to support or employ the multiple antenna modes.
210
S, the Access Point sends periodically the beacon frame in a format that the Station is able to receive, wherein the beacon frame carries an antenna mode subfield;
215
220
235
S, it is judged whether the Station employs a multiple antenna mode or not; If the Station employs a multiple antenna mode, turn to S, otherwise set all the antenna mode subfields to be “0”, and turn to S;
220
S, the Station analyzes the antenna mode subfield in the beacon frame, and thereby acquires multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point;
225
230
235
S, it is judged whether the Access Point sending the beacon frame supports or employs multiple antenna mode or not according to the multiple antenna mode information. If the Access Point employs multiple antenna mode, turn to S, otherwise configure the antenna mode subfield to be “0”, and turn to S;
230
220
S, the Station configures antenna mode subfield of an association request frame according to multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station; or according to the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Access Point acquired by the Station in S and in combination with the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by the Station, the Station sets the antenna mode subfield of the association request frame with the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point;
235
S, the Station sends the association request frame in a format that the Access Point is able to receive, wherein the association request frame carries the antenna mode subfield configured by the Station.
240
S, the negotiation process will end with the Station's receiving an association response frame sent by the Access Point. The Access Point receives the association request frame, from which the Station will acquire the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, if the Station and the Access Point both employ multiple antenna mode, otherwise the Station reckons that the Station and the Access Point communicate with each other in non-multiple antenna mode. The Access Point sends the association response frame, in which the Access Point can further emphasize or restrict multiple antenna mode set or subset likely or necessary to be employed for communicating between the Access Point and the Station, according to the acquired multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point; and
245
S, the multiple antenna mode negotiation ends, after the Station receives the association response frame.
240
250
280
285
305
FIG. 2
FIG. 2C
In the above S, the sending and receiving sides can start a communication based on multiple antenna mode, which can be performed in two ways: the first is to be described by S˜S, as shown in , and the second is to be described by S˜S, as shown in .
The flow of communication based on the first method includes the following steps:
250
S, when there are data to be sent at the sending side/end, the sending side can select a multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and the selection method hereof is in accordance with either or both of the two elements—channel quality and demand on QoS of transmission data;
255
FIG. 3B
S, the sending side configures a signaling field of a physical frame header, and writes the chosen multiple antenna mode information in the signaling field of the physical frame header, as shown ;
260
S, the sending side processes the physical frame header in a manner that the receiving side can receive. For example, according to a previous agreement, error-correcting coding is conducted to all physical frame headers in 1/2 convolution code, and then BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Key) modulation is conducted thereto;
265
S, the sending side processes data to be sent by the chosen multiple antenna mode. For example, the chosen multiple antenna mode is 2×2 Space-Time Block Coding, 64 QAM Modulating and 3/4 Convolution Coding;
Wherein, the QAM stands for Quadrature Amplitude Modulation.
270
260
265
FIG. 3A
S, the sending side combines the physical frame header obtained in S with the processed data to be sent obtained in S in a format shown in , and then sends them to the receiving side;
275
FIG. 3B
S, the receiving side/end receives the data, finds the signaling field of the physical frame header according to the format shown in , and analyzes the multiple antenna mode information; and
280
S, the receiving side analyzes transmission/sending data in a corresponding algorithm, according to the acquired multiple antenna mode information.
The flow of communication based on the second method includes the following steps:
285
S, the sending side/end selects a multiple antenna mode;
More exactly, when the sending side has data to be sent, it can select the multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the Station and the Access Point, and take this mode as the multiple antenna mode information. The method for selecting a multiple antenna mode is in accordance with either or both of the two elements of channel quality and demand on QoS of transmission data; or the sending side may take either or both of the two pieces of information, channel quality and QoS standard of transmission data, as the multiple antenna mode information.
290
S, the sending side sends a connection establishment request frame to the receiving side, wherein the frame carries the multiple antenna mode information;
295
S, the receiving side/end returns a connection establishment response;
More exactly, after receiving the connection establishment request frame, the receiving side analyzes the multiple antenna mode information and determines a multiple antenna mode according to the information, by directly employing the multiple antenna mode specified in the multiple antenna mode information by the sending side, or by choosing a more suitable multiple antenna mode from the multiple antenna mode set or subset supported by both the sending and receiving ends. Moreover, a more suitable multiple antenna mode can also be decided according to channel quality and QoS standard of transmission data. Then, the decided multiple antenna mode is taken as the multiple antenna mode information, which is then written in the connection establishment response frame and returned to the receiving side;
300
S, the sending end sends data according to the multiple antenna mode information in the connection establishment response frame; and
305
S, the receiving side receives the data according to the connected multiple antenna mode corresponding to the receiving data.
To sum up, the present invention may solve the technical problems inherent in the existing techniques that do not support the selection of an optimal rate with a plurality of services available in the network and are not adaptive to wireless channels, especially wireless high-speed mobile channels. Furthermore, based on the initiation of an Access Point, a multiple antenna capability negotiation process is established between the Station and the Access Point to construct a communication mode supported by different communication systems in a specified multiple antenna mode. Meanwhile, during the subsequent service transmission after the completion of the negotiation, the Station and the Access Point can communicate in a reliable or high-speed multiple antenna mode supported by both the sending and receiving sides. Thereby, the error frame rate is reduced, and the network throughput is increased. Therefore, the present invention is applicable to high-speed wireless communication systems.
Described above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and shall not be construed as limitation the invention. It shall be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations and changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention. All modifications, substitute, equivalents or improvement made therein is intended to be embraced in the claims of this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
The appended drawings intend to help further understanding of the invention, and constitute part of the description. They are used to explain the invention together with the embodiments, and shall not be construed as limitations on the invention. In the appended drawings:
FIG. 1
is a flow chart of the multiple antenna control method in Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) of the invention's embodiment;
FIG. 2A-FIG
2
. C is a detailed flow chart showing the multiple antenna control method in Wireless Local Area Network of one of the invention's embodiments;
FIG. 3A-FIG
3
. B shows the format of a physical frame of a return frame in one of the invention's embodiments. | |
# Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument is a United States National Monument created by President George W. Bush by the presidential proclamation no. 8335 on January 6, 2009. The monument includes no dry land area, but protects 95,216 square miles (246,610 km2) of submerged lands and waters in various places in the Mariana Archipelago. The United States could create this monument under international law because the maritime exclusive economic zones of the adjacent Northern Mariana Islands and Guam fall within its jurisdiction.
## Scope
The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument consists of 95,216 square miles (60,938,240 acres). The monument consists of submerged lands and waters of the Mariana Archipelago. It includes three units:
Islands Unit – the waters and submerged lands of the three northernmost Mariana Islands (Farallon de Pajaros or Uracas, Maug, and Asuncion) Volcanic Unit (Mariana Arc of Fire National Wildlife Refuge) – the submerged lands within 1 nautical mile of 21 designated volcanic sites Trench Unit (Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge) – the submerged lands extending from the northern limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to the southern limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States in the Guam.
No waters are included in the Volcanic and Trench Units, and CNMI maintains all authority for managing the three islands within the Islands Unit above the mean low water line. The Interior Secretary placed the Mariana Trench and Volcanic Units within the National Wildlife Refuge System, and delegated his management responsibility to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Secretary of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has primary management responsibility for fishery-related activities in the waters of the Islands Unit.
### Islands Unit
In the Islands Unit, unique reef habitats support marine biological communities dependent on basalt rock foundations, unlike those throughout the remainder of the Pacific. These reefs and waters are among the most biologically diverse in the Western Pacific and include the greatest diversity of seamount and hydrothermal vent life yet discovered. They also contain one of the most diverse collections of stony corals in the Western Pacific, including more than 300 species, higher than any other U.S. reef area.
The submerged caldera at Maug is one of only a few known places in the world where photosynthetic and chemosynthetic communities of life coexist. The caldera is some 1.5 miles wide and 820 feet deep, an unusual depth for lagoons. The lava dome in the center of the crater rises to within 65 feet of the surface. Hydrothermal vents at about 475 feet in depth along the northeast side of the dome spew acidic water at scalding temperatures near the coral reef that quickly ascends to the sea surface. Thus, coral reefs and microbial mats are spared much of the impact of these plumes and are growing nearby, complete with thriving tropical fish. As ocean acidification increases across the Earth, this caldera offers scientists an opportunity to look into the future and ensure continuation of coral reef communities.
### Mariana Arc of Fire National Wildlife Refuge (Volcanic Unit)
The Mariana Arc of Fire National Wildlife Refuge (Volcanic Unit) – an arc of 21 undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents – supports unusual life forms in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Here species survive in the midst of hydrothermal vents that produce highly acidic boiling water. Three of the volcanos are also within the Islands Unit.
The Champagne hydrothermal vent, found at the Northwest Eifuku submarine volcano produces almost pure liquid carbon dioxide, one of only two known sites in the world. A pool of liquid sulfur at the Daikoku submarine volcano is unique.
### Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge (Trench Unit)
The Challenger Deep, located just outside the Trench Unit, is the deepest point in the Earth's oceans, deeper than the height of Mount Everest above sea level. It is five times longer than the Grand Canyon and includes some 78,956 square miles (204,500 km2) of virtually unexplored underwater terrain. The Sirena Deep, about 6.6 miles beneath the surface, is the deepest point of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.
## Name of monument
In a White House release the first word is pluralized as Marianas, in another seemingly official source it is named Mariana, and in some news reports it appeared as Marianas Marine National Monument, omitting the word "Trench". In common usage, the trench is alternatively named Marianas Trench or Mariana Trench.
The actual text of the proclamation establishing it gives it the official name Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianas_Trench_Marine_National_Monument |
Lab to Act as a Hub for Mathematical Modeling for Disease Dynamics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — How do some species manage to bounce back from disease outbreaks, while others succumb entirely? This is what researchers at nine universities are working to uncover by investigating amphibians’ ability to recover after disease invasion. The Resilience Institute Bridging Biological Training and Research (RIBBiTR) is focused on understanding resilience to a key global threat that has the potential to affect all life: emerging infectious diseases.
This five-year study funded by the National Science Foundation will enable researchers from multiple biological science disciplines to evaluate amphibian resilience to the disease chytridiomycosis, which is caused by a fungus that affects amphibians worldwide. The project’s researchers and scholars are hoping to use amphibians as a model system for understanding resilience in other living systems, including humans.
RIBBiTR’s principal investigator at the University of Pittsburgh, Corinne Richards-Zawacki, notes, “Because we have lots of data over time from around the world on amphibians who are doing better now than they were after the initial disease outbreaks, they are perfect for studying resilience. We can ask many questions: What mechanisms make them able to live with their pathogens? Are the pathogens changing? What is the impact of different environments? If we understand how the relationship has changed between the species and the threat, we can consider how resilience can be applied to other biological systems.”
Mark Wilber, assistant professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, will lead a research team that will act as one of the mathematical modeling hubs for the project—nearly a $300,000 effort. The UT Institute of Agriculture team will work closely with the other institutions to integrate field work and lab experiments from across North, Central, and South America into empirically informed models of amphibian disease dynamics at the individual-, population-, and community-levels.
Wilber notes “As we have seen over the past year and a half, disease can drastically change populations, communities, and ecosystems. But what promotes host population recovery after disease invasion? This is a critical question to address to mitigate disease impacts on wildlife and human populations alike. Here at UTIA, and within RIBBiTR more broadly, one of our goals is to identify what makes some populations bounce back from the brink of disease-induced extinction. We hope our work will aid conservation efforts for imperiled amphibians, contribute to a broader understanding of ecosystem resilience to disease, and help build the next generation of integrative biologists.”
In addition to field work, lab studies, and mathematical modeling, the study also has an educational component. Training activities will engage high school to post-doctoral students and will focus on reaching underrepresented groups in STEM. Outreach activities will also target teachers, the public, and wildlife managers with messages about biodiversity, resilience and global change. Together, the project’s activities will showcase the power of an integrative, team science approach for addressing some of the biggest and most challenging questions in biology.
The UT Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries is part of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT AgResearch and UT Extension at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The curricula focus on a mastery learning approach, emphasizing practical, hands-on experiences. FWF’s faculty, staff and students conduct research and extension that advances the science and sustainable management of our natural resources. For more information, visit fwf.tennessee.edu.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu. | https://utianews.tennessee.edu/utia-joins-multi-institutional-12-5-million-nsf-study-of-amphibian-resilience-to-infectious-disease/ |
This course will begin by looking at the major classes of biological molecules including carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Students will examine the metabolic pathways of life, including the anabolic and catabolic pathways for carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, amino acids, and nucleic acids. Enzyme structure and function will be discussed as they are important necessary components of any metabolic pathways and human diseases.
The course will also provide an introduction to genetics. It will explore the basics of DNA, RNA, and proteins and will examine their structures and how they are synthesized. Students will learn about mutations and how they are repaired. Students will analyze different inheritance patterns and will be able to predict the likely phenotypic and genotypic outcome from indicated alleles.
In this course students will have classroom instruction on a range of topics relative to patient care, such as to how to perform an observation, effective communication with patients, medical ethics, medical terminology and being part of an interdisciplinary team. In the second part of the course, students will conduct facilitated observations at Salus clinics and screening or service events with Salus faculty.
This course examines the link between psychological states and physical health. The course will look at how psychology influences the ability to promote or maintain healthy behaviors, how psychology can affect the development and prognosis of diseases and how psychology can enhance or derail treatments. Students will be able to apply this understanding to different areas of psychology such as biological, social, developmental and clinical.
This is an introductory anatomy course that will examine the form and function of the major organ systems in the human body. The course involves the study of both microscopic (cells and tissues) and macroscopic structures (organs and organ systems)Lecture topics will include homeostasis, integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, endocrine, renal system, and reproductive system.
This is an introductory course in microbiology and immunology. It expands upon general biological concepts including inorganic, organic, biochemistry, cell structure and function, metabolism, and genetics mechanisms. These concepts are applied to the morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and genetic mechanisms of microorganisms including viruses. The course includes a survey of the representative types of microorganism and the role pathogenic microorganism in causing diseases and infections. The course will conclude with an examination of immunology and will explore such topics as innate and adaptive immunity.
This course is designed to give students an insight into the concepts and use of statistics in the medical health sciences. Students will be able to describe data and how data can be displayed and distributed for statistical analysis and determine the validity or accuracy of the data measurement. Students will be expected to design and interpret data displays such as tables and graphs. Areas that will be covered include but not limited to the use of statistics in medical related journals, screening tests for disease, and survivor analysis. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to apply statistics to real world scenarios in health care settings.
This is an introductory physiology course of the major organ systems in the human body. This course will give students a background for understanding the relationship between structure and function from cells to tissues to organs and organ systems through an examination of general physiological mechanisms. Lecture topics will include homeostasis, integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, endocrine, renal system, and reproductive system.
This course will examine the structure and function of cells and will look at the relationships among a cells genetics, structure, biochemistry and physiological functions. Students will be able to appreciate all aspects of a cells functions form cellular growth to differentiation to cell survival and cell death. This course will also look at the role a cell plays in the pathophysiology of diseases such as cancer.
This is a continuation on Introduction to Patient Care 1. Students will expand upon topics covered in the first course and relate those topics to what they experienced during their first observational rotations. Students will also continue to observe in Salus clinics.
This course introduces students to foundational concepts of research including both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This course presents the scientific method and examines the way in which one searches, evaluates and synthesizes relevant research, identifies and develops a research question, sampling design, data collection methods and data analysis and interpretation. Students will be introduced to the major approaches used in conducting qualitative research and the application of these methodologies in the health care professions. This course will provide a comprehensive study of scientific writing. Students will develop requisite skills for effective written communication in academic and scientific domains. This course will focus on skills in preliminary writing, drafting, revision, peer review, and review of scientific literature. Students will learn how to write professionally for a variety of audiences.
This non-credit course is intended to instruct students on skills that they could adopt or modify to become a successful graduate student. Topics will include note taking strategies, study habits and skills, communication skills, time management, exam taking skills, managing personal issues during graduate school, locating and utilizing resources to answer questions, and critical thinking. Students will also have small group and one-on-one career guidance that will help them understand the full range of health care professions and will support them as they select a future career. | http://www.salus.edu/Colleges/Post-baccalaureate-Program-in-Health-Sciences/Course-Descriptions.aspx |
To keep making progress, adopt a progressive training method.
You're doing your same exercise routine, but finding that the quick results you once saw are not happening anymore. Take a minute to congratulate yourself -- this is a sign that you've been working hard. Now the part that's a bit tougher to swallow. When your body has adapted to the demands you're putting on it, you'll need to increase the intensity of your workout, often called "progressive training," in order to keep gaining strength and building muscle. Typical progressive exercise plans include increasing the number of reps or sets, and then increasing the amount of weight. Do the bicep curl exercise with a set of dumbbells to which weight can be added.
Move up 1 pound from the weight you used last time you did bicep curls. If you've been using a 10-pound weight, move up to 11. Alternate arms, first lifting the right arm and then lifting the left arm until you've done eight repetitions of the bicep curl exercise on each arm. Pause for 60 seconds after the first set, and then complete a second set of eight repetitions for each arm, alternating arms. Do this routine twice in one week, with at least 24 hours of rest in between arm workouts.
Increase the number of repetitions the second week. Instead of eight repetitions on each arm, do 12. Continue to alternate arms as you do the exercise, and continue to take a 60-second break in between the two sets. Do this routine twice in one week, with at least a 24-hour break in between.
Increase the number of sets you do on the third week. Do three sets of eight repetitions, continuing to alternate arms. Take a 60-second break in between each sets. Do this routine twice a week for two weeks, with at least a 24-hour break in between. Choose a third day on the second week of this progression and increase the number of repetitions to 12 for each of the three sets.
Do three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions on the fourth week, but this time, lift both dumbbells at the same time. This gives your muscles less of a break in between lifts and increases the intensity of the workout. Do this exercise twice in one week, giving yourself at least 24 hours' rest in between workouts.
Increase the amount of weight you're lifting by 1 pound, and then start with the same progression you began with in Step 1, starting with two sets of eight repetitions, moving up to 12 reps, and so on. | https://woman.thenest.com/progressive-bicep-curl-exercises-8442.html |
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