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If you’re the type of person who can’t decide on just one thing to eat, Cheogajip is the place for you! Located in an alley near City Hall, the thirty-year-old restaurant offers over 19 different kinds of side dishes with each meal, which comes to about 9000 won. In addition, all the side dishes can be refilled. From spicy seasoned vegetables, kimchi, and fried fish, there are endless possibilities for what side dishes you might be served. If you’re in the mood, the traditional sweet rice wine (Dongdongju) also pairs nicely with jeon, small clams, oysters or octopus dishes. With pictures of celebrities who have visited the restaurant and vintage posters covering the walls, Cheogajip is a nostalgic trip to the past. | https://www.timeout.com/seoul/restaurants/cheogajip-1 |
Browse by:
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PATENT NUMBER
DATE
Browse by Category:
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>
Electrical & Energy
Class Information
Number:
399/42
Name:
Electrophotography
>
Control of electrophotography process
> Artificial intelligence
Description:
Subject matter wherein an electrophotography system or method has the capacity to perform one or more of the functions of recognition, speech signal processing, knowledge processing (i.e., propositional logic, reasoning, learning, self-improvement), complex operations of a manipulator (e.g., robot* control), or inexact reasoning (e.g., fuzzy logic).
Patents under this class:
1
2
Patent Number
Title Of Patent
Date Issued
8493617
Image forming apparatus having a function for adjustment of image forming conditions
Jul. 23, 2013
8494219
Image extraction device and image extraction method
Jul. 23, 2013
8406919
Quality regulating apparatus and method
Mar. 26, 2013
8275274
Image forming apparatus
Sep. 25, 2012
8204426
Image processing for improving reliability of job-lock function
Jun. 19, 2012
8139245
Managing the processing of print data at printing devices based upon available consumable resources
Mar. 20, 2012
8055144
Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
Nov. 8, 2011
7865089
Soft failure detection in a network of devices
Jan. 4, 2011
7245840
Method and apparatus for estimating the volume of toner consumption in consideration of overlapping areas
Jul. 17, 2007
7149450
Image forming apparatus and function extension program for image forming apparatus
Dec. 12, 2006
6909856
Functionality switching for MICR printing
Jun. 21, 2005
6601159
Dynamically-switched supplemental information support system for a copier system
Jul. 29, 2003
6591147
Adjustment control and adjustment control method
Jul. 8, 2003
6585341
Back-branding media determination system for inkjet printing
Jul. 1, 2003
6339650
Image information processing apparatus
Jan. 15, 2002
6327443
Liquid crystal display device
Dec. 4, 2001
6160600
Interlayer insulation of TFT LCD device having of silicon oxide and silicon nitride
Dec. 12, 2000
5963757
System for processing a photosensitive material
Oct. 5, 1999
5850582
Administrative device for image forming apparatus
Dec. 15, 1998
5838596
Simulation system for control sequence for sheet transportation
Nov. 17, 1998
5812903
Image forming apparatus and method enabling toner amount control without actual measurement of toner characteristic
Sep. 22, 1998
5794094
Accurate toner level feedback via active artificial intelligence
Aug. 11, 1998
5778279
Image forming apparatus estimating a consumable life of a component using fuzzy logic
Jul. 7, 1998
5729786
Image forming control apparatus which retreives control rules via control cases stored in control clusters
Mar. 17, 1998
5708917
Toner replenishment device for an image forming apparatus which employs pixel density and toner density information
Jan. 13, 1998
5699096
Potential estimating apparatus using a plurality of neural networks for carrying out an electrophotographic process
Dec. 16, 1997
5696605
Method and apparatus for exercising diagnostic functionality in product extensions
Dec. 9, 1997
5647010
Image forming apparatus with security feature which prevents copying of specific types of documents
Jul. 8, 1997
5633952
Identification of a particular color image using color distribution, and circuitry for same
May. 27, 1997
5623713
Self-reparir type image forming apparatus utilizing functional representation
Apr. 22, 1997
5610689
Image forming apparatus having failure diagnosing function
Mar. 11, 1997
5548682
Method of automatically creating control sequence software and apparatus therefor
Aug. 20, 1996
5467449
Fault clearance and recovery in an electronic reprographic system
Nov. 14, 1995
5459492
Method and apparatus for printing stroke and contone data together
Oct. 17, 1995
5459556
Toner consumption rate gauge for printers and copiers
Oct. 17, 1995
5454066
Method and apparatus for converting a conventional copier into an electronic printer
Sep. 26, 1995
5454067
Method and apparatus for converting a conventional copier into an electronic printer
Sep. 26, 1995
5446523
Image forming apparatus having self-repair function and self-repair method for the apparatus
Aug. 29, 1995
5442541
Enabling features over common communication channel
Aug. 15, 1995
5436697
Image potential control system and image forming apparatus using the same
Jul. 25, 1995
5426710
Image reading or processing with ability to prevent copying of certain originals
Jun. 20, 1995
5420665
Multi-tasking control system for image forming equipment
May. 30, 1995
5418602
Image processing with anti-forgery provision
May. 23, 1995
5414495
Control for induced jam of selected zone of machine
May. 9, 1995
5414494
Automatic call to selected remote operators in response to predetermined machine conditions
May. 9, 1995
5394458
System for the remote monitoring of a reproduction apparatus
Feb. 28, 1995
5394251
Customer schedulable machine quality adjust
Feb. 28, 1995
5389955
Image forming apparatus directly correcting an image data in response to changes in image potential data
Feb. 14, 1995
5390004
Three-input, three-output fuzzy logic print quality controller for an electrophotographic printer
Feb. 14, 1995
5386271
Centralized control system for an image forming apparatus which employs fuzzy logic to identify abnormal conditions
Jan. 31, 1995
1
2
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Q:
How to auto update based on data entered into entry fields
Let me start by saying I am VERY new to coding. I have pieced together and made a bit of code that evaluates an equation based on the data entered into 3 Entry fields. I have it so that when I hit "Calculate" it evaluates the equation and gives me an answer. Is there a way to have it auto calculate so that I would not have to hit calculate after each set of entries? Ideally, the user would just tab, enter data, tab, enter data, tab, enter data, then use the answer given. They would then repeat the process by tabbing back to the initial entry field.
Below is a copy of my code:
from tkinter import *
from math import *
def show_entry_fields():
a, b, c = float(e1.get()), float(e2.get()), float(e3.get())
s = (a + b + c) / 2
height = (sqrt (s * (s - a) * (s - b) * (s - c)) * 2) / b
height = float(format(height, '.3f'))
height_label['text'] = str(height)
side =(sqrt ((a ** 2) - (height ** 2)))
side = float(format(side, '.3f'))
side_label['text'] = str(side)
master = Tk()
master.attributes("-topmost", True)
Label(master, text="Measurement from nearest to 0+00").grid(row=5, column=0, sticky=W, pady=4)
e1 = Entry(master)
e1.grid(row=5, column=1, sticky=E)
Label(master, text="Distance between points on Station Line").grid(row=6, column=0, sticky=W, pady=4)
e2 = Entry(master)
e2.grid(row=6, column=1, sticky=E)
Label(master, text="Measurement from farthest from 0+00").grid(row=7, column=0, sticky=W, pady=4)
e3 = Entry(master)
e3.grid(row=7, column=1, sticky=E, pady=4)
Label(master, text="Offset from station line").grid(row=8, column=0, sticky=W, pady=4)
height_label = Label(master, text="")
height_label.grid(row=8, column=1)
Label(master, text="Feet from Measurement nearest to 0+00").grid(row=9, column=0, sticky=W, pady=4)
side_label = Label(master, text="")
side_label.grid(row=9, column=1)
Button(master, text='Calculate', command=show_entry_fields).grid(row=10, column=0, pady=4)
mainloop()
A:
There are couple ways to do it, but since the math performed is simple enough, I would suggest to use root.after to calculate your result. Basically it will try to calculate every 0.1 sec and displays the result if there is no error caught.
from tkinter import *
from math import *
def show_entry_fields():
try:
except ValueError: #catch empty field or invalid input error
pass
master.after(100, show_entry_fields)
...
master.after(100,show_entry_fields) # add this
master.mainloop()
| |
At the heart of any object-oriented system is the step of designing the class structure – therefore the saying goes that class diagrams are the most popular out of the UML diagram types.
In this easy class diagram tutorial, we’ve covered the key areas you need to know to draw class diagrams without a struggle. Scroll down to find out
- Class Diagram Definition
- Class Diagram Notations with Examples
- How to Draw a Class Diagram
- Class Diagram Best Practices
- Class Diagram Examples/Templates
Class Diagram Definition | What is a Class Diagram?
A class diagram is a UML diagram type that describes a system by visualizing the different types of objects within a system and the kinds of static relationships that exist among them. It also illustrates the operations and attributes of the classes.
They are usually used to explore domain concepts, understand software requirements and describe detailed designs.
Class Diagram Notations with Examples
There are several class diagram notations that are used when drawing UML class diagrams. We’ve listed below the most common class diagram notations.
Class
Classes represent the central objects in a system. It is represented by a rectangle with up to 3 compartments.
The first one shows the class’s name, while the middle one shows the class’s attributes which are the characteristics of the objects. The bottom one lists the class’s operations, which represents the behavior of the class.
The last two compartments are optional. The class notation without the last two compartments is called a simple class and it only contains the name of the class.
Interface
The interface symbol in class diagrams indicates a set of operations that would detail the responsibility of a class.
Package
The package symbol is used to group classes or interfaces that are either similar in nature or related. Grouping these design elements using the package symbols improves the readability of the diagram
Class Diagram Relationships
To learn about the class diagram connector types and the different relationships between classes in detail, refer to our handy guide on class diagram relationships.
For a full list of class diagram notations/ class diagram symbols refer to this post.
How to Draw a Class Diagram
Class diagrams go hand in hand with object-oriented design. So knowing its basics is a key part of being able to draw good class diagrams.
When required to describe the static view of a system or its functionalities, you’d be required to draw a class diagram. Here are the steps you need to follow to create a class diagram.
Step 1: Identify the class names
The first step is to identify the primary objects of the system.
Step 2: Distinguish relationships
Next step is to determine how each of the classes or objects are related to one another. Look out for commonalities and abstractions among them; this will help you when grouping them when drawing the class diagram.
Step 3: Create the Structure
First, add the class names and link them with the appropriate connectors. You can add attributes and functions/ methods/ operations later.
Class Diagram Best Practices
- Class diagrams may tend to get incoherent as they expand and grow. It’s best to avoid creating large diagrams and breaking them down into smaller ones that you can link to each other later. You can very easily do this with Creately. It helps you improve the readability of your diagrams.
- Using the simple class notation, you can quickly create a high-level overview of your system. A detailed diagram can be created separately as required, and even linked to the first one for easy reference.
- The more lines overlap on your class diagrams, the more cluttered it becomes. The reader will only get confused trying to find the path. Make sure that no two lines cross each other.
- Use colors to group common modules. Different colors on different classes help the reader differentiate between the various groups.
Class Diagram Examples / Templates
Class Diagram Example 1
Class Diagram Example 2
Class Diagram Example 3
Other Class Diagram Resources
- Guidelines for UML Class Diagrams – Part 1
- Guidelines for UML Class Diagrams – Part 2
- Tools, Templates and Resources to Draw Class Diagrams
Share Your Thoughts on the Class Diagram Tutorial
In this class diagram tutorial, we’ve covered what a class diagram is, class diagram notations, how to draw a class diagram and best practices you can follow when creating class diagrams. In addition, we’ve added a few class diagram examples that you can instantly edit online.
Interested in learning about other UML diagram types? | https://creately.com/blog/diagrams/class-diagram-tutorial/ |
Q:
Loop in R to select lowest AIC for a statistical model
I want to write a loop to get the lowest AIC value for the following model by changing the degrees of freedom, like df=2 in the definition of varknots1.
I just use random data here since I don't know how to upload my data. I am trying to learn to write loops my self, however, I never succeeded to make this one at present.
Could anyone here help me out with this problem?
library(dlnm)
library(splines)
A = rnorm(500)
B = rnorm(500)
C = rnorm(500)
D = rnorm(500)
varknots1 <- equalknots(B,fun="bs",df=5,degree=2)
lagknots1 <- logknots(24, 3)
cb1 <-crossbasis(B,lag=24,argvar=list(fun="bs",knots=varknots1),arglag=list(knots=lagknots1))
varknots2 <- equalknots(C,fun="bs",df=5,degree=2)
lagknots2 <- logknots(24, 3)
cb2 <- crossbasis(C, lag=24, argvar=list(fun="bs",knots=varknots2), arglag=list(knots=lagknots2))
model<-lm(A~cb1+cb2+D)
AIC(model)
A:
aic<-rep(NA,8)
for(i in 1:8){
varknots1 <- equalknots(B,fun="bs",df=(i+2),degree=2)
lagknots1 <- logknots(24, 3)
cb1 <-crossbasis(B,lag=24,argvar=list(fun="bs",knots=varknots1),arglag=list(knots=lagknots1))
varknots2 <- equalknots(C,fun="bs",df=(i+2),degree=2)
lagknots2 <- logknots(24, 3)
cb2 <- crossbasis(C, lag=24, argvar=list(fun="bs",knots=varknots2), arglag=list(knots=lagknots2))
aic[i]<-AIC(lm(A~cb1+cb2+D))
}
| |
Following on from last weeks introduction to the Personal Property Securities Act (2009), here are some of the underlying principles you need to be aware of when considering whether or not to register your interest on the PPSR.
Possession is 9/10ths of the Law
One of the most difficult concepts of PPSA that Lawyers and clients struggle with are the radical changes to the law relating to ownership. The PPSA overrides rights of ownership in certain circumstances.
Under PPSA when your goods come into possession of another party under an “arrangement” covered by the Act then that party can deal with them as if they owned them, even though they do not. For example, say you leased a truck to a removalist firm but they go broke and call in the liquidators before the term of the lease has expired. If that truck is on the removalist firm’s property, and you don’t have a registered interest over it, then the truck becomes the property of the liquidator regardless of what the lease says.
This principle is supposed to cover situations which are essentially finance or credit arrangements such as retention of title or equipment finance arrangements. However, in certain circumstances it also extends to leasing, consignment and other arrangements even where those arrangements are operational rather than finance driven.
The biggest risk for businesses here are fixed and floating charges (now called general security agreements) granted by the parties that they deal with. According to the Law Society of NSW This can include traditional forms of security interests, such as charges, chattel mortgages and bills of sale, as well as “in substance” security interests, such as retention of title, conditional sale and hire purchase arrangements, and “deemed” security interests, such as PPS Leases and commercial consignment arrangements. What can happen is that the other party’s bank can take priority in respect of all assets in possession of your customer, even if your customer doesn’t own them (eg a leased asset).
You should therefore look at whether you need to register on the PPSR before any of your “stuff” gets in to the hands of another party.
The PPSR is just a notice board, so make sure you register your interest correctly.
Don’t forget though that the PPSR is really just a notice board where the existence of security interests is to be recorded. It does not make up for deficiencies in your processes.
Security interests must be properly created. It is not enough to just register. In fact, the Act requires that the security interest is in writing and accepted or adopted by the Grantor (the entity providing the security interest – previously, most commonly referred to as the chargor).
If your security interest comes under scrutiny your documentation will be just as important, if not more important than registration on the PPSR.
Conversely, if you are caught in a situation where another party is asserting a security interest over your rights you should always look at their documentation rather than just relying on PPSR registrations.
The PPSA is all about insolvency
The PPSA deals with priority between creditors on insolvency. If a company is not insolvent then the PPSA will have no practical impact as the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due.
This is probably the most relevant commercial consideration to take into account when deciding when to and when not to register on the PPSR. For example, Woolworths standard terms and conditions prohibit any registrations on the PPSR. Does this really matter as Woolies are highly unlikely to go bust?
Commercially, you should always be looking at insolvency risk and the impact that will have on your business when transacting with other parties. If there is actual or potential risk of insolvency in your counterparties then PPSR should be front of mind in your considerations.
The PPSA is there to protect other creditors, not the Secured Party or the Grantor.
The PPSA doesn’t affect the rights as between the Grantor and the Secured Party. The parties are still free to negotiate terms between themselves.
Importantly the PPSA does not give a Secured Party any protections against the Grantor. For example, if a Secured Party wants to repossess its goods then it has to have a right to do so under its documentation or another law. The PPSA does not give them this right.
What the PPSA does, particularly in the way that security interests are created and in relation to an enforcement by a Secured Party, is to seek to ensure that a Secured Party does not act in a way that is going to prejudice other creditors, whether secured or unsecured.
Liquidators and Receivers will be looking very closely at what Secured Parties are doing when they take action to recover their assets.
Certainty is the key driver of PPSA.
There is no room for error. In handing down decisions the Courts have applied black letter law, regardless of whether it is the “morally” or “commercially” right decision and regardless of whether it means a windfall to a party.
The integrity of the register is paramount. The intention is that parties should be able to search the register and rely on the results of that search. They should also be able to rely on any registrations that they lodge. The Courts therefore are loath to set precedents that are contrary to this fundamental principle.
When looking at a potential PPSA issue, do not assume that justice is on your side. Always look at how an innocent third party may be affected if you do not have a proper registration, rather than your counterparty, as that is how the Courts will look at it.
Next week: What this means for the SME. | https://beyonddigitalstrategy.com/2014/09/25/ppsa-concepts-1-possession-is-910ths-of-the-law/ |
Background
==========
Vascular malformations of the limbs can present with a variety of symptoms. Diagnostic investigations uncover a range of anatomical complexity. Tools in the management of these lesions include direct surgical intervention, percutaneous sclerotherapy, and catheter-guided angiographic approaches. \[[@B1]\] Endovascular sclerotherapy is a more selective method aimed at reducing blood flow within the vascular malformation. Identification of feeding vessels to muscles and nerves are essential in reducing the risk of vascular compromise to these structures. We report a patient with a large arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the hip undergoing selective endovascular embolosclerotherapy who developed a post-procedure sciatic neuropathy.
Case presentation
=================
A 47-year old with a large right lower extremity AVM, identified during evaluation for exertional hip and thigh pain, underwent her fourth endovascular procedure. A 5 French sheath was placed in the left common femoral artery using standard Seldinger technique. A pigtail catheter was inserted to the level of L-2 and the right common iliac artery was selected using a guide wire. After initial arteriography (Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}), major feeding vessels for the medial branches of the vascular malformation deriving from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery were identified and embolized using tornado coils. Three milliliters of 100% ethanol was directed into the vascular malformation. Completion arteriogram showed total reduction in size and flow of the AVM by 75%. (Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"})
{#F1}
{#F2}
Immediately following the procedure, the patient had new complaints of right leg weakness. Physical examination revealed complete inability to dorsiflex or invert the right foot. She had 4/5 MRC scale strength of plantar flexion, foot inversion, and knee flexion, with preservation of strength in hip girdle muscles and knee extensors. Her deep tendon reflexes were 2/4 throughout with the exception of a 1/4 right ankle jerk. She was anesthetic on her right lateral leg. Subsequent MRI of her lumbar spine and CT of her abdomen and pelvis failed to disclose any acute pathological process. Six weeks later, a nerve conduction study showed absent right superficial peroneal and sural sensory responses, and absent peroneal (recording from the extensor digitorum brevis) and tibial (recording from the abductor hallucis) motor responses. Needle electromyography (EMG) demonstrated muscle membrane instability, manifested by fibrillation potential and positive sharp waves in the right tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and semitendinosus. No motor unit potentials (MUPs) were observed in the right tibialis anterior. Small, polyphasic MUPs with decreased recruitment were noted in the semitendinosus and gastocnemius. Needle EMG of the gluteus medius and lumbar paraspinal region was normal.
At the time of electrodiagnosis, she had significant atrophy in her right calf, anterior leg and hamstring muscles. Based on the clinical and electrodiagnostic examinations, she was diagnosed with a severe, but incomplete lesion of the right sciatic nerve. Magnetic resonance neurography was unavailable at our institution. Despite vigorous physical therapy, she had not recovered strength since the initial post-endovascular procedure examination. She had not undergone any subsequent nerve repair procedures at the time of this writing.
Conclusion
==========
Embolosclerotherapy is recommended in isolation or as part of a multi-staged approach for treatment of appendicular vascular malformations. Where the vascular malformation is deep with extensive muscle or bony involvement, embolosclerotherapy is preferred to surgical treatments which may leave the patient with greater disability. \[[@B2]\] Ethanol or N-butyl cyanoacrylate are the sclerosing agents most often utilized. Absolute ethanol is toxic to vascular endothelium, inducing thrombosis in affected vessels. \[[@B3]\] Delivery of the agent to the nidus of the lesion is essential in reducing systemic side effects, such as pulmonary hypertension. \[[@B1]\] Catheter-guided techniques are recommended for arteriovenous malformations, whereas percutaneous sclerotherapy is sufficient for venous malformations. \[[@B3]\] Success as defined by reduction in the size of the vascular malformation and diminished associated symptoms has been reported in up to 94.7% of sessions in percutaneous and catheter-guided techniques followed for an average of 10.6 months. \[[@B1]\]
Ethanol sclerotherapy may damage peripheral nerves either through direct nerve toxicity or ischemia. \[[@B4]\] Lee, et al \[[@B5]\] reported a series of eighty-seven patients who underwent a total of 399 sessions of percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy. Five nerve palsies were reported; three facial and two peroneal. A mechanism of injury was not postulated.
Reports of catheter-guided endovascular treatments complicated by nerve injury are scant. Liang, et al reported recurrent laryngeal nerve injury resulting in vocal cord paralysis after embolization of patent ductus arteriosus in three infants. \[[@B6]\] Quinn, et al, published a small series of patients who underwent catheter-guided cisplatin chemotherapy for pelvic cancers that developed femoral and sciatic nerve lesions \[[@B7]\]. Stent-graft of an abdominal aortic aneurysm with embolization of iliac arteries was complicated by lower extremity weakness and fecal incontinence in one patient \[[@B8]\].
We contend that our patient\'s nerve injury was the result of ischemia or toxicity to the sciatic nerve. The acuity and severity of the lesion are consistent with either of these pathophysiologies. The sciatic nerve is supplied by vessels ultimately derived from the internal iliac artery. The inferior gluteal artery arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac, descending in the pelvis to give off the sciatic artery. This small vessel maintains the sciatic nerve blood supply through a network of *vaso nervorum*. Collateral vessels from the iliolumbar, lateral sacral, obturator, and internal pudendal arteries contribute to the vascular supply of the region as well. \[[@B7]\] Ischemia resulting in nerve injury would involve the inferior gluteal artery primarily, with secondary compromise of other anastamotic vessels.
Our patient had distal coil placement and a neurotoxic vascular sclerosing agent infused into her right anterior internal iliac artery, causing ischemia to the affected vascular territory, including the sciatic nerve. Her three prior infusions and coil placements may have prevented collateral blood flow. Although limb vasculature malformations can cause local muscle necrosis, \[[@B9]\] we found nerve conduction and electromyographic abnormalities in a sciatic nerve distribution far distal to her lesion. The acute onset of her weakness renders a pre-existing sciatic neuropathy unlikely.
Embolosclerotherapy for limb vascular malformations remains a valuable treatment for a difficult condition. Awareness of the relationship of the vascular malformation and its blood supply to nervous structures may prevent similar neurologic complications of this procedure in the future.
Abbreviations
=============
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; CT, computed tomography, AVM, arteriovenous malformation; MRC, medical research council;
Financial support
=================
None
Financial disclosures
=====================
None
Competing interests
===================
The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors\' contributions
=======================
JN performed the literature search, wrote the manuscript, prepared the images, and submitted the paper. WS acquired the clinical data, edited the manuscript, and edited the paper. ML identified the case, acquired the data, and edited the paper.
Disclaimer
==========
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.
Acknowledgements
================
None.
| |
Asian Recipes, Thai Recipes, Chicken Recipes
A warming and delicately spiced Thai chicken soup recipe accented with fresh basil and lime juice.
This simple and nutritious soup has a wonderful blend of hot, sour, salty and sweet flavors that are characteristic of authentic Thai cuisine.
To turn this soup into a complete meal you can add cooked rice noodles. It can also be varied in many different ways: for a seafood version, add shrimp, squid, scallops, fish or mussels; for a vegetarian version, use tofu or tempeh in place of chicken; use different combinations of fresh vegetables such as mushrooms, snow peas, or thinly sliced zucchini; add some canned Asian veggies like sliced bamboo shoots, water chestnuts or baby corn; replace the lime juice with lemon juice; or use cilantro (fresh coriander) instead of basil.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 2 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 10 green beans — cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 scallion — thinly sliced on diagonal (reserve some green scallion to garnish)
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (plus some whole basil leaves to garnish)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 red chili — thinly sliced into rounds, to garnish (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the curry paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar and bring to the boil.
- Add the green beans, then reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 3 minutes, uncovered.
- Add the bean sprouts, chicken and scallion and simmer for 2 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and lime juice.
- Spoon into bowls, garnish with extra basil leaves, scallion and sliced red chili (if using). | https://cookrecipes.info/thai-chicken-soup-with-basil-and-lime/ |
A staple of the American military arsenal since 1964, the M16 is the longest-serving standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military until October 2015. That’s when the M4 carbine was chosen to replace the M16 as the primary weapon among infantry and support units.
What is the most commonly used weapon in the military?
The M4 carbine is the standard weapon for brigade combat teams. It is lightweight, mobile and adaptable and can be mounted with a M203A2 grenade launcher, M320A1 grenade launcher or an M26 modular accessory shotgun system. The M4A1 is the fully automatic variant of the M4.
What is America’s strongest weapon?
The B-41 hydrogen bomb, first deployed in September 1960, is the most powerful weapon ever created by the US, with a maximum yield of 25 megatons, or equivalent to 25 million tons of TNT. With a lethality index roughly 4,000 times greater than Fat Man, it’s also the most deadly.
What is the most used weapon?
Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 6,368 homicides in 2019. This is followed by firearms of an unstated type, with 2,963 cases in that year.
What guns do Navy Seals use 2019?
Navy SEAL Weapons
- M4a1 – 5.56mm x 45mm carbine.
- MK 13 CQBR – 5.56mm x 45mm carbine.
- MK 16 SCAR-L – 5.56mm x 45mm carbine / rifle.
- MK 17 SCAR-H – 7.61mm x 51mm carbine / rifle.
- M14 EBR – 7.61mm x 51mm assautl rifle.
Do soldiers carry two primary weapons?
Most US soldiers only carry a primary weapon or combo weapon. The M4 or M4 with M203 grenade launcher underslung. Automatic riflemen with M249 SAW would not be carrying a pistol while a M240 gunner would be issued an M9 (Beretta 92f).
Do soldiers choose their own weapons?
Soldiers operate weapon systems. They are not allowed to pick and customise the weapon systems that make them feel good about being soldiers. They carry the weapon system that their unit wants to have in place and ready to be operated.
Can the US ever be invaded?
The country has been physically invaded a few times – once during the War of 1812, once during the Mexican–American War, several times during the Mexican Border War, and once during World War II.
Who has the strongest military in the world?
China has the strongest military force in the world while India stands at number four, according to a study released on Sunday by the defence website Military Direct. “The USA, despite their enormous military budgets, comes in 2nd place with 74 points, followed by Russia with 69, India at 61 and then France with 58.
Who has the strongest military 2020?
The United States retains its top spot as the undisputed military power in the world – both numerically and technologically. South Korea Below is the latest ranking of 10 countries with the most powerful military force in Africa in 2020.
Which is the No 1 gun in the world?
No firearm in history has enjoyed the fame or popularity of the assault rifle known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov.
What is the strongest gun in the World 2020?
- DSR-Precision DSR 50 Sniper Rifle.
- Thompson M1921 Submachine Gun. …
- Uzi Submachine Gun. …
- Kalashnikov AK-47 Assault Rifle. …
- XM307 ACSW Advanced Heavy Machine Gun. …
- MG3 Machine Gun. MG3 is manufactured by a firm of Germany. …
- F2000 Assault Rifle. F2000 is a fully automatic rifle with large magazine in it. …
18.06.2015
What is the most iconic gun?
AK-47 – 1948
First introduced into active service in 1948, the AK-47 is the most widely produced firearm… ever. Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, it remains in widespread use all over the world.
Do Navy SEALs keep their weapons?
Joseph Votel why it is that Navy special operators are forced buy some pieces of their own gear and to turn in their firearms at various points in the deployment cycle. “They don’t get weapons now to work up with for two years. They get their weapon when a guy comes back,” Hunter said.
Do Navy SEALs choose their weapons?
50 PIP and the M-14 sniper rifle, along with grenade launchers, mortars and AT4 anti-tank rockets, and SEALs can choose a weapon to fit the specific task at hand.
What handgun Do Navy SEALs carry?
The P226 MK25 is identical to the pistol carried by the U.S. Navy SEALs, the fleet’s special warfare operators. The railed P226 chambered in 9mm and engraved with an anchor on the left side of the slide is the official sidearm of the SEALs. | https://22box-id.com/ammo/what-is-the-most-used-weapon-in-the-us-military.html |
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Ray White
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Ask an Expert: Why do I wake up choking on saliva?
Why do I wake up choking on saliva?
I`ve heard of a sleep disorder that causes a person to choke on their saliva during sleep, but I can`t find info on any cause or treatment.
During the day I sometimes find myself in deep concentration and realize I`ve forgotten to swallow for a while. Do I have some kind of faulty swallowing reflex? Could I die from this?
Swallowing is affected by a wide variety of disorders and conditions. Below is a brief assessment of the information you have provided and a guarded speculation regarding the potential causes of your problem.
The swallowing function shares several components with the breathing function. Particularly, swallowing and breathing share a common pathway, that is the throat, and thus close coordination is required between the two functions to avoid swallowing into the lungs (aspiration). Swallowing normally occurs at the end of a breath in the awake seated person. When we swallow, there is a cessation of breathing (or we stop breathing and temporarily hold our breath) and the vocal cords, the entrance to the lungs, close to prevent aspiration. This coordination between swallowing and breathing is present during sleep as well as wakefulness. During sleep, secretions in the upper airways stimulate the swallowing reflex by producing brief arousals from sleep (brain activation) that results in closure of the vocal cords to protect against aspiration.
Smoking, alcohol, nasal congestion and post nasal drip, along with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are all conditions that can damage the mucosa of the upper airway and may result in impaired swallowing. A common sleep condition: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasingly recognized as having a strong association with impaired swallowing function during sleep.
You describe that your swallowing is more problematic when you are lying down, suggesting a positional component to your problem. This would occur most commonly in individuals who have post-nasal drip, GERD or possible OSA. The build up of saliva in the back of your throat would most commonly suggest either post-nasal drip or GERD as the source of your problems. However, with the limited information and without an examination, it’s impossible to say for sure.
I suggest a thorough review of your medical history including medications, habits, and existing conditions. An exam of the upper airway including the nasal mucosa and the throat is also needed. If you have symptoms of snoring and disrupted sleep, or daytime sleepiness, you may need a sleep study. You should probably start with a visit to you primary care doctor. Referral to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist, a Gastroenterologist or a speech therapist are all possible, depending on the results of your initial examination.
Take heart, as the problem you are describing is not likely to be life-threatening and, with proper management, can probably be controlled and/or effectively treated. | http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/64170.htm |
Purpose: The high risk of recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder tumor of nonmuscle invasive disease requires lifelong treatment and surveillance. Changes in DNA methylation are chemically stable, occur early during tumorigenesis, and can be quantified in bladder tumors and in cells shed into the urine. Some urine markers have been used to help detect bladder tumors; however, their use in longitudinal tumor recurrence surveillance has yet to be established.
Experimental Design: We analyzed the DNA methylation levels of six markers in 368 urine sediment samples serially collected from 90 patients with noninvasive urothelial carcinoma (Tis, Ta, T1; grade low-high). The optimum marker combination was identified using logistic regression with 5-fold cross-validation, and validated in separate samples.
Results: A panel of three markers discriminated between patients with and without recurrence with the area under the curve of 0.90 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86–0.92] and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.90–1.00), sensitivity and specificity of 86%/89% (95% CI, 74%–99% and 81%–97%) and 80%/97% (95% CI, 60%–96% and 91%–100%) in the testing and validation sets, respectively. The three-marker DNA methylation test reliably predicted tumor recurrence in 80% of patients superior to cytology (35%) and cystoscopy (15%) while accurately forecasting no recurrence in 74% of patients that scored negative in the test.
Conclusions: Given their superior sensitivity and specificity in urine sediments, a combination of hyper- and hypomethylated markers may help avoid unnecessary invasive exams and reveal the importance of DNA methylation in bladder tumorigenesis. Clin Cancer Res; 20(7); 1978–89. ©2014 AACR.
This article is featured in Highlights of This Issue, p. 1707
Translational Relevance
Nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, characterized by a high rate of recurrence, is a relatively high-cost disease in cancer management. Urinary DNA methylation changes have shown their stable, reliable, and early appearance in bladder carcinogenesis. We longitudinally analyze DNA methylation changes in urine sediments serially collected from patients that underwent bladder tumor resections at the time of follow-up visits. Our results show that the combination of a transcription factor (SOX1), a specific LINE-1 element, and a key epigenetic driver gene interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 3 (IRAK3) provides better resolution than cytology and cystoscopy in the detection of early recurrence. Therefore, our markers may help avoid unnecessary invasive exams during clinical tumor surveillance in a cost-effective manner. We provide new insights into the value of incorporating both hyper- and hypo-DNA methylation markers into the screening of urine sediments for personalized following and monitoring of tumor recurrence in transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) patients.
Introduction
Bladder cancer was one of the 10 most prevalent malignancies in males in 2011 ranking fourth and eighth in terms of deaths and new cases, respectively (1, 2). Nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) accounts for 80% of all the cases, and can be further classified into mucosa only (Ta), carcinoma in situ (Tis), and lamina propria invading (T1) lesions (3, 4). The primary treatment for NMIBC is transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) with or without intravesical chemo or immunotherapy; however, more than 50% of patients recur after the TURBT procedure, with the highest rate of recurrence occurring in patients with high-risk disease (5, 6). As a result, patients require frequent and lifelong monitoring following TURBT, making bladder cancer one of the most costly types of cancer to manage.
The current gold standard for monitoring of bladder cancer recurrence involves the use of cystoscopy and cytology (2, 3). Disease surveillance is cumbersome because of the invasive nature of cystoscopic examination and the low sensitivity of urinary cytology in the detection of low-grade tumors (7). Recently, efforts have been devoted to find better markers of disease diagnosis and prognosis in samples collected by noninvasive methods, such as urine sediments (8). The addition of nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP-22), bladder tumor antigen, or UroVysion FISH has shown to help increase the sensitivity of cytology (9). However, due to their inconsistent performance in terms of specificity or sensitivity, the markers proposed to date have not been widely adopted in routine clinical practice (10). Therefore, there is a need to find reliable markers to monitor recurrence in TURBT patients, which in turn, may improve disease management.
Epigenetic changes, namely changes in chromatin structure that regulate gene expression, occur during tumorigenesis (11). Aberrant DNA methylation including increases and decreases at specific loci is the most common epigenetic change in tumorigenesis and it can be detected in premalignant lesions (12–15). Changes in DNA methylation are chemically stable and can be quantified, which makes them potentially good tumor markers (16, 17). Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes by gain of DNA methylation (hypermethylation) or global loss of DNA methylation (hypomethylation), which activates genes that are normally not expressed, have both been observed in bladder tumors (13, 18–20). Further studies have also shown that methylation changes found in urine sediments mirror those found in tumor tissues, indicating cancer-specific features (19, 21–23).
We previously identified both hyper- and hypomethylated regions in bladder tumors and their premalignant lesions (12, 13). We demonstrated that a specific LINE1 element, which is located within the MET oncogene (L1-MET) and activates an alternate transcript of MET, was hypomethylated, and that the promoter of ZO2 (tight junction protein 2) was hypermethylated in bladder tumors as well as in adjacent histologically normal urothelium, suggesting that epigenetic changes precede morphologic changes, a phenomenon that might be involved in malignant predisposition termed “epigenetic field defect” (12, 13). We also found a group of genes that showed methylation changes both in bladder tumors and urine sediments from patients with bladder cancer (21, 24). On the basis of these studies, we hypothesized that DNA methylation changes in urine sediments from TURBT patients could be used to detect early bladder cancer recurrence. To test our hypothesis, we collected urine samples from TURBT patients at follow-up visits over a 7-year period and assessed the methylation status of a panel of markers, including cancer-specific hypermethylated markers (HOXA9, SOX, NPY), an epigenetic driver gene (IRAK3; ref. 25), and field defect markers (ZO2 and L1-MET; refs. 12, 13). Our results show that the combination of SOX1, IRAK3, and L1-MET provides better resolution than cytology and cystoscopy in the detection of early recurrence. Overall, our results suggest a critical role of the balance between hyper- and hypo-DNA methylation in bladder carcinogenesis, and provide a noninvasive and cost-effective way to assess patients post-TURBT, which may help inform treatment direction and limit the use of invasive procedures such as cystoscopies.
Materials and Methods
Patients and sample collection
The study population includes patients under surveillance for tumor recurrence following TURBT for noninvasive urothelial carcinoma (Tis, Ta, T1; grade low-high). Urine samples were obtained from 90 such patients with NMIBC at each available clinical follow-up visit. Patient's age ranged from 41 to 96 years, with a median age of 69 years. Urine collection at follow-up visits was performed at the Department of Urology, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (Los Angeles, CA) from 2004 to 2011 according to the institutional guidelines, in compliance with Institutional Review Board-approved protocols. Patients at high risk of recurrence (Tis, high-grade Ta/T1 disease) had received prior intravesical therapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or mitomycin C at the discretion of the treating physician. A total of 368 samples were collected under patient informed consent at follow-up visits over a period ranging from 5 to 89 months (Fig. 1A). The baseline clinicopathological characteristics of the patients showed no significant differences between the study groups (Table 1).
Tumor recurrence was defined as biopsy-proven bladder cancer occurring subsequent to complete resection of the visible primary tumor. Severe atypia concomitant with papillary lesions detected by cytology and cystoscopy was recorded as recurrence only when the biopsy results were absent. Over the collection period, 34 patients had tumor recurrence, whereas 56 patients were not diagnosed with recurrence through the last follow-up visit. The clinical characteristics of 34 recurrent tumors are summarized in Table 2. Out of the 34 patients with recurrence, 31 provided a urine sample at the time of diagnosis. Tumors were characterized according to the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP); ref. 26) and staging was based on the tumor—node—metastasis classification (International Union Against Cancer; ref. 4) across the entire study period.
DNA extraction from urine sediments and DNA methylation analysis by pyrosequencing
Urine specimens (∼50 mL) included samples from both “urine” and “bladder wash.” The bladder wash was collected at the time of cystoscopy by the nurses or urologist. The same sample underwent cytology and DNA methylation analysis in a double-blinded fashion. The samples that underwent DNA methylation analysis were stored at 4°C until cells were pelleted by centrifugation for 10 minutes at 1,500 g. DNA was then extracted from urine sediments as previously described and stored at 4°C (21). DNA was bisulfite converted using EZ DNA Methylation Kit (Zymo Research) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Six DNA methylation markers were selected from our previous study (12, 13); the regions of interest were PCR amplified using biotin-labeled primers (Supplementary Table S2) and analyzed by pyrosequencing, a high-throughput and quantitative tool for DNA sequence detection. The percentage of methylated cytosines divided by the sum of methylated and unmethylated cytosines was measured using PSQ HS96 (Qiagen) as previously described (13).
Statistical analysis
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves summarize the accuracy of DNA markers in urine sediment from 87 independent samples, selected at the time of the last follow-up visit (nonrecurrent patients), or at the time of first recurrence (patients with recurrence). A subset of 83 patients with complete data on all markers was used to build a multivariable predictor model. We used stepwise logistic regression, selecting variables to add or subtract based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). The risk score was obtained using logistic regression, and represents the probability of a positive result (recurrence) on the log-odds scale. On this scale, a score of 0 represents a probability of 0.5 (50% chance) for a patient having recurrence. This suggests that the best cutoff of the risk score to predict recurrence is 0, with scores > 0 having a more than 50% chance of being from a recurrent patient, and scores < 0 having a less than 50% chance of being from a recurrence patient. The risk score was computed using 83 patients with complete data on all markers (29 samples taken at the time of first recurrence after TURBT, and 54 samples from patients who were recurrence free at the last time of urine collection). The three-marker panel was selected using the forward and backward stepwise variable selection procedure. The AIC is the optimality criterion used for model selection. When comparing two models, the model with the lowest AIC is preferred. We compare the AIC of the model with no variables to the AIC of all 1-variable models, and add the variable reducing the AIC the most. This is repeated, by adding the next variable that further reduces the AIC. This forward step is repeated once more, with the addition of a backward step that evaluates the possibility of removing one of the variables already in the model. For each new step, the addition/removal of a variable is considered, providing a means of “stepping” through models with different combination of variables, to search for the best predictive model. The procedure ends when the model with the lowest AIC is found.
Sensitivity and specificity were estimated using 5-fold cross-validation, repeating the model selection for each subdivision of the data. Five-fold cross-validation was used to obtain the reported (less biased) estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Model selection was performed using forward and backward stepwise selection on four fifths of the dataset, and the predictive ability assessed on the fifth that was not used for variable selection, an independent data subset. This was repeated five times, each time holding a separate fifth of the dataset out for validation, and performing a new model selection on the remaining four fifths. The five data subsets consisted of four groups of 17 (6 recurrences/11 nonrecurrences) and one group of 15 (5 recurrences/10 nonrecurrences). The final model was then evaluated on the remaining samples from our dataset to evaluate the performance of the markers providing the best fit to our training data. Control samples (n = 134) included visits before the last follow-up visit where the patient was not diagnosed with bladder cancer; case samples (n = 25) included recurrences occurring after the first recurrence and samples at the initial clinic visit when the patient presented with bladder cancer.
Results
DNA methylation analysis in urine sediments
To evaluate whether hypermethylation of HOXA9, SOX1, NPY, IRAK3, and ZO2, and hypomethylation of L1-MET could be detected in urine sediments, we analyzed urine samples collected from patients with bladder tumors (n = 20) and from age-matched cancer-free controls (n = 20) using pyrosequencing. The results show that DNA methylation of HOXA9 (P < 0.0001), SOX1 (P = 0.0017), NPY (P = 0.005), IRAK3 (P < 0.0001), and ZO2 (P < 0.0001) was significantly increased, whereas methylation of L1-MET (P < 0.0001) was significantly decreased in urine sediments from patients with cancer compared with healthy donors, indicating that the DNA methylation status in urine sediments mirror that of the tumor (Supplementary Fig. S1).
Longitudinal study of DNA methylation changes in urine sediments collected from TURBT patients at the time of follow-up visits
To examine whether aberrant DNA methylation of five hypermethylated and one hypomethylated markers in urine sediments is associated with tumor recurrence, we analyzed their DNA methylation status in 368 urine sediments collected in follow-up visits followed under standard care amongst patients that had undergone prior tumor resections. Figure 1A shows the representative time-dependent methylation analysis. Patients without recurrence had longer median follow-up time than the recurrence group (Table 1). The Spearman correlation of DNA methylation level for each marker was then calculated (Supplementary Fig. S2). Individual DNA methylation marker success rates averaged 98.9% across all samples (94.9–100%). Next, the DNA methylation levels of these markers in 31 urine sediments from patients collected at the time of first recurrence was compared with that of 56 samples from the last follow-up visit of patients who did not recur within the study period (Supplementary Table S1). Our results show that the six markers individually displayed high sensitivity and specificity in recurrence detection as evidenced by the ROC curves and area under the curve (AUC) values [0.93–0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) shown in Fig. 1B]. In the group of patients without bladder tumor recurrence, urine sediment samples showed consistent DNA methylation levels throughout the duration of surveillance; markers methylated in tumors decreased in methylation levels, whereas the marker hypomethylated in tumors (L1-MET) increased and maintained high methylation levels after tumor resection (Fig. 1C; patients 7,873 and 7,844). In contrast, patients who had bladder tumor recurrence displayed changes in the DNA methylation status of all six markers at the time of clinically defined recurrence. DNA methylation levels of hypermethylated markers continued to increase until recurrence was confirmed with a positive cystoscopy and biopsy 19 and 33 months after the first urine sample was obtained. The elevated methylation levels decreased following resection surgery (Fig. 1D; patients 7,258 and 7,145). Our results demonstrate that the methylation levels of these markers displayed a clear trend in the samples obtained at follow-up visits leading to the confirmation of recurrence and showed not only a significant correlation with recurrence (P < 0.0001), but also a possible predictive value as methylation changes could be detected before clinical evidence of recurrence.
A three-marker panel
To determine the combination of markers capable of detecting tumor recurrence in urine sediments with the highest sensitivity and specificity, we built a model of multiple markers by logistic regression, using 29 samples taken at the time of first recurrence and 54 samples from patients who were recurrence free at the last time of urine collection. Three markers SOX1, IRAK3, and L1-MET were found to provide the best possible marker combination (risk score = −0.37608 + 0.17095 × SOX1 + 0.21604 × IRAK3 – 0.09887 × L1-MET). Scores above zero predict recurrence. Ninety-four percent of patients with no recurrence showed negative scores (95% CI, 88%–100%) and 93% of patients with recurrence showed positive scores (95% CI, 84%–100%; Fig. 2A). The 5-fold cross-validation analysis estimated an AUC of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.86–0.92) with sensitivity of 86% (95% CI, 74%–99%) and specificity of 89% (95% CI, 81%–97%) for a risk score cutoff of zero (Fig. 2B and Supplementary Fig. S3B). This three-gene model was then validated in the remaining samples taken from the same patient cohort using 25 samples taken at a visit where known urothelial carcinoma was present (TU, nine recurrences after the first recurrence, and 16 at the time of entry into the study), and 134 samples taken at visits before the last follow-up from patients who had not developed cancer during a given follow-up time (CU). Notably, the three-marker model showed an AUC of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.90–1.00) with high sensitivity (80%; 95% CI, 60%–96%) and specificity (97%; 95% CI, 91%–100%) in the internal validation set (Fig. 2C and Supplementary Fig. S3C). The DNA methylation scores within the no recurrence and recurrence groups showed no correlation with any of the primary tumor characteristics (Supplementary Table S3). However, a positive correlation was found between DNA methylation status and grade of the primary tumor in the recurrence group as well as stage (Ta vs. T1) at recurrence (P<0.05; Supplementary Table S4). These results demonstrate that the combination of a tumor-specific hypermethylated marker, SOX1, an epigenetic driver, IRAK3, and a field defect-associated hypomethylated marker, L1-MET, can detect disease recurrence with high sensitivity and specificity.
Power of prediction of recurrence
To evaluate whether methylation of the three-marker model predicts recurrence in our longitudinal study samples, we screened DNA methylation and calculated risk scores given by the combination of SOX1, IRAK3, and L1-MET in every urine sample obtained at follow-up visits from 90 TURBT patients. Risk scores over follow-up fall primarily below the cutoff in samples from patients without recurrence (Fig. 3A) and often above the cutoff in samples from patients with recurrence (Fig. 3B). Positive DNA methylation scores were found in 90% of the samples (34/38) at the time of recurrence diagnosis, exceeding the sensitivity of both cytology (16%) and cystoscopy (8%) for the same visits to the clinic (Fig. 4A). To quantify the prediction value of the three markers, we analyzed risk scores in patents/samples in the period before recurrence (Fig. 4B and Supplementary Fig. S4A) or at any time visits (Fig. 4C and Supplementary Fig. S4B). Eighty percent of patients (16/20) whose urine samples showed a history of positive DNA methylation scores developed recurrence later (95% CI, 62%–98%). Out of the 70 patients who did not have a history of positive DNA methylation scores, 52 (74%) did not recur (95% CI, 64%–85%; Fig. 4B). Our results indicate that the three-marker signature detected in urine sediments of follow-up visits can reliably predict recurrence in 80% of patients, which is superior to the 35% (95% CI, 14%–56%) and 15% (95% CI, 0%–31%) predicted by cytology and cystoscopy, respectively (Fig. 4B). Sample-level charts report the percentage of samples by DNA methylation score from patients with or without recurrence. The results demonstrate that the three-marker model can successfully detect current and subsequent recurrence in 90% (64/71) of DNA methylation-positive samples (95% CI, 83%–97%), whereas these same samples showed 30% (95% CI, 19%–40%) suspicious plus positive in cytology and 44% (95% CI, 32%–55%) suspicious plus positive in cystoscopy (Supplementary Fig. S4B).
Discussion
Markers that can be detected in urine sediments provide a noninvasive method to test for the presence of bladder tumor cells and premalignant cell populations in the urinary tract (22). Some U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved tests, such as NMP-22, ImmunoCyt, and UroVysion, have been used for the surveillance of bladder cancer, and have shown a higher degree of sensitivity than cytology. However, the following situations make them less than ideal for comprehensive utilization and general adoption into the clinical practice: (i) these markers have a lower specificity than cytology, (ii) the specificity of NMP-22 and ImmunoCyt are influenced by other urinary benign conditions, (iii) they are not meant to replace urinary cytology and cystoscopy, but to complement those surveillance methods, and (iv) they are expensive, labor intensive, and provide marginal improvement in disease detection (3, 10, 27, 28). Although some of these markers are currently used to predict the responses to intravesical therapies like BCG, further studies in a larger population and consistent performance assessment are still needed (29). In addition, some new investigational urine markers such as microsatellite alterations and gene mutations (e.g., fibroblast growth factor receptor 3; FGFR3) have not been widely deployed as a routine screening method for recurrence (30–32).
Changes in DNA methylation are chemically stable, occur early during tumorigenesis, and can be quantified on high-throughput platforms, which make them potentially good tumor markers. Many studies have shown that aberrant DNA methylation of a single or a combination of markers in urine sediments of patients carrying bladder cancer stably reflects their methylation status in bladder tumors independently of the presence of hematuria, bladder infections, or other bladder benign conditions, thereby establishing DNA methylation screening of urine sediments as a promising noninvasive approach for bladder cancer detection (10, 19, 21, 33–37). However, most studies have focused on finding correlations between the methylation status of markers present in the primary tumor or urine sediments at the time of diagnosis (before TURBT) and recurrence (38). Although some of such markers showed positive correlations with the number, size, grade, and stage of primary tumors and prior recurrence history, others did not, likely due to the variation of the study population or the sample collection conditions (39–43). The variety of methods used to detect methylation, the fact that only one sample was evaluated by patient, and the reduced number of control samples used in the different studies, have made it difficult to accurately predict recurrence.
More recently, it has been proposed that longitudinal collection and testing of urine sediments may help assess the prognostic and recurrence predictive value of markers (43, 44). Several studies undertook this approach by using DNA methylation analysis, microsatellite markers, and a FGFR3 mutation assay (45, 46). Although these markers were highly sensitive, they displayed low specificity in some cases comparable with that of cytology or a high rate of false-positive results (47, 48). The three-marker model proposed in this study may circumvent the specificity problem. As far as we know, we are the first group using multiple DNA methylation markers to directly test risk value and monitor recurrence in serial urine samples from patients with a history of noninvasive urothelial carcinoma. SOX1, IRAK3, and L1-MET had a recurrence predictive power far superior to that of cytology and cystoscopy (80% vs. 35% vs. 15% accuracy), and therefore, they could supplement visits that reveal cytologically or cystoscopically atypical or suspicious results. NPVs of the three-marker panel were slightly lower than those obtained by cytology and cystoscopy, largely due to the definition of recurrence in our study. Patients with “no recurrence” displayed negative cytologic or cystoscopical results.
In addition, the three markers we identified here may also contribute to functional changes during tumorigenesis. For example, IRAK3 shows significantly decreased expression and promoter methylation in various cancer types, and our laboratory identified IRAK3 as a key driver for cancer cell survival through the activation of survivin (25). Some of the limitations of our study are that the mechanisms underlying bladder tumor recurrence are still unclear and that the samples of the validation set were not ideal. However, our analysis revealed certain functional roles of these methylation markers. We minimized the chances of over-reporting sensitivity/specificity in our study by evaluating the risk score on samples different from those used to derive the statistical model. Undoubtedly, validation of these urine markers in a larger, independent patient cohort with appropriate follow-up visits is needed. However, the length of the follow-up time for each individual patient could be a difficult point for such a long-term study.
In conclusion, our study provides new insights into the value of a combination of hypermethylated and hypomethylated tumor-specific markers to screen urine sediments from patients following bladder tumor resections. To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze multiple urine sediment samples collected over the course of many years by DNA methylation markers for bladder tumor recurrence. This study provides evidence that a marker panel may help minimize the frequency of cystoscopy for patients with a negative score. We suggest that patients with a positive urinary methylation test but no clinical evidence of bladder cancer disease should still be closely monitored because they carry a high risk of recurrence.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
P.A. Jones is a consultant/advisory board member of Astex, Lilly, and Zymo. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed by the other authors.
Authors' Contributions
Conception and design: Y. Chihara, E.C. Skinner, P.A. Jones, G. Liang
Development of methodology: A.L. de C. Abreu, Y. Chihara, Y.C. Tsai, G. Liang
Acquisition of data (provided animals, acquired and managed patients, provided facilities, etc.): A.L. de C. Abreu, Y. Chihara, E.C. Skinner, G. Liang
Analysis and interpretation of data (e.g., statistical analysis, biostatistics, computational analysis): S.-F. Su, A.L. de C. Abreu, Y. Chihara, S. Daneshmand, E.C. Skinner, P.A. Jones, K.D. Siegmund, G. Liang
Writing, review, and/or revision of the manuscript: S.-F. Su, Y. Chihara, C. Andreu-Vieyra, S. Daneshmand, P.A. Jones, K.D. Siegmund, G. Liang
Administrative, technical, or material support (i.e., reporting or organizing data, constructing databases): S.-F. Su, A.L. de C. Abreu, Y. Chihara, G. Liang
Study supervision: Y. Chihara, P.A. Jones, G. Liang
Grant Support
This work was supported by NCI (RO1 CA083867-PAJ, RO1 CA 124518-GL, and RO1 CA097346-KDS) and part of P30CA014089-tissue procurement.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Ravi Agarwal for carefully reading and revising the manuscript; Dr. Sue Ellen Martin and Moli Chen for urine sample processing; the members of the Cytopathology Laboratory of the Keck Medical Center of USC for their assistance with this project; and Hui Shen and Drs. Terry Kelly and Jueng Soo You for the helpful discussion.
Footnotes
Note: Supplementary data for this article are available at Clinical Cancer Research online (http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/).
- Received September 27, 2013.
- Revision received December 19, 2013.
- Accepted January 9, 2014.
- ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research. | https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/20/7/1978 |
EPA to provide data on air quality in Accra
Personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will from May 2020 undergo a training to enable them to monitor and provide real time data on air quality in Accra, Mr Emmanuel E-K Appoh, Chief Programme Officer, Environmental Quality Department has announced.
He said all the paper works had been completed as the training is set to start next year to address the hydra-headed air pollution concerns in the capital city of Ghana.
Mr Appoh was speaking to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday at a media sensitisation on improved air quality and health press conference in Accra.
Once the training is completed, the Chief Programme Officer of Environmental Quality Department said the personnel would be able to predict pollution episodes in good time to prevent air pollution threats to persons suffering from asthma and cardiovascular diseases.
He said the World Bank was executing the project under the Pollution Management, Environment and Health project in three countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Egypt.
With an estimated 28,000 Ghanaians dying annually from air pollution related diseases according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mr Appoh noted that timely dissemination of information was necessary to avert needless deaths.
He observed that although the EPA had 15 regulatory stations in Accra, the provision of accurate and timely data on pollution remained a challenge as the process is slow and did not give “direct reading”.
He stated that the EPA was enforcing by-laws and implementing projects to ensure Ghanaians breathe quality air.
Mrs Comfort M Kugblenu, the Deputy Director of Nursing Service at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said everyone is at risk of being infected with cardiovascular diseases.
She called for attitudinal change if Ghana was to make progress in the fight against air pollution related deaths.
Mrs Kugblenu stated that air pollution was a global public health emergency causing seven million deaths each year.
She said a report by the WHO indicated that a large number of the global pollution breaths polluted air, adding that one in every eight deaths was due to air pollution diseases.
In addition, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services said Ghana lost between $226 million to $300 million in 2015 due to air pollution diseases.
She mentioned upper respiratory tract infections, cardiovascular diseases, pneumonia, asthma, lung cancer, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases as some air pollution diseases.
Mr Desmond Appiah, Chief Resilience and Sustainability Advisor, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) said the assembly was collaborating with the various institutions to improve the quality of air in Accra.
He said the AMA was initiating projects aimed at addressing sanitation which constitutes air pollution.
Mr Appiah who is also a special advisor to the Metropolitan Chief of AMA, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, appealed to the media to support the cause of educating Ghanaians on good environmental practices.
The event was attended by a select print and electronic media and organised by the WHO in collaboration with the AMA, EPA, GHS and Climate and Clean Air Coalition. | https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/epa-to-provide-data-on-air-quality-in-accra/ |
The PRO AUDIT mission is active support for our clients through the provision of services allowing a reduction of their business risks and assisting them in long-term, harmonious development.
A fundamental objective is an adaptation of the nature of the collaboration to the needs of our clients, while remaining a credible and independent auditor and trusted adviser.
Professionalism is a combination of qualifications and commitment; qualifications in turn are expertise and experience. All of these elements together, acquired and consciously developed within our team, allow us to provide services which are often seen by our clients as exceptional with regard to quality and consideration of their expectations.
Reliability is honesty, credibility and solidity, manifesting also in a full application of ethical principles. These values represent the foundation of our relationships with clients. They mean placing the interest of the client first, always. We believe that this attitude is one of the chief reasons for which so many of the new relationships begun become a long-standing collaboration, beneficial to both parties.
Our openness manifests above all in an individual approach to each client, in mutual respect and trust, and in a readiness to take into consideration the needs of our clients.
All of these values combine in a single idea –Pragmatism in relationships with clients and in the accomplishment of the Mission and objectives of the firm. Pragmatism, the search for positive solutions, is for us the root of collaboration. We apply this approach both with our clients and with each other, within our team, thereby supporting the accomplishment of shared objectives. | https://proaudit.pl/en/mission.html |
An independent examination of the efficiency and effectiveness of government undertakings, programs or organisations, with due regard to economy, and the aim of leading to improvements”.
Performance audit is simply an audit of sound financial management, namely of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which audited entities have carried out their responsibilities.
Performance Audit invariably is referred to as Value-for-money audit or Operational audit.
Performance Audits= Value for Money Audit = Operational Audits.
Objectives of Performance Auditing
- Acquire resources of the right quality, in the right quantity, at the right time and place at the lowest possible cost (Economy).
- Achieve the optimal relationship between output of services or other results and the resources used to produce them (Efficiency)
- Achieve policy objectives, operational goals and other intended effects (Effectiveness).
More specifically, in the public sector, benefits of performance audit may include the following:-
- Helps in the identification of problem areas, including factors that cause problems. This helps in finding alternative solutions, that is, through recommendations for improvements to policies, procedures and structure which could help in reducing wastage and inefficiencies.
- Helps in evaluating performance of individuals and departments or sections in an organisation. Evidently, performance audits assist in obtaining a critical view of compliance with legal requirements, policies, objectives and procedures.
- Helps citizens obtain insight into the management of different government programmes and activities. Performance audits may serve as a basis of decisions on future funding and priorities.
EFFICIENCY AUDIT
Efficiency audit is related to that whether corporate plans are effectively executed. In this, auditor investigates the reasons of variances in actual performance and planned-performance.
It also investigates that capital resources of company are properly utilized.
Purposes of Efficiency Audit
Modern managements now-а-days undertake efficiency audit with а variety of objectives in mind. The principal objectives are:
1. То diagnoses the operational weaknesses by а review of the organization’s environment.
2. То sees whether the resources of the business flow into constructive and profitable channels.
3. То assesses how far the measures and techniques adopted are effective in attaining the goals and objectives of the firm.
4. То highlights the important fact in each of the functions or operations that are employed.
5. То evaluates and compares the optimum return on capital invested in the business operations.
б. То suggest and recommend feasible alternative treatments for improvements in а manner that the heads of the functional or operational management themselves would do if they have time for self — introspection (Examination of their own thoughts and feelings). | https://andhrapradesh.pscnotes.com/management-and-administration/performance-efficiency-auditing/ |
There are 26 named mountains in the Yatsugatake Mountains. The highest and the most prominent mountain is Mt. Akadake (2,899m).
The Yatsugatake Mountains are a volcanic mountain group located between Nagano prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture. There are an independent range detached from the famous Japanese Alps. Its name means literally “eight peaks”, where eight is not actually eight, but the number standing for a sort of standard measure to indicate a large quantity of something. Thus in this case, it indicates a mountain range made up by several peaks. Also, the Yatsugatake is the official name given to this range, but it takes up different names depending on the prefecture and local people’s customs. It is divided into two major groups extending from north to south for 30km and from east to west for 15km: the Northern Yatsugatake and the Southern Yatsugatake.
This range is shrounded with a plethora of legends. One of these legends says that the mountain that gives its name to the range was the biggest rival of Mount Fuji (3,776m). In fact, it was once higher than Mt. Fuji; for this reason, it was kicked by the majestic rival and broken into pieces. Another version says it was the goddess who dwelled there who made Mt. Yatsugatake become the mountain group visible today. There are also legends related to other peaks of the range: for example, it is believed that Mt.Tateshina (2,531m) was Yatsugatake’s younger sister and when she saw Yatsugatake falling into pieces, she started crying, giving birth to the river that created Lake Suwa. Another folktale says Mt. Akadake is the dwelling of Kuni-no-tokotachi-no-kami, a local deity worshipped in the city of Chino at the mountain feet. Due to the connection of the Yatsugatake to folktales and to the Shugendō, there are lots of temples and sacred stones on its peaks.
The Northern Yatsugatake and the Southern Yatsugatake are separated by Natsuzawa Pass and the Southern Yatsugatake is also listed in the 100 famous Japanese mountains. These two portions of the range differ in appearance and trail features. The Southern peaks are wild and rocky, particularly popular among strong and adventurous hikers, while the Northern peaks are gentle and greener, covered in forests and dotted with beautiful lakes. These peaks are the favourite destinations for hikers who want to enjoy the serenity of the landscape and peaceful walks. This is true for the mountain facilities as well. In the northern part, it is easier to find mountain huts, ropeways and buses going to the trailheads, while the southern part is wilder and more isolated.
Mt. Akadake (2,899m) like the majority of the peaks located in the southern section of the range is characterized by trails mainly suitable for intermediate hikers. There are 5 marked trails. The classical route starts on the eastern side of the mountain, in Kiyosato (Hokuto city) and takes about 5h to be completed. It is recommended to expert hikers, especially for the steepness of the trails and the absence of mountain hut and lack water supply along the way.
From the upper part of the Shinkyouji One Route to the summit, it takes 1h walking on a trail that runs inside a forest and leads to an observatory point. The summit of Mt. Akadake is framed by a couple of tiny shrines as well as numerous small concrete monuments.
Mt. Amida(2,805m) With such a name, this peak could never be more bound to the Buddhist religion. In fact, Amida is cited in sutras as “The Buddha of the Pure Land” and “the Buddha of the Western Direction”. The statue of Buddha Amida on the mountaintop has made this peak a popular destination of many religious associations.
It occupies a solemn place, clearly separated from the main ridge, between the cities of Suwa and Chino. It is usually climbed in 2 days in combination with Mt. Akadake, located on its western side. Its trails are a great introduction to winter alpine climbing.
Another similar 2-day trip starts on Mt. Nakadake, but it is easier than the former due to the lack of steepness and the presence of a well-tracked trail as well as ladders and chains that facilitate the climb. Scree slopes may be perilous due to the detaching rocks, but the trail can be accessed by beginners as well. Hikers may also choose a 1-day hike which takes 6h starting from Minodo lodge.
Mt. Gongen (2,715m) is located in the southern section of the Yatsugatake range and, on its right side, it is connected to Mt. Akadake and Mt. Amida. It is considered a 'mountain of bad fortune' due to its difficult accessibility. Despite standing above a majestic valley, it receives all the shadows of the mountains nearby. Also, the transport leading to its foot is few, and it seems that bad accidents have been commonly haunting the area. However, trails and important spots are well-marked and the peak, characterized by the presence of rocks coloured in pink shades, can be easily climbed. It takes about 4h from Yodake trailhead to reach the top, while from Watamiguchi the walking time is reduced to 3h30m.
Mt. Tengudake (2,646m) is a stratovolcano located in Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park. It is called so due to a cliff on its summit resembling the nose of a Tengu, a creature of Japanese folklore. It is divided into three major peaks: Mt. Higashi Tengudake, considered a manly peak due to its steepness and Mt. Nishi Tengudake, where hikers can find gardens with lilies and forests typical of the Japanese Alps. Due to its central position in the Yatsugatake mountains, it offers a panoramic view of the entire range. There are four main routes to reach the summit and two huts where it is possible to spend a night in case of a long hike. Sakuradaira route has a portion in common with the trail going Mt. Io. There is a bus from Chino reaching Shibunoyu where the main trail starts. A one-day hike takes about 4h and it is suitable for beginners.
Mt.Yokodake (2,829m) and Mt. Kita Yokodake (2,471m) these peaks offer a wide range of hiking opportunities. The easiest routes are suitable for beginner hikers as well as for families with children, due to the moderate difference in elevation. Hikers can also choose to hop on the ropeway to avoid the hardest part of the trails. The ropeway stops in the vicinity of the trailhead leading to Mt. Kita Yokodake. Along the way, some panoramic spots like the Nanatsu Pond and some inner gardens will cheer hikers up during the 2h30m hike. Also, it is possible to stop halfway at the Kitayatsugatake Hut. In winter, there are well-marked trails that can be walked and explored using snowshoes.
Mt. Io (2,760m) is located on the northernmost point of the Southern Yatsugatake range. Its name means ‘sulphur’, referring to the gas produced by its volcanic activity. A crater wall is another visible proof of it. From this point, it is possible to reach Mt. Neishidake (2,605m) and Mt.Yokodake, belonging to the Mt. Io group, in 1h30m starting from Akadake hot springs via Akaiwa no Atama. If you start from Sakuradaira parking lot, it will take 4h to reach the Oren Hut. It is a challenging and variegated mountain traversed by trails of different difficulty levels. Among the 8 easiest trails there is one starting at Mt. Tengudake which present a little harsh passage in the proximity of Natsuzawa mineral spring and Karasawa mineral spring. Intermediate hikers may choose a trail that runs along the Venus line, an 86-kilometre long panoramic road that traverses Nagano Prefecture, connecting to each other mountains of unparallel beauty. From the parking lot, the trails follow the stream of the Takinoyu River, passing near Tenshoji Plain from where you can see Mt.Tateshina (2,531m). The entire route is feasible in 2h. It is popular during the warm season for the beauty of nature and in winter it is suitable for winter sports, especially for beginners.
Nagano city is easily reachable from Tokyo by local train or bus from Shinjuku or Akihabara stations. Another option is to take the Super Azusa limited express train (JR Chuo Main Line) from Shinjuku Station to Chino Station, and then reach the interested areas by local buses.
Regarding winter facilities, ski resorts are dotted all along the area. A well-equipped one is the Chateraise Ski Resort or the Sun Meadows Kiyosato Highland Park and Fujimi Panorama Resort. | https://peakvisor.com/range/yatsugatake-mountains.html |
South west victoria: farm or park? Paddocks or trees?
Natural Resources and Environment, Hamilton, Victoria.
Introduction
South West Victoria has a strong history of vibrant rural communities over many years. Being settled early in Australia’s history agricultural development, particularly wool production, was the backbone of the rapidly establishing communities. The volcanic plains, scattered Red gums, green grass and many sheep are classic descriptions of the Western district. Over the year’s technology, advances in transport, mechanisation and low commodity prices for agricultural produce have caused many small rural communities to decline and in some cases disappear. The continued focus on economic efficiency is continuing this trend and as the region turns to other industries the question asked is “Are these industries assisting community development or are they accelerating the current trend?”
A changing landscape
Due to the federal government’s 2020 strategy seeking to treble the area of private native plantation in Australia, the landscape is changing in the Western District. Several years ago there were no blue gum plantations in the area. By the end of 2000 it is anticipated there will be in the order of 80,000ha of blue gum plantations in the Western District. As properties change hands, people leave, new industries are established, the landscape changes there is a genuine concern about the impacts these changes are having on small rural communities.
Positive impacts include: Increased employment, opportunity for older farmers to retire gracefully, new business opportunities, increased flow of money within the community, opportunity to meet environmental objectives, New people moving into communities
Some of the concerns being expressed include: People leaving the community, School numbers reducing, Traditional business closing down, Chemical usage increasing, threat of fire, development of mono cultures, effect on water table, viability of industry, native vegetation being removed, land tied to one use for long period on time.
Dealing with change
As with any change there will always be difficulties. The crucial element that needs to happen in these situations is genuine dialogue between all players to enable appropriate solutions to be discovered. As with individuals there are those communities that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what happened? The key is to enable communities to be proactive. Macarthur is a community taking responsibility for what is happening around it and is developing a good understanding of these impacts and seeking to address them in a balanced way. They are communicating with the timber companies whilst at the same time looking at the opportunities in tourism, other industries and town development. There are appropriate forums being established to ensure the issues are adequately discussed and a common understanding is developed.
Currently a socio economic study is being undertaken to assess the long term viability of the industries associated with landuse and the communities attitudes and concerns regarding these landuse changes. Hamilton, a much larger community, has seen an increase in real estate movement, new businesses set up in town, and a vibrancy within the community that has been missing since the late 1980’s. The challenge is to see these positives as key links in achieving a shared vision for the community as a whole. Local government has a crucial role in managing the planning aspects associated with landuse change and industry development.
However it also highlights the significant role of government policy. Often the broader policy framework can encourage industry and activity that can have a negative impact on rural communities. It is crucial that policies are balanced and the framework is put in place that will enable local communities to actively take responsibility for their future in a way that isn’t just prolonging the inevitable decline but is genuinely creating a sustainable future for themselves.
Examples of a pro active community in the South West
People in Mortlake, a township of 1100 people, located in south west Victoria are working together to achieve a sustainable future for themselves. The Mortlake and Community Development Committee (MCDC) has been working to reinvigorate the township by playing an active role in the town and wider community. Based in the Mortlake District Watershed 2000 is a major rural community project designed and managed by the Central Hopkins Land Protection Association. This project links five rural community groups, enabling them to focus on enterprise development, environmental management, research, education and human resources. Members from both these groups had participated in the South West Community Leadership Program. These two groups together are committed to ensuring their community is sustainable and have been actively developing and implementing projects to this end. Some of the achievements around Mortlake have included: Establishment of the Visitor and Business Information Centre in Mortlake; Development of a jobs register to service the local community; Working with the Mortlake College to redesign the syllabus for biology, history and geography; Mayfly International, a project that enables students to exchange information on environmental health via the Internet with students in New Mexico, Minnesota, South Africa and Europe; Establishment of Adult Education Programs within Mortlake; Development of a Corridors of Green Project to revegetate waterways; Completion of research project related to rural health in conjunction with Deakin University and the Monash Rural Health Unit; Improving town wetlands and streetscape.
Many communities are developing events focussed on their towns. These include Port Fairy - Folk Festival, Mortlake - Buskers Festival, Harrow’s Sound and Light Show and Casterton’s Working Dog Auction.
Some keys to sustainable communities
What are the keys then to achieve sustainable communities? One of the most important is that we need to be passionate about our rural communities. If we are not passionate about something, vary rarely will the required energy be expended to achieve the desired outcome. We need to have a positive mindset, enthusiasm and a can do spirit to achieve our goals. The following saying indicates the importance of desire. “If you want to build a ship, don’t gather wood and dish out work. But teach them the desire for the wide endless ocean.” If people have a desire for the ocean they will get out there some how. It may not be the design that you wanted for the ship but people will be out there. So it is with community development. Projects, skills, designs are important but not as important as passion to achieve the end result. This approach then allows creativity to design the mechanisms, projects and develop the skills required.
Our ideal community has a number of things. A shared vision, participation, inclusiveness, consensus in decision making, win win solutions to the problems and collaboration. No doubt you can think of communities where these characteristics exist in some form. Once a number of people begin linking and talking together you gain that critical mass of social capacity and things begin to drive themselves. As a matter of fact you won’t be able to hold it back. Leadership in these communities is crucial. We need to make sure we are skilling the appropriate people and those skills are being used to assist the community rather than these people then going away and working on supposedly more important issues elsewhere in the state. Effective leaders are those, who rather than promoting themselves have the effect that at the completion of the project the people involved will say “we did this ourselves”.
The South West Leadership and Community Development program has assisted in this area over the past two years providing skills and networking opportunities to enhance rural communities.
Another example of building community in the South West is the establishment of the Western Rural Services Consortium. This has linked together a number of community organisations with the mission of providing an integrated and effective range of community driven services to rural people in Western Victoria. Particularly focussed on rural counselling and Tele centres the synergy gained by working together has been excellent.
Examples of Capacity building activities in Nebraska
There are many activities that can assist communities to develop a sustainable future for themselves. Some great ideas that are being implemented in Nebraska to build networks and develop community capacity include:
Entrepreneur camps. This was a program that took 15 to 16 year olds in late high school on a week long camp. The young people received practical training in developing business plans for potential enterprises assisting in developing a culture of business initiation and management among youth. For example one student created a business plan around building web services and consequently has developed a very successful business in rural Nebraska.
Farmer Appreciation Days. This was a program to assist in building links between town and country. For example, Sturgis, a town of 5000 in South Dakota organise a civic reception each year to honour the primary producers in their community. The purpose is to recognise the significant and important contribution that is made by this group to the community and builds a strong understanding between the towns folks and those on the land.
School Alumni. Schools are often the centre of a small community, here in Victoria just as in rural Nebraska. Many of the schools were maintaining school alumni lists and regularly keeping in touch with those educated in the community but now living all over the USA. This enabled access to an interested audience, keeping them up to date with the progress of their original home community and giving the school alumni regular opportunities to contribute resources and skills to help build these small communities. An example of this working is Potter, a small town of 380 people in rural Nebraska. The milk bar closed down in the town. The business was advertised to the school alumni and one of them, now a businessman in a major city bought it. Not so much as a sound economic investment as much as his contribution back to the town where he grew up. Consequently the business is still operating and employing a manager within the town.
Celebration of Community. Community achievements were regularly published across many small communities. This enabled good ideas to be shared and implemented in other parts of the state. We currently do this. However with a clearer focus it could be improved and done more effectively.
Local taxes. In some small communities the businesses were voluntarily taxing themselves 1%. This was creating a fund that could be used to creatively further the well being of the town. Collectively the community identified the things that wanted to do and rather than having to go to government or someone else for funds they used their own resources.
Principles of economic renewal
So as one looks regionally, nationally and internationally there are many excellent examples of communities that are taking responsibility to develop themselves in effective ways. Community development includes the social, environmental and economic aspects. Often the economic aspect is the main one people initially focus on. So in considering this aspect as a window into the other two here are four principles that we would do well to implement as we look to developing our communities.
The first is plug the leaks. Often we want to have a big industry come in and save the town but rather we should first endeavour to retain the dollars that are in the community already. If the community believes a supermarket in the town is important then the community needs to support it! Not drive an hour to the larger town nearby for groceries. So firstly plug the leaks through import substitution, resource efficiency and buying local programs. Secondly support existing businesses. In general a lot of the long term growth within a town comes from existing businesses. However so often we try to bring in new businesses from outside first and put existing businesses offside or end up closing them down. We need to encourage and support the existing businesses, help them to be more efficient and provide appropriate offsets to help them. We seem to be able to find huge subsidies to help someone come in from outside! The existing businesses are the basis of the local economy, so look after them. Thirdly encourage new local enterprise. Often there are many innovative people within the community already. Encourage and support their initiatives and grow some new businesses from within. Only after these first three steps are implemented go out and recruit compatible new businesses, ones that will fit in with the existing community and support and enhance the economic growth of the community (Kinsley, 1997).
There are many positive community development activities occurring in South West Victoria. There continues to be considerable challenge in maintaining a balance between the economic, environmental and social aspects. However with appropriate policy framework provided by government and a genuine commitment to working together at the local level we will collectively create and implement a vision for South West Victoria, and indeed a rural Australia that we will be proud of. | http://www.mwia.regional.org.au/au/countrytowns/options/jackson.htm |
The present invention relates to compounds based on 3,4-diaryl-(5H)-furan-2-one.
More particularly, the present invention relates to compounds based on 3,4-diaryl-(5H)-furan-2-one, endowed with a high fungicidal activity, to a process for preparing them and to their use in the agrarian field, as fungicides.
1
2
3
1
4
1
4
2
5
-- R, R and R, which may be the same or different, represent a halogen radical, such as chloro, bromo, iodo, an either straight or branched C-C alkyl or haloalkyl radical, a straight or branched C-C alkoxy or haloalkoxy radical, a functional moiety, as nitrile or a C-C carbalkoxy;
-- n, m and p, which may be the same or different, are integers comprised within the range of from 0 to 4;
x
y
2y
2
-- Ch represents an oxygen atom, or an either straight or branched polyatomic chain having the general formula:
-(O)-(CH)-(O)-
in which:
-- x and z, which may be the same or different, are 0 or 1;
-- y is an integer comprised within the range of from 1 to 6.
Therefore, the subject-matter of the present invention are 3,4-diaryl-(5H)-furan-2-one based compounds having the general formula (I):
in which:
The products of general formula (I) are fungicides for agricultural applications.
i
2
3
Examples of R, R and R radicals are: methyl, ethyl, trifluoromethyl, tetrafluoroethoxy, methoxy, and so forth.
2
2
-CH-CH-;
2
-CH-0-;
2
-0-CH-;
2
2
-0-CH-CH-0-;
2
2
2
-0-CH-CH-CH-0-;
3
2
-0-CH(CH)-CH-0; and so forth.
Examples of polyatomic chains Ch are:
- 3-[2-(4-chlorobenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-chlorobenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(3-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-chlorobenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-phenyl-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-bromobenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-trifluoromethylbenzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)benzyloxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(4-(chlorophenoxymethyl)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxymethyl)phenyl]-4-phenyl-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2,4,6-trichlorophenoxymethyl)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl)phenyl]-4-phenyl-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)ethyl)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)ethoxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(2-(4-chlorophenoxy)ethoxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(3-(4-chlorophenoxy)propoxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one;
- 3-[2-(3-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropoxy)phenyl]-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one.
Compounds of general formula (I) not illustrated in the examples, but equally interesting thanks to their fungicidal activity are:
2
3
1
The compounds according to the present invention can be obtained by means of the reaction of an arylacetic acid having the general formula (II):
wherein R, R, m and p have the same meaning as disclosed above,
with a haloketone having the general formula (III):
wherein X represents a halogen radical, such as chloro, bromo and iodo, R and n have the same meaning as disclosed above.
The reaction is carried out in an aprotic polar solvent as, e.g., acetonitrile or dimethylformamide, or in a protic prolar solvent as, e.g., methyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol, and in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of an inorganic or organic base.
Examples of inorganic bases are: sodium hydrogen carbonate, potassium carbonate or potassium fluoride.
Examples of organic bases are: triethylamine or tributylamine.
°
The reaction is carried out at a temperature comprised within the range of from -5 C to 80 °C, and under room pressure.
In that way, the phenacyl ester is obtained which has the general formula (IV):
which is either directly cyclised in situ by means of the addition of another stoichiometric amount of a base, or is recovered from the reaction by means of techniques known in the prior art (extraction with solvent, organic phase drying over sodium sulfate and subsequent evaporation), is redissolved in a solvent selected from among those as disclosed hereinabove and is cyclised by means of the addition of a stoichiometric amount of a base, yielding the compound of general formula (I).
In the cyclisation reaction disclosed above, the base used preferably is an organic base, such as triethylamine or 1,4-diazo-[2:2:2]-bicyclooctane (DABCO), or an inorganic base, such as potassium carbonate. In the case where potassium carbonate is used as said base, also a phase transfer catalyst should be added, such as a crown ether, tetrabutyl ammonium chloride, or trimethyl cetyl ammonium bromide, which performs the task of activating potassium carbonate and enabling, in this way, the cyclisation reaction to take place.
The reaction temperature is comprised within the range of from room temperature to the refluxing temperature of the solvent used.
The arylacetic acid of general formula (II) is obtained according to techniques known from the prior art such as, e.g., those described in "Organic Synthesis Collection", vol. 3, page 140 (1955) and in "Journal Organic Chemistry", vol. 43, page 1535 (1978).
The haloketone of general formula (III) is a product easily available from the market.
The compounds of general formula (I) display a particularly high fungicidal activity against phytopathogenetic fungi which attack vines, cereals, Cucurbits and fruit tree cultivations.
They display both prophylactic and curative activity when applied to crops or their parts, such as, e.g., leaves, and result to be particularly effective in order to prevent diseases caused by obliged pathogenetic fungi as, e.g., those belonging to Erysiphe and Helminthosporium genera.
-- Helminthosporium on cereals;
l
p
-- Pasmoara viticola on vines;
-- Phytium on horticultural crops;
-- Sphaerotheca fuliginea on cucurbits (for example, cucumber);
-- Septoria on cereals;
-- Erysiphe graminis on cereals;
ch
s
r
-- Rhynoeoium on cereals;
-- Podosphaera leucotricha on apple trees;
-- Uncinula necator on vines;
-- Venturia inegualis on apple trees;
-- Piricularia oryzae on rice;
y
-- Botrtis cinerea;
-- Fusarium on cereals;
The plant diseases which can be combatted with the compounds according to the present invention are, e.g., the following:
and so forth.
Besides displaying a fungicidal action of both curative and prophylactic character, as said above, the compounds of general formula (I) display a low phytotoxicity, or no phytotoxicity at all.
For the practical uses in agriculture, it is oftentimes useful to have available fungicidal compositions containing, as the active substance, one or more compounds of general formula (I).
The application of these compositions may take place on every part of the plant, e.g., on leaves, stems, branches and roots, or to the same seeds before sowing, or the compositions may also be applied to the locus on which the plant is grown.
Compositions can be used which are in the form of dry dusts, wettable powders, emulsifiable concentrates, microemulsions, pastes, granulates, solutions, suspensions, and so forth; the selection of the composition type will depend on the specific use.
The compositions are prepared according to known methodologies, e.g., by diluting or dissolving the active substance with a solvent means and/or a solid diluent, optionally in the presence of surfactants.
As the solid diluents, or carriers, the following may be used: silica, China clay, bentonite, talc, fossil meal, dolomite, calcium carbonate, magnesia, gypsum, clays, synthetic silicates, actapulgite, sepiolite.
As liquid diluents, of course besides water, several solvent types may be used, such as, e.g., aromatic (xylenes or alkylbenzene blends), chlorinated aromatics (chlorobenzene), paraffins (petroleum fractions), alcohols (methanol, propanol, butanol, octanol), amines, amides (N,N'-dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone), ketones (acetone, cyclohexanone, acetophenone, isophorone, ethylamylketone), esters (iso-butyl acetate).
As surfactants, there may be used sodium, calcium or triethanolamine salts of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl aryl sulfonates, polyethoxylated alkylphenols, fatty alcohols condensated with ethylene oxide, polyethoxylated fatty acids, polyethoxylated sorbitol esters, lignosulfonates.
The compositions may also contain special additives for particular purposes, such as, e.g., adhesion promoters, such as gum arabic, poly(vinyl alcohol), polyvinylpyrrolidone.
When so desired, to the compositions according to the present invention also other compatible active substances may be added, such as fungicides, phytoregulants, antibiotics, herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers.
The active substance concentration in the above said compositions may be comprised within a wide range, according to the active compound, the cultivation, the pathogenetic organism, the environmental conditions and the type of formulation adopted.
In general, the active substance concentration is comprised within the range of from 0.1 to 95%, preferably of from 0.5 to 90%.
The following examples are reported for illustrative purposes and in no way shall be construed as being limitative of the invention.
1.90 g of 2,4'-dichloroacetophenone is reacted with 2.42 g of 2-benzyloxyphenylacetic acid in 10 cc of acetonitrile, in the presence of 0.6 g of anhydrous potassium fluoride.
After being kept 1 hour at room temperature, the solution is subsequently concentrated and the resulting raw material is redissolved with ethyl acetate.
The organic solution is washed three times with water, then is thoroughly dried and is concentrated under reduced pressure.
The resulting 4-chlorophenacyl ester of 2-benzyloxyphenylacetic acid is used without any further purifications; in fact, it is dissolved in 10 cc of acetonitrile, to which 1.12 g of 1,4-diazo-[2:2:2]-bicyclooctane is added.
The resulting solution is refluxed for 8 hours.
The solvent is then evaporated, and the resulting raw product is purified by silica chromatography, with a 7:3 mixture of hexane:ethyl acetate being used as the eluent.
3.10 g of the desired product is obtained, with an overfall yield of 82%.
In Table 2, the NMR spectroscopic data relevant to Compound No. 1 is reported.
By operating according to the modalities of Example 1, the compounds were obtained which are listed in Table 1.
The relevant NMR spectroscopic data are reported in Table 2.
Determination of preventive fungicidal activity against Helinthosporium teres.
Leaves of barley cv. Arna, grown in pots in conditioned environment are treated by being sprayed, on both leaf faces, with the compounds listed in Table 1, in solution in acetone:water at 20% by volume of acetone (the concentration of the fungicide is of 2 g/I).
°
3
After two stay days in conditioned environment at 20 C and 70% of relative atmospheric humidity, the plants were sprayed on both their leaf faces with an aqueous suspension of conidia of Helminthosporium teres (250,000 conidia per cm ).
°
After a 24-hour stay in humidity saturated environment, at 21 C, the plants were kept in a conditioned environment for fungus incubation.
At the end of said time period (12 days), all of the compounds disclosed in Table 1, at the indicated dosage, displayed a disease control of more than 90%.
-- Erysiphe cocumerinum/cucumber;
-- Peronospora viticola/vines;
-- Botrytis cinerea/tomato.
By operating according to the same modalities as disclosed in Example 3, tests of preventive activity were carried out on the following plant/pathogen pairs:
Also in these tests, all of the compounds disclosed in Table 1, at the dosage of 2 g/I, displayed a control of disease of more than 90%.
Example 1
Preparation of 3-(2-benzyloxyphenyl)-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-(5H)-furan-2-one (Compound No. 1).
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4 | |
A disturbing trend is emerging in some corners of Pennsylvania politics: if at first you don’t succeed, change the rules until you do.
Republican state lawmakers, frustrated by the governor’s power to veto laws, are now abusing Pennsylvania’s constitutional amendment process to get what they want.
The legislature is supposed to use its power to override the governor’s veto, if enough legislators disagree with the veto. Instead, they are proposing amendments to our constitution – the foundational document of our state government – to get around the governor’s check on their power.
Constitutional amendments – which must be passed in identical form in two legislative sessions before being presented to voters on a ballot – should be used sparingly. And they certainly should not be used to let one branch of government sidestep the checks and balances of the other branches.
But Pennsylvania legislators are now using the amendment process to take power from other branches of government and increase their own influence.
In just one year of the current two-year legislative session, lawmakers have proposed at least 75 amendments; and 24 of them are attacks on the powers of the governor and the courts. For comparison, in the entire 2019-20 session, a total of only 70 constitutional amendments were proposed, and only three targeted the independence of the other two branches.
This is not how the system was designed to work. Our constitutional amendment process was never meant to be a workaround for failed legislation or to threaten the courts into doing the legislature’s bidding. Our state constitution, like our federal constitution, is intended to protect individual rights and liberties while respecting the equal and independent work of each branch of government. This idea isn’t radical; it’s the bedrock of our entire system of government.
The governor’s veto is meant to be a check on the legislature, just as the veto override is meant to be a check on the governor. Likewise, the judicial branch was designed to check the executive and legislative branches. Letting one branch overpower the others is a recipe for disaster and an abuse of power that we cannot accept.
Some legislators have this down to a fine art: they time the amendments to appear on primary ballots in low voter-turnout years. This ensures that they are voted on by as few voters as possible – the opposite of the principle of “we the people.” Primaries in Pennsylvania traditionally have very low turnout – particularly compared to presidential elections. This means that when amendments appear on a primary ballot, they are decided by a tiny fraction of our population.
This is not the way a government “by the people” works. Remember what happened in the spring of 2021: three amendments were added to our constitution during an election that saw turnout of only about one-quarter of registered voters. Municipal primary elections always have the lowest turnout – so that’s when the amendments went on the ballot.
Two of these amendments took away most of the governor’s ability to respond to ongoing emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave it to the legislature. Meanwhile, at the height of the Omicron surge, Pennsylvania’s hospitals were full to bursting, schools were cancelling classes or moving to online instruction, businesses were closing, and Pennsylvanians were struggling to keep their families safe while putting food on the table.
We urge Pennsylvania’s lawmakers to stop abusing the constitutional amendment process and use it the way it was intended to be used. If legislators truly want to give the people of Pennsylvania a greater voice, they should propose and pass a constitutional amendment to allow public initiative and referendum.
That way, the issues that the people have been asking for – real redistricting reform, a minimum wage increase, criminal justice reform, fair funding for our schools, and others – can finally stand a chance of seeing the light of day.
Our system of checks and balances and the separation of powers has worked for over two hundred years. There is no reason for Pennsylvania’s constitution to be mangled now, just because some lawmakers can’t accept no for an answer.
Khalif Ali is the Executive Director of Common Cause Pennsylvania
Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. | |
1. I am honored to announce and congratulate Petty Officer (PO) Eduardo V. Gutierrez,
USCG Finance Center as the Coast Guard individual category winner, and the Electronic
Systems Support Detachment (ESD), Base Miami Beach as the team category winner of the
2018 LULAC Excellence in Service Awards. The awards recognize excellence by individuals
or teams in the advancement of diversity, education, economics and health in communities
with large under-represented populations.
2. PO Gutierrez has consistently promoted excellence in public service within the Latin
American community by supporting diversity, health and well-being, and education. As the
primary Coast Guard point of contact for the Food Bank of Virginia, PO Gutierrez managed two
food drives that garnered over 9500 lbs. of donated goods. Moreover, in support of Hurricanes
Harvey and Maria, PO Gutierrez promptly processed bank wire transfers for several Coast Guard
bases to continue operations, provide loans to affected families, and cover relocation
expenses for members where necessary. Since reporting to the USCG Finance Center, PO Gutierrez
has been a role model for all members of his unit and others throughout the Service.
3. ESD, Base Miami Beach members distinguished themselves by dedicating countless hours of
unparalleled work performance through partnerships within the communities they serve. The ESD
members' support of Miami’s Habitat for Humanity housing project resulted in the construction
of one house towards the overall goal of building 64 homes for low-income families.
Additionally, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the ESD members fitted more than
720 items into 136 hygiene kits for the Women in Distress Domestic Violence Agency. The ESD
members demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the advancement of diversity, education,
economics and health in the local communities.
4. I commend PO Gutierrez and the Electronic Systems Support Detachment, Base Miami Beach
for their outstanding contributions, achievements, and service. They will be officially
recognized at the Defenders of Freedom breakfast on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at the LULAC
89th National Convention in Phoenix, AZ.
5. Civil Rights programs help maximize the Coast Guard's overall mission effectiveness by
fostering a discrimination free environment through recognition of members' accomplishments
and contributions to civil rights, equal opportunity, minority communities, and Partnership
in Education (PIE) programs. Learn about the USCG civil rights vision, mission, award
programs, and CG PIE at: https://www.uscg.mil/Resources/Civil-Rights/.
6. Dr. Terri A. Dickerson, Director, Civil Rights Directorate, sends.
7. Internet release authorized. | https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/1fe65af |
The health and wellbeing of our employees is paramount. All health assessments carried out assess the impact work is having on an individual. Our pro-active wellbeing programme raises awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The generic success of these initiatives is already included in our Annual Sustainability Report and we further report on the results of the specific health assessment criteria, health trends and initiatives to continually drive improvement.
We communicate health initiatives, promotions and wellbeing to all our workforce through annual roadshows, on notice boards, poster campaigns, in monthly bulletins, on our intranet and tool box talks.
We monitor sickness absence through the implementation of our Occupational Health and Wellbeing Strategy entitled “Fit for Work, Fit for Life, Fit for Tomorrow”. This programme helps us identify trends relating to sickness absence and how best to improve the health and wellbeing of our employees.
Comments are closed. | http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20180201182012/https:/responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/annualupdates/?au=4698 |
This is a competitive renewal for our "Natural history of HPV;infection to neoplasia" grant. The natural history of HPV is most likely influenced by both innate and adaptive mucosal immunity. More specifically, we hypothesize that Tolllike receptors (TLRs) play an important role in cervical innate immunity to HPV through secretions of proinflammatory, chemotactic and anti-viral cytokines. Up-regulated TLR expression will also result in activation of dendritic cells and T cells that in turn will promote a Thl like response through secretion of several cytokines and consequently, the induction of a successful cell mediated immune (CMI) response. We propose to: 1) examine, in cervical cell samples, the association among TRL expression,TRL-associated cytokines that mediate innate immunity ( IFN alpha, TNF, IL-6 and IL-8) and clearance of incident HPV infection;2) examine, in cervical cell samples, the association among TRL expression, TRL-associated cytokines that induce and mediate adaptive immunity (IFN-gamma, ILs- 12, 23, and 27) and HPV clearance;and 3) examine the association among TLR induced Th-1 responses measured in cervical cell samples, HPV specific CMI responses detected in peripheral blood (PB) and HPV clearance. Adolescent and young women who were a) entered into the cohort during the initial 1990-1995 period and have continued to be followed and b) entered into the cohort during the last recruitment wave (2000-2005) will be asked to continue follow-up for an additional five years (2005-2010). These women will have been well characterized at the time of the initiation of this study with HPV at their entry visit and 4-month interval sampling for HPV DNA, cytology, bacterial vaginosis, colpophotographs (assessment of cervical maturation), C. trachomatis and N. gonorrohea testing, cervical cell cytokines by RT-PCR (IFN-gamma, ILs 4,10 and 12) and PB CMI for HPV 16 positive women. Women will be continued to be characterized for the above at the same intervals through-out the follow-up. Measures of innate and adaptive immunity (TLRs, ILs-6, 8, 5, 13, 23, and 27, TNF, IFN alpha) by RT PCR using cervical cells and by Luminex technology using cervical mucous will be added to the same 4 month interval testing as HPV DNA, cytology and other cervical cytokines described. Women positive for HPV 16 will get additional blood for CMI using IFN-gamma EliSpot technique for detection of anti-E6 and E7 responses. We acknowledge that this design simplifies the pleiotropic nature of cytokines. However, we feel that this model reflects plausible mechanisms involved in HPV control and is feasible to test in our cohort. Information garnered from this type of study will be critical in developing vaccine strategies and therapies as well as illuminating immune responses developed in the mucosal epithelium.
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Presentation of the eucalyptus plant
The eucalyptus plant is part of the Myrtaceae. It includes a large number of species (more than 800) native to its area of origin, Australia, and found throughout the countries around the Mediterranean, Asia, South Africa, and Latin America. In our climate, a relatively small number are found in cultivation, because the genus Eucalyptus prefers warm areas to thrive.
Eucalyptus is either a fairly tall shrub with a bushy form, a small tree 4 to 8 m high, or a very large tree that can reach several dozen meters (50 to 90 m). The species proposed for our gardens remain between 10 and 30 m high.
The foliage of the eucalyptus plant is evergreen, aromatic, and leathery. It contains eucalyptol whose scent is a mixture of strong mint and camphor. This essential oil is used for its medicinal properties to relieve respiratory tract ailments, and aromatic to keep mosquitoes and biting insects away. The silvery-gray leaves with bluish highlights may be rounded when young and lanceolate as they age.
In spring or summer, umbels of cream-colored flowers appear, melliferous and slightly fragrant, followed by hard capsules containing seeds that have the same smell as the leaves. In the past, in some regions, these capsules were threaded into necklaces that were placed in cupboards to keep moths away, and around the neck to cure colds.
The tree’s vernacular name is “gum tree” because of the resin that can flow from the trunk. This smooth trunk peels off in strips each year, which produces an interesting decoration as the bark changes color. It sometimes has swellings at the collar and below the soil surface, which are similar to roots called lignotubers. These starch-filled lignotubers serve as reserve organs to ensure the survival of the species and can give rise to shoots.
Eucalyptus plant bark
The eucalyptus plant is remarkable for its two-tone bark and the silver of its foliage. How can you not fall under the spell of this tree capable of growing to more than 30 meters without any help? In the garden, as an isolated subject, in a group or lined up in a curtain, the eucalyptus plant brings with it a bit of Australia, it’s country of origin.
Where to plant it
The eucalyptus plant is an ornamental tree or shrub. In the garden, it can be planted as an isolated subject, grouped together or in a row to create a beautiful plant curtain. In seaside gardens, it should be planted more than 250 m from the shore, with a preference for low forms, sheltered from strong winds.
It will find its place ideally in a scene with a dominant white color with its silver, grey-green, or blue evergreen foliage. Its smooth bark has the particularity of falling every year in patches, the new bark and the old one still on the trunk giving a beautiful colored contrast. Its flowers are abundant, white, yellow, pink, or red, and very nectariferous. What’s more, some species are fragrant and the eucalyptus plant keeps mosquitoes away!
Eucalyptus plant grows in all climates as long as it is well protected from frosts (even very light ones) and that it benefits from good sunshine. The eucalyptus is able to resist drought because its roots gorge themselves with water. Thus, this tree will do particularly well in the warm areas of the Mediterranean coast where it is rustic, and those very sheltered from the Breton coasts.
In addition to its decorative use in gardens in isolated plantations or hedges, florists use the foliage of certain varieties (E. Globulus, E.Gunii, E. Cinerea…) as greenery as well as the decorative fruits in the composition of bouquets.
What type of soil
Eucalyptus plant grows best in well-drained, fairly dry, and deep soil. It also tolerates dry and rocky soils very well, even growing rapidly in poor and degraded soil. The height of the eucalyptus at maturity varies according to the species from 8 to 30 m, even more.
No maintenance
In the ground, once adult, the eucalyptus plant requires little or no maintenance. When young, regular and copious watering will be necessary during periods of heat or drought. For potted plants, water regularly while allowing the substrate to dry between two waterings. Reduce the watering in winter to avoid prolonged drying out of the substrate.
Mulch the base in winter if you live in a region subject to frost. In spring, a vegetal mulch will enrich the soil and keep it fresh between two waterings. In the first five years, it is imperative to stake the plant to prevent it from uprooting in the slightest wind. Some varieties of eucalyptus, mainly those grown in pots, must be pruned regularly.
Mulching
The eucalyptus plant is not pruned, its growth habit remains balanced during its growth. Fertilizer is not necessary, this tree knows how to do without it, even in very poor soil. Warning: do not use its dead leaves as mulch or for compost, they are toxic.
Diseases, pests and parasites of the Eucalyptus plant
Eucalyptus trees are naturally resistant to pests (thanks to their essence) as well as to diseases in general, with the exception of “eucalyptus gall” which is a cryptogamic disease due to the laying of eggs in the parenchyma of the leaves by a small Hymenoptera (“gall wasp” of about 1 mm) Ophelimus eucalypti. It is especially widespread in the Mediterranean regions.
This gall results in numerous small blisters with tiny holes on the surface of the leaves, which quickly turn yellow before drying.
The only known effective treatment consists in cutting and burning the branches with affected leaves. It should be implemented as soon as possible, but is difficult to achieve for larger trees.
A little botany
From the Myrtaceae family (the myrtle family), the genus Eucalyptus counts 600 species, native to Australia, southern Papua New Guinea, and the southern Philippines.
Eucalyptus plant provides wood for heating and paper making. It is reputed to be effective in clearing bronchial tubes and calming coughs. It also has, in external use, healing and antiseptic properties.
The tallest trees on Earth are eucalyptus: the record of 132 meters is held by an Australian eucalyptus, beating the 113 m record of the Redwood.
The evergreen leaves in our climate are covered with small glands filled with essential oil of the eucalyptus plant which makes them very fragrant. For some varieties, they have an almost round juvenile shape and are attached directly to the twigs while later they become lanceolate and narrow at the end of a petiole. Their color is then glaucous, green-bright or silver. Their port is sometimes upright and most often hanging.
However, for other varieties, especially those cultivated in pots, keep their juvenile form for a long time. Finally, some of the varieties have all their life green and shining foliage. The hermaphroditic flowers have numerous stamens which are first enclosed under a lid that opens and releases them at maturity. They are often of a white-cream color but sometimes also pink or red. They usually appear from the fifth year, either in summer or in winter according to the species. They produce woody, often blue-green, capsule-shaped fruits.
Medical use
Finally, since the 19th century when it was brought back from Australia, the medicinal use of its leaves and its essence has spread widely for the treatment of ENT ailments. Its properties are widely recognized, whether in phytotherapy for E. globulus (in the form of infusion or capsules of leaf powder), or in aromatherapy with E. Radiata, E. citriodora, E. dives (in the form of essential oil in drops, aerosols), or entering the composition of several medicines especially intended to treat coughs, sore throats and other affections of the respiratory tract (syrups, suppositories, solutions and sticks for inhalations, pastilles to be sucked… the balsams being also used in frictions or massages). Traditionally, its leaf decoctions are also used to sanitize and perfume a room during winter epidemics.
The main active ingredient is eucalyptol, present in varying proportions depending on the species. Its antiseptic and decongestant properties are usually used in combination with menthol.
Good to know: eucalyptus plant essence is obtained by steam distillation like lavender essence and it takes about 50 kg of dry E. globulus plant to obtain 1 liter of the essence.
Other uses
Eucalyptus wood is widely used in tropical regions to make garden furniture as well as to produce paper pulp. Eucalyptus plant grows quickly, reproduces easily thanks to its numerous seeds, and is quite resistant to fire thanks to the presence of lignotubers. It is also used to recolonize land devastated by the fire with beautiful forests.
Characteristics
- Height at maturity: 15-20 m Width at maturity: 5-6 m
- Origin: Tasmania
- Hardiness: hardy Soil composition: normal, sandy, heather, rich in humus
- Soil PH: neutral, acid
- Soil moisture: normal, dry
- Exposure: sun, half-shade
- Use in garden: bedding, seaside, isolated
- Leaf color: green, blue
- Foliage: evergreen
- Flower color: white
- Flowering time: July-August
- Planting time: year-round (frost-free)
- Care level: very easy
- Watering: normal
- Attributes: fragrant
- Use: garden Fruits: none
- Season of interest: spring, summer, fall, winter
- Flower shape: umbel
Eucalyptus Varieties
Among the species to be grown in our climates, some are suitable for medium-sized gardens, but most are recommended for large gardens with the necessary area to showcase these remarkable trees.
Eucalyptus gunnii
Growth habit and size: Erect growth habit to 15 to 20 m high depending on growing conditions. The crown spreads with age and can reach more than 5 m wide. The young leaves are rounded then lengthen and become pointed. Small ovoid fruits.
Qualities: young red stems, bluish-silver foliage, and green and whitebark exfoliating each year in long strips that show the new yellow or pinkish bark before it turns green. Very fast-growing. Hardy to -15 °C.
Eucalyptus dalrympleana
Growth habit and size: slender habit on 20 to 30 m high. Vigorous tree. Leaves very long and pointed, dark green with a yellow midrib. Blooms with white pompons in spring.
Qualities: called white mountain gum, this eucalyptus plant has a changing bark, white when young to pink when it is cold. Very fast growth. Hardy to -15 °C.
Eucalyptus niphophila
Growth habit and size: erect with a rounded crown 6 to 8 m high. Large, green, and turning grey, sickle-shaped leaves. To be planted in well-drained soil and sunny exposure.
Qualities: small, very decorative tree with white bark streaked with green. Called snow gum, it tolerates poor soils and cold winters with temperatures around -15 to -20 °C.
Eucalyptus stellulata
Port and size: slender port then spread out to 15 m high. Leaves bluish-green, early white pompom-shaped flowers in spring.
Qualities: hardy to -15 °C and more resistant to wind. Slower growth than other species.
Eucalyptus globulus
Growth habit and size: very large tree with a columnar habit over 30 m high. Massive trunk. Flowers in cream pompons in May-June, narrow and elongated green leaves.
Qualities: called blue gum tree, this eucalyptus plant is one of the species used in phytotherapy for its essential oil. The leaves can be used for infusions. The very fast growth of 2 m per year, it reaches 20 m high in 10 years. Hardy to -8 °C. | https://www.1001gardens.org/eucalyptus-plant-grow-care/ |
Study shows that the full moon may have a dramatic effects on sleep, and even brain chemistry
A new study has shown that the moon’s cycles have a massive effect on sleep cycles—suggesting that a full moon will keep people awake and even lower levels of melatonin. Not a huge surprise—anybody even slightly sensitive can attest to how much of an influence the moon plays on human psychology (not to mention the menstrual cycle). The “lunar effect,” which expresses how human behavior changes on the full moon, has been known since Babylon.
Science and myth rarely agree, but new research suggests that the lunar cycle could have an effect on the quality of sleep.
The study by researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland found that even in the absence of moonlight, participants slept less deeply and for shorter periods during the full moon than at other lunar phases. It is a phenomenon already known in other organisms as the “circalunar rhythm”, but has never before been shown in humans.
Christian Cajochen, who was the lead researcher on the study, said: “A lot of people complain about bad sleep during moon stages, or they claim that ‘it was the moon’, and there’s a lot of myth involved. We decided to go back in our old data to see whether we could effectively quantify such an effect.”
Previous research has found no association between the phases of the moon and human physiology or behaviour. “While I’m quite cautious and sceptical about the data myself, I have to say after a proper statistical analysis that, to our surprise, we found something there,” said Cajochen. “There is a circalunar influence”…
The results, published in Current Biology, showed that around the full moon, subjects’ brain activity associated with deep sleep decreased by 30%, they took 5 minutes longer to fall asleep, had 20 minutes less sleep overall and lower levels of melatonin – a hormone known to regulate sleep. These findings correlated with the volunteers’ own perception that sleep quality was poorer during the full moon.
Possibly because of the melatonin changes, full moons are excellent times to attempt astral projection or lucid dreaming—you can learn how to astral project here and how to lucid dream here! | https://ultraculture.org/blog/2013/07/26/full-moon/ |
4/29/13
There’s an Associated Press story out there today that may reinvigorate the Generals in the Republican War on Voting. It seems that a certain demographic got a little too excited about the 2012 election and, for all intents and purposes, choose the winner in the presidential race.
Associated Press: America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home.
Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.
Census data and exit polling show that whites and blacks will remain the two largest racial groups of eligible voters for the next decade. Last year’s heavy black turnout came despite concerns about the effect of new voter-identification laws on minority voting, outweighed by the desire to re-elect the first black president.
We see these numbers despite the fact that the Brennan Center For Justice estimated that Republican voter suppression efforts would disenfranchise as many as five million voters in 2012. Unfortunately for the Grand Old Party, a few of their anti-democratic efforts to keep minority voters from the polls didn’t go as well as they’d hoped. In the swing state of Wisconsin, for example, a voter ID law was struck down as unconstitutional. In a damning ruling, Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess wrote that the law was clearly about disenfranchising voters and that this was contemptible. "Voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression," he said.
Of course, there’s the low white turnout to be contended with. The story makes it clear that if Republicans had put their effort into turning out white voters, rather than suppressing the black vote, November might have turned out differently. The story goes on to say it wouldn’t have taken much to change the outcome. "Romney would have erased Obama’s nearly 5 million-vote victory margin and narrowly won the popular vote if voters had turned out as they did in 2004... Then, white turnout was slightly higher and black voting lower," we’re told.
It says a lot about the party that they were more interested in "poisoning our democracy" with laws designed to chase minority voters from the polls, than they were with working within the system as it exists and turning out voters for their side. It’s almost stereotypically villainous of them to prefer shooing people away from the polls, instead of urging them to vote. It’s like they preferred an assault on democracy to good old-fashioned grassroots democratic efforts.
And this preference for dirty tricks over above board campaigning may very well have cost Mitt Romney the election -- so file this one in the "Serves them right" folder.
But of course, we already know that the base is driving the bus and the "Republican leadership" is a sham. And it’s not too difficult to predict how the right will take this story. Remember, if there’s one thing the wingnut base does not do, it’s realize they were wrong -- at least, not if they can avoid it. I can see this story accomplishing two things in rightwing media: actually reinforce the "black people stole the election" fantasy -- probably involving a zombie version of ACORN and/or the New Black Panther Party -- and the poll truther idea that polling was skewed in Obama’s favor prior to the election as part of a conspiracy to drive down Republican voter enthusiasm.
Neither take would be particularly sane. But this is the party where majorities believe Pres. Obama isn’t a citizen, that nearly every climate scientist on Earth is involved in a massive conspiracy to promote the "hoax" of global warming, and that the American public is going to start freaking out over Benghazi any second now. "Sane" isn’t on the GOP menu.
And of course, the whole thing leads to the one rock-solid Republican principle -- if what you’re doing isn’t working, you need to do more of it. If you squint and cock your head just right, it almost looks like voter suppression nearly worked. Just a tad fewer African-American voters and it all would’ve turned out differently (never mind all the missing white voters).
As always, Republicans will take what should be a pretty clear lesson, turn it on its head, and take what they want to learn away from it. For them, the lesson won’t be to worry less about who’s voting and more about who’s not. The lesson will be "this proves we’re heading in the right direction."
The story that should be the voter suppression movement’s epitaph will instead be the banner the suppressors march forward under. The big takeaway won’t be that being underhanded doesn’t work, it’s that they weren’t being underhanded enough.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus for car adapted to perform air conditioning and blast control in accordance with conditions of solar radiation.
2. Description of Prior Art
The air conditioning apparatus is known, which is adapted to detect conditions of solar radiation predominant within a car compartment such as a solar radiation intensity and a direction of solar radiation, then to perform air conditioning and/or blast control through a blast nozzle according to said conditions of solar radiation and thereby to optimize a distribution of conditioned air within the car compartment.
Such air conditioning apparatus of prior art is provided with a solar radiation detector comprising a light receiving element to detect solar radiation coming from the right side, a light receiving element to detect solar radiation coming from the left side of the car and a douser, and further provided with a controller adapted to control various air conditioning means on the basis of a detection value of said detector. Detection values I.sub.R, I.sub.L obtained from the right and left side light receiving elements of said solar radiation detector exhibit characteristics as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 22. It should be understood that the characteristics I.sub.R, I.sub.L were plotted, with respect to the sun at a constant height (&bgr;=60°), as the sunlight incident angle changes within a range (0° through 90. degree.) between the front and the right side of the car and as the sunlight incident angle changes within a range (0° through -90. degree.) between the front and the left side of the car, respectively. In general, the controller controls the various air conditioning means such as a mixing door and a blower on the basis of an arithmetically corrected value obtained from the detection values of solar radiation which vary as the solar incident angle on the respective light receiving elements.
Processing of the detection values to obtain the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value has conventionally been made in any one of following manners: (1) a higher one of the right and left detection values I.sub.R, I.sub.L is used as an arithmetically corrected value I. sub.0 as indicated by solid lines in FIG. 22; and (2) an arithmetic value (I.sub.R +I.sub.L)/.sub.9 is obtained as an arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0 by using the right and left detection values I.sub.R, I.sub.L, as indicated by a solid line in FIG. 23.
With the solar radiation detector of prior art, however, both the light receiving element at the right side and the light receiving element at the left side of the car body are horizontally placed at least longitudinally of the car body. Accordingly, it is possible to detect the conditions of solar radiation so far as the sun is at a predetermined angle or higher, but when the radiation is incident on the light receiving elements from the lower sun, particularly from the front of the car body, the solar radiation detection values become too small to obtain an arithmetically corrected value of an appropriate level and therefore it will be difficult to achieve a desired air conditioning control at high accuracy.
When the method of arithmetic correction as set forth above in (1) is used, a relative sensitivity of the right side and the left side will be suddenly lowered. As a result, even when the car slightly changes its course right- or leftwards, the arithmetically corrected value I.sub. 0 will largely change. Various parameters, for example, blast flow rate from the blower under a control based on such arithmetically corrected value I.sub.0 also suddenly change, deteriorating a comfortableness of air conditioning within the car compartment.
In the case of (2), on the other hand, the detection values of the respective light receiving elements (i.e., relative sensitivity) are low for relatively large solar radiation incident angles from right and left sides (larger than approximately 60°, -60°), so appropriate correction of the solar radiation value and, therefore, air conditioning control based on particular conditions of solar radiation become difficult.
In view of such problems encountered by the air conditioning apparatus of prior art as have been mentioned above, the present invention is proposed hereby to solve them effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus for car allowing not only a position of a blast distributing door to be continuously controlled according to a detection value of a solar radiation sensor but also an arithmetically corrected value higher than a predetermined value to be obtained without being significantly affected by a height of the sun.
To achieve the object as set forth above, the present invention provides an air conditioning apparatus for car comprising a solar radiation sensor having at least one right side light receiving element and at least one left side light receiving element, these light receiving elements being mounted on right and left sides of a car body with their light receiving surfaces being inclined towards the front of said car body, arithmetic solar radiation value correcting means adapted to, when the detection value output from said right side light receiving element is larger than the detection value output from the left side light receiving element, compare a value corresponding to a sum of said both detection values multiplied by a coefficient with the detection value of the right side light receiving element and then output the larger value of these both values as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value, on one hand, and adapted to, when the detection value output from said right side light receiving element is smaller than the detection value output from said left side light receiving element, compare a value calculated in the same manner as mentioned above with the detection value output from the left side light receiving element and then output the larger value of these both values as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value, and control means adapted to drive various air conditioning devices on the basis of the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value output from said arithmetic solar radiation value correcting means.
The present invention further provides an air conditioning apparatus for car comprising a solar radiation sensor having at least one right side light receiving element and at least one left side light receiving element, these light receiving elements being mounted on right and left sides of a car body with their light receiving surfaces being inclined towards the front of said car body, solar radiating direction calculating means adapted to compare the detection value output from said right side light receiving element with the detection value output from said left side light receiving element so as to determine whether the solar radiating direction is predominant in right or left side range of the car, and adapted to output a value derived from a differential detection value of said right and left side light receiving elements as the solar radiating direction values in the right and left side ranges, respectively, and control means adapted to drive various air conditioning devices, for example, a blast distributing door, on the basis of the output signal from said solar radiating direction calculating means.
Additionally, the present invention provides an air conditioning apparatus for car comprising a solar radiation sensor having at least one right side light receiving element and at least one left side light receiving element, these light receiving elements being mounted on right and left sides of a car body with their light receiving surfaces being inclined towards the front of said car body, solar radiating direction calculating means adapted to compare the detection value output from said right side light receiving element with the detection value output from said left side light receiving element so as to determine whether the solar radiating direction is predominant in right or left range of the car, solar radiation intensity calculating means adapted to, within a predetermined range of the solar radiating direction extending from the front to the right and left sides of the car body, output a value calculated on the basis of the solar radiating direction value from said solar radiating direction calculating means and the detection value from said right or left side light receiving element as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation intensity value, but, outside of said predetermined solar radiating direction range, output the detection value of said right or left side light receiving element as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation intensity value, and control means adapted to drive a blast distributing door to its optimal position on the basis of the output signal from said solar radiating direction calculating means and to drive various air conditioning devices on the basis of the arithmetically corrected solar radiation intensity value from said solar radiation intensity calculating means.
Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof made in reference with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
FIGS. 1 through 9 show a first preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the air conditioning apparatus;
FIG. 2(a), (b) are plan and side views respectively showing a location of a solar radiation sensor;
FIG. 3(a), (b), (c), (d) are respectively rear, left side, and perspective views of the solar radiation sensor and a diagram of its equivalent circuit;
FIG. 4 is a left side view of a manner in which the solar radiation sensor is mounted;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a main flow of air conditioning control;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of solar radiation value correcting arithmetic processing;
FIG. 7(a) is a plan view showing a detection ranges of the solar radiation sensor;
FIG. 7(b) is a side view showing a relationship between the solar radiation sensor and a height of the sun;
FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram plotting detection values and calculated values; and
FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram plotting arithmetically corrected values;
FIGS. 10 through 15 show a second preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein;
FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a main flow of air conditioning control;
FIG. 11 is a flow chart of solar radiating direction value correcting arithmetic processing;
FIG. 12 is a characteristic diagram plotting a relationship between the solar radiating direction and the arithmetic value thereof;
FIG. 13 is a flow chart of solar radiation intensity correcting arithmetic processing;
FIG. 14 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between the incident direction &agr; and the displacement factor X.sub. 0 ; and
FIG. 15 is a characteristic diagram plotting the arithmetically corrected value of the solar radiation intensity;
FIGS. 16 and 17 show a second embodiment of the solar radiating direction calculating means wherein:
FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing processing performed thereby; and
FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram thereof;
FIGS. 18 and 19 show a third embodiment of the solar radiating direction calculating means wherein:
FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing processing performed thereby; and
FIG. 19 is a characteristic diagram thereof;
FIGS. 20 and 21 show a fourth embodiment of the solar radiating direction calculating means wherein:
FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing processing performed thereby; and
FIG. 21 is a characteristic diagram thereof; and
FIGS. 22 and 23 are characteristic diagrams showing the arithmetically corrected values in the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 through 9 show a first preferred embodiment.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a layout of an air conditioning apparatus 10 comprising a duct 12 and various devices and a control unit 11 arranged along said duct 12.
At the uppermoststream of the duct 12, there is provided an intake door 15 adapted to switch an inside air inlet 13 and an outside air inlet 14. There are successively provided along the duct 12 from the upstream side thereof a blower 16, an evaporator 17, a mixing door 18, and a heater core 19, and, at the lowermoststream of the duct 12, there are provided vent nozzle means 20, a defrost nozzle 23 and a heat nozzle 24 each communicating with a car compartment. These nozzles 20, 23, 24 are selectively switched by a switching doors 25, 25, 25 for mode switching to be opened or closed.
Said vent nozzle means 20 include right and left central nozzles 21R, 21L and right and left outer nozzles 22R, 22L. A blast distributing door 26 is provided upstream of these nozzles 21R, 22R, 21L, 22L to distribute amount of blast to right and left.
Said evaporator 17 constitutes, together with a compressor 28 adapted for compression and circulation of cooling medium, a condenser 19, a receiver tank 30 and an expansion valve 31, a cooler 32 wwhich is driven by a pulley 33 to which a power is transmitted from an engine 35, through a magnet clutch 34. An air stream introduced from said blower 16 is cooled as it flows through the evaporator 17.
Engine cooling water flows through said heater core 19 and said heater core 19 heats the air stream which has left the evaporator 17. Rate of the air stream flowing through the heater core 19 depends on an opening of the mixing door 18. The respective switching doors 25, 25, 25 for mode switching selectively regulate the vent nozzle means 20, the defrost nozzle 23 and the heat nozzle 24 so that a conditioned air stream is supplied into the car compartment.
Said control unit 11 includes a potentiometer 41 to detect an opening . theta..sub.x of the mixing door 18, a solar radiation sensor 42 to detect factors such as solar radiation amount I.sub.R, I.sub.L, an outside temperature sensor 43 to detect an outside temperature t.sub.a, a compartment temperature sensor 44 to detect a compartment temperature t. sub.r and a temperature adjuster 45 to adjust the compartment temperature to a predetermined temperature t.sub.D, and supplied from these components with respective output signals. A manual switch 46 for manually operating the air conditioning apparatus is connected to the control unit 11.
Said solar radiation sensor 42 is, as shown by FIG. 2(a), (b) and FIG. 4, mounted on an instrument panel 48 inside a windshield 47 of the compartment. As shown by the rear view of FIG. 3(a), the side view of FIG. 3(b) and the perspective view of FIG. 3(c), the solar radiation sensor 42 is mounted on a base plate 51 and comprises a stand 52 having thereon sloping surfaces 52a, 52b sloping from the center of said stand 52 right- and leftwards, respectively, a right side photodiode (light receiving element) 53R placed on the sloping surface 52 and a left side photodiode (light receiving element) 53L placed on the sloping surface 52b of the stand 52, and a light attenuating filter 54 provided above said stand 52 and said photodiodes 53R, 53L to cover them. Thus, said right and left photodiodes 53R, 53L have their light receiving surface directed at an angle right- and leftwards of the car. Said base plate 51 is mounted on an inclined pedestal 55 having an inclined surface 55a facing up- and rearwards at a predetermined angle &PSgr;. The base plate 51 is on this inclined surface 55a. Thus, both the photodiodes 53R, 53L are inclined not only right- and leftwards, respectively, but also inclined forwards by the angle &PSgr;. This solar radiation sensor 42 is connected to said control unit 11 and the equivalent circuit thereof may be represented as shown by FIG. 3(d). In this way, even when the sun height &bgr; is relatively low and the solar radiation comes from the front of the car, the solar radiation sensor 42 can reliably detect conditions of solar radiation without being affected by the sun height.
Said control unit 11 further includes a microcomputer having various elements such as I/O ports, CPUs and memories, A/D converters adapted to convert respective input signals to corresponding digital signals, and drive circuits by which various air conditioning devices are controllably driven. When it is desired to drive the air conditioning apparatus in AUTO mode, detection values I.sub.R, I.sub.L obtained from the solar radiation sensor 42 are used to calculate a corrective solar radiation value I.sub.0 which is, in turn, combined with input data t.sub. a, t.sub. r, t.sub.D coming from the other sensors 43, 44, 45 respectively, to obtain a composite signal (i.e., control signal) T so that respective control signals based on this composite signal T control a motor actuator 56 to switch the intake door 15, control the magnet clutch 34 to actuate the cooler 32, control a motor actuator 57 to open or close the mixing door 17, control a motor actuator 58 to switch the nozzle mode doors 25, 25, 25 and control a motor actuator 59 to regulate the blast distributing door 26, respectively. The manual switch 46 may be activated to switch the inside air and the outside air and to effect the nozzle mode switching in MANUAL mode.
Said microcomputer serves as the arithmetic solar radiation correcting means and also as the control means.
Now air conditioning control of the air conditioning apparatus will be discussed in reference with the flow charts shown by FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 shows a main routine of the air conditioning control and FIG. 6 shows a subroutine of the arithmetic solar radiation value correcting.
When the air conditioning apparatus is started, the air conditioning control starts according to the main routine. Step P.sub.1 initializes data in respective registers and RAMs of the microcomputer, step P.sub.2 reads out respective output signals I.sub.R, I.sub.L, t.sub. a, t.sub.r, t.sub.D and step P.sub.3 calculates a corrective solar radiation value I. sub.0 on the basis of said detection data I.sub.R, I. sub.L output from the solar radiation sensor 42. The composite signal T to control the entire air conditioning apparatus is calculated by using said arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0 and said detection data t.sub.a, t.sub.r, t.sub.D from the other sensors 43, 44, 45, according to a following equation:
T=K.sub.1 t.sub.r +K.sub.2 t.sub.a +I.sub.0 -K.sub.3 t.sub.D
where K.sub.1, K.sub.2, K.sub.3 respectively represent coefficients.
At step P.sub.5, said composite signal T controls the respective drive circuits to drive the intake door 15 to switch the inside air and the outside air, the blower 16, the compressor 28, the mixing door 18, the nozzle mode doors 25, 25, 25, the blast distributing door 26 etc.
Concerning said processing of the solar radiation value correction, stap P.sub.301 uses the detection value I.sub.L of the left side photodiode 53L and the detection value I.sub.R of the right side photodiode 53R to perform a calculation of I.sub.R -I.sub.L and step P. sub.302 performs a calculation of (I.sub.R +I.sub.L)/K.sub.4, as shown by FIG. 6. Both the detection values I.sub.R, I.sub.L depend on the incident angles (i.e., the incident angle &agr; from the right side and the incident angle -&agr; from the left side) so far as the sun height is constant as shown by FIG. 7(a), (b), and further depend on the sun height &bgr;. An arrow F indicates a direction in which the car moves. FIG. 8 shows characteristics of right and left detection values I. sub.R, I.sub. L over the right side range defined by the incident angle . alpha.=0. degree. through 90° and the left side range defined by the incident angle -&agr;=0° through -90° for the sun height . beta. of 30° , 45°, 60°. The value (I.sub.R + I.sub.L) /K.sub.4 calculated by step P.sub.304 is plotted by solid lines in FIG. 8.
Step P.sub.303 determines whether I.sub.R -I.sub.L ≧0 or not and, if a positive determination is made, it is determined that the sunlight is incident from right side of the car. The main routine proceeds to steps P.sub.304 through P.sub.308. If a negative determination is made, it is concluded that the sunlight is incident from the left side of the car and the main routine proceeds to steps P. sub. 309 through P.sub.313.
Step P.sub.304 determines whether the calculated value (I.sub.R + I. sub.L)/K.sub.4 is larger than I.sub.R or not and, if a positive determination is made, the main routine proceeds to steps P.sub.305, P. sub.306. Step P.sub.305 adjusts a position D.sub.0 of the blast distributing door 26 and step P.sub.306 defines the calculated value (I. sub.R +I.sub.L)/K.sub.4 larger than the detection value I.sub.R as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0. Said blast distributing door position D.sub.0 is illustrated as 50% leftwards and the blast distributing door 26 is controlled to move leftwards so that the blast amount from the right side vent nozzles 21R, 22R is more than the blast amount from the left side vent nozzles 21L, 22L by approximately 50% or higher.
If step P.sub.304 determines that the calculated value (I.sub.R + I. sub.L)/K.sub.4 is smaller than I.sub.R, step P.sub.307 adjusts the blast distributing door position D.sub.0 fully leftwards, and step P.sub. 308 defines the detection value I.sub.R larger than the calculated value as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0. Once the blast distributing door position D.sub.0 has been adjusted fully leftwards, the air blast is substantially supplied only from the right side vent nozzles 21R, 22R.
When said step P.sub.303 determines that I.sub.R -I.sub.L . gtoreq. 0 is not established, step P.sub.309 determines whether the calculated value (I.sub.R +I.sub.L)/K.sub.4 is larger than I.sub.L or not. If a positive determination is made, step P.sub.310 adjusts the blast distributing door position D.sub.0 50% rightwards and step P.sub. 311 defines the calculated value (I.sub.R +I.sub.L)/K.sub.4 larger than the detection value I.sub.L as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0. In this case, the adjustment of the blast distributing door position results in the air blast amount from the left side vent nozzles 21L, 22L more than that from the right side vent nozzles by approximately 50% or higher.
If step P.sub.309 determines that the calculated value (I.sub.R + I. sub.L)/K.sub.4 is smaller than I.sub.L, step P.sub.312 adjusts the blast distributing door position D.sub.0 fully rightwards and then step P. sub. 313 defines the detection value I.sub.L larger than the calculated value as the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0. In this case, the blast distributing door 26 displaces fully rightwards and the air stream is substantially supplied only from the left side vent nozzles 21L, 22L. At the same time, the composite signal T is calculated on the basis of said arithmetic corrective value I.sub.0, so the air blast amount supplied from the blower 16 as well as the opening &thgr;. sub.x of the mixing door 18 and, therefore, air conditioning are controlled according to said arithmetic corrective value I.sub.0.
Thus, the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub. 0 over the entire right and left range defined by an angle between -90. degree. and 90° can be obtained (for the sun height of 30°, 45. degree., 60°) which exhibits a flat characteristic within the range higher than a predetermined value as indicated by solid lines in FIG. 9, advantageously reducing a possibility that the relative sensitivity is too low to perform a proper solar radiation value correction and a partial decrease of the corrective solar radiation value causes the air blast amount supplied from the blower to fluctuate. Furthermore, the air blast amount to be supplied from the right and left side vent nozzles is effectively controlled in accordance with the sunlight incident direction at right or left side of the car, improving the comfortableness within the car compartment achieved by the air conditioning control.
Although the first embodiment has been discussed hereinabove with respect to the case in which the blast distributing door for the vent nozzles is controlled, it is also possible to control the blast distributing doors for the defrost nozzle branched into right and left sides or for the heat nozzle.
Now a second preferred embodiment will be considered.
FIGS. 10 through 15 show this embodiment.
This embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment except that the arithmetic solar radiation correcting means is replaced by the solar radiating direction calculating means and the arithmetic solar radiation intensity correcting means both comprising the microcomputers in the control unit 11. The air conditioning apparatus, according to this embodiment, operates on the basis of flow charts shown by FIGS. 10, 11 and 13. FIG. 10 shows a main routine of the air conditioning control processing, FIG. 11 shows a subroutine of the solar radiating direction processing and FIG. 13 shows a subroutine of the solar radiation intensity correction processing.
Upon starting of the air conditioning apparatus, the air conditioning control starts according to the main routine of FIG. 10. Step P.sub.11 initializes data stored in respective registers and RAMs of the microcomputers, step P.sub.12 reads out the respective detection signals I.sub.R, I.sub.L, t.sub.a, t.sub.r, t.sub.D provided from the respective sensors 42, 43, 44 and the temperature adjuster 45, and then step P.sub. 13 performs arithmetic processing of the solar radiating direction by using the detection data I.sub.R, I.sub.L provided from the solar radiation sensor 42. The composite signal T used to control the entire air conditioning apparatus is calculated by using said arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0 and said detection data t.sub.a, t.sub.r, t.sub.D provided from the other sensors 43, 44, 45, respectively, in accordance with a following equation:
T=K.sub.1 t.sub.r +K.sub.2 t.sub.a +I.sub.0 -K.sub.3 t.sub.D
where K.sub.1, K.sub.2, K.sub.3 respectively represent coefficients.
At step P.sub.15, said composite signal T controls the respective drive circuits to drive the intake door 15 to switch the inside air and the outside air, the blower 16, the compressor 28, the mixing door 18, the nozzle mode doors 25, 25, 25, the blast distributing door 26 etc.
Concerning said solar radiating direction calculating, as shown by FIG. 11, step P.sub.1301 determines whether I.sub.R -I.sub.L ≧ 0 or not and, if a positive determination is made, step P.sub.1302 performs an arithmetic processing K.sub.5 X {(I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R } on the assumption that the solar radiation comes from the right side of the car, i.e., the solar radiating direction is &agr;, and step P. sub.1303 adjusts the position D.sub.0 of the blast distributing door 26 to a value depending on the solar radiating direction &agr; obtained by calculating so that the air blast amount supplied from the right side nozzles 21R, 22R correspondingly increases. If step P.sub.1301 makes a negative determination with respect to the relationship I.sub.R -I.sub.L . gtoreq. 0, it is concluded that the solar radiation comes from the left side of the car. Then, step P.sub.1304 performs an arithmetic processing - K.sub. 5 X {(I.sub.L -I.sub.R)/I.sub.L } and step P.sub.1305 adjust the position D.sub.0 of the blast distributing door 26 to a value depending on the solar radiating direction &agr; so that the air blast amount supplied from the left side nozzles 21L, 22L correspondingly increases.
In this arithmetic processing of solar radiating direction, an arithmetic characteristic of the solar radiation direction is obtained, which increases substantially in linear fashion as a function of the lateral solar radiating direction, as shown by FIG. 12 which plots the solar radiating direction &agr; versus the solar radiating direction output SD. This solar radiating direction output SD is calculated according to an equation SD=(I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R. Broken lines in FIG. 12 represent sensor output values for the sun heights &bgr; of 15. degree., 60°, respectively which approximate to the above- mentioned calculated values &agr;. According to the sub-flow as shown by FIG. 11, actual measurement of output responsive to the solar radiating direction widely varies depending on the sun height &bgr;, but such variation can be minimized by the solar radiation sensor inclined forwards of the car. This sub-flow is preferable particularly when the sun is relatively high.
Concerning said arithmetic processing of solar radiation intensity, step P.sub.1401 determines a value of the solar radiating direction . alpha.(i.e., incident angle) as shown by FIG. 13. More specifically, step P.sub.1401 determines whether absolute value of the solar radiating direction &agr; obtained by the previous steps P.sub. 1302 and P.sub. 1303 is less than the absolute value of predetermined solar radiating directions -&agr;.sub.1 and &agr;.sub.1 or not. As shown by FIG. 15, said predetermined solar radiating directions -&agr;. sub.1 and &agr;. sub.1 are optionally selected within a range defined between solar radiating angles -&agr;.sub.M and &agr;.sub.M respectively corresponding to the maximum sensitivity of the detection data I.sub.R, I. sub.L.
If |&agr;|≧|&agr;.sub.1 . vertline., the processing proceeds to steps P.sub.1402 through P.sub. 1404 and if it is not so, processing proceeds to steps P.sub.1405 through P.sub.1407. Step P.sub.1402 uses the detection data I.sub.R, I. sub.L to determine whether I.sub.R -I.sub.L ≧0 or not. If I.sub.R -I.sub.L . gtoreq.0, step P.sub.1403 determines that the solar radiation within the range - &agr; to &agr; as shown by FIG. 15 comes from the right side of the car and defines the calculated value I.sub.R X {1+X. sub.0 (1-. alpha./&agr;. sub.1)} as the corrective value I.sub.0. If I. sub.R -I. sub.L ≧0 is not established, step P.sub.1404 determines that the solar radiation within the range -&agr; to &agr; comes from the left side of the car and defines the calculated value I.sub.L X {1+X. sub.0 (1- &agr;/&agr;.sub.1)} as the corrective value I.sub.0. It should be understood that said X.sub. 0 is set to a value of 0 < X.sub. 0 < 1 and the term X.sub.0 (1- &agr;/&agr;.sub.1) may be represented as a characteristic shown by FIG. 14.
If |&agr;|≦|&agr;.sub.1 . vertline. is not established, step P.sub.1405 determines whether I.sub.R - I.sub.L ≧ 0 or not. More specifically, solar radiation ranges over - 90° to - &agr;.sub.1 and over &agr;.sub.1 to 90° exclusive of said range -&agr; to &agr; shown by FIG. 15 are respectively determined. If step P.sub. 1405 determines that I.sub.R -I. sub.L ≧0, step P.sub.1406 concludes that the solar radiation is in the right side range between &agr;.sub.1 and 90° and defines the right side detection data I.sub.R as the corrective value I.sub.0. If I. sub.R -I.sub.L ≧0 is not established, step P.sub.1407 concludes that the solar radiation is in the left side range between -90. degree. and -&agr;.sub.1 and defines the left side ditection data I. sub.L as the corrective value I.sub.0. These arithmetic corrective values exhibit characteristic as indicated by solid lines, depending on the sun heights (&bgr;=0°, 30°, 45°, 70°, 80°) and these arithmetic corrective values present a flat characteristic in the range higher than a predetermined value. The arithmetic processing shown by FIG. 15 is applicable also to the characteristic indicated by broken lines in FIG. 8.
Step P.sub.16 causes the motor actuator 59 to adjust said blast distributing door 26 to said door position value D.sub.0. Such adjustment of the door position is continuously controlled in accordance with the value of solar radiating direction (&agr; or -&agr;), resulting in that the comfortableness within the car compartment can be improved by a fine control of air blast distribution. Step P.sub.15 calculates the composite signal T on the basis of said arithmetic corrective value I.sub. 0 and step P.sub.16 controls the air blast amount supplied from the blower 16 and the opening &thgr;.sub.x of the mixing door 18. Thus, these controls achieve the air conditioning control in accordance with the level of the arithmetically corrected solar radiation value I.sub.0.
Other embodiments of said solar radiating direction calculating means will be considered. FIGS. 16 and 17 show a second embodiment, FIGS. 18 and 19 show a third embodiment, and FIGS. 20 and 21 show a fourth embodiment of the solar radiating direction calculating means.
In the second embodiment, as will be apparent from the subflow of FIG. 16, step P.sub.1321 determines whether I.sub.R -I.sub.L ≧ 0 or not and thereby determines whether the solar radiating direction is included within the right side or left side range of the car. It within the right side range, step P.sub.1322 defines the calculated value of K. sub.6 X {(I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/(I.sub.R +I.sub.L)} as the solar radiating direction and step P.sub.1323 adjusts the door position D.sub.0 leftwards in accordance with the solar radiating direction value &agr; so that the air blast supplied from the right side nozzles 21R, 22R correspondingly increases. If step P.sub.1321 determines that I.sub.R -I. sub.L ≧0 is not established, step P.sub.1324 concludes that the solar radiating direction is included within the left side range and defines, in the same manner as mentioned above with respect to the first embodiment, the calculated value of K.sub.6 X {(I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/(I.sub. R +I.sub.L)} as the solar radiating direction &agr; and step P.sub. 1325 adjusts the door position D.sub.0 rightwards in accordance with the value of solar radiating direction so that the air blast amount supplied from the left side nozzles 21L, 22L correspondingly increases. Thus, the output signal corresponding to the solar radiating direction . alpha. is obtained as represented by solid lines in FIG. 17, and this embodiment is preferable for detection of the solar radiating direction when the sun height &bgr; is relatively high. Broken lines in FIG. 17 represent actual measurements.
In the third embodiment, as shown by FIG. 18, step P.sub.1331 determines whether I.sub.R -I.sub.L ≧0 or not and, when the solar radiating direction is included within the right side range, determines whether (I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R ≦SD.sub.0 or not. If the solar radiating direction is included within the right side range, the output characteristic will be as indicated by the right side broken lines and the solar radiating direction output SD at each height &bgr; within the right side range linearly increases as the solar radiating direction value increases. The solar radiating direction output SD becomes constant as the solar radiating direction approximates &agr;.sub.2, -. alpha.. sub. 2, and such constant value is defined as the standard value SD.sub.0. If step P.sub.1332 determines that (I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R . ltoreq.SD. sub.0, step P.sub.1335 defines the calculated value of K.sub. 7 X (I.sub. R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R as a range of the solar radiating direction &agr; within which the solar radiating direction output linearly changes and, if (I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R ≦SD.sub.0 is not established, step P. sub.1333 defines the calculated value of K.sub.7 . times.SD.sub.0 as a range of the solar radiating direction &agr; within which the solar radiating direction output is constant. Over said range within which the solar radiating direction output SD linearly changes, step P.sub.1334 adjusts the position D.sub.0 of the blast distributing door 26 leftwards in accordance with the value of solar radiating direction &agr; so that the air blast supplied from the right side nozzles 21R, 22R correspondingly increases. Over said range within which the solar radiating direction output SD is constant, the blast distributing door is adjusted fully leftwards so as to maximize the air blast supplied from the right side nozzles.
If step P.sub.1331 determines that the solar radiating direction is included with in the left side range, step P.sub.1337 determines whether (I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/I.sub.R ≦SD or not. Output characteristic of the solar radiating direction included within the left side range is plotted by left side broken lines in FIG. 19 and, just as at the right side, has a range within which the output linearly changes and a range within which the output is constant. If step P.sub.1337 determines that (I.sub.L -I.sub.R)/I.sub.L ≦SD.sub.0 is established, step P.sub. 1338 defines the calculated value of -K.sub.7 X (I.sub.L -I. sub.R)/I.sub. L as the solar radiating direction and then step P.sub.1339 adjusts the blast distributing door position D.sub.0 according to said solar radiating direction &agr; so that the air blast amount supplied from the left side nozzles 21L, 22L correspondingly increases. If (I.sub. L -I. sub.R)/I.sub.L ≦SD.sub. 0 is not established, step P.sub.1340 defines the calculated value of -K. sub.7 X SD.sub.0 as a range of the solar radiating direction &agr; within which the solar radiating direction output is constant and then step P.sub.1341 adjusts the door position D.sub.0 fully rightwards so as to maximize the air blast amount supplied from the left side nozzles. This embodiment is preferable not only for the case in which the sun is relatively high but also for the other various cases.
Finally, a fourth embodiment will be described. This embodiment performs processing substantially in the same manner as the third embodiment except that, as shown by FIG. 20, step P.sub.1352 of the right side range defines SD.sub.0 as the standard value while step P.sub. 1357 of the left side range defines -SD.sub.0 as the standard value, so the solar radiating direction &agr; exhibits a characteristic as shown by FIG. 21. Furthermore, this embodiment performs respective processes (steps P. sub.1352, P.sub.1353, P.sub.1357, P.sub.1358) on the basis of calculation of (I.sub.R -I.sub.L)/(I.sub.R +I.sub.L). With a consequence, it is possible to improve the precision with which various devices such as the blast distributing door 26, the mixing door 18 and the blower 16 are controlled. | |
Policies are set for a given purpose, mainly to maintain peace and order in a given organization. The society we live in faces numerous issues in terms of bullying, harassment, and security proposal. These issues have been a major problem that just keeps getting worse over the years. In the workplace, such issues are not taken lightly.
This is why company policies are made. Those who go against these policies are likely to be subjected to sanctions and other disciplinary action plans. This is done in order to promote a safe and peaceful work environment for all.
How to Write a Policy Proposal?
A policy proposal is considered to be an attempt to address a given problem. The proposal template must identify how a problem affects an entity and what could be done to resolve this.
In order to create a proposal, you need to gather the facts. Any supporting information that proves to be credible for your proposal must be included. Next, you need to specify the problem, determine the affected audience, and propose a solution. For instance, you want to address the use of cellular phones in the workplace. It’s possible that such device could hinder an employee from carrying out tasks effectively. You need to prove this hypothesis with hard facts. This could be based on survey statistics or scientific studies. Providing alternative solutions is also recommended. Again, you must be able to prove how such solution will be of help.
Make sure that it’s important. It’s easy to claim that something is a problem but it’s difficult to prove that it is. The topic that you choose to address should have a significant impact on its audience.
Be specific. If you want to address a company’s current dress code policy, then stick to that. Focus only on what you want to address and avoid covering other points that are not relevant to your central purpose.
Allow your audience to understand your purpose. The thing about policies is that there will always be people against it. To avoid conflict, let your readers understand views from your perspective. Express the need for such policy and how they can benefit from it.
How to Write a Social Policy Proposal?
A social policy centers on the protection of a human being’s social welfare. This caters to every individual of a society, including men and women of all ages and walks of life. Those of certain walks of life, specifically those who suffer from various illnesses or disabilities, are also given much attention to. The steps in writing a social policy proposal is no different from theprofessional proposal.
The difference lies in the study done in order to prove the need for such. The research proposal conducted to develop the proposal typically involves theories and evidence drawn from a wide range of disciplines in social science. This includes psychology, sociology, philosophy, law and the like. Furthermore, it’s necessary to set the appropriate terms for your solution, specifically the scope that it would cover. | https://www.examples.com/business/policy-proposal.html |
This guide is for logs that were collected with the default logging options. If you have changed the logging options, your logs may have more or less information in them.
Rach log file begins with information about CIUMon's settings. If CIUMon was stopped and started while log file was being created, there will also be settings information in the middle of the log file.
After the settings information is the data. Remember that many logs begin while CIUMon is already getting data, so some requests may be partially in the log you are looking at and partially in the previous log or the next log.
Each line of logged data looks like this:
timestamp letter data
For CIUMon requests, the letter starts at
Z and counts downward, so that
timestamp Z is the first line of the request,
timestamp Y is the second line, and so on.
For responses, the letter is incremented between lines of the same entry, so
timestamp A is the first line of some entry,
timestamp B is the second line, and so on. If a single entry has more than twenty-six lines, the last lines will all be marked with
Z.
The data is either a sequence of bytes sent to or from the CIU (in hex), or a human-readable description of what is being sent to or from clients (eg Hyperview).
The following sequences of bytes have special meaning:
|This||Means this|
|
||End of line|
|
|| |
|
|| |
Any time you see
1B in the log, it is part of one of the above sequences.
Most of the communication from CIUMon to the CIU will begin with either
14 or
50 (fetch data),
67 (bulk fetch data from RoviSys Turbo),
19 (send fetched data), or
45 (environment fetch). The responses from the CIU generally begin with either
01 (request acknowledged) or
00 (ok, sending data). Some of the other possible messages are explained in How does CIUMon respond to errors?.
When "Alex" sends a request for a piece of data, it gets recorded in the log like this:
14:15:49.781 A read output 2 03 04 5 from IP Address 127.0.0.1 from Alex 14:15:49.781 A 14 01 02 03 00 04 00 05 23 0D 14:15:49.812 A 01 01 0D
Note that there may be other lines between these, depending what else CIUMon is doing.
The first line is CIUMon getting the request from Hyperview.
|read output||2||03||04||5||from||IP Address 127.0.0.1 from Alex|
|Type of command||Loop number (in decimal)||PCU number||Module number||Block number||CIUMon is receiving the request||IP address and logon name of the user requesting the data.|
The second line is the data CIUMon sent to the CIU. Remember that communication with the CIU is recorded in hex, so if you wanted to decode what was being asked for, and it involved numbers larger than 9, you would need to convert it.
|14||01||02||03||00 04||00 05||23||0D|
|get some data||what key to use||loop||PCU||module (two bytes)||block (two bytes)||checksum||end of line|
Note: The first byte in a request for data might sometimes be 50 or 67 instead of 14. A request that starts with a 50 works in a similar way to one that starts with a 14, but it can get more types of data. A request that starts with a 67 is a special type of request that CIUMon uses to communicate with RoviSys Turbo.
The third line is the response from the CIU.
|01||01||0D|
|request acknowledged||checksum||end of line|
CIUMon will now delay a bit to give the CIU time to fetch the data, then it will ask the CIU to send the data. It will look kind of like this in the log:
14:15:49.890 A 19 01 1A 0D 14:15:49.921 A 00 01 28 13 01 3D 0D
The first line is CIUMon asking for the data.
|19||01||1A||0D|
|send data||key||checksum||end of line|
The second line is the data from the CIU.
|00||01||28 13 01||3D||0D|
|ok, sending data||type of value||requested value||checksum||end of line|
Finally, CIUMon will send the data back to Hyperview, which is recorded like this:
14:15:49.921 A read output 2 03 04 5 to IP Address 127.0.0.1 to Alex 14:15:49.921 B OK REAL 14:15:49.921 C 384.5 High Deviation
The first line contains the same information as the entry when CIUMon received the request, but now it's to the IP and user, because CIUMon is responding.
The second line specifies what kind of data is being sent. In this case, it's
REAL.
The third line has the actual value that was sent to Hyperview.
When CIUMon sends or receives a communication from the CIU, the last byte before the
0D (end of line marker) is a checksum. To find the checksum, add up all of the preceding bytes in the communication, then take the last two hexadecimal digits from the result. When a communication is received, the bytes in the communication can be added to make sure that result matches the checksum; if it does not, it usually means that the communication was somehow garbled during the transmission.
For example, suppose CIUMon receives a line like this from the CIU:
00 01 36 E8 32 0D
Adding all of the bytes up to the checksum (that is, everything except the
32 0D) gives
01+36+E8=11F in hexadecimal. So, the checksum in this case should be
1F. Since the line shows
32 instead, this indicates that there was a communication problem. CIUMon would generate an error message if it encountered a line like this.
Note: In this particular case, the problem is that a
13 was missing from the line that the CIU sent to CIUMon. Adding in the
13 would make the checksum correct, since in hexadecimal
1F+13=32. If the checksum is off by exactly 13, this can sometimes indicate that CIUMon has been improperly configured to use XON/XOFF flow control.
DBDOC ©1996 - 2021 G. Michaels Consulting Ltd., all rights reserved. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Website source largely available under the terms of the AGPLv3. | https://gmcl.com/help.php?display=Help/reading_ciumon_logs.html |
Lundwall Architects (LWA) specializes in designing for the hospitality industry and continually strives to achieve the best in design, quality and innovation. So - how do we do that?
Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden we have always maintained an approach that considers the nuances of society, culture and life in general. Our work has taken us to over 30 countries, across 4 continents and so it’s vital that we understand the unique nature of every one of our clients. Our creative approach, therefore, both clarifies and enhances a client’s brand whilst highlighting the local traditions and environment of the area.
Our team of interior architects and designers are deliberately international. Nordic design is in our DNA, yet we have developed a team capable of sharing and developing individual traditions from across the globe. Our commitment to embrace the international market is epitomised by our newly opened office in Nairobi, Kenya. With a network of experienced operators to call upon globally, we can be confident of delivering results wherever our work takes us.
So whether you are a freestanding hotel brand or multinational hotel chain, we are ready to develop innovative, sustainable design solutions that meet your specific needs. | http://lwa.se/about-us |
Multigrain Cookie is a nutritious and healthy cookie made using different flours. The cookie uses clarified butter (ghee) and is enriched with dates and honey. It is a very healthy snack and can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
Course
cookies, hightea, Snack, sweet
Cuisine
Indian
Keyword
afterschoolsnack, almond, bajra, baked, chickpea, chickpeaflour, dates, eggless, healthy, hightea, homemade, kids, lunchbox, multigrain, ragi
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
25
minutes
Total Time
40
minutes
Servings
50
cookies
Calories
87
kcal
Ingredients
1
cup
pearl millet flour
bajra flour or barjra atta
1/2
cup
finger millet flour
ragi or nachani flour
1/2
cup
whole wheat flour
1/2
cup
semolina
sooji
1/4
cup
chickpea flour
gram flour or besan
15
black dates
soft khajoor crushed
1/2
cup
ground almonds
1/4
cup
ground pistachios
3/4
cup
ghee or clarified butter
and a tbsp of more if needed. I have used Amul ghee
3
tbsp
milk
or more if needed to knead the dough
2
tbsp
honey
1
tsp
salt
1/4
cup
cocoa powder
3/4
cup
icing sugar
Instructions
In a big mixing bowl, add all the flours - pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi/nachani), whole wheat flour, semolina (sooji), chickpea flour (besan), cocoa powder, and icing sugar.
Add powdered almonds, powdered pistachio and crushed dates mixture and honey. (Crush dates to soft with 1/4 ghee in a mixer grinder. Now take the crushed dates in a bowl with rest of the ghee , mix well and beat a little).
Mix them well with finger tips to resemble like crumbs.
Gradually add milk.
Knead to a smooth soft pliable dough. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into equal balls. Roll the ball with the help of a rolling pin into 8 mm thick circles by placing them between the greased plastic sheet. Cut into desired shape with the help of cookie cutter.
Place the cut cookies on a greased baking tray. ( I have baked them in microwave using convection mode).
Bake the cookies @ 160 C for 18 min or till golden. Cool them on a wire rack.
The cookies are cooled and ready to serve. Store them in an airtight container for 10-12 days. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee.
Multigrain cookies are ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories:
87
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
12
g
|
Protein:
1
g
|
Fat:
3
g
|
Saturated Fat:
1
g
|
Cholesterol:
7
mg
|
Sodium:
48
mg
|
Potassium:
64
mg
|
Sugar:
3
g
|
Vitamin A:
5
IU
|
Calcium:
16
mg
|
Iron: | https://pepkitchen.com/wprm_print/recipe/7809 |
Pioneering discoveries in the field of biochemical science including research on the deterioration of Scott and Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition huts has seen the University of Waikato award the title of Emeritus Professor to Professor Roberta Farrell.
Professor Farrell is a researcher of international renown in the fields of wood degradation, bioremediation, fungi and enzymology and, since 1997, research in Antarctica. She has produced a significant body of published work including 98 papers in refereed international journals, 10 book chapters and 30 patents as well as presentations to national and international conferences including the Sir Holmes Williams lecture to the New Zealand Antarctic Society in 2007.
Her research on bioremediation of dioxin-contaminated soils in the Bay of Plenty was featured in the documentary film "The Green Chain" and in MÄori Television’s "Project Matauranga". She was named "Influencer of the Year" by Unlimited Magazine in 2011, was the 2008 Kudos Science Entrepreneur of the Year and was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.
A Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science, and former board member of the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology, Professor Farrell’s remarkable academic achievements sit alongside a successful career in industry where she rose to the position of Executive Director of Research and Chief Operating Officer of biotech company Sandoz Chemicals Biotech Research Corporation before joining the University of Waikato in 1996.
Professor Farrell’s work on understanding the deterioration of the Antarctic expedition huts of Scott and Shackleton led to the discovery that fungi caused wood rot to the exterior of the huts, and secondly, these fungi are also present in pristine areas of Antarctica and are thought to be related to fungi present in the Jurassic Period. She and her team’s findings of how functional ecology drives microbial community assembly in an Antarctic Dry Valley was recently published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford says the title of Emeritus Professor recognises Professor Farrell’s outstanding career in academia, commerce and biochemical research.
"Professor Farrell is a researcher of international standing and a pioneer in the field of biochemical research," he says. "Her leadership at the university and her remarkable achievements stand as a model for young women thinking about a career in science."
All articles and comments on Voxy.co.nz have been submitted by our community of users. Please notify us if you believe an item on this site breaches our community guidelines. | http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/university-waikato-awards-title-emeritus-professor/5/168144 |
Comments on the issue of short-term rentals in Holland
Long-term commitments better for Holland, by Nancy De Boer,published in the Holland Sentinel on 9/22/17
About 18 months ago I would have agreed with the Sept. 21 “Our Take” in the Holland Sentinel that said allowing short-term rentals anywhere in town is an extension of basic property rights.
But now, after studying this issue intently and talking with regional and national elected leaders, I have better understanding of the consequences and costs that come along the unfettered growth of short-term rentals.
Although I support Airbnb and short-term rentals in our city’s commercially zoned areas, we must be more cautious when it comes to turning them loose in residential neighborhoods.
#1 Certainly, the fact that Airbnb and short-term rental agents are attracted to Holland proves we’ve got many great things happening here. But the downside is that as more and more people are attracted to our city, housing prices inevitably go up and the supply of affordable housing shrinks. This adds to the housing woes of singles, single parents, and families on low or fixed incomes.
#2 Holland has rolled out a friendly Welkom to visitors and tourists for generations. You’ve witnessed the wonderful expansion of our hotels, shops, and eateries over the years. Establishing Airbnb and short-term rentals to our dynamic commercially zoned areas only makes sense. Keep in mind Airbnb and short-term rentals also add to the cost of city services; including public safety, emergency planning and response, and streets and parking. So it makes sense to target our increased costs within our commercially zoned areas, too. It’s more efficient.
#3 What actually impactsi economic opportunity and the quality of life in any community the most is the heartfelt and rooted commitment of its long-termers, not the comings and goings of it short-termers. The future in Holland is more secure when the focus is on long-term investment, not the short-term dealings between homeowners, short-term renters, and transaction agents.
#4 Consider the math. If a two-bedroom house in Holland can rent for $1200 a month, could you blame the owner for wanting to rent it out for $600 per week? I can’t. But I’m not going to pretend this is a good thing. We’d see the stability of our neighborhoods flee along with the low-income folks we have pushed out of the housing market.
#5 Holland is not alone in having a compassionate heart for low-income singles and families. And we can learn from other cities that jumped onto the short-term rental bandwagon months ago and regret it. Many of them now have to provide housing vouchers at taxpayer expense to low-wage earners and/or have been forced to pressure their local non-profits to ramp up their efforts to alleviate a growing affordable housing crisis.
#6 If you can believe it, there are a few homeowners (in other cities, of course!) who could care less about conditions in their neighborhood or what anyone is renting out. So you can imagine their shock when they later discover their own property tax bills have skyrocketed! All thanks to “rental income potential” getting added into their new assessment.
#7 Clearly, allowing Airbnb and short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods will hurt our local preK-12 schools. Short-termers come here to visit extended family, vacation, shop, and conduct business. They aren’t here to enroll their children in school. Like our city, the health of Holland Public Schools is strengthened when our focus is on long-term commitment, long-term economic stability, and the availability of long-term affordable housing.
#8 It would’ve been nice if the 9/21 “Our Take” had not ignored the fact that Holland residents already have short-term rental rights at their disposal. Today – with minimal government intrusion or regulation – homeowners can rent out their homes for up to 30 days while away and/or can rent out a room in their home for an entire year if they also live there, too. (All possible without any negative consequences!)
#9 Short-term rental arrangements are not all bad. Please don’t think this is the point I’m trying to make. I just agree with the City Planning Commission’s recommendation that Airbnb and short-term rental arrangements should be limited to our commercially zoned areas. This is the best and prudent path.
We shouldn’t approve something that would hurt:
low-income singles and families seeking housing
our school district battling declining enrollment
our residents desiring safe and stable neighborhoods
and home owners who would see their property taxes soar, whether or not they are cashing on Airbnb and short-term rentals.
I believe the long-term interest of Holland is better served by public policy that promotes FEWER ABSENTEE LANDLORDS, not more of them.
It was with interest that I read your article regarding short-term rentals. I also appreciate your willingness to explain your views and preserve important aspects of Holland.
To refresh your memory, we met about a year ago to discuss the concept of establishing a foundation on behalf of the city’s historical holdings. Since that time, my husband and I have purchased a home in Holland and anticipate relocating from North Carolina in March of 2018. With our forthcoming move to our new found home, I read the “Holland Sentinel” and thus saw yesterday’s article.
Likely, you’ve heard similar stories but am relaying so as to support your thoughts. Below are two, one from afar and one quite near. Maine: Friends have lived on the Portland coast for two decades with an ocean view. In recent years, houses on both sides of theirs came into the ownership of those affiliated with Home Away, VRBO or similar. The established community members never knew their neighbors, faced uncertainty as to when and for how long the houses would be occupied and by how many doing what. The ripple effect extended to other established neighbors. The short version is the situation led to them selling a lovely home with a view. Part of living in a community is having a community.
Local: I grew up along Lake Michigan in a town similar to areas in Holland. Over the years, the township never sought restrictions on rentals and now are regretting it. The dynamics have changed dramatically and it is now quite hard to make change. A large percentage of rentals exist creating a tourist haven and all the good that comes with it but a vacuum in the “off season.” Even the elementary school closed as the number of permanent families dropped. If interested, I can discuss more in person. Another unfortunate outcome of some (not all) rentals is the trust of people adhering to standards and requirements. No news to you but there are repeated cases of instead of eight people in a home, 20 are present which bring additional challenges.
As always, appreciate your service to the community of which we look forward to being part.
Kind regards,
D.G.
10/4/17: The city of Zeeland has joined other local municipalities in expressing concerns about short-term rentals. Read the city's statement HERE.
| |
A highly-motivated Senior Project Manager is required for an initial 8 month contract by a market leading financial services company in Amsterdam.
Alongside a proven track-record working as a Senior Project Manager in enterprise organisations with complex stakeholder landscapes, it is also essential that you have significant experience in Datamodelling, data delivery, data quality/process design and are also familiar with associated data technology such as Python, SQL, Oracle, and data warehousing.
As a Senior Project Manager you will be working alongside Data Analysts, Quant Developers and Product Owners responsible for the design and maintenance of data models, compliancy requirements and value sets, ensuring end-to-end data model consistency across all applications and processes.
To summarise, the Senior Project Manager will have the following skills and responsibilities:
- Senior Project Manager with track-record in financial services
- Significant Datamodelling expertise
- Strong knowledge of data models, structures and concepts
- Track-record defining and maintaining data quality
- Knowledge of financial reporting and regulatory change
- Demonstrable experience translating business requirements into data requirements
- Stakeholder engagement across data analysis and development teams to senior business users and project sponsors
If you fit the above profile, then please get in touch with your CV ASAP or call me to discuss. | https://jobs.careeraddict.com/post/37828600 |
The Iliad tells the story of the last years of the Trojan War. Set on the western coast of modern day Turkey, the city of Troy has been under attack from the Greek armies, lead by Agamemnon, for almost 10 years. The war started after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband Menelaus. The two secretly returned to Troy together and Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus, rallied the Greek armies of his allies and went to Troy in order to seek revenge. The Iliad covers only 45 days of the conflict.
On the 15th day when the two sides finally met, a duel was proposed to decide the war between the Trojan Prince, Paris, and the Greek warrior, Menelaus. Paris was losing the fight until he was rescued by the goddess Aphrodite, and returned to his love, Helen, within the walls of the city. Menelaus claims victory by default.
With the gods now involved in the outcome of the war, they are eager to restart the fighting and incite the Trojan archer, Pandaros, to fire an arrow into the Greek hoards.
A few days after the fighting had resumed, Hector proposed another duel to settle the battle once and for all, this time between himself and any warrior of the Greeks' choosing. Ajax was chosen and the duel commenced.
Nestor persuaded Agamemnon to approach Achilles, as the introduction of him and his Myrmidon warriors would surely sway the war in their favor. Agamemnon reluctantly agreed and sent Odysseys and Ajax to approach the hero. Achilles refused and thus the war continued.
Achilles' friend and fellow warrior, Patroclus donned the armor of Achilles and led the Myrmidons into battle but was killed by Hector. Achilles was forced to rejoin the battle and seek revenge for this. As Achilles caught Hector he struck a fatal blow through the gap in his armor to his neck. Achilles then dragged his body on the back of his chariot back to his tent in the Greek camp.
The Iliad ended with Hector's burial.
Although Flaxman's illustrations were highly successful the artist himself admitted that they were not designed to be released in the state we see them today. Instead they were preliminary drafts of work he proposed to development later on.
The subject of each print is based on a scene from Homer's Iliad and the style in which they are produced is very similar to Greek pottery which was being excavated in the late 18th century. It is likely that Flaxman drew inspiration from these pieces as he did from his earlier designs for Josiah Wedgwood.
Red-figure pottery was produced in Athens, Greece, from the 4th to 5th century B. C. in what's commonly known as the mid-to-late Classical period. Although this was 700 years after scholars believe the Iliad was written, many of the decorative elements of red-figure and the earlier black-figure pottery produced during this period show scenes from the epic poems of Homer.
Stylistically they are very similar to Flaxman's illustrations and it's highly likely that Flaxman came across such ceramics whilst working in Rome and London and used them as the basis for his own designs.
Homer's tale of the Iliad was written in ancient Greece and would have been passed down by scribes, poets and musicians from generation to generation. It wasn't until Alexander Pope translated the Iliad into English in 1715 that it was widely accessible to the British upper classes. It is this version which Flaxman is likely to have read in his father's workshop as a young boy.
All the plates created by Flaxman show episodes from the Iliad and are captioned with quotations from Pope's translation.
Flaxman: "... to convert the beauty and grace of ancient poetry to the service of the morals and establishments of our own time and country."
Illustrations, even more than other media, have a real story to tell because they are accompanied by text. Flaxman started producing illustrations for epic legends and books around the age of 17 while in Italy, his most successful pieces being Dante's Divine Comedy and Homer's stories of the Iliad and Odyssey.
In the Iliad he portrayed the story of the Trojan War and had to illustrate large battles and intimate personal moments between the main protagonists of the story.
In comparison to Flaxman's work in ceramic design many of his illustrations have a far more complicated composition. The illustrations represent scenes from the Iliad and had to contain many characters and emotions. The 35 plates which make up this piece demonstrate the epic nature of Homer's tale.
Flaxman doesn't use any color in these pieces and they were purposely designed to be produced in black and white so that they can be easily replicated when printed.
The use of horizontal lines adds shadow to the drawings which are really only two-dimensional.
Flaxman creates movement in the stance of the subjects, particularly with the positioning of the horse.
Although Flaxman's figures are often only represented as an outline, he puts enough detail in them to create a sense of realism.
These illustrations are full of drama and action, in keeping with Homer's original material. One can almost feel Hector's agony as he is dragged around by Achilles' chariot.
John Flaxman was a prolific artist who created a vast range of sculptural and draft work during his career. His classical illustrations are certainly no exception, The Iliad alone included 35 separate scenes. Flaxman's illustrative work established his reputation, not only in his native England but also on the continent.
In more modern times Flaxman's work has been criticized for being cold and without feeling when trying to show narrative but its beauty is unquestionable.
Flaxman was considered one of the great artists of his time and a reputation built on works such as his Iliad illustrations led to commissions for similar work and a great deal of sculptural pieces too.
Flaxman was certainly well-liked by his fellow artists at the time and Canova in particular was happy to pass Flaxman's name on to his own patrons and clients.
The writer A. W. Von Schlegel was a friend of Flaxman's and obviously admired his work as a draftsman.
"... it seems magical that so much soul can live in so few and such delicate strokes. "
Recent exhibitions of Flaxman's work, for example in London, have led critics to look once again at an artist whose name is not as well-known as some of his equally gifted contemporaries. The Neoclassical style is certainly not as popular as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries which led to criticism simply because it is not in fashion, not necessarily because of its lack of skill.
Robert Essick and Jenijoy La Belle wrote of his designs: "The flattened, two-dimensional spaces of antique paintings and relief sculpture -- carefully retained in almost all of Flaxman's classical compositions -- stress a directness and simplicity free of the Baroque illusionism which Neoclassical artists were reacting against. Thus the Iliad and Odyssey plates were received not simply as visual delights but as philosophical statements. "
The simplicity of the Iliad illustrations mean that these works can seem much easier to produce than, say, an oil painting on a large scale. Although this is true to some extent, the complete freshness of Flaxman's art in comparison to what had gone before him shows what an innovator he was and that he was no lesser an artist because he was a successful illustrator.
Flaxman created several other series of Illustrations which were drawn in the same style as his Iliad series. They proved to be very successful not only in increasing the popularity of Neoclassicism in Europe but also in raising Flaxman's profile as an artist. Here are some of Flaxman's similar works along with works by other artists on the theme of Homer's Iliad.
Flaxman's Iliad Illustrations are currently held at the Royal Academy in London, where Flaxman was a professor from 1810 until he died in 1826. As the artist left no children they were passed to the Academy and have remained it its collection ever since.
As a child Flaxman learned the techniques of sculpting in his Father's casting shops. He also read many of the ancient classics by Homer and was exposed for the first time to ancient art of Greece and Rome.
In 1787 Flaxman travelled to Rome and it was there that he produced the work which was to make him the most well-known in his own lifetime, his illustrations of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and later Dante's Divine Comedy.
The subject of each print is based on a scene from Homer's Iliad; the style in which they are produced is very similar to Greek pottery which was being excavated in the late 18th century. Red figure pottery was produced in Athens, Greece, from the 5th to 4th century B. C. in what's commonly known as the mid-to-late classical period. Although this was 700 years after scholars believe the Iliad was written, many of the decorative elements of red-figure and the earlier black-figure pottery produced during this period show scenes from the epic poems of Homer. Stylistically they are very similar to Flaxman's illustrations and it's very likely that Flaxman came across such ceramics whilst working in Rome and London and used them as the basis for his own designs.
Flaxman was considered one of the great artists of his time and a reputation built on works such as his Iliad illustrations led to commissions for more illustrations and large amount of sculptural work. He was certainly well-liked by his fellow artists at the time, the Italian Canova in particular was happy to pass Flaxman's name on to his own patrons and clients.
The Neoclassical period occurred during the late 18th and early 19th century in England and continental Europe. It occurred in a decorative and artistic sense as a reaction to the overzealous decoration and often fussy compositions of the Rococo and Baroque styles of the first half of the 18th century.
There was a heavy influence from Ancient Greco-Roman art which was entering England from Italy and Greece through archaeological excavations. Such material was commonly collected by members of the British upper classes or 'Grand Tourists,' who travelled round the continent for both pleasure and education.
Neoclassicism as an artistic style consisted of clean lines and uncomplicated designs, while sculptures copied the realistic nature of their Roman counterparts, producing beautifully ethereal figures in marble.
To find more information about Flaxman and his fascinating works please use the recommended reading list below. | https://www.artble.com/artists/john_flaxman/drawings/the_iliad |
Qt documentation: Threading and Concurrency. A few notes that are already mentioned in the official docs here and here. If an object has a parent, it has to be in the same thread as the parent, i.e. It cannot be moved to a new thread, nor can you set a parent to an object if the parent and the object live in different threads.
What Are Threads?
Hitting the 'Start' button will trigger slot, and in that slot, start method of the thread will be called. The start will call the thread's run method where a valueChanged signal will be emitted. The valueChanged signal is connected to the onValueChanged which will update the count label on the dialog box. Qt provides thread support in the form of platform-independent threading classes, a thread-safe way of posting events, and signal-slot connections across threads. This makes it easy to develop portable multithreaded Qt applications and take advantage of multiprocessor machines. Qt's event systemis very useful for inter-thread communication. Every thread may have its own event loop. To call a slot (or any invokablemethod) in another thread, place that call in the target thread's event loop.
Threads are about doing things in parallel, just like processes. So how do threads differ from processes? While you are making calculations on a spreadsheet, there may also be a media player running on the same desktop playing your favorite song. Here is an example of two processes working in parallel: one running the spreadsheet program; one running a media player. Multitasking is a well known term for this. A closer look at the media player reveals that there are again things going on in parallel within one single process. While the media player is sending music to the audio driver, the user interface with all its bells and whistles is being constantly updated. This is what threads are for — concurrency within one single process.
So how is concurrency implemented? Parallel work on single core CPUs is an illusion which is somewhat similar to the illusion of moving images in cinema. For processes, the illusion is produced by interrupting the processor's work on one process after a very short time. Then the processor moves on to the next process. In order to switch between processes, the current program counter is saved and the next processor's program counter is loaded. This is not sufficient because the same needs to be done with registers and certain architecture and OS specific data.
Just as one CPU can power two or more processes, it is also possible to let the CPU run on two different code segments of one single process. When a process starts, it always executes one code segment and therefore the process is said to have one thread. However, the program may decide to start a second thread. Then, two different code sequences are processed simultaneously inside one process. Concurrency is achieved on single core CPUs by repeatedly saving program counters and registers then loading the next thread's program counters and registers. No cooperation from the program is required to cycle between the active threads. A thread may be in any state when the switch to the next thread occurs.
The current trend in CPU design is to have several cores. A typical single-threaded application can make use of only one core. However, a program with multiple threads can be assigned to multiple cores, making things happen in a truly concurrent way. As a result, distributing work to more than one thread can make a program run much faster on multicore CPUs because additional cores can be used.
GUI Thread and Worker Thread
As mentioned, each program has one thread when it is started. This thread is called the 'main thread' (also known as the 'GUI thread' in Qt applications). The Qt GUI must run in this thread. All widgets and several related classes, for example QPixmap, don't work in secondary threads. A secondary thread is commonly referred to as a 'worker thread' because it is used to offload processing work from the main thread.
Simultaneous Access to Data
Each thread has its own stack, which means each thread has its own call history and local variables. Unlike processes, threads share the same address space. The following diagram shows how the building blocks of threads are located in memory. Program counter and registers of inactive threads are typically kept in kernel space. There is a shared copy of the code and a separate stack for each thread.
If two threads have a pointer to the same object, it is possible that both threads will access that object at the same time and this can potentially destroy the object's integrity. It's easy to imagine the many things that can go wrong when two methods of the same object are executed simultaneously.
Sometimes it is necessary to access one object from different threads; for example, when objects living in different threads need to communicate. Since threads use the same address space, it is easier and faster for threads to exchange data than it is for processes. Data does not have to be serialized and copied. Passing pointers is possible, but there must be a strict coordination of what thread touches which object. Simultaneous execution of operations on one object must be prevented. There are several ways of achieving this and some of them are described below.
So what can be done safely? All objects created in a thread can be used safely within that thread provided that other threads don't have references to them and objects don't have implicit coupling with other threads. Such implicit coupling may happen when data is shared between instances as with static members, singletons or global data. Familiarize yourself with the concept of thread safe and reentrant classes and functions.
Using Threads
There are basically two use cases for threads:
- Make processing faster by making use of multicore processors.
- Keep the GUI thread or other time critical threads responsive by offloading long lasting processing or blocking calls to other threads.
When to Use Alternatives to Threads
Developers need to be very careful with threads. It is easy to start other threads, but very hard to ensure that all shared data remains consistent. Problems are often hard to find because they may only show up once in a while or only on specific hardware configurations. Before creating threads to solve certain problems, possible alternatives should be considered.
|Alternative||Comment|
|QEventLoop::processEvents()||Calling QEventLoop::processEvents() repeatedly during a time-consuming calculation prevents GUI blocking. However, this solution doesn't scale well because the call to processEvents() may occur too often, or not often enough, depending on hardware.|
|QTimer||Background processing can sometimes be done conveniently using a timer to schedule execution of a slot at some point in the future. A timer with an interval of 0 will time out as soon as there are no more events to process.|
|QSocketNotifierQNetworkAccessManagerQIODevice::readyRead()||This is an alternative to having one or multiple threads, each with a blocking read on a slow network connection. As long as the calculation in response to a chunk of network data can be executed quickly, this reactive design is better than synchronous waiting in threads. Reactive design is less error prone and energy efficient than threading. In many cases there are also performance benefits.|
In general, it is recommended to only use safe and tested paths and to avoid introducing ad-hoc threading concepts. QtConcurrent provides an easy interface for distributing work to all of the processor's cores. The threading code is completely hidden in the QtConcurrent framework, so you don't have to take care of the details. However, QtConcurrent can't be used when communication with the running thread is needed, and it shouldn't be used to handle blocking operations.
Which Qt Thread Technology Should You Use?
Sometimes you want to do more than just running a method in the context of another thread. You may want to have an object which lives in another thread that provides a service to the GUI thread. Maybe you want another thread to stay alive forever to poll hardware ports and send a signal to the GUI thread when something noteworthy has happened. Qt provides different solutions for developing threaded applications. The right solution depends on the purpose of the new thread as well as on the thread's lifetime.
|Lifetime of thread||Development task||Solution|
|One call||Run one method within another thread and quit the thread when the method is finished.||Qt provides different solutions:|
|One call||Operations are to be performed on all items of a container. Processing should be performed using all available cores. A common example is to produce thumbnails from a list of images.||QtConcurrent provides the map() function for applying operations on every container element, filter() for selecting container elements, and the option of specifying a reduce function for combining the remaining elements.|
|One call||A long running operation has to be put in another thread. During the course of processing, status information should be sent to the GUI thread.||Use QThread, reimplement run and emit signals as needed. Connect the signals to the GUI thread's slots using queued signal/slot connections.|
|Permanent||Have an object living in another thread and let it perform different tasks upon request. This means communication to and from the worker thread is required.||Derive a class from QObject and implement the necessary slots and signals, move the object to a thread with a running event loop and communicate with the object over queued signal/slot connections.|
|Permanent||Have an object living in another thread, let the object perform repeated tasks such as polling a port and enable communication with the GUI thread.||Same as above but also use a timer in the worker thread to implement polling. However, the best solution for polling is to avoid it completely. Sometimes using QSocketNotifier is an alternative.|
Qt Thread Basics
QThread is a very convenient cross platform abstraction of native platform threads. Starting a thread is very simple. Let us look at a short piece of code that generates another thread which says hello in that thread and then exits.
We derive a class from QThread and reimplement the run() method.
The run method contains the code that will be run in a separate thread. In this example, a message containing the thread ID will be printed. QThread::start() will call the method in another thread.
To start the thread, our thread object needs to be instantiated. The start() method creates a new thread and calls the reimplemented run() method in this new thread. Right after start() is called, two program counters walk through the program code. The main function starts with only the GUI thread running and it should terminate with only the GUI thread running. Exiting the program when another thread is still busy is a programming error, and therefore, wait is called which blocks the calling thread until the run() method has completed.
This is the result of running the code:
QObject and Threads
As mentioned above, developers must always be careful when calling objects' methods from other threads. Thread affinity does not change this situation. Qt documentation marks several methods as thread-safe. postEvent() is a noteworthy example. A thread-safe method may be called from different threads simultaneously.
In cases where there is usually no concurrent access to methods, calling non-thread-safe methods of objects in other threads may work thousands of times before a concurrent access occurs, causing unexpected behavior. Writing test code does not entirely ensure thread correctness, but it is still important. On Linux, Valgrind and Helgrind can help detect threading errors.
Using a Mutex to Protect the Integrity of Data
A mutex is an object that has lock() and unlock() methods and remembers if it is already locked. A mutex is designed to be called from multiple threads. lock() returns immediately if the mutex is not locked. The next call from another thread will find the mutex in a locked state and then lock() will block the thread until the other thread calls unlock(). This functionality can make sure that a code section will be executed by only one thread at a time.
The following line sketches how a mutex can be used to make a method thread-safe:
What happens if one thread does not unlock a mutex? The result can be a frozen application. In the example above, an exception might be thrown and
mutex.unlock() will never be reached. To prevent problems like this, QMutexLocker should be used.
This looks easy, but mutexes introduce a new class of problems: deadlocks. A deadlock happens when a thread waits for a mutex to become unlocked, but the mutex remains locked because the owning thread is waiting for the first thread to unlock it. The result is a frozen application. Mutexes can be used to make a method thread safe. Most Qt methods aren't thread safe because there is always a performance penalty when using mutexes.
It isn't always possible to lock and unlock a mutex in a method. Sometimes the need to lock spans several calls. For example, modifying a container with an iterator requires a sequence of several calls which should not be interrupted by other threads. In such a scenario, locking can be achieved with a mutex that is kept outside of the object to be manipulated. With an external mutex, the duration of locking can be adjusted to the needs of the operation. One disadvantage is that external mutexes aid locking, but do not enforce it because users of the object may forget to use it.
Using the Event Loop to Prevent Data Corruption
The event loops of Qt are a very valuable tool for inter-thread communication. Every thread may have its own event loop. A safe way of calling a slot in another thread is by placing that call in another thread's event loop. This ensures that the target object finishes the method that is currently running before another method is started.
Qt Call Slot From Different Thread Type
So how is it possible to put a method invocation in an event loop? Qt has two ways of doing this. One way is via queued signal-slot connections; the other way is to post an event with QCoreApplication::postEvent(). A queued signal-slot connection is a signal slot connection that is executed asynchronously. The internal implementation is based on posted events. The arguments of the signal are put into the event loop and the signal method returns immediately.
The connected slot will be executed at a time which depends on what else is in the event loop.
Communication via the event loop eliminates the deadlock problem we face when using mutexes. This is why we recommend using the event loop rather than locking an object using a mutex.
Dealing with Asynchronous Execution
Qt Call Slot From Different Thread Size
One way to obtain a worker thread's result is by waiting for the thread to terminate. In many cases, however, a blocking wait isn't acceptable. The alternative to a blocking wait are asynchronous result deliveries with either posted events or queued signals and slots. This generates a certain overhead because an operation's result does not appear on the next source line, but in a slot located somewhere else in the source file. Qt developers are used to working with this kind of asynchronous behavior because it is much similar to the kind of event-driven programming used in GUI applications.
Examples
This tutorial comes with examples for Qt's three basic ways of working with threads. Two more examples show how to communicate with a running thread and how a QObject can be placed in another thread, providing service to the main thread.
- Using QThread as shown above
The following examples can all be compiled and run independently. The source can be found in the examples directory: examples/tutorials/threads/
Example 1: Using the Thread Pool
Creating and destroying threads frequently can be expensive. To avoid the cost of thread creation, a thread pool can be used. A thread pool is a place where threads can be parked and fetched. We can write the same 'hello thread' program as above using the global thread pool. We derive a class from QRunnable. The code we want to run in another thread needs to be placed in the reimplemented QRunnable::run() method.
We instantiate Work in main(), locate the global thread pool and use the QThreadPool::start() method. Now the thread pool runs our worker in another thread. Using the thread pool has a performance advantage because threads are not destroyed after they have finished running. They are kept in a pool and wait to be used again later.
Example 2: Using QtConcurrent
We write a global function hello() to implement the work. QtConcurrent::run() is used to run the function in another thread. The result is a QFuture. QFuture provides a method called waitForFinished(), which blocks until the calculation is completed. The real power of QtConcurrent becomes visible when data can be made available in a container. QtConcurrent provides several functions that are able to process itemized data on all available cores simultaneously. The use of QtConcurrent is very similar to applying an STL algorithm to an STL container. QtConcurrent Map is a very short and clear example about how a container of images can be scaled on all available cores. The image scaling example uses the blocking variants of the functions used. For every blocking function there is also a non-blocking, asynchronous counterpart. Getting results asynchronously is implemented with QFuture and QFutureWatcher.
Example 3: Clock
We want to produce a clock application. The application has a GUI and a worker thread. The worker thread checks every 10 milliseconds what time it is. If the formatted time has changed, the result will be sent to the GUI thread where it is displayed.
Of course, this is an overly complicated way of designing a clock and, actually, a separate thread is unnecessary. We would be better off placing the timer in the main thread because the calculation made in the timer slot is very short-lived. This example is purely for instructional use and shows how to communicate from a worker thread to a GUI thread. Note that communication in this direction is easy. We only need to add a signal to QThread and make a queued signal/slot connection to the main thread. Communication from the GUI to the worker thread is shown in the next example.
We've connected the
clockThread with the label. The connection must be a queued signal-slot connection because we want to put the call in the event loop.
We have derived a class from QThread and declared the
sendTime() signal.
The trickiest part of this example is that the timer is connected to its slot via a direct connection. A default connection would produce a queued signal-slot connection because the connected objects live in different threads; remember that QThread does not live in the thread it creates.
Still it is safe to access ClockThread::timerHit() from the worker thread because ClockThread::timerHit() is private and only touches local variables and a private member that isn't touched by public methods. QDateTime::currentDateTime() isn't marked as thread-safe in Qt documentation, however we can get away with using it in this small example because we know that the QDateTime::currentDateTime() static method isn't used in any other threads.
Example 4: A Permanent Thread
This example shows how it is possible to have a QObject in a worker thread that accepts requests from the GUI thread, does polling using a timer and continuously reports results back to the GUI thread. The actual work including the polling must be implemented in a class derived from QObject. We have called this class
WorkerObject in the code shown below. The thread-specific code is hidden in a class called
Thread, derived from QThread.
Thread has two additional public members. The
launchWorker() member takes the worker object and moves it to another thread with a started event loop. The call blocks for a very short moment until the thread creation operation is completed, allowing the worker object to be used again on the next line. The
Thread class's code is short but somewhat involved, so we only show how to use the class.
QMetaObject::invokeMethod() calls a slot via the event loop. The worker object's methods should not be called directly after the object has been moved to another thread. We let the worker thread do some work and polling, and use a timer to shut the application down after 3 seconds. Shutting the worker down needs some care. We call
Thread::stop() to exit the event loop. We wait for the thread to terminate and, after this has occurred, we delete the worker.
Digging Deeper
Threading is a very complicated subject. Qt offers more classes for threading than we have presented in this tutorial. The following materials can help you go into the subject in more depth:
- Good video tutorials about threads with Qt can be found in the material from the Training Day at Qt Developer Days 2009.
- The Thread Support in Qt document is a good starting point into the reference documentation.
- Qt comes with several additional examples for QThread and QtConcurrent.
- Several good books describe how to work with Qt threads. The most extensive coverage can be found in Advanced Qt Programming by Mark Summerfield, Prentice Hall - roughly 70 of 500 pages cover QThread and QtConcurrent.
© 2016 The Qt Company Ltd. Documentation contributions included herein are the copyrights of their respective owners. The documentation provided herein is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software Foundation. Qt and respective logos are trademarks of The Qt Company Ltd. in Finland and/or other countries worldwide. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Last time I explained how plain C++ objects and their methods interact with threads. This time around, we will look at
QObjects, and their “thread affinity”.
Now that we know object methods can be accessed by any thread at any time,we’ll consider the situation from the point of view of Qt.
What are QObjects?
Qt is a great framework, and at its heart are
QObjects.Through Qt’s moc compilerextra functionality is seemlessly added to C++ objects.The two most notable additions are signals and slots for inter-object communication, and events.These allow great flexibility and modularity, but how do they work in the context of threads?
For example, if an event or slot is triggered in a
QObject (whichultimately triggers a function), which thread is calling that function? Theanswer lies in thread affinity. But let’s back up a bit.
Qt threads and Event loops
Having the ability to asynchronously trigger functions, and raise/handle eventsmeans that Qt must have some kind of an event loop. An event loop will continuallymonitor a queue of events to be handled, and dispatch them accordingly.Indeed, every
QThread has a built-in event loop that can be entered.
One way to see this directly is by inheriting from
QThread:
The above is a good example for demonstration, but is rarely done in production. We will see a better way to run custom code on QThreads in the next section.
In particular the GUI thread (the main thread), also has an event loop which islaunched by calling
QApplication::exec(), which only returns after the user has quit the program.
So far the most important thing to remember is:
Threads in Qt handle asynchronous events, and thus all have an event-loop.
QObjects and QThreads
Now we come to the meat of this post- if C++ objects can be accessed by anythread, then what thread is handling the events of a particular
QObject?The answer is that whenever a
QObject is created, it is assigned a parent threadwhich handles all of it’s events and slot invocations- it has a threadaffinity. Whichever thread it was created in, becomes it’s parent thread!
This is where the confusion came about for me. On the one hand C++ objectmethods can be called from any thread at any time, while
QObjects (themselvesC++ objects) have a parent thread which handles its events. As you can hopefullysee, there is no conflict:
QObject methods can be called from any thread at any time, just like a C++object. In addition, a parent thread is assigned to handle anyasynchronous events and slot invocations.
So there are two ways for a function to be called on a QObject:
- Directly from any thread
- Indirectly by invoking a connected slot or raising an event. This posts an event onto the parent thread’s event loop, which eventually calls the function in question.
To complete this article, let’s look at running our code on other threads.As promised before we will not inherit from
QThread for the job.If we can’t customize a thread, and
QObjects are bound to the thread that created them, how can we achieve this? Qt allows users to move
QObjects to other threads, thereby changing the thread affinity to the new thread:
This is much simpler and easier to follow than subclassing a QThread each time you want to create a worker thread.Thanks to Jurily for suggesting this in a reddit comment.
I hope you enjoyed this simplified rundown of
QObjects and threads! More in-depth documentation can be found on the Qt-project website. | https://christianlouboutin-sale.us/qt-call-slot-from-different-thread.html |
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The article discusses the Bailout Prevention Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, and David Vitter, a Republican, which would limit the authority of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board to make emergency loans so as to avoid bank bailouts in any future financial crisis.
- Feds Propose Liquidity Requirements for Big Banks. Katz, Andrew // Time.com;10/24/2013, p1
The article discusses the U.S. Federal Reserve's 2013 proposal that big banks should retain enough government bonds, cash, and additional high-quality assets as a means of avoiding a financial crisis, and it also mentions taxpayer-funded bailouts and "liquidity" requirements for U.S. banks. | http://pdc-connection.ebscohost.com/c/opinions/108363206/u-s-needs-too-big-fail-banks |
This project combines the collaborative efforts of the Kronos Quartet, Aleksandra Vrebalov (composer), Bill Morrison (filmmaker), David Harrington and Drew Cameron, Janet Cowperthwaite (producer), and Kronos Performing Arts Association.
The prints are created from a combination of source material including: the composer’s handwritten notes, images from the multimedia project Beyond Zero: 1914–18, film by Bill Morrison, used with permission of Hypnotic Pictures, and archived photographs of military units in World War I about to be shipped to the front line.
Pulp printing techniques were used to set the images and were formed into handmade paper rendered from a variety of materials from Combat Paper workshops including: U.S. military uniforms from the Vietnam era to contemporary and ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan representing each branch of the military service, American Flags, U.S. bank notes, USFS uniforms, Fire Fighter uniforms, bedsheets, table cloths, sweat & t-shirts.
Thanks to: Kronos Quartet for inviting me into your space, to Janet for making the connections and opening the door of opportunity, Aleksandra for sharing your personal notations and Bill for allowing me to use the moments that you have covered. The artists connected with my work as Combat Paper who have so often contributed their insight and support, this would not exist without you. To the Magnes Museum for hosting the symposium and workshop to coincide with the premiere as well as the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock, Arkansas, and The National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri for allowing access to some incredible portraits of WWI soldiers to use in this project, maybe we one day be able to stop telling war stories.
— Drew Cameron, 2014
Pulp stencil print on handmade paper from military uniforms, US flags, US currency,
cotton bedsheets, tablecloths, t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
Kronos Quartet Beyond Zero: 1914-1918
A work for quartet with film
Aleksandra Vrebalov, composer
Bill Morrison, filmmaker
David Harrington and Drew Cameron, creative consultants
Janet Cowperthwaite, producer
Kronos Performing Arts Association, production management
About Beyond Zero: 1914–1918
“Unlike official histories, that have often romanticized and glorified the war, artists have typically been the keepers of sanity, showing its brutality, destruction, and ugliness. For many, across history, creating art in those circumstances served as a survival mechanism.
While working on Beyond Zero: 1914–1918, I was inspired by anti-war writings, music, and art created during and immediately after World War I, including, for example, the writings of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, the music of Satie and Debussy, and the Dada movement. The piece draws from their disillusionment about heroism and patriotism, summed up in Owen’s line from Dulce et Decorum, that to die for one’s country is the old lie.
Throughout the piece, there are several documentary recordings from different wars – from the horrific “Loyalty Speech” of James Watson Gerard who served as a U.S. Ambassador to Germany until 1917, to military commands of Serbian and Bosnian troupes during the conflicts that led to the brutal falling apart of Yugoslavia in 1990s, to the chilling sound of air-raid sirens during the bombing of London in World War II.
My intention was to juxtapose these historical accounts of war with the finest expressions of spirit and creativity occurring at the same time – therefore Béla Bartók’s own playing of his Piano Suite written in 1916, and Huelsenbeck’s reading of his Chorus Sanctus, also written in 1916. A girl calling her cats is a symbolic reminder of suffering of women and children, and of longing for lost safety and domesticity. Beyond Zero: 1914–1918 ends with fragments of a dark Byzantine hymn Eternal Memory to the Virtuous, chanted by the monks from the Kovilj monastery in Serbia, in remembrance to all who lost their lives in the Great War and every war since then.”
– Aleksandra Vrebalov
“The film portion of Beyond Zero: 1914–1918 is comprised of films that have never been seen by modern audiences. I searched archives for rare 35mm nitrate films shot during the Great War, and made new brand new HD scans from the originals. In many cases this is the last expression of these films – some original copies were determined to not be worth preserving beyond this transfer to digital media.
What we are left with is a glimpse of a war fought in fields, in trenches, and in the air. Most of the footage shows some emulsion deterioration – the by-product of a history stored on an unstable base for 100 years. Through a veil of physical degradation and original film dyes, we see training exercises, parades, and troop movement. Some of the battle footage was re-enacted for the camera, and some depicts actual live rounds. All of it was shot on film at the time of the conflict.
We see a record of a war as a series of documents passed along to us like a message in a bottle. None is more powerful than the record of the film itself, made visible by its own deterioration. We are constantly reminded of its materiality: this film was out on these same fields with these soldiers 100 years ago, a collaborator, and a survivor. It is being seen now as a digital image for the first time. | https://booklyn.org/catalog/beyond-zero-1914-1918/ |
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Blueberry Muffins (Cookiesandcups)
This recipe contains all purpose flour, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, sour cream, butter and more.
12 Servings
- 35 min -
cookiesandcups.com
Servings:
12
| Calories:
198
| Total Fat:
10g
| Chol:
24mg
|
More
Nutritional facts are per serving and accuracy is not certain.
Total Fat
10g
15 %
Sat Fat
3g
15 %
Total Carb
23g
8 %
Fiber
1g
4 %
Sugars
10g
---
Cholesterol
24mg
8 %
Sodium
291mg
12 %
Protein
3g
6 %
Calories:
29% Others combined
28% All purpose flour
25% Vegetable oil
16% Granulated sugar
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Percentages based on 2000 calories diet. Data may be incomplete or calculations inaccurate -
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Ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions : | https://www.saymmm.com/recipe/blueberry-muffins-recipe--the-fluffiest-blueberry-muffin634 |
In 2019, you and I have seen a number of scandals in the world of high art related to the verification of the authenticity of works of famous masters, as well as their actual belonging to the owners. Let’s find out how loud cases about fakes of the Russian avant-garde, the famous Bryullov’s painting and the portrait of Frans Hals’s brush, recognized as fake, develop (or to what end came).
Igor and Olga Toporovski are in custody on charges of fraud.
Collectors Igor and Olga Toporovskikh were taken into custody in Belgium on December 16, 2019 on suspicion of fraud, money laundering and stolen trade. Their arrest was extended on December 20, 2019. Toporovski are in Ghent prison. The scandal began with an exhibition entitled “Russian Modernism”, which opened at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (MSK Ghent) on 20 October 2017. At that time, the museum’s permanent exhibition officially included 26 works by Russian avant-garde artists, provided to the museum under a long-term lease by the Dielegem Foundation of collectors of Russian origin Igor and Olga Toporovskikh.
Catherine de Seger, Director of MSK Ghent (curator of the Moscow Biennale-2013) initiated the renewal of the exhibition. The audit carried out at the request of the city by Ernst and Young in the museum did not reveal any serious violations, but de Zeger had to dismiss the director. It was supported by 63 prominent cultural figures from around the world, including the directors of the Tate Modern in London, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Museums of Modern Art in Sydney and Seoul and many others. The museum’s press office then explicitly stated that the museum is not responsible for the authenticity of the works, it is the responsibility of the collector who provided the paintings.
The Ghent authorities are continuing their investigation, “caught” in the unscrupulous documents concluded by former director Catherine de Zeger and the Dilegem Foundation. In particular, there are inconsistencies in the timing of the exhibition and the date of the contract, and there are no signatures from the municipality. In this regard, the authorities have had occasion to institute proceedings against the Foundation and its leaders Toporovski. It is reported that the investigation representatives themselves chose the paintings for examination, and the material for the study was cut from canvases directly at the house of the suspects. Toporovskikh’s lawyers have not yet commented on what’s happening, so there’s no information whether the arrest of the collectors is related to the results of the expert examination or whether the authorities will extend it. The collection of paintings has also been arrested.
Let us remind you that the investigation was initiated by a letter signed by art dealers James Butterwick, Alec Lachman, Julian Baran and Ingrid Hutton, as well as Kazimir Malevich’s granddaughter – Yvona Malevich. The exhibition “Russian Modernism” presented previously unknown to the public works, the authors of which are Alexander Exter, El Lisitsky, Natalia Goncharova, Vasily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and other stars of the Russian avant-garde. Art historians, who signed the letter about suspicious paintings, criticized the presented collection without using the word “fake”. According to them, the works presented “have no exhibition history, have never been reproduced in serious scientific publications and have no verified sales reports. Read more about Toporovsky’s collection of avant-garde works and its “origin” in our material.
The singers have been denied ownership of Bryullov’s painting.
Became aware of the details of long-term litigation collectors Irina and Alexander Pevznerov, citizens of Germany, the case of the return of the painting “Christ in the grave” brush Karl Bryullov. In October 2019, by decision of the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation owners of the painting was denied the right of ownership. And this despite the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia, which in the summer of 2017 obliged the Russian authorities to return the painting by Briullov its rightful owner. Then the court found that confiscation of property may take place only within one year after the entry into force of the court decision to return the property. The collector noted that in his case, almost two years had passed between the court decision to return the property and the subsequent court decision of the Supreme Court of Russia on its confiscation. Nevertheless, the painting remains in Russia and will obviously remain in the State Russian Museum.
Recall that the work, on which there is no signature of the artist, was purchased by Alexander Pevzner in 2002 for 100 thousand euros. Collector from Germany has invested at his own risk in a canvas-transparent “Christ in the Tomb”, attributed to Karl Bryullov. In order to finally attribute the work, in 2003 Pevzner brought the painting to the Russian Museum for examination (the collector has an explanation that it was the specialists of the Russian Museum who were required to examine it). After the museum confirmed the authenticity of the authorship of Karl Bryullov, the collector was accused of “false declaration” of the painting when importing it into Russia, as a result, the painting was confiscated. Artchive covered this high-profile case in the news (1, 2, 3, 4). “Exhibit evidence” remained in storage at the Russian Museum, and its owner began legal proceedings to recover its property. The case received an international response, and despite the court’s decision, it is not yet clear whether it is definitively overturned.
Sotheby’s got half the money paid for the fake Hulsa.
Sotheby’s was able to regain half of the compensation paid to the buyer of a fake painting by Frans Hals – London investment company Fairlight Art Ventures will pay the auctioneers $5.375 million with interest and other costs. The payments were approved by the Commercial Court, which ruled on December 11, 2019 on equal obligations of Fairlight Art Ventures and Sotheby’s. Recall that we are talking about compensation for the painting allegedly by the brush of Frans Hals, which after the sale at the auction soon announced a fake. Fairlight Art Ventures – the company, which was the co-owner of the painting together with the company Weiss, Mark Weiss Ltd.
Recall that the case of the notorious fake picture of Hulsa – one of the biggest scandals of fairies in today’s high art market. The story began in 2011, when the painting “Portrait of the gentleman”, which, as it was believed, belonged to the Dutch painter Frans Hals, was sold at an auction Sotheby’s for $10.7 million. The deception was revealed only in 2016. The transaction was cancelled, the auctioneers returned the full amount to the buyer, Richard Hedrin. Thorough technical expertise confirmed the presence of modern pigments in the materials.
How are things at “Ivan the Terrible”?
In the Tretyakov Gallery continues restoration work to restore the painting by Ilya Repin “Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581”, better known as “Ivan the Terrible kills his son. We remind our readers: On May 25, 2018 in the State Tretyakov Gallery the visitor broke the glass in the painting. Using a metal fence post, the man damaged the painting itself. For this barbaric act, committed under the fumes of alcohol, Igor Podporin received two and a half years in the general regime colony.
The Tretyakov Gallery, on the other hand, received a difficult work to restore the famous canvas, which was damaged in three places. To date, have already conducted a chemical analysis of the threads of canvas, pigments and soil, the picture was studied in ultraviolet and infrared rays, X-ray. Specialists have compared the techniques and technology to create other paintings of Ilya Repin to select analogies. Especially for this large canvas (picture size 2 m x 2.54 m) created a unique table-transformer, on which it now lies the back side up, fixed magnetically.
The canvas has already been visited several times by Western expert restorers from the Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain and Italy, with whom the Tretyakov Gallery constantly consults. According to Julian Khalturin, head of the department of complex research of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the weak connection between the colorful layer and the base was noted back in 1934, since then the state of the painting is constantly monitored. It is because of this fragility of the painting never left the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery – the exception was the evacuation in 1941, but even then the canvas was not rolled on a shaft, and carried between two shields. For today experts have already removed the duplicate canvas and now solve problems of removal of old glue from an original canvas. The painting is to be duplicated, one of the most difficult processes in restoration. There are funds for restoration – the cost of saving the masterpiece has volunteered to cover “Sberbank”. Restorers are careful in assessing the end of the work, although it was previously reported that the picture will return to the audience in 2020. | https://usaartnews.com/art-market/brullov-hals-malevich-new-twists-and-turns-in-scandalous-affairs |
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ sinks under the weight of its own story
As the latest, and hopefully last, film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Dead Men Tell No Tales attempts to go back to its roots, telling a large story built around a simple premise: family. Considering the lives left upended in the wake of Captain Jack Sparrow’s adventures, co-directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki/Bandidas) use a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (The Terminal) as a clever way to check in with familiar characters, tie-up some loose ends, and say goodbye to this world. Unfortunately, as bold a maneuver as this is, it leaves Dead Men stalled in the water, bloated and cumbersome under the weight of its endeavor.
Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) Walt Disney Pictures
After four plot-packed movies, 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales does indeed have a lot of tale to tell. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), son of Will and Elizabeth from 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl hunts for Jack (Johnny Depp) who can help him find the mythical Trident of Poseidon, which according to prison escapee Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) grants the possessor control over the seven seas and the ability to lift curses. Meanwhile, a crew of ghost Spanish soldiers led by Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), are on the hunt for Jack, who imprisoned them. And Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), original captain of the Black Pearl, then privateer for the British fleet? He wants the trident so he can rule the seas without any additional challengers.
Savvy?
No? Too much to cram into such a short space? Here lies the main problem with Dead Men Tell No Tales. So wrought with clutter is Dead Men that the exposition slows the action to a near-dead stop, treats the juvenile humor as a suitable replacement for storytelling, and has a second yes, there are two) flashback nearly halfway through to provide backstory on Salazar – a character we’ve spent enough time with to not need further exposition. Worst of all, rather than being clever in its exploration of the past, nearly everything the main characters face is some form of regurgitation of the last four films in some bizarre notion that more of these things equals an exotic adventure. Ghost crew? Check. Characters that can’t walk on land? Check. Zombie animals? Check. Magical McGuffin? Check.
Captain Salazar courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
The strongest part of Dead Men is the use of narrative mirroring. From the start, Henry Turner’s journey is presented in an emotionally similar fashion of Will in Black Pearl, as a son seeking redemption for his father’s choices. Doing so establishes a narrative anchor within Dead Men to the Turner/Swann saga, arguably the heart of the original trilogy. By tapping into such a natural connection to the past, it implies stakes that the audiences can care about again. Additionally, by bringing back the Turners, it moves Jack to where he belongs – the sidelines. Sure, Jack Sparrow is fun to watch, mostly because what seems like accidental luck to everyone else is the result of careful planning, but he can’t carry a film on his own. It’s clear from Black Pearl, Jack was never meant to be the center of the story, merely a mechanism for others to get what they needed. He was the perfect foil for Will’s noble hero. Placing Jack, now down on his luck (a result of Barbossa’s meddling), opposite Henry Turner, another noble hero, reestablishes the harmony of the original trilogy. As admirable as all of this is, it’s not enough to make Dead Men as engaging or enthralling.
A definite bright side comes from the casting. Depp doesn’t offer much of anything new here, but it’s clear how well he knows the character. Rush’s take on Barbossa, however, continually becomes a deeper, more complex, more interesting character with each film. Newcomers Thwaites, Scodelario, and Bardem dig into their roles, offering new points of view on characters we thought we knew. Bardem especially deserves credit as he makes Salazar one of the more charismatic foes in the series and steals almost every scene he’s in.
In the end, what made the Pirates series work was the combination of a strong story, interesting characters, and an emotional core that makes the daring action sequences fill with as much wonder as dread. Since the torch was passed from original trilogy director Gore Verbinski, the stories shifted away from this, preferring to highlight Jack’s buffoonery over any semblance of a real gripping tale of horrors and heroes. In Dead Men, if the trident is truly the savior of Jack, capable of granting the possessor the power to lift curses, then perhaps Jack’s final gift will be to use it to save audiences from any future stories. With the Turner Saga over and Jack left to sail away, perhaps we can agree that there are no more stories to tell.
| |
Friday, June 28, 2013
Young artists will showcase art work inspired by traditions of the Columbia River at a traveling exhibit opening Saturday, July 6, at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles.
The “Gifts from Our Ancestors” exhibit will kick off with a public reception at noon, followed by a free art workshop led by artist Jefferson Greene of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
On view will be select examples of student art created in the Gifts from Our Ancestors program, including digital storytelling, ceramic masks, documentary films, books of poetry, multi-media journals, tile mosaics, film costumes and props, watercolor paintings, clay sculptures, collaged story circles, painted wood salmon, and tule weavings.
From noon to 4 p.m., Jefferson Greene will lead a workshop for families to create their own Story Circle and to make a traditional Shaptakai- the Sahaptin name for Indian Suitcase.
As leader of the N'chi Wanapum Canoe Family, Jefferson will also share his stories, songs and experiences of the Canoe Journey, a 315-mile ancestral journey down the Columbia River.
The Discovery Center is located off I-84 at exit 82, 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles.
Gifts from Our Ancestors is a place-based, K-12, arts-education program that features multiple forms of artistic and oral expression practiced by Native Americans along the Columbia River.
This event is open to the public- arrive early to guarantee your place!
Gifts from Our Ancestors is a place-based, K-12, arts-education program that features multiple forms of artistic and oral expression practiced by Native Americans along the Columbia River. The program incorporates shared knowledge and traditional art practices of tribal artists and culture bearers into classrooms. Throughout the 2012-2013 school year, 41 teachers and 1,900 students collaborated with local Native American artists on 15 projects that explored themes of cultural and ecological sustainability of the Columbia River Basin. Artworks on display tell the story of each project, resulting in a permanent gift by the school to its community. With project stipends awarded by the Confluence Project, participating schools engaged in over 80 cultural/artist visits and received $45,000 in direct project support.
Traveling Student Art Exhibit Venues
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center- opens July 6, 2013
Hood River County History Museum- opens August 3, 2013
Maryhill Museum of Art- opens September 7, 2013
Columbia Center for the Arts- opens October 5, 2013
About the Confluence Project
The Confluence Project employs place-based art as the lens through which to explore confluences of culture, environment, and regional heritage of the Columbia River and its tributaries. We are a collaborative effort of Pacific Northwest Tribes, acclaimed artist Maya Lin, and local communities from Oregon and Washington to reclaim public spaces of cultural, physical, and ecological significance to the Columbia River Basin. We do this through public art installations, environmental restoration, and educational programming. Four of the six planned sites featuring art by Maya Lin have been completed. In 2010, these sites served 1.7 million+ visitors at Cape Disappointment (Ilwaco, WA), Vancouver Land Bridge (Vancouver, WA), Sandy River Delta (Troutdale, OR), Sacajawea (Clarkston, WA). Chief Timothy and Celilo Parks will be complete in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
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Neurotrophins (NTs) have recently been found to regulate synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Whole-cell and single-channel recordings from cultured hippocampal neurons revealed a mechanism responsible for enhanced synaptic strength. Specifically, brain-derived neurotrophic factor augmented glutamate-evoked, but not acetylcholine-evoked, currents 3-fold and increased N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor open probability. Activation of trkB NT receptors was critical, as glutamate currents were not affected by nerve growth factor or NT-3, and increased open probability was prevented by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor K-252a. In addition, the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 blocked brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhancement of synaptic transmission, further suggesting that NTs modulate synaptic efficacy via changes in NMDA receptor function.
Members of the neurotrophin (NT) gene family play important roles in a wide range of developmental events (1, 2). In addition to promoting neuronal survival and differentiation, we and others have shown that these factors also acutely modulate the efficacy of synaptic transmission (3–9) and play a role in long-term potentiation (LTP; refs. 10–14). The specific targets of NT modulation in the synapse have not been identified. In the hippocampus, activation of the trkB neurotrophin receptor by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or NT-4 rapidly increases the amplitude of postsynaptic currents (4, 15). This effect can be blocked by postsynaptic injection of protein kinase inhibitors, suggesting that the specific synaptic proteins targeted by neurotrophin signaling include postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors, whose function is modulated by phosphorylation (16–18). In recent studies, we have found that functional trkB receptors are localized to the postsynaptic density (PSD), a synaptic specialization that contains neurotransmitter receptors and second messenger signaling molecules (19). Moreover, we have found that BDNF rapidly and selectively enhances phosphorylation of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor subunits 1 and 2B in isolated hippocampal PSDs (20, 21). In the present report, we investigate neurotrophin modulation of neurotransmitter receptors and identify a mechanism by which BDNF acutely modulates hippocampal synaptic function.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cell Culture.
Hippocampal cultures were grown as described (22). Briefly, hippocampi were obtained from embryonic day 18 Sprague–Dawley rats and cells were plated on poly-d-lysine-coated Petri dishes at a final density of 106 cells/35 mm dish. Cultures were maintained in serum-free medium at 37°C in a 95% air/5% CO2 humidified incubator. These cultures contained virtually pure neurons, as judged by neuron-specific enolase immunocytochemistry.
Electrophysiological Recordings.
Voltage clamp recordings were obtained from pyramidal-type cells after 12–16 days in vitro using standard techniques (23). Cells were recorded in voltage clamp mode and held at a resting potential of −40 mV to reduce Mg2+ blockade of NMDA receptors. The external bath solution contained 1.67 mM of Ca, 1 mM of Mg, 5.36 mM of K, 137 mM of Na, 17 mM of glucose, 10 mM of Hepes, 0.001 mM of tetrodotoxin, and 50 mM of sucrose. The pipette solution contained 105 mM of Cs-methanesulfonate, 17.5 mM of Cs-Cl, 10 mM of Hepes-CsOH, 0.2 mM of EGTA, 8 mM of NaCl, 2 mM of Mg-ATP, 2 mM of Na-ATP, 0.3 mM of Na-GTP, 20 mM of phosphocreatinine, and 50 units/ml creatinine phosphokinase. Signals were recorded with an Axopatch 200 amplifier (Axon Instruments), sampled at 2.5 kHz (INDEC IDA15125 interface) and filtered at 5 kHz. Three-barrel micropipettes were used for iontophoretic application of drugs. One barrel, filled with 0.1 M of NaCl, was used for current balancing. Other barrels were filled with either l-glutamate (0.2 M, pH 7.5), acetylcholine-HCl (1.0 M, pH 3.5), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA; 0.02 M, pH 8.0), NMDA (0.1 M, pH 8.0), or saline control. Iontophoretic pulses were applied at 10-s intervals with an ejection time sufficient to achieve stable and consistent responses (typically 10 ms). Data were analyzed by measuring the peak current amplitude for each iontophoretic pulse during the baseline and test periods. Neurotrophins were applied via a microperfusion system. Student’s t test was used for statistical comparisons unless otherwise noted.
Whole-cell recordings of synaptic activity were performed as described above, with the exception of tetrodotoxin, which was omitted from the bath solution. Under these conditions, the majority of synaptic currents reversed between −10 and 0 mV, indicating that they were excitatory; inhibitory currents (presumably chloride-mediated) reversed between −40 and −50 mV. For some recordings, a pipette solution containing 112 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM CaCl2, 11 mM EGTA, 10 mM Hepes, and 2 mM ATP was used. The holding potential used in these experiments allowed us to select for effects on excitatory currents. Data were analyzed by integrating the synaptic current for each sweep during the baseline and test periods and converting these values to synaptic charge. The charge measurements for all the sweeps in a particular period were averaged and the percent baseline increases for the individual experiments were calculated by dividing the average synaptic charge during the test period by the average synaptic charge from the baseline period.
For cell-attached single-channel recordings, NMDA (10 μM) and glycine (3 μM) were added to a standard pipette solution (10 mM Cs-methanesulfonate/110 mM Na2SO4/25 mM Hepes/33 mM glucose/1.3 mM CaCl2). Cells were placed in an isotonic potassium solution (140 mM potassium gluconate/10 mM Hepes/5 mM EGTA) to set the intracellular potential to ≈0 mV. For recording NMDA activity under steady-state conditions, BDNF (20 ng/ml) was present in both extracellular and pipette solutions. Signals were digitized at 5 kHz and filtered at 1 kHz. The intersweep interval was 2 s. Patches typically contained 1–3 channels as judged by the presence of overlapping openings, and all data were normalized for the number of channels in the patch. Open times and number of openings were obtained from sweeps with nonoverlapping openings by idealization with the half-amplitude crossing criterion and cubic spline interpolation (24). Three multichannel recordings were excluded from this analysis because of a lack of suitable sweeps. Open probability (Po)was measured by dividing open time by total time per sweep. All sweeps, including nulls, were included in the calculation of average Po. NMDA receptor activity was isolated by using a Mg2+-free pipette solution that allowed us to use a holding potential (−80 mV) that was well below the threshold of voltage-gated K+, Na+, and Ca2+ channels. NMDA receptor channel identity was further confirmed by sensitivity to ketamine (50 μM) as well as conductance and reversal potential measurements that were identical to those reported by other laboratories (25, 26).
RESULTS
To assess the effects of BDNF and related NTs on postsynaptic transmitter receptors in hippocampal neurons, whole-cell patch clamp recordings were combined with iontophoretic drug application. The sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (1 μM) was present in the bath solution throughout these experiments to eliminate action potential-dependent synaptic currents. The amplitude of the glutamate-evoked current was markedly increased by bath application of 20 ng/ml BDNF (Fig. 1A). Enhanced glutamate responses were observed within minutes of exposure to BDNF, with peak increases occurring after 20–25 min (Fig. 1B). Overall, glutamate-evoked responses were increased almost 3-fold after 20 min of BDNF exposure (control response = 55.5 ± 10.4 pA, response during BDNF = 143.7 ± 29.2 pA; mean ± SEM; n = 7 cells; Fig. 1E). BDNF modulation of glutamate sensitivity was selective, because responses to another excitatory transmitter, acetylcholine, were not affected by BDNF exposure (control response = 24.2 ± 5.8 pA, response during BDNF = 23.8 ± 7.3 pA, n = 4; Fig. 1 B and E). In addition, there was no change in glutamate-evoked currents over a similar time interval during application of either heat-inactivated BDNF or the related neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) or NT-3 (see Fig. 3).
We next examined responses to specific glutamate receptor agonists to define the receptor subtype(s) affected by BDNF. In particular, we evaluated the NMDA- and AMPA-mediated components of the glutamate-induced current. Specificity of the agonists for their respective receptor subtypes was assessed by using selective antagonists. The non-NMDA antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (10 μM) completely blocked responses to iontophoretically-applied AMPA, while having no effect on NMDA-induced currents; the converse was true of the NMDA receptor antagonist AP-V (100 μM; data not shown). BDNF dramatically enhanced responses to iontophoretically-applied NMDA (control response = 20.6 ± 3.1 pA, response during BDNF = 72.1 ± 22.9 pA; n = 7 cells), but not AMPA (control response = 43.5 ± 24.0 pA, response during BDNF = 43.7 ± 27.1 pA; n = 5), indicating that NMDA receptor responses were selectively modulated by BDNF (Fig. 1 C–E). Heat-inactivated BDNF, used as a control, had no effect on glutamate responses at any time point (n = 3; see Fig. 3C).
We determined that the effect on the NMDA current resulted at least in part from enhanced activity of individual channels (Fig. 2). Using cell-attached single-channel recordings, acute application of BDNF in the bath solution rapidly increased single-channel Po (Fig. 2 A–C). This effect was mediated by trk receptor activation, and not by direct effects of BDNF on the NMDA receptor itself (27), because the trk tyrosine kinase inhibitor K-252a (200 nM) completely blocked the effect of BDNF on NMDA channel activity (Fig. 2C). To examine steady-state effects, we recorded single-channel activity in control cells and cells pretreated for 15 min with BDNF. Consistent with the within-patch experiments, BDNF-treated cells had a significantly higher NMDA receptor Po compared with controls (0.048 ± 0.006, n = 12, vs. 0.027 ± 0.004, n = 9; P < 0.05). Analysis of current-voltage relationships revealed no change in unitary conductance (53.6 ± 0.002 pS, n = 12, vs. 53.5 ± 0.001 pS, n = 9; P > 0.9; Fig. 2D). To isolate the kinetic parameters responsible for the increased Po, we idealized traces, summed data from all recordings, and measured the average number of openings and mean dwell times in the open state. The open time histograms for control and BDNF-treated cells are shown in Fig. 2 F and G, with the dashed lines representing individual components and the solid line representing the sum. These distributions were not significantly different (P > 0.1, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test). There was, however, a significant increase in channel opening frequency (mean baseline frequency = 2.94 ± 0.57 openings/s, n = 8; frequency for BDNF-treated cells = 5.29 ± 0.64 openings/s, n = 10; Fig. 2E), suggesting that enhanced entry into the open state accounts for BDNF’s effect on Po. These data do not rule out, however, potential BDNF-induced changes in the number of active receptors as well.
We have previously shown that the frequency and amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic currents in cultured hippocampal neurons are potentiated by the trkB ligands, BDNF and neurotrophin-4, but not by ligands for other neurotrophin receptors. To determine whether the increased glutamate responsiveness showed a similar specificity, we examined the related neurotrophins NGF and NT-3, which primarily interact with trkA and trkC receptors, respectively. Exposure to NT-3 (20 ng/ml, n = 11 cells), NGF (100 ng/ml; n = 10), or heat-inactivated BDNF (n = 3) had no significant effect (see Fig. 3 A–C for example traces and group data), indicating that BDNF-induced enhancement of glutamate responses is likely to be dependent on trkB receptor activation.
To address the role of increased NMDA responsiveness in BDNF-enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission, we used the specific NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. BDNF alone increased synaptic charge ≈2-fold after 20 min of exposure (mean change from baseline = 182.3 ± 14.7%; n = 11; Fig. 3 D and E). Pretreatment with MK-801 (10 μM), which caused a small but nonsignificant reduction in baseline synaptic activity (mean change from baseline = 87.4 ± 12.3%; n = 7), completely prevented the BDNF-induced enhancement of synaptic efficacy (Fig. 3 D and E).
DISCUSSION
In the present studies, exposure to BDNF, but not NGF or NT-3, increased responsiveness of hippocampal neurons to iontophoretically-applied glutamate. BDNF selectively potentiated the NMDA, but not the AMPA, component of the glutamate response, and had no effect on acetylcholine responses. Single-channel recordings revealed alterations in NMDA channel Po and number of openings, without changes in conductance or mean open time. In addition, the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 prevented the BDNF-induced increase in synaptic activity.
Several lines of evidence suggest a role for BDNF in activity-dependent synaptic modifications. For example, tetanizing stimuli that induce long-term potentiation (LTP) increase BDNF mRNA levels (28, 29), and BDNF in turn enhances hippocampal and cortical LTP (10–12). In addition, LTP is impaired in mice with a targeted deletion of the BDNF gene, and can be restored by acute exposure to BDNF (13, 14, 30). Furthermore, BDNF increases tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2B subunits of NMDA receptors in the PSD (21), paralleling the effects of LTP induction (31, 32). Neurotrophins may also play a role in the activity-dependent formation of neuronal circuitry. For example, during development of the visual system, axons from the lateral geniculate nucleus become segregated into eye-specific patches (ocular dominance columns) within their target in the primary visual cortex. This reorganization results from synaptic competition between axons representing the two eyes. The formation of ocular dominance columns is blocked by infusion of BDNF or NT-4, and is also blocked by trkB “receptor bodies” that prevent trkB activation (33, 34).
Our results suggest that in the hippocampus, BDNF may be an endogenous ligand that regulates NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity. In previous biochemical studies, we found that BDNF increases phosphorylation of the NR1 and NR2B subunits of the NMDA receptor in the isolated PSD. In the present report, we demonstrate that BDNF, acting through the trkB receptor, elicits phosphorylation-dependent enhancement of the functional activity of NMDA channels. It is also known that phosphorylation of NMDA receptors by the tyrosine kinase, src, modulates NMDA channel activity (35), in a manner similar to BDNF. Additionally, a recent study demonstrates that BDNF enhances calcium influx via the NMDA receptor (36). We propose a tentative model in which BDNF stimulates trkB in the PSD, activating a cascade that enhances hippocampal synaptic transmission at least in part by increasing NMDA receptor channel Po.
Acknowledgments
We thank Cephalon, Inc. for the BDNF. We also thank Drs. Robin Davis and Sidney Auerbach for helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (HD23315 and NS34061) and the Busch Memorial Fund.
Footnotes
-
↵† To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Department of Pharmacology, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030.
ABBREVIATIONS
- AMPA,
- α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid;
- NMDA,
- N-methyl-d-aspartic acid;
- BDNF,
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor;
- PSD,
- postsynaptic density;
- NGF,
- nerve growth factor;
- NT,
- neurotrophin, Po, open probability;
- LTP,
- long-term potentiation
- Received March 31, 1998.
- Accepted June 29, 1998.
- Copyright © 1998, The National Academy of Sciences
References
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- Keil G J, II, | https://www.pnas.org/content/95/17/10235?ijkey=b89f2e4505686bed557686d605d77a16f49de0ef&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha |
This thesis hypothesizes that shared democratic values and institutional constraints, proposed as explanations by Democratic Peace Theory (DPT), should in theory prevent small powers from engaging in physical conflict. However, because these democracies are small and developing, these constraints may not influence outcomes in the same way as they do in larger and more developed powers. To test this hypothesis, a dyadic case study was conducted of the relationship between Turkey and Israel. Specific focus was given to two related events, both of which could have resulted in a physical conflict between the two countries: the May 2010 Flotilla incident and the release of the United Nations Palmer Report. The study concluded that DPT can be said to have limited applicability to small democratic powers, as issues such as balance of power, self-interest and country size appear to play a larger role in determining outcomes even when two states share some democratic norms.
Recommended Citation
Lattin, Robert, "Does Democratic Peace Theory Apply to Small Powers? A Case Study of Turkey and Israel" (2012). CUNY Academic Works. | https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/100/ |
Matrix March keeps on scrolling with The Animatrix, an anthology that once bridged the gap between big-screen sequels, and today stands as one of the most unique and ambitious tie-ins of a major Hollywood production. The nine segments featured present an up close and personal view of a technology-fueled dystopia, and offer plenty more philosophical questions for us to debate.
Andrew McNally returns as we shift our focus from massive Australian soundstages to Japanese animation studios and American effects houses. The archives of Zion are open and waiting to be explored. A new world awaits you...
The Animatrix (2003)
Segments directed by Peter Chung, Andrew R. Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Koji Morimoto, and Shinichiro Watanabe
Segments written by Peter Chung, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Koji Morimoto, Shinichiro Watanabe, and the Wachowskis
Starring Kevin Michael Richardson, Pamela Adlon, Hedy Burress, Phil LaMarr, Victor Williams, James Arnold Taylor, John DiMaggio, Melinda Clarke, Clayton Watson, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Keanu Reeves
Follow the white rabbit to our Matrix content: | http://www.whatwerewewatching.com/2019/03/episode-139-animatrix.html |
Grapes, harvested by hand, are destalked and soft-pressed. The must is fermented at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks 28-30° degrees C. (82-86° F.). The skins are macerated for 8 days, depending on the vintage, with racking of the wine when fermentation has been completed. The next malolactic fermentation ends within December.
A certain amount of these Barolo Crus, each vinified and aged separately, are combined in a traditional Slavonian oak cask and allowed to mature for an additional 12 months in bottle before being released onto the market. Each year, therefore, the winemaker has the opportunity to choose the amount of each individual cru to be used for the blend so as to achieve the best “Cuvèe” according to the characteristics of the individual vineyards and the climatic conditions of the vintage. The Barolo of the Commune of Barolo reaches its maturity 6 years after the harvest while its plateau of maturation typically takes place somewhere between 6 and 30 years.
Bottle Size: 750ml
Vintages may vary by location; we will ship the most current vintage in stock. | https://alky.co.uk/products/marchesi-di-barolo-del-comune-di-barolo-2010 |
Typical lizard locomotion is quadrupedal, however, bipedalism is a behavior exhibited by over 50 species of lizards. During bipedal locomotion, the forelimbs leave the ground and the trunk of the lizard is elevated. Only the hindlimbs power movement. There seems to be no speed or cost advantage to bipedal locomotion over quadrupedal locomotion, which makes this behavior even more fascinating.
One of the lizards known for this behavior, Basiliscus basiliscus is more commonly known as the Jesus Christ Lizard because it exhibits bipedal locomotion through water. These lizards live in tropical areas near water from Mexico to northern South America and are mostly arboreal and very agile. Bipedal motion through water is used as an escape mechanism.
The video demonstrates the mechanics of this movement. The hindlimbs arc laterally with each step, the spine undulates laterally to maintain balance, and the pelvis is rotated to increase stride length.
Bipedalism is employed by a wide variety of lizards and can manifest differently for each species. This site provides general information about the mechanics, ontogeny, phylogeny, and adaptation of bipedalism using specific examples to illustrate each concept. | https://www.reed.edu/biology/professors/srenn/pages/teaching/web_2006/JAMPbipedalLizards/index.html |
An experienced professional with a background in strategy consulting, private equity and investment banking, targeting investment opportunities in growth stage companies in Europe.
Strong expertise and particular interest in digital, mobile and social media, content marketing, e-commerce, marketplaces, SaaS, B2B platforms, optimisation processes and technology across the hospitality, food and retail sectors.
Excellent interpersonal, analytical and organizational skills. | https://metroaccelerator.com/mentors/sabine-flechet/ |
PlantPredict uses the Okta OpenID Connect & OAuth 2.0 API for administering and managing access tokens. If you are a first time user of the PlantPredict API, you need a set of client credentials (username, password, client ID, and client secret).
Step 1: Generate/receive client credentials.¶
“I have never used PlantPredict and need an account”.¶
Email [email protected] and request a PlantPredict account. Provide some information about yourself and your organization. Mention that you are interested in using the PlantPredict API via the Python SDK. Once you have an account, refer to the two options below for generating client credentials.
“I have a PlantPredict account and am the company administrator.”¶
If you are the only person with a PlantPredict account in your organization/company, or the first person to have an account, you are likely the company admin. If you are a company admin, you will have a gear icon next to your name on the very bottom-left of the page when you log in on a web browser.
Click the gear icon. On the next page, search for the name of the person you would like to generate client credentials for, and click on their name.
Click on “Generate API Credentials” on the top right of the next page.
Copy each credential to your clipboard to be stored securely (step 2).
“I have a PlantPredict account but am not the company administrator.”¶
Contact the person in your organization who is the company admin, and provide to them a link to this page.
Step 2: Store your API credentials securely.¶
Step 3: Authenticate and receive a token.¶
At the beginning of any script/Python session, execute the following code to authenticate with the PlantPredict servers
to generate an access token, which is stored on an
Api object.
import plantpredict api = plantpredict.Api( username="INSERT USERNAME FROM API CREDENTIALS", password="INSERT PASSWORD FROM API CREDENTIALS", client_id="INSERT CLIENT_ID FROM API CREDENTIALS", client_secret="INSERT CLIENT_SECRET FROM API CREDENTIALS" )
The
Api object is then used to instantiate other PlantPredict entities (see
Example Usage).
Warning
The access token will expire after 1 hour. If your script requires more than one hour to complete, the SDK will automatically generate a new token using a refresh token. | https://plantpredict-python.readthedocs.io/en/releases-0.9.4/authentication_oauth2.html |
3/15 Natural Pairs
Today we explored animals and plants that help each other to survive. One local example are the monarch and the milkweed. Monarchs only lay their eggs on milkweed plants, in return, monarch pollinate the milkweeds. These relationships are called symbiotic relationships, but we like to think of it as nature teamwork. We also heard from a classmate who explained that clownfish and anemones are two animals that also work together. We looked at pictures of these creatures.
Our story, Monarch and Milkweed, took us through the lifecycle of both the monarchs and milkweeds and we learned how their lives are connected. We designed our own butterflies and flowers to take home.
Outside in the blowing snow we pretended a snowstorm was approaching and we were animals preparing for the storm. We collected dried grasses to eat and took shelter under a cozy pine tree. We also used the remains of our snow mountain to create pride rock and transformed into hyenas and lions.
Inside we played in sensory baking soda sand and made cakes, pies, and even cherry tarts! This was a great way for us to practice waiting our turn and asking friends nicely for cooking utensils. | https://natureiscalling.org/315-natural-pairs/ |
What is the primary objective of this study?
Effective treatment of pain after hip fractures is very important but difficult. It is often an old patient who has many adverse effects with the use of morphine. This is a randomized pilot study where the investigators want to compare Norspan plaster to Oxycontin tablets to patients with particular kind of hip fractures. The investigators will evaluate mobilization, pain, use of rescue medicine, adverse effects and length of stay. No clinical study about the effect of Norspan as acute painkiller has never been done before. Can the investigators get the patients mobilized earlier with less adverse effects?
Who is eligible to participate?
Inclusion Criteria: - Males and females age 18 years or more - X-ray confirming basicervical, pertrochanteric or subtrochanteric femur fracture and planning operation with DHS or PFN. - Subjects must have 7 or more points in the Hindsøes test. Exclusion Criteria: - Subjects where spinal anaesthesia cannot be applied. - Subject in Plavix® treatment seven days before admission to the hospital. - Subjects with extracapsular hip fracture due to bone metastasis. - Subjects with a BMI over 30. - Subjects under 45 kg. - Subjects who are currently taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or have taken MAOIs within 2 weeks prior admission to the hospital. - Substance or alcohol abuse, or subjects who, in the opinion of the investigator have demonstrated addictive or substance abuse behavior. - Untreated depression or other psychiatric disorder in such a way that participation in the study may in the opinion of the investigator pos an unacceptable risk to the subject. - Dermatological disorder at any relevant patch application site. - Any contraindications listed in the Summary of Product Characteristics for Norspan®, OxyNorm® and OxyContin®. - Patient does not tolerate oxynorm. - User of wheelchair. - Daily use of morphine before hospitalization. - More than one fracture. Patients with myasthenia gravis. Patients with severe respiratory function. Patients know need re-operation women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test and be non-lactating
Which medical condition, disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury is researched?
Pain, Postoperative
Study Interventions
Interventions can include giving participants drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available or noninvasive approaches such as surveys, education, and interviews.
Drug:BuprenorphineStart: Day 0 (T=0), 10 micrograms/t until the day of discharge from the Hospital. New plaster at T= 7 days.
Drug:OxycodoneStart: 10 hours (+/- 2 hours) after the operation. Dosage: 10 mg * 2 pr. day until time to discharge from the Hospital or latest at day 12.
Study Arms
Research studies and clinical trials typically have two or more research arms. An arm is a group of people who receive the same treatment in the study.
BuprenorphineDouble dummy; Group A: Active Buprenorphine and placebo oxycodone
OxycodoneDouble Dummy: Group B: Placebo Buprenorphine and Active Oxycodone
Study Status
Completed
Start Date: September 2009
Completed Date: August 2013
Phase: Phase 4
Type: Interventional
Design:
Primary Outcome: Mobilization measured daily using Cumulated Ambulation Score. | http://patientsville.com/study.htm?q=oxycodone&id=NCT00964808&rank=12 |
MECHVAC have designed, manufactured and installed an air conditioning system for the Orora Glass Bottling Plant at Gawler SA. This factory manufactures 1.5 million bottles per day. This system is for cooling 15,000 m2 of factory space and consists of 15 air conditioning units with supply air distribution ductwork to reach into the middle of the factory.
This project is a design and construct contract which is currently in progress with stage 1 works completed in July 2015. Stage 2 works are anticipated to commence in 2016.
Customer Benefits and Project Outcomes
- Airconditioning plant for operator comfort for relief in summer conditions with nearby glass furnaces. | https://mechvac.com.au/case-studies/ventilation/ |
Nahimah Ajikanle Nurudeen
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Borno state Ministry of Health are scaling-up Hard-to-Reach programme (HTR) with training of 36 health workers as part of teams to serve people in prioritized difficult to access areas in six local government areas (LGAs) in Borno State.
According to a statement on WHO website, Permanent Secretary, Borno State Ministry of Health (SMoH), Dr. Abubakar Hassan said the 36 trained health workers will constitute six HTR teams and be deployed to Dikwa, Mafa, Kukawa, Gwoza, Mongunu and Ngala LGAs to provide primary care outreach services to 748,991 population in need (PiN) and 289,612 children under five years of age.
Hassan posited that, “In a state faced with internal conflict and where access to internally displaced persons’(IDPs) and host communities is limited, ensuring that people have life-saving health services can be challenging.”
He noted that the programme “will boost basic health service delivery for the communities in the face of shortage of health workers, most of whom fled for safety during the heat of crisis while others were either abducted or killed”, Dr Hassan added.
The teams will be deployed to provide primary health care minimum service package that includes: routine immunization, deworming, vitamin A supplementation, nutrition screening and management of malnourished children, antenatal services and counselling for pregnant and nursing mothers on breastfeeding, care of sick children and key hygiene household practices, as well as treatment for minor illnesses and providing assistance for home-based delivery. The services will boost existing services currently provided by the HTR teams.
WHO country office in Nigeria is supporting the Federal Ministry Health to address issues of health inequities in underserved, recently liberated communities of Borno where polio immunity is low and health needs high”, Dr Rex Mpazanje, the acting WHO Country Representative observed.
He explained further that “though access for HTR teams is difficult and risky, the continued cooperation between the state ministry of health with the Civilian Joint Taskforce, the military, local communities, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies has made it possible to deliver essential health services to populations that are not reachable through fixed health services delivery points,”
Furthermore, Dr Mpazanje added, “the biggest challenge that WHO and other partners face in supporting the SMoH to deliver life-saving health services throughout the state is that of insecurity but the organization and partners remain keen on ensuring that all people in north-eastern Nigeria are reached with basic integrated health services including vaccination.”
HTR teams comprise six health workers trained to deliver outreach basic primary health care services to populations living in difficult to access areas or among the underserved populations. WHO has until now been supporting 18 HTR teams to provide outreach health services to internally displaced or host populations’ hard-to-reach locations five times per week. With this training, the number of HTR teams supported by WHO will now increase to 24.
The HTR programme owes its success to strong commitment by the government of Borno state, and the strong partnership in existence with other health partners. The expansion of the project is in sync with objectives of WHO’s polio and humanitarian programmes of increasing vaccination coverage and saving lives in an acute humanitarian health emergency.
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Tell us how we can improve this post? | https://apnewsng.com/primary-healthcare-borno-govt-train-36-health-workers-boost-access-difficult-areas/ |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala is an annual fundraiser where high fashion royalty come together in their most astonishing pieces alongside their muses.
The theme of the 2015 Met Gala was China: Looking Through the Glass. Skin, Embellishments and Extravagance is what most celebrities gave us this year and we LOVED every second of it. Check out Fluff's stand out red carpet looks! | https://fluff.indiquehair.com/magazine/metgala2015 |
intro to theory distributions 2edDownload Book Intro To Theory Distributions 2ed in PDF format. You can Read Online Intro To Theory Distributions 2ed here in PDF, EPUB, Mobi or Docx formats.
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The theory of distributions is an extension of classical analysis which has acquired a particular importance in the field of linear partial differential equations, as well as having many other applications, for example in harmonic analysis. Underlying it is the theory of topological vector spaces, but it is possible to give a systematic presentation without presupposing a knowledge, or using more than a bare minimum, of this. This book, first published in 1999, adopts this course and is based on graduate lectures given over a number of years. The prerequisites are few, but a reasonable degree of mathematical maturity is expected of the reader, as the treatment is rigorous throughout. From the outset the theory is developed in several variables, unlike most elementary texts; it is taken as far as such important topics as Schwartz kernels, the Paley-Wiener-Schwartz theorem and Sobolev spaces.
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Heavy-tailed probability distributions are an important component in the modeling of many stochastic systems. They are frequently used to accurately model inputs and outputs of computer and data networks and service facilities such as call centers. They are an essential for describing risk processes in finance and also for insurance premia pricing, and such distributions occur naturally in models of epidemiological spread. The class includes distributions with power law tails such as the Pareto, as well as the lognormal and certain Weibull distributions. One of the highlights of this new edition is that it includes problems at the end of each chapter. Chapter 5 is also updated to include interesting applications to queueing theory, risk, and branching processes. New results are presented in a simple, coherent and systematic way. Graduate students as well as modelers in the fields of finance, insurance, network science and environmental studies will find this book to be an essential reference.
Probability Based Structural Fire LoadAuthor : Leo Razdolsky
ISBN : 9781107038745
Genre : Mathematics
File Size : 46. 99 MB
Format : PDF, ePub
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This book introduces the subject of probabilistic analysis to engineers and can be used as a reference in applying this technology.
An Introduction To The Theory Of ProbabilityAuthor : Parimal Mukhopadhyay
ISBN : 9789814313421
Genre : Mathematics
File Size : 54. 54 MB
Format : PDF, Mobi
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The Theory of Probability is a major tool that can be used to explain and understand the various phenomena in different natural, physical and social sciences. This book provides a systematic exposition of the theory in a setting which contains a balanced mixture of the classical approach and the modern day axiomatic approach. After reviewing the basis of the theory, the book considers univariate distributions, bivariate normal distribution, multinomial distribution and convergence of random variables. Difficult ideas have been explained lucidly and have been augmented with explanatory notes, examples and exercises. The basic requirement for reading this book is simply a knowledge of mathematics at graduate level. This book tries to explain the difficult ideas in the axiomatic approach to the theory of probability in a clear and comprehensible manner. It includes several unusual distributions including the power series distribution that have been covered in great detail. Readers will find many worked-out examples and exercises with hints, which will make the book easily readable and engaging. The author is a former Professor of the Indian Statistical Institute, India.
A First Look At Rigorous Probability TheoryAuthor : Jeffrey S Rosenthal
ISBN : 9789813101654
Genre : Mathematics
File Size : 60. 4 MB
Format : PDF, ePub, Docs
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Solutions Manual for Free Download This textbook is an introduction to probability theory using measure theory. It is designed for graduate students in a variety of fields (mathematics, statistics, economics, management, finance, computer science, and engineering) who require a working knowledge of probability theory that is mathematically precise, but without excessive technicalities. The text provides complete proofs of all the essential introductory results. Nevertheless, the treatment is focused and accessible, with the measure theory and mathematical details presented in terms of intuitive probabilistic concepts, rather than as separate, imposing subjects. In this new edition, many exercises and small additional topics have been added and existing ones expanded. The text strikes an appropriate balance, rigorously developing probability theory while avoiding unnecessary detail.
An Introduction To Probability And Mathematical StatisticsAuthor : Howard G. Tucker
ISBN : 9781483225142
Genre : Mathematics
File Size : 82. 66 MB
Format : PDF, ePub
Download : 350
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An Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics provides information pertinent to the fundamental aspects of probability and mathematical statistics. This book covers a variety of topics, including random variables, probability distributions, discrete distributions, and point estimation. Organized into 13 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the definition of function. This text then examines the notion of conditional or relative probability. Other chapters consider Cochran's theorem, which is of extreme importance in that part of statistical inference known as analysis of variance. This book discusses as well the fundamental principles of testing statistical hypotheses by providing the reader with an idea of the basic problem and its relation to practice. The final chapter deals with the problem of estimation and the Neyman theory of confidence intervals. This book is a valuable resource for undergraduate university students who are majoring in mathematics. Students who are majoring in physics and who are inclined toward abstract mathematics will also find this book useful. | http://www.nwcbooks.com/download/intro-to-theory-distributions-2ed/ |
Much has been written about how best to establish a project management office (PMO). There are many elements to take into account, and this article seeks only to provide what we believe are a few “pointers” to consider.
For purposes of this article, we’ll assume that we are in a situation in which we (or you) work for an organisation with no existing type of PMO. It is important to fully understand the ‘driver’ for introducing a ‘PMO’ of any type.
See How to create a clear project plan.
Before embarking on a plan to introduce a PMO, you may have discussions with key stakeholders, perhaps conduct a survey, and/or hire an organisational development consultant to conduct an independent assessment. The bottom line is similar to the way a talent agent spots a future star performer or a coach, the next top-rated athlete.
In addition to talent and ability, the organisation needs to have the drive to introduce the type of PMO that you feel will provide the greatest benefit. If, after reviewing the proposal, you feel that key stakeholder support and/or your capacity to introduce a PMO is not yet in place, it is better to stop and continue to focus on managing programs and projects well.
Don’t see the inability to implement a PMO as a failure of any kind — different organisations have different needs. On the contrary; one sign of a good leader is recognising when an organisation is ready or not ready to change in some way. Also remember that although many organisations have some form of strong governance in place, they do not consider or call it a PMO (it is fair to say that the term PMO is, for the most part, confined to IT organisations or departments).
Taking all of this into account, if you’re certain that introducing a PMO into your organisation is a worthy objective (and have the right stakeholder backing), the rest of this article may be of interest for you.
If you do an online search on PMO’s and project governance, it will return thousands of hits. There is a large amount of extremely useful advice available, both free and from specialists who charge for their time. In writing this article, it is not our intention to repeat information already available; rather, we are providing some insight into what’s worked and not worked for us when initiating and managing PMOs.
Step 1: Prepare yourself — The road ahead will not be easy. The individual charged with leading the introduction of the PMO will need to be well-rested, and able to focus a large percentage, if not all, of their time on the task of establishing a PMO. Let’s assume you are the person being asked to set up a PMO. Consider taking a vacation; charge your batteries for the task ahead. If you are in the middle of a course of study (such as obtaining a credential or a degree), you might want to finish before starting this task. If you are involved in volunteer activities that consume a lot of your free time, you might want to consider taking a hiatus or excusing yourself from the most time consuming responsibilities (painful as it may be). Can you do all that? — Good; you’re ready to start.
Step 2: Understanding which type of PMO you need — We mentioned earlier that there are different types of PMO. A Project Management Office usually exists to control governance on projects, and to ensure that projects are being set up with the appropriate criteria. Program Management Offices usually have a particular goal in mind, e.g., to deliver a program of work adhering to governance standards. At an enterprise level, an enterprise PMO usually represents a portfolio of work and can, in itself, be provided with reports from divisional Project Management Offices and Program Management Offices. Companies usually start with the foundation-level Project Management Office. Maturity Models are available from several organisations to help you gauge your need.
Step 3: Take an “It’s a project in itself” approach — Make alliances early and draw up a communications plan; have formal and informal conversations with key stakeholders (and know what kind of influence they all have), gather preliminary data and all information you need to completely fill out a project charter, just as you would for any other project. Ensure you have a robust business case and plan. You must have the mindset that establishing a PMO is a project in itself and your time is required to manage it. Does this include you personally taking on the full-time position as PMO manager? That would depend on whether you are the appointed person for the role.
The success criteria for justifying the PMO must be defined and understood by you and your key stakeholders. Don’t forget to communicate that the ‘end’ state for the PMO to be “part of the way we do things” will be a while away — perhaps at least a year and more likely two years to fully embed. Several factors need to be considered, but the bottom line is: What is the priority or importance of the PMO to management, and how quickly can your organisation implement the change?
Generally, organisational change transitions can either be quick and painful, or slow and relatively painless. Management buy-in is fundamental to success. Both approaches to the speed of change (fast or slow) have pros and cons; we have seen that taking an aggressive approach and ‘pushing hard’ can reap rewards, but requires a strong commitment to succeed. As the saying goes, there’s a thin line between love and hate; the same can be true about organisational change such as creating a PMO.
Step 4: Obtain buy-in for the long term — After completing your project charter, having peer-level reviews, and gaining the necessary support and alliances to make it a success, step back and take a good look at the approach and the desired end result. Depending on the size of your organisation, is your launch strategy acceptable? For example, are you proposing a new level of central control or a phased approach of having several ‘federated’ PMOs that manage their business to a common, accepted level of process? The latter would involve having a few simple, comparable and easily cumulative metrics versus trying to get everyone to follow the required changes for a centralised PMO.
Whatever your plan, be sure that the C-level executives agree to it for the long term. We suggest that you are conservative in your proposed results and set realistic goals, timelines, savings, productivity improvements, etc. The implementation of a PMO is often a major change effort, so it is best to have realistic expectations and support your assumptions with a calculated degree of confidence.
Articles on PMO’s often refer to the establishment of short-term and long-term goals. This can be a great strategy as long as the focus on the short-term results does not obscure the long-term results and change. If you take this approach, be certain that you clearly communicate both expected outcomes, results and the timeframe of all milestones along the way. Remember, the long-term results are the measure of your real success.
Step 5: Achieve, document, and communicate early wins — Look for, achieve and communicate ‘early wins’ as the PMO starts to make changes, even if they’re miniscule. Any positive changes in project execution or unsolicited positive feedback should be documented and sent as a ‘news flash’ to your team, management, and stakeholders. Don’t oversell; you will also have negatives that, in fairness, you’ll also need to communicate (have no doubt; if you don’t, someone else will) so that progress as a whole can be accessed.
Step 6: Stay positive through the ‘lull’ period — As with most projects and project teams, there may be initial enthusiasm but, as the ‘newness’ wears off and the work really starts to make an impact, there can be a drop in morale and ‘esprit de corps’. If you spot this lull, keep up the positive vibe. Make no mistake; setting up a PMO can be a big challenge to implement. The period most likely to require attention is during the lull period between the times during which you’ve completed, documented, and communicated your early wins or short-term goals, and the commencement of achieving the long-term objectives for your PMO. It is then that the changes proposed, approved, and implemented will make a strategic impact on the prior routines, and your customers (including the PM’s in the PMO and those they support) will start to react to the impact of the change agents.
Step 7: Know when to declare ‘success’ — Okay. Hopefully, after all your efforts and successes, the PMO is, for all intents and purposes, working. You have documented processes, common metrics, basic standards, common tools, a central repository, training packages, and are seeing visible improvements, such as greater accuracy of project estimates, there’s more predictability about project schedules and budget outcomes, project phases are being reviewed as part of governance, lessons are being shared and learnt, and your manager and stakeholders are pleased with the progress.
As they say, it’s an 80/20 rule and you’re 80 per cent there now. Keep in mind that the final 20 per cent of the work to optimise your PMO could take as much effort as the first 80 per cent. This is the time that you need to look at benefits versus value and the effort to achieve that final 20 per cent. Is it worth it to continue driving to the final improvements, or is it time to declare success and let quality reach its ideal level over time?
This is not an easy decision: it’s time to scan the environment in which the PMO operates, make a decision and provide recommendations for the next steps. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with taking a six-month pause, monitoring the results, and then proposing a ‘phase 2’ of PMO activities. Assuming that you are successful and always focus on your key stakeholders, the backing and momentum to continue building the PMO will happen. Be very aware of any organisational changes that may take place — it is a fact of life in modern organisations is that change is part and parcel of the future.
It is important to ensure that quality of service is maintained, and that the driving forces of “how you do things” are being shared across the teams that use and function within the PMO. If the PMO has become its own department and is visibly providing value, you should be set. If it is still ad-hoc and ‘pieced together’ by evangelists, then perhaps the best decision is to keep managing it as a project until you see that the embedment has occurred.
In conclusion, in any type of organisation or company, there are many ways to implement a successful PMO. Different organisations have different needs.
Finally, remember that if the implementation of a PMO is not progressing as planned, maybe it is not the right thing for your organization (at least, at that specific point in time). | https://www.cio.com.au/article/401977/seven_keys_establishing_successful_pmo/ |
The inclusion of 85 g peanuts as part of a high-fat meal improved the postprandial triglyceride response and preserved endothelial function. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Acute Peanut Consumption Alters Postprandial Lipids and Vascular Responses in Healthy Overweight or Obese Men.
J Nutr. 2017 May ;147(5):835-840. Epub 2017 Mar 29. PMID: 28356431
Xiaoran Liu
Background: Postprandial hyperlipidemia is associated with impaired endothelial function. Peanut consumption favorably affects the lipid and lipoprotein profile; however, the effects on endothelial function remain unclear.Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of acute peanut consumption as part of a high-fat meal on postprandial endothelial function.Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover postprandial study to evaluate the effect of acute peanut consumption on postprandial lipids and endothelial function as assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery in 15 healthy overweight or obese men [mean age: 26.7 y; mean body mass index (in kg/m(2)): 31.4]. Participants consumed, in a randomized order, a peanut meal containing 3 ounces (85 g) ground peanuts (1198 kcal; 40.0% carbohydrate, 47.7% fat, 19.4% saturated fat, 13.2% protein) and a control meal matched for energy and macronutrient content. Meals were in the form of a shake, scheduled≥1 wk apart. Lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin were measured at baseline (0 min) and at 30, 60, 120, and 240 min after shake consumption. FMD was measured at baseline and at 240 min.Results: Acute peanut consumption blunted the serum triglyceride (TG) response 120 and 240 min after consumption compared with the control meal (means ± SEMs-120 min: 188.9 ± 19.4 compared with 197.5 ± 20.7 mg/dL; 240 min: 189.9 ± 24.3 compared with 197.3 ± 18.4 mg/dL; P<0.05 for both). Total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol and glucose and insulin responses were similar between the test meals. Compared with baseline, only the control meal significantly decreased FMD at 240 min (control: -1.2%± 0.5%; P = 0.029; peanut: -0.6% ± 0.5%; P = 0.3). Participants with higher baseline total (>150 mg/dL) and LDL (>100 mg/dL)-cholesterol concentrations showed a significant decrease in FMD after the control meal (-1.8%, P = 0.017; -2.0%, P = 0.038), whereas the peanut meal maintained endothelial function in all participants irrespective of total- and LDL-cholesterol concentrations.Conclusion: The inclusion of 85 g peanuts (3 ounces) as part of a high-fat meal improved the postprandial TG response and preserved endothelial function in healthy overweight or obese men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01405300. | https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/inclusion-85-g-peanuts-part-high-fat-meal-improved-postprandial-triglyceride-r |
Heart attack is a medical disease or condition that always occurs as a result of plaque building inside an individual’s coronary arteries that supply blood to other vital parts of the body. Furthermore, studies have revealed that such condition manifests the moment the plaque ruptures inside the artery which then prompts blood to clot (Crowley, 2014). Consequently, as the clot builds up and becomes bigger it completely blocks the flow of blood making it difficult for vital cells to get nourishment.
Causes of Heart Attack
Studies have established that most heart attacks are caused by sudden interruption of blood flow to other vital body organs; this makes it difficult for cells and muscles to survive and ultimately they die (Crowley, 2014). Crowley (2014) further asserts that to the extreme, this may result to death because the heart may suddenly stop functioning due to inability to supply pump blood to body cells and organs. It is worth noting that sudden interruption of bold floor is instigated by poor lifestyle and eating habits characterized by excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, eating unhealthy diet and living a life devoid of physical exercises.
Reducing Risk of Heart Attack
Old age is usually associated with the emergence of wrinkles, gray hair and other evident physical changes, however aging also impacts negatively on the heart. In his early 50s Arnold Reinhart needs to take some extra steps to prevent future occurrence of the problem. First, he should change his eating habits, switching to healthy diets characterized by plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as avoiding red meat, alcohol and fiber rich grains. Moreover, he should do more exercises by running, riding a bicycle or simply walking to rejuvenate cells and boost the heart efficiency in pumping blood.
References
Crowley, L. V. (2014). Essentials of Human Disease. 2nd Edition. Burlington, MA: Jones
& Bartlett Learning. | https://www.globalcompose.com/healthcare-papers/sample-paper-on-heart-attack/ |
Warlick receives international recognition award in educational technology
Cleveland County native David Warlick was honored with the coveted Making IT Happen award for his contributions to the successful integration of technology in education.
Warlick serves as an educator, author, programmer and public speaker. The Making IT Happen award honors outstanding educators and leaders who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, leadership, courage and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.
The Making IT Happen award is provided by the International Society for Technology in Education, of which North Carolina Technology in Education is an affiliate. Since its inception in 1995, more than 500 educators from around the world have received the award.
“Making IT Happen honorees make unique contributions to advancing the use of digital technology to inspire learning and teaching,” Brian Lewis, International Society for Technology in Education CEO, said. “Their significant accomplishments all further ISTE’s vision of a world in which all learners thrive, achieve and contribute.”
Warlick has been an educator since 1976, after graduating from Western Carolina University. During his time as an educator, he has promoted the effective use of technology in the classroom by writing instructional software, creating teacher and learner support web sites, writing for numerous journals and authoring several books on the subject.
During the last 20 years, he has been a featured speaker at conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, South America and Europe.
Warlick is the son of Norman and Anne Warlick, of Cherryville, and he currently resides in Raleigh and Cleveland County.
He joins a prestigious group of Making IT Happen honorees, including classroom teachers, school principals, superintendents, corporate executives, legislators, governors. | https://www.shelbystar.com/story/news/education/2016/03/03/warlick-receives-international-recognition-award-in-educational-technology/32448624007/ |
On the cold night of November 29, 2012, Alex Clare, joined by his band, kicked off their North American tour at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, CA which was Sold Out!
At around 9:30 the red curtain rose. and stood an empty stage. Cheers echoed through the room. Clare’s 3 piece band, including a bassist, drummer and keyboardist walked on stage and started the intro of “Relax My Beloved” off of their album, The Lateness of The Hour. Clare could be seen swaying to the song, behind the stage, until it was it was his cue to go on stage. He walked slowly on the stage and took his place in front of the microphone, looking into the crowd. His voice, so smooth and clear, made the fans go crazy. Following was “Tight Rope” “Humming Bird” and “I Love You”. With each song, the crowds energy increased as did the bands. The keyboardist was constantly head banging and fist bumping while Clare did almost the opposite, standing in front of his microphone stand and simply singing.
After 12 energetic songs, Clare slowed it down with 3 acoustic songs. Before going into his cover of “Goodnight Irene“, Clare told the crowd that he learned the song when he was 11 and it was a tradition of his to perform that song every time he performs live. The crowd was silent as Clare’s pure voice soothed the crowd, until the end where he was absorbed with cheers.”I’m going to play 3 acoustic songs tonight that I didn’t write and as a writer, it’s kind of a cop out!” Following that, he played two more acoustic songs, sharing the chorus with the crowd, so they could help him out.
Following the acoustic songs, Clare left the stage to his band who had a jam session for about 2 minutes, playing an array of different genres, the keyboardist banging his synthesizers with drum sticks, the drummer rocking out and the bassist just relaxed and calm. When Clare rejoined the band, they performed one more song and after the intro of Too Close began. Every hand in the room was up, whether to fist bump or to record the song, that was the moment people anticipated the most, everyone dancing and singing with Clare.
Clare put on a performance not like many artists do. Although he didn’t move as much as his other band members, he was still the star of the show with his flawless voice, hitting every note on every song, making it sound like the radio and album version. His band performed what seemed like a new original genre, incorporating dub step with rock. This show was Sold Out for a reason and if Alex Clare comes to your city, be sure to get a ticket! | https://soundcheck411.com/2012/12/04/alex-clare/ |
Wish to submit your assignment from the ease of your home? Want to get the result of your assignment as soon as possible? Well, you are certainly at the right place. At Rootworkz you can directly and very easily submit your assignment right from your home. To add on, the result and feedback of your assignment will be shared with you as soon as your teacher grades it. For all this you just need to follow these simple steps:
Step 1
Go to https://www.rootworkz.com/student-login
Login with your credentials.
Step 2
Click on the “assignment manager” icon present on your dashboard.
Step 3
A list of various assignments would appear before you. Click the pdf icon corresponding to the assignment you want to attempt. This will download the attachment/assignment that your teacher as prepared for you.
Step 4
Once you have gone through the assignment and have prepared your submission document, click on the submit button corresponding to the assignment you are submitting.
(NOTE- the document which you want to submit should be uploaded on google drive)
Step 5
Mention the drive link in which you have done your assignment. Press “submit”.
You have successfully submitted your assignment.
Step 6
After your teacher grades your assignment, you can check your marks obtained and the feedback. For this, go back to the student dashboard. Click on “assignment manager”.
Step 7
Click on the “submitted” button corresponding to the assignment for which you want to check your grade.
Step 8
The marks that you have obtained, along with the teacher’s feedback will appear on your screen. | https://www.rootworkz.com/post/how-to-submit-assignment-and-view-teacher-feedback |
This time, we got "Briefs covering, in brief" crossword puzzle clue. Next we will look for a few extra hints for Briefs covering, in brief, 4 letters answer". Finally, using all gathered information, we will solve Briefs covering, in brief crossword definition and get the correct entry. We hope that our website has all the answers you are looking for, and it will help you solve your crossword.
Similar crossword puzzle definitions:
Drop __ (moon someone);
Drop ___;
Pants, in slang;
Try this 4 letters answer: TROU
Please note! There may be multiple solutions to a specific crossword puzzle definition. We apologize in advance, if there is another solution for this crossword clue. Please send it to us and we will add it too, ASAP!
GOOD LUCK! | https://www.crossword-solution.com/2016/08/briefs-covering-in-brief.html |
Overview:Axient (formerly QuantiTech) and its joint venture partners are seeking a Wind Tunnel Test Analyst to support our customer atArnold AFB inTullahoma, TN in the subsonic/transonic/supersonic/hypersonic wind tunnels.Responsibilities:Duties will include, but are not limited to:A Wind Tunnel Test Analyst must possess the knowledge and skills to understand and apply a variety of analytical techniques to formulate and solve problems; plan for future technologies; and define requirements for systems and test programs in the transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic wind tunnels at AEDC.Provide expertise and recommendations to reach a near final solution for test analysis and reporting prior to the Government delivering statements of capability (SOC), data packages, test analysis results, and final products to customers. Support the integration of strategically-focused activities to create new and enhanced RDT capabilities that support next generation DoD systems. Provide evaluation and analysis in support of acquisition programs from concept, through ground test and flight. Support tasks associated with investment, acquisition, technology, and other CTF test programs as required. Assist in defining requirements, assessing test conditions, addressing test cell /test article interactions, evaluating test article performance, and formally documenting the results. Assist in generating analysis objectives, success criteria, and measures of performance which support the evaluation of aerospace weapon systems; participate in CTF test planning; and support all phases of testing Support analysis-technique development efforts to advance the state-of-the-art analysis capabilities at AEDC, particularly in the field of photo-optical measurement systems and non-intrusive diagnostics. Specific knowledge and expertise are desired, particularly in one or more of the fields of store separation; air vehicle stability and control; aircraft performance; propulsion-inlet integration; hypersonic aerodynamics; statistical methods and statistically defensible analysis techniques; photo-optical measurement systems to include Pressure and Temperature sensitive paintShift and weekend work is required occasionally during testing periods.Occasional travel to support testing activities is possible.Qualifications:Minimum Requirements and Desired Qualifications:A Bachelor of Science in Aerospace engineering, Mechanical engineering, or related discipline from an accredited university.An advanced degree or at least 3 years prior experience in ground testing or flight testingExperience with photo-optical measurement techniques, non-intrusive diagnostics, and image processing is strongly desired. Specific experience with Pressure or Temperature sensitive paints, IR thermography, photogrammetry, schlieren, etc., are particularly applicable.Background or coursework related to the technical areas described above, as well as statistical analysis, is a plus.Must be proficient in scientific computing and programming (Python, Matlab, C/C++, etc.)Must be able to obtain or have an active and transferrable DoD security clearance with current investigation at the required level. Must be able to maintain the required clearance.Must utilize resources effectively to accomplish mission.Focused adherence to safety and security requirements in an office-based environment is required.The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with senior staff and peers is required. Communications must be clear, concise, and at the appropriate level.Must be timely, efficient, and produce work of acceptable quality. Completed work must meet project/program objectives.Personal and organizational interactions must exhibit and foster cooperation and teamwork, enhance customer relations, and actively promote rapport with customers.Must be in or willing to relocate to the Arnold AFB, TN area.Applicants for positions which require a US government security clearance must meet eligibility requirements to include US citizenship. | https://www.oilandgasjobsonline.com/job/wind-tunnel-test-analyst/ |
Learningdisability refers to different areas of functioning and mentalprocessing in which an individual experiences learning challenges inthe typical manner. The learner may experiences difficulties inacquiring different learning skills, such as reading, listening,speaking, reasoning, or speaking. The present case study will addressdyslexia learning disorder that has affected a 3rdgrade learner named Emily. Dyslexia refers to a learning disorderthat reduces the learners’ ability to read texts fluently andacquire accurate comprehension in spite of their normal intelligence(National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2014).
Strengths,presenting needs, and academic deficit
Emilyis a 3rdgrader who has been referred for a learning disability in learning,dyslexia. Currently, Emily is nine years old and has always attendedthe Preparatory Elementary School without repeating any grade.Teachers and other pupils describe her as likable and a cooperativepupil who does not exhibit any behavioral problem. Her teacher statesthat she started experiencing learning difficulties, while in thesecond grade. Emily experienced difficulty with initial words,learning alphabetical letters, sight rhythm, and vocabulary. She alsofound it difficult to adhere to multiple step instructions andsequence the story elements. She takes longer time to understandpre-reading skills than other students. She is competent inmathematic skills, except wordy and multiple step computation. Emilyhas an impaired phonological processing, which limits her languageacquisition skills. For example, when told to write the wordcrocodile she writes “crokodyle”.
Medicaland home life issues
Emilylives with her grandmother in a depressed housing suburb. Her parents(mother and father) died in a fatal road accident in which she wasinvolved, but survived with serious injuries to her head. Theaccident occurred when she just finished her first grade and beforestarting her second grade. A medical diagnosis indicated that she gotan intracranial injury from the accident. Recently, Emily wasscreened for vision as well as hearing challenges, but was found tohave normal hearing and vision.
Supportservices and relevant test scores
Emilydid not receive any special reading support in her first grade sinceshe did not express any reading ability beyond what would be expectedin all elementary pupils. However, the management of the PreparatorySchool assigned her a Title I reading teacher for the second and thethird graders. She has also participated actively in Reading Recoveryin the two grades. Although she has demonstrated some progress, shedid not fining the course content in the time allocated. This raisesa concern that she might get frustrated and probably give up in caseshe does not make significant progress. Currently, she has onlymastered 4 of the grade 2 benchmarks assessed on the basis of WIModel Academic Standards (initial consonants, alphabetical letters,oral telling, ending consonants, and identifying pictures). Inaddition, Emily has only met 2 out of 10 reading benchmarks assessedon the basis of the 2ndgrade skill checklist. She has also shown limited progress in allother reading benchmarks.
Table1: Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC III VIQ-87)
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|
WIAT
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|
Score
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|
Basic reading
|
|
69
|
|
Mathematics reasoning
|
|
90
|
|
Spelling
|
|
87
|
|
Reading comprehension
|
|
74
|
|
Numerical operations
|
|
101
|
|
Listening comprehension
|
|
99
|
|
Oral expression
|
|
83
|
|
Written expression
|
|
N A
Emilyscored 87 and above in four reading benchmarks only.
Table2: Woodcock Johnson III (WJ III)-A test for cognitive ability
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Item Score
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|
General Intellectual Ability
|
|
95
|
|
Fluid reasoning
|
|
100
|
|
Long-term retrieval
|
|
86
|
|
Auditory processing
|
|
81
|
|
Processing speed
|
|
92
|
|
Short-term memory
|
|
85
|
|
Phonemic awareness
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|
74
|
|
Working memory
|
|
78
Table3: Woodcock Johnson III- A test for achievement
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Item Score
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Oral expression
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92
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|
Listening comprehension
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96
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|
Basic reading skills
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|
71
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|
Reading comprehension
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|
78
|
|
Written expression
|
|
77
|
|
Math calculation
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|
99
|
|
Math reasoning
|
|
91
Emilyexpressed her desire to cooperate during the assessment andfrequently requested that some words be spelt for her. Her scores forreading comprehension were mainly affected by decoding difficulties.
IndividualEducation Plan (IEP) goals
TheIndividual Education Program allows educators to design goals thatthey thing learners with disabilities will be able to accomplish in ayears time (Spicer, 2014). The goals should be set in measurableterms and address specific areas of disability, including academic,functional, and developmental. In the case of Emily, there are twomost significant categories of IEP goals that can help her improvethe reading abilities.
Articulationgoals:
Emilywill produce all speech sounds with a mastery level of 92 %.
Emilywill produce oral reading skills with an accuracy level of 91 %.
Languagegoals:
Emilywill remember all details (including actions, characters, andsequence) of a narrative she heard or read by marking the correctanswers from a choice of four and with at most one repetition of anygiven question.
Phonologicalgoals:
Givenan unstructured or a structured classroom set-up, Emily will improvesound discrimination by phonemic awareness by producing rhyming wordsto 96 % over 3 consecutive trials.
Auditoryprocessing:
Givenshort stories and long paragraphs presented verbally, Emily will beable to identify the core ideas, develop influential reasoning, andidentify supporting details in 8 out of a total of 10 opportunities.
Supportservices
Emily,similar to other students suffering from reading disabilities requireadequate support services that can help her acquire the readingskills faster and reduce the chances of giving up. Institutions oflearning should establish the support worker service group that hasthe capacity to enhance the capacity of students suffering fromdyslexia and other learning disabilities compete equally with otherlearners and participate in comfortably in the student experience(Caerdydd, 2014). Some of the key support services that the school,especially the support worker service group should provide to Emilyinclude extended loan facility at the school library, special test orexam arrangements, guidance and counseling to reduce chances ofgiving up, assist the student with copies of class noted andpresentations, and increased access to learning support equipments,such as the voice recorder.
Curriculumand teaching strategies for student
Curriculumdifferentiation is one of the key strategies that can help studentswith dyslexia acquire the necessary skills at each grade. In the caseof Emily, an effective differentiation of curriculum should includethe modification of the standard curriculum, practices, and structurein order to make it flexible, relevant, and responsive to thespecific needs of Emily. Since Emily cannot do the test at the samepace as the normal students, the adjustment should be extended tocover the assessment strategies. However, Emily’s teachers shouldembrace these differences and proactively plan how to address themodifications through learning and curriculum opportunities. For aninstant, her teachers can use effective teaching strategies, such asencouraging persistence, demonstrating the written passages, andgiving cues to help her operate on the edge of her current level ofcompetence.
Conclusion
Studentswith dyslexia experience difficulties in acquiring the readingskills. This type of learning disorder may be caused by differentfactors, including the brain injury and genetic predisposition. Inthe case of Emily, dyslexia disorder might have been caused by braininjury when she was involved in an accident. It is the role of theschool administration to ensure that Emily gets all the necessarysupport services to help her compete fairly with students in hergrade. Although differentiation of curriculum and the teachingstrategies can enhance Emily’s learning capabilities, guidance andcounseling services are necessary to ensure that she does not give upthe learning process.
References
Caerdydd,P. (2014). Supportworker service.Cardiff, CF: Cardiff University.
NationalCenter for Learning Disabilities (2014). Whatis dyslexia?New York, NY: NCLD.
Spicer,T. (2014). Individualizededucation program (IEP) goals: The basics.Arizona: Great Schools. | https://infinis.org/case-study-learning-disability/ |
What caused the most disruption in 2018 in the physical security space?
8 Jan 2019
Editor Introduction
In many regards, 2018 was a turbulent year for the physical security marketplace, driven by evolving technologies and changing customer needs, among other factors. Year-end is a great time to reflect, so we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What caused the most disruption in the physical security marketplace in 2018?
The industry is in the midst of a dynamic technology revolution, and we are seeing increased use of security solutions that leverage machine-based learning, artificial intelligence, and robotics. This past year, the market embraced these emerging technologies, with a myriad of solutions now being embedded with these capabilities, including IP cameras, access control systems, security robots, and drones. The security industry is more technology- and network-centric than ever before. Because of this, we will continue to see the development and widespread adoption of security solutions and systems that harness the power of technology to provide active, data-rich information to corporate security directors.
Cybersecurity and hacking continued to make headlines. And customers justifiably asked more questions when it came to the resilience of their surveillance systems. Penetration testing, encryption technologies, the rapid issue of firmware updates and dispelling fears of “back doors” became the norm. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) caused concern and indeed some pain. Many companies were ill-prepared when it came to video retention, requests for information and the position and view of many cameras. The availability of affordable and effective privacy masking technologies remains a challenge with many end users resorting to expensive outsourcing. The Internet of Things (IoT) certainly came into its own with affordable and simple-to-use systems implemented to improve home security. At the same time, the industry became awash with new and exciting artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies that promise to be a key driver of value and a disruptive force in years to come.
Driven by video system cybersecurity concerns, the passing of the National Defense Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) shook the North American market pretty quickly with the named vendors re-trenching and related OEM vendors dropping relationships and seeking new sources for cameras, including banned camera Systems on Chip components. Customer and security integrator buying habits shifted a little but will increasingly impact North America as well other NATO-allied countries. What we haven’t seen yet is the significant trickle-down effect that will impact state and local entities, particularly those relying on matching government funds (subject to NDAA) as well as enterprises that will react in order to protect multiple stakeholders’ concerns. All one has to do is look at what happened to named China telecom infrastructure vendors’ sales after the 2012 cybersecurity-driven ban to understand what will happen this time with NDAA 2019.
When looking back on 2018, two of the most discussed topics within the security marketplace were artificial intelligence (AI) applications and cybersecurity. The adoption of AI and deep learning in video surveillance has enabled solutions to provide more insights and perspective than ever before, evolve beyond security usage, address customer pain points and deliver a higher ROI. The emergence of AI video applications has also triggered a greater need for storage devices. In 2018, we have also seen many video solution manufacturers, large and small, engage with experts in the field to incorporate enhanced cybersecurity features into their products to satisfy new legislative requirements. Demand has shifted for not only securing data in motion and transit, but also securing data at rest. For these reasons, surveillance optimised drives and self-encrypting drives garnered a lot of attention in 2018 as critical components of the overall video surveillance solution.
We saw an abundance of innovative technologies impact the industry in 2018, but what really caused the most disruption was video event management, which enables enterprise organisations to efficiently streamline all of the pieces that make up their security infrastructures. The gathering and analysis of data has never been more essential than in today’s risk landscape, but as each sensor within a solution generates an overwhelming amount of information, security leaders must be able to identify what is most important at any given time. Event management ties every critical incident into one common interface, providing video verification for immediate and informed decision-making. This technology allowed organisations to achieve advanced levels of safety and protection this year, but it also can be applied to improving operational effectiveness, such as with building automation or compliance — making it a truly valuable and disruptive solution for security and business leaders in 2018 and beyond.
One of the areas causing the most disruption for physical security is the difficulty in finding skilled labour and trained technicians, especially as the industry continues to move to IP products and devices leveraged on the IT infrastructure. Workforce development will be a top industry trend in 2019 and beyond as we move to networked solutions in every category — from power to integrated access control to video surveillance. To assist, it’s up to manufacturers to present systems that are interoperable and scalable. Products need to be easy to install in the field and should not require extensive training or retraining for the technician. They need to be designed so installers can streamline solutions and install them over campuses and multi-location end-user markets and also perform maintenance and service with ease. The savings in training and field labour costs will add up big for systems integration contractors.
As we look back at 2018, one of the most disruptive trends was moving physical access control systems (PACS) to the cloud. Early adopters have charted a course for transforming entire industries by creating a unified mobile PACS experience that leverages the power of trusted identities in the cloud. One example is co-working spaces. For example, during 2018, Deskopolitan used HID Mobile Access® to enable its building tenants and other occupants to conveniently and securely access their campus in the heart of Paris, radically expanding how they engaged, interacted and worked together in their more intelligent workspaces. In another example, the international property management group Skanska selected HID Mobile Access to integrate its building applications so that employees and their guests can now move throughout the building and gain authorized access to restricted areas with nothing more than a smartphone. We expect to see new disruptive capabilities in 2019.
2018 was the year when some key trends that have been developing for a while may finally achieve the status of being "disrupters" — trends such as the increasing focus on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence-based applications, cloud solutions and privacy. If I were to pick one that has the potential of being the biggest disrupter, I’d say it’s the application of AI-based techniques in security. The application of AI to video allows computers to "learn," making existing applications such as facial recognition much more accurate, and it also opens up new applications such as the automatic detection of anomalies, speech recognition, audio analytics, and the correlation/analysis of data from different sensors. The next few years are going to see the development of a profusion of AI-based technologies, and the broad-based adoption of these products will fundamentally change the way "security" is done.
While it’s been coming for quite some time (and has been a continuous topic of discussion), the Cloud really made itself formidable in the past year, as an increasing number of customers began to adopt cloud-based technology in both access control and intrusion detection. More and more businesses are realising that leveraging the cloud is the most efficient way to solve emerging challenges. Customers are willing to take on Cloud products because they’re seeing the numerous benefits, such as quicker install times and increased functionality across locations. Additionally, an elevated focus on cybersecurity has made these organisations aware of the appropriate best practices for leveraging the cloud, therefore making its impact in 2018 even greater.
I think it’s easy to simply say convergence. But we’ve seen convergence in more ways than one: 1) Within systems and the convergence of security components, as users demand an emphasis on the full umbrella of security rather than small silos. 2) Data incorporation through dashboards designed to conglomerate large amounts of data into easily digestible format for streamlined decision-making. 3) Convergence between cyber and physical security, centered on the need to protect the entire enterprise. 4) Communication from security operations centers on a global scale and the convergence of collaboration regardless of geographical location. Convergence is responsible for a huge disruption this year in how organisations protect critical assets and people from threats, and we see this as an ongoing trend that will last through 2019 and beyond.
The continued focus on the connected world, driven by the IoT, has had significant impacts on the security market. It’s opened up a new world of opportunities as organisations look to further streamline operations and efficiency. Smart devices, such as video surveillance cameras, mobile applications and video analytics, can be used to further data collection and enable security leaders to make more informed decisions based on actionable intelligence. But as connectivity increases, it also leads to expanded risk from cyber threats. Security is no longer limited to just physical assets; electronic and cyber elements must also be considered to ensure comprehensive risk management. It’s not just the monetary loss that these businesses need to be concerned about — there is also a threat to the brand, customer trust and employee safety. Security leaders have shifted their thinking from traditional security methods, and we’ve seen greater collaboration between IT and security teams.
Over the past year, we’ve seen IT innovations have a significant impact on the evolution of the security market. Advanced technologies, such as deep learning, IoT devices and converged infrastructure, have made it easier to ingest, manage and access mission-critical security data. And demand for that data and the insights that can be gained from it continues to grow. Here’s an interesting fact: According to Wikibon, video is the largest “big data” application in the world, with 24 zettabytes being produced annually. That’s 24 billion terabytes and accounts for 46.8% of the total. It is all part of the equation that is moving us from just a focus on just “safe” to “safe+smart”. All this data places significant stress on IT and storage infrastructure. So overall, the most disruption has been caused by the growing appetite for data and it is only going to continue to increase.
Once a future-looking trend, smart technology integrations came to fruition in 2018, especially in the security industry. The increased interest in connected solutions challenged the status quo and forced the industry to rethink physical security technology as it relates to a holistic building strategy, rather than siloed sets of solutions. Integrated security applications put real-time, transparent information into the hands of customers that enable them to make informed choices and to help them better meet the goals of their business. Smart facilities, with integrated security, fire, life safety and building systems, can save time, reduce errors, prevent crime and most importantly create a more efficient and productive place to do business. While smart, integrated security solutions took the spotlight this year, the trend will only continue into 2019 as smart buildings and smart cities have a direct impact on customers and end-users.
Editor Summary
One Expert Panellist describes the industry’s climate in 2018 as “a dynamic technology revolution.” The physical security industry was awash in AI and deep learning products, and sometimes there was more data than intelligence! It was a market upended by GDPR in Europe, and shocked by a government ban on Chinese products in the United States. Another driving force was the impact of IoT. It was an eventful – and disruptive – year for the industry. How will the industry change in the new year? Stay tuned. | https://www.sourcesecurity.com/insights/caused-disruption-2018-physical-security-space-co-268-ga-co-823-ga-co-1286-ga-co-1753-ga-co-3093-ga-co-7870-ga-co-9294-ga-co-10191-ga-co-11474-ga-co-15101-ga-co-1537344815-ga-co-1515680570-ga-off.1546876073.html |
Pet Sitter in Philadelphia
Hello! My name is Sierra and I have been exploring dog care for over a year now. I walk/dog-sit my friend's Pomeranian, Davison for free. He's almost 2 now. Also, I sit for this adorable pitbull named Romeo and he's 4 months. I am also volunteering at the PSPCA and studying dog training. Although, I do not have as much experience as other professionals, what I lack in that I make up for in compassion and love. I am a true blue animal lover. My top priority is and always will be, the well-being of the pet. I am well versed in potty breaks, cuddling, playing and giving T.L.C. I am kind, dependable, patient and professional. The things that I do not know about pet care, I am more than eager to learn. I would love to be of service to your company and other's who need care for their fur babies. More about me: I am a Temple University student (Go Owls!), studying Liberal Arts. I would love to start a business in fashion and/or pet-care service. Because I have just gotten laid-off from my part-time job, my schedule has gotten a lot more flexible to say the least. You can call/text me anytime! | https://petsitter.com/must-love-dogs-sierras-pet-service-15-per-hour-dog-walker-philadelphia-pa |
During the week, we meet in homes for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. It’s a great way to get connected, to explore the message of Christ, and to grow deeper in faith.
If you are interested in visiting a home group, find a group that is convenient for you and contact the leader. Or write an email to [email protected]
Growing in our walk with Christ happens through Sunday services, small group meetings, seminars, one-on-one mentoring, and personal Bible study and prayer.
If you would like to learn more about specific discipleship opportunities, please contact [email protected].
We as leaders desire to connect with young people personally, open our ears and hearts and then connect the gospel to your lives. We are passionate to give deep answers from God’s perspective to your honest real-life questions.
Our youth ministry is for grade 6-12. Group activities include Bible-based discussions, music, games, and food.
Our meetings are in English.
Moms and young children gather regularly for a time of encouragement and play (Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., twice a month).
We are a small but growing ministry with the goal to connect with each other and with other ministries in Vienna.
Every other Wednesday we meet for Women’s bible study. During this time we read God’s Word, encourage each other, share what we have learned during the study, pray together, and fellowship with one another. (meeting every other week on Wednesdays at 9:30 am). | https://newcitywien.at/en/connect/ |
Effective October 31, employers operating or recruiting in New York City will no longer be permitted to seek information regarding the compensation history of their job candidates. Under an amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law signed into law by Mayor Bill de Blasio, employers will be prohibited from: (1) asking prospective employees about their current compensation rate or compensation history; (2) attempting to ascertain this information from other sources; and (3) relying on a candidate's salary history in determining compensation (including in negotiating a contract) except in limited circumstances. In preparation for this salary history ban, New York City employers should take steps now to review and revise their recruiting practices and documents.
Background
On May 4, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law a bill to amend Title 8 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York (the "Administrative Code") to include a new subsection making it unlawful and discriminatory for an employer to make inquiries related to an applicant's prior salary, or rely on salary history as a means to determine compensation for a prospective employee. Mayor DeBlasio and members of the City Council have made clear that the expressed purpose of the law is to close the pay-gap by eliminating a practice that perpetuates compensation inequities for women and people of color.
Pursuant to Section 8-107 of the Administrative Code, "to inquire" means (1) "to communicate any question or statement to an applicant, an applicant's current or prior employer, or a current or former employee or agent of the applicant's current or prior employer, in writing or otherwise, for the purpose of obtaining an applicant's salary history;" or (2) to conduct a "search of public records and reports for the purpose of obtaining an applicant's salary history." "Salary history" in this context encompasses an applicant's "current or prior wage, benefits or other compensation." While the law precludes employers from making inquiries about a candidate's salary history, it does not preclude employers from engaging in discussions with applicants about their salary expectations.
This law has three notable exceptions. First, the law provides that an employer may consider prior salary in compensation decisions when an applicant "voluntarily and without prompting" discloses his or her prior salary to an employer, employment agency, or employee or agent thereof. Second, the law does not preclude discussion, in the context of asking about candidates' salary expectations, of any unvested equity or deferred compensation that they would forfeit or have cancelled by virtue of their resignation from their current employer. Third, the law does not apply to candidates for internal transfers or promotions. In addition, while compensation is sometimes intertwined with productivity—especially for employees paid in whole or in part on a commission basis—the law does not bar inquiry into "objective measure[s] of productivity … such as revenue, sales or other production reports."
The law also does not prohibit employers from conducting non-salary related background checks or verifications of application information. It does, however, provide that, in the event such background checks or information verifications disclose salary history, the employer must refrain from using the information in determining compensation. In the event of a violation of the law, the potential remedies include compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees and the imposition of a civil penalty up to $250,000.
What Employers Should Do Now
To prepare for and comply with the law, employers should consider the following: | https://www.kattenlaw.com/New-York-City-Ban-on-Salary-History-Inquiries-Set-to-Take-Effect-October-31 |
Bone metastatic prostate cancer is fatal and causes extensive pathological bone growth and destruction by manipulating osteoblasts and osteoclasts respectively. Understanding the factors driving the disease can help identify new therapeutic targets. Experimental approaches have dissected many of the molecular mechanisms involved but how factors at different scales collectively impact complex multi-cellular interactions over time is a significant challenge. Integrating molecular, cellular and clinical information into computational models offers a novel and powerful way to overcome this road-block: cell processes and mechanisms from different scales can be broken down into discrete and continuous components and used to parameterize a multi-scale model. This model can then be used to examine the temporal dynamics emerging from the multi scale cellular interactions. Rationale: Using our own and published data, we generated a novel computational model of normal bone remodeling controlled by TGF? and RANKL. Seeding the model with a metastatic prostate cancer cell generated in silico lesions that qualitatively and quantitatively mimic the pathophysiology of the human disease. As expected, our preliminary model confirmed the role of TGF? but predicted novel roles for cyclical osteoclast infiltration and mesenchymal stem cells in prostate cancer growth. Based on these emerging data, we believe that the enhancement of the computational model with cellular and molecular factors that control prostate cancer-bone interaction (PTHrP, Wnts, interleukins, chemokines and polarizing macrophages) will allow us to predict the key circuits driving the behavior of bone metastatic prostate cancer and to define new therapeutic strategies to treat this disease. We will test this hypothesis using the following integrated approaches: Approaches:
In Aim 1, an enhanced molecular and cellular multiscale computational model will be developed and the key circuits driving bone metastatic cancer growth will be predicted.
In Aim 2, we will predict the role of cyclical osteoclast infiltration and macrophage polarization (M1/M2) in promoting prostate cancer growth.
Aim 3 will dissect the role of MSC recruitment in prostate cancer induced osteogenesis in silico. Importantly, the predictions generated in each aim will be tested with relevant in vivo rodent models of bone metastatic prostate cancer and validated in human clinical specimens. Quantitative biological values will be used to recalibrate the computational model in the event that outputs are discordant. Innovation/Impact: Our innovative studies will; 1) generate a robust and dynamic multi-scale computational model of the prostate cancer-bone microenvironment, 2) will define novel roles for monocyte derived cells (osteoclasts/M1/M2 macrophages) in driving prostate cancer growth, 3) will define new roles for MSCs in promoting prostate cancer induced osteogenesis, 4) will predict the key circuits driving bone metastatic prostate cancers and 5) will predict and test curative strategies for eradicating bone metastatic prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer frequently spreads to the skeleton where it creates incurable painful bony lesions that greatly affect the patient's quality of life. This application will generate a powerful multiscale computational model integrating data from the clinical, molecular and cellular scales to predict curative strategies for the eradication of bone metastatic prostate cancer. We will achieve this goal by; 1) determining the key cellular and molecular mechanisms driving prostate cancer metastasis to the bone growth; 2) interrogating the role of monocyte derived osteoclasts and macrophages in driving the growth of the disease and; 3) identifying how prostate cancers promote pathological bone formation through the validation of key model-generated predictions. | https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/U01-CA202958-05 |
The old adage says that looking after the pennies means the pounds look after themselves – but will this still be true if the new client money and assets proposals are adopted? We look at some of the key challenges for wealth managers raised by the proposed rule changes in this area.
Business As Usual?
A surprising number of the proposed ‘changes’ in the recent FCA consultation paper on CASS are simply restatements or clarification of existing rules. This may be indicative of the need for education in the industry, but it could be argued that a more effective remedy would be stringent enforcement measures against those that have failed to apply the current requirements. It is worrying for example, that the FCA has felt it necessary to clarify to firms that “when their activities are caught by the client money rules they should ensure that the money is held in accordance with the client money rules.” Hopefully this is not a pointer to current levels of compliance with the rules, as it would suggest there are some fundamental problems with firms’ behaviour and with auditors’ and the FCA’s policing of the rules than can be solved by restatements of this kind.
However some of the clarifications still leave uncertainties to be resolved. One such area is the DvP exemption, which allows for the exclusion of CREST and similar transactions from the requirements during a defined settlement period. The new clarification does not specify whether it is applicable only to CREST or to other centralised settlements and whether it applies to members or also applies to their clients in turn. For a wealth manager that has outsourced dealing, the latter point could have a significant impact on these arrangements, particularly if money held by third parties must be included in reconciliations from now on. While it is understandable that the rules cannot cover every scenario, this does mean that wealth managers need to consider how both auditors and the FCA may interpret them in addition to re-examining their own understanding of their application.
Calculating the Costs
One of the greatest impacts for some firms will be in the restrictions applied to the placement and investment of clients’ cash. On the one hand, firms are still permitted to retain interest on clients’ money, provided clear disclosures and transparency are in place. On the other hand, the requirement to consider diversification across multiple banking groups – and to justify a decision not to diversify – will place wealth managers’ systems and administrative costs under pressure while at the same time having a detrimental effect on the interest rates that can be commanded by a smaller pool of cash. This may affect the firm’s profitability, where these margins are retained, but may also impact on performance at a time when return on cash is a material part of the portfolio’s profitability.
Added to this pressure on margins, the prohibition on unbreakable term deposits, while consistent with a desire for speedier return of assets post-insolvency, will be a further blow to the commerciality of cash holdings. With over £100bn in client money accounts as at April 2013, a loss of margin of even a few basis points on this sum would equate to a cost in the region of £5m per bp per annum as insurance against the risk of insolvency. Is this too high a price to pay?
Increasing Standardisation
Given that no two firms are the same, a whole range of different approaches and methodologies have built up over the years in the receipt, processing and reconciliation of client money. The consultation paper proposes to close down many of these options except in narrowly defined circumstances. So, the alternative approach whereby money is received initially into corporate, rather than client money accounts, will be restricted to only large investment banks. The calculation methodology which allows firms to calculate requirements by adding back negative balances to the total in client money accounts will be restricted to asset managers. There are also other more detailed requirements around the use of non-standard reconciliation methodologies.
On the plus side, these measures may well tighten up the protections offered to clients and also support auditors and the FCA in reducing the subjectivity applicable to the assessment of whether a non-standard approach is sufficiently robust. It may have commercial advantages as well, if these protections can be promoted as advantageous to advisers and their clients. However, we have worked with very few firms which had no alternative or non-standard approaches in operation anywhere in their business – and where these exist they are often unrecognised by them or by their auditors. A particular corner in which such anomalies lie is inherited legacy business, where balances are perhaps left unanalysed and the application of standard methodologies is not supported by the available systems. Wealth managers often have certain types of infrequent receipt that flow initially into corporate accounts, such as property insurance rebates which might be shared between the firm and its clients or underwriting commissions. Where such processes exist but have not been identified or signed off, this is a current issue with CASS compliance, but it is one which is now under greater scrutiny. Wealth managers would be well advised to check for these non-standard processes and address such issues before their next audit, regardless of the outcome of the consultation paper. Beyond that, of course, assessing the practicalities and cost of applying standardisation should be a focus for consultation responses.
What Next?
The scale and breadth of the potential impacts of these wide ranging proposals needs detailed analysis and assessment. Wealth managers would be well advised to invest time in the consideration of:
- The likely practical and administrative impacts of the proposals, and their costs
- The commercial impacts to the firm, both positive and negative
- Potential client impacts and costs; and
- Any unintended consequences
While the FCA’s aims are laudable, they will need detailed and reasoned responses to support their further analysis of what changes should be made. Nobody wants clients to lose out in the event of a firm’s insolvency, but it is in their interests as well as the industry’s to ensure that the measures taken to protect these assets is proportionate to the risks.
About Walbrook Partners
Karen Bond is a Director of Walbrook Partners, a specialist consultancy to the Investment Management and Wealth sectors, offering support and subject matter expertise covering relevant and current topics where changes are taking place, such as client money and asset regulation, post RDR developments and changes, Platforms and Outsourcing. | https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/looking-after-the-pennies-wealth-manager-cass-challenges/ |
► LIVE from the Seattle Times — Coronavirus daily news update, Aug. 17 — The latest count of COVID-19 cases in Washington totals 514,784 infections (14-day average of cases per day: 2,787) and 6,248 deaths.
► From the Bellingham Herald — Whatcom sees 300 confirmed cases last week — St. Joseph hospital saw its highest number of COVID patients during the entire pandemic.
► From the NY Times — American hospitals buckle under Delta, with ICUs filling up — The number of hospitals with very full ICUs doubled in recent weeks. Now, one in five ICUs have reached or exceeded 95 percent of beds occupied, a level experts say makes it difficult or impossible for health professionals to maintain standards of care for the very sick.
► From KOMO — Watershed Festival outbreak reaches 210 confirmed cases
► From the Columbian — Unvaccinated to blame for virus surge (editorial) — We are still in this together, despite our divisions. While many people consider COVID-19 restrictions or vaccine mandates to be a matter of personal rights, their decisions impact the entire community… From the start, measures for preventing the spread of COVID have been painted by naysayers as tyranny. With a new surge of the virus, those people are reaping what they have sown. So are the rest of us.
► From the Washington Post — America’s failure to pay workers time off undermines vaccine campaign, according to surveys, policy experts — As federal policymakers search for ways to boost America’s vaccination rates, a lack of paid sick leave is playing a role in deterring low-wage workers from taking time off to get vaccinated, according to surveys and policy experts. The shortcomings are playing an underreported role in vaccine hesitancy in the country, particularly among lower-income populations. Workers who do not get paid time off to get the shot or deal with potential side effects are less likely to get the vaccine, research by a Kaiser Family Foundation study shows.
EDITOR’S NOTE — It also stands to reason that workers with scarce or limited paid sick leave are reluctant to use those precious days to get shots and recover from potential side effects. Any employer mandating vaccination should pay for that time off rather than requiring employees to draw down earned sick leave.
► From the Washington Post — Labor unions are split on vaccine mandates — Some unions have walked a fine line, stressing the need for any mandates to be negotiated with bargaining units before implementation. Others — most notably the nation’s largest teachers union — have shown increasing openness to mandates after initially expressing skepticism.
EDITOR’S NOTE — It’s not a fine line. The media wants to report whether unions “support” or “oppose” mandates. But it’s not that simple. All unions are supporting and promoting vaccination. A handful of unions have disagreed with the concept of mandates, but all unions are supporting negotiations to ensure accommodations are made to members who face mandates, like paid time off to get the shots/recover (see above), among others. And the only way to ensure those negotiations happen is to have the power of a union.
TODAY at The Stand — Public service unions issue joint statement on vaccine mandates
The Stand (Aug. 9) — WSLC outlines position on vaccine mandates
► From KOMO News — Unemployment benefits may be denied to workers fired for not being vaccinated — If you are fired for not being vaccinated, experts say the chances of getting unemployment benefits are not very high. “Most states would find the employee is disqualified from benefits if they are fired for refusing a vaccination,” said Anne Paxton with the Unemployment Law Project.
► From the AP — Sources: U.S. to recommend vaccine boosters at 8 months — U.S. health experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot, to ensure lasting protection as the delta variant spreads across the country.
► From the AP — Among France’s poorest, once-lagging vaccine rates jump — Offering vaccinations at a highly visible location with easy access — where people live and work — seems to be doing the trick.
► From the AP — Amid new virus surge, Florida skeptics reconsider vaccines
► From The Hill — Nearly 5,600 Tampa-area school children isolated or in quarantine
► From the Columbian — Review: Deadly use of force in Kevin Peterson Jr. shooting ruled legal, justified — An outside prosecutor’s office tasked with reviewing the October fatal shooting of Kevin Peterson Jr. by three Clark County sheriff’s deputies found the officers’ use of deadly force was justified and lawful. The deputies shot Peterson, a 21-year-old Black man, as he ran, armed with a handgun, from a planned drug sale of 50 Xanax pills between him and a confidential informant outside a Quality Inn motel in Hazel Dell on the evening of Oct. 29.
► From the Seattle Times — Alaska Airlines orders a dozen more 737 MAXs from Boeing — Betting big on a recovery in air travel and on the Boeing 737 MAX as the jet for its future, Alaska Airlines on Monday announced a firm order for a dozen more MAXs — its third order for the airplane since the FAA ungrounded the jet in November.
► From NPR — Hundreds of workers have died from heat in the last decade — and it’s getting worse — Cruz Urias Beltran is one of at least 384 workers who died from environmental heat exposure in the U.S. in the last decade, according to an investigation by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations, the investigative reporting unit of Columbia Journalism School. The count includes people toiling in essential yet often invisible jobs in 37 states across the country: farm laborers in California, construction and trash-collection workers in Texas and tree trimmers in North Carolina and Virginia. An analysis of federal data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the three-year average of worker heat deaths has doubled since the early 1990s.
The Stand (July 13) — L&I: Employers must protect workers from heat
► From the Seattle Times — Pacific Northwest workplace heat fatalities are a failure of government (by Juley Fulcher) — When workers are forced to labor in this kind of deadly heat without basic protections, it’s no wonder that tragedies like Sebastian Francisco Perez’s death would result. What makes these heat-related fatalities, illnesses and injuries so deeply infuriating is that they are so preventable. If businesses can’t be trusted to protect their employees, government rules are necessary to safeguard worker health. However, when it comes to extreme heat, the federal government has failed to act.
The Stand (June 28) — Ask Congress to support heat stress standard
► From The Guardian — Biggest U.S. reservoir declares historic shortage, forcing water cuts across west — Officials have declared a dire water shortage at Lake Mead, the U.S.’s largest reservoir, triggering major water cuts in Arizona and other western states.
► From The Hill — September unemployment cliff looms for 7 million Americans — More than 7 million Americans are set to lose their unemployment aid immediately after Labor Day, even as the delta variant poses new challenges to the economic recovery. Gig workers and other unemployed Americans receiving aid through programs created for the pandemic will see those checks end on Sept. 7, along with the $300 weekly federal supplement to traditional jobless benefits.
► From Reuters — Analysis: U.S. SEC prepares to take on corporate America over workforce disclosures — The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is headed for a scuffle with corporate America over how much information public companies must disclose about their most important asset: employees. Urged on by progressive Democrats, unions and investors, the regulator is working on a rule that will require public companies to disclose more information on their workforces, such as data on diversity, staff compensation and employee turnover.
► From Roll Call — Democrats push for new Voting Rights Act before maps are drawn — Over the weekend and during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Monday, House Democrats stated their intention to vote on the measure as soon as next week. Civil rights groups have pushed for the passage of the new bill for months, but the release of new census data last week brought the issue to a head.
► From The Guardian — ‘We work non-stop’: LA garment workers toil for top brands and earn paltry rate — Thousands of workers who make clothes for top fashion brands earn below minimum wage for 60-hour week in unsafe conditions. The majority of the more than 46,000 workers in the Los Angeles garment industry are undocumented immigrant women from Latin America and Asia who work long hours for very low wages with few or no breaks in conditions likened to sweatshops. Though most clothing brands rely on outsourced garment workers abroad, part of the market is based in Los Angeles, so brands can quickly turn around immediate orders and tout their clothing as “Made in America”. Fashion brands including Forever 21, Fashion Nova, Urban Outfitters, Charlotte Russe, Los Angeles Apparel and several others have been linked to these factories in their supply chains.
► From the Labor Press — Worker-led union drive at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse to file for election — The small, worker-led unionization drive that ignited on Staten Island, New York in March 2020, after former Amazon employee Chris Smalls was terminated for protesting unsafe working conditions at the e-commerce giant’s JFK8 fulfillment center, is now reportedly more than 1,000-members strong and set to file for an official union election as early as next month.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m. | https://www.thestand.org/2021/08/081721-news/ |
IHC Global is pleased to debut a new website this week. The new site presents IHC's expanded mission, vision and strategy to advance equitable urban development. It is a comprehensive place for members, friends and anyone interested in the topics of sustainable cities and and inclusive housing. Please take a moment to check out our new site, www.ihcglobal.org. It is a living site, and will continue to grow and improve but we hope you enjoy it now.
This week, the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for Habitat III released the first full draft of the document that will the major outcome of the Habitat III conference. This document, the product of months of work and input from a wide variety of stakeholders, will represent the formal commitment governments make at Habitat III and aims to shape the next 20 years of urban development around the world.
The document "aims to be a concise, action-oriented, forward-looking, and universal framework of actions for housing and sustainable urban development." The draft, referred to as the "Zero Draft," addresses many issues, and IHC is particularly pleased to see that inequality and an important focus on the inclusion of poor and disadvantaged groups is at the center of the document. Housing, basic services, social and economic inclusion and gender are also all key inputs into the document.
The draft is aspirational, and negotiations will continue in a limited fashion throughout the summer to finalize the agreement, with a comment period open now here. However much of the advocacy work will now shift toward how the agreement will be implemented, including financing opportunities, new partnerships and maintaining momentum.
Read the full zero draft here. Read other responses on the zero draft here and here.
IHC Global hosted an Open Forum this week, during the Washington meetings of the National Association of Realtors. The event formally launched IHC Global's new campaign to build a coalition of non-profits, private sector individuals to support greater urban equity and inclusive development. IHC rolled out the new website, in conjunction with the Forum.
In the lead-up to Habitat III, the Forum focused on the importance of housing and other critical drivers of equitable development and highlighted opportunities for audience members to participate.
Eduardo Rojas, independent consultant and former the Principal Specialist in Urban Development at the Inter American Development Bank.
The three introduced the themes of Habitat III, the critical importance that cities will play in global development going forward, and the role that housing and related infrastructure will play in this development.
Addressing a room of approximately 100 housing and real estate professionals engaged in the urban space, the speakers also called on the private sector and those working at the local and regional level to get involved in global housing issues and in Habitat III.
IHC Global's CEO Judith Hermanson spoke abut urban development and rapid urbanization in the 21st century and ho global vision and local action go hand-in-hand to address the many challenges and opportunities.
Representatives from IHC's three founding organizations also spoke - Calvin Lindberg of the the Canadian Real Estate Association, Christopher Vincent from Habitat for Humanity International, and David Wluka from NAR- supporting global engagement and participation in IHC Global's unique coalition, bringing together individual and organizational voices from the private and nonprofit sectors. Learn more about becoming a member of IHC and view the new site here.
Water infrastructure is the cornerstone of strong, sustainable communities. With population growth, changing climates, and aging infrastructure, our water resources and systems are increasingly vulnerable. Cities around the United States are seizing the opportunity to manage water resources and infrastructure in a sustainable, inclusive, and integrated way.
Please join the National League of Cities and the Value of Water Coalition for a discussion with leaders from around the US on how communities are addressing water challenges through new partnerships, policies, programs and financing models.
WHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building Room G50 - Washington, D.C.
The deadline to enter the 2016 Urban Poverty Paper Competition is this Sunday May 15th!
To encourage a new generation of urban policy makers and promote early career research, IHC is thrilled to support 7th annual Reducing Urban Poverty Paper Competition for graduate students. The competition is open to current Masters and PhD students conductin research on critical topics relating to urban poverty in the developing world.
Find more information on the topics and how to apply here.
As part of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Project, the city of Rio de Janeiro Brazil released a comprehensive resilience plan this week. The plan has three major components: 1) Improving the city's water resources for consumption, recreation and climate resilience; 2) Access to green space and sustainable infrastructure improvement; and 3) Placing people at the center of resilience.
The full Strategy is in available here in Portuguese. Read the summary from the Resilient Cities Project here.
Read a series on Devex from Habitat for Humanity and Cities Alliance highlighting Habitat III, housing and the New Urban Agenda here.
View photos and videos from photojournalist Adam Hinton from his travels in the fringes of cities around the world here.
Read an article from Scientific American discussing the challenges and opportunities of creating sustainable cities here. | https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Corrected--Weekly-Urban-News-Update.html?soid=1101596390928&aid=ARfDU4XDpUs |
If you want to understand to compose essays, then you need to adhere to some basic tips. It’s not simple but can help save you time text uniqueness check and humiliation.
The very first idea for learning how to compose essays is to make sure that you have a straight story line. This is especially important if you’re writing a thesis statement or a thesis statement. As you become more confident in your writing skills, you’ll be able to revisor de ortografia add sub-plots and supporting facts that tie the occasions in the article together. However, by having a very clear beginning, middle and end, the reader is able to find a logical storyline.
Another idea for learning how to write essays is to make sure you get a logical structure. You should be in a position to outline your composition concerning sub-plots and begin to create the narrative line in your words. When you have begun your outline, then you shouldn’t be afraid to split it up into smaller chunks which make it easier to follow.
Your writing needs to also have its major elements organized correctly. If you are not sure about the order of events, the very best advice you can follow is to make sure the events occur in order of significance and read carefully.
You should also know about the simple fact that readers don’t have the time to return and read your essay. Your aim is to teach the reader something about the subject you’re writing about. If your article is poorly written, then your reader won’t have the ability to recall what you were hoping to teach them.
Many students now take advice from other students on the best way to compose essays about how to compose an essay. However, among the most crucial things that you need to learn before writing an article is the way to structure your essay and how to organize it correctly.
Theonly way it is possible to find out how to compose essays properly is by practicing and placing your writing thoughts down on paper. The hints that we have learned about how best to write essays is probably the very best advice that every student can receive from another student.
Many folks would rather bypass the writing procedure and simply turn to somebody else to understand to write essays. However, with all the advantages that writing can provide, there is not anything wrong with doing this yourself. All these are simply some of the important tips that anybody can follow when they want to understand to compose essays. | https://edspaa-sport.eu/how-to-write-essays-writing-tips-for-students/ |
In poems exploring family, survival, generational trauma and the complexities of belonging, Manorism is an examination of the lives of Black British men and boys. At the heart of the book is the ongoing pressure of code-switching - changing one's behaviour and language to suit radically different cultural contexts and environments. The violence of artists such as Caravaggio in 17th-century Rome, and modern-day commentary by the likes of David Starkey and Piers Morgan, provide a lens for considering differences of impunity afforded to white and Black people. Snippets of Yoruba interweave with English, and a moving final sequence - adapted for the Almeida stage in June 2021 to glowing reviews from the Guardian, Time Out and others - charts the dramatic reconciliations surrounding a death in the family. The result is a thrillingly original book that charts the vulnerabilities and rich nuances of Black masculinity in Britain. | https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/445/445753/manorism/9780141998572.html |
Yamagata Prefecture in Japan contains many majestic natural sights and mysterious temples hidden in mountains; intertwined with Mount Zaō, the elegance of nature is conveyed through the light of dusk reflected off frosted tree branches, icy mountain paths, and emanating mists from hot springs.
Extending along the Sendai line, the mountain’s temples are major spiritual grounds for religious practitioners. Walking along the serene paths, events and scenes from the past carry a color of mystery but one breaks free from mundane fetters for tranquil relaxation in sacred grounds.
The Kavalan, an indigenous people of Yilan are known as “people of the plains”; their nurturing of these lands has established their symbiotic relationship with the mountains and forests.
Yamagata Kaku was inspired by traditional local culture with an exterior design based on the mountainous terrain and soaring cliffs that the indigenous people call home.
Décor and furnishings are infused with ancient history and an acknowledgment of this region for an aura that exudes the affinity of nature and tranquility.
Soft and gentle colors fill each guest room through the use of natural stone and wood materials, an alternating warm palette that combines to paint a welcoming atmosphere, as if our guests stood amid the forests and plains.
Yamagata Kaku can be found in the optimal location of Jiaoxi, providing today’s guests with a recreational resort that is relaxing, free, comfortable, and serene.
Listen to the voice of your heart and delicately enjoy the stories of this land through the philosophy of naturalism and Zen meditation.
practice in this hidden land.
to return to their most primitive state. | http://yamagatakaku.com.tw/en/about/ |
Because of a terrible quirk in state law, the next Pinellas County property appraiser will be chosen only by Republicans in the Aug. 30 primary. The two candidates are Mike Twitty, a veteran appraiser in the private sector, and Jim Frishe, a former state legislator. There is no Democratic candidate, but the presence of a write-in candidate in November means only Republicans get to vote in a primary that should be open to all voters. Twitty is the clear choice.
Most of valuations in the country tend to be performed for statutory purposes envisaged by the Federal Valuation Law (the latest amendment in 2016) and other related laws, such as the Joint Stock Companies Law. Such pieces of legislation provide for more than 20 so-called "mandatory cases of valuation", including valuations for privatization purposes, lending purposes, bankruptcy and liquidation etc. Valuations for corporate accounts used to be much more prominent before 2000, when the national accounting regulator ceased to incentivize the accounting fair value option. At present, the mass appraisal of property for taxation purposes is also starting to be outsourced by the Government to the institution of professional valuers.
The seller can lower the price.If the home was overpriced or the value was inflated, often this is the best solution. It makes the buyer happy and the lender is satisfied. There is no guarantee that if the buyer walks away, the seller won't receive a low appraisal from the second buyer's lender, not to mention the time and trouble it takes to sell the property again. Sometimes a bird in the hand is best.
In 2011 to 2015, the number of Registered Valuers in New Zealand has generally between only around 900 to 950 each year. This is an ageing 'top heavy' professional with difficulty retaining new and young members due to pay, work stress and the recent advent of 'clearing houses' for banks to order valuations for mortgage purposes. The clearing houses have largely ended the long-standing local practice of members of the public seeking advice directly from a valuer. The use of electronic estimates based on Rating Values (Local Government mass appraisal for levies) is also leading to a reduction in standard valuation work and is significantly affecting the viability of small valuation businesses. The profession is in the process of a wider corporate re-structuring of the valuation market due to these factors with various perceptions within profession as to the merits of the events of the last five years.
There are new reports that scammers are filing fake quitclaim deeds. Unfortunately, these schemes have increased over the past few years. The thieves are preying on property owners and transferring the title to themselves and/or companies, which in turn sell the property, leaving the rightful property owner homeless. Stay vigilant and monitor the Property Search frequently for any changes in ownership.
Department is an industry leader in valuation services, counseling and advisory services. As one of the larger appraisal firms in the Tampa Bay Area, we have a depth of appraisal expertise in a wide variety of areas. We have commercial and industrial appraisers fluent in Spanish and Polish. We have extensive experience appraising properties of all sizes from the smallest retail or mixed use properties to large condominium developments or regional shopping centers. We
I spoke with John about getting an appraisal for the home I was purchasing and even though it was short notice, he was able to fit me in the next week. I gave him my information and told him the last inspector I called had agreed but had to back out when he found out how large the house was, but John said it would be no problem, and figured it would take a couple of days to do the appraisal and get the proper amount of comps. I had no problem with his fee, as I know that large houses can cost even more to inspect and appraise and thought his prices were reasonable-- especially considering how quickly he was going to get it done. Right after our phone conversation he sent me an email and sent the contract, which I signed and emailed back, and gave him my credit card info., which made it very easy to deal with versus writing another check-- which you write so many of in the house purchasing process. He arrived promptly and introduced himself, and was just as pleasant in person as he was on the phone. He did a thorough job of going through the house, and really seemed to know his business very well. He was nice enough to point out some positive aspects about the house we were purchasing, and pointed out many details. He was very knowledgeable about the housing industry and houses in general as well, and after business talk, it was nice he took the time to just chit chat for a bit. After speaking with me on the phone and chatting at the house, he gave me some great information about places he thought I would be interested in visiting, because he figured out pretty quickly I was a nerd who would be into some of the places he mentioned. He was right! Great information and advice! I really enjoyed doing business with John, who I found interesting, knowledgeable, and excellent to work with, and if I ever need another appraisal, he is definitely the one to call! I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants the best service in this business!
But, officials estimate the value of the properties would go up as a result of the improvements. They expect that the owners of the properties would pay about $11,164 more each year in taxes because of the increased property value. It’s that amount — about $62,343 in city and county taxes — that the two governments would forego as a result of Tuesday’s vote. Of that, about $62,343 would have gone to St. Petersburg and the remaining $49,301 would have gone to the county.
Mathematically the distinction between land and improvements in the income approach will have no impact on the overall value when the remaining economic life is more than thirty years. For this reason, it has become quite common to use the Vereinfachtes Ertragswertverfahren (simplified income approach), omitting the land value and the Liegenschaftszins. However, the separate treatment of land and buildings leads to more precise results for older buildings, especially for commercial buildings, which typically have a shorter economic life than residential buildings.
The Pinellas County property appraiser is responsible for finding, locating, and fairly valuing all property within Pinellas County with the purpose of assessing the taxable value. It's generally done at market value, which is essentially what someone would pay for the current state of your property. To get questions answered about your appraisal, find a property appraiser, or appeal a decision made by a property appraiser in Pinellas County, you can contact them at the following address:
Incumbent Property Appraiser Pam Dubov is retiring after eight years in office. Elected in the wake of a scandal, she has provided steady leadership and sound service to the public. The office faces new challenges with her departure, including more impending retirements of senior staffers with institutional memory. The office also needs to upgrade both the software it uses to appraise Pinellas properties and the website that serves as the public portal.
In order to become a Licensed Residential Appraiser, and earn the right to do appraisals on your own, most states require you to become a Trainee Appraiser and obtain experience. Many states have different titles for the Trainee Appraiser license level, such as Apprentice Appraiser or Registered Appraiser. Some states do not have a formal Trainee Appraiser license level. You can learn more about your state’s requirements by going to their regulatory website. Click here to find your state.
This week, at the IAAO International meeting, valued members of the OCPA team made presentations to their colleagues. Roger Ross gave a wildly popular presentation on the Agency’s commitment to customer service. Terry Taylor and Jeff Miller also presented an educational session on “Agriculture in the Land of Amusement,” sharing information of the diversity of properties within Orange County.
The Property Appraiser Association of Florida (PAAF) has developed a 3rd Homestead Exemption Tax Savings Estimator. The estimator was developed to help voters determine if they will receive any additional benefit from the proposed 3rd Homestead Exemption (Additional $25,000) on the ballot for the November 6, 2018 General Election. For additional information please see Understanding the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Homestead Exemption.
Note: Submission of this appraisal order form does not constitute an acceptance of the order by the appraiser. The appraiser will contact you and discuss the details of the assignment and from that point an agreement can be reached between you and the appraiser about the assignment. If the appraiser does not contact you more than likely they are having email problems so you should try to contact them by phone.
Lenders want to make sure that homeowners are not overborrowing for a property because the home serves as collateral for the mortgage. If the borrower should default on the mortgage and go into foreclosure, the lender will recoup the money it lent by selling the home. The appraisal helps the bank protect itself against lending more than it might be able to recover in this worst-case scenario.
Just released numbers from VISIT FLORIDA indicate another banner year for tourism. Some 65.5 million visitors graced the Sunshine State in the first six months. That’s more than in any six month period in the state’s history, and a nearly 6% increase over last year. Certainly a strong start to the year, but what impact will the red tide on the west coast have? Or will a hurricane damage the momentum? Good news for sure, but we must continue to diversify Florida’s jobs and make sure that the state is not only a fun place to visit.
We have compiled property records in a single, comprehensive property report which can provide you with lots of answers to your questions. How high are current property taxes? Is an increase in property taxes expected for the next year? How much did the current owner pay for this property? Were there any permits filed recently on the property indicating repairs and maintenance work? What is the official size (square footage) of the property? How does the home's sales history look, judging from the available property deed records? Get answers to these questions using PropertyShark, so you can confidently make your home buying decision. | http://martendavis.com/usa/home-value-appraiser-in-33716-st-petersburg-appraiser.html |
Known for its accuracy, clarity, and dependability, Meriam, Kraige, and Bolton’s Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics 8th Edition has provided a solid foundation of mechanics principles for more than 60 years. Now in its eighth edition, the text continues to help students develop their problem-solving skills with an extensive variety of engaging problems related to engineering design. In addition to new homework problems, the text includes a number of helpful sample problems. To help students build necessary visualization and problem-solving skills, the text strongly emphasizes drawing free-body diagrams- one of the most important skills needed to solve mechanics problems.
Dr. James L. Meriam has contributed to the field of engineering mechanics as one of the premier engineering educators during the second half of the twentieth century. Dr. Meriam earned his B.E., M. Eng., and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University. He had early industrial experience with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft and the General Electric Company. During the Second World War, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a member of the faculty of the University of California-Berkeley, Dean of Engineering at Duke University, a faculty member at the California Polytechnic State University, and visiting professor at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He retired in 1990. Professor Meriam always placed great emphasis on teaching, and this trait was recognized by his students wherever he taught. At Berkeley in 1963, he was the first recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award of Tau Beta Pi, given primarily for excellence in teaching. In 1978, he received the Distinguished Educator Award for Outstanding Service to Engineering Mechanics Education from the American Society for Engineering Education, and in 1992 was the Society's recipient of the Benjamin Garver Lamme Award, which is ASEE's highest annual national award.
Dr. L. G. Kraige, coauthor of the Engineering Mechanics series since the early 1980s, has also made significant contributions to mechanics education. Dr. Kraige earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Virginia, principally in aerospace engineering, and he currently serves as Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In addition to his widely recognized research and publications in the field of spacecraft dynamics. Professor Kraige has devoted his attention to the teaching of mechanics at both introductory and advanced levels. His outstanding teaching has been widely recognized and has earned him teaching awards at the departmental, college, university, state, regional, and national levels.
Approximately 50 percent of the homework problems are new to this eighth edition. All new problems have been independently solved in order to ensure a high degree of accuracy.
Sample Problems have been integrated throughout, including problems with computer-oriented solutions.
Answers to all problems listed in a special section at the very end of the book.
Introductory Problems are simple problems designed to help students gain confidence with a new topic. These appear in the problem sets following the Sample Problems.
Representative Problems are more challenging than Introductory Problems but are of average difficulty and length. These appear in the problem sets following the Sample Problems.
Computer-Oriented Problems are marked with an icon and appear in the end-of-chapter Review Problems.
Review Problems appear at the end of chapter.
Offers comprehensive coverage of how to draw free body diagrams. Through text discussion and assignable homework problems, students will learn that drawing free body diagrams is one of the most important skills needed to learn how to solve mechanics problems. Statics teaches students the appropriate techniques and then applies them consistently in solutions of mechanics problems.
Rich pedagogical features support ease of use. Key Concepts are highlighted within the theory presentations and chapter reviews offer itemized summaries of the material covered. | https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Engineering+Mechanics%3A+Dynamics%2C+8th+Edition-p-9781118885840 |
Why Do I Feel Cornered?
“Do you ever have fun?” is a question I’ve been asked more than a few times since I’ve made the decision to order green tea instead of a fine aged single malt.
Honestly, the question irritated me for a long time. I felt cornered, and despite being extremely confident in my decision to abstain, I felt the need to provide a very snarky answer to make sure my point came across. Stuff like “I don’t need liquid courage to simulate fun, not like you”, see what I mean? Not very nice…
Until just recently, I’ve begun to question why I take things so negatively. Just because I perceived the question to be negative, what was anyone gaining with me replying with another negative? Since it’s about perception, does that mean I have the ability to perceive things positively as well? What if the question about having fun didn’t even come from a negative place?
I had never considered that, I only assumed it had to be…
This idea was all new to me, what if the question was legitimate. What if those people truly couldn’t fathom a world where fun was possible without a glass in hand? What if they weren’t trying to annoy me? Maybe instead of being defensive, this was an opportunity to shed light on my perspective in a positive way.
Coming from a more positive place, my reply could go two ways: I could either reply with a simple “yes I can definitely have fun” or go into a long winded conversation about it. Putting my theory into practice, things have gone both ways depending on who I was talking to. Some people didn’t even care to know anything other than my “yes” to which they’d reply “oh ok, that’s cool!” While others invited a discussion.
I’ve realized making a big discussion out of something should only occur if the other side welcomes it, something I seem to have missed beforehand… But when they did I was happy to explain and inform, as opposed to scold.
Speaking from a place of calm has allowed me to peacefully voice my opinion without raising anyone’s blood pressure. I could very calmly discuss how I feel much more energetic throughout the day which gives me the ability to stay healthy, and I’ve been able to find a super fun hobby in fitness and nutrition. I could bring up how I have a lot more time to be creative now that I don’t spend hours out late or recovering the next day, and that’s a lot of fun for me. I’m also saving a lot of money which I’m now putting towards studio time every week, again, it’s awesome fun!
Once I start painting the picture in a non-intrusive, positive light, the person I’m conversing with usually starts to communicate their newfound understanding of my lifestyle choice and shares their views via their personal experiences. Whether there’s mutual agreement or not, a nice conversation was sparked and both parties leave having shared a nice dialogue.
I’m now realizing this blog is less about explaining how it’s possible to have fun without drinking and more to do with replying to questions that potentially make us feel cornered. That’s the beauty about writing on the fly and not planning things too thoroughly, things just happen!
I guess it’s an extension of my last blog about creating our own realities (http://ohmic.com/mindset-create-reality/) and something I’m really trying to hone in on. The concept where things are only negative if we perceive them to be.
I’ve struggled with this a lot in my adult life, and since I’ve routinely made decisions, both professionally and personally, that weren’t “mainstream”, I always assumed I had to be prepared to play defense. It’s actually taken me years to acknowledge this not so productive stance. My decisions were always made with tremendous love and passion for the given cause, why not treat others’ curiosity as such?
Regardless of the true intent of the curiosity, treating every question as an honest request for information is exactly how I believe I should treat it. If not, wouldn’t I be cheapening my cause or the love and positivity I’m trying to exude?
“Kill them with kindness” is striking a major chord lately. Sure there’s the superficial approach where it can be blindly used as a war tactic, but that usually irritates the other party even more. However going a little deeper, applying the kindness and passion we feel for our cause to the reply of the question, despite how it’s asked, will only reinforce our belief and potentially inspire with a very sound, alternative perspective.
The idea I’ve come to see is not to try and sway or sell anyone, but to say what we truly believe as respectfully and peacefully as possible. Perhaps the person asking the question is honestly curious and may be asking in a certain way only because of a defense mechanism in case things backfire; it’s normal and it’s human nature to be wary of divergent concepts. I know I’m guilty of the same. However the fact they engaged is an opportunity to show our true colors, as bright as possible.
If I really believe in what or why I’m doing any particular thing in my life, replying in a snappy manor only conveys my true insecurity, as playing defense must mean I don’t truly believe in myself. Replying in an honest, proud and sincere manner not only conveys confidence in myself, but a positivity which can potentially inspire.
I’m glad I started this blog, because I’ve been able to uncover so much about how I tick, it’s allowed me to get where I am today. To boot, putting it out there has shown me I’m definitely not alone. It’s so cool how we’re all so much alike and I now know if I’m thinking it, so is someone else!
And that’s why I’m just letting it out, unfiltered and straight from the hip, because I believe in sharing positivity, and that’s how I’ll keep answering!
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One common question we get from clients is whether Roth IRAs or Traditional IRAs are better. Before I try to answer that, let’s get one thing out of the way- this isn’t tax advice and I’m not a tax advisor. That being said, the answer (in my opinion), is that it really depends.
Overview
To start with, let’s clarify what makes a Roth IRA (RIRA) different from a Traditional IRA (TIRA). Both of them are “individual retirement arrangement” accounts that can be set up with financial institutions like banks, brokerage firms, or investment management companies. You can contribute certain amounts of money into these accounts for the purpose of retirement savings, and in return, the government provides tax benefits. What makes a RIRA different from a TIRA is when and how the tax benefits are received.
Traditional IRA
A TIRA provides tax benefits today. For example, if you contribute $5,000 into a TIRA in 2013, you may be able to deduct that contribution from your taxable income for the year (assuming you qualify). In other words, this could lower your tax bill for the current year. As a simple example, if you pay 20% income taxes and you remove $5,000 from your taxable income, then you could reduce your tax bill by $1,000 ($5,000 x 20% = $1,000). This upfront tax benefit makes the TIRA a popular choice.
Once the money is inside the TIRA it grows tax-deferred. In other words, as the money grows from interest, dividends, and investment gains, you don’t have to pay taxes on the money as long as it stays inside the TIRA. In a taxable account, those things could be taxed on an annual basis. When you pull the money out of the TIRA, the distributions will be subject to income tax at that time (you may be subject to penalties as well if the funds are pulled out before age 59.5).
Roth IRA
A RIRA provides tax benefits in the future. For example, if you contribute $5,000 into a RIRA in 2013, you will not receive any tax benefit for the year (i.e. you cannot deduct the contribution from your taxable income). As with the TIRA, the money will grow without taxes as long as it stays inside the RIRA. In the future, when you pull the money out of the RIRA, distributions will not be subject to tax. In other words, all of the interest, dividends, and capital gains accrued inside of the RIRA become tax-free.
There are conditions of course, including the need to hold the RIRA for at least five years to avoid early withdrawal penalties. Regardless, the RIRA is one of the very few ways to make “tax-free” money in the US. This is a unique and valuable benefit, but one that can take a long time to capture versus the “here and now” benefit of a TIRA. So which is better?
To Roth or Not
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let me point out that some people simply don’t qualify for Roth contributions. For example, in 2013 if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is above $127,000 (single filing), you may not even be eligible for Roth contributions, to begin with. You may be able to pull off a Roth conversion, but that could cause other problems and may not be a good choice (which all depends on your personal circumstances, so you should consult your tax advisor to be sure). The conversion is an entirely separate conversation in of itself, so we’ll revisit it another time. For now, let’s get back to Roth versus Traditional.
As I wrote above it depends on a number of variables. One variable is your income level, both now and in the future. Many people will experience their highest income levels and tax rates prior to retirement, with both decreasing after retirement. In that sense, deductions during higher income periods may be more valuable than tax-free benefits during periods of lower income. Another variable is the tax code. If tax rates, in general, are lower during your retirement than they were before your retirement, then the tax-free benefit of the RIRA is diluted and could even be counterproductive. Given that many people expect tax rates to go up from here, this may not be a concern.
Then there are your other moving parts to consider. For example, if you’ve already reached your 401(k) contribution limits for the year, you may not receive any additional upfront tax benefits for a TIRA. So in that case, it could make sense to capture the future benefits of the RIRA (assuming you qualify). And then there are also advanced considerations like estate planning issues. For example, if your objective is to leave the money to your heirs, you should know that the TIRA has required minimum distributions (RMD) at age 70.5 but the RIRA does not. The lack of RMD helps preserve tax benefits and can maximize the value of your bequest. Also, the tax treatment of TIRA and RIRA may be different for heirs, is that something you care about? The answers to these questions can be personal and subjective.
The Bottom Line
Clearly, there are many variables to consider and so the answer of whether to use a Roth or not isn’t a simple “yes” or “no.” It’s important to recognize that many of the variables affecting the RIRA outcome are beyond our control (i.e. tax rates, investment performance, and so forth), so there is a speculative element. With that in mind, the safest choice is often a balanced one. Contributing to a mix of different accounts is a prudent approach that will help you avoid having all your money in the wrong place at the wrong time (which is the worst possible outcome).
If you don’t know where to start, we’d recommend beginning with a financial plan. Instead of looking at the RIRA decision in isolation, it makes sense to consider all of your different moving financial parts and to identify which strategies, when combined, will produce the optimal overall outcome for your goals and needs. To that end, BCM is here to help, so feel free to reach out with any questions or needs.
Victor K Lai, CFA
This blog is for informational purposes only. Nothing on this blog represents advice. Investing is inherently risky and involves the potential for loss. Victor Lai does not own any of the securities referenced in this posting. Clients of Bellwether Capital Management LLC may own shares of the securities referenced in this posting. | https://thebellwetherblog.com/2013/09/01/to-roth-or-not/ |
At some point in our lives, we have all heard stories about hidden treasure. While some were purely works of fiction, there are also quite a number of tales which turned out to be true. Take the millionaire Forrest Fenn, for example, who claims that he has hidden treasures in the mountains amounting to a staggering $ 2 million.
According to an article from the website Lad Bible, 87-year-old Mr. Fenn is a millionaire who claims he hid a treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Just how much did Mr. Fenn hide? Well, the eccentric millionaire says it was worth £1.4 million, or PHP 141,253.462 million by today’s conversion.
READ: WATCH: James gives a starstruck fan a hug before driving off
Mr. Fenn takes pride in the fact that over 350,000 people have attempted to discover where he hid the treasure. Up to this day, however, no one has found it. He claims that it could very well take a thousand years for one to finally figure out where it is, adding that four others have already lost their lives while looking for the fortune.
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The millionaire said one can find his treasure just by looking at a map and reading a poem:
“Begin it where warm waters halt
and take it in the canyon down.
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.”
Of course, treasure hunters tried looking for more specific clues. Mr. Fenn said the hidden treasure is located somewhere between Santa Fe in New Mexico and the Canadian border to the north. This means that it could be anywhere in four American states, namely Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Aside from the vast area mentioned by the clue, the places also pose a highly challenging terrain. This makes it more difficult for treasure seekers to sweep the area.
In an interview with NPR in 2016, the old millionaire said:
“No one knows where that treasure chest is but me. If I die tomorrow, the knowledge of that location goes in the coffin with me.”
Here are some comments from netizens:
Watch the entire video here: | http://trendingnew.us/Unbelievable/millionaire-hidden-treasure_4_12324/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
0001 1. Field of the Invention
0002 The present invention relates to electronic systems for performing automated tests of complex electronic, electromechanical and mechanical equipment and products. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic test system with a graphical control interface that resembles that of a tape recorder to enable the user to efficiently control the execution of a test.
0003 2. Statement of the Problem
0004 Test systems are used to check status and performance of complex electronic, electromechanical and mechanical products and equipment. Such tests can include validation tests which run through the various operations that the device under test (DUT) is capable of and records whether each operation was performed properly, environmental tests which expose the DUT to various combinations of temperature, pressure, and humidity, and records the results, production tests, etc. Generally, both the DUT and the systems providing the environmental and other constraints on the DUT are controlled electronically. In the last decade or so, computerized programs which are capable of controlling a variety of automated tests, referred to in the art as test executive programs, have been developed.
0005 Test executive programs in the prior art include internal test executive programs developed by Agilent Technologies and TESTSTAND software developed by National Instruments Corporation, which is described as a ready-to-run test executive for organizing, controlling, and executing automated prototype, validation, or production test systems. The prior art Agilent Technologies programs did not use a graphical user interface (GUI); therefore, they did not allow the user to interact easily with the test software. The TESTSTAND software, while using a GUI, utilizes a conventional interface for a Windows program adapted to a test environment.
0006 Tests usually are defined by a set of rules or specifications to which the DUT response is compared. The rules or specifications generally comprise various inputs defined by electrical and mechanical parameters applied to the DUT, such as voltage, current, specified manipulations of controls and device parts, as well as environmental parameters under which the test is conducted, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and the time period over which a parameter is applied. Each test will include many combinations of the parameters applied to each element of the DUT, and often will be repeated many times. Thus, as equipment and products become more complex, electronic test programs have become very long and complex, often requiring several days, or even a week or more to run a complete test.
0007 In prior art test systems, the control of the execution of the test is limited to the usual commands Run Test and Abort Test. The user does not have simple means to command the test system to repeat a particular phase in the test without restarting the whole test program from the beginning or involving additional programming. As a result of starting from the beginning, the user wastes valuable time and valuable results.
0008 Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a test executive system in which, at any given point in a lengthy test, the execution of a test can be controlled in a manner to change its course without additional programming steps or a waste of valuable time.
0009 The present invention solves the above and other problems in the prior art by allowing the user to control the execution of the entire procedure on a small, intuitive graphical display called a control interface. The control interface enables the user to quickly perform functions such as aborting or stopping the execution of a test, pausing the execution of a test, restarting the test, restarting a particular measurement in a test, skipping a measurement in a test, or skipping a test. The ability to control the execution of a test allows the user to save time by immediately taking action and modifying some of the elements of the execution process. The user is not constrained to wait to the end of the test procedure nor is the user constrained to completely abort the procedure in the event that a particular measurement has not performed properly according to a set of rules, or specifications, but instead can immediately take action to change the course of the test procedure. The present invention is easy to use and does not involve additional programming for executing the control commands.
0010 The electronic test output is displayed through an easy to use graphical user interface. It is divided into windows containing either icons for controlling the test procedure or windows for displaying the results of the test. The user can control the test procedure by accessing the programs represented by the icons and windows with a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, a touch pad, a roller ball, or a joystick.
0011 The portion of the display containing the control interface is preferably a small portion of the graphical user interface (GUI) where the control commands are displayed as icons. Preferably, the icons are displayed on a window as buttons. Preferably, the buttons have labels relating information on the function of each button.
0012 The control interface allows the user to send instructions to the test procedure so that the test procedure responds to the commands by changing the course of the execution of the test procedure.
0013 Preferably, each command is assigned to a single icon in such a manner that, when the user clicks on the icon using an input device, the test program responds accordingly.
0014 Preferably, the command buttons are displayed as in a tape recorder wherein each button is assigned a recognizable and intuitive function, such as the functions used in a tape recorder or video cassette recorder (VCR), e.g., play, pause, rewind, and fast forward. The designs on the buttons are recognizable symbols for such play, pause, rewind, and fast forward functions. Since most people in developed countries today are familiar with tape recorders, VCRs and CD-ROM players that utilize such interfaces, a typical user recognizes and is familiar with both the functions behind each symbol and the symbols.
0015 Preferably, the test program has a hierarchical structure and the control interface permits the user to separately control different levels of the hierarchy. That is, the results are displayed in a multilevel structure having a highest level and one or more sublevels. Preferably, the levels of the hierarchy, starting from the highest level, are procedure, test, measurement, and datapoint. That is, the test procedure contains an ensemble of tests, each containing one or more measurements, and each measurement contains one or more datapoints. Preferably, the control interface allows the user to select the execution of the test program at a specific level in a test procedure. For example, the user can skip a particular test in the test procedure, therefore skipping dependent measurements and datapoints in the test. The user can also opt to skip a particular measurement in a specific test. Alternatively, the user can repeat a measurement in a test or repeat the execution of a specific test in a test procedure.
0016 The present invention not only provides simple controls for the execution of an electronic test, but also displays the controls in an intuitive way. Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
0017FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principal hardware components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention connected to a device under test;
0018FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hierarchical structure of the preferred embodiment of a test program according to the invention;
0019FIG. 3 shows a view of the graphical user interface of the electronic test system with a control interface according to the invention; and
0020FIGS. 4 through 6 show alternative embodiments of a control interface according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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0021 The present invention relates to an electronic test system with a control interface that enables the user to easily and intuitively control the execution of test programs. Referring to FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, the test system comprises a computer , including a memory , a microprocessor , an input device , and an output device . Memory communicates with microprocessor via electrical line . Input device communicates with microprocessor through electrical line . Microprocessor outputs the data through output device via electrical line .
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0022 In another embodiment, the test system can take the form of software stored in memory and run or executed by processor . The user interacts with the test system through input device such as, but not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a track ball, a touch pad, or a joystick. Input device moves a cursor or a pointer on output device , which is a display system such as a cathode ray tube monitor or a liquid crystal display. The results of the test, as well as the control interface, are displayed on output device . The test is controlled by processor , which communicates the instructions of the test program to the product under test or device under test (DUT) via electrical line . Processor controls the test equipment via electrical line . The test results are processed by processor and stored in memory to be visualized by display . The display information contains both information as to the configuration and position of the cursor and other visual information of interest to the user, such as the results of the test and other graphical elements for controlling the execution of the test procedure.
0023 The invention may be implemented in a variety of actual electronic devices that follow the general form outlined on FIG. 1. For example, the test system may be imbedded in a computer system, or it may also be imbedded in the hardware as a logic circuit, or embodied as an electronic testing device such as, but not limited to, an electronic analyzer.
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0024 The electronic test system or electronic test program of the present invention is stored in memory to be managed and executed by processor . The electronic test system is a series of instructions that are executed by the processor via communication between memory , processor , and device under test , as well as transmission of commands between input device and processor via electrical line . The results, as well as the input parameters, are displayed as text and graphics on output device .
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0025 To better understand the workings of the invention, it is helpful to describe the hierarchical structure of the preferred test program of the present invention, and the order in which the test is performed. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a block diagram illustrating the hierarchical, i.e., multi-level, characteristic of the test program. Herein, we shall refer to the broadest or most inclusive level as the highest level or first level, though this choice is arbitrary. The first level corresponds to the product model, a file the test developer creates to test a family of specific device model numbers. It contains test procedures and inputs.
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0026 The next level corresponds to the procedure itself. A procedure is an ordered list, sequence, or script of tests to be run. Several procedures may exist, which is represented in FIG. 2 by a deck of cards , each representing a different procedure. Each procedure includes a plurality of tests, i.e., test , test , test . . . test N, as shown at . Each test includes a plurality of measurements. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 for test shown at . As shown, test includes measurements , i.e., measurement , measurement . . . measurement N. Each measurement includes one or more datapoints, each datapoint represented as one of the cards , , in a stack of cards associated with each measurement. A procedure is defined by writing a program or a code to build a structure of software objects. In one embodiment, the software objects are COM objects. COM is a language independent component architecture, not a programming language. It is meant to be a general purpose, object-oriented means to encapsulate commonly used functions and services. See Newton's Telecom Dictionary by Harry Newton, Publishers Group West, page 197.
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0027 A test is a group of measurements in a procedure that share the same test algorithm or the same test software code. Some examples of tests include amplitude accuracy test, test of harmonic distortion, etc. The test program repeatedly calls a test for each measurement and datapoint.
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0028 A measurement, such as measurement , is a configuration or a setup for a test. Each measurement, in measurements , within a test can have different setups or configuration parameters. Tests are parameter driven and the parameters are inputs at the measurement level. Measurements are elements such as range in volts, frequency in kilohertz or harmonic (an integer number). The test procedure views measurements as data to be passed from the procedure to a test. A measurement is also a phase of test execution. During the measurement phase of test execution, the measurement is started but data is not collected. This allows for multiple devices under test (DUTs) to be configured and triggered together.
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0029 A datapoint such as , , , is a subset of a measurement, such as , containing additional parameters that select a result when one measurement generates multiple results. Some examples of multiple datapoints for a measurement are the minimum and maximum of a spectrum analyzer sweep or each channel of a device.
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0030 For each datapoint, such as , in measurement , a value result is extracted. The results obtained are compared to specifications. Specifications are numerical limits, string match, or Boolean pass/fail. There are three sets of limits: marginal limits, line limits and customer limits. Each limit has an upper and a lower value.
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0031 All the inputs and outputs of the electronic test system (FIG. 1) are, preferably, handled through a graphical user interface. FIG. 3 shows a graphical user interface comprising buttons displayed on an output device . Each button has a graphical element, such as , associated with it that conveys a command for controlling test system . From left to right, the buttons control: abort , restart test , restart measurement , pause , run , skip measurement , skip test . Button is used to abort the test procedure in case the user determines that the test is not running properly. Button is used to restart a test. This is performed when the user determines that a specific test must be rerun. Button is used to restart a measurement. This is performed when the user determines that a specific measurement is to be redone. Button is used to momentarily stop the execution of a test procedure. This button is engaged in case the user wants to perform a task on the DUT or test system, for instance, checking a parameter or verifying various test settings, etc. Button is used to start the test procedure. This button is activated to start the procedure or to restart the procedure after momentarily freezing the execution of the test procedure, i.e., after engaging pause button . Button is activated when the user wishes to skip a specific measurement. Similarly, button is activated when the user wishes to skip a particular test.
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0032 Buttons or can be engaged multiple times to back up the procedure execution by multiple tests or measurements, respectively. Buttons or can be engaged multiple times to skip multiple measurements or tests, respectively.
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0033 The bottom of the screen shows a window describing the hierarchy of tests, measurements, and datapoints. Icons indicate pass, fail, marginal, and not yet tested. A smiling, surprised, and sad icons correspond respectively to pass, marginal, and fail. The pass/fail icon on top of the window is for the entire procedure. It summarizes the status of all the tests with the fail having priority. That is, if there is one fail test, the whole procedure is fail. The Boolean operator AND is used to compute the final status of the procedure.
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0034 The right side of the graphical user interface shows a window comprising a series of rows, such as , and columns, such as . Window displays the time the test is run, as well as the status of the test . This window also displays the test that is being carried out, such as amplitude accuracy in , the type of measurement, such as (range5 Vp, Frequency1 kHz) in , the datapoint or channel under test, such as (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) in , the value or result of the measurement, such as (0.1235 dB) in , the specification, such as (0.2) in , and the frequency, such as (1 kHz) in . The test can be sorted by clicking on the icon view on top of the window . This allows the test results to be filtered and displayed depending on their status. The bottom right window is a progress window indicating the progress of the test procedure.
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0035 An alternative embodiment of the control interface , according to the invention, is shown on FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the control interface is comprised of graphical elements that can take the form . The control interface is imbedded as a series of physical buttons - on the lower part of output device such as, but not limited to, a computer monitor. The control buttons, such as , , , are designed as round-buttons in this embodiment. To avoid confusion between restart test and restart measurement, different symbols are put on button and button . Similarly, to avoid confusion between skip test and skip measurement, different symbols are put on button and button . Button represents the ON/OFF button of output device .
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0036 Other alternative embodiments of the control interface are shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 where the different buttons are arranged in two different configurations and on input device and , respectively, such as a keyboard. In configuration , shown in FIG. 5, the control buttons abort, run and pause are grouped together for easy access, since these buttons are more frequently used. The control buttons repeat test and skip test are grouped together for easy identification. Similarly, control buttons repeat measurement and skip measurement are also grouped together for easy identification. For example, in configuration , the control buttons can take the place of the F functions on a typical keyboard. FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the control interface where the control buttons are grouped in configuration . In this instance, the control buttons are designed and added to keyboard .
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0037 The different embodiments of the symbols used and grouping of the buttons on interfaces , , and , can, of course, be used in combination with an interface on a display, such as shown in FIG. 3, and the symbols and grouping shown on interface in FIG. 3 can be used in combination with a monitor or keyboard. The invention contemplates that other symbols and/or groupings may also be used. Moreover, the control interface can be implemented on a remote control which resembles a remote control of a television or VCR, and any of the groupings and/or symbols may be used in combination with such a device.
0038 There has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention. It will be understood that the invention can be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. For example, while the invention has been described in terms of an electronic test program with a graphical control interface, other systems may be implemented based on hardware or firmware instead of software, or the control interface may not be displayed on the graphical user interface but implemented as hardware, in which implementation the buttons are physical buttons. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims. | |
• Focused on the difficulty instead of the Lord. How often have you and I done the very same thing? If the unfairness or pain of a situation grabs our attention, we can lose sight of our all-powerful God.
• Relied on his own strength and understanding. When a problem confronts us, the most natural response is to do whatever we can to make it right. Our way may seem so logical at the time, but it won’t accomplish God’s purposes.
• Acted impulsively instead of waiting on the Lord. If a situation seems urgent, fixing the problem as fast as possible easily becomes our top priority.
At some point, we’ve acted similarly and suffered the consequences of self-reliance. But God didn’t reject Moses or cancel His plans for the man. Instead, the Lord refined his character through trials and gave him another chance. Don’t you think our loving Father will do the same for us?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 20-22
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: In tough situations, we’re often tempted to rely on our own logic and strength, but God’s way is best.
In Touch Daily Devotions 15 February 2022 By Dr. Charles Stanley. He is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. | https://theprayerportal.org/in-touch-daily-devotions-15-february-2022/ |
UNTIL 2008 Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector was a major contributor to the national economy in general, and to a significant extent to that of Bulawayo, as was the contribution of the mining sector and, at one time, agriculture.
Eric Bloch
And since 2008 the industrial sector has progressively declined with many enterprises wholly ceasing operations, while others have markedly downsized their production levels.
The decline of Zimbabwean industrial entities is attributable to diverse circumstances, almost all of which were either caused by government, or which government failed to address. Amongst the main causes of industrial emaciation were:
Rampant hyperinflation that soared to such a great level that the official inflation rate once reached 231 000 000%; the Central Statistical Office (now Zimbabwean Statistical Authority), became unable to determine the magnitude of inflation, although economists assessed that the hyperinflation had soared to levels of several trillion per cent, a record figure.
Consequently costs of production escalated at an unsustainable pace, with immense surges in wages and salaries, materials and consumables, electricity and other utilities, transport, and much else;
The intensity of inflation almost wholly eroded the spending power of consumers, with most people even struggling to afford the most basic necessities. This reduced market demand for many products, and even contracted the demand for bare essentials.
The upward surge in manufacturing costs, and concomitant decline in production levels to service the domestic market, inevitably escalated prices of products to export customers to such an extent almost all export opportunities that had beneficiated industries ceased to exist. Concurrently, locally produced goods ceased to be competitive against imported products;
The hyperinflation greatly eroded the capital resources of all industries, to the extent many were not only undercapitalised, but also virtually devoid of capital.
For the same reasons, the availability of new domestic investment resources was minimal, and potential foreign investors were deterred from investing in the troubled manufacturing businesses by the state of the Zimbabwean economy.
As a result, the sudden erosion of the capital essential for viable operations could not be reversed by procurement of new investment capital.
Moreover, the banking and financial sector had also been affected and suffered consequential major reduction in capital resources.
Furthermore, because of the state of the economy, deposits into that sector were relatively minimal. Consequently, few manufacturers were able to source required funding from the money market to meet their needs no longer serviced by own capital;
Without exception, the charges levied by public sector utility providers, and for local authority services, surged upwards, thereby increasing operation costs of manufacturers;
Notwithstanding recurrent wage increases, as a general rule wage levels did not suffice to meet all essential needs of workers, their families and dependants. Manufacturers have suffered repetitive labour unrest and considerably diminished productivity levels.
Despite the immense devastation the manufacturing sector can be resuscitated and grow to far greater heights conditional upon government pursuing the right policies, and facilitating a conducive industrial environment. Amongst the many attributes to such redevelopment of Zimbabwean industry are:
The country’s geographic location is such as would provide industrialists with access to a domestic market, and export markets, aggregating to more than 420 million customers;
As the agricultural and mining sectors recover, Zimbabwean manufacturers will have ready access, at reasonable cost, to many diverse manufacturing inputs;
Despite the many skilled Zimbabweans who have taken up employment elsewhere in the region or further afield, the country still has a considerable resource of skilled labour;
Considerable, currently under-utilised, industrial infrastructure exists (especially so in Bulawayo), notwithstanding that much of it needs upgrading or renovation; and there are many other factors conducive to Zimbabwean industrial recovery and growth.
However, for that to materialise, there are factors that need to be addressed.
Only a week ago, the Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha, whilst touring various Bulawayo–based industries, stated US$8 billion is required for the resuscitation of Zimbabwe’s distressed industries (over and above the funding required for the establishment of new industries).
Zimbabwe’s devastated economy does not have such investment resources, and foreign investment and international aid and loan funding of such magnitude will not be forthcoming until government creates a conducive investment environment.
Concurrently, government needs to address availability of essential utilities, and in view of the state’s bankruptcy, that will not be timeously achieved unless it expeditiously effects total or partial privatisation of the utility and service-providing parastatals.
Significant revisions are also required to the country’s direct, and indirect, taxation policies. Realistic tax rates, conducive to investment motivation, are essential, as is the reintroduction of export incentives and import duties which level the playing field between imported and locally produced industrial products.
Government must also restore good international relations, instead of the fractious interactions with part the international community, especially the West. | https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2014/04/04/measures-resuscitate-industry-crucial/ |
The 2015-16 WxChallenge national competition culminated in April with Embry-Riddle Prescott sophomore Camden Plunkett taking first place in the Freshman/Sophomore university student category and seventh place overall. The Embry-Riddle Prescott team finished 19th overall.
“I’m surprised and really proud to have won the competition in my category and to have done so well,” said Plunkett. “I definitely used my forecasting knowledge from weather class combined with some good luck, but I couldn’t have done this without the help of Dr. James and Tony Nguyen.”
“I just love meteorology. It’s one of two things I’ve always been interested in — meteorology and airplanes. It’s why Embry-Riddle is such a perfect fit for me. I’m really proud to attend here and to have brought this win to the school.”
Camden Plunkett
Plunkett dedicated over an hour each day during the 10-week competition to studying the model outputs and reviewing the weather for competition of each city in order to make his predictions. During the competition, he took best overall during the New Orleans, LA challenge and second in the freshman/sophomore category for the Green Bay, WI challenge which helped him rise to the top.
“I just love meteorology. It’s one of two things I’ve always been interested in — meteorology and airplanes. It’s why Embry-Riddle is such a perfect fit for me,” said Plunkett. “I’m really proud to attend here and to have brought this win to the school.”
Dr. Curtis James, Department Chair of Applied Aviation Sciences and professor in Meteorology, acknowledges the hard work of Plunkett and team.
“The WxChallenge is a huge contest, with close to 2,000 competitors in North America participating. Those who compete are students, staff and faculty in academia, as well as meteorologists in the government and the private sector. We are proud of our meteorology students who competed so well this year, especially Camden. It is a distinct pleasure having Camden in our Applied Meteorology Program here at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus!”
Find out more about Applied Meteorology at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus.
Beat the computer. That’s the goal of operational meteorologists and Embry-Riddle Prescott’s Applied Meteorology students who are learning to beat computer-based forecasting models while competing with over 1,500 other participants in the WxChallenge. In fact, two of the participants are currently on track to compete in a final national tournament in April 2016.
“Forecasting is the most important part of Operational Meteorology,” said Tony Nguyen, second-time competitor and senior in Applied Meteorology, minoring in Air Traffic Management and seeking Emergency Response Meteorologist certification. “The competition is fun and it’s a great opportunity to use the skills we’ve learned in class. Competing like this pushes you to improve your skills as a forecaster under pressure just like professional meteorologists.”
WXChallenge is the North American collegiate weather competition held every fall and spring semester. The goal is to forecast the maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation and maximum wind speeds at specified locations in the U.S. for four consecutive days, posting forecasts six hours in advance of each day during a 10-week period. The goal is to match the predicted forecast to the actual observed weather conditions and beat the National Weather Service (NWS) computer model guidance and other forecasters. The competition is fierce and complex.
“Most people don’t realize what goes into forecasting,” said Nguyen. “In this competition, most of us have never been to any of these places. I find it helpful to look at the climatology and terrain maps to make my forecasts. Weather models from the computer plus humans are the most accurate.”
Feeding the data points of a specific location into the modeling software is the first step of forecasting. The data points include climate norms, recent weather and geographic characteristics such as mountain ranges that would affect weather patterns. Atmospheric observations of current weather from weather stations, weather balloons, and weather satellites are added. The outcome is a Model Output Statistic (MOS) prediction. Finally a trained Meteorologist analyzes the MOS and fine-tunes it based on experience and personal research of the area, often times under time-sensitive deadlines.
The first step to weather forecasting is Interpreting the combination of forces and processes in the atmosphere in the context of the climate and geography of a given location. As part of this process, students examine a variety of available weather observations from weather stations, weather balloons, and radar and satellite imagery. Once they arrive at a preliminary estimate of forecast values, they fine-tune their forecasts based on a variety of automated forecasting products and model output statistics (MOS). Students also benefit from the fact that Embry-Riddle is the first university in the country to provide the NWS’s operational weather forecasting software (AWIPS II) in the cloud so that students may access this guidance from just about anywhere that Internet connectivity is available.
Nguyen experienced AWIPS II and other operational forecasting practices first-hand last summer on an internship with the San Diego National Weather Service office. As a result, he has set his career goal on Operational Meteorology with Incident Meteorology as the focus.
“The best part of the internship was helping forecasters put out weather warnings in times of weather events. These warnings needed to go out fast so people could prepare, especially the first responders and police trying to keep everyone safe,” said Nguyen. “My job was getting ground truth from real-time location-specific weather spotters for the meteorologists. Bent light poles, flash floods – it was high energy and exciting! It made me happy to stay one step ahead of the evolving weather and I feel like Embry-Riddle really helped prepare me for it all.”
Meteorology faculty and team mentors, Dr. Dorothea Ivanova and Dr. Curtis James, are pleased with the students’ performance thus far in the annual competition.
“Embry-Riddle’s team is competing very well compared to the 54 other schools registered,” said James. “As a team, we have been as high as fifth place this semester with individual students as high as 28th place overall this semester. Students are having a great time and I’m proud of them. Opportunities like the WxChallenge and summer internships set our students on a great career path.”
For more information on the WxChallenge or the Applied Meteorology program, contact Dr. Curtis James at [email protected].
To inquire about the Prescott Campus, call us at 928-777-6600 or 800-888-3728, or email [email protected]. | http://prescott.erau.edu/features/bright-futures-forecast-meteorology-students |
French for "refined love," or courtly love, the self-professed subject of the troubadour love song (canso).
Pastorela
Provencal for "pastoral"; a troubadour courtly song affecting a mock-popular style, depicting a conversation between a knight and a shepherdess.
Joglars
Provencal for "juggler", a singer-entertainer of a lower class, later called a minstrel. Memorized the work of noble poets and developed some creative facility, but lacked courtly patronage and functioned as itinerant wits
Vidas
brief troubadour and trobairitz biographies typically contained in their song collections (chansonniers)
Tenso
A debate song in the Troubadour and trouvere repertoire, characterized by a discussion about love and other subjects, depicted as an exchange between two or more participants; on occasion a joint composition by two or more poets
trobar clus
From Provencal, "closed form"; difficult troubadour poetry, eventually died off because of how complex and exclusive it was
Chansons de geste (songs of deeds)
a lyrical poem sung to short melodic formulas by the trouveres
Motet
a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied, as the motet evolved, the tenor (chant) voice remained slower and the polytextual upper parts focused on both religious or secular subjects
rondeau
French Medieval round dance song setting; typically a 13-line poem broken into three stanzas, set to only two musical phrases
ballade
main narrative genre of Romantic folk poetry; a sung narrative poem, typically included dramatic dialogue between humans and supernatural beings that ended in disaster
virelai
a form of medieval French poetry and music, consisting of 3 stanzas with a refrain before and after each stanza
formes fixes
three chief poetic forms used for late Medieval songs: the ballade, rondeau, and virelai
Minnesang
German for "love song"; specifically, settings composed between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, modeled on the troubadour courtly love songs.
a) Describe Eleanor's role in the development court etiquette - the main topic of troubadour song. b) Describe some of the ways that she maintained her status in a male-dominated power structure.
- Eleanor was a woman with a lot of power, knew how to protect herself
- Due to family hierarchy and lack of brothers, Eleanor inherited Aquitaine along with 7 other countries
- married simply to protect her status and power
- when she married the second time, she assisted her son's revolt against the king and convinced her other sons to join
- when Eleanor's song became King of England, Eleanor ruled under his name
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...
Monastic Chant North of the Alps
16 terms
chrissytrespeses
Psalmody in Practice
12 terms
chrissytrespeses
Gender, Liturgical Practice, and the Convent at Ru…
5 terms
chrissytrespeses
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE... | https://quizlet.com/445901416/singer-songwriting-i-poems-of-courtly-love-from-iberia-to-the-german-north-flash-cards/ |
Capsule Daylength, rather than latitude, was found to be an important determinant of variation in clutch size. Aims To describe the nature of spatial and temporal variation in clutch size, and explore the ecological correlates of these patterns. Methods We tested the prediction that seasonal declines in clutch size will be greater at higher latitudes. The environmental variables focused on were the influence of daylength, plant productivity, seasonality (i.e. Ashmole's hypothesis) and physiological mechanisms that relate clutch size to ambient temperature. We used data from 1980 to 2003 on spatial variation in clutch size across Britain for single-brooded species, in which clutch size can be taken as a measure of annual reproductive investment. We included all seven species, from five families, with sufficient data in the British Trust for Ornithology's Nest Record Scheme. Results There are strong seasonal declines in clutch size but little evidence for latitudinal gradients in clutch size or in latitudinal gradients in the rate of seasonal clutch size decline. Of the environmental variables investigated, daylength had the most marked effect on clutch size; this was positive in diurnal species and negative in the one nocturnal species. Conclusions Although this study was confined to a relatively small latitudinal range of 8°, we found marked latitudinal gradients in a number of factors thought to drive spatial patterns in clutch size. Moreover, such variation is of sufficient magnitude to generate spatial patterns in other ecological variables in Britain. There is thus no simple explanation for the lack of a latitudinal gradient in clutch size. The results concerning daylength indicate that the time available for foraging is an important determinant of variation in clutch size. | https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/latitudinal-and-seasonal-patterns-in-clutch-size-of-some-single-b |
What is the full form of DVT?
The full form of DVT is Deep Vein Thrombosis. It corresponds to a blood clot that occurs deep inside your body in a vein, typically in the lower leg or thigh. In many other areas of the body also it can happen.
When a vein is weakened or blood flows poorly or ceases circulating in a vein, these clots are usually developed. It affects mainly people 50 years or older. DVT is a life-threatening condition, if anyone encounters any signs of this health issue, they must quickly consult the doctor.
Typical symptoms of DVT
- Swelling, usually on one side of the foot, ankle and leg.
- Ache including cramping in the impacted part of the leg.
- Severe foot or ankle discomfort.
- Redness in the affected region.
- Warm feelings over the region impacted.
Reasons for DVT
- The key elements might raise the risk of thrombosis development:
- Injured vein due to the injury like fracture of the bone
- Obesity appears to put additional strain on the veins throughout the legs or pelvis.
- Family Background of DVT Usage of medication for birth control
- Undergoing replacement therapy of hormone therapy
- Continuous bed rest during hospitalization.
- Inflammatory disorder of the bowel
- Heavy smoking habit
- Sitting for a prolonged time, like travelling or driving for long periods, or a watchman’s work.
DVT’s Complications
Pulmonary embolism
It happens when the blood clot breaks off and its fragments begin to circulate in the bloodstream, and a blood vessel that carries blood to the lung blocks one of the fragments.
Post-thrombotic syndrome
After DVT, there is chronic venous insufficiency. It happens as the DVT affects the vein valves and the blood starts circulating in the lower leg instead of flowing upwards. In certain situations, it causes long-term discomfort, swelling & ulcers.
Limb ischemia
In extreme cases of DVT, it happens. In this condition, the pressure in the vein becomes quite high because of the blood clot, which appears to obstruct blood in the arteries and therefore limits the supply of oxygen to the affected region. Typically, it is painful and can trigger skin ulcers & gangrene.
Prevention of DVT
- Stop sitting for long periods or standing idle
- Make a change towards lifestyles
- Periodical exercise
- Stop smoking
- Holding the optimal body weight
- Including a balanced diet
- Enhance the intake of fluids
Test for DVT
The doctor will perform the following diagnostic tests to determine DVT if he suspects you may have DVT.
- D-Dimer
It is a blood test that is done to identify parts of the blood clot that pass through the bloodstream after the blood clot starts to break down. A large number of bits are indicated by the presence of the blood clot in the vein.
- Venogram
A special dye is inserted into the veins of the foot in this procedure and then an X-ray of the veins is obtained whether a clot in the vein is visible. It is an excellent test for the identification of blood clots under the knee.
- Doppler ultrasound
Sound waves have been used in this procedure to track the blood as it travels via the blood vessels. It is appropriate well above the knee for the identification of wide blood clots. | https://byjus.com/full-form/dvt-full-form/ |
New Delhi, 2ndFebruary 2019:Laboratory for Computational Social Systems (LCS2) at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D) organised a stimulating workshop on AI for Computational Social Systems (ACSS 2019) under the leadership of Dr. Tanmoy Chakraborty, who is Assistant Professor of CSE in IIIT-Delhi.
The one-day workshop started with a panel discussion on “What is ‘Social Good’ and how AI can contribute to it?”The panelists included some of the most influential personalities from the industry, academia, and policymakers such as Rahul Panicker, CIO, Wadhwani AI; VasudevaVarma, Professor and Dean, IIIT Hyderabad; SandeepShukla, Professor, IIT Kanpur; Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, Associate Professor, IIIT Delhi; Avik Sarkar, Head, Data Analytics Cell, NitiAayog; Monojit Choudhury, Researcher, Microsoft Research; and DishaMakhija, Data Scientist, Flipkart.
Panelists have also expressed their views and shared insights on topics such as Data Mining, Complex Networks, Social Computing, Natural Language Processing and Data-driven Cyber security. Some other significant issues like misinformation, the rise of fake content on social media, and computational sociolinguistics were also discussed at the workshop. To ignite the interest of students, a poster competition was also organised, followed by felicitation of the winners.
The workshop was sponsored by Google, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, and Journal of Artificial Intelligence.
Professor Ranjan Bose, Director of IIIT-D, said,“Workshops like this play a crucial role in advancing the minds of budding engineers. Here, they get immense opportunities to discuss several innovative topics with industry leaders and other eminent personalities; these insights are very beneficial for students to excel in their respective domains.”
He further added, “AI is all set to create wonders in the coming years, now imagine, how impactful it would be to the human race when combined with computer science, statistics, and the social sciences (Computational Social Systems). As educators, it’s our prime responsibility to guide students and help them steer towards success. We will continue to organise such workshops in the future as well.”
Prof. Tanmoy Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, IIIT-Delhi,said,“We, at Laboratory for Computational Social Systems (LCS2), aim to create an enriching environment for research in the domain of Computational Social Systems. This field is of immense importance to our society, and we are working on solving problems related to misinformation in social media, network dynamics, and education by using AI and Machine Learning. I hope that this workshop helped inspire students to work in this domain and gave them a platform to interact with some of the top minds in the field. It was great to see that our research is aligned to the agenda of NITI Aayog, an initiative taken by the Govt of India to empower citizens of India with advanced computational technology”. | https://highereducationplus.com/iiit-d-organises-acss-2019-for-students-and-researchers/ |
No.
t.BA.XXM6.AS2.19HS
Title
Algebra and Statistics 2
Organised by
T IAMP
Credits
4
Description
Version: 3.0 start 01 August 2019
Short description
This module covers linear transformations, eigenvectors and eigenvalues, continuous probability distributions, the Gaussian distribution, the central limit theorem, deductive statistics and also linear regression.
Module coordinator
Lermer Karl Reiner (lrka)
Learning objectives (competencies)
Objectives
Competences
Taxonomy levels
You become acquainted with the mathematical tools and concepts required for the engineering modules. You familiarize yourself with the mathematical way of thinking and practice your ability to abstract.
You are able to
- determine whether a transformation is linear.
- derive the transformation matrix of a linear transformation.
- calculate and apply the composition of linear transformations as a product of matrices
- define and apply two and three dimensional compressions, rotations, projections and reflections
.
F, M
K2, K3
You are able to
- compute
real eigenvalues and eigenvectors of linear transformations and matrices.
F, M
K2, K3
You are able to
-distinguish discrete and continuous random variables
-calculate the expected value, the variance and the standard deviation of continuous random variables.
- apply the probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF)
of the Gaussian distribution in examples.
-explain and apply the central limit theorem.
F, M
K2, K3
You are accustomed to basic terms of deductive statistics (point and interval estimate, bias and consistency)
You are able to calculate confidence intervals and derive hypothesis tests.
F, M
K2, K3
You are able to calculate linear regression lines.
F, M
K2, K3
You are able to use the competencies listed
above to solve more complex problems.
F, M
K3
Module contents
Linear transformations
Eigenvectors and eigenvalues
Continuous probability distributions
Gaussian distribution
Central limit theorem
Deductive statistics
Linear regression
Teaching materials
Depending on the lecturer
Supplementary literature
Gramlich, G.,
Lineare Algebra – Eine Einführung
(München: Carl Hanser Verlag, 4. Aufl. 2014), ISBN: 978-3446441408
Sachs, M.,
Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung und Statistik: für Ingenieurstudenten an Fachhochschulen
(München: Carl Hanser Verlag, 4. Aufl. 2013), ISBN: 978-3446437975
Papula, L.,
Mathematische Formelsammlung: Für Ingenieure und Naturwissenschaftler
(Wiesbaden: Springer Vieweg, 12. Aufl. 2017), ISBN 978-3658161941
Prerequisites
Mathematics of the technical vocational baccalaureate.
Teaching language
(X) German ( ) English
Part of International Profile
( ) Yes (X) No
Module structure
Type 2b
For more details please click on this link:
T_CL_Modulauspraegungen_SM2025
Exams
Description
Type
Form
Scope
Grade
Weighting
Graded assignments during teaching semester
1 test
written
45 min
grade
20%
regular
assessment (e.g.
online tests)
grade
10%
End-of-semester exam
exam
written
90 min
grade
70%
Remarks
Legal basis
The module description is part of the legal basis in addition to the general academic regulations. It is binding. During the first week of the semester a written and communicated supplement can specify the module description in more detail.
Note
Additional available versions:
1.0 start 01 February 2019
Course: Algebra und Statistik 2 - Vorlesung
No.
t.BA.XXM6.AS2.19HS.V
Title
Algebra und Statistik 2 - Vorlesung
Note
No module description is available in the system for the cut-off date of 01 August 2099. | https://eventoweb.zhaw.ch/Evt_Pages/Brn_ModulDetailAZ.aspx?node=2901247e-aa27-4f84-a5d6-d6b33b234dbd&IDAnlass=1456289&clearcache=true&date=662248224000000000&IdLanguage=133 |
Our mission is to provide the highest quality instructional programs in emergency care, occupational safety and health care for individuals, groups, facilities, organizations and/or training centers in the most cost-effective manner possible. Our instructional programs are designed and tested by professionals, who draw on the talent and experience of outside consultants and recognized experts in the field, and are consistent with national standards and include medical innovations.
THE MISSION
ACLS
•For healthcare professionals who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies and for personnel in emergency response
What does this course teach?
•Basic life support skills, including effective chest compressions, useof a bag-mask device, and use of an AED
•Recognition and early management of respiratory and cardiac arrest
•Recognition and early management of peri-arrest conditions such as symptomatic bradycardia
•Airway management
•Related pharmacology
•Management of ACS and stroke
•Effective communication as a member and leader of a resuscitation team
PALS
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) uses a series of videos and simulated pediatric emergencies to reinforce the important concepts of a systematic approach to pediatric assessment, basic life support, PALS treatment algorithms, effective resuscitation, and team dynamics.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS):
•For healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children and for personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units
What does this course teach?
The goal of the PALS Course is to improve the quality of care provided to seriously ill or injured children, resulting in improved outcomes. To enter the course, students must complete the PALS Precourse Self-Assessment. Throughout the course, students are presented with 12 In-hospital pediatric patient cases and a team dynamics lesson. Upon successful completion of all the patient cases, students must pass the multiple-choice exam with a minimum score of 84%. Topics include:
•High-quality Child CPR AED and Infant CPR
•Recognition of patients who do and do not require immediate intervention
•Recognition of cardiopulmonary arrest early and application of CPR within 10 seconds
•Apply team dynamics
•Differentiation between respiratory distress and failure
•Early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
•Differentiation between compensated and decompensated (hypotensive) shock
•Early interventions for the treatment of shock
•Differentiation between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias
•Clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias
•Post–cardiac arrest management
OPIOID COURSE
Opioid Education for Healthcare Providers is a self-directed, eLearning course is for use by a single student that includes modules such as recognition and treatment of opioid overdose (use of CPR and reversal agents), details of the opioid epidemic and opioid use disorder, pathophysiology of pain and opioids leading to addiction, and managing acute pain with alternative pain management options.
This 30 minute long course educates participants in the pathophysiology of opioid overdose; special considerations on how to care for overdose patients, including naloxone administration; recognizing the need for high-quality CPR; and use of a defibrillator.
BLS/BASIC LIFE SUPPORT CPR
This course is designed for the healthcare professional (doctors, nurses, nursing students, etc.) and covers all age groups from infant-adult following the American Heart Association guidelines for CPR and AED training. You can take this class if you provide direct patient care in a health care setting. After successfully completing this class, each participant will receive a Healthcare Provider card.
If you are not a healthcare professional and need CPR certification, you should register for the Heartsaver CPR & AED course.
The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the Association.
Cost $70 per person
Childcare Provider Classes
CPR for your Community and Workplace:
HeartSaver Adult/Child AED (Automated External Defibrillator
)
Heartsaver Course
This basic CPR Course is for anyone who is interested in receiving CPR certification. The Heartsaver AED Course teaches the basic techniques of adult and pediatric CPR, rescue breathing and choking, as well as how to use the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). After successful completion, the student will receive a Heartsaver AED card from the American Heart Association. Book is included. This class incorporates all ages, however, if you do not need the infant certification, you may leave after the first part of class.
HS Adult/child AED Cost $55
HS Ped Cost $55
HS Adult, Child, & Infant AED Cost $65
First Aid
This is a basic first aid class anyone can take: childcare providers, health care providers, new parents, etc. Learn how to treat first aid emergencies such as bleeding, shock, fractures, sprains, nosebleeds, seizures, diabetic, and heat and cold-related emergencies. CPR training is recommended prior to this course, but not required.
Cost $50 per person
Bloodborne/Airborne Pathogens
Babysitter Training
OSHA Training
Effective Parenting Training
Health and Wellness presentations
Cardiac Rhythms Interpetation (ECG) Class
Basic EKG Interpetation Class
Adance EKG Interpetation Class
and much more just call us....... | http://www.phsinstitute.com/about.html |
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Down’s Syndrome support group
Venue
Microsoft Teams, C/O Microsoft Teams
Tutors
Jo Davidson / Toby Wilson
Admin Contact
Heidi Grant (
[email protected]
)
Relevant Age Range
Early Years
KS 1
KS 2
KS 3
KS 4
Post 16
Adults
Target Audience
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) / SENCO / Teachers / Teaching Assistants
Course Types
Online / Workshop
Course Description
This workshop:
• covers support strategies and interventions for children and young people with Down’s Syndrome
• explores how to work in partnership with pupils, parents and other school staff
• provides opportunities for networking as well as the sharing of good practice, resources and top tips
Please note that these sessions will be run virtually. Please book yourselves onto the course using named email addresses e.g. jo.davidson@ rather than a generic email address e.g. secretary@
Please note that no identifying details of the child/young person you are working with should be shared during the workshop.
Course Objectives
Workshop objectives: | https://www.cornwalllearningonline.co.uk/courses/bookings/c_detail.asp?cid=10716&iscancelled=0&curpage=1&keyword=&ds=1&unconfirmed=&cs=&subid=&keystage=127&sdate=&searchcode=&asearch=&tutid=&estid=&sday=&smonth=&syear=&targetid=&cal=1&calday=22&calmonth=6&calyear=2022&caldate=22-6-2022&submonth=6&subyear=2022&list=&palist=&frompage=&a=&b=&c=&d=&nostartdate= |
Tangy and Buttery lemon bars which has a crusty buttery flaky shortcrust pastry which is filled with a custardy lemony filling which taste so delicious.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Prep Time
10
mins
Cook Time
40
mins
Total Time
50
mins
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
servings
Ingredients
1x
2x
3x
▢
For Bottom Crust:
▢
Butter - ½ cup / 113 grams
▢
Confectioner's Sugar / Icing Sugar - ¼ cup / 30 grams
▢
All Purpose Flour / Maida - 1 cup / 120 grams
▢
Salt - ¼ tsp
▢
For the Lemony Filling:
▢
Eggs - 2
▢
Regular Sugar - 1 cup / 200 grams
▢
Lemon Zest - 1 tblspn
▢
Lemon Juice - ¼ cup
▢
All Purpose Flour / Maida - 2 tblspn
Instructions
▢
Preheat the oven to 170 Degree C/ 350 Degree F. Butter a square pan
▢
Take Butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and beat them till creamy.
▢
Add in salt and flour and mix well till it gets together.
▢
Transfer this to a greased pan and press it with your hands so that it is packed firmly.
▢
Bake it in the oven for 20 mins till light golden.
▢
When the crust is in the oven make the filling. Take eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour in a bowl and mix well.
▢
When the crust is baked, remove it from the oven. Pour the filling over the crust and return it to the oven for 20 more mins.
▢
Remove from the oven and let it cool down for 30 mins before slicing.
▢
Dust with more confectioner's sugar and enjoy.
Tried this recipe?
Mention
@yummytummyaarthi
or tag
#yummytummyaarthi
! | https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/wprm_print/recipe/146772 |
Karin Valencia is a PhD student in Imperial’s DNA Topology research group.
The term ‘DNA structure’ may bring to mind any number of things, from the television drama CSI to the famous double helix. Perhaps less familiar are the ‘higher-order’ structural features of DNA, namely knots. DNA in nature can be found to be ‘knotted’ or ‘linked’, reflecting important features of certain proteins inside our cells – those specialised machines that work hard to keep our bodies functioning.
Knots are eccentric structures, and their connection to DNA isn’t immediately obvious. However, it is now known that knotting is unavoidable when dealing with virtually any naturally-occurring DNA molecule. Because of this, they can reflect important DNA reactions inside our cells, and so have proved to be valuable tools for investigating DNA–protein interactions. Careful analysis of these proteins has also allowed scientists to use their mechanistic features in developing biotechnological tools, pharmaceuticals and genetic engineering. A collaboration between the ‘mathematical theory of knots’ and molecular biology is born!
Knot theory is a field in mathematics. Any knot tied in a piece of string becomes a mathematical knot when the two ends are joined together to make the string ‘closed’ (not the case with our shoelaces). The easiest way to generate this is to take a length of string and pass one end around the other, forming a simple overhand knot, and then fuse the ends together.
In 1877 Peter G. Tait, a Scottish physicist, became inspired by the idea that the chemical properties of elements were related to the knotting that occurs between atoms. He sought a list that included all different types of knots. When Tait began his work, the formal mathematics needed to address the study was unavailable. Ever since, theorists have been inspired to develop a way of proving that knots are distinct. Work at the turn of the century placed the subject on firm mathematical ground. Tait’s work is not nearly finished, and generating such a list remains one of the most significant problems in knot theory – there are 1,701,936 distinct knots with at most 16 crossings! However, knot theory has been the driving force behind some of the most important studies of protein reactions involving DNA.
Of all biological molecules, DNA has perhaps most fired the imagination of scientists and non-scientists alike. Naturally-occurring DNA knots were only first observed in the 1960s by molecular biologist James Wang. The origin of knots in DNA is likely to be the result of various cellular processes in conjunction with a very long piece of DNA, all confined within the small nucleus. If a human cell nucleus, which always contains 46 chromosomes, is enlarged to the size of a basketball, the total length of the DNA would stretch to 150 miles. Human DNA, therefore, may have vast amounts of knots.
As a by-product of their main purpose, certain proteins working on DNA leave a footprint on the molecule in the form of knots – for example, changing one knot into another. Knot theorists help understand the mechanisms of these proteins by providing a precise definition of what a knot is, listing all possible results from various reactions, and explaining exactly how one DNA knot can be transformed into another.
In this way, knot theory has been instrumental in the understanding of certain very useful proteins called ‘site-specific recombinases’. They are naturally responsible for altering the genetic code of an organism by, for example, integrating a block of alien DNA into the molecule. They give scientists precise and efficient ways of manipulating DNA and have recently been used in the development of new gene-therapy tools.
Genes are the basic functional units of heredity. They are specific sequences in DNA that encode instructions on how to make proteins. Genetic disorders can result when faulty genes encode proteins that are unable to carry out their normal functions, and gene therapy is a technique for correcting these faults. The idea is to devise a means of transport, to put ‘healthy’ artificial genes into our cells and thus restore cells to their normal healthy state. Site-specific recombinases are used to insert healthy genes into very short pieces of circular DNA, which are proving to be promising tools for the transport of healthy genes.
Biology and mathematics have hardly been the closest of friends, but this is rapidly changing. Knot theory has been the driving force behind the systematic understanding of DNA-protein interactions, something that has led to the development of a new and exciting therapies for inherited diseases. | http://isciencemag.co.uk/features/knotty-developments-with-dna/ |
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Text 20 | Listen to Bhagavad Gita As It Is Online in MP3 Audio Format.
gunan — qualities; etan — all these; atitya — transcending; trin — three; dehi — the embodied; deha — the body; samudbhavan — produced of; janma — of birth; mrtyu — death; jara — and old age; duhkhaih — the distresses; vimuktah — being freed from; amrtam — nectar; asnute — he enjoys.
How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Krishna consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehi means “embodied.” Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Krishna consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service. In other words, devotional service in Krishna consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. | http://bhagavadgitaclass.com/bhagavad-gita-chapter-14-text-20/ |
Times New Roman font. Please make sure that you note the dates when
papers are due.
Your paper must consist of five paragraphs and must answer as completely
as possible each of the
following questions. Some of the questions require you to think
carefully about the article, or review
relevant material in the textbook. If you are not sure what you are
expected to do, please consult your
teaching assistant. You can also find additional information on the
course website.
Include your name, section number, and date at the top of the paper.
Include the Unit number and the
title of the article that you have reviewed. You must format it as five
paragraphs and refer to the
guidelines given below.
Content
1. What is the main point made by the author? After reading the article,
what do you think the
author believes about the topic? Summarize the main point in two or
three sentences. In some
cases the author describes another person?s argument. Be sure, then, to
make clear whether the
author is stating his or her own opinion, or describing the opinions of
other people. Then, explain
how the author supports his or her main point? Briefly summarize the
information presented by
the author. Provide some specific details. Explain how this information
is used to support the
author?s point of view. Describe what the author has to say, but do not
comment on the
arguments at this point.
2. What are the strong features of the author?s arguments? Again,
consider what you have learned
about the requirements for good scientific research: Are the arguments
supported by solid
research data? Does the research appear to have been conducted properly?
If yes, explain why
you think the research was well done. Does the author provide
information about more than one
side of the issue? What are the weak features of the author?s arguments?
Consider the following
possibilities: Is the argument based on personal anecdotes? Does it rely
on isolated case studies?
Is the research that the author refers to adequate? Are the research
data misinterpreted? Use
what you have learned about research in the course. For example, does
the author try to infer a
causal connection from correlational data? Does the absence of control
groups make
comparisons impossible? Are there other possible interpretations for the
evidence that are not
recognized by the author? Does the author make unsubstantiated claims or
assumptions that are
not based on any evidence at all? Are other explanations or points of
view ignored by the author?
3. What have you learned in the course that supports arguments made by
the author? Describe what
you have learned, not just your own opinion. Cite page numbers in the
textbook.
You should look first at the chapters assigned for the same unit as the
paper, but the information
can come from anywhere in the book. The more relevant information you
can find, the stronger
will be your paper. ?I could find nothing? is not an acceptable response
to this question. There is
always some information that is relevant. What have you learned in the
course that goes against
arguments made by the author? Try to think of at least one thing. Cite
relevant pages in the
textbook.
4. How would you apply what you have learnt from this article to
national or global current events?
Select a concept(s) from the article and connect it to or relate it to
events happening in the world
today. These events could be something you have heard on the radio, seen
on television, read in a
newspaper/newsmagazine, or read online. Make sure you clearly describe
the event and then
explain the connection you see between the event and the concept(s).
(For example, if the article
dealt with the issue of bullying and you read a news article about
bullying at a high school in
Michigan or in another country like Germany, you could write about that).
5. Think deeply about the article and then give your personal
opinion/personal reaction to the issue
being discussed. Why do you think it happens? (For example, if the
article dealt with the issue of
bullying, you would give your opinion about why you think someone
bullies others). Then you
must support your personal opinion with your own arguments. In doing so,
please do not reveal
anything that is confidential.
The paper must be your original work, and not copied from any other
source. If you copy the
paper, or allow your own paper to be copied, you will receive a failing
grade for the course. To
avoid the risk of failing the course, do not share your rough draft or
your final written paper with
any other student (see page 23 of this Study Guide for the course policy
on Plagiarism and
Dishonesty). You may include short phrases from the textbook or from the
article itself, but any such
phrases must be placed in quotation marks, and their origin clearly
identified.
You must write or print a draft of your paper and review it carefully to
make sure that the writing is
clear and that your arguments are sound. Good writing style and correct
grammar are important. You can
give the rough draft of your paper to your TA if you get it done before
the due date. This will enable you
to get feedback that you could incorporate into your final paper. When
you are satisfied with your draft,
print or type a final version.
How to Turn In the Paper
Papers must be handed to your teaching assistant at the end of the
section meeting when the paper is
due. If you are late for the section meeting, however, you will not be
allowed to turn in the paper. In
other words, you must arrive on time for the section meeting and remain
for the whole class. This rule
will be strictly enforced. If you prepare the paper on a computer, do
not wait until the last minute to print
it. Something is sure to go wrong.
If you cannot attend the section meeting, then you may leave the paper
(at your own risk) in the
mailbox in Room 229, Life Science II, or it may be given to the office
staff in Room 229C to be placed in
your TA?s mailbox. The paper must be left in the mailbox before 4:15
p.m. the day before it is due.
That is, if the paper is due on a Thursday, it must be left before 4:15
p.m. on the previous Wednesday; if
the paper is due on a Friday, it must be left before 4:15 p.m. on the
previous Thursday. Papers that are
left anywhere else, and papers left on the day of the section meeting,
will receive no credit.
Papers may be turned in late only if you are prevented from turning in
the paper by an unforeseen
emergency or medical problem. Permission to turn in a paper late will be
granted by your teaching assistant only in the case of documented
emergencies that could not have been anticipated, or an extended
illness that prevents you from attending school. To request permission
in these cases, you should obtain
an "Excused Absence" form from the records manager in
LSII Room 229C.
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This is an uncommon form of migraine with symptoms similar to those associated with stroke, especially the severe and acute weakness of the muscle which may result to paralysis of a portion of the body, this is medically referred to as hemiplegia. It is often called ‘migraine variant’, due to the one-sided paralysis, a patient with a hemiplegic migraine often experience frequent short-term paralysis on one side of the body as part of the aura symptoms. In most cases, such specific aura is usually associated with numbness of the face and finger. Other commonly manifesting symptoms include confusion, speech slurring, and visual impairment, most patients mistook the aura of a hemiplegic migraine with those of stroke and paralysis, the migraine aura can lapse for days before it subsides, although it normally goes within 24hrs. the head pain that often accompanies migraine do follows the muscle weakness, although on rear occasion, this head pain may precede the aura or it may even be absent.
There are two types of hemiplegic migraine which are the familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) and sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM), these two classes are differentiated based on the family history of the patients. In the familial hemiplegic migraine, the migraines do occur among family members while in the sporadic hemiplegic migraine, no family member has been diagnosed with a hemiplegic migraine in time past. The FHM may result from a mutation in certain genes which can also be transferred from parents to their offspring.
SYMPTOMS
The aura and the associated symptoms of a hemiplegic migraine often vary from individuals, the symptoms and the aura may include:
- Impairment of vision (e.g. blind spots, flashing lights, zigzag pattern, and double vision)
- Loss of sensory cells resulting in numbness of the face and fingers and tongue.
- Difficulty with speech (which usually occur along with right-sided weakness)
- There may also be a motor weakness which mostly occurs in areas with sensory symptoms and varies from mild clumsiness to complete deficit.
- Patients also often suffer from neurological debilities such as psychosis, drowsiness, coma and confusion which may last for months.
DIAGNOSIS
Once the symptoms of any type of a hemiplegic migraine are noticed, it is very important to carry out various types of test to ascertain the situation, both FHM and SHM diagnosis should be through the examination of the symptoms observed by the individuals, also the medical record of the family must be critically examined. MRI test and CT scan of the head to reveal the stroke of the head is important, examination of heart and the neck’s blood vessel is also necessary to avoid misdiagnosis.
Hemiplegic Migraine Treatment
There is strong disagreement among medical practitioners on the best method of treatment for a hemiplegic migraine, however, it has been well documented that specialist advice and expertise are often required early to combat a hemiplegic migraine. Certain drugs and medication which may be used for another migraine are to be completely avoided in the treatment of hemiplegic migraine, such drug includes Triptans. Although, the combined chemotherapy for this type of migraine is yet to be established, to minimize the severity of the head pain, medical practitioners often suggest:
- An anticonvulsant which are medications for treating seizures and bipolar disorder
- Calcium channel blocker, a medication used for relaxing and expanding the blood vessel in the heart. | https://migrainetricks.com/hemiplegic-migraine/ |
Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School (“BART”) is a nationally recognized, award-winning, college-preparatory, public middle and high school located in Adams, Massachusetts. As the only charter school in Berkshire County, it is consistently ranked among the top schools in Massachusetts for student academic achievement and growth.
Committed to its mission to prepare its students for college and a lifetime of learning, BART is a community of 363 curious and creative students, devoted and innovative teachers and staff members, and families dedicated to the success of their children. The student body is richly diverse, each member with an important personal story. The School is built around a makerspace, and its academic program comprises an intense academic core curriculum enriched by ample elective courses in the arts and technology as well as opportunities for students to pursue independent creative and scholarly projects. Before they graduate, BART students must pass courses on college campuses, take and pass collegiate-skills courses each year, complete an internship within the region, and participate in a rigorous program of mock interviews, portfolio presentations, and annual science fairs.
The success enjoyed by BART’s students and the School as a whole results from a school culture characterized by the pursuit of excellence and based on a set of foundational elements:
- A liberating, college-preparatory, academic environment that provides for students and employees alike intellectual challenge, professional development and exploration, and personal growth;
- Dedication to the education of the whole child that supports the child’s intellectual, emotional, social, and physical maturation;
- A school that embodies the best of contemporary educational knowledge, thought, and practices, including a reliance on data-driven teaching and learning in support of advancing student achievement;
- A vibrant, inclusive school that embraces diversity and individuality yet shines by the devotion of students, faculty and staff, and families to their BART and home communities;
- An educational experience that brings the world into BART and BART into the world; and
- A strong, resilient, and multi-element financial base from which resources will enable students’ academic success and professional distinction and employees’ professional development and refinement.
POSITION SUMMARY
The position of Educational Systems Administrator and Support Specialist at BART is critical in the School’s ever-more sophisticated application of technology in all institutional aspects. In this full-time, twelve-month, salaried position, the Systems Administration and Technology Support Specialist will support the effort of BART’s Office of Technology, and will report directly to the Director of Technology. We are searching for an individual to step into the position immediately.
How to Apply
EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, AND EXPECTATIONS
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree preferred, although equivalent, demonstrated experience will be considered.
- Experienced in managing and troubleshooting Enterprise Wifi platforms (such as ExtremeNetworks/Aerohive, Meraki, Ubiquiti, Aruba, or similar).
- Experienced in networking principles including DHCP, VLANS, Subnetting, Switching, firewall architecture—pFsense, HP, Ubitquiti, etc.
- Willingness to problem-solve and a passion for learning new skills on the fly in a fast paced and demanding educational environment is essential.
- Familiarity with various hardware and software platforms such as MacOS (MacBooks Air, iMac), iOS (iPads), Airplay, ChromeBooks (ChromeOS), Google Workspace for Education, Mosyle MDM, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canvas LMS, PaperCut Print Management, Securly Filtering and ChromeTools.
- Skilled in basic Audio-Video setup and troubleshooting.
- Preferred: experience with common classroom technologies (voice amplification, assistive technology, document cameras, etc.).
- Preferred: certifications such as CompTIA A+, Security+, Network+, or related.
- Desired: a sense of humor and wonder at the world into which we guide our students.
Those who can see themselves in the role of Educational Systems Administrator and Support Specialist at BART Charter Public School should send via email a current résumé, cover letter, and full contact information (including email) for three professional references to [email protected]. The cover letter should be addressed to BART’s Executive Director, Dr. James White. Review of completed applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
BART Charter Public School is an equal opportunity employer. BART does not discriminate in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its services, programs or activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or age. For more information about BART and its programs, please visit www.bartcharter.org/. | https://www.edtechrecruiting.com/jobs/educational-systems-administrator-and-support-specialist |
Job Details:
Manager Settlement and Reconciliation Support
Job Purpose:
This role exists to ensure that all MasterCard and Visa copy requests are fulfilled. Making accurate decisions based upon review of chargebacks and supporting documentation for their validity; utilizing knowledge of rules and regulations in resolving chargebacks.
The role ensures that outstanding items on clearing, Mobile and assigned suspense accounts are fully reconciled, settled and reversals are done in a timely and accurate manner, as per the laid down procedures
Key Responsibilities: Must Not Be More Than 10
• Review and reconcile all clearing, mobile and all assigned suspense accounts on a daily basis and ensure that suspense items do not exceed the established timeline designated for each type of exception.
• Check outstanding entries in card, Mobile and MTS accounts assigned and liaise with involved parties for action and ensure entries for cards, mobile and MTS transactions are accurately reconciled.
• Review all ATM, merchant’s transactions, customers disputes and other E-channels reconciliation are timely and appropriately responded to.
• Collect and submit reconciliations to Manager, products and agency reconciliation on daily or weekly basis.
• Supervise electronic channels reconciliation team, provide support and assistance.
• Record all Visa and MasterCard incoming Chargebacks.
• Represent chargebacks that we have not accepted/still in dispute
• Creating and writing the EFT file in Quick pay
• Conduct and report the assignment, management and resolution of breaks for all reconciliations implemented including aging metrics and pattern identification.
• Lead the analysis of the existing reconciliation processes in order to assess the strength of the controls and identify areas for improvement.
Daily Responsibilities: Not More Than 5 Of The Most Typical
• Review and ensure daily and monthly reconciliation returns for Cards, Mobile, E-collection and MTS suspense accounts are done.
• Follow up on reversals of outstanding items in all the suspense accounts in (i) above
• Query and guide on reversal by branches/respective unit on all outstanding items relating to all the suspense accounts stated in (i).
• Receive cases of Visa and MasterCard disputes through charge backs and ensure closure.
Minimum Position Qualification Requirements:
• Bachelor’s Degree – Business Administration/equivalent, or any other degree with a quantitative/Mathematical bias.
• Professional Qualifications – Accounting
• Master’s Degree – Business related
Behavioural Competences:
• Attention to detail
• Communicating with others in an analytical manner
• Self-awareness
• Teamwork
• Alert
• careful
• Problem solving and making decisions
• Analytical ability
Skills:
• Good Accounting knowledge and analytical skills
• Ability to influence staff in delivering good results and drive performance
• Organized, detail oriented and extremely thorough while having the confidence and communication skills to ensure work processes are completed accurately and appropriately
• Ability to lead knowledge enhancement of staff on reconciliation products/ practices and accounting principles
• Ability to quickly adapt to changing dynamic environments
• Strong problem solving skills and demonstrated ability to take initiative and critically analyze processes and procedures in a push toward constant improvement
• Good people management skills with ability to manage teams
• Highly responsive and responsible
Application procedure
If your career ambitions match the requirements of this exciting career opportunity, please visit our website https://ug.kcbgroup.com/about/careers and use the link below to log in to our Recruitment portal to submit your application with a detailed CV. Your cover letter should explain what you believe you can offer KCB Bank Uganda. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. | https://www.riyowjobsuganda.com/2022/07/manager-settlement-and-reconciliation.html |
Four-lane roads in Norway could soon be built on quieter stretches, but with smaller lanes than busier motorways. Roads termed ‘four-lane' (firefeltsveier) have four lanes in total – in other words, two in each direction.
Currently, roads which see traffic of between 6,000-12,000 vehicles daily are built as two or three-lane roads, but four-lane roads are now to be permitted on stretches of road with this type of traffic flow, Norwegian news agency NTB reports.
Four-lane roads with these traffic levels will be required to have a total width of 19.0 to 21.5 meters in total, including emergency lane widths of between 1.5 and 2 metres, according to NTB’s report. The speed limit of the four-lane roads will be a maximum of 110 kilometres per hour.
New regulations will make also it possible to build narrower four-lane roads on stretches with traffic of 12,000-20,000 vehicles daily. On these roads, the total width must be 20.0-23.0 metres, including emergency lanes of 2-2.75 metres. The speed limit for these roads is also 110 kilometres per hour.
“We are interested in listening to the experts. That’s why we follow the recommendations of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) on introducing the option of building narrow four-lane roads. This gives greater flexibility for extending Norwegian roads and can increase the economic benefit for society of several projects,” transport minister Knut Arild Hareide told NTB.
“As such, we will get more for everyone’s money,” Hareide added. | https://www.thelocal.no/20201207/why-motorway-lanes-in-norway-could-get-narrower/ |
Minority-owned small businesses in Georgia have historically faced unique challenges that are only further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and its indisputable impact on the minority community over the last two years.
Long before the outbreak, minority business owners endured the racial wealth gap, which put them at a disadvantage for accumulating wealth and growing a successful business when compared to white business owners. Those economic barriers remain ever present today, especially when looking at the gaps in household wealth and the success rates of black-owned businesses in our very own city.
In Atlanta, the median household income for a white family is $83,722 compared to just $28,105 for a black family. The inequities continue for black entrepreneurs in the city where the average African American-owned business is valued at $58,085, nearly 11 times less than the average value of a white-owned business at $658,264.
When it comes to small business as a whole, the failure rate is daunting—with over 30 percent of businesses failing by their second year, according to the Small Business Administration—but for black business owners, failure odds are even greater, with eight in ten failing within the first 18 months.
The primary reason for the high fail rate is rooted in access to capital. A study by McKinsey & Company found that financial distress existed for minority small business owners prior to the coronavirus outbreak at a rate more than double that of white business owners. Worse, those businesses predisposed to financial hardship are three times as likely to close because of a two-month revenue shock than healthy businesses.
The virus has undoubtedly compounded the racial disparities and inequities in our community. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that small business ownership in the U.S. dropped by 22 percent, but black ownership decreased the most—by a whopping 41 percent among all racial demographics with 53 percent of black business owners reporting a revenue drop of half since the start of the pandemic.
From their inception to pandemic survival, minority-owned businesses have had to withstand enormous obstacles, and with little aid from the government to help keep their doors open.
The government must act to end the disparities that minority entrepreneurs face, but the private sector must also play a role. Private investment, like Wells Fargo’s recent $20 million grant through its “Open for Business Fund” for United Way of Greater Atlanta, will be critical to the recovery of our great city’s economy. Through the grant, Wells Fargo is supporting the work of United Way, a nonprofit that focuses on creating equitable opportunities for those in Atlanta’s community to live a healthier life and have access to the resources they need to develop their skills, earn a living wage and achieve their full potential. Likewise, Capital One is supporting minority communities through $3.5 million in grant funding to close equity gaps in struggling communities, of which $500,000 will go to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a nonprofit dedicated to providing women-owned businesses the tools they need to succeed and whose southern headquarters are located in Georgia.
There is no one solution to the racial wealth gap. The obstacles that minority business owners face are deeply-rooted in discriminatory funding practices, and expanding access to resources for those who need it most will aid in Atlanta’s economic recovery and ensure an equitable, enduring and prosperous future for all Americans.
Hall formerly represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District and served on the Atlanta City Council. | https://dekalbchamberofcommerce.org/kwanza-hall-atlantas-black-owned-businesses-face-disproportionately-more-obstacles-to-success-than-their-white-owned-counterparts/ |
Western Front is pleased to partner with Coastal Jazz and Blues Society to present two days of live music from the Grand Luxe Hall as part of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Intimate 30-minute sets by Vancouver-based solo artists and duos will be live streamed for free to Coastal Jazz’s YouTube channel.
This series of concerts marks Western Front’s return as a performance venue for the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Western Front’s Grand Luxe Hall became a West Coast institution and frequent tour stop for experimental music artists, especially during the summer Jazz Festival. Anthony Braxton, Marilyn Crispell, Bill Frisell, George Lewis, Steve Lacy, Myra Melford, and many other groundbreaking musicians have performed in the Luxe, often in solo or duo settings, giving audience members a chance to witness their creative processes in an intimate setting. Continuing in this tradition, Western Front is excited to present this series to highlight some of the wonderful musicians who call Vancouver and its music community their home.
The TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival is BC’s largest non-profit music festival. For further information about the festival, please visit coastaljazz.ca.
Schedule of Presentations
July 3, 2021
Why Choir 1:30 p.m. PDT
Marina Hasselberg 3:00 p.m. PDT
Sean Cronin 4:30 p.m. PDT
Gordon Grdina (solo) 6:00 p.m. PDT
July 4, 2021
George Crotty 1:30 p.m. PDT
Meredith Bates 3:00 p.m. PDT
Alvaro Rojas (solo) 4:30 p.m. PDT
The Giving Shapes 6:00 p.m. PDT
Biographies
Why Choir is Roxanne Nesbitt and Ben Brown. Together, they investigate reverberant spaces, resonant sculptures, and the pitched mundane. Using a wide and wild range of sonic tools and treatments—including drum kit, strung floor tom, voice, electronics, upright bass, and Nesbitt’s handmade ceramic percussion instruments—Why Choir’s improvised performances evoke an “eerie, insect-like 3D experience… in a good way” (Discorder).
Marina Hasselberg is a Portugal-born, Vancouver-based cellist. Her solo project takes a multitude of shapes. With a quietly provocative mix of written works and improvised excursions, Hasselberg uses extended techniques, a variety of bows and accessories, and electronics to play with the fine line between the known and the unknown.
Sean Cronin, like many, has not performed his music in over a year. The last time he did, it was in New York, releasing his band Very Good’s ambitious LP, Adulthood. Typical of Cronin’s work, the show was an absurdist avant-Americana dream, equal parts Leonard Cohen, Charles Mingus, Pixies, and Eugene Ionesco. He returns to Vancouver for a solo show that will see him performing his oddly melodious originals as well as improvising dialogue, playing percussion with his feet, and perhaps ending up in an apron and bunny ears.
Gordon Grdina is a JUNO Award winning oud/guitarist whose career has spanned continents, decades, and constant genre exploration throughout avant-garde jazz, free form improvisation, contemporary indie rock, and Arabic music. His singular approach to the instruments has earned him recognition from the highest ranks of the jazz/improv world. Grdina has performed and collaborated with a wide array of field-leading artists including Gary Peacock, Paul Motian, Marc Ribot, Mark Helias, Mats Gustafsson, Hank Roberts, Mark Feldman, Eyvind Kang, Mat Maneri, Christian Lilinger, Matt Mitchell, and Jim Black.
George Crotty is a cellist/composer, whose inquisitive eclecticism embraces fiddle-derived ornamentation, the agile one-finger gestures of Indian classical music, adapted electric guitar techniques, and the bold articulations of jazz bass. One half of the Loose Roots Duo with West Coast fiddler Gabriel Dubreuil, and leader of his titular world-jazz inflected trio, the Toronto-based Crotty’s modernist genre-bending is heavily influenced by his hometown’s vibrant pluralism.
Meredith Bates is a JUNO Award-winning violinist, who explodes her classical training outward through extended techniques and electronic experimentation. Known for her work in Gentle Party and Pugs & Crows, Bates’s debut solo album features ambient and electroacoustic compositions inspired by our relationship to one another and our surroundings, be they idyllic or buzzing with the electric snarl of the city.
Alvaro Rojas is an award winning guitarist and composer based in Vancouver. As a guitarist he performs regularly with his trio, as well with other local artists in the pop, rock, jazz, and improvised music communities. As a composer, Alvaro has had works performed by many of Canada’s finest new music groups, including the Turning Point Ensemble, Aventa Ensemble, and the Microcosmos String Quartet. He has written music for choir, big band, orchestra, various chamber groups, and small ensembles, and has scored numerous short films.
The Giving Shapes is pianist/vocalist Robyn Jacob (Only a Visitor) and harpist/vocalist Elisa Thorn (Gentle Party). Together they triangulate new music, indie-rock songcraft, and the far-reaching aesthetics of free improvisation. Released in 2020 on the American label Elsewhere Music, the duo’s debut album, Earth Leaps Up, feels simultaneously familiar and fresh, merging intellect and experimentation with emotion and accessibility. | https://legacywebsite.front.bc.ca/events/td-vancouver-international-jazz-festival-solos-and-duos/ |
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