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Everything is right here in this Universe. All our dreams and wishes are also part of the Universe as its a reflection of our thoughts. Have you ever wondered why mystics have strong intuitive powers. How come, some yogis are able to manifest their thoughts at their will .
To make it more analytical and comprehensive, let us take the analogy of Computer. We all are familiar with hard drive, data base, software, internet, Web etc. Suppose we are looking for a meaning of a word. We will first look into the files saved if it is available there. Then the next step will be to explore the net and pretty soon we get the information. How simple it is, isn't it?
Well, the process looks pretty easy but if any of the supporting devices like modem, web data or facility like internet or electricity is missing, then the process comes to a halt. We don't get the result. Its a conditional arrangement.
Similarly our individual memory capacity is limited just like files saved, The database has a limited file size depending upon the capacity of hard disk in terms of space it can hold. Now the question comes what about accessing the infinite information available out there in the world. It is possible with modern technology of internet and web access.
Proceeding towards subtler individual capacity to manifest what one desires or deserves. Here comes the role of having dreams come true. Or able to get a perfect solution to given life challenging situations beyond our control.
We all know prayers or luck plays a vital role to get the desired result. To be precise, can we wonder how it works? Lets take both these aspects separately.
Prayers begin with surrender to Divine first then seeking what we desire with humbleness and worship. What happens in Surrender - the lower mind Me is surrendered or given up, allowing Higher mind Divinity to shine in us and show us the path in light of wisdom and blessings. Blessing or Grace or Kripa is that which facilitates the process. Being able to access Divine wisdom through prayers is just like accessing Web through internet and downloading the required information is like receiving blessings. which in turn means allowing or letting things fall in place. We say its taken care of. Faith is the electricity as well as the modem which makes the internet functional. Faith can be upgraded with more (Sadhana) devotion, worship, penance (tapasya). It is as good as speeding up the Internet or the entire process of allowing our wishes to be fulfilled or getting solutions to our problems.
Next we come to Good luck . What does it mean to have a favorable situation to your credit. How often can we activate luck or is there any chance at all, to have our say in luck. After all, luck is something very few people are lucky at. Going deeper we find luck is nothing but our deepest desire getting manifested through Magic of Universe. It is the thought we create so intensely wishing to be true that over a period of time, our persistent believing on them & affirmations with visualisation seeing the dream already coming true allows us to intensify such wishful thought to such extent that we transcend the limits of impossibility and further help us gearing our speed to tap onto unlimited potential of universal possibilities! It is rightly said, "Consistent efforts and wishful thinking can bring about a transformation so powerful that the whole Universe conspires for it to happen. It is the law of Universal attraction. Our thoughts do get manifested provided certain preparedness is there on our part. Its only a matter of time that our dreams can get manifested. All we need to have patience and faith of believing our dreams. | https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/downloading-wishful-thinking |
GIBRALTAR, March 27, 2018 /CNW/ - STK Global Payments, a new platform providing increased liquidity of cryptocurrency through instant payments at point of sale today announced that it has joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), the world's largest open source blockchain initiative.
As a member of the EEA, STK will collaborate with industry leaders in pursuit of ethereum-based enterprise technology best practices, open standards, and open-source reference architectures. The STK team and advisor network is leveraging decades of combined experience in the financial and payments industries to deliver a cryptocurrency solution which will integrate with traditional payments technology for a truly seamless solution.
"STK is using the Ethereum Network to bring cryptocurrency to a mass market," said Miro Pavletic, Director of STK Global Payments. "EEA provides access to leading research, industry experts and collaborative discussion for validation and verification of our platform as we prepare to launch the first mass market cryptocurrency payments solution."
For more on STK, visit www.stktoken.com. | https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/stk-global-payments-joins-the-enterprise-ethereum-alliance-678037783.html |
Today, it’s Google. Tomorrow, you can expect attackers to attempt this on every 2FA platform that uses some kind of single sign-on.
This is a tough attack method to crack. The pages look identical. The process looks identical. So, the only thing that would stand out is the potentially abnormal email request to view something in the user’s Google account.
Users should be educated to be mindful of emails that take them to any kind of logon page on the web. Just because they are prompted to authenticate, doesn’t mean they just blindly should. Ongoing Security Awareness Training can help users stay current with attack trends, methods, and techniques used, empowering them to know when they see something that just isn’t right, and how to avoid falling for even the most realistic scams that capture 2FA.
12+ Ways to Hack Two-Factor Authentication Whitepaper
All multi-factor authentication (MFA) mechanisms can be compromised, and in some cases, it's as simple as sending a traditional phishing email. Want to know how to defend against MFA hacks? This whitepaper covers over a dozen different ways to hack various types of MFA and how to defend against those attacks. You will learn more about:
- Two-factor authentication basics
- How to hack two-factor authentication
- How to best protect your organization from the bad guys
PS: Don't like to click on redirected buttons? Cut & Paste this link in your browser: | https://blog.knowbe4.com/new-phishing-attacks-make-2fa-useless |
The limited pollination efficiency of honeybees (Apidae; Apis) for certain crop plants and, more recently, their global decline fostered commercial development of further bee species to complement crop pollination in agricultural systems. In particular, a number of mason bees (Megachilidae; Osmia) are among the most widely used alternative pollinators, and their utilisation has been fine-tuned specifically for pollination in fruit tree orchards. A successful management system should not only aim at optimising pollination efficiency but also consider the relevant biological and ecological requirements to achieve sustainable and healthy bee populations. Here, we review the factors influencing the rate of population increase during the implementation of Osmia bees as orchard pollinators. These factors include nesting material, release methods, and control of antagonists as well as methods optimising management of developmental stages to synchronize bee activity with orchard bloom and to minimize developmental mortality. | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-013-0231-8 |
While I personally have played video games far more than I’ve played board games, I certainly still do enjoy board and tabletop games. As such, I was interested to see just how my results for Quantic Foundry’s Test, a test that analyses my motivations for playing board games, might compare to my interests when playing video games. Alongside this, I was also interested in whether the results of this test would match the kind of gamer that I personally think I am when it comes to board games, or if there would be some discrepancy between the kind of board game player I personally believe I am and the kind of board game player the test believes I am.
Quantic Foundry’s Test analyzed my motivations for playing board games based upon four main categories, Conflict, Strategy, Immersion and Social Fun. To begin this analysis, I would like to take a look at my score for Strategy specifically, and its subcategory: Discovery. For the Strategy category as a whole, I scored a 66%, but for the Discovery subcategory I only scored a 15%. At first glance, this seemed very odd to me, as I initially thought that this score was referring to games where discovering something was a main element of its enjoyment. When it comes to the video games I play, I very much enjoy games with large worlds to explore, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Hollow Knight, as finding every nook and cranny of a world is very rewarding to me. However, as I continued reading my results I realized that this was not referring to my interest in an aspect of a game, but rather my interest in seeking out new games to play. As such, I believe this low Discovery score actually fits me quite well when it comes to board games, as I have a tendency to return to games that I have played before or share games I’ve enjoyed with others rather than searching for new board games to play. That is not to say that I will not try new board games at all, as just recently I played a deckbuilder game called Dominion for the first time, but when given the option I have noticed that I gravitate more towards games that I am already familiar with.
However, my Discovery score is not the only score that I am interested in analyzing, as I believe that my score for Conflict, and its subcategory Social Manipulation are quite interesting as well. For my Conflict score, I received a 65%, while for Social Manipulation I received a 21%. Personally, this makes sense to me, as I consider myself quite bad when it comes to games that involve bluffs or deceit. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, as games like Werewolf and Coup are still quite enjoyable, but I often find myself losing relatively early on as I simply do not have the skills needed to hide my intentions or detect other’s hidden intentions. The relatively high Conflict score also makes sense to me, as I find that it can be hard to be motivated in a game you are losing if there is no real way to affect the other players. If one player has simply been dealt a better hand, or just has generally more experience with the game, there needs to be some way to fight against that advantage to make the game enjoyable to the other players, which to me means that some form of direct conflict in board games is needed if the game is not a cooperative effort.
Overall, I feel that Quantic Foundry’s test has done a good job of revealing just what interests me in board games, and possibly even in video games as well. While discovering new board games to play may not be as important to me as having board games that I enjoy playing, games that themselves revolve around discovering new and interesting things in their worlds are still quite interesting to me. Alongside this, my relative lack of skill in deceit and bluffing tends to push me away from social manipulation games, even though I do find that conflict is an important part of board games. And while I did not specifically touch on them, I do find that my scores for Social Fun and Immersion make sense as well, as having fun is ultimately the goal when playing a board game, and a game’s art and world alone. | https://sites.miamioh.edu/tabletop/2022/01/what-type-of-gamer-am-i-an-analysis/ |
#3: Only Listening to Native Speakers
After 20 months of learning Hungarian, I finally reached level B1 and can have simple conversations with native speakers.
Does it seem like slow progress to you? It does for me too, but then I need to remind myself: Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages in the world.
Some days, I feel I am close to becoming fluent. Other days, all I want to say is “baszd meg” — that’s Hungarian for… you can imagine what.
But I keep going. Over these 20 months, I have improved my learning techniques but I have also noticed some mistakes I made that hindered my progress. Let me share them with you, just so you can avoid them in your own journey.
1. Being Impatient
It is common to have ambitious goals when you start learning a new language. Let’s be honest: if you thought you would have to study for three years before reaching fluency, probably you wouldn’t even start.
The Foreign Service Institute classifies languages according to their difficulty for a native English speaker. Those in category 1 are easier to learn and take between 600 and 750 hours. If you study for one hour a day, it will take you about two years to be fluent.
Unfortunately for me, Hungarian belongs to category 3. That means 1100 hours or three years of studying.
How To Fix It
It’s easy to get demotivated and stop learning altogether. To prevent this, create mechanisms that will not let you quit, such as booking and paying for several classes in advance.
And don’t forget to celebrate the little victories along the way. You don’t need to be fluent to be proud of yourself. Ask for a meal in a restaurant, talk to a friend for three minutes, or text someone in that language. Create room for little wins that will calm your impatience and keep you motivated.
2. Consuming Content That Is Not in Line With Your Level
This advice is everywhere: consume content in your target language. Watch shows, read books, listen to podcasts… What they often forget to mention is that this content needs to be aligned with your level. What is the point of watching a whole movie in your target language if you are just starting out? More than helpful, this will be demotivating.
How To Fix It
There is a reason this advice is mentioned so often though: it works. If you adapt the content you consume to your level, it will drastically help you.
But, especially at an early phase, adapting your content might mean watching children’s cartoons. Remember that you speak as little, or even less, than a 2-year old at this point. So why are you trying to watch movies for grown-ups?
3. Only Listening to Native Speakers
“Immerse yourself in the local language”, they say. “You will learn by listening to natives”, they say. After all, native speakers speak the language “perfectly”. Do you know what they also do? They speak too fast and use too many slang words.
You need to listen to native speakers to learn how to pronounce words correctly, but don’t restrict your exposure to the language to them.
How To Fix It
Find people who are also learning your target language and listen to them. These can be your classmates or people who have gone through this journey before. A good way to practice this is by watching videos on Youtube.
There was a point in my learning journey where I could barely understand native speakers but I understood 70–80% of Hungarian content created by foreigners.
While they might not speak perfectly, listening to them will develop your listening skills, that you can apply later to listen to native speakers.
4. Not Practicing
Practice makes perfect, everyone knows that. But everyone who studies a language also knows that, sometimes, it is hard to find opportunities to practice.
For a long while, I didn’t use Hungarian in my daily interactions. Imagine this situation: I would go to the bakery to buy bread. Before I entered, I would create a sentence in my head (“Kérek egy kenyeret” — that’s how you say “one bread, please” in Hungarian, in case you’re interested).
Sometimes, they would give me the bread, I would look at the cash register to see the price and pay. Success! But, other times, they would say something. It could be anything: “Would you like anything else?”, “Would you like to try our croissants?”, “There will be fresh bread coming out of the oven in 5 minutes”. And after a few sentences, I would have to resort back to English and say “I don’t speak Hungarian”. Boom, there go all the efforts and good intentions.
How To Fix It
I recently fixed this by finding a tutor on Preply. I don’t need him to teach me grammar or act as a traditional teacher, I just want to have a conversation. We have two 30-minute sessions each week where we talk about any topic we like. Today we talked about aliens, for example. It was fun, and I learned a lot of new vocabulary.
5. Not Knowing Your “Why”
Simon Sinek’s famous book, “Start With Why”, could be applied to language learning too. Why are you learning this new language? Is it a hobby? Are you moving to a country? Do you need to use it in a professional context?
Knowing why you are learning will do two things to your benefit: it will allow you to adjust your expectations and it will keep you motivated.
How To Fix It
Certainly, you know why you are learning a new language. But maybe you are not adjusting your learning methods to your why.
If you are learning French because you’ve always loved the language, but you won’t really need to use it, you can take your time and enjoy the process. But let’s say you will move to Berlin in 6 months and you don’t speak a word of German… in that case, you should intensify your learning. Your motivation levels will benefit if you keep your eyes on the “why”.
Takeaway
Learning a new language is like riding a rollercoaster. Sometimes you feel your motivation drop at high speed, other times you feel unstoppable on your way up. Know that it’s all part of the game and, as long as you keep going, you are safe and will reach your destination.
Inevitably, you will make mistakes on your journey. But, hopefully, not the ones we mentioned here. Are there any others that you did and can share with us today?
If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to my newsletter for more content on language learning, travel, and living abroad. | https://dianafbernardo.com/2021/06/21/5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-learning-a-new-language/ |
Willower, Donald J., "Epistemology, Science, and Moral Practice," Interchange, 32(March, 2001), 1-16.
Annotation
Gives in-depth treatment of the nature of scientific inquiry and of contemporary criticisms of it; relates ethical values to inquiry.
Broad Topical Focus
Curriculum Research and Inquiry-General, Critique and Utilization of Curriculum Research and Inquiry, Curriculum Inquiry Guidelines
Source Discipline
Education
Mode of Inquiry in the Study
Philosophical Inquiry-Speculative Essay, Scientific/Empirical Inquiry
Type of Study
Single Study
Narrow Topic
Value Assumptions and Ideologies in Curriculum, Knowledge Generation
Printing CIRS: | https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cirs/3087/ |
The goal of this song is to emulate a ride on the New York City Subway's 2 Train through three boroughs: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. At any given time, the quantity and dynamics of the song's instruments correspond to the median household income of that area. For example, as you pass through a wealthier area such as the Financial District, the instruments you hear in the song will increase in quantity, volume, and force. Stylistically, I want the song to exhibit the energy and orderly chaos of the NYC subway system itself.
The Song
Listen to the song by using the player above, or check out the song on Soundcloud if you prefer no visuals or would like to comment on a specific part of the song. Read further down to learn more about how the song was constructed.
Composition & Style
The song composition is entirely algorithmic and is composed of five primary building blocks:
- The 2 Train on theNYC Subway: I chose the 2 train because it goes through 3 different boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx) and travels along Broadway, one of NYC's primary arteries. The geographical coordinates of each of the 2 Train's 49 stations are used to create 48 distinct segments in the song, where the length of each segment correlates to the actual distance of that subway station to the next one. In reality, it would take about 1 hour 45 minutes to complete the entire train ride, or about 2 minutes per station. For practical purposes, this song has been compressed to be about 4.5 minutes, which equates to a train going about 336 mph (540 kph) non-stop, where the average time per station/segment is about 5 seconds.
- US Census Data for NYC: between 3 and 30 instruments are playing during each segment of this song. Some instruments play softly (i.e. piano/pianissimo) and some play loudly (i.e. forte/fortissimo.) The number and type of instruments are selected based on that station's surrounding median income taken from the 2011 US Census Data Release. In general, the higher the income, the greater the dynamics and quantity of instruments. To be as objective as possible, the same rules are applied throughout the whole song. Also, I tried to select agnostic sound traits (e.g. volume, force) to correlate to median income rather than biased ones (e.g. sad vs happy sounds, vibrant vs dull sounds) to further let the data "speak for itself." As a result, the loudest part of the song (1:37) occurs in the Financial District between Park Place and Chambers St. which had a median income of $205,192 in 2011. Compare this to the quietest part of the song (3:53) in the Bronx between E 180 St. and Bronx Park East where the median income was $13,750 in 2011.
- The NYC Subway Chime : the door chime recognized by most New Yorkers is based on two notes (G# and E) in the globally recognizable Westminster Chimes that you may have heard in school, church, or as a doorbell. The melody consists of different pitches in the key of E major (E, F#, G#, B). Most of the notes in my song also come from this scale.
- New York Counterpoint : the minimalist composition by the renowned American composer Steve Reich, a New York native, is performed with 11 pulsating clarinets and bass clarinets. I modeled this song after Reich's composition because it beautifully captures the throbbing vibrancy New York and the movement of its citizens. My song contains 40 clarinet and bass clarinet samples playing different octaves of notes in the D major chord (D, F#, A) and E major chord (E, G#, B) which happens to have significant presence in both New York Counterpoint and the Westminster Chimes (and thus the NYC Subway chime; see previous point).
- Phase Shifting : in relation to music, phase shifting is a compositional approach in which two or more identical melodies are repeated with slightly variable tempos, so the melodies would slowly shift in and out of sync with each other. This technique was pioneered in the 1960s by Terry Riley and Steve Reich by experimenting with tape looping. I felt this was the perfect metaphor for the NYC Subway: constantly looping but at different tempos, always running but never on time, phasing between order and chaos. All the instruments that you hear in this song implement the approach of phase shifting.
Sounds Used
63 samples were used in this song. As much as I could, I chose sounds that were created by NYC-based musicians to be consistent with the New York theme. 16 samples of songs by NYC musicians were used for the percussion and vocal sounds. Additionally, there are 20 clarinet samples, 20 bass clarinet samples, 6 xylophone samples, and 1 train horn sample. No sounds were performed by me, and no sounds were computer-generated. The sources of all samples are listed below:
- Shaker in Cha chaka cha cha by Angelica Negron, a composer and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
- Bongos and Kick in Keep U by Erick Arc Elliott, a rapper, producer, songwriter, and musician from the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York. He is also a member of the Flatbush Zombies.
- Drum and Bass in Keep On Running by Gabriel Garzón-Montano, an R&B artist based in Brooklyn, New York.
- Kick in in Bellybuttons T&A by Brooklyn Funk Essentials, an NYC-based music collective who mix jazz, funk, and hip hop.
- Beatbox in Man vs. Machine by Rahzel, originally from New York City, arguably one of the best beatboxers of all time.
- Vocals in Say You by Lesley Flanigan an experimental electronic musician living in New York City.
- Subway Train Horn via Youtube; this also happens to be the horn of a 2 Train.
- Xylophone set via Freesound , a collaborative database of Creative Commons Licensed sounds.
- All 40 clarinet and bass clarinet samples have been taken from the amazing Philharmonia sound sample library, thousands of free, downloadable sound samples specially recorded by Philharmonia Orchestra players.
Data Used & Prior Work
Much of the inspiration for this project came from The New Yorker's interactive piece Inequality and New York's Subway. The data for each of our resulting pieces came from the following places:
- Census Bureau American Community Survey 2011 Release to obtain the median income of a particular neighborhood in NYC. The survey provides a wide range of important statistics about our nation's people, housing and economy for all communities in the country. You can peruse the data using the US Census FactFinder. You can view the final processed data that I used here.
- Subway entrances via NYC Open Data to obtain the geographic coordinates of each subway station. You can also view the final processed data that I used here.
Tools & Process
This song was algorithmically generated in that I wrote a computer program that took data and music samples as input and generated the song as output. I did not manually compose any part of this song.
For those interested in replicating, adapting, or extending my process, all of the code and sound files is open source and can be found here. It also contains a comprehensive README to guide you through the setup and configuration. The following is a brief outline of my process:
- Based on the project's objective, I decided upon a stylistic and compositional approach.
- I scoured the internet for songs from NYC musicians or songs about NYC. I then extracted individual instrument samples from strong candidates.
- Using the data from the previous section, I generated two spreadsheets:
- A list of train stations along the 2 Train and their corresponding median income and geographic coordinates
- A list of instruments and their corresponding "price", sample file, volume, and tempo.
-
Using Python, a widely used programming language, I:
- Calculated the distance between each train
- Assigned instruments to each station based on that station's median income
- Generated a sequence of sounds using the relative distances and instruments determined above.
- The sequence of sounds from the previous step was fed into ChucK, a programming language for real-time sound synthesis and music creation. I used ChucK because it is really good at generating strongly-timed sequences. The output would then be an audio file that I could listen to.
- I then repeated the previous steps numerous times, tweaking the sounds and the algorithms until I was satisfied with the result
- I used Processing, a programming language with a visual focus, to generate the visualization using the data above.
If you happen to use my code and create something new, please shoot me an email at [email protected]. I'd love to see and share your work!
Q&A
In this section, I will document answers to select questions I've received after the initial post.
Why income inequality?
I was looking for a dataset that would yield a song with some exciting ups and downs, and ideally, would relate to a topic that is relevant and current. When I was looking at a graph of income inequality along the 2 Train, it looked like the perfect song composition with a build-up, climax, and falling action. I thought the subway train would be the perfect vehicle for this type of project because the sonification of data requires the passing of time. So instead of looking at the data all at once on a chart, with a song, you can ride and experience the data as if you were actually taking the train.
Why New York City?
New York City has a particularly large problem with income inequality compared to other cities. To add some personal bias, I've lived here for a little more than a decade. The city has also been a recurring subject in a lot of my recent work, both personally and professionally (I work at The New York Public Library Labs during the day.) Practically speaking, the city provides some great resources like NYC Open Data for playing with its data. That's how I got the subway-specific data to create the song.
Is your intent to make the experience of income inequality exciting in a pleasant way?
I was a bit conflicted about this. On one hand, I wanted to make a pleasant/exciting-sounding song so it could be palatable for the casual listener and experienced independently from the topic of income inequality. I felt this would be a valid goal as long as I apply the same rules across the whole song, and I don't make subjective statements like "wealthy neighborhoods should sound like this" or "poor neighborhoods should sound like that." I didn't want to be accused of favoring one area of the city or the other because one sounds "prettier" than the other. So instead of choosing sound traits that would affect mood or vibrancy, I tried to choose more agnostic ones like volume and dynamics. In other words, the goal wasn't to make income inequality sound exciting or pleasant, but to demonstrate the immense contrast of income through the contrast of sound.
Questions & Feedback
I'd love to hear from you. I'm sure I've also made some erroneous statements somewhere, so please correct me. You can use the widget below or email me at [email protected].
Data-Driven DJ is a series of music experiments that combine data, algorithms, and borrowed sounds.
My goal is to explore new experiences around data consumption beyond the written and visual forms by taking advantage of music's temporal nature and capacity to alter one's mood. Topics will range from social and cultural to health and environmental.
Each song will be made out in the open: the creative process will be documented and published online, and all custom software written will be open-source. Stealing, extending, and remixing are inevitable, welcome, and encouraged. Check out the FAQs for more information.
About me
My name is Brian Foo and I am a programmer and visual artist living and working in New York City. Learn more about what I do on my personal website. You can also follow my work on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, or Vimeo. | https://datadrivendj.com/tracks/subway/ |
If you are a user of PEAR and have wanted to contribute to an open source project, here's a great opportunity.
We run a bug day every 3 weeks or so, on irc.efnet.org #pear & #pear-bugs across two days.
We basically try to improve the quality of incoming bugs - write test cases, make sure they are reproducible.We also try to boost overall code quality - unit tests, documentation and other improvements.
If you've got a package you use commonly, or bugs you filed some time ago that haven't been fixed; this is a good time to get involved.
Join us on January 17th-18th 2009; or pop into irc.efnet.org #pear to say hello and ask questions.
See also http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=rslkppoio4rtq6nm7b6fptclfo%40group.calendar.google.com
Overall Goals
- Increase the unit test coverage for new issues, while decreasing the amount of failures.
- Focus on resolving last bug triage's items (detailed below)
- migration of packages to package 2.0
What are we doing
- Triage the latest 50 bugs
- Write tests, seek feedback, improve the overall quality of reports.
- See if we can knock off parse error related bugs :)
-
- Unit tests
- Basically; look at test results and knock off low hanging fruit
- Crypt_GPG -
why do you dislike us :(- gauthierm fixed broken unit tests Validate_BE unit tests fail- doconnor
- Mock out Services_Amazon_SQS - gauthierm is making progress
- Try to get fixes committed so that the difference between CVS HEAD and the CI machine is less
- Followup on Updating unit tests to PHPUnit3
Make sure that AllTests.php does not create any output, otherwise some tests for HTTP_Session will always fail (see test results)HTTP_Session now skips if it can't control the test environment - doconnor
-
Specific tasks
- Mail_mimeDecode - have emailed, lots of bugs with patches in there.
- XML_Feed_Parser
- classify other test failure types, file bugs / fix them :)
- doconnor: excluded from test suite for the moment.
-
- PEAR 1.8 - convert unit tests from xmlrpc to rest
- Packages that have the most open bug reports (http://pear.php.net/bugs/stats.php)
- Followup on PHP_Shell open bugs (doconnor)
- Followup on SOAP open bugs (doconnor)
- Give Text_Wiki some love - PHPCS, open bugs
- Followup
- Image_Barcode
- Look at open bugs
-
- Get Image_JpegXmpReader into CVS (emailed on 6th, 27th)
- New releases which would be handy (look at, talk to maintainers, etc)
Services_ExchangeRates 0.6- doconnor did a release
- Numbers_Words
- Image_Graph - doconnor emailed on 27th
- DB_DataObject - troehr emailed on 27th
MDB2 - troehr emailed on 27thdone HTTP_Upload - New release?Not so much; work is still in progress re translation, says cwenz MDB2_Driver_mysqldone
- Validate - troehr emailed on 27th
- Image_Transform - troehr emailed on 27th, waiting for feedback from Philippe Jausions (appx Jan 1)
- Image_Canvas - doconnor emailed on 27th
- HTML_Page2 - troehr emailed on 27th
- HTTP_WebDAV_Client - doconnor emailed on 27th
- HTTP_WebDAV_Server - doconnor emailed on 27th
- Net_SmartIRC - doconnor emailed on 27th
- SQL_Parser - doconnor emailed on 27th
- Spreadsheet_Excel_Writer - troehr emailed on 27th, doconnor suitably scared
- Mail_Mime - avb and lifeforms (walter) are on it
- http://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=11238 - reasonably high impact - needs much refactoring, probably a Mail release too. | https://wiki.php.net/pear/qa/bug_triage/2009-01-17 |
Europe is about to become more attractive for the exploration of raw materials. Partners drawn from research and industry plan to develop innovative, non-invasive technologies and test them under realistic conditions. For this purpose, three European reference areas are to be established in Germany (Geyer), Finland (Sakatti) and Spain (Minas de Ríotinto, Gerena). To this end, the EU is investing around 5.6 million euros over the next three years in INFACT, a new research project in which 17 partners from seven countries have joined forces. The project is being coordinated by the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf.
Because the ore deposits of tomorrow are located in remote regions and deep underground, detecting these metal and mineral resources poses an ever-greater challenge in terms of technology. At the same time, the success of new exploration projects increasingly depends on the extent to which as many interest groups as possible from civil society can be brought on board. INFACT (Innovative, Non-Invasive and Fully Acceptable Exploration Technologies) brings partners from science and research, industry, government agencies and non-profit organizations into contact with local populations directly affected by exploration. Working in collaboration, these stakeholders aim to develop, exchange and disseminate environmentally-friendly technologies.
Three pillars: Dialogue, Innovation and Reform
Innovative technology can make Europe attractive as a location for active exploration of raw materials, thereby contributing to a secure supply within the EU for the long term. Although the continent is one of the world’s largest consumers of metallic and mineral resources and has a long history of mining, the exploration of new deposits is complicated by social, political and technical obstacles. The project participants aim to overcome these challenges.
The strategy of the INFACT project rests on three pillars: Dialogue, Innovation and Reform. The purpose of the Dialogue pillar is to raise public awareness and social acceptance for modern exploration. The project will develop a common understanding of good social and environmental practices and methodology that subsequently are to become standard across the entire EU.
A new generation of methods
The Innovation pillar is all about the next generation of exploration methods and processes that will facilitate the search for ore deposits in Europe. The technologies are less invasive than traditional methods, which means that they reduce impact on the environment and at the same time push into new dimensions. For example, the scientists expect to achieve more accurate measurement sensitivity as well as the ability to determine new physical properties below the surface. This will enable deeper and smaller deposits to be detected.
The researchers plan to make further advances in aerial exploration: for example, they are working on multisensor drones that combine different measuring sensors, allowing more mineralogical information to be obtained simultaneously than was the case before. The project partners will also use superconducting sensors (so-called SQUIDs) which are considered to be the most sensitive magnetic detectors in the field of geoscience. Real-time transmission of geophysical data is yet another important consideration within the project, aimed at facilitating the exploration of raw materials.
Reference areas: North, Central and South
Up to now, there have been no EU-wide opportunities for testing new technologies under realistic conditions or for evaluating their performance in comparison to traditional methods. Three European reference areas are to be set up in intensive dialogue with the local communities and public decision makers as well as in cooperation with regional authorities and mining companies. The various technologies will be deployed by means of helicopters, aeroplanes and drones. At the end of the project, the reference areas are to remain accessible to the global industry for the long term so that the new exploration technologies can be certified. A procedure for this is to be set up within the framework of INFACT.
The three areas selected are characterized by a current or historic record of mining activity:
- North Region: Sakatti is an extensively mapped but as yet unexploited area with deposits of the copper-nickel-platinum group of elements close to Sodankylä in northern Finland, approximately 150 kilometers above the Arctic Circle (operator: Anglo American).
- Central Region: In the centre of this area lies the small town of Geyer in the Ore Mountains [Erzgebirge]. It is located approximately 110 kilometers south of Leipzig in eastern Germany and has a long mining tradition. There are known deposits of tin, zinc, tungsten, molybdenum, copper, iron, silver and indium.
- South Region: This reference area in Spain comprises two deposits. Cobre Las Cruces is an opencast copper mine (operator: First Quantum Minerals) approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Seville. Minas de Ríotinto is an ancient, well-known opencast polymetallic mine (operator: Atalaya Mining) located in Huelva province, approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Seville.
Building on dialogue with the local populations and exploring new technologies, the Reform pillar seeks to develop a roadmap for modern exploration, including action guidelines for politicians aimed at making Europe attractive to mining and investors.
The INFACT partners
Agencia de Innovation y Desarrollo (IDEA), Anglo American Sakatti Oy, Arhus Geo, Atalaya Mining, ATClave, Cobre las Cruces, Dialogik, European Federation of Geologists (EFG), Fraunhofer IAO, GALSA (Geotech), Geognosia, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (coordinator), Oulu Mining School, SRK Exploration Services, Supracon, SYKE, University of Eastern Finland.
www.hzdr.de/infact
For more information:
Dr. Richard Gloaguen | Head Exploration Division
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology at HZDR
Tel. +49 351 260-4424 | E-Mail: [email protected]
Media contact: | http://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pOid=54926&pNid=733&pContLang=en |
In recent times, gender recognition of facial images has achieved lots of attraction. It can be useful in many places e. g. security, web searching, human computer interaction etc. In this paper, an approach containing both face detection and gender classification tasks has been proposed. In face detection part, Haar features have been chosen to present appearance features along with Ada-Boost technique to target strong and powerful features in cascaded form. For gender classification, Bayesian Classifier has been used where image is analyzed in blocks/patches form. The blocking technique is same as used in DCT approach. Experimental results have shown that proposed approach is effective and robust with changes in pose (some degree), expressions and illumination.
References
- Ziyi Xu, Li Lu and Pengfei Shi, "A Hybrid Approach to Gender Classification from Face Images", Institute of Image Processing and Pattern Recognition, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, IEEE, 2008.
- A. Golomb, D. T. Lawrence, and T. j. Sejnowski, "SEXNET: A neural network identifies sex from human faces", Neural Information Processing Systems, 1991, pp: 572-577.
- G. w. Cottrell and J. Metcalfe. EMPATH: "Face, emotion, and gender recognition using holons". Neural Information Processing Systems, 1991, pp: 564-571.
- Lowe David G. , "Object Recognition from Local Scale-Invariant Features", International Conference on Computer Vision, Canada, 1999.
- Podilchuk and X. Zhang, "Face Recognition using DCT Based Feature Vectors", In Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, Vol. 4, Pp. 2144-2147, 1996.
- V. Algazi, K. Brown, and M. Ready, "Transform representation of the spectra of acoustic speech segments with appliances, part I: General approach and application to speech recognition," IEEE Trans. Speech Audio Process. , vol. 1, pp. 180–195, 1993.
- L. Sirovich and L. Keefe, "Low dimensional procedure for characterization of human faces," J. Opt. Soc. Amer. , vol. 4, pp. 519–524, 1987.
- F. H. Tivive and A. Bouzerdoum, "A Gender Recognition System Using Shunting Inhibitory Convolutional Neural Networks", Faculty of Informatics, University of Wollongong, 2006.
- P. Latha, Dr. L. Ganesan, Dr. S. Annadurai, "Face Recognition using Neural Networks", Signal Processing: An International Journal (SPIJ), Volume 3, 153-160, 2009.
- Costen, N. , Brown, M. , Akamatsu, S. , "Sparse models for gender classification". Proc. Internat. Conf. on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition (FGR'04), 2004, pp: 201–206.
- Shakhnarovich, G. , Viola, P. A. , Moghaddam, B. , "A unified learning framework for real time face detection and classification", Proc. Internat. Conf. on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition (FGR'02). IEEE, 2002, pp: 14–21.
- B. Wu, H. Ai, C. Huang, "Real Time Gender Classification", Multi-spectral Image Processing and Pattern Recognition, 2003.
- Paul Viola, Michael Jones, "Rapid Object Detection using a Boosted Cascade of Simple Features", 2001 IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR'01), p. 511, Volume 1, 2001.
- Simon J. D. Prince and Jania Aghajanian, "Gender Classification in Uncontrolled Settings Using Additive Logistic Models", Department of Computer Science, University College London.
- J. Wu,W. Smith, and E. Hancock, "Gender classification using shape from shading", In BMVC 2007, pages 499–508, 2007.
- Zhiming Liu, Jian Yang, Chengjun Liu, "Extracting Multiple Features in the CID Color Space for Face Recognition", Dept. of Computer Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA, IEEE Explore, April 2010, pages 2502 – 2509.
- B. Moghaddam and M. Yang, "Learning Gender with Support Faces", PAMI, pp. 707–711, 2002.
- A. A. Efros andW. T. Freeman, "Image quilting for texture synthesis and transfer", Proc. SIGGRAPH, pp. 341-346, 2000.
- P. Felzenszwalb, D. McAllester and D. Ramanan, "A discriminatively trained, multi-scale, deformable part model", CVPR, pp. 1-8, 2008. | https://www.ijcaonline.org/archives/volume54/number7/8577-2316 |
Highly skilled migrants are becoming increasingly important for German companies. On the one hand there is already a lack of highly skilled workers in certain business sectors and regions, particularly in the STEM-fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). On the other hand, highly qualified migrants can support companies in coping with challenges of an increasingly globalized market. As a result of lower brand awareness, fewer recruiting resources and in parts unattractive location, SMEs in particular will be affected by shortages of qualified workers. Hence, there is need for action in several respects. First, SMEs have to be enabled to gain experience with highly qualified migrants, including recruiting, integrating and establishing a permanent commitment to the company. Second, young talents with a migration background have to be acquainted with the possibilities and specifics of SMEs as employers in order to be retained by them and to use their specific potentiality for SMEs in an optimal way.
Step by step towards increased competitiveness
The project "Highly Qualified Migrants for small and medium enterprises” aims at activating students and graduates with a migrant background at an early stage as STEM-experts for SMEs, to help integrate them into companies and retain them. The action plan includes short-term measures like improved application and selection procedures as well as medium-term measures for integration and promotion of highly qualified workers, or a more open-minded SME business culture. In order to achieve these goals, low-threshold as well as long-term instruments will be developed. Knowledge is to be gathered on (1) the crux and starting points for the activation of migrants and their integration into SMEs, and (2) best-practices and their analyses. The project poses an important contribution for improving the quality of work in Germany because it shows how the integration of highly qualified migrants can be promoted and how these people can successfully be placed in SMEs.
Initiative New Quality of Work
The project is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) in the framework of the "Initiative New Quality of Work". The initiative was founded in 2002 by the BMAS and leading social partners. Today it represents a nonpartisan alliance which includes Federal and State-level government, business associations, trade unions, the Federal Employment Agency, companies, social insurance providers and foundations. It understands improved quality of work as key for innovation capacity and competitiveness in Germany. The initiative offers inspiring examples from company practice, consulting and information, an exchange platform as well as a funding program for projects that develop new approaches for personnel management and policy.
Project name:
WelKMU - Highly Qualified Migrants for Small and Medium Enterprises
Contact:
Dr. Susanne Schön, Phone: +49(0)30 34 34 74 50
David Westenberg, Phone: +49(0)30 34 34 74 56
Client:
Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) as part of the Initiative New Quality of Work
Scientific support:
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
Partners:
The German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) Bundesverband ausländischer Studierender e.V. (BAS)
Duration: | https://www.inter3.de/en/projects/details/article/diversity-internationalisierung-wettbewerbsfaehigkeit-hochqualifizierte-migrantinnen-und-migrante.html |
Our values are part of our Mission.
The way we work with our business partners, our close cooperation and with each other.
Our core values in the Company are integrity, accountability, passion, humility, simplicity and a focus on success, we are creating a vibrant company culture where ideas can grow, employees can develop freely in their skills and personality. Also unusual people and ideas are always welcome and success can flourish.
Our core values with customers, participant, student and clients
Talent Solution puts enduring, personal relationships first in everything that it does. People are more than resources; the most that we can ask is that they provide a resource for us. We understand that we work in a sensitive area that often suffers from a poor image.
Alongside our commercial practices as a business, which are naturally important in themselves, we rely in particular on fundamental ethical foundations and standards in the way that we deal with people. Our values are important to us, and we consciously avoid entering into any arrangement that runs contrary to these values. Our business ethics are built on the following approaches:
- The ethical and moral practices that are derived from a culture that is guided by Christian values. We undertake to act consistently with the practical implications that arise from Christian morality, the teaching that people are God’s creation, and the duty owed to God that this entails. Our ethics are based on the faith of the Evangelical Alliance and the provisions set out in the Principles of Responsible Christian Business published by the Federation of Catholic Businesspeople. This is encompassed by the words of Mr. Deichmann, of the eponymous retailer, who said that “Humanity does not exist to serve the economy: the economy exists to serve humanity.”
- We consider that we have a fundamental duty to adhere to the ethical standards as enshrined in Article 1 of the German Basic Law, the Grundgesetz, and to that end, we make use of the German National Ethics Federation, the Bundesverband der Ethik, and its Ethical Charter .
- The “Diversity Charter” as jointly initiated by BP Europe SE, Daimler, Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Telekom, following the model of the French Charte de la diversité . In the meantime, it has been signed by over 1,350 further businesses and its content is available on the website of the German organization .
- The diversity of the human race is not a hurdle or an obstacle to be overcome, but an opportunity for mutual enrichment, and we therefore endorse and follow the principles of the “German Diversity Society,” the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Diversity, which undertakes a great deal of work to raise awareness and establish basic principles in precisely this area.
We are firmly convinced that the financial implications of adhering to high ethical standards are significant and worthwhile (Ulrich Hemel 2004).
By discussing the problems faced when recruiting staff internationally, “TSP” has come to recognize that intensive interaction with future post holders leads to a substantial cost reduction for employers, as well as avoiding circumstances where the wrong people are picked for a role. Nonetheless, the requirements placed on staff to ensure direct support for individual students had been all but impossible to achieve until now. Thanks to new tools, web-based networks, and collaboration with comprehensively equipped, relevant institutions, combined with the training opportunities afforded by webinars and E-learning with online tools and self-employed tutors, it is now possible to meet that requirement.
Long-term contact with the staff can therefore be maintained throughout the training period, and can be used to ensure intensive support during the process of sharing knowledge.
In order to achieve these goals, TSP will seek to enter into further collaborations and joint ventures, and to become a member of the relevant professional bodies. | http://beratungskreis.de/tsp-konzept/success-starts-here/ |
Raspberry and Lemon Protein Cupcakes Recipe
These Raspberry and lemon protein cupcakes are low in sugar, yet the perfect high protein sweet treat to enjoy with your afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- 1 Squeezed Lemon
- 5 tbsp. Sweetener
- 100 grams Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 25 grams melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 scoops Myprotein Kamut flour
- 4 scoops Myprotein vanilla raspberry impact whey protein
- 12 fresh raspberries
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 pot Quark
- Few Raspberry Myprotein Flavdrops
- 1/2 scoop Vanilla Casein protein
- 1/2 scoop Vanilla raspberry impact whey protein
Method
Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius. In a bowl combine your dry ingredients- kamut flour, whey protein, baking powder and sweetener.
Beat two eggs and add to the dry ingredients. Add your Greek yoghurt, the juice from one lemon and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix Well.
Stir in 25g of melted coconut oil and fresh raspberries.
Spoon the cupcake mixture into tin cupcake case and drop half a raspberry into the center of each case. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes- being careful to watch the time, as overcooking the cupcakes can cause them to become dry!
Once removed from the oven allow your cupcakes to cool.
In a dish combine a pot of quark, ½ a scoop of vanilla casein, ½ a scoop of vanilla impact whey protein and 5-10 drops of raspberry flavdrops. In the icing we use ½ a scoop of casein protein- this is to create a thicker frosting, whereas using just whey protein would create a runnier mixture. Top with fresh raspberries and enjoy!
For more recipes click Here. | https://www.myprotein.com/thezone/recipe/raspberry-and-lemon-protein-cupcakes-recipe/ |
Build Your Reputation
In every working group, there is a hierarchy of people based on widely held perceptions of their individual effectiveness and productivity. You can move up in this hierarchy – and reap the rewards naturally offered those at or near the top – by putting into practice some simple principles, tactics, and strategies.
These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Do More Than the Minimum
There are times – such as when the rush is on, during the busy season, when the team is short-handed, or when a project or task has gone off the rails and you’re struggling to get the situation back under control – when doing the minimum is smart. But most of the time, you can build up your reputation by doing more than others expect of you. Doing “more” can include:
- Performing the work more thoroughly,
- Meeting higher standards,
- Adding some embellishments or details to your deliverables,
and so forth.
Every time you do a little more than others expect, you raise your reputation a little higher.
Keep Your Word
Frivolous talk and empty words tend to diminish your standing with others. That’s why one of the best ways to strengthen your reputation is to say only what you mean, and mean only what you say.
For example, if you promise to finish a certain task by a certain day, make it your business to keep that promise. If you offer to help a colleague – perhaps by doing some work, sharing some information, or delivering some resources – make that help available as soon as you possibly can.
Keeping your word like it means something to you will enhance your standing as a person who is reliable and trustworthy, both priceless jewels in the crown of an enviable reputation.
Take Responsibility
Mistakes happen. Errors creep into deliverables. Misunderstandings and confusion are commonplace. When imperfection arises, you’ll enhance your reputation by accepting whatever share of the responsibility for it that is legitimately yours.
Standing up and taking the hit without flinching sends the message that you are confident and capable, and also that you expect relatively few such problems to arise. Taking responsibility and keeping your word are two sides of the same coin: solid gold personal reliability and trustworthiness.
Taking responsibility is also a good strategy when important work needs to get done. By stepping up and doing everything in your power to develop a solid plan of action, then to deliver your part and help others to deliver theirs, you position yourself as someone worthy of respect, responsibility, and influence.
Make the Best Possible Use of Your Time
Since all of us have the same amount of time in the day, and there’s no more of it to be had at any price, a hallmark of effectiveness and productivity is the practice of using it well.
Here’s where the concept of a “Basic Choice” is particularly helpful: Your “Basic Choice” comes up at each opportunity to choose what you will work on next. It’s the fork in the road you face every time you finish a task or a break and gear up to start working again.
When you regularly choose to work on the one task or project that will bring you the most important and/or most valuable results, most of the time you’ll find yourself producing the maximum. This level of output will quickly generate a widespread reputation for effectiveness and productivity.
Keep Learning
The world is a rapidly changing place, and anyone who doesn’t make a strong effort to keep learning new techniques, procedures, facts, and ideas will soon fall irretrievably behind.
One way to keep learning is to maintain a curious, open mind. For example, whenever you experience anything you don’t recognize or understand, ask about it or investigate it on your own.
Another way to pretty much guarantee you will keep learning is by establishing your own educational program. You can regularly take courses, read books, and immerse yourself in new environments.
The result of continual learning will be a steady increase in your knowledge and capabilities, and a steadily growing reputation for effectiveness and productivity.
Support Others
Ever wonder why most sports teams have cheerleaders on the sidelines? It’s not just to keep fans interested. It’s to offer players an extra measure of confidence, emotional support, and hope.
You can enhance your reputation by doing some of the same. Offering the people you work with a steady diet of encouragement, and regularly expressing confidence in their abilities will not only help them perform at a higher level, it will enhance your standing among them as a valuable and admired team player.
Give One Hundred Percent
All of us know how to coast, from time to time. But coasting along is an acceptable strategy only when you are content to maintain your current level of success.
If you want to accelerate your career and build your reputation, you must go full throttle, all out, expending maximum energy and doing your very best at everything you attempt.
The more often you deliver work that fully reflects your pride in what you do, the higher your star will rise and the stronger your reputation for excellent performance will become.
Important: If this material resonated with you, please take a moment to forward it to someone you care about who might also benefit. If this material was forwarded to you, please click here to subscribe and have me send these posts to you directly in the future. In either case, please “stay tuned” to read more great stuff in the future. Thank you in advance for helping fulfill my dream – of making all of us more productive and successful – by spreading this information far and wide! | https://organizeyourworkandlife.com/build-your-reputation/ |
In this lesson you'll learn 7 different exercises for mastering the Circle of 5ths all around the keyboard. The Circle of 5ths is one of the most prominent harmonic devices in Western music. It organizes the key signatures by number of accidentals in both directions, and segments of the circle show up in harmonic progressions in nearly all styles of music--rock, pop, blues, jazz, folk, you name it. Many of the most common harmonic cycles and resolutions (V-I, ii-V-I, vi-ii-V-I) stem directly from the circle, so it's crucial to know your way around it backwards and forwards. These 7 exercises will help you get there.
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Learning 4ths and 5ths
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Comment on Totally Keyboards: | https://www.totallykeyboards.com/lessons/55-techniques/171-7-exercises-to-learn-the-circle-of-5ths.html |
Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. is proud to announce that Dylan Curfman, son of Larry and Veronica Curfman of Morris, has been selected to receive a dean's award and College Now scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year. Recipients of this scholarship are...
News/education
April 26, 2013 - 4:56pm
April 5, 2013
Area Student Accomplishments
Haley Scheldorf of Chokio and Jaimie Bergerson and Tristan Michealson, both of Morris, have been listed to the Bemidji State University dean's list for the 2012 fall semester. BSU enrolls 5,000 students in over 13 programs on the graduate level.
News/education
April 5, 2013 - 3:17pm
March 1, 2013
Area Student Accomplishments
Travis Rinkenberger, a 2011 Morris Area graduate, has been initiated into the Mortar Board Honor Society at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. He is the son of Peg and David Rinkenberger of Morris. Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college...
milestones/accomplishments
March 1, 2013 - 4:22pm
May 12, 2009
Stevens Forward! -- Growth on campus vital to county's future
By Philip Drown For the Sun Tribune Anyone who has lived more than a few years in this area understands the impact that students attending...
News
May 12, 2009 - 4:59pm
September 10, 2008
Morris Area enrollment higher than optimistic projections
By Tom Larson Sun Tribune When the Morris Area School Board approved its 2008-2009 budget earlier this summer, Superintendent Scott Monson was cautiously optimistic about a projected enrollment increase for the fall. As students enter their second week of the school year, the projections...
September 10, 2008 - 12:00am
July 26, 2008
UMM enrollment on rise?
By Britney Appier Sun Tribune Student applications to the University of Minnesota, Morris have increased by one-third so far this year, but it's not known yet if renewed interest will translate into significantly higher enrollment in 2008-2009. UMM has received 1,490 applications...
July 26, 2008 - 12:00am
March 19, 2008
School board moves quickly to identify, strive for 'visioning' goals
By Tom Larson Sun Tribune The Morris Area School Board will act quickly to achieve goals identified during "visioning" sessions with school officials and community members this winter. The board on Monday agreed to meet with staff to review the list of priorities, and then will...
March 19, 2008 - 12:00am
February 23, 2008
Board hears good but early news on budget projections
By Tom Larson Sun Tribune The Morris Area School Board received some very preliminary good news on Tuesday, with the district facing a much smaller budget deficit that it has in several years. Superintendent Scott Monson presented early enrollment and budget figures that indicate... | http://www.morrissuntribune.com/tags/enrollment-0 |
Donavan Brazier is philosophical about yet another near-miss at the American Record in the 800.
“To come close three weekends in a row is kind of disappointing,” he says, reflecting on his win in Albuquerque.
“I would like to be a runner who wins with a fast time. But I can’t complain. I got the meet record so I have to be happy with that.”
He’s more than pleased with his season so far, starting off with an indoor PR 1:45.35 and improving it with 1:45.11 and 1:45.10 wins in the two weekends following to give him all-time U.S. performances Nos. 3, 4 & 5.
“It’s better to show good consistency for the most part and run fast in the outdoor season,” he says. “Indoors is just a fun time.”
It’s even more fun for an athlete who is fit and confident, and the 20-year-old emerged from a winter of training with plenty of both.
“I feel more fit than in years past,” he reveals. “I’m only getting better, I’m only getting stronger each week. I think it’s just the consistency of workouts that is helping me be more mentally fit to race.”
With the World Indoor looming, he has another chance at the AR, but that’s not what he’s thinking about.
“It’s hard to plan a championships,” he explains. “Championship-style races are different.
“In Boston we had a rabbit because some people just don’t want to take it. On the world’s stage I don’t know if I’m going to be the guy [to take it out]. It just depends on the day and how I am feeling.”
Brazier has gotten Internet flak in the past for how he has run rounds (“I proved last year I can handle them”) and his occasional inconsistency (“This indoor season I showed them I’m consistent”).
He says, “I think it’s me maturing and growing into the program, and the longer I do it, the better I get. Maybe one day I’ll switch it up and do more mileage, but I think right now I’m good where I’m at.”
One thing he knows for sure about the Worlds: “No matter what, it’s going to hurt. There are no shortcuts to what you want to get. There are no mistakes on that stage. If you get a medal it’s because you did something special. | https://trackandfieldnews.com/article/donavan-brazier/ |
The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale complies a list of common lifestyle changes or events associated with an increase in stress, and ranks them for their stressfulness. An individual may use this scale to sum the stressfulness of recent events in his or her life to determine the degree of risk that stress may pose to developing an illness, psychological or otherwise. There are actually two scales, one for adults and one for non-adults, and both scales contain events that may be attributable to the college lifestyle. The events and values represented in these scales do not represent a perfect fit for everyone, rather, they are a compiled average. Regardless, these scales may be very useful for a stressed individual in determining how stressed they are and where the stress is coming from.
Classification of PTSD[edit | edit source]
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies PTSD in terms of its empirically determined causes and effects, which allows medical professionals to diagnose cases of PTSD based on these standards. Certain criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD have been altered since the last issue of the DSM, with the revised list appearing in the fifth edition in 2013. As such, it is clear that PTSD is more difficult to classify than once thought, and is likely still not fully understood. As such, if a person suspects that their stress level is higher than normal, it is important to meet with a medical professional to discuss this concern, as the DSM-5 is best interpreted by qualified professionals.
The Issue For College Students[edit | edit source]
It is important for college students to be aware of the connection between long-term stress and PTSD, because the college lifestyle is one that is tied to both long-term stress, and several of the most common kinds of trauma. Students in college can experience stress in many ways, including social stresses such as relationship and financial stress, and academic stress. As a student, it is difficult to avoid the pressures that cause these stresses, but stress can be minimized by developing coping and relaxation skills. Along with stress, college students are at risk for experiencing certain kinds of trauma, most notably trauma related to sexual assault or combat experience. Sexual assault is undeniably a problem for college students of any gender or sexual identity, but is most commonly associated with assault against women. Studies have shown that twenty-nine percent of women who experience physical assault experienced symptoms of PTSD at some point in life, and that twenty-five percent of college women experience completed or attempted rape on campus. Combat experience is another source of trauma that is attributable to the UNC student veteran population. Studies have shown that for men, thirty-nine percent of those exposed to combat would experience symptoms of PTSD at some point in life. Aside from these two more common kinds of trauma, there are others that aren't as easy to predict for college students, but which, when combined with the long-term stress associated with college, could increase the risk of developing PTSD as well.
Stress Management on Campus[edit | edit source]
At UNC there are many resources for people who would like to better manage their stress, or understand where their stress is coming from. Campus Health Services offer counseling and psychological care in their facility for individuals concerned about their own health or the health of someone they know. They also offer tips and strategies on their website (below) for managing stress on your own, from advice on muscle relaxation to how to manage academic stress.
The Carolina Women's Center (link below) also has talk therapy sessions and resources for individuals who may be experiencing stress related to relationships, sexual health and sexual violence. The Carolina Women's Center also works with other organizations such as Project Dinah (link below), each offering their own resources and help for people who have experienced relationship abuse. Both the CWC and Project Dinah offer confidential support for people of differing gender and sexual identities.
The UNC Student and Academic Services Buildings (SASB) also offer resources targeted towards managing many kind of stress. Their website (below) includes links to free support resources for managing academic and social stress, academic success of students with ADHD/LD, and an LGBTQ center.
Further Readings/Outside Resources[edit | edit source]
[UNC Campus Health Services - Stress and Anxiety] [Carolina Women's Center Resources] [Project Dinah] [Haven Sexual Assault Infographic] [UNC SASB Main Page]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [Internet]: National Institute of Mental Health; c2015 [cited 2015 3/28]. Available from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml .
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Breslau N, Chilcoat HD, Kessler RC, Davis GC. 2014. Previous exposure to trauma and PTSD effects of subsequent trauma: Results from the detroit area survey of trauma. .
- ↑ Villarreal G. and King CY. 2001. Brain imaging in posttraumatic stress disorder. Seminars in clinical neuropsychiatry. 131 p.
- ↑ Gilbertson MW, Shenton ME, Ciszewski A, Kasai K, Lasko NB, Orr SP, Pitman RK. 2002. Smaller hippocampal volume predicts pathologic vulnerability to psychological trauma. Nat Neurosci 5(11):1242-7.
- ↑ De Kloet ER, Joëls M, Holsboer F. 2005. Stress and the brain: From adaptation to disease. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6(6):463-75.
- ↑ Kim JJ and Yoon KS. 1998. Stress: Metaplastic effects in the hippocampus. Trends Neurosci 21(12):505-9.
- ↑ http://www.everfi.com/everfi-haven-infographic Everfi-Haven (2014). | https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Tarheel_Health_Portal/PTSD |
Stocklake Park School is part of the Vale Federation of Special Schools and is based on two sites, Stocklake Park main site and Harding House. We offer educational provision for students with complex learning difficulties, from 11 to 19 years of age. Our Harding House site is for post 16 students only, the curriculum designed specifically to develop the skills students need in order to prepare for life after school. At the Stocklake Park site, we provide for students aged 11-19, including post 16 students with a higher therapeutic need.
There are currently 54 students at the main site, based in seven tutor groups. The curriculum is organised around key questions and themes, which gives students the opportunity to experience and explore different subjects. Central to this is the development of communication and numeracy skills relating to real life situations. Students also experience a range of creative arts and explore aspects of personal, social, moral and emotional education. All our work is based in a belief in each student’s capacity to achieve and be the best they can be, enabling them to be as independent as possible. Our ethos is about encouraging students to value themselves and each other, maximising their enjoyment of learning, whilst developing self esteem and confidence.
Students have access to a range of therapies, multi-agency professionals and specialist staff, including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers.
Admissions to the school is through Bucks Local Authority Admissions.
For further details refer to our Admission Policy which can be found in the Statutory Policies Menu.
Details on Stocklake Park Curriculum below.
Students have access to a range of therapies, multi-agency professionals and specialist staff, including Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Teachers. 95% of our students have speech and language therapy provision identified in their statement, and approximately 50% Occupational Therapy and/or Physiotherapy. The school has a school nurse, and has close working links with social/adult care services, CAMHS. Educational Psychology servies, and the Specialist Teaching Service for children with visual impairment.
We are always looking for ways to improve students’ access to the curriculum and to provide a range of interests and needs. Central to this is the use of specialist equipment, particularly for our students with sensory needs and profound and multiple learning difficulties, and highly trained staff who how the students well. | https://www.stocklakepark.com/stocklake-park/school-information/ |
Efficacy of exercise intervention for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents: Meta-analysis and implications
The global rise in obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has been linked to modifiable lifestyle factors, including lack of physical activity. However, no known meta-analysis has been conducted on the effects of exercise intervention on body composition and metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese adolescents. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to pool together findings from available studies, and estimate whether exercise intervention meaningfully improves body composition and cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese adolescents.
Thirteen suitable studies were identified, involving 556 participants (176 male; 193 female; 187 unknown) were extracted for meta-analysis. Meta-analyses were completed on 5 body composition parameters and 10 cardio-metabolic parameters. Effect sizes were calculated as mean differences, as well as standardized mean differences in order to determine effect magnitude.
Findings from the meta-analysis indicate that exercise intervention reduces body mass index (BMI, mean: 2.0 kg/m2), body weight (mean: 3.7 kg), body fat percentage (3.1 %), and waist circumference (mean: 3.0 cm), and increases (improvement) lean mass (mean: 1.6 kg). Further, following exercise intervention children were able to better regulate insulin (mean: 162 μU/ul) and blood glucose (mean: 39 mg/dl) in response to an oral glucose tolerance test, suggesting decreased risk for developing type II diabetes. There were also important improvements in the strongest clinical predictor of cardiovascular disease, systolic blood pressure (mean: 7.1 mm Hg). The effects of exercise on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting insulin and fasting blood glucose were inconclusive.
The current evidence suggests that exercise intervention in overweight and obese adolescents improves body composition, particularly by lowering body fat. The limited available evidence further indicates that exercise intervention may improve some cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. These findings have implications for (i) primary health care providers, and (ii) public health policy. In terms of primary healthcare providers, BMI may be unsuitable for assessing the efficacy of certain forms of exercise prescription, particularly those with a strength training component. In addition, simple measures of cardiovascular and metabolic health may aid in interpreting the efficacy of exercise intervention. In terms of public health policy, obesity should not be considered in isolation, i.e., exercise intervention results in important improvements in health above and beyond body fatness.
Lee Stoner
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Publication
Efficacy of Exercise Intervention for Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adolescents: Meta-Analysis and Implications.
Stoner L, Rowlands D, Morrison A, Credeur D, Hamlin M, Gaffney K, Lambrick D, Matheson A
Sports Med. 2016 May 2
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The Biblical Timeline Confirmed by Secular History, Ancient Calendars and Modern Science
The Biblical date for Noah’s Flood is generally given as 2348 BC. A date that corresponds to the most widely accepted Genesis timeline established by Bishop Ussher, who set the birth of Adam at 4004 BC. Now despite the embellished Biblical account of the incident, the catastrophe most definitely happened. Indeed, a combination of both scientific evidence and secular historical records (primarily from ancient China) readily confirm this. It is quite simply undeniable that the planet suffered immense global geophysical upheaval circa 2350 BC.
Herein one may consider some of the most compelling physical-historical evidence of disaster. A prelude to some of the more esoteric aspects surrounding Noah’s Flood.
Turkey & Syria
Consider Lake Van in eastern Turkey. A detailed study of its sedimentary layers have allowed for the reconstruction of much of the Earth’s climate history, even going back many thousands of years. Lemcke and Sturm (1994) in particular uncovered an oxygen isotope record from Lake Van that indicated a pronounced dry spell circa. 2350-2075 BC.
Further to this, in nearby Syria, tests on various late Third millennium BC archaeological deposits also revealed anomalous findings. Specifically, an unusual black layer of crystallised rock dated to 2350 BC – yet another good match to the Biblical date of Noah’s Flood. Moreover, the character of the layer was thought by the researchers to have been abruptly caused by some sort of air blast. Indeed, they made a careful effort to rule out the notion that the black layer was the result of fallout from a terrestrial volcanic explosion.
The only remaining alternative would seem to be material from space exploding in the atmosphere. Too controversial an explanation however for the cautious academics Lemcke and Sturm. Who concluded their research paper on the matter with, “[The] origin of this mysterious phenomena still remains unsolved."
Ireland
In 1988 a study of the tree rings in Irish Oaks found that the narrowest-ring events appeared to line up with large acidities in the Greenland ice records. One of three notable events corresponded to a date of 2345 BC
Further to this, in the book “Secrets of the Irish Landscape,” yet more details are given. According to the best estimate, between 2354 and 2345 BC, the Irish Oaks in question completely stopped growing. And that the bark changes indicated that this was the result of them being submerged in water.
China
In addition to the above, confirmation of earthbound disaster circa 2350 BC can also be had from China. According to surviving historical records from this ancient period, during the 12th year of the reign of the first Emperor Yao, huge floods overtopped the mountains. Coming to the throne in 2357 BC, the floods began in China in 2346 BC.
Now though there is no talk of total global submersion as per the Bible account –hence the obvious Genesis embellishment of Noah’s flood – the Chinese records do speak broadly of huge floods sweeping the land. Accounts indicating that they lasted for some 9 years before things apparently settled.
In the previous essay in this series on World Age Cycles, both the Long Count and the Calendar Round systems were introduced, the key cycles of which are restated here as follows:
The Long Count
Baktun = 144000 days
Katun = 7200 days
Tun = 360 days
Uinal = 20 days
Kin = 1 day
Calendar Round
Haab = 365 days
Tzolkin = 260 days
1 Complete Round = 18980 days
Now though these two systems were almost exclusively concerned with targeting the previously noted destructive alignment (Mars-Venus-Sun-Mercury-Galactic Centre + Sun-Earth-Pleiades), a great many others also exist to cause the Earth significant destruction. Noah’s flood itself being just one example.
In order to deal with these additional alignments, supplementary time cycles were thus devised. Arguably the most important being the 819-day Mayan cycle.
Now as with both the Long Count and the Calendar Round, clear evidence that the indigenous tribes of the Americas made use of an 819-day time cycle comes from surviving stone monuments. An 819-day count clearly recorded on select stele at various ruined Mayan sites. In this case, “Each group of 819 days was associated with one of four colours and the cardinal direction with which it was associated – black corresponded to west, red to east, white to north and yellow to south. ”
Despite revealing its existence however – even many decades ago – as of the present the 819-day calendar cycle remains an enduring mystery to modern day scholars. Even more so perhaps to the modern day descendants of the Maya themselves, who most tragically of all, long since appear to have lost the great and profound knowledge of their very ancient ancestors.
That being said, evidence that those ancestors did actively employ an 819-day time cycle in some capacity is undeniable.
A Solution to the Mystery
Here it is then, that this present author believes that he has finally cracked the mystery behind the 819-day cycle. That it was a time unit carefully selected to target additional destructive alignments, over and above the core pattern as already identified.
Moreover, that the Maya of extreme antiquity actually used it to target Noah’s Flood. Or more accurately, the special planetary alignment that directly triggered it. The evidence for this resting upon a powerful and exceptionally elegant mathematical association.
So how exactly did the ancient Maya target the celestial alignment that triggered the Great Flood of Noah? They did it by anchoring an 819-day calendar count upon the critical day of the core destructive alignment of 2 October 3153 BC:
As already detailed in the previous essay, both the Long Count and the Calendar Round were configured to map time with respect to instances of the above alignment, which indeed are repeated in a highly predictable sequence, essentially in near perpetuity.
Consequently, this particular celestial configuration was recognised by the ancients as being the most important; constituting a most convenient framework upon which to anchor a variety of additional calendar cycles, thereby targeting yet additional destructive alignments also of great significance.
In this regard then, the Maya of deep antiquity directly made use of the above alignment as an anchor point for the 819-day cycle, achieving an incredibly harmonious synchronisation with the celestial alignment that triggered Noah’s Flood, as correctly dated to 2348 BC, per the Biblical timeline.
From the core alignment date: 2 October 3153 BC (570065 JD)
Without any special initial adjustment, the Maya simply began counting units of 819 days immediately following the alignment. In this case, quite remarkably, the total number of cycles counted was one less that a ‘perfect’ 360:
Number of cycles to be counted = 360 – 1 = 359
359 × 819 = 294021 days
From: 2 October 3153 BC (570065 JD)
+ 294021 days =
27 September 2348 BC (864086 JD)
Arriving at this precise date, a most extraordinary conjunction pattern presents itself:
List of Aligned Planets:
Jupiter-Venus-Mercury-Earth
Saturn-Ceres-Mars
Ceres-Sun-Mercury
Venus-Sun-Mars
Sun-Earth-Uranus
NB: The accuracy of each noted alignment is such that they deviate from optimum on the order of mere hours in terms of adjustment, and not days.
Below: Consider the four body alignment (Jupiter-Venus-Mercury-Earth ) in more detail, as viewed from the centre of Jupiter. Note that the alignment is only 2.5 degrees from The Pleiades. Also note that, quite remarkably, Halley's Comet is present, only some 2 days from Perihelion.
Herein, one thus contends that with the planets so arranged, the solar system abruptly entered into an extreme state of resonant agitation, producing all manner of exotic effects, as detailed in the previous essays in this series.
Now with respect to the Earth itself, immense geophysical stress was a major outcome of the celestial pattern. The disruption to the planet’s tectonic plates being so extreme that large areas of the globe suffered massive inundation from the jostling oceans. Hence, The Great Flood.
Of course it goes without saying that the name of Noah was unknown to the indigenous peoples of the ancient Americas. Be that as it may, the global catastrophe associated with this name was one that they appear to have known about. The elegant relations hereby detailed being highly suggestive of this fact: A precise count of 359 cycles of 819 days from 2 October 3153 BC to arrive at the exact date of the flood alignment: 27 September 2348 BC.
Given the above relations, one can thus see something of the intricate genius at work with respect to the ancient people of the Americas. They essentially were well aware of multiple special alignments able to cause earthbound catastrophe, and had several key calendar systems/cycles capable of targeting them. Even running many systems in parallel, all designed to target a variety of global disasters (via alignments) stretching far into the future.
References: | https://www.lostagesecrets.com/Noahs-flood.html |
When thinking about your estate planning, you should also consider where you want your personal property to go. Many of us have a unique property that might require special consideration or even proactive planning before our death. Rare collectibles, family heirlooms, frequent flyer miles, and pets are just a few of the unique items to consider in any estate plan.
Your estate planning documents should set forth how to divide your personal property. Perhaps your goal is to leave a particular asset to benefit a specific organization, or you might hope that your collection can be preserved in a museum for others to enjoy. Such bequests may be declined, so you will want to explore all of your options now. An experienced attorney can also assist you in determining whether your personal property should be transferred prior to your death or through another legal document like a trust.
If you would like more information, please attend our Protecting Your Pets & Other Unique Assets Seminar on Wednesday, September 19, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. or contact Daley Zucker Meilton & Miner, LLC at (717) 724-9821 to schedule an appointment today. | https://www.daleyzucker.com/providing-for-your-personal-property/ |
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the strength of muscles of the affected lower limb and walking speed after stroke. Design: A cross-sectional observational study. Setting: University laboratory. Participants: Stroke survivors (N=60; mean age ± SD, 69±11y) 1 to 6 years poststroke, able to walk 10m independently without aids. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Maximum isometric strength of 12 muscle groups (hip flexors/extensors, adductors/abductors, internal/external rotators, knee flexors/extensors, ankle dorsiflexors/plantarflexors, invertors/evertors) of the affected lower limb was measured using hand-held dynamometry. Comfortable walking speed was measured using the ten-meter walk test. Results: Univariate analysis revealed that strength of the hip flexors (r=.35, P=.01), hip extensors (r=.29, P=.03), hip internal rotators (r=.30, P=.02), hip adductors (r=.29, P=.03), knee extensors (r=.27, P=.03), knee flexors (r=.30, P=.02), ankle dorsiflexors (r=.50, P=.00), ankle plantarflexors (r=.29, P=.03), and ankle evertors (r=.33, P=.01) were all positively associated with walking speed. Multivariate analysis (n=58) revealed that the combined strength of the ankle dorsiflexors and the hip flexors accounted for 34% of the variance in walking speed (P<.001). The ankle dorsiflexors accounted for 31% of the variance (P<.001). Conclusions: The strength of muscle groups other than the lower limb extensors, particularly the ankle dorsiflexors, has an important role in determining walking speed after stroke. | https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/the-strength-of-the-ankle-dorsiflexors-has-a-significant-contribu |
Glycogen storage disease type V is a metabolic disorder, more specifically a glycogen storage disease, caused by a deficiency of myophosphorylase, the muscle isoform of the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase. This enzyme helps break down glycogen (a form of stored carbohydrate) into glucose so that it can be utilized within the muscle cell. more...
GSD type V is also known as McArdle's disease or muscle phosphorylase deficiency. The disease was first diagnosed in 1951 by Dr. Brian McArdle of Guy's Hospital, London.
People with this disease experience difficulty when their muscles are called upon to perform relatively brief yet intense activity. The inability to break down glycogen into glucose results in an energy shortage within the muscle, resulting in muscle pain and cramping, and sometimes causing serious injury to the muscles. In addition, rhabdomyolysis—the breakdown of muscle tissue—can cause myoglobinuria, a red-to-brown-colored urine. The myoglobinuria can cause kidney damage. The disease is hereditary and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Anaerobic exercise must be avoided but regular gentle aerobic exercise is beneficial.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
"I've always joked around about my parents giving me all of the fat genes and giving my brother all of the skinny genes. Although I tried to make light of this situation, it has always been a battle for me. As a woman who has experienced weight issues as far back as I can remember, I've learned the importance of nutrition and exercise. More than 10 years ago, I lost 20 pounds by changing my diet and kept it off by eating properly (no fad diets, no quick fixes) and exercising regularly, both cardio and weight training.
"About three years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and was forced to decrease exercise because it was making me feel worse. Medication, surgeries and minimal overeating also contributed to weight gain. Almost all of my weight returned in a very short time. It didn't make sense to me because I was still exercising and I was still regulating my food intake, just not as well as before.
"Recently, I reworked my diet and exercise program so that I can once again weigh what I did two years ago and fit back into my clothes. I am halfway there, thanks to controlling my food intake and mixing cardio exercise with Pilates. Now that I own two businesses, and because my muscles ache all of the time, I don't get to work out as often as I'd like; however, I do make sure that I do a minimum 30 minutes of cardio five days a week and one hour of Pilates weekly.
"Will I ever be as thin as my skinny brother or skinny friends? Probably not, but I will finally accept the fact that it just isn't in me to have the same body as theirs. Will I ever be able to end this struggle with my weight? Again, probably not. It will be something I have to work hard to maintain for the rest of my life... it's in my genes."
Lisa R., California
Sound familiar? If you can relate to Lisa's struggles, you're not alone. It's a common thread we hear among M&F HERS readers, who often feel they're fighting a losing battle with biology when it comes to achieving their desired physiques. Sometimes even the tried-and-true mix of diet and exercise doesn't produce the results you want. This article covers the real deal about women and fat: eating fat, storing fat and burning fat. If you want to understand basic fat storage and metabolism, read "Fat: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour." The rest of this article covers practical advice and the most current thinking about how to win at weight loss without losing your sanity or self-esteem.
FAT: A BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR, WITH YOUR HOST, THE BODY
Some information courtesy of the "Voyages of a Fat Cell" presentation by Len Kravitz, PhD, at the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Summit. Kravitz is an assistant professor of exercise science and coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). Visit his website at www.drlenkravitz.com.
STEP 1: LET'S EAT
Where: Dinner with friends
What: Salad, grilled chicken, bread, Diet Coke, carrot cake Whoo-hoo, real food's cornin' down the pipe. It's about time -- all you've given me today are scrambled egg whites and protein powder. Bleeecchhhhh. Mouth: Release some saliva to begin breakdown. Stomach: Get ready hold it all until the intestines are ready for digestion and absorption. Intestines: Prepare for breakdown and transport.
Dietary Fat's Three Major Roles:
* Fuel source for body
* Provides essential nutrients
* Gives flavor and texture to food.
STEP 2: BREAK IT DOWN
Where: Stomach, intestines
What: Acidified, churning, bolus of food
Stomach: My organs and cells need some fat for cushioning and protection -- so send those lipids (another name for fat) into the intestines.
Bile: Emulsify the fat into little droplets I can work with. (Fat isn't soluble in water so it has to be broken down, absorbed and transported differently than protein or carbohydrate.) Okay, time to digest those triglycerides.
Science Speak: Triglycerides. The chief form of fat in foods.
Triglyceride
[up and down arrow]
fatty acid + fatty acid + fatty acid + glycerol
Now I'm ready for absorption. I'll take all the bigger fat particles and lump them with some protein (forming a chylomicron) so they can travel around the body. I'll absorb the smaller particles and the glycerol through my intestinal walls. Now I'm all set to send the fatty acids on their way to pad my cells, make some membranes and maybe even clog some arteries. Oooohhhh -- did you really need those last bites of carrot cake? I'm stuffed from the salad, chicken, bread and cake. Since you've given me more than I need, some will go off to my fat cells for storage.
STEP 3: FATS TAKE A JOURNEY
Where: Cells and blood
Fats can't just travel around unchaperoned -- they need a transport vehicle called a lipoprotein. Four types of lipoproteins are used, and each has just a few specific functions.
* Chylomicrons are formed in the intestines. They're made of fats and carrier proteins and they transport the fat you eat to your tissues/cells.
* Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) take fat from the liver to different tissues/cells in the body.
* Low-density liporoteins (LDLs) take over after the VLDLs have dropped some fat passengers off and picked up some cholesterol passengers. They also travel from the liver to the tissues like muscle and fat. These vehicles are associated with disease risk because they enable cholesterol deposits in the body.
Science Speak: Saturated fat. For most people, eating cholesterol does not make you have high cholesterol, It's actually the saturated fat you eat that's the culprit in high cholesterol, combined with lots of LDL to move it around and not enough HDL to get rid of it. Len Kravitz, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque), adds that eating monounsaturated V fat or polyunsaturated fat has been shown to lower cholesterol -- but only if it's a substitute for saturated fat. In other words, dumping some olive oil on your cheeseburger won't do a thing!
* High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are great because they do the reverse job of the LDL Instead of carrying cholesterol to the tissues, HDL takes it away to the liver for disposal. That's why it's better to have more HDL and less LDL.
STEP 4: LET'S STORE SOME FAT
What: Excess dietary fat, now broken down into fatty acids
Where: Adipose tissue (the body's fat tissue) I have more fat than I need for my basic functions, so off to storage it goes. Activate the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to clear the fatty acids from the bloodstream and put them into storage -- do you have to ask where? Since you're a woman, you have lots of LPL in your hips and thighs, way more than a man does. That means you can break down and store more fat.
Science Speak: Lipoprotein lipase. An enzyme required to break down fat. Think of a lock-and-key mechanism, where the enzyme key is required to unlock the triglycerides so they can be split and absorbed into cells. We have more "keys" so we can "unlock" more fat.
Uh oh, my fat cells are all full. I'll have to make some new ones so I can store even more fat! Unfortunately for you, once I've made new fat cells, they'll never go away. All you can do is shrink them, but you'll always have that extra storage capacity. Since I can pack fats together tightly in my cells (they don't need water far storage like carbohydrates do), I can hold lots of them in little space.
STEP 5: LET'S USE UP SOME FAT
Where: The gym, the morning after
Why: Racked by guilt over eating carrot cake, you vow to do a major calorie-burning session at the gym. Stair-stepper, here I come! Oh, it's that thing again. Maybe you'll get bored and go home ... uggghhhhh, I guess you're not joking. Better release some glycogen for fuel. I guess I'll give up some fat, too, but not too much.
Oooohhh, I'm getting tired. Epinephrine! Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL)! Break down some of that stored fat and send it over to the mus
Cles -- we need energy! Albumin, give the fatty acids a ride to the muscles. Okay, it's here -- shuttle it to the mitochondria, our muscle cell's power plants. There we can convert it in a very complicated TCA cycle that you don't want to read about. Presto! Those fatty acids are now energy (cabries), carbon dioxide and water We'll keep doing this till you've gotten off this damn contraption.
So there you have it . . . fat metabolism 101. Of course, entire textbooks are written about this subject, but you have an idea of the biology behind your body. Now, let's maximize this information by learning how to work with it, rather than against it.
SHAPE SHIFTING
Annoyed at your apple shape? Peeved at being a pear? Here's what Christina Geithner PhD, associate professor of exercise science at Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington), says you can change about your body shape.
Between 25% and 35% of certain body characteristics are due to genetic makeup and can't be changed. (These include percent bodyfat, fat-free mass and fat distribution.) So figure that about a quarter to a third of whatever you aren't happy with can be blamed on genetics. You can work with the rest. For example, Geithner notes that resistance training can increase fat-free mass, which is more metabolically active -- and bums more calories -- than bodyfat.
If you're an apple shape and tend to put on fat around the midsection, there's good and bad news. The bad news: Midsection weight is associated with health risks such as cardiovascular disease. The good news: It comes off easier than the pear-type weight that tends to settle in the hips and thighs.
Geithner explains that the amount and type (fat/muscle/water) of weight you lose depends on several factors:
How long you restrict your calories
How severely you restrict calories
Composition of your diet (ratio of carbs, fat and protein)
Your initial bodyweight
Your body composition
Whether or not your exercise
Type of exercise
If you just cut calories, you're likely to lose water and fat-free tissue. If you cut calories but increase your protein intake, you may minimize the amount of muscle you lose. Finally, resistance training may also minimize (but not eliminate) muscle loss.
If you're a pear, your weight isn't associated with health risks but is more difficult to lose than midsection weight. Kravitz notes that abdominal fat may be up to five times more metabolically active than lower-body fat.
Geithner advises women to focus on total calories burned, exercise and eating small, frequent meals. "You're trying to trick your body into saying you'll be fed often so you can use this fat for fuel." To lose weight and maintain your metabolism, you need to consume sufficient calories. Dropping below 1,200 calories daily can impede fat loss.
CHOOSING YOUR FUEL
The energy you need to perform your workout comes from two primary sources: glycogen (bow glucose from carbohydrate is stored in your body) and stored fat. You usually use a combination of both while you exercise. Here are the factors that determine energy usage:
* meal prior to exercise (a high-carb meal may result in more glycogen used as fuel)
* duration (longer duration generally uses more fat)
* intensity (higher intensities use more glycogen)
* type (aerobic endurance uses more fat; high-intensity sprints, more glycogen)
* fitness level (trined people use more fat)
* carbohydrate consumed during exercise (more glycogen)
RELATED ARTICLE Q&A: Making Weight Loss Happen
* fat stored in muscle (more fat will be used).
1) HOW do you burn more fat durine exercise? Christina Geithner, PhD. has an interest in "shape shifting," or changing a person's body composition. This associate professor of exercise science at Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington) explains: "During high-intensity, short-term exercise, glycogen is preferentially used. During low- to moderate-intensity activity, there is a greater preference for fat use. There is an even greater preference if a person is well-trained, In a trained person, the body gets more efficient at using fat -- plus, 'more fat-free mass means a higher metabolic rate." Her strategy: Become well-trained in endurance aerobic activity.
Note that in a 30-minute bout of exercise, you'll use more total calories working at a higher intensity, even though the percentage burned from fat may be less. On the other hand, you're more likely, to continue at a moderate pace rather than an all-out sprint. In addition, the moderate pace will equal out (or exceed) the calories burned during the sprint if you can last 45 minutes rather than 15 minutes. "To burn more fat, burn more calories," concludes Len Kravitz, PhD, from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque).
2) Which aerobic activity should you choose? Geithner recommends weight-bearing exercise like jogging; running or walking. She cautions that grasping the handles on a treadmill may lessen the weight-bearing effect, and thus reduce the positive benefits available for bone health. If you use an elliptical machine or stair-stepper, beware of sloppy form that will a) abuse your body alignment and b) lessen your total calorie burn.
3) Should you do one 30-minute exercise session or three 10-minute sessions? Geithner notes that more fat will be used during the longer session, but the health benefits are probably equal in both forms of exercise -- and health should be your bottom line.
4) Should you exercise first thing in the morining on an empty stomach or eat something first? "The idea that [the former] will speed up your metabolism is not documented but for some people it will speed up their lifestyle, which may be more of a psychological pick-up," says Kravitz.
"Every semester we do a single case study with a student exercising in a fasting condition, and then after having a little carbohydrate one hour before exercising," he continues. "In each case the fasting state usually has a higher percent of fat [used], but the carbohydrate state has a greater total fat expenditure because the student can exercise longer and harder. Have a light carbohydrate snack and you'll burn more total calories."
5) Where does resistance training come in? More muscle will increase your fat-free mass, which expends more energy daily than fat mass does, thus increasing your resting metabolic rate. Kravitz likens muscle to "fat and carbohydrate-burning stoves." Adding muscle through strength training can increase the stoves' size so you're able to burn more. Kravitz advocates periodization multiple exercises per bodypart multijoint exercises and resting between sets to recover your energy.
6) Does a woman who wants to lose bodyfat really need to worry about insullin levels eating low gycemic foods etc? People get too focused on details. Focus on the positive and do what works for you. It all comes down to the energy-balance equation: calories in vs. calories out," says Geithner.
7) I've accepted that women have a bum deal when it comes to fat. We have more lipoprotein lipase more estrogen and less muscle mass. What can you say to cheer us no. "Have patience, persistence and perseverance," laughs Kravitz. "Be the best you can be and enjoy life.
WHY FAT IS EASILY STORED
It's easier for me to store fat than anything else. If you eat 100 extra calories in A the form of carbohydrate, I need around 23 calories just for the storing process. That means net storage of only 77 calories. But out of 100 fat calories, I only need to use about three for depositing, and I can store all 97 remaining calories. | http://the-medical-dictionary.com/glycogen_storage_disease_type_v_article_5.htm |
A product design brief is a big part of the product development process. At the start of design, defining the customer and the market becomes clear.
If you want your products to become successful and sell well, then you must ensure that it’s of high quality.
But to ensure that your products are successful, you have to understand what exactly people need in your product. This means you have to create a product design brief.
Few things have been more important to product designers than making sure customers enjoy the final product.
In this article, you’ll find out how to get a better product design brief and use it to prioritize and prioritize your customers.
What’s A Product Design Brief?
A product design brief is a document that outlines how elements of the product are intended to work together in a logical fashion (similar to a business project plan).
The primary goal of a product design brief is to inform the project, allowing it to be designed according to the intended functionality. This includes what it should do, how it should interact with other products, and how much time, money, and people it needs.
It explains the target users and user needs and serves as the basis for all user research on the project. Some companies call it an information architecture diagram, but the two terms are often used interchangeably.
When you are researching how a user might interact with a product, first craft a written description of how users will use it.
How Do I Write A Product Design Brief?
Before you can create the designs for a product, you need to ask a series of questions about it.
Think about what this product will be used for most often. In general, an electronic device is something that people use over and over again, like a cell phone or tablet, and something they reach for when they need to do their most important task.
In the case of your business, think about what your customers need your product to do, which you’ll then use to create your design brief.
When you’re starting a new design project, you need to write a brief or a strategy document explaining to the people that work on it what you want to build and why.
It should cover everything from the scope of the project to the nitty-gritty details of how it needs to work.
Your product design brief should include how the product will work and its intended solution to any problems. You should focus on this because it will be shown on your Instagram feed aesthetic, your website, and other platforms where you are active.
Your brief should tell your design team how, why, and when you want them to start designing the product, including the content you want them to consider.
Now you might think we’re only talking about writing headlines, but they are just as important as any other kind of text on your website.
Why Is A Product Desing Brief Necessary?
A design brief is an essential step in setting out a project. It should lay out the overall themes and goals of the project and clarify your goals.
It will include a description, specifications, and sketches for each version or iteration of a product, all covering:
- user experience,
- key performance indicators,
- constraints,
- and more.
A product design brief is an essential part of any business. You can’t develop something if you don’t have a sense of design— everything about the look and feel of your product. A well-designed product will tell a story and convince new customers to buy it.
By doing the research necessary before writing the brief, you can create something that genuinely communicates the essence of what you want to achieve.
A product design brief is vital to make sure your product is created the right way. Following the selling process ensures that you maintain control of your company’s vision and product direction. | https://pearllemon.com/product-design-brief/ |
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. Considered one of the wonders of the world, it is visited by millions of people each year. Its height of 12 stories and striking art deco design has made the Empire State Building an icon and landmark of New York City, USA. | http://christmasornaments.biz/a-z-all-brands-designers-artists/old-world-christmas-empire-state-building-glass-blown-ornament/ |
Each year, as January 1st comes, Haitians not only celebrate a new year, but also their Independence Day. For some, the Haitian independence is just a foot note in history, culminating in a simple cliché: The first black republic in the modern world.
This year, instead of writing about the pride and the meaning of January 1st to Haitians, I want to take time to share some personal thoughts on the revolution that is still tormenting some of the world’s most powerful nations. The slave revolt in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was known during colonial time, gave the world an Independent Haiti, which to this day is paying the price of their ancestors’ bravery.
The Haitian Revolution has been misunderstood by many, either because of a lack of knowledge regarding the French colonial system or simply on purpose to minimize the victory of African slaves over the imperial army of Napoleon.
Haiti’s slave revolt did not happen because of luck or simply as a favor from the masters, but rather it took years of struggle and strategy to fight against the worst form of human oppression. From the Indians who refused to obey the rules of the Spaniards to the brave Africans who chose death instead of serving white masters, the Haitian revolution, in its purest form was an inspiration of how the good in a few would always triumph over the evil of the many.
Slavery in the Americas by white Europeans was not only inhuman, it was plainly barbaric. Let’s try to bring to light why the Haitian revolution took place and how it happened, in order to properly understand why is it that after 213 years, the real fruit of the Haitian revolution is yet to be ripped.
The word revolution in its most empiric definition means the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. In the case of Haiti pre 1804, we can replace governed people by oppressed or enslaved people.
In essence, the former slaves of the French colony were seeking a total change of the political and social system that deprived them of their humanity, dignity, and most preciously their liberty. The Haitian revolution main purpose was to overthrow the French masters, end slavery, and for the oppressed to take control of their destiny. After more than two centuries of trying to escape their way out of slavery, the oppressed Africans had no choice but to launch a full assault against their masters and their oppressive system.
In the French colony of Saint Domingue, slaves not only had to endure forced labors under the most bestial conditions, but in many occasions, black men had to watch their masters sexually violated their partners, sons had to watch their fathers getting beat, casted with hot iron if caught trying to escape the plantations.
For more than two centuries, the slaves were constantly made to believe they were inferior to their masters and that their only purpose in life was to accept the fact that they were properties of white men.
Leaders like Boukman, Makandal tried to awake the sleepy slaves against their oppressors. Where these great men did not succeed, it would be only a matter of time, before great warriors, military strategists, and diplomats in the likes of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Dessalines and Christophe would come along and make freedom for the slaves of Saint-Domingue a reality.
Some argued that it was a mistake for the Haitian revolutionary army and former slaves to massacre the whites during the fight for independence and also immediately after being victorious. Others even went a step further to call it, “white genocide” by the former slaves.
This past week, George Ciccariello, a professor at Drexel University, wrote on his Twitter feed: “To clarify: when the whites were massacred during the Haitian Revolution that was a good thing indeed.” Obviously this statement did not sit well with many people on Twitter and commended many follow-up replies.
The reaction and the direction of the debate about this tweet says a lot about the lack of understanding of many as to why the Haitian slaves had little choice but to totally defeat the French masters.
The very existence of the French colonists in Haiti after the revolutionary war represented a grave and imminent danger for the survival of the new republic. The masters who had brutalized theirs slaves for years would never accept their defeat nor recognize the new republic’s independence. Besides the political considerations, the revenge factor and level of anger from the former slaves could not be underestimated. Upon gaining independence, for the former slaves, letting the French colonists tasted a little bit of their atrocities was justice at last.
The Haitian Revolution, by any angle one looked at it, was simply a struggle for equality and self determination. It was and remained the only successful revolution won by the blacks on battle fields over the whites.
The slaves victory over their masters was not only a defeat of oppressive forces and the so-called superiority complex by which the whites thought were their alienated rights, but it was above all the best example of unity makes strength, which became the motto the Haitian Republic. For the revolution to succeed, for the most part and in great numbers, the slaves had to be united behind a common objective: Liberty or death.
The Haitian Revolution had to happen. The results of the battles were what they were, and history has yet to give the slave revolutionists their proper due. The casualties of a few oppressive white masters should never, ever be considered more important than the total extinction of the natives, the hundreds of thousands of Africans who perished at sea, and the millions of blacks who were dehumanized on the French plantations of Saint-Domingue.
Freedom is not free and it’s never given. To be free, one has to earn it, and the Haitians earned their freedom, not only through the revolutionary war, but also in conquering the French colonists by instilling fear in their heart and mind. The Haitian Independence was an irreversible act and still today, generations later, Haitians are still fighting to protect their independence. | https://www.caribjournal.com/2017/01/03/op-ed-haiti-black-white-revolution/ |
Sequential hypothesis testing for automatic detection of task-related changes in cerebral perfusion in a brain-computer interface.
Evidence suggests that the cerebral blood flow patterns accompanying cognitive activity are retained in many locked-in patients. These patterns can be monitored using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD), a medical imaging technique that measures bilateral cerebral blood flow velocities. Recently, TCD has been proposed as an alternative imaging modality for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, most previous TCD-BCI studies have performed offline analyses with impractically lengthy tasks. In this study, we designed a BCI that automatically differentiates between counting and verbal fluency tasks using sequential hypothesis testing to make decisions as quickly as possible. Ten able-bodied participants silently alternated between counting and verbal fluency tasks within the paradigm of a simulated on-screen keyboard. During this experiment, blood flow velocities were recorded within the left and right middle cerebral arteries using bilateral TCD. Twelve features were used to characterize TCD signals. In a simulated online analysis, sequential hypothesis testing was used to update estimates of class probability every 250 ms as TCD data were processed. Classification was terminated once a threshold level of certainty was reached. Mean classification accuracy across all participants was 72% after an average of 23s, compared to an offline analysis which obtained a classification accuracy of 80% after 45 s. This represents a substantial gain in data transmission rate, while maintaining classification accuracies exceeding 70%. Furthermore, a range of decision times between 19 and 28s was observed, suggesting that the ability of sequential hypothesis testing to adapt the task duration for each individual participant is critical to achieving consistent performance across participants. These results indicate that sequential hypothesis testing is a promising alternative for online TCD-BCIs.
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OverviewThis document provides information about probate guardianships for children. It includes general information about court procedures, the duties and responsibilities of probate guardians and other helpful material to assist you in fulfilling the obligations of a guardian.
What is GUARDIANSHIP?Guardianship is the appointment of an adult, who is not the parent, to be responsible for a minor and/or their estate. Appointment as a guardian requires the filing of a petition and approval by the court. If the court appoints you as guardian for a child, you will assume important duties and obligations. You will become responsible to the court. It is essential that you clearly understand your duties and responsibilities as a guardian. If you have any questions, you should consult with an attorney who is qualified to advise you in these matters. Note: If Child Protective Services is involved in the case go to juvenile court to find out what to do.
Types of guardianship
- Guardianship of the Person: Guardian is responsible for the food, clothing, shelter, and health care needs of the minor, along with small scale finances.
- Guardianship of the Estate: Guardian is responsible for the significant finances (over $5,000) of the minor from inheritance/gift/court settlement, etc., a bond or a blocked account may be required to secure the estate.
- Guardianship of the Person and Estate: Guardian is responsible for all aspects of minor’s care and finances. A bond may be required.
Who Will Be The Guardian?Statutory preferences:
- One or both parents
- Person with whom minor has been living in a stable and wholesome environment
- Any person who is determined suitable and able to provide adequate and proper care and guidance for the minor.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE: FILING A PETITION FOR GUARDIANSHIPThis resource provides information about probate guardianships for children. It includes general information about court procedures, the duties and responsibilities of probate guardians and other helpful material to assist you in fulfilling the obligations of a guardian.
Important Facts
- Child guardianship laws in California are primarily used to place a child in the care of a trusted adult when the child’s parents have died or are unable to properly care for the child, whether due to illness, alcoholism, or drug addiction.
- Probate courts determine whether the requested guardianship is in the best interest of the child.
- Once guardianship is established, it will remain under the supervision of the probate court until the child turns 18 or the court terminates the guardianship, whichever comes first.
- The guardian must keep the court informed of the child’s current residence and cannot move the child out of state without prior court approval.
- The guardian will also have to permit reasonable visitation between the child and his parents and abide by any restrictions the court places on the visitation.
- Guardianship of the Estate: In some instances, where the child inherits significant assets, the probate court will have to carefully consider who to appoint as a guardian of the child’s estate.
- Anyone can petition for guardianship.
Step-By-Step Guide
Before You FileBefore you file a petition for guardianship, you should consider the following:
- Is a guardianship really necessary?
- Have you considered the alternatives?
- Do the parents’ consent to the guardianship?
- Without parental consent, is there enough evidence for you to prove the need for a guardianship?
- Do you need legal advice or assistance?
- The child has property with a lot of value
- You live outside California
- There are other legal cases involving the child or child custody going on at the same time (like adoption, custody in family court, juvenile charges)
- The child has special needs (physically/emotionally/developmentally disabled)
- This child is Native American (because Federal laws apply)
Alternatives To GuardianshipYou can make a private agreement with the child’s parents to provide care for the child. A written agreement can be made showing that you have “custody” of the child with the parents’ consent. Normally it is also beneficial to secure a medical release for emergencies, especially if a parent is not readily available. Note: The parents may revoke this type of agreement at any time.The California Family Code allows a person who is related to a child to fill out a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit. The affidavit normally allows that person, as a caregiver to enroll the child in school and secure medical treatment for the child. You may read Family Code section 6550 for details about this law. The caregiver form may be available through your local county clerk’s office, through private legal publications, or from a private attorney. Note: The parents may revoke your authority or override your decision under this type of agreement at any time.The law allows parents to make other financial arrangements for property inherited by or given to their children. For instance, a blocked account and other protective measures can be used without the appointment of a guardian of the estate. Consultation with an attorney for these types of matters is highly recommended. Note: Some financial institutions, insurance companies, and courts require the appointment of a guardian of the estate before they will release funds on behalf of a minor.
Download our guide for a comprehensive list of forms and instructions.
Temporary GuardianshipUnder certain circumstances petitioner can request and receive appointment as a temporary (30 days) guardian pending the hearing. Reasons for temporary guardianship:
- Non-emergency medical treatment
- Qualify for public assistance
- School enrollment
- Mother entering military
- Desertion by parents
- Court congestion – hearing date set beyond needed to make important decisions
InvestigationUnless waived by the court, an investigation will be conducted prior to appointing a guardian (before the hearing).
- If petitioner is a relative of the child: A court investigator will interview the petitioner and the child. If the child’s parents are alive and available, the investigator may interview them too and any other persons deemed essential. The investigator will set up a formal home study where they will visit the home where the child will live, do a background check on the petitioner and review the child’s school and medical records. The investigation is to determine if there is a valid need for the guardianship.
- The investigator will make a recommendation to the judge.
- If Petitioner is not a relative: the court will refer the case to the county’s Department of Human Services or Social Services to conduct the investigation.
- Social history of guardian
- Social history of minor, including special needs
- The relationship of minor to proposed guardian, and
- The anticipated duration of the guardianship and plans to provide permanent home for minor.
Appointment Of The GuardianFor your appointment as a guardian to be valid, the Order Appointing Guardian of Minor must be signed. Once the court signs the order, the guardian must take prepared Letters of Guardianship to the clerk’s office where the clerk will issue the letters. Letters of Guardianship is a legal document that provides proof that you have been appointed and are serving as the guardian for the minor. You should obtain several certified copies of the Letters from the clerk. These legal documents will be of assistance to you in the performance of your duties, such as enrolling the child in school, obtaining medical care, and taking care of the estate business.
Transfer Of Guardianship
- The guardian must notify the court of any changes of address
- If the guardian and minor move to a new country, the guardian must petition for a transfer. The petition is filed in the court where the matter was heard originally. If granted, the file is transferred to the new county of residence. Transfer fees are imposed.
Termination Of GuardianshipA guardianship of the person automatically ends when the child reaches the age of 18, is adopted, marries, is emancipated by court order, enters military service, or dies. If none of these events has occurred, the child, a parent, or the guardian may petition the court for termination of guardianship. But it must be shown that the guardianship is no longer necessary or that termination of the guardianship is in the child’s best interest.A guardianship of the estate is automatically terminated when the minor’s estate is used up, child reaches the age of 18, or dies. Otherwise, the guardian or other interested person must petition the court to end the guardianship. Valid reasons must be stated in the petition showing why the guardianship is no longer needed, i.e., parent returns. A guardian can petition to resign if no longer able to perform duties.A guardian may be removed for specific reason (i.e. misconduct) or when it is in the child’s best interest. A guardian may be removed either on the court’s own motion or by a petition filed by the child, a relative of the child, or any other interested person. If necessary, the court may appoint a successor guardian, or the court may return the child to a parent if that is found to be in the child’s best interest.
Red Flags
- Contested proceedings
- Minor’s inheritance over $5,000
- Guardian does not reside in California
- Minor has unresolved legal proceedings in other case, i.e., juvenile court, adoption, divorce.
- Minor is physically or emotionally disabled
- Minor is “gravely disabled” – mental disorder and/or alcohol/drug addiction
- Minor is Native American
FAQsFind answers to frequently asked questions about Probate Guardianship. If you have more questions, contact Los Angeles Family Law Center today. Note: If you have an attorney, the attorney will advise you on your duties and responsibilities, the limits of your authority, the rights of the child, and your dealings with the court. If you have legal questions, you should consult with an attorney. Please remember that the court staff cannot give you legal advice. If you are not represented by an attorney, you may obtain answers to your questions by contacting community resources, private publications, or Los Angeles Family Law Center. Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.As with most legal questions, it depends. There are two main types of guardianship. 1) Guardianship of the Person: the court allows physical custody and decision-making powers to be placed in the guardian and 2) Guardianship of the Estate: when the child owns property or receives benefits or income, a guardian is charged with keeping track of the “assets.” The most common type is guardianship of the person since most minors simply need someone other than a parent to be accountable for their school and medical decisions. In an adoption, parent’s rights are terminated, or removed permanently. This means a biological mother will no longer have a right to custody or visitation or to be in her child’s life. Furthermore, it gives the adoptive parent permanent rights over the child. A guardianship is different. A parent’s rights are NOT terminated in a guardianship. Nor does the guardianship provide the guardian with permanent rights over the child. It does permit the guardian, instead of the parent, to make decisions concerning the child so long as it is in effect, but it usually requires that the parent be allowed visitation with the child. The court is planning on the parent being able to care for the child at some point in the future; the guardian is merely acting as a caretaker in the meantime. A guardianship will only last as long as the court allows it to last. This is a backwards way of saying that while a guardianship order may be “final,” the guardianship itself will never be permanent and irreversible. It will end when a parent, guardian, or child request that it be terminated, and the court finds that a “change in circumstances” has occurred. This change in circumstances is necessary because a court will only support the guardianship if it’s in the “best interest of the child.” Usually, this means that a parent is currently unable to take of the child and some else is better equipped to provide a safe environment for him/her. Once the parent is back up on his/her feet and can prove to the court that he/she has overcome whatever obstacles he/she was facing, the child will be returned to the parent. Sometimes, after a parent’s rights have been terminated, the only way for him/her to get custody over a child is to seek guardianship. Even if a child has been adopted, a biological parent may seek guardianship in order to gain legal rights to a child. If a parent is currently unable to care for his/her child, but does not wish to give the child up for adoption, guardianship is a great option because it allows someone else to completely care for the child without permanently surrendering his/her rights. This is especially true when a grandparent is caring for a grandchild and needs legal decision-making power to enroll the child in school or take the child to a doctor. If a parent is incarcerated but does not have his/her parental rights terminated and wants to provide for the child, guardianship allows him/her to keep those rights and ensure the child is cared for in the meantime. “What is best for the child?” This is the question you should ask yourself because this is the question the court will be asking everyone. Put aside your pride, anger, frustration, greed, and fear and focus on what is best for the child. Often a long, drawn out court battle over guardianship is easily avoided if a parent simply nominates or consents to a guardian. On the other hand, such a battle is also avoided if the guardian is genuinely seeking to care for the child and not focused on collecting the financial state benefits that caring for a child provides. A child should have a safe, stable environment and not feel guilty for being happy outside the care of his/her parents. It is the responsibility of the guardian and the parents to ensure that this happens. If you consent (or agree) to the guardianship: There are forms both parents must sign that indicate you wish to have a specific person named as guardian and you waive your legal right to notice (being served with papers) for the guardianship. The court will still inquire as to the reasons for the guardianship, but it will go much more smoothly than if you contest it. If you contest (or want to fight) the guardianship: Once the pares are filed and you receive notice, you should respond as the papers indicate. Usually this means appearing in court to argue against it. Seek the advice of an attorney who can help you or a self-help area in the court in your county. A court investigator will speak with the potential guardian, the child, and the parents and then make a recommendation to the court. After the investigation, you will have an opportunity to speak your opinion on whether the guardianship should or should not be granted and why at the hearing.
REQUEST CONSULTATION
If you would like to schedule an appointment online, please fill out the following form and a member of our team will call you within 24 hours to schedule a time to meet with you. | https://www.lafamilylaw.org/resources/probate-guardianship/ |
At our law firm, we represent Nebraska parents in legal matters related to child support. For example, child support must be addressed in divorces with children as well as in disputes between unmarried parents. We also represent parents requesting the modification of previous child support orders. These modifications become necessary upon a change of circumstances — be it a change of income, parenting time or the birth of subsequent children.
Like many other states, Nebraska bases its system of child support on guidelines, which consider the income of each parent and the number of children among other factors to determine monthly child support according to a formula. The Nebraska Child Support Guidelines, sometimes called the NCSG, are contained in the state court rules and were developed by an economist from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The guidelines are based on the moral principle that parents share equally in the duty to support their children according to each’s financial ability and upon the goal of having the “away parent” or “noncustodial parent” provide the support he or she would have had they remained in the home. The guidelines apply to the determination of both temporary and permanent support orders.
Rebuttable presumption of appropriate child support
The child support amount derived from the guidelines creates a “rebuttable presumption,” meaning it is the amount assumed appropriate unless “sufficient evidence” rebuts that presumption. Any deviation must be approved by the Court and found to be in the best interests of the child.
If divorcing parents negotiate a settlement agreement, the judge must review the support amount considering whether it complies with the guidelines. For the judge to approve an amount that deviates from the guidelines, he or she must make specific findings justifying the exception.
Allowable reasons for guideline deviations
Whether pursuant to a parental agreement or judicial determination, deviations from guideline amounts must fall within certain specific circumstances:
- Parent’s or child’s “extraordinary medical costs”
- “Special needs” of a child with a disability
- Combined parental net monthly income of more than $15,000
- The child is a juvenile in foster care
- Guideline amount would be “unjust or inappropriate”
Income amount a common dispute
The NCSG are based largely on parental income, so it is not surprising that disputes about the calculation of parental “income” are frequent, especially when a parent’s income fluctuates or he or she is self-employed. Guideline Worksheet 1 provides that when a parent’s income fluctuates, the income for the past three years may be averaged for use in the guidelines.
In Gress v. Gress, the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected a father’s argument that the trial court should have used an eight-year average instead because he had had two of his best years of farming income in the past three and the average would be higher than normal if those three years were used. The Supreme Court surveyed other states that had faced the question of how many years of income to average, in circumstances similar to Mr. Gress and concluded that a three-year period is the most reasonable (and common) among the jurisdictions. Even though courts had averaged more than three years in two other Nebraska cases, the Supreme Court in Gress said that it was not an abuse of discretion or unjust to use only three years.
This post introduces a complex subject that we will revisit in upcoming posts. | https://www.familylawomaha.com/blog/2019/02/introduction-to-nebraska-child-support-guidelines/ |
Treating Customers Fairly
This is one of the primary long term initiatives of the FSA directly impacting all regulated businesses with a retail client base. The FSA has defined six consumer outcomes, explaining what they want TCF to achieve for the retail client or consumer.
Consumer Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.
Outcome 2:
Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.
Outcome 3:
Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale
Outcome 4:
Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
Outcome 5:
Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
Outcome 6:
Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.
The Heritage approach to TCF
We at Heritage are determined that in all our dealings with our clients they are treated fairly. This requires us to treat client needs equally with those of our shareholders and staff to achieve a fair result for all. Our approach to the provision of services includes clear contract terms, transparent charging, efficient resolution of client queries or complaints and effective management of any conflicts of interest.
Heritage Capital Management Ltd’s policy on Treating Customers Fairly is balancing the customer’s needs with the firm’s needs, being absolutely clear about what the firm and its services offer, and being transparent about fees and levels of service.
Specifically this requires that:
- Our customers should clearly understand the nature of the services we provide, including our terms, conditions and charges.
- Customers must clearly understand the risks inherent in the markets and securities in which they invest through us.
- We must communicate in an open, transparent and easily understandable manner and have a clear understanding of Customers investment objectives, investment experience, attitude to risk, financial standing and resources.
- We must be clear about the suitability of our recommendations to our customers.
- We will not promise to provide services we are not able or equipped to deliver.
- Training and Competence programs must embed the concept of “Treating – Customers Fairly” within our corporate culture.
- Our complaint procedures must be clear, unambiguous and impartial.
- We must be able to measure the effectiveness of our policies of treating customers fairly. | https://heritage-capital.co.uk/our-people/regulatory-information/treating-customers-fairly/ |
There is so much dangerous fear-mongering about recession right now. I wanted to set the record straight and explain what’s going on and how much you should be worried about it. To be honest, discussions of recession make my eyes glaze over, so I tried to make this fun. With chicken memes.
The real story is how to survive inflation, which is crushing low income households and scaring the s#!% out of single parents.
Key Takeaways
- Answers to “Are we in a recession?” and “Are we headed for recession?
- What factors influence whether or not recession is declared
- How to prepare your finances for recession 2022!
Is a recession coming in 2022?
Short answer: probably.
Economic forecasters are gazing into their crystal balls, weighing economic growth, inflation, unemployment rate, Russia, China, and all our pent up consumer demand for a fun summer. Economic research and business leader have slightly different opinions about recession this or next year. But they all range from a soft landing to doom: “Not at this point. It doesn’t mean it is out of the question” (International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva) to simply, “yes” (Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi).
The notable counterpoint is a panel of Economists at Bloomberg, who put the risk of inflation at 30% (up from their baseline of 15%) and target inflation for 2024 at 2.76.
That would be great.
Are we in a recession?
No. (as of June 2022)
A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, or as the The National Bureau of Economic Research says “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.” They are the ones who actually declare it.
Economic output declined at a rate of 1.4% in the first quarter of 2022, but that’s pretty mild. The Atlanta Federal Reserve has a GDP “Nowcast” that estimates the next official release. They’re currently expecting 0.0%.
Is the economy going to crash?
The obvious follow-on question to “we’re probably going to have a recession,” is “OK, well how bad will it be?” Are we talking gentle economic decline, mild recession, or economic collapse a la the financial crisis of 2008/2020?
The consensus seems to be “not that bad.”
The Recession Banana
David M. Rubenstein, founder of the mega international Private Equity firm The Carlyle Group, told a story about when President Carter’s White House inflation advisor Alfred Kahn was told, “Don’t use the R word. It scares people.” So, he started calling it “banana.” (I am not making this shit up. It was December 1978. I fact checked it.)
Rubenstein said last week, “A banana may not be that far,” but also that he doesn’t think an economic downturn will be that bad. “It’ll be a mild banana, if there’s a banana.”
For real, we let these guys run the U.S. economy.
A Note on the Global Economy
Although I have been mostly focused on shenanigans in America, the global economy matters. A lot.
The U.S. has been the engine of growth for the global economy for a long time. But that’s changing. China is now the world’s largest economy, and their growth rate is about double ours. India is not far behind, with a population that’s almost four times ours.
What does that mean for us?
It means that we are no longer the primary driver of global economic growth. In fact, we are one of the train cars. A recession in Europe or Asia will have an impact on our economy, even if we are not in a recession ourselves. The prospect of a global recession is real.
Global Growth Outlook
The economic slowdown has already started in other countries. According to a June report by the World Bank:
Global growth is expected to slump from 5.7 percent in 2021 to 2.9 percent in 2022— significantly lower than 4.1 percent that was anticipated in January. It is expected to hover around that pace over 2023-24, as the war in Ukraine disrupts activity, investment, and trade in the near term, pent-up demand fades, and fiscal and monetary policy accommodation is withdrawn. As a result of the damage from the pandemic and the war, the level of per capita income in developing economies this year will be nearly 5 percent below its pre-pandemic trend.
In addition to the slow down in global growth, consumer confidence and real income, high inflation is hitting developing countries harder. We’re worried about surviving inflation in the US, but in Argentina it was 60% last month. Look where the US economy ranks in the “highest inflation Top 10″ among the G20, world’s major economies in the second quarter.
Why are economists not in panic mode?
There are a number of factors at play here. I will touch on them briefly.
Economic Growth
One of the main recession risks is a decrease in economic output. When people are employed and making money, they spend it. That stimulates businesses, who then hire more people, and so on. It’s a virtuous circle.
But when people are worried about their jobs or retirement savings, they cut back on spending. Businesses make less money, so they lay off people. And the circle goes in the other direction.
You can measure this economic activity with the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The United States Congressional Budget Office projects 3.1% for 2022 in late May. This is high. It also revised up estimates for 2023, and 2024.
We Can Still Raise Interest Rates
The Federal Reserve Bank can raise or lower the Federal funds rate, which is what banks charge each other for overnight loans.
When the interest rate drops, it’s cheaper for businesses to get loans to expand or consumers to get loans for cars and houses. When the rate increases, debt gets more expensive and people and companies rethink their purchase decisions. They don’t buy as much, and prices drop. This is measured through the CPI (the consumer price index). Higher interest rates cool down inflation.
Almost every central bank in the world the world is raising their benchmark interest rate from historic lows, to help inflation chill out.
And to be honest, every federal government projection says they will likely keep increasing interest rates through 2024 to stop cascading inflation. In recent weeks, the Fed announced a rate hike of 0.75% – the largest increase since 1994 – and the stock market barely blinked.
Consumer Spending
Lately, consumers have been on a spending spree. It’s one of the main drivers of the U.S. economy, and with more money in our pockets, American spending is incredibly strong. And consumer sentiment is also very strong. For many, it is still a prosperous period.
As someone who has never been so excited to eat in a restaurant, get my nails done, go on vacation…I don’t see this going down again unless Covid makes a major comeback, Putin goes nuclear, family incomes take a big hit or the economy contracts.
Labor Market and Unemployment
Slightly higher interest rates lead to slightly higher unemployment. Why? When it is more expensive to borrow, businesses to put off expansion plans and pull back on production. They don’t hire as many people, they stop hiring and or they do payoffs.
But we’ve seeing the opposite job market for the last year – labor shortages. The jobless rate is at the lowest level we’ve seen in a while. It’s so good even teen employment is at a 20-year-high. Tight labor markets with high job growth like this one are a great thing. So, the Federal reserve is comfortable with some job losses.
The Congressional Budget Office projects the unemployment rate will be slightly higher in 2023 and 2024 than it is now, but not a lot.
Supply Chain
Supply chain issues have a big impact on the economy because they can make it very expensive to sell a good. So when there are supply chain problems, like there have been many in the last year, companies find solutions and economists ask if these are permanent issues.
The thinking seems to be that most current issues with global supply chains will resolve. For instance, we figured out the backlog in the ports. At some point, factories in Asia will be back up at full capacity. Oil prices and gas prices will go back down. And companies and supply chains will adapt. Example: once again, we can buy toilet paper.
Inflation
When inflation spikes, Central banks of the past hit the brakes. Hard. For instance, in 1979 the Fed cranked the overnight lending rate to 20% in an attempt to curb inflation. This rapid increase of the inflation rate and extremely expensive debt can cause growth to slow down quickly, leading to a major recession. Some have argued that a similar dynamic caused the Great Depression.
This is why the Federal Reserve is suuuuuuuper cautious about raising rates or even hinting they will raise rates. While they are aware of that high prices are a big inflation problem, they don’t want a hard landing or anyone to overreact. So, they announce several expected rate increases in the coming year and tell us repeatedly, so no one freaks out when it happens. They have been doing this for the past year at least.
Stagflation and Doom
On the flip side, former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke thinks we’re cruising for stagflation, which is like when a plane is going up (inflation continues to rise) then mysteriously stalls and plummets to earth (economic growth collapses, unemployment soars). Those two things are not supposed to happen together, but they have in the past.
Fortunately, Bernanke is the outlier in this view, and has what some would consider a maverick approach – he increased the Fed’s balance sheet dramatically during the Great Recession.
Are Economists Good At Predicting Recession?
Stagnation, and other mysterious anomalies of the chicken world, highlight an important point: economists are not great predictors of the macroeconomy, and it might not even matter. If you look at the graph above, in 2020, Bloomberg economists were 100% predicting a recession for two quarters. Then the prediction dropped to 30% in the next quarter.
Predictions don’t mean anything compared to the actions that governments (e.g. stimulus payments and other monetary policy), populations (e.g. shifting spending and savings behavior) and companies (e.g. work from home) take in response to economic conditions.
We are not an inert thing recession happens to. It’s always a dance.
How to prepare for recession 2022
It’s always good to be proactive in advance of a potential recession. Here are some tips on how to prepare.
Pay down or off variable interest rate debt
If you have debt with a variable interest rate, now is the time to pay it down or off. More rate hikes are coming! Every Central Bank in the developed world has signaled a plan for future rate increases, so all variable consumer debt will see rising interest rates in the next two years. That means rising mortgage rates, and credit card bills.
Save enough to ride out a job change
Unemployment and slowed hiring are hallmarks of a recession, so it’s important to be financially prepared for the possibility of losing your job. One way to do that is to save four months’ of necessary expenses as part of your emergency fund so you can ride out a job loss without going into debt.
Build your emergency fund
With Emergency Funds, I usually recommend starting small, because its more achievable, but the average job search tends to take 3-4 months, and in a recession, could take longer. Things may also get more expensive in the near term, which will make a stretch with no real income more difficult. There’s no downside in having multiple bank accounts for your goals.
Modify your budget now, to reach for the higher safety goals.
Diversify your income
Right now, we have a strong labor market, which means it’s (still) relatively easy to get a job. If you are employed, now is the time to start looking for additional sources of income. This could be a side hustle, or it could be a plan for starting your own business. The goal is to have multiple streams of income so that if one dries up, and the labor market isn’t your friend, you are not left high and dry.
Additionally, additional income can help with savings goals.
Don’t go crazy in the stock market
The financial markets are going crazy all on their own! They don’t need help. Honestly, unless you are straight up gambling with options or margin calls, the average person is best served by setting up some automatic investing and losing their credentials. Time is still the best investment tool.
In the long term, the market will recover.
In the short term, it’s going to look like fireworks in the chicken coop.
Spend Carefully
I… am not a natural saver. And I do not believe you have to be born frugal to either get good with money or get wealthy. But in a recession, you need to keep a closer eye on your spending.
Personally, I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on buying a home or renovations until things cool off. Home prices have really been hit with surging inflation, thanks in part to the supply chain issues and the Work From Home Migration. The housing market has gotten too hot for me! Similarly, commodity prices (like wood, which is what most houses are made of) are really high. I don’t see house prices plummeting.
Final Thoughts on the 2022 Recession
While economists may not be able to predict a recession with 100% accuracy, there are still some things we can do to prepare for one. I reject the idea that inflation is a thing that happens to powerless actors. Wind happens. Rain happens. Humans are still smart enough to put on a jacket. (Chickens not so much!)
Paying down with variable interest rates, building up your emergency fund, and diversifying your income are all good ways to weather a potential recession. And while the stock market may look volatile in the short term, it will eventually recover. Just be careful with your spending and you should be able to weather any storm. | https://askflossie.com/financial-security/are-we-headed-for-recession/ |
The compilation of these Index Numbers Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.
Some Important Index Numbers
The rate of inflation in December 2017 was 5.21 index points, which was the highest in the last 17 months. We hear about the term inflation often and how it affects our price levels along with our currency’s power. As you might have noticed the unit for measurement of inflation is the index point. In essence, inflation and index numbers are intimately connected to each other. So it is important for us economics students, to understand some important index numbers such as CPI and WPI.
The Two Indices of Our Concern
Although there is an arsenal of index numbers, there are two indices that effectively display the change in prices and its effect on the cost of living of various sections of society. These two indices are- Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Both of these indices are well-equipped to represent the effects on different classes of an economy whose consumption and production patterns vary drastically. Their reliability can be affirmed with the fact that the Reserve Bank of India uses 1 WPI and 4 types of CPI to reflect the general price levels and its changes. Without further due let us study these two index numbers.
Consumer Price Index Number
There exists a vast difference in the consumption patterns of the diverse divides of society. To point out, this pattern is governed by the prices paid by these sections to consumer goods and services. The general index numbers are unable to effectively depict the changes in such patterns triggered by the changes in price levels. Hence the consumer price index (CPI) came into the picture.
A consumer price index number measures the average change in prices paid by the specific type of consumer for consuming goods and services in the current year in comparison to a base year. It is also known as the cost of living index because a change in price levels affects the consumption patterns which in turn alters the cost of living. CPI is generally constructed for three groups- Industrial Workers, Urban Non-Manual Employees, Agricultural Labourers.
Significance of CPI
As noted above, CPI very well depicts how the changes in general price levels affect heterogeneous consumers. Effectively, it helps the government formulate the price policy, fiscal policy, taxation policies etc. In other words, these indices help the government to take calculated risks for development without drastically affecting the cost of living.
Additionally, the state also makes use of them to decide the wage contracts and agreements of workers along with the dearness allowances. Also, these indices are an accurate indicator of the power of an economy’s currency. This is again because of the fact that they quantify the changes in consumption triggered by price changes. Thus effectively displaying the goods and services that can be consumed using the currency.
Lastly, as national income can also be calculated using consumption expenditure because one man’s expenditure is other man’s income, the CPI acts as a national income deflator.
Arguments against CPI
In addition to the general limitations of index numbers, there are some difficulties extensively related to CPI too. The first problem relates to the fact that different classes of consumers have varying standards of living hence one CPI cannot represent the diversity.
In addition to this, price indices are constructed using retail prices. However, retail prices can vary greatly from shop to shop, hence the choice of retail price tends to change the result. Thus a general retail price has to be chosen as a representative of all the retail prices prevailing in the market.
The last and the main difficulty corresponds to the factor of change in consumption. This means that even within a specific class of consumers, consumption can differ to a large extent. Also, the consumption ratio of an individual consumer can change over a period of time. Due to this reason, the existence of a CPI that exhibits a change in the cost of living in its entirety is questionable.
Approaches to Construct a CPI
Taking cues from the two methods of assigning weights, there are two methods to construct a consumer price index number.
1. Aggregative Expenditure Method
This method is based on Laspeyres formula as can be seen below:
CPI = (∑P1Q0 ÷ ∑P0Q0) × 100
Here, ∑P1Q0 = Summation of, prices of the current year multiplied by respective quantities consumed in the base year taken as weights
∑P0Q0 = Summation of, prices of the base year multiplied by respective quantities consumed in the base year taken as weights
2. Family Budget Method
This method calculates CPI using the price relatives method. Here, weight is defined as the product of price and quantity consumed of the commodity, both with respect to the base year. Price relative is the ratio of the current year’s price to the base year’s price multiplied by 100. The formula to calculate CPI is as follows:
CPI = ∑RW÷∑W
Here, ∑RW = Summation of the product of price relative (R) and weight (P0Q0) of the commodity
∑W = Summation of the weights (P0Q0) of all the commodities
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
As the name suggests, WPI simply measures the temporal change in wholesale prices of commodities. Unlike CPI, which looks at the relative change in prices from the consumption perspective, WPI looks at the relative change in price from wholesale market’s perspective. Therefore it is an index of critical importance.
For the purpose of calculating WPI, commodities have been classified into the following three:
- Primary Articles- Includes eatables like rice, fruits, pulses, etc., and non-food items like cotton, jute, etc.
- Fuel and Power- Includes items like petroleum products, coal, electricity, etc.
- Manufactured Goods- Includes manufacturing items like paper, sugar, leather, chemicals, etc.
Significance of WPI
The wholesale price index is an accurate measurement of predicting the demand and supply of commodities in the economy. For example, an increase in WPI indicates an increase in demand on average. WPI can be used to calculate the real and monetary values of aggregates like national income.
Real value refers to the value of aggregate at base-year prices. Monetary value refers to the value of aggregate at current year prices. The two values are tied by WPI through the following formula:
The real aggregate of the current year = monetary aggregate of current year × ( price index of base year ÷ price of the current year)
Additionally, WPI is used to calculate the rate of inflation. It is calculated as under:
Rate of inflation = [(P2 – P1) ÷ P1] × 100
Here, P2= Current WPI and
P1 = Previous WPI
Note: The annual rate of inflation is calculated as the average of WPI for all weeks of the year.
Industrial Production Index(IPI)
Apart from the two major indices, WPI and CPI, there is a third index IPI which also holds critical importance. The index of industrial production measures the change of industrial production relative to a base year.
Unlike WPI and CPI, this index number focuses on production rather than price. It is a useful tool to measure the industrial growth of an economy. For calculating the industrial production index, the industries are divided into mining, manufacturing, and electricity.
Constructing an IPI
A difference between the construction of an IPI and other indices is the approach towards how weights are considered. For an IPI, weights are assigned according to the output of industries and their contribution to the national income. The following formula is used:
The index number of industrial production = (∑RW ÷ ∑W) × 100
Here, R = Ratio of the level of production in the current year to the level of production in base year
W = Assigned weights
The Relation between Inflation and Index Numbers
The term inflation is among the most frequently occurring terms in economics. Inflation denotes the rise in the general price level in an economy over a long period of time. In simple words under conditions of inflation, a particular commodity remains unchanged but its price still rises.
Such a constant rise in general price levels, with money income remaining the same, erodes the purchasing power of consumers. In addition to this, it also brings down the value of currency slowly.
As the wholesale price index represents the temporal change in the general price level, inflation and WPI are interrelated. The mathematical formula to find out the inflation rate using WPI has already been mentioned.
Another point worth noting is that a fall in the rate of inflation does not mean a fall in price levels. It simply indicates the fall in the incidence of inflation. In simpler words, it represents the fall in the pace of increase in general price levels, which still continue to rise.
Sensex
Sensex is the index that represents the changes in the Indian stock market. Since it is not possible to take into account every company’s stocks, Sensex considers stocks of the 30 leading companies. These are assumed to represent the whole stock market.
Thus Sensex, a short form for Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index, focuses on the principal industries of the economy. Note that an increase in Sensex represents expected earnings from investments in stocks, an overall increase in shares and a good performance of leading industries of the economy.
Example:
Question:
Construct the cost of living index for 2014 on the basis of 2004 from the following data and give your comments:
Answer:
Cost of living index number = ∑RW/∑W = 2139.6/15 = 142.64
As already mentioned, the index of the base year is generally taken to be 100. According to this assumption, the increase in the cost of living index is 42.64% in 2014 relative to 2004 taken as the base year. | https://www.learncram.com/notes/important-index-numbers/ |
The MNAC's offer of temporary exhibitions this summer is varied and successful: Benet Rossell, Carracci, Jordi Bernadó... The most important exhibition is the one dedicated to William Turner (until September 11). Organized in collaboration with the Tate in London, Light is Color brings together a hundred works. They are romantic panoramic landscapes, which focus on the four elements of nature and their interrelationships. Especially in sunlight, which is fire, in contact with air, water and natural or architectural stone. Turner's achievements are pictorial, as befits his time (1775-1851). They anticipated 20th century impressionism and abstract painting and I can't help but wonder what kind of images he would have been able to achieve in the age of video, film and photography.
Another outstanding sample is the presentation of the great altarpiece by Gino Rubert Vanity Fair. An altar without a hero (until September 8). It is an unusual experience to be able to contemplate this current altarpiece (2020-2022) in a room of the permanent exhibition dedicated to Gothic altarpieces. It is the room of this kind that Rubert paints. This time, the 181 characters that appear, with photographic faces and painted bodies, represent a part of the Catalan pictorial scene. The altarpiece is a suggestive, multiple, unreal and accurate collective portrait: something between Bosco's Garden of Earthly Delights and Ibáñez's Rue del Percebe. And with a vanitas character, as expressed by some soap bubbles blown from the roof. Gallerists appear who torture painters, a Barceló who chases a museum director who locks himself in the bathroom, characters in the form of a fragment of ruin, or a Llimós with an E.T. , which is headed to a kind of hell.
The architects. Let's ask ourselves, for a moment, what New York would be without the best skyscrapers in Manhattan. Or what would Barcelona be without Gaudí. Or Bilbao without the Guggenheim museum, by Gehry. Beyond the extraordinary, iconic and attractive architecture, we are all affected by architecture, also the normal and ordinary, or the uneducated and therefore wrong. Only some contemporary architects are considered as references. Llàtzer Moix's book Word of Pritzker , published by Anagrama, brings together conversations with 23 winners of the main international prize for architecture, a discipline not considered in the Nobel prizes. Word of Pritzker is such a necessary book that it even seems unbelievable that it was waited until 2022 to publish it. It is a valuable and enduring testimony, a book that will prove essential for young architects and for those who consider that the great creators of the 20th century include architects such as Oscar Niemeyer, Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. | https://www.usanews.net/breaking/between-el-bosco-and-the-rue-del-percebe-h28726.html |
Living with a dog who has a fear of thunderstorms can be both an upsetting and frustrating experience. Many different factors associated with thunderstorms including noise, pressure changes and electricity in the air may contribute to the problem. This makes thunderstorm phobias a complicated problem to fully understand and treat. Below we have listed links to good articles on the basis of thunderstorm phobias and suggestions for easing a pet’s anxiety. | https://www.schollanimalhosp.com/2013/06/thunderstorm-phobias/ |
Theoretical sociolinguistics plan: Hausnartu
On the applied side Basque Sociolinguistics is undergoing considerable development; by contrast, however, the work and theoretical development conducted from the statuses of the language is not at the same level. The fact is, on the one hand, the vast majority of agents and researchers in the university spheres do not set their sights on Basque sociolinguistics (apart from the large amount of work that linguists are conducting on the corpus); on the other hand, institutional policy and popular Basque language activity are totally immersed in intervention plans and projects, far removed from theoretical activity.
This is clearly reflected in the content of most of the articles published in the BAT Sociolinguistics journal, because they do little more than describe the social situation of the Basque language from a variety of perspectives. Indeed, there are few articles that tackle theoretical and empirical work simultaneously and there are few attempts that go beyond the mere description of events.
Nevertheless, many spheres of science, and the social sciences in particular, can undoubtedly make a big contribution towards Basque sociolinguistics. This is especially true, if one bears in mind that there are many qualified Basque professionals in this field of science.
A question remains: if the field of Basque sociolinguistics is to take firm, productive steps forward, it is crucial for it to develop this field in depth with the help of scientific knowledge. So we believe we have to seek out and encourage social science professionals who can put their scientific knowledge and experience to use in the field of Basque sociolinguistics. This project has in fact been set up with this aim in mind. | http://www.soziolinguistika.eus/en/node/2252 |
Over a period of time, excessive computer use can have cumulative negative effects on the user including eye focusing disorders &poor eye co-ordination .In addition, Constant working from asset position can cause neck & shoulder stiffness,aswellas stress headaches. This entire symptom complex is known as computer vision syndrome. If you spend more than two hours a day on computer you are at risk of developing CVS & should take measures to prevent it.
Tips to keep the computer vision syndrome at bay
- Eye to screen distance:- It should be atleast 25 inches & preferably more.
- Monitor tilt:- The top of the monitor should be slightly farther from the eye than the bottom of monitor.
- Screen colour:- Use dark letters on a light background i.e black characters on a white background are easiest for the eyes. Also screen should be the same as the brightness of other objects in the room. Adjust screen brightness & contrast properly.
- Screen filter:- Use an anti-glare/ati-reflection screen over the monitor or have an anti-reflection coating put on the spectacles to cut of excessive reflection.
- Vertical tilt:-Ensure that the viewing angle of the moniter is between 15&50 degrees below horizontal eye level.
- Lighting:-Have celling suspended indirect lighting. It is important that lighting is evenly distributed & that there are no bright lights in your field of vision . Do not have your computer screen facing a window . Use blinds,shades or curtains to control out side light & reflection. Also control the glar emitting from overhead lights.
- Neck & back posture:- Use a chair with arm rests.note that the slight flexion (head tilt posture) causes less fatigue than head erect posture. Also keep a straight upper back with only a slight roundness & hollow in the low back.
- Humidity & air flow:- Avoiddirect flow or blast of air from A.C. or fan on your eyes. Also avoid low humidity or fumes as all these conditions aggravate dry eyes.
- Breaks:- Do not stare at the monitor continuously. Take short visual breaks every 20-30 minutes by looking away from the monitor, specifically at a distance object or close eyes for a minute. Also frequent blinking is necessary as this avoids strin on your eyes.
- Exercises:- Blink the eyes a few times. Close your eyes & massage them behind your closed eyelids once clockwise & once anticlockwise. Take a breath & open your eyes.
- Lubricant eye drops:- Use of tear substitutes may required to moisturise the eyes in cases of dry eyes but it is better to consult an ophthalmologist to find out the exact cause before starting any medication.
Last But not the least have a good quality monitor – poor computer screens are a hazard to the eyes. Set the resolution high. Low resolution,,low pixel numbers, & high contrast colours can put an extra strain on the eyes when reading from a screen. | http://divyajyoteyecare.com/knowledge-bank/computer-vision-syndrome/ |
Any views or opinions expressed in these blog posts or in the comments belong solely to the writers and do not reflect the opinions of the GSCA.
If you'd like to contribute a blog post, please contact [email protected].
Author: Administrator Account/Tuesday, June 23, 2020/Categories: Blogs
Stronger together. Collaboration is key. There’s no “I” in “TEAM.”
We have all been a part of conversations lately surrounding COVID-19, and the terms “post-COVID” and “new normal” are used quite a bit. Frankly, none of us know if, when, and what a “post-COVID” world will look like, and it will likely be a while until we find out. As our theaters reopen to the public, there is one thing I do know—partnerships and collaborations will be more important than ever. They lend themselves to little-to-no-cost promotions, stronger and lasting relationships with other local businesses, and the added benefit of new customers visiting our institutions. With many theaters experiencing a spending freeze or drastically reduced budget, the need for creative strategy and support from partners is greater than ever.
Seek opportunities, identify the potential positive impacts, and build powerful partnerships that last.
If you have an example of a successful partnership, send it to [email protected] so we can feature it in a future blog. | https://www.giantscreencinema.com/Newsroom/Blogs/the-importance-of-partnerships-post-pandemic-and-always |
"War and Peace. The Beginning of the Novel" is a landmark production of Piotr Fomenko's Theatre Workshop not only because it took the great master of the Russian theatre 7 years of careful reading, research and preparation to stage it, but also because the result is considered as the first successful attempt in the history of Russian theatre to stage Leo Tolstoy's novel.
Thanks to the generous support of the Neva Foundation, theatre-goers in Geneva will have an opportunity to share emotions and feelings of the main characters of Tolstoy's epic, expertly played by the Fomenki.
The wonderful staging of the opening chapters of the literary masterpiece is just one of many surprises awaiting spectators. Even if Fomenko's production runs almost four hours, time does fly as we follow closely life of the Russians at the dawn of Napoleon's invasion who aspire to permanent peace.
Stylized sets, a keen eye for detail and bravura performance which is faithful to the spirit and the text of Tolstoy, all that makes a good play which has something for everyone, whether they are theatre professionals, playgoers or theatre outsiders who are there out of curiosity.
War and Peace runs from 26 February to 5 March (no performances on March 1st and 2nd) at Théâtre de Carouge and is performed in Russian with French surtitles. | http://neva-fondation.org/index.php?m1=images&pId=52 |
Training on specific specialised payloads and surveying/inspection techniques puts you a long way your journey as a professional in various industries
This course is intended to create a solid foundation in the principles behind thermography and how this relatively new technology is used in industrial applications world-wide. Once completed you will have a solid understanding of the principles and applications paving the way for further learning and application in the industrial sector.
The Drone Mapping Training Course is a comprehensive training course for pilots interested in creating 3D maps and models with their drone. The course introduces delegates to aerial data capture and analysis.
Drone Mapping involves the use of visual data to create models for mapping, measurement and analysis. This enables operators to create accurate visualisations of physical environments. Once trained, pilots are able to use these for applications including:
• 3D environment mapping
• Topography
• Boundary mapping
• Time-lapse site scans
• Volumetric measurement
Details will be included soon. Please check back for the latest updates. | https://maltadronecentre.com/Training/Flight-Training/Specialised-Payloads |
The invention discloses a fast convolutional code decoding method with low computational complexity, which belongs to the technical field of channel coding and decoding in digital communication. The method makes the best of the structural characteristics of data frames in a conventional digital communication system, adopts frame headers to assist convolutional decoding, at the same time, comprehensively takes the advantages of both algebraic decoding and probabilistic decoding into account, and fuses algebraic decoding and probabilistic decoding into one decoding architecture, so that the novel decoding method has not only the computational complexity close to algebraic decoding but also the correction performance no less than probabilistic decoding. By adopting the method, an encoder can save hardware resources, the working rate of a communication system is improved, real-time output of decoding data is ensured, and particularly, in the environment with better channel condition, the decoding complexity can be greatly lowered, therefore, the fast convolutional code decoding method has a favorable application prospect. | |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/554,269 filed Nov. 26, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/838,267, filed Mar. 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,000,021, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/613,173, filed Mar. 20, 2012, 61/669,889, filed Jul. 10, 2012, and 61/678,715, filed Aug. 2, 2012, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2
2
Bendamustine is used in the treatment of a number of cancers including leukemias, Hodgkin's disease and multiple myelomas. Bendamustine, (present as the HCl salt) is the active ingredient of the commercial product Treanda™, a lyophilized powder for reconstitution. Current labeling requirements call for the reconstituted product to be immediately (within 30 minutes) diluted into 500 mL of parenterally acceptable diluents such as 0.9% saline (normal saline) or 2.5% dextrose/0.45% saline and administered as part of an intravenous infusion delivering 100 mg/mover 30 minutes or 120 mg/mover 60 minutes. The diluted admixture may be stored at 2-8° C. for up to 24 hours, or 3 hours at room temperature (15-30° C.); administration must be completed within this period due to limited chemical stability in aqueous solutions.
Higher infusion volume and longer infusion times, however, are associated with many drawbacks. For example, currently available bendamustine therapies with their larger intravenous administration volumes and sodium loads can be contraindicated in patients who have significant cardiac disease such as congestive heart failure and/or renal failure. Thus, some patients who would benefit from bendamustine therapy cannot take the drug or, if there are no alternative therapies, are exposed to significant physical harm as a result of receiving large volumes of sodium-containing fluid along with the bendamustine. The higher infusion volumes cause unhealthy stress on diseased organs including the heart and kidney in these patients. It would be most advantageous if the drug could be administered in smaller volumes and over shorter times to patients needing the drug but also requiring fluid and sodium intake restrictions. The present invention addresses this need.
In a first aspect of the invention there are provided methods of treating a bendamustine-responsive condition in a subject requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake. The methods include
a) identifying a subject in need of bendamustine therapy and having a physiological condition requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake;
i) from about 0.05 to about 12.5 mg/ml of bendamustine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
ii) a solubilizer comprising polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol, the polyethylene glycol being present in an amount of from about 0.3 to about to 45% volume and the propylene glycol being present in an amount of from about 0.03 to about 5% volume; and, optionally
iii) a parenterally acceptable diluent,
over a substantially continuous period of less than or equal to about 30 minutes.
b) parenterally administering to the subject patient a volume of about 120 ml or less of a liquid composition containing:
In alternative aspects of the invention, the methods are similar to that mentioned above, but the liquid compositions administered contain:
Ingredient
Concentration Range (mg/ml)
Bendamustine HCl
0.05 to 1.6
Solubilizer 1 propylene glycol
0.3 to 6.5
Solubilizer 2 PEG 400
3.3 to 65
Monothioglycerol
0.02 to 0.35
NaOH
0.0 to 0.01
or
Ingredient
Concentration Range (mg/ml)
Bendamustine HCl
1.1 to 12.5
Solubilizer 1 propylene glycol
4.5 to 51<sup> </sup>
Solubilizer 2 PEG 400
45 to 500
Monothioglycerol
0.2 to 2.5
NaOH
0.0 to 0.04
As was the case with the first aspect, the compositions administered can optionally include a parenterally acceptable diluent such as 0.9% NaCl, i.e. normal saline, or 0.45% NaCl. The time period during which the formulation is administered is preferably less than or equal to about 30 minutes but can be as brief as about 5 minutes or less, for example, when bolus doses of smaller volumes are administered.
The methods of the present invention take advantage of the fact that the concentration of the bendamustine HCl is below the room temperature solubility limit of the vehicle into which it is placed. As a result, the bendamustine does not precipitate during administration to the patient. This is advantageous because the enhanced solubility of the drug allows it to be administered in much smaller volumes than the standard 500 ml administration volume. Patients with medical conditions benefitting from reduced sodium and/or fluid intake can have bendamustine therapy without the NaCl load associated with a typical 500 ml normal saline diluent. In fact, the methods of the present invention allow the diluent volume to be reduced by at least 80% (100 ml vs. 500 ml) or more in view volumes being as low as about 15 ml or less. Commensurate reductions in sodium necessarily occur by virtue of the smaller volumes administered.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail unless stated otherwise.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there are provided methods of treating conditions responsive to bendamustine treatment in patients, preferably humans, requiring such treatment and further requiring or benefiting from restricted fluid and/or sodium intake. Without limiting the scope of the invention, treatments which are known to be responsive to bendamustine therapy include cancer or malignant disease generally and more specifically, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myelomas as well as other conditions know to those of ordinary skill as being responsive to bendamustine therapy. For purposes of the present invention, the step of selecting of patients or subjects suitable for inclusion in the inventive methods shall be understood to be one of medical or clinical assessment which involves determination of the physical unsuitability of receiving excessive fluid volumes and/or sodium due to congestive heart failure, renal impairment or other clinical indicia readily apparent to those of ordinary skill.
The methods include
a) identifying and/or selecting a subject, e.g. a human patient, who is in need of both bendamustine therapy and who has or who would benefit from one or more of fluid and/or sodium intake restrictions; and
i) from about 0.05 to about 12.5 mg/ml of bendamustine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
ii) a solubilizer comprising polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol, the polyethylene glycol being present in an amount of from about 0.3 to about to 45% volume and the propylene glycol being present in an amount of from about 0.03 to about 5% volume; and, optionally
iii) a parenterally acceptable diluent, over a substantially continuous period of less than or equal to about 30 minutes.
b) parenterally administering to the subject, preferably by the intravenous route and as a single dose, a volume of about 120 ml or less of a liquid bendamustine-containing composition which contains:
The solubilizer portion of the formulation preferably includes from about 0.3 to about 45% volume polyethylene glycol (PEG) and from about 0.03 to about 5% volume propylene glycol (PG), as calculated on the basis of the total or final volume administered. Stated alternatively, the final concentration of the PEG generally ranges from about 3 to about 500 mg/ml, while the final concentration of the PG generally ranges from about 0.5 to about 51 mg/ml. Within these general ranges, certain aspects of the invention include concentration ranges for the PEG of from about 45 to about 500 mg/ml or from about 3.3 to about 63.3 mg/ml. The PG will range of from about 4.7 to about 50.6 mg/ml; or from about 0.02 to about 6.5 mg/ml.
The solubilizer is preferably a mixture of polyethylene glycol, hereinafter “PEG” and propylene glycol, hereinafter “PG”. The solubilizer can also optionally include an antioxidant such as monothioglycerol. The amount of antioxidant included is a formulation stabilizing amount, which, in the case of monothioglycerol ranges from about 2 to about 10 mg/ml. The PEG preferably has a molecular weight of about 400, i.e. PEG 400. Other molecular weight PEG's known to those of ordinary skill can be included if desired in alternative embodiments.
Certain aspects of the invention call for the ratio of the PEG to PG found in the solubilizer to be about 90:10. In alternative aspects, the ratio of the PEG to PG is about 85:15.
In some aspects of the invention, the total amount of solubilizer, i.e. blend of PEG and PG, included in infusion volumes of about 100-115 ml is from about 0.5 to about 26.5% vol.; while solubilizer amounts of from about 2.0 to about 22.4% vol. included in infusion volumes of about 50-65 ml.
Since the solubilizer is a blend, the amount of PEG and PG in various volumes (calculated as % vol.) can be as follows:
Solubilizer
50 ml
100 ml
PEG
20.12
11.33
PG
2.24
1.26
In some aspects of the invention, the bendamustine is administered intravenously as part of an intravenous infusion. Contemplated infusion volumes are preferably less than 120 ml with volumes such as about 100 ml, 50 ml, 30 ml, 15 ml or less, with each volume varying about +/−10% or +/−15% being preferred in some embodiments. In alternative aspects of the invention, the intravenous administration volume is suitable for IV bolus administration and may also include an amount of pharmaceutically acceptable diluent such as normal saline or one of the other diluents described herein which does not cause the solubility of the vehicle to fall below the concentration of the bendamustine. Stated alternatively, the final concentration of the bendamustine will be below the solubility of the combination vehicle containing the mixture of propylene glycol and PEG and diluent. As such, smaller volumes are required to deliver therapeutic doses to patients and the patients are spared exposure to excess fluid and sodium during therapy.
While most aspects of the invention are described in the context of administering less than about 120 ml including all vehicle ingredients, excipients, etc., it should be appreciated that volumes as low as a few milliliters, e.g. about 2, can be used so long as the vehicle includes sufficient solubilizers to preserve the solubility of the bendamustine therein during administration to the patient.
For purposes of the present invention, the word “about” when used to modify infusion volumes or concentrations shall be understood to include values which may vary by amounts of about +/−10% or 15%.
In certain embodiments where the infusion volume is about 50 ml, the concentration of the bendamustine HCl or other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is preferably from about 0.5 to about 5.6 mg/ml. In embodiments where the infusion volume is about 100 ml, the concentration of the bendamustine HCl or other pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof can be preferably from about 0.1 to about 3.2 mg/ml.
The bendamustine compositions are preferably infused intravenously over a time period of about 10 minutes or less when the volume is about 50 ml; and over a time period of about 15 minutes or less when the intravenous infusion volume is about 100 ml. Shorter time periods are contemplated for volumes below 50 ml, i.e. 2, 5, 10 or 15 to 30 ml where IV bolus or IV push administration is used.
The infusible compositions in many aspects of the invention will also preferably include the parenterally acceptable diluents such as 0.9% saline (normal saline, preferred), 0.45% saline (half normal saline, also preferred) or 2.5% dextrose/0.45% saline. Alternative diluents such as water for injection (WFI) are also contemplated.
Formulations well suited for carrying out the methods described herein are also described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/016,473, filed Jan. 28, 2011, and 13/767,672 filed Feb. 14, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. As reviewed in the '672 patent application, some preferred bendamustine formulations can also include a minor amount of a pH adjuster such as sodium formate, sodium phosphate, potassium hydroxide, phosphoric acid or, preferably, sodium hydroxide. Preferably, the amount of sodium included as part of the once daily administration is less than or equal to about 8-16 meq's of sodium per 100 ml administration and less than or equal to about 4-8 meq's of sodium per 50 ml administration. The treatments of the present invention therefore provide a significant reduction in sodium intake as compared to currently available treatments which deliver 40-80 meq's of sodium as part of every larger volume infusion needed to deliver the same amount of bendamustine.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the bendamustine formulations used in the methods described herein can be one or more of those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,344,006 and 8,076,366; and US Patent Application Nos. 2013/0041004; 2012/0071532; 2010/0216858; 2006/0159713; and 2013/0041003, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 8,076,366 discloses at col. 12, ln. 30 et seq. “further dilution with a pharmaceutically acceptable intravenous solution, such as, for example, 0.9% Sodium Chloride, 5% dextrose in water (D5W), Lactated Ringers solution, or 0.45% Sodium Chloride/2.5% dextrose.” It being understood that the vehicle into which the bendamustine HCl is placed will have sufficient bendamustine solubility which exceeds the concentration of the drug included therein.
If desired, a sufficient amount of a concentrated, ready to use liquid formulation such one containing 25 mg/ml bendamustine HCl and already admixed with sufficient solubilizers can be transferred to a suitable fixed volume diluent container such as a bag containing 50 or 100 ml normal saline or the like. Alternatively, lyophilized bendamustine HCl can be reconstituted, combined with sufficient solubilizer blends as described herein and administered in accordance with the inventive methods. In such embodiments, the actual amount delivered to the patient will be slightly more than the diluent amount so as to allow for the addition of the drug/solubilizer vehicle.
Without limitation, patients in need of both bendamustine therapy and restricted fluid and/or sodium intake include: a) patients suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF) disease; the disease can be of the mild, moderate to severe type CHF; b) patients suffering from any number of renal diseases in which fluid restrictions are mandated or desirable, including temporary (acute) or chronic renal suppression or renal insufficiency, acute or chronic kidney failure, etc.
Those aspects of the invention related to treatment of patients having renal disease or a predisposition toward renal suppression with lower infusion volumes have significant therapeutic benefits as compared to currently approved treatments requiring larger infusion volumes. For example, elderly lymphoma patients are predisposed to renal difficulties due to their age and disease. They are often likely to develop renal difficulties subsequent to treatment initiation if the condition is not present prior to the start of therapy. Acute renal failure is an adverse effect already recognized as being associated with current treatments, often occurring during the first or second cycles. Many of those patients who do not present with acute renal failure nonetheless suffer from some form of renal suppression. Consequently, delivering bendamustine in accordance with the methods of the present invention will significantly lessen the incidence of renal injury in patients requiring treatment for a bendamustine-treatable condition. The methods described herein thus offer an alternative when standard volume, i.e. 500 ml, infusions of bendamustine is contraindicated.
In some preferred aspects of the invention, methods of treating or preventing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in a patient having fluid and/or sodium intake restrictions are provided. The patient requiring such treatment is identified and administered within a time period of about 30 minutes or less, a therapeutic amount of bendamustine in a volume of 120 ml or less and a sufficient amount of a solubilizer mixture as described herein e.g. from about 0.2 to 27% vol. of a solubilizer comprising polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol; and, if desirable, a parenterally acceptable diluent.
2
2
The small volume infusions described herein, e.g. 50 or 100 ml solutions containing therapeutically effective amounts of bendamustine HCl, can be given as part of any CLL treatment protocol in which bendamustine is included. Thus, the compositions described herein can be administered as part of a poly-pharmaceutical treatment regimen according to known protocols with the exception that the concentrated bendamustine compositions described herein are administered in smaller infusion volumes over significantly shorter administration periods than those currently used. For example, some CLL treatment regimens can include administering the compositions described herein intravenously as part of about 100 ml infusions in about 15 minutes or less on days 1 and 2 of a 28 day cycle and repeating the cycle up to 6 times, or longer if clinically appropriate. If 50 ml volumes are used to deliver the bendamustine, the time of administration is preferably about 10 minutes or less. In spite of the smaller volumes, the amount of bendamustine HCl administered to the patient in need thereof per dose (infusion) in some preferred embodiments is about 100 mg/m. In some alternative aspects of the invention, the amount of bendamustine HCl administered to the patient in need thereof as part of the 50 or 100 ml infusion is an amount sufficient to provide a dosage of 50 or 25 mg/m. Additional administration dosages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill based upon clinical experience, patient need without undue experimentation.
In another aspect of the invention, methods of treating or preventing the malignant disease of indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a patient having fluid and/or sodium intake restrictions are provided. Similar to the above-mentioned therapy, a patient requiring such treatment is identified and a small volume bendamustine-containing composition is administered thereto over a period of 15 minutes or less.
2
2
More specifically, the bendamustine-containing composition can be administered intravenously as a 100 ml infusion in about 15 minutes or less on days 1 and 2 of a 21 day cycle for up to 8 cycles, or longer if clinically appropriate. If 50 ml volumes are used to deliver the bendamustine, the time of administration is preferably about 10 minutes or less. The amount of bendamustine administered to the subject is preferably about 120 mg/m, although in alternative embodiments, the amount administered can be about 90 or 60 mg/m.
2
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned dosages calculated in mg/mfor purposes of body surface area (BSA) are consistent with the bendamustine HCl concentrations also described herein, e.g. 0.5 to 5.6 mg/ml.
In an alternative aspect of the invention, the methods treating a bendamustine-responsive condition in subjects requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake include
a) identifying a subject in need of bendamustine therapy and having a physiological condition requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake;
b) parenterally administering to said subject a volume of about 120 ml or less of a liquid composition containing:
Ingredient
Concentration Range (mg/ml)
Bendamustine HCl
0.05 to 1.6
Solubilizer 1 propylene glycol
0.3 to 6.5
Solubilizer 2 PEG 400
3.3 to 65
Monothioglycerol
0.02 to 0.35
NaOH
0.0 to 0.01
and, optionally a parenterally acceptable diluent, over a substantially continuous period of less than or equal to about 30 minutes. More preferably, the administration time is well below 30 minutes and the administration time will decrease as the volume administered decreases.
Bendamustine formulations containing the above ingredients are capable of delivering approximately 25 mg of the drug as the HCl salt in volumes of pharmaceutically acceptable diluent ranging from about 120 ml down to about 15 ml. For example, 1 ml of a bendamustine HCl ready to use liquid available from Eagle Pharmaceuticals containing
Ingredient
Concentration (mg/ml)
Bendamustine HCl
25
PG
103.2
PEG 400
1013.4
Monothioglycerol
5
NaOH
0.08
is combined with 100 ml of a normal saline diluent to provide a final IV infusion containing 101 ml and a bendamustine final concentration of 0.25 mg/ml.
One ml of the 25 mg/ml Eagle bendamustine HCl is diluted into additional diluent volumes as shown below:
Diluent Volume
Final Volume
Final Bendamustine Conc.
(ml)
(ml)
(mg/ml)
50
51
0.49
30
31
0.81
15
16
1.56
The measured solubility of the bendamustine HCl in the diluent/solubilizer combination (50 ml diluent +1 ml of 25 mg/ml bendamustine HCl and solubilizers, etc.) at room temperature was 10.5 mg/ml using normal saline and 14.2 mg/ml using half normal saline/dextrose. The solubility of the diluent/solubilizer combination far exceeded the bendamustine concentration, thus assuring the avoidance of precipitated drug prior to or during administration. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill, as the concentration of solubilizers increases with respect to the total volume in small administration doses, the solubility of the bendamustine is maintained.
In a related embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the methods include treating a bendamustine-responsive condition in a subject requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake, by
a) identifying a subject in need of bendamustine therapy and having a physiological condition requiring restricted fluid and/or sodium intake;
b) parenterally administering to said subject a volume of about 120 ml or less of a liquid composition containing:
Ingredient
Concentration Range (mg/ml)
Bendamustine HCl
1.1 to 12.5
Solubilizer 1 propylene glycol
4.5 to 51<sup> </sup>
Solubilizer 2 PEG 400
45 to 500
Monothioglycerol
0.2 to 2.5
NaOH
0.0 to 0.04
and, optionally a parenterally acceptable diluent, over a substantially continuous period of less than or equal to about 30 minutes. As was the case above, the administration time will decrease with the decrease in volume administered.
Bendamustine formulations containing the above ingredients are capable of delivering approximately 360 mg of the drug as the HCl salt in volumes of pharmaceutically acceptable diluent ranging from about 120 ml down to about 15 ml. As was the case above, the measured solubility of the bendamustine HCl in the diluent/solubilizer combination (1 ml drug+solubilizers, etc. and 50 ml diluent) at room temperature was 10.5 mg/ml using normal saline and 14.2 mg/ml using half normal saline/dextrose.
Instead of using only 1 ml of the above described Eagle 25 mg/ml bendamustine HCl ready to use liquid, 14.4 ml is combined with various amounts of diluent.
Diluent Volume
Final Volume
Final Bendamustine Conc.
(ml)
(ml)
(mg/ml)
100
114.4
3.15
50
64.4
5.59
30
44.4
8.11
15
29.4
12.24
In each case, the solubility of the diluent/solubilizer combination exceeds the bendamustine concentration, thus assuring the avoidance of precipitated drug prior to or during administration.
The following examples serve to provide further appreciation of the invention but are not meant in any way to restrict the effective scope of the invention.
2
In this example, a patient diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and having chronic kidney disease (GFR<30 ml/min/1.73 m) is begun on a treatment protocol with bendamustine. In particular, the patient is administered 360 mg of bendamustine as part of an approximately 114.4 ml infusion on days 1 and 2 of a 28 day cycle. The intravenous formulation is prepared by drawing up 14.4 ml of an RTU (ready to use) liquid containing bendamustine HCl 25 mg/ml, PG 103.2mg/ml, PEG 1013.4 mg/ml, monothioglycerol 5 mg/ml and 0.08 mg/ml NaOH and mixing it into a 100 ml bag containing 0.9% NaCl. The final bendamustine concentration for the IV fluid is 3.15 mg/ml. The infusion is administered to the patient in less than 15 minutes. No precipitated bendamustine is observed in the IV fluid during administration.
The process of Example 1 is repeated except that the IV infusion volume is approximately 64.4 ml. The same 14.4 ml of an RTU (ready to use) liquid containing bendamustine HCl 25 mg/ml, PG 103.2 mg/ml, PEG 1013.4 mg/ml, monothioglycerol 5 mg/ml and 0.08 mg/ml NaOH is used and it is mixed into a 50 ml bag containing 0.9% NaCl. The final bendamustine concentration for the IV fluid is 5.59 mg/ml. The infusion is administered to the patient in less than 10 minutes. No precipitated bendamustine is observed in the IV fluid during administration.
In this Example, the process of Example 1 is repeated except that lyophilized bendamustine HCl is reconstituted with a solubilizer mixture containing PEG:PG (90:10) before dilution into the 100 ml bag containing normal saline. | |
US - University of Washington researchers and collaborators have found that the warmer water temperatures predicted in future will speed up animals' metabolic need for oxygen, but the warmer water will hold less of the oxygen needed to fuel their bodies.
The study, published on June 5 in Science, finds that these changes will act together to push marine animals away from the equator.
About two thirds of the respiratory stress due to climate change is caused by warmer temperatures, while the rest is because warmer water holds less dissolved gases.
"If your metabolism goes up, you need more food and you need more oxygen," said lead author Curtis Deutsch, an associate professor of oceanography.
"This means that aquatic animals could become oxygen-starved in the warmer future, even if oxygen doesn't change. We know that oxygen levels in the ocean are going down now and will decrease more with climate warming."
The study centred on four Atlantic Ocean species whose temperature and oxygen requirements are well known from lab tests: Atlantic cod that live in the open ocean; Atlantic rock crab that live in coastal waters; sharp snout seabream that live in the subtropical Atlantic and Mediterranean; and common eelpout, a bottom-dwelling fish that lives in shallow waters in high northern latitudes.
Deutsch used climate models to see how the projected temperature and oxygen levels by 2100 due to climate change would affect these four species' ability to meet their future energy needs.
If current emissions continue, the near-surface ocean is projected to warm by several degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Seawater at that temperature would hold 5-10 per cent less oxygen than it does now.
Results show future rock crab habitat would be restricted to shallower water, hugging the more oxygenated surface.
For all four species, the part of the range near the equator would become uninhabitable because peak oxygen demand would become greater than the supply. Viable habitats would shift away from the equator, displacing from 14 per cent to 26 per cent of the current ranges.
"The Atlantic Ocean is relatively well oxygenated," Mr Deutsch said. "If there's oxygen restriction in the Atlantic Ocean marine habitat, then it should be everywhere."
"We found that oxygen is also a day-to-day restriction on where species will live, outside of those extreme events," Mr Deutsch said.
"Ranges will shift for other reasons, too, but I think the effect we're describing will be part of the mix of what's pushing species around in the future." | https://thefishsite.com/articles/warmer-lower-oxygen-waters-to-move-fish-habitats |
For the people who love and care about you, seeing you struggle with anxiety every day can be very difficult. Friends and family usually want to help you to deal with your anxiety. However, sometimes they inadvertently do things that are not so helpful.
Your friends and family are often trying their best to help. The following list includes things that they do that might (inadvertently) be keep your fears and anxiety going in the long-term.
Some people with anxiety have set up their whole lives in such a way that they can avoid situations that cause anxiety. For example, these individuals will not go into certain situations without a companion or a “safe person” with them. Others will have “rules” about what to do at home, like asking everyone in the house to wash a certain way or telling them when and how to answer the phone.
Although it might seem helpful to have your family assist you in coping with your anxiety, what they are actually doing when they follow your rules is helping you to AVOID anxiety.
REMEMBER: Avoiding anxiety only works in the short-term. Facing your anxiety is the only way to effectively manage it in the long-term.
It can be upsetting for friends and family to see you feeling anxious. As a result, because they know you are afraid of certain situations that you believe have a high likelihood of danger, your family may try to protect you before you are even in an anxious situation. For example, if you go to a movie with a family member, they might automatically choose seats in the back and near the exit so that you can “escape” if you are feeling anxious. Or, a loved one might pull you out of a social situation as soon as you look even a bit uncomfortable.
Once again, it is clear that friends and family are trying to help. But the message that they are actually sending when they do this is that anxiety is dangerous and needs to be avoided at all costs, and that you are too fragile to cope. However, we know this is likely untrue.
REMEMBER: Anxiety is uncomfortable and sometimes unpleasant, but it is not dangerous. It is a normal and necessary system in the body.
Not all loved ones try to keep you out of anxious situations. In fact, more and more people are starting to hear about the benefits of facing your fears, or perhaps have always believed in this, taking a “tough love” approach. Because of this, some friends and family will try to push you into anxious situations before you are ready or without telling you first. For example, if you are afraid of dogs they might take you to a dog park without telling you, or come to your house with a dog and ask you to pet it.
Although trying to help you face your fears is a good thing, when sprung on you suddenly, and in a “large dose” it that can feel very scary and overwhelming. It is a bit like the old idea of learning how to swim by being thrown in a lake: this won’t help you learn how to swim, it will only make you scared of water and probably distrusting of the person who pushed you. Loved ones who push too much and too soon are actually making the world a scary place for you, and are going to cause you to distrust them.
REMEMBER: Although it is important for you to face your fears, it is best to do it gradually and at your own pace.
Fortunately, there are several things that friends and family can do to help.
When struggling with anxiety, an important first step for you is to learn about what anxiety is and the strategies that are helpful in the long run. If family and friends are going to help you, they need to know this information too.
Teach them what you know about anxiety and encourage them to find out more information about cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and effective strategies for managing anxiety.
REMEMBER: Your friends and family are more likely to be able to help you if they understand what you are doing to manage your anxiety.
An important part of managing your anxiety is learning new and more effective ways of thinking and behaving in anxious situations. In order to do this, you need to practise the skills that you have learned. Friends and family can be a great help with this.
Have your loved ones practise with you. For example, if you are learning CBT, do it with others. If you are going to face your fears, you can bring someone along at first. You can even include your family and friends in your exposure ladders. For example, if you are facing a fear of going into a crowded mall, you might first go with a loved one before trying to go alone. Or if you are trying to wash less to tackle your contamination fears, you might have a family member politely refuse to wash his/her hands before handing you an apple to eat.
REMEMBER: It can be much easier to practise your skills when someone is doing them with you.
Since it is not helpful for your loved ones to encourage you to avoid the things that make you feel anxious, they can instead encourage you to use your CBT skills when you are feeling this way.
Have your friends and family remind you that you are feeling anxious, and that it might be a good time to think about using some of your strategies. For example, if you are in an anxious situation, loved ones can remind you to do some calm breathing or to come up with a coping thought.
REMEMBER: Although avoidance reduces your anxiety in the short-term, it doesn’t work in the long-term. Using your skills in anxious situations is the best way to cope with anxiety in the long run.
Although you want your loved ones to encourage you to master your anxiety, it is important that you do so at your own pace. If you enter an anxious situation before you feel ready, you are probably going to feel overwhelmed and end up escaping the situation.
Tell your family and friends that they need to respect the pace that you are setting for dealing with your anxiety. They can encourage you to try new things but they should not force you into new situations.
REMEMBER: Exposure works best if it is done gradually, starting small and working your way up.
It might seem confusing to your loved ones when they are told that they should not encourage avoidance but that they also should not push you into anxious situations.
So when is it not enough and when is it too much?
As a general rule, family and friends are most helpful when they give you a gentle nudge to face your fears but will stop pushing if you say that a situation is too scary. A good idea is to have family and friends help you think about what you can do to face your fears instead of the situation that is too scary for you.
Remember: If something is too difficult, there is always a way to make it easier!
For example, if a loved one nudges you to go pet a dog and you are too afraid of dogs to do it, then you can both think about what you can do instead. You might go for a walk together near a dog park, but without actually petting one of the dogs. You might think of this as striking a compromise or finding a balance between avoiding the situation altogether versus doing something that feels too scary.
Back to School – The Happiest Time of the Year? | https://anxietycanada.com/articles/how-friends-and-family-can-help/ |
Boston- The State Senate Republicans today objected to a bill which would automatically mandate state sales taxes on items purchased online if the federal government permits them to be taxed. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Revenue (DOR) to create new regulations and penalties for business to enforce the collection of taxes on sales made online and automatically adopt any new expansion of taxes in Internet sales approved by the federal government.
“There are far too many questions and too many risks to put this tax increase on autopilot,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “The measure before us has the impact of a tax increase because things that aren't being taxed will be taxed. We should not be ceding to Congress tax decisions that rightly remain here in Massachusetts.”
The DOR estimates that the automatic tax hike bill would allow Massachusetts to collect $150 million to as much as $200 million a year in additional taxes from consumers.
“We should be prepared for changes in federal tax laws and we should be seeking fairness for our local retailers but that doesn’t mean we should necessarily take action prematurely particularly when we know it will lead to a new tax that will extract as much as $200 million from our citizen consumers,” said Tarr. “We already have two methods to collect sales and use taxes, we don’t need to put businesses under the microscope as they jump through more hoops and hurdles to comply with new regulation without having clear information and justification for doing so.”
Tarr and members of the Republican Caucus expressed concern with relinquishing control of tax law to the actions of Congress. Tarr, expressing concern that changes in Washington could trigger an automatic tax rate and collection expansion opposed the bill as put before the Senate and offered amendments which would:
· Remove from the bill language that requires the automatic adoption of new DOR rules to implement tax increases and mandates dictated by the federal government,
· Reduce gradually the state tax rate from its current 6.25% to 5%, and
· Direct the DOR commissioner to lower the overall sales tax rate, in the face of any future expansion of taxable sales transactions from on-line sales, to keep the state’s overall sales tax collection at a revenue neutral level.
Some local retailers, concerned with fairness of online sellers exempted from collecting the 6.25% sales tax, say they are at a competitive disadvantage to those selling the same items online.
Tarr gave credence to their concerns and expressed that the matter deserves more research and a fuller understanding, “While the goal of fairness is important and we should pursue it vigorously, this bill as written ties us to whatever the Congress may choice to do, and has the potential to create a system that taxes purchases on the Internet at a rate higher than their counterparts, and has a myriad of confusing, cumbersome and costly compliance mandates. We shouldn’t take that risk now, and possibly subject consumers and retailers to those hardships, without knowing all the facts,” said Tarr.
The bill, entitled an act to promote sales tax fairness for main street retailers through minimum simplification, will now move to the House for consideration. | http://www.tarrtalk.com/2015/07/senate-republican-caucus-opposes.html |
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abstract: 'We revisit the evolutions of scalar perturbations in a non-singular Galileon bounce. It is known that the second order differential equation governing the perturbations is numerically unstable at a point called ${\gamma}$-crossing. This instability is usually circumvented using certain gauge choices. We show that the perturbations can be evolved across this point by solving the first order differential equations governing suitable gauge invariant quantities without any instabilities. We demonstrate this method in a matter bounce scenario described by the Galileon action.'
author:
- Rathul Nath Raveendran
bibliography:
- 'mb-G-2019.bib'
title: 'A gauge invariant prescription to avoid ${\gamma}$-crossing instability in Galileon bounce'
---
Introduction
============
The most investigated alternative to the inflationary paradigm is the classical non-singular bouncing scenario. In a non-singular bouncing scenario, the universe undergoes a period of contraction until the scale factor attains a minimum value and thereafter it transits to the phase of expansion. The Hubble parameter is negative during the contraction, and it is positive during the expansion. These two phases are connected by a bouncing phase where the rate of change of the Hubble parameter is positive. In Einsteinian gravity this phase is obtained by violating the null energy condition (NEC). During this NEC violating phase, the Hubble parameter grows and reaches zero and continues to grow until it reaches a positive value and then it begins to decrease. It is well known that a canonical scalar field with quadratic kinetic term does not violate the NEC. To achieve this condition, various models have been considered [@Brandenberger:2016vhg]. One of the best motivated model is the cubic Galileon bounce [@Qiu:2011cy; @Easson:2011zy; @Brandenberger:2016vhg; @Akama:2017jsa; @Cai:2017tku].
It has been recognized that in the Galileon bounce models, there is a crossing point [*viz. *]{}${\gamma}$-crossing, where the equation of motion governing the perturbation becomes numerically unstable [@Battarra:2014tga; @Ijjas:2017pei; @Ijjas:2016tpn]. It is also understood that this is not a real divergence in the perturbation. Usually, this instability can be evaded by choosing a particular gauge such as harmonic gauge or Newtonian gauge to evolve the perturbations [@Battarra:2014tga; @Ijjas:2017pei; @Mironov:2018oec]. In this work, we demonstrate that the primordial perturbations can be evolved across the ${\gamma}$-crossing by solving two first order differential equations governing suitable gauge invariant quantities.
We shall work with natural units such that $\hbar=c=1$, and set the Planck mass to be $\Mp=\l(8\,\pi\, G\r)^{-1/2}$. We shall adopt the metric signature of $\l(-, +, +, +\r)$. Note that, while Greek indices shall denote the spacetime coordinates, the Latin indices shall represent the spatial coordinates, except for $k$ which shall be reserved for denoting the wavenumber. Moreover, an overdot and an overprime shall denote differentiation with respect to the cosmic and the conformal time coordinates, respectively.
This paper is organized as follows. In the following section, we shall briefly discuss the Galileon bounce. In section \[sec-2\], we shall obtain the relevant first order equations governing the perturbations. In section \[sec-3\], we shall use these equations to evolve the scalar perturbations in a particular bouncing scenario called matter bounce. We shall conclude in section \[sec-4\] with brief summary and outlook.
The model {#sec-1}
=========
We assume that the bounce stage is driven by a single scalar field $\phi$ that is described by the generalized cubic Galileon action [@Brandenberger:2016vhg; @Qiu:2011cy; @Easson:2011zy; @Ijjas:2016tpn] $$\label{eq:S}
S=\int{\rm d}^4 \,x\,\sqrt{-g}\, \cal{L},$$ with the Lagrangian density $$\label{eq:G-Lagrangian}
{\cal L}=K\left(X,\phi \right) -b(\phi) X \Box\phi,$$ where $$X =-\f{1}{2}\,\pa_{\mu} \phi \,\pa^{\mu} \phi,$$ and $b(\phi)$ is the dimensionless coupling of the scalar field $\phi$ to the Galileon term. We shall consider the background to be the spatially flat, Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric that is described by the line-element $$\label{eq:metric-bg}
{\rm d} s^2=-{\rm d}t^2+a^2(t)\,\delta_{ij} \, {\rm d}x^i\,{\rm d}x^j,$$ where $a(t)$ is the scale factor. Varying the action (\[eq:S\]) with respect to the background metric we get the Friedmann equations in terms of the background quantities as
$$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:H21}
3 \, \Mp^2 \, H^2 &=&- K\,+ K_X\, \dot{\phi}^2
- \frac{1}{2}\,b_{\phi}\,\dot{\phi}^4
+3\, H\, b\,\dot{\phi}^3,\quad \\
\label{eq:Hd1}
-2\Mp^2 \dot{H} &=& K_X \, \dot{\phi}^2 -b_{\phi}\, \dot{\phi}^4
+ 3\,H\,b \, \dot{\phi}^3 - b\,\ddot{\phi}\,\dot{\phi}^2
,\quad\end{aligned}$$
where subscripts $\phi$ and $X$ denote the differentiation with respect to $\phi$ and $X$ respectively. By choosing the functions $K(\phi,\chi)$ and $b(\phi)$ suitably, one can model the early contracting phase, the NEC violating phase and the expanding phase of the universe [@Brandenberger:2016vhg; @Qiu:2011cy; @Easson:2011zy; @Ijjas:2016tpn].
Evolution of perturbations {#sec-2}
==========================
If we take into account the scalar perturbations to the background metric (\[eq:metric-bg\]), then the FLRW line-element, in general, can be written as [@Mukhanov:1990me] $${\rm d} s^2
= -\left(1+2\, A\right)\,{\rm d} t ^2
+ 2\, a(t)\, (\partial_{i} B)\; {\rm d} t\; {\rm d} x^i\,+a^{2}(t)\; \left[(1-2\, \psi)\; \delta _{ij}
+ 2\, \left(\partial_{i}\, \partial_{j}E \right)\right]\,
{\rm d} x^i\, {\rm d} x^j, \label{eq:f-le-sp}$$ where $A$, $B$, $\psi$ and $E$ are four scalar functions that describe the perturbations, which depend on time as well as space.
In order to identify the suitable gauge invariant quantities to evolve the perturbations, it is important to understand how each of the basic perturbations, $A$, $B$, $\psi$, $E$ and $\delta \phi$, transform under the coordinate transformations. It is easy to show that, under the coordinate transformations $$\label{eq:c-t}
t \to t+ \delta t,\quad x_i \to x_i + \pa_i \delta x,$$ the functions $A$, $B$, $\psi$ and $E$ transform as follows:
$$\begin{aligned}
A &&\to A - \dot{\delta t},\\
B &&\to B + \l(\delta t/a\r) - a\, \dot{\delta x},\\
\psi && \to \psi + H\, \delta t,\label{eq:psit}\\
E&&\to E-\delta x.\label{eq:sgt-mv}\end{aligned}$$
It is evident from the expression (\[eq:psit\]) that the spatially flat gauge, wherein $\psi=0$, is ill-defined at the bounce where $H=0$. It is convenient to define $\sigma=a\,B-a^2\,\dot{E}$ and this quantity transforms as $$\sigma \to \sigma+ \delta t.$$ The perturbation in the scalar field transforms as $$\delta \phi \to \delta \phi-\dot{\phi} \, \delta t.$$ Using the above information, we can define the following three gauge invariant quantities as
$$\begin{aligned}
\cR &=& \psi + H \,\f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}},\label{eq:R-def}\\
\Sigma &=& \sigma + \f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}},\label{eq:Sigma-def}\\
\cA &=& A - \l(\f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}}\r)^{\cdot}.\label{eq:A-def}\end{aligned}$$
At the first order in the perturbations, three of the Einstein’s equations of our interest are given by [@Mukhanov:1990me; @Sriramkumar:2009kg]
\[eq:fo-ee\] $$\begin{aligned}
3\,H\,\l(H\,A + \dot{\psi}\r)
- \frac{
\nabla^2}{a^2}\l[\psi - H\,\sigma\r]
&=& -\frac{\delta T^0_0}{2\,\Mp^2},\\
\pa_i\l(H\,A + \dot{\psi}\r)
&=& -\frac{\delta T^0_i}{2\,\Mp^2},\\
A - \psi + \frac{1}{a}\,\l(a\,\sigma\r)^{\cdot}&=&0\label{eq:fo-ee-3},
$$
where $\delta T^\mu_\nu$ is the perturbed stress-energy tensor associated with the Galileon. The equation (\[eq:fo-ee-3\]) follows from the fact that there are no anisotropic stresses present. The components of $\delta T^\mu_\nu$ can be calculated from the action (\[eq:S\]) to be
$$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:delta-T}
\frac{\delta T^0_0}{2\,\Mp^2} &=& -\bigg[\l(\theta+3\,H^2
-3\,{\gamma}^2\r)A+\f{1}{2}\,b\,\dot{\phi}^3\l( 3\, \dot{\psi}
+\f{\nabla^2}{a^2}\,\sigma \r)\nn \\
& &- \l(\theta+3\,H\,{\gamma}-3\,{\gamma}^2\r)\l(\f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}}\r)^\cdot
-\l(3\,\dot{H}\,{\gamma}-\f{\nabla^2}{2\,a^2}\, b\,\dot{\phi}^3\r) \f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}}\bigg],\\
\frac{\delta T^0_i}{2\,\Mp^2}&=& -\partial_i \l[ \f{1}{2}\,b\,\dot{\phi}^3\, A-
\l(H-{\gamma}\r)\l(\f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}}\r)^\cdot
-\dot{H}\,\f{\delta \phi}{\dot{\phi}}\r],\end{aligned}$$
where
\[eq:gamma-theta\] $$\begin{aligned}
{\gamma}&=& H - \f{1}{2}\,b \, \dot{\phi}^3 \label{eq:gamma},\\
\theta &=& 3 \l({\gamma}-H\r)^2-\dot{H}+\f{1}{2}\,b\, \ddot{\phi}\, \dot{\phi}^2
+\f{1}{2}\, K_{XX} \dot{\phi}^4 + \f{3}{2}\,b\,H\,\dot{\phi}^3 - \f{1}{2}\,b_{\phi} \dot{\phi}^4 \label{eq:sigma}. \end{aligned}$$
We define $\delta T^0_i=-\partial_i\delta q$ and the quantity $\delta q$ transforms under coordinate transformations (\[eq:c-t\]) as $$\delta q \to \delta q+2\,\dot{H} \delta t.$$ It is important to note that the comoving gauge, where $\delta q=0$, is ill-defined at $
\dot{H}=0$.
The scalar part of the linearized Einstein equations (\[eq:fo-ee\]) can be rewritten in terms of the gauge invariant quantities defined in equations (\[eq:R-def\]), (\[eq:Sigma-def\]) and (\[eq:A-def\]) as
\[eq:Es-r-a-sigma\] $$\begin{aligned}
\cR' + \f{k^2\, {\gamma}}{a \, \theta} \, \l( \cR - {\gamma}\, \Sigma\r)&=&0,\label{eq:Es-r}\\
\cR' + a\, {\gamma}\, \cA &=&0,\label{eq:Es-a}\\
\Sigma' +a\, H\, \Sigma + \f{k^2}{a \, \theta} \, \l( \cR - {\gamma}\, \Sigma \r)-a \, \cR&=&0.\label{eq:Es-sigma}\end{aligned}$$
Note that the above equations are written in terms of conformal time coordinate. From equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-a\]), it is evident that $\cR'=0$ at ${\gamma}=0$. One can easily obtain the second order differential equation governing $\cR$ from equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-sigma\]) as $$\label{eq:R''}
\cR''+2\,\f{z'}{z}\, \cR' + k^2\,c_s^2 \, \cR=0,$$ where, $$\begin{aligned}
z^2 &=& 2 \, a^2 \f{\theta}{{\gamma}^2},\\
c_s^2 &=& \f{{\gamma}^2}{\theta}\,\l(\f{H}{{\gamma}}-\f{{\gamma}'}{a\,{\gamma}^2}-1\r).\end{aligned}$$ It should be mentioned that the quantity $\theta$ requires to be positive to avoid the quantum ghost instabilities [@Lehners:2008vx; @Ijjas:2016tpn]. It is evident from the above expressions that, the coefficient of $\cR'$ $$2\, \f{z'}{z}=2\, a\, H+\f{\theta'}{\theta}-2\,\f{{\gamma}'}{{\gamma}},$$ diverges at ${\gamma}=0$. This is not a concern, since, as we have argued earlier, $\cR'$ becomes zero at this point. In other words, from equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-a\]), it is evident that the ratio $\cR'/\gamma$ is finite. This implies that there is no divergence in $\cR$ at ${\gamma}$-crossing. However, the equation ($\ref{eq:R''}$) can be numerically unstable around ${\gamma}=0$ (for a discussion on this point, see Refs. [@Battarra:2014tga; @Ijjas:2017pei; @Ijjas:2016tpn]). In order to avoid this stiffness in the equation one can use equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-sigma\]) for evolving the perturbations. In the following section, we shall illustrate this point with a specific example.
Matter bounce {#sec-3}
=============
In order to show that the quantity $\cR$ evolves smoothly across the point where ${\gamma}=0$ without any divergence, we solve the equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-sigma\]) for a bounce model called the matter bounce. Matter bounce is a popular alternative to inflation due to the fact that it generates scale invariant perturbations as in the case of inflation [@Battefeld:2014uga; @Brandenberger:2012zb]. In matter bounce scenarios, during the early stages of the contracting phase, the scale factor behaves as in a matter dominated universe. In this work, we choose to work with a scale factor of the form [@Raveendran:2017vfx] $$a(\eta) = a_0\l(1 + k_0^2\,\eta^2\r),
\label{eq:sf}$$ where $a_0$ is the value of the scale factor at the bounce and $k_0$ is the scale associated with the bounce. The above scale factor describes the evolution of matter dominated contracting phase, the bounce phase and the expanding phase up to the beginning of radiation dominated epoch. Using this scale factor the Hubble parameter and its time derivative can be calculated in terms of scale factor as
$$\begin{aligned}
H^2= \l(\f{2 k_0 }{a_0}\r)^2 \l[\f{1}{(a/a_0)^3}-\f{1}{(a/a_0)^4}\r],\\
\label{eq:H2a}
\dot{H}= -\l(\f{k_0}{a_0}\r)^2 \l[\f{6}{(a/a_0)^3}-\f{8}{(a/a_0)^4}\r].
\label{eq:Hda}\end{aligned}$$
We consider the conventional form of Galileon action with $$K(X,\phi)=\alpha(\phi)\,X + \beta(\phi)\,X^2-V(\phi),$$ where $\alpha({\phi})$ and $\beta({\phi})$ are functions of $\phi$ and $V(\phi)$ is the scalar potential [@Easson:2011zy]. For simplicity, we assume $$\label{eq:phid2}
\dot{\phi}^2=\l(\f{c_0 k_0}{a_0}\r)^2 \f{1}{(a/a_0)^3},$$ where $c_0$ is a constant. We also set $V(\phi)=0$ and $b$ to be a constant as $b=b_0/(c_0^3\,a_0^2\,\,k_0^2)$. Upon using equations (\[eq:gamma-theta\]), (\[eq:sf\]) and (\[eq:phid2\]), one can obtain
\[eq:gamma-theta-mb\] $$\begin{aligned}
{\gamma}&=& \f{a_0\, k_0}{a^2}\,\l( 2\, k_0 \, \eta - \f{b_0}{2\, a^{5/2}\,a_0^{3/2}}\r) ,\label{eq:gamma-mb}\\
\theta&=& \f{3\,a_0^2\,k_0^2}{4\,a^4}\bigg[\l(3\, k_0\, \eta - \f{b_0}{a^{5/2}\, a_0^{3/2}} \r)^2
+8+ 31\,k_0^2\,\eta^2\bigg].\label{eq:theta-mb}\end{aligned}$$
![\[Fig:gamma\]Evolution of ${\gamma}/k_0$ for $b_0=100$, $a_0=1$ near ${\gamma}$-crossing. The red vertical line denotes the time when ${\gamma}=0$ (${\gamma}$-crossing).](G-mb-gamma.eps){width="8.5cm"}
The evolution of ${\gamma}$ around the ${\gamma}$-crossing in our model of interest is shown in the figure \[Fig:gamma\]. It is clear from the expression (\[eq:theta-mb\]) that in our model, $\theta$ is always positive and hence there is no appearance of ghost instability.
Let us now integrate the equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-sigma\]) numerically by using the analytical expressions for the background quantities ${\gamma}$ and $\theta$. The initial conditions of $\cR$ can be obtained from the Bunch-Davies initial condition as $$\cR_i=\f{1}{z\,\sqrt{2 \,c_s \,k}} \, {\rm e}^{- i \, c_s\,k \,\eta}\label{eq:Ri}.$$ Similarly the initial condition for the quantity $\Sigma$ can be obtained from the relation (\[eq:Es-r\]).
![\[Fig:R-num\]Evolution of $\cR_k$ for $k=10^{-10}\,k_0$, $b_0=100$, $a_0=1$ near ${\gamma}$-crossing. Two green vertical lines drawn before and after the bounce denote the beginning and the ending of the NEC violating phase. The red vertical line denotes the time when ${\gamma}=0$. Clearly, there is no divergence in $\cR$ at ${\gamma}=0$.](G-mb-R.eps){width=".48\textwidth"}
The figure \[Fig:R-num\] shows the evolution of the quantity $\cR$ which is obtained by integrating the equations (\[eq:Es-r\]) and (\[eq:Es-sigma\]). It is clear from the figure that the quantity $\cR$ evolves smoothly across the point where ${\gamma}=0$ (${\gamma}$-crossing). The evolution of $\Sigma$ is shown in figure \[Fig:Sigma-num\].
![\[Fig:Sigma-num\]Evolution of $\Sigma_k$ for $k=10^{-10}\,k_0$, $b_0=100$, $a_0=1$ near ${\gamma}$-crossing. Two green vertical lines before and after the bounce denote the beginning and ending of the NEC violating phase. The red vertical line denotes the time when ${\gamma}=0$.](G-mb-Sigma.eps){width=".48\textwidth"}
Discussion {#sec-4}
==========
In this work we have found that the commonly used gauges, such as spatially flat and comoving gauges, cannot be used for studying the evolution of the perturbations in bouncing scenarios. More specifically, while the spatially flat gauge is ill-defined at the bounce, the comoving gauge is ill-defined at $\dot{H}=0$.
For studying the evolution of perturbations in the Galileon bounce, the usual practice is to use a gauge in which the equation governing the perturbation does not show any divergence at ${\gamma}$-crossing. In this work, we have demonstrated that the gauge invariant perturbation $\cR$, defined in the equation (\[eq:R-def\]), can be used to evolve the perturbation in Galileon bounce. Moreover, we have also shown that, in order to avoid the numerical instability near the ${\gamma}$-crossing, one can solve the first order equations (\[eq:Es-r-a-sigma\]) for studying the evolution of $\cR$. We have explicitly illustrated this point in a matter bounce model which is described by the scale factor of the form (\[eq:sf\]).
We believe that we can extend this method of evolving the perturbations across the ${\gamma}$-crossing using the first order equations in models derived from more general Horndesky theories [@Ijjas:2017pei]. We are presently investigating this possibility. The author would like to thank L. Sriramkumar, Ghanashyam Date and Krishnamohan Parattu for comments on the manuscript.
| |
Mondays, Hameetman auditorium (Cahill)
Tea: 4.00pm
Talk: 4.15pm
'Linking Starbursts, Major Mergers, and Absorbed AGNs at Redshift~0.7'
I will present a detailed study of the occurrence of star formation,
active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and galaxy mergers in a sample of
70-micron selected galaxies from the Far-Infrared Deep Extragalactic
Legacy survey (FIDEL). Deep multiwavelength observations reveal a
complex connection between starburst, AGN, dust obscuration, and gas
outflows.
We find a higher AGN fraction in 70-micron selected galaxies compared
to previous studies. This difference may be due to 70-micron
galaxies hosting AGNs that are heavily absorbed (Compton-thick). I
present evidence that these systems are ideal test-beds for merger
scenarios in which gas-rich galaxies merge, go through a
deeply-embedded ULIRG phase before emerging as an X-ray and optically
identified AGN. I compile galaxies at different evolutionary stages
allowing us to witness this process at redshift ~ 0.7. Lastly, I will
highlight the potential of future multi-wavelength studies to
constrain such evolutionary scenarios.
| |
The invention discloses an aluminum alloy coffin. The aluminum alloy coffin comprises a coffin bottom (1) and a coffin body (2). The traditional shape of a wooden coffin is changed, the aluminum alloycoffin is innovated into the trapezoid shape, according to a drawing, materials used for the coffin bottom and the coffin body are mechanically cut, and are placed in steel dies of the coffin bottomand the coffin body to be punched, the one-time forming is realized, and the manufacturing is extremely easy; the labor cost and transportation cost are greatly reduced; wood is not adopted, and thusthe ecology is protected; due to the grid structure, abundant aluminum alloy raw materials are saved; soft cushions and screws are adopted for fixing, so that the closing is tight. | |
Last Tuesday and Wednesday MRPS students were treated to a world music experience! We had been learning all about Eastwinds and their songs, cultures and instruments, and finally it was time for the Eastwinds band to come to our school! They performed songs from around the world and improvised soundscapes for the students, staff and parents.
It was a wonderful experience to be entertained by Kristiina from Estonia playing the Jawharp and on vocals, Mark playing a variety of woodwind and reed instruments including a home made rubber glove bag pipe, Sanshi from Japan playing the didgeridoo (I know right!) and Esfandiar from Iran playing the awesome drum, the Daf and the flute type instrument, the Ney.
They introduced us to different instruments from around the world as well as some very interesting instruments made by Mark Cain himself. The rubber glove bagpipe was a real hit!
Students got involved through some call and response games, and playing the whirlies with Eastwinds at the end of the show.
We had some fabulous feedback from the students. They especially loved how the band joked around and made them laugh. We wish them all the best for the rest of their school tour around WA and hope they can come back to visit one day soon.
From Amy Johnstone and Amy Murray
Hope you enjoy sharing the experience with the video clips below.
Video of “The Gift”
Body Percussion to “The Gift” from MRPS on Vimeo.
Video of call and response
Estonian Call and Response from MRPS on Vimeo. | https://mriverps.wa.edu.au/the-gift-of-eastwinds-celebrating-musica-viva-concert/ |
Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670–4 SuperVeloce
The SuperVeloce’s 6,496 cc (6.5 L; 396.4 cu in) V12 engine produces 670 PS (493 kW; 661 hp) at 8,000 rpm and 660 N⋅m (487 lb⋅ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm, due to revised valve timing and upgraded intake system. The car’s weight was also reduced by 100 kg (220 lb) through extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out.
According to Maurizio Reggiani, head of Lamborghini R&D at the time, the LP 670–4 SV’s steering was tuned for high-speed sensitivity. The original production plan of the ultimate Murciélago was limited to 350 cars, and cost $400,000 US (before options) £270,038 in 2009. However, only 186 LP 670-4s were produced before the factory had to make room for the new Aventador production line. Numbered cars 1–350 do not represent the order in which cars were manufactured. Only 5-6 are known to be produced with a manual transmission. | http://www.propsandpistons.co.uk/2018/05/lamborghini-murcielago-lp670-4-sv/ |
Introduction:
Technical, social and economic constraints are limiting the effective use of groundwater and ponds for irrigation in many parts of the EGP. Large areas of land remain fallow during the dry months. Access to year-round water for irrigation would significantly improve the productivity of agriculture, improving incomes and food security.
Marginal and tenant farmers, youth and women are particularly vulnerable and could benefit from a new approach to irrigation provision. This project is researching and demonstrating improved collective farming systems for marginal farmers and improved water management and irrigation practices using efficient systems appropriate to the needs of the marginal farmer communities.
A project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is working with communities across Nepal (Saptari), India (Cooch Behar and Madhubani) and North West Bangladesh, to research and demonstrate sustainable social and biophysical interventions.
Village:
Uttar Chakowakheti (UC) village is a forest fringe village which is now slowly developing into an agriculture based village though farmers developing knowledge in agricultural practices and irrigation. Farmers are still seeking support from agricultural scientists to develop strategies to repel wild elephants which are destroying their crops. There are just 11 shallow tube wells of 30 feet to 80 feet depth and 10 ponds of 7 feet to 15 feet depth among the 243 households though ponds are not used for any irrigation purpose.
The tribal based Uttar Chakowakheti village of Alipurduar district and land boundary of Coochbehar district is surrounded by the River Kaljani which flows from the mountains toward Bangladesh. The village is also divided in two parts – one habitation at the east embankment and one habitation at the west embankment of Kaljani River. The larger area of the west embankment of Kaljan River was selected as a project location for the DSI4MTF research project. There are around 243 households in the project village with caste composition of 30% Scheduled Caste (SC), 63% Scheduled Tribe (ST), 4% minority and 3% general. The households are mainly dependent on agriculture and other activities including sand mining/lifting, livestock, vegetable business and daily labour etc. for their livelihoods.
Figure 1 – Uncropped land / fallow at Uttar Chakowakheti during dry season (4th June 2016)
Community and interventions:
The Majority of households of Uttar Chakowakheti (UC) belong to schedule tribe (ST) community and were traditionally involved in selling their labour to local tea estates and the forest department. . Despite limited knowledge and skill in agricultural production, some villagers have shifted to agriculture as a means of income production. The average landholding of the households is 1.5 acre which is higher than other farmers living in West Bengal. But still they are facing extreme vulnerability and struggling very hard to manage three meals a day. The DSI4MTF project has been working with the farming community of UC for the past two years selling their labour.
Like Dhaloguri village, initially the farmers were confused about the aims and objectives about this action research project. It has taken time but slowly CDHI has mobilised the farmers through walk around, personnel interview, FGDs, formal and informal meeting / training, exposure etc and still creating ownership towards project. Now the project participants are aware about the project. Farmers are involved in collective actions by forming and strengthening the Collective Farming Group CFG consisting of 8 to 11 members of landless, tenant, marginal, rich and women farmers). Traditionally they were mainly cultivating monsoon paddy, leafy vegetables during rainy and winter season. 90% of the agriculture land at UC remained uncropped during the dry period and 65% during winter. After a series of community engagement programmes and technical interventions including installation of irrigation tube wells, the CFGs are cultivating jute and new crops including chili and other vegetable during this pre-kharif season. The physical interventions through the project started with the installation of one shallow tube well and commissioning of one 4 HP diesel pump at the site. With assured irrigation water the farmers started growing crops even during the dry seasons. After due consideration of soil health and land situation, the project scientists proposed a wide variety of feasible crops to the farmers. They were provided technical trainings and practical demonstrations on different aspects of crop production technologies like sowing/planting, crop management, water management, and disease and pest management.
Figure 2 – New crop cultivation by the collective farming group at Bholaghat, UC.
Impact:
The farmers from different economic background are working together without any conflicts. The rich and tenant farmers are equally contributing their time and labour. They are now slowly getting confidence to work together in the agriculture land for collective actions. The growth of crops is encouraging during this season and actual financial benefit will be calculated after harvesting within one month.
Future:
The project is working on training modules for collective farming system, water management, improve crop management. The project will also be emphasising on empowering the CFGs through manual / guide book of different crops, development of IEC materials, farmers skill development, farmers fair, community research by the farmers, exposure, meeting with market chain participants, linkage building etc. CDHI is also planning to access support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Vivekananda Institute of Technology, West Bengal to promote tuber crops. | https://dsi4mtf.usq.edu.au/uttar-chakowakheti-west-bengal-case-study/ |
Job stress getting you down? Try the following suggestions to unwind, de-stress, and get back in control of your emotional state.
1. Identify and eliminate your stressors.
While identifying work stress may be easy, eliminating problems is a challenge. Stepping back from time to time and removing yourself from stressful situations at work such as tight deadlines, ringing phones, or even irritating coworkers is often the best way to handle stress overload—before it makes you ill.
2. Talk it out.
Talk to a friend, family member, or mental health counselor if your work stress level is too high. Getting your feelings out without being judged is crucial to good mental health.
As a rule of thumb, psychological counseling can help you to develop coping skills so job stress does not overwhelm you. Some effective options include:
· Individual counseling--a one-on-one session with a therapist in which individual problem areas are addressed. These sessions may include specific help with alleviating depression, anxiety, or stress, along with other personal problem areas.
· Family counseling--family members can gather to understand and accept your problems and the possible impact these may have on your family's lifestyle.
· Group counseling--sessions led by trained therapists that allow for the sharing of feelings, as well as the development of effective coping strategies. The exchange of ideas at group sessions is often the most productive way to revamp your thought processes.
If you are feeling angry, frightened or depressed, talk to your doctor and see if medication or behavioral counseling might be helpful.
3. Take time out.
Before you reach your breaking point from unending work stress, take a time-out for solitude. Take time to nurture yourself away from the cares and responsibilities of the world and find time for inner strength and healing.
By taking time out daily to focus on relaxation techniques such as music, prayer, or meditation, you can help to relieve ongoing worry and stress.
Volunteering to help others is yet another way to feel more connected as you stop dwelling on work stress and focus on giving to others.
4. Set limits.
Never hesitate to say “no” before you are overextended with too many commitments. Especially if you are balancing career with children and other commitments, you should not feel guilty about prioritizing what is humanly possible.
Take time weekly to evaluate your commitments and only do those that are most important, saying “no” to the remaining tasks. Saying no, when appropriate, can bring your work stress to a manageable level and give you some control over your life.
When you are able to follow through with your commitments, you can live your life without undue pressure and stress.
5. Strengthen your social support.
Connections to a partner, family and friends, or a support group have been shown to improve mood and ability to cope and can even strengthen our immune system. Most people who are able to cope with job stress have strong social support networks with family, friends, and even pets. Some important types of support include:
· Emotional support. This is someone you trust with your most intimate thoughts, anxieties, and fears, and who trusts you.
· Social support. This is someone you enjoy being with, who helps you cope with disappointments, and who celebrates your joys.
· Informational support. This is someone you can ask for advice on major decisions.
· Practical support. This is someone who will help you out in a pinch (neighbors, a relative, or co‑workers).
Who can you turn to for emotional, social, informational, and practical support? Try to identify these key people in your life and work to nurture these much-needed relationships.
6. Consider joining a support group.
This form of mind/body therapy is geared toward the unique needs of its members, providing both emotional support and education in dealing with illness or life's stressors. While support groups are not psychotherapy groups, they can give you a safe and accepting place to vent frustrations, share personal problems, and receive encouragement from others. The assurance is given that "someone else knows what I am going through," as people share their personal struggles.
7. Laugh!
No matter how bleak situations look, life goes on. Learn to laugh more and worry less. During stressful times at work, rent some funny videos and watch these instead of the nightly news. You’ll sleep better after a good laugh, and your job stress may not consume your thoughts. | https://drkelvinbrown.com/job-stress/ |
Clothing designers are flocking to Toronto for the World MasterCard Fashion Week, which runs in David Pecaut Square through March 22.
For those running out of closet space after discovering new designers at fashion week, storing apparel in a self storage unit is a safe and convenient way to make room for new attire.
Fashion week features studio and runway exhibitions from a gauntlet of designers, as well as a press and buyer brunch. Laura Siegel, David Dixon and Duy Nyugen, from the Duy clothing line, are a few of the designers looking to stand out.
"I look at clothes as if they were a home for the body," Siegel told the Toronto Star, moments after her presentation.
The Joe Fresh clothing line, which recently launched products in 681 J.C. Penny Stores, closes out Wednesday's runway proceedings. Women's Wear Daily named Joe Fresh the "highest profile and hippest brand" at J.C. Penny. | https://www.jiffystorage.com/blog/trends/making-space-for-a-new-wardrobe/ |
My research focuses mainly on language and number development in both typical and atypical developmental disorders, such as Dyscalculia, Williams syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down syndrome, Sotos syndrome, and Language Impairment. Linking the aforementioned areas of research activity, I am interested in individual differences, as well as exploring what cognitive abilities and strategies relate to successful performance in typical populations and how these differ in atypical populations, in order to aid the development of economically valid training and educational programmes. Lately, my research also includes examination of implication of educational policies for parents and children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including new SEND code of practice and transitions.
I employ a range of methods and experimental designs, including intervention programmes, spontaneous language samples, questionnaires, focus groups, interviews, preferential looking, experimental tasks, new technologies and eye tracking (Tobii). | https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=VANHE52 |
Guest post by Richard Besel, Associate Professor in Communication Studies
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has for years adopted “Learn by Doing” as a motto. For many, these three words are an integral part of the institution’s unique approach to pedagogy. The phrase is so important to the community that on February 15, 2015, Cal Poly began accepting nominations for its first Learn by Doing Scholar Award. With an emphasis on publication (completed and in-progress), the recent award announcement has prompted me to reflect on my own experiences in this Learn by Doing (LBD) environment. More specifically, I do not wish to simply celebrate the success stories of Learn by Doing; instead, I wish to tackle a few concerns related to the ethics of publishing with students and how researchers may better anticipate and navigate some of the potential dilemmas.
I wish to note at the outset that I am not going to address student LBD work that has been published without a faculty co-author. Instead, I wish to focus on the potential problems that may arise when students and faculty mentors/advisors publish together. I also acknowledge that Learn by Doing is not limited to publishing activities (students may encounter several LBD opportunities in courses that have nothing to do with publication); nonetheless, this is an area where ethical questions may arise: Who gets the credit for the research and how does one determine a fair author order in the byline? What is a fair workload distribution and how is that decided?
In terms of research credit and author order on the publication byline, one of the first items that should be considered is who developed the primary research idea or argument. Of course, this is not the only consideration. Co-authors should also determine who conceptualized the research design. For example, while at Cal Poly I had the opportunity to gather several narratives (limited life histories) from students about their experiences related to global climate change. The primary research ideas and design began with my interest in this topic. Two students later joined the research effort as part of a Learn by Doing activity in one of my classes, Environmental Communication. The two students coded the narratives for perceptions of climate change risks, causes, and solutions, among other items. They were also invited to write the initial draft of the results. In this instance, the students were not involved in the project from the beginning, but offered important contributions to a section of the work and learned about content analysis and writing by actually participating in the creation of an academic article.
While determining who developed the primary research idea and who conceptualized the research design must be considered, so too must the issue of fair workload distribution. In the example above, not only did I generate the primary research idea and design, but I also did most of the writing and editing. Thus, being listed as first author with the students listed second and third is ethically defensible. However, what if these first three considerations are less one-sided? What if the faculty member generates the idea, both a student and faculty member co-create the design, and the student gathers most of the data? This last scenario is one that I encountered with a student working on her senior project. A social science experiment, I proposed the idea of examining the potential effects of four key names for climate change (“climate change,” “global warming,” “climate crisis,” and “climate disruption”) on various perceptions and attitudes related to the issue. Although the idea was mine, the student and I worked collaboratively on the design and she shouldered the task of gathering the data that we analyzed together. My initial role in the writing process was to edit and make suggestions. It was not until after her senior project was completed that I became more involved (ushering the text through the publication process, for example). In this instance, we agreed that the first author position belonged to her because of the distribution of workload.
Finally, there are instances where faculty must acknowledge when they should remove themselves as co-authors. If one does not help generate the primary research idea, does not contribute to the conceptualization of the research design, and does not gather the data or analyze it, but simply edits the student’s work or offers suggestions, then one must not be listed as a co-author on resulting publications. Faculty must approach student research in a LBD environment with student interests in mind. For those who wish to find additional information about best practices in publication ethics, Blackwell Publishing and the American Psychological Association websites are good places to start.
Does any of the material found above or on the websites resonate with your experiences? If so, please feel free to leave a comment or question below. | http://ctlblog.calpoly.edu/ctlblog/teachinglearning/learn-ethics-publishing-students/ |
Submarine design from the earliest days of the century had been divided by the need for the ship to be available to defend the shores and harbors of the owning country which allowed for a small short ranging boat and the so called fleet submarine which could move with the main battle fleet and extend its reach and threat profile by attacking an enemy fleet as the two closed. The engineering tradeoffs that formed the basis of the design of the submarine were most difficult. The speed requirement of nearly thirty knots demanded a large propulsion plant and drove the size of the hull and its requisite displacement upward. But coupled with this was the limiting amount of propulsion power available in the battery and motors of the day which defined the available submerged speed and range.
The standard model propulsion plant in the early submarines of the interwar period was one in which surfaced power was provided by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. Also mounted on this shaft was an electric dynamo. If the engine was driving the shaft, the dynamo could be used an electric generator to charge the lead acid storage batteries. When the submarine submerged and was no longer able to provide the vast quantities of air to the diesel, the engine was stopped and a clutch provided between the engine and the dynamo was opened. Then the dynamo was the operated as an electric motor using the stored electrical energy of the battery to drive the propeller shaft.
While navies had experimented with other forms of propulsion including steam and compressed air, none had developed a system that seemed to be more effective than the direct diesel engine drive for surface operation and electric dynamo for submerged running. Both small coastal defense submarines and larger faster fleet submarines used this basic design.
A first attempt at a fleet submarine in the US Navy was the T Class of 1916. These boats had four diesel engines to provide the required horsepower to drive the 268 foot long hull at the designed 20 knots. Two each were connected in tandem on each shaft. This proved too complex to be reliable. Another attempt at the large submarine design was the first three boats of what was loosely termed the V Class. Designed in 1920, these boats split the diesel plant so that two engines drove electric generators and were situated forward of the control room. Two other engines were situated aft in the standard direct drive configuration, one to each shaft. These 2000 ton boats had grown to over 330 feet in length. They proved to be unhandy in diving and maneuvering. Even in later life converted to be cargo carriers, the three were generally considered unsuccessful.
Throughout the 1920’s the submarine design community which consisted of constructors, submarine commanders and engineers worked to develop, build and test new designs in an atmosphere of disarmament. This work resulted in several designs which when built were to become the remainder of the V-Class. Argonaut or V-4 was built as a minelayer capable of carrying sixty Mk XI mines and laying these through two 40” diameter tubes in her stern. Two large cruiser submarines, the Nautilus and Narwhal were designated V-6 and V-7. These were very much similar to Argonaut but without the mine laying tubes. All three of these (V-5, 6, 7) carried the largest deck guns of any US submarine, the 6”/53 Mk XII Mod 2. These boats were plagued by early engine reliability problems and underwent engine replacements early in the war. The Dolphin or V-7 was to be less expensive than the six large boats that preceded her. She had a rearranged tankage and hull framing. Her internal layout was the forerunner of the standard model of fleet submarine. The last two of the V Class, Cachalot and Cuttlefish started the trend to welding. Electric Boat Company which built Cuttlefish used extensive welding throughout while Portsmouth Navy Yard retained riveting as the structural fastening method for Cachalot. These boats were smaller and lighter than any of the prior V Class and this proved to limit severely their speed, endurance and ease of repair and maintenance.
In the early 1930’s the Navy embarked on an ambitious plan of submarine design and construction. The result was a set of boats which used the lessons learned from building and operating the V Class and with an eye to the requirements of a submarine war which would take place over the vast ocean distances in the Pacific. The submarine commanders wanted more speed and endurance, better habitability to increase crew endurance, more torpedoes and torpedo tubes and larger deck guns. This had to be tempered with considerations of initial cost, manning and the constant tradeoffs of shaft horsepower, displacement and size. An unusual competition occurred between the private shipbuilder Electric Boat Company and the government's Portsmouth Navy Yard. Each were given the general design and specifications in the four boat FY 1934 build program and were to, separately, create the detailed design and prepare the contract designs. So the four boats were in essence prototypes of separate classes worked up from the same set of specifications. Each builder built two boats. Portsmouth built Porpoise and Pike. EB built Shark and Tarpon. This ‘unofficial’ competition proved to be beneficial in the rapid development of the fleet submarine through the 1930’s.
In essence, the evolution seen in design through the decade prior to WWII was seen through the differences in the Porpoise through the Tambor Class boats. This evolution culminated in the Gato and Balao Class designs which were the mainstay boats of the war years. Starting after the large Argonaut and Narwhal classes boats reverted to a generally common length around 300 feet and a beam of 24 to 27 feet. The major changes were in the number and location of torpedo tubes and the propulsion equipment arrangement and hull construction technique.
Torpedo tubes number and location started with four tubes forward and two aft with two additional tubes in deck tubes located in the forward superstructure. The evolution ended with six tubes forward and four aft. Propulsion equipment began with a combination of direct drive diesels and diesel generators in a single engine room space and ended with four diesel generators, two each of two engine rooms and the electrical controller cubical in a separate space with main propulsion motors in this compartment. Construction technique started with all riveted hull, superstructure and tankage and ended with all welded construction throughout. The changes are reflected in a general sense in the class designations but in reality they are overlapping and specific ships in a class may vary widely except in the major characteristics.
As had been said, the concept of requiring a 'fleet submarine' ended with the change in tactics of the boats during WWII. The wide ranging independent operations in support of but not traveling with the fleet, changed the way people visualized the role of the submarine.
The division of 'fast attack' and 'missile boat' made the 'fleet submarine' appelation even more remote. However, the 'fast attack' nuclear submarine is now what the early fathers had in mind. It can range ahead of and with the carrier battle group, clearing the road. | http://bottomgun.com/history/FleetSubmarineDefined.asp |
scavenged thoughts...
scavenged thoughts....is the way to sum up my collage/assemblage artworks, which are a blending of scavenged materials and borrowed thoughts.
what is then created from that is meant as homage to all the arts. objects paired with significant or memorable thoughts, lines of poetry, bits of a song lyric, notable literary phrases or simply a play on words.
any of these may be the inspiration for the next piece which may be imagined through the use of paper, wood, and/or a host of interesting embellishments.
elements coming together, presented in a new form. thereby,
something once expressed becomes relevant again in a new form.
to borrow a quote from the artist, asher durand, who so perfectly stated, "the artist....will have seen more than the mere matter of fact, but no more that is there and that another may see if it is pointed out to him."
i hope my works will point out something worth remembering for the viewer.
you may view the work on the gallery pages.
, | https://www.scavengedthoughts.com/about |
In the 5th century BC, Socrates taught his students under the plane trees of Athens, Greece. Athens was hot and dusty; the leafy boughs provided a cool, shady canopy. Plane trees are not native to Greece; they were imported and planted deliberately – in large part because of the shade they give. Although it may not have been recorded by Plato this way, Socrates was teaching in a community that had adapted to the climate.
Today our climate is changing and we face new risks. Increased storm intensity, higher temperatures, more frequent droughts, sea-level rise – these are among the many recurring events with the potential to damage the economic, environmental and social fabric of cities and towns. Institutions of higher education are exposed to these types of natural hazards in much the same way as their host communities. When we look at the populations involved, the campus environment can be considered one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of hazards. But like their host communities, institutions of higher education also have the opportunity to protect themselves and adapt to our changing climate.
This session will provide a broad overview of approaches available to local communities to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards and adapt to climate change, drawing parallels to the university setting as appropriate. Many of these approaches rely on existing authority or modifications to policies and programs that are already in place; others will involve more intensive action. The session will also provide information about resources for further exploration of climate change adaptation that interested universities and colleges may wish to pursue.
Recommended Citation
Schwab, Anna, "Managing Risk in a Changing Climate" (2013). DRU Workshop 2013 Presentations – Disaster Resistant University Workshop: Linking Mitigation and Resilience. Paper 12. | https://scholarworks.uno.edu/dru2013/12/ |
The African Health Initiative (AHI) seeks to catalyze significant advances in strengthening health systems by supporting partnerships that will design, implement and evaluate large-scale models of care that link implementation research and workforce training directly to the delivery of integrated primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.
Putting health systems first—strengthening the entire foundational health system with an integrated network of learning, approaches and solutions—is essential to saving lives. It is with this understanding that the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation crafted the strategy for the African Health Initiative. Learn about the three components we see as critical to the success of any effort by a funder to strengthen a health system, read related research and watch videos that demonstrate what this work looks like in powerful practice.
AHI’s second phase draws from lessons learned through AHI Phase 1 and responds to the continued need to strengthen health systems in sub-Saharan Africa with the more specific goal of improving maternal and neonatal survival and well-being. Given this objective, in AHI Phase 2, the foundation will support up to four large-scale health system strengthening partnerships that: 1) replicate, evaluate and scale up interventions that achieve measurable, significant health improvements, and 2) develop national, regional and/or district-level platforms that use existing health and implementation research to enable the entire health system to become more responsive to the population’s changing contexts and needs. Unique to AHI Phase 2 is its structure of leadership uniting national ministries of health, U.S. and African universities and research centers, and global funders contributing to the same model and measures for success. Additionally, as was done in AHI Phase 1, grantees will convene regularly to share their progress and findings and coordinate with other learning networks to ensure broader progress across the region.
As DDCF approached its 10th anniversary, the foundation's board challenged the staff to identify a compelling and urgent need that fit the mandate of Doris Duke’s will, and for which a well-timed and large infusion of the foundation’s resources (above and beyond its normal grant-making activities) had the potential to make a significant positive impact on society. Seeing the board’s challenge as an opportunity to build upon and expand beyond the foundation’s previous support for AIDS research in Africa, the Medical Research Program sought to identify opportunities for DDCF to help address health disparities in Africa more broadly.
Extensive research and interviews with dozens of experts revealed that despite the recent growth of health investments in Africa, efforts to improve access to essential medical care remain seriously hindered by fragile health systems, health worker shortages and a lack of focus on integrated care. In response to these challenges, DDCF launched the multi-million dollar African Health Initiative in the fall of 2007. In 2009, four grants ranging from $8 million to $15 million each to support five Population Health Implementation & Training (PHIT) partnerships working in Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. All PHIT projects, which were funded over five to seven years, remain in progress. The African Health Initiative does not accept unsolicited requests for funding.
The World Health Organization Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research released the first World Report on Health Policy and Systems Research in May 2017.
The 4th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research was held on November 14-18, 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. A summary of the key themes and outcomes from the meeting is available here.
An editorial in the February 2017 World Health Organization Bulletin promoted the strengthening of health systems through embedded research.
The 3rd Global Symposium on Health Systems Research was held on September 29-October 3, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. A summary of the key themes and outcomes from the meeting is available here.
A comment in the Lancet advocated for donor support of the NGO Code of Conduct.
The Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) released new guidance for fair research contracting.
The Insitute of Medicine (IOM) released the report, "Evaluation Design for Complex Global Initiatives," which summarized the January workshop. | https://www.ddcf.org/what-we-fund/african-health-initiative/ |
Investigating resource partitioning among mobile marine predators such as cetaceans is challenging. Here we integrate multiple methodologies (analyses of habitat use, stable isotopes and trace elements) to assess ecological niche partitioning amongst two genetically divergent sympatric subpopulations (North and South) of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Moreton Bay, Australia. Comparisons of the mean locations (latitude, longitude) and environmental variables (distance from sandbanks, distance from shore and water depth) observed at sightings of biopsy-sampled individuals indicated that the North subpopulation occurred in the northwestern bay in significantly deeper water than the South subpopulation, which was found in southeastern nearshore waters and closer to sandbanks. Ratios of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in skin samples suggested that North dolphins foraged on higher trophic level prey in relatively more pelagic, offshore habitats, while South dolphins foraged on lower trophic prey in more nearshore, demersal and/or benthic habitats. Habitat partitioning was also reflected in higher blubber concentrations of most of the 13 measured trace elements, in particular lead, in the coastal South compared to the more pelagic North dolphins. These findings indicate that genetic subpopulations of bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay are adapted to different niches. | https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/publications/habitat-and-resource-partitioning-among-indo-pacific-bottlenose-d |
Some time ago I got a pre-release copy of Knowledge Automation: How to Implement Decision Management in Business Processes, Alan Fish’s new book on the analysis and design techniques of decision management. I was delighted to write a foreword for Alan and with the arrival of a printed copy I wanted to extend this with a review. Alan’s book lays out the core analysis techniques you need to model and manage decisions. I use these techniques in my decision discovery work with clients and wove them into the approach I describe in chapter 5 of Decision Management Systems.
The book begins with an overview of the knowledge economy, why systems need to embed knowledge and why decisions matter in this context. Having established a clear case for decision management he follows with an excellent discussion of the role of decisions and decision management in process management. Decision Management and Process Management go hand in hand and most business problems will require an effective combination. As Alan says, Decision Management involves more than just identifying operational decisions, you must also
codify the knowledge used to make them, and encapsulate the knowledge in automated decision-making systems
Alan shows that it is essential not to simply replicate what you do today, but to improve it. Using Decision Management to automate and improve decision making changes the processes of which these decisions are a part, making them simpler smarter and more agile. Alan’s focus on decisions as a means to drive process innovation is therefore particularly welcome. His hierarchy of a customer journey supported by a business process and a set of decisions is an effective model, especially when the decisions are implemented in decision services that encapsulate the decision making logic required. This chapter is full of good advice including some great discussion of roles in decision making and his emphasis of organizational issues and constraints is likewise central to effective modeling of decisions.
Chapter 3 gives a nice summary of the available technology and then the book moves into the core techniques of Decision Requirements Analysis and their application in building automated decision-making systems. The first of these focuses on decisions and decision services. As Alan says
Decision Services make decisions
which sounds trivial but is core to his approach and to my focus on Decision Management Systems. The decisions being implemented in Decision Services should be modeled and managed top-down and Alan works his way through an effective set of techniques to do this, covering both modeling and requirements gathering. The 3 kinds of information needed to make a decision – data, knowledge and prior decisions – are well explained and he makes great points about the interactions of processes with decisions and role of rules in defining decision logic and hence knowledge. A succinct and effective description of how to map all this analysis to design and implementation using a business rules management system and related technology follows. He wraps up with some useful decision patterns.
As I said in my foreword
I have been working in Decision Management for most of the last decade, spending much of that helping companies use business rules and predictive analytic technology to automate and improve business decisions. Alan’s approach to gathering, modeling and managing decision requirements immediately struck me as the right way to approach this problem. I have been using it with my clients ever since.
This approach works, which is why I use it, and if you are interested in building Decision Management Systems or doing effective decision-centric analysis before using business rules, then this book should be on your bookshelf. | http://jtonedm.com/2012/03/13/book-review-knowledge-automation-how-to-implement-decision-management-in-business-processes/ |
311 S.W.2d 831 (1956)
Omar Blake ROWLAND, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
No. 28357.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
October 17, 1956.
On Motion to Reinstate Appeal January 30, 1957.
Rehearing Denied April 3, 1957.
Second Motion for Rehearing Denied October 9, 1957.
Writ of Certiorari Denied March 3, 1958.
*832 Runge, Hardeman, Smith & Foy, by Dorsey B. Hardeman, San Angelo, for appellant.
Bill Snow, County Atty., Big Lake, and Leon B. Douglas, State's Atty., Austin, for the State.
Writ of Certiorari Denied March 3, 1958. See 78 S.Ct. 540.
WOODLEY, Judge.
The conviction is under a complaint and information charging the driving of an automobile upon a public highway "at an unreasonable and imprudent speed under the conditions then existing, to-wit, 90 miles per hour * * *" A jury being waived, the court assessed a $50 fine.
The transcript contains no appeal bond or recognizance on appeal, though it appears that appellant was released upon a recognizance.
Under the circumstances this court is without jurisdiction. Bell v. State, 137 Tex. Cr.R. 128, 128 S.W.2d 812; Reid v. State, Tex.Civ.App., 289 S.W.2d 237.
The appeal is dismissed.
On Appellant's Motion to Reinstate Appeal
DICE, Commissioner.
Appellant has entered into a proper appeal bond and the appeal is reinstated and will be considered.
Appellant's sole contention is that Art. 827a, Sec. 8, Vernon's Ann.P.C., as amended, Acts 1951, Chapter 346, H.B. 458, Sec. 1, 52nd Legislature, Regular Session, under which he was convicted, is unconstitutional and, therefore, his conviction cannot stand.
We need not pass upon the constitutionality of the statute as amended in 1951 by the 52nd Legislature and as further amended in 1955 by the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, Ch. 488, p. 1221, in view of the allegations of the complaint and information and the stipulation in the record that the appellant, on or about the date alleged in the information, drove a motor vehicle upon a public highway in this state at a speed in excess of sixty miles per hour. Under such stipulation, it was shown that appellant violated the provisions of the statute as amended in 1941 limiting the speed of motor vehicles driven upon the public highways of this state. Art. 827a, Sec. 8, Vernon's Ann.P.C., Acts of 1941, 47th Legislature, Ch. 506, Sec. 1, page 817. The information, among other things, alleged that appellant drove a motor vehicle upon a public highway in this state at a speed of 90 miles per hour, which was sufficient to charge a violation of the statute under the 1941 amendment and prior to its amendment in 1951 and 1955.
Under the rules of statutory construction, if the amendatory acts of 1951 and 1955 were held to be unconstitutional they did not repeal the provisions of the statute then existing.
It is the general rule that an invalid or unconstitutional act cannot repeal a valid statute. 39 Tex.Jur. Sec. 70, p. 134; Venn v. State, 85 Tex.Cr.R. 151, 210 S.W. 534; and State ex rel. Garza v. Rodriguez, Tex. Civ.App., 213 S.W.2d 877. Further, where an amendment to an act is declared invalid the original act remains in full force and effect. Consolidated Underwriters v. Kirby Lumber Co., Tex.Com.App., 267 S.W. 703; and State v. Standard Oil Co., 130 Tex. 313, 107 S.W.2d 550.
We are unable to agree with appellant's contention that the act of 1941 was repealed under the general repealing clause in the act of 1951, even though the amendatory provision of the later act be invalid and unconstitutional.
The rule in construing acts or clauses purporting to repeal other statutes is to give effect to the intention of the Legislature. Galveston & W. Ry. Co. v. City of Galveston, 96 Tex. 520, 74 S.W. 537; Parshall v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 138 S.W. 759; and Pioneer Oil & Refining Co. v. State, Tex.Civ.App., 273 S.W. 615.
*833 In 39 Tex.Jur. Sec. 70, at page 134, the rule is stated as follows:
"Where a clause repealing an act is inserted in a later act in order to secure its unobstructed operation, and it is not clear that the Legislature intended to repeal the old act except upon the supposition that the new act would take its place, the repealing clause is properly held to fall with the act of which it is a part."
The act of 1951 did not expressly repeal the 1941 act but provided that Section 8 of the act be re-enacted and amended.
We do not think it was the intention of the Legislature, by including the general repealing clause within the act of 1951, to repeal the act of 1941 except upon the supposition that the new act would be valid and take its place. To hold otherwise would require us to conclude that in passing the act of 1951, it was the intention of the Legislature that in the event the act was invalid there would be no statute regulating the speed of motor vehicles driven upon the public highways of this state. We conclude that such was not the Legislative intent.
Since appellant's conviction may be sustained under the provisions of the statute prior to the amendments in 1951 and 1955, it does not become necessary to pass upon his contention herein presented. Ex parte Heartsill, 118 Tex.Cr.R. 157, 38 S.W. 2d 803; Rotner v. State, 122 Tex.Cr.R. 309, 55 S.W.2d 98; Gilderbloom v. State, 160 Tex.Cr.R. 471, 272 S.W.2d 106.
The judgment is affirmed.
Opinion approved by the Court.
DAVIDSON, Judge (dissenting).
This court was created for the purpose of furnishing to one convicted of crime a tribunal to which he might appeal for a determination as to the legality of that conviction.
In keeping with that purpose, I now entertain and have always entertained the view that every appellant is entitled to his day in court and to have this court pass upon his appeal. Prior to the opinion in this case I could not believe this court would affirm a conviction without performing that judicial function. That, however, is exactly what has happened here. In this case, my brethren have not only failed to pass upon the appeal, but they have expressly refrained from so doing.
By this appeal, appellant claimed that the conviction was erroneous and should not be permitted to stand, for two reasons, as follows: (a) The statute under which this conviction was obtained is unconstitutional and void, and (b) the information did not allege a violation of the law, because the statute upon which it was based is void.
My brethren affirm this conviction without determining either of those contentions.
If the right of appeal means anything at all, surely it means that the appellant is entitled to have this court either sustain or overrule his contentions when those contentions are properly before this court for determination.
The action of the majority of this court in affirming this conviction without passing upon the contentions presented by the appeal is indefensible and inexcusable. It deprives this appellant of his constitutional right of appeal.
The charging part of the information upon which this conviction was obtained reads as follows:
"* * * did then and there unlawfully operate and drive a motor vehicle, to-wit: A Chrysler automobile at an unreasonable and imprudent speed under the conditions then existing, to-wit, 90 miles per hour, which was then and there a speed greater than was reasonable and prudent, on a public highway of Texas, said highway being a part of the State highway system and not situated within the limits of an incorporated *834 city or town and on which the State Highway Commission, by an order entered on its minutes, had determined, upon an engineering and traffic investigation, the prima facie reasonable and prudent and safe speed limit applicable, at such time and zone or place, to be 60 miles per hour, as designated and identified by signs erected by the State Highway Commission."
The information was drawn under Art. 827a, Sec. 8, Subsection 1(a), Vernon's P. C., being Chap. 346, Acts Regular Session of the 52nd Legislature, in 1951, which will be referred to as the Act of 1951.
Appellant challenges the statute as being void and unconstitutional for the reason that it is vague and indefinite and uncertain and for that reason violates Arts. 3 and 6 of the Penal Code of Texas, and Article 1, Sec. 19, of the Texas Constitution, Vernon's Ann.St., and the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; that the act creating the statute is an unlawful delegation of powers of the legislature in violation of Art. 2, Sec. 1 of the Texas Constitution; and that the act authorizes administrative agencies to suspend laws in violation of Art. 1, Sec. 28, of the State Constitution.
The validity of the information is challenged for the same reasons, as charging no offense.
My brethren decide none of those contentions. They do not decide that the statute, or the information, is or is not good, or subject to the defects urged. The conviction is affirmed upon the conclusion that if the statute is voidas appellant contends then there was a prior valid statute (Chap. 506, Acts Regular Session of the 47th Legislature, in 1941) which will be referred to as the Act of 1941, which made it unlawfulnot to do that which the information in this case charged that appellant didbut to do that which the evidence in this case showed appellant actually did.
Of course, such a holding decides absolutely nothing. The statute under which this conviction was obtained is neither sustained nor condemned. Its validity is not sustained, nor its invalidity attested. The statute, under that holding, is neither good nor bad.
My brethren rely upon the case of Gilderbloom v. State, 160 Tex.Cr.R. 471, 272 S. W.2d 106, as authorizing their holding.
In the first place, I demonstrated the fallacyinsofar as I am concernedof the holding in that case by my dissenting opinion in Rowe v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 276 S. W.2d 296. The Gilderbloom case is wrong, and ought not to be the law. However, the Gilderbloom case does not sustain the holding of my brethren in this case.
In the Gilderbloom case, the offense was the same under both statutesthat is, the one under which the conviction was obtained and the prior statute relied upon to sustain the conviction. In other words, the allegations of the information charge an offense under either statute. The two statutes dealt with in that case differed only in the punishment authorized to be assessed. Such is not true of the two statutes here involved.
The statute under which this conviction was had (the 1951 Act) creates and defines an offense entirely different from that denounced in the prior Act of 1941. The information in this case does not charge acts which would constitute a violation of the 1941 Act.
Inasmuch as my brethren have not upheld or condemned the 1951 Act or passed upon its validity, I will not express my views upon that subject at length but will content myself by saying that, in my opinion, the Act of 1951 is void for the reasons assigned by appellant.
To my mind, the statute under which this conviction was obtained is invalid and a prosecution may not be conducted thereunder.
I will, however, express my views on the theory upon which the majority opinion *835 predicates the affirmance of this case: that is, the utilization of the Act of 1941 to sustain the conviction.
In the first instance, the Act of 1941 is subject to the same objection as that to which the Act of 1951 was subjectthat is, the unlawful delegation of legislative power and the unlawful suspension of laws by an agency other than the legislature. The Act of 1941 authorizes, as does the Act of 1951, the complete destruction of the act there made unlawful, by authorizing administrative tribunals to change, alter, and amend at their pleasure and without prior notice the unlawful act created by the legislature.
The legislature is prohibited by Art. 2, Sec. 1, and Art. 1, Sec. 28, of the Constitution of this state from extending to those agencies the right mentioned.
Another very cogent reason exists which demonstrates the fallacy, to me, of the majority opinion.
The Act of 1951 provides, in Sections 2 and 3 of Subsection 6 of Section 8, as follows:
"If any portion of this Act is held unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof shall nevertheless be valid the same as if the portion or portions held unconstitutional had not been adopted by the Legislature."
"Any part of any law in conflict with the provisions of this Act is hereby expressly repealed."
It is difficult for me to conceive how that language may be interpreted or construed as not repealing the Act of 1941.
If the Act of 1951 was valid, the 1941 Act was, in all things, invalidated and superseded. If the Act of 1951 was invalid, then the Act of 1941 was repealed because that law was in conflict with the Act of 1951. Sec. 3 of Subsection 6 repealed the Act of 1941, without reference to the validity of the Act of 1951. Moreover, under Sec. 2 of Subsection 6, if everything in the Act of 1951 was invalid save and except the repealing clause, then that clause was valid and it repealed the Act of 1941. As supporting this statement, I quote from 39 Tex.Jur., Statutes, Sec. 70, at page 135, where the controlling rule is stated as follows:
"So where an act declares that its partial invalidity shall not affect other parts or sections, the repealing clause remains operative although the remainder of the act is held to be unconstitutional."
I call attention to this further defect in the reasoning of my brethren: In the state's pleading, the indictment, or the information "The offense must be set forth in plain and intelligible words." Art. 396, subd. 7, C.C.P.
Art. 397, C.C.P., requires that "Everything should be stated in an indictment which is necessary to prove."
Art. 405, C.C.P., specifies the certainty of the allegation of an indictment, as follows:
"Certainty; what sufficient.An indictment shall be deemed sufficient which charges the commission of the offense in ordinary and concise language in such a manner as to enable a person of common understanding to know what is meant, and with that degree of certainty that will give the defendant notice of the particular offense with which he is charged, and enable the court, on conviction, to pronounce the proper judgment; and in no case are the words `force and arms' or `contrary to the form of the statute' necessary."
The rules with respect to allegations in an indictment and the certainty required apply also to an information. Art. 416, C.C. P.
These statutes all become material and controlling here, because the information *836 in this case charged a violation of the 1951 Act. The acts there charged are not made unlawful by the 1941 Act. Therefore, when my brethren affirm this conviction for an offense as a violation of the 1941 Act they do so without an information which in any manner complies with the statutes above set forth.
When appellant was called upon to plead in this case, it was to an information charging him with a violation of the Act of 1951. Nowhere, at no time, has he been called upon or given the opportunity to defend against having violated the Act of 1941. Yet he stands convicted of violating the Act of 1941, and it is that conviction which is here affirmed.
I respectfully dissent.
On Appellant's Motion for Rehearing
WOODLEY, Judge.
In view of the contention that a section of the Act of 1941 amending Sec. 8 of Art. 827a, V.A.P.C. is subject to the same constitutional objection and exception as Section 1 of the 1951 Act, and the fact that this Court, in Hernandez v. State, 157 Tex. Cr.R. 322, 248 S.W.2d 749, without discussing or considering the constitutional questions raised, held that the 1951 Act superseded the 1941 amendment of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a, V.A.P.C., we have decided that we should consider the question of the validity of appellant's conviction as under the 1951 Act.
Subsection 1 of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a, V.A. P.C. as reenacted and amended by the 52nd Legislature 1951, p. 589, Ch. 346, reads in part as follows:
"Speed restrictions. (a) No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing, having regard to the actual and potential hazards when approaching and crossing an intersection or a railway grade crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hill crest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, or when special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions; and in every event, speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care.
"(b) Where no special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection 1(a) of this Section, the speed of any vehicle not in excess of the limits specified in this subsection or established as hereinafter authorized shall be lawful, but any speed in excess of the limits specified in this subsection or established as hereinafter authorized shall be prima-facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful:
"(1) Thirty (30) miles per hour in any business or residence district for all vehicles;
"(2) Sixty (60) miles per hour during the daytime and fifty-five (55) miles per hour during the nighttime in locations other than business or residence districts for all vehicles except commercial motor vehicles, truck-tractors, trailers, or semi-trailers as defined in this Act and all motor vehicles engaged in this State in the business of transporting passengers for compensation or hire."
Other portions of the Statute provide lower prima-facie speed limits for the types of vehicles excepted in Subsection 1(b), paragraph (2) above.
"Daytime", "nighttime", "business district" and "residence district" are defined also in Subsection 1 of the Statute and it *837 is provided that the prima facie speed limits set forth therein may be altered as authorized in Subsections 2 and 3.
In Subsection 2 the State Highway Commission is granted authority, whenever it "shall determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that any prima-facie speed hereinbefore set forth is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or other place or upon any part of a highway * * *," to determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima facie speed limit at such place, but it is further provided that the "State Highway Commission shall not have the authority to modify or alter the basic rule set forth in subsection 1(a) nor to authorize by a Commission Minute speeds for any class of vehicles in excess of the maximum values hereinbefore set forth for said class of vehicles in subsection 1(b), paragraphs (2), (3), and (4)."
The charging part of the information upon which appellant stands convicted reads as follows: "Omar Blake Rowland did then and there unlawfully operate and drive a motor vehicle, to-wit: A Chrysler automobile at an unreasonable and imprudent speed under the conditions then existing, to-wit, 90 miles per hour, which was then and there a speed greater than was reasonable and prudent, on a public highway of Texas, said highway being a part of the State highway system and not situated within the limits of an incorporated city or town and on which the State Highway Commission, by an order entered on its minutes, had determined, upon an engineering and traffic investigation, the prima facie reasonable and prudent and safe speed limit applicable, at such time and zone or place, to be 60 miles per hour, as designated and identified by sign erected by the State Highway Commission." (Emphasis ours.)
The italicized portion of the information charges the violation of Subsection 1 of the 1951 Act, in driving an automobile at a speed of 90 miles per hour, a speed greater than was reasonable and prudent under the conditions existing.
The Legislature has provided a 60 mile per hour maximum speed and has provided that driving a vehicle in excess of such speed shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable and prudent and is unlawful. The Legislature has also provided that the speed for any class of vehicles in excess of such maximum (fixed in Subsection 1(b), paragraph 2) could not be authorized. Hence, the allegation that the State Highway Commission also had determined that 60 miles per hour was reasonable and prudent added nothing to and subtracted nothing from the State's pleading.
The question before us is whether the 1951 statute (Art. 827a, Sec. 8, V.A.P.C.) as applied to the driving of a vehicle upon a public highway of this State at a speed in excess of 60 miles per hour, which speed was unreasonable and imprudent under the conditions then existing, is constitutional.
The statute is attacked as unconstitutional on the ground that it constitutes an unlawful delegation of powers of the Legislature in violation of Art. 2, Sec. 1 of the Constitution of Texas.
Validity of the conviction appealed from is not affected by the provisions of the statute relating to prima facie speed limits determined and declared by the State Highway Commission.
The statute contains a provision that if any portion of the act is held unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof shall nevertheless be valid the same as if the portion or portions held unconstitutional had not been adopted by the Legislature.
The law alleged to have been violated by appellant rests alone upon the act of the Legislature and no action by the State Highway Commission was required, nor would the absence of such action affect the *838 prosecution. Under the allegations of the information the State Highway Commission had not determined that the 60 mile speed limit was "greater or less than was reasonable and safe" but had determined and declared the same speed limit as had the Legislature.
For the reasons named, the contention that the 1951 Act authorizes the State Highway Commission to suspend laws in violation of Art. 1, Sec. 28, of the Constitution of Texas will not be passed on.
The constitutionality of the statute is also questioned on the ground that it is void and unconstitutional because it is vague and indefinite.
To be consistent with the decisions and reasoning in the prior opinions of this Court we would be required to hold that the basic rule set out in Subsection 1, above quoted, standing alone and without the prima facie speed provisions is so indefinite and of such uncertain construction that it cannot stand as a penal statute. Russell v. State, 88 Tex.Cr.R. 512, 228 S. W. 566; Parroccini v. State, 90 Tex.Cr.R. 320, 234 S.W. 671; Ex parte Slaughter, 92 Tex.Cr.R. 212, 243 S.W. 478, 26 A.L.R. 891; Ex parte Carrigan, 92 Tex.Cr.R. 309, 244 S.W. 604; Ladd v. State, 115 Tex.Cr. R. 355, 27 S.W.2d 1098; Ex parte Chernosky, 153 Tex.Cr.R. 52, 217 S.W.2d 673.
Such holdings are said, however, to be against the weight of authority in other jurisdictions. Gallaher v. State, 193 Ind. 629, 141 N.E. 347, 29 A.L.R. 1062 and 1066.
Do the provisions of Subsection 1(b), fixing a maximum speed limit of 60 miles per hour and providing that any speed in excess of said limit shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful, remove the indefiniteness of the basic rule set forth in Subsection 1(a)? This is the question we are called upon to decide.
Similar statutes of other states have been upheld against the contention that they were void for uncertainty and indefiniteness. People v. Beak, 291 Ill. 449, 126 N.E. 201; Gallaher v. State, 193 Ind. 629, 141 N.E. 347, 29 A.L.R. 1059; Smith v. State, 186 Ind. 252, 115 N.E. 943; State v. Goldstone, 144 Minn. 405, 175 N.W. 892; See also Blashfield's Cyclopedia of Automobile Law and Practice, Sec. 5308.
We are cited to no authority holding to the contrary and we have found none.
In Commonwealth v. Cassidy, 209 Mass. 24, 95 N.E. 214, 216, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts construed a similar statute as requiring the court or jury to give due weight to the prima facie speed and the testimony coming from both the commonwealth and the defendant, but held the real question to be whether the speed was greater than was reasonable and proper, having regard to the traffic and the use of the way and the safety of the public, the burden being on the commonwealth to show that it was.
This, as we understand it, is true under Art. 827a, Sec. 8, of the Texas Statute.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court further held "in some cases a defendant may be convicted even if he has not exceeded the rate named in the prima facie clauses of the statute, and in some he may be acquitted even though he may have exceeded it."
We are in accord with the latter statement, but express no opinion on the question of whether one may be convicted under the Texas statute who does not exceed the prima facie limit. That question is not before us, appellant having admittedly driven at a speed in excess of 60 miles per hour, the maximum prima facie speed limit fixed by the Legislature and at a speed greater than was reasonable and prudent under the conditions existing at the time and place.
The Indiana statute upheld by the Supreme Court of that state in Gallaher v. State, 193 N.E. 629, 141 N.E. 347, 29 A.L.R. 1059, and in Smith v. State, 186 Ind. 252, *839 115 N.E. 943, provides that no person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle upon any public highway in that state at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent, having regard to the traffic and the use of the way, or so as to endanger the life or limb or injure the property of any person and provides that if the rate of speed of a motor vehicle upon any public highway outside the limits of an incorporated city, town or village, exceeds the rate of speed fixed in the statute, such rate of speed shall be prima facie evidence that the person operating such motor vehicle is running at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and prudent having regard to the traffic and use of the way or so as to endanger the life or limb or injure the property of any person.
The statute was construed as forbidding the operation of motor vehicles at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent having regard to the traffic and use of the way and declaring what speed shall be prima facie unlawful under each of five sets of circumstances set out in the statute.
In Gallaher v. State, supra, the Indiana Supreme Court concluded that the statute taken as a whole defined the offense forbidden by it with certainty to the degree that persons who read it may know exactly what evil is intended to be prohibited, and that it fixes a standard of guilt by which an accused person may know the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and was not invalid.
In Smith v. State, supra, the same court said that the statute considered in its entirety clearly fixes a standard of care to be observed by the operator; that the statute placed on the State the burden of proving that the accused was driving at a speed exceeding the maximum set by the statute and the fact that proof of such speed is made prima facie rather than absolute evidence of guilt serves only to permit a defendant to show, if he can, that under all the circumstances, the speed at which he was driving was not unreasonable or imprudent, or sufficient to endanger the person or property of another.
The Supreme Court of Illinois, in People v. Beak, 291 Ill. 449, 126 N.E. 201, 202, in upholding a statute almost identical with the Indiana statute, said:
"If the only provision of section 10 were its first sentence, there might be some merit in the argument of counsel that the construction of the statute is subject to conjecture. The section further provides the exact speed which if exceeded in various classifications of localities shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of the law, and the evidence of plaintiff in error himself clearly indicates that he was violating the provisions of the statute as to the speed at which he was traveling at and just before the time he was arrested by the officer. * * * The statute is sufficiently clear on the actual questions involved to inform anyone what the Legislature intended to prohibit and punish."
The holding in the above cases by the Supreme Courts of other states is that a statute prohibiting under penalty the driving of a vehicle on the highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, having regard to the traffic and use of the way, and specifying what speed shall be prima facie unlawful under designated circumstances is not void for uncertainty. 29 A.L.R. 1066 note; 26 A.L.R. 897, 898. Such holding appears to be in accord with reason. We are aware of no authority to the contrary.
We conclude that the provisions of Subsection 1(b) fixing a 60 mile speed limit and providing that any speed in excess thereof shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful, renders the 1951 amendment and re-enactment of Art. 827a, Sec. 8, V.A.P.C. sufficiently definite as applied to one who drives a vehicle at a speed in excess of 60 miles per hour on any highway of this *840 State. The contention that it is vague and indefinite, and therefore void, is overruled.
Appellant's motion for rehearing is overruled.
On Appellant's Second Motion for Rehearing
MORRISON, Presiding Judge.
The writer concurred in the majority opinion on appellant's motion for rehearing. After more mature study and in the light of appellant's brief, I have concluded that there is a serious question as to the soundness of the reasoning therein contained. I do, however, remain convinced that the original opinion on appellant's motion to reinstate the appeal properly disposed of this case.
As stated in such opinion, this Court need not pass upon the constitutionality of the present statute because, under the stipulations of fact in the record, it is established that the appellant did drive a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of sixty miles per hour upon a public highway in Reagan County, Texas. If the Act of 1951 as amended in 1955 is constitutional (and upon this question I do not commit myself), then the appellant is guilty under the provisions of that Act. If, in a case in which such holding became necessary, the Act of 1951 as amended in 1955 should be held to be unconstitutional, then the appellant would still be guilty under the 1941 Act.
Judge WOODLEY'S views are those stated in his opinion on rehearing, but he agrees with the writer that if the amendments of 1951 and 1955 are void, the conviction should be upheld as a prosecution under the 1941 Act. We so held in Judge DICE'S opinion on original submission and have not departed from that view.
Appellant's second motion for rehearing is overruled.
DAVIDSON, Judge (dissenting).
Because this conviction rests upon a statute that is void and unenforceable, being in violation of the Constitution of this state and of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution, I cannot agree to this affirmance.
I respectfully enter this dissent, as an addition to that heretofore filed.
The offense for which this appellant was convicted is charged in the information as follows:
"Omar Blake Rowland did then and there unlawfully operate and drive a motor vehicle, to-wit, a Chrysler automobile at an unreasonable and imprudent speed under the conditions then existing, to-wit, 90 miles per hour, which was then and there a speed greater than was reasonable and prudent, on a public highway of Texas, said highway being a part of the State highway system and not situated within the limits of an incorporated city or town and on which the State Highway Commission, by an order entered on its minutes, had determined, upon an engineering and traffic investigation, the prima facie reasonable and prudent and safe speed limit applicable, at such time and zone or place, to be 60 miles per hour, as designated and identified by signs erected by the State Highway Commission * * *."
That such allegation charged a violation of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a, Vernon's P.C., as amended in 1951 and 1955, is, to my mind, not subject to debate.
The aforesaid article will hereafter be referred to merely as Art. 827a.
The judgment of the trial court was affirmed by a majority of this court on January 30, 1957, by the adoption of the opinion of Commissioner DICE of this court. The affirmance was therein predicated upon the proposition that if Art. 827a was void *841 and unconstitutionalas appellant insists then Art. 827a as it existed in 1941 and prior to the amendment thereof in 1951 furnished the basis for this prosecution and the conviction could be predicated upon and upheld under that statute.
The opinion of Commissioner DICE speaks for itself, and I need not further detail the holding therein.
To that holding I filed a dissent, which also speaks for itself.
To the affirmance under the DICE opinion, appellant filed a motion for rehearing.
On April 3, 1957, the motion for rehearing was overruled by a majority of this court in an opinion by Judge WOODLEY. That opinion and the reasons therein set forth for the overruling of the motion for rehearing speak for themselves, and I need not here detail the holding.
To the order overruling his motion for rehearing, appellant filed his second motion for rehearing.
That second motion for rehearing is today overruled in an opinion by Presiding Judge MORRISON, in which he refuses to agree to an affirmance of the conviction for the reasons ascribed by Judge WOODLEY in his opinion of April 3, 1957, but does agree to the affirmance of the conviction for the reasons assigned by Commissioner DICE in his opinion of January 30, 1957, which holds that the conviction could be had under Art. 827a as it existed in 1941.
To the correctness of those opinions I do not and can not agree. I do agree, however, to that part of Judge WOODLEY'S opinion wherein he says:
"To be consistent with the decisions and reasoning in the prior opinions of this Court we would be required to hold that the basic rule set out in Subsection 1, above quoted, standing alone and without the prima facie speed provisions is so indefinite and of such uncertain construction that it cannot stand as a penal statute."
The correctness of that statement, as shown by the prior decisions of this court, furnishes reason number one why this statute is void and unenforceable.
The prima facie evidence feature of the statute upon which Judge WOODLEY predicates his holding cannot be utilized to make valid a statute that is void.
This court finds itself in this position: One judge (WOODLEY) holds that Art. 827a as it presently exists and as it existed at the time of this prosecution is a valid statute in so far as it makes unlawful the operation of a motor vehicle over the highways of this state at a greater rate of speed than sixty miles per hour. The validity of Art. 827a is not tested as to other provisions thereof. Another judge (MORRISON) does not agree to the soundness of the WOODLEY opinion and refuses to affirm this case for the reasons therein assigned. Rather, he agrees to the affirmance for the reasons assigned in the DICE opinion, which states that if the present statute be invalid the prosecution and conviction could be sustained as a violation of Art. 827a as it existed in 1941. The third, or remaining judge (the writer hereof) agrees with the contention of the appellant that Art. 827a as it presently exists is void and unenforceable because it violates the Constitution and laws of this state and the Federal Constitution.
It is my conviction that there exists no valid statute which makes unlawful the acts charged against this appellant by the information in this case and for which he has been convicted.
The only thing the majority of this court here decide is that the judgment of conviction should be affirmed. The opinions delivered are authoritative only for that purpose.
From the very inception of this case the appellant has insisted, both in the trial court and here, that Sec. 8 of Art. 827a is void and unenforceable because it violates and is in contravention of the Constitution *842 and laws of this state and of the due process clause of the Federal Constitution.
This court has not passed upon those contentions. The statute under which this conviction occurred is neither upheld nor condemned. Unless and until this court passes upon appellant's contentions, he has been denied the full right of appeal as guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of this state. His contentions ought to be either sustained or overruled. If the statute is valid this court ought to say so; if it is invalid it should say so.
The fact that this court has not said one way or the other is, within itself, a sufficient reason for reversing this conviction, because no man should suffer a conviction under a statute which a majority of this court cannot say is valid and enforceable. Reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence, it appears to me, would preclude an affirmance of this case under such conditions.
I address myself now to a discussion of the validity of Art. 827a, as against the contention that it is vague and indefinite and is, therefore, invalid:
Subsection 1 of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a, Vernon's P.C., is set forth in the opinion dated April 3, 1957. It will therefore not be here copied.
It is my opinion that the sole and only act made unlawful by said section is the driving of a vehicle on a highway "at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing." I am of the further opinion that the quoted language is so vague, indefinite, and uncertain as to render that part of the statute invalid and wholly inoperative, because men of common intelligence must guess as to what is meant by "a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing," and differ as to its application.
It has been the consistent holding of this court throughout the years that a vague, indefinite, and uncertain statute is invalid. That holding was required by the express provisions of Art. 6 of our Penal Code, which reads as follows:
"Unintelligible law not operative. Whenever it appears that a provision of the penal law is so indefinitely framed or of such doubtful construction that it can not be understood, either from the language in which it is expressed, or from some other written law of the State, such penal law shall be regarded as wholly inoperative."
The following authorities sustain and support the rule stated: Ex parte Chernosky, Tex.Cr.App., 217 S.W.2d 673; Ex parte Slaughter, 92 Tex.Cr.R. 212, 243 S. W. 478, 26 A.L.R. 891; Griffin v. State, 86 Tex.Cr.R. 498, 218 S.W. 494; Cinadr v. State, 108 Tex.Cr.R. 147, 300 S.W. 64; Dockery v. State, 93 Tex.Cr.R. 220, 247 S. W.2d 508; Ex Parte Leslie, 87 Tex.Cr.R. 476, 223 S.W. 227; Overt v. State, 97 Tex. Cr.R. 202, 260 S.W. 856; Ex parte Wilmoth, 125 Tex.Cr.R. 274, 67 S.W.2d 289.
The correctness of the holding in those cases has not heretofore been questioned.
Under those authorities Art. 827a is vague and indefinite and in violation of Art. 6, P. C.
It is easy to conceive that various and different opinions would be held by men of ordinary intelligence upon the question of when a vehicle was operated in a reasonable and prudent manner at a given time and place. In order to know when a vehicle is operated at a greater speed than is reasonable and prudent, one must necessarily know what constitutes a reasonable and prudent operation of the vehicle under given conditions and circumstances.
When the meaning of "reasonable and prudent" rate of speed is determined under any given fact situation, the law is thereby for the first time declared.
So then, if there be any law in this state governing the rate of speed at which vehicles may be operated over the highways, *843 it is not an act of the legislature but is the opinion, viewpoint, idea, whim, or caprice of some individual or set of individuals who thereby declares the law of this state.
In practical application, each individual who has any part in the arrest, prosecution, or conviction of one charged with a violation of the speed laws must first determine whether there be a law from a given state of facts as viewed by him and then determine from those same facts whether the accused has violated that law. The last individual or set of individuals to make that determinationthat is, judge or jury may, by determining that there is no law making unlawful the acts of the accused, thereby set aside the prior contrary determination of others.
Such being true, there could be, under such circumstances, no definite law fixing the rate of speed at which a vehicle would be unlawfully operated.
The statute creating the offense is not invalid solely because it is vague and indefinite; it is invalid for the further reason that it is in violation of Sec. 56 of Art. III of the Constitution of this state, Vernon's Ann.St., which prohibits the legislature from passing a special or local law where a general law can be made applicable.
Any offense denounced by Subsection 1 of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a depends upon the "conditions then existing." In other words, if the conditions existing do not render or make the rate of speed unreasonable or imprudent, there exists no statute to be violated. The conditions existing when and where the vehicle is driven are therefore a necessary element and a part of the offense, without which it cannot be said that a law has been violated or that there exists a law which makes unlawful those acts.
So then we have, here, no general statute by the legislature which makes unlawful the operation of a motor vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, but, rather, such is made unlawful only when committed at a particular time and under special conditions and circumstances. It is apparent that such a law is a special law.
An act committed in a given circumstance or condition can occur but once. The same act committed at some other time or place would not be the same, because circumstances and conditions have changed. The statute here involved is therefore a special law making unlawful an act committed only at one time and, then, under special conditions and circumstances. That such law violates Art. III, Sec. 56, of the Constitution of this state is apparent.
I come now to a discussion of the prima facie evidence feature of the statute:
As pointed out in the opinion by Judge Woodley, Subsection 1(b) of Sec. 8 of Art. 827a provides that "* * * any speed in excess of the limits specified in this subsection or established as hereinafter authorized shall be prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful * * *." A limit of sixty miles per hour is fixed as the prima facie speed.
It is insisted, and Judge WOODLEY agrees, that such prima facie rule constitutes Art. 827a a valid statute making it unlawful to operate a motor vehicle over the highways of this state at a rate of speed in excess of sixty miles per hour.
To that contention by the state I do not agree.
The prima facie evidence rule is nothing more or less than a rule of evidence; it is not a rule of substantive law. It has reference and applies only to the mode or manner by and through which facts essential to the conviction might be established. 20 Am.Jur., Evidence, Sec. 4, page 35, defines the term as follows:
"The term `prima facie evidence' which frequently appears in cases, denotes evidence which, if unexplained or uncontradicted, is sufficient in a jury case to carry the case to the jury and to sustain a verdict in favor of *844 the issue which it supports but which may be contradicted by other evidence, and is thus distinguished from conclusive evidence which the law does not allow to be contradicted."
The definition of that term, applied by this court, is in keeping with the above, and is as follows:
"`Prima facie evidence means evidence which is sufficient to establish the fact, unless rebutted; evidence which, standing alone and unexplained, would maintain the proposition and warrant the conclusion to support which it is introduced.'"
See: Ratliff v. State, 114 Tex.Cr.R. 142, 25 S.W.2d 343, 344, and Uptmore v. State, 116 Tex.Cr.R. 181, 32 S.W.2d 474.
In no event, then, could prima facie evidence be the medium through which a substantive rule of law could be promulgated or defined.
Being a rule of evidence, only, there must exist some fact issue upon which the rule might operate which necessarily presupposes, in a criminal case, an accusation under a valid statute and issues of fact joined.
As I have heretofore pointed out, there is, here, no valid statute regulating the speed of motor vehicles, and therefore there could exist no prosecution.
The prima facie evidence rule must be here construed as an act of the legislature prescribing a rule of evidence applicable in prosecutions arising under a void statute.
The statute, in attempting to define an offense, being void, no occasion or fact issue could therefore arise whereby the prima facie evidence rule could be applied or resorted to.
To ascribe and give to the prima facie evidence rule the effect of making a law or of making valid a statute which would otherwise be void would be contrary to one of the cardinal principles of statutory constructionwhich is that of legislative intent.
Had the legislature of this state intended to fix a definite speed limit in this state, it could very easily have said so. There would have been no occasion for the legislature to have relied upon intendment or supposition to accomplish that purpose. So the fact that the legislature did not fix a definite speed limit evidences its intention not to do so. The prima facie evidence provision of the statute cannot be given the interpretation that it fixes a definite limit at which motor vehicles may be operated in this state. To so hold would be contrary to the legislative intent and would constitute judicial legislation.
The whole of the statute (Art. 827a) shows that the legislature never intended that the prima facie evidence feature thereof be considered or deemed as fixing speed limits in this state.
Regardless of the construction that is to be given to the prima facie evidence feature of the statutethat is, whether it is a rule of evidence only or a substantive law denouncing an offensethe fact remains that the legislature has delegated to administrative tribunals and agencies the right to fix the prima facie evidence rule.
It is obvious that such legislation is directly contrary to and violative of Sec. 1 of Art. II of the Constitution of this state, which prohibits the legislature from delegating to other persons or tribunals its legislative powers and the right to make, promulgate, and pass laws. Under that constitutional provision, the legislature and the legislature, only, has the power and authority to set forth, by statute, the acts that are unlawful in this state and to prescribe the rules of evidence by which an accused is to be tried for his liberty in the courts of this state.
Here, the legislature has not performed that function or exercised its legislative powers. To the contrary, it has delegated *845 to administrative tribunals the right to perform that legislative function. The attempt by the legislature to confer upon the Highway Commission, the commissioners courts, and the governing bodies of cities and towns the right to fix the prima facie speed limits is contrary to and in violation of the Constitution of this state.
When the legislature delegated to and conferred upon other tribunals the right to change the prima facie evidence rules it had promulgated, it authorized those tribunals to suspend the very laws it had passed. In so doing, it destroyed every vestige or reference to prima facie evidence in the statute. When other tribunals were delegated the power to change the prima facie evidence rule, the legislature surrendered all its power and authority to legislate thereon, and thereby nullified everything it has said or attempted to say thereon.
Another provision of our Constitution has been here violated: Art. I, Sec. 28, of the Constitution of this state reads as follows:
"No power of suspending laws in this State shall be exercised except by the Legislature."
When the legislature conferred upon administrative tribunals the unqualified and unlimited right to reduce the prima facie speed limit, it authorized and conferred upon those tribunals the right not only to suspend but to destroy any statute it had written fixing the maximum speed limit within the prima facie evidence rule, in direct violation of the above provision of our Constitution.
For the reasons assigned, there exists no prima facie evidence rule under Art. 827a, nor has the legislature defined or fixed by statute a definite speed at which motor vehicles are to be operated over the highways of this state.
There is another reason why the prima facie evidence rule, as fixed in the statute, may not and cannot be here utilized or relied upon by the state in this prosecution:
It will be noted that the information in this case alleges, among other things, that "* * * the State Highway Commission, by an order entered upon its minutes, had determined, upon an engineering and traffic investigation, the prima facie reasonable and prudent and safe speed limit applicable, at such time and zone or place, to be 60 miles per hour, as designated and identified by signs erected by the State Highway Commission * * *."
Under that allegation, the state relied not upon the prima facie rate of speed as fixed by the legislature but upon the prima facie speed that the Highway Commission had fixed, applied, and designated for that particular time, zone, or place.
The information having alleged that the Highway Commission had fixed the prima facie speed limit under the authority conferred upon it, the statutory prima facie speed limit is not here invoked and may not be relied upon by the state to sustain this conviction.
There is another and additional reason way Art. 827a is invalid:
Art. I, Sec. 9, of our State Constitution and the Fourth Amendment to the Federal Constitution expressly prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures. Titles 5 and 6, C.C.P., Vernon's Ann.C.C.P. arts. 212 et seq., 304 et seq.
By special legislation the legislature has authorized peace officers to arrest for traffic violations, without warrant, and this court has held that such statute applies to speed violations. The right to arrest carries with it the right to search the person and the vehicle. Richardson v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 294 S.W.2d 844; Brown v. State, 159 Tex. Cr.R. 306, 263 S.W.2d 261.
No statute or decision authorizes a peace officer to make an arrest or a search upon mere suspicion, belief, and opinion that an offense has been committed; an arrest or *846 search under such conditions is prohibited. Gill v. State, 134 Tex.Cr.R. 363, 115 S.W.2d 923; Burton v. State, 152 Tex.Cr.R. 444, 215 S.W.2d 180; Moore v. State, 107 Tex. Cr.R. 24, 294 S.W. 550; Giacona v. State, Tex.Cr.App., 298 S.W.2d 587.
Applying those rules here, it is apparent that if Art. 827a is a valid statute making it a violation of the speed laws of this state for one to operate a motor vehicle at an unreasonable and imprudent speed then a peace officer may arrest and search upon mere suspicion and belief, because the existence of an unlawful speed law depends, first, upon the supposition, opinion, idea, and belief of the peace officer, and, secondly, upon the supposition, opinion, idea, and belief of the peace officer that the facts constitute a violation of that statute.
If Art. 827a is void for indefiniteness, as I contend, it could not and would not furnish the medium for an arrest.
If Art. 827a be construed as a valid speed law regulating the speed of motor vehicles, then it is void because it authorizes an arrest and search upon mere suspicion and belief, in violation of our constitutional guarantees.
Does this conviction show a denial of due process?
The courts have often said that the meaning of due process is incapable of being expressed by a fixed or certain definition. One of the definitions of that term and one which I conceive to be entirely here sufficient is that a denial of due process has occurred when fundamental fairness necessary to the very concept of justice has not been observed. Newman v. State, 148 Tex. Cr.R. 645, 187 S.W.2d 559, and authorities there cited.
With that definition in mind, the question of a denial of due process is examined:
Here is, to my mind, a clear picture of what happened in this case and what could happen at any time under Art. 827a:
A policeman, a highway patrolman, a sheriff, or a constable, or any other peace officer observes an automobile being driven upon a public highway of this state. He decides that the automobile is being driven, under then existing conditions, at a greater rate of speed than is reasonable and prudent. Such conclusion is based upon his opinion and belief because of what he sees and observes. The actual rate of speed at which the automobile is traveling is not essential or controlling, but enters into the matter only in so far as it may be utilized by the officer in forming his opinion and belief. Because of that opinion and belief the officer concludes that Sec. 8, Subsection 1(a), Art. 827a, is being violated in his presence, so he proceeds to arrest the driver by ordering him to stop the automobile. By stopping the automobile, the driver is thereby arrested because he is under restraint by the officer. Art. 239, C.C.P. The officer then gives the driver a ticket showing that he is charged with having violated Art. 827a by driving at an unreasonable or imprudent speed. The driver is cited to appear in a designated court to answer that accusation. At the designated time the driver appears in court to answer the accusation. The officer testifies as to the operation of the automobile and the conditions existing at the time, and, upon that predicate, expresses the opinion that the driver was operating the automobile at an unreasonable and imprudent speed. The driver insists that, in his opinion, he was driving the automobile in a reasonable and prudent manner and that the officer was not justified in his opinion.
Under the testimony, the issue presented is whether the opinion of the officer showed an unlawful act on the part of the driver. In other words, is there a valid law in this state which says that the acts of the driver to which the officer testified were unlawful? The only way by which it could be said that such a law does exist would be to adopt, as the law, the opinion and idea of the officer.
*847 But the judge or the jury trying the case do not agree with the opinion of the officer. They, or either of them, are of the opinion that the facts testified to by the officer do not warrant his conclusion that the driver was operating the automobile at an unreasonable or imprudent speed. Under that opinion, an acquittal of the driver is required, not because he did not commit the acts to which the officer testified but because, in the opinion of the judge or the jury, there was no law which made unlawful those acts.
Thus it is demonstrated that, under such procedure, the last individual or tribunal called upon or having authority to determine when a motor vehicle has been operated at an unreasonable or imprudent rate of speed makes that determination solely from his or its opinion, idea, and viewpoint, and not from any written law of this state.
So then we have in this state a statute which authorizes a conviction of one solely and alone upon the private opinion, idea, surmise, or supposition of one person who thereby not only announces what the law is but also determines that the facts upon which he bases that opinion show a violation of that law.
To guard against such a condition existing in this state, Art. 3 of our Penal Code was enacted. It reads as follows:
"Penalties must be affixed by written law. In order that the system of penal law in force in this State may be complete within itself, and that no system of foreign laws, written or unwritten, may be appealed to, it is declared that no person shall be punished for any act or omission, unless the same is made a penal offense, and a penalty is affixed thereto by the written law of this State."
Under that statute, this court has held that due process requires that a penal law must give reasonable notice as a predicate to punishment for a violation thereof. Ex parte Leslie, 87 Tex.Cr.R. 476, 223 S.W. 227.
I have no hesitancy in saying that if this conviction (in the instant case) evidences that fundamental fairness necessary to the very concept of justice in all criminal cases, then due process of law no longer exists, for none of the elements necessary thereto is shown to exist.
It is my opinion that this conviction is in violation of every principal of due process.
By the passage of Art. 827a, the legislature showed that it no longer desired to exercise its constitutional power to regulate the rate of speed at which motor vehicles were to be operated over the highways of this state, because it thereby transferred to and conferred upon certain tribunals of this state that power and authority.
The only lawful means whereby the legislature could have been relieved of that power, however, was by a vote of the people of this state amending our Constitution. Unless and until the people place the legislative power to write laws in tribunals other than the legislature, that power and duty remain fixed in the legislature. The legislature could not have been relieved of that power by enacting Art. 827a.
If it was the purpose and intent of the legislature, in passing Art. 827a, to give to all peace officers in this state the unqualified and unlimited right to arrest a citizen of this state, and search his person and possessions, for violating the speed laws, it should havein all fairnessso framed the statute that reasonable men would have had no difficulty in understanding and knowing the acts which were made unlawful.
Art. 827a does not meet those requirements. Rather it authorizes an arrest and search upon a void statute, and upon the mere conclusion, suspicion, and opinion of the arresting officer, in clear violation of our constitutional guarantees against searches and seizures.
*848 There is a principle of law that is deepseated in our jurisprudence: that of the doctrine of judicial review, which means that the power to enact laws lies exclusively with the legislative branch of our government, while the power to determine whether those laws are valid lies exclusively with the judicial branch of our government.
The legislature has no right to pass laws which violate constitutional mandates.
The courts have no right to approve or uphold a law that violates the Constitution.
The expediency, the purpose, or the reason for the enactment of laws rests exclusively with the legislature.
The judiciary has no power to sustain or defeat a law because it is expedient to do so or because of the benefits which might result from sustaining the legislation or the evils that might result from a destruction thereof.
In the performance of the duty here imposed upon me to determine the validity of Art. 827a, these principles are constantly in my mind.
Having reached the conclusion that Art. 827a is void and of no force and effect, I must so declare, in obedience to my oath of office as a judge.
While it may be expedient and a matter of considerable importance to this state that the speed of motor vehicles be limited and regulated, yet such regulation must come from the legislature by a valid law.
I realize that a dissenting opinion has no authoritative value. About the only persons who are benefited thereby are the writer and those who would be helped if the views expressed herein were controlling.
I further realize that this is a case of no great concern when measured by the punishment inflicted, but, when measured by the questions presented and determined, it is a case of great moment and concern to the jurisprudence of this state and its citizenship, because certain guarantees and mandates contained in our Constitution are either effective or they no longer exist.
In writing this dissenting opinion it is my purpose to do what I can to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of this state and, in the furtherance of that purpose, I make no apology for expressing my views at length.
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Gonzalez, A. (2017), 'Developments in damage assessment by Marie Skłodowska-Curie TRUSS ITN project ', Journal of Physics: Conf. Series, 842(012039).
The growth of cities, the impacts of climate change and the massive cost of providing new infrastructure provide the impetus for TRUSS (Training in Reducing Uncertainty in Structural Safety), a €3.7 million Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Innovative Training Network project funded by EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, which aims to maximize the potential of infrastructure that already exists (http://trussitn.eu). For that purpose, TRUSS brings together an international, inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration between five academic and eleven industry institutions from five European countries. The project covers rail and road infrastructure, buildings and energy and marine infrastructure. This paper reports progress in fields such as advanced sensor-based structural health monitoring solutions – unmanned aerial vehicles, optical backscatter reflectometry, monitoring sensors mounted on vehicles, … – and innovative algorithms for structural designs and short- and long-term assessments of buildings, bridges, pavements, ships, ship unloaders, nuclear components and wind turbine towers that will support infrastructure operators and owners in managing their assets. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Gonzalez Merino, A. and Gonzalez, A. (2019), Reliability methods in the design point of free-standing spent fuel racks under seismic conditions', Progress in Nuclear Engineering, 115: 208-220, August.
Gonzalez Merino, A., Costas, L. and Gonzalez, A. (2019), 'Influence of the modelling properties on the seismic response of free-standing spent fuel racks', Nuclear Engineering and Design, 342: 210-218, February.
Gonzalez Merino, A., Costas, L. and Gonzalez, A. (2019), 'Experimental validation of the seismic analysis methodology for free-standing spent fuel racks', Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 51(3): 884-893, June. Open access.
Gonzalez Merino, A., Costas, L. and Gonzalez, A. (2017), 'Uncertainties in seismic design of HDSFS Racks', Energy Procedia, 127: 310-319, September.
Teixeira, R., Nogal, M. and OConnor, A.J. (2018), 'On the suitability of the generalized Pareto to model extreme waves', Journal of Hydraulic Research, March.
Dealing with extreme events implies working with events that have low probability of occurrence. To characterize these, the peak-over-threshold method alongside the generalized Pareto distribution is commonly applied. However, when it comes to significant wave heights, this approach is not recommended. Here, the generalized Pareto distribution is discussed based on data collected around the coast of Ireland. A careful choice of threshold takes place, and a new methodology to establish the threshold level is introduced. Five indicators to evaluate the fitting are considered to compare the different statistical models. No evidence was identified to justify the rejection of the generalized Pareto distribution to model exceedances. Results show that it may be statistically less, equally or more adequate, depending on the peak-over-threshold implementation. Nevertheless, the generalized Pareto bounded character is of elementary interest for wave statistics. In some circumstances not considering it might lead to unrealistic significant wave return levels. [DOI]
Zou, G., Banisoleiman, K. and Gonzalez, A. (2018), 'Value of inspection in steel structural integrity management', IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 146(012080).
Zou, G., Banisoleiman, K. and Gonzalez, A. (2016), 'Methodologies for crack initiation in welded joints applied to inspection planning', World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 10(11):1406-1413.
Huseynov, F., Brownjohn, J., O’Brien, E., and Hester, D. (2017), 'Analysis of load test on composite I-girder bridge', Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring, 7(2):163–173.
This paper showcases the importance of field testing in efforts to deal with the deteriorating infrastructure. It shows that when tested, bridges do not necessarily behave as expected under load, particularly with respect to boundary conditions. This is demonstrated via a load test performed on a healthy but ageing composite reinforced concrete bridge in Exeter, UK. The bridge girders were instrumented with strain transducers and static strains were recorded while a four-axle, 32 tonne lorry remained stationary in a single lane. Subsequently, a 3-D finite element model of the bridge was developed and calibrated based on the field test data. The bridge deck was originally designed as simply supported, however, it is shown (from the field test and calibrated model) that the support conditions were no longer behaving as pin-roller which affects the load distribution characteristics of the superstructure. Transverse load distribution factors (DFs) of the bridge deck structure were studied for different boundary conditions. The DFs obtained from analysis were compared with DFs provided in Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Standard Specification. Having observed in the load test that the ends of the deck appeared to be experiencing some rotational restraint, a parametric study was carried out to calculate mid-span bending moment (under DMRB assessment loading) for varying levels of restraint at the end of the deck. [DOI]
Brownjohn, J.M.W., Kripakaran, P., Harvey, B., Kromanis, R., Jones, P. and Huseynov, F. (2016). 'Structural health monitoring of short to medium span bridges in the United Kingdom', Structural Monitoring and Maintenance, September, 3(3):259–276.
Historically the UK has been a pioneer and early adopter of experimental investigation techniques on new and operation structures, a technology that would now be described as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), yet few of these investigations have been enduring or carried out on the long span or tall structures that feature in flagship SHM applications in the Far East. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Heitner, B., OBrien, E., Schoefs, F., Yalamas, T., Decatoire, R, and Leahy, C. (2016),'Probabilistic modelling of bridge safety based on damage indicators', Procedia Engineering, 156:140-147.
This paper introduces the various aspects of bridge safety models. It combines the different models of load and resistance involving both deterministic and stochastic variables. The actual safety, i.e. the probability of failure, is calculated using Monte Carlo simulation and accounting for localized damage of the bridge. A possible damage indicator is also presented in the paper and the usefulness of updating the developed bridge safety model, with regards to the damage indicator, is examined. [DOI] -> Link to publisher’s version -> Link to full text in repository
Vagnoli, M. and Remenyte-Prescott, R. (2018), 'An ensemble-based change-point detection method for identifying unexpected behaviour of railway tunnel infrastructures', Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, November, 81: 68-82.
Vagnoli, M., Remenyte-Prescott, R. and Andrews, J. (2017), 'Railway bridge structural health monitoring and fault detection: State-of-the-art methods and future challenges', Structural Health Monitoring, SAGE, August, 1-37.
Railway importance in the transportation industry is increasing continuously, due to the growing demand of both passenger travel and transportation of goods. However, more than 35% of the 300,000 railway bridges across Europe are over 100-years old, and their reliability directly impacts the reliability of the railway network. This increased demand may lead to higher risk associated with their unexpected failures, resulting safety hazards to passengers and increased whole life cycle cost of the asset. Consequently, one of the most important aspects of evaluation of the reliability of the overall railway transport system is bridge structural health monitoring, which can monitor the health state of the bridge by allowing an early detection of failures. Therefore, a fast, safe and cost-effective recovery of the optimal health state of the bridge, where the levels of element degradation or failure are maintained efficiently, can be achieved. In this article, after an introduction to the desired features of structural health monitoring, a review of the most commonly adopted bridge fault detection methods is presented. Mainly, the analysis focuses on model-based finite element updating strategies, non-model-based (data-driven) fault detection methods, such as artificial neural network, and Bayesian belief network–based structural health monitoring methods. A comparative study, which aims to discuss and compare the performance of the reviewed types of structural health monitoring methods, is then presented by analysing a short-span steel structure of a railway bridge. Opportunities and future challenges of the fault detection methods of railway bridges are highlighted. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Moughty, J.J. and Casas, J.R. (2017). 'A state of the art review of modal-based damage detection in bridges: Development, challenges, and solutions', Applied Sciences, 7(5), 510.
Traditionally, damage identification techniques in bridges have focused on monitoring changes to modal-based Damage Sensitive Features (DSFs) due to their direct relationship with structural stiffness and their spatial information content. However, their progression to real-world applications has not been without its challenges and shortcomings, mainly stemming from: (1) environmental and operational variations; (2) inefficient utilization of machine learning algorithms for damage detection; and (3) a general over-reliance on modal-based DSFs alone. The present paper provides an in-depth review of the development of modal-based DSFs and a synopsis of the challenges they face. The paper then sets out to addresses the highlighted challenges in terms of published advancements and alternatives from recent literature. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Casas, J.R. and Moughty J.J. (2017), 'Bridge damage detection based on vibration data: past and new developments', Frontiers in Built Environment, 3(4).
Overtime, the structural condition of bridges tends to decline due to a number of degradation processes, such as creep, corrosion and cyclic loading, among others. Considerable research has been conducted over the years to assess and monitor the rate of such degradation with the aim of reducing structural uncertainty. Traditionally, vibration-based damage detection techniques in bridges have focused on monitoring changes to modal parameters and subsequently comparing them to numerical models. These traditional techniques are generally time consuming and can often mistake changing environmental and operational conditions as structural damage. Recent research has seen the emergence of more advanced computational techniques that not only allow the assessment of noisier and more complex data, but also allow research to veer away from monitoring changes in modal parameters alone. This paper presents a review of the current state-of-the-art developments in vibration based damage detection in small to medium span bridges with particular focus on the utilization of advanced computational methods that avoid traditional damage detection pitfalls. A case study of the S101 Bridge is also presented to test the damage sensitivity a chosen methodology. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Barrias, A., Casas, J.R. and Villalba, S. (2019), 'Distributed optical fiber sensors in concrete structures: Performance of bonding adhesives and influence of spatial resolution', Structural Control and Health Monitoring 26(3), e2310.
Barrias, A., Casas, J.R. and Villalba, S. (2019), 'SHM of Reinforced Concrete Elements by Rayleigh Backscattering DOFS', Frontiers in Built Environment 5:30.
Barrias, A., Casas, J.R. and Villalba, S. (2019), 'Fatigue performance of distributed optical fiber sensors in reinforced concrete elements', Construction and Building Materials 218, 214-223.
Bado, M. F., Casas, J.R. and Barrias, A. (2018), 'Performance of Rayleigh-based Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors bonded to reinforcing bars in bending', Sensors 18(9), 1-23, September, Open access.
Barrias, A. , Casas, J.R., and Villalba, S. (2018), 'Embedded distributed optical fiber sensors in reinforced concrete structures - A case study', Sensors 18(4), 980. Open access.
When using distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) on reinforced concrete structures, a compromise must be achieved between the protection requirements and robustness of the sensor deployment and the accuracy of the measurements both in the uncracked and cracked stages and under loading, unloading and reloading processes. With this in mind the authors have carried out an experiment where polyimide-coated DOFS were installed on two concrete beams, both embedded in the rebar elements and also bonded to the concrete surface. The specimens were subjected to a three-point load test where after cracking, they are unloaded and reloaded again to assess the capability of the sensor when applied to a real loading scenarios in concrete structures. Rayleigh Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) was used as the most suitable technique for crack detection in reinforced concrete elements. To verify the reliability and accuracy of the DOFS measurements, additional strain gauges were also installed at three locations along the rebar. The results show the feasibility of using a thin coated polyimide DOFS directly bonded on the reinforcing bar without the need of indention or mechanization. A proposal for a Spectral Shift Quality (SSQ) threshold is also obtained and proposed for future works when using polyimide-coated DOFS bonded to rebars with cyanoacrylate adhesive. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Barrias, A. , Rodriguez, G., Casas, J.R., and Villalba, S. (2018), 'Application of distributed optical fiber sensors for the health monitoring of two real structures in Barcelona', Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, February.
The versatility and ease of installation of Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors (DOFS) compared with traditional monitoring systems are important characteristics to consider when facing the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of real world structures. The DOFS used in this study provide continuous (in space) strain data along the optical fibre with high spatial resolution. The main issues and results of two different existing structures monitored with DOFS, are described in this paper. The main SHM results of the rehabilitation of an historical building used as hospital and the enlargement of a pre-stressed concrete bridge are presented. The results are obtained using a novel DOFS based on an Optical Backscattered Reflectometry (OBR) technique. The application of the optical fibre monitoring system to two different materials (masonry and concrete) provides also important insights on the great possibilities of this technique when monitoring existing structures. In fact, the influence of strain transfer between the DOFS and the bonding surface is one of the principal effects that should be considered in the application of the OBR technique to real structures. Moreover, and because structural surfaces generally present considerable roughness, the procedure to attach the optical fibre to the two monitored structures is described. [DOI]-> Link to full text in repository
Barrias A., Casas J.R. and Villalba S. (2017), 'Application study of embedded Rayleigh based distributed optical fiber sensors in concrete beams', Procedia Engineering 199:2014-2019.
In this work, an experiment on two small concrete beams is described where Rayleigh based distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) are implemented together with traditional electrical strain gauges for the monitoring of these elements during a three-point load test. Part of the DOF sensor is embedded without protective coating directly in the rebar inside the concrete, being the remaining fiber glued to the surface of the element after the concrete hardening. This allows the direct comparison between the developed strains on the surface of concrete and the rebar with the use of a single sensor. Moreover, two types of adhesives are studied and then compared. From all the possible distributed sensing techniques, the Rayleigh based Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR) is the one which enables the better spatial resolution without the need of post-processing algorithms. In this way, in this experiment, this is going to be the used sensing technique. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Barrias, A. , Casas, J.R., and Villalba, S. (2016), 'A review of distributed optical fiber sensors for civil engineering applications', Sensors, 16(5), 748. Open access.
The application of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems to civil engineering structures has been a developing studied and practiced topic, that has allowed for a better understanding of structures’ conditions and increasingly lead to a more cost-effective management of those infrastructures. In this field, the use of fiber optic sensors has been studied, discussed and practiced with encouraging results. The possibility of understanding and monitor the distributed behavior of extensive stretches of critical structures it’s an enormous advantage that distributed fiber optic sensing provides to SHM systems. In the past decade, several R & D studies have been performed with the goal of improving the knowledge and developing new techniques associated with the application of distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) in order to widen the range of applications of these sensors and also to obtain more correct and reliable data. This paper presents, after a brief introduction to the theoretical background of DOFS, the latest developments related with the improvement of these products by presenting a wide range of laboratory experiments as well as an extended review of their diverse applications in civil engineering structures. [DOI] -> Link to full text in repository
Malekjafarian, A., Martinez, D. and OBrien, E.J. (2018). 'The feasibility of using laser doppler vibrometer measurements from a passing vehicle for bridge damage detection', Shock and Vibration, 2018, Article ID 9385171, 10 pages.
OBrien, E.J., Martinez, D., Malekjafarian, A. and Sevillano, E. (2017). 'Damage detection using curvatures obtained from vehicle measurements', Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring, 7(3):333-341. | http://trussitn.eu/publications-in-international-peer-reviewed-journals/ |
The invention discloses antibacterial nano waterborne paint and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes following steps: mixing a waterborne paint component A and a waterborne paint component B according to a mass ratio of 1:5; stirring well to obtain the antibacterial nano waterborne paint. The antibacterial nano waterborne paint can replace oily products, consumption and emission of organic solvents are greatly reduced, physical damage to construction personnel is lowered greatly, the objective of lowering VOC emission is achieved, and the antibacterial nano waterbornepaint is green and environment-friendly; the paint has good wear-resistant and pollution-resistant performance, constructability is improved, the surface of the paint is easier to clean, and the paintleaves no water stain, is equivalent to the oily products in using cost and has great market value; by using a surface-modified nano titanium dioxide antibacterial agent, compatibility between a nanoinorganic antibacterial agent and a paint matrix is improved, the nano inorganic antibacterial agent can remarkably improve antibacterial and bactericidal performance of the paint, and the paint is excellent in comprehensive effect. | |
Sunseed background information and selection procedure background sunseed desert technology was set up in 1986 in an abandoned village in the semi-arid region of almeria of southern spain. Thar desert: thar desert, arid region of rolling sand hills on the indian subcontinent. Geography the ancient egyptians thought of egypt as being divided into two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land' desert that protected egypt on two. Biome background: deserts where are the deserts deserts, like forests and grasslands, occur all around the world symmetrical clusters of deserts are found around the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn - the two latitudes that define the area where the sun's angle at solar noon is closest to ninety degrees overhead at the equinox. Ten deserts make up nearly 20 per cent of australia and contribute to it being the second driest continent in the world and provide information about our.
The saguaro cactus, carnegiea gigantea, is the largest cactus in the us, commonly reaching 40 feet in height the saguaro provides both food and shelter for a variety of desert species and plays an integral role in the culture of the tohono o'odham people it has been written that the saguaro. 587 desert hd wallpapers and background images download for free on all your devices - computer, smartphone, or tablet. About bats, caves, & deserts is an elementary curriculum guide for teachers that gives basic background information on the aforementioned topics, followed by supplemental activities to enrich each unit background information is provided on a variety of park themes activities relating to history.
Desert fossil is a type of block found in the underground desert biome in medium to large groupings mining it requires either a nightmare or deathbringer pickaxe or higher, but unlike most similar materials, it cannot be removed with explosions. The sonoran desert background information what is a desert we often hear of the desert as being a harsh environment where plant and animal life must. Raven workshop speaker background information and abstracts brian croft, western mojave desert division chief, us fish and wildlife service.
Background information year 5-6, unit 2: survival environments, including the extremes of the desert and the freezing temperatures of the polar regions over. Arabian desert, great desert region of extreme southwestern asia that occupies almost the entire arabian peninsula it is the largest desert area on the continent. An important source of a wide diversity of desert information, although surprisingly lacking in information on certain key issues shachak, moshe, james r gosz, steward t a pickett, and avi perevolotsky, eds 2005. Egypt: background egypt, as a unified country, is believed to have been created about 3,200bce, though it is known that a civilization existed here since the neolithic period (8,800-4,700bce) and perhaps as far back as the palaeolithic period, though much of the dating of this period was done by uncalibrated radiocarbon dating methods. People and the desert: people have a variety of uses for deserts the desert is popular for tourism and recreation often people visit to see the beautiful sand.
Its territory includes mountains, high plateaus, sandy deserts, and dense forests one-third of china's land area is made up of mountains the tallest mountain on earth, mount everest, sits on the border between china and nepal. Gobi desert facts:-gobi means waterless place - it is approximately 500,000 square miles - only 5% is sand dunes - contains 5 disctinct ecoregions. Kids learn about the geography of the world's deserts such as the sahara, arabian, gobi, and mohave go here for more information on the desert habitat. Food deserts can be described as geographic areas where residents' access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted.
The information here is by no means a definitive list to what is blooming at all locations in the anza-borrego desert the whitish background of the desert. In desert places, however, the implications of the analogy are necessarily and entirely reversed since what is analogous in the persona and the field is the quality. The desert biome sand dunes in death valley national monument, california deserts cover about one fifth of the earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year.
Unlike most editing & proofreading services, we edit for everything: grammar, spelling, punctuation, idea flow, sentence structure, & more get started now. For more information, visit the eros data center daac (now named the land processes daac) and aviris (a new browser window will open) (a new browser window will open) desert scene in title graphic courtesy of usgs. We recently completed a design competition where the challenge was to tackle the weighty and timely problem of food deserts in our communities let me first provide a little background information on how this all began.
Introducing deserts background information this resource is designed to be used in conjunction with the introducing deserts mini-lesson use this resource as an introduction to or refresher for the basic concepts of the ecosystems of deserts prior to presenting the material to students. Background information for the never-open desert diner by james anderson, plus back-story and other interesting facts about the book. Background information desert cottontails usually grow to lengths of around 16 inches females generally outweigh the males, however -- the girls typically weigh roughly 35 ounces, with the average being about 30 ounces for boys.
2018. | http://fvassignmentqpmt.card-hikaku.info/a-background-information-about-deserts.html |
Doom’s essence has always been of the ethereal. Ever since the heady (and oft. overlooked) weirdness of the genre’s progenitors Black Sabbath, doom metal has been a genre with a keen proclivity for the otherworldly: informed by pre-Christian traditions and metaphysical meanderings just as much as by shroom-induced mysticism. As big fans of haunting vocal harmonies, synth orchestras and otherworldly branches of noise, we’ve curated a selection of ethereal doom for your listening pleasure.
Mars Red Sky
Admittedly more of a heavy psych band than a straight up doom outfit, this Bordeaux three-piece’s sheer ability to drop massive, fuzzy bass-driven riffs amongst understated swirls of guitar and beautifully melodic vocals mean they deserve to make this list. In some ways, the contrast this achieves makes them a lot heavier than bands that purport to be attempting out-and-out brutality. There’s a fragility to their sound that makes them even more explosive when they do go for the jugular.
2016 saw the band release both an EP, Providence, and their third album, Apex III, with the latter acting as a bridge between albums in terms of both theme and style. These releases introduced much more of an experimental aspect to their catalogue, especially on ‘Homesick Deaf’, which is a live cut of a collaboration with Julia Al Abed, which blends field recordings with the band’s music and has a video accompaniment designed to enhance the experience.
2017 has seen the band perform at various European festivals, including Hellfest, and self-release a 12″ single entitled ‘Myramyd’, where they have again stuck to their ethos of straight-to-analogue recording that’s only available on vinyl.
Undersmile
The west of England has always been an odd place. With entrenched pagan traditions still wound deep within the collective consciousness of the south-west, it’s not surprising that Oxford natives Undersmile would look to the past for their sprawling, ethereal rituals.
One central tenet of doom’s ethereal spectrum is the influence of grunge, post-punk, and a proclivity for haunting female-vocal prowess. Undersmile – unfortunately banished to the netherworld after calling it a day last year – were a band who incorporated the aforementioned grunge and folk influence, channelled through an earthy brand of sound design, to dizzying effect.
Accompanying the crushing depth of their riffs with a haunting strain of vocal harmonies and off-kilter melody, Undersmile’s sound was a furore of whirling, shimmering emanations, conjuring images of stone circles, rituals by firelight, and shroom-fuelled ceremonies in ancient times.
dISEMBOWELMENt
Emanating from the primal ether of Australia’s pre-colonial dreamtime, dISEMBOWELMENt‘s (yes that IS how you spell it) otherworldly brand of psychedelic, grindcore-laden doom laid the groundwork for much of the sluggish, melancholic drone and funeral doom we hear today.
dISEMBOWELMENt weren’t too concerned with technicality or tempo, with most of their riffs droning along at a snail’s pace. The band took the bleak, crushing tempos of Autopsy and Incantation and tuned them down to drop A, whilst simultaneously mystifying audiences with their psychedelic take on grinding, million mile an hour grind.
Nestled comfortably in between the fantastical shades of doom, dISEMBOWELMENt also tastefully appropriated Australian Aboriginal instrumentation and a tripped-out, fantasy-laden aesthetic into their sound on first (and unfortunately only) release The Tree Of Life And Death. Featuring a richly layered procession of weird tripped-out interludes and mournful melodies, superimposed against a palette of groove-laden doom-death, dISEMBOWELMENt’s ethereal rackets are still an essential and powerful listen for purveyors of doom’s weirder side.
Chelsea Wolfe
Bolstered by the addition of Queens Of The Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, Chelsea Wolfe’s latest album Hiss Spun saw her stray ever further from her more folky roots. The album saw the singer give her most cathartic performance yet, as she more keenly embraced the doom metal influences made apparent on 2015’s Abyss.
Despite an increase in metallic textures, though, her gothic sound, inspired by Scandinavian folk, retained its subtle, enchanting atmosphere, and these two sides of her sound coupled together infused the release with an inescapable tension.
Taking Wolfe’s mesmeric vocals and ballasting them with thunderous guitars and percussion to create a bewitching brand of chaos, Hiss Spun ensures that Chelsea Wolfe earns her place amongst the ethereal doom elite.
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard
This Welsh doom squadron’s Bandcamp page claims that whilst listening to them, “You may feel dizzy. You may have difficulty focusing. You may need to breathe more rapidly. You may be subject to fits of hysterical shouting or even laughter. You may experience a shift in consciousness.” None of this is true, of course, but it draws attention to the inherently spellbinding nature of the quartet’s monolithic metal.
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard’s brand of doom is much less silly than their name, using the kind of devastating, crawling riffs that all doom fans crave and stacking them up against the ethereal vocals of bassist and frontwoman Jessica Ball. The band’s debut EP Nachthexen was their statement of intent, a sprawling epic that morphed from one colossal eruption to another whilst also displaying a talent for tantalising melodies and mystical vocals that would only become more versatile on 2016’s Y Proffwyd Dwyll.
King Woman
Focusing on majestic, captivating croons rather than the more abrasive vocals you may expect in doom is one way to ensure your sound is on the more ethereal end of the sludgy spectrum. The lackadaisical but brooding vocals of King Woman‘s Kristina Esfandiari are key to the band’s hypnotic sound. Gargantuan riffs are here in spades, but Esfandiari’s performance acts as an enchanting buffer that works alongside the slow, swirling guitars to instil a trance-like melancholy. This masterfully morose sound can make for a cumbersome listen, but the band prove themselves versatile enough songwriters to keep things interesting. Refusing to stay pigeonholed in the realm of doom, King Woman are capable of everything from crushing stoner riffs (‘Utopia’) to funereal post-rock (‘Deny’), hazy psychedelia (‘Hem’) and tender folk (‘Worn’).
SubRosa
SubRosa’s latest LP, the lengthily titled For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages, took inspiration from Russian novel We, a dystopian tale that predates Animal Farm and 1984 by two decades but retains a relevant message for people in 2017. Tackling the surveillance state and the implications of state power overpowering the common person, its message undoubtedly rings true now and makes for a unique but nevertheless important focus for SubRosa’s fourth full-length. There exists no more perfect a band to cover such an issue, either, as SubRosa’s dramatic sound allows the suspenseful sections of their music to feel even more impactful. The addition of violin has long proved itself an eventful way to add a level of drama to metal, and SubRosa’s use of dual violin but just one guitar allows the narrative of the album to be told musically as much as it is lyrically.
Völur
It’s always intriguing to see how a self-professed metal act survives a guitar-less existence, and in the case of Canadian trio Völur, how it can be turned into such a powerful strength. Replacing the role of lead guitar with Laura C. Bates’ masterful violin, the band’s most seemingly ambitious aspect becomes the most powerful tool in their arsenal. Her occasionally classical-esque playing and soaring vocals infuse everything with a spiritualistic layer of emotion whilst Lucas Gadke’s riff-driven bass and raspier growls focus on the metallic side of affairs. The band are currently half-way through a planned four-part series of albums inspired by Germanic folklore, and have already proven themselves one of the metal world’s most innovative acts. As capable of monolithic doom as they are passages of mournful respite, few bands come close to the rustic and mystical prowess of Völur.
Windhand
Virginia doom outfit Windhand got everything right on latest album Grief’s Eternal Flower, showing a commendable return to form following 2013’s Soma. If captivating, albeit fairly predictable, doom metal is your thing then Soma following stoner and doom metal instructions with almost methodical precision was likely anything but a misstep in your book. However, 2015’s Grief’s Eternal Flower saw the band take a much-needed step in their evolution. Previous releases had hinted at the necessity of Dorthia Cottrell’s haunting vocals to their sound, as her bluesy wails and soulful croons cut through waves of hazy riffs as if they’d only been there to build up to her indispensable arrival, but this time around the LP’s song structures seemed to take note of and utilise her hypnotic voice to great effect. If Soma somewhat subdued the band’s greatest asset, Grief’s Eternal Flower placed it centre stage and saw the band transcend their status as another decent doom group. | https://astralnoizeuk.com/2017/10/03/doom-metal-embracing-the-ethereal/ |
In September 2005 (for the 50th anniversary of the atomic clock and 100th anniversary of the theory of relativity) we took several cesium clocks on a road trip to Mt Rainier; a family science experiment unlike anything you've seen before.
By keeping the clocks at altitude for a weekend we were able to detect and measure the effects of relativistic time dilation compared to atomic clocks we left at home. The amazing thing is that the experiment worked! The predicted and measured effect was just over 20 nanoseconds.
The main Project GREAT page has technical details, but below are some photos and commentary on the trip.
Dad makes final connections to the clocks. It took about half an hour to bring all the equipment down from the upstairs lab out to the car. The kids took the back seat.
Here's a view of the car. What a mess. The three clocks fit on a middle seat in the van. The front seat area is where I put the counters, laptop, inverters, power monitors, environmental sensors. It comes to 400 pounds of batteries; 200 pounds of clocks.
A view of the middle seat. Not very elegant but we were in a hurry. The nylon straps were probably a good idea. The seats themselves provided excellent vibration isolation. The power strip provides 120V AC from DC inverters to the clocks. The clocks also had 24 VDC backup power, as well as internal batteries in each cesium clock. This NASA-like triple redundancy is to make sure the clocks don't stop.
These are eight 70 Ah 12 V marine batteries arranged in four pairs of two. Two pairs provide 24 VDC, one pair 12 VDC, and one spare pair. I called them bus A and bus B. I monitored both of them and secretly hoped to also experience a "Main B bus undervolt" (as in Apollo 13). But, no, there were no AC or DC power problems. The 12 VDC bus is used for the two AC inverters. Next time I will use pure sine wave inverters. The 5071A sing with modified sine waves.
View of front seat showing the three HP 53132A TIC (time interval counters), Vaisala temp/humidity meter, laptop, and lots of wires. Each TIC has a AC power cord, a DB9 RS-232 cable, and two coax cables. You can also see the red/black 12 VDC power lines coming from the engine (alternator) and going to the back seat (battery bank)
Another view of the three clocks. There was no time to place them picture perfect in the car seat. I did place hard foam between the clocks so as not to scratch them.
To keep everything straight I color coded the clocks, cables, and counters: red, green, and blue. As a special treat the kids got Jones Sodas at the beginning of the trip; you guess it - fufu berry red, apple green, and bubble gum blue. Those of you with more than one child will understand why the success of a long road trip depends on equality. Three kids, three clocks, three sodas.
Mom says goodbye to us. She stayed behind to study for her nursing board exams. We would come back about 20 ns older compared to her. Or, the other way to look at it (since this is relativity after all), is that she would become 20 ns younger than us upon our return. Note to husbands: this could be a useful gift idea for your wife.
This view from the driver's seat allowed me to check on the status of the experiment while I was, er, um, driving.
I had 10 command windows open during the trip. COMLOG is a specialize time-stamped serial port logging tool that I use. Three ports were used to periodically log the 5071A status page (the SYST:PRINT? command) Three ports were used to capture the 1 Hz pair-wise phase readings of the clocks. One port was used to log the HMP sensor. One port was used to log the Garmin NMEA GPS data stream.
Keeping an eye on the clocks as we drove. It turns out there were no issues with vibration or shifting.
The kids have seen Super-Size Me so we don't stop at McDonald's anymore. There wasn't a big hurry to get up to Mt Rainier; we were on vacation. But we got a late start and every hour spent at low altitude meant one less hour spent at high altitude. I figured the clocks would see about 1/2 nanosecond of time dilation for every hour up on the mountain. So this 10 minute stop at DQ cost me $8 and 83 picoseconds.
For those of you with a map; on the way down we took the long way using highways 507 and 702. Days later I realized there was a shorter route to the mountain. But in all the excitement to get the mobile time lab rolling I forgot to check the map for optimum route.
Happy Campers, 01 hour, 39 minutes into the UTC day.
As evening began, we filled up at the last gas station before the final road into the park and the twisting road up the mountain. By this point in the trip I was considering keeping all the clocks running in the van all weekend instead of carrying yet again all the heavy gear up to the hotel room. So I figured filling up was prudent.
It was getting dark by the time we got to the park.
Top of the road, at about 5400 feet.
Nice early morning colors on the upper mountain.
A full moon during the weekend. The moon has a 28 day cycle (27.32166155 to be more exact). That comes out to 4.236e-7 Hz. A time to reflect on the contrast between using a 28-day lunar cycle and a 9 192 631 770 Hz Cesium resonance to keep track of time.
By contrast inside this van are a bunch of cesium atoms resonating at 9192 MHz That's 9192 MHz Compare that to the moon's 423 nHz.
Fun 'n games. We had a lot of time to kill while waiting for the clocks to do their thing. Waiting as cesium clocks undergo time dilation is much worse than watching a kettle boil.
The Lodge sure knows how to do breakfast.
Beth climbs Mt Rainier.
A view of Paradise Lodge, Mt Rainier, elevation 5400 feet (1640 m). You can see our green van parked in front.
Nice couch for reading. While the kids counted pages I counted picoseconds.
A visit to the ranger station. You know, the whole experiment could be done in reverse. By measuring the time dilation in nanoseconds one can later determine elevation by solving for h.
Signs like this helped explain to people why a car was locked and idling in front of the Lodge for two days. For an hour once I forgot to lock the car. I came out later to find it locked and not running. Turns out a hotel employee who couldn't read turned the car off and took the keys to the front desk. All the backup systems worked and the clock didn't miss a beat.
Nice day for a hike.
And a rest.
The high point of the trip; Glacier Vista.
More fun.
More games
Oops. Forgot to check the gas gauge. Although the car was just idling, it went through a tank of gas in less than two days. I calculated it would run out by 8 AM Monday morning. So I woke up at 430 AM and drove back down the mountain an hour to the nearest open gas station. So 2+ hours later the car was back on the Lodge. That cost me $50 in gas and 1 nanosecond of time.
Pre-dawn trip to fill up on gas.
A nice sunrise photo of Mt Rainier.
Leaving the park entrance, near Ashford, WA. We stayed until I calculated we had a full 40 hours of exposure at mile-high elevation. I added a few extra hours to make up for lost time due to the unexpected gas trip.
On the way home. 48 hours later, we were all tired and sick of the experiment. Checking on the clocks every hour or so, day and night, I was most tired of all. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that the experiment hadn't screwed up yet, and that within minutes of returning home we'd know if we saw time dilation or not.
Back home again.
| |
Endophytic bacteria have already been studied for their beneficial support to plants to manage both biotic and abiotic stress through an array of well-established mechanisms. They have either direct or indirect impact on mobilizing diverse nutrients and elements from soil to plants. However, detailed insight into the fine-tuning of plant elemental composition by associated microorganism is very limited. In this study, endophytic Bacillus Fcl1 characterized from the rhizome of Curcuma longa was found to have broad range of plant growth-promoting and biocontrol mechanisms. The organism was found to have indole acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase production properties along with nitrogen fixation. The Bacillus Fcl1 could also inhibit diverse phytopathogens as confirmed by dual culture and well diffusion. By LC-MS/MS analysis, chemical basis of its antifungal activity has been proved to be due to the production of iturin A and a blend of surfactin compounds. Moreover, the organism was found to induce both plant growth and disease resistance in vivo in model plant system. Because of these experimentally demonstrated multiple plant probiotic features, Bacillus Fcl1 was selected as a candidate organism to study its role in modulation of plant elemental composition. ICP-MS analysis of Bacillus Fcl1-treated plants provided insight into relation of bacterial interaction with elemental composition of plants.
KeywordsBacillus sp. Plant growth promotion LC-MS LC-MS/MS ICP-MS Lipopeptide antibiotics
Notes
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Prof. C. T. Aravindakumar, Hon. Director, and Mr. Dineep D., Scientific Assistant of the Inter-University Instrumentation Centre, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, for LC-MS and LC-MS/ MS analysis. | https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12602-018-9417-8 |
Throughout the following discussion there is an acknowledgement that the contents of the Bible are viewed as religious writings by Jewish and Christian faith traditions. Both traditions historically have believed that these writings are inspired by God and are authoritative in all matters of faith, life and conduct. Thus, it behooves these faith communities to interpret the texts in order derive meaning from them and then to worship and to live accordingly. This is the primary necessity of hermeneutics. In other words, God has communicated to humanity through human language in written form, and so the task of faithful interpreters is to use biblical hermeneutical principles in order to hear and understand God’s message and apply this message to their lives and faith communities.
Moreover, hermeneutics is needed because there are challenges that confront readers as they pursue understanding. The Bible is an ancient body of texts written by numerous authors across the timespan of hundreds of years with a time gap of over 1,900 years from the last writing to the present day. These writings were written in ancient languages throughout the ancient world, and so they are contextually situated culturally and socially. Authors used various literary genres and rhetorical techniques that were commonly used in antiquity. This all leads to understanding gaps between the ancient and modern worlds. Biblical hermeneutics aims to bridge these gaps through historical, literary and grammatical methods. More about the specifics of these methods will be discussed in later sections because before delving into biblical study, the concept of preunderstandings of interpreters needs to be explained.
Preunderstandings and Presuppositions
The process of hermeneutics does not exist in a vacuum because as readers approach any given text, they do so within a specific context (i.e. historical, cultural, social, political, religious, environmental), and this shapes their views, emotions, attitudes and methods. Prior experiences influence how people view their present reality and how they approach various tasks or endeavors. Therefore, when interpreters undertake the reading of a text, they read with developed preunderstandings. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart write, “We invariably bring to the text all that we are, with all of our experiences, culture, and prior understandings of words and ideas. Sometimes what we bring to the text, unintentionally to be sure, leads us astray, or else causes us to read all kinds of foreign ideas into the text.” This is the crux of the matter of preunderstandings in relation to biblical hermeneutics. Preunderstandings are ever present and are a fact of life for all who interpret any form of written communication, and they have the ability to color or determine what readers see in a passage, which may aid or enable but also may prohibit or hamper. Thus, it is vital that interpreters engage with the fact of preunderstandings by acknowledging, identifying and evaluating their own preunderstandings, and then they should embrace those that may be deemed valid and discard those that are invalid.
Klein et al. further suggest that specific to biblical hermeneutic there are valid presuppositions about the nature of the Bible that interpreters should adopt before engaging in the hermeneutical process. They explain that the biblical interpreter should presuppose that the Bible originates from God, who revealed his message through the writings of humans, and so these writings are recognized as authoritative and true concerning all matters of faith, life and conduct. The Bible should be viewed as a spiritual book that “manifests unparalleled spiritual worth and a capacity to change lives.”
Furthermore, interpreters should affirm the unity and diversity of the Bible while at the same time affirming that it is understandable. In order to presuppose that there is understanding of a book that has both unity and diversity, there should be a proper balance of the two. While unity delineates the foundations of faith and practice, diversity legitimizes different expressions of faith and practice. Lastly, the traditional Judeo-Christian canon consisting of the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament writings should be presupposed as inspired scripture due to their divine, authoritative and revelatory nature as recognized by ancient Jewish communities and the early Christian church.
William Klein, Craig L. Blomberg and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Revised and Updated ed. (Nashville: TN:, Baker Academic, 2004),4-5.
Ibid., 13-16.
Ibid., 154-155.
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1993), 14.
Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard Jr., Introduction, 155-158.
Ibid., 143-146.
Ibid., 147.
Ibid., 147-150. | https://towhomwouldwego.com/2017/09/ |
Abilene elementary teacher becomes 15,000th graduate of WGU Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (PRESS RELEASE) – When Taylor Moreno completed her M.S. of Curriculum and Instruction from WGU Texas in May, it marked a major milestone for her and a major achievement for WGU Texas as the 15,000th conferred degree.
Moreno,of Abilene, will teach first grade in the fall in the same school district where she attended through high school. She says she came to the school as a student teacher seven years ago, “fell in love with the students, staff,and community,and never left.”
With her M.S. Curriculum and Instruction degree program complete, Moreno’s future goals are to become an instructional coordinator for the district.
“I’ve had so many amazing colleagues that helped me grow as an educator and I want to assist and serve other educators and students at the campus level,” she said.
WGU Texas Chancellor Steven Johnson and Regional Director Linda Battles honored her achievement during a video chat in recognition of her accomplishments and for helping to mark the university milestone.
“It is so great to recognize our 15,000th graduate and celebrate this milestone with Taylor.” Chancellor Johnson said. “She epitomizes what we see at WGU Texas every day—students who are improving their lives,and the lives of the people in their communities.”
“We appreciate teachers for their dedication to education and inspiring future generations and are proud to have played a role in Taylor’s educational journey,” said Director Battles.“We look forward to seeing her grow professionally as she takes on new challenges.”
As WGU Texas celebrates its ninth anniversary, annual enrollment has grown from 2,100 students in 2011 to more than 13,000 in the Lone Star State. By offering affordable,high quality, competency-based online education that is accessible for non-traditional students, WGU Texas has helped increase the state’s educational attainment rate and address critical workforce needs in high-demand fields such as IT, healthcare, business, and education.
Last year, it awarded more than $1 million in scholarships. 15,208 have been awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees.“That’s 15,208 graduates whose lives have been transformed by the awesome power of education,” said Johnson.“My favorite thing about WGU Texas is the flexibility it allowed me as a student,” Moreno added. “As a working mom, you already wear so many hats and I was able to maintain balance in my life while earning a degree.” | |
Notes on the History of Land Surveying
Ever since man has decided that a portion of land should belong to a tribe, the need for surveying began.
Land surveying is fascinating.
The methods used seek to decide which part of land belongs to whom, hopefully ending arguments once and for all.
In a nutshell, surveying is a process using mathematical means to survey land.
The first accounts of surveying land dates back to ancient Egypt.
Experts have found evidences that the ancient Egyptians used basic geometry to redraw the lines of boundary when the Nile River overflowed.
An Egyptian land register dating back to 3000 BC was also found.
Following the Egyptians, the Romans - also one of the most powerful civilizations of the ancient world - practiced land surveying.
They took it one step further and made "land surveyor" an official position within the Empire.
They were called agrimensores, also known as Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum.
Although they used very simple tools, they were very thorough with their jobs and would create straight lines and correct angles with the use of these tools.
After the lines were measured, they would create shallow ditches to mark the lines.
In fact, some of the furrows they made still exist today.
One of the recorded land surveying of the "modern" times is that of William the Conqueror who wrote the Domesday Book in 1086.
This book is actually a list of names of land owners, the amount of land they owned and other information about the land.
While it was an amazing amount of information during this time, the pieces of information were not 100% correct.
The locations were not accurate and the maps were not made to scale.
One of history's greatest icons was also an avid surveyor - Napoleon Bonaparte.
The interest in surveying land was actually just a product of his want to conquer the world.
Napoleon Bonaparte founded a registry called the cadastre.
This includes a registry of properties of a county, ownership details, locations and as much information about the land's value.
Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte can be considered a land surveyor - and a very smart man.
The techniques used for land surveying have also evolved over the centuries.
A long time ago, people would use anything that could help them determine the distance from one point to another.
This means using chains with links and even ropes.
Of course, this didn't give accurate results but they didn't have the technology we now have back then.
Today, land surveyors have the best technologies to help them with their job.
There is GPS, or Global Positioning System, which is one of the most accurate technologies being used today.
Total stations are also very important to a land surveyor, which employs the use of an EDM or Electronic Distance Measurement device along with a theodolite that allows for more precise angle and distance measurements. | https://www.cbw.com/articles_sia9ea.html |
The ideology of sport is a reasonably current field. Some major writers have researched the nature of sport, consisting of R. Scott Kretchmar, Drew Hyland, and also Robert G. Osterhoudt. Others have actually researched the lived experiences of professional athletes, such as those that win as well as lose. In this short article, we explore the thoughtful roots of sporting activity. This is a field in change, and we hope to clarify some important questions that are driving the growth of this research.
One of the most popular theories of sport is conventionalism. According to this sight, a sporting activity is defined by rules, conventions, and also inherent principles. A leading supporter of this concept is Robert L. Simon, who argues that there are underlying concepts that govern the conduct of the video game. This point of view claims that these principles can be analyzed to make it a lot more meaningful. A second concept of sport is formalism, which takes the status quo as normative and supplies no sources to compare excellent and also bad rules and conventions.
A 3rd viewpoint is conventionalist. These writers say that a sufficient account of sporting activity need to appeal to standards that are extensively accepted in culture. For instance, if a player requires clinical focus throughout a soccer match, she or he should put the ball out of play. They claim that the standard strategy to sporting activities is a mistake. The idea of social excellent is much more important than performance. Broad internalism lacks this, and also rather uses a very restricted sight of the self-control.
An internalist normative concept is an important element of viewpoint of sport. The objective of this viewpoint is to specify sporting activity’s non-instrumental value as well as to provide advice for suitable standards of conduct within the sporting activity. There are 3 main type of internalist sights: formalism, conventionalism, and also wide internalism. Just like all various other thoughtful viewpoints, the most typical strategy is to focus on the underlying concepts of a sporting activity. It is essential to remember that the goal of the research study of sport is to recognize the meaning of a sport.
The philosophy of sport has evolved over the years. Ronald Dworkin, for instance, has advocated a rigorous internalist interpretation of sport. This view asserts that sport should be specified by innate principles, such as justness. Its guidelines, nonetheless, must be stuck to by all participants. This way, it can be taken into consideration a legitimate legal system. It should not be made use of for political functions. It should be made use of for social and altruistic goals.
The meaning of sport commonly describes a physical activity executed by teams. In Mason’s interpretation, sport is a team activity, which entails a group of individuals. It is additionally a competitors that is arranged. The regards to a sport belong to its competitive nature. There are numerous types of video games and tasks. One of the most popular kinds are rugby, football, and also baseball. For instance, there are numerous types of rugby as well as football.
Traditional definitions of sporting activity consist of: an activity that requires physical exertion as well as is governed by rules. Similarly, the conventional definition of sport refers to a group of individuals taking part in an exercise. Some people are more likely to be associated with a team than they are to take part in a private task. As long as these variables are present, there is a clear difference in between sporting activities and their respective worths. In spite of differences in culture, a common string among all of them is that each sporting activity has its own distinct collection of core principles and objectives.
The basic reason why sport is so crucial to culture is because of its fundamental dangers. In a feeling, any type of sport that entails a high level of risk is taken into consideration a severe kind of a sporting task. On the other hand, a sport that does not include any type of such threat is taken into consideration a “non-extreme” activity. But there are distinctions between severe and non-extreme sporting activities. The meaning of a sport ought to not only be based on its physical qualities.
In addition to a wider interpretation, there are other crucial distinctions between the two theories. The difference between them is the method which they define sporting activity. Both are detailed, as well as both are important. But the differences between them are important in some cases. As an example, one can compare a’sporting activity’ and an ‘action’. A video game can be an efficiency, or it can be an exercise. There are different kinds of games that can be thought about a’sport’.
Many sports are regulated by regulations or customs. In addition, they are greatly affordable. This is very important for a sporting activity to be successful. Those who participate in a sporting activity’s competitive event need to comply with the guidelines and custom-mades. The goal of a sport is to boost one’s physical fitness, along with to build social partnerships with other individuals. The objective of a sport is to accomplish triumph in the game. Besides that, winning can be an extremely gratifying experience.
The contemporary definition of a sporting activity has actually developed over the years. Today, it encompasses all types of physical activity, consisting of informal and well organized video games. Its goal is to improve physical fitness, produce social relationships, and examine a person’s physical capacities. The modern-day interpretation of a sporting activity consists of all type of exercise, from casual to severe. There are many different types of sports, from sporting activities involving teamwork to competitive sporting activities involving teams or people.
Along with the guidelines, sports are also controlled by custom-mades. A lot of sports have policies as well as customs to make sure reasonable competitors and to judge the victor. A sport can be characterized by unbiased steps of an efficiency. In other words, a sport is a game. The goal is to score points or to defeat your challenger. Sometimes, a game can be a competition in between two teams. The objective of a sporting activity is to improve physical fitness. Visit this website
A sporting activity can be severe or non-extreme. Some severe sporting activities are high risk, such as BASE leaping. There are additionally non-extreme sporting activities. A sporting activity that entails high risk, however is not extreme, is taken into consideration a non-extreme sport. A non-extreme sport, on the other hand, is a sport that does not involve threat. This is a crucial distinction to make in regards to what comprises a sport. | http://epicuriouschicliving.com/2022/04/05/never-tinker-sporting-activity-and-also-belows-the-reasons/ |
Health & Fitness
The news has been dominated this past couple of weeks by the story that Germanwings Flight 4U 9592 was purposely crashed into the French Alps by the planes co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz. The media has keenly fed the world’s fascination about the events that led to the tragic deaths of all 150 people on board and the spotlight has naturally fallen on Lubitz himself. What could have possibly driven this man to commit such a devastating act? The tabloids have concluded that the blame lies in Lubitz’s history of depression and struggle with GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder). These assumptions are misinformed and capricious and yet they have been knowingly plastered across the front pages of newspapers the world over. The Daily Mail broke the news with the headline ‘KILLER PILOT SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION’ whilst The Sun, eloquent as always, went with ‘DEPRESSED GERMAN DELIBERATELY FLEW INTO MOUNTAIN’. These headlines, simplistic and ignorant as they may be, imply that this is all there is to it. It is as though any confusion surrounding the root of the tragedy can be summed up in just a few words, or perhaps just one – depression.
Mental illness is frequently conveyed as ‘other’ in the mainstream media. It is taboo and yet worthy of sensationalism. It is an issue to be shied away from and yet something that we ought to be constantly in fear of. The brutal character assassination carried out on Lubitz in the wake of the crash serves only to fuel this stigmatisation. It is not yet clear why what happened, happened. It may never be clear, but what is absolutely crucial to understand, is that there is absolutely no correlation between depression and murder, least of all the kind that involves flying a passenger plane into a mountain.
Like 1 in 6 people, I have personally grappled with mental health issues at one time or another, but as the statistics suggest, I am certainly not alone. Depression, anxiety and panic disorders are so common that you would be hard pressed to come across anyone who was not at least familiar with them. So why are we so afraid to talk about these issues? Why do we so often take what we read in the tabloids, or hear on the news as fact? It seems absolutely ludicrous that there are still calls to ‘raise awareness’ of a problem that, for the majority of us, is simply part of our everyday lives. Yet if the headlines condemning Lubitz are anything to go by, society’s general perception of mental health is still hugely distorted.
The fact is that people suffering from mental distress are far more likely to be a danger to themselves than to others, but judgement and condemnation are commonplace in the arena of mental health, which ironically serves to fuel suffering rather than solve it. Attempting to contend with the overbearing voice of mainstream media is no easy feat, but it is now more evident than ever that there needs to be effective attempts to educate the masses regarding this issue. Scapegoating millions of mental health sufferers for the actions of one man is incomprehensible. There are never any circumstances when generalising mental health issues is appropriate and the Germanwings tragedy should not be treated as an exception. | https://womenmakewaves.com/mental-health-media/ |
How we view our own suffering depends upon our belief about the suffering of friends and family and the wider world, reveals to a new study.
Research from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick has found that people’s judgements about their depression and anxiety symptoms are often erroneous, leading to incorrect diagnoses of mental health problems.
The finding is a cause of concern especially in case of vulnerable individuals, who, if surrounded by people with mental health problems, may decide not to seek help simply because, compared to those around them, they perceive their suffering to be less severe than it actually is.
On the other hand, those who feel depressed very rarely may have an exaggerated sense of their suffering, because their symptoms appear to be more severe when compared to others.
Researchers conducted two experiments which found that people’s judgments of whether they were depressed or anxious were depended on where they ranked that severity compared with their perception of others’ symptoms.
Lead researcher Karen Melrose from the University of Warwick said, “It is the patient that initiates most GP consultations about depression and anxiety, so that personal decision to see a doctor is a vital factor in determining a diagnosis. Given that fact, our study may explain why there are such high rates of under and over-detection of depression and anxiety.”
“Worryingly, people who could be the most vulnerable to mental health disorders – for example those from certain geographical areas of the country or demographic groups where depression and anxiety are high – could be the very ones who are at highest risk of missed diagnoses.”
The paper, Am I Abnormal? Relative Rank and Social Norm Effects in Judgements of Anxiety and Depression Symptom Severity was published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making.
Spot an error in this article? A typo maybe? Or an incorrect source? Let us know! | https://completewellbeing.com/wellbeing-news/perception-of-your-mental-health-is-a-relative-matter/ |
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ISBN: 0-471-49233-7
Chapter OneReactions of Aldehydes and Ketones and their Derivatives
B. A. MURRAY
Formation and Reactions of Acetals and Related Species
Hammett plots have been constructed for the acid- and base-catalysed decomposition of methyl hemiacetals of benzaldehydes in aqueous solution. The data are analysed in terms of three-dimensional More O'Ferrall-Jencks diagrams and of Cordes interaction effects.
Diazidooxopropyl acetal (1) undergoes rhodium(II)-catalysed ring expansion to (3) in the presence of TMS chloride; the latter reagent acts as a Lewis acid-base catalyst for ring expansion of the oxonium ylid intermediate (2).
t-Butyl chloromethyl ketone forms a cyclic acetal with sucrose: the 2-hydroxy group of the sugar reacts with the carbonyl, with ring closure via the 3-position, yielding a t-butyl hydroxymethyl acetal. The results are part of a study of the relative reactivities of the hydroxy groups of (unprotected) sucrose.
An unusual case of cyclopropanol formation from a hemiacetal of a [beta]-silyl aldehyde is ascribed to an enhanced reactivity of the silicon, due to an appropriately placed oxyanion generated from the hemiacetal.
Activated N, O-acetals (4) can undergo a nucleophilic alkylation which replaces the oxygen (via an imine intermediate) to yield an amine (5a), or by replacement of the nitrogen (via an aldehyde) to yield an alcohol (5b). Such amine or alcohol products are valuable, especially if obtainable as single isomers. A catalytic, enantioselective alkylation has been reported to yield the amines (5a), using a copper-BINAP catalyst, and a variety of alkene sources for the alkylating group (enol silanes or allylsilanes, ketene silyl acetals). [sup.1]H NMR spectroscopy was used to elucidate mechanistic details concerning the transsilylations involved. For example, a simple N, O-acetal (4; X = p-Ts, [R.sup.1] = H, [R.sup.2] = Et) does not give amine (5a) with 1 equiv. of the enol silane of acetophenone; rather, O-silylation occurs. A second equivalent of enol silane is required to form (5a), and the catalyst. The paper also reports similar transformations of N, N-acetals.
Catalytic, enantioselective alkylations of N, O-acetals have been reported.
Reactions of Glucosides and Nucleosides
A theoretical study of the mutarotation of glucose has evaluated the energies of the two transition states (i.e. [alpha]-anomer to aldehyde and aldehyde to [beta]-anomer), placing n = 0-3 water molecules as part of a specific proton-transfer network. The transition states are lowered by ca 28 kcal [mol.sup.-1] with even one water, but significant further stabilizations are observed for n = 2 and 3, both of which exhibit very strong hydrogen-bonded networks. A variant with secondary hydrogen bonding (n = 2, with two 'outer' waters) is also evaluated.
A m-xylylene moiety has been used as a rigid spacer to align an intramolecular glycosylation at room temperature. The systems used, involving 15- or 14- membered ring formation, exhibit good face selectivity (i.e. towards formation of [alpha]- or [beta]-anomer). They also show promise for oligosaccharide synthesis, with a simple protocol for post-synthesis cleavage of the spacer.
Alkaline hydrolyses of p-nitrophenyl [alpha]-D-glucoside and the corresponding galactosides are accelerated by a factor of up to 110 on addition of boric, boronic, or borinic acids, relative to their [beta]-anomers. The selectivity is reversed in the case of the mannosides, indicating that a cis-relationship between the 2-hydroxy and the p-nitrophenoxy groups is central to the stereoselection. An acceleration of the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-D-glucosides in the presence of [alpha]-cyclodextrins depends on this same stereochemical relationship. With [alpha]-cyclodextrin (20 mmol [dm.sup.-3]), hydrolysis of the [alpha]-D-mannoside is accelerated 7.6-fold, whereas the [beta]-anomer is unaffected. For the D-glucoside, -galactoside, and -xyloside, complexation by cyclodextrins favours hydrolysis of the [beta]-sugars, by similar factors. These selectivities are achieved without particularly strong binding (110 < K /[mol.sup-1][dm.sup.3] < 260), and are not due to binding selectivity: [K.sub.[alpha]] never differs from [K.sub.[beta]] by more than 60%.
The Maillard reaction involves condensation of an aldose with an amino function (e.g. of a protein), yielding an imine that can undergo rearrangement to an amino form (the Amadori rearrangement), followed by subsequent reactions involving both volatile and polymeric products. In the light of the increasing use of high pressure in food processing, the effect of such pressures on the formation of volatiles has been studied for a model Maillard reaction.
TMS triflate catalysis of transglycosylations between permethylated methyl D-glucopyranosides and simple alcohols has been reported.
Reactions of Ketenes and Related Species
Mechanistic investigations of additions to ketenes continue to focus on which double bond reacts first, and on the role of the solvent: many theoretical studies probe the latter by systematic incremental inclusion of a series of solvent molecules in the calculation. Experimentally, similar effects for the catalyst are often seen in its kinetic order.
Gas-phase and solution-phase calculations on the hydration of ketene to produce acetic acid, using water clusters of two, three, and four molecules to attack the ketene, show a two-step addition via the 1,1-enediol intermediate, i.e. initial addition to C=O, rather than to C=C. The preference is slight, but consistent.
Solvent isotope effects, [k.sub.HO]/[k.sub.DO], have been measured for the hydration of five ketenes, [R.sup.1][R.sup.2]C=C=O, catalysed by hydroxide ion.
Rate constants for hydration of ketene, and of carbon dioxide, have been calculated using No Barrier Theory, Marcus Theory, and a multi-dimensional Marcus treatment. The methods agree except in the case of the uncatalysed hydration of ketene, where the multi-dimensional method predicts [DELTA][G.sup.act] to be lower for addition to C=O, whereas the No Barrier results favour C=C addition. A calculation of [k.sub.HO] for ketene hydration agrees with preliminary experimental results.
Addition of amines to the silylketene [PhMe.sub.2]SiCH=C=O to form amides exhibits kinetics in acetonitrile in which the order in amine lies between second and third, as found in recent theoretical studies of the parent ketene, [H.sub.2]C=C=O, and ammonia. The result contrasts sharply with a straightforward first-order dependence found for more reactive substrates, such as diphenylketene. The influence of amine basicity is discussed for the silylketene and compared with results for hindered compounds. The reasons for the failure to observe higher order terms for the more reactive substrates are also discussed.
The amination of ketenes to produce amides (see Scheme 1) has been subjected to a variety of computational methods, including several treatments of the solvent, with explicit roles for actively participating amine and water molecules. All the results favour a two-step process with initial addition to the C=O bond, rather than a concerted reaction involving the C=C bond. The former involves a 1-amino-1-hydroxyene intermediate (6), formally the enol of the amide. Inclusion of a second amine molecule lowers the barrier to the two-step reaction. Replacing the second amine with a water molecule lowers it even further, an effect which should be even greater when water is the bulk solvent. Some experimental evidence is presented for the highly hindered substrates, bis(mesityl)ketene and bis(pentamethylphenyl)ketene. Addition of primary or secondary amines clearly shows, from IR and UV spectra, the build-up and subsequent tautomerization of the intermediate enols. The kinetics of these more hindered substrates are first order in amine; this is not inconsistent with the theoretical results, as such hindered ketenes may only react rather slowly with amine dimer, which is also in low concentration under the conditions used.
Calculations and low-temperature NMR experiments have been used to investigate the course of reactions of diphenylketene with dienes. While the reaction of cyclic (s-cis) 1, 3-dienes such as cyclopenta- and cyclohexa-1,3-diene yield 2 + 2 (Staudinger) products, the low-temperature experiments indicate initial formation of 4 + 2 (Diels-Alder) intermediates. For the open-chain reactants, 2, 3-dimethyl- and 1-methoxy-1,3-butadiene, both product types are formed initially, with conversion of the Staudinger to the Diels-Alder over time, via a retro-Claisen rearrangement.
Methyleneketene, [H.sub.2]C=C=C=O, could undergo cycloaddition at any of its double bonds. Theoretical calculations on its reaction with pyrroline-1-oxide predict an asynchronous concerted mechanism leading to (7), the 2,3-adduct, the same regioselectivity as is observed in experiment.
The mechanisms of dimerization of ketene imine and its bis(trifluoromethyl) derivative have been studied by ab initio methods. Each process identified was found to be concerted but asynchronous, with a four-membered transition state.
An isodesmic reaction has been employed to study substituent effects on the stability of ketenimines, XCH=C=NH. A (negative) correlation with the electronegativity of the substituent X was found. The sensitivity to the substituent effect is less than that for ketenes or isocyanates, but more than that found for diazomethanes or allenes. Particular stabilizing effects are found for [pi]-acceptors, e.g. X = Al[H.sub.2], B[H.sub.2], O=CH, H[O.sub.2]C, CN, N[O.sub.2], and HS[O.sub.2] (suggesting cyano-cation resonance structures are important), and for X = Li (i.e. ynamine resonance).
Keteniminium cations and imines can undergo a formal 2 + 2 thermal cycloaddition to yield 2-azetidinones [[beta]-lactams (8)]; see Scheme 2. A computational study suggests the cycloaddition occurs via a stepwise mechanism, with N-C bond formation occurring first. Stereochemistry is determined in the second step, by torquoelectronic effects. However, the nature of the anion can affect the stereochemistry, which appears to explain the change in stereochemistry found when X = Cl, i.e. when chloroenamines are used as precursors of keteniminium ions.
The chemistry of bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,2-bisketene (9) has been extended to its reaction with amines. The facile reaction occurs in two steps: the first amine gives a ketenylcarboxamide (10) and the second gives a succinamide (11); the latter can be a mixed product if the bisketene (9) is treated with two different amines successively. Phenylhydrazine reacts with (9) to give a succinimide, while treatment with an amine and then an alcohol (or vice versa) gives an ester amide. Diamines give polymeric products, unless an excess of the bisketene is employed, to give an [alpha],[omega]-bisketenyldiamide. Kinetic studies of each of the steps in the formation of the succinamide are reported. It is noted that reaction of methanol with ketenylcarboxamide (10) to give the ester amide is much faster than the formation of a diester from a ketenyl ester. This and other lines of evidence point to a coordination between the carboxamide group of (10) and incoming nucleophiles in the formation of the 'homo-' and 'hetero-' succinic acid derivatives.
Bromofluoroketene ethyl trimethylsilyl acetal [Br(F)C=COEt(Osi[Me.sub.3]), E/Z-mixture] undergoes enantioselective aldol reactions with aldehydes in the presence of Masamune's catalyst. The enantioselectivity is markedly temperature dependent, with examples of high ee at -78 and -20ºC, but of opposite rotation sign.
Lewis acid-mediated addition of silyl ketene acetals to a chiral sulfimine gives precursors of [beta]-amino acids in fair to excellent de.
Mixed diesters of both symmetrical and unsymmetrical diols have been prepared by reaction of carboxylic acids with cyclic ketene acetals of the diols, with the less substituted carbon of the cyclic dioxonium ion intermediate being attacked in most cases.
Hydration of trifluoroacetylketene is discussed later under Enolization.
Formation and Reactions of Nitrogen Derivatives
Imines
Proton affinities of imines and heats of formation of immonium ions have been calculated for the gas phase by ab initio methods. cis-Imines are more basic than their trans-isomers, reflecting the unusually high (15-17 kJ [mol.sup.-
Continues...
Excerpted from Organic Reaction Mechanisms 1999 Copyright © 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
1. Reactions of Aldehydes and Ketones and their Derivatives by B.A. Murray.
2. Reactions of Carboxylic, Phosphoric, and Sulfonic Acids andtheir Derivatives by C. T. Bedford.
3. Radical Reactions: Part 1 by A. J. Clark and J.Sherringham.
4. Radical Reactions: Part 2 by A. P. Dobbs.
5. Oxidation and Reduction by B. G. Davis and D. P. G.Emmerson.
6. Carbenes and Nitrenes by D. M. Hodgson, M. Christlieb and E.Gras.
7. Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution by M. R. Crampton.
8. Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution by R. G. Coombes.
9. Carbocations by R. A. Cox.
10. Nucleophilic Aliphatic Substitution by J. Shorter.
11. Carbanions and Electrophilic Aliphatic Substitution by A. C.Knipe.
12. Elimination Reactions by A. C. Knipe.
13. Addition Reactions: Polar Addition by P.Kocovsky.
14. Addition Reactions: Cycloaddition by N. Dennis.
15. Molecular Rearrangements by A. W. Murray.
Author Index.
Cumulative Subject Index. | https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/organic-reaction-mechanisms-1999-a-c-knipe/1124346640 |
Managing Complex Requirements -- A Case Study
Developing products and systems for large organizations means dealing with many complex and overlapping requirements. For Product Managers working on internal systems or custom development, a major challenge is understanding the true requirements and then helping competing groups, both Customers and internally, agree on requirement.
Bill Wimsatt will talk about his experience with California State AAA (CSAA), which initiated an enterprise data warehouse project in the fall of 2006. This project involved 27 different business areas across 4 offices in California and Arizona. Bill helped CSAA develop a framework for gathering information from the business community, including an interactive environment during the business scope and requirements phase. His presentation will cover the process and methods used to get input from across the enterprise to analyze, prioritize, and scope the business requirements - including the use of Telelogic's Focal Point product.
Michael Lester will introduce this case study by sharing tips on improving product management skills and making your company better at defining product capabilities.
Every product manager collects and balances input from multiple sources: customers, prospects, sales & marketing groups, R&D, competitors, analysts. Bill's work with CSAA provides special insight for PMs assigned to key customers, systems, large internal projects and long development cycles.
Members, Students & Partners-$10; Non-Members-$25 ($5 more at the door). | https://archive.upcoming.org/event/managing-complex-requirements-pdma-423403 |
The first known specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex was a 3.5-inch, banana-shaped tooth that Golden schoolteacher Arthur Lakes found on South Table Mountain near Golden.
Golden civic leader Edward Berthoud sent a sketch of the tooth in an 1874 letter to paleontologist Othniel Marsh, but the tooth was not identified as coming from a Tyrannosaurus for more than a century.
Partial skeletons of the giant meat-eater had to be unearthed in Wyoming and Montana before H.F. Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, was able to name and describe the dinosaur in 1905.
The tooth was determined to belong to a T. Rex when it was re-examined by paleontologist Kenneth Carpenter of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in 2002.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex, also known as “T. rex,” lived in the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago and featured a massive head and a long, heavy tail. The dinosaur walked on two hind legs but held its body parallel to the ground, with the tail extended to balance the head. It had short arms, each with two claws.
The Tyrannosaurus measured up to 42 feet in length, stood up to 13 feet tall at the hips and weighed 6 to 7 1/2 tons, making it larger than the Allosaurus from the Jurassic period.
Paleontologists have long debated whether the Tyrannosaurus was a predator or merely a scavenger. | https://realcoloradotravel.com/colorado-dinosaur-discovery-tyrannosaurus-rex/4142/ |
Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Trachinotus ovatus was determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mitogenome is 16,564 bp long and has the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and one control region. The overall base composition of mitogenome is estimated to be 29.0% for A, 28.9% for C, 26.2% for T, 15.9% for G, respectively, with a high A + T content (55.2%). With the exception of ND6 and eight tRNA genes, all other mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The control region contains a dinucleotide repeat motif, (AT)5. This mitogenome sequence would play an important role in population genetics and the molecular taxonomy of T. ovatus.
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a lighting control apparatus for a vehicle which is equipped with a malfunction diagnosis feature and a warning feature to warn about a malfunction of a light source.
2. Background Art
Automotive illuminant devices such as headlamps, fog lamps, or tail lamps are known which have LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) used as light sources. The illuminant devices are each equipped with a lighting control circuit which turns on or off the LEDs. Such a type of light sources are typically made up of arrays of LEDs or multi-chip LED modules.
The LEDs or the multi-chip LED modules may become defective due to an electric short, a leakage of current causing the LED to have an undesirable impedance, or a change in ambient temperature.
Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2007-112237 discloses an automotive diagnosis system which diagnoses the above malfunction of the LEDs. Specifically, the diagnosis system monitors a change in forward voltage at each of the LEDs and determines whether the LED is malfunctioning or not based on the monitored change. When one of the LEDs is found to be malfunctioning, the diagnosis system lights an LED installed near a driver's seat of the vehicle to warn the driver or other occupants (which will also be referred to as vehicle users below) of the malfunction of the LED.
The above type of a diagnosis system, however, has the drawback in that it is difficult for the users to see the warning lighting of the LED to identify which device is now malfunctioning. The users, thus, need to check the user's manual or call a maintenance service center to know the meaning of the warning message.
The use of the multi-chip LED module as the light source also faces the following disadvantage. When one of the LED chips of the multi-chip LED module is short-circuited, so that it fails to be turned on, it will result in a lack of a luminous intensity distribution of the multi-chip LED module, but the users may not realize such a failure because the multi-chip LED module continues to emit light as a whole. For example, in the case where headlamps attached to the right and left of the front of an automotive vehicle are each equipped with a multi-chip LED module, when one of the LED chips is malfunctioning, the other LED chips work to emit light. It is, thus, difficult for the users to visually identify which of the right and left headlamps is defective. The users may perceive in error that the LED installed near the driver's seat is malfunctioning.
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Denver has announced that there will be an update in the building codes this year. Current lighting power density (LPD) requirements are defined in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The update to the Denver codes includes the adoption of the 2015 IECC. This update makes a few changes to the allowable building lighting levels. The Building Area method in the 2015 IECC has significantly lower maximum LPD levels. In some areas, the maximum allowable wattage is over 40% less than in the current code. The 2015 code also introduces another method of determining compliance. Adopting the Space-by-Space method, common in other standards, allows for more flexibility in determining compliance.
Table 1 below shows the current and upcoming allowable lighting levels using the Building Area method.
Table 1 – 2015 IECC Building Area method
The introduction of the Space-by-Space method allows for a new path to compliance. You may find that using this method is more appropriate for your purposes. Tables 2 shows the allowable levels in the Space-by-Space method.
Table 2 – IECC 2015 Space-By-Space method
As you can see, the 2015 Denver code is significantly more strict with respect to allowable wattage levels. The inclusion of the Space-By-Space method may make compliance a bit easier in some cases, but either method will result in greater building efficiency overall. | https://evstudio.com/lighting-power-density-in-the-new-denver-code/ |
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the systematic prediction of stable high speed cutting parameters for machining titanium.
(2) Description of Related Art
Titanium alloys are used extensively in manufacturing helicopter components because of their excellent combination of high specific strength, which is maintained at elevated temperature, high resistance to corrosion, fracture resistance characteristics and extensive ductility, especially at high strain rates. Despite the excellent properties of titanium alloys, their machinability is generally considered poor due to the following inherent properties. First, the high strength maintained at elevated temperatures with a low modulus of elasticity impairs the machinability of titanium. Second, large amounts of heat are generated at the tool/workpiece interface adversely affecting the tool life because titanium alloys have thermal conductivity 13 times less than aluminum.
Third, machining of titanium produces typically shear-banded (segmented) chips due to poor thermal properties. These chips cause a sudden force fluctuation from a peak value to a minimum value. The rapid force fluctuation causes a hammering on the tool face at the tool tip in the vicinity of cutting. This phenomenon accelerates the tool chipping process as the cutting speed increases and reduces tool life to a fraction of a second.
Fourth, the segmented chips roll onto the tool face and have a short time of non-sliding contact. During machining the low thermal conductivity and high strength of titanium, alloys create high temperatures leading to high rates of tool wear.
Lastly, titanium is very chemically reactive, and has the tendency to weld to the cutting tool during machining, which leads to chipping and premature failure.
An existing method for controlling the tool chip interfacial temperature consists of a high-pressure coolant jet applied at the tool-chip interface. The high-pressure coolant is delivered through internal coolant passages and an array of discrete nozzles that eject the coolant onto the cutting edge at a predetermined mass flow rate and impingement pressure.
Yet another method for controlling the tool chip interfacial temperature consists of a high-pressure coolant jet applied at the tool-chip interface. A thermal-mechanical High Speed Machining (HSM) model is used to predict the interfacial temperature as a function of cutting speed, coolant flow rate, and coolant application angle. Based on the predicted temperature, the optimal integral nozzle configuration is designed. The nozzle shape is optimized through a definite element model for predicting interfacial temperature isotherms with the objective of minimizing their values.
Model predictions and experimental results show that the shaped nozzle creates a correspondingly shaped jet, which is more effective at removing heat from the tool-chip interface, thereby reducing the tool chip interface temperature. Although the high-pressure coolant applications evacuate the chips very efficiently and reduce the tool temperature, which allows the increase in the cutting speed and consequently the feed rate 10 times, tool life is very low. The main mechanism of tool failure is chipping. The fluctuation of the cutting forces due to chip segmentations is one of the main reasons for this chipping. High rigidity of machine tool, use of high feed, and low rake angle can mitigate tool chipping. The segment spacing of the chip is equal to the feed (or uncut chip thickness) and is governed by the rake angle. Increasing the segment spacing reduces the frequency of impact and increases the area of contact so that the forces will be less concentrated on the tool tip.
This solution cannot be generalized for any tool/workpiece/fixture system. In many applications the feed is constrained due to workpiece flexibility, which can cause chatter. Also, in an operation such as face milling, the flexibility of the workpiece fixture does not allow for high feed as the cutting speed increases.
High speed milling of titanium is limited because of the dynamic behavior of the tool/workpiece/fixture system and the loads on the tools. Vibration can occur if the tooth passing frequency (No. of flutes or inserts *spindle speedxe2x88x92rpm/60) matches the frequency of anyone component of the tool/workpiece/fixture system. This type of vibration is usually referred to as forced vibration.
With reference to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a mass experiencing a single degree of freedom under forced vibration excitation. The amplitude of motion depends upon both on the amplitude of the force and on the frequency of the force. A low frequency of excitation force causes a displacement determined by the familiar xe2x80x9cstaticxe2x80x9d stiffness (F=kx). As the excitation frequency increases, so does the amplitude of the displacement, up to the xe2x80x9cresonancexe2x80x9d. At resonance, the frequency of the excitation force matches the natural frequency. At resonance, the amplitude of the displacement is much larger than at low frequency. For excitation frequencies higher than the natural frequency, the amplitude of the displacement decreases. The forced vibration, as seen in FIG. 2, is termed as a Frequency Response Function (FRF), where xcfx89 is the frequency of the exciting force and xcfx89n is the natural frequency of the system. As illustrated, the figure on the right is a plot of the displacement occurring at the natural frequency while the plot on the left illustrates the different levels of displacement given a level of excitation wherein the maximum displacement occurs at the natural frequency. The natural frequency is represented as:
xcfx89n{square root over (k/m)},
Where k is the stiffness and m is the mass of the system.
In general, FIG. 2 shows that the Frequency Response Function (FRF) describes how a tool/workpiece/fixture system will vibrate in response to different frequencies of excitation. The FRF is a measurable function, and it can be used to compare and predict the performance of cutters and machine tools. There is a very high correlation between the FRF and the amount of speed and power that can be used in a milling operation.
Whereas xe2x80x9csingle degree of freedomxe2x80x9d systems have 1 natural frequency, xe2x80x9cmultiple degree of freedomxe2x80x9d systems have 1 natural frequency for each degree of freedom. Each natural frequency has a corresponding characteristic deformation pattern (mode shape). Vibration in xe2x80x9cmultiple degree of freedomxe2x80x9d systems may be thought of as a sum of vibrations in the individual modes.
With reference to FIG. 3, there is illustrated the wavy surface 31 produced on a workpiece 33 when a milling cutter or tool 35 makes a pass resulting from the tooth passing frequency. When a subsequent pass is made, the cutter 35 removes material from an existing wavy surface and at the same time leaves behind a new wavy surface. The regeneration of waviness causes a steady input of energy from the milling spindle drive into vibration at the cutting edge. The chip that is created by this cut carries both the waviness from the previous pass and that translated over by the current pass.
If the new cut leads to a chip with constant thickness (i.e. the waviness of the chip is in phase), it creates a stable cut as illustrated in FIG. 4. If the waviness generates variable chip thickness (i.e. the waves are out of phase as illustrated in FIG. 5), this translates as variable forces on the cutting edge and eventually as vibration. This leads to the most undesirable vibrations in milling, specifically, self-excited chatter vibrations.
Chatter, the self-excited vibration between the workpiece 33 and the cutting tool, is another common problem during high speed machining and titanium. It significantly limits the machining productivity, adversely affects the surface quality, accelerates the premature failure of cutting tools, and damages the machine tool components. In general, it is observed that chatter cannot occur at the tooth passing frequency or any of its harmonics because there is no regeneration. This statement is correct if the tool is the most flexible part in the system. In high speed machining of titanium, the natural frequency of the workpiece and its system affect to a great extent the chatter generation condition.
A number of different strategies have been used to increase the stability, and thus productivity, of the machining system. These include increasing the rigidity and damping characteristics of the structure, selecting cutting conditions such as feed rate and spindle speed and the use of other schemes like Variable Speed Machining (VSM) wherein the nominal spindle speed varies continuously (typically along a sinusoidal trajectory) during machining.
For a given machine tool structure, the stability of the system can be enhanced by the proper selection of constant spindle speed using both off-line and on-line methods. In an effort to select cutting conditions that provide stable machining and high productivity, researchers have developed engineering tools commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cstability chartsxe2x80x9d. These charts generally show that as the spindle speed increases, wider speed intervals are developed within which relatively large depths of cut can be achieved while maintaining stability. This will increase the rate of metal removal. The stability of the system is obtained by repeatedly running the simulations at different combinations of spindle speed and depth of cut until the system becomes unstable.
Recently, a few analytical methods to predict the stability of Constant Spindle Speed Machining (CSM) have been developed. An iterative analytical stability model for determining the chatter stability for machining with a variable pitch cutter using constant spindle speed has been developed. In addition, in most reports, the machining chatter is modeled as a linear differential-difference equation with single regenerative effects. In reality, when chatter occurs, the amplitude of self-excited vibration increases until some non-linear effect limits any further increment. The stability analysis of linear models provides information only about the chatter threshold, but gives no information about the system behavior after the stability borderline has been exceeded. However, the information related to chatter after the stability borderline has been exceeded is of importance for the effective speed.
Aluminum is often machined in such a manner that the tooth passing frequency is equal to the natural frequency of the cutting tool. Cutting at the natural frequency of the tool indicates that the phase shift between the periodic excitation acting on the machine system due to the tooth passing frequency and displacement history of the machine-tool-work is equal to zero. This minimizes the magnitude of the real part of the system transfer function.
It is therefore possible to successfully utilize the above-mentioned technology for determining the optimum cutting speed for high speed machining of aluminum. However, it is difficult to apply the same technology for high speed machining of titanium alloy. The predicted stable depth of cut is too small to be used in practical cases. The dynamic force components in the case of machining titanium is about 30% of that generated during the machining of steel alloy or aluminum. Therefore, keeping the phase difference at zero degrees does not have a great effect on the amplitude of the undulation that is generated on the surface.
In addition, the use of active control technology is becoming more and more a routine application for aircraft systems. Active control schemes for vibration have long been studied, including fixed-frame swashplate control (higher harmonic control), rotating frame blade control (individual blade control, active flap control, active blade twist control), active transmission isolation (active transmission mounts, active control of structural response (ACSR)), and so on. Active control technology is also resident in other systems on the aircraft, for example flight controls, and is becoming more robust and expansive in functionality due to improvements and proliferation of digital capabilities throughout the aircraft system.
Much of the basic system dynamics and control strategies, in a generic sense, are applicable to the manufacturing process as well. There are many limitations in the manufacturing process today, whether cutting speed, depth, feed, etc., that arise due to dynamic constraints as noted above. Specifically, the cutting tool and the part to be cut are both dynamic systems. Further, during the cutting process, these systems exhibit changing dynamic characteristics. In whole, this coupled dynamic system exhibits resonances and modes that must be avoided to yield adequate quality in the resultant part. There is therefore needed a method of applying some of the basic tenants of active control to augment the manufacturing process and yield improved quality parts in less time and at less cost.
Such a methodology would ideally be approached via several levels of complexity with associated levels of productivity increase. Historically, the task has been one of xe2x80x9cgo as fast as you canxe2x80x9d until the quality begins to degrade, then back off a bit to keep the quality adequate. This process, obviously, is ad hoc, and precludes the identification of optimum operating regimes.
It would be preferable if a methodology were to be employed which could account for the changing dynamics of the tool and part as the cutting operation progresses. What is therefore needed is a simple systematic technique to define the stable high cutting speed in machining titanium and which takes into account the changing dynamics of the tool and part as the cutting operation progresses.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the systematic prediction of stable high speed cutting parameters for machining titanium.
In accordance with the present invention, a method of predicting the cutting speed for machining of titanium alloy comprises the steps of obtaining a first transfer function for a tool system, obtaining a second transfer function for a workpiece system, selecting from the first transfer function a first flexible mode, selecting from the second transfer function a second flexible mode, defining a natural frequency of the first flexible mode and the second flexible mode, calculating a tooth passing frequency using the defined natural frequency, accepting the calculated tooth passing frequency if the calculated tooth passing frequency differs from a second harmonic of a combined system formed of the tool system and the workpiece system and from at least one natural frequency corresponding to the tool system and the workpiece system, calculating a stable spindle speed, defining a cut depth using the calculated spindle speed.
Alternatively, in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided whereby dynamic characterization followed by addition of sensors and actuating elements to control part and/or tool dynamics via a closed feedback processing system yield freedom to select speed, feed and cutting depth to optimize tool use and part manufacturing and avoid the need to work around tool and part dynamic constraints.
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26.3 THE FINAL SUPERLATIVE SECRET OF SECRETS OF THE GITA
Our ‘light’ response to all the happenings that impinge on us and our ‘respectful’ response to all the obligations that devolve on us are the two foundations on which all our activities have to rest. The methodology is to have an attitudinal change in all such activities. The attitude of ‘I am not the experiencer’ reflects the fundamental maxim in the “mA phaleshhu” shloka. The attitude of ‘I am not the doer’ reflects the attitude of Actionlessness, that is everywhere extolled in the Gita. The former takes care of present happiness and the latter assures us of future happiness because of the absence of any accumulation of vAsanAs, good or bad.
This certainly summarises the teaching of the Gita; but Krishna does not want to rest here; because all that went before needs a strong support from the intellect of the devotee. This is so because everything thus far said relies on the acceptance of the validity of an ‘Equanimous view’ and the need for non-attachment by means of sense-control. Krishnaknows that the ordinary aspirant for happiness needs, more than any of these, an emotional power-boost for the spiritual ascent – even more than just devotion, prayer and worship. So His last word of advice goes like XVIII-61 and 62:
Ishvaras-sarva-bhUtAnAm hRd-deshe’rjuna tishhTati /
bhrAmayan sarva-bhUtAni yantrA-rUDhAni mAyayA //
tameva sharaNam gaccha sarva-bhAvena bhArata /
tat-prasAdAt parAM shAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi shAshvataM //
The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings, causing all beings, by His mAyic power, to revolve, as if mounted on a machine. Go unto Him, with all your being, as your refuge; by His Grace you will obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
This surrender idea, though not in the same words, was already told to Arjuna in the 11th chapter itself when the Lord was showing His cosmic form.
“nimittamAtram bhava savya-sAcin”
says He. ‘Be only my instrument of action and experience’, thereby implying ‘Don’t think you are the actor or the experiencer’. It is a question of whether it is God’s Will or our will.
In fact the full declaration goes like this:
....
mayaivete nihatAH pUrvameva
nimittamAtraM bhava savyasAcin // XI -33
droNaM ca bhIshhmaM ca jayadrathaM ca
karnaM tathAnyAnapi yodhavIrAn /
mayA hatAmstvaM jahi mA vyathishhTA
yuddhyasva jetAsi raNe sapatnAn // XI -34
“I have conquered and vanquished all your enemies, including Drona, Bhishma, jayadratha, Karna and other warriors; be only an instrument of my action; go and fight. You will win.”
But when the Lord said this, Arjuna was in such a dazed condition because he was in the presence of the cosmic form, with His one thousand hands and all other paraphernalia. Arjuna considers that form as an ‘ugra-rUpa’ (gorgeous form) (X1-31-first line). The Lord Himself refers to it as “mama ghoraM rUpaM” (XI–49–2nd line) – ‘My terrifying form’. So naturally Arjuna wants the Lord to get back to his normal form with which he is familiar!(XI – 46). And the matter does not come up again until the final secret of secrets is ready to be declared.
The Lord mentions ‘the superlative Secret’ (guhya-tamaM) three times in the Gita. (IX – 1, XV – 20, and XVIII – 64).
The first time it is about two apparently contradictory statements :
‘mat-sthAni sarva-bhUtAni’ - IX – 4 2nd line : ‘All beings are in Me’.
and
‘na ca mat-sthAni bhUtAni’ – IX -5 1st line : ‘Also, the beings are not in Me’.
Both these statements happen to be true once we understand the concept of mAyA rightly. He, the Supreme, is the source, substratum of everything, like the screen for the movie. In this sense all beings are in Him . But again, the movie is only an appearance. The real presence is only the screen. So the beings which are only appearances superposed on the substratum are really not there. Thus it is His mAyA that validates both the statements. This is the first secret of secrets
The second secret of secrets is mentioned at the end of the 15th chapter. This is the concept of the three purushas – the kshhara-purushha, the akshhara-purushha and the purushhottama. It is the Purushhottama that appears as the individual personality with name and form (kshhara-purushha) and it is the same Purushhottama who is the impersonal akshhara-purushha witnessing all the goings-on of the BMI in the world of prakRti (which, is nothing but mAyA). Thus both the secrets are explainable as the effect of mAyA.
But both of them have only an academic conceptual significance. They do not tell you what to do. How do we apply them in our spiritual ascent? It is the third secret of secretsthat gives us such an action plan. That plan is: “Surrender to the Lord”. So when He finally winds up his Gita, He comes back to the topic of the helplessness of the will-power of Man.
And particularly, addressing Arjuna, He says (XVIII–59, onwards): “If resorting to your ego, you decide not to fight, it will only be a wasteful decision, because your own prakRtiwill take you along (its way). You are bound by your karma born of your own nature; and so what you are not willing to do will be done by you; you are not in control. The Lord Almighty is there in the hearts of all beings and He is it that motivates the whole world into action. Go and surrender to Him”. Gthese are almost His final words. Announcing that He is now going to tell him the most superlative secret (sarva –guhyatamaM – XVIII -64) He gives out what constitutes the most sacred (and secret) mantra of the Gita:
sarva-dharmAn parityajya mAm-ekaM sharaNaM vraja /
ahaM tvA sarva-pApebhyo mokshhayishhyAmi mA shucaH // XVIII -66.
Abandon all dharmas and surrender to Me alone. I shall deliver you from all sin and evil. Do not grieve.
The crucial statements that are puzzling here are “Abandon all dharmas”, and “Surrender to Me alone”.
“Abandon all dharmas”: It is not ‘dharmas’ alone but ‘adharmas’ also. For, all through the Gita Actionlessness has been emphasized. And for the same reason it is the ‘doership’ of dharma and of adharma that has to be abandoned. That ‘I am the doer’ has to be renounced. The plea is for us to be the instrument of God’s Will. This is the greatest renunciation. This is the renunciation by which the inherent nature of the body, mind and intellect are disassociated from the centre of activity and thereby an identification with the divine takes place.
“Surrender to Me alone”: Who is surrendering to whom? When I say ‘I surrender’, the subject is ‘I’. But the only subject is the real ‘I’, the higher Self. Everything else is an object. So it all looks like saying: “I surrender to my Self”. The finite is surrendering to the Infinite. The lower self of ours – the kshhara-purushha - is finite. The lower self has to surrender to the Higher Self, which is the akshhara-purushha, the real ‘I”, the infinite Self. In other words it means only this. The ordinary self with all its ego, accumulated VasanAs and faults, surrenders to the higher Self, which is the Lord Himself.
Putting the two together, we get the idea. “I” and “Mine” are the two great evils in the mind. Instead of identifying ourselves with the “real I”, namely the akshhara-purushhawithin, we always confuse ‘I’ with the mind, body and its ramifications. This is ‘dehAtma-buddhi’. It is the feeling that this Self is the conglomeration of several things external to it like the BMI. It is this false dharma that has to be renounced. Once it is done then what remains is the Subject and Subject alone. There is only one (ekaM) and no second. The surrender is complete. Then He will not only take you off the obligations of the consequences of your actions, even if it is ‘sinful’, but He will also grant you that release (mokshha), by revealing to you his svarUpa. Recall
“teshhAm-evAnukampArthaM aham-ajnAnajaM tamaH /
nAshayAmyAtma-bhAvastho jnAna-dIpena bhAsvatA // X – 11
Out of compassion for them, I, lodged in their Self, destroy the darkness born of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of knowledge.
This One (ekaM), we know, is sat-cid-Ananda (Existence, Knowledge, Bliss – satyaM, jnAnaM, anantaM). Shri Aurobindo analyses the surrender to this sat-cid-Ananda in great detail. In very brief language it is this:
Surrender to the shakti of Supreme Existence (‘sat’). Both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ of our finite existences are then destroyed; the bottled ‘kuNDalinI shakti’ is released as Infinite shakti. “asato mA sad-gamaya” (Lead me from the unreal to the real). This is the release of the Karma yogi.
Surrender to the shakti of Supreme Bliss (‘Ananda’, that is, Bliss personified). The dualities of life that come and go are then destroyed. We are released from the wrong tunings of ours to the drama of life and thus fine-tuned to the music of that Infinite Bliss. “mRtyor-mA amRtaM gamaya” (Lead me from Death to Immortality). This is the release of the Bhakti-yogi.
Surrender to the shakti of Supreme Knowledge (‘cit’). The VasanAs of both kinds, of ignorance as well as wisdom, are then destroyed. We are released from our wrong perceptions and the eyes are opened (‘jnAna-cakshhus’) for the Infinite Light to reveal itself. “tamaso mA jyotir-gamaya” (Lead me from darkness to Light). This is the release of the JnAna-yogi.
The three lines of the Gayatri reverberate beautifully with these three facets of surrender.
“tat-savitur-vareNyaM” (That – of the Originator – Most excellent) is the supreme Glorification of the Self. The word ‘savituH’ indicates the Originator because ‘savitA’ goes back to the same root word that ‘prasava’ (birth, creation) goes to. This glorification is what motivates ‘asato mA sad gamaya’.
“bhargo devasya dhImahi” (Light - of God – Let us meditate) is the supreme worship of the Infinite, that automatically brings in the Ananda, because meditation of the Supreme is itself bliss. So the finite self is taken to the Immortal Bliss of the Infinite Self. ‘mRtyor mA amRtam gamaya’.
“dhiyo yo naH pracodayAt” (Intellects – He who – our – may prompt) is the supreme Prayer to that Infinite Knowledge-shakti. This is what takes us to the realisation of the effervescence of that ultimate ‘cit’. ‘tamaso mA jyotir-gamaya’.
And thus Gayatri constitutes the greatest form of SharaNAgati (surrender). That is one of the reasons why it is extolled by every part of Hindu scriptures. It is the essence of the entire religion and philosophy.
ananta-shAstram bahu veditavyaM
alpashca kAlo bahavashca vighnAH /
Yat-sAra-bhUtam tad-upAsitavyaM
Hamso yathA kshhIram-ivAmbhu-rAshau //
Scriptures are infinite and much has to be known. Time is short and there are too many obstacles. So what constitutes the essence has to be propitiated. Just as a hamsa bird separates milk from water.
This essence is the Gayatri.
The vishishhTAdvaita tradition is famous for its incisive anatomy of the theory of SharaNAgati. They mention six maxims which perfectly define what a complete surrender is. Of these six, the most important is “rakshhishhyati iti vishvAsaH” – ‘He will protect me under all circumstances’. The conviction in this maxim has to be hundred percent; nothing less. When Vibhishana abandoned his brother Ravana to go and seek refuge in Lord Rama, he had no prior agreement with or assurance from Rama that the latter will accept him and protect him. Even then he had perfect trust in the goodness of the Lord and was confident that he will be taken in. Rama did not belie the expectations of Vibhishana, in spite of the fact that all of Rama’s troupe – except of course the wise Hanuman – preached extreme caution and even predicted a positive danger in accepting Vibhishana. This trust and confidence in the Lord is the one sure foundation on which the principle of surrender works. Even if you are a non-believer or a sinner, if you take total refuge in the Lord, He will not forsake you. He says so in so many words (IX – 30).
Religious minded devotees usually quote the various scriptures as proof of their conviction that God always takes care of His devotees. The sceptics on the other side have a hard time believing such naïve statements. This dichotomy of opinion has been there ever since Man started questioning the Faith of his fellowmen in the supernatural. Kuresa, one of the foremost disciples of Sri Ramanujacharya has written a short poem of seven verses called ‘Arta-trANa-parAyaNa-stotram’. The very first sloka of this poem says that God is our sole refuge, saviour and support and that six monumental instances prove this beyond doubt. But before we mention these six instances cited by Kuresa we need to recall the dimensional context in time in which he is giving us this proof. The six instances identified by Kuresa is over such a long period of mythological history, namely over a period of, roughly, 1.9 billion years, which is the time elapsed since this kalpa started. For Kuresha's shloka and its meaning, GO TO 12 SIX MONUMENTAL WITNESSES
There is a classical statement of the Lord in the Ramayana which justifies why we should have the faith that He will protect us. “Even if for once the devotee says: I am totally yours,” says the Lord “whatever living being it be, I have to grant my Grace of Fearlessness; this is my vow (‘vrata’)”. (Valmiki Ramayana:VI-8-33):
sakRd-eva-prapannAya tavAsmi-iti ca yAcate /
abhayaM sarva-b hUtebhyo dadAmy-etad-vrataM mama //
This is the greatest norm or vrata that He adhered to steadfastly all His life in the Rama-avatara. Indeed that is why He is called ‘suvrataH’ (One who observes the greatest vrata) in the Vishnu-sahasranama.
This trust therefore is a trust with total abandon. It is this spirit of abandon which is recommended by the SharaNAgati shloka (XVIII-66). It is the abandonment of all dependence on anything other than the Lord. We certainly do it sometimes when we are in distress and when we have no hope of any earthly help. When we have tried every other means, when we are totally helpless, certainly we take refuge in the Lord, at least orally, though it is a moot question whether it comes from the heart. When the doctor finally says: I have done my best, the patient now is in God’s hands, -- at that time we no doubt pray to God and say to Him ‘O God, you are my only refuge’. Actually we should have more truly said to Him: ‘Now you are my only refuge’! Can we have that attitude even when there is a so-called worldly help or alternative available? That would be the true practice of ‘rakshhishhyati-iti vishvAsaH’ and ‘nimittamAtram bhava’ – the true implementation of the theory of SharaNAgati.
The Vaishnava tradition talks of actually six components of the process of Surrender to the Lord. The conviction that ‘He will protect me under all circumstances’ is only one of them, though the most important. The following are the other five.
“AnukUlyasya sankalpaH”: The determination to do only that which is favourable and pleasing to the Lord. It was here that the famous surrender of Bharata to Rama in the Ramayana failed in its norms. Bharata wanted to bring back Rama to the capitol and not allow Him to continue in the forest. This the Lord not only did not like but it went against His more fundamental requirement of upholding the promise to which the father Dasaratha was committed. Bharata’s SharaNAgati misses the willingness to be in tune with the Will of the Lord. It is the willingness to follow, to obey, that is more important than following or obeying. The first great saying of the ancient grand old lady (Auvaiyar) of Tamil literature and culture is “aRam ceya virumbu” – meaning, Have the will to do good. Here the words “have the will” (virumbu, in Tamil) is significant. One might have noted that on the airplanes the first announcement that you hear from the crew is “We like to welcome you on this flight”. This is more pleasant to hear than a formal statement “We welcome you on this flight”. The ‘liking’ makes it more hospitable!
“pratikUlasya varjanaM”: The avoidance of everything that is unfavourable or displeasing to the Lord.
Vibhishana excelled in both these criteria. He was prepared to forego his kith and kin in order to get away from the evil-doing Ravana. As soon as it was clear that Ravana was incorrigible, he rose up (in the skies) to leave him. His “AnukUlyasya sankalpa” was certified by Rama himself. “He has come with friendly intentions” (‘mitra-bhAvena samprAptaH’) says Rama in the discussions that took place with his troupe an d therefore Rama says he deserves acceptance.
There are two more criteria which are insisted by the Vaishnavite schools with a particular emphasis unique to them. These are “goptRtva-varaNaM” (the adoption of the Lord as the only Protector) and “Atma-nikshhepaH” (Laying of one’s entire self at the disposal of the Lord). The devotee realises in due time that whatever he may do, his past karma and present obstacles to a spiritual pursuit do not give him the spiritual advance he yearns for in spite of the regularity of his life and purity of conduct and attempt to control his senses. He feels that something else other than his conduct, knowledge and faith is necessary. He realises that even if he surrenders to God he is not able to ingratiate himself into the Lord’s favour. He needs somebody to intercede on his behalf with the Lord. It is generally believed that it is the Mother Goddess Lakshmi who intercedes on behalf of the devotee. But more specifically this interceding usually takes place through the Guru whose natural it is to intercede on behalf of the devotee. The Guru enables the devotee to rid himself of the burden which he is unable to bear any more. This is technically called ‘laying off the burden’ or ‘returning the burden to its rightful owner’ and known as ‘bhAra-nyAsa’ in Shri Vaishnava jargon.
The last one in the list of six fundamental components of an ideal surrender is “kArpaNyaM” -- the feeling of total triviality and nothingness vis-a-vis the Lord. This is the norm by which two famous episodes of surrender in the Ramayana fail to reach up to the ideal.
One was Sita’s. While she was a captive in Lanka she repeatedly surrendered mentally to Rama. But hers did not satisfy this norm of incapability on the part of one who surrenders. For, if she had chosen to, she could have consumed Ravana himself in the flames of Her Absolute chastity, though she did not choose to do it for other reasons.
In the same way, there is another episode of surrender in the Ramayana, namely, that of Rama Himself to the God of the Seas. Again Rama’s surrender did not meet the sixth norm above. For, his surrender was not because of inability to achieve what he wanted to achieve. If He had chosen to, He could have dried up the ocean and have his armies cross it.
The only SharaNAgati in the Ramayana that satisfies all the six norms for surrender is that of Vibhishana. He is therefore taken as the role model for SharaNAgati.
In sum, sharaNAgati or surrender is certainly the final command of the Lord to all humanity. The Lord says in so many words: Surrender to Me, in heart and soul, -- by all your being, sarva-bhAvena, says shloka 62 -- even your will. Then your future, either here or elsewhere, shall be My concern. This settles, once for all the question “What dominates? Man’s free will or the divine will?” This is a question which every religion has to answer. Hinduism says that every individual starts life with certain macro-aspects of one’s life already chalked out, not by an external force, but by the thoughts and actions of one’s own past lives – in short, by one’s own evolution, as evidenced by the store of one’s vAsanAs. Subject to this each person is enjoined in one’s day-to-day life, to voluntarily discipline oneself as per the religious sanctions, advices and norms. But an intellectual analysis of life’s experience in due time tells us that nothing happens without the will of a super-power and perhaps even one’s own free will is subject to the influence of that divine will.
For most of humanity this however may remain only an academic ideal. But, for the few who are intent on a spiritual ascent, they can help themselves by making small beginnings in the direction of being only an instrument of God’s Will. Suppose one day we feel that we have been cheated by somebody on a small matter and we have no way of redressing our grievance. We might fret and fume at the thought of this happening. Instead, if we take it as God’s will and forget about it, (and forgive the wrong-doer) then that would be the first step in being ‘an instrument of God’s Will’.
Having made this beginning with respect to small matters, gradually one enhances it by having the same attitude in larger and larger matters of happenings, good or bad. But usually what happens is very familiar to all of us. Somebody has taken us for a ride, in a very important matter. (What is important and what is not, depends of course on one’s taste, training, and tradition). But our immediate reaction is to take a hard decision to fight back and ‘teach the wrong-doer a lesson’. But to be only an instrument of God’s will is not concordant with this judiciary role that we ascribe to ourselves. Some of us even go to the extent of saying: “I should teach that wrong-doer a lesson. It is God’s Will that I be the instrument in His hands to teach this wrong-doer a lesson”. This is only an indirect justification of the play of our own ego. It only increases our affiliation with the gang of thirteen within us. Certainly it is not concordant with our attempt to become the instrument of God’s Will and nothing else.
Thus, starting from small matters and gradually over a period of time (perhaps a whole life) encompassing all matters – small or big – into the frame of ‘being only an instrument of divine will’ , one rises fast on the ladder of spirituality. Certainly, the best prayer in this circumstance would be ‘Oh God, Take my will and make it Thine’! A few names of great people in living memory who were beacons of light in this direction would not be out of place here: Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa; Sri Ramana Maharishi; and Kanchi Mahaswamigal (also called the Paramacharya). They all lived happily, the Gita Way! | https://www.profvk.com/26-3-final-secret-of-secrets |
Hungry Bear Crispy Chicken Sandwich
For the main dish for this months Hungry Bear menu I created the Hungry Bear Crispy Chicken Sandwich from the Hungry Bear restaurant at Disneyland. This sandwich takes a little prep to make but it’s not too time consuming, just a little messy. Once that’s done, it just bakes until golden brown and then is ready to serve. This sandwich is delicious and my whole family said we should make these again ASAP.
To make the sandwiches, you will want to line up four dishes. The chicken will be dipped in each one, making sure to remove any excess ingredients before moving to the next dish. Once the chicken has moved through all the dishes, place on a baking sheet. While the chicken is baking, prepare the Honey Mustard sauce and cup up the tomatoes and lettuce for the sandwiches. This is an easy meal that is great for weeknight meals or a special weekend dinner with friends and family.
Hungry Bear Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Inspired by Disneyland's Hungry Bear Restaurant Hungry Bear: with Lettuce, Tomato and a Honey-Mustard Sauce and served with French Fries or zesty Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (panko)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/8 tsp. onion powder
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. mustard, dry
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- sandwich roll
- lettuce
- tomato
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Hammer the chicken thin on a cutting board using a mallet.
- Prepare four dishes for dipping the chicken. In the first dish, add the buttermilk and the thin chicken breasts. In the second dish place flour. In the third dish put the butter and eggs, mixed together. In the final dish, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and herbs. Add the zest of the lemon to this dish.
- Using tongs, take one piece of chicken out of the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off.
- Dredge the chicken piece with flour, shake off excess.
- Dip next in the butter and egg mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet covered in foil.
- Repeat until all pieces of chicken are ready.
- Place baking sheet on middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.
- Chicken is done with golden brown, crispy and cooked through. If they are not as done as desired at 30 minutes, set the oven to broil and cook until desired crispiness, just a few minutes.
- Serve with honey mustard sauce.
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission from sales made through those links. Thank you for supporting this blog at no additional cost to you. Please see my full disclosure policy for details. | https://simplyinspiredmeals.com/hungry-bear-crispy-chicken-sandwich/ |
The public is invited to two public discussions Oct. 8, featuring His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Emory University Presidential Distinguished Professor, on the issues of responsible citizenship, ethics and education, to be held at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.
A morning talk, "Pillars of Responsible Citizenship in the 21st Century Global Village," moderated by Paul Root Wolpe, director of Emory’s Center for Ethics, will focus on the fundamental human values that are the building blocks of an engaged and compassionate world. The Dalai Lama will outline his comprehensive vision of secular ethics, its underlying principles and the urgent need to embrace such a system in today’s increasingly connected and globalized society.
Attendees and members of the public are invited to submit questions in advance through dalailama.emory.edu for a chance to receive a pair of tickets to the event and perhaps have their question read on stage.
The afternoon panel session, "Secular Ethics in Education," features the Dalai Lama with scientists and scholars on the applicability of secular ethics in modern education through the lens of evolutionary biology, neuroscience and educational policy and curricula. Discussions will include the implications of secular ethics for America's education system, strategies of implementation and potential benefits.
Panelists include:
Frans B. M. de Waal, director of the Living Links Center at Emory's Yerkes National Primate Research Center, who will speak on cooperation and fairness primates;
Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who will address the causes and consequences of innate goodness;
Geshe Lobsand Tenzin Negi of Emory University, who will speak to compassion as the foundation for secular ethics; and
Brook Dodson-Lavelle of the Mind and Life Institute, who will discuss fostering compassionate and ethics development in education.
Arthur Zajonc, president of the Mind and Life Institute, will chair the discussion.
Tickets are available at the Gwinnett Center box office or through dalailama.emory.edu. The events will feature additional musical and special presentations as well as a Tibetan bazaar. Each ticket purchased is good for both (or either) events.
'Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music Sacred Dance'
Emory and the Drepung Loseling Monastery-Atlanta will present the first-ever concert collaboration between Grammy-nominated Tibetan musician, Nawang Kechog and the famed multiphonic singers of Drepung Loseling Monastery. The performance features multiphonic chanting, wherein each of the chantmasters simultaneously intones three notes of a chord. The Drepung Loseling monks, who are particularly renowned for this unique singing, also use traditional instruments such as 10-foot-long dung-chen horns, drums, bells, cymbals and gyaling trumpets. Rich brocade costumes and masked dances, such as the Dance of the Sacred Snow Lion, add to the exotic splendor.
Nawang Khechog is the first Tibetan musician to be nominated for a Grammy and is the most renowned Tibetan flutist in the world with more than 12 albums. A self-taught musician, his music appears on the soundtrack for the film "Seven Years in Tibet." For 11 years he was a monk and studied Buddhist philosophy and meditation with the Dalai Lama.
This premier performance will take place in the Emerson Concert Hall at the Emory's Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. Tickets are $35 plus a $4 processing fee. Tickets may be purchased at the Arts at Emory box office at 404-727-5050. Learn more about the Sacred Music Sacred Dance program.
Mandala Sand Painting Live Exhibition
In honor of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Emory, the Drepung Loseling monks of The Mystical Arts of Tibet will create a Medicine Buddha Mandala, which is available for viewing during public hours at the Drepung Loseling Monastery Meditation Hall. This mandala will be dismantled in a Closing Ceremony at the conclusion of Drepung Loseling’s fifth Annual Tibetan Festival on Oct. 20.
From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, the unique method of painting with colored sand ranks as most exquisite. In Tibetan, this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which means "mandala of colored powders." Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks.
As with the Buddhist tradition as a whole, sand painting has its roots in the Tantric legacy of Buddhist India, extending back more than 2,000 years. Formed of a traditional prescribed iconography that includes geometric shapes and a multitude of ancient spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for re-consecrating the earth and its inhabitants. | https://www.news.emory.edu/stories/2013/09/upress_dalai_lama_tickets_gwinnett_arena/index.html |
The new RR students will be will be busy over the next 2 weeks Roaming Around The Known. They will have the opportunity to settle into the program, and to feel confident as they stay within the bounds of what is already known. During this time they are not yet challenged to learn new skills. (But they probably will!)
You can read more about Roaming by clicking on the following links:
Roaming The Known
Roaming The Known 2
Making I Like Books
Making I Like Books 2
The activities that each student does will depend upon his / her capability. Here are just some of the tasks that my students may experience.
Building up a box of easy to read books for each student. Sometimes the teacher does most of the reading. Sometimes the student takes over all of the reading.
Revising known letters, sounds and words. The student sorts known letters, plays letter games and may make a sound book or a sound chart. Sound boxes may be introduced.
Making a book. The student dictates a page each day and draws a picture to go with it. The sentence is also written on a strip of card which can be cut up for the student to put back together. The words can be sorted in different ways.
Shared writing. The student composes a sentence and writes the letters / words that he / she knows.
Each activity prepares the student for the formal Reading Recovery lessons that begin after the 1st 10 days of Roaming. | http://msfielding.global2.vic.edu.au/2018/02/04/beginning-reading-recovery/ |
The Cascade red fox (CRF) occurred historically throughout subalpine and alpine habitats in the Cascade Range of Washington and southernmost British Columbia, but now appears to be extremely rare. Causes for its apparent decline are unknown, as is the current distribution and connectivity of its populations. Additionally, the introduction of nonnative (fur-farm) red foxes to surrounding lowland areas during the past century raises concerns about their expansion to higher elevations and potential hybridization with the CRF. We conducted noninvasive genetic sampling and analyses of CRFs in a 5575 km2 region in the southern portion of its range, which is thought to contain a significant proportion of the current population. We obtained 154 mitochondrial DNA sequences and microsatellite genotypes for 51 individuals to determine trends in genetic diversity, assess evidence for nonnative introgression, and describe population structure. Although heterozygosity (He = 0.60, SE = 0.03) was only slightly lower than an estimate obtained from samples collected during the 1980s (He = 0.64, SE = 0.05), genetic effective size of the current population based on a one-sample estimate was very small (Ne = 16.0, 95% CI 13.3–19.4), suggesting a loss of genetic diversity and the potential for inbreeding depression in future decades. Genetic connectivity was high and we found no evidence for hybridization with nonnative lowland red foxes. Thus, although a small effective population size indicates the possibility of inbreeding depression and loss of evolutionary potential, high connectivity and genetic integrity could mitigate this to some extent, indicating that the population could respond to conservation efforts. Ultimately, successful conservation of this species depends on a better understanding of the factors that originally contributed to its decline and that currently limit its growth. | https://ucdavis.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/genetic-integrity-diversity-and-population-structure-of-the-casca |
The modern enterprise landscape is hyperconnected and always on – and is increasingly more so in a world that is reeling from the socioeconomic and business impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional security perimeters that had been breached before the pandemic are now completely obliterated, as remote working and BYOD become the norm. Workflows and processes have gone completely digital. Sensitive enterprise data and IPs are being stored in digital environments, processed by digital devices, and transmitted through digital channels.
On the other hand, every 39 seconds, someone in the world is hit by a cyber-attack.
What this means for your business is that:
Countering the scale, speed, and sophistication of threats that face your business requires a cybersecurity approach that can detect, respond to, contain, and mitigate threats in real-time.
And, for that, you need cutting-edge security analytics that is built on streaming architecture paradigms and powered by artificial intelligence, big data, edge computing, and the cloud.
Through this whitepaper, we examine emerging and extant challenges facing the global digital enterprise ecosystem, as well as the risk of continuing with conventional security frameworks. We also evaluate the urgent need to adopt a more intelligent, real-time, and integrated security strategy, as well as the critical need to integrate advanced machine learning-driven analytics and automation into security solutions. The whitepaper concludes with an outline of the most significant architectural building blocks needed to build a modern, intelligent cyber analytics platform. | https://ahad-me.com/solutions/advanced-analytics/19 |
Year of Establishment : 1916
History of the department : In academic arena in 19th century world context, Psychology was considered to be a new inclusion of Science. Wilhelm Wundt in the University of Leipzig, first realized the importance of studying mental states under certain special experimental conditions as a separate science. The closing years of the 19th century witnessed the appearance of a new branch of science which came to be known as “Experimental Psychology”. Impressed by its promise and progress, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, who was then the planning head to introduce at the Calcutta University Post-Graduate course of studies in various disciplines of Arts and Science, decided to include “Experimental Psychology” in his list. At his request eminent philosopher Dr.BrojendraNath Seal, King George V Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy of the same University, drew up the syllabus in 1905 after consulting the courses of studies of different Universities in Europe and America, and established a laboratory for demonstration purpose. Eleven years later this laboratory was upgraded as the first Psychology Department, theDepartment of Experimental Psychology.
NarendraNathSengupta, who chaired this department, had his education at Harvard University with Hugo Munsterberg, a student of William Wundt. Laboratory research at Calcutta in the areas of depth perception, psychophysics, and attention inspired early work at other centres. Recognizing the scientific nature of research, psychology was included as a separate section in the Indian Science Congress in 1923.
Thus, psychology in India at an early stage acquired the status of a science along with physical and biological sciences. The Indian Psychological Association was founded in 1924 and the Indian Journal of Psychology, the first psychology journal in India, appeared the very next year.
Before these experimental traditions could consolidate, Sengupta left Calcutta. He was succeeded by GirindraShekhar Bose.
He established the Lumbini Park Mental Hospital in Calcutta in 1940, and in 1947 brought out a journal 'Samiksha'.
The Department started an Applied Psychology Wing in 1938, when Jung, Meyers, and Spearman were invited to the Silver Jubilee Session of the Indian Science Congress. In 1945, the University started a Certificate Course in Applied Psychology for one year only for improving training to workers and students interested in the subject. In 1969, the University under the Vice Chancellor, Prof. S.N. Sen and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. P.K. Bose and with the untiring efforts of Prof. S.N. Roy, established a separate department of Applied Psychology.
Starting from Calcutta University Department, Psychology in India has been expanding rapidly in 21st century. There seems to be the growth of Psychology in having a number of eminent research and clinical institutes in its developmental fold. The areas of research interests are covering the topics of Neuropsychology, Counselling Psychology, Social Psychology, Educational Psychology, Indigenous Psychology, Developmental disability, Media Psychology, Cross-cultural Psychology, studies on aggression and terrorism, in addition to continuous interest in clinical Psychology and Psychoanalysis. Teaching and research always remained the primary focus of the department, and good many scholars carrying on their doctoral research work every year and make important contributions to the discipline of Psychology. While the department started with a quantitative tradition following the then dominant trend in social sciences, but subsequent during last 2 decades responding to the paradigm shift in Social Sciences, significant researches are being carried out using qualitative research methodology.
Special award/ recognition from UGC or related statutory body :
|Name||Designation||Area of specialization||Email/Phone number|
|Prof. (Dr.) Pritha Mukhopadhyay
|
[Profile]
|Professor||Clinical Psychology Neuropsychobiology, Electrophysiology,Psychophysiology||[email protected]|
|Prof. (Dr.) Sanjukta. Das
|
[Profile]
|Professor||Clinical Psychology, Adult Development and Ageing||[email protected]
|
[email protected]
|Prof. (Dr.) Sonali De
|
[Profile]
|Professor||Social Psychology, Qualitative Research Methods||[email protected]
|
[email protected]
|Dr. Tilottama Mukherjee
|
[Profile]
|Associate Professor & HOD||Clinical Psychology, Health psychology, personality disorders,
|
child and adolescent mental health,Psychotherapy
|[email protected]|
|Dr. Anindita Chaudhuri
|
[Profile]
|Associate Professor||Social & Community Psychology, Self and Identity||[email protected]|
|Dr. Manisha Dasgupta
|
[Profile]
|Associate Professor||Clinical Psychology
|
Personality Studies, Projective Psychology, Gerontology
|[email protected]
|
[email protected]
9830607021
|Dr. Deepshikha Ray
|
[Profile]
|Associate Professor||Experimental studies in Social and Clinical Psychology, Positive Psychology using qualitative methods||[email protected]|
|Dr. Atanu Kumar Dogra
|
[Profile]
|Assistant Professor||Psychometry, educational psychology||atanudogra2006@ yahoo.co.in
|
8910157765
|Dr. Somdeb Mitra
|
[Profile]
|Assistant Professor||Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy Research||[email protected]
|
9836045201
|Programme||Level of study||Eligibility||Intake capacity|
|M.A./M.Sc. in Psychology||P.G.||In accordance of merit in B.A./ B.Sc. Examination||42|
|Ph.D. in Psychology||Research||M.A./ M.Sc. in Psychology/ Applied Psychology; getting qualified in Ph.D. Entrance Examination/NET/SET and Course Work|
List of Psychological Test Materials
|Sl No||Name of Equipments /Test Materials|
|1||Advanced Progressive Matrices – Set-I|
|2||Advanced progressive Matrices – Set-II|
|3||Bhatia’a Battery of Performance Test of Intelligence|
|4||BinetKamat Test of Intelligence ( BKT)|
|5||Cattell’s Culture Fair Test of Intelligence|
|6||Coloured Progressive Matrices ( CPM )|
|7||Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC)|
|8||Seguin Form Board Test|
|9||Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM)|
|10||Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)|
|11||Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III)|
|12||Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV)|
|13||Wechsler Adult Performance Intelligence Scale (WAIS)|
|14||Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)|
|15||Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R)|
|16||Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV)|
|Projective Tests|
|17||Children’s Apperception Test(CAT)-Animal|
|18||Children’s Apperception Test(CAT)-Human|
|19||Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study|
|20||Rorschach Ink Blot Test (RIT)|
|21||Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)|
|Measures of assessment of cognitive functions|
|22||Bender Gestalt Visuo-Motor Test ( BGT )|
|23||PGI – BBD|
|Neuropsychological test|
|24||NIMHANS Neuropsychological Test Battery|
|25||Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery|
|26||Tower of London Test|
|27||Wisconsin Card Sorting Test|
|Miscellaneous|
|28||Basic MR|
|29||Basal MR|
|30||Mental Retardation|
|31||16 P F Test|
|32||Beck Depression Inventory|
|33||Bell’s Adjustment Inventory|
|34||Childhood Autism Rating Scale|
|35||Developmental Screening Test|
|36||Eysenck Personality Questionnaire|
|37||Guilford Zimmerman Interest Inventory|
|38||PGI Memory Scale|
|39||Vineland Social Maturity Scale|
|40||State-Trait Anxiety Inventory|
|List of instruments|
|41||Mirror Drawing Apparatus|
|42||GSR|
|43||RMS Computerized Bio Feedback System|
|44||Response Recorder|
|46||Reaction Timer|
|47||Stopwatch|
|48||Television|
|49||DVD Player|
|50||Laptop|
|51||Projector|
|52||Handycam|
|53||Voice Recorder|
|Software|
|54||AMOS|
|55||IBM SPSS STAT base 21.0|
|56||IBM SPSS REGRESSION|
|57||IBM SPSS FORECASTING|
Academic & Other Activities :
Clinical Services Offered (with regular faculty supervision) :
Source of referral of clients : | https://caluniv.ac.in/academic/Psychology.html |
Ever since I became an adult in 1980, I have been a stopped clock with respect to the Chinese economy. I have said -- always -- that at most, Chinese supergrowth likely has five more years to run.
Then there will come a crash -- in asset values and expectations, if not in production and employment. After the crash, China will revert to the standard pattern of an emerging market economy without successful institutions that duplicate or somehow mimic those of the North Atlantic. Its productivity rate will be little more than the 2 percent per year of emerging markets as a whole; catch-up and convergence to the North Atlantic growth-path norm will be slow if at all; and political risks that cause war, revolution or merely economic stagnation rather than unexpected booms will become the most likely surprises.
I was wrong for 25 years straight -- and the jury is still out on the period since 2005. Thus, I'm very hesitant to count out China and its supergrowth miracle. But now "a" crash -- even if, perhaps, not "the" crash I was predicting -- is at hand.
There seems to be no secret Chinese institutional or developmental sauce.
The ongoing collapse of the Shanghai stock market is another retelling of an old story. As Charles Kindleberger said, "displacement" creates opportunities for profit. A boom gets under way, fed by ample and expanding credit. When the urge to speculate is present -- as it almost always is -- prices rise, and positive-feedback kicks in, in which people buy because they have or others have made money. In Kindleberger's words, "There is nothing so disturbing to one's well-being and judgment as to see a friend get rich."
The rapid rise in the Shanghai market from November 2014 to June 2015 counts as such a displacement, boom and euphoria culminating in overtrading. And we now -- just as in 2000 with the U.S. NASDAQ -- have the revulsion and the discredit.
A great deal of China supergrowth always seemed to me to be just catch-up to the norm one would expect, given East Asian societal-organizational capabilities. China had been far depressed below that norm by the misgovernment of the Qing, the civil wars of the first half of the twentieth century, the Japanese conquest and the manifold disasters of rule by the paranoid Mao Zedong. Take convergence to that East Asian societal-capability norm, the wisdom of Deng Xiaoping and then Jiang Zemin in applying the standard Hamiltonian gaining-manufacturing-technological-capability-through-light-manufacturing-exports development strategy (albeit on a world-historical scale) and a modicum of good luck, and China seemed understandable. There thus seemed to me to be no secret Chinese institutional or developmental sauce.
Given that, I focused on how China lacked the good-and-honest government, the societal trust and the societal openness factors that appear to have made for full convergence to the U.S. frontier in countries such as Japan. One of the few historical patterns to repeat itself with regularity over the past three centuries has been that, wherever governments are unable to make the allocation of property and contract rights stick, industrialization never reaches North Atlantic levels of productivity.
China will -- unfortunately -- likely become another corrupt middle-income country in the middle-income relative development trap.
Sometimes the benefits of entrepreneurship are skimmed off by roving thieves. Sometimes economic growth stalls. Sometimes profits are skimmed by local notables, who abuse what ought to be the state's powers for their own ends. China -- in spite of all its societal and cultural advantages -- had failed to make its allocation of property rights stick in any meaningful sense through the rule of law. Businesses could flourish only when they found party protectors, and powerful networks of durable groups of party protectors at that.
Another headwind for China in the future is that, as the very sharp young whippersnapper Noah Smith points out, the Hamiltonian manufactures-export strategy is played out, not just for poorer countries wishing to emulate China but for China in the future. Historically, the Hamiltonian strategy of moving farmers to factories and setting them to work using imported manufacturing technology is the only reliably successful development strategy because manufacturing technology is the only one that can be reliably imported. You buy the machines to make the products, you buy the blueprints for the products to be made and, with a few engineering coaches hired from abroad -- and you are in business.
But that requires that people outside your country buy your low-priced manufactures. And the world has reached a point at which demand for manufactured goods is no longer highly elastic. Already James Fallows reports on Chinese entrepreneurs lamenting how the real profits flow to the owners of scarce natural resources or the owners of brands and of design and engineering resources, leaving those who actually make the manufactured goods with only crumbs.
Greece or Chile thus seemed to me to be China's most likely future, and it always seemed to me it would take quite a while to get there.
Yet, so far, contrary to my expectations for more than a generation, China has hitherto kept growing and growing rapidly, even without anything a North Atlantic economic historian would see as the rule of law. It has had its own system of what we might call industrial neofeudalism. Instead of the king's judges enforcing property and contract rights, Chinese entrepreneurs have protection via their fealty to connection groups within the party that others do not wish to cross.
It is, in a strange way, almost like the libertarian fantasy in which you hire your own personal police department in a competitive market come to life. Such a system should not work: Party connection groups should find themselves unable to referee their disputes. The evanescence of their positions should lead them into the same shortsighted rent-extraction logic that we have seen played out over and over again in Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Latin America. Somehow, in China, eppur si muove.
Now I do believe that after this stock market crash, China is likely to have another five, maybe ten, years of very healthy growth. The party can redistribute income from the rich to the middle and the poor and from the coasts to the interior. Mammoth demand from an enriched urban middle class and peasantry can provide business for all of China's factories that otherwise would be selling into an export market with lower-than-expected demand elasticity. The interior can be brought up to the manufacturing productivity standards of the coast.
After it ebbs, China's success at grasping the future depends not on economic growth but on political reform.
But that, I think, is the last trick the Chinese government can play to keep anything like Chinese supergrowth going. And after it is played, China will -- unfortunately -- likely become another corrupt middle-income country in the middle-income relative development trap.
Therefore I once again say: China's supergrowth likely has five more years to run. And, after it ebbs, China's success at grasping the future depends not on economic growth but on political reform. It depends on the establishment of the rule of law and an open society rather than the rule of the CCP and a closed party elite. Only after successful political transition might economic growth and convergence resume. | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-market-crash-5-years_b_8045742 |
- A new study, published in the journal eNeuro, has claimed thathuman brain is unconsciously capable of detecting the Earth’s magnetic field. The study is in contrast to other studies which had showed that humans are not magnetically sensitive organisms.
- The sense which allows an organism to detect and respond to earth’s geomagnetic field is called magnetoreception. This sense is used by a number of animals for orientation and navigation.
- The Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field, generated by the movement of the liquid core. The flowing of liquid metal in the outer core of the earth generates electric currents. The rotation of Earth on its axis causes these electric currents to form a magnetic field which extends around the planet.
- Earth’s magnetic field extends from the Earth’s interior to where it meets the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. | https://factly.forumias.com/humans-can-detect-the-earths-magnetic-fields/ |
UPDATE 1: Tension in Middle East, supply cuts by OPEC exporters boost oil price.
Oil hit a one-month high above $50 a barrel on Tuesday as Israel's incursion into Gaza and a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over natural gas heightened concern about supply disruptions.
Tension in the Middle East, supply cuts by OPEC oil exporters and the row between Russia and Ukraine have helped to boost crude prices by more than 50 percent from a low of $32.40 on Dec. 19.
"Oil prices continue to be supported by political issues, whether they be gas or Gaza related," Rob Laughlin, broker at MF Global, said.
US crude for February delivery was up $1.20 at $50.01 by 3.42pm UAE time and earlier hit $50.10, the highest since Dec. 2. London Brent was up $1.76 at $51.38.
The Gaza conflict does not directly threaten any oil supplies, but unrest in the Middle East can bolster prices because countries in the region pump about a third of the world's oil.
Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to the Balkans, Turkey and south-eastern Europe were halted on Tuesday and flows to EU-member state Austria dropped by 90 percent in a deepening price row between Moscow and Kiev.
The gas row, which echoes a similar dispute three years ago that also disrupted supplies, will renew questions in Europe about Russia's reliability as a gas supplier. Russia is also a major oil exporter.
Oil has fallen steeply from a record high of $147.27 reached in July as the global downturn eroded demand.
Fuel inventories are rising as demand slows. A report from the US Energy Information Administration due on Wednesday is forecast to show that supplies of crude, distillates and gasoline increased last week.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has cut output three times since September in a bid to halt the price decline. | https://www.arabianbusiness.com/oil-price-rises-above-50-one-month-high-41183.html |
1. Introduction {#sec1}
===============
Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. AD is associated with neurodegeneration that is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-*β*-containing plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are composed of hyperphosphorylated tau \[[@B1]--[@B4]\]. A decrease in cholinergic function in the central nervous system is also associated with a decline in cognitive function and memory loss \[[@B5], [@B6]\]. Therefore, cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to protect the cholinergic system, which is essential for memory and learning. The main type of medication used in the treatment of AD is cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, galantamine, and tacrine \[[@B7], [@B8]\]. These medicines have several side effects, such as pain, nausea, and vomiting. The efficiency of treatments with medicinal plants, such as *Gingko biloba*, *Salvia officinalis* (sage), *Melissa officinalis* (balm), and *Papaver somniferum* (opium poppy), has been reported with less side effects \[[@B9]\].
*Codonopsis lanceolata*(*C*.*lanceolata*), which is a herb of the Campanulaceae family, have been used as a treatment for hypertension and several lung inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis, in East Asia for thousands of years. *C. lanceolata* are composed of various compounds, including saponins, alkaloids, tannins, steroids, and polysaccharides \[[@B10], [@B11]\]. A previous report has indicated that *C. lanceolata* show antilipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice with alcohol-induced fatty liver \[[@B12]\]. In addition, it inhibits the production of tumor necrosis factor-*α* and nitric oxide, the expression of interleukin-3 and interleukin-6, and lipopolysaccharide-mediated phagocytic uptake in RAW 264.7 cells (regulatory effects of *C*.*lanceolata* on macrophage-mediated immune responses) \[[@B13], [@B14]\]. Scopolamine, which is a muscarinic antagonist, is an anticholinergic drug that causes memory impairments in animals and humans. Thus, scopolamine treatment represents a satisfactory model of learning and memory deficits, and it can be used to screen drugs for potential therapeutic usefulness \[[@B15]\]. We evaluated the cognitive-enhancing effects of fermented *C. lanceolata* on scopolamine-induced memory deficits in mice and its neuroprotective effects on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the mouse hippocampal HT22 cell. In addition, the effects of the *C. lanceolata* extract were compared to those of the original *C. lanceolata* extract (not fermented).
2. Materials and Methods {#sec2}
========================
2.1. Plant Materials {#sec2.1}
--------------------
The roots of *C. lanceolata* were collected from Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea. *C. lanceolata* were washed with tap water and dried at 20--30°C for 2 days. Dried *C. lanceolata* were steamed with a steam device (Dechang Stainless, Seoul, Republic of Korea) at 90°C for 12 h and then dried for an additional 12 h. The above process was repeated 5 times.
2.2. Fermentation and Extraction {#sec2.2}
--------------------------------
*Bifidobacterium longum* (KACC 20587), *Lactobacillus acidophilus* (KACC 12419), and *Leuconostoc mesenteroides* (KACC 12312) were obtained from the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (Suwon, Republic of Korea). The steamed *C. lanceolata* were mixed in distilled water that was 8 times the weight of the herbs and aseptically inoculated with approximately 10^6^ CFU/g of *B. longum*, *L. acidophilus*, and *L. mesenteroides*. The inoculated *C. lanceolata* were fermented for 48 h at 37°C. Then, the cultures were harvested by spinning at 5,000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C. Fermented *C. lanceolata* were extracted in 70% ethanol (100 kg/10,000 L) for 24 h of reflux extraction at 100°C. After evaporation, it was freeze-dried in order to obtain the fermented *C. lanceolata*.
2.3. Animals {#sec2.3}
------------
ICR mice weighing between 25 and 30 g (males, 3 weeks of age) were used in the present study (Dae Han Biolink Co., Ltd., Eumseong, Republic of Korea). The mice were housed 7 per cage in a room under a 12/12 h light-dark cycle and controlled temperature (20 ± 3°C) with free access to commercial pellet feed and water *ad libitum*. The mice were used after a 1-week adaptation period. All animal experimental procedures in this study were conducted according to the guidelines of the Kangwon National University IACUC.
2.4. Morris Water Maze Test {#sec2.4}
---------------------------
The water maze test was performed according to the previously described Morris methods with some modifications in order to assess spatial learning and memory in mice \[[@B16]\]. The water maze consisted of a circular pool (90 cm in diameter and 40 cm in height) that was filled to a depth height of 30 cm with water in which 500 mL of white milk had been mixed and maintained at 20 ± 1°C. The maze was divided into 4 equal quadrants. The starting points of the test were marked on the outside of the pool as north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W). A white escape platform (10 cm in diameter and 29 cm high) was located in the center of 1 quadrant of water maze and submerged 1 cm below the water surface so that it was invisible at water level. All swimming behaviors of the mice were monitored and analyzed by a Smart (version 2.5.21) video-tracking system. The escape latency, which was the time required to locate the platform, was used as a measure of the development of spatial memory. On the first day, mice were given 60 s to swim in the absence of the platform the day prior to the test. The mice received 2 trial sessions per day for 4 consecutive days with an intertrial interval of 20 min. The location of the platform was unchanged between trials 1 and 2 during the test period, but the starting point was changed each day. Once the mouse reached the platform, it was allowed 10 s to stay on the platform. If the mouse did not locate the platform within 120 s, the trial was stopped, the mouse was placed on the platform for 10 s, and the escape latency was recorded as 120 s. A probe trial was performed for a time period of 60 s without the platform on the last day in order to investigate the time spent in the target quadrant. The time spent in the correct quadrant was recorded as a measure of spatial memory. Oral doses of 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC; control group), *C. lanceolata* (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg, dissolved in CMC), or donepezil (1 mg/kg), which was used as a positive control, were administered daily 90 min before treatment with scopolamine. The control group was subcutaneously administered normal saline, and all of the other groups (donepezil and sample groups) were subcutaneously given scopolamine (1 mg/kg dissolved in saline) in order to induce amnesia. The first test trial was performed 30 min after scopolamine treatment.
2.5. Passive Avoidance Test {#sec2.5}
---------------------------
The passive avoidance apparatus (Gemini system, San Francisco, CA, USA) consisted of 2 compartments, which were equally sized light and dark compartments (17 cm × 12 cm × 10 cm) and which were equipped with an electric grid floor. A guillotine door was placed in the center of the partition between the 2 compartments. A training trial was performed on the first day; the mice were initially placed in the light compartment. The door between the 2 compartments was opened 20 s later. When the mice moved into the dark compartment, the guillotine door closed automatically, and an electric foot-shock (0.1 mA/10 g body weight) of a 2 s duration was delivered through the grid floor. During each trial, the time taken to enter the dark compartment was recorded as the training latency. Mice that did not enter the dark compartment within 180 s were excluded from the experiment. Doses of 0.5% CMC (control group), *C. lanceolata* (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg body weight), or donepezil (1 mg/kg), which was used as a positive control, were orally administered 90 min before treatment with scopolamine. Amnesia was induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg body weight), which was given subcutaneously, and the training trial was performed 30 min after treatment with scopolamine. Twenty-four hours after the training trial, the mice were again placed in the light compartment, and the latency time was measured.
2.6. Cell Viability {#sec2.6}
-------------------
Cell viability was determined by an MTT assay. Mouse hippocampal HT22 cells were provided by Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. HT22 cells were seeded at a density of 6.7 × 10^4^ cells/well (48-well plate) in Dulbecco\'s Modified Eagle\'s Medium that was supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum, 1% penicillin/streptomycin, NaHCO~3~ (2 mg/mL), and 15 mM HEPES and then incubated at 37°C at 5% CO~2~ for 24 h. After incubation of the HT22 cells with glutamate in the presence or absence of 10, 100, or 500 *μ*g/mL of *C. lanceolata* for 24 h, MTT solution (1 mg/mL) was added to each well and incubated for 3 h. Dimethyl sulfoxide was added, and the optical density of the solubilized formazan product in each well was measured at 570 nm with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reader.
2.7. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Analysis of Phenolic Compounds {#sec2.7}
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The contents of phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, and caffeine, in fermented *C. lanceolata* were analyzed with an HPLC system (Agilent 1260 series, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA) that was equipped with a diode array UV/VIS detector. Separation was performed on a ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C~18~ (250 × 4.60 mm i.d., 5 *μ*m), and the column temperature was maintained at 35°C. The mobile phase consisted of 10% acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid (A) and 0.1% formic acid in 40% acetonitrile and 40% methanol (B) that was applied at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. A gradient elution system of the mobile phase was used to achieve the analysis (0--15 min, 95% A; 15--23 min, 60% A; 23--33 min, 60% A; 33--42 min, 0% A; 42--45 min, 95% A; and 45--50 min, 95% A). The detection UV wavelength was set between 190 nm and 400 nm for a UV maximum wavelength of 7 compounds, and the UV wavelength was set at 280 nm. The sample injection volume was 20 *μ*L.
2.8. Statistical Analysis {#sec2.8}
-------------------------
All results were expressed as means ± standard error of the mean. The escape latency in the Morris water maze test was analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The probe trial test data in the Morris water maze test value was analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. For the passive avoidance test value was analyzed by a Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric ANOVA test. If the results were significant, the significant differences were tested with Tukey\'s post hoc tests. Statistical significance was set at *P* \< 0.05, *P* \< 0.01, and *P* \< 0.001.
3. Results {#sec3}
==========
3.1. Morris Water Maze Test {#sec3.1}
---------------------------
We determined the spatial learning and memory abilities of mice with the Morris water maze test, and the average of the 2-trial sessions for each day was evaluated ([Figure 1](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}). The mean latency of the control group decreased progressively during the 4 training days. Donepezil reduced the escape latencies after day 2, and they were significantly shortened on the last day. The mean escape latency of *C. lanceolata* (500 mg/kg) decreased after day 2, and the mean escapes latencies were significantly reduced on the 4th day of the test. In the Morris water maze test, the effects on the fermented *C. lanceolata* extract-treated group were significant for treatment (*F* (5,192) = 1.65, *P* \< 0.001), days (*F* (3,192) = 2.07, *P* \< 0.01), and for the interaction between treatment and day (*F* (15,192) = 1.31, *P* = 0.99). Furthermore, the fermented *C. lanceolata* extract-treated group had decreased latency times compared to those of the original *C. lanceolata*-treated group. In the probe trial on the last day, the swimming time within the target quadrant for the fermented *C. lanceolata*-treated group was dose dependently increased compared to that of the scopolamine-treated group. However, significant differences between groups in swimming speed during 4-day trials were not observed ([Figure 1(c)](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}).
3.2. Passive Avoidance Test {#sec3.2}
---------------------------
We investigated memory abilities with the use of the passive avoidance test as a behavioral task. The step-through latency time during the training trial was not affected by scopolamine, donepezil, and *C. lanceolata* extract sample ([Figure 2(a)](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). The scopolamine group exhibited a decreased step-through latency time. Donepezil treatment was effective. *C. lanceolata* extract treatment at a dose of 500 mg/kg significantly prolonged the latency time ([Figure 2(b)](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Compared to the original *C. lanceolata* extract, the fermented *C. lanceolata* extract resulted in improvements in the memory-enhancing effects.
3.3. Cell Viability {#sec3.3}
-------------------
In order to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of fermented *C. lanceolata*, its protective effects on glutamate-induced cell death in HT22 cells were tested. Trolox, which is a well-known positive control against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, exhibited neuroprotective activity at a concentration of 50 *µ*M. Fermented *C. lanceolata* were found to exert protective effects on HT22 cells that were treated with glutamate (relative protective ratio: 59.62% at 500 *µ*g/mL). As shown in [Figure 3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}, fermented *C. lanceolata* attenuated the cytotoxicity that was induced by glutamate compared to that found with the original *C. lanceolata*.
3.4. HPLC Analysis of Phenolic Compounds {#sec3.4}
----------------------------------------
The phenolic compounds in fermented *C. lanceolata* were measured with a HPLC-diode array detection (DAD) analysis ([Figure 4](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, and caffeine, were quantified. The contents of each of the respective phenolic compounds were calculated from the peak areas, and they were determined to be gallic acid (3,794 *µ*g/g), caffeic acid (90 *µ*g/g), vanillic acid (11 *µ*g/g), 4-coumaric acid (18 *µ*g/g), trans-ferulic acid (257 *µ*g/g), and caffeine (14 *µ*g/g). Gallic acid and trans-ferulic acid were the main phenolic acids ([Table 1](#tab1){ref-type="table"}). Gallic acid was found to have the highest concentration, while 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was not detected.
4. Conclusions {#sec4}
==============
In this study, we evaluated the cognitive-enhancing effects of fermented *C. lanceolata* for treating and preventing memory and learning deficits. We examined the effects of fermented *C. lanceolata* on scopolamine-induced memory impairments in the Morris water maze test and the passive avoidance test. Scopolamine is a nonselective muscarinic antagonist that blocks cholinergic neurotransmission without changing the acetylcholinesterase (AchE) concentration and impairs cognitive functions, including learning and memory (long-term and short-term memories) \[[@B17], [@B18]\]. Cognitive function impairments in the scopolamine-induced animal model have also been shown to be associated with increased oxidative stress within the brain \[[@B19]\]. Donepezil as AchE inhibitor has been used for AD patients. Donepezil reverses cognitive deficit by improving cholinergic activity. The Morris water maze test evaluates spatial reference memory and is dependent on the hippocampus. In the Morris water maze test, scopolamine increased the escape latency times over the 4 days. The administration of fermented *C. lanceolata* shortened the escape latency times between days 2 and 4. At the probe trial, fermented *C. lanceolata* increased the swimming time that was spent in the target quadrant. The passive avoidance test was used to evaluate the effects of drug affecting learning and memory. Fermented *C. lanceolata* ameliorated the reduced step-through latency time that was induced by scopolamine treatment. Fermentation significantly improved the cognitive-enhancing activities in the Morris water maze test and passive avoidance test compared to those of the original *C. lanceolata*. In addition, we found neuroprotective effects of fermented *C. lanceolata* on the cell death that was induced by glutamate in HT22 cells. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. At high concentrations, glutamate is involved in neuronal cell death by oxidative cell death \[[@B20], [@B21]\]. Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the contents of the phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, and caffeine, in fermented *C. lanceolata* with an HPLC-DAD analysis. The content of gallic acid is higher than those of other compounds. Gallic acid is known to have AchE inhibitory activity and antioxidant effects \[[@B22], [@B23]\]. Ferulic acid also showed that antiamnesic effect against *β*-amyloid induced cognitive impairments \[[@B24]\]. The cognitive-enhancing and neuroprotective effects of fermented *C. lanceolata* are thought to be associated with the antioxidant activities, AchE inhibitory activity, and antiamnesic effect of gallic acid and ferulic acid. In a previous study, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria improved the bioactivity of a herb by converting glucoside to aglycon \[[@B25], [@B26]\]. Hence, we suggest that the antioxidant effects of *C. lanceolata* were enhanced through fermentation and that these effects may be involved in the improvements of amnesia observed in mice. In conclusion, the present study revealed that fermented C. *lanceolata* could reverse scopolamine-induced memory impairments in mice through the antioxidant and fermentation-enhanced effects of *C. lanceolata*. The results of this study suggest that fermented *C. lanceolata* could be useful as a therapy of AD. Further study will be required to identify the exact mechanisms of fermented *C. lanceolata* in the treatment of AD.
This work was conducted with the support of the "Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project no. PJ009001)," Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.
{#fig1}
{#fig2}
{#fig3}
{#fig4}
######
Contents of the phenolic compounds in fermented *C. lanceolata* from HPLC analysis.
Phenolic compounds Contents (*μ*g/g)
-------------------- -------------------
Gallic acid 3,794 ± 10.25
Caffeic acid 90 ± 2.45
Vanillic acid 11 ± 1.65
4-Coumaric acid 18 ± 1.35
Trans-ferulic acid 257 ± 5.28
Caffeine 14 ± 1.25
[^1]: Academic Editor: Ki-Wan Oh
| |
DAYS CREEK � Two state Department of Fish & Wildlife biologists and a pilot were injured Monday when a helicopter crashed in the South Umpqua River near Days Creek southeast of Roseburg.
The pilot was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield. The Roseburg News-Review reported that one of the Bell Jet Ranger helicopter�s owners, Robert Ferreira of Ashland, identified the pilot as Fred Wittlake, 55. Ferreira said Wittlake suffered a broken arm and broken ribs.
The biologists were conducting fall chinook spawning surveys, the fish and wildlife department said.
Holly Huchko, 34, suffered a broken back. Huchko is an assistant district fisheries biologist who has been with the department 10 years. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg and then to RiverBend.
Eric Himmelreich, 35, broke two vertebrae in the crash and was taken to Mercy Medical Center. He has been with the state agency as a fisheries habitat biologist for just over a year.
Both biologists work out of the Roseburg office for the Umpqua Fish District.
Biologists conduct several spawning ground surveys a year on the South Umpqua River.
The crash knocked down power lines. A hazardous materials team was sent to the scene because fuel from the wrecked helicopter leaked into the river.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified. | https://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/30659988-75/biologists-helicopter-river-department-roseburg.html.csp |
Understanding the importance of data in workforce decision making is the first step to creating a sector-strategy that is both successful and sustainable, meeting the needs of all customers and laying the groundwork for a thriving economy. The resources described below have been identified as useful to an overall understanding of data within a sector strategy.
Links to these materials can be found on the left-hand side of the screen under “Related Content”.
- The Promise of Career Pathways System Change: Using data to identify high-demand industry sectors and occupations; using real-time LMI tools
- Real-Time LMI Resource Guide: This guide offers an overview of the importance and uses of Real-Time Labor Market Information (RT LMI), and has an especially useful section on “Incorporating Real-Time LMI into Sector Strategies”
-
Making Workforce Data Work: How improved education and workforce data systems could help the U.S. compete in the 21st century economy: Outlines the importance of data in making decisions in education/workforce development, and provides specific recommendations for achieving the potential of workforce data systems. | https://businessengagement.workforcegps.org/resources/2016/05/11/14/28/Data-Based-Decision-Making-Additional-Resources |
Dusky Langur – Rescued > Relocated
Two days ago we received a call from some concerned locals that had found a dusky langur (Trachypithecus obscurus) wandering around their garden close to a busy road, far away from any known habitat for this species. The WFFT Wildlife Rescue Team headed out to investigate. The langur in question is a wild adult male, the location in which he was found is 5km from the closest known habitat for this species. For his own safety the team decided we would capture this individual, check his health and take him to a protected area where he would be safe from harm. We do not know for sure why this animal was found so far away from home and some may question why capture him at all.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the dusky langur as Near Threatened (NT). Hunting for food and the pet trade are major threats, as is habitat loss and degradation, due to expansion of agricultural practices and urbanization throughout its range. Considering the extensive habitat loss that has taken place within the range of the species, there is reason to believe that this species is in decline.This species plays a major role in the ecology of the forest, providing ecosystem services in their forest habitats. They act as seed dispersers of the plants and fruits they eat, enhancing forest regeneration and connectivity. They also have an impact on the food chain as they serve as prey for various other species of animals such as leopards.
Outside large protected areas the dusky langur can be found in a few isolated pockets of suitable habitat that are surrounded by agricultural area, this guy had ventured just a little to far from a safe home and the best thing for his survival was to relocate him to a protected forest area. This case offers a stark reminder of human wildlife conflicts and the pressures of habitat loss and degradation for many of our wild animal species. At least for this one, he now has a second chance at life in a protected mountainous forest area. We are hopeful that he will stay out of danger. | https://www.wfft.org/primates/dusky-langur-rescued-relocated/ |
At the Vicard Group, we are deeply committed to sustainable development. This commitment is the result of rigorous efforts, over many years, regarding the origin of our wood, controlling the procurement, hygiene and traceability of our raw material.
Certifications
The different entities of the VICARD group are certified PEFC® since 2009. This certification is based on the implementation a chain of control whose aim is to monitor the entire wood industry, from the forest to the end user. Thanks to this programme, the Vicard Group also contributes to sustainable management of forests through concrete actions regulated by international rules (ONF).
To adapt to the new regulatory and food safety requirements, we have implemented a HACCP system recognition.
In order to ensure the highest traceability, Bureau Veritas recognizes and certifies the French origin of our woods.
The Vicard Group is A.E.O certified (Authorized Economic Operator). This certification, issued by customs, aims to ensure optimal safety of your products. This involves controlling international logistics flows, the flow of people, goods and vehicles circulating on our production site.
Commitments
Finding new uses for all unused raw material
In cooperage, it is estimated that 70% of the raw material is wasted during stave production (organic waste).
During barrel production, dry waste is estimated at 30%. 100% of these wastes (organic and dry) are reused. | https://www.groupe-vicard.com/en/pages/philosophy/certifications-commitments |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application is a 371 national stage of International Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/058081, filed Oct. 24, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This disclosure relates to vehicle operational management and driving, including autonomous vehicle operational management and autonomous driving.
BACKGROUND
A vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, can traverse a portion of a vehicle transportation network. Traversing the vehicle transportation network includes generating or capturing, such as by a sensor of the vehicle, data representing an operational state of the vehicle. This data may be used for localization of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network.
SUMMARY
Disclosed herein are aspects, features, elements, implementations, and embodiments of localization for vehicle operation using metric and topological location information. Herein, a metric location refers to a physical location, typically in a global coordinate system, while a topological location refers to a corresponding virtual location within a topological map that shows at least a portion of a vehicle transportation network, typically in the coordinate system of the map. Reference to a location without a modifier may refer to either or both of a metric location and a topological location depending upon context.
An aspect of the disclosed embodiments is a method of traversing a vehicle transportation network, which includes determining vehicle operational information of a vehicle, determining a metric location estimate of the vehicle using the vehicle operational information, determining operational environment information of a portion of the vehicle transportation network, determining a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate and the operational environment information, and traversing, by the vehicle, the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle. The operational environment information includes sensor data of a portion of the vehicle transportation network that is observable to the vehicle. The portion observable to the vehicle may be co-extensive with, or different from, one or more sensor ranges of sensor(s) providing the operational environment information to the vehicle. The sensor data can include remote vehicle location data.
Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments is a vehicle, which may be an autonomous vehicle that includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to determine vehicle operational information of the vehicle, determine a metric location estimate of the vehicle using the vehicle operational information, determine operational environment information of a portion of the vehicle transportation network, the operational environment information including sensor data of a portion of the vehicle transportation network that is observable to the vehicle, and the sensor data comprising remote vehicle location data, determine a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate and the operational environment information, and traversing, by the vehicle, the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle.
Variations in these and other aspects, features, elements, implementations, and embodiments of the methods, apparatus, procedures, and algorithms disclosed herein are described in further detail hereafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The various aspects of the methods and apparatuses disclosed herein will become more apparent by referring to the examples provided in the following description and drawings in which like reference numbers refer to like elements unless otherwise noted.
FIG. 1
is a diagram of an example of a vehicle in which the aspects, features, and elements disclosed herein may be implemented.
FIG. 2
is a diagram of an example of a portion of a vehicle transportation and communication system in which the aspects, features, and elements disclosed herein may be implemented.
FIG. 3
is a diagram of a portion of a vehicle transportation network in accordance with this disclosure.
FIG. 4
is a flow diagram of an example of traversing a vehicle transportation network using a localization determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 5
is a diagram of an example of implementing a non-linear loss function for localization determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 6
is a diagram of an example of using operational environment information to determine a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network.
FIG. 7
is a diagram of an example of implementing a Hidden Markov Model for localization determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 8
is a diagram of an example of implementing Variable Structure Multiple Hidden Markov Models for location determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 9
is a diagram of an example of implementing an Extended Earth Mover's Distance metric for location determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, or a semi-autonomous vehicle, may traverse a portion of a vehicle transportation network. The vehicle may include one or more sensors and traversing the vehicle transportation network may include the sensors generating or capturing sensor data for use in traversing the vehicle transportation network. Sensor data may include vehicle operational information, such as global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, whether the vehicle is moving or in a fixed position, a vehicle heading, etc. Sensor data may also include information corresponding to the operational environment of the vehicle, such as information corresponding to one or more external objects, such as pedestrians, remote vehicles, other objects within the vehicle operational environment, vehicle transportation network geometry or topology, or a combination thereof. This information may be referred to herein as operational environment information.
For control of the vehicle, localization of the vehicle may use metric (e.g., observed or measured) location, such as latitude, longitude, and heading, to inform the topological location within the vehicle transportation network, such as the left-most lane of a particular street or road. That is, the metric location may be determined using sensor data. The determination of the topological location relies upon an accurate topological map and an accurate metric location, which is converted into coordinates within the coordinate system of the topological map.
Accurate metric and topological location estimates contribute to safe, effective navigation and decision making. An accurate determination of the metric location may be performed using relatively expensive sensors that provide precise global information. Lower quality sensor information and sensor information that has a limited scope can reduce the accuracy of the metric location estimate, and hence of the topological location estimate. For example, a reduced accuracy sensor may indicate two different sets of coordinates for the same physical location. The estimates can also suffer when a sensor of the vehicle produces erroneous data, or fails in its entirety.
Even where the metric location is accurate, the topological location estimate may be less accurate than is desired. For example, although many high-definition (HD) topological maps exist, the maps may have errors resulting from construction, traffic accidents, natural events such as landslides, etc., that cause the true topology of roads within the vehicle transportation network to differ from the topology given by the map. Lower quality maps can compound these errors, making it difficult to, for example, accurately identify a specific lane of a road in which the vehicle is traveling.
Techniques described herein address uncertainty, ambiguity, and/or native errors within sensors of the vehicle, the topological map available to the vehicle, or both.
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FIG. 1
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is a diagram of an example of a vehicle in which the aspects, features, and elements disclosed herein may be implemented. In the embodiment shown, a vehicle includes a chassis , a powertrain , a controller , and wheels . Although the vehicle is shown as including four wheels for simplicity, any other propulsion device or devices, such as a propeller or tread, may be used. In , the lines interconnecting elements, such as the powertrain , the controller , and the wheels , indicate that information, such as data or control signals, power, such as electrical power or torque, or both information and power, may be communicated between the respective elements. For example, the controller may receive power from the powertrain and may communicate with the powertrain , the wheels , or both, to control the vehicle , which may include accelerating, decelerating, steering, or otherwise controlling the vehicle .
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The powertrain shown by example in includes a power source , a transmission , a steering unit , and an actuator . Any other element or combination of elements of a powertrain, such as a suspension, a drive shaft, axles, or an exhaust system may also be included. Although shown separately, the wheels may be included in the powertrain .
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The power source includes an engine, a battery, or a combination thereof. The power source may be any device or combination of devices operative to provide energy, such as electrical energy, thermal energy, or kinetic energy. In an example, the power source includes an engine, such as an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, and is operative to provide kinetic energy as a motive force to one or more of the wheels . Alternatively or additionally, the power source includes a potential energy unit, such as one or more dry cell batteries, such as nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion); solar cells; fuel cells; or any other device capable of providing energy.
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The transmission receives energy, such as kinetic energy, from the power source , and transmits the energy to the wheels to provide a motive force. The transmission may be controlled by the controller , the actuator , or both. The steering unit may be controlled by the controller , the actuator , or both and controls the wheels to steer the vehicle. The actuator may receive signals from the controller and actuate or control the power source , the transmission , the steering unit , or any combination thereof to operate the vehicle .
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FIG. 1
In the illustrated embodiment, the controller includes a location unit , an electronic communication unit , a processor , a memory , a user interface , a sensor , and an electronic communication interface . Fewer of these elements may exist as part of the controller . Although shown as a single unit, any one or more elements of the controller may be integrated into any number of separate physical units. For example, the user interface and the processor may be integrated in a first physical unit and the memory may be integrated in a second physical unit. Although not shown in , the controller may include a power source, such as a battery. Although shown as separate elements, the location unit , the electronic communication unit , the processor , the memory , the user interface , the sensor , the electronic communication interface , or any combination thereof may be integrated in one or more electronic units, circuits, or chips.
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The processor may include any device or combination of devices capable of manipulating or processing a signal or other information now-existing or hereafter developed, including optical processors, quantum processors, molecular processors, or a combination thereof. For example, the processor may include one or more special purpose processors, one or more digital signal processors, one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more microcontrollers, one or more integrated circuits, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits, one or more Field Programmable Gate Array, one or more programmable logic arrays, one or more programmable logic controllers, one or more state machines, or any combination thereof. The processor is operatively coupled with one or more of the location unit , the memory , the electronic communication interface , the electronic communication unit , the user interface , the sensor , and the powertrain . For example, the processor may be operatively coupled with the memory via a communication bus .
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The memory includes any tangible non-transitory computer-usable or computer-readable medium, capable of, for example, containing, storing, communicating, or transporting machine readable instructions, or any information associated therewith, for use by or in connection with any processor, such as the processor . The memory may be, for example, one or more solid state drives, one or more memory cards, one or more removable media, one or more read-only memories, one or more random access memories, one or more disks, including a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, a magnetic or optical card, or any type of non-transitory media suitable for storing electronic information, or any combination thereof. For example, a memory may be one or more read only memories (ROM), one or more random access memories (RAM), one or more registers, low power double data rate (LPDDR) memories, one or more cache memories, one or more semiconductor memory devices, one or more magnetic media, one or more optical media, one or more magneto-optical media, or any combination thereof.
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FIG. 1
FIG. 1
The communication interface may be a wireless antenna, as shown, a wired communication port, an optical communication port, or any other wired or wireless unit capable of interfacing with a wired or wireless electronic communication medium . Although shows the communication interface communicating via a single communication link, a communication interface may be configured to communicate via multiple communication links. Although shows a single communication interface , a vehicle may include any number of communication interfaces.
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FIG. 1
FIG. 1
The communication unit is configured to transmit or receive signals via a wired or wireless electronic communication medium , such as via the communication interface . Although not explicitly shown in , the communication unit may be configured to transmit, receive, or both via any wired or wireless communication medium, such as radio frequency (RF), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, fiber optic, wireline, or a combination thereof. Although shows a single communication unit and a single communication interface , any number of communication units and any number of communication interfaces may be used. In some embodiments, the communication unit includes a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) unit, an on-board unit (OBU), or a combination thereof.
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The location unit may determine geolocation information, such as longitude, latitude, elevation, direction of travel, or speed, of the vehicle . In an example, the location unit includes a GPS unit, such as a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enabled National Marine-Electronics Association (NMEA) unit, a radio triangulation unit, or a combination thereof. The location unit can be used to obtain information that represents, for example, a current heading of the vehicle , a current position of the vehicle in two or three dimensions, a current angular orientation of the vehicle , or a combination thereof.
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The user interface includes any unit capable of interfacing with a person, such as a virtual or physical keypad, a touchpad, a display, a touch display, a heads-up display, a virtual display, an augmented reality display, a haptic display, a feature tracking device, such as an eye-tracking device, a speaker, a microphone, a video camera, a sensor, a printer, or any combination thereof. The user interface may be operatively coupled with the processor , as shown, or with any other element of the controller . Although shown as a single unit, the user interface may include one or more physical units. For example, the user interface may include both an audio interface for performing audio communication with a person and a touch display for performing visual and touch-based communication with the person. The user interface may include multiple displays, such as multiple physically separate units, multiple defined portions within a single physical unit, or a combination thereof.
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The sensors are operable to provide information that may be used to control the vehicle. The sensors may be an array of sensors. The sensors may provide information regarding current operating characteristics of the vehicle , including vehicle operational information. The sensors can include, for example, a speed sensor, acceleration sensors, a steering angle sensor, traction-related sensors, braking-related sensors, steering wheel position sensors, eye tracking sensors, seating position sensors, or any sensor, or combination of sensors, that are operable to report information regarding some aspect of the current dynamic situation of the vehicle .
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The sensors include one or more sensors that are operable to obtain information regarding the physical environment surrounding the vehicle , such as operational environment information. For example, one or more sensors may detect road geometry, such as lane lines, and obstacles, such as fixed obstacles, vehicles, and pedestrians. The sensors can be or include one or more video cameras, laser-sensing systems, infrared-sensing systems, acoustic-sensing systems, or any other suitable type of on-vehicle environmental sensing device, or combination of devices, now known or later developed. In some embodiments, the sensors and the location unit are combined.
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Although not shown separately, the vehicle may include a trajectory controller. For example, the controller may include the trajectory controller. The trajectory controller may be operable to obtain information describing a current state of the vehicle and a route planned for the vehicle , and, based on this information, to determine and optimize a trajectory for the vehicle . In some embodiments, the trajectory controller may output signals operable to control the vehicle such that the vehicle follows the trajectory that is determined by the trajectory controller. For example, the output of the trajectory controller can be an optimized trajectory that may be supplied to the powertrain , the wheels , or both. In some embodiments, the optimized trajectory can be control inputs such as a set of steering angles, with each steering angle corresponding to a point in time or a position. In some embodiments, the optimized trajectory can be one or more paths, lines, curves, or a combination thereof.
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One or more of the wheels may be a steered wheel that is pivoted to a steering angle under control of the steering unit , a propelled wheel that is torqued to propel the vehicle under control of the transmission , or a steered and propelled wheel that may steer and propel the vehicle .
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Although not shown in , a vehicle may include additional units or elements not shown in , such as an enclosure, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit, a speaker, or any combination thereof.
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FIG. 1
The vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle that is controlled autonomously, without direct human intervention, to traverse a portion of a vehicle transportation network. Although not shown separately in , an autonomous vehicle may include an autonomous vehicle control unit that performs autonomous vehicle routing, navigation, and control. The autonomous vehicle control unit may be integrated with another unit of the vehicle. For example, the controller may include the autonomous vehicle control unit.
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When present, the autonomous vehicle control unit may control or operate the vehicle to traverse a portion of the vehicle transportation network in accordance with current vehicle operation parameters. The autonomous vehicle control unit may control or operate the vehicle to perform a defined operation or maneuver, such as parking the vehicle. The autonomous vehicle control unit may generate a route of travel from an origin, such as a current location of the vehicle , to a destination based on vehicle information, environment information, vehicle transportation network information representing the vehicle transportation network, or a combination thereof, and may control or operate the vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network in accordance with the route. For example, the autonomous vehicle control unit may output the route of travel to the trajectory controller to operate the vehicle to travel from the origin to the destination using the generated route.
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
2000
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is a diagram of an example of a portion of a vehicle transportation and communication system in which the aspects, features, and elements disclosed herein may be implemented. The vehicle transportation and communication system may include one or more vehicles /, such as the vehicle shown in , which travels via one or more portions of the vehicle transportation network , and communicates via one or more electronic communication networks . Although not explicitly shown in , a vehicle may traverse an off-road area.
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The electronic communication network may be, for example, a multiple access system that provides for communication, such as voice communication, data communication, video communication, messaging communication, or a combination thereof, between the vehicle / and one or more communication devices . For example, a vehicle / may receive information, such as information representing the vehicle transportation network , from a communication device via the network .
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In some embodiments, a vehicle / may communicate via a wired communication link (not shown), a wireless communication link //, or a combination of any number of wired or wireless communication links. As shown, a vehicle / communicates via a terrestrial wireless communication link , via a non-terrestrial wireless communication link , or via a combination thereof. The terrestrial wireless communication link may include an Ethernet link, a serial link, a Bluetooth link, an infrared (IR) link, an ultraviolet (UV) link, or any link capable of providing for electronic communication.
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A vehicle / may communicate with another vehicle /. For example, a host, or subject, vehicle (HV) may receive one or more automated inter-vehicle messages, such as a basic safety message (BSM), from a remote, or target, vehicle (RV) , via a direct communication link , or via a network . The remote vehicle may broadcast the message to host vehicles within a defined broadcast range, such as 300 meters. In some embodiments, the host vehicle may receive a message via a third party, such as a signal repeater (not shown) or another remote vehicle (not shown). A vehicle / may transmit one or more automated inter-vehicle messages periodically, based on, for example, a defined interval, such as 100 milliseconds.
Automated inter-vehicle messages may include vehicle identification information, geospatial state information, such as longitude, latitude, or elevation information, geospatial location accuracy information, kinematic state information, such as vehicle acceleration information, yaw rate information, speed information, vehicle heading information, braking system status information, throttle information, steering wheel angle information, or vehicle routing information, or vehicle operating state information, such as vehicle size information, headlight state information, turn signal information, wiper status information, transmission information, or any other information, or combination of information, relevant to the transmitting vehicle state. For example, transmission state information may indicate whether the transmission of the transmitting vehicle is in a neutral state, a parked state, a forward state, or a reverse state.
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The vehicle may communicate with the communications network via an access point . The access point , which may include a computing device, is configured to communicate with a vehicle , with a communication network , with one or more communication devices , or with a combination thereof via wired or wireless communication links /. For example, the access point may be a base station, a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B, an enhanced Node-B (eNode-B), a Home Node-B (HNode-B), a wireless router, a wired router, a hub, a relay, a switch, or any similar wired or wireless device. Although shown as a single unit here, an access point may include any number of interconnected elements.
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The vehicle may communicate with the communications network via a satellite , or other non-terrestrial communication device. The satellite , which may include a computing device, is configured to communicate with a vehicle , with a communication network , with one or more communication devices , or with a combination thereof via one or more communication links /. Although shown as a single unit here, a satellite may include any number of interconnected elements.
2300
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An electronic communication network is any type of network configured to provide for voice, data, or any other type of electronic communication. For example, the electronic communication network may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a mobile or cellular telephone network, the Internet, or any other electronic communication system. The electronic communication network uses a communication protocol, such as the transmission control protocol (TCP), the user datagram protocol (UDP), the internet protocol (IP), the real-time transport protocol (RTP) the HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP), or a combination thereof. Although shown as a single unit here, an electronic communication network may include any number of interconnected elements.
2100
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FIG. 1
The vehicle may identify a portion or condition of the vehicle transportation network . For example, the vehicle includes at least one on-vehicle sensor , like the sensors shown in , which may be or include a speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a camera, a gyroscope, an optical sensor, a laser sensor, a radar sensor, a sonic sensor, or any other sensor or device or combination thereof capable of determining or identifying a portion or condition of the vehicle transportation network . The sensor data may include lane line data, remote vehicle location data, or both.
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The vehicle may traverse a portion or portions of the vehicle transportation network using information communicated via the network , such as information representing the vehicle transportation network , information identified by one or more on-vehicle sensors , or a combination thereof.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
2200
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Although shows one vehicle transportation network , one electronic communication network , and one communication device , for simplicity, any number of networks or communication devices may be used. The vehicle transportation and communication system may include devices, units, or elements not shown in . Although the vehicle is shown as a single unit, a vehicle may include any number of interconnected elements.
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Although the vehicle is shown communicating with the communication device via the network , the vehicle may communicate with the communication device via any number of direct or indirect communication links. For example, the vehicle may communicate with the communication device via a direct communication link, such as a Bluetooth communication link.
FIG. 3
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
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is a diagram of a portion of a vehicle transportation network in accordance with this disclosure. A vehicle transportation network may include one or more unnavigable areas , such as a building, one or more partially navigable areas, such as parking area , one or more navigable areas, such as roads /, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, an autonomous vehicle, such as the vehicle shown in , one of the vehicles / shown in , a semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other vehicle implementing autonomous driving, may traverse a portion or portions of the vehicle transportation network .
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FIG. 3
FIG. 3
The vehicle transportation network may include one or more interchanges between one or more navigable, or partially navigable, areas //. For example, the portion of the vehicle transportation network shown in includes an interchange between the parking area and road . A portion of the vehicle transportation network , such as a road /, may include one or more lanes //// and may be associated with one or more directions of travel, which are indicated by arrows in .
3000
FIG. 3
A vehicle transportation network, or a portion thereof, such as the portion of the vehicle transportation network shown in , may be represented as vehicle transportation network information. For example, vehicle transportation network information may be expressed as a hierarchy of elements, such as markup language elements, which may be stored in a database or file. For simplicity, the figures herein depict vehicle transportation network information representing portions of a vehicle transportation network as diagrams or maps; however, vehicle transportation network information may be expressed in any computer-usable form capable of representing a vehicle transportation network, or a portion thereof. In some embodiments, the vehicle transportation network information may include vehicle transportation network control information, such as direction of travel information, speed limit information, toll information, grade information, such as inclination or angle information, surface material information, aesthetic information or a combination thereof.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
3600
The vehicle transportation network may be associated with, or may include, a pedestrian transportation network. For example, includes a portion of a pedestrian transportation network, which may be a pedestrian walkway. Although not shown separately in , a pedestrian navigable area, such as a pedestrian crosswalk, may correspond with a navigable area, or a partially navigable area, of a vehicle transportation network.
3100
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FIG. 3
In some embodiments, a portion, or a combination of portions, of the vehicle transportation network may be identified as a point of interest or a destination. For example, the vehicle transportation network information may identify a building, such as the unnavigable area , and the adjacent partially navigable parking area as a point of interest, a vehicle may identify the point of interest as a destination, and the vehicle may travel from an origin to the destination by traversing the vehicle transportation network. Although the parking area associated with the unnavigable area is shown as adjacent to the unnavigable area in , a destination may include, for example, a building and a parking area that is physically or geospatially non-adjacent to the building.
3500
FIG. 3
Traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network may proceed from a topological location estimate of the vehicle to a destination. The destination may be a discrete uniquely identifiable geolocation. For example, the vehicle transportation network may include a defined location, such as a street address, a postal address, a vehicle transportation network address, a GPS address, or a combination thereof for the destination. A destination may be associated with one or more entrances, such as the entrance shown in .
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FIG. 3
FIG. 3
A destination may be associated with one or more docking locations, such as the docking location shown in . A docking location may be a designated or undesignated location or area in proximity to a destination at which a vehicle may stop, stand, or park such that docking operations, such as passenger loading or unloading, may be performed. The vehicle transportation network information may include docking location information, such as information identifying a geolocation of the docking location . Although not shown separately in , docking location information may identify a type of docking operation associated with a docking location . For example, a destination may be associated with a first docking location for passenger loading and a second docking location for passenger unloading.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 4
1000
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is a flow diagram of an example of traversing a vehicle transportation network using a localization determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure. The process of may be implemented in a vehicle, such as the vehicle shown in , one of the vehicles / shown in , an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other vehicle. The process of may be implemented at least in part in another part of the vehicle transportation and communication system , such as the communication device , with instructions for traversing the vehicle transportation network transmitted to a vehicle via the network . In either case, the process may be performed by a processor executing instructions stored in a non-transitory storage medium or memory.
4100
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FIG. 1
At operation , the process includes determining vehicle operational information. Determining the vehicle operational information may include reading sensor data from sensors of the vehicle, such as the sensors described in . Determining the vehicle operational information may include receiving sensor data from sensors of the vehicle or from sensors of other vehicles that observe the vehicle. The vehicle operational information may include a location of the vehicle in global coordinates. In an example, the location is indicated by a longitude and a latitude that is measured by a sensor. The vehicle operational information may include a heading of the vehicle that is measured by a sensor or is calculated from multiple sensor values. Other vehicle operational information, such as the speed of the vehicle, may be used. The vehicle operational information may be determined for multiple temporal points while the vehicle is traversing the vehicle transportation network. For example, the multiple temporal points occur every 100 ms, or some other time interval.
4200
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At operation , the process includes determining a metric location estimate of the vehicle using the vehicle operational information. Determining the metric location estimate may be performed by extracting the location data from the vehicle operational information. The location data itself can be used for the metric location estimate. However, this does not address statistical noise and other inaccuracies in individual estimates. A Kalman filter may be incorporated that uses the vehicle operational information determined for the multiple temporal points at operation to reduce the effects of these errors on the final metric location estimate for a given temporal point.
The Kalman filter is effective with relatively small and with modeled errors, but sensor errors are often difficult to model. This is particularly true for GPS sensors. Further, sensor errors can be relatively large as compared to, e.g., statistical noise. According to some embodiments described herein, improvements in mitigating the effects of relatively large, un-modeled errors in the determination of a metric location may be achieved by using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter. In this example, determining a location estimate for respective temporal points of the multiple temporal points, determining a projected location estimate for respective, subsequent temporal points, and determining the metric location estimate of a current temporal point using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter to mitigate effects of un-modeled sensor error.
The non-linear loss function may be based on a comparison of the location estimate with the projected location estimate for a same temporal point. For example, differences between the locations at the same temporal point may be minimized. The non-linear loss function may be continuously refined (e.g., re-optimized for minimization) at each temporal point. In such implementations, the location estimate determined for a respective temporal point may be determined using the non-linear loss function before the non-linear loss function is refined based on the comparison of the current location estimate with the projected location estimate from the previous temporal point.
Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using the non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter can include providing the metric point represented by the latitude and the longitude of the vehicle sensed at the temporal point as input to the non-linear loss function, where the non-linear loss function selectively weights (e.g., penalizes) the metric point for use in the Kalman filter.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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is a diagram of an example of implementing a non-linear loss function for localization determination in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure. The non-linear loss function can be a user-defined function that maps the values for the sensor data used in the Kalman filter to a respective weighting to be applied to a value (e.g., the location estimate) in the determination of the metric location estimate. In the example of , the vehicle is traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network over time at a heading indicated by the arrow . The vehicle is shown at the metric location estimate of the temporal point before the current temporal point. The temporal point before the current temporal point may be referred to as a first temporal point, while the current temporal point may be referred to as a second temporal point to reflect that the current temporal point is subsequent to the first temporal point. The projected location estimate of the current temporal point may be determined using a heading of the vehicle measured at or calculated from values measured at the first temporal point. Because the next temporal point is known from a defined sampling interval, the speed of the vehicle (e.g., determined at the first temporal point at part of the vehicle operational information) may be used with the heading to calculate the projected location estimate of the vehicle .
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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The non-linear loss function in comprises multiple radii defining concentric circles , about the projected location estimate at the current temporal point. As mentioned, weighting may be applied to a metric point or location of the vehicle represented by the determined latitude and longitude values. The weighting may be based on the difference between the projected location estimate and the metric point. One factor that may result in a difference between the projected location estimate and the metric point is the accuracy of the source of the determined latitude and longitude values. In , three possible GPS readings , , and are shown. The GPS readings , , and are the respective location estimates for the current temporal point in this example, but it is possible for a location estimate to be determined using additional vehicle operational information.
FIG. 5
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In the example of , the non-linear loss function provides sensed values of the longitude and the latitude at the current temporal point (i.e., the GPS reading ) to the Kalman filter, for determining the metric location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the location estimate for the current temporal point being located within a first circle having a smallest radius of the multiple radii, here the circle . In other words, the sensed values are not penalized (i.e., they are weighted at 100%) because they are relatively close to the expected location for the vehicle. Relatively close means that the sensed values are within a first threshold distance of the expected location (i.e., the projected location estimate ). The non-linear loss function omits the sensed values from the Kalman filter, for determining the metric location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the location estimate for the current temporal point (i.e., the GPS reading ) being located outside of a second circle having a largest radius of the multiple radii, here the circle . In other words, the sensed values are ignored (i.e., they are weighted at 0%) because they are relatively far from the expected location for the vehicle. Relatively far means that the sensed values are outside of a second threshold distance of the expected location (i.e., the projected location estimate ).
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The non-linear loss function may apply a penalty to the sensed values (i.e., the GPS reading ) to obtain penalized sensed values, and provide the penalized sensed values to the Kalman filter, for determining the location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the metric location estimate for the current temporal point being located outside of the first circle (i.e., the circle ) and inside of the second circle (i.e., the circle ). In other words, the sensed values are penalized at some value between 0% and 100%, exclusive, when they are located outside of the first threshold distance but within the second threshold distance from the expected location for the vehicle.
FIG. 5
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While shows only two concentric circles , , more than two radii (or radiuses) may be used, with different penalty values that increase with distance from the projected location estimate .
The non-linear loss function may be a context-based function. That is, the parameters of the non-linear loss function would vary based on the context of the vehicle. The parameters may include the radii of the concentric circles. The parameters may include the number of radii, and hence the number of concentric circles. The parameters may define different shapes for implementing the non-linear loss function based on the context. Accordingly, the parameters may include the first threshold distance, the second threshold distance, and any other threshold distance for the shape. The parameters may include the penalty applied to measured values. The context of the vehicle may be based on the vehicle operational information, such as the speed, whether the vehicle is turning, whether the vehicle is going down or up a hill, etc. The context of the vehicle may be based on the operational environment information, such as the level of traffic congestion, whether the vehicle is traveling in a city environment or a country environment, the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, etc.
Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using the non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter is described herein providing the sensed vehicle operational information (e.g., the latitude and longitude) as input to the non-linear loss function, where the non-linear loss function selectively weights (or penalizes) the values for use in the Kalman filter. In some implementations, the design of the non-linear loss function and the Kalman filter may be such that the non-linear loss function provides the penalty to the Kalman filter with the values for the determination of the metric location estimate. While the non-linear loss function and the Kalman filter are described as using sensed or measured values in the coordinate system of the physical system in which the vehicle operates, some or all of the calculations may use location estimates generated by converting the sensed or measured values to the coordinate system of the topological map.
Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter as described herein can identify when sensors become unreliable. For example, an unreliable GPS sensor may be identified where the weighting varies over the multiple temporal points while the vehicle is traversing the vehicle transportation system. Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter as described herein can determine which sensors to use given the quality of those sensors. Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using the non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter as described herein can determine which algorithms to use in the calculations with the given sensors. For example, different sensors may be available to provide inputs to the non-linear loss function and Kalman filter that can be used to separately or in combination generate the metric location estimate. By separately determining the metric location estimate according to the teachings herein using the different sensors, or different combinations of the sensors, the number of occasions the non-linear loss function penalizes the sensed data and/or the amount of penalization (e.g., cumulative or per occasion) may be used to determine which sensors have the lowest quality, and hence should not be used, or which algorithms may be used in the failure of a sensor.
FIG. 4
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Determining the metric location estimate of the temporal point using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter as described herein reduces the need for expensive sensors by increasing robustness to erroneous data. The solution is easy to implement, and adds very little computational complexity to using the Kalman filter alone. Moreover, the non-linear loss function can be easily learned or modified depending on context. For at least these reasons, and returning to , the metric location estimate determined using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter at operation may be used directly at operation to determine a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network. That is, determining operational environment information at operation may be omitted, and the operational environment information is not used in determining the topological location estimate of the vehicle at operation . Determining the topological location estimate at operation may include converting coordinates of the metric location estimate to the coordinate system of the topological map including the vehicle transportation network. The topological location estimate may be associated with a particular road. The topological location estimate may be associated with a particular lane of a particular multi-lane road.
4500
The vehicle transportation network is traversed based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle at operation . Traversing the portion of the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle may include providing navigation instructions to the vehicle. Traversing the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle may include using the topological location estimate as an input to a control system for the vehicle. For example, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, traversing the portion of the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle may include controlling the vehicle to perform a lane change, turning a corner, or some other vehicle operation.
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While determining the metric location estimate using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter at operation provides benefits in the localization determination of the vehicle, additional benefits may be achieved by combining the use of a non-linear loss function and a Kalman filter with one or more of the different techniques used for determining a topological location estimate using operational environment information as discussed in more detail below. Further, the different techniques for determining a topological location estimate using operational environment information as discussed in more detail below may be used together or separately regardless of how the metric location estimate is determined at operation . Thus, determining the metric location estimate of the vehicle at operation may be performed as discussed initially. That is the metric location estimate may be performed by extracting the location data from the vehicle operational information and using the location data itself as the metric location estimate. More desirably, a Kalman filter is incorporated that uses the vehicle operational information determined for the multiple temporal points at operation to reduce the effects of statistical noise and other inaccuracies in individual estimates so as to provide a final metric location estimate for a given temporal point. The Kalman filter may be designed in any known manner.
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Whether or not a non-linear loss function is used in the determination at operation , determining operational environment information of a portion of the vehicle transportation network may occur at operation . The operational environment information includes sensor data of a portion of the vehicle transportation network that is observable to the vehicle. For example, the portion may be defined by a sensor range of the vehicle, or by some other reasonable range about the vehicle when operational environment information is received from other than the vehicle sensors. One reason for limiting the scope of the operational environment information of the transportation network is that reasoning globally about all topological possibilities is computationally intractable due to a variable number of nodes. Further, for any fixed set of nodes the number of unique topologies is exponential in the number of nodes. Instead, the reasoning about location and structure within local, observable topology allows inference algorithms to handle a variable number of nodes as well as multiple topologies given a fixed set of nodes.
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The sensor data of the operational environment information may be obtained using the sensors , the sensor , or some other sensor of the vehicle. The sensor data of the operational environment information may be obtained from transmissions of sensor data from one or more remote vehicles. The sensor data of the operational environment information may be obtained from any sensor within the vehicle transportation and communication system . As one example, the sensor data comprises remote vehicle location data. Determining the vehicle operational information may comprise sensing or receiving a global position of one or more remote vehicles as the remote vehicle location data. Determining the vehicle operational information may comprise sensing or receiving a relative position of one or more remote vehicles as the remote vehicle location data. The relative position may be in the global coordinate system. Whether the global position or the relative position is available, it may be converted to the coordinate system of the topological map for determining the topological location estimate at operation .
Lane line data may be available from the topological map for use in determining the topological location estimate. The lane line data may be converted into global coordinates. In some implementations, however, the sensor data comprises lane line data. That is, determining the vehicle operational information may comprise sensing or receiving data related to the lane lines of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.
4400
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FIG. 6
At operation , the process includes determining a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate and the operational environment information. An example of using operational environment information to determine a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network is shown in .
FIG. 6
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In the example of , local sensing is leveraged to determine the topological location estimate. The vehicle is traveling within a portion of the vehicle transportation network in a direction of travel indicated by the arrow . The vehicle is indicated at the metric location estimate. The remote vehicle location data indicates the positions within the portion of the vehicle transportation network of the remote vehicle and the remote vehicle . The lane line data includes lane lines , , and . The lane line is not detected.
4400
Determining the topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate and the operational environment information at operation can include generating lane hypotheses for the vehicle using the lane line data and the remote vehicle location data, and determining the topological location estimate as whichever of the lane hypotheses is more likely based on the metric location estimate.
FIG. 6
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Generating the lane hypotheses can include defining multiple lanes of the portion of the vehicle transportation network using the lane line data and the remote vehicle location data, and generating the lane hypotheses based on a cardinality of the multiple lanes. The lane hypotheses may comprise at least two of a first lane hypothesis wherein the topological location estimate is a left lane of a multi-lane road, a second lane hypothesis wherein the topological location estimate is a center lane of the multi-lane road, or a third lane hypothesis wherein the topological location estimate is a right lane of the multi-lane road. In , for example, the lane line data (i.e., detected lane lines , , and ) indicates at least two lanes, the first lane of which is a right lane, and the other lane of which is a left lane or a center lane. The remote vehicle location data indicates that there are at least three lanes , , and , such that lane is a center lane (and not a left lane).
FIG. 6
6220
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Determining the topological location estimate as whichever of the lane hypotheses is more likely based on the metric location estimate can include comparing the metric location estimate to the operational environment information as represented by the lane hypotheses. In , for example, the lane line data together with the remote vehicle location data indicates that the identity of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling more likely to be a center lane than a left lane or a right lane.
In some embodiments, the remote vehicle location data may be filtered to remove data for any remote vehicle traveling in a direction different from the vehicle before determining the topological location estimate as whichever of the lane hypotheses is more likely based on the remote vehicle location data. Filtering the remote vehicle location data in such a way may also be done before generating the lane hypotheses. While not necessary, filtering reduces the scope of the operational environment information of the vehicle transportation network that is considered, reducing the complexity of the analysis.
The technique of leveraging local sensing described above that tracks the locations of remote vehicles can be valuable in differentiating between two otherwise ambiguous lane hypotheses (e.g., right lane versus center lane, or left lane versus center lane). Further, tracking other vehicle locations can provide the further benefit of identifying otherwise unmapped traffic patterns.
FIG. 6
The discussion of above relies, in part, on the assumption that the cardinality of lanes can be accurately determined using the lane line data and the remote vehicle location data. However, the absence of any of this data can reduce the accuracy of the determination. The sensors may not detect the data at all times. Further, more complicated topologies may result in the lane line data and the remote vehicle location data indicating that the vehicle is present in more than one lane. For these reasons, a more general approach to modeling lane membership may be used.
4400
Modeling lane membership desirably calculates probabilities as a way to represent uncertainty, uses multiple sensor inputs, and models the physical constraints of the real world (e.g., the operational environment information). According to the teachings herein, determining the topological location estimate of the vehicle at operation may comprise determining a lane membership of the vehicle within a multi-lane road of the vehicle transportation network over a series of temporal points by modeling the lane membership of the vehicle using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM).
HMMs are useful when a distinct state of the system is unknown, but the state produces data that can be observed. From the observed data, probabilities regarding in which distinct state of at least two states the system exists can be determined. The highest probability is the most likely state of the system. Here, the unknown is the topological location estimate (e.g., the lane membership). Using one or more HMMs for topological localization (e.g., lane membership) supports many efficient modes of inference and learning, and HMMs may be easily designed for specific sensor features, specific topological structures, or both. According to the teachings herein, observation models for each sensor may be encoded in the observation probability, and the state transition matrix may encode the physical constraints of the real world. A solution of the HMM produces a probability distribution over lanes of the multi-lane road.
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
a
e
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e
e
a
e
e
e
e
e
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These concepts may be initially described with reference to . In , lane states x-xare shown, as are observable features (i.e., the lane line data for lane lines , , and , and remote vehicle location data for the remote vehicles and ). The lane hypotheses described previously may correspond to the lane states in an HMM, or to a subset of the lane states in an HMM. The lane states x-xcorrespond to distinct topological positions on the road for which there are expected observations. For example, if the vehicle were in the right lane (i.e., state X), lane line data indicating the presence of two lanes to the left of the vehicle (here, lanes and ) would be an expected observation. As another example, an observation of a remote vehicle, such as the remote vehicle to the left of the vehicle is not an expected observation if the vehicle were in the left lane (i.e., state X), but is an expected observation if the vehicle were in the center lane (i.e., state x) or the right lane (i.e., state X). In , the lane state xis the only state for the vehicle that is supported by both the lane line data and the remote vehicle location data. Lane line data alone would result in the equal belief in both states xand x.
i
0
i
2
0
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i
i
FIG. 7
FIG. 7
Stated more generally, topological location (here, the topological location estimate) may be modeled as occupancy of a state x∈X within an HMM. In this discussion, the topological location estimate is directed to toward lane-level localization, but applications may be used for other levels of granularity such as road-level localization. Due to the lane-level localization, the states X in the HMM may correspond to either being in the center of a lane or being between two lanes. For example, an HMM representing a two lane road, detailed in , has three states x, x, and x. States xand xcorrespond to a vehicle occupying the right-most lane and the left-most lane, respectively. State xrepresents having some portion of the vehicle on top of the lane divider. State xmay be considered a switching state. In practice, one extra state may be included that represents the set of locations whose observations are not explainable by any other state in the HMM. Thus, an HMM representing a road with a cardinality of L lanes has 2L states in some examples. In theory, there could be an arbitrary number of lanes and hence an arbitrary number of non-zero transition probabilities. Hence, the example of is illustrative only and is not indicative of the HMM size in general.
FIG. 7
In , the solid lines represent non-zero transition probabilities between states, while self-loops are omitted. The transition probabilities between states may also be referred to herein as state transition probabilities. More specifically, states of an HMM may comprise a left lane, a right lane, and a position between the left lane and the right lane (e.g., when a multi-lane road is a two-lane road), and the state transition probabilities of the HMM comprise a first probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will remain in the left lane from a current temporal point to a subsequent temporal point, a second probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will change from the left lane at the current temporal point to the position between the left lane and the right lane at the subsequent temporal point, a third probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will change from the position between the left lane and the right lane at the current temporal point to the left lane at the subsequent temporal point, a fourth probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will remain in the position between the left lane and the right lane from the current temporal point to the subsequent temporal point, a fifth probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will change from the position between the left lane and the right lane at the current temporal point to the right lane at the subsequent temporal point, a sixth probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will change from the right lane at the current temporal point to the position between the left lane and the right lane at the subsequent temporal point, and a seventh probability that the lane membership of the vehicle will remain in the position between the left lane and the right lane from a current temporal point to a subsequent temporal point.
FIG. 7
2
i
0
i
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i
In , dashed lines represent observation or emission probabilities, some of which are exclusive for a single state. The observation probabilities of the HMM may comprise respective probabilities of possible output values of sensor data for the states. For example, if there is a remote vehicle to the right of the host or target vehicle, an equal probability is assigned to each of states xand x, while a probability of zero may be assigned to state x. As another example, if there is one white line detected on each side of the host or target vehicle, where the lines are relatively far away from sides of the vehicle (i.e., further than would be expected if the vehicle was traveling in the center of a lane), a probability of 1 (or 100%) may be assigned to state x, while a probability of zero may be assigned to each of states xand x. As can be seen from these examples, observation models for each sensor are encoded in the observation probability for respective states. This is a simplified description of the determination of probabilities, as it assumes that the cardinality of lanes and their sizes are relatively constant. Other techniques may be used to assign the observation or emission probabilities to the states.
Regardless of the source of an observation (e.g., a sensed value), and whether the observation is used here or in any of the other implementations and variations for topological localization described herein, confidence measures may be used with the observations. That is a confidence measure may be assigned to each observation to weight that observations influence in any resulting probabilities. For example, confidence may be calculated for remote vehicle location information using criteria such as: 1) range relative to the vehicle, 2) duration of tracking and consistency of tracked attributes, 3) per-item separation given tracked speed, 4) absolute and relative velocity, and 5) relative heading. True positives exhibit characteristic values for the these quantities that are often violated by commonly occurring false positives.
n
Note that the transition structure of the HMM matches the topological structure of a two-lane road of the vehicle transportation network. That is, an HMM can be particularly desirable in topological localization due to its ability to accurately model real-world dynamics via its transition function. Because the vehicle can only move from the center of one lane to the center of an adjacent lane by moving through an immediately adjacent switching state, the state transition matrix representing the transition function is sparse. Generally, the state transition matrix τfor an n-state HMM may be defined as:
<math overflow="scroll"><mtable><mtr><mtd><mrow><msup><mi>τ</mi><mi>n</mi></msup><mo>=</mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mtable><mtr><mtd><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>r</mi></msub><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>if</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>i</mi></mrow><mo>=</mo><mi>j</mi></mrow></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>s</mi></msub><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>if</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mrow><mo></mo><mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>-</mo><mi>j</mi></mrow><mo></mo></mrow></mrow><mo>=</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>otherwise</mi></mrow></mtd></mtr></mtable></mrow></mrow></mtd><mtd><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></mtd></mtr></mtable></math>
r
where tis the parameter for the probability of remaining in the same state and t is the parameter for the probability of switching to an adjacent state. This definition reduces reports of physically impossible events, such as instantaneous changes across multiple lanes. This provides a distinct advantage over other multimodal approaches, such as particle filters.
FIG. 6
As may be determined from the above description, in addition to GPS and proprioceptive sensors, such as a speed sensor, both lane line data and the relative locations of other vehicles may inform the topological location estimate. Instead of the simplified technique described above with regard to , for lane lines, a combination of learned parameters and information from the topological map may be used to parametrize a Gaussian Mixture Model that describes the likelihood of observing a lane line at some position and orientation relative to the vehicle given a particular lane state.
i
i
Lane line information may be intermittent due to occlusions, weather, time of day, and the absence of the markings themselves on many roads. To reduce the cycles during which there is no exteroceptive signal, the relative positions of nearby tracked vehicles support the vehicle presence in certain lane states. The rationale behind this innovation is that, although other vehicles (e.g., remote vehicles) move both globally and relatively, they do so according to a specific local pattern defined by lane membership. For example, if the (e.g., host) vehicle is on a two-lane road and senses a remote vehicle immediately to its right, then there is a high probability that the vehicle is in the left lane since the observed vehicle is far more likely to be traveling in the right lane than to be traveling beyond the edge of the road. The observation function for the state xand a sensor q may be denoted as ϕ(x,q).
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As mentioned above, a solution of the HMM produces a probability distribution over lanes of the multi-lane road, in this example a two-lane road. The most likely state is the determined topological location estimate at operation . At operation , the vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate. Traversing the vehicle transportation network at operation may be performed as previously described.
Although a single HMM is reliable for topological localization when the topological map is substantially correct and the number of states in the HMM matches the number true lane states, a single HMM can fail when the map does not supply the correct number of lanes due to map errors or temporary events. To address map uncertainty, a brute force approach of testing multiple HMMs is possible. However, this is a computationally complex solution. Instead, what is referred to as a Variable Structure Multiple Hidden Markov Model (VSM-HMM) herein may be incorporated.
A
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The VSM-HMM may be defined as a set of all possible models U along with an active model set Uand an inactive model set U. Every u∈U is an HMM with a unique state space. Accordingly, U∪U, and U∩U=Ø.
FIG. 8
FIG. 7
FIG. 8
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The VSM-HMM may be described with reference to , where the set of all possible models U includes HMMs u, labeled M, M, M, and M. The model M may be, for example, the HMM of . Another of the models M, M, or M may be an HMM of a three-lane road. Other topologies may be modeled. In , the VSM-HMM at an initial iteration is shown as the VSM-HMM , where models M and M form the active model set U, and models M and M form the inactive model set U.
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FIG. 8
At every iteration, the active model set Umay be determined using a variation of the Likely Model Set (LMS) algorithm , as shown below in Algorithm 1, and model selection criteria. The updated active model set U′and a likelihood score array S are initialized (lines -). For every model within the set (u∈U), a likelihood score is calculated (line ). The likelihood score depends upon the probability Pr(u|M) that the model u matches the topological map (map data in ) and the probability that the model u matches the observations z (sensor data in , also referred to as the operational environment information determined at operation ). Models are then sorted in descending order by their score (line ), and subsequent models are chosen for inclusion in the updated active model set U so long as the ratio between their score sand the maximum score sis above a threshold T(lines -). The number of models selected as active models in the updated active model set U′(referred to below as models u′) is lower bounded by one (line ), and upper bounded by a constant K (line ). The constant K may depend on the computational constraints expected during vehicle operation. Finally, belief is copied from models that are already active, and belief is initialized for models that are not already active are not (lines -). As used here, belief corresponds to a solution (e.g., to the entire probability distribution) unless otherwise clear from context.
Algorithm 1 LIKELY MODEL SELECTION
1:
Input: All models U, active models U<sub>A</sub>, observations z,
max number of models κ, threshold T<sub>active</sub>, map M
2:
Output: Set of updated most likely models U<sub>A</sub>′
3:
U<sub>A</sub>′ ← ∅
4:
S ← [ ]
5:
for all u ∈ U do
6:
s ← Pr(u|M) × Pr(u|z)
7:
S ← S.APPEND(s,u)
8:
S ← SORTREVERSEONS(S)
9:
s<sub>max </sub>← s<sub>0</sub>
10:
for all s, u ∈ S do
11:
 if |U<sub>A</sub>| = 0 then
12:
  U<sub>A</sub>′ ← U<sub>A</sub>′ ∪ u<sub>0</sub>
13:
else
14:
  
<maths id="MATH-US-00002" num="00002"><math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mrow><mi>if</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mrow><mo></mo><msub><mi>U</mi><mi>A</mi></msub><mo></mo></mrow></mrow><mo><</mo><mrow><mi>κ</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>and</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mfrac><mi>s</mi><msub><mi>s</mi><mi>max</mi></msub></mfrac></mrow><mo>></mo><mrow><msub><mi>T</mi><mi>active</mi></msub><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>then</mi></mrow></mrow></math></maths>
15:
   U<sub>A</sub>′ ← U<sub>A</sub>′ ∪ u
16:
for all u′ ∈ U<sub>A</sub>′ do
17:
 if u′ ∈ U<sub>A </sub>then
18:
u′ ← COPYEXISTINGBELIEF(u′)
19:
else
20:
u′ ← INITNEWBELIEF(u′)
return U<sub>A</sub>′
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FIG. 8
The output of the LMS algorithm is the updated active model set U′. In the example of , the models M and M do not change their status. The model M is de-activated, and the model M is activated. Accordingly, models M and M form the active model set U, and models M and M form the inactive model set Ufor the VSM-HMM .
A
Discrepancies between the topological map M and the actual topology may be detected by comparing the entropy H(u) of belief distributions Pr(u) for each active model (i.e., each model u in the active model set U). If the model suggested by the map M has a high entropy compared to another model, the map M is likely incorrect. High entropy generally indicates that no state in the suggested topology can explain the observations z. According to an example, entropy H(u) may be calculated using the Shannon entropy equation.
ent
ent
Algorithm 2 outlines the procedure for checking the map M against observations z. The value for the threshold Tis set based on the reliability of the map M. The more reliable the map M, the higher the value of the threshold T.
Algorithm 2 ENTROPY FILTER
 1: Input: Active models U<sub>A</sub>, threshold T<sub>ent</sub>, map M
2: Ouput: Map discrepancy indicator, Error
 3: u<sub>map </sub>← SUGGESTEDMODELFROMMAP(M)
 4: e<sub>map </sub>← H (u<sub>map</sub>)
5: E ← ∅
 6: for all u ∈ U<sub>A </sub>\ u<sub>map </sub>do
7: E ← E ∪ H(u)
 8: if max(E) > T<sub>ent</sub>e<sub>map </sub>then
9: Error ← true
10: else
11: Error ← false
A
When the set of active models is equal to the total set of models (U=U), the VSM-HMM is equivalent to one, large HMM with a dense transition matrix τ*. The transition matrix τ* may be defined in terms of the sub-blocks representing each distinct topological hypothesis τ2, τ4, . . . , τn, and the transitions between them.
m
According to such a technique, each sub-block τκ may be arranged on the diagonal of the transition matrix τ*. Further, the off-diagonal blocks may be completely dense and have the value t, the probability of switching models. Thus,
<math overflow="scroll"><mtable><mtr><mtd><mrow><msubsup><mi>τ</mi><mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mi>j</mi></mrow><mo>*</mo></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mtable><mtr><mtd><mrow><mrow><msubsup><mi>τ</mi><mrow><mi>l</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow><mi>k</mi></msubsup><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="1.1em" height="1.1ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>if</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>i</mi></mrow><mo>,</mo><mrow><mi>j</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>index</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>l</mi></mrow><mo>,</mo><mrow><mi>m</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>in</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>sub</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mtext>-</mtext></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>block</mi><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>k</mi></mrow></mrow></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd><mrow><msub><mi>t</mi><mi>m</mi></msub><mo>⁢</mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.8em" height="0.8ex" /></mstyle><mo>⁢</mo><mi>otherwise</mi></mrow></mtd></mtr></mtable></mrow></mrow></mtd><mtd><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>2</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></mtd></mtr></mtable></math>
X∈U
i
In general, this results in a p×p transition matrix, where p=Σ|X|. Similarly, X* and ϕ* are defined by the union of all state spaces and observation functions, respectively.
A
When U⊂U, then the VSM-HMM is approximating the equivalent HMM by reasoning over a subset of the most likely beliefs.
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The solution to the VSM-HMM is a probability distribution over lanes of the different possible topologies for the current road. The most likely state is the determined topological location estimate at operation . At operation , the vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate. Traversing the vehicle transportation network at operation may be performed as previously described.
Use of the VSM-HMM described herein estimates the current structure of the local topology. That is, the VSM-HMM hypothesizes about the outside world state. This is useful when the local topological map has non-zero uncertainty (i.e., that there is some uncertainty in the topological map). It allows parallel reasoning about multiple possible topologies. Further, it does not require additional observations other than those already available for determining the topological location estimate using an HMM, and knowledge (e.g., regarding the HMMs) is reused whenever possible.
n
n
m
Whether a single HMM or a VSM-HMM is used in the determination of the topological location estimate, belief transfer is an issue. Belief transfer may be explained by considering a vehicle has a belief about its current topological position in a known, local topology. This belief is discrete and lies on the n-simplex Δ, where n is the number of local topological states and which in this example roughly correspond to the number of lanes on the road the vehicle is traveling. Where the vehicle is nearing an intersection or a merge, the number of lanes on the road the vehicle will end up on may be different than the current number of lanes. Thus the current belief distribution lies in a different space Δthan the impending belief distribution, which lies in Δ. The impending belief cannot simply be copied from the current belief.
m
n
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One option is to erase all previous beliefs upon entering a new road and start over from some probability distribution, such as a uniform distribution. Another option is to heuristically decide how to initialize the new belief. Both options are computationally efficient, but do not perform optimally in many cases. A third option is to find the closest expected distribution in Δto the current distribution in Δ, where closeness is defined by some statistical metric. This may be preferable to the other options, but it is complicated by the lack of isomorphism between Δand Δ. The solution herein describes a variation of the first Wasserstein distance, also called the Earth Mover's Distance, which is referred to herein as the Extended Earth Mover's Distance (EEMD). The EEMD defines the similarity between discrete distributions on simplices of arbitrary relative sizes, and handles mappings with arbitrary degrees of uncertainty.
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How to implement the EEMD is next described, where and are normalized distributions on Δand Δ, respectively. Without loss of generality, it is assumed for this example that n>m. The function f: Δ→Δis defined as
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Thus, f essentially pads with zero belief so as to make it the same size as . This new distribution, now in n dimensions, may be referred to as . The conventional formulation of the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) metric may be used to compute the distance between and .
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FIG. 9
FIG. 9
FIG. 9
i=1
However, in general, there may be uncertainty in the mapping between the two distributions. Thus, it may be the case that in reality and do not correspond to the same real world state. One concrete example is a two-lane road that becomes a three-lane road across an intersection. This is shown by example in . It is unclear whether the two lanes in the first road to the left in correspond to the two rightmost, two leftmost, or some other combination of lanes in the following three-lane road shown to the right in . Because the mapping may not be injective or surjective, there are npossible mappings from and . To get the expected distance, a sum over all unique possibilities for may be calculated, and the EMD may be computed weighted by the probability of each mapping. Thus, the EEMD between and may be defined as
EEMD(,)=ΣPr()EMD(,) (4)
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It is assumed that Pr() is known and normalized across all i. This may be calculated using information from the map M. In practice, most of the summands may be ignored because the corresponding Pr() term is 0.
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The EEMD is a metric, satisfying the properties of non-negativity, identity, and symmetry. For example, the EMD is always positive because it is a metric. Pr () is always non-negative. Their product is always non-negative, and the sum of non-negative elements is also non-negative. Thus, EEMD is always non-negative.
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m)=
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Identity is satisfied because EEMD(,)=0⇒=. More specifically, if EEMD(,)=0, then for all summands, either Pr ()=0 and/or EMD (,)=0. Because Pr () is a distribution, there must be at least one i such that Pr ()>0. If there are more than one such i, then EEMD(,) cannot be zero, because each is unique, and EMD is a metric. However, the assumption that EEMD(,0 is violated. If there is a single i such that Pr ()>0, then because EMD is a metric and must be zero, EEMD(,)=0⇒EMD (,)=0⇒=. Further, =⇒EEMD(,)=0, which is clear from the definition of EEMD and Pr (). All Pr () will be zero except when =. For this term, the corresponding EMD will be zero since EMD is a metric.
n
m)
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Finally, the smaller dimension of the two distributions is always augmented, regardless of order. Thus, the exact same calculation is performed for both EEMD(,and EEMD(,). So, EEMD(,)=EEMD(,), satisfying the property of symmetry.
FIG. 9
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m
shows the belief transfer from the two-lane road to the new, three-lane road. As mentioned above, there is no clear mapping from the two-lane road to the three-lane road, so it is ambiguous how to estimate the belief on the middle lane. However, given the belief over all lanes for the two lane road, e.g., Pr(two-lane road HMM), then EEMD(,) produces a value for the belief of all states of the three-lane road, while explicitly taking into account the mapping ambiguity and uncertainty described above.
The EEMD allows mapping between domains of different sizes, and can be approximated efficiently when there is uncertainty in the mapping. The EEMD is applicable to any two distributions on discrete domains.
Each of the solutions presented herein is an improvement over current techniques for vehicle localization. As explained above, separately or together, they address uncertainty, ambiguity, native errors, or a combination of these issues with regard to sensors, maps, or both.
Further implementations are summarized in the following examples:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
Example 7
Example 8
Example 9
Example 10
A method of traversing a vehicle transportation network, the method comprising: traversing, by a vehicle, a vehicle transportation network, wherein traversing the vehicle transportation network includes: determining vehicle operational information comprising a longitude and a latitude of the vehicle measured at multiple temporal points while the vehicle is traversing the vehicle transportation network; determining a metric location estimate of the vehicle using the vehicle operational information comprising: determining a location estimate for respective temporal points of the multiple temporal points; determining a projected location estimate for respective, subsequent temporal points; and determining the metric location estimate of a current temporal point using a non-linear loss function with a Kalman filter to mitigate effects of un-modeled sensor error, the non-linear loss function based on a comparison of the location estimate with the projected location estimate for a same temporal point; determining a topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate; and traversing the vehicle transportation network based on the topological location estimate of the vehicle.
The method of example 1, wherein determining the projected location estimate comprises: determining the projected location estimate for a second temporal point subsequent to a first temporal point using a heading of the vehicle measured at the first temporal point.
The method of example 1 or example 2, further comprising: determining operational environment information of a portion of the vehicle transportation network, the operational environment information including sensor data within a portion of the vehicle transportation network defined by a sensor range of the vehicle, wherein determining the topological location estimate comprises: determining the topological location estimate of the vehicle within the vehicle transportation network using the metric location estimate and the operational environment information.
The method of any of examples 1 to 3, wherein the non-linear loss function comprises multiple radii defining concentric circles about a first projected location estimate at a current temporal point, the non-linear loss function: providing sensed values of the longitude and the latitude at the current temporal point to the Kalman filter, for determining the metric location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the location estimate for the current temporal point being located within a first circle having a smallest radius of the multiple radii; omitting the sensed values from the Kalman filter, for determining the metric location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the location estimate for the current temporal point being located outside of a second circle having a largest radius of the multiple radii; and applying a penalty to the sensed values to obtain penalized sensed values, and providing the penalized sensed values to the Kalman filter, for determining the location estimate of the current temporal point, responsive to the metric location estimate for the current temporal point being located outside of the first circle and inside of the second circle.
The method of any of examples 1 to 4, wherein the non-linear loss function is a context-based function.
The method of example 5, wherein a context of the context-based function is operational environment information of the portion of the vehicle transportation system
The method of example 6, wherein the operational environment information is one of a city environment or a country environment.
The method of any of examples 1 to 7, wherein the non-linear loss function varies a weight applied to at least one measured value of the vehicle operational information input into the Kalman filter based on a distance of the location estimate from the projected location estimate for the same temporal point.
A vehicle that performs any of the methods of examples 1-8.
A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that cause a processor to perform any of the methods of examples 1-8.
As used herein, the terminology “instructions” may include directions or expressions for performing any method, or any portion or portions thereof, disclosed herein, and may be realized in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. For example, instructions may be implemented as information, such as a computer program, stored in memory that may be executed by a processor to perform any of the respective methods, algorithms, aspects, or combinations thereof, as described herein. In some embodiments, instructions, or a portion thereof, may be implemented as a special purpose processor, or circuitry, that may include specialized hardware for carrying out any of the methods, algorithms, aspects, or combinations thereof, as described herein. In some implementations, portions of the instructions may be distributed across multiple processors on a single device, on multiple devices, which may communicate directly or across a network such as a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, or a combination thereof.
As used herein, the terminology “example”, “embodiment”, “implementation”, “aspect”, “feature”, or “element” indicates serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Unless expressly indicated, any example, embodiment, implementation, aspect, feature, or element is independent of each other example, embodiment, implementation, aspect, feature, or element and may be used in combination with any other example, embodiment, implementation, aspect, feature, or element.
As used herein, the terminology “determine” and “identify”, or any variations thereof, includes selecting, ascertaining, computing, looking up, receiving, determining, establishing, obtaining, or otherwise identifying or determining in any manner whatsoever using one or more of the devices shown and described herein.
As used herein, the terminology “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to indicate any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
Further, for simplicity of explanation, although the figures and descriptions herein may include sequences or series of steps or stages, elements of the methods disclosed herein may occur in various orders or concurrently. Additionally, elements of the methods disclosed herein may occur with other elements not explicitly presented and described herein. Furthermore, not all elements of the methods described herein may be required to implement a method in accordance with this disclosure. Although aspects, features, and elements are described herein in particular combinations, each aspect, feature, or element may be used independently or in various combinations with or without other aspects, features, and elements.
The above-described aspects, examples, and implementations have been described in order to allow easy understanding of the disclosure are not limiting. On the contrary, the disclosure covers various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structure as is permitted under the law. | |
After the city rejected a proposal to build a student apartment complex building on Crestline Drive and Clinton Parkway, lot owner Iowa Street Associates decided to bulldoze the trees, upsetting Lawrence Child Development Center.
Gilbane Development terminated their contract with Iowa Street Associates after the city's Planning and Development Services rejected its comprehensive plan, said Kenneth Prost, assistant director of Lawrence Child Development Center. Then this caused Iowa Street Associates to “retaliate” by removing the trees, he said. Now that the trees are gone, the center will have to purchase shade structures, which may cause them to raise prices for the families who use the center.
Teresa Prost, executive director of the Lawrence Child Development Center, said the loss of the trees has affected her daycare. The daycare relied on the trees for shade and protection.
“It has damaged the children’s safety,” she said. “Before we would have shade, and now we don't have shade.”
The company bulldozed the daycare’s mulberry tree, which they used to teach the children about mulberries and wildlife.
“We had a beautiful mulberry tree that they [children] were learning about,” she said.
The trees adjacent to the center also helped prevent the center from flooding, Teresa said.
“The other damage is they could have flooded the playground,” she said.
Parents, farmers, neighbors and more told the Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday that the Defend Our Flag counter-protest on Massachusetts Street made them feel unsafe.
Teresa said she was reluctant to having a student apartment complex nearby because of limited space in the neighborhood. Teresa said putting 522 students in the neighborhood would have been chaotic and caused a lot of traffic.
Another concern for Teresa was the children’s safety and privacy, especially when they are on the playground.
“How much do we have to control our playground before we let our children out?” she said. “We might find things that shouldn't be there.”
Becky Pepper, a planner with the city's Planning and Development Services, said student housing can generate more problems for residents than non-student housing.
“Placed in the right context, multi-family housing can be quite compatible with surrounding uses,” Pepper said in an email. “Student housing, in particular, can be accompanied by greater levels of traffic, activity and noise than non-student housing, which can impact the quiet enjoyment of surrounding property owners if the type of housing differs substantially.”
Prost said she was not against the developers building on the land but disagreed with the developers changing the city’s regulations to accommodate its interests and not the interests of the neighborhood. Prost said she would not have opposed them to building single-family housing or offices.
“We were not opposed for them to develop,” she said. “Build for what it is zoned for.”
Pepper said the Planning and Development Services does not know what the future plans for the property are. | https://www.kansan.com/news/zoning-dispute-bulldozed-trees-anger-local-daycare/article_06e68dc8-0ded-11e8-b7c0-df119e8d66ee.html |
Psychosis in veterans has an undeserved association with violence, thanks to the popular media. The vast majority of veterans who suffer from psychosis are not violent people and do not cause harm to others. The connection between violence and substance abuse is much higher than between violence and psychosis. And in terms of sheer numbers, “normal” people commit many more violent acts than any sub-group of the mentally ill. Because of a few highly publicized cases of murders or other atrocious acts committed by people with schizophrenia, there is a stigma against veterans with this condition that makes the disorder that much more of a burden for the veteran and his/her family. Of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, those who are male, under 30, paranoid, have a history of violence, abuse drugs or alcohol, and don’t take their medication, are most likely to be violent.
Continue Learning about Mental Health
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs. | https://www.sharecare.com/health/mental-health/does-psychosis-make-veterans-violent |
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