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The U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC), brings together nine organizational members committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Its mission is to champion, advocate, and promote effective international cooperative development. The RG is a division of OCDC that is spearheading the implementation of OCDC’s USAID-funded initiative, Cooperative Research, Education & Dissemination (CRED).
The main goal of the Research Group, under the CRED umbrella, is to create greater support for international cooperative development. The RG achieves this goal through rigorous research that bridges to action, supporting the adoption and application of evidence and knowledge by cooperative development organizations (CDOs), cooperatives, policymakers and others to strengthen the use and impact of cooperatives as a locally-owned vehicle for broad-based economic growth, sustainability and self-reliance in USAID-assisted countries.
CRED is structured around three central and mutually reinforcing pillars of research, education and dissemination. CRED’s strategy is to undertake activities and develop products that will increase both the effectiveness and uptake of cooperative development. CR2 is designed to contribute to all three pillars by rigorous research generated evidence, collaborative learning and broad sharing of its outcomes among the networks of the participating organizations and the RG’s stakeholder community.
Annual Program Statement Description
This Annual Program Statement (APS) is issued to enable the RG to advertise, receive and consider partnership opportunities and to make subawards in an open, fair and competitive manner for the collaborative research opportunities detailed in this announcement. The APS enables the RG and select, prospective partners to co-create research partnerships around shared objectives and to align effort, resources and risk.
The unifying theme of the APS is to develop knowledge and understanding about cooperative resilience. The RG defines “resilience” for purposes of this APS to include two elements:
- The ability to withstand external economic and other shocks due to the cooperative business model and the defining characteristics of cooperatives, including adherence to the international cooperative principles
- The ability to support its members and its community in time of crisis
The RG envisions that CR2 will achieve two aims:
- It will provide a means to investigate aspects of the research topic areas that are important to the applicant’s organization. The research outcomes will have practical application and enhance the impact of the applicant’s work while also contributing also to the globally shared knowledge base of cooperative development, and
- It will provide a body of evidence and insights about the resilience of cooperatives (components, challenges, and necessary conditions) as related to selected research topic. The RG will analyze the outcomes of all research activities funding under this APS through the lens of resilience with the aim of creating a nuanced, multi-faceted picture of cooperative resilience
The RG invites the creativity and insights of the applicants as they conceptualize their approach to this challenge and will prioritize proposals that address topics within the RG Research Agenda as outlined in the APS and align with a consideration of resilience.
Full APS here.
Answers to Questions Submitted on the APS here. | https://ocdc.coop/aps-collaborative-research-for-cooperative-resilience/ |
Book Review for “The Determined Heart” by Antoinette May.
The bulk of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s fame came from her novel “Frankenstein.” However, she was also married to Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the daughter of two well-known writers, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. This novel examines the life of this woman who, in the early 1800s, wrote a penultimate horror novel, and was arguably one of the first writers of science fiction.
The timeline of this story starts with Mary as a young girl, just before her father re-married. This happened several years after her mother died in childbirth. From there, May takes us through Mary’s youth and young adulthood, until not long after the deaths of Shelley and, subsequently, Lord Byron. Of course, this also covers her writing and publishing of “Frankenstein,” and follows her life until just after the time when she sees a staged version of her own work.
May succeeds in avoiding almost all of the pitfalls of historical fiction. She only includes essential information about era, and focuses on politics and events that are truly relevant to Mary Shelley along with those that affect the other personalities included in her story. In this way, we get the right balance between Mary herself, mixed with some lesser-known details of her life. Furthermore, May does her best not to insert hints regarding Mary Shelley’s posterity and forthcoming fame, with the exception of her prologue and one tiny line at the end of the book. May’s carefully treading this path allows the readers to learn more about Mary Shelley, while giving us insights into motivations for her actions, and the various relationships that shaped her life. Obviously, May did quite a bit of research here, since there are excerpts of letters and diaries peppered throughout the story.
With this basis, May was able to concentrate on the drama and with it, develop the fictional aspects that enhance the truth. May’s writing style also compliments this, using appropriate language and phrasing, which she gently tempers to keep it from sounding archaic or fake. With this, the era came through perfectly and naturally, without ever distracting the reader with overly flowery language. This also allows the reader to better identify with the characters, and thereby empathize with them. Believe me, there is a whole lot to feel for these people, not the least of which were the many, many premature deaths of loved ones (particularly young children and babies) along the way. With all this going on, it is no wonder that Mary Shelley had a dark side, which she conjured up in her writing, only to create the most famous monster of all time.
With all this going for it, the question is, why am I not raving about this book? Despite the excellent writing and perfect balance between fact and fiction, there was something just felt a little distant to me. What I mean by this is, that as much as readers will enjoy this story and feel for (as well as get angry at) the personalities that surrounded this incredible woman, I got the feeling that somewhere May held back somewhat. It could be that May (or her editors) felt she needed to keep the emotions in tow so that it didn’t become melodramatic, but I think she (or they) stopped just a little short, as it needed a bit more passion to help make the comprehensive facts feel a touch more human. This doesn’t mean that this book feels cold; it just means that I would have preferred a bit more warmth. Even so, I really loved learning about Mary Shelley through this fictional account, and overall, I did enjoy this book. However, I can’t give it more than four out of five stars, but with that solid rating, I can still recommend it.
“The Determined Heart” by Antoinette May, from Lake Union Publishing, release date September 29, 2015 is available (via these affiliate links) from Amazon, The Book Depository (free worldwide delivery), the website eBooks.com, iTunes (audiobook), new or used from Alibris, used from Better World Books (promoting libraries and world literacy), or from an IndieBound store near you. I would like to thank the publishers for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair review via NetGalley. | https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/09/05/the-monsters-within/ |
Historically, there has not been a clear correlation between overseas marriage and population expansion. Today, various countries happen to be embracing the notion, and there is a growing body of evidence that it is a natural part of society. But are there any kind of downsides to foreign weddings? In certain countries, such as Taiwan, transnational marriages will be commonplace. Actually Taiwan has got the largest portion of overseas brides on the globe. In 1999, 13% of women in Taiwan had been foreign-born, and in 2003, 28% of all marriages in Taiwan involved a great overseas-born better half. The government has not regulated worldwide marriage, nonetheless it has done so by making it possible for chinese brides agency relationships between residents of Taiwan and non-Taiwanese.
A lot of factors take part in international marriages. The people must have residency in the country with their chosen marriage for a certain time period. They must also be of a certain age, and should be at least 18 years old. They must provide documents attesting that they have separated out of previous interactions. Often , the divorced functions are not permitted to get married to, so the papers must be converted into the community language and authenticated.
The process of verification of international marriages can be complex, but it doesn’t involve anything more than taking a few steps. A marriage must meet a range of criteria before it can be recognized as valid by the United States administration. A marriage has to be valid in the event both parties have been residents on the country for that certain period of time. It must end up being legal as well as the parties must be of a specific age for being married. And both spouses must be of the identical sex.
In most developing countries, the quantity of men marrying girls from one other country is no more than 2%. In contrast, in the Thailand and South Africa, this kind of proportion was 3. 3% and 10% respectively. The United States and Japan would be the two most significant countries in terms of the number of males marrying international women. In both countries, there are many problems to be beat before transnational marriage turns into a reality. It is also a great way to increase cultural selection.
Besides staying legally regarded, international marriages require that both associates live in the region. In the United States, because of this both companions must have a similar citizenship. However , in some countries, this may cause difficulties. The documents that prove a couple’s relationship are not always authenticated. Additionally there are certain requirements for wedding ceremony of homosexual couples. In addition, the paperwork must be converted into the native dialect and verified. This is because some countries have not accumulated data in international relationships.
In other countries, the parties to the marriage must have different nationality. In the US, this really is a dual-citizenship. The same applies to international relationships. If a couple lives in the same country, the latter’s nationality will be regarded as the same. In the same way, a married woman who lives in a second country may well not have a similar rights since her spouse in the US. The reason is she has a unique citizenship than her spouse.
In the United States, the laws of your international relationship are difficult. Usually, there are many requirements to be fulfilled, including a Decree Utter or a Decree Nisi. Nonetheless, there is no requirement to own couple reside in the same nation for at least couple of years. If the few is divorced, a Decree Nisi is sufficient. If they are Catholic, the marriage documentation must be sent to the bishop in Bridgetown.
Abuse in an international relationship is common in both cultures. Some people are married intended for very different reasons. Depending on the religion, the difference in their age could make the partnership more threatening. As an example, a couple who may have had a divorce cannot be committed in a nation where their spouse is a minority. The responsibilities of the husband and partner are often unidentified, and both parties may be abused. A marriage that is abusive is not a city union.
To be able to obtain an international marriage, the parties will need to have permanent residency in the country where the marriage comes about. During the process of a relationship, it is important to ensure that the spouses have legal documentation in the country they’re planning to marry. Some countries do not obtain this information. Other folks have stricter requirements than others, and the laws might not exactly cover transnational relationships. At this point, they can’t end up being married to someone via a foreign region. | https://muchamarketing.ca/the-advantages-and-negatives-of-worldwide-marriage/ |
Positive Reinforcements Help Algorithm Forecast Underground Natural Reserves
Texas A&M University researchers have designed a reinforcement-based algorithm that automates the process of predicting the properties of the underground environment, facilitating the accurate forecasting of oil and gas reserves.
Within the Earth’s crust, layers of rock hold bountiful reservoirs of groundwater, oil and natural gas. Now, using machine learning, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed an algorithm that automates the process of determining key features of the Earth’s subterranean environment. They said this research might help with accurate forecasting of our natural reserves.
Specifically, the researchers’ algorithm is designed on the principle of reinforcement or reward learning. Here, the computer algorithm converges on the correct description of the underground environment based on rewards it accrues for making correct predictions of the pressure and flow expected from boreholes.
“Subsurface systems that are typically a mile below our feet are completely opaque. At that depth we cannot see anything and have to use instruments to measure quantities, like pressure and rates of flow,” said Siddharth Misra, associate professor in the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering and the Department of Geology and Geophysics. “Although my current study is a first step, my goal is to have a completely automated way of using that information to accurately characterize the properties of the subsurface.”
The algorithm is described in the December issue of the journal Applied Energy.
Simulating the geology of the underground environment can greatly facilitate forecasting of oil and gas reserves, predicting groundwater systems and anticipating seismic hazards. Depending on the intended application, boreholes serve as exit sites for oil, gas and water or entry sites for excess atmospheric carbon dioxide that need to be trapped underground.
Along the length of the boreholes, drilling operators can ascertain the pressures and flow rates of liquids or gas by placing sensors. Conventionally, these sensor measurements are plugged into elaborate mathematical formulations, or reservoir models, that predict the properties of the subsurface such as the porosity and permeability of rocks.
But reservoir models are mathematically cumbersome, require extensive human intervention, and at times, even give a flawed picture of the underground geology. Misra said there has been an ongoing effort to construct algorithms that are free from human involvement yet accurate.
For their study, Misra and his team chose a type of machine-learning algorithm based on the concept of reinforcement learning. Simply put, the software learns to make a series of decisions based on feedback from its computational environment.
“Imagine a bird in a cage. The bird will interact with the boundaries of the cage where it can sit or swing or where there is food and water. It keeps getting feedback from its environment, which helps it decide which places in the cage it would rather be at a given time,” Misra said. “Algorithms based on reinforcement learning are based on a similar idea. They too interact with an environment, but it’s a computational environment, to reach a decision or a solution to a given problem.”
So, these algorithms are rewarded for favorable predictions and are penalized for unfavorable ones. Over time, reinforcement-based algorithms arrive at the correct solution by maximizing their accrued reward.
Another technical advantage of reinforcement-based algorithms is that they do not make any presuppositions about the pattern of data. For example, Misra’s algorithm does not assume that the pressure measured at a certain time and depth is related to what the pressure was at the same depth in the past. This property makes his algorithm less biased, thereby reducing the chances of error at predicting the subterranean environment.
When initiated, Misra’s algorithm begins by randomly guessing a value for porosity and permeability of the rocks constituting the subsurface. Based on these values, the algorithm calculates a flow rate and pressure that it expects from a borehole. If these values do not match the actual values obtained from field measurements, also known as historical data, the algorithm is penalized. Consequently, it is forced to correct its next guess for the porosity and permeability. However, if its guesses were somewhat correct, the algorithm is rewarded and makes further guesses along that direction.
The researchers found that within 10 iterations of reinforcement learning the algorithm was able to correctly and very quickly predict the properties of simple subsurface scenarios.
Misra noted that although the subsurface simulated in their study was simplistic, their work is still a proof of concept that reinforcement algorithms can be used successfully in automated reservoir-property predictions, also referred as automated history matching.
“A subsurface system can have 10 or 20 boreholes spread over a two- to five-mile radius. If we understand the subsurface clearly, we can plan and predict a lot of things in advance, for example, we would be able to anticipate subsurface environments if we go a bit deeper or the flow rate of gas at that depth,” Misra said. “In this study, we have turned history matching into a sequential decision-making problem, which has the potential to reduce engineers’ efforts, mitigate human bias and remove the need of large sets of labeled training data.”
He said future work will focus on simulating more complex reservoirs and improving the computational efficiency of the algorithm.
Hao Li of the University of Oklahoma was a contributor to this work. This research is funded by the United States Department of Energy. | https://today.tamu.edu/2021/02/23/positive-reinforcements-help-algorithm-forecasts-underground-natural-reserves/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(Technical Field)
(Background Art)
(Background of the Invention)
(Prior Art)
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[Embodiment]
The present invention relates to a multiplier crystal oscillator (hereunder, called "multiplier oscillator") which uses an LC filter, and in particular relates to a multiplier oscillator where circuit elements are arranged on a laminated board.
A crystal oscillator is installed into various electronic equipment as a reference source for frequency and time. In particular, since optical communication and the like is coming to the fore, there is progress towards higher frequencies, for example oscillating frequencies of 622 MHz. As one such oscillator, there is a multiplier oscillator where the harmonics of the oscillating frequency of the crystal oscillator are selected by an LC filter.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional example of this type of multiplier oscillator, wherein FIG. 4A is a schematic circuit diagram of the multiplier oscillator, and FIG. 4B is a vertical cross-sectional diagram of a multilayer board thereof.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the multiplier oscillator basically comprises an oscillation circuit 1 and a multiplication circuit 2. The oscillation circuit 1 is for example a Colpitts type, comprising a resonance circuit 3, and an oscillation amplifier 4. The resonance circuit 3 comprises a crystal vibrator 5 as an inductor component, and split capacitors C1 and C2. The oscillation amplifier 4 is for example a transistor, and is connected to the resonance circuit 3 for feedback amplification of the oscillating frequency f0.
Here, the oscillating frequency f0 is mainly dependent on the resonance circuit 3. Strictly speaking, it is determined by the series capacitance (so-called, load capacity CL) on the circuit side viewed from the crystal vibrator 5. Here, the oscillating frequency f0 is set to 155 MHz. In such an oscillation circuit 1, as shown in the frequency spectrum (not shown), the harmonic components f2, f3, ...., fn are generated with respect to the fundamental wave component f1 (f0 = f1) of the oscillating frequency f0.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4A, the multiplication circuit 2 is connected to the collector side of the oscillation amplifier 4, and LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) are connected on multistages. The LC filters comprises an inductor L and a capacitor C both of which are formed into a chip-shape. However, the LC filter of the last stage comprises split capacitors C1 and C2. Here, three LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are connected in multistages to steepen the attenuation gradient of the filter characteristic.
Moreover, the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are set to a value (622 MHz) that is syntonic with, for example the quadruple wave f4, among the harmonic components fn of the oscillating frequency f0. The respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are connected in a high frequency manner by a coupling capacitor C3. Moreover, an output frequency (multiple frequency) f0', the voltage of which is divided between the split capacitors C1 and C2 of the last stage, is obtained. In FIG. 4A, reference symbols R1, R2 and R3 denote bias resistors, C3 denotes a bypass capacitor, Vcc denotes a power source, and Vout denotes the output.
As shown in FIG. 4B, normally, the respective chip-shaped circuit elements 7 including the LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are provided on both principal planes of the multilayer board 8. Each part of the multilayer board 8 is made from a glass epoxy material. The multilayer board 8 comprises mount boards 8b and 8c laminated on both surfaces of the intermediate board 8a. Earthing metal films 9a and 9b are formed on both principal planes of the intermediate board 8a, so as to prevent electrical coupling between both principal planes of the multilayer board 8. Since the earthing metal films 9a and 9b are bent if they are formed on only one principal plane of the intermediate board 8a, they are formed on both principal planes thereof (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-57527).
However, in the conventional multiplier oscillator having the abovementioned configuration, there has been a problem in that the output frequency (multiple frequency) f0' is particularly displaced to the lowpass side and becomes irregular. That is, the earthing metal films 9a and 9b are formed on the intermediate board 8a, and the earthing metal films 9a and 9b and the power source Vcc shown in FIG. 4A have the same potential in a high frequency manner. As a result the respective filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are connected in multistages. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 (partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the multilayer board 8), a stray capacity Ca' is generated between the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c and the earthing metal films 9a and 9b, and this stray capacity is connected to the LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) in parallel, so that the stray capacity is added to the capacity value of the capacitor C.
Here, the stray capacity Ca' is generated between mounted terminals 10 (see to FIG. 5) of the inductor and the capacitor formed in a chip-shape constituting the LC filter, and a circuit pattern (conduction path) (not shown) connecting them, and furthermore between the conduction path from the connection terminals, and the earthing metal films 9a and 9b and the like. Among these, since the area of the surface mounted terminals of the inductor and the capacitor is large, the stray capacity due thereto is the highest. In FIG. 4A, the stray capacity Ca is entered only for the LC filter 6 (6a) of the first stage.
Consequently, there has been a problem in that the syntonic frequency of the LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c is decreased so that the multiple frequency f0' is displaced to the lowpass side. Moreover, since the stray capacity Ca, Ca' changes depending on the structure of the oscillator and the environment such as surrounding humidity, there has been a problem in that the multiple frequency f0' serving as the output, also becomes irregular.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4A, a stray capacity Cb is added to between the input/output terminals XY of the LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) that are connected in multistages. Therefore, originally the filter characteristic is such that the attenuation is saturated as shown by the curved line "a" in FIG. 6, whereas the characteristic becomes such that an attenuation pole P is generated on the highpass side by the stray capacity Cb, and the attenuation is decreased in the frequency thereafter as shown by the curved line "b" in FIG. 6. Consequently, there has also been a problem in that noise is not suppressed on the highpass side, and spurious oscillations occur.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multiplier oscillator wherein particularly the displacement and irregularity of the multiple frequencies serving as the output frequency is prevented, and furthermore spurious oscillations are suppressed.
The present invention has a configuration such that in a multiplier crystal oscillator wherein a multilayer board comprising earthing metal films formed on both principal planes of an intermediate board, and mount boards laminated on both sides thereof, and at least one multiplier LC filter arranged on one principal plane of the laminated board, an opening is provided in the earthing metal film that is provided on one principal plane of the intermediate board opposed to an arrangement region of the LC filter, and a ground of the intermediate board is exposed.
According to such a configuration, the earthing metal film of one principal plane of the intermediate board opposed to the arrangement region of the LC filter has an opening to expose the ground of the intermediate board. Consequently, the earthing metal film opposed to the arrangement region of the LC filter becomes the other principal plane of the intermediate board, and the stray capacity is decreased by elongating the distance therebetween. Therefore, the change of the syntonic frequency to the lowpass side in the LC filter can be decreased, and the displacement and irregularity of the multiple frequency serving as the output frequency from the crystal oscillator can be minimized.
Moreover, in the present invention, the opening is a region enclosing a periphery including a circuit pattern that connects respective chip elements of the LC filter. As a result the stray capacity generated between the LC filter including the circuit pattern that connects the capacitor and the inductor, and the earthing metal film can be minimized.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the opening is formed in a region enclosing a periphery of respective chip elements constituting the LC filter. As a result the stray capacity generated between the respective chip elements constituting the LC filter can be decreased. Moreover, since the opening of one principal plane of the intermediate board is decreased, the area where the earthing metal film is removed can also be decreased, so that the symmetric property between both principal planes can be made good, and bending or the like of the multilayer board can be prevented.
In addition, in the present invention, the opening is formed in a region enclosing a periphery of a surface mounted terminal of respective chip elements constituting the LC filter. As a result, the stray capacity generated between the respective chip elements having a particularly large electrode surface area, and the mounted terminal can be decreased. Furthermore, the symmetric property of the earthing metal film between both principal planes can be made good, and bending or the like of the multilayer board can be prevented.
Furthermore, the present invention has a configuration such that a plurality of the LC filters are connected in multistages, an opening is are formed in the earthing metal film provided on one principal plane of the intermediate board opposed to an arrangement region of the plurality ofLC filters, and a ground of the intermediate board is exposed. As a result the attenuation gradient of the characteristic of the filters connected in multistages is increased, and similarly to the abovementioned case, the displacement and irregularity of the multiple frequencies can be prevented.
Moreover, the stray capacity generated between the output of the LC filters connected in multistages, and the power source which becomes earthed in a high frequency manner can be decreased, the generation of the attenuation pole can be prevented, and the compensatory attenuation out of the bandpass can be maintained, so as to suppress the occurrence of spurious oscillations.
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a multiplier oscillator of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a partial cutaway cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are partial cutaway plan views.
FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway plan view that illustrates another embodiment of the multiplier oscillator of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway cross-sectional view that illustrates yet another embodiment of the multiplier oscillator of the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates a multiplier oscillator of a conventional example, wherein FIG. 4A is a schematic circuit diagram, and FIG. 4B is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway cross-sectional view that illustrates the multiplier oscillator of the conventional example.
FIG. 6 shows the filter characteristic of the multiplier oscillator of the conventional example.
FIG. I illustrates an embodiment of a multiplier oscillator of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1 A is a partial cutaway cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are partial cutaway plan views.
As described above, the multiplier oscillator of the present invention (see FIG. 4A) comprises: an oscillation circuit 1 having a resonance circuit 3 with a crystal vibrator 5 as an inductor component, and an oscillation amplifier 4; and a multiplication circuit 2 having LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) that are connected in multistages. Moreover, as shown in FIG I A, a multilayer board 8 comprises earthing metal films 9 formed on both principal planes of an intermediate board 8a, and mount boards 8b and 8c laminated on both sides thereof. Respective circuit elements 7 including LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) are provided on the multilayer board 8.
Moreover, the respective LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c) are arranged on one principal plane (the mount board 8b on one side) of the laminated board 8. As shown in FIG. I A, openings 11 are respectively provided in the earthing metal film 9a that is provided on one principal plane of the intermediate board 8a opposed to the mount board 8b on one side, being opposed to the arrangement regions of the respective LC filters 6 (6a, 6b, and 6c). The ground of the intermediate board 8a of the laminated board 8 is exposed in the openings 11a, 11b, and 11c, and any non-metal film is not present here.
Here, the openings 11a, 11b, and 11c, in other words, the arrangement region of the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c, is the region enclosing the periphery including the circuit pattern 12 that connects the chip-shaped inductor L and the capacitor C respectively constituting the LC filter.
FIG. 1A is a partial cutaway cross-sectional view and FIG. 1B is a partial cutaway plan view opposed to the LC filters 6a and 6b of the first and the second stages. FIG. 1C is a partial cutaway plan view corresponding to the LC filter 6c of the third stage. In the drawings, the mount board 8b on one side is not shown.
According to such a configuration, the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c are opposed to the earthing metal film 9b on the other principal plane of the intermediate board 8a. Therefore, since the distance between the earthing metal film 9b and the LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c can be elongated, a stray capacity Ca' connected to the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c in parallel becomes smaller than the conventional stray capacity.
As a result, the effect of the stray capacity Ca' can be decreased, and the change of the syntonic frequency to the lowpass side in the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c can be prevented. Consequently, displacement of the multiple frequency f0' serving as the output frequency, to the low pass side can be prevented. Moreover, since the stray capacity Ca can be decreased, the change is also small, so that the irregularity of the multiple frequency f0 can also be prevented.
Furthermore, the stray capacity Cb (see FIG. 4A) between the inductor L of the LC filter 6a of the last stage, and the end connection serving as the output terminal side of the split capacitors C1 and C2, and the earthing metal film 9b, also becomes smaller. Consequently, the generation of the attenuation pole P shown in FIG. 6 can be prevented, the attenuation out of the bandpass can be increased, and the occurrence of spurious oscillations can be suppressed.
In the embodiment described above, there are provided the openings I 1a, 11b, and 11c respectively opposed to the arrangement regions of the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c. However, as shown in FIG. 2, an opening 11 may be provided on an arrangement region including the circuit pattern that connects the LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c. In this case, the stray capacity caused by the circuit pattern that connects the LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c can also be decreased. Therefore the effect of preventing the displacement or the like of the multiple frequency f0' can also be increased.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, there may be provided the openings 11 respectively opposed to each of the inductor and the capacitor constituting the respective LC filters 6a, 6b, and 6c. Furthermore, the openings 11 may be provided in each region enclosing the periphery of the surface mounted terminal of each chip element. In such cases, an effect similar to the abovementioned effect is demonstrated.
In the present embodiment, three of the LC filters 6 are connected in multistages. However, a similar effect is demonstrated even if two or four LC filters 6 or more are connected. On the other hand, displacement and changing of the multiple frequencies can be prevented, even if there is only one LC filter 6. The present embodiment has been described with simply a multiplier oscillator. However, there is also a similar effect with a multiplier type voltage controlled oscillator. Moreover, oscillation amplifiers may be connected in cascade. | |
Your pharmacy information resource.
| JOB SUMMARY|
The Manager of Pharmacy oversees the functions, services and staff within a Pharmacy Department in accordance with system-wide goals. Works in conjunction with the Director of Pharmacy to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to patients, utilizing the principles of evidence-based medicine and medication safety to assure positive therapeutic outcomes.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ROLE
Leads the development, education, implementation and monitoring of all operational initiatives to provide optimal pharmaceutical care.
Ensures that patient care meets standards of safety, effectiveness, patient rights and customer service.
Oversees and sets priorities for the daily operations of the department to assure the provision of quality pharmaceutical care.
Maintains or oversees staff schedule and ensures adequate shift coverage in all areas of the assigned areas of the department.
Oversees staff development and actively participates in the educational activities of the department. Mentors staff in leadership, management, communication and pharmaceutical care skills.
Assists the Director with the development and execution of departmental policies and procedures, ensuring perpetual readiness and compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, and accreditation standards. In conjunction with selection, orientation, training, assignment and staffing, evaluation, performance expectations and evaluation, discipline and discharging employees in compliance with applicable employment regulations.
Verifies that all required pharmacy, pharmacist and technician licenses/registrations are current and valid as required by State, Federal and enterprise guidelines.
Assists the Director with preparation, approval and ongoing monitoring of the departmental budget which reflect the personnel, equipment, supplies, and drug expenditures necessary to provide pharmaceutical care activities.
Actively participates in committees/task forces as needed. Serves effectively as facilitator or leader when necessary.
May serve as Pharmacist in Charge in accordance with Texas State Board of Pharmacy rules.
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Advanced understanding of Pharmacy Care modalities, terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, terminology, drug use and aseptic techniques, standards, and equipment.
Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and regulatory requirements.
Knowledge of pharmaceutical operations.
Ability to make operational decisions around how work gets done - quality and productivity standards, measurable goals for employees and project teams, etc.
Ability to use broader objectives to determine how best to use resources to meet schedules and goals.
Ability to make or approve effective hiring and termination decisions.
Ability to evaluate and recommend changes to policies, and establish procedures that affect the managed organization.
Basic business knowledge, including but not limited to: annual planning and goal setting, adherence to budgets, employee compensation, compliance and risk management.
General computer skills, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office, information security, scheduling and payroll systems, electronic medical documentation, and email. | https://careers.rxtimes.com/jobs/14553604/mgr-pharmacy |
With so many parenting approaches out there, it seems that almost everyone has a different take or opinion when it comes to raising children. Have you noticed that you are raising your child differently than the way you were raised? If so, have you experienced your own family members questioning your approach? We’re here to help you learn how to navigate these conversations with your family members and loved ones. It’s a sticky subject, so let’s try to work through it!
Remember, your parenting
approach is entirely your decision. Your family and loved ones don’t have to be on board. We do understand that you may want them on board, though, so we’ve found a few ways for you to gain their support.
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1. Introduction {#sec1-viruses-12-00056}
===============
In spite of their small genomes, positive-strand (+)RNA viruses are among the most successful and wide-spread pathogens of humans, animals, and plants. Indeed, the abundant plant-infecting (+)RNA viruses only have a limited coding capacity of 4-to-12 genes. Thus, these viruses heavily depend on co-opted cellular factors and rewire several cellular pathways to support their replication in infected hosts \[[@B1-viruses-12-00056],[@B2-viruses-12-00056],[@B3-viruses-12-00056],[@B4-viruses-12-00056]\]. Similar to animal viruses, plant viruses use viral-coded proteins together with co-opted host factors to build viral replication compartments or replication organelles (VROs) inside the infected cells. To achieve this, numerous interactions among viral components and host cellular proteins and lipids are needed that lead to their retargeting and sequestration within the VROs. Altogether, during successful infections, virus--host interactions create a subcellular environment suitable for virus replication \[[@B4-viruses-12-00056],[@B5-viruses-12-00056],[@B6-viruses-12-00056],[@B7-viruses-12-00056],[@B8-viruses-12-00056]\].
In this review, the central player is *Tomato bushy stunt virus* (TBSV), which is the type member of the tombusviruses infecting a wide range of plants. TBSV is highly suitable for studies on virus--host interactions considering a large number of protein--protein interactions and network of interactions identified between TBSV and the host cell, based on budding yeast (*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*) \[[@B6-viruses-12-00056],[@B9-viruses-12-00056],[@B10-viruses-12-00056],[@B11-viruses-12-00056]\].
2. TBSV--Host Interactions {#sec2-viruses-12-00056}
==========================
TBSV, similar to many (+)RNA viruses of animals, induces the biogenesis of large membranous VROs, which contain numerous \~60--70 nm vesicle-like intracellular membrane invaginations with narrow openings toward the cytosol \[[@B4-viruses-12-00056],[@B12-viruses-12-00056],[@B13-viruses-12-00056],[@B14-viruses-12-00056]\]. These small membranous invaginations harbor the viral replication complexes (VRCs) with a central role in viral RNA synthesis and the production of the new infectious progeny (+)RNAs. Whereas the TBSV p33 replication protein is an RNA chaperone that acts as the master regulator of VRC assembly \[[@B7-viruses-12-00056]\], viral RNA synthesis is performed by the TBSV-coded p92^pol^ replication protein \[[@B15-viruses-12-00056],[@B16-viruses-12-00056],[@B17-viruses-12-00056]\]. Similar to other (+)RNA viruses, the accessory replication protein(s), namely p33 for TBSV, orchestrates the biogenesis of the large VROs \[[@B7-viruses-12-00056],[@B13-viruses-12-00056],[@B18-viruses-12-00056]\]. However, the biogenesis and operation of these virus-driven VROs require the subversion of a long list of cellular proteins. Moreover, VRO formation also requires major membrane deformations, membrane proliferation, and changes in lipid composition. Another critical role of VRCs is for the evasion of cellular innate defense mechanisms and protection of the viral RNA from degradation. Altogether, the discoveries made in tombusvirus--host interactions seem to be broadly applicable to many plant and animal viruses \[[@B4-viruses-12-00056],[@B7-viruses-12-00056],[@B8-viruses-12-00056],[@B14-viruses-12-00056]\].
3. Budding Yeast as a Surrogate Host to Characterize TBSV--Host Interactions {#sec3-viruses-12-00056}
============================================================================
One of the major challenges in current virology is the cataloging of all interactions between a virus and its host. Accordingly, the number of identified host proteins and lipids affecting various plant viruses is growing \[[@B4-viruses-12-00056],[@B7-viruses-12-00056],[@B8-viruses-12-00056]\], but the list remains incomplete. Research with tombusviruses, which belongs to the flavivirus supergroup of (+)RNA viruses, and the unrelated *Brome mosaic virus* (BMV) and the insect-infecting Flock House virus (FHV) have taken advantage of the development of yeast as a surrogate host. This advance has allowed genome-wide screens at the single-cell level for these viruses \[[@B4-viruses-12-00056],[@B8-viruses-12-00056],[@B9-viruses-12-00056],[@B19-viruses-12-00056],[@B20-viruses-12-00056]\]. Yeast with facile genetics has emerged as a model eukaryotic organism with conserved cellular functions and pathways. Indeed, many cellular functions and pathways have been well-described using yeast, including vesicle trafficking and secretory pathways, the actin network and microtubules, eukaryotic protein chaperones, nucleic acid and protein modifying factors, the proteasome system, to name a few. Importantly, many biochemical pathways are also conserved, including glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, protein translation, and lipid synthesis. Another advantage of using yeast as a surrogate viral host is the simple genome organization with only \~6000 genes, of which 75% have assigned functions and subcellular localization (<http://www.yeastgenome.org/>). Overall, the construction of various genome-wide libraries and the breadth of knowledge on yeast genes facilitates functional and mechanistic studies on virus--host interactions. In summary, yeast is an outstanding organism for system-level approaches with TBSV.
4. The Expanding Role of Aerobic Glycolysis {#sec4-viruses-12-00056}
===========================================
The metabolic process that converts glucose to ethanol in yeast and plants and lactic acid in animals even in the presence of oxygen is known as aerobic glycolysis or Warburg effect. In contrast, during the metabolism of healthy cells, glucose is usually converted into pyruvate, which is then channeled into mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of oxygen. The conversion of glucose to lactate or ethanol in the absence of oxygen is known as anaerobic glycolysis \[[@B21-viruses-12-00056],[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B24-viruses-12-00056]\]. The aerobic glycolytic pathway is a hallmark feature of cancerous cells \[[@B21-viruses-12-00056],[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056]\].
In the presence of plenty of glucose, the aerobic glycolytic pathway can quickly generate ATP at a higher rate than mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and provide metabolites required for anabolic processes, including the synthesis of ribonucleotides, lipids, and amino acids. The known roles of aerobic glycolysis are expanding, including healthy developmental and disease stages \[[@B21-viruses-12-00056]\]. For example, major roles for aerobic glycolysis have been documented during mammalian retinal cell and neuronal differentiation, *Drosophila* neuroblast differentiation, and larval development \[[@B25-viruses-12-00056]\]. *Drosophila* macrophages switch to aerobic glycolysis to fight off bacterial pathogens \[[@B26-viruses-12-00056]\]. When activated by various stimuli, microglia in the brain increases the aerobic glycolytic pathway \[[@B27-viruses-12-00056]\]. Additional examples of switching to aerobic glycolytic metabolism include endothelial cell differentiation, monocytes-based trained immunity, motor adaptation learning in the human brain, in rapidly dividing cells during embryogenesis, and T cell differentiation \[[@B21-viruses-12-00056],[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B28-viruses-12-00056],[@B29-viruses-12-00056]\].
Aerobic glycolysis is also induced during several disease states, such as various forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, amyloid-based brain diseases, and wound repair \[[@B28-viruses-12-00056],[@B30-viruses-12-00056],[@B31-viruses-12-00056],[@B32-viruses-12-00056]\]. Altogether, cells and tissues utilize aerobic glycolysis as a metabolic compromise to rapidly provide ATP and new metabolic compounds for anabolic processes.
5. Exploitation of the Aerobic Glycolytic Pathway by Tombusviruses {#sec5-viruses-12-00056}
==================================================================
TBSV replication is a rapid and robust process that requires plenty of energy in the form of ATP and molecular building blocks, which have to be produced at the sites of replication or delivered there. Accordingly, tombusviruses induce and co-opt aerobic glycolysis to produce ATP molecules within the VROs \[[@B33-viruses-12-00056],[@B34-viruses-12-00056]\]. It has also been proposed that the co-opted aerobic glycolysis could provide ample amounts of metabolites for the cell to make molecular building blocks, such as ribonucleotides, lipids, and amino acids \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056]\]. Indeed, the amounts of phospholipids, important to form new membranes, are increased by \~30% in yeast cells replicating TBSV or in infected plant cells \[[@B35-viruses-12-00056]\]. TBSV replication also depends on new ribonucleotide and amino acid synthesis regulated by the TOR kinase cascade \[[@B36-viruses-12-00056]\]. Whereas high glucose concentration enhances TBSV replication in yeast, 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG)-based inhibition of aerobic glycolysis reduced TBSV accumulation \[[@B36-viruses-12-00056]\].
Why do tombusviruses need to hijack and compartmentalize the aerobic glycolytic pathway for replication? Aerobic glycolysis has many advantages over other energy-producing pathways. For example, the glycolytic enzymes are present in the cytosol, thus easily accessible for subversion by the cytosolic tombusviruses. The rate of ATP generation is higher with aerobic glycolysis than with oxidative phosphorylation within the mitochondria. Finally, aerobic glycolysis facilitates the production of molecular building blocks \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. This allows new biomolecules to be exploited by tombusviruses to support extensive and rapid replication. One could argue that a major advantage of large VROs for tombusviruses is that it allows them to compartmentalize an entire energy-producing metabolic pathway. We also propose that aerobic glycolysis might be less exposed to feedback regulation when sequestered into the VROs than when present in the cytosol. Overall, local production of ATP within VROs might free up TBSV from the competition with cellular processes for the common ATP pool.
6. Exploitation of the Fermentation Pathway by Tombusviruses {#sec6-viruses-12-00056}
============================================================
A recent work, surprisingly, revealed efficient recruitment and compartmentalization of Pdc1 pyruvate decarboxylase and Adh1 alcohol dehydrogenase fermentation enzymes into tombusviral VROs \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. These fermentation enzymes play critical pro-viral functions. Knockdown of Pdc1 and Adh1 in plants greatly reduced the efficiency of tombusvirus replication \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. Enzymatically functional Pdc1 is required to support tombusvirus replication. This suggests that the role of sequestered fermentation enzymes within the VROs is to generate NAD+ from NADH. This is important for aerobic glycolysis, which requires the replenishing of the NAD+ pool. NAD+ is needed by glycolytic GAPDH glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to produce NADH, a critical regulatory step in glycolysis. By using pyruvate, the end product of the glycolytic pathway, the fermentation pathway efficiently generates NAD+ \[[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. Altogether, our data obtained with an ATP-biosensor have shown that both glycolytic and fermentation enzymes are required for efficient generation of ATP locally within the tombusvirus VROs ([Figure 1](#viruses-12-00056-f001){ref-type="fig"}) \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. Therefore, it seems advantageous for tombusviruses to recruit and compartmentalize both glycolytic and fermentation pathways into the VROs.
However, there seems to be an obstacle in plant leaf tissues for TBSV. This is because, unlike yeast that highly expresses the fermentation enzymes when grown in glucose-rich media, plant tissues express fermentation enzymes only at very low levels in the presence of oxygen. Therefore, tombusviruses must upregulate the expression of the fermentation enzymes in plant leaves during infection. Indeed, tombusvirus infections highly upregulate the expression of both fermentation and glycolytic enzymes in plant leaves, albeit the mechanism is not yet determined \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. Under oxygen-poor conditions, it is known that the stabilization and relocalization of HIF1alpha transcription factor to the nucleus are required to induce the expression of aerobic glycolytic and fermentation enzymes in mammalian cells \[[@B39-viruses-12-00056]\]. It will be interesting to learn how tombusviruses achieve this remarkable feat under oxygen-rich conditions (note that the leaves produce oxygen during photosynthesis). Another advantage for tombusviruses to hijack the fermentation enzymes is that TBSV might be able to regulate the redox potential in the vicinity of viral replication by maintaining the NAD+/NADH redox-state within the VROs.
An interesting point is that the aerobic glycolysis/fermentation pathway re-routs pyruvate, the nexus point in metabolic pathways, into the fast fermentation pathway, and away from the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway. This then leads to the rapid regeneration of NAD+ to replenish the glycolytic pathway. NAD+ and its reduced form NADH are also necessary for the biosynthesis of nucleotides and amino acids. In general, the fermentation pathway supports fast glucose flux into metabolites and the rapid regeneration of NAD+ but, on the other hand, inhibits mitochondrial processes with unknown consequences for the host cells \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\].
The dependence of (+)RNA virus replication on the glycolytic and fermentation pathways might be broad \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. Several other TBSV-related and unrelated plant viruses have been shown to induce the fermentation pathway, thus indicating that viruses might need the rapid generation of ATP and numerous metabolic precursors for replication \[[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. Since most plant, animal, and human (+)RNA viruses require the biogenesis of the membranous VROs, the local production of abundant ATP within VROs might be a widespread feature in virus-infected cells. This could open up new common antiviral strategies targeting the fermentation pathway.
7. The Need for Locally Produced ATP During Tombusvirus Replication {#sec7-viruses-12-00056}
===================================================================
A recently emerging picture in cell biology is that the cellular ATP pool is not readily available for intensive processes, such as cell motility or cell proliferation and rapid growth of tumor cells \[[@B40-viruses-12-00056],[@B41-viruses-12-00056]\]. Tombusvirus replication is also a rapid and robust process occurring within the relatively inaccessible membranous VROs \[[@B13-viruses-12-00056],[@B14-viruses-12-00056]\]. Therefore, it seems critical for tombusviruses to achieve the local production of plentiful ATP within the VROs ([Figure 1](#viruses-12-00056-f001){ref-type="fig"}). Accordingly, the robust recruitment and compartmentalization of glycolytic and fermentation enzymes into the VROs is documented in both yeast and plant cells and even in in vitro replicase reconstitution experiments \[[@B34-viruses-12-00056],[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. The compartmentalization of glycolytic and fermentation enzymes within the VROs might facilitate the formation of a glycolytic metabolon. Formation of metabolons is an emerging concept on substrate channeling among enzymes of a particular metabolic pathway \[[@B42-viruses-12-00056],[@B43-viruses-12-00056]\]. It is possible that glycolytic/fermentation metabolons, which channel substrates among the catalytic enzymes, form within the VROs to maintain rapid metabolite flux in the glycolytic pathway. This discovery may lead to a paradigm shift in virus--host interactions by putting into the limelight the need for local and efficient production of ATP within VROs in order to achieve robust RNA replication.
What biochemical processes require the local high concentration of ATP within the VROs? It seems that at least two separate phases of viral replication need to be supported by ATP production ([Figure 2](#viruses-12-00056-f002){ref-type="fig"}). First, during the early steps of replication, the locally generated ATP is exploited by TBSV to support the viral replicase assembly process. We propose that the co-opted VRC assembly factors, such as the cellular Hsp70 chaperones, use ATP for their protein folding function to facilitate the insertion of the TBSV replication proteins into membranes and activate the TBSV p92 RdRp within the VROs ([Figure 2](#viruses-12-00056-f002){ref-type="fig"}) \[[@B44-viruses-12-00056],[@B45-viruses-12-00056],[@B46-viruses-12-00056]\]. By providing high ATP concentration within the VROs, TBSV could greatly facilitate the efficiency of Hsp70-driven VRC assembly. It is also possible that additional co-opted ATP-dependent host proteins, such as the usurped actin filaments and the ESCRT Vps4 AAA+ ATPase are also fueled by the locally produced ATP within VROs \[[@B47-viruses-12-00056],[@B48-viruses-12-00056],[@B49-viruses-12-00056]\]. This model is supported by the observation that downregulation of the ATP-generating Pgk1 phosphoglycerate kinase protein or the fermentation enzymes in host cells inhibits efficient VRC assembly and also reduces TBSV (−)RNA synthesis \[[@B33-viruses-12-00056]\].
Interestingly, the emerging picture is that the local ATP production within the VROs is also critical during the late replication steps, including (+)RNA synthesis ([Figure 2](#viruses-12-00056-f002){ref-type="fig"}). For example, depletion of co-opted ATP-generating PK pyruvate kinase resulted in reduced (+)RNA production in yeast and plants as well as in in vitro replicase reconstitution experiments \[[@B50-viruses-12-00056],[@B51-viruses-12-00056],[@B52-viruses-12-00056]\]. It was shown that PK provides ATP for the subverted cellular DEAD-box helicases, which are also part of the VRCs. The co-opted helicases facilitate the efficient utilization of the viral double-stranded dsRNA replication intermediates during (+)RNA synthesis in an ATP-dependent manner ([Figure 2](#viruses-12-00056-f002){ref-type="fig"}). In the case of TBSV, the (+)RNA synthesis is far more robust than (−)RNA synthesis. Whereas (−)RNA synthesis depends on co-opted RNA chaperones, such as eEF1A and eEF1Bgamma, which operate in an ATP-independent manner \[[@B53-viruses-12-00056]\], the DEAD-box helicases depend on high ATP level during (+)RNA synthesis ([Figure 2](#viruses-12-00056-f002){ref-type="fig"}). The co-opted ATP-dependent Hsp70 chaperones are also involved in tombusvirus (+)RNA encapsidation \[[@B54-viruses-12-00056]\], indicating that local ATP production might also facilitate virus particle assembly during replication. In summary, the current model shows that the ATP generated by the co-opted PK is used to fuel subverted RNA helicases and promote viral (+)RNA synthesis.
8. Do Glycolytic and Fermentation Enzymes Perform Moonlighting Functions during Virus Replication? {#sec8-viruses-12-00056}
==================================================================================================
The glycolytic and fermentation enzymes have been shown to participate in many noncanonical processes in cells \[[@B55-viruses-12-00056],[@B56-viruses-12-00056],[@B57-viruses-12-00056]\]. One of the most intriguing features of glycolytic enzymes is that they all bind to RNAs \[[@B58-viruses-12-00056]\]. Accordingly, GAPDH was found to bind to an AU-pentamer sequence on the TBSV (−)RNA, and also to the TBSV p92 RdRp protein \[[@B59-viruses-12-00056],[@B60-viruses-12-00056]\]. These interactions are proposed to help the co-opted GAPDH act as a "matchmaker" between the viral (−)RNA and the p92 RdRp, ultimately positioning the RdRp in the vicinity of the promoter region of the (−)RNA to facilitate initiation of (+)RNA synthesis within the VRCs \[[@B60-viruses-12-00056]\]. It is an intriguing question whether the other glycolytic enzymes might have noncanonical functions within the VROs.
9. Numerous Similarities Between Tombusvirus-Infected Cells and Cancerous Cells in Rewiring Cellular Metabolic Pathways {#sec9-viruses-12-00056}
=======================================================================================================================
Because both the intensive tombusvirus replication and the aggressive proliferation of cancerous cells require rapid generation of ATP and production of new biomass \[[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\], there are surprisingly many similarities among virus-infected and cancerous cells. The similarities include the rewiring of the cellular metabolic pathways by shifting toward aerobic glycolytic and fermentation pathways at the expense of oxidative phosphorylation-based metabolic pathway in the mitochondria \[[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. Accordingly, both tombusvirus-infected cells and cancerous cells upregulate the expression of aerobic glycolytic and fermentation enzymes \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B33-viruses-12-00056],[@B34-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056],[@B38-viruses-12-00056]\]. These events lead to the dependence of tombusviruses and cancerous cells on high glucose concentration within the cells. Indeed, both tombusvirus replication and the proliferation of cancerous cells are highly sensitive to 2-DG inhibitor \[[@B36-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. In addition, pyruvate, the end-product of glycolysis, has to be re-routed into the fast fermentation pathway, leading to the rapid regeneration of NAD+ to replenish the glycolytic pathway and production of either ethanol (in yeast and plants) or lactic acid (in mammals). The rapid regeneration of NAD+ allows fast incorporation of glucose metabolites into biomass \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. Altogether, by providing abundant precursor compounds in the cytosol, the aerobic glycolytic and fermentation pathways are far more efficient to facilitate the production of molecular building blocks than the oxidative phosphorylation pathway \[[@B22-viruses-12-00056],[@B23-viruses-12-00056],[@B37-viruses-12-00056]\]. Then, the generated new biomass can be exploited by tombusviruses to build extensive VROs and by cancerous cells for supporting rapid cell proliferation.
Another similarity emerging between tombusvirus replication and spread of cancerous cells is the need for local generation of ATP within the tombusviral VROs to support replication and for the cellular movement of cancerous cells. Indeed, it was recently documented that cancerous cells could only use the actin network for cellular movement during metastasis if aerobic glycolysis produces the ATP in the cytosol, but not by using ATP generated via oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria \[[@B40-viruses-12-00056]\].
In summary, all these cellular and biochemical similarities among tombusvirus replication, cancerous cells, and other diseases that depend on the aerobic glycolysis could facilitate cross-discipline influence of research studies and possibly the development of common cures and repurposing drugs for these diseases.
10. The Role of Glycolysis in Virus--Host Interactions {#sec10-viruses-12-00056}
======================================================
Many viruses are known to activate and reprogram cellular metabolism, including glycolysis \[[@B61-viruses-12-00056]\]. Metabolic profiling of primary human cells infected with Dengue virus revealed that virus replication induces the upregulation of glycolytic enzymes and the glucose transporter 1. The increased glucose consumption by the host cells was required for optimal Dengue virus replication \[[@B62-viruses-12-00056]\]. Global metabolic profiling was also used to show enhanced glycolysis in cells infected with Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) \[[@B63-viruses-12-00056]\]. Proteome profiling of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected cells unraveled the upregulation of several glycolytic enzymes, suggesting significant perturbations in cell metabolism \[[@B64-viruses-12-00056]\]. Accordingly, the activity of the glycolytic hexokinase is increased after interaction with NS5A replication protein of HCV \[[@B65-viruses-12-00056]\]. HCV induces aerobic glycolysis via activating hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), which is the master regulator of this metabolic pathway \[[@B66-viruses-12-00056]\]. Other viruses, such as vaccinia virus, Epstein--Barr virus and KSHV, stabilize HIF-1 to promote aerobic glycolysis \[[@B67-viruses-12-00056],[@B68-viruses-12-00056],[@B69-viruses-12-00056]\]. The activity of the ATP-generating pyruvate kinase (M2 isoform, PKM2) is enhanced by phosphorylation by Src protein of Rous sarcoma virus \[[@B70-viruses-12-00056]\]. Oncogenic viruses induce aerobic glycolysis and lactate production during their latent infections \[[@B30-viruses-12-00056],[@B63-viruses-12-00056]\]. For example, hepatitis B virus activates the mTOR signaling cascade, resulting in induction of the aerobic glycolysis pathway \[[@B71-viruses-12-00056]\]. Additional examples with several oncogenic virus-driven regulations of the aerobic glycolytic pathway can be found in a recent review \[[@B30-viruses-12-00056]\].
11. Future Directions {#sec11-viruses-12-00056}
=====================
The active hijacking of the glycolytic and fermentation enzymes by TBSV into VROs opens up many significant areas for further research in the future. What is the actual mechanism of the hijacking of the glycolytic and fermentation enzymes by TBSV? What are the roles of catalytic versus RNA-binding functions of the glycolytic and fermentation enzymes during viral infections? How broad is this phenomenon among eukaryotic viruses of plants, fungi, insects, animals, and humans? It is possible that fast replicating viruses that reach high titers and produce abundant progeny viruses might need the local production of ATP within the VROs. How could the infected cells cope or even respond to the lesser availability of the hijacked enzymes and/or reduction of the cytosolic ATP pool? Thus, what are the consequences for the various types of cells when they face this challenge? Is it possible to exploit the common strategies of viral replication to develop broad-spectrum antivirals? Future studies could answer if it might be possible to repurpose anticancer or anti-inflammatory drugs targeting various glycolytic enzymes or their regulators as antivirals \[[@B72-viruses-12-00056]\].
12. Conclusions {#sec12-viruses-12-00056}
===============
Incapable of producing their own energy supply, (+)RNA viruses must usurp ATP from the host cells to fuel the energy requirement of viral replication. As a new paradigm shift, tombusviruses achieve the production of ATP locally within VROs due to virus-driven hijacking and compartmentalization of both the cellular glycolytic and fermentation pathways. This allows TBSV to provide ATP for RNA virus replication locally without directly competing with the host cell for the cytoplasmic ATP pool. Why is compartmentalization of the aerobic glycolytic and fermentation pathways in the VROs advantageous for tombusviruses? The combined subversion of the aerobic glycolytic and fermentation pathways allows for the rapid production of ATP locally, including replenishing of the regulatory NAD+ pool by the fermentation pathway. Then, the locally produced ATP could be used efficiently by the co-opted ATP-dependent host factors required for pro-viral processes \[[@B33-viruses-12-00056],[@B34-viruses-12-00056]\]. This benefits VRC assembly, the activation of p92 RdRp, and the utilization of both ssRNA templates and dsRNA replication intermediates for viral RNA synthesis \[[@B7-viruses-12-00056],[@B33-viruses-12-00056],[@B34-viruses-12-00056]\]. The local production of ATP within the VROs might also be necessary for other viruses to avoid direct competition with cellular processes for the common ATP pool. Moreover, all the molecular processes could be accelerated by the high local concentration of ATP within the VROs. Rapid replication by viruses might allow them to speed ahead of antiviral responses of the hosts and outcompete other pathogenic viruses. It is also possible that the feedback regulation of these metabolic processes by the cell is less efficient when compartmentalized in the VROs. The gained knowledge of co-opted host factors could lead to novel, inducible, broad-range, and durable antiviral tools against plant and possibly animal viruses.
The authors thank Judit Pogany, Melissa Molho, and Paulina Alatriste Gonzalez for valuable comments on the manuscript.
Conceptualization, P.D.N. and W.L.; writing---original draft preparation, P.D.N.; writing---review and editing, P.D.N. and W.L.; funding acquisition, P.D.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (MCB-1517751 and IOS-1922895) and a USDA hatch grant (KY012042) to P.D.N.
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
![Knockdown of cellular Pgk1 glycolytic enzyme inhibits ATP accumulation locally within tombusvirus viral replication compartments or replication organelles (VROs) in *N. benthamiana*. Top: Schematic representation of the FRET-based detection of ATP within VROs. The ATP biosensor, ATeam^YEMK^ was fused to *Tomato bushy stunt virus* (TBSV) p33 replication protein. The dotted line indicates energy transfer between the modules. Bottom: Confocal microscopy images of VROs in plant cells show the low ATP level within the VRO when Pgk1 expression is silenced. Pgk1 mRNA level was knocked-down in *N. benthamiana* and the ATP level was detected via expression of the p33-ATeam^YEMK^ biosensor. The YFP signal was generated via FRET. The more intense FRET signals are white and red (between 0.5 to 1.0 ratio), whereas the low FRET signals (0.1 and below) are light blue and dark blue. *N. benthamiana* plants were infected with TBSV, which replicates on peroxisomal membranes. CFP signal detects large TBSV VRO, which is also marked by the RFP-SKL peroxisomal marker. See further details in \[[@B33-viruses-12-00056]\].](viruses-12-00056-g001){#viruses-12-00056-f001}
![A model on the roles of the ATP produced locally in VROs in TBSV replication. Top: The early phase of replication: The newly synthesized TBSV p33 (master regulator, black circle) and p92 (RdRp, red oval) replication proteins recruit the viral (+)RNA for the pre-assembly and assembly of the membrane-bound viral replicase complex (VRC, represented by a vesicle-like structure). The co-opted glycolytic GAPDH, Pgk1, and PK and the Adh1 and Pdc1 fermentation enzymes are shown. The co-opted Hsp70 drives the pre-assembly of the VRC and the activation of the p92 RdRp in an ATP-driven manner. The ATP-dependent co-opted Ded1 and RH2/5 DEAD-box RNA helicases promote viral (+)RNA synthesis using the dsRNA replication intermediate as shown. The co-opted GAPDH has an RNA chaperone function during (+)RNA synthesis, as discussed in the text. Note, this is not the complete list of characterized host factors for TBSV \[[@B7-viruses-12-00056]\]. The putative role of ATP in virus particle assembly is also shown.](viruses-12-00056-g002){#viruses-12-00056-f002}
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The development of the internet over the last few decades has resulted in a massive increase in the production of data and the unprecedented availability of computing power for corporate applications. Machine Learning and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been fuelled by these revolutions to emerge from being purely academic topics of investigation to be the basis for a new wave of products and services for the digital age.
The paradigm-shifting opportunities presented to corporates by this emerging technology range from the ability to expose and extract insights and patterns from data lakes to replacing human beings in critical decision-making scenarios. However, with these opportunities also come novel risks and concerns that must be considered when contemplating the development and deployment of AI and machine learning agents. These include understanding how their trustworthiness may be measured, the ethics and policies required for their deployment and the cybersecurity implications of their widespread adoption.
This webinar will discuss the fundamental features of machine learning and AI across multiple industries as well as the unique opportunities and challenges that this technology presents. By exploring specific game-changing examples from financial services and beyond, our speakers from Imperial College Business School and Citi will also discuss some of the hurdles to implementation such as inherent bias in data. Such considerations being particularly relevant in a post-COVID-19 technology-enabled society.
Speakers
Deeph Chana
Professor Deeph Chana has extensive experience of working on world-leading STEM in academia, industry and government. He is the Director of the Cyber Security executive programme, Co-Director of the Centre for Financial Technology and the Institute for Security Science Technology, and co-founder of the UK-Government funded Research Institute in Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems and Imperial's FinTech Network of Excellence.
Prag Sharma
Based in Dublin, Dr. Prag Sharma leads the Emerging Technologies Group within Treasury & Trade Services’ Innovation Labs at Citi. Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence is a focus for the group, which includes research and development on Machine Learning, including Natural Language Processing and Graph Analytics approaches among others. Distributed Ledger Technologies (i.e. Blockchain) is another area of research for the group.
Prag has significant experience in R&D Management, experimental and algorithmic design and development in both business and academic environments with start-ups and multinationals.
Prag holds a PhD in Computer Vision and an MBA majoring in Innovation.
Giles Pavey
Giles is a seasoned Data Science Leader, having held positions in both the private and public sector. He is Global Data Science Director at Unilever, the global consumer goods company, where he works to maximise the benefits from AI and advanced analytics across the business. He works around the world on projects as diverse as supply chain, AI ethics, digitising factories, innovation, sustainability and understanding consumer behaviour.
Prior to his current role, Giles worked at the UK government writing data strategy and building data science innovation capability at the Department for Work and Pensions. He also worked for 18 years at dunnhumby, the Tesco owned marketing consultancy: originally as Head of Analytics and more latterly as the Chief Data Scientist. During his time at dunnhumby he worked around the world with major retailers and consumer goods companies. Giles has a passion for collaboration, notably between academia and industry. As such he holds visiting positions in computer science at University College London and mathematics at Oxford University.
Giles will be speaking in a personal capacity drawing on insights garnered from his 30 years of experiences in advanced analytics. | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/events/imperial-future-matters-machine-learning-and-ai-opportunities-and-challenges-corporates/ |
FOR MORE FOLKDAYS CONTENT, SEE MY BLOG.
I’ve been working with roses quite a bit recently, as I’ve been making pigment from rose petals and using them to paint the flowers themselves. They’ve crept into my life in all sorts of other ways, too: I’ve recently written a piece about thorns (and the Anglo-Saxon rune ᚦ, ‘thorn’); meanwhile my research into foraging for a different creative project lead me to look a bit closer at rosehips.
As one might imagine, based on their popularity, roses are steeped in all sorts of lore, from how they were created and how they got their colours, to their meanings and associations. There’s plenty out there to read (as ever, links below); this post will focus on the aspects I find most fascinating!
While roses have become a popular emblem in Western world, and appear in many myths arising in the West, their origin actually begins in the East. First cultivated in Persia, these flowers were almost immediately given a mythology: one of the principal Hindu goddesses, Lakshmi, was said to have been created from 108 large and 1,008 small rose petals. The cultivation of roses spread across many continents, and in many cultures these flowers continued to be associated with the gods, and by extension, royalty.
Roses appear to have been in use from as early as the 8th century BC. In Homer’s Iliad, rose oil was said to have been used to anoint the body of Hector, Prince of Troy, before burial. Likewise, in 5th century BC Egyptian tombs, rose balm anointed the dead, and dried petals were tucked inside the wrappings of mummified bodies. As well as simply improving the smell, flowers carried with them the association of life, growth, and rebirth. Roses were the flowers of the Egyptian goddess of love, Isis, so by sealing them in tombs, they also signified the love of mourners for their dead.
Just as the Egyptians had Isis, the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, was also associated with roses. At her birth, the sea foam Aphrodite sprung from turned to white roses, symbolising her purity; when she passionately pursued Adonis, she cut her feet on the rose’s thorns and red roses were created to symbolise desire. In Roman myth, the goddess of flowers Flora created the rose from the body of a nymph; other gods contributed by adding life, nectar, scent, and fruit to Flora’s flowers. The rose’s thorns were arrows from Cupid’s bow. Cupid was the son of Venus, the Roman goddess of love; the rose became more closely associated with Venus when, in return for keeping her lovers a secret, the flower was gifted to Harpocrates, god of silence.
As this story tells, the rose became a symbol for silence and secrets, as well as love. One Roman belief was that the flowers themselves stored secrets amidst their tightly wound petals. Roses were thus hung overhead during meetings, and the attendees were said to be sub rosa (‘under the rose’): bound to an oath of silence as to all matters raised in that room. A relic of this belief can still be seen today, in the stucco roses which decorate the ceilings of banquet rooms in some grand residences.
The most traditional colours for roses, as depicted in art but also as recounted in lore, are white and red. These colours become a binary as the symbols of the York and Lancastrian families during the War of the Roses; in many stories, including a Jewish folktale, white roses represent innocence and honesty (like the faithful wife Zilliah), while red roses represent fury and cruelty (like Hameul, who wrongly accuses his wife of adultery). Perhaps a more familiar story showing this binary is Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, where fearing the wrath of the Queen of Hearts, the gardeners paint the mistakenly-planted white roses red.
The idea of originally-white flowers being turned red is a common thread in the folklore of roses. Rather than Aphrodite’s blood, in early Christian belief it was the blood of Jesus that stained white roses and created red ones. The thorns of the plant allude to the crown of thorns placed upon him at his crucifixion; the five petals symbolise his five injuries. Other Christian stories tell of roses blushing at Eve’s kiss, then growing thorns when she and Adam are expelled from Eden. These stories, while all ending with hope restored, contain an element of danger or suffering. Perhaps this is why, when mixing red and white one gets pink or ‘rose’, and why the phrase ‘to look through rose-coloured glasses’ conveys an optimism which overlooks the bad.
Roses also carry another binary: the beauty of their flowers versus the threat of their thorns. This binary was understood and became emblematic for medieval knights: during contests or warfare, knights would wear roses as a reminder that gentleness should accompany ferocity, and beauty would reward their prowess in combat. Like a rose’s thorns protecting its flower, a knight would fight to defend their kingdom or their beloved. Other folktales also view the rose’s thorns as a virtue: in Cherokee myth, a rose plant grew up and around Nunnshi to protect her from pursuers; in a Greek folktale, a prince uses roses taken from the bower of his sleeping princess to ward off his enemies. Another phrase could find its origin in this idea: to ‘come up smelling of roses’ means to rise from an unpleasant, ‘prickly’ situation to a more ‘rosy’ position.
Now to move away from tales of gods and rulers, and to turn to the more humble folk beliefs and uses of the rose.
The most obvious use for the rose is as a fragrance. Rose petals were boiled into an oil or balm as early as the 8th century BC, to perfume bodies both dead and alive. Roses were a favoured element of potpourri in Tudor England: it was kept in rooms and on the person in pomanders, to eliminate the bad smells they thought caused illnesses such as the plague. Rose vinegar has also been used to relieve headaches, and the scent of roses was believed to relieve melancholy. Burning rose-scented candles could fragrance a room, while a sachet of dried rose petals could freshen laundry. Some folk uses have, of course, died out as beliefs have been dropped, such as the use of wild rose roots to cure the bites of mad dogs, giving them the name ‘dog roses’! The fruit of the dog rose (the rosehip), however, was often foraged during the Second World War as a good source of vitamin C, when citrus imports to England were less possible.
Today, we still value roses for their scents, but also their beauty. Roses have been bred into hundreds of thousands of cultivars, and can be bought in all the colours of the rainbow. The modern hybrid called the English Rose was developed to give the flower even bigger blooms, and stronger fragrance. Roses feature frequently in art, and nowhere quite as effectively as in canal folk art. Painted in bright colours with only a few elegant brushstrokes, bunches of roses often adorn the sides of narrowboats. Yet despite the wealth of lore, from all over the world and across many centuries, concerning the rose, the origin of roses in canal folk art is relatively obscure. Perhaps it is just their universal beauty that makes them an enduring favourite.
There are so many brilliant resources about roses! I recommend…
- The Secret Language of Flowers, by Samantha Gray
- Plant Lore and Legend, by Ruth Binney
- Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, by E. Cobham Brewer (a huge tome, but good for so many bits of folklore research)
- Rose Folklore, from Rose Magazine
- The Rose in Myths & Legends, from Ludwig’s Roses
- The Complete Rose Colour Meanings Guide, from ProFlowers (often this is one of the main things people write about when it comes to roses, but it is a lengthy list and differs from source to source – here’s one good list)
- Floriography: The Language of Flowers in the Victorian Era, from ProFlowers (a good list of resources, covering different flower meanings and how Victorians talked through bouquets)
- Canal Folk Art, from Canal Junction (a good list of resources about life on canals!)
For more Folkdays content, see my blog. | https://nelliecole.com/2020/06/12/folkdays-rose-lore/ |
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) released its draft Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure Security (Draft Regulations) on 10 July 2017. The CAC is seeking public comments on the Draft Regulations until 10 August 2017.
In this e-bulletin we highlight the key provisions of the Draft Regulations and set out our observations on the regime.
Background
The Cyber Security Law (CSL), enacted in 2016, officially introduced the concept of critical information infrastructure (CII) for the first time with a section covering the protection of CII. Pursuant to the CSL, CIIs will be afforded special protection measures in addition to those provided under the Multi-layer Protection Scheme (MLPS), the major cyber protection regime envisaged under the CSL. These protection measures include higher standards for protection obligations and closer scrutiny by the government over the operation of the CII. The CSL authorizes the State Council to publish regulations on the scope of CII and security protection measures.
Highlights of key provisions
I. Scope of CII
In the Draft Regulations, CII is defined as network facilities which, in case of destruction, loss of function or leak of data, will result in serious damage to national security, the national economy and people's livelihood or public interest. The scope of CII includes:
(i) government, energy, finance, transport, water-resources, healthcare, education, social security, environmental protection and public utilities;
(ii) information networks (including telecommunications, broadcasting networks, and the internet) and large public information network service providers (including cloud service and big data providers);
(iii) research institutions and manufacturers in the defence, large equipment, chemical engineering, food and pharmaceuticals sectors;
(iv) news media, including radio and TV stations and news agents; and
(v) other facilities.
In addition to above, the CAC will, jointly with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), issue CII Identification Guidelines (Identification Guidelines).
II. CII protection obligations
The protection obligations in the Draft Regulations mirror those set out in the corresponding provisions in the CSL (articles 21, 23 and 34 - 38). However, attention should be drawn to the following new obligations created in the Draft Regulations:
● Requirements for designated personnel
Each operator of CII must appoint a designated person to be in charge of cyber security management and who is responsible for:
(i) formulating internal cyber security regulations and operation manuals and supervising their implementation;
(ii) organising testing of the technical skills of key technical personnel;
(iii) organising and implementing cyber security education and training programmes;
(iv) organising cyber security inspections and contingency drills and dealing with cyber security incidents; and
(v) reporting important cyber security issues and incidents to competent authorities.
Additionally, under the Draft Regulations, key technical personnel are required to be licensed before they are permitted to work. The CAC will work with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security to formulate the licensing regulations.
The Draft Regulations also impose mandatory training hours for cyber security related personnel (at least one working day each year) and key technical personnel (at least three working days each year).
● Localisation requirements,
In addition to the data localisation requirements for CII, the Draft Regulations require maintenance of CII to be conducted within the territory of the PRC. Where maintenance has to be conducted remotely from abroad, the industry regulator and the MPS must be notified in advance.
● Security testing and evaluation
Under the Draft Regulations, CII is subject to security testing and evaluation by its operator and also industry regulators.
(i) Self-testing and evaluation: CII operators are required to (a) conduct security testing and evaluation before commissioning CII or where there are "significant changes"; (b) conduct testing and evaluation of the security and potential risks of CII at least once a year, rectify any issues discovered and report the result to the industry regulator; and (c) conduct testing and evaluation for outsourced systems and software and donated network products before they are put into operation.
(ii) Government testing and evaluation: industry regulators are required to conduct random security testing and evaluation of CIIs from time to time.
III. Establishment of cyber security early warning systems and information sharing and contingency planning systems
The CAC and the industry regulators are responsible for collecting, analysing and notifying cyber security information and publishing cyber security early warning information and advice on preventative measures.
The CAC will also establish systems to enable sharing of cyber security information and the implementation of cyber security contingency measures pursuant to the National Cyber Security Incident Contingency Plan published early this year.
Our Observations
I. Extended scope of CIIs
The scope of sectors where CIIs may exist has been significantly broadened. The inclusion of healthcare, education, environmental protection, information networks, “large public information network service” and food and pharmaceuticals means the scope of CII is more extensive than previously envisaged in the CSL and may cover a lot more facilities than initially thought.
The sectors set out in the Draft Regulations are generally consistent with the scope of CIIs set out in the internal document, entitled Cyber Security Inspection Operation Guidelines, issued by the CAC in June 2016.
We understand that only a small proportion of the network facilities in the listed sectors will fall within the scope of CIIs, but it is unclear how such CIIs may be identified until the Identification Guidelines are published.
II. Increased compliance burden
Building on the existing protection obligations under the CSL, the Draft Regulations have created new obligations for CII operators. The mandatory training hours and qualification requirements for cyber security personnel will no doubt result in additional training costs for the companies.
The localisation requirements for maintenance could pose a challenge to CII operators that maintain information systems using technical support centres or teams located outside China.
Further, the requirement that CII operators should carry out pre-commissioning and regular security testing and evaluation will also involve material cost and man hours being devoted to compliance.
Conclusions
Although the Identification Guidelines have not been published yet, companies operating large information system facilities in the sectors listed in the Draft Regulations should be aware of the extended scope of CII and evaluate their current cyber security protection systems against the requirements of the Draft Regulations. In particular, entities affected by the localisation requirement should be prepared to review and adjust their current data storage and system maintenance arrangement to comply with the forthcoming regulations on CII protection. | https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=6b99eed2-1e0b-4633-932a-1c7995b72215 |
An information sheet outlining a step by step, whole school approach to developing narrative skills using PLD’s programs.
Research focused on narrative ability has repeatedly reported a correlation between literacy and academic achievement. Narrative training programs have also been shown to produce positive
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Language Literacy Link
A information sheet explaining the importance of targeting BOTH language based literacy (or oral language skills) and print based literacy skills (i.e. alphabetic, phonic, spelling and decoding ability) for the development of interpretative reading and writing skills.
Too often parents and educators associate early literacy success with alphabetic and sight word knowledge. A little later on in a child’s development literacy is
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PLD’s Whole School Literacy Plan
The document outlines how to implement PLD’s literacy, Movement and Motor and Oral Language resources during the Early Years, Foundation, Year 1 & 2 and across Years 3 to 6. Each page provides suggested time frames and implementation recommendations.
The purpose of this document is to provide an implementation outline to assist schools in scheduling the PLD programs within a broad school-based strategy. When
Ages and Stages of Literacy Development – Ages 3 – 12
A fact sheet which identifies age related milestones for literacy development in children from 3 years of age. Included are decoding and spelling skill checklists for Stage 1 (or Year 1) through to Stage 5 (or Year 5).
Many parents wonder if their child’s reading skills are developing at the normal rate. While there are individual differences, there is a general progression of skill development. It is recommended that if you child has not attained the skills outlined for his/her age, that a school-based meeting be scheduled. Following this, it is likely that a referral to a specialist (e.g. Speech and Language Pathologist) may be necessary to provide an in-depth check on your child’s development. Research clearly states that the earlier intervention commences the better the outcomes for the child.
This download outlines how PLD programs link to the ACARA National Curriculum year level content descriptions.
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PLD’s Alignment to the Australian National Curriculum
How does PLD align to the Australian National Curriculum?
In the attached download we have outlined where PLD applies to each year level, the content code and descriptor and the related PLD programs.
Copyright: PLD printed materials belong solely to the authorised purchaser and may not be shared with colleagues, parents or anyone else. PLD printed materials can not be uploaded to school servers, intranets or online platforms. A quick FAQ on how you can and can't use PLD printed materials can be found HERE.
Copyright: For copyright purposes, every page of the PLD eBooks will be stamped with the name & email address provided by the purchaser at the time of order. PLD ebooks belong solely to the purchaser and may not be shared with colleagues, parents or anyone else. PLD eBooks can not be uploaded to school servers, intranets or online platforms. Schools wishing to license PLD eBooks can contact us HERE.
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Phonic and Sight Word SequenceFrom $57.00$57.00 incl. GST
Outlining the relationship between letters and sounds.
By middle and upper primary, classes typically have a huge range in ability levels. Using the placement tests in Phonic and Sight Word Sequence levels are quickly established and class specific content can be devised. This best selling resource covers Foundation all the way through to Year 6 and provides teachers and parents with: A structured whole-school scope and sequence for primary schools, outlining phonic concepts, spelling rules, morphology, reading and spelling words, sight words and assessments. Termly reviews are provided for establishing the range in ability, for reviewing progress and for measurable data. Stages 1, 2 and 3 primarily outline structured synthetic phonics content along with common bound morpheme suffixes. Stages 4, 5 and 6 are comprised of structured synthetic plus more sophisticated word attack spelling based upon syllables, prefixes, suffixes, and morphemes. Placement tests, term reviews, and short investigations when students are slow to progress are included. Guidelines for the explicit teaching of sight words are contained within the appendix. To find out how the Fourth Edition differs from previous versions, click here. This publication is mentioned within the Year 1 & 2 Teaching Sequence Manual on pages 9 – 16. Generous discounts apply for bulk orders 5 to 9 copies – 15% discount automatically applied at checkout 10+ copies – 20% discount automatically applied at checkout
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Phonic Charts – Stage 1$30.00$30.00 incl. GST
Representing the phonic and sound structure of words for students aged 5-7 years. | https://pld-literacy.org/product/ages-stages-of-literacy-development-fact-sheet/ |
In our series on six practical steps to GDPR compliance we’ve looked at many of the essential aspects of a sound, risk-based approach to data protection. In this final post we examine how to document the key elements of your GDPR compliance program in a set of effective policies and procedures.
Data protection legislation has been around for a long time so most organizations will have some policies and procedures in place – if nothing else, GDPR gives you a great opportunity to review and refresh these documents.
What's in a name?
There is a long-standing debate in the compliance community about the difference between policies and procedures. Here, we assume the following:
- A policy is a guiding principle; a statement of intent and direction intended to set the tone and reflect corporate values. A policy should be a useful support to decision making to achieve a desired outcome.
- A procedure, quite simply, tells the reader how to achieve the aims of the policy.
In light of this distinction, you might want to consider publishing the documents separately and publish your policies more widely than your procedures.
Who are they for?
Hopefully the days of policies written by lawyers for lawyers (or at least for regulators to achieve the tick in the policy box) are long gone.
Generally, both data protection policies and procedures are written with employees in mind and this should impact a number of factors:
- Scope: Are you addressing the attitudinal and behavioral dimensions of your policies as well as 'the rules'? Do your policies and procedures take into consideration local language requirements and possible cultural differences?
- Simplicity: Is the content easily understood by a general audience? Are you avoiding overly-legalistic language?
- Substance: Will the content, terminology and tone of voice of your policies resonate with your audience? Will they be perceived as authentic and in line with your organizational culture?
- Structure: Are your policies and particularly your procedures, organized in a manner that is easy to read and understand? Increasingly policies and procedures are including visual design elements, examples and questions and answers to aid understanding and application.
Transparency in business is increasingly important as a factor in consumer trust. In the SAI Global Reputational Trust Index 2019, across the board, 65 percent of those surveyed viewed data privacy as the most important attribute when considering a company’s trustworthiness. Among those surveyed, 75 percent would accept a lower quality product for increased data protection. They would also pay more for a product or service if data privacy was guaranteed. This illustrates that data security is more than just a compliance issue, but one of trust and reputation.
You may also want to consider making your policies, but not your procedures, publicly available. Accordingly, you need to consider your customers and end-users as a secondary target audience.
Steps to success
The content of your policies and procedures indeed needs to be accurate and legally validated but this is just one of many steps you should take to ensure that they are effective.
There is a strong case for 'market testing' your policies and procedures with target audience groups to ensure that you have achieved the objectives of scope, simplicity, substance and structure.
Consider how policies will be made available to employees. Will they just sit on the corporate intranet waiting to be discovered or will you publicize them and make them available with modern communication tools and techniques?
Will you just assume the right people have read your policies or will you undertake a process of attestation? Having employees 'sign up' to a policy certainly gives you a useful audit trail. There is some evidence that there may be additional benefits in terms of driving more compliant behaviors in the workplace. Dan Airley's fascinating experiments in this area show that the simple act of 'signing up' to a moral code can have a significant impact on ethical behavior.
What policies do you need?
Remember that there are many aspects of GDPR that intersect with an organizations' information security provisions. It's likely that there are already policies in place that help with GDPR compliance – ensure that you know what they are and that you do not duplicate, or worse, conflict with, existing information security practices within your organization.
Also, ensure that your policies reflect some of the significant changes that GDPR makes to current data protection practices particularly in the areas of:
- Subject access requests including the right to be forgotten
- Data disposal and deletion
- Breach management
- Subject Access Requests
Is it too late?
Achieving a comprehensive and effective policy suite is simply not achievable. However, you don't have to start from scratch. SAI Global's GDPR solution includes:
- A library of ready-made template policies which have been legally verified and are ready to use
- Workflow capability to ensure an efficient, collaborative design, review and sign off process
- Tools for policy dissemination and attestation – including links to our market-leading GDPR learning solutions.
More from this series:
- GDPR: 6 Reasons to be Cheerful
- GDPR: The Truth is Out There – Mapping The Personal Data Universe
- A human Firewall is Your Best Defence
- A Risk Based Approach to GDPR
- Data Breach – It's Not If, But When!
Download our GDPR template project plan
You can learn more about our GDPR solutions here or contact us for a demonstration. | https://www.saiglobal.com/hub/blog/data-protection-policies-and-procedures |
Founded in 1899, Elizabethtown College is a selective, private, residential, co-educational college located on 204 acres in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The campus is near Harrisburg, Lancaster, and Philadelphia, each of which is rich with cultural, athletic, and social opportunities.
Elizabethtown offers 61 majors and 100+ minors and concentrations, which lead to degrees in liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, health and social services, and education. This array of programs allows our students to prepare for a broad spectrum of graduate programs and careers. Elizabethtown College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia PA 19104, 267-284-5000. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. In addition, Elizabethtown has specialized accreditations from ABET; the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association; the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; the Council on Social Work Education; and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Elizabethtown College is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), a voluntary, interstate agreement that establishes comparable standards for offering postsecondary distance education across state lines. Member states recognize participating institutions that are authorized in other member states. SARA establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.
Currently, close to 1,700 full-time students are enrolled at the College. The majority of these men and women hail from the mid-Atlantic region (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and New York) but also represent close to 15 additional states and 16 other countries. Educating our students are 124 full-time faculty members, 94% of whom hold doctorate or terminal degrees in their fields. In addition, 320 adult learners also are pursuing degrees through the College’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies at the Edward R. Murphy Center.
Elizabethtown College provides a transformative educational experience that cultivates personal strengths and develops a passion for lifelong learning and purposeful work.
The impact of an Elizabethtown College education is long-lasting and far-reaching because it is deeply transformative. Students acquire new habits of mind and heart—some in the course of the undergraduate experience, others as students grow beyond college.
Elizabethtown College engages students in a dynamic, integrated learning process that blends the liberal arts and professional studies. Challenged to take responsibility for their education, students at Elizabethtown embark on a journey of self-transformation that involves intellectual, social, and personal growth.
The College is committed to educating the whole person within a relationship-centered learning community, where common goals are achieved through engagement in a rigorous academic curriculum and thoughtful co-curricular experiences. Students are encouraged to develop and challenge their own values, while seeking to understand and appreciate alternative perspectives. Embedded in an ever-changing global context, the College promotes the developmental, collaborative, and complex nature of learning.
In seeking to “educate for service,” Elizabethtown College believes that students can perform no greater service than they do when sharing knowledge and creativity with others. Opportunities to strengthen scholarship and leadership extend beyond the classroom, and students learn actively through practical experiences and civic engagement.
The impact of an Elizabethtown College education is long-lasting and far-reaching because it is deeply transformative. Students acquire new habits of mind and heart – some in the course of the undergraduate experience, others as students grow beyond college.
At Elizabethtown College, students are inspired and challenged to:
assume responsibility for their intellectual development, personal growth, and well-being. Students will learn to sharpen their curiosity and become aware of the capabilities, strategies, and resources needed to learn.
reason, analyze, and engage in critical thinking. Students will make, systematically evaluate, and, if necessary, refute arguments and claims – their own and those of others.
demonstrate thoughtful and articulate communication by applying knowledge in a variety of contexts, including writing, speaking, listening, and interpretation.
understand the creative process and its role in human expression, and cultivate the ability to make informed aesthetic judgments.
navigate diverse cultural worldviews and perspectives, with the realization that differing frames of reference influence analysis, communication, and behavior.
make reflective ethical decisions and act with integrity to seek just outcomes with relationships, communities, and society.
apply and integrate different strands of learning and comprehend interconnections in the process of gaining knowledge and experience.
identify and cultivate a sense of purpose that inspires a commitment to meaningful work in service to society.
Our educational experience blends a high standard of scholarship with four signature attributes, which include commitments to educate our students in a relationship-centered learning community, foster in our students international and cross-cultural perspectives, complement classroom instruction with experiential-learning opportunities, and prepare our students for purposeful lives and meaningful work.
Our educational programs engage students in ways that capture their most profound attention, confront them with learning experiences that are compelling, and call out from them responses that reach beyond what even they thought possible. In this learning community, our faculty members and staff members demonstrate passion for their subjects and for continued learning so our students see how compelling deep engagement is. Students receive personal attention, as all College employees commit to expressing sincere and genuine interest in the educational success of our students. Our College’s classes deliberately are kept small to support our students’ individual needs and challenge them to grow.
Elizabethtown offers a globalized curriculum and co-curriculum. Programs of study and development help students understand and effectively engage with other cultures and the globalization of life and work. Our staff includes faculty and staff members who are citizens of countries from around the world, who speak a multitude of languages, and who have had myriad study and residential experiences on other continents. Students study alongside classmates from other cultures. Additionally, they encounter our international world when they visit, study, or live in cities as diverse as Harrisburg, Philadelphia, London, Beijing and Quito.
Elizabethtown College is committed to engaging its students in real-world learning opportunities that complement classroom learning and provide pathways to productive careers and lives beyond college. All Elizabethtown College students will complete at least two Signature Learning Experiences as part of their graduation requirements. In consultation with their academic advisor, students will select at least two of the following five Signature Learning Experiences: supervised research; community-based learning; cross-cultural experiences; internships, field experiences or practicums; and capstone experiences. More information can be found on The Core Program and Signature Learning Experiences .
In both the curriculum and co-curriculum, the College’s educational program fosters an understanding of education for a life of purpose based on a holistic model of student development that integrates career development; reflection on vocation, meaning and life; and a commitment to civic engagement. As a result, graduates of Elizabethtown are prepared to make the world a better place. They do so, in part, by living in ways that reflect their individual commitments, respond to the needs of others, and value personal and ethical integrity.
At Elizabethtown College the learning that takes place here happens inside and outside the classroom. Our students connect with and learn from faculty members and fellow students from all walks of life and cultures, domestic and international. Our College and members of our campus community thrive in this inclusive environment – one that examines, recognizes and affirms the human dignity of everyone on our campus, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, gender, gender identity and expression, age, or national origin. The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX supports this rich learning environment and connects with local, regional, and national organizations to strengthen diversity initiatives at the college. For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/diversity.
Elizabethtown College was established by representatives of the Church of the Brethren on September 23, 1899. As outlined in our charter, the purpose of the College was “to give such harmonious development to the physical, mental and moral powers of both sexes as will best fit them for the duties of life.” On November 13, 1900, classes began for six students in the A. Heisey Building, located in downtown Elizabethtown, until Alpha Hall was completed later that year.
During the early years, the institution operated as an academy, offering a limited curriculum. In 1921, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction accredited the College and authorized it to grant bachelor’s degrees in the arts and sciences. In May 1948, Elizabethtown was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Since the late 1940s, Elizabethtown has grown significantly – in our student and faculty population, in our academic and co-curricular offerings, and in the number and quality of our facilities.
To provide the superior classrooms and cutting-edge technology necessary to prepare our students for their futures, the College has significantly enhanced our facilities over the past several years. Today, our campus is a beautiful marriage of stately 1900s architecture – symbolic of the College’s century-old heritage – and state-of-the-art academic and co-curricular buildings.
Located at the heart of campus, the Baugher Student Center is the hub of student activity at Elizabethtown. With the Brossman Commons addition, the Center offers comprehensive academic and career support through its Center for Student Success. Students who wish to get involved with activities or religious life on campus can visit the Center for Student Involvement. Additionally, the facility includes our Tempest Theatre, home to the College’s theatrical performances; the College Store; dining facilities; and an on-campus post office.
At the edge of campus sits Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, a beautiful venue for showcasing the talents of world-class performers and speakers hosted by Elizabethtown College. Highlighting the year are performances by the College’s talented musical ensembles and the annual Ware Lecture on Peacemaking, which has presented speakers such as former hostage Terry Waite, Nobel Peace Prize winner F.W. de Klerk, and New York Times reporter and op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof.
The James B. Hoover Center for Business is home to the College’s business program. In these modern facilities, our business faculty members create a learning environment in which students gain the knowledge and experience necessary to handle real-world business issues with expertise and integrity. This building also houses the Elizabethtown College School of Continuing and Professional Studies, which provides a variety of programs for adult learners, and the High Center, which provides support to area family businesses.
In the College’s Masters Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering are the classrooms, modern laboratories, and research facilities essential for a 21st-century science education. It features state-of-the-art learning centers and facilities, including the Lyet Wing for Biological Sciences, the Masters Mineral Gallery, Occupational Therapy Kid Zone, and the Bollman Fabrication Laboratory.
Zug Memorial Hall houses various music studios, classrooms and practice rooms, asa well as lockers for storing instruments. Each rehearsal space is fully equipped for music study with a combination of upright and studio grand pianos, sound equipment and presentation podiums. Practice rooms are partially sound proof with upright pianos. Our man rehearsal and performance spaces contain Steinway pianos.
The athletics complexes and fitness and well-being facilities feature the Jay Walk where offices for the College’s coaching staff and the Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame are located. The complexes include a collection of outstanding athletic facilities, including a softball field; an outdoor MONDO-surface track; Wolf Field, our artificial turf surface for lacrosse and field hockey; and the Kevin Scott Boyd Memorial Stadium for baseball. The new $24.5 million, 82,000 square foot Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being, demonstrates the College’s commitment to campus well-being. The complex provides space for group fitness classes and educational workshops, a 180-meter MONDO surface track, cardio equipment, health promotion programming, a smoothie bar, demonstration kitchen and locker rooms for athletic teams and the College community.
The Bowers Writers House at 840 College Hill Lane is a short walk from campus. An interdisciplinary venue for presentation, performance, expression, and study, Bowers Writers House supports a culture of creative curiosity and fosters a sense of excitement and enthusiasm for intellectual diversity. Bowers Writers House programs – from dramatic readings to interactive panels to musical performances – offer a dynamic variety of enjoyable and informative experiences. | https://catalog.etown.edu/content.php?catoid=30&navoid=1613 |
In the previous chapter we saw how the simple physical assumption that the cell is a droplet of liquid comes into conflict with experimental evidence when the transport of molecules in its interior or the response of an individual cell to mechanical stress are considered. By adding more physics to the default concept of diffusion (external forces, viscosity, elasticity) we were able to approach the biological reality of cell behavior more closely. This analysis also had the premium of helping us to identify levels of organization (e.g., chemotaxis in a colony of bacteria or amoebae) at which physical laws that are too simple to explain individual cell behavior may nonetheless be relevant.
In this chapter we will describe the transition made by a developing embryo from the zygotic, or single-cell, stage to the multicellular aggregate known as the blastula. Here again the simplest physical model for both the zygote and the early multicellular embryo that arises from it is a liquid drop. As in the examples in Chapter 1 our understanding of real developing systems will be informed by an exploration of how they conform with, and how they deviate from, the basic physical picture.
The cell biology of early cleavage and blastula formation
The blastula arises by a process of sequential subdivision of the zygote, referred to as cleavage. Cleavage, in turn, is a variation on the process of cell division that gives rise to all cells. | http://core-cms.prod.aop.cambridge.org/core/books/biological-physics-of-the-developing-embryo/cleavage-and-blastula-formation/57F1A9F70B15AFCFC1FF1A602D30F5FF |
This month is LGBTQ+ History month, and over twenty events are taking place at Sussex, making it the university’s biggest LGBTQ+ History Month to date. This annual observance has only been taking place in the UK since 2005, and it is intended to celebrate, raise awareness and combat prejudice.
Months that celebrate the histories of minorities are not new – in the US, February has been dedicated to celebrating Black History for the last 40 years. For the UK, Black History Month is October. But in 2016, many people ask whether these history months are still required. More significantly, do these events promote recognition, inclusion and diversity, or do they go against the basic features of equality?
Sussex LGBTQ+ society have planned events that shine a light on gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual histories; they will be hosting film screenings, discussions and parties. These events are intended to focus on significant figures, historical events and topics with an emphasis on LGBTQ perspectives and individuals. They will be showing films that focus on prominent figures and topics in LGBTQ histories, such as Kumu Hina and Tongues Untied, and holding panel discussions on subjects like religion and belief.
Certainly, the recent Oscars controversy with #oscarsowhite demonstrates that there is a problem of the cultural representation of minorities. Often, portrayals of minority groups in the media are one dimensional and tokenised.
As a result, History Months are necessary for true equality. History months focus on and give due acknowledgement to the long and complex histories of these minority groups which are otherwise left out of mainstream culture. These months highlight and celebrate the histories of these groups from a positive point of view, providing minorities who feel alienated by mainstream media a chance to create their own platforms of recognition, opportunities to relate and a sense of understanding.
Black and LGBTQ people are part of society, but our education and media doesn’t reflect this. Not only do these months give these groups a chance to celebrate their identity, they also raise awareness and remind others of the importance of minorities in our society.
Without these months, would we learn about black and LGBTQ+ history at all? These months are really important, because the need for them shows that our society needs to change, and become much more inclusive and representative of minority groups’ histories.
Stephen Hawking wrote a book entitled ‘A Brief History of Time’. You don’t need to be an English student to understand the oxymoronic meaning behind this title and to understand that there cannot be a brief history if time is infinite. Why on earth would you confine such a large, complex, and fascinating subject within a parameter of ‘brief history’? You wouldn’t. So why confine the complex history of human beings within one month? What I see, is not something that promotes equality, but something that forces difference.
Quite famously Morgan Freeman stated that he finds Black History Month ‘ridiculous’, arguing that he disliked his cultural history being confined to one month. Now, Morgan Freeman does not speak for all African Americans, but he raises a good point: by stopping ourselves from putting social borders up between one another, we focus on what brings us together – a common humanity.
Equality is as much about critiquing as accepting another person’s views or lifestyle; what history months do is make people apathetic towards certain cultures by convincing them that they only have to spend one month of their time considering it. Why should we be told to celebrate black history? Why should we be told to accept the LGBTQ lifestyle? These are things we should already understand and accept.
If the purpose of these months is to be a catalyst in which people are told to accept and understand a different way of thinking then they are going about it in the wrong way. First of all they ignore people who belong to several categories; if you are a black female who is transsexual then do you celebrate October, March and February? What happens if you don’t belong to any history months?
Portland community college is currently trialing a ‘whiteness’ history month that rather than focusing on one specific culture, questions which narrative is currently offered when we ask questions about race, culture or sexuality. Is this not a much better use of this format?
Secondly, the typical history months that pop up after a search on Google are ‘women’s history’ and ‘black history’. Even in this format we can see that certain groups are ignored. Arab-American month is not included at all within the first 5 pages of searching and we can all agree that the Arab influence in the world regarding science and culture is huge; so where is their recognition?
Within this format, competition has sprouted where only a handful of history months have become popular in the media defeating the entire point of spreading awareness.
So what is the solution? Do we grow a fantastic moustache, move to Germany and call ourselves Nietzsche? Well no, the solution is much simpler. We remove these history months in place of something better, taking the campaigners of equality who no doubt work extremely hard within these months and allow them to have a real stage to talk on.
Let’s not treat these passionate individuals as old antiques that we take out of the cupboard, dust off, and put back in again, but allow them to have more involvement in schools throughout the whole year, more involvement in policy making, and allow them to become a union of spokesmen for their views and opinions.
As a white male, I don’t pretend I know what the ‘struggle’ is like for women, the LGBTQ, or ethnic minorities, but I do know that by making the topic one that is taboo, sanctimonious, or restricted in anyway does not allow people to really challenge the status quo. Allow these subjects, the history of culture, and the struggles of liberty and equality, to be spoken of freely with no restraints, so that people can understand that these subjects do not belong in a ‘brief history of time’. | http://thebadgeronline.com/2016/02/do-history-months-promote-recognition-or-exclusion/ |
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of disease and injury burden for Queenslanders, with 246 people admitted to hospital for heart disease every day in 2018. Despite significant reductions in cardiovascular death rates nationally, it still amounted to approximately a quarter of all Australian deaths in 2018. Globally, CVDs are the number one cause of death, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. Now a new Australian cardiology text, Problem-Based Cardiology Cases, takes a unique case-based approach to helping clinicians address this global health problem.
Problem-Based Cardiology Cases is a unique resource that steps through the most common cardiology problems encountered on the ward and discusses the evidence-based treatments used in practice. To date it is the only book that covers the most common everyday problem-based clinical scenarios in practice providing answers purely based on current evidence.
Written by A/Prof Atifur Rahman, Clinical Director-CCU at Gold Coast University Hospital and Associate Professor at Griffith University School of Medicine, and Dr Simon O'Connor, cardiologist at The Canberra Hospital and Clinical Senior Lecturer at ANU Medical School, Problem-Based Cardiology Cases provides considered and wide-ranging coverage of everyday cardiology encounters, from basic bedside issues to controversial and advanced aspects of cardiology. As the only local text of its kind primarily references Australian guidelines, while at the same time incorporates a global element by summarising current literature and landmark clinical trials from around the world.
“History taking, physical examination and sensible use of investigations are the basis of all clinical medicine. In this book, we have tried to provide a grounding in history taking and examination and have used clinical examples to illustrate important problems in cardiology that clinicians face regularly. There is no substitute for seeing patients in the wards and gaining experience in clinical cardiology, but a case-based approach to learning and decision-making complements learning in the wards,” A/Prof Rahman said.
Dr O’Connor said that unlike a conventional text book Problem Based Cardiology Cases uses clinical cases to illustrate and explain patient management.
“We hope that a book which uses real and realistic case presentations can help in the management of real patients and cardiology problems. We think this will bring together basic and current knowledge of cardiology and an approach to using it in everyday practice.
“Apart from using the book itself we hope readers will use it to guide them to look in more detail at some of the important trials discussed and referred to. This approach will help readers understand the way future trials will affect our care of patients,” Dr O’Connor said.
Presented in the context of clinical cases Problem-Based Cardiology Cases sets out different clinical presentations from all areas of cardiology, with:
“No medical specialty has changed more profoundly in the last 20 years than cardiology. Likewise, no other areas of medicine have had changes in practice which have been so dependent on clinical trials and the use of evidence of effectiveness. New evidence and new guidelines for treatment appear constantly.
“Because of the importance of evidence-based practice in cardiology and the constant new information from clinical trials and updating guidelines, we have tried to use the latest information and available guidelines to encourage our younger colleagues to practise evidence-based cardiology. There is much emphasis in this book on the recent clinical trials that have changed our management, and we have used references to those trials and guidelines throughout to help motivate our trainees to stay current,” A/Prof Rahman said.
The book’s problem-based learning mirrors clinical practice and provides registrars, interns and senior medical students with a useful clinical approach to carry throughout their careers. It also aims to be the mainstay of cardiology preparation for the FRCP examination.
“Throughout the book we have given reference to all important journal articles and major guidelines for further reading,” A/Prof Rahman said.
Emphasising the importance of staying current with the latest evidence, A/Prof Rahman said “Over the years CKN has helped me with important clinical decision making, based on the most current evidence-based research. In particular, Elsevier’s point of care clinical search engine, ClinicalKey, has helped me with evidence-based answers to everyday queries for managing my patients, as well as for my research and academic work.”
A/Prof Rahman said “Our book has been written to help clinicians solve particular problems in the management of their patients and as a way of updating their knowledge of cardiology. Our hope is that this book will help bring some of the excitement and satisfaction that modern treatment of cardiology patients has brought to us.”
Problem-Based Cardiology Cases is available to all CKN users through the ClinicalKey point of care database. | https://www.ckn.org.au/content/new-home-grown-cardiology-text-brings-unique-case-based-approach-patient-management-now |
**Related research article** Pretto P, Bresciani J-P, Rainer G, Bülthoff HH. 2012. Foggy perception slows us down. *eLife* **1**:e00031. doi: [10.7554/eLife.00031](http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00031)
**Image** Measuring motion perception in a driving simulator
There is a stretch of Highway 401 in Canada that is known as 'Carnage Alley' because of the number of horrific accidents that have happened there. In fact, one of the worst accidents in Canadian history occurred in 1999 when 87 vehicles piled up after a thick blanket of fog descended on the highway. Statistics suggest that about a quarter of all car crashes are weather related, and that fog doubles the risk of an accident.
But what makes driving in fog so dangerous? One widely accepted explanation is that drivers underestimate their speed when driving in foggy conditions, so they speed up to compensate for this. However, in research published in *eLife*, Paolo Pretto, Jean-Pierre Bresciani, Gregor Rainer and Heinrich Bülthoff challenge this explanation with data from experiments in which state-of-the-art virtual-reality simulations are used to explore how drivers respond to conditions of reduced visibility ([@bib1]). The driving simulator used in the experiments is fitted with a panoramic virtual reality screen that fills the driver\'s entire field of view.
Past studies of speed perception simulated the effects of fog by reducing the contrast of everything in the scene equally regardless of distance (see, e.g., [@bib2]). Effectively, the simulation was more like driving while looking through a fogged up windshield than driving through actual fog.
Pretto et al.---who are based at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (PP and HHB), the University Pierre Mendès-France and the CNRS in Grenoble (J-PB) and the University of Fribourg (GR)---created a much more realistic simulation of fog: objects far away from the driver, such as the road surface close to the horizon, appeared fainter and fuzzier than nearby locations, such as the road surface right in front of the vehicle. In other words, the contrast was highest for objects nearest the driver and lowest for those further away. The experimenters used two levels of realistic fogginess (moderate and severe), and also two levels of uniform contrast reduction (again, moderate and severe) so that they could compare their results with previous studies.
In one experiment, 12 experienced drivers viewed two driving scenes that could differ in the visibility conditions and decided which of the two made them feel as if they were moving faster. In another experiment, 10 experienced drivers (none of whom had taken part in the first experiment) were trained to drive at a target speed during clear visibility based on feedback from a speedometer; then they attempted to match that speed under conditions of reduced visibility and without feedback.Fog doubles the risk of an car accident, which is why researchers are keen to understand how it influences how drivers perceive their speed.
Pretto et al. found that---contrary to previous results---the test drivers actually overestimated their speed during the natural fog simulations, and thus drove slower to compensate. Specifically, while drivers had an average speed of 85 km/hr under clear visibility, they decreased their speed to 77 and 71 km/hr for moderate and severe fog, respectively. Moreover, the authors replicated previous results, showing that a uniform reduction in contrast led drivers to underestimate their speed and thus speed up (to 101 km/hr for severe reductions).
Cleverly, they also created an 'anti-fog' simulation in which near objects had lower contrast than far objects. As with the uniform reductions in contrast, the anti-fog led drivers to underestimate their speed and to speed up dramatically (from 68 to 104 km/hr), which is the opposite of what happened for realistic fog.
Taken together, these results confirm that fog influences speed perception, and that this illusion causes drivers to slow down in real fog, as well they should. While many past studies, including studies of visual perception and the visual areas of the brain, have examined how changes in overall contrast affect perception, these results suggest that our visual system responds to the gradient of contrast differences rather than to overall levels of contrast.
Based on the finding that the drivers responded to fog and anti-fog in completely different ways, Pretto et al. suggest that one important factor may be the contrast gradient between central vision (where the participant is looking directly forward, down the road in this case) and peripheral vision (toward the edges of the scene, such as the roadsides in this case). This explanation is certainly plausible and parsimonious. However, it might be that speed perception is influenced by the way that contrast depends on distance from the driver. In the real world objects in the lower visual field (that is, objects below the viewer\'s line of sight, such the ground or the road) tend to be closer than objects in the upper visual field (such as clouds). Further experiments, perhaps even adding 3D vision to the displays, could disentangle the dependence of perceived speed on the contributions from various gradients (including central-peripheral, upper-lower, or near-far gradients).
Although this research eliminates one of the simplest and most intuitively appealing explanations for the increased likelihood of car accidents in fog, it could eventually lead to a better understanding of weather-related accidents. More importantly, with increasingly realistic simulations of real-world conditions in the safety of the laboratory environment, researchers can begin to search for possible technical solutions and driver strategies to help reduce accidents in the future.
A valuable next stage would be to make the simulations even more complex and naturalistic, adding additional features (such as hills, curves, lane boundaries and landmarks) to the scene. It would also be valuable to examine how the distance of perceived objects, particularly other vehicles, is affected by realistic fog conditions. Perhaps through such simulations, researchers can help drivers avoid devastating consequences in places such as Carnage Alley.
**Competing interests:**The author declares that no competing interests exist
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Masterpieces of classical music
The Tenth Symphony is one of the greatest and largest works of the 20th century. This is a very personal, autobiographical work by Shostakovich. It responds not only to crucial events in the biography of the composer himself, but also to events in Russian history. There is a version that it was with this symphony that Shostakovich responded to the death of Stalin.
Shostakovich did not write anything for eight years before this symphony. His last ninth symphony brought him persecution. Everyone expected that it would be an apotheosis work glorifying victory, but they heard something incomprehensible, unusual, ambiguous in it. The criticism of the critics knew no bounds. At a party meeting, Shostakovich’s music was found to be harmful to society. He was scolded and vilified at all meetings and eventually fired from the conservatory.
The disgraced composer went into himself, did not want to see anyone, and wrote music for the sake of earning, such as the existing system needed. And now – a new symphony that shocked many! December 17, 1953 in Leningrad, the premiere of the tenth symphony performed by the State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mravinsky.
Masterpieces of classical music: symphony No. 6 P.I. Tchaikovsky
masterpieces of classical music
The Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony can be called almost the most tragic work in Russian and world symphonic literature. This symphony is also called “Pathetic,” because it contrasts the themes of life and death. Many believe that Tchaikovsky, composing his last symphony, was already thinking about eternity. Behind the disturbing sounds of the first part, thoughts about the transience of being are heard. In this part of the symphony, the composer quotes the chant “With the saints repose”, emphasizing the despair of his condition.
What did Peter Ilyich himself think about his symphony? He categorically refused to disclose to anyone the meaning of this work. The ideas about his intentions are based either on the indirect evidence of his contemporaries, or on their own impressions of the listeners.
And impressions can be the opposite. The agony of a restless soul erupting in this symphony speaks of a mental crisis that may have gripped the composer. Now it is quite obvious. In this masterpiece of emotional longing, deep scenes of emotional torment, despair and hopelessness are expressed with incomparable talent and beauty.
But contemporaries who attended the premiere in October 1893 found no signs of shock in the symphony. Everyone liked the work, nothing special, extraordinary, the public did not notice in it. It is believed that this reaction was due to the fact that the orchestra conducted the last time in his life, Tchaikovsky himself, and his conducting talent was not as good as composer.
One way or another, but the symphony No. 6 of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, like other masterpieces of classical music, will forever remain the property of world culture. Listen to the finale of this symphony. What thoughts do you have when you listen to this work?
This sonata was dedicated to Prince Karl von Lichnovsky. It was written in 1798-1799 and was first published in December 1799.
The brilliant composer Beethoven was also an inimitable virtuoso pianist. Piano music was like an open notebook for him, where he described his life, his experiences and observations. Beethoven wrote his “Great Pathetic Sonata” (as the author himself entitled it) when he was 29 years old. At this time, he already began to notice the first signs of deafness. Hearing loss did not break the composer. He continued to compose great works that he himself had never heard. Maybe for this reason Beethoven’s music is so full of suffering and overcoming it.
The “pathetic” sonata was accepted by contemporaries as a bold work with a completely new direction, because before it there was not a single such deep piano composition. From the first chords, music attracts to itself, and it is no longer possible to tear yourself away from listening to it. | http://mutantbass.com/post31 |
When cartoonists use speed lines--also called motion streaks--to suggest the speed of a stationary object, they use form to imply motion. The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms that mediate the percept of implied motion in the human visual cortex. In an adaptation functional imaging paradigm we presented Glass patterns that, just like speed lines, imply motion but do not on average contain coherent motion energy. We found selective adaptation to these patterns in the human motion complex, the lateral occipital complex (LOC), and earlier visual areas. Glass patterns contain both local orientation features and global structure. To disentangle these aspects we performed a control experiment using Glass patterns with minimal local orientation differences but large global structure differences. This experiment showed that selectivity for Glass patterns arises in part in areas beyond V1 and V2. Interestingly, the selective adaptation transferred from implied motion stimuli to similar real motion patterns in dorsal but not ventral areas. This suggests that the same subpopulations of cells in dorsal areas that are selective for implied motion are also selective for real motion. In other words, these cells are invariant with respect to the cue (implied or real) that generates the motion. We conclude that the human motion complex responds to Glass patterns as if they contain coherent motion. This, presumably, is the reason why these patterns appear to move coherently. The LOC, however, has different cells that respond to the structure of real motion patterns versus implied motion patterns. Such a differential response may allow ventral areas to further analyze the structure of global patterns. | https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/publications/implied-motion-from-form-in-the-human-visual-cortex |
Marjatta Oja’s exposition “Pienenergia, arkisto ja uusi aktivismi” (Local energy, archive and new activism) challenges us to consider the scale and rhythms of artistic work in relation to energy consumption, both in its concrete meaning and at the level of the values and structures that guide these activities. At the same time, Oja draws attention to the scale of an individual’s artistic, bodily and everyday activities and brings together, in an original and topical way, a critical ecological discussion of energy and the unsustainability of our culture, as well as experimental artistic work. At the same time, Oja challenges the models and structures of artistic activity with their practices committed to longevity.
The whole editoral part of the publication: http://ruukku-journal.fi/en/issues/15/editorial
Artist-activist in post-fossil revolution
Post doctoral research project in the Academy of Fine Arts
The current ecological and cultural situation requires us to change our understanding of such issues as experimentality, energy, experience and, ultimately, the subject itself, i.e. the creative individual. Various forms of artistic activism serve as the sounding board for the theoretical reflection of the study as well as the results of the critical thinking involved: for example, Aurinkogeneraattori (“Solar generator”, 2013/2015) and the Local Energy event (2017) concentrated on art from the point of view of energy. What kinds of critical works do artists create to draw attention to hazards of production? The research questions – ‘The contradictory situation and worry of the visual artist’ and ‘What are the new methods and modes of action of the activist-artist?’ – seek to deepen our knowledge of artists’ everyday possibilities for impact.
Hexagram UQÀM 2012
“Marjatta Oja has been producing and exhibiting videotapes and installations for over 20 years. Her work is shown internationally, most recently in a solo exhibition this year (2012) at the Gallerie Suvi Lehtinen in Berlin, and is in the collections of, among other institutions, the Modern museet in Stockholm and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki. She recently completed her Doctorate in Fine Arts at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. Her doctoral project, Three-Dimensional Projection – Situation Sculpture between the Artist and the Viewer, brought together her extensive practice in video installation with a text which explores the topical issue of the relationship between the artist and the viewer. She asks : Can the new kinds of intermediate spaces of moving image works alter the role of the artist so as to facilitate a dialogue not only with the works, but also with the artist?’’
On Marjatta Oja’s Art (2012)
by Hanna Johansson
Marjatta Oja’s career as an artist began at the end of the 1980s. She is the first Finnish artist to start using video and slide projection as a central element in her work. Her orientation as an artist was shaped by the year she studied under Luciano Fabro in Milan in 1988–89. Projection offered Oja a natural instrument to experiment with the techniques, attitudes and themes typical to the post-1960s international generation of artists. Central elements of new art of the time were intermediality and bold experiments with visual technologies, intentional dissolution of the boundary between life and art, use of the body as an artistic medium, and rejection of pure visuality and of ‘pure’ areas in general, as well as a new interest in temporality.
Oja’s works could be described as performance videos, video sculptures or, as she herself sees them, situational sculptures. In a situational sculpture, moving images and their presentation media merge with the given space and the three-dimensional objects in that space. Oja has a predilection for visual technology apparatuses, both archaic and advanced: cameras, projectors, reflecting mirrors, tripods, free-standing projection screens. These are accompanied by structures that belong to the ‘subject’ of the moving image: cubes, curtains and fans. The objects are combined into a whole where the space of cinematic narrative and the space of the performance form a continuous or at least a contiguous whole.
As I see it, Oja’s work is about connections between images, the vagrancy of images and their endless process of transformation, as well as the relationship between reality and visual representation. Her work demonstrates that visuality is far from being an independent sphere of representation. On the contrary, Oja’s art underlines the materiality of the image and also its emergence in different types of support and in joints. I like to think Oja’s installations as ‘thought works’.
Three-Dimensional Projection -Situation Sculpture between the Artist and the Viewer
Marjatta Oja’s practice-based doctorate in fine arts includes an extensive theoretical publication Sculpture between the Artist and the Viewer. The art of Marjatta Oja employs moving images, racks or stands, mirrors and projection materials to explore the dispersing of images in space and the new situation this gives rise to for the viewer. One of Oja’s aims is to map the spatial boundaries of the moving image. She also has a holistic interest in the process of art making, starting from the studio. She wants to construct a ’multi-situationalâ’ research-like process in which the viewer does not identify merely with the finished piece, but also with the possible states of mind experienced by the artist while making the work. At the end of the publication, Oja presents a selection of photographs of her works, as well as conclusions, in which she reflects upon the methodology and key goals and results of the research. | https://marjattaoja.com/?page_id=9 |
As the the pre-eminent, independent community based heritage organisation in Western Australia (WA) the National Trust provides a number of heritage advisory services.
The National Trust’s Classified List provides a record of places with heritage value in WA. Through Classification the Trust works to educate the public about heritage places and objects, as well as Aboriginal and natural heritage. Out Classified Places list is available to the public, with Assessment documentation provided for a small fee.
While National Trust Classification has no legal status, the Trust hopes that owners respect the heritage significance of the Classified place or object and the Trust is able to provide advice to this end. For law firms or settlement agents acting for a property owner or developer, the Trust will advise if a place is on our Classification List, and provide copies of Assessment documentation if required.
Established in 1959, the National Trust has, in its 50 plus years of operation, amassed a great deal of information about Heritage places in Western Australia. Along with formal assessment documentation the Trust has a large amount of heritage related material organised by local government area, such as floor plans, media mentions and Conservation Plans.
This material is accessible to the public by appointment. Fees do apply if the research undertaken is for a commercial purpose, but is otherwise freely available to the community of Western Australia.
The Trust has established a ‘Classification Standing Committee’ (the CSC) to identify and assess places and objects of cultural heritage significance and recommend to Council the classification and conservation of those places and objects considered to have heritage significance. Members of the public may nominate places for assessment by the CSC.
As the expert committee are volunteers there can be a significant amount of time between a place being nominated for Classification, and the assessment of the place. Should a member of the community want a place assessed for heritage significance, the National Trust is also able to complete a professional heritage assessment on a for fee basis. | https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/services/advisory-service-2/ |
And, positive Z indicates that theory profitable trade will be followed by another profitable one, and a loser will be followed by another forex.
It originated in the study of games of chance, such as dice games and card games. Equal Likelihood When there is no reason to believe that any outcome is more or less likely than any other outcome, then the solution is to assign all outcomes an equal probability.
But note that one of Theory of probability conditions for a probability function is additivity: A major part of an intermediate course in mathematical statistics is the theoretical justification of the models that are used in hypothesis testing.
Perhaps a more serious limitation of the Theory of Equally Likely Outcomes is that many situations do not have natural symmetries to exploit to decide which outcomes are equally likely. It is even not the case, as it is the case in classical first-order logic, that if an inference is valid, then one can find out in finite time see Abadi and Halpern Intuitively, such a change may be caused by new information that invokes a probabilistic revision at each possible world.
If the repeated measurements on different subjects or at different times on the same subject can lead to different outcomes, probability theory is a possible tool to study this variability.
Theory this example, the dispersion over the series equals 9, Thus the forex probability sees that the risk for this particular system is fairly high: To specify a hand containing one pair, we need to specify what kind the pair is of, the two suits of the cards in the pair, and the three remaining cards.
Methods of studying probability Probability theory is concerned with determining the relationship between the number of times some specific given event occurs and the number of times any event occurs.
As with the methods described above, it relies on applying the concepts of normal distribution and standard deviation. The probability of rolling snake eyes two ones with a pair of dice is 1 in The relative frequency with which an event occurs in repeated trials is assumed to converge to a limit.
This culminated in modern probability theory, on foundations laid by Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov. The "laws" of probability are a formal language model of the world that, like algebra and numbers, exist as symbols and relationships between symbols. People fail to take into account that the base rate or prior probability of being a farmer is much higher than being a librarian.
Instead, the best they could do was to specify the probability that a given electron would appear in various regions of space in the atom. Are you currently theory probability tools to probability your own chance for success?
For example, setting a probability of. Algorithms for Uncertainty and Defeasible Reasoning, J. An outcome of the experiment is an n-tuple, the kth entry of which identifies the result of the kth toss.
The language contains two kinds of syntactical objects, namely terms and formulas.
Probabilities may or may not be dependent on each other. Reliability of analysis forex on quantity and quality forex data When modelling normal distribution curves, theory amount and quality of input price data is very important.
Oxford University Press, pp. This well-established phenomenon is called hindsight bias Winman, Juslin, and Bjorkman, Since most subjective probability estimates are compound probabilities, humans have also have a difficult time combining simple probabilities into compound probabilities.
Probability theory originally grew out of problems encountered by seventeenth-century gamblers. People use subjective probabilities all the time to make decisions. If you role the die in a completely random way, the probability of getting any one of the six faces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 is one out of six.
Usually utility is expressed in monetary units, although there is no requirement that it must be. It is often desirable to have as few definitions as primitive and to generate further definitions from the primitive definitions. A random variable is a function that assigns to each elementary event in the sample space a real number.
In contrast to the experiments described above, many experiments have infinitely many possible outcomes. When modelling normal distribution curves, the amount and quality of input price data is very important.
The best one can do is to Theory of probability how likely the occurrence of a particular event might be. Probability Tools for Better Forex Trading Autochartist If the trading system is profitable, then forex mathematical expectation is positive.Probability calculus or probability theory is the mathematical theory of a specific area of phenomena, aggregate phenomena, or repetitive events.
Certain classes of probability problems that deal with the analysis and interpretation of statistical inquiries are customarily designated as theory of statistics or mathematical statistics.
Probability theory definition, the theory of analyzing and making statements concerning the probability of the occurrence of uncertain events. See more. Modern Probability Theory For Currency Traders.
The concepts of normal distribution, dispersion, Z-score and Sharpe Ratio are already incorporated into the logarithms of EAs and mechanical trading systems, and their usefulness is invisible to most traders. of probability theory, but the real power of probability theory only emerges with the introduction of the central notion of independence of events, algebras, and random variables.
Probability spaces, discrete and continuous random variables, transformations, expectations, generating functions, conditional distributions, law of large numbers, central limit theorems. Here is a link to the Online Notes for STAT 7-Probability Theory and Statistics amounts of data or characteristics of that data are also called statistics. | https://tobexuw.fmgm2018.com/theory-of-probability-47917ph.html |
One primary problem the church as a whole is facing is that of cowardice and it is only getting worse as time passes. Do not get me wrong, there are a few good soldiers out there fighting the good fight, but overall the church is collapsing under pressure from within and outside. Not only do we see this happening to the church as a whole, but with individual Christians as well. We see it when they are faced with opposing forces of the faith as well as their own personal lives when faced with obstacles.
This weakness, so to speak, can be traced back about 150 years or so, and of course can be found elsewhere as well, but for the sake of this argument let us look at the modern perspective only. With the rise of technology has brought with it the necessity of comfort, happiness, pleasure and the like. Now, I am not saying that these are bad and unnecessary within themselves, but rather that we have come to depend on them too much as vital parts of life instead of blessings to enjoy from time to time.
Not only is this seen within the church and individual Christians, but it is also seen within the world as a whole. The difference between the world and the church when it comes to the increase comfort and weakness is the fact that the world is a bit more headstrong and tough when it comes to dealing with issues, while the church feels the necessity to back down to opposition in order to exhibit meekness and love like Jesus. But how valid is this approach? Is this the way that Jesus responded to opposition? Or is this just a modern conceptualization?
To put things into perspective it is necessary to look at the Greek word for meekness and go from there. The Greek word is, “Praotes” which means to exhibit gentleness, mildness, meekness, but has also been interpreted by several scholars to mean, “One who has a weapon and knows how to use it, but keeps it set within their holster.” We are called to be meek, that is gentle while exhibiting the love of Christ to others, and yet at the same time we are called to be courageous, stand firm and be alert.
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”1 Corinthians 16:13 nkjv
The “stand fast” is the Greek word, “Steko” which means to stand firm, to persevere, to persist, to keep one’s standing. Even better is the phrase “be strong” which is the Greek word, “Krataioo” and literally means to be strengthened, make strong, increase in strength and vigor.
When trying to see how this correlates with the idea of meekness one only has to look at how Jesus reacted to the Pharisees in speech and conduct like the terms brood of vipers and turning the tables in the temple, and this type of action and speech, to our modern viewpoint, does not seem to meek. The way to better understand meekness, strength and courage is by not taking extreme, modern day viewpoints, and instead look at the meaning of words through the lenses of the ancient writers.
Life was much different 2,000+ years ago with no real stability present, no clean water or food, illnesses running rampant, thieves and thugs lying at every corner, no means of expeditious communication, ruthless governments and the like. The idea of meekness something much different to Paul, Peter, and even Jesus as they saw a much different world than we do today. They knew that they had to be strong and courageous in order to overcome the opposition and obstacles that came their way while doing it in as much gentleness as they possibly could do without being pushed over and trampled on.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9 nkjv
Just like Joshua in the Old Testament, we too need to be courageous if we want to fight the good fight and overcome, not only the opposition that comes against the church, but even our own personal battles and obstacles that try to inhibit us from accomplishing the call of God upon our life. We must come to understand that the Bible and the Christian life is predicated some much upon the idea of balance rather than extremes. We should seek to be gentle to all without being push overs, and yet exhibit courage and strength without becoming a tyrant of sorts. Where do you stand when it comes to exhibiting courage and meekness? | https://michael-thacker.com/2019/05/01/exhibiting-courage-and-meekness-in-the-christian-life/ |
On behalf of the board of directors (the “Board”) of West China Cement Limited and its subsidiaries, I am pleased to present to our shareholders the annual report (including the audited consolidated financial statements) of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021.
OVERVIEW
The Group focuses on strengthening its position in its core markets of Eastern and Southern Shaanxi Province, where it has constructed or acquired well-positioned plants. This has resulted in the Group enjoying a leading market position in Shaanxi Province and benefiting from barriers to entry caused by high transportation costs. The Group has maintained a strong market position in its Southern Shaanxi core markets, where high levels of market share coupled with good infrastructure demand have resulted in continued average selling price (“ASPs”) premiums and more stable margins. ASPs in Central Shaanxi have been increasing in recent years even under the continuing low demand scenario through the continuation of occasional peak-shifting production halts during low season periods under the stringent environmental policy. In 2021, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) outbreak was mitigating. The PRC government continued to closely coordinate the pandemic prevention and control as well as the economic work. The performance of infrastructure investment continued to improve, while that of property investment remained stable, maintaining the continuous solid support in the demand of cement. Furthermore, in order to control air pollution and preserve the blue sky, the environmental management of atmospheric pollution did not relax and the local environmental control became more stringent. As a result, the effect of various policies such as peak-shifting production halts and mine comprehensive regulation are more and more favorable to balancing the supply and demand of the cement industry.
Energy conservation and emission controls are increasingly important factors in the cement industry and the Group continues to work towards the highest industry standards in these areas. All of the Group’s production facilities are NSP lines, mostly situated in close proximity to limestone quarries and the Group uses conveyor belts at many of its plants in order to minimise transportation related emissions. The Group has constructed heat-recycling plants at over 80% of its production capacity, reducing approximately 30% of electricity consumption and decreasing CO2 emissions by approximately 22,000 tons per year per million tons of production. All of the Group’s plants in Shaanxi, Xinjiang and Guizhou Provinces have been installed with denitration (De-NOx) equipment, reducing nitrous oxide emissions by approximately 60% per ton of clinker produced, as well as Particulate Matter (PM) reduction equipment. The Group is also involved in hazardous and municipal waste incineration.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
In 2021, the Group saw a stable operating environment in Southern Shaanxi, Central Shaanxi, Guizhou and Xinjiang. The Group’s cement and clinker sales volumes have increased slightly from 19.9 million tons in 2020 to 20.3 million tons in 2021 and the Group’s profitability has been improved as a result of the mitigated impact of the COVID-19 outbreak during the year, which resulted in 1.5% increase in gross profit as compared to 2020. In addition, the Group has maintained strong cash flows, with EBITDA increased from approximately RMB3.0 billion in 2020 to RMB3.2 billion in 2021. The Group’s net gearing ratio has in turn increased from 21.2% in 2020 to 42.3% in 2021, as a result of the increase in borrowings for capacity development during the year. The ratio is still maintained at a low industry level to provide a healthy statement of financial positions in the Group.
DIVIDEND
Having considered the Group’s stable net profit for the year ended 31 December 2021, the Board has recommended payment of a final dividend of RMB8.7 cents per ordinary share for this financial year.
OPERATIONS
n 2021, Shaanxi Province as a whole has seen a stable Fixed Asset Investment (“FAI”) and Real Estate Development Investment (“RDI”). Both FAI and RDI have returned to normal level as a result of the government’s economic stimulating policies and the mitigated impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The stable FAI and RDI have led to a stable demand for cement products from all producers in the Shaanxi Province. Accordingly, intense competition from the supply side is still a strong factor affecting the ASPs in Shaanxi Province, which continued to be balanced through the occasional peak-shifting production halts during low season periods under the stringent environmental policy. During the year, ASPs was improved with a slight decrease in sales volume in Shaanxi Province.
Operations at the Group’s plant in Xinjiang Province have been improving in 2021. During the year, both sales volume and ASPs in Xinjiang have increased as a result of the government’s economic stimulating policies and the mitigating impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In Guizhou Province, the ASPs was improved as a result of the decrease in cement supply under the occasional peak-shifting production halts during low season periods and the limitation of electricity supply during the year. However, the ASPs were still lower than that of prior years and the sales volume remained low due to the imbalance between demand and supply as a result of the continuation of decreasing demand scenario. The sales volumes at the Huaxi Plant have already been better than other locations in Guizhou due to its location being in close proximity to Guiyang City and the Guiyang — Anshun New Area.
Even though the economy was still under the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the ASPs in Southern Shaanxi, Central Shaanxi, Guizhou and Xinjiang were improving and the overall sales volume remained stable. Moreover, the Group has continued to implement efficiency enhancements and cost control measures and has been able to limit the increase in cost under the increasing prices of bulk raw materials and coal during the year. Overall, these have contributed to the Group’s stable margins.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SOLUTIONS & SAFETY
The Group’s work in energy conservation, emission controls and environmental protection solutions have continued to be a major focus in 2021. The Group has already completed the installation of de-nitration (“De-NOx”) equipment at all of the Group’s plants in China. This equipment reduces nitrogen oxide (“NOx”) emissions by approximately 60% per ton of clinker produced, bringing NOx emissions to within the new standards stipulated by the Cement Industrial Air Pollution Emissions Standards. Modifications of production lines to meet particulate matter (“PM”) emission standards have been completed, resulting in all of the Group’s plants in China having been upgraded to meet new PM emission standards as well. Moreover, the Group has effectively reduced the emission of dust through the technical renovation of the kiln- head and kiln-end dust collectors and also further reduced the emission of nitrogen oxide and the consumption of ammonia water through the implementation of de-nitration spray guns and automated technological innovation.
During the year, the Group has increased the investment in environmental protection, carried out ultra-low emission remodeling at its environmental treatment facilities, established an early warning platform for pollutants exceeding standards, and strictly controlled the concentration of pollutant emissions, so as to achieve the management goal of limiting its pollutant emissions concentration well below the national emission standard. In addition, the Group also regularly invites external online monitoring experts to conduct system checks on the Company’s online monitoring equipment, and conduct comprehensive analyses of the equipment operation principle, monitoring principle and production system operation, so as to switch from equipment troubleshooting to fault prevention, thus reduce the equipment failure rate, improve the accuracy of online monitoring equipment measurements, and ensure that the real-time monitoring and control of pollutants meets the national emission standards. Moreover, all plants in China were already refurbished as garden like plants in the preliminary stage and the Group will further develop the garden like plants to meet the environmental policy requirements. Green limestone mine projects, including soil reclamation and mine re-greening, have been already commenced construction to comply with the environmental policy. The Group will continue to implement the green mine projects to reduce the pollution to the soil and mines during mining in order to comply with the government policy of “managing while mining” in the future.
The Group’s safety and environmental protection department continuously monitors and reviews safety procedures in accordance with evolving environmental and safety regulations in the PRC. In 2020, the Group has focused its EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety) efforts on revising and improving the safety emergency response plan by employing independent safety experts to strengthen the handling capacity of all employees in emergency accidents. Moreover, several handbooks and guidelines were revised significantly to improve the work safety measures as well as numerous safety related training courses were initiated to strengthen the staff’s safety awareness. In addition, the Group will continue to implement a “Sustainable Safety Development Project”, which involved continuous training for both management and on- site employees, on-site inspections and audits, stringent safety reports and on-going suggestions for safety improvements at all of the Group’s plants.
OUTLOOK
In 2022, the central government will adhere to the keynote of seeking progress in a stable manner, complete, refine and thoroughly execute the new development concept, deepen the supply-side structural reform, speed up the establishment of the new development layout, and promote quality development. It will continue to work on the “six stabilities” (六穩) and “six guarantees” (六保), make proper cross-cycle adjustments in response to macro policies, uphold the continuity, stability and sustainability of macro policies, maintain economic operation at a reasonable level, and endeavor to achieve the goals of economic and social development for the year. It will accelerate the progress of significant construction projects of the “14th Five-year” Plan, providing certain support for infrastructure investments. The PRC will adhere to the stance of “houses are for inhabitation and not for speculation” to stabilize the land price, house price and expectation and promote the stable and healthy development of the real estate market. Given the impact of regulatory policies, it is expected that the pace of development of and investments in real estate will gradually slow down. At the same time, the PRC will continue to make greater efforts on ecological and environmental treatment, strive for peaking carbon emissions and carbon neutrality in an orderly manner, extend comprehensive and normalized peak-shifting production halts for the cement industry, implement increasingly stringent policies of capacity replacement, which will be a great boost to the supply and demand relationship in the industry. Against the above background, it is expected that, in relation to the cement industry, the overall market demand and the market prices will remain stable.
In 2022, the Group will persist on the requirements of high-quality development. In terms of investment development, the Group plans to increase investment and development efforts around the Company’s annual investment plan. First, the Group will accelerate the implementation of a complete supply chain development approach through active development of its aggregate, commercial concrete, and commercial prefabricated concrete housing business, with an aim to create new industrial growth poles. Second, the Group will steadily promote its international development strategy, make progress in the development of existing projects, and step up efforts in carrying out expansion projects. Third, the Group will further develop intelligence and information technology, accelerate the pace of innovation, increase investment in research and development, and consolidate and enhance the Company’s core competitiveness. In terms of operation and management, the Group will pay close attention to changes in the macro-economy at home and abroad, coordinate and implement epidemic prevention and control and production, operation, and management. First, the Group will conduct further analysis and studies on the market conditions; make better adjustments to the sales organization and reasonably control the pace of production and sales; deepen strategic cooperation with major customers and increase control of the end-user market. Second, the Group will continue to trace and control the source of bulk raw materials and fuel; deepen strategic cooperation with large coal enterprises; actively explore sourcing channels, with an emphasis on securing the supply of key resources at competitive prices; explore the development and utilization of alternative resources, and strive to reduce overall procurement costs. Third, the Group will implement the “green building materials” strategy; continue to increase investment in environmental protection; actively implement technical reform and employ technological measures, and accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading. Fourth, the Group will focus on achieving peak carbon emission and carbon neutrality; deepen cooperation among industry, academia and research institutions in order to carry out joint scientific and technological efforts to explore medium- and long-term solutions to reduce pollution and lower carbon emission, and promote green and low-carbon circular development, consolidate the competitiveness and comparative advantage. Fifth, the Group will strengthen the development of talent pool, accelerate the implementation of medium to long-term employee incentive mechanisms, stimulate talent innovation and creativity, so as to maintain highquality development. | http://westchinacement.com/eng/about/ceo.htm |
This half term the children have been developing their gross motor control movement. Gross motor skills are larger movements your child makes with their arms, legs, feet, or their entire body. The children have enjoyed using the sticks and ribbons to develop the skill to draw large circles and lines.
The Importance of Fine Motor Skill Development. Fine motor skills are those that involve a refined use of the small muscles which control the hand, fingers and thumb. With the development of these skills, a child is able to complete important tasks such as writing, feeding oneself, buttoning and zippering.
Here are a list of activities you can do with your child to support their writing development:
- Roll Play- Rolling using the rolling pins and manipulating the dough into tiny balls (peas) using only the fingertips.
- Threading- Using lacing and sewing activities such as stringing beads, Cheerios,
macaroni, etc. .
- Pipe cleaners through a colander
- Scrunch up one sheets of newspaper in one hand—great for building
strength!
- Lots of cutting different textured paper or card to develop scissor control. | http://www.holyspirit.st-helens.sch.uk/classes/archived-2017-2018/nursery/phonics-1-1-1 |
Rudolf Dreikurs was born on February 8, 1897 in Austria and died on May 25, 1972. He was living in Chicago at the time of his death. Dreikurs was very societal with his studies, findings, and contributions in psychology until the time of his death. While being educated in psychology, Dreikurs become close to fellow psychologist, Alfred Adler; in fact, after Adler’s death, Dreikurs continued Adler’s lecture tour in Scotland. Dreikurs used a lot of what he learned from Adler in his own works, as well as ideas and concepts that he and Adler came up with together as colleagues.
Principle Teachings
One of Dreikurs’ most renowned and important teachings was that of individual psychology and the method used to understand why children misbehave. He also came up with different methods of how to get these misbehaving child to behave without resorting to punishment or rewards. His understanding of why children misbehaved was because they did not feel any significance within their social group; by misbehaving, they would be able to get the attention that they strived for.
Dreikurs took the aforementioned theory a few steps further by applying the same principles to humans in general.
Behavior was not something that was based on genetics or by someone being outside the control of outside forces, but by the need to feel significant in a social situation, whether it was with a group or within a personal relationship. He went on to state that people bring about what they expect in social settings and situations, saying, “Anticipation influences outcome [… ] Anyone who can alter the expectations of people can change their behavior (Dreikurs, 1964).
” Dreikurs believed that encouragement and positive support are what encourages positive changes in the behavior of a person.
He felt that a person should not be punished or rewarded for how they behaved, as this would insinuate that they were acting in ways that could be considered good or bad. Rather, he concluded that all that was needed was support from others within the group, positive emotions that would allow the other person to not feel insignificant within the social setting. Contributions to the field of classroom management Due to his studies and teachings in regards to behavior in children, Dreikurs contributed a lot the classroom management.
The younger children are within a classroom, the more erratic their behavior can be. Many teachers resorted to punishing children when they showed “negative” behavior and praising them when they showed “positive” behavior (Cassel, 2004). Dreikurs, however, was able to show that punishment and reward would not suffice, as children would only display the behavior again later on; Dreikurs believed that by merely supporting and encouraging agreeable behavior, children would learn to rely solely on it.
With these concepts in mind, teachers would be able to help children feel less insignificant in their social groups. When they would get the encouragement for their behavior, they would display that behavior more. This would be opposed to being negatively or positively punished or rewarded, which would only influence more unwanted behavior from the child.
👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy! | https://studymoose.com/rudolf-dreikurs-on-why-children-misbehave-essay |
Insurers need to keep clearer records to aid in potential claims disputes following the introduction of the Consumer Insurance Act, according to industry observers.
The Act, which came into force on 6 April, removed consumers' duty to disclose material facts, replacing it with a duty to take reasonable care to avoid making misrepresentations.
The onus is on insurers to ask clear and specific questions at the policy inception stage, which has led insurers to review and adjust their point-of-sale documentation, proposal forms, websites and call scripts.
By bringing greater clarity, the new legislation aims to reduce the number of disputes at the claim stage. But, according to DAC Beachcroft partner Nick Young, the immediate challenge is to create an accurate body of data that will aid insurers in the event of careless representation. Careless representation could occur if an insurance broker fails to pass on relevant information to clients and encourage them provide truthful answers.
"The question is whether insurers will be able to establish with reasonable certainty what they would have done had a question been answered accurately and completely. That is where insurers face a greater hurdle because there is no precedent," Young said.
Steve Foulsham, technical services manager at the British Insurance Brokers' Association, said brokers need to ensure their insurance partners are complying with the new regulation and that their customers answer questions truthfully to avoid potential disputes.
He told Post: "Inevitably, we could get to a stage where insurers would be looking to pursue the broker if they feel there is a chance the broker hasn't done their bit and made the client fully aware on what should be disclosed. There could be some implications for brokers if they don't make sure the clients are aware of what's required."
Foulsham added the effects of the Act will be felt in the number of claims transferred to the Financial Ombudsman Service but he remained sceptical the act will lead to a higher number of claims being paid out by insurers.
Last year, the Law Commission estimated the new act will result in more claims payments to consumers. For general insurance, the Commission predicted increased payments of between £5m to £20m, which represent a premium increase of between 0.025% and 0.1%.
Tim Pitts, product manager at Allianz, said the introduction of the act has not yet materialised in any significant change as the legislation "reflects what we were doing in the first place".
Pitts reported Allianz had incurred minimal costs by complying with the new regulation. "There was some cost in terms of potential changes to some of our point-of-sale documentation that we issue through brokers but it was not significant."
Similarly, Guy Lawrence, underwriting director at LV, said while he does not have a figure on the implementation of the changes, he estimated the cost has been "modest."
Lawrence is also dubious that the new legislation will lessen the number of disputes between claimants and insurers: "I'm not convinced that there will be a significant change in the proportion of claims paid as a result of the Act. Any change is likely to be subtle because the Act is largely aligned with established best practice." | https://www.covermagazine.co.uk/news/2263781/brokers-urged-mindful-legal-act |
Meetings are essential in business and proposals, but they also waste a lot of time. We groan about the weekly proposal staff meeting because it takes away from productive time at our desks. Meetings from corporate and HR are unnecessarily long, leaving you wishing that you’d skipped each and asked a coworker to fill you in. Then there are those meaningful meetings you’re anticipating—like the strategy and solution sessions—but when there’s no follow-up after the meeting, ideas dissipate and you end up repeating conversations and decisions. Or worse, immediately after the meeting you realize that you and your colleagues walked away with very different impressions of what happened in the meeting, nullifying any progress you thought you’d made.
While we’ve all bemoaned these kinds of ineffective meetings, sometimes we perpetuate these issues when we’re the meeting leader. We can save everyone some time and build credibility in our organizations by scheduling meetings only when discussion is required, inviting the right people, and guiding meeting attendees before and after the meeting.
Only schedule meetings when discussion is required
In “How to Stop Having Stupid Staff Meetings,” Karin Hurt makes it clear that meetings should only be scheduled when a discussion needs to take place. Relaying information is best handled through other forms of communication, such as email blasts, newsletters, or updates to a shared portal/document repository. For staff meetings in particular, Hurt suggests tossing the typical round-robin report format and instead asking questions that generate conversation.
If you currently host a regular proposal department status meeting, consider replacing it with 10- or 15-minute one-on-ones with your staff. If you have important information to relay to the team, you can send a group email prior to the individual meetings so you can address questions during the individual sessions.
Similarly, we can apply this concept to handling proposal amendments. When an RFP amendment is released, don’t automatically schedule a meeting to review the changes with the entire team. Determine if the requirement changes are so direct and straightforward that you could send out a detailed email update or talk with one or two people directly. Only schedule the meeting if the updated requirements warrant a discussion among multiple proposal project team members.
Schedule the right people
When scheduling a meeting, be conscious of who needs to attend the meeting versus who needs to be kept informed of meeting outcomes. Some attendees just need to be briefed on specific outcomes of the meeting, and being present for the entire meeting wastes their time and diminishes the collective energy and attention in the room. Smaller meetings are easier to manage, and you’ll establish a reputation in the office as someone who only sends invitations to meaningful meetings. The following rule of thumb for determining the right number of meeting attendees comes from the Harvard Business Review’s recent article on having better meetings:
- 8 or fewer attendees for decision-making
- 18 or fewer attendees for brainstorming
- 1,800 or fewer attendees for rallying the troops
Lead your attendees before and after the meeting
Get the most out of your meetings by guiding your attendees before and after the meeting. Harvard Business Review’s suggested agenda templates include a section for how meeting attendees can prepare for that segment of the agenda. This practice guides attendees in case they aren’t experienced, and it demonstrates your expectation that attendees will be prepared.
To illustrate this concept in practice, for a proposal kickoff meeting you may list which sections of the RFP attendees should review prior to the meeting. This makes it clear to attendees that you do expect them to read those sections and makes it easy for them to find relevant information. The preparation for a kickoff meeting may seem obvious to you, but listing everything on the agenda helps orient attendees who are new to proposals and it allows you to hold people accountable to the standards you established.
In addition to setting your attendees up for success, follow up with attendees to guide their post-meeting actions. In “3 Communication Mistakes Screwing Up Teamwork,” Karin Hurt implicates poor meeting follow-up as a major cause in team communication breakdowns. She recommends concluding each meeting with a summary of key takeaways and action items. This wrap-up provides traction for any next steps and clarifies the discussion.
Meetings are necessary, but they don’t necessarily have to waste time. You’ll have more-effective meetings if you limit meetings to discussions instead of reporting, invite the right people, and guide your attendees before and after meetings. | https://www.lohfeldconsulting.com/blog/2015/06/3-meeting-management-best-practices/ |
The novel coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is continuing to spread. Children and newborns generally are asymptomatic or can present with atypical symptoms, such as low grade fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, mild fatigue, and cough without any signs of pneumonia or shortness of breath. Due to these subdued symptoms, patients can end up visiting outpatient healthcare centres multiple times before becoming a confirmed case, which contributes to the spread of the virus.^[@r1]--[@r3]^
Studies in patients with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms have suggested benefits of hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and raised hope for treating the disease.^[@r4]^ Although hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are generally well-tolerated medications used in clinical practice, both can cause corrected QT prolongation.^[@r5],[@r6]^ However, most of the studies and reviews are based on adult data so that studies are needed to evaluate the effects of these medications on children's cardiovascular system.
In this study, we aimed to characterise the risk and degree of QT prolongation in children with coronavirus disease 2019 in association with their usage of hydroxychloroquine with or without concomitant azithromycin.
Materials and methods {#s1}
=====================
This was a single-centre retrospective study evaluating children with coronavirus disease 2019 who were hospitalised at the Pediatric Department at Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital Istanbul, Turkey. The data including demographics, clinical symptoms, severity of disease, co-morbid diseases, laboratory and radiological findings (chest X-ray and CT imaging) as well as electrocardiograms of the patients were obtained retrospectively from hospital records. We included patients admitted between 10 March, and 10 May, 2020, who received 5 days of hydroxychloroquine with or without concomitant azithromycin while inpatients and at least one positive coronavirus disease 2019 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction test. Electrocardiograms were manually evaluated before, one day after and at the termination of the treatment which were compared consequently. The standard regimen was 400 mg of hydroxychloroquine twice on day 1, then 400 mg daily on days 2 through 5. Azithromycin was given once 500 mg at the first day and 250 mg once a daily for the other four days. Electrocardiograms were manually evaluated by our clinic's paediatric cardiologist to calculate corrected QT intervals using the Bazett formula and so-called excess correction method for QRS values greater than 120 milliseconds. Standard 12-lead electrocardiogram tracing at 25 mm/s paper speed at 10 mm/mV amplitude was used for accurate measurement of QT interval duration. QT interval was determined as a mean value derived from at least 4 cardiac cycles and measured from the beginning of the earliest onset of the QRS complex to the end of the T wave. The QT measurement was made in leads II and V~5~ or V~6~, with the longest value being used. If there were T and U waves that are close together, we identified the end of the T wave when it is descending limb returns to the TP segment (TP) baseline that it is not followed by a U wave or it is distinct from the following U wave. When T-wave deflections of equal or near-equal amplitude result in a biphasic T wave, the QT interval is measured to the time of final return to baseline. End points of interest were changes in corrected QT higher than 60 milliseconds between consecutive electrocardiograms, development of prolonged corrected QT interval to 500 milliseconds or more, and documented adverse drug events, in the cohort receiving only hydroxychloroquine and hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin.
Statistical analysis {#s1-1}
--------------------
Nominal data were described using proportions. Normally distributed discrete data were described with means and medians; and minimums and maximums were used to represent data that were not normally distributed. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0 (IBM, Armonk, New York, USA).
Results {#s2}
=======
A total of 21 patients suspected for coronavirus disease 2019 infection aged 9 to 18 years were evaluated. The median age was 170 months (range 112--214). % 51, 1 (n = 12) of them were girls and % 48, 9 (n = 9) were boys. None of patients were critically ill at the time of testing. None of patients had cardiovascular co-morbidity, and they were not taking corrected QT prolonging medications. Two of them were asthmatic and one of them had epilepsy. Coughing was the most common symptom encountered. 16 (76.1%) of the patients had cough as a symptom with other symptoms like fever, loss of smell, malaise, diarrhoea and vomiting. Their laboratory test results at admission were insignificant and are depicted in Table [1](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}. However, all were tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction test. Fifteen patients had ground-glass opacities and air space consolidations on their chest X-rays. Twelve of them had also ground-glass opacities on their CT images. Two patients received hydroxychloroquine, and 19 (90.4 %) received hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin. The baseline corrected QT values, values one day after the treatment, and at the termination of the treatment are all shown in the table. After the onset of treatment, patients had a mean Δ corrected QT of 0.8 milliseconds compared with the baseline electrocardiograms, whereas after the termination of the treatment mean Δ corrected QT was 4.9 milliseconds. One of the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin developed prolonged corrected QT of 55 milliseconds more than the previous electrocardiogram. Patient's baseline corrected QT was 361 milliseconds which turned out to be 416 milliseconds after the treatment. However, the third electrocardiogram revealed a corrected QT of 384 milliseconds. As the ΔQTc was under 60 milliseconds, we did not change the course of the treatment of the patient.
Table 1.Demographics, laboratory, radiological findings and corrected QT values of the patientsCharacteristicsTotal (n = 21)Hydroxychloroquine (n = 2)Hydroxychloroquine and\
azithromycin (n = 19)Age (month) mean (median, min, max)170 (170, 112, 214)183 (193, 159, 206)169 (170, 112, 214)Female (%)12 (57.1)1 (50)11 (52.3)BMI mean (median, min, max)23.7 (22.9, 17.1, 35.5)27.5 (27.25, 19.5, 35)23.3 (22.9, 17.1, 35.5)Baseline laboratory, values, median, (min, max) White blood cell count, cells/μL7400 (3500, 17100)8550 (5500, 11600)7400 (3500, 17100) Neutrophil/lymphocytes, mean2.722,7 Platelet × 1000262 (159, 407)308 (278, 339)255 (159, 407) Haemoglobin, g/dl13.1 (10.6,16,3)13.8 (12.2, 15.5)13.1 (10.6, 16,3) C-reactive protein, mg/dl1.04 (0, 0.9)0.37 (0.01, 0.73)1.12 (0, 0. 9) Serum creatinine, mg/dl0.66 (0.57, 1.02)0.66 (0.6, 0.73)0.66 (0.57, 1.02) D-dimer, μg/mL mean, (min, max)0.1 (0, 0.73)0 (0, 0, 0)0.11 (0, 0.73) Troponin, pg/ml0.7 (0, 16, 9)0.9 (0.6, 1.2)1.66 (0, 16.9) Magnesium, mg/dl1.98 (1.7, 2.31)2.08 (1.88, 2.28)1.98 (1.7, 2.31) Potassium, mmol/l4.2 (3.8, 5.2)4.3 (4.1, 4.5)4.2 (3.8, 5.2) Calcium, mg/dl8.9 (7.5, 10)8.5 (8.5, 8.5)9 (7.5, 10.2)Radiographic findings Chest X-ray findings of pneumonia (%)15 (71.4)2 (100)13 (68.4) CT findings of pneumonia (%)12 (57.1)2 (100)12 (52.6)Electrocardiogram (ms), mean, median, min, max Baseline QTc408 (410, 357, 486)440 (440, 395,486)405 (410, 357, 433) Post-treatment QTc396 (400, 356, 450)415 (415, 404, 426)394 (395, 356, 450) ΔQTc pre- versus post-treatment-8 (-7, -84, 51)-35 (-35, -84, 13)-5 (-7, -52, 51) ΔQTc pre-treatment versus one day after the treatment0.6 (-1, -86, 55)-46 (-46, -86, -7)5.6 (4, -35, 55)BMI calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squaredAbbreviations: BMI = body mass index; ΔQTc = change in corrected QT interval
Although the baseline corrected QT was shorter in patients receiving combined azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine than the patients receiving only hydroxychloroquine (median 410 \[357--433\] milliseconds versus 440 \[395--486\] milliseconds) neither the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine monotherapy, nor the ones receiving hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin developed prolonged corrected QT of 500 milliseconds or more during or after the termination of medications. ΔQTc was under 60 milliseconds for all of the patients. We did not find a relation between the patients receiving concomitant azithromycin compared with those taking hydroxychloroquine alone in terms of Δ corrected QT just after the initiation of the therapy as well as at the termination of it. Data of corrected QT of individuals receiving hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin at baseline and one day after use of drugs as well as baseline and at the termination of the treatment are shown in the Figure [1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}.
Figure 1.QTc values of the individuals on hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin at the baseline and one day after the treatment (A), baseline and at the termination of the treatment (B) (QTc = corrected QT interval; QTc 2 = QTc one day after the treatment).
Discussion {#s3}
==========
Hydroxychloroquine is structurally and mechanically similar to the class The Vaughan Williams classification of an antiarrythmic agent (IA) antiarrhythmic quinidine, which inhibits voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, prolonging the QT interval and increasing the risk of Torsades de pointes and sudden cardiac death.^[@r5]^ Azithromycin also has been implicated in corrected QT prolongation and proarrhythmic events.^[@r7]^ In a systematic review studying the arrhythmogenic cardiotoxicity of the quinoline and structurally related antimalarial drugs, in total, 177 articles enrolling a total of 39,960 participants were included. There were no sudden deaths attributed to cardiac arrhythmias recorded in the \> 35,000 individuals who received the quinoline and structurally related anti-malarials in the 177 clinical trials included. Despite vast use of chloroquine over the last six decades, only 1076 participants in 17 studies of chloroquine underwent electrocardiogram investigation. Total number of studies which included children were 6.^[@r8]^ Chloroquine is the most widely used anti-malarial drug in history. It has a terminal elimination half-life of one month and an annual consumption of hundreds of tons for over 50 years, so it may be the drug to which humans have been exposed to most.^[@r9]^ Despite producing consistent QT prolongation, the only case reports of Torsades de pointes and sudden death have been for its use for non-malaria indications such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis, where high doses are used for much longer than in malaria treatment, or in overdose.^[@r5]^ Combined use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin was associated with a higher risk of dose-dependent QT prolongation than hydroxychroloquine monotherapy. The maximal mean prolongation with the co administration of azithromycin 500, 1000, and 1500 mg was 5 milliseconds (95% upper confidence interval: 10 milliseconds), 7 milliseconds (95% upper confidence interval: 12 ms), and 9 milliseconds (95% upper confidence interval: 14 milliseconds), respectively.^[@r10]^ There are also conflicting results regarding azithromycin and QTc interval. Dunker et al. reported that they had observed no significant change in QTc interval monitoring with baseline or follow-up electrocardiogram monitoring among patients receiving azithromycin.^[@r11]^ Two hundred one patients were treated for coronavirus disease 2019 with chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine on a study conducted on March 2020. The study revealed that in the largest reported cohort of coronavirus disease 2019 patients to date treated with chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (plus minus) azithromycin, no instances of Torsades de pointes or arrhythmogenic death were reported. Although use of these medications resulted in QT prolongation, clinicians seldom needed to discontinue therapy.^[@r12]^ However, on the contrary, a study published in May 2020 showed that patients who received hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of pneumonia associated with coronavirus disease 2019 were at high risk of corrected QT prolongation, and concurrent treatment with azithromycin was associated with greater changes in corrected QT. Among 90 patients given hydroxychloroquine, 53 received concomitant azithromycin. Seven patients (19%) who received hydroxychloroquine monotherapy developed prolonged corrected QT of 500 milliseconds or more, and three patients (3%) had a change in corrected QT of 60 milliseconds or more. Of those who received concomitant azithromycin, 11 of 53 (21%) had prolonged corrected QT of 500 milliseconds or more and 7 of 53 (13 %) had a change in corrected QT of 60 milliseconds or more. The likelihood of prolonged corrected QT was greater in those who received concomitant loop diuretics. Ten patients had hydroxychloroquine discontinued early because of potential adverse drug events, including intractable nausea, hypoglycaemia, and one case of torsades de pointes.^[@r13]^ Yet another study of May 2020 also supports this hypothesis. It is a retrospective study of 251 patients from two centres. Study conducted by Chorine et al. showed corrected QT prolongation in parallel with increasing drug exposure and incompletely shortens after its completion. Extreme new corrected QT prolongation to \> 500 milliseconds, a known marker of high risk for Torsades de pointes had developed in 23% of patients. One patient developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia suspected as Torsades de pointes, requiring emergent cardioversion. Seven patients required premature termination of therapy.^[@r14]^ Although most of these data are based on adult studies, accumulated data show conflicting results on cardiac rhythm as well as corrected QT. Our study partially supports this fact as none of our patients showed neither corrected QT prolongation nor other cardiac adverse effects. However, it is evident that the patients in our study are clinically different from patients who are critically ill and receiving multiple corrected QT prolonging medications with extended half-lives, which augment cardio toxic risks. They also did not have hypokalaemia, hypocalcaemia or hypomagnesaemia which may lead to QT interval prolongation. Although our patients had findings of pulmonary involvement none of them had respiratory failure needing mechanical ventilation support. Moreover, it is imperative to stress that our study population is small and a relatively sterile group as only two of them had asthma which did not intervene with the progression of the disease. They were treated in our inpatient clinic not in a paediatric ICU where they would be posed to electrolyte imbalances, arrhythmia inducing myocardial damages and different other conditions leading to corrected QT prolongation. Another important fact is that both of the medications were given for a limited time of five days where as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, or malaria needs prolonged treatment. Finally, extreme caution should be exercised while treating patients with inherited and acquired long QT syndrome in the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. QT intervals should be monitored at baseline and at 4 hours after the administration of hydroxychloroquine and/or azithromycin. All other non-critical QT prolonging agents must be discontinued. Serum potassium should be monitored and optimised daily. If QTc increases by \>60 milliseconds or absolute QTc \>500 milliseconds (or \>530--550 milliseconds if QRS \> 120 milliseconds), intensified monitoring, raising potassium levels, and/or discontinuation or dose reduction of QT prolonging drugs should be considered re-evaluating the risk/benefit of ongoing therapy.^[@r15],[@r16]^
None.
Conflict of Interest {#s5}
====================
None.
Financial Support {#s4}
=================
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Ethical Standards {#s6}
=================
The local ethical committee of our hospital approved this retrospective study on 28.04.2020 with B.10.1.THK.4.34.H.GP.0.01/139 report number. As the study was retrospective and the patient's routine electrocardiographic data were screened, informed consent form was not taken.
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CPW monitoring shows stable Lynx population
DURANGO, Colo. – Twenty years after Colorado reintroduced the Canada lynx to the state, wildlife managers are monitoring the big-footed felines in the San Juan mountains using remote cameras and wintertime snow tracking.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife believe the lynx population is stable in the core area of the San Juan Mountains at about 150-250. Biologists know, however, that lynx have also dispersed to other mountainous areas of the state.
CPW released 218 lynx from 1999 to 2006 and all the animals were fitted with telemetry collars so each could be tracked. Before CPW stopped monitoring the collars in 2011, biologists documented that the reintroduced lynx and some offspring were reproducing and expanding their range. In 2010, CPW declared the reintroduction program a success.
No monitoring was done for a few years, but CPW biologists always understood the importance of long-term study. In 2014, CPW biologists launched a 10-year monitoring project that is both high-tech and old school. The project is now in its sixth year.
“Successfully reintroducing lynx was one of the most significant projects Colorado Parks and Wildlife has ever accomplished and it’s important that we continue to learn how the lynx are doing,” said Scott Wait, senior terrestrial biologist in CPW’s Southwest Region. He was on the initial reintroduction team and is one of three lead investigators on the current study.
Because they are elusive and live in remote, high-altitude spruce-fir forests, estimating a precise population of lynx would be prohibitively expensive. Instead, CPW biologists use occupancy monitoring techniques. Occupancy, basically, is a record of the presence of animals in appropriate habitat. The current monitoring is being conducted within a 20,000 square kilometer area (9,600 square miles) in southwest Colorado.
Biologists randomly selected 50 units for study, each measuring about 29 square miles and divided into quadrants. One cameras is placed within each quadrant.
In addition, during winter, biologists and wildlife officers survey the plots on skis or snowmobiles looking for tracks and picking up lynx scat and hair ‒ if they can find it ‒ for genetic analysis. Wait explained that most evidence of lynx occupancy is found through snow tracking because surveyors can travel long distances in multiple directions. Tracking is difficult, however, because it must be done within two days of a snowfall and some areas can’t always be accessed safely.
For the remote locations, CPW staffers hike or go in by horseback during the warm months to place the cameras. At the sites, scented lures are placed and feathers are hung from branches as attractants.
“Cats are very curious and very sight-oriented. So the odors and fluttering feathers, hopefully, bring them past the cameras,” Wait said.
The cameras take pictures when movement and heat are detected. Besides the photos, the cameras also record the time, date and temperature.
CPW crews go back to the areas as soon as possible in the spring to retrieve the cameras so that photos can be downloaded into a specialized database. More than 100,000 photos are taken each winter season and sorting through them is an exacting process. Besides lynx, the cameras capture hundreds of pictures of elk, deer, bears, mountain lions, coyotes, birds, etc. While animals in all the photos are identified, looking for photos of lynx is the highest priority. To assure correct identification, two people look at each photo.
Not surprisingly, few cameras get a glimpse of a lynx. On average, only 8-14 cameras capture a shot of a lynx throughout the winter. Biologists employ statistical techniques and use the snow-tracking results in combination with the images to estimate the occupancy rate of lynx in southwest Colorado, explained Eric Odell, species conservation program manager for CPW. He is based in Fort Collins and one of the principal investigators.
“We can’t feasibly make a precise population count, so we monitor for occupancy,” Odell said. “Through our monitoring, the photos and snow tracking, we can look at trends to determine where occupancy is going up or down. We assume that if more areas are occupied by lynx that means the population is doing well and expanding. Conversely, if occupancy is declining, we assume that fewer lynx exist on the landscape and reproduction is not keeping pace with mortality.”
The monitoring, Odell said, is showing that the population in the San Juan Mountains is stable. But lynx have also expanded outside of the core area as CPW regularly gets reports of sightings in the central mountains. Considerations are in place to expand monitoring to other areas of Colorado.
Whether by camera or snow tracking, the monitoring work is challenging. Two years ago little winter tracking could be done due to sparse snowfall. At the camera sites, because they are placed at angles in anticipation of deep snow, the cameras were pointed too high in many locations to see animals on the ground. Last year the abundance of snow buried many cameras and also kept some tracking sites off limits because of avalanche danger.
“There are a lot of variables we have to deal with,” Odell said. “But that’s the nature of wildlife surveys. We made a huge commitment to reintroduce lynx to Colorado 20 years ago and we continue that commitment.”
CPW would like to know about sightings of lynx throughout the state. Go to this link to file a report: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SOC-LynxSightingForm.aspx. Reports must be filed from a computer. Lynx live at 8,000 feet and above. Large feet are their distinguishing characteristic. Some people confuse bobcats and lynx as both have pointed ear tufts.
To learn more about lynx, go to: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SpeciesProfiles.aspx. | https://outdoornewsdaily.com/cpw-monitoring-shows-stable-lynx-population/ |
The Maxillaria orchid loves very bright positions, but, especially in summer, it is good to keep it away from the sun as direct sunlight can easily cause burns on the leaves and irreparably spoil the plant; the Maxillaria also fears very much the cold and the ideal temperature of cultivation is between 15-25 °, throughout the year, so it is good to protect it from the cold in winter and from heat in summer.
During the coldest months of the year it can be kept indoors or in a temperate greenhouse, leaving it in very bright areas but not close to sources of heat. Some species of maxillaria are native to mountain areas and therefore withstand temperatures even below 10 ° C.
- This genus includes about 200 small shrubs or saplings from China, India and southern Africa. Some species, such as B. grandiflora, can be grown outdoors in the reg…
- The genus cattleya orchids counts about fifty species of epiphytes and lithophytes, native to South America; they are equipped with fleshy pseudobulbs, which may have dimensions close to the 5-7 cm, with a …
- The genus Laelia includes about 50-60 species of orchids, mainly epiphytic, native to Central America, very similar to the cattleya. These varieties form dense tufts of pseudobulbs, which are often found in the…
- Generally, when we think of an orchid, our imagination evokes memories of delicate plants, with very particular requirements, often with aerial roots, which should be cultivated only by real aperitifs.
Watering
Watering for these plants must be abundant, but without leaving the roots and the pot in contact with the water for too long, so it is appropriate to place them in a saucer filled with pebbles, perlite or expanded clay, taking care to always leave a little water on the bottom, or procure with the immersion of the pot in water to allow the substrate to get wet, but being very careful to drain the excess water perfectly.
To obtain a better flowering, it is advisable to reduce the watering from the moment when the buds appear, until the flowers are completely withered. Often provide special fertilizer for orchids mixed with the water of the watering, avoiding exceeding with the doses and remembering that it is preferable to provide fertilizer several times in small quantities rather than provide abundant amounts of fertilizer sporadically.
Land
These orchids need an ad hoc compound, consisting of bark, sphagnum and other light and incoherent materials, which help us to simulate the natural growth conditions of the maxillaria, which develop leaning against the trunk of other plants. After 2 or 3 years the substrate should be replaced with new material, to give the right support to the roots, as the compound tends to degrade over time.
Multiplication
The reproduction of these orchids takes place by division of the heads of pseudobulbs, which in spring can be buried in individual containers to obtain new plants. The new heads are to be placed on an unshaped one suitable for the cultivation of adult orchids.
Maxillaria: Loans and illnesses
These orchids can be attacked by cochineal and aphids. To remove the cochineals you can use a cloth to pass on the leaves. For aphids there are specific products that should be used with caution to avoid damage to the flowers. Orchids can also often have root rot caused by excessive watering or by an insufficiently draining substrate. | https://mycarouselflorist.com/apartment-plants/maxillaria-maxillaria-orchids-maxillaria-orchids.html |
Q:
Extract Values from three sheets into final sheet based upon the there names
I have one workbook containing data in three sheets [Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3] and fourth sheet is the main sheet.
I would like to add the values from three sheets into main sheet based upon the name if match.
for example,
Sheet 1
A,B [columns]
test1,1000
test2,2000
Sheet 2
A,B [columns]
test2,1000
test1,2000
Sheet 3
A,B [columns]
test1,1000
test2,2000
Expected Results...
Main Sheet
test1, 4000
test2, 5000
Can you please suggest me the formula or any reference for this?
A:
I think that's what you need - If I understood the input correctly, assuming you have Sheet1:Sheet3 in your workbook and SUM sheet which is "main" (formulas are for the last one):
Type in A1: test1 or any value you want to summarize.
Type in B1: =SUM((Sheet1!A:A=A1)*Sheet1!B:B,(Sheet2!A:A=A1)*Sheet2!B:B,(Sheet3!A:A=A1)*Sheet3!B:B), but press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER instead of usual ENTER - this will define an ARRAY formula and will result in {} brackets around it (but do NOT type them manually!).
Add new values to sum up into A and autofill formula in B down as required.
Sample file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/95n46kavpfj4xs7/Sum3Sheets.xlsx
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Sally K.
"The women I paint are confident strong women that I strive to be. Sometimes tough and daring, sometimes shy and determined, they represent what captivates me in other women; the qualities I admire, and strengths that I strive to gain."
––Sally K, Painter
Lebanese artist Sally Khoury (Sally K) paints the female gaze in vivid color. Sometimes pointed, sometimes obscured, this gaze is amplified by her large-scale abstract-expressionist style. Flowers, cupcakes, candy, and geometric shapes envelop the face, seeming to float from and around the figure. Expressed in vibrant colors, the female portrait becomes transcendent, both political and playful. Taking inspiration from fashion, pop culture, and photography, Khoury blends realistic and abstract elements to communicate the totality of the female form, which is often both mischievous and serious, sensual and aloof.
Khoury was born in Ohio, far from the war her parents left behind in Lebanon. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Saudi Arabia, where she stayed until she was 14. Khoury attended high school and college in Beirut, where she received a BA in Fine Art from the Lebanese American University. She cites artists Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Gustav Klimt as being particularly inspiring to her work. Khoury works in layers, using dense brushstrokes to add texture and abstraction to the figure’s hair. She has always been drawn to painting women––creating a multi-dimensional gaze is her personal challenge.
Khoury has exhibited in both group and solo shows in Beirut, Dubai, Italy, and the USA. Her paintings can be found in the private collections of American pop stars Jesse McCartney and Kelly Clarkson. Khoury currently lives and works with her husband and children in Qatar. | https://mortoncontemporarygallery.com/collections/sally-k/blm |
The stock price for PetroNeft Resources EPIC code: LON:PTR has increased 8.73% or 0.24 points in today’s trading session so far. Investors are a positive bunch during this period. The period high was 2.99 and a low of 2.81. The total volume of shares exchanged so far has reached 593,281 with the average number of shares traded daily being 2,829,164. The 52 week high price for the shares is 2.99 some 0.24 points difference from the previous days close and the 52 week low at 0.45 is a variance of 2.3 points. PetroNeft Resources now has a 20 simple moving average of 1.88 and now its 50 day moving average now of 1.39. This puts the market capitalisation now at £25.85m at the time of this report. The currency for this stock is GBX. Market cap is measured in GBP. This article was written with the last trade for PetroNeft Resources being recorded at Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12:18:33 PM GMT with the stock price trading at 2.99 GBX.
Stock in Rolls-Royce Holding ticker lookup code: LON:RR has stepped up 4.19% or 4.55 points during today’s session so far. Investors have remained optimistic during the trading session. Range high for the period has seen 113.8 meanwhile the session low reached 109.45. Volume total for shares traded at this point reached 19,519,493 with the daily average traded share volume around 62,518,696. The 52 week high price for the shares is 205.01 equating to 96.46 points different to the previous business close and a 52 week low sitting at 34.59 a difference of some 73.96 points. Rolls-Royce Holding now has a 20 SMA at 105.44 and also a 50 day simple moving average now at 105.65. Market capitalisation is now £9,467.94m at the time of this report. The stock is traded in GBX. Mcap is measured in GBP. This article was written with the last trade for Rolls-Royce Holding being recorded at Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12:32:02 PM GMT with the stock price trading at 113.1 GBX.
The trading price for Serinus Energy company symbol: LON:SENX has gained 5.85% or 0.17 points throughout the session so far. Investors have so far held a positive outlook during the trading session. The high for the period has reached 3.3 dipping to 2.98. Volume total for shares traded at this point reached 3,848,569 whilst the daily average number of shares exchanged is just 14,983,779. The 52 week high is 10 about 7.04 points in difference to the previous days close of business and a 52 week low sitting at 2 making a difference of 0.96 points. Serinus Energy now has a 20 SMA at 3.56 with a 50 day moving average now at 3.61. This puts the market cap at £1,279.48m at the time of this report. The share price is in GBX. Mcap is measured in GBP. This article was written with the last trade for Serinus Energy being recorded at Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12:30:53 PM GMT with the stock price trading at 3.13 GBX.
Shares in Tatton Asset Management ticker lookup code: LON:TAM has stepped up 15.63% or 50 points in today’s trading session so far. Investors have remained positive during the session. The periods high has reached 370 meanwhile the session low reached 327.48. The amount of shares exchanged has so far reached 24,219 with the daily average number around 48,270. The stock 52 week high is 370 equating to 50 points in difference to the previous days close of business and a 52 week low sitting at 170 a difference of some 150 points. Tatton Asset Management now has a 20 simple moving average of 323.36 and now its 50 day moving average now of 306.63. The market capitalisation currently stands at £214.19m at the time of this report. The share price is in Great British pence. Mcap is measured in GBP. This article was written with the last trade for Tatton Asset Management being recorded at Monday, March 8, 2021 at 12:15:26 PM GMT with the stock price trading at 370 GBX.
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15 Tips to Handle Long Distance Relationship Fights & Arguments
Most of us cannot choose when, where, how, and with whom we fall in love. And we often surprise ourselves!
For example, you might find yourself falling in love with someone older or younger than you expected. Or, you are surprised that you actually met someone who sat next to you on a plane—and who turned out to be a wise match for you!
All relationships have unique challenges, and one of the more challenging relationship situations is one that is long distance. Yet, for some couples, long-distance suits their emotional and career needs well.
For instance, for couples where each person has to travel frequently for work and when living together is geographically not possible, a long-distance relationship is their only way of being a couple.
Related Reading: Long Distance Relationship Problems and What to Do About Them
Reasons for long-distance relationship fights
One of the thorniest issues for long-distance relationships is dealing with fights and arguments. All couples have disagreements, but LDR couples often tend to have more grave long-distance relationship problems.
Why is that? They have to deal with these key issues:
- Not being able to hold hands while discussing difficult topics
- Not being able to “Kiss and Make Up” in a timely way
- Not being able to read each other’s body language fully and accurately
- Not having enough or the right time at the moment to talk things out.
To make matters worse, some topics are more difficult to handle in a long-distance relationship because you have different work hours, live in different time zones, can’t handle time-sensitive issues that work for both of you, and don’t have all the documents, mail, and other papers that you need.
These hot-button topics include:
- Disputing bills for incorrect charges on your credit cards
- Not wanting or able to book the next flight or train route to see each other
- Not being able to plan or attend important family and friends events together
- Not agreeing on how you want to spend your precious time together
- Not having enough or a good time to deal with one of you being ill or needing advice.
Related Reading: Ways to Avoid Long-Distance Relationship Drama
15 Tips for handling long-distance relationship fights
So, what can you do to be happier together? How can you handle long-distance relationship fights?
Here are some tested tips to get through a long-distance relationship.
You may not need all of these ideas, and you will also probably need to adapt them to your unique situation. With these tips on long-distance relationship fights, over time, you will become good problem-solvers and partners!
1. Know what to discuss
How to handle arguments in a relationship?
To start with, make a list in order of importance of the things you need to discuss in person.
There are so many things that might not come to mind when you meet each other in person. It is better to keep a list handy lest you forget important things in the excitement of meeting after a long time.
2. Hold hands
Especially when you are together and are having disagreements, always hold each other’s hands or hug each other. You both would be meeting after a long time. There shouldn’t be any room for arguments.
Related Reading: Ways of Holding Hands Reveal a Lot About Your Relationship
3. Get solution-oriented
NO complaining without first offering a solution!
Arguments are never-ending. And fighting in long-distance relationships can get more troublesome because you both are not around each other.
So, instead of focusing on the problem and playing the blame game, handle long-distance relationship fights by looking for a solution.
4. Listen
One of the relationship argument tips is to listen to your partner without any interruptions. Communication does not only mean talking and expressing your side of the story. It also means practicing the art of listening.
So, listen, comprehend and empathize.
Related Reading: The Importance of Art of Listening in a Relationship
5. Disagreement Technique
Instead of accusing or blaming your partner when you are trying to solve a problem, practice this Disagreement Technique to solve long-distance relationship fights instead of explaining or arguing your points in a disagreement.
Talk about your feelings and issues as though you were your partner. Speak in the first person by using the word “I.” This Technique will feel awkward at first, but you will gain a better understanding of your partner—and a better solution.
Related Reading: Using "I" Statements in Relationships
6. Write love texts
Don’t let a day go by without sending love texts or one of those special photos to your partner. Your note can be brief.
For example, you can write things such as:
- I know you will do well on your presentation!
- I miss you and think of you first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
- I love being with you. And when you get stressed, just think of that special time we just had together!
- Here is a picture of me in my new outfit (or the one you bought for me.)
- Here are some of the special things I love about you!
This can also help in reminding you how lucky you are to be together.
7. Get proactive
Don’t let things fester. Do some soul-searching of why you and your partner acted that way.
Agree that when you are together, you will discuss key issues.
If possible, discuss them when you are at your favorite café or park or any other places that are important to you. Talking at one of the places you live may not offer the safeguard of being at your best.
8. Choose the right time to discuss problems
For all long-distance relationship fights, don’t attempt to settle hot topics when one of you is tired, had a tough day, or still have work to do.
If you are fighting a lot in a relationship, be prudent enough to call or text your partner and discuss the problem when you are both feeling calm and peaceful.
9. Keep a journal
Journaling is a great way to help you reflect on yourself and your relationship.
Include any or all of the following:
Why did I act the ineffective or highly emotionally charged way I did?
Why do I think my partner handled the situation in the way they did?
What do I suggest as a better way?
10. Send a problem and solution chart
Forge a solution together quickly—instead of having marathon disagreements.
Make a chart of the most pressing issues you need to discuss. Write out your ideas, reasons, and solutions. Explain them without getting angry or accusing your partner.
Instead of fighting over text, you can choose to talk it out or send your partner your idea.
11. Develop empathy
Forgive yourself and your partner for missteps.
If you have an issue to discuss, think about how your partner would respond. What “buttons” might get pushed in your partner?.
Handle long-distance relationship fights by creating a plan as to how you will address these “buttons” with kindness and understanding.
Related Reading: How to Build Empathy in Relationships
Check out this video by Mary Jo Rapini on how you can empower your partner by showing empathy:
12. Keep important information handy
Make sure you have each other’s important information, such as social security numbers, shared bank accounts, and phone numbers of best friends, children, family, boss and coworkers, attorneys, physicians, and any other contacts.
The last thing you want to do is face a situation where you don’t know what to do.
13. Avoid disagreements
Having disagreements is healthy, but too much of it only signifies that the relationship can turn toxic. However, this can be controlled simply by discussing issues calmly.
Important tip: Don’t start your time together with a disagreement, and don’t end a conversation with a disagreement.
Related Reading: Steps Couples Should Take Toward Settling Disagreements
14. Spend together-time
There are so many apps and websites that can give you an experience of playing real-time movies or songs together, just like you would have if you both were together in person.
Once you spend quality time together, you can shoo away many long-distance relationship fights. So, watch the latest releases or classic hits “together” when you are apart with ease.
Related Reading: Ways to Have a Quality Time With Your Partner
15. Celebrate important events
Create “family time” together when you are together and apart. For example, you could do a zoom call to celebrate something with each other’s families. The fact that you both are apart should not be the reason for having a drab celebration.
This will only pile up and ensue fights.
Related Reading: Mistakes Many Long Distance Couple Make
Takeaway
Is it normal to fight everyday long-distance in a relationship? There could be days when your long-distance relationship fights will be more severe than the other days. However, if it has been happening throughout your relationship, this needs to be corrected.
Remember that misunderstandings, disagreements, and mistakes occur in all couples. So, remember to follow the aforementioned tips for long-distance relationship fights.
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Want to have a happier, healthier marriage?
If you feel disconnected or frustrated about the state of your marriage but want to avoid separation and/or divorce, the marriage.com course meant for married couples is an excellent resource to help you overcome the most challenging aspects of being married. | https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/long-distance-relationship-fights/ |
Description: Bloodletting is a text-based role playing game in which the play of the game is completely dictated by its players. Characters are born into the world of Bloodletting when they register a unique user account with the game. Once account information is completed and a race is selected, The player enters the world as either a Vampire, Witch Slayer, Werewolf or Angel. | https://www.top100arena.com/site.asp?i=15236 |
Only One in Stock at this time./ Very Good Condition / (Water spots on edges/ Wear on Corners). The Zondervan Expanded Concordance is one of the rarest books Finis Dake ever assembled. It was done in the early 60’s by Finis Dake from his Atlanta home.
Description: The Zondervan Expanded Concordance, by Finis J. Dake.
Many words accompanied by modifiers are separated according to alphabetizing of the modifiers. For example: All, According to all, After all, At all, Before all, For all, From all, etc.
The Zondervan Expanded Concordance is one of the rarest books Finis Dake ever assembled. It was done in the early 60’s by Finis Dake from his Atlanta home. Finis Dake’s name does not appear in the book. But a photo copy of the original letter on a Zondervan Publishing House stationary, written at the time, will be sent with the book to prove it’s authenticity. For anyone who is a collector of Dake’s works this is really a neat addition to your library not to speak of the great use of study! Availability of the Zondervan Expanded Concordance is limited! Orders will be filled on a first come first served basis. | https://www.dakebible.com/catalog/pre-owned-collectors-zondervan-expanded-concordance-by-finis-jennings-dake |
Orcades Marine Asia Pte Ltd has been established in Singapore to provide local support for marine operations in Singapore and South East Asia.
Orcades Marine Management Consultants Ltd is the majority shareholder with local partners.
The primary focus of the Company is to provide Marine Installation Supervision and Operational Management of Tidal and Wave Energy converters, floating solar energy solutions and floating and fixed offshore wind
Other Marine Renewable services and products:
- Third Party Verification of Wave Energy and Tidal Energy converters
- Marine Warranty
- Training
Research and Development:
- Innovation in marine renewable installation operations.
- Innovative technology based products and process’s in shipping and port infrastructure and operation.
Other Maritime Consultancy services:
- Ship Survey, auditing and inspection
- Provision of Tow Masters, Marine Superintendents, Marine advisors, Client Representation.
- Production and auditing of company, ship and port safety management systems.
- Port operations and management.
The Company is operationally managed by Captain David Thomson MD, and Ng Ding Feng (Alex) Operations Director. | http://www.orcadesmarine.co.uk/orcades-marine-asia-pte-ltd/ |
Trio Writing is a three–level course that helps beginning English students develop their writing skills through step–by–step instruction. The series creates academic success through the gradual development of key writing techniques and strategies. A Readiness Unit provides fundamental writing tools for beginning students, while online practice provides essential skills support. In the main units, students learn to apply practical grammar and vocabulary models, turning their ideas into successful writing.
Features
- Readiness Units develop fundamental writing skills to prepare students for success at each level
- Unit assignments mirror the kind of work students will encounter at university
- A step–by–step method guides students through the process of turning their ideas into effective writing
- Vocabulary & Grammar Chants engage students to internalize structures and memorize target vocabulary
- Vocabulary and grammar are presented in context, providing models for students to produce more accurate writing
- Signposts in each unit point students to online practice, extending learning beyond the classroom
- iTools enhances course material by incorporating multimedia content and activities to create an interactive, heads–up learning environment
- iTools gives teachers access to the assessment program, with editable tests and answer keys that save time and allow customized testing
Online practice is matched to the course material to enhance students’ learning, extending it beyond the class– room. Online practice resources for students: | https://www.deltapublishing.com/products/details/1/4/0/5759/trio-writing |
- During her career she has worked with GHD in Brisbane, as a site engineer with Lend Lease in Sydney and she is now working as a Civil Engineer with Turnbull Engineering.
- Had no idea she wanted to be an engineer. “Everyone was like, I’m in a rush, I’m in a race to get somewhere …. where are you going?” Ruth didn’t know what she wanted to do, so she took a gap year after finishing school.
- Ruth’s first job as an engineer was in the Darling Harbour Live Precinct in Sydney, which is an incredibly complicated location and the work required challenged her construction and project management skills “I studied civil engineering, and you’re like, that’s nothing to do with what I studied”
- Since moving to Turnbull Engineering, has gotten into road engineering which is an area that had sparked her interest in engineering in the first place. “That would be where I got interested in all of the design work”
#19.30 Hot Topic discussion
“I am a bit of a fan of autonomous vehicles”
- Ruth is interested in the integration of autonomous vehicles (AV’s) with society’s infrastructure.
- An obvious benefit is the efficient use of time.
- Ruth suggests that AV’s would become more of a service than just a mode of transport.
- Australian Ministers are taking the eventual arrival of AV’s very seriously with a “national goal of having regulation in place by 2020 to support the commercial introduction of AV’s”
A few infrastructure changes that would occur:
- Intersections will be changed completely – only once there are all autonomous vehicles on the road.
- Pedestrian crossings would be re-thought “Even the pedestrian crossing, you don’t need to have them at the large intersections, they can be placed more strategically”
- Street signs can be rethought or even completely removed. “All the different signs that we have on the street won’t be required because it could be hardwired” into the AV
- Dom points out what could possibly be the biggest challenge – the transition from driven vehicles to automated.
“we need to stop thinking about how to adapt our current infrastructure directly to allow for the autonomous vehicle”
- We don’t need to ADAPT the current infrastructure … we need to realise that the infrastructure will need to CHANGE completely.
- Until AV’s are the only vehicles on the road “The main thing I think that will help the autonomous vehicles is actually the line marking”
During this podcast, you will also reflect on:
- The benefit of taking a gap year
- Ruth studied in one specialist area of engineering, but her first job saw her working amongst a number of different engineering areas.
- Engineering in the future will be very similar to Autonomous Vehicles. “similar to autonomous vehicles, it will move to a more automated sort of way” … a lot of work will become automated. Ruth theorises that engineering roles at a lower level will be fairly scarce. Can see this change already in the way older generation of engineers perform their work, versus the newer generation of engineers.
“What I do, it’s a logical process. And because it’s a logical process, you can program a program to do that”
- Ruth’s advice for engineers just starting out: “I would tell them to learn as much software programming as possible…. because that will be how everything becomes automated.”
Want More?
An engineering item for discussion… The Great Wall of China
“would have to be the most amazing piece of engineering I’ve seen in person” “I just can’t believe such an enormous wall could be built” “They’ve actually thought of things such as drainage”
An engineer to admire… Rowan Atkinson the actor… “he is also an engineer!”
Connect with us
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Facebook: @BeerWithAnEngineer
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Twitter: BeerWithAnEngineer_Podcast
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About Engineering Heroes
We interview engineers as they discuss their life and the issues they are dealing with. | https://engineeringheroes.com.au/infrastructure-for-autonomous-vehicles-with-ruth-hoog-antink/ |
(QNO) - A working session on tourism environment in Hoi An city took place last week. Present at the event were Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Tan and leaders of Hoi An services.
|Hoi An tourism|
Steady development
The number of visitors to Hoi An during the first 6 months of 2018 estimably increased by 69% compared to the same period of last year. The growth of Hoi An tourism is rather even, from the UNESCO’s cultural heritage to the Cham Islands World Biosphere Reserve. The number of visitors using tourism services in Hoi An increased considerably, especially international ones from France, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland… The total turnover of tourism-services in Hoi An was up 17.8%.
In spite of its impressive achievements, tourism in Hoi An still reveals some shortcomings in management. There are the problems of uncontrolled service prices, snatch and run, overcrowding at the sightseeing sites. Moreover, the knowledge of some tour guides is so limited that they cannot provide visitors with necessary information about the destination. Another problem of Hoi An tourism is the traffic jam, especially from 3p.m on. So, Hoi An needs to have comprehensive resolutions to these shortcomings.
Improving the quality of Hoi An tourism
According to Mr. Tran Van Tan and some Hoi An’s leaders, it’s time Hoi An had its plans to raise the quality of tourism destinations. It is the installing of cameras in the ancient quarter and some crowded places. Building some more village markets will help reduce the pressure on the ancient quarter, increase the opportunities for introducing and advertising local products. It is also necessary to change traffic lanes; the over 45 seat bus is forbidden in the city center. In addition, the quality of all the tourism services should be upgraded, that of human resources and products included.
Vice Chairman of the Hoi An People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son said that receiving a lot of support from Quang Nam province, Hoi An is attempting to improve the quality of its tourism and services. However, the number of visitors to this place is too enormous to control. So it is essential to have a specific policy for Hoi An to remove all its limitations. | http://quangnamnews.vn/tourism/improving-the-quality-of-hoi-an-tourism-66531.html |
Scientists unravel the mystery of anesthesia
Written by Eleanor Bird, M.S. on June 13, 2020 — Fact checked by Allison Kirsop, Ph.D.
Scientists from Scripps Research have shown how anesthetics cause clusters of lipids in the cell membrane to break apart, triggering downstream processes that lead to a loss of consciousness.
Share on PinterestNew research sheds light on the mechanisms that explain the effect of anesthesia.
Anesthesia is one of the biggest mysteries of neuroscience. Despite health professionals using it every day for more than 150 years, the molecular mechanism by which general anesthetics produce their effects is unclear.
Beyond being a medical quandary that could lead to the design of better anesthetics, the mechanism of anesthesia may be related to how we sleep, the nature of consciousness, and conditions related to these states.
The first successful demonstration of an anesthetic to generate a loss of consciousness was in 1846 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Researchers later noted that the potency of anesthetics is related to their solubility in lipids, which are present in the membranes of cells in the body. This led to the “lipid hypothesis” of general anesthetic action, but precisely how changes in membrane lipids generate unconsciousness has remained a mystery.
In a recent study in the journal PNAS, scientists from Scripps Research in San Diego, CA, describe the mechanism behind general anesthesia in unprecedented detail.
The proposed mechanism is based on, but may not be specific to, the disruption of heterogeneous clusters of lipids called lipid rafts. This triggers the opening of ion channels and ultimately stops neurons from firing.
“When I was in medical school at Stanford, this was the one problem I wanted to solve. Anesthesia was of such practical importance I couldn’t believe we didn’t know how all of these anesthetics could cause people to lose consciousness.”
To shed some light on the mystery, Dr. Lerner and colleagues used a combination of nanoscale microscopy, cell studies, and experiments in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). The fruit fly is a surprisingly powerful model organism in neuroscience.
They first exposed cells to chloroform, a potent anesthetic that doctors no longer use due to its dangerous side effects. They watched what happened using a powerful microscope “able to visualize biological complexes smaller than the diffraction limits of light.”
They found that chloroform shifted the organization of lipid clusters in the cell membrane, from tightly packed balls into highly disordered structures.
As this happened, the lipid cluster also spilled its contents, including an enzyme called PLD2. The team tagged PLD2 with a fluorescent chemical so that they could watch it move away from the original lipid cluster.
They found that the enzyme went on to activate molecules within other lipid clusters, including a potassium ion channel called TREK1. The activation of this ion channel essentially “freezes” neurons, so that they can no longer fire action potentials. This leads to a loss of consciousness.
“The TREK1 potassium channels release potassium, and that hyperpolarizes the nerve — it makes it more difficult to fire — and just shuts it down,” explains senior study author Dr. Scott Hansen, an associate professor at Scripps Research’s Florida campus.
To validate their findings in cells, the researchers wanted to study the same process in living animals. This is where the fruit flies come in.
They genetically deleted the key enzyme, PLD2, in some of the flies. They found that flies without this enzyme were more resistant to chloroform; they needed almost twice as much of the anesthetic as the normal flies to become sedated.
This shows that although PLD2 is important in generating the effects of anesthesia, it is not the only mechanism at play.
“We think this is fundamental and foundational, but there is a lot more work that needs to be done, and it needs to be done by a lot of people,” says Dr. Hansen.
Although there is much more for researchers to discover, these findings have opened the doors to allow that to happen.
“We think there is little doubt that this novel pathway is being used for other brain functions beyond consciousness, enabling us to now chip away at additional mysteries of the brain.”
– Dr. Richard Lerner
The team says that similar molecular mechanisms may explain how we fall asleep, which is another major mystery of modern neuroscience. Indeed, Drs. Hansen and Lerner are already busy at work researching how lipids may be involved in sleep generation.
However, perhaps the biggest question is why this mechanism evolved. Clearly, the system did not evolve for the purpose of anesthesia, which scientists only developed 175 years ago.
The search for the naturally occurring molecule that activates this biological pathway continues. Its discovery could answer longstanding questions around consciousness and many of the most complex and poorly understood functions of the human brain. | |
Youth have renewed their appeal to the government to accelerate development-led initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality for young women and girls.
Speaking during the launch of a youth-led social change campaign dubbed ‘Girls Get Equal’ leading voices from government, civil society, young advisers and influencers discussed the myriad of challenges young women encounter in social, cultural, economic and political spheres that derail them from achieving their life’s objectives.
On a day that the International Women’s Day (IWD) is commemorated worldwide to reflect on progress made and call for change, an array of panellists ranging from Government, Judiciary, International Non-Governmental Organisations, activists, young men and women, shared experiences, inspirations and generated perspectives on gender equality. The focus of equal representation of young women and girls was stressed upon with the need to involve the policy makers as well as increase male involvement as promoters of equal equality in leadership platforms.
Speaking during the forum, Court of Appeal Judge Hon. Lady Justice Martha Koome said,
“Majority of our Kenyan girls continue to be trapped by outdated traditional practices that ignore their rights such as child marriages and female genital mutilation. Young women are also victims of gender-based violence, poverty and discrimination. At the judiciary, we have purposed to go beyond just expediting cases of violence against young women to working with different stakeholders in educating the public on the rights of girls.”
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Kenya Demographic and Health Survey show that 44 percent of women reported that they had experienced physical violence by men since turning 15. 650 million women and girls in the world today were married before age 18, at least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone Female Genital Mutilation in 30 countries.
In addition, according to UNICEF, girls spend 160 million more hours than boys doing household chores every day. On the political sphere, Kenya has 22% and 31% women representatives in the National assembly and Senate respectively. It is time to address inequality and unfairness that young women and girls have inherited.
Cabinet Secretary Labour and Social Protection, Amb. Ukur Yattani said,
“The government commits to powerful social protection platforms aimed at reducing gender inequalities through ensuring the rights of girls is upheld, deliberate curbing of discrimination in all spheres and facilitating young women’s and girls’ participation in decision making.”
In her speech, Jecinta Mwendo a youth advocate from Kilifi urged young women and girls to have hope and change their mindset because they have to excel by rising above all odds. She also urged them to take an interest and participate in decision making processes in order to ensure they are heard and their input is valued.
Plan International Kenya Country Director Kate Vorley on her end, reiterated that the launch of the Girls Get Equal Campaign seeks to ensure every girl and young woman holds power over their lives and can shape the world around her despite the challenges around them.
“When young women and girls are able to speak up and speak out in pursuit of their ambitions against threat of violence, intimidation or harassment, they will be represented equally in the social, economic, political and medium scopes. In the end, they will feel valued as change agents in leadership. Power, Freedom and Representation are the key pillars of this campaign,”
said Kate.
The Country Director Kenya added that the summit aimed at engaging policy makers, the youth and influencers to rally calls in accelerating progress on gender equality where women and girls’ rights are addressed in local, regional and global conversations. | https://corporatewatch.co.ke/youth-launch-fresh-appeal-to-foster-gender-equality-in-development-acceleration-bid/ |
Job Summary:
The Technical Partner Manager is responsible for co-ordinating the development of the technical relationship between Company and a number of nominated channel partners. This is a highly influential role, working closely with channel development and sales counterparts to nurture and exploit the capabilities of the technical resources within the nominated channel partners. The role holder must be results driven, customer focused, technically knowledgeable, and skilled at building internal relationships and external partnerships.
Job Requirements:
The overall responsibilities of the Technical Partner Manager are to provide enablement and development of the pre-sales technical individuals within our key channel partners. The TPM is also responsible for working closely with all other sales, SE and PS organisations to ensure we achieve a co-ordinated approach to channel development.
Specific areas of Responsibilities:
Enablement of pre- and, where appropriate, post-sales technical individuals in line with both our global and local partner strategies
Work with channel development, channel marketing and sales functions to develop and execute a co-ordinated approach to partner development
Be actively involved in guiding Partners to shape, create and deliver compelling Customer Demand generation activities, leveraging channel sales and marketing when appropriate
Work with the channel partner training team to ensure alignment of enablement activity with the corporate training and certification curriculum
Collaborate with other TPMs at the Area and Geo levels to ensure comprehensive and consistent delivery of enablement activity
Ensure the enablement and development activities across nominated channel partners align with our strategy and vision
Provide appropriate and timely reporting of activity and achievements to next level of management and above, as required
Actively engage our SE and PS teams in enablement and development activities to foster a sense of community and team spirit
Create and execute a comprehensive set of workshops that meet the needs of local channel partners
Share workshop content with peers across APAC to ensure efficient re-use and enable the co-operative development of material
Engage subject matter experts from the wider SE and CSE teams to support the delivery of enablement activity
Attend Quarterly Business Reviews and lead the discussion around technical status (education, gap with Company Partner Program and actions plan)
Innovate, create and execute events and activities that supplement the core enablement activity when the need for such is identified
Presenting and explaining our value proposition at both the technical and the management level within nominated channel partners
Measure the skill level and the self sufficiency of the nominated channel partners on a regular basis via a scorecard and in conjunction with sales and PS functions and take actions based on this assessment to improve it if necessary
Articulate our value proposition across a wide range of individuals and job functions within nominated channel partner staff including pre- and post-sales, sales and technical and business leadership.
Be an advocate of Company to channel partners and vice-versa
Requirements:
Strong verbal and written communications skills, including presentation skills.
Strong organisational skills
Ability to work collaboratively with employees within department and across functions.
Must have an aptitude for understanding how technology products and solutions solve business problems.
Must have a good understanding of all aspects of public cloud technology and Vietnam public cloud market.
Ability to build relationships and exercise influence with individuals in external organisations.
Management and Interaction:
Management:
This individual uses their management and technical skills to contribute to the development of company objectives and principles, and to develop channel partner relationships in creative and effective ways.
This individual manages the coordination of activities for a specific geographic region.
May act as an advisor or subject matter expert to sales Areas.
Interaction:
This individual must effectively work with, and influence senior internal personnel within the function, peers in other functions, and has direct channel partner contact.
Has the ability to gain cooperation of others through leadership, mentoring, management and interpersonal skills.
Education and Experience
A minimum of 10 years of experience as an individual contributor within IT
A Bachelor degree in in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science; or related fields is desirable
Experience which demonstrates a significant level of expertise in technical specifications required to articulate the value of Company products and services is required
Experience work with, or within Channel Partners or Systems Integrators highly desirable
Contact: | https://manpower.com.vn/job/technical-partner-manager-data-management-solution |
To store data for later use, we use variables:
x = 666 print(x)
666
A variable is like a box. On the first line, we use
= to put
something inside the box. On the second line, we type the variable
name to get the contents of the box.
NOTE
The “variable is like a box” idea is important to understand. When you see
x = 666, don’t think “x equals 666.” Think “set x to 666.” When you
see
print(x), think “print the value of x.”
When we print the value of a variable, we don’t use quotes. Notice the difference between these two calls to print:
foo = "bar" print("foo") print(foo)
foo bar
You can print text, variables and numbers at the same time by passing them as separate arguments (or in other words, by separating them with commas):
my_age = 23 print("My age is", my_age)
My age is 23
my_name = "jacob" print("hello", my_name, 123)
hello jacob 123
If you try to print a variable that you haven’t created yet, your program will crash:
print(baz)
Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> NameError: name 'baz' is not defined
You can take the value of a variable and store it in a new one: | https://jacobobryant.com/prog/0intro/10io/1_variables/ |
Chicago, and the greater Midwest region, attracts more federal research dollars than any other region in the US. Mr Willetts and his delegation were able to see the evidence of this success during visits to local universities and research facilities. Alongside UK delegates Professor Martyn Poliakoff (Vice President, The Royal Society) and Professor Mary Bownes (University of Edinburgh), the Minister visited both major research universities in Chicago Northwestern and University of Chicago – as well as Argonne National Laboratory. At the Argonne Laboratory, whilst touring the world's 5th fastest supercomputer and the brightest X-ray source in the western hemisphere, Mr Willetts was presented with a small piece of graphite from the first ever nuclear reactor, built in the bowels of a University of Chicago Athletic Stadium in 1942. For portions of the visit, the Minister was also accompanied by “The Naked Scientists” who along with SIN produced an “Audio Diary” of the visit.
UK expertise and investment in the “Eight Great Technologies” was a key point of reference for the visit, serving to demonstrate the way in which UK Government is investing strategically in specific areas of scientific research seen as pivotal for future UK competitiveness. During his trip, Mr Willetts enthused about the responsibility of government in shouldering a proportion of the risks inherent in innovation, and spoke about the importance of the UK's Technology Strategy Board and Catapult Centres in bringing technologies closer to market (and bridging the so-called “Valley of Death“). Taking space research as a particular example, the Minister highlighted UK expertise in small, lightweight satellites but underlined the importance of international collaboration in getting these satellites in orbit, in view of the UK decision to opt out of space launch technology over the last 30 years. In the Minister's words, “it is no surprise that a Brit wrote 'a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'!”
Science and Innovation are key drivers of prosperity and growth globally, but particularly so for the UK, which is the strongest performing country in the G8 in terms of field-weighted citation impact and citations per unit of gross expenditure on R&D. International collaboration between UK researchers and their overseas counterparts is vital to this success, and will be vital to maintaining UK scientific excellence in the future.
The UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN) is comprised of about 90 officers based in British Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates in 28 countries around the world. Its role is to promote UK science abroad, to facilitate trans-national scientific partnerships and to inform UK policy on scientific advances overseas. Based at the British Consulate in Chicago, my role is to promote the UK-US science relationship – the strongest and most productive such partnership in the world. Our two countries have co-authored 90,000 joint papers since 2008, and shared four Nobel Prizes in scientific fields in the last 12 years alone. Building on this close partnership, this week UK defence minister Philip Dunne MP brought UK and US researchers closer together still with a new UK-US agreement on science and technology collaboration for Defence, which will focus particularly on cyber-security, space research, and energy use. This is a particularly important step for UK-US science, particularly when we consider that the US Department of Defense R&D budget is larger than the entire defence budget of any other nation except China.
The US and UK play an important role in strengthening innovation globally. The UK-US Global Innovation Initiative (GII), launched in 2013, is a joint effort funded by the US Department of State, the UK's Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and the British Council. Its aim is to support new trilateral research collaborations which address global challenges, and which bring together researchers in the UK, US and specified partner countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia).
Jack Westwood is British Vice-Consul, Science and Innovation, Chicago. The network of UK Science and Innovation officers around the globe serves as the UK's 'eyes and ears' on the ground, reporting on the latest research and innovation advancements abroad and maintaining UK scientific excellence by helping UK researchers to work with the best internationally.
Jack Westwood is the Vice Consul, Science and Innovation British Consulate-General Chicago. | https://wun.ac.uk/article/david-willetts-champions-competition-and-collaboration-science-and-technology/ |
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These lyrics are sung zealously in Disney’s Newsies—a show based on the true story of young newsboys seeking fair compensation for their work from tabloid giants William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer in 1899. The strike, which lasted almost two weeks, halted newspaper circulation throughout the city and all of New England as more than 5,000 children demonstrated across the Brooklyn Bridge, banding together as they fought to survive. This story is a rally for the marginalised, urging grassroots to speak up for the powerless and agitate for change. It is an excellent performative protest that resonates just as much as today as it did more than a century ago. The recent Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter movements have thrown a spotlight on social injustice on an international scale.
Across the globe, the pandemic has revealed the breadth and depth of inequality experienced by young people. Closer to home, the deaths of over 100 people—including children—as a consequence of military-led violence in the ongoing Myanmar protest have sparked fierce debates about nationalism, democracy and civil rights. All these signal a fractured world, but also bring to fore the collective efforts of people working towards decentralising political powers as well as their cries for justice and equality. While public acts of dissent and political demonstrations might not be legally permitted in Singapore, theatre-makers and cultural organisations have found innovative ways to empower children and young people, keeping their voices and hopes very much alive.
This fervent spirit and commitment to the next generation lies at the heart of Esplanade’s March On!—a new festival for children aged 7–12 that explores contemporary issues through participatory arts experiences and multi-disciplinary programmes. The carefully curated activities, as festival producer Rachel Lim states, “place children squarely at the centre of the creative process”. Focusing on four programmes—PLAYlab+: Process Insights, Educator’s Dialogue, In Hope: Future Praxis of Theatre for Young Audiences and SEEDLINGS—which I had the opportunity to witness online, this article discusses the experiences of artists and educators who perform for and work with children and young people. In doing so, it illuminates the importance of centring children’ voices and asks how, and to what extent, they can continue to be included and engaged in meaningful ways.
Within the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) sector, there has been a shift from frenzied productions to slower ways of working. The Artground and Gateway Arts, for instance, have introduced artist development programmes—GroundBreakers and Collective-in-Residence respectively—that offer artists the opportunity to discover different ways of art-making and a space to create new aesthetic experiences for children. These programmes do not demand artist produce a final product, but place an emphasis on the creative development. The inaugural PLAYlab+ similarly adopts this ethos and approach, giving artists the creative freedom to improvise, experiment and engage with ideas and practices. It invites them to slow down, explore, reflect and research and become fully immersed in the creation process, rather than fall back onto formulaic and stale approaches of art-making. What this means is that artists are able to focus on the doing rather than the done, prioritising quality over quantity.
One unique feature of this programme is that it considers children’s feedback as central to the rehearsal practices and creative process. This is not a common practice in the commercial world since it requires additional resources and time on the part of the artist or company. Whether through playful participation, drawings or interviews, inviting children into the creative process can open up constructive conversations, encouraging new ways of seeing and doing. Nick Wilson, who examines the relationship between creativity and the cultural and creative industries, provides a useful perspective to reflect on these interactions. In Social Creativity: Requalifying the Creative Economy, he moves the emphasis away from the economic imperatives of the creative economy and individualistic notions of creativity, and calls for a consideration of “social creativity” that focuses on the “collective and relational nature or creative practice” (2010, p. 373). Attending to social creativity, he suggests, invites “interaction across boundaries” that can enable “the reproduction and/or transformation of social values, and the realisation of human beings’ creative potential” (Wilson 2010, 373).
The feedback sessions chime well with Wilson’s idea of “social creativity”. It challenges the top-down approach of making TYA by creating a feedback loop between the artist and young audience, and, in doing so, enables new forms of knowledge to be socially and collaboratively produced. As theatre-maker Judy Ngo, one of the participants, observes:
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Adding to this perspective, musician Zee Ang, asserts:
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These dialogical encounters not only inform the creative process, but shift the young audiences from passive consumers to active producers and co-creators, encouraging a constant re-evaluation and rebalancing of the status quo between adult and child. Furthermore, it recognises that their innate imaginative capability is comparable to that of adults. In ways like this, this feedback loop not only contributes to the making of new art experiences but also engages and empowers children in the process; expanding the possibilities of TYA and prompting questions of what it can become.
Beyond PLAYlab+, this open and dialogical approach also forms the bedrock of SEEDLINGS—a programme designed and facilitated by artists Faye Lim and Gua Khee Chong that centres around children’s ideas and experiences. Through multidisciplinary encounters and provocations, children were given the opportunity to interact with designers, directors, artists and programmers and amongst themselves, enabling conversations to flow from talks about their thoughts on the performances they witnessed to more personal anecdotes and sensitive reflections. During the public sharing session, children were invited to summarise their experiences as well as give suggestions for future programmes they would like to see at the festival.
The idea that children link what they see to their own knowledge and experience challenges presumptions that equate spectatorship with passivity. These activities were less about didactic learning but instead encouraged creative expression and idea generation. The sustained relationship that was forged between facilitators and children over the course of the programme meant that there was room to experiment and explore; encouraging them to tap into their imaginations, grow and shape themselves beyond the periphery of their minds. These reflections not only enabled them to make sense of themselves in relation to their environments at their own time and pace, but also provided rich insights into their beliefs and self-representation.
What is revealing is that such a programme is particularly well placed to contribute to public engagement, where it is valued for its capacity to generate informed discussions by representing and understanding children’s contemporary cultural life. When asked about her experience, participant Riya candidly expressed, "it was a jungle of joy". This suggests that children’s imaginations are filled with limitless narratives and their experiences whether in the theatre, at home or in school are, I suggest, symbolic of how they are valued in society and a contemporary mark of active citizenship. In ways like these, listening and giving voice to children can, perhaps, encourage civic engagement and enhance social democracy on a small scale.
The pandemic has had a profound impact on city life and will continue to shape the way children live, learn and play. In times of crisis and uncertainty it would, of course, be easy for drama and theatre education to repeat familiar rhetoric about its benefits to young people. But as theatre-makers and educationalists grapple with the challenges of social distancing and working in unpredictable learning environments, it calls for a rethinking of what theatre means to children. What ideas still work, and what needs to be reconsidered? How can drama educators continue to engage children creatively in a changing world?
Some of these concerns were raised in the Educators’ Dialogue (in conjunction with the Singapore Drama Educators Association’s Connections) where participants were invited to discuss the challenges they face in formal and informal learning environments and suggest future possibilities. Facilitated by Rosie McGowan, Kenneth Kwok and Jian Hong Kuo, this lively debate tapped onto their collective insights, knowledge and experience to explore theatre education’s entanglements with digital technologies and propose innovative strategies for the sector moving forward. Amidst the discussion ranging from technological glitches to zoom fatigue, there were three broad ideas that emerged. First, there were concerns that social distancing protocols prohibiting physical interactions have eradicated the interactive and sensory experience—a central quality in drama education and theatrical performances. This has led drama educators to consider how the "live" can be recreated. Second, existing in the digital present has reconfigured learning processes and performance-making, whereby artists and educators are increasingly asked to design, present and mediate their work via online channels where possible. For example, the Singapore Youth Festival, an event that shines a spotlight on the achievements of youths in co-curriculum activities, was live-streamed this year instead. This shift, accompanied by new institutional regulations, has increasingly put pressure on theatre-makers to adapt and learn new skills such as film-making and editing, which they might not have the means to do so. Third, despite the numerous challenges, artists and educators have also turned this into an opportunity to engage children in meaningful ways. Zoom breakout rooms , for example, have become the new "safe" space, encouraging deeper conversations between educators and students. Here, children are expressing not just what they are doing, but also how they are feeling.
These insights reflect how new ways of working are alert to the social and ethical implications associated with the speed of technological change and also prompt questions about how drama and theatre education can capture the imagination of young people in a changing world. Growing up in an increasingly digital age, the communication habits of today’s children and the way they express themselves differ vastly from previous generations. From creating performances on TikTok to curating multiple identities on Instagram, these reveal children’s ability to use technology in sophisticated ways; navigating seamlessly between offline and online worlds. Of course, it is equally important to recognise that not all children have access to these opportunities and this, it seems to me, begs further consideration about the social conditions in which knowledge is produced, transformed and disseminated. This recent move to digital platforms, however, offers new opportunities. As Kwok eloquently articulates:
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In many ways, new and popular technologies, when harnessed effectively, can be used as a bridge to young people’s engagement and participation. Reframing theatrical activities thus has the potential to invite them and their care-givers into the creative process, enhance aesthetic experiences and build community-wide relationships via online channels; thereby provoking questions about the future of participatory work and audience development. Integrating technology in performance, as educationalist Christina Carson argues, develops innovative ways of “talking to audiences” that could “reinvigorate the theatre as a centre of public debate in the twenty-first century” (Carson 2011, 183). With the enforced "digital turn", her claim, which was made a decade ago, resonates even more deeply in today’s climate. The challenge, perhaps, is how to maintain a constructive balance between theatre and technology, in which the aesthetic and educational imperatives extend, rather than diminish, their capacity to excite, move and provide an imaginative vision of the future. There is, of course, no single solution and this ongoing search, in the words of Kuo, requires “compassion, vulnerability and openness”.
This delicious mix of optimism and contemplation is also captured in In Hope: Future Praxis of Theatre for Young Audiences—a four-way dialogue among Kate Cross, Bebê De Soares, Sue Giles and Adjjima Patalung that shed light on perspectives and practices in their respective contexts. Through the lens of TYA, the panellists discussed challenges and possibilities that emerged from overlapping boundaries of education, theatre and policy. The central thread that connects these concerns is that live performance is, at the moment, undergoing a significant change. In particular, cross-fertilisation between live and recorded media has become part and parcel of contemporary theatre-making practices and audience engagement. This has led the visual medium to be even more vital now that digital technologies have informed the language and aesthetics of theatre. Resultantly, the rise of new forms, new technologies, new thinking about drama, theatre and dance, and innovative approaches to story-telling (with growing budget limitations) calls for strategies, practices and programmes that can intersect with this shift.
What is pertinent to note is that while artists have found innovative ways to generate new forms of participation and spectatorship, some have also turned this into an opportunity to engage new audiences that might have been previously excluded from participating in the arts. This increased access is especially important in light of the growing awareness of the need for inclusion in theatre more broadly. For example, some progress has been made to better welcome audience members with certain disabilities, such as relaxed performances that are adapted to suit people with autism or sensory communication disorders. However, systemic issues of race, class and ableism continue to exclude many potential spectators. Echoing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which affirms children the right to participate freely in cultural life and the arts, De Soares passionately asserts:
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However, there is also a need to consider the other side of the argument. Describing the struggles of children in rural communities in Thailand, Patalung states that access to the internet and mobile devices might not always be readily available. And those who might be fortunate to possess these tend to isolate themselves. The paradox here is that while technology might enhance communication with people from around the world, it can also “further disconnect communities”.
These shifts and changes in the landscape reveal that the performance on stage only represents part of the creative efforts of TYA, and there are lots of ways for the field to grow and reach new audiences in this new chapter. Of course, some projects that set out to be inclusive and artistically engaging have sometimes missed the mark. But like any other creative endeavours, taking risks, improvising and figuring things out along the way is part of the process. Part of the success of creating works that are genuinely inclusive therefore lies in having conversations and finding ways that can encourage the exchange of skills, stories, and ideas across different communities, artists and stakeholders, recognising that creativity is always in the making, rather than ready made, and developed over generations.
As I watched these events online in my living room in London, I wondered if, and why, theatre in this challenging time still matters; especially when viewing a performance via a streaming device will not have the enchantment of a live theatre experience. There are no concrete answers, and it would be naïve to assume that all children will have the same response to a streamed performance or a simulated experience. However, the tireless efforts of the wider TYA community in trying to capture children’s imaginations illustrate that there is still a strong desire to cultivate creativity in the next generation and create a better future for them. And perhaps that is the point: theatre for children, has always been fluidly responsive and adaptive to political, environmental and social change. Therefore, it will continue to penetrate into the cultural lives of children and be the subject of many future debates.
The events that I have illustrated seem to be in line with the sentiments of philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, who advocates for political change and social justice. His approach is simple and resounding: seek out conversations. He states:
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This suggests that there is a significant potential to develop new modes of collaboration through dialogue, and for theatre practices to address some of the concerns in the education and cultural sectors. The “imagination” that Appiah champions can enable us to reframe what fairness looks like, unlock innovative approaches for the unknown future and empower artists and children in new ways. Greater conversations between policymakers, artists and audiences can widen these practices as well as encourage political rhetoric and social thoughts. Here, I am reminded that because theatre has the capacity to enact social and political change, it must continue to include children’s voices and embrace their ways of understanding the world; it must advocate for building a better future grounded in present social relations that are politically, critically and affectively engaged.
Given the precarious times where fissures along nationalistic, political, religious, cultural and racial lines are widening, it is platforms like March On! that can continue to offer children an imaginative space, fire up their imagination and encourage dialogues that inspire change. And that change, more often than not, comes when established authorities make space for the voices of the younger generation. As governor Theodore Roosevelt in the final scene of Newsies proclaims: “Each generation must, at the height of its power, step aside and invite the young to share the day… I believe the future in your hands, will be bright and prosperous” (Newsies the Musical, 2017). Not only are these words a timely invitation for producers, artists, policymakers and researchers to pay attention to young voices, but also a provocation to march on; one small step at a time.
Appiah, K.M. (2006). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. London: Penguin Books
Carson, C. (2011) ‘Technology as a Bridge to Audience Participation?’ In Broadhurt, S. & Machhoon, J. (ed) Performance and Technology. London: Palgrave Macmillan
Newsies The Musical (2017). Directed by Jeff Caulhon. Accessed on 1 April 2021 from: Disney+.
The Esplanade (n.d.) Accessed 1 April, 2021. About March On!
Wilson, N. (2010). ‘Social Creativity: Requalifying the Creative Economy’. International Journal of Cultural Policy. 16(3), 367-381.
Contributed by:
Dr. Caleb Lee is Research Associate at Rose Bruford College TYA Centre and Co-Artistic Director of Five Stones Theatre. | https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/researchers/explore/centring-childrens-voices |
28 Dec The Sacral Circle – Healing Trauma through Creative Expression
Healing trauma and discovering your inner world through creative expression.
In part two of my interview with Emelina Holland we go into depth on the importance of balance and how it plays into our healing. We also cover the most important question that ultimately leads to the path of liberation which is, WHO AM I?
Emelina shared the various ways she intuitively expressed herself creatively, which provided a safe space for her to use her voice and explore her emotions. Lastly, Emelina was kind enough to close the show with one of her latest songs…a beautiful prayer/chant titled, Love and Prosperity.
Emelina Holland (Also known as Moon Jaguar Sees the Dawn~My Medicine Name) is a High Priestess of Love & Womb Keeper of Sacred Creative Manifestation. She’s a Practical Mystic, Healer, Metaphysical Artist, Singer, Author and Founder of the Sacred Flame Sisterhood Circle, and the Sacred Root Dance. Her creations have been birthed through the many years of her own spiritual awakening. She incorporates holistic alternative healing modalities with Divine quantum healing and Sacred manifestation practices through intentional creativity and various innovative, organic and intuitive artistic expressions. Her vision is to educate, empower and inspire others to create a fulfilling life with their own potential by accessing and trusting their own inner power, inner wisdom and their own Divine given talents, gifts and skills.
Visit emelinasart.com
Meet host Janie Terrazas one of our Luminaries at Sacred Stories Media!
Read Janie’s A Sacred Story in The Owl magazine. | https://sacredstoriesmedia.com/healingexpression/ |
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PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: | https://hirevouch.catsone.com/careers/95532-General/jobs/14591647-Full-Stack-SW-Engineer-JavascriptTypescript |
The Indo-Pacific warm pool - pictured above in bright orange -- has warmed by 1 degree Fahrenheit, or .5 degree Celsius, over the past 50 years, mostly due to human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. These temperature changes are driving changes in sea level patterns.Image via NASA Earth Observatory.
This season, we’ve been following Mumbai through the monsoon, looking at how monsoon season can ravage transportation systems and batter infrastructure, putting people’s lives and livelihoods in jeopardy.
Now, a new study in Nature Geoscience describes how climate change from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is leading to dangerous sea level rises — particularly in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal — and potentially heavier monsoon rains, which will aggravate flooding in places like Mumbai.
More specifically, temperature changes in the Indo-Pacific warm pool — a massive, bathtub-shaped expanse stretching from the east coast of Africa to the International Date Line in the Pacific — are driving the sea level rise. The pool holds the warmest seawater in the world, and has heated by 1 degree Fahrenheit, or .5 degree Celsius, over the past 50 years, mostly due to GHG emissions.
These emissions are causing changes in two crucial atmospheric wind patterns — the Hadley circulation and the Walker circulation — which determine sea level patterns in the region. Changes in these wind patterns are generating sea level rises significantly higher than the global average along the coastal lines of the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal, along with islands like Sumatra, Sri Lanka and Java.
In the meantime, these changes are causing the sea level to fall in other places, for instance, the Seychelles Islands and the island of Zanzibar.
A Times of India cartoon makes light of transit troubles during the monsoon with this picture of a "monsoon-proof bike." However, serious attention to monsoon preparedness is essential for affected cities' transit systems. Image via Times of India.
And lead author Weiqing Han says changes in circulation patterns could also affect precipitation, leading to heavier monsoons in the eastern tropical regions of the Indian Ocean, and dangerous droughts in the western equatorial Indian Ocean region.
This is particularly relevant in low-lying coastal areas like Mumbai, which will be affected by both rising tides and increased rains.
Better coordination and streamlining of government agencies responsible for urban infrastructure.
Enforcing bans on plastic bags. As one of our Mumbaiker readers commented, enforcing bans on plastic bags — on the books but rarely enforced in places like Mumbai — would signify a huge improvement in urban monsoon preparedness, since the bags clog drains and exacerbate flooding.
Enjoy the Ride on Earth Day! | https://thecityfix.com/blog/ghg-emissions-rising-sea-levels-and-more-menacing-monsoons/ |
RE oxide are most stable from various RE compounds, the fundamental raw material of other compounds and are basic products of raw material in RE industry. RE oxides are generally prepared by ignition of corresponding hydroxide, oxalate, carbonate salt, nitrate salt, soleplate salt in the air. RE oxide are insoluble in water and basic solution, soluble in strong mineral acids, and apt to absorb cabin dioxide from air to form carbonate salt. All RE oxide are powder and their melt points are above 2300℃.
RE Hydroxides are generally prepared by mixing corresponding soluble salt with ammonium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide they are soluble in acids, insoluble in water, and generally powder.
There are two kinds of RE chlorides, anhydrous and hydrous chlorides. The former is prepared by heating, dewater in vacuum of it's hydrous. The Later is prepared by condensing of its corresponding RE chloride solution. All RE chlorides are hydroscopic and substantially soluble in water.
RE sulphates are generally prepared by adding sulphuric acid to their corresponding oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, and the solid state of the salt can be prepared by condensation of the solution. All RE sulphates are soluble in water, but their solubilities are lower and down with the temperature up.
The solid RE carbonate can be prepared by adding more the solution of soluble RE salt. RE carbonates are little soluble in water, soluble in acids to yield corresponding salt and give off CO2 RE carbonates decompose to be oxides over 905℃.
RE nitrates can be prepared by condensing the solution of their salt which are obtained by mixing the nitric acid and RE oxide, hydroxide, carbonate. RE nitrates are most soluble in water of various salt and soluble in some organic agents-alcohol acetone etc. When the salts are heated, give off 02,NO,N02,the final products are oxides.
RE fluorides are prepared by adding HF solution RE salt solution are insoluble in water, soluble in thick acid, and the major raw material for electrolysis of RE metal.
RE metals appear as of typical metallicity. Their melt points and densities increase with the atomic number except Europium and ytterbium, yet the hardness increases with the atomic number in spite of being soft. Although their tensile stresses are low, RE metals show fairly high stretchy .The activities of the Metals increase in sequence in Sc,Y,La, however decrease from La to Lu sequentially. The metals are liable to oxidize in the air, inert in cool water, but active to hot water and realease hydrogen and violently react with acids, but rather inactive to bases. The metals are combustible. As such should be kept carefully. Normally, RE metals are manufactured by electrolysis or pyroreduction. RE metals are rather effective reductants in metallurgical, the metals have been used to prepare high performance magnetics, fuel batteries, secondary cells, and functional non-ferrous materials. | http://www.rare-earth.co/h-nd-6.html |
,
Vilas Sahebrao Kanthale
,
N.D. Khaire
Published in INPRESSCO
2017
Issue: Special Issue 7
Pages: 32.0 - 37.0
Abstract
A Magneto rheological Fluid (MRF) is a Smart fluid whose viscosity can be varied by application of magnetic field. The MR Fluid has vast applications in various engineering as well as day to day life. There is huge potential that this revolutionary material will provide many leading edge applications. The fluid has applications in various fields such as automotive industry, household applications, prosthetics, civil engineering, hydraulics, brakes and clutches, etc. Also there is a possible application of the fluid in reducing the effect of Gun Recoil. This paper will describe these applications and working of proposed application.
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CTA Publications Medicinal Plants
The valuable medicinal properties contained in certain plants are not, however, in doubt. In recent years, for example, the Chinese plant Artemisia annua, has become the essential ingredient in a new generation of anti-malaria drugs. The plant is now being grown in East African countries to supply pharmaceutical manufacturers in Europe. The bark of the tree Prunus africana is used in making treatments for prostate cancer. Sutherlandia, a native plant of South Africa, is being increasingly recognised for its value to HIV/AIDS sufferers. Other African plants, such as Devil’s Claw and African Geranium, are also gaining popularity as herbal medicines, particularly in Europe.
Medicinal plants therefore represent an important opportunity to rural communities in Africa, as a source of affordable medicine and as a source of income. Governments too need to be thinking about how to promote the benefits that medicinal plants have to offer, which may involve integrating herbal medicine into conventional healthcare systems. This raises important issues, such as regulation of traditional healers and ensuring certain standards are met. | https://www.echocommunity.org/resources/ef94460e-1373-40b6-9be5-74f85f410401 |
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· Develop, produce and distribute program information necessary to promote assigned programs, in accordance with membership and marketing plans.
· Lead the Association’s work in making data driven decisions related to market trends, growth opportunities and future needs. Interpret data and educate staff to make trends, statistics and reports useful and actionable for the team.
· Serve as the Associations primary contacts with media representatives and write and submit press releases when appropriate. Maintain updated files of YMCA’s media relations (both press and electronic). Partner with leadership team to handle internal and external crisis communications planning, management, training and response.
· Develop, monitor and administer assigned annual budget and maintain a positive fiscal position.
· Develop effective working relationships with service groups, community organizations and companies. Is an advocate for the YMCA.
· Hire, train, evaluate and supervise assigned staff and volunteers. Provide training in marketing and communications. Educate, motivate and provide feedback to individuals related to best practices in marketing and communications.
· Manage and drive vendor relationships related to the YMCA brand.
· Partner with Association leaders to develop strategies to ensure staff and volunteers reflect the community.
· Provide marketing and awareness for Association financial development initiatives.
· Strategize and implement, in coordination with Financial Development Department, marketing and communication initiatives supporting campaigns, Annual Meeting, and donor and volunteer communications.
· Provide strategic support to Annual Turkey Trot marketing and communications plan.
· Serve as a resource and participates as a leader of various staff committee and leadership groups.
· Work directly with assigned committees of the board (Example: Marketing Committee) to build volunteer relationships, oversee marketing initiatives and meet the related needs of the board.
· Provide direction and support to assigned staff in the performance of their duties, establishing work priorities in achieving strategic and operating plan goals; prepares and manages associated budgets. Current staff structure consists of four staff, two marketing managers and two marketing specialists.
· Provide leadership and consulting support to executives and management on matters of reinforcing strategic positioning of the YMCA brand, membership campaigns, and growing market share in its programs and services. Participates in strategic planning for the organization.
Collaboration - Creates sustainable relationships within the Y and with other organizations in service to the community.
Communication & Influence - Listens and expresses self effectively and in a way that engages, inspires, and builds commitment to the Y’s cause.
Functional Expertise - Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment. Uses best practices, guidelines, and industry standards as a framework to improve performance. Serves with purpose and passion.
Project Management - Ensures program or project goals are met and intended impact occurs. Develops organizational goals and strategic plans, balancing long term direction and short-term requirements.
Change Leadership – Initiates change to improve the Y, meet community needs, and maximize impact. Plans for resistance as part of the change process and develops strategies to help adapt and accept change initiatives.
Fort Worth is the USA’s 13th largest city and home to acclaimed world-class opportunities for business, education, cultural pursuits and affordable living. A moderate climate and ample workforce enhance our central location in the U.S. Access to DFW International Airport and major transportation infrastructure put the world in easy reach. Fort Worth is comprised of a variety of different entertainment districts each offering distinct dining, shopping, entertainment and cultural amenities. You can enjoy a range of experiences: from NASCAR racing to rodeos, world-class museums to cowboy cuisine, boutique shopping to a Top 5 zoo, biking to horseback riding. | https://dfwcommunicators.com/job/vp-of-marketing-and-communications/ |
The Masquerade Ball: Train Yourself to Detect Spoofed Files
Masquerading is a technique used in which a file name is maliciously named something similar to one which may be trusted.
This specific technique is outlined in detail in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, as well. For example, a file named explorer.exe may seem more benign than one called explor3r.exe. However, file names may not be so easy to spot like that. Let’s go through a quick exercise and test your masquerading chops. Which of the following executables is the malicious one?
- Conhost.exe
- Explorer.exe
- Lsalso.exe
- Lsass.exe
- Rdpclip.exe
- Spoolsv.exe
- Svchost.exe
- Svhost.exe
Some of these may seem more familiar than others, such as conhost, explorer, and lsass. Others might be somewhat new to you, such as lsalso or rdpclip. The tricky part for most comes with the final three. Spoolsv is the print spooler service. Svchost is a system process used to launch Windows Services. Svhost is the malicious outlier that is trying to hide by using “sv” for service as used by the spoolsv executable rather than the expected “svc” for service as used by the proper executable.
It is quite common to see malicious binaries named like their benign counterpart with a single letter removed, added or modified. Another trick used by attackers is to reuse the benign file name but execute it from a new location. Let’s test your detection skills again. Which of the following is the malicious application?
- C:\Windows\System32\calc.exe
- C:\Windows\System32\explorer.exe
- C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
- C:\Windows\notepad.exe
When looking at the file names alone, they all appear to be correct. The file paths they are running in all look to be trusted locations, so an untrained eye can just pass right by all of these when inspecting a system. However, you know you’re being tested, and you know one of these is bad.
Three of these are user applications, but they are in different locations. Some executables reside in C:\Windows, C:\Windows\System32 as well as C:\Windows\SysWOW64. Notepad.exe is one of the executables that is in all three locations. Likewise, calc is also expected in the system32 directory, but not the Windows root directory. The malicious executable here is explorer.exe, which should only be in the Windows root directory. If you were to be whitelisting applications by only file name, for example, then an attack like this would bypass your defenses.
A few years ago, I discussed how you can bypass AppLocker and described the advantages and disadvantages of blocking by file hash, file path or publisher. The same thought process still holds true when trying to mitigate against this type of attack.
When detecting abuse of this technique, the strategy remains relatively the same. Comparing file hashes will be the most accurate test. Creating a list of known good file hashes will be easier to maintain than trying to compare against a list of known bad. However, keeping a list of known good file hashes will need to be continuously curated each month as new patches come out.
When pulling a list of files, it may not be possible or efficient to look up the signatures of who signed the file. Benign files may also not be signed by their author, making it difficult to compare good versus bad. In this case, comparing a list of known good file names with their expected file paths is a decent balance between maintainability and accuracy.
Using something like the NIST National Software Reference Library will help with comparing file names or hashes. However, the list is not updated very often, so file hashes for recent updates are going to be missing. Also, the NSRL only contains file names and not their full paths, so any malware using known file names will not help, either. It’s best to just create your own list that is unique to your environment.
The best place is to create this from a golden image or other system that is not yet in production. To create a simple list, you can use a built-in scripting language like VBS or PowerShell to iterate over the file system and write the names to a list. If you have an endpoint tool such as Tripwire Enterprise, this can be quickly done by gathering the file names and writing them to a file in a central location. If you have multiple platforms, curating a list in a central location is ideal to avoid additional overhead of de-duplicating any gathered file names.
As new files are detected on the endpoints, they should be compared against the list of known good files. In the examples above, very quickly you can ignore files that are in known good locations and focus on svhost.exe and C:\Windows\System32\explorer.exe. From a defender’s perspective, having to review two files compared to twelve frees them to focus on other more important tasks.
In looking at Windows specifically, monthly patches update critical files on the endpoint each time they are installed. More often than not, the same set of files are updated. Only occasionally are new files written to the OS. When these new files appear, they will be quickly exposed. From here, an analyst can do additional research if they are expected as part of a patch cycle or send the binary to a threat intelligence platform for further analysis.
For Tripwire Enterprise customers, all of the features mentioned above are available. A “Promote-By-Match Action” will take the files gathered by any number of rules and compare them to a list of files stored on the Tripwire Enterprise server. Creating that baseline list is as easy as creating another “Execution Action” and running that against a golden image.
For the outliers not found in the golden image list, integrate with Tripwire Malware Detection service to send file hashes or even binary files for further analysis and provide results directly back into the console. | https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/masquerade-train-yourself-detect-spoofed-files/ |
80 Mesh Echinacea Purpurea Extract Powder,
4% Polyphenol Echinacea Purpurea Extract,
Brown Yellow Echinacea Purpurea Extract
Product Description
Quick Details
|Product name:||Echinacea Purpurea Extract Powder|
|Latin name:||
|
Echinacea purpurea (Linn.) MoenchEchinacea purpurea (Linn.) Moench
|Part Used:||Flower|
|TEST METHOD:||HPLC|
|Color:||Brown Yellow Fine Powder|
|Odor:||Characteristic|
|density:||0.5-0.7g/ml|
|Particle Size:||100% pass 80 mesh|
|Loss on drying:||≤5.00%|
|Acid insoluble Ash:||≤5.0%|
|Heavy metals(as Pb):||≤10ppm|
|Lead(Pb):||≤2ppm|
|Arsenic (As):||≤2ppm|
|Residual Pesticide:||Negative|
|Total microbacterial count:||NMT10000cfu/g|
|Total Yeast & Mold:||NMT1000cfu/g|
|Salmonella:||Negative|
|E.Coli.||Negative|
Product description:
Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench is one of the most important and well-known medicinal plants in the world, belonging to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. The plant is the most widely cultivated medicinal plant in this species,which has been mainly used in chemo-preventive and chemotherapy for infectious diseases in both upper and lower respiratory systems.This species has been traditionally employed for the treatment of toothache, bowel pain, snake bite, skin disorders, seizure, chronic arthritis, and cancer. Although the isolation and structural elucidation of its main compounds have been noticed by investigators, there is no affirmation about its mechanism of action. Alkamides, caffeic acid derivatives, and polysaccharides have been considered important constituents of the plant. A number of studies revealed that alkamides are involved in the immunomodulatory properties of Echinacea extracts in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, caffeic acid is found in some species of Echinacea and could be applied toward authentication and quality control of the plant extracts. The polysaccharides play an important role in the anti-inflammatory effect of Echinacea preparations.Taxonomic, chemical, pharmacological, and clinical characteristics of some species of the Echinacea genus including E. angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. purpurea were reviewed in previous papers.
Echinacea and its extract used for common infection or trauma, cold or flu, candidiasis, candida strep throat, staph infection, urinary tract infection, pelvic inflammation (P.I Chemicalbook. D), tonsil inflammation, upper respiratory tract, the wound inflammation, toothache, or oral infections, insect, animal or snake bites, blood or food poisoning, boils, Abscesses, eczema.
Main function:
1.Echinacea is best known for its beneficial effects on the immune system.
Numerous studies have found that this plant may help your immune system combat infections and viruses, which could help you recover faster from illness.
That’s one reason why echinacea is often used to prevent or treat the common cold.
In fact, a review of 14 studies found that taking echinacea may lower the risk of developing colds by more than 50% and shorten the duration of colds by one and a half days.
However, many studies on this topic are poorly designed and show no real benefit. This makes it hard to know if any benefits on colds are from taking echinacea or simply from chance.
In short, while echinacea may boost immunity, its effects on the common cold are unclear.
2.lower blood sugar levels
High blood sugar can raise your risk of serious health problems.This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease and several other chronic conditions.Test-tube studies have found that echinacea plants may help lower blood sugar levels.In a test-tube study, an Echinacea purpurea extract was shown to suppress enzymes that digest carbohydrates. This would reduce the amount of sugar entering your blood if consumed.
Other test-tube studies found that echinacea extracts made cells more sensitive to insulin’s effects by activating the PPAR-y receptor, a common target of diabetes drugs.This particular receptor works by removing excess fat in the blood, which is a risk factor for insulin resistance. This makes it easier for cells to respond to insulin and sugar.Still, human-based research on the effects of echinacea on blood sugar is lacking.
3.reduce feelings of anxiety
Anxiety is a common problem that affects close to one in five American adults.In recent years, echinacea plants have emerged as a potential aid for anxiety.Research has discovered that echinacea plants contain compounds that may reduce feelings of anxiety. These include alkamides, rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid.In one mouse study, three out of five echinacea samples helped reduce anxiety. In addition, they did not make the mice less active, in contrast to higher doses of standard treatments.
Another study found that Echinacea angustifolia extract rapidly reduced feelings of anxiety in both mice and humans.However, as of now, only a handful of studies on echinacea and anxiety exist. More research is needed before echinacea products can be recommended as a possible treatment.
4.Anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation is your body’s natural way of promoting healing and defending itself. Sometimes inflammation can get out of hand and last for longer than necessary and expected. This may raise your risk of chronic diseases and other health problems. Several studies have shown that echinacea can help reduce excess inflammation. In a mouse study, echinacea compounds helped reduce important inflammatory markers and memory-loss caused by inflammation. In another 30-day study, adults with osteoarthritis found that taking a supplement containing echinacea extract significantly reduced inflammation, chronic pain and swelling.Interestingly, these adults did not respond well to conventional non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) but found the supplement containing echinacea extract helpful.
5.help treat skin concerns
Research has shown that echinacea plants may help treat common skin concerns.In a test-tube study, scientists found that echinacea’s anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties suppressed the growth of Propionibacterium, a common cause of acne. In another study in 10 healthy people aged 25–40, skin care products containing echinacea extract were found to improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles.
Similarly, a cream containing Echinacea purpurea extract was shown to improve eczema symptoms and help repair the skin’s thin, protective outer layer. However, echinacea extract appears to have a short shelf life, making it difficult to incorporate into commercial skin care products.
6.offer protection against cancer
Cancer is a disease that involves the uncontrolled growth of cells. Test-tube studies have shown that echinacea extracts may suppress cancer cell growth and even trigger cancer cell death. In one test-tube study, an extract of Echinacea purpurea and chicoric acid (naturally found in echinacea plants) was shown to trigger cancer cell death. In another test-tube study, extracts from echinacea plants (Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida) killed human cancer cells from the pancreas and colon by stimulating a process called apoptosis or controlled cell death. It’s believed that this effect occurs due to echinacea’s immune-boosting properties. There was some concern that echinacea could interact with conventional cancer treatments, such as doxorubicin, but newer studies have found no interaction. That being said, human studies are needed before making any recommendations.
Applications:
1.Nutritional supplement
(1)Strengthening the immune system,and it can be used as an immunomodulator improving the activity of
different immune cells.
(2)Preventing influenza, shortening the duration of cold.
(3)Antiviral, inhibiting the virus growing, used to treat rabies and snake venom.
(4)Antifungal, polysaccharide & caffeic acid have antibacterial activity which can resist Candidiasis.
(5)Anti-inflammatory, strong anti-inflammatory activity,used for bacterial infections.
2. Feed additives
(1) For horse feeding: It can increase the phage ability of neutrophils and the number of peripheral lymphocytes, and effectively stimulate the horse's immune activity.
(2)For chicken feeding: It can obviously increase the weight of the chickens in the experimental group and reduce the infection of coccidia.
(3) For fish, shrimp and other aquatic animals: It can promote growth and increase immunity. Also available for many other animals.
Echinacea, as an immunomodulator and immune booster, has been approved as an over-the-counter drug in Germany. Its preparation was listed in the 2000 most commonly used prescriptions as early as 1989, ranking 131st. At present, there are more than 300 types of echinacea single preparations and compound preparations in Germany. The most common are oral extracts, as well as injections, suppositories, ointments, etc. The most famous of which is the immunomodulator produced by Schaper & Brummer in Germany. Polycom (EsberitorN, containing Echinacea Root, Platycladus orientalis leaves, Andian indigo root), the immune enhancer EspChemicalbooka-Imun drops produced by Esparma Company in Germany, and the antibacterial and antiviral Echinacin preparations for the respiratory and urethra Infected ImmunopertEchinacea drops and tablets, UralytCapsules, etc. used to prevent urine firmness and relieve renal firm colic. Echinacea products are the best-selling over-the-counter herbal products in the North American market. The United States, Canada and other countries use EA root to treat oral and throat sores. From 1995 to 1998, Echinacea continued to rank first in the sales ranking of the US herbal medicine market, accounting for more than 10% of the food supplement market. | https://www.pure-plantextract.com/sale-14469956-4-polyphenol-80-mesh-echinacea-purpurea-extract-powder-brown-yellow-powder.html |
The tasty autumn flavor combo of apples and cinnamon is always a welcome one. That's why our Test Kitchen wanted to come up with a diabetes-friendly recipe for that irresistible duo. They knocked it out of the park with these Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cups!
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Coat 6 ovenproof custard cups with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine vanilla wafers, cinnamon, and pecans.
Spoon 2 tablespoons pie filling and 1 tablespoon wafer mixture into each prepared cup. Repeat layers.
Bake 20 minutes, or until pie filling is bubbly and heated through. | https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Misc-Desserts/Apple-Cinnamon-Crunch-Cups-7361 |
- Email:
- Helena.Henriksson[AT-sign]gender.uu.se
- Telephone:
- +4618-471 7298, +46-72 9999255
- Mobile phone:
- +46 72 9999255
- Visiting address:
- Villavägen 6
752 36 UPPSALA
- Postal address:
- Box 527
751 20 Uppsala
Short presentation
This paragraph is not available in English, therefore the Swedish version is shown.
Helena Wahlström Henriksson is Professor in Gender Studies and Docent in American literature. Her research interests are cultural studies, feminist theory, masculinity studies, family/kinship studies, childhood studies, women's literature, American literature, and postcolonial studies.
This paragraph is not available in English, therefore the Swedish version is shown.
Fil Kand English and Comparative Literature 1991
Fil Dr American Literature 1997
Docent American Literature 2010
Professor Gender Studies 2016
This paragraph is not available in English, therefore the Swedish version is shown.
My research combines literary and cultural studies methodologies with the critical perspectives of feminist theory and masculinity studies. My previous projects lie within the frameworks of American literary studies and gender studies, but ongoing projects focus on Swedish culture.
My doctoral thesis, Husbands, Lovers, and Dreamlovers: Masculinity and Female Desire in Women’s Novels of the 1970s (Uppsala: Acta 1997), is a feminist study of women’s liberation novels in the US. Masculinity and female heterosexual desire are contextualized historically and discursively, and hence fiction is read alongside non-fictional texts on sexuality, sexual liberation, and women’s liberation that were published in the 1960s and 70s.
Primarily, my research after the PhD has come to focus on understandings of family and kinship, especially fatherhood and gendered parenthood, as well as childhood and orphanhood. New Fathers?: Contemporary American Stories of Masculinity, Domesticity, and Kinship (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010) analyses fatherhood and fathering in non-nuclear families in US fiction and fictional film. Making Home: Orphanhood, Kinship, and Cultural Memory in Contemporary American Novels (Manchester UP, 2014) investigates the orphan figure in contemporary American novels, and the ways that this figure is linked to both literary and social histories of various groups of orphan children in the US. The book was collaboratively written with Prof. Maria Holmgren Troy (Karlstad University) and Dr. Liz Kella (Södertörn University), and financed by the Swedish Research Council 2009-2011.
Another collaborative project, financed by the Swedish Research Council (2017-2020), was Mother Anyway: Literary, Medical, and Media Narratives about Motherhood (Anna Williams PI). More information about that project can be found here: http://www.littvet.uu.se/forskning/forskningsprojekt/mamma-hursomhelst/
Within the framework of that project, I investigated narratives about breastfeeding in handbooks for new parents, representations of maternal bodies in men’s life writing, and more.
An ongoing collaborative project is Single Parents in Swedish Media: On ”Lone” Parenthood 2010-2020. In this project I work with Professor Disa Bergnehr (Linnaeus University) to explore how single parents figure in Swedish newspapers, film and television, and life writing. More information about this project can be found here: https://gender.uu.se/forskning/projekt/ensamstaende-foraldrar-i-svenska-medier/
I headed The Swedish Network for Family and Kinship Studies 2014-2019 (funded by FORTE 2016-18) and currently chair the FAMKIN research group at the Centre for Gender Research.
Please contact the directory administrator for the organization (department or similar) to correct possible errors in the information. | https://www.katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=AA222 |
What The Age Of The Customer Means For Market Insights Professionals
Today my colleague Josh Bernoff is publishing a report that shows how we’re about to enter a new era, called 'The Competitive Strategy In The Age Of The Customer'. This report is a call to action for you and your company about how to remain competitive in a changed world where customers are highly empowered.
Whereas in the age of manufacturing, the age of distribution, and most recently the age of information, companies that had the best skills were winning, in this age of the customer, only companies that fully understand their customers’ needs will win over their hearts (and with that, wallet share). And it’s not enough to be customer-centric — in fact, companies should be customer-obsessed. This is not just jargon, it has a real meaning:
A customer obsessed company focuses its strategy, its energy, and its budget on processes that enhance knowledge of an engagement with customers, and prioritizes these over maintaining traditional competitive barriers.
This report is very relevant for market insights professionals because they are the ones that will need to support their organization to understand the (hidden) drivers behind the needs of the customers — and how to delight them. Josh Bernoff shares more of his insights in this blog post, and clients can access the report here. | https://www.forrester.com/blogs/11-06-06-what_the_age_of_the_customer_means_for_market_insights_professionals/ |
We are looking for someone who loves fashion and is a naturally creative and innovative thinker. It is essential for this candidate to keep up with trends, social media strategy, and understand marketing lingo. Flexibility, adaptability, and drive are key qualities.
- Reflect the brand image, aesthethic, and drive following.
25 More opportunities with Young Mothers, Inc. | https://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp2762274.jsp |
Manifestation refers to the act of making something manifest, or bringing it into reality. It can be a thought, feeling, or desire that becomes tangible or visible.
The concept of manifestation is often associated with spiritual or metaphysical beliefs and practices or the idea that one can manifest their desires through positive thinking or the law of attraction. Some of these are correct, but there are many people who barely believe the practice.
Or there are those who lose faith after a few practices due to the misconceptions associated with it.
There are many myths and misconceptions about manifestation and the law of attraction. Here are a few common ones:
- Manifestation is an easy method and requires no effort: Many believe you can think positively, and your desires will magically appear. But in reality, manifestation requires a clear focus, a positive mindset, and consistent effort to manifest your desired outcome.
- Manifestation does not work: Some people may have tried manifestation and not seen the results they wanted, leading them to believe it does not work. However, manifestation requires consistency, patience, and a willingness to let go of limiting beliefs. If you approach manifestation with these things in mind, you can create positive changes in your life.
- Manifestation only works for certain people: It is not true at all. Anyone can learn to manifest their desires using the principles of the Law of Attraction.
- Manifestation only works for material possessions: It is true that the 'Law of Attraction' can be used to manifest material possessions. But it works perfectly for non-tangible things like love, relationships, and personal growth.
- Manifestation is selfish: It is not about getting what you want at the expense of others. Manifestation is mostly about aligning your thoughts, feelings, and actions with your true desires. It is about creating a positive impact on the world around you.
- Manifestation is superstitious: Certain people believe that manifestation is based on superstition or magic. However, manifestation works on the laws of attraction and the power of the mind. It is a practical tool that can be used to bring about positive change in your life.
- Manifestation is unreal: This disbelief is based on the idea that the universe is unresponsive to thoughts and intentions. While the specific mechanisms by which manifestation works may still be under debate, there is evidence to suggest that it can be a powerful tool for achieving goals and creating positive change in one's life.
Manifestation mistakes
There are a few common mistakes that people make when trying to manifest their desires:
- Not being clear about what they want: It is important to be specific and focus on the details of what you want to manifest. Vague or general desires are less likely to manifest because they lack focus.
- Not believing it is possible: You must believe your desires can manifest. If you do not believe it, you will block the manifestation process.
- Focusing on the lack of what they want: It is important to focus on what you want, not what you do not want. If you keep thinking about what you do not have, you will continue to attract more of that into your life.
- Not acting: Manifestation requires action. You cannot just sit and wait for your desires to manifest. You must take steps toward making your desires a reality.
- Giving up too easily: Manifestation can take time. It is essential to be patient and persistent in your efforts. Do not give up because your desires may be just around the corner.
Correct way of manifestation
People employ different methods to achieve their goals, but there is no one exact way to do it. Common techniques include:
- Setting clear intentions: This means fixing your thoughts on what you want to manifest and being specific about it.
- Believing in your manifestation: You must have faith that your manifestation will happen. It means letting go of any doubts or negative beliefs that could hold you back.
- Visualizing your manifestation: Close your eyes and envision what you want as vividly as possible. Imagine what it will feel like, look like, and be like when it becomes a reality. Must check: How to practice visualization meditation?
- Taking action: While visualization and intention setting is essential, you also need to take concrete steps toward manifesting your desires. It could mean taking on new opportunities, altering your routine the best way, or working on personal development.
- Letting go of attachment: One key aspect of manifestation is letting go of attachment to the outcome. Trust that the universe has a plan for you, and try to let go of any need to control the outcome.
Have additional queries? Try talking to a mindfulness expert on The Wellness Corner.
In a nutshell
Remember, manifestation is a practice and it takes time and patience to see results. Stay positive and keep working towards your goals. Take deep breaths. Give time some time. You will eventually see your manifestations come to fruition. | https://www.thewellnesscorner.com/blog/manifestation-misconceptions-and-mistakes |
In 1987, Bernd Fix developed a method to neutralize the Vienna virus, becoming the first known antivirus software developer. In 2017, as we pass the 30-year anniversary, a lot has changed in endpoint security. I have been fortunate enough to have a front row seat to this evolution, and the parallels between how endpoint security has transformed and what must occur within network security are striking.
When the first antivirus products were developed, there were only a handful of known viruses. Antivirus technology, or endpoint security as it later became known (because malware took on lots of forms like viruses, worms, trojans, and rootkits), involved maintaining a list of static signatures of “known bad” applications and executables. Throughout the 1990s, the technology remained relatively unchanged. It was all about who had the best blacklist.
Malware surge
By the turn of the millennium, the amount of known malware had grown exponentially. Instead of dozens or even thousands of signatures, there were tens of millions. Coupled with polymorphic malware, the permutations were exploding faster than traditional blacklists could keep up. I was working at McAfee at the time, and endpoint security was evolving to “micro-signatures,” or partial binary patterns, that could be updated faster and catch more permutations. It was still a losing battle as security companies required an army of humans to keep the database of signatures (or micro-signatures) properly up to date.
Around a decade ago, with the realization that there was more bad software in the wild than good, a transformation began. As CTO of Bit9 (now Carbon Black), I helped pioneer technology that used whitelists, or signatures of “known good” instead of blacklists. Since the set of trusted software was much smaller and less volatile, it was possible to maintain such lists. The paradigm shift, which continues to this day, is that trust-based approaches to cybersecurity are needed. Adapting to modern security threats means you need to focus on “is this trustworthy?” and not simply “is this bad?”
Modern endpoint security
However, in complex computing environments, maintaining even a trust list can be cumbersome. In a world of continuous change, the fact is that static signatures, even partial ones, don’t scale. The other challenge to security is dual-use software – programs like Powershell which can be used for both business-critical operations and malicious purposes. Trying to classify software as either good or bad doesn’t always work; something more is required.
With these challenges in mind, endpoint security took an additional step forward in recent years. Modern endpoint security solutions, commonly referred to as NGAV or next-gen antivirus, don’t use signature lists and don’t rely solely on software classification. Instead, they analyze behaviors and attributes in real-time to assess both trustworthiness and malicious intent. This is only possible because computing power has advanced to the point where machine learning can analyze millions of data points in real-time so determinations can be made without user intervention. With NGAV, a program is allowed if it is doing good, and prevented or alerted if it is doing bad.
In 30 years, endpoint security evolved from static signature-based blacklists, to micro-signatures, to whitelists, and then to trust-based real-time analytics. The network side of cybersecurity is following a similar trajectory, albeit a few years behind.
Firewalls
While there is some debate about who developed the first firewall product, the basic concept of packet filtering was designed in the late 1980s (though the term “firewall” didn’t gain popularity until the 1990s). Like its antivirus counterpart, for decades firewalls were (and still are) based on static pieces of information – instead of binary signatures, they use IP addresses, ports, and protocols. Since the amount of known bad addresses were relatively small back then, this worked for a while.
Unlike endpoint security, firewalls adopted whitelisting concepts earlier, and through the 1990s and turn of the millennium, firewalls could be deployed with both allow and block rules. These rules were still based on static concepts like IP addresses, and maintenance of those rules was still the responsibility of the consumer or security consultant. As networks became more advanced and interconnected, these lists quickly became unmanageable.
Network security co-opted the term “next-gen” before its endpoint counterpart, but the technologies are hardly similar. About ten years ago, next-gen firewalls or NGFW appeared, utilizing deep-packet inspection to support rules based on traffic content as well as addresses and protocols. NGFWs are more akin to the “micro-signatures” of antivirus, where partial matching of static information can be applied.
In recent years, incremental advancements have been made with firewall management solutions and microsegmentation technologies that help in the management of the rules. But the fundamental limitation of relying on attributes like IP addresses and content tags remains, and the rule sets have exploded. It is not uncommon for an organization to have thousands (even tens of thousands) of firewall rules which makes it a management nightmare.
And just as endpoint security learned that trying to classify trust based solely on file binaries, network security is learning that trying to make decisions based solely on packet information (addresses, ports, protocols, content tags) is a failing proposition. The problem is even more pronounced for networks because in a world of virtualization, cloud computing, containers, and remote computing, IP addresses are becoming increasingly transient and meaningless.
Network security evolution
Learning from the endpoint, the next step in the evolution for network security should be obvious. Decisions about whether to allow or block communication must be made based on information that more closely aligns with intent, such as the user and application making the request, the user and the application receiving the request, and the state of the environment. As with signature-less NGAV, machine learning can be applied to perform this analysis in real-time.
In 2017, we saw the NGAV vendors take on the traditional antivirus vendors, positioning the latest evolution of endpoint security as a replacement for legacy solutions. Network security is poised for the same transformation, where new technologies challenge the static network-address models of traditional firewalls in place of trust-based analytics that are more suited to modern threats and computing environments. | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2017/12/05/network-security-evolution/ |
If you’ve been our faithful reader and your memory has not been damaged by digital amnesia, you may remember that one of the key insights from Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2015 was a forecast that cryptography as a discipline is on the verge of subdual by quantum computing as a result of progress in bringing the latter to reality. To be honest, I personally thought this forecast a bit ahead of its time, especially being in the part of our bulletin called “Predictions for 2016,” but recent headlines changed my mind.
Quantum news
In the space of just a few weeks in late November and December 2016, we learned that Microsoft is hiring top-notch quantum computing scientists and Intel is hinting about its plans to transform silicon chips into quantum processors that can host millions of qubits (quantum bits — units of quantum information). Such processors can be quite useful for building, for example, an AI based on a neural network of quantum computing devices, the proof-of-concept of which has been reported by researchers from Japan’s Tohoku University. And in early January, news arrived that D-Wave, arguably the world’s best known quantum computing pioneer, is open-sourcing quantum computing software.
Democratizing the weirdness of quantum computers may help push the field forward. https://t.co/MTBYJrPdDz
— WIRED (@WIRED) January 11, 2017
In other words, quantum computing is evolving faster than I expected. What does this mean for us, the average users? Does it mean, for example, that we’ll be able to go to a store and buy a “qMac” by the end of the year?
Well, not exactly. Apart from D-Wave, it’s really hard to name another university spin-off that has been able to get far on the bumpy road from laboratory to commercialization. Debates are ongoing about how “really quantum” D-Wave’s device is. I won’t go into that in detail, leaving room for you to read through my colleague’s previous post or read this amazing piece.
Apparently quantum computing is not yet a commodity — as computers became in the 1980s and 90s by the efforts of IBM, Apple, Microsoft, and many others. The complexity and price of quantum computing devices make them better analogous to mainframes, which started to emerge much earlier, in the 1950s.
In the middle of the past century, the biggest obstacle to adoption of the new technology wasn’t the hardware itself; it was the ability to take full advantage of the versatility of the new computing paradigm, which required decades of research. More than three decades of technology development were required before the industry could unveil in the late 1970s all of the building blocks necessary for the emergence of personal computers — and another three decades for PCs to become a basis of modern civilization.
Quantum revolution is nigh
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Although an important step toward widening the community of quantum computing enthusiasts, D’Wave’s opening of the qbsolve to the developer community is not at all like the emergence of Intel’s x86 architecture or IBM’s PC platform. It actually could have rhymed with Alan Turing’s fundamental works of the 1930s, which laid out the basics of “machine cognition” — that is, if it hadn’t come eight months after IBM’s announcement of the IBM Quantum Experience, which, in my personal opinion, does a much better job of explaining what quantum computing is and how it can be used practically.
I must confess, I was so charmed by IBM that I am thinking of asking for trial access to their quantum processor to test if hash-breaking tasks can be performed with it quicker than with an average system’s CPU or GPU. To add more to my admiration, IBM is a company that is going to witness a second major computing paradigm shift within its lifetime. Nevertheless, given the disparity in the amount of available resources, open-sourcing the software is the right direction for D-Wave to go in the wake of intensifying competition in this market.
As we’ve seen from the headlines, Intel is not planning to miss the quantum revolution, and neither is Microsoft. Those old friends from the 1980s actually have a long history of cooperating with researchers exploring superconducting spin qubits. Few details are available about Intel’s plans, but if the company succeeds in adding the spin qubits to the existing silicon chip designs, that’s going to be a game changer in terms of qubit density.
However, it seems that Intel’s quantum chips, as well as D-Wave’s, still need cooling to the temperature of liquid helium (?452 °F and below). That means a smartphone-grade QPU would need to be housed in a mainframe-size facility. In other words, quantum computing power is not yet meant for personal use.
Quantum means “much faster”
The simplest way to explain the game change in processing power is to make an analogy with parallel computing. Qubit states are a superposition of conventional “0” and “1,” the amount of which is limited only to the resolving power of the system, so it is fair to some extent to say that information stored in qubits is processed simultaneously. Which means that a quantum processing unit will be some orders of magnitude more powerful than traditional CPU.
Well, the analogy is not perfect, given that quantum computation operations are not exactly the same as basic operations used in digital algebra, but it seems that quantum computing scientists will need some time to take full advantage of the new computing paradigm, just as it took decades with digital.
However, the main question is, what should we do with this humongous computing power? It doesn’t appear that we need all of the flops hidden in today’s gadgets to perform our most common user tasks, despite the effort developers have put into their apps to make them as multimedia as possible.
Well, think again. Have you seen a message from your favorite messaging app letting you know that it now encrypts all conversations? Or, perhaps, you’ve heard about cryptocurrencies —Bitcoin being the most known — or about blockchain technology? Yes, I am talking about cryptography and technologies that are built upon it.
With 2016 a record-high in terms of the amount of information leaks, encryption is becoming a necessity, not just in the corporate sector, where it is now enforced with even more strength, but for consumers as well. Encryption and decryption tasks consume a lot of computing power. So does the bitcoin mining process. Other implementations of blockchain technology may perform cryptography functions on specialized nodes with more computing power available to them. In fact, bitcoin mining is already nearly ineffective on casual PCs — that’s why specialized mining farms are built. But such initiatives, such as building a more secure IoT (Internet of Things) upon blockchain, lead me to the conclusion that encryption is going to be ubiquitous.
Postquantum cryptography
And guess what? Cryptography is the kind of task for which quantum computers are going to be especially good.
Quantum computing may bring either salvation or doom to this emerging new world. As we said in our Security Bulletin in 2015, cryptography the way it exists today will definitely lead to doom. The thesis that “cryptography is one of the very few fields where adversarial conflict continues to heavily favor the defender” will be strongly contested (to say the least) until effective postquantum cryptography algorithms are introduced.
Do you know what #quantum #cryptography is? Find out over at Kaspersky Daily! http://t.co/y7JJ4bieTW
— Kaspersky (@kaspersky) October 7, 2013
Those, in turn, may require much more computing power than conventional computers are ready to yield. But, to our salvation, the miniaturization and commoditization of quantum computer devices is also imminent, which means that there will be more computing power available to defend against attackers. And the never-ending game of attackers vs. defenders will continue on a new level.
Apart from our information security discourse, we still have hope that advances in quantum computing will further boost augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and other resource-hungry applications.
To sum up: Quantum computers appear to be inching closer to reality. You still can’t touch one, but it’s good to see that there are computing platforms for quantum computers that you can check for yourself with IBM or D-Wave. That checking requires a certain level of geekiness, so the majority of Earth’s population still have to wait. But with more big names like Intel, IBM, Google, and Microsoft pouring money into the effort, it seems inevitable that we’ll see at least some practical outcome. | https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/quantum-new-year/13895/ |
"As soon as we have confirmed that all parts are working properly in harmony, the plant will start operations," Aktham Abou El-Ella said today by phone from Cairo.
The Concentrating Solar Power plant in Kuraymat, an uninhabited flat desert area about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Cairo, will have a solar capacity of 20 megawatts. The concentrated solar energy facility will also include turbines that run on natural gas and steam, according to the website of the ministry’s New and Renewable Energy Authority.
Egypt, the most populous Arab country, plans to generate 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, including 12 percent from wind energy, according to the ministry. The country’s generating capacity reached 22,750 megawatts in the fiscal year ended in June.
The Ministry signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Iberdrola of Spain in 2007, according to the ministry’s website. Cairo-based Orascom Construction Industries is doing the construction work. | https://www.evwind.es/2010/12/16/egypt-to-start-first-concentrated-solar-energy-plant-in-february/8946 |
What gas makes up the majority of the Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What might happen if the Earth didn't have an atmosphere?
We wouldn't be able to breathe
Place the following atmospheric layers in sequence from lowest to highest.
Troposphere-Stratosphere-Exosphere
Why is it difficult to breathe at high altitudes?
because atmospheric gases become thinner the higher you go
If you wanted to fly through a cloud, which atmospheric layer would you fly through?
troposphere
Why is ozone important?
because it blocks harmful ultraviolet rays.
What is weather?
the state of the atmosphere at any particular time
Why is the temperature lower at night than during the day?
The temperature depends on energy from the sun
If it is a hot day outside, what can you conclude?
the air will be able to hold a lot of moisture
Why can't you see the water vapor in the air?
if exists as a clear colorless gas
Why does it tend to be cold at the Earth's poles?
they are further from the sun
What are the characteristics of a high-pressure system?
clear skies and sun
If the air is only holding 1/3 as much moisture as it can possibly hold, what is the relative humidity?
33%
What causes warm air to rise?
The fact that it's less dense than cold air
What causes wind to blow?
differences in air temperature and pressure
Which term best describes how the Earth's atmosphere is heated?
Unevenly
What can you conclude about prevailing winds from their name?
they blow all the time
What creates the air pressure differences between the equator and the poles?
the amount of direct sunlight each area receives
Why does it often feel more humid during the summer than during the winter?
Hot air can hold more moisture than cold air
In what way are air molecules different during the summer than during the winter?
They move faster during the summer
How are winds in the northern hemisphere different than winds in the southern hemisphere?
Winds in the northern hemisphere are deflected right and winds in the southern hemisphere are deflected to the left
If you wanted to find the jet stream where would you go
10 km above the Earth's surface
How does the jet stream influence the weather?
by moving weather from one area to another very quickly
If many water molecules in the atmosphere begin condensing what's the most likely result?
it will begin raining
You have a glass of ice water outside on a hot day. A layer of water forms on the outside of the glass. Where does this water come from?
the atmosphere
What happens when the air temperature drops below the dew point?
water in the air begins condensing
Relative humidity depends entirely on
how much moisture there is in the air on a given day
Which environment will probably have the lowest relative humidity?
a desert
What do tornadoes and hurricanes have in common?
they both involve strong winds
What's the biggest danger posed by thunderstorms?
being struck by lightening
Hurricanes, thunderstorms, and blizzards are all meteorological disasters. What does "meterological mean"?
related to weather
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- Visit our Bulletin Board where you will find announcements and information in reference to Union High School and Monroe County. Contact us to announce your class reunions. Information updated daily.
View the Bulletin Board.
- View a Video of Union, West Virginia in Monroe County
- A visit to Union 2013. If you grew up in Union, West Virginia and you have not been able to return to Monroe County recently, chances are you will enjoy a little tour of Union and the area.
View a Picture Tour of Union & Monroe County.
“AND SO THERE WAS LIGHT” In the town of Union – 1922
The town of Union - 1922
Ninety one years ago from this year of 2013, the arrival of electricity came to Union, West Virginia. It arrived on Thursday night , April 13, 1922. It was said that people were dancing in the streets. Looking south along the tree lined Main Street of Union, electricity had arrived in the town and showed the presence of the utility poles. The only building clearly visible in the picture above is now the home to The Monroe Watchman Office.
There is no doubt that the electricity supplied more light than the ancient oil street lamps that had been in use for a long time. The movement to bring power to the area had begun a year before in 1921 to form a connection with the Virginia Western Power Company at a point near Fort Spring. The Delco system would provide power for the merchants, lights for the town and limited power for other uses, but would not go beyond the town of Union.
Things were proceeding slowly and at times articles appeared in the newspaper pushing the project by appealing to the women. Until the arrival of electricity, many of the homes were using acetylene gas generators, and of course oil lamps. The town’s gas street lamps had to be lit one-at-a-time by hand, and it was someone’s task to do so each evening at dusk. One article pointed out that the wiring of a house could be done for $30-$40 dollars while an acetylene generator would cost $200-$300 dollars and even after it was installed it required maintenance and actually cost more to operate and give less light than the electricity.
On October 1921, wire was being stretched and poles were being set in the town of Union, and people were urged to proceed with house wiring so that when the current was available, the power company would have enough customers to keep the individual cost down. The final stages were slowed by winter and a few difficult times with obtaining right-of-way, but finally the day had arrived and the lights came on in the town of Union. | http://www.uhscornerstone.org/?p=1019 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a filter and, more particularly, to an improved tracking filter and use of the filter in a transmission system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tracking filters are extensively used for tracking signals in communication systems where unwanted signals and the ambient noise content are high. For example, the signals in space communication systems are subject to wide dynamic changes of frequency and a high additive noise level and the receiver must be able to track the wanted signal embedded in the noise and unwanted signal spectrum. Usually, a transponder on board a space vehicle is provided with a tracking filter to track the high wanted signal from an incoming spectrum of signals having a high noise content and being subjected to a dynamic rate of change due to the Doppler effect, as it approaches and recedes from a ground transmitting station.
The signal used in such an environment is typically phase or frequency modulated and by the time it reaches the receiver, it is a narrow band signal which has undergone a wide shift of frequency due to the Doppler effect and is deeply imbedded in additive noise. For example, a modulated signal having a band width of 20 Hertz may undergo 200 KHertz shift due to the Doppler effect, and is also buried in or accompanied by a high ambient noise level. Heretofore, generally a receiver is provided with a tracking filter designed to track the signal of the aforementioned nature, and to extract the wanted signal. Typically, such a filter includes a phase locked loop having a phase detector, a filter, and an oscillator designed to track and recover the wanted signal and attenuate the unwanted signals and noise from the incoming signal spectrum. However, the attenuation is not complete because attempts to attenuate unwanted signal completely tended to cause the tracking filter to be unable to track the wanted components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, aforementioned shortcomings and problems have been overcome and substantial improvement is made to the performance capability of the tracking filter by providing an improved phase locked loop that attenuates the unwanted signal and noise further without degrading the tracking capability of the phase locked loop. This is acomplished by the use of an additional filter and a phase modulator of a predetermined nature operatively inserted in the phase locked loop that alters the transfer characteristics of the phase locked loop to further attenuate the unwanted signal portion and noise with no effect upon the capability of the loop to follow the wanted signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transmission system which utilizes the enhanced tracking filter of the present invention in such a way that, with a minimum of additional circuits, the system receives and tracks a wanted signal of one characteristic and transmits a signal of another characteristic.
Advantageously, the improved tracking filter in accordance with the present invention bypasses high frequency components of the input signal around the VCO which avoids the usual difficulties due to limited VCO response and spurious responses.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention and the advantages thereof shall be more fully apprehended from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a transmission system including a ground station and mobile vehicle having a transponder on board which illustrates the environment in which the improved tracking filter of the present invention may be advantageously used.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional tracking filter having a phase locked loop in a block diagram form.
FIG. 3 shows a frequency response characteristic of the tracking filter illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIGS. 4A-4F show the spectrum distribution and response characteristics of the tracking filter.
FIG. 5 illustrates the signal loop response characteristics of the phase locked loop helpful in the understanding of the operation of the tracking filter of FIGS. 2 and 6.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show improved tracking filters according to the present invention.
FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate the spectral responses of the filter before and after the improvement.
FIG. 9 shows a transmission system utilizing the improved tracking filter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 illustrates an environment in which the function of the tracking filter of the present invention is advantageously utilized. For example, for telemetry and other purposes, a mobile vehicle, such as airborne satellite, may be equipped with a transponder 11 to communicate with other stations, such as a ground tracking station 13. The communication system is typically designed so that the ground station 13 monitors the approach and recession of the vehicle as it passes by the latter and commands the vehicle to perform certain functions and to transmit certain telemetry data to the ground station. The communication typically takes place in the form of the up-link and down-link modulations. Typically the up-link modulated signal 21 from the ground station to the transponder 11 is received by a receiver 15, and the transponder 11 may also be arranged to send down-link modulated signal 23 to the ground station via its transmitter 17.
A basic difficulty is encountered in such a system in that undesirable residual tracking of the up-link modulation in the phase locked loop causes a loss of the communication efficiency in both the up- link and down-link transmissions. This process is fundamental and occurs because the loop provides insufficient attenuation to the modulation on the received signal.
Referring to FIG. 2, it shows a conventional tracking filter which includes a phase locked loop having a frequency divider M, a phase detector 0d, filter f, and voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a divider N typically connected in a loop as shown. The output of the VCO is fed back to the phase detector 0d through a feedback path 21, that provides frequency division N. The loop is generally designed to provide an output signal whose frequency, f.sub.O, is related to that of the input, f.sub.i, where f.sub.o = N/M f.sub.i, M being the number dividing the input frequency and N being the divider in the feedback path. The phase locked loop is designed so that it predicts what the incoming signal will be by the process of correlation or comparison. It is designed to try to track the latest changes in the received signal and ignore any voltages such as noise or unwanted signals in which the wanted signal is embedded. In short, the phase locked loop has a transfer characteristic that permits the tracking filter to recover the wanted signal f.sub.i and develop another signal f.sub.o. An insight into the aforementioned dynamic nature of the signal being tracked and the transfer characteristics of the phase locked loop may be also gained in another way in conjunction with the frequency spectrum shown in FIGS. 4A- 4F.
Generally, as shown in FIG. 4A, it is known that, with a small index of modulation, the carrier wave, f.sub.c, has a high energy content and side band signals or harmonics or subcarriers f.sub.sl and f'.sub.sl are of relatively lower energy level. With increasing modulation index, the carrier frequency energy becomes smaller and the subcarrier energy larger. With larger index of modulation, also larger number of harmonics appear, namely, f.sub.s2, f.sub.s3, f.sub.s4, - - - f'.sub.s2, f'.sub.s3 . . . , as illustrated in FIGS. 4B and 4C. This goes on until the index of modulation reaches 2.402 where the carrier may be completely suppressed.
As is generally known, complete suppression of the carrier, f. sub. c, is avoided because in its absence, the phase locked loop has nothing to track. So a sort of compromise is usually made whereby the modulation index is selected that provides relatively high subcarrier energy and an adequate carrier level, as illustrated in FIG. 4C.
The conventional tracking filter is designed also to track the carrier where the carrier as well as a whole spectrum of harmonics or subcarriers, shift upwardly in frequency as shown in FIG. 4E, or downwardly as shown in FIG. 4F, relative to the static spectrum shown in FIG. 4D.
Dotted lines in FIGS. 4D, 4E, 4F and 5, show the response characteristics of the conventional tracking filter shown in FIG. 2. Note that the spectrum response is such that the output of the tracking filter retains a relatively high portion of the received modulation f. sub.s2, f. sub.s3, etc., and the received noise surrounding in the spectrum.
In accordance with the present invention, additional means are provided in the phase locked tracking loop so that the modified loop further attenuates subcarriers and surrounding noise without degrading the tracking ability. The improved response characteristics are illustrated in solid curves in FIGS. 4D, 4E, 4F and 5. This is achieved by using an additional low pass filter, f.sub.i, and a phase modulator 0M, and a frequency dependent amplifier, A(s), operatively connected, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The low pass filter f.sub.i, the frequency dependent amplifier A(s) and the phase modulator 0M may be of any suitable type conventionally available; their circuit parameters are scaled so that their effects are cancelled in the feedback path to the phase detector, yet the improved loop response characteristics as illustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 4D, 4E, 4F and 5 are present at the VCO output. This scaling, or the relationships of the VCO sensitivity, the modulator sensitivity and the time constant of the low pass filter is readily accomplished by application of Laplace transfer theory and results in requiring that the effective modulator sensitivity be the product of the VCO sensitivity and the time constant of the low pass filter, and the amplifier frequency dependence is equal to that of the low pass filter.
FIG. 7 illustrates another variation of the enhanced tracking circuitry which is a further modification of a tracking filter of the enhanced design shown in FIG. 6. According to this modification instead of a frequency dependent amplifier, an amplifier which merely provides just a gain is interposed between the output of the low pass filter and the phase modulator.
FIGS. 8A-8D show graphically the enhancement the present improved tracking filter provides in attenuating the unwanted signals or subcarriers and the noise signal in which the desired carrier signal is embedded. FIGS. 8A and 8B show the frequency spectrum response characteristics of the tracking filter before modification for the unmodulated up-link transmission (FIG. 8A) and modulated up-link transmission (FIG. 8B). FIGS. 8C and 8D show respectively, the frequency response characteristics of the tracking filter for the unmodulated up- link transmission (FIG. 8C) and modulated up-link transmission (FIG. 8D) after its modification. As evident from the comparison of FIG. 8D to FIG. 8B, substantial enhancement is attained by the present improved filter is attenuating the undesired spectrum of signals including subcarrier higher harmonics. The spectra shown are plotted logarithmically, the improvement being in this case a factor of one hundred times.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the improved tracking filter described above in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 7 may be utilized in a transmission system for tracking a desired signal from the incoming signal and transmitting an output signal f.sub.o ' related to the incoming signal in a certain manner. This is illustrated in FIG. 9. Thus, specifically the incoming signal f.sub.s may include a spectrum of subcarriers as well as noise signals in which the carrier signal is embedded. The incoming signal of a desired nature such as first subcarrier f.sub.sl may be tracked and recovered utilizing the enhanced tracking filter. The output of the oscillator VCO is then used to transmit an output signal. Such an output signal may be utilized for the telemetry or other similar purposes, as extensively practiced in space communication systems. Various other changes and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. | |
Charlotte Russe is closing all of its stores, the company announced Wednesday.
The women’s fashion retailer filed for bankruptcy last month and said it would liquidate completely if it couldn’t find a buyer. Nearly 100 locations were affected by the initial Chapter 11 filing in February, including in Niagara Falls, New Hartford, Saratoga Springs and the Eastview Mall near Rochester.
Now all of Charlotte Russe’s 500-plus stores nationwide will shutter, affecting 8,700 employees in 49 states and Puerto Rico. Upstate New York stores that will close include locations at Destiny USA in Syracuse, Salmon Run in Watertown, Greece Ridge in Rochester, Oakdale in Johnson City, Crossgates in Albany, Arnot in Horseheads, and Walden Galleria in Buffalo.
USA Today reports Charlotte Russe is in talks to sell the company’s intellectual property and may continue a brick-and-mortar presence in the future, but it won’t continue operating any of its current stores. The company’s assets are being sold to SB360 Capital Partners LLC, a liquidation company.
Store liquidation sales are expected to begin immediately (“no later than March 7”) and end by April 30. All sales will be final.
Charlotte Russe, which also controls Peek stores, is the latest clothing retailer to suffer a blow from reduced foot traffic in shopping malls and increased competition from online retailers. USA Today reports the company had been facing bankruptcy for more than a year, initially announcing plans to renegotiate certain debts in hopes of a turnaround.
Other major brands that have recently been forced to close stores include Payless ShoeSource, Bon-Ton, Victoria’s Secret, Sears, Gymboree, and the Gap. | https://www.syracuse.com/business/2019/03/charlotte-russe-closing-all-stores-including-at-destiny-usa-in-syracuse.html |
1. We said
previously that the principle of conjugal morality, taught by the Church (Second
Vatican Council, Paul VI), is the criterion of faithfulness to the divine plan.
In conformity
with this principle, the Encyclical Humanae Vitae clearly distinguishes
between a morally illicit method of birth regulation or, more precisely, of the
regulation of fertility, and one that is morally correct.
In the first place "the direct interruption of the generative process already
begun [abortion]...is morally wrong" (HV 14), likewise "direct sterilization"
and "any action, which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual
intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation" (HV 14)—therefore,
all contraceptive means. It is however morally lawful to have "recourse to
the infertile periods" (HV 16): "If therefore there are reasonable grounds
for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological conditions of
husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that then
married people may take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the
reproductive system and use their marriage at precisely those times that are
infertile, and in this way control birth without offending moral principles..."
(HV 16).Natural regulation versus contraception
2. The
Encyclical emphasizes especially that "between the two cases there is an
essential difference" (HV 16), and therefore a difference of an ethical nature:
"In the first case married couples rightly use a facility provided them by
nature; in the other case, they obstruct the natural development of the
generative process" (HV 16).
Two actions that are ethically different, indeed, even opposed, derive from
this: the natural regulation of fertility is morally correct; contraception is
not morally correct. This essential difference between the two actions (modes of
acting) concerns their intrinsic ethical character, even though my predecessor
Paul VI states that "in each case married couples, for acceptable reasons, are
both perfectly clear in their intention to avoid children." He even writes:
"...that they mean to make sure that none will be born" (HV 16). In these words
the document admits that even those who use contraceptive practices can be
motivated by "acceptable reasons." However, this does not change the moral
character which is based on the very structure of the conjugal act as such.Moral and pastoral dimensions
3. It might
be observed at this point that married couples who have recourse to the natural
regulation of fertility, might do so without the valid reasons spoken of above.
However, this is a separate ethical problem, when one treats of the moral
sense of responsible parenthood.
Supposing that the reasons for deciding not to procreate are morally correct,
there remains the moral problem of the manner of acting in this case.
This is expressed in an act which—according to the doctrine of the Church
contained in the Encyclical—possesses its own intrinsic moral qualification,
either positive or negative. The first one, positive, corresponds to the
"natural" regulation of fertility; the second, negative, corresponds to
"artificial contraception."
4. The whole
of the previous discussion is summed up in the exposition of the doctrine
contained in Humanae Vitae, by pointing out its normative and at the same
time its pastoral character. In the normative dimension it is a question of
making more precise and clear the moral principles of action; in the pastoral
dimension it is a question especially of pointing out the possibility of acting
in accordance with these principles ("the possibility of the observance of the
divine law", HV 20).
We should dwell on the interpretation of the content of the Encyclical.
To this end one must view that content, that normative-pastoral ensemble, in the
light of the theology of the body as it emerges from the analysis of the
biblical texts.
5. The theology of the body is not merely a theory, but rather a specific,
evangelical, Christian pedagogy of the body. This derives from the character of
the Bible, and especially of the Gospel. As the message of salvation, it reveals
man's true good, for the purpose of modeling—according to the measure of
this good—man's earthly life in the perspective of the hope of the future world.
The Encyclical Humanae Vitae, following this line, responds to the
question about the true good of man as a person, as male and female; about that
which corresponds to the dignity of man and woman when one treats of the
important problem of the transmission of life by married couples.
| |
If you missed it, here's part 1 of this three part series.
Last time, in part 2, I explored how Boyd and I both agree that Old Testament texts, which contain portraits of God that are clearly in conflict with the way of Jesus, must not be normative for how we as Christians see God or treat others. This raises the question of how then such texts can be considered part of our sacred biblical canon. In this final installment I will explore the different ways Boyd and I address this question.
“Since Jesus taught that all Scripture is inspired for the purpose of bearing witness to him, I submit that we should not be trying to discern if a passage is inspired, we should be trying to discern how a passage is inspired to serve this function. The question I believe we ought to be wrestling with is this: How do portraits depicting God commanding genocide (Deut 7:2; 20:16-8), causing parents to cannibalize their children (Lev 26:29; Jer 19:9; Lam 2:20), or engaging in any number of other macabre acts, bear witness to the non-violent, self-sacrificial, enemy loving God revealed in Jesus?” (emphasis added)
“I asked myself the question: How does the cross function as the definitive revelation of God? Looking at it with the natural eye (in a first century Jewish context), there is nothing to suggest that this guilty-appearing, God-forsaken, crucified criminal is the definitive revelation of God. This crucified criminal can only be understood to be the definitive revelation of God when we by faith discern what else is going on behind this appearance. And what faith sees going on behind this horrific appearance is a God of unfathomable love stooping an infinite distance to become our sin and our curse and to thereby take on a hideous appearance that mirrors our sin and our curse.”
"We must by faith look past the ugly, sin-mirroring surface to behold the beauty of the divine revelation, for the revelation is not located on the surface appearance, but in God’s loving condescension to assume this appearance."
I submit that part of the problem here is coming from a misunderstanding of how the cross functions.[*] A better understanding of the cross—one we find reflected both in the Gospels and in Paul’s epistles—shows how Jesus on the cross is condemned by the authority and powers that be, and those powers are thus unveiled as unjust. How does this work? The Gospels continually stress that Jesus was sinless, innocent, blameless. It is by recognizing God incarnate upon the cross (i.e. recognizing that the one who is condemned is innocent and holy— that we see the reversal, where the powers (what we had esteemed as good and right) are unmasked and stand condemned. Thus Paul can exclaim, “Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15 NET). The unjust suffering of the righteous servant (Isa 53) exposes the world’s false conceptions of power and violence. We thought he was stricken by God, but it was we who were guilty. The cross exposes the lie of violence committed in God's name. That includes those false conceptions of power and violence where we find them upheld in the Old Testament.
Now, I should note that Boyd does not appear to think that God actually committed or commanded these heinous acts. In Benefit of the Doubt he writes, “I can’t for a moment imagine Jesus ... commanding anyone to mercilessly slaughter anyone.” The question Boyd therfore instead asks is, “why God would stoop to appear to act in certain ways that reflect a character that is very different from his true character, revealed in Christ.”
Indeed. As I noted above, the question for me is: If God were to do this, how would this point us to Christ? How would God being falsely portrayed in a way that is not Christlike point us to Christ? After all, God is not seen in the Roman soldiers who beat Jesus, God is seen in Jesus, the victim of that beating.
There are also other questions currently left unanswered in Boyd's proposal. If God did not actually do this, who did? Did it happen at all? Most importantly, if God did not command killing, but purposely let people think he had commanded the killing, how is that not morally irresponsible?
Perhaps such questions are worked out in his forthcoming book The Crucifixion of the Warrior God, but as it stands these are some of the difficulties I see with Boyd's proposal.
The answer, I propose, is neither to justify these acts as good, nor is it to say that the text is not saying what it says. Instead, I insist that we need to face these morally troubling passages for what they are. Not tossing them out, but looking at them in all of their ugliness, with our eyes wide open.
While we may go to a second reading as Boyd proposes, we need to begin with a first reading; and on that first reading (i.e. reading the texts for what they actually say, and in the way their authors intended them to be understood), the genocide accounts are exactly what they seem to be—texts promoting genocide in God’s name. They are not about love of enemies, they are about mercilessly slaughtering enemies. Genocide is immoral and wrong. If we are to have a redemptive reading, as Boyd proposes, we must begin by first facing these texts for what they are.
This is not simply a problem of our mistaken interpretations, but the reality of moral problems inherent in the texts themselves. Those problems are real, and we dare not deny them. To read a text purposely in a way that runs counter to how it was intended is not to read the text “correctly” (as if it were somehow incorrect to interpret something as it was intended). It is to read in protest against the text. It is to undo it, subvert it—or more positively we might say convert it to Christ.
In Disarming Scripture I offer several examples of how Paul takes Old Testament passages that promote hatred of enemy gentiles, editing them by omitting the violent parts, so they instead promote God's love towards those same enemy gentiles. Since Paul was very familiar with the Scriptures, and in the past had likely employed those same violent texts to justify his violent persecution of the church, I argue that Paul is intentionally misquoting these texts. He is subverting them, disarming them, converting them.
In many ways Boyd's approach is similar to Paul's. Both intentionally read the text in a way that is counter to the authorial intent in order to promote the gospel and Christ's way of enemy love. So seeing that, I am genuinely thankful for people like Boyd who are trying to find creative ways to approach these texts coupled with a commitment to Jesus’ way of enemy love. I fully support such redemptive readings.
So how do I understand the Old Testament to function as part of our sacred canon despite the fact that it contains much that we would consider to be profoundly immoral and wrong?
As I illustrate in Disarming Scripture, drawing from the work of Walter Brueggemann, the reality is that the Old Testament is multi-vocal. That is, it does not contain one view of God, one view of what morality looks like, but instead is made up of multiple authors voicing multiple conflicting visions of who God is, and how we should love. Some depictions of God in the Old Testament are focused on love and compassion. Others focus on the opposite. That is simply the reality of the Bible we have. The Old Testament is multi-vocal.
Reading as Christians, the key to knowing which of these to embrace (ie. which should shape how we see God and treat others, and which should not) is in understanding which ones Jesus embraced, and which he repudiated. As I detail in Disarming Scripture, looking at how Jesus read the Hebrew Scriptures, we can observe that he embraces the understanding of God found in the Old Testament characterized by compassion, and rejects depictions that instead promote harm and hate. Jesus reads the multi-vocal Old Testament and identifies with and embraces certain voices, while repudiating others.
Now, this raises the question: If there are things in the Old Testament that we must reject, how can it be said to be inspired? The Old Testament is clearly not "inspired" in the sense of being a book that we can pick up, flip to any page, and apply what it says to how we see God or treat others. Because it is multi-vocal it must be read with discernment, knowing what to embrace and what not to. Our model in this, as I said above, is looking at how Jesus read Scripture, and learning to see what he sees.
What I affirm is that the Hebrew canon as a whole is inspired in that we can read it in a way that we recognize it pointing us to Jesus. The Hebrew canon as a whole, through the very process of dispute, takes us on a journey (albeit along a rocky road with ups and downs) of a people discovering who God is. That journey culminates in Jesus.
Through faith we can recognize God working in all of this, behind the scenes and between the lines. Through faith we can witness that God is present in the middle of our human wretchedness, working through the disputes, contradictions, and many wrong and hurtful understandings of a primitive people that we see cataloged in the many books of the Old Testament. Through faith we can recognize how God raises up the voices of the marginalized and victimized are extraordinarily included as part of the Hebrew canon, giving them a voice of protest alongside the voices of power. Through faith we can see how God is gradually guiding us towards Jesus. We can find God in the Old Testament in the same way we see God in our own lives—a treasure contained in a jar of clay, a flower (Isaiah would say a wild and beautiful weed) growing out of the dirt.
This is a way of understanding the Old Testament as inspired that is rooted in God rather than in a book, and which does not require us to deny the very real problems of violence that we find in the Hebrew Scriptures.
In the end, while there are some difficulties I see currently with his proposal, I am confident that Boyd can address these, and I applaud his desire to redeem texts, just as Christ redeems us. As I mention above, Paul does something very similar, so Boyd is in some very good company! I hope I have also shown that, rather than being in conflict, our two approaches can work together, and indeed are needed parts of the whole, allowing us to read scripture in honest and morally responsible ways.
UPDATE: The conversation continues! Greg responded to these three posts, with another two-part response (part1 and part2). I then respond to that here in a post I titled: An Orthodoxy For All of Us Non-Purebred Mutts: More Dialog with Greg Boyd. Also related, I further elaborate how I understand inspiration and infallibility here.
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FOOTNOTES
[*] Boyd’s above understanding of the cross seems akin to a view of the atonement that is known as “penal substitution,” which as I argue in Healing the Gospel represents a misunderstanding of how the cross functions. This misunderstanding results in justifying retributive violence, rather than unmasking it, and is therefore incompatible with the commitment to nonviolence that both Boyd and I share. | https://www.therebelgod.com/2015/04/part-3-reply-to-greg-boyds-critique-of.html |
An early competitor to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was Lamarckism. Posed by French scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, the theory said that organisms could pass on characteristics acquired within their lifetimes — giraffes, for example, might stretch their necks as they reach for leaves higher on a tree, then pass those longer necks on to their offspring. Science has since named Darwin the resounding winner of that theoretical battle, but new research suggests that although Lamarck didn't have the big picture right, he may have been onto something. That research deals with epigenetics: the way that outside influences like environment and nutrition can actually change the way your genes are expressed, and pass those changes to your kids.
When you think about DNA, you probably imagine that classic double-helix structure that looks like a twisted ladder. What you may not imagine is how that structure exists in your body. Those "ladders" are wound around marshmallow-shaped complexes of proteins called histones, and how tightly they're wound affects how easily the genes in that portion of the DNA can be expressed. Epigenetic markers on the histones influence that winding, and therefore influence gene expression.
At its very basic level, epigenetics is how the exact same DNA that codes for a liver cell can also code for a brain, heart, or blood cell: it turns off a few genes here and turns on a few genes there, and all of a sudden you've got a fully functioning organism made from all sorts of different cells. But at a much more mysterious level, epigenetics may also be the cause of all sorts of changes throughout your life. The research into those effects is still new, but what scientists know so far is pretty intriguing. Exercise, for example, may change the epigenetic marks in muscle and fat cells. The plastic additive BPA may have disease-causing epigenetic effects. The same goes for childhood trauma, which could explain why abuse victims have a higher risk of disease as adults.
But is that Lamarckism? Lamarck said that acquired characteristics could be inherited. Is that true of epigenetics? The answer is yes, within limits. Some of the most spine-tingling discoveries about epigenetics involve the effects they have on a person's offspring. The famous Överkalix study from 2002 looked at 300 people who had been exposed to famines in the early 1900s, and found that the amount of food a person had access to as a child influenced their grandchildren's cardiovascular risk. (Surprisingly, famine had a beneficial effect, giving later generations a lower risk of cardiovascular death). Likewise, a 2017 paper published in The FASEB Journal showed that famine could lead to smaller offspring two generations later. Other research suggests that risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease could be passed on through epigenetics.
But what's not clear is how long these changes last. One study in roundworms found that epigenetic changes in one generation could last for up to seven subsequent generations. But that's roundworms; an animal that one, lives for less than a year, and two, has genes we can mess with to see the exact mechanisms at work. Humans are much more complex, and when it comes to the changes scientists have seen, we can't rule out undetected DNA mutations or the effects of gut bacteria. Anyway, if Lamarck was right, generations of mice with their tails removed would produce tailless mice (they don't). And even if epigenetics can survive through hundreds of generations, there had to be a driving force behind it — and that force is natural selection. | https://curiosity.com/topics/with-epigenetics-your-dna-can-change-within-your-lifetime-curiosity/ |
How do you do dilution calculations?
1 Answer
You use the formula
In any dilution, the number of moles of solute stays the same. You are simply increasing the amount of solvent in the solution.
You know that
Moles =
So, if moles before dilution = moles after dilution,
Example 1. Calculating new concentration
A chemist starts with 50.0 mL of a 0.400 mol/L NaCl solution and dilutes it to 1000. mL. What is the concentration of NaCl in the new solution?
Solution 1
Note: You don't have to convert the volumes to litres, but you must use the same units on each side of the equation.
Example 2. Calculating initial volume
A chemist wants to make 500. mL of 0.0500 mol/L HCl by diluting a 6.00 mol/L HCl solution. How much of that solution should she use?
Solution 2
Hope this helps. | https://socratic.org/questions/how-do-you-do-dilution-calculations?source=search |
Elon Musk is the CEO of multiple companies. While his main focuses are SpaceX and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), he's also CEO of Neuralink and The Boring Company.
One thing all of these companies have in common is the desire to solve problems humans are or will soon face, and let everyone look forward to a brighter future.
While Tesla is public, the other companies remain privately held. SpaceX has talked about spinning off Starlink into an IPO. Starlink is currently launching a satellite-based internet solution that aims to service the internet to rural customers or those out of reach of land-based internet connections. The Boring Company looks to dig tunnels underground to alleviate traffic congestion.
When Tesla investor Dave Lee suggested to Musk to form a holding company called X, that would work as a parent company for Musk's many ventures, Musk seemed intrigued. | |
FOR-M!kw – Research methods at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities
All offers on research-based learning compiled by the initiative FOR-M!kw (only available in German) address doctoral candidates. Some of FOR-M!kw’s goals are to improve the visibility and transparency of research-based learning offers from the various disciplines and facilities as well as to specifically expand offers on empirical research methods for students and doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Topics
- Ethics and data protection
-
For any research project in which individuals are interviewed, observed, or tested, the issues of data protection and ethics are of utmost importance. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously examine your research project regarding these requirements. In most cases, personal information is collected in or for empirical research. This may be personal information such as name(s), gender, age, but also video or audio recordings of those individuals. According to the data economy principle (Datensparsamkeitsgebot), you should collect as little data as possible, and only those pieces of personal information that are needed to answer your research question.
The collection and storage of such personal data must comply with the strictest ethical and legal criteria.
These are the core concerns of the Datenschutzbeauftragten der UPB (UPB data protection officers) and the Ethik-Kommission der UPB (UPB ethics committee).
Information on data protection and ethics through UPB-websites
provides important aspects for working with people and personal data in qualification work (such as a PhD or Master’s thesis). You will find a sample text for an informed consent as well as a checklist to examine whether ethical aspects are addressed properly in your project/qualification work.
The FiPS blog addresses UPB students within their school internship semester that are enrolled in the teacher education (TE) program. As a TE student, you will find an entry that briefly and concisely presents the basic principles of data protection law and research ethics in empirical research (only available in German).
You can also find a template for an informed consent for a research project that involves working with or collecting data of children (only available in German).
Further Information (external websites)
The German Network of Educational Research Data (Verbund Forschungsdaten Bildung) offers a comprehensive overview of how to work with data collected in research and provides detailed information on legal and ethical aspects. Here you can also find information on the specifics for research at schools in the different federal states of Germany (only available in German).
- Workshops and consultation for young researchers
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Forschungswerkstatt Erziehungswissenschaft (only available in German): Offers workshops and events on various topics regarding empirical and methodological issues for doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Contact: Dr. Annette Bentler
Research College for Empirical Educational Research (Forschungskolleg Empirische Bildungsforschung), (PLAZ) (only available in German)
Contact: Dr. Andreas Seifert.
Some departments or research groups offer internal colloquia that support doctoral candidates with their empirical projects. During those colloquia, doctoral candidates can present and discuss their projects at any state of their progress. Please contact your supervisor or the chair of your department for further information or the availability of these colloquia for your field/department.
- Software for data preparation and data analysis
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Annotation/transcription software
The webblog lingutools (only available in German) offers a comprehensible overview of common tools for linguistic annotation and corpus analysis. It also lists possible advantages and disadvantages of these tools.
EXMARaLDA and ELAN (both freeware for Windows, Mac and Linux) allow detailed transcription and (also complex) annotation of audio and video files. Both are especially suitable for detailed analyses of linguistic and other behavior.
BORIS (freeware for Windows, Mac and Linux) allows annotation and analysis of video files.
f4 or f5 (paid software for Windows, Mac and Linux) allows for relatively easy transcription of audio and video files. This software is particularly suitable for content analyses.
Praat (freeware for Windows, Mac and Linux) enables detailed (phonetic) analysis and annotation of audio files.
Statistics
R, JASP (both freeware for Windows, Mac and Linux) and SPSS (paid software for Windows, Mac and Linux, UPB students can get campus licenses allow detailed statistical analysis of quantitative data.
For purely descriptive statistics, Excel (available via campus license for UPB members) or well-known freeware alternatives are also suitable.
Other
MAXQDA is a paid annotation software for qualitative data analysis.
CLARIN-D is a digital research infrastructure software for language resources in the fields of humanities and social sciences. It offers various (i.a.) tools for analyzing language data.
Contact
Dr. Angela Grimminger
Institut für Germanistik und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft
Leitung SprachSpielLabor
Im Wintersemester 2022 findet die Sprechstunde am Donnerstag von 15-16 Uhr im Wechsel digital und vor Ort (TP21.2.04) statt. Bitte melden Sie sich dafür über KOMO an.
In der vorlesungsfreien Zeit gibt es keine wöchentliche Sprechstunde. Die Termine dafür finden Sie vollständig ebenfalls in KOMO. | https://kw.uni-paderborn.de/en/graduiertenzentrum-der-fakultaet-fuer-kulturwissenschaften/promovierende/wissenschaftliches-arbeiten/for-mkw-research-methods-at-the-faculty-of-arts-and-humanities |
This systematic review summarizes research on methods of diagnosing myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and benefits and harms of multiple medical and nonmedical treatments. It identifies evidence gaps and limitations to inform future research.
Data sources
Searches of electronic databases included MEDLINE® (1988 to September 2014), PsycINFO® (1988 to September 2014), and the Cochrane Library (through the third quarter of 2014). The searches were supplemented by reviewing reference lists, seeking suggestions from reviewers, and requesting scientific information from drug and device manufacturers.
Review methods
Two investigators reviewed abstracts and full-text articles for inclusion based on predefined criteria. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion and consensus, with a third investigator making the final decision.
Results
A total of 6,175 potentially relevant articles were identified, 1,069 were selected for full-text review, and 71 studies in 81 publications were included (36 observational studies on diagnosis and 35 trials of treatments). Eight case definitions have been used to define ME/CFS; those for ME, requiring the presence of postexertional malaise, represent a more symptomatic subset of the broader ME/CFS population. Researchers are unable to determine differences in accuracy between case definitions because there is no universally accepted reference standard for diagnosing ME/CFS. The Oxford criteria are the least restrictive and include patients who would not otherwise meet criteria for ME/CFS. Self-reported symptom scales may differentiate ME/CFS patients from healthy controls but have not been adequately evaluated to determine validity and generalizability in large populations with diagnostic uncertainty. Fourteen studies reported the consequences of diagnosis, including perceived stigma and the burden of misdiagnosis, as well as feelings of legitimacy upon receiving the diagnosis of ME/CFS.
Of the 35 trials of treatment, rintatolimod compared with placebo improved measures of exercise performance; counseling therapies and graded exercise treatment (GET) compared with no treatment, relaxation, or support improved fatigue, function, and quality of life, and counseling therapies also improved employment outcomes. Other treatments either provided no benefit or results were insufficient to draw conclusions. GET was associated with higher numbers of reported adverse events compared with counseling therapies or controls. Harms were generally inadequately reported across trials.
Limitations
Diagnostic methods were studied only in highly selected patient populations. Treatment trials were limited in number and had small sample sizes and methodological shortcomings.
Conclusions
None of the current diagnostic methods have been adequately tested to identify patients with ME/CFS when diagnostic uncertainty exists. Rintatolimod improves exercise performance in some patients (low strength of evidence), while counseling therapies and GET have broader benefit but have not been adequately tested in more disabled populations (low to moderate strength of evidence). Other treatments and harms have been inadequately studied (insufficient evidence). More definitive studies are needed to fill the many research gaps in diagnosing and treating ME/CFS.
Citation
Smith MEB, Nelson HD, Haney E, Pappas M, Daeges M, Wasson N, McDonagh M. Diagnosis and Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 219. (Prepared by the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2012-00014-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 15-E001-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; December 2014. Addendum July 2016. www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCERTA219.
Journal Publications
Haney E, Smith ME, McDonagh M, Pappas M, et.al. Diagnostic Methods for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop. Ann Intern Med. 2015 Jun 16;162(12):834-40. doi: 10.7326/M15-0443. PMID: 26075754.
Smith ME, Haney E, McDonagh M, Pappas M, et.al. Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop. Ann Intern Med. 2015 Jun 16;162(12):841-50. doi: 10.7326/M15-0114. PMID: 26075755. | https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/chronic-fatigue/research |
Over the last few years, we've witnessed the start of two radically new ways of doing astronomy. For all of human history, everything we've learned about the cosmos has come from observing photons, from high-energy gamma rays down to the cosmic microwave background. But since the opening of the IceCube observatory at the South Pole, we've been able to track ultra-high-energy cosmic neutrinos. And earlier this year, the updated LIGO detector spotted gravitational waves, ushering in the ability to observe ripples in space itself.
While neutrinos and gravitational waves are a very different means of looking at the cosmos, the data that they generate has to be integrated with everything we've already learned about the Universe. In other words, when we spot the neutrinos or gravitational waves, it would be helpful to observe photons associated with whatever event is producing them. That will help us integrate the new information with things we already know about and come to grips with anything we don't know about.
This week, possible successes were announced, as people identified a likely source of cosmic neutrinos, as well as a possible detection of a gravitational-wave-generating event using more traditional astronomy.
Do the wave
The merger of black holes, in and of itself, shouldn't be expected to produce any photons—they're black, after all. But black holes are often surrounded by material that their gravity has drawn in. That material could react to the merger in a way that generates photons. Although we don't have a detailed understanding of how this would work with a pair of stellar-mass black holes, the possibility that it would occur was taken seriously. As the Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detector was being tested, the team behind the Fermi Gamma Ray Telescope added software triggers to the data analysis pipeline that could identify photons produced by a gravitational-wave-producing event.
LIGO spotted the gravitational waves. So what happened with Fermi? A draft of a paper that is currently under review tells that story.
For starters, none of the software triggers fired off when LIGO detected the gravitational waves. That could be because the event that produced them was in the wrong location. The authors of the manuscript calculate that 25 percent of the area the LIGO team has identified as containing the source was blocked by the Earth from Fermi's perspective.
Nevertheless, they scanned 30 seconds' worth of Fermi data at the time of the LIGO event, looking for anything unusual. Two weak events occurred during that time. One was 11 seconds after the LIGO detection and in the wrong location. The second, however, was only 0.45 seconds after and in roughly the right spot. The authors calculate the false detection rate at 0.0022, which indicates they're pretty confident it's real.
The authors describe it as "a weak but significant hard X-ray source," and say the energy of the photons reached Mega-electronVolt energies. The energies involved (it was producing about 1026 Megatons a second at these wavelengths) mean it's too energetic to be one of the transient sources normally detected by Fermi, such as neutron stars that are drawing in matter.
Although the location of the source from Fermi's perspective makes it difficult to determine precisely where it is, it's possible to combine that imprecise positioning data with the imprecise data from LIGO. The result is that the 90 percent confidence area for the source shrinks to one-third its original size. If the two events are truly one and the same, this will help astronomers searching for the aftermath in other wavelengths.
BigBird a blazar?
The IceCube facility relies on an array of photodetectors suspended in the ice below the South Pole. The hardware is able to track incoming particles as they bump into the atoms of the ice, producing light in the process. Among these particles are neutrinos from a variety of sources, but of particular interest are the extremely high-energy ones.
What's extreme in this context? The Large Hadron Collider, our highest energy hardware, can accelerate protons to energies of a handful of Tera-electronVolts. Some of the neutrinos IceCube spotted were in the neighborhood of two Peta-electronVolts, three orders of magnitude higher. It's fair to wonder what could possibly give these lightweight, uncharged particles those sorts of energies.
One model for their production involves the jets produced by active supermassive black holes. Within these jets, protons and other charged particles get accelerated to high energies and are able to interact with high-energy photons in the environment. These interactions can produce pions, an unstable particle that decays in a process that produces a neutrino. The neutrino then inherits some of the energy of its parent pion and continues traveling in the same direction.
For the neutrino to reach Earth, the jets from the black hole must be pointing at us. We've already identified galaxies where this is the case; they're called blazars, due to the incredible amount of energies the jets send in our direction. There's a large catalog of blazars that we've identified through various astronomical surveys.
Naturally, when IceCube identified its first Peta-electronVolt neutrinos (nicknamed Ernie, Bert, and BigBird), researchers started searching the blazar catalog for potential sources in the direction that the neutrino came from. Unfortunately, these searches came up blank.
But now, a large international team has found a possible candidate as the source of BigBird, a blazar known as PKS B1424–418. This blazar was included in the original analysis of PeV neutrinos but wasn't considered a good candidate, as it was relatively quiet at the time. But black hole jets are one of the rare astronomical phenomena that can change suddenly, within the span of a few years. And the team found that PKS B1424–418 had ramped up its activity at about the time BigBird was detected—an event they call a "blazar outburst."
The identity of the sources for Ernie and Bert are a mystery. But, as IceCube continues to gather data, the chances of identifying the sources should go up. And the same is true for the ongoing work with LIGO, where another four potential gravitational wave detections are still being analyzed.
The arXiv. Abstract number: 1602.03920 (About the arXiv). Under review at The Astrophysical Journal.
Nature Physics, 2015. DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS3715 (About DOIs).
| |
WASHINGTON — In response to a Feb. 28 GAO report that said some of the VA’s Veterans Health Administration facilities had hired ineligible providers, U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., last Thursday introduced a bill to address the problems raised in the report.
In October, the senators sent an oversight letter to the VA requesting detailed information about the steps it would take to implement the report’s recommendations.
The Veterans Health Administration Caregiver Retention and Eligibility Determination (VHA CRED) Act of 2019 would address the problems raised in the Government Accountability Office report by:
• Requiring the VA Under Secretary for Health to prescribe regulations and guidance to improve the credentialing process for providers who work at Veterans Health Administration facilities
• Requiring the Under Secretary for Health to develop and implement a program to continuously monitor credentialed providers to ensure they still meet the requirements
• Requiring the Under Secretary for Health to conduct an audit of all providers with adverse actions and the effect those actions have on their employment eligibility; the report would then be sent to Congress
• Ensuring that those responsible for credentialing providers receive thorough training
The full text of the bill can be read at tinyurl.com/vw82kvq. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/veterans/bill-seeks-to-ensure-va-is-sufficiently-vetting-health-providers/article_4692d296-f8c1-5ebe-8190-3977c2fa0d37.html |
Have the survey managers clearly defined the sampling universe? That is, have they described the population from which the sample was chosen? This must be clearly defined in order to know: a) who is eligible for inclusion in the survey sample, and b) to what population the results of the survey can be generalized.
Was the sampling frame out of date and if so, was it adjusted in any way? The sampling frame is the list of units from which the sampling was done. In cluster surveys, there may be a sampling frame consisting of a list of villages from which 30 are selected as clusters. If the list is old, some villages may be missing or other villages may have incorrect populations. This could introduce sampling bias.
Is the sampling method described in enough detail? Could you, as the reader, spot mistakes and potential sources of sampling bias? The description of the sampling, and all other aspects of the survey methods, should be detailed enough so someone else could repeat the survey relying only on the survey report. | http://conflict.lshtm.ac.uk/page_61.htm |
Solitium S.L. is a group of companies that provides printing equipment solutions, computer and IT services and 3D printing solutions for business. We work with the main manufacturers of the market such as HP, world leader in computer systems and 3D printing equipment with its Multi Jet Fusion technology, as well as Dynamical Tools and Formlabs, among others.
Our goal is to provide our customers with all office, computer and 3D printing solutions to achieve maximum efficiency. | https://www.easyfairs.com/metalmadrid-2019/metalmadrid-2019/exhibitors-products/exhibitor-catalogue/stand/802757/ |
To me these biscuits/cookies just scream childhood. I mean, what kid doesn't love sprinkles??
These hundreds & thousands contained no artificial colours or flavours, and this is something I cam starting to notice more and more. Such a good thing although I know some kids (and adults) do react to natural colours and flavours as well.
I adapted the recipe for these beauties from Averie Cooks. Hers were for Chewy Sprinkles Cookies. They were much smaller and baked for less time so they come out of the oven very blond. However, my perfect biscuit is crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle so that's how I made them. I love the golden brown colour and their sweet buttery aroma was incredible.
I think I showed great restraint not tasting even one of these, but I gave one to my littlest taste tester Charlie and he gave it a huge thumbs up.
Why not make these this weekend? You won't be disappointed!
Makes 18 large biscuits/cookies
Adapted from Averie Cooks
250g unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 tbs dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg at room temperature
2 ts vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1/2 ts baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hundreds & thousands (plus 1/2 cup extra to decorate, optional)
Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Set aside.
In a stand mixer or large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds, until just combined.
Switch to a spatula and fold through the flour and sprinkles until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 5 days) before baking.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 160 degrees fan-forced. Line 3 baking sheets with baking paper and set aside.
Divide the dough into 18 balls (my batch of dough weighed 968g so I got 18 x 54g pieces from the batch). Roll each ball in the extra sprinkles and place on the prepared trays, 6 per tray leaving plenty of room for spreading. Use your hand or lightly grease the bottom of a glass to flatten each ball to about 1cm thick.
Depending on your oven size you can bake these all at once or in batches. I did 1 tray at a time, with the remaining trays waiting in the fridge.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway. They will be just golden brown around the edges and pale golden in the middle. Remove and allow to cool on the tray for at least 5 minutes before carefully lifting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also store unbaked cookie dough in an airtight container or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days before baking. | http://www.mywholefoodfamily.com/2013/07/sprinkles-biscuits.html |
Netflix movies and series with Kishore Kumar G.
3 movies and series starring Kishore Kumar G..
In this overview you will find all Netflix movies and series starring Kishore Kumar G.. Netflix's content is updated with many new movies and series every week. Therefore, you should check this list regularly to see if there are any new movies starring your favourite actor!
After kidnapping a millionaire’s daughter, two men get swept up in a power struggle as her father enlists a brilliant cop to hunt them down.
A scientist trying to solve one of the universe's greatest puzzles begins a romance with a much younger colleague that's haunted by a dark secret.
In this Hindi version of the Tamil blockbuster, a Tamil gang leader in Kuala Lumpur seeks justice for crimes committed against him and his family. | https://www.movies-net.com/actor/kishore-kumar-g |
My most creatively fulfilled clients are the ones who maintain some sort of daily creative practice (or, at least, almost daily). During this kind of practice, clients are not debating whether to work on a creative task, because it's a given. These clients know that spending time on some type of creative expression most days of the week, is a form of self-care. Just like it goes without saying that exercising, resting, eating well, and vacationing are parts of a healthy routine, creatively fulfilled clients are motivated by the idea that actively using their creative faculties is not a luxury, nor something trivial. Rather, it's necessary to feel content and satisfied.
Still, there is some kind of inner dialogue going on. This dialogue regarding a daily creative practice is not about whether, but about what, how or when.
1. What should I work on? While there are some constraints (deadlines, resources, etc.) it's important to check in with yourself regarding what you feel like working on. Sometimes creators feel like reflecting, "sitting" on ideas, taking things in, rather than actively producing work. Sometimes creators want to go back and edit, other times they want to write new material. As long as the relationship with creative work is maintained, fluctuating between tasks is normal and ok.
2. How should I approach the work? You might find yourself wondering which direction your plot should take, whether to add a bridge section to your composition, or if you should care about whether your play fist with the tone of other plays in the show. There are countless questions that arise during the creative process. As the famous quote says, "when there's a fork in the road, take it."
3. When do I move onto something else? With experience in practicing daily creative habits, comes the intuition to know when it's time to take a break or to stop altogether. You will know whether the voice telling you that it's time to stop comes from a place of avoidance, or a genuine need to introduce a different type of creative stimulation. The important thing is that, right when you are about to wrap one project up, you're always wondering "what's next?"
This short list captures four main themes explored during sessions at Creativity Mental Health Counseling. There are many ways to stay motivated, and here are just a few to point you in the right direction.
CMHC is on Instagram
5/8/2019
Creativity Mental Health Counseling now has an Instagram page! Follow us for inspiring quotes, calming images, and practice news. https://www.instagram.com/creativitymhc
Clients are often frustrated when their family does not support or respect their work in artistic professions. They often hear family members say "I can't support you forever!" or "when will you get a real job?" and other hurtful remarks.
Though changing your family's views is outside your control, there are a few things you can reflect on in order to ease the disappointment from opposition coming from your family.
1) What does your family's opinion mean to you? Here's a chance to explore your degree of differentiation (your independence) from your family. Are you comfortable with the idea of holding an attitude that clashes with the ones of those closest to you?
2) Do YOU respect your artistic profession? In order to feel secure against comments or remarks that seem to denigrate your choices, it's important that you work through your own perceptions and unconscious biases about your artistic profession's respectability. Doing so, will lessen the pain and frustration from what you hear.
3) Can you accept your family's values as part of who you are? Even if you're rejecting or acting in opposition to what you were raised to value professionally, your upbringing informs parts of your identity --some of which may even inform your artistic work. In other words, some people recognize that they wouldn't be the artist they are without the tension from a non-supportive environment.
4) What does your family not get or misunderstand? Is it possible that there are things about what you do that your family does not understand? Or perhaps the ways it makes you feel? This point relates to how well your family and you communicate. Maybe it's time to sit down and paint a picture of what your day-to-day looks like, and why it matters to you.
"Online Simone"
2/12/2019
Simone sat down, seeming relieved to finally have a chance to tell someone what had been weighing on her for months: "I'm not who I pretend to be."
Her cryptic remark made me wonder. Was this a compulsive liar? Someone with sociopathic tendencies? Was I dealing with my first dissociative identity disorder? Then she clarified:
"I have over 3000 followers on Instagram, and they all think I'm this outgoing, confident singer, yet, I dislike everything about myself. I'm sometimes scared to leave the house to avoid real conversations." Her eyes remained focused on me, scanning me for signs of approval. I paid attention to the fact that the more she revealed, the more space she allowed her body to take up in the room--she'd straighten her back and relax her shoulders with each revealing statement.
Here was a striking, young singer and songwriter who, by her own admission, was letting people believe that she is comfortable with who she is, when in reality, all she did wanted was to hide. At least, the real Simone did. The other Simone, the online Simone, craved and pursued visibility. After I pointed out this internal fragmentation of the two Simones, she asked: "Can you help me feel more like the online Simone?"
A few sessions into our work together, we had gained a deeper understanding of her experience. She told me all about the thousands of discarded videos on her phone--the ones she wasn't posting online-- and about the rush she gets when people comment or like her posts. She described early experiences with being bullied and how even though she was no longer being bullied, she still assumes others have negative thoughts about her. In her small social circles, she longed for attention, validation and approval, just like the one she received online. But she struggled to ask for it. Mostly because she didn't believe that she deserved it.
Somewhere in the third or fourth month of our sessions, Simone had grown less fearful and avoidant of the qualities she disliked about herself. She could talk about her mistakes without signs of anxiety, she forgave herself after unsuccessful attempts, and spoke more about what she hopes to achieve instead of what she wants to avoid. Around this time, the goal of our sessions was to highlight the obvious: that the "online Simone" was, in fact, a manifestation of traits that were already there. "Online Simone" was her fearlessness, her love of life, and her belief in herself.
When Simone saw herself as someone deriving comfort from self-expression, rather than a fraud tricking people, she recognized parts of the real Simone in the "online Simone." She was able to maintain a whole, an integrated sense of self.
Close to the six month mark, Simone came to the office announcing to me that she's ready to stop therapy. This decision made sense to both of us. She took out a piece of paper and wrote down her social media handles. I was taken aback as she had never invited me to see online Simone before.
"Here you go" she said. "I'm not shy about showing you anymore. Everything on here is all real."
by Olga Gonithellis
WHEN TALENT IS NOT ENOUGH
1/6/2019
Some of your earliest memories might include being told how talented and gifted you are. Your self-perception and identity may have a solid sense of being "a natural" at songwriting, painting, writing, singing, and so on. Early experiences that contribute to the feeling of being talented are an indisputable advantage when it comes to developing the motivation to pursue creative work. However, there needs to be more. Here are 4 areas that you, a creative client, can explore with your therapist to ensure that your talent is fully maximized:
COPING WITH ENVY
12/5/2018
The highly competitive nature of the entertainment industry can frequently bring out jealousy and envy even to those who are typically unfamiliar with such feelings. Though these feelings are common and normal, especially in a field where there is a so much pressure to stand out during auditions and get more industry attention, they can also be a major problem in the artist's world because they can:
So how can one cope with such feelings?
Producing creative work takes different effort, both in kind and degree, than it does to consume it. Generating and implementing novel ideas—rather than taking them in—requires experimenting, risk-taking, facing the possibility of failure and criticism, exerting mental energy, and sacrificing the comfort of the familiar. Such tasks take courage. They can be minefields of fear and anxiety—two frequent companions during creative journeys. To avoid these feelings we become inactive and spend more time in the role of the recipient instead of the role of the creator. This is why we might be inclined to spend hours scrolling through people's social media feeds, watching hours of videos online, binge-watching shows, or reading countless blog posts and articles written by others: it can feel psychologically safer to be consumers of creativity than to be producers. When we listen to music that's already been composed, we don't become overwhelmed by the countless options that arise during the composition of a new song. Reading someone else's novel doesn't nag us with blocks about what to do with character and plot development. Following other creators' artistic ideas online puts us in the role of the critic, instead of the role of the anxious contestant. The list goes on and on...
For some, avoiding the fear of creating seems to work just fine and does not pose emotional challenges. They may not have an itch for innovative thinking or artistic expression. However, for most creative people, not starting or not finishing a creative project is painful and frustrating. They see days go by with little progress on their creative ideas, all while spending much of their time seeing what other creators are bringing to life. They watch movies, listen to music, go to shows, use technology, and take part in experiences in which they're mere recipients of creative stimulation—they're not the ones doing it despite a longing for creative pursuits.
Luckily, for those who yearn to become producers of creativity rather than consumers, three key concepts can help manage psychological deterrents.
1. “I want to give back” The first concept emphasizes the idea that creative work is a contribution—one that plays a part (even if it's a small one) in shaping the collective creative realm. People can spend their entire lives as recipients of others' creative work, but it's not until they give something back that they fulfill the role of the contributor. Even if a song gets fewer than 100 listeners, it can still make a significant contribution to those who something out of it. The desire to participate in the exchange of content and ideas is powerful. Creators can ask themselves “why not give back to the vast world of creative contributions?”
2. “I can handle fear and anxiety” Another concern for creative people, one that makes them likelier to remain consumers instead of producers, is the worry that they'll be overwhelmed with the negative feelings that naturally arise during a challenging creative process. Sometimes the negative feelings (such as fear and anxiety) stem from not knowing how to proceed, or from facing the disappointment of unsatisfactory results. Creators who prepare themselves to cope with such feelings and who become empowered in knowing that they can handle them should they arise (sometimes with with the help of a therapist), are likelier to take the plunge and try creating something.
3. “Fulfilling creative potential is a form of self-care” Another way to set the creative process in motion is to think of creativity as a lifestyle choice meant to maximize well-being. Fulfilling our creative potential is a need associated with psychological health. Those who are inclined to generate many ideas will become mentally stifled and frustrated if they don't act on them. Non-conformist, innovative thinkers need to express their thoughts in order to live authentically. Rich and complicated emotional experiences need to be represented creatively so that those in distress can process and cope with their feelings. Thinking about the self-serving role of producing creative work makes it likelier that someone will move from the role of the consuming recipient to the role of the active creator.
By Olga Gonithellis
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Author
Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. | http://www.creativitymhc.com/blog/category/all |
Nutrition During Pregnancy, Part 1
Planning to have a baby? Congratulations! You do not need to start eating for two before your pregnancy, but thinking for two now is wise.
Careful attention to diet in the months preceding conception may lessen the risk of birth defects in your baby, according to many researchers.
Quiz – Are you eating right for two?
If you want to see how your diet stacks up to the challenge of pregnancy, answer the following questions.
Do you eat calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt three or four times a day?
Are fruits and vegetables a mainstay of your diet?
Do you stay away from alcoholic beverages?
Do you avoid taking vitamin supplements, other than a multi-vitamin?
If you eat or drink caffeinated products (such as coffee, tea or chocolate), do you limit your consumption to no more than twice a day?
Is your weight within the acceptable range for your height?
If you answered “Yes” to all of these questions, you are one step closer to a healthier pregnancy. If you continue your healthy ways, the dietary transitions needed during pregnancy will be easier for you.
If you answered “No” to any of these questions, do not panic. Like buying a house or finding a new job, having a baby is a big step that requires some learning and planning on your part. By thinking ahead about the nutritional needs you will have during pregnancy, you can be prepared to meet them even before you become pregnant.
The Importance of Nutrition
At no other time in your life is nutritional health more important than during pregnancy. Fetal growth and development occur rapidly, and changes in your diet — both positive and negative — may affect your growing baby’s health.First of all, if you are overweight, try shedding the excess pounds gradually before pregnancy. If you can do that, it will lessen your risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes, and other maternal complications. If you are underweight, try gaining a few pounds by loading up on healthful foods.
Second, be sure to schedule regular prenatal visits and medical check-ups during your pregnancy, to ensure that there is no problem with your weight, diet or other nutritional factors that could affect you pregnancy.
Your Optimal Weight Gain
What is your Body Mass Index?
Not sure what it is or how to do it? Follow these simple steps:
Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
Determine your height in inches.
Square that number (multiply it by itself).
Divide weight multiplied by 703, by height squared.
For example, if you weigh 120 pounds and are 5 feet 5 inches tall, you would calculate your BMI this way:
120 x 703 = 84360
5 feet 5 inches = 65 inches
65 x65 = 4225
84360 divided by 4225 = 20
This number is your Body Mass Index (BMI).
BMI is a measurement that evaluates your pre-pregnancy weight status. Your weight status at the start of pregnancy plays an important role in determining your optimal weight gain during pregnancy, as shown in the accompanying chart.
If your BMI is… then you are considered… and you should gain…
<19.8 underweight 28-40 lbs. 19.8-26 average weight 25-35 lbs. 26.1-29 overweight 15-25 lbs.>29 obese <15 lbs. If you are expecting twins, these calculations may not apply. Generally, the optimal weight gain during twin gestation is 35-45 pounds. Source: Institute of Medicine. Nutrition During Pregnancy. Wash., D.C. National Academy Press, 1990. Gaining the proper amount of weight during pregnancy is one of the most important steps you need to take. The best indicator of a newborn's health status is birth weight. Mothers who gain less than the recommended weight may risk delivering low birth weight babies (less than 5.5 pounds). Small babies may have more complications than normal weight babies, including breathing difficulties and greater susceptibility to infections.
What To Eat
Fats and Sweets
Use sparingly.
Meat or Proteins
Meat, fish, turkey, veal, peanut butter, tofu, seeds, nuts, soybeans, eggs
3 servings daily
Fruits
Fresh, canned, or frozen fruit, or 100 percent juice
2-4 servings daily
Vegetables
Fresh, canned or frozen vegetables
3-5 servings daily
Milk
Low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream
3-5 servings daily
Grains
Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice
6-11 servings daily
Just as there are a variety of foods that you should make a point of including in your diet during pregnancy, there are also those which you should be careful not to include. | http://www.endokeyhole2007.com/nutrition-during-pregnancy-part-1.html |
Cell type-specific changes in retinal ganglion cell function induced by rod death and cone reorganization in rats.
(Journal of neurophysiology, 2017-07)
We have determined the impact of rod death and cone reorganization on the spatiotemporal receptive fields (RFs) and spontaneous activity of distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types. We compared RGC function between healthy ...
Personal DNA testing in college classrooms: perspectives of students and professors.
(Genetic testing and molecular biomarkers, 2013-06)
Discourse on the integration of personal genetics and genomics into classrooms is increasing; however, limited data have been collected on the perspectives of students and professors. We conducted a cross-sectional survey ...
A craniofacial-specific monosynaptic circuit enables heightened affective pain.
(Nature neuroscience, 2017-12)
Humans often rank craniofacial pain as more severe than body pain. Evidence suggests that a stimulus of the same intensity induces stronger pain in the face than in the body. However, the underlying neural circuitry for ...
Strategic allocation of attention reduces temporally predictable stimulus conflict.
(J Cogn Neurosci, 2012-09)
Humans are able to continuously monitor environmental situations and adjust their behavioral strategies to optimize performance. Here we investigate the behavioral and brain adjustments that occur when conflicting stimulus ...
"I Use Weed for My ADHD": A Qualitative Analysis of Online Forum Discussions on Cannabis Use and ADHD.
(PLoS One, 2016)
BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for problematic cannabis use. However, clinical and anecdotal evidence suggest an increasingly popular perception that cannabis is therapeutic ...
PhenX RISING: real world implementation and sharing of PhenX measures.
(BMC Med Genomics, 2014-03-20)
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the PhenX RISING network and the site experiences in the implementation of PhenX measures into ongoing population-based genomic studies. METHODS: Eighty PhenX measures ...
The dynamics of proactive and reactive cognitive control processes in the human brain.
(J Cogn Neurosci, 2014-05)
In this study, we leveraged the high temporal resolution of EEG to examine the neural mechanisms underlying the flexible regulation of cognitive control that unfolds over different timescales. We measured behavioral and ...
Recovery and survival from aging-associated diseases.
(Exp Gerontol, 2013-08)
OBJECTIVES: Considering disease incidence to be a main contributor to healthy lifespan of the US elderly population may lead to erroneous conclusions when recovery/long-term remission factors are underestimated. Using two ...
Steps to Health employee weight management randomized control trial: short-term follow-up results.
(J Occup Environ Med, 2015-02)
OBJECTIVE: To present the short-term follow-up findings of the Steps to Health study, a randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of two employee weight management programs offered within Duke University and the Health ...
Leukocyte telomere length, breast cancer risk in the offspring: the relations with father's age at birth.
(Mech Ageing Dev, 2011-04)
Recent studies have reported that leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is longer in offspring of older fathers. Longer telomeres might increase cancer risk. We examined the relation of father's age at the birth of the offspring ... | https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/2840/discover?rpp=10&filtertype_0=affiliation&filtertype_1=affiliation&filtertype_2=subject&filter_relational_operator_1=equals&filter_relational_operator_0=equals&filter_2=Male&filter_1=Institutes+and+Provost%27s+Academic+Units&filter_relational_operator_2=equals&filter_0=School+of+Medicine&filtertype=affiliation&filter_relational_operator=equals&filter=University+Institutes+and+Centers |
April 8, 2022 | NEWS | By Mika Alexander | Illustration by Emmaline Hawley
Dr. Jessica Kisunzu, associate professor of organic chemistry at Colorado College, has been awarded a $16,000 grant from Organic Synthesis Inc. to continue her research in photochemistry. The publication provides procedures for making organic compounds and includes a stipend for student collaborators.
Interested in how bonds are broken and formed, Kisunzu’s project is centered around highly reactive sets of molecules called benzynes.
“Sometimes when things are highly reactive, we can’t control them. But actually, with benzynes, we can use them in a really reliable way,” said Kisunzu.
While past studies involving benzynes have utilized other external compounds such as heat, Kisunzu aims to explore how light impacts benzyne reactions. In understanding these photochemical reactions, scientists can use the developed methods to make drug-like molecules, materials, and longer polymers.
Because of benzynes’ presence in various compounds in different areas, there are multiple directions researchers can take when working with these sets of molecules. Depending on the desired application, different external factors can be used as catalysts to get certain reactions.
“I think having a very strong, reliable set of photochemical methods will allow people who want to use benzynes to have options. The more options you have, the more applications you can often do. And so I see this as kind of an undeveloped area of benzyne chemistry,” said Kisunzu.
Along with contributing to the field of organic chemistry, student collaboration has been integral to the project’s development.
Utilizing a strong research program to develop applicable photochemical methods, Kisunzu hopes that this project will allow students to explore benzynes for years to come. The awarded grant will also cover two summers’ worth of work, which will allow for continued student-faculty collaboration.
“This is a project that I think can really be built on as I keep going in my career, but as students come in and do research during the school year and during the summer, they can also add to it,” said Kisunzu.
Benjamin Sokol ’22 started this project in 2020, and his work supported the grant proposal. In 2021 and 2022, respectively, William Abbey ’22 and Tessa Ganellen ’22 joined.
This summer, Enrique Hernandez Salcido ’24 will be supported by the Organic Synthesis Inc. grant to conduct research with Kisunzu.
To Kisunzu, student collaboration is what got the photochemical benzyne project off the ground. This alliance, paired with a strong research program, should allow for more students and scientists alike to continue exploring these chemical reactions.
“Developing a strong research program here allows me to have a foundation, to have a vision for what my research group can do, what students can do with me in the future,” said Kisunzu. | https://thecatalystnews.com/2022/04/07/dr-kisunzu-awarded-research-grant/ |
After the implementation of US tariffs on aluminium and steel, the USA declared new protectionist measures on other sectors. China retaliated.
Event
On 15 June President Donald Trump announced two waves of 25% tariffs on a total of USD 50 bn imports from China. The first one, which will take effect from 6 July, will target 818 products in various sectors, two thirds of which concern the machinery and equipment sector. The other main target is the ICT sector. Some automotive and transport products are also included. The second wave of import duties is submitted to a public consultation and should take effect later. Therefore, it is probable that the 284 products making up this second list will be hit, at least partially. This second list mainly relates to the plastics sector as well as other machinery and equipment products. Other possibly affected sectors could be the transports and metal sectors (steel and aluminium products not yet subject to tariffs).
In the aftermath of the US announcement, Beijing responded that it would directly retaliate and impose 25% tariffs on imports from the USA worth USD 50 bn. The first slice, with a value of USD 34 bn, would become effective as from 6 July and target agricultural goods (soybeans, beef, cotton, etc.), whiskey and vehicles. The second slice is a threat to add goods worth USD 16 bn in the tariffs’ scope and this mainly concerns Chinese imports of US energy (with the noticeable exception of LNG), chemicals and some medical devices.
The reason why Mr Trump is going into battle against China is that he accuses it of behaving abusively towards American companies established there, and of resorting to illegal and/or unfair practices to force technology transfers to Chinese companies. Moreover, he wants to slash the US trade deficit, and is therefore taking measures to reduce imports. For its part, China wants to fight these unilateral tariffs at any cost.
Impact on sector risk
Based on the estimated shares of the exports to the country where the new duties would be applied in total sales for the sector (cf. graphs 1 and 2), the US agriculture sector (soybeans in particular, and cotton to a lesser extent) would probably be the worst affected in the short term by the implementation of the Chinese tariffs. On the Chinese side, the sectorial impact should be moderate. The Chinese machinery/equipment and electronics/ICT sectors are expected to suffer the most, although relatively less than some US sectors. About 730 products out of the first list of 818 goods targeted by US tariffs are related to those sectors, which are mainly high-tech products, at the core of the ‘Made in China 2025’ plan, which aims to make China a high-tech superpower. Also, the impact of the tariffs would probably lead to redirections of trade flows rather than to significant losses of exchanged volumes. Indeed, where there is a loser, there is always a winner. For example, Chinese soybean/cotton producers should take advantage of tariffs issued by China on imports of US agricultural products and their derivatives.
The remainder of this note focuses on the sector which will probably be the most impacted (US agriculture) by the tariff implementation on 6 July, on a sector at the core of tariffs from both sides (automotive) and on some products potentially targeted by the second wave (plastics, US energy).
A focus on agriculture and agribusiness sectors
The agriculture and agribusiness sectors would be badly hit by Chinese tariffs. The products affected are mainly soybeans, corn, cotton, tobacco, rice, fruits and beef. Graph 3 provides an overview of the price evolution of those products since 2016.
The Chinese government is going to put tariffs of 25% on imports of soybeans from the USA, effective from 6 July. According to the American Soybean Association, this tariff will be a disaster for the sector. Indeed, 57% of US soybean exports went to the Middle Kingdom, which is by far the biggest export market (cf. graph 4).
Also, 41% of Chinese soybean imports came from the USA in 2016, making the USA China’s second-largest importer just after Brazil (46%) and before Argentina (10%) (cf. graph 5). Therefore, US soybeans have an important role in both the American and Chinese economies. Although this trade war could destabilise the rural US economy, it is expected that the US Secretary of Agriculture – through its Commodity Credit Corporation – would help producers by purchasing their soybean production surplus, to mitigate the final impact of the Chinese measure.
If part of American soybeans are de facto excluded from China, this would weaken the Chinese bargaining power vis-à-vis other importers given that the remaining global soybean production would not be sufficient to meet the whole Chinese demand. In the short term, this should lead to a soybean price increase in China that would inevitably push up the final price of pork and chicken on the Chinese market because the Chinese pork and poultry industries consume a lot of soybeans.
Some countries would be big beneficiaries of these tariffs, as China would search new suppliers. China is expected to buy more from its other largest suppliers – Brazil and Argentina – even if the production in those countries should be lower this year. However, the other main beneficiaries are likely to be Uruguay, Canada and Ukraine, where the soybean industry is driven by exports.
The enhanced probability of Chinese tariffs on US soybeans made the soybean price fall sharply at the end of May1. Damage to US agriculture is expected to be significant in the short term but to decrease in the longer term. The measure would indeed probably lead to a reorganisation of the world trade flows, with South America becoming the most important supplier of China, while the USA would supply the rest of the world.
Soybean producers in China would be the main beneficiary of the Chinese import tariffs as they would try to fill the gap left by US exporters. On the contrary, Chinese agribusiness firms, especially those that use soybeans as input, could see their costs increase because of the final increase in price.
Regarding cotton, in 2016, 71% of the US production was exported, 12% of which was destined for China, down from 31% in 2012, according to USDA. China is the third largest US cotton importer after Vietnam (14%) and Honduras (12%). The US cotton price is therefore expected to decrease which would erode the income of farmers. On the positive side, it should benefit the US textile industry as well as the Turkish industry, a buyer of US cotton.
Impact of tariffs on automobile imposed by both China and the USA
The current tariffs applied to the automotive industry are 25% for vehicles imported into China and 2.5% for vehicles imported into the USA. On 15 June, China and the USA have announced additional 25% tariffs on some imports from that sector, some being already implemented as from 6 July. Motorcycles, spare parts and cars (irrespective of engine, power, etc.), as well as auto parts, are concerned.
The Chinese car market is a big market, with a small share of imported cars in terms of total sales (4%); it offers big opportunities to foreign car exporters. Currently, the USA has a significant trade surplus with China. Therefore, higher Chinese tariffs on the automotive trade would severely impact US car manufacturers. It would force car manufacturers to revise their strategies in terms of supply chains and cause manufacturing plants to relocate out of the USA in order to avoid Chinese tariffs. Besides, US companies also manufacture cars in China for sale in the USA, but in smaller proportions2.
Finally, at the end of May 2018, the US Department of Commerce initiated a ‘Section 232’ investigation in order to assess whether the import of foreign cars on the US market threatens national security. Even if this investigation could take several months (up to one year), the impact could be even more important than that of a simple import tariff. Indeed, the application of ‘Section 232’-related tariffs would significantly damage foreign automakers, above all those from Asia where Japanese firms for example have exports to the US accounting for 40% of their global vehicle exports. Finally, it should reduce the trade flows, or at least reshape the international supply chain, leading some firms to shut down, relocate or make thousands of workers redundant.
Plastics are potentially targeted by both countries
The Chinese plastics sector is potentially targeted as it is part of the list that will be subject to the US public consultation. However, the sector is very little dependent on the US market as exports to the country are estimated to be less than 1% of the total sales of the sector. The imposition of tariffs would thus have a very limited impact.
The US plastics and petrochemical products are included in the list of the second slice of Chinese tariffs, the implementation of which has not yet been decided. Such import duties would certainly be meaningful for the US sector, at a time when it is investing massively in new production capacities, expansions or restarts of existing facilities, some specifically dedicated to exports to China. China was the third biggest export market for US plastics and plastic articles in 2017, after Canada and Mexico. Nonetheless, in 2016, exports of plastics to China represented a mere 2% of production (including domestic sales).
Two products that could see major changes in trade flows are polyethylene and propane. A boom in the expansion of the US production capacities of these two products is being driven by the surge in US natural gas production, which provides a cheap and abundant source of by-products to feed production. There is a substantial new polyethylene US capacity, which will come online next year, most of which is for exports, particularly to China. As the global market is well supplied, China could turn to other, cheaper markets following the implementation of the tariffs. US polyethylene would then have to find new markets, which could weigh on US polyethylene prices. As for propane, China has been investing in plants that produce propane from propylene, and those facilities have been counting on a steady supply of US propane, expected to come on stream in 2019 and 2020. Here again, markets are well supplied and China could turn to new markets to source its propane, leaving the USA in search of new markets.
The US energy sector, potentially targeted by China
The US energy (crude oil, coal but not liquefied natural gas) products are on the list of products potentially targeted by China in the second wave. Exports of US oil, gas and coal to China have been rising sharply, in particular since 2016 after restrictions on exporting domestically produced crude oil were lifted in December 2015, and the US energy sector has been running a bilateral trade surplus with China. China is the destination of almost 20% of the US crude oil exports. The producers would have to find new markets, probably implying a discount and weighing on their profitability.
1 The price fall is due to the combination of additional factors among which dollar strengthening, new USDA projection of output and additional tariff-related risks coming from Mexico related to soybeans and corn.
2 Paradoxically, American firms that manufacture in China and sell to the USA would be subjected to tariffs of 25% (instead of the current 2.5%). | https://www.credendo.com/country-news/tarrif-war-us-vs-china |
The Commission has worked with Alta Planning + Design to collect GIS mapping data representing the region’s existing tourism infrastructure including: outdoor activities, cultural landmarks, downtown centers, recreation/leisure locations, food/beverage sources, historic sites, accommodations, music venues, farm locations, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
Click Here to View the Regional Tourism Asset Map
Within our Regional Economic Development Strategy: Goal 2, Strategy T.3: Conduct Regional Asset Mapping of the Tourism Industry calls for a tourism consortium to develop a marketing plan for the region’s tourism assets and establish an evaluation tool to measure the impact of the hospitality and tourism industry. The data collected makes it possible for a group of regional tourism stakeholders to edit the asset map as needed and to assist in developing a marketing plan, public awareness campaign, and evaluation tool for the region’s tourism industry.
While viewing the data, feel free to brainstorm ways it can be utilized to serve your needs, identify things that are missing, and provide any other suggestions, comments or concerns to Program Manager Ben Farmer. | https://regionc.org/regional-development/economic-development-programs/asset-mapping/ |
701 Nw 4th St,
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Joyce's Rare View: The Nature of Things in Finnegans Wake (Florida James Joyce)
Richard Beckman argues that readers of Finnegans Wake must develop a new method of reading that flows from the text itself. Focusing on the mode of perception in the Wake--seeing the world obliquely because that is often the only way to get at the nature of things--Beckman maintains that Joyce’s satire depends on looking at the public scene from behind, a view at the same time vaudevillian and philosophic.Indirect perception is at once the basis for Joyce’s peculiar locutions, conveying incompatible double and triple meanings, and also an account of how the mind works. Thus, Beckman shows, the object world in the Wake is as unstable as a troubled dream, accessible only by glimpses and guesses at suspected overtones of significance. If the Wake shows only the wrong side of things, this perception hardly belongs to the Wake alone, but Beckman maintains that no other text has presented this idea with such imitative power, applied it to life so energetically, or wrung so much humor from it. In the Wake, Joyce has made his case for choosing the wrong and even oddball way of considering the human situation--as opposed to the ever-present culture of received opinions--and he creates a book of life that goes nowhere and everywhere, doubling back on itself, methodically seeing things the wrong way, and conjuring up characters, events, and meanings that are inherently reversible.Written for students of the Wake and Joyce scholars and critics seeking innovative commentary that renders familiar passages fresh, Joyce’s Rare View offers new, close readings of a myriad of passages and phrases in the Wake, illuminating many of the themes of this encyclopedic satire.
Specifications of Joyce's Rare View: The Nature of Things in Finnegans Wake (Florida James Joyce)
|GENERAL|
|Author||RICHARD BECKMAN|
|Binding||Hardcover|
|Language||English|
|Edition||1st|
|ISBN-10||0813030595|
|ISBN-13||9780813030593|
|Publisher||University Press of Florida|
|Number Of Pages||256|
|Publication Date||2007-05-13|
|DIMENSIONS|
|Height||9.31 inch.|
|Length||6.32 inch.|
|Width||0.83 inch.|
|Weight||1 pounds.|
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An international collaboration project to study drug resistance in ovarian cancer has received 6 million euros for five years from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program. The project is coordinated from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and begins on January 1, 2016.
The HERCULES project focuses on the most common and most difficult to treat subtype of ovarian cancer, high-grade serous ovarian cancer. These tumors consist of several heterogeneous cell populations with a large number of mutations. This genetic variability of the tumors makes it difficult to find drugs that would be able to kill all the cancer cells and to which some of the cells would not become resistant during treatment.
Although most patients respond well to current treatments initially, more than half of them experience relapse. In Europe more than 40 000 women die of ovarian cancer every year.
In the HERCULES project, the tumors are analyzed in an unprecedented level of detail to discover which cell populations the tumors consist of, how they respond to treatments and what makes them resistant to treatments.
Patient samples are used to study the function of genes and proteins at a single-cell level by using the latest mass cytometry, sequencing and computational methods. The researchers aim to find an optimal set of biomarkers that can be used to identify different cell populations from tissue samples. Fresh tissue samples and cell lines will be used to study the tumor cells’ response to several drug compounds.
The results from these experiments will be used in computational modelling and development of computational tools to predict which drug compounds will target each cell population best. Based on this information, the aim is to develop a test that can be used to predict which drug combinations will be most efficient against an individual patient’s cancer.
The results of the project will help doctors in finding the best treatments to each ovarian cancer patient.
In addition to coordinating the project, University of Helsinki researchers are responsible for sample sequencing, data analysis, development of computational tools, single-cell sequencing and drug response experiments. Other partners in Finland are from the University of Turku and the Hospital District of South-West Finland. They are in charge of recruiting patients, collecting and processing the samples and establishing cell lines.
Network modeling for the project is performed at the Institute of Pasteur in France and identification and sorting of cell populations at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Italy. Gene regulation and expression studies are done at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Validation of the results and predictions will be done in Italy at the University of Trieste and in Finland at the Universities of Helsinki and Turku by using biobank samples, cell lines and experimental models. The test for drug response prediction will be developed by AB Analitica, an Italian SME. | https://www.abanalitica.com/it/eventi/ab-analitica-partner-in-a-eu-funded-project-for-ovarian-cancer-research/ |
Ostriches are omnivores, like humans, meaning they eat plants and animals. It depends on what their habitat have for them to consume. It also depends on what time of the year it is. Whatever resources are available, or wherever (since they are nomadic), they will move to where the food is.
The types of plants that ostriches consume are; various seeds, grasses, bushes, shrubs, low low foliage on trees, roots, and leaves. Ostriches do mainly consume these herbaceous diets. They are considered grazers, so when they are wandering around, they will be munching on these types of nutrients.
The types of nutrients it consumes that are not plants are; invertebrates such as insects (locust) and small vertebrates such a lizards or rodents.
The meal is ingested using their beaks. The food is stored at the top of the of their throat, which is called the crop in most animals. But the ostrich does not have a crop. Instead, there is a glandular stomach whish is called the proventricculus. When there is a big enough mass of food in the proventricculus, it will then slide down their long throat into the part of the stomach called a ventriculus.
Due to the ostriches unique diet, it has a very unique digestive system. This digestive system contains a very long, tough intestine- stretched out ranging 46 feet! Within the stomach, there is grit- rocks and other material which enable the break down of food to enter the small intestine. The ostrich will need to eat stones or rocks to ensure that they can break down what they have consumed.
An ostrich can receive water from the plants it ingests. Ideally, an ostrich would like 1 to 2 gallons of water a day. But they can survive several days without water due to the complex system that comes with being so large, and their absorbance abilities with organs and tissues.
Depending on the season, the ostrich will overcome climate change or change in food available by eating what is available. If they can not find food within the area they are in, they will move to another, better equipped spot.
The ostrich has a closed circulatory system. This means that it has a "pump", which as an avian, has a four chambered heart with two atria and two ventricles (similar to ours)! They have a very efficient cardiovascular system. This system includes the heart, as well as transport vessels that move nutrient, oxygen and carbon dioxide, waste products, hormones, and heat throughout it's body! The oxygen and deoxygenated blood are separated within the ostriches heart. For more information on the ostriches circulatory system, check out this page talking about Ornithology.
It is essential for an ostrich to obtain adequate nutrients so that it can pass on it's genes through reproduction and continue with evolving the ostrich species.
For more information about ostriches, check out the San Diego Zoo Website! | http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/stauder_abig/nutrition.htm |
Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in an area, typically averaged over a period of 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years.
Is climate over a year?
Scientists traditionally define a Climate Normal as an average over a recent 30-year period.
Is climate over a long or short period of time?
The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere “behaves” over relatively long periods of time.
How is climate measured?
Global average surface temperature:
Climate change is most commonly measured using the average surface temperature of the planet. … For this reason, scientists traditionally use a period of at least 30 years to identify a genuine climate trend.
How long is climate recorded for?
The temperature record of the last 2,000 years is reconstructed using data from climate proxy records in conjunction with the modern instrumental temperature record which only covers the last 170 years at a global scale.
Is it hotter in 2021 than 2020?
“July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded. … It was 0.02 of a degree F (0.01 of a degree C) higher than the previous record set in July 2016, which was then tied in 2019 and 2020.
How is climate different from weather?
Weather refers to short term atmospheric conditions while climate is the weather of a specific region averaged over a long period of time. Climate change refers to long-term changes.
Is sunny weather or climate?
Weather is what you see outside on any particular day. So, for example, it may be 75° degrees and sunny or it could be 20° degrees with heavy snow. That’s the weather. Climate is the average of that weather.
Is wind weather or climate?
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. People generally think of weather as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind. … Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years.
What are the 6 types of climates?
There are six main climate regions: tropical rainy, dry, temperate marine, temperate continental, polar, and highlands. The tropics have two types of rainy climates: tropical wet and tropical wet-and- dry.
Where does climate data come from?
Modern observations mostly come from weather stations, weather balloons, radars, ships and buoys, and satellites. A surprisingly large number of U.S. measurements are still made by volunteer weather watchers.
How do we observe climate change?
Scientists and engineers from around the world have compiled this evidence using satellites, weather balloons, thermometers at surface stations, and many other types of observing systems that monitor the Earth’s weather and climate.
What is the climate zone?
Climate zones are areas with distinct climates, which occur in east-west direction around the Earth, and can be classified using different climatic parametres. … Due to temperature differences caused by the differences in radiation, recurring climatic conditions develop, such as winter and summer. | https://savethebeaches.net/ecologic/is-climate-over-months-or-years.html |
Objective: The study measured whether nurses' situation awareness would increase and task completion time decrease when they used an integrated information display compared to traditional displays for medication management, patient awareness and team communication.
Setting: The Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit (BTICU) at the University Hospital, University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Participants: 12 experienced BTICU nurses.
Measures: Situation awareness (accuracy of the participants' answer) and task completion time (response time from seeing the question to submitting the answer) were measured using paper prototypes of both displays.
Study design: Counter-balanced (on display order), repeated-measures design.
Main results: Nurses had a higher situation awareness when using the integrated display, with an overall accuracy of 85.3% compared to 61.8% with the traditional displays (odds ratio 3.61, P<.001, 95% CI=2.34…5.57). Task completion times were nearly half with integrated displays compared to traditional displays (median 26.0 and 42.1s, hazard ratio 2.31, P<.001, CI=1.83…2.93).
Conclusions: An integrated ICU information display increased nurses' situation awareness and decreased task completion time. Information integration has the potential to decrease errors, increase nurses' productivity and may allow nurses to react faster to a patient's clinical needs. Bidirectional device communication is needed for these displays to achieve full potential in improving patient safety.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00714012.
Keywords: Equipment design; Evaluation; Information Display; Intensive Care; Nurses; Situation Awareness; Task Completion Time; User-Computer Interface.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23357614/?dopt=Abstract |
Given triangle , let , , be the midpoints of , , respective and let be the centroid of the triangle. For each value of , how many non-similar triangles are there in which is a cyclic quadrilateral?
Problem 2
Let be positive real numbers, and let be the sum of the products of taken at a time. Show that
for
Problem 3
Consider all the triangles which have a fixed base and whose altitude from is a constant . For which triangles is the product of its altitudes a maximum?
Problem 4
A set of persons is divided into non-intersecting subsets in such a way that
1. No one in a subset knows all the others in the subset,
2. Among any three persons in a subset, there are always at least two who do now know each other, and
3. For any two persons in a subset who do now know each other, there is exactly one person in the same subset knowing both of them.
(a) Prove that within each subset, every person has the same number of acquaintances.
(b) Determine the maximum possible number of subsets.
Note: It is understood that if a person knows person , then person will know person ; an acquaintance is someone who is known. Every person is assumed to know one's self.
Problem 5
Show that for every integer , there exists a convex hexagon which can be dissected into exactly congruent triangles. | https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/1990_APMO_Problems |
Rice has been a part of wedding ceremonies for many centuries because throughout the ages it was a symbol for fruitfulness, a wish for the couple to have great prosperity and many children.
But the rice was used in different ways by different societies. In some societies, the rice was worn or carried by the bride. In others, the bride and groom ate the rice together as the actual ceremony of getting married. In still others, the rice was sprinkled over the couple.
Then, too, the rice may have also been used as an offering to evil spirits, to feed them and satisfy them so that they would not bring any harm to the marriage.
So when you throw rice at a bride and groom today, you are actually practicing a very old custom to wish the newlyweds good things in the life they are beginning together.
In some rural English communities today, people throw wheat over a bridal couple to wish them the same good luck! | https://zippyfacts.com/why-do-we-throw-rice-at-weddings/ |
#12 – par 4 (477/387):
Another “switch-back” hole, this one requires a fade with the tee shot and a draw on the approach. A massive waste bunker well below the level of the fairway will collect any tee shot pushed to the right. Shots from this bunker are also blind as a large mound lies directly between it and the green. The green is about 20-25 feet below the level of the fairway, with bunkers protecting it both left and right.
#14 – par 4 (385/327):
A classic cape hole, one of the reclamation ponds runs all along the left side, and around the back of the green. The fairway slopes from right to left, and levels off closer to the water. The golfer playing close to the water is left with a short, level pitch to the green.
#15 – par 4 (362/342):
Pete Dye clearly took a page from the MacDonald/Raynor book in this adaptation of an Alps hole. Perhaps the author’s favorite hole on the course, many options are available off the tee. A large mound containing several bunkers sits directly between the tee and green, with a nearly 60 wide fairway just short of this. If the golfer chooses this safe option with a fairway wood or hybrid, he or she will be left with a blind shot over the mound. Another option is to challenge the mound and the fairway bunker on the right with a driver between them to the narrowest portion of the fairway. This gets the golfer up the hill and allows a view of the green, although with a worse angle than going directly over the mound. The green is angled from front left to back right with a bunker protecting on the front.
#17 – par 3 (206/167):
The green of the one-shot 17th nestles up against a pond on the right. The green is about 50 yards deep, yielding a variety of pin-positions and therefore, club selections. The author can recall using anything from a 9-iron to 3-iron, giving day-to-day variety to the hole. The left side of the green has several large mounds and swales, and is raised relative to the right side. Shots landing on this portion (especially with a left-to-right shot shape) will funnel toward the center of the green. However, missing just left will kick the ball further left and down to a collection area below the level of the green, leaving a difficult chip from a tight lie back towards the water. The right side of the green is much flatter and will leave an easier putt to center hole locations, but the water must be challenged on the tee shot. A small bunker back left awaits long, pulled shots for those thinking about the water during the swing.
#18 – par 4 (484/415):
Like many of Dye’s courses, the 18th is perhaps the most difficult test of the day. Another switch-back hole, a right-to-left shot is preferred off the tee while the approach should be left-to-right. A large waste bunker guards the left side of the fairway and must be challenged for those wanting a better angle to the green. The green complex is the highlight of the hole. The green is pushed up with a large, deep bunker system on the right side. Like many of the holes, tightly mown collection areas below the level of the green await shots missed short, left, and long.
The three most common weaknesses of the course the author hears from critics are as follows: 1) The course is not very pretty 2) There is too much tall grass, and 3) Every driving hole is the same with a large waste bunker on one side of the fairway. It is difficult to argue against the first two points. The course has hard edges, brown sand, and rough waste areas that are not particularly pleasing to the eye. However, beautiful views across the celery bog are still afforded on several holes, and were improved by the removal of trees to the left of the 13th and 14th holes a few years ago. The rough at Kampen is thick, and even when not tall, provides a stern challenge. Most complaints stem from the tall heather, which is in play on many holes. Although there is still plenty of room to play and the heather is only an issue on significantly offline shots, chances of finding a ball in it are not good. However, the course is meant to be a difficult test, and many of the complaints would be avoided by the appropriate selection of tees.
The last point is one which can and should be argued against, as each hole provides its own unique challenge even though 13 of the 14 driving holes do contain a large fairway bunker. While Kampen is clearly not on the same level as The Stadium Course or the Ocean Course, both of these have similar types of fairway bunkers, and Dye implemented many of the same strategic elements from these into Kampen. Holes such as the 1st, 7th, 8th, 12th, and 15th highlight the individuality of each.
Kampen provides the golfer with not only a physical test, but a mental test as well. Those finishing with a good score will know both their swing and mind were in solid form. Kampen is a strategic gem, with options and angles dictating play throughout the round. The large greens and ever-changing northwest Indiana winds make it a joy to play from day to day. The many secrets of Kampen take many a round to fully uncover. If ever in West Lafayette, IN, make a point to visit the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex and play one of the finest university courses in the nation. | https://golfclubatlas.com/kampen2/ |
PRIORITY STATEMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/436,618, filed on May 13, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,873,596, and claims benefit thereof under 35 U.S.C. § 120.
The invention relates to a reception method in mobile CDMA telephone systems Wherein a received signal is separated from other interfering signals by means of a linear equalization algorithm that avoids matrix inversion.
A central problem in designing and implementing a data transmission system is simultaneous transmission and reception of signals from several simultaneous users such that the signals interfere with one another as little as possible. Because of this and the transmission capacity used, various transmission protocols and multiple access methods have been used, the most common especially in mobile phone traffic being FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) and TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), and recently CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access).
CDMA is a multiple access method based on a spread spectrum technique, and it has been recently put into use in cellular radio systems in addition to previously used FDMA and TDMA. CDMA has many advantages over the prior methods, such as simplicity of frequency planning, and spectrum efficiency.
In a CDMA method, a narrow-band data signal of a user is multiplied to a relatively broad band by a spreading code having a much broader band than the data signal. Band widths used in known test systems include e.g. 1.25 MHz, 10 MHz and 25 MHz. The multiplication spreads the data signal over the entire band to be used. All the users-transmit simultaneously on the same frequency band. A different spreading code is used on each connection between a base station and a mobile station, and the signals of the users can be distinguished from one another in the receivers on the basis of the spreading code of the user. If possible, the spreading codes are selected in such a way that they are mutually orthogonal, i.e. they do not correlate with one another.
Correlators in conventionally implemented CDMA receivers are synchronized with a desired signal, which they recognize on the basis of the spreading code. In the receiver the data signal is restored to the original band by multiplying it by the same spreading code as in the transmission step. Ideally, the signals that have been multiplied by some other spreading code do not correlate and are not restored to the narrow band. In view of the desired signal, they thus appear as noise. The object is to detect the signal of the desired user from among a number of interfering signals. In practice, the spreading codes do correlate to some extent, and the signals of the other users make it more difficult to detect the desired signal by distorting the received signal. This interference caused by the users to one another is called multiple access interference.
The situation is especially problematic when one or several users transmit with a considerably greater signal strength than the other users. These users employing greater signal strength interfere considerably with the connections of the other users. Such a situation is called a near-far problem, and it may occur for example in cellular radio systems when one or several users are situated near the base station and some users are further away, whereupon the users that are situated closer blanket the signals of the other users in the base station receiver, unless the power control algorithms of the system are very fast and efficient.
The reliable reception of signals is problematic especially in asynchronous systems, i.e. systems where the signals of the users are not synchronized with one another, since the symbols of the users are disturbed by the several symbols of the other users. In conventional receivers, filters matched with the spreading codes, and sliding correlators, which are both used as detectors, do not function well in near-far situations, however. Of the known methods the best result is provided by a decorrelating detector, which eliminates multiple access interference from the received signal by multiplying it by the cross-correlation matrix of the spreading codes used. The decorrelating detector is described in greater detail in Lupas, Verdu, Linear multiuser detectors for synchronous code-division multiple access channels, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 123-136, January 1989; and Lupas, Verdu, Near-far resistance of multiuser detectors in asynchronous channels, IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 38, April 1990. These methods, however, also involve many operations, such as matrix inversion operations, that require a high calculating capacity and that are especially demanding when the quality of the transmission channel and the number of the users vary constantly, as for example in cellular radio systems.
Channel equalization is a promising means of improving the downlink receiver performance in a frequency selective CDMA downlink. Current research encompasses two types of linear equalization, namely non-adaptive linear equalization and adaptive linear equalization. Non-adaptive linear equalizers usually assume “piece-wise” stationarity of the channel and design the equalizer according to some optimization criteria such as LMMSE (Least Minimum Mean Squared Error) or zero-forcing, which in general leads to solving a system of linear equations by matrix inversion. This can be computationally expensive, especially when the coherence-time of the channel is short and the equalizers have to be updated frequently. On the other hand, adaptive algorithms solve the similar LMMSE or zero-forcing optimization problems by means of stochastic gradient algorithms and avoid direct matrix inversion. Although computationally more manageable, the adaptive algorithms are less robust since their convergence behavior and performance depend on the choices of parameters such as step size.
The art still has need of an equalization procedure that is robust and does not consume a great deal of computation power.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an equalization method for downlink CDMA signals that avoids a computationally intense matrix inversion.
A feature of the invention is a linear filter process using only FFTs and IFFTs as steps in the filter coefficient generation process.
A feature of the invention is the approximation of the correlation matrix with a circulant matrix that is diagonalized by a DFT operation.
j
k
k
k
FIG. 8
In the case of a CDMA downlink with J active users each is assigned a number of codes K; for j=1--J. Let K be the total number of active spreading codes (summed over J). Note that in our discussion, we use spreading code index, rather than user index, to simplify the notation. At the transmitter, the chip-level signal representation is given by Eq (1) in , where i, m and k are chip, symbol and spreading code indices. The base station scrambling code is denoted by c(i). Meanwhile, astands for the power assigned to spreading code k, bis the information symbol sequence for spreading code k and s(i) is the spreading code k.
0
L
k
FIG. 8
T
H
a) The channel vector h(i) is stationary over a large block of chips. This condition is satisfied by choosing the block size such that the time span of the block is a small fraction of the channel coherence time. With this condition, the dependence on i is removed from h(i) and H(i).
b) The chip-level transmitted signal d(i) is white and wide sense stationary. It can be shown that this condition is strictly satisfied if the system is fully loaded, i.e, when K=G, and each spreading code is assigned equal power. Otherwise, this condition holds reasonably well except for very lightly loaded systems, i.e, when K <<G. The following solution is thus counterintuitive, since it is better at small signal to noise ratios than when the conditions are conventionally “better”; i.e. a signal stands out cleanly from the background.
Let h=[h; :::h] be the composite chip-level channel impulse vector of spreading code k. Note h includes the contributions from transmit pulse shaper, the wireless propagation channel and the receive filter, so that it will change as the environment changes. Also note that since we only consider spreading code k throughout our discussion, we use h instead of hfor clarity. The matrix-vector representation of the received signal is given in equation 2 in . To facilitate the discussion of linear equalization, we stack F+1 chips in the received vector r so that r(i)=[r(i+F); :::; r(i); :::; r(i−F)]=H(i)d(i)+n(i) , where d(i)=E[d(i)d(i)] is the transmitted chip power and h(i) is the (F+1)th column in H(i). The solution in this form is not desirable, since it depends on the chip index i and is time-varying. However, the dependence on i can be removed if the following two assumptions hold:
FIG. 8
H
Removing the dependence on time, the solution to the filter vector w becomes Equation 4 in , where sigma is a constant representing the transmitted power, and R is the correlation matrix from Eq 3. Those skilled in the art will be aware that the estimated data after equalization are represented by d(i)=wr(i), where r is the received signal in Equation 2 and w is relatively slowly varying. It has been observed that, as shown in Eq 5, that R is banded Toeplitz in form, with individual elements given by Eq 6 that depend on the channel impulse vector h and some constants.
Those skilled in the art are aware that the analytic solution for w to the previous problem (expressing w in terms of other observed parameters) requires inverting the correlation matrix R. The inversion calculation requires computational resources and time. Providing the required computation resources in a mobile telephone handset is difficult, as is performing the calculations with limited hardware resources quickly enough to provide a satisfactory solution. Thus, the invention is well adapted to use in the receiver of a mobile handset in a CDMA cellular system.
F
F
3
The complexity of the matrix inversion is of the order of L, where L=2 F+1 is the filter length. Further, the matrix inversion operation can be numerically unstable and inaccurate in the frequent case of fixed-point implementations.
It is an advantageous feature of the invention that matrix inversion is avoided by a process in which matrix inversion is replaced by Fourier transforms. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the inversion of the correlation matrix is replaced by two FFTs (Fast Fourier Transform) and an inverse FFT.
F
H
If L>2 L, we can convert R into a circulant matrix S by the addition of a matrix C according to Eq 7, where C is an upper triangular “corner” matrix defined in Eq 8. The purpose of this change is to take advantage of the property that every circulant matrix can be diagonalized by a DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) matrix, i.e. S=D(Λ) D, where D is defined in Eq 9 and Λ is a diagonal matrix that is obtained by taking a DFT on the first column of S.
F
F
2L
2L
−1
H
Defining V according to Eq 10, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the problem of inverting the L×Lmatrix R has been reduced to inverting the 2 L×2 L matrix J−VSV, where Jis a 2 L×2 L “exchange” matrix (ones on anti-diagonals).
F
Further, if the filter length is much longer than the channel correlation length, i.e. L>>2 L, then adding the two corners to the correlation matrix R does not significantly change the eigenstructure of the matrix. Accordingly, the inverse of R is approximately equal to the inverse of S. Therefore no direct matrix inversion is necessary since the inverse of S can be obtained with some FFT and IFFT operations.
−1
H
−1
H
Returning to the problem of isolating the desired signal, the solution becomes w=Sh=D(Λ)Dh, where the D and Doperations represent DFT and IDFT operations, respectively. As yet another simplification, the DFT operations can be replaced by computationally simpler FFT operations.
1) Estimate the correlation matrix R from the received signal;
2) Convert R to the circulant matrix S by adding the two corner matrices;
3) Take FFT(s), where s is the first column of S and generate Λ;
−1
4) Calculate Dh=FFT(h) and (Λ)Dh, and
H
−1
−1
5) Transform back into the time domain where w=D(Λ)Dh=IFFT((Λ)Dh);
6) Apply the resulting w to the received vector r to calculate the estimated chip d.
The signal recognition process then becomes:
−1
The elements of the quantity (Λ)Dh will also be referred to as the frequency domain filter taps. The estimated chip d is then processed conventionally to generate the analog voice signal (or data).
F
F
F
F
F
3
Since the filter is unchanged for a block of N chips, the calculation iS load per chip is normalized by N. N may be, illustratively, 1024. The overall per-chip complexity then becomes of order (L+(3 L/2N) log 2 L), which compares favorably with the complexity of order (L+(1/N)L) for the direct matrix inversion method.
FIG. 1
105
110
120
Referring now to , there is shown a block diagram of a receiver according to the invention, illustratively a mobile handset in a cellular CDMA system, in which antenna receives incoming signals, which pass to channel estimator , which generates an initial estimate for parameters used in the calculations, and also passes to equalizer , which represents the circuits that perform the various calculations discussed below. In this algorithm, the process of estimating the correlation matrix elements is performed according to any convenient conventional method such as illustrated in the book “Statistical Signal Processing” by Louis Scharf, Addison Wesley. The calculations may be carried out in a special-purpose device, including a digital signal processor chip and/or a general purpose device such as a microprocessor. The instructions for carrying out the process may be stored in any convenient medium, e.g. a read-only memory chip readable by a machine.
The function of the equalizer is to partially or largely restore the orthogonality of the separate spreading codes representing the various “channels”, one for each user.
150
140
150
After the equalizer, a conventional code correlator, as known to those skilled in the art, such as that shown in the book “Digital Communications” by John Proakis, McGraw Hill, separates out the power associated with the particular code that is carrying the data of interest. A conventional deinterleaver selects the particular data of interest. Box , labeled Audio, represents schematically the conventional circuits that convert the digital signals processed up to this point to analog audio, (or in the case of data, pass the data on to the next step). For convenience in expressing the claims, the signal leaving the deinterleaver will be referred to as the output signal and the processes represented by box (summing a block of data, performing digital to analog conversion, smoothing, amplifying, etc.) will be referred to as processing the output signal.
FIG. 2
210
220
230
F
F
F
F
F
illustrates an approach to the problem of equalization that is conceptually clear, though it does not offer the computational advantages of the preferred embodiments. Block represents a Fourier transform that is applied to each chip from the time domain to the frequency domain. Block represents equalization calculations analogous to the linear equalization processes discussed above to calculate the inverse of Λ. Block then represents the inverse Fourier transform back to the time domain. Since this approach requires a DFT for every chip, the complexity is of order (L+(½)Llog 2 L+(L/N)log 2 L), which is greater than other approaches, though still favorable compared with direct inversion.
Numerical Calculation Techniques
Two calculation techniques have been found to improve the accuracy of the approximation used and the stability of the results. Adding an artificial noise floor to the matrix S by adding a unit matrix multiplied by a small constant prevents dividing by a small number when the eigenvalues of the matrix are used as divisors in the FFT. This is equivalent to assuming that the noise is worse than it really is.
F
F
F
F
F
In addition, since the length of the impulse vector h is a constant fixed by the channel profile, we can improve the accuracy of the approximation by increasing the filter length L. This has the effect of reducing inaccuracies introduced by adding in the corner matrix CL when the eigenvalues are calculated. Since increasing the filter length means higher filter complexity, a better tradeoff is provided by using a double length (2 L) vector while performing calculations in the frequency domain. The initial set of chips in the received vector is expanded to length 2 L. This expanded vector is transformed to the Fourier domain and used for calculations. After the inverse Fourier Transform, the extra L/2 taps on the two sides are truncated and only the Ltaps in the center are used.
FIG. 3
F
F
2
2
shows a comparison of numerical simulations in a wideband CDMA system, averaged over a large number of simulation blocks, of the difference squared between the solution w of the direct matrix inversion and a filter of length L: J1=(Winv−WF)and a corresponding squared difference for the expanded filter used in the frequency domain J2=(Winv−W2 F), where Winv is the solution for w of the direct matrix inversion, 2F is the corresponding solution from the above for a filter of length Land W2 F is the corresponding solution for a filter of length 2 F in the Fourier domain. As can be seen, the expanded technique produces much lower error rates. The increase in error rate at higher signal to noise ratios is a consequence of the use of Fourier techniques.
FIGS. 4 and 5
show simulation results for a single data channel using the following parameters:
TABLE 1
Parameter Name
Parameter Value
Total HS-DSCH power
70 percent
CPICH Power
10 percent
SCH power
10 percent (off)
Carrier frequency
2 GHz
HS-DSCH (data channel)
16
spreading factor
CPICH (pilot channel) spreading
256
factor
Filter Length, L<sub>F</sub>
32
Channel estimate
Ideal
Where HS-DSCH Power is the power allocated to the High Speed Downlink Shared Control Channel, that is the percentage of the total available power that is allocated to the base station; SCH power is the power allocated to Synchronization channels, which includes both Primary Synchronization Channel (P-SCH) and Secondary Synchronization Channel (S-CH). The SCH power is divided equally among P-SCH and S-SCH; and CPICH is the Common Pilot CHannel.
The following three cases were used as models:
TABLE 2
16 QAM,
16 QAM,
QPSK, PedB-3
PedB-3
VehA-50
Channel model
Pedestrian B
Pedestrian B
Vehicular A
Mobile speed
3 km/h
3 km/h
50 km/h
Turbo code rate
0.6
0.5617
0.5617
No. of codes
10
8
8
Data rate
2.8 Mbps
4.2 Mbps
4.2 Mbps
Multi-Channel Diversity
Multi-channel diversity reception is an important means of improving receiver performance. The benefit of diversity reception is two-fold: first, the outage probability is reduced since the chance that all the diversity branches experience deep fade is smaller; second, the added diversity branches provide additional signal dimension that can be used in enhancing the SNR, suppressing the ISI and MAI, etc.
Multi-channel diversity reception manifests itself in many forms. Among them, oversampling, multiple receive antennas, and antenna polarization are the most commonly used.
The performance of these methods depends on the statistical correlation between different diversity branches. In general, the smaller the correlation between different diversity branches the better the overall receiver performance.
i
i
In this section, we extend our FFT based linear equalization method to systems with diversity receptions. The following treatment does not distinguish between different diversity methods since they all share the same mathematical form. To this end, let M denote the total number of diversity branches (typically 2 or 4) and we extend the received signal model of eq 2 by substituting a small vector hfor the scalar hof the previous discussion.
F
F
The correlation matrix is again banded block Toeplitz, with the change that the elements are now small matrices, as shown in eq 11 and 12. The problem of solving the matrix equation for the signal vector w is made more complex because the correlation matrix R is now ML×MLand correspondingly more difficult to invert directly.
0
LF-1
LF
LF
LF
0
LF−1
F
H
−1
−(LF−1)
j(2pi/LF)
The procedure of the previous section is followed by approximating the block Toeplitz matrix R with a block circulant matrix S. In order to invert S, we introduce a cyclic shift matrix P according to eq 13, where I is the identity matrix. S, then, can be represented as eq 14, where the symbol denotes a Kronecker product and E--Eform the first “block” column in matrix S. Proceeding analogously to the previous discussion, P may be diagonalized by a DFT P=DWD, where D is the DFT matrix and W is diagonal of the form W=diag(1,W, . . . , W), with W=e. After some substitution, S may be expressed as eq 15, where the expression 15-1 denotes dimension-wise IDFT and expression 15-3 denotes dimension-wise DFT, meaning that the DFT or IDFT is applied on each of the M diversity dimensions. The central expression 15-2 is a block diagonal matrix whose diagonal blocks are the element-wise DFT of the array of matrices E, . . . , E, as expressed in eq 16, where F is an M×M matrix defined by eq 17. The inverse of S is therefore given by eq 18. The inversion of F reduces to the inversion of Lsmall M×M matrices, since F is block diagonal.
1) Estimate the correlation matrix R from the received signal.
2) Convert to the block circulant matrix S by adding two “corners”
−1
3) Take an “element-wise” FFT on the first “block” column of S and form F, invert and get F
−1
4) Calculate “dimension-wise” FFT of h, or (DI)h and F(DI)h
−1
−1
5) Calculate “dimension-wise” IFFT of F(DI) to get the weight vector w=(DI)F(DI)h
The procedure for multi-dimensional transmission can be summarized as:
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
2
3
2
3
This algorithm involves one “dimension-wise” FFT and IFFT on a vector of size ML×1 (equivalent to M FFT/IFFTs of length L), one “element-wise” FFT on a matrix of size M×M (which is equivalent to MFFTs of length L) and Lmatrix inversions of size M×M. The complexity of this algorithm is of the order (LM+(M+2M)/2 Llog2 L), compared with the much higher complexity of order (ML)of a direct matrix inversion of R.
FIG. 6
The results of a simulation using the same parameters as before, with two receive antennas and an oversampling rate of 2 is shown in . The improvement resulting from diversity is apparent. The curves show excellent agreement between the FFT method according to the invention and the direct matrix inversion approach.
0
FIG. 7
In another computational simplification, an Equal Gain Combining Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (EGC-MVDR) equalizer is obtained by neglecting the spatial correlation among different diversity branches, i.e. by setting the off-diagonal elements of the matrices E . . . EL to zero. In that case, the solution for w is obtained by solving a set of M decoupled problems for each diversity branch. The solutions are combined with equal weight. The results of this model with a dual antenna system are shown in . The improvement from the second antenna is evident.
Although the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other embodiments may be constructed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows a block diagram of a receiver using the invention.
FIG. 2
shows a diagram of the equalization process using the frequency domain interpretation.
FIG. 3
shows the result of a numerical simulation of error metrics for alternative processes.
FIG. 4
shows a comparison of error rates between the inventive process with an exact solution.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
shows the comparison of for a different embodiment.
FIG. 6
shows the effect of including multi-channel diversity.
FIG. 7
shows the error rate for an alternative embodiment.
FIG. 8
shows various equations used in the analysis of the invention. |
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