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As healthcare continues to grow and evolve, the industry needs leaders to balance patient needs with fiscal responsibility, as well as understand and adapt to changing laws, regulations and technology. For these reasons, healthcare administration is a rapidly growing field.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for medical and health services managers is expected to grow by 20% by 2026, which is much faster than average.
One of the best ways to advance in this sector is to get a Master of Healthcare Administration degree (MHA). An MHA will not only prepare you for leadership roles, it will increase your job prospects and help raise your profile when seeking new opportunities.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top industries and jobs for master’s in healthcare administration graduates.
The growing demand for healthcare administrators opens the doors to a wide variety of careers across public, private, government and nonprofit organizations.
The most common career path for healthcare administrators is working for a healthcare provider. However, there are still significant opportunities to work in different care settings within this sector. Let’s look at the range of opportunities in more detail.
Hospitals and Health Networks
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 36% of healthcare administrators work in hospitals—ranging from small, private hospitals to large public hospitals and health networks.
Hospital administrators work to solve three of the most pressing challenges in this care setting:
Hospital administrators can work to accomplish these goals at the department, hospital or hospital system level.
Physician Offices
The second-largest work environment for MHA graduates is physician offices, accounting for 11% of healthcare administrators. Most of the time, these offices are part of a large practice or physician group, where patients can see a primary care doctor in addition to a multitude of specialists. Healthcare administrators are vital in managing the day-to-day operations of these multi-functional organizations.
Long-term Care Facilities
Nursing and residential care facilities make up 10% of employers for healthcare administrators. As the baby boomer population ages, opportunities to work in this care setting will only continue to increase. These organizations require dedicated administrators to help keep the quality of care high, while continuing to attract and retain new patients and residents.
Outpatient Care Facilities
Outpatient care centers account for 7% of employers for healthcare administrators. One of the fastest growing workplaces is urgent care facilities. Health insurers now offer greater incentives to seek out urgent care over hospitals and urgent care facilities offer shorter wait times for similar treatments. This swing puts healthcare administrators in demand to create streamlined processes for maximizing both patient care and profit margins.
While healthcare providers make up the majority of employers, graduates of master’s in healthcare administration programs can also apply their knowledge and skills to a range of other industries—the largest of which is government employers at 8%.
Healthcare administrators commonly work in agencies from the local to federal level—with two of the largest employers being the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.
If you’re looking to advance healthcare policy and regulation, setting precedent for some of the most important healthcare decisions, a career in government may be right for you.
Private sector companies continue to play a pivotal role in the healthcare industry. This environment creates a wealth of opportunities for healthcare administrators outside traditional patient care settings.
Insurance Companies
Insurance companies need experienced healthcare administrators to understand the ever-changing healthcare regulations, as well as navigate continually rising healthcare costs.
As a healthcare administrator working at an insurance company, you can expect to research and evaluate the cost of providing healthcare. You’ll also be at the forefront of proposing new strategies or policies that help insurers stay profitable and competitive with other insurance providers.
Pharmaceutical Companies Perhaps a lesser known employer, pharmaceutical companies hire healthcare administrators to work as project managers and quality managers.
Consulting Firms
Working at a dedicated healthcare consultancy gives healthcare administrators the opportunity to broadly apply their knowledge of the industry to a range of healthcare organizations.
As a consultant, you’re tasked with addressing integral challenges that require deep knowledge of the foundation of healthcare management. You also need the ability to analyze data and identify trends within the industry and individual organizations. Then, you’re responsible for designing processes and solutions to address the organization’s challenges, and helping to implement these improvements on a large scale.
For healthcare administrators who want to make a difference in healthcare quality and equality, nonprofits offer another route of advocating for patient rights and high-quality care.
Healthcare Policy Organizations
Healthcare policy organizations are nongovernmental organizations that work to influence, reform and provide practical solutions to improve healthcare—from making it more affordable and improving the quality of care to spurring innovation within the industry.
Advocacy or International Aid Groups
Patient advocacy groups help patients receive appropriate and timely care and financial assistance, as well as provide their families with educational opportunities for navigating the complex healthcare system.
International aid groups work to provide healthcare to underserved and developing countries, where healthcare administrators can help ensure funds are making the largest impact possible.
For some healthcare administrators, getting their master’s in healthcare administration is an opportunity to transition to academia. They’re able to take their real-world experience and combine it with new knowledge and leadership skills to help prepare the next generation of healthcare administrators to provide solutions in this challenging industry.
With all of these opportunities available, there is no shortage of jobs for master’s in healthcare administration graduates. Here are five of the most popular and profitable jobs in the healthcare industry for healthcare administrators.
Operations Manager
A healthcare operations manager is the liaison between clinical staff and the recipients of healthcare services. They oversee the general functioning of a healthcare facility, including managing finances, implementing policy and overseeing the medical and non-medical staff.
Average Salary*: $63,777
Program Director
Program directors act as a department manager, supervising the organization’s operations, coordinating activities of department employees and collaborating with other departments. Some program managers oversee functional operations, like managing personnel or patient records systems.
Average Salary*: $80,520
Hospital Administrator
Hospital administrators play a large role in overseeing the staff of a hospital—from identifying performance gaps and instituting employee training policies to making sure budgets are being used efficiently without sacrificing quality. Their processes and standards are guided by the organization’s mission and must adhere to all relevant regulations.
Average Salary*: $88,586
Healthcare Consultant
Healthcare consultants bring their expertise in healthcare management to organizations facing significant challenges. They evaluate issues and trends, and help find ways to address them in a way that’s most beneficial for the organization, its staff and its patients.
Average Salary*: $76,663
Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The highest level healthcare administrator, a hospital CEO is responsible for overall efficiency, managing both day-to-day operations as well as leading the strategic initiatives of the hospital to ensure long-term success and financial stability.
Average Salary*: $166,586
*Average salaries based on available data on Payscale.com
The combination of growing job prospects, high salary potential and engaging and rewarding work make a master’s in healthcare administration an extremely valuable degree. It’s even been ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the top-10 master's degree programs that lead to robust careers.
If you’re looking to advance your career in healthcare administration, Franklin University’s Master of Healthcare Administration provides an flexible, online program built for working professionals. It combines cutting-edge curriculum with instruction from experienced industry professionals to give you the knowledge and skills you need to advance as a leader in the healthcare industry. | https://www.franklin.edu/blog/masters-in-healthcare-administration-jobs |
Remediate with Precision in Occupational Therapy Education, Improve Course Performance and Outcomes
Faculty often have poor visibility into students’ longitudinal progress and performance, making it difficult for educators to identify at-risk students and pinpoint comprehension gaps and opportunities for curricular improvements. Educators must be able to do this early in the program so there is ample time to implement suitable and sufficient remediation to achieve the desired course, program, and OTR®* exam outcomes.
To meet these core objectives, Occupational Therapy (OT) educators and program leaders need active learning resources to accelerate learning and knowledge-building, backed by data tracking to capture cohort and student performance. As our new Solutions Brief shows, learning platforms driven by science-based techniques and equipped with robust analytics—such as TrueLearn and Picmonic—is the answer.
Download and learn: | https://truelearn.com/resource-library/remediate-with-precision-in-occupational-therapy-education-improve-course-performance-and-outcomes/ |
An OLED device includes a transparent anode, of sheet resistance R1, and a cathode, of sheet resistance R2, the ratio r=R2/R1 ranging from 0.01 to 2.5, a first anode electrical contact, a first cathode electrical contact, arranged above the active zone, and a reflector covering the active zone above an OLED system, and for each point B of the anode contact, the point B being in an edge of the first anodic region, on defining a distance D between B and the point C closest to the point B, and on defining a distance L between the point B and a point X of an opposite edge of the first anodic region from the first edge, and passing through Ci the following criteria are defined: if 0.01r<0.1, then 30%<D/L<48%, if 0.1r<0.5, then 10%<D/L<45%, if 0.5r<1, then 10%<D/L<45%, if 1r<1.5, then 5%<D/L<35%, if 1.5r<2.5, then 5%<D/L<30%. | |
Art, anthropology, the senses, and technology? This seems like a new combination. Could there be a serious collaboration between these practices? Our approach to answering this question of how research-creation can meet anthropological knowing is informed to a significant degree by research in the anthropology of the senses. This paradigm treats the senses, severally and together, as both object of study and means of inquiry. It advocates a cultural approach to the study of the senses and a sensory approach to the study of culture.
The anthropology of the senses is a particular disciplinary manifestation of the “sensory turn” in the humanities and social sciences generally. Companion fields include the history of the senses and geography of the senses. The sensory turn, which commenced in the early 1990s, arose as a reaction against the tendency to reduce culture to language and pictures. This was fostered by the linguistic turn of the 1970s (which introduced the notion of cultures “as texts” or as “structured like a language”) and the pictorial turn of the 1980s (which gave rise to “visual culture” studies), respectively. It sought to counteract the essentialisms of these earlier paradigms (i.e., the logocentrism of the linguistic turn, the visualism of the pictorial turn) by adopting a full-bodied, relational approach to cultural analysis, which encompassed all the faculties. However, in order to redirect attention to the full range of sensory experience and expression, and bring this within the purview of the social sciences and humanities, the emergent paradigm first had to pry the senses and sensations loose from the discipline of psychology, which had long been considered to have a monopoly on their study.
The psychological understanding of perception as the product of physiological and mental processing has paid scant attention to the influence of cultural factors. Fundamental to the sensory turn, however, is the recognition that not only what we perceive, but also how we perceive, is shaped by culture. Perception does not just go on in the head. Rather, it is distributed across all the techniques of the senses and technologies of communication, from incense rites to the Internet, that mediate our experience of the world. For this reason, it was argued, the study of the senses should not be confined to the artificial context of the psychology laboratory. It needed to be extended to encompass the life of the senses in society and the differential elaboration of the senses across cultures.
The understanding of the senses as mediators and as subject to differential elaboration across cultures is key to our research. By way of example, consider the following three vignettes bearing on the sense of touch. A Wet’suwet’en chief testifying at a land claims case in British Columbia observed that: “If you know the territory well, it is like your own skin. Sometimes you can feel the animals moving on your body as they are on the land, the fish swimming in your bloodstream . . . If you know the territory well enough, you can feel the animals.” Among the San of South Africa, a person can foretell when a relative is approaching by feeling “tappings” in his or her own body which correspond to certain points on the relative’s body, such as an old wound or pressure on a shoulder: “When a woman who had gone away is returning to the house, the man who is sitting there feels on his shoulders the thong with which the woman’s child is slung over her shoulders; he feels the sensation there.” Finally, in the South Asian humoural medical tradition known as Siddha medicine, physicians are trained to detect six pulses, three on the left wrist, three on the right, which correspond to the three humours. Each pulse vibrates at one of three different rates, depending on the balance of the humours. Diagnosis unfolds in three stages: in the “gross sensory” stage, the patient’s pulse actively throbs against the physician’s passive fingertips; at the “inner” (or what we might call “contrapuntal”) stage, the physician senses the pulse in his own fingertips at the same time as he discerns the patient’s pulse; in the third phase, “equipoise,” the physician modulates his own pulse so it becomes confluent and concordant with the patient’s pulse. He is therefore able to feel all of the same symptoms as the patient, and comes to know the patient’s condition firsthand, as it were.
These seemingly fantastic forms of sentience should not be trivialized by classifying them as “ beliefs.” They are practices, or what Thomas Csordas (1993) would call “somatic modes of attention,” and these practices can help prompt critical reflection on common Euro-North American-centric assumptions about the bounds of sense. Thus, as examples of touch-at-a-distance, the first two cases give the lie to the assumption that touch is a proximity sense; and, as examples of tactile communication, all three reveal how the medium of touch can be as informative as writing or photography (The San, in fact, refer to their presentiments as “Bushmen letters”). These examples only seem fantastic due to the underdevelopment of touch in contemporary North American and European society. Euro-North American subjects are more accustomed to visualizing territory through the medium of a map than feeling it as an extension of their skin. Tactile social interaction is seriously restricted within these cultures compared to visual or verbal interaction. A recent study found that due to time constraints and societal pressures, a third of the Canadian population regularly go an entire day without any human contact. In other words, there is a “touch-deficit.”
One might think that the recent explosion in so-called ‘haptic’ technologies (technologies that operate at the cutaneous level) would have helped to correct this deficit. Indeed, the notion of augmenting touch is increasingly found in scores of hand-activated or worn technologies, from force feedback game controllers and smart phones to the recent “Taptic Engine” in the Apple Watch, a linear actuator similar to a cell phone motor that produces haptic feedback on the wrist of the wearer. Long focused on audio/visual immersion, the multi-billion dollar computer game industry as well has been slowly bringing haptic technologies (force feedback and vibro-tactile actuation) into game controllers with varying degrees of success.
But these haptic technologies leave much to be desired, both in terms of expressiveness and cultural richness. For example, devices like the HP TouchSmart PC and the Apple iPod (aka iTouch) or iPhone, with their so-called multi-touch interfaces, actually keep all of their content behind a smooth pane of glass, and that content is not addressed to the fingertips anyway but to our eyes and ears. There was a lot more tactility to the old rotary dial or even touch-tone phones. The iPhone, which is designed to be ‘intuitive,’ has taken all the resistance out of touching things, and rendered communication textureless. Interestingly, the rush to create more ‘authentic’ haptic experiences through technology has, in fact, resulted in the reduction or removal of earlier touch-based contact between users and devices. For example, Apple has attempted to add a subtle level of haptic feedback to the “multi-touch” trackpads of its new series of Macbooks while, ironically, reducing the level of physically felt friction and resistance previously present in the laptop’s keyboard. Thus, with each new generation of device, the mechanical feedback that was part of earlier interactive surfaces (like the typewriter keyboard from which computer keyboards are derived) is reduced in favour of thinner design, in ergonomic and strictly visual (but not tactile) terms.
Outside of commercial contexts that are increasingly reliant on sensory extension and stimulation, the visual arts have also been swept up in the sensory turn as evidenced by the rise of performance art, installation art and, above all, new media arts. [9,10, 11, 12] Developments in these fields have often anticipated developments in the humanities and social sciences, and there is a strong complementarity regardless. In keeping with this convergence, in our own efforts to cross-over and integrate sensory anthropology and new media arts, we have sought to open up a space “between art and anthropology” through the creation of what Salter calls “performative sensory environments.” This rubric applies to artistic works we have produced between 2011-2015 like Atmosphere, Displace, and Ilinx as well as to several new projects currently in development.
What all of these environments have in common is that they function across multiple contexts – as research objects, as artistic experiences and as theoretical models or experiments designed to alter, thwart or rework ingrained socio-cultural habits of perception – and across multiple senses. At the same time, they continue a series of long-in-the-making questions about the relationship between sensory experience and new technologies in which traditional boundaries between bodily sensation and environment are blurred. | http://median.newmediacaucus.org/research-creation-explorations/mediations-of-sensation-designing-performative-sensory-environments/ |
Definitions for "Treble"
Acute; sharp; as, a treble sound.
Playing or singing the highest part or most acute sounds; playing or singing the treble; as, a treble violin or voice.
High audio frequencies, generally the range from 3k Hz to 20k Hz.
Threefold; triple.
To make thrice as much; to make threefold.
To become threefold.
The highest of the four principal parts in music; the part usually sung by boys or women; soprano.
The unbroken voice of a child, it is most often used with reference to the male voice, and thus sometimes called a boy soprano.
An "F" recorder written in the treble clef, sounding at the written pitch. The English word for it. | http://www.metaglossary.com/define/treble |
The WFEO Committee on Engineering Capacity Building (CECB) is dealing with this important component of informed decision making on several fronts.
To understand the need for mobility of Engineering Practitioners in the global arena.
To investigate the systems and agreements that exist which promote mobility.
To interface with the Education Committee on the educational developments in Engineering programmes which prepare practitioners for globalisation.
To identify challenges that exist in current mobility programmes
To promote mobility and globalisation as a mechanism for addressing capacity challenges
To share information on existing mobility programmes.
To explore mechanisms for addressing challenges that exist in mobility programmes.
To link mobility and globalisation with skills development and transfer.
To understand the Capacity challenges in the Developing Countries.
To Partner with organisations such as UNESCO in their Engineering Initiatives Programme as well as with Country specific government departments working on programmes addressing Capacity Building.
To participate in the life cycle development of Engineering Capacity, addressing qualitative issues at all levels of Education and Training.
To provide expert advice on sustainable Capacity requirements to match Country specific needs.
To enhance the profile and recognition of Engineering Practitioners so as to create better understanding of the need for preserving local Capacity.
To develop sustainable capacity in developing countries.
To develop consistency in the application of standards of Education and Training in order to maintain an adequate standard for Engineering Capacity.
To improve the status of Engineering Practitioners and likewise improve the retention rate of Engineering Skills and Capability.
To understand the Capacity challenges in the Developed Countries.
To Partner with organisations with a specific focus on Capacity Development.
To participate in the life cycle development of Engineering Capacity, maintaining qualitative issues at all levels of Education and Training.
To provide expert advice on sustainable Capacity requirements to match Country specific needs.
To improve the profile and recognition of Engineering Practitioners.
To enhance retention in the profession.
To increase the focus on developing capacity to replace that of retired inactive practitioners.
To promote active mentorship programmes for sustainable Capacity Development.
To interface with the Education Committee on training and development in new technologies.
To understand the skills base and Capacity in Countries where new Technologies are being applied.
To work with Organisations with a similar focus, on broadening the skills base.
To enhance the footprint of training and development in new technologies.
To assist Organisations and Countries in understanding the development needs where new technologies are to be implemented.
To assist in the development of local Capacity where new technologies are implemented.
In today’s global economy every country has to acknowledge the need to create sustainability at all levels of engineering services, products and amenities in order to provide for the needs of communities in a world of diminishing resources, environmental challenges and a strong need to reduce the consumption of limited resources. This can be achieved partially by ensuring appropriate and suitable engineering educational programs of an accredited quality. A competent engineering workforce base can then provide several paths to sustainable development as well as to ensure that all role-players and stakeholders including investors focus on sustainability and equitable solutions for engineering services, amenities and products. In the case of developing countries the utilization of foreign aid and investment funds should be managed by professionally competent people and groups.
Capacity building as envisaged by the CECB focuses on strengthening economies, governments, institutions and individuals through education, training, mentoring, orientation and the mobilization of resources. It aims at developing secure, stable, appropriate, affordable and sustainable structures, systems and organizations, with a particular emphasis on improving the quality of life.
In the global economy of the 21st Century, engineering professionals play a key role in the overall economic development activities of countries and regions but only when the role of the engineering professional is well understood and utilized. This holds true for both developed as well as developing countries.
In the developed world the challenges are mostly to maintain the ageing engineering infrastructure. However, in much of the developing world the available pool of engineering skills is typically below critical mass and economic development and even important basic human needs that rely on engineering, such as potable water supply and sanitation issues, lack technical expertise to address these issues.
On the other hand, indigenous science, engineering and technological capacity is needed to ensure that international aid funds are appropriate, and utilized effectively and efficiently, through initial project implementation and long-term operation and maintenance to ensure the transfer of skills and the development of capacity to operate, maintain the entities that were created and even implement future projects. A sufficient pool of engineering professional can therefore enable a developing country to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals effectively, including poverty reduction, safe drinkable water, sanitation and so forth.
In order to create or develop and maintain a sustainable engineering related work force in all countries, education and training as well as informed decision makers in Governments at all levels and in the private sector, there is a substantial need to mobilisze expertise to ensure that this goal is achieved. WFEO, through its Committee on Engineering Capacity Building (CECB), is dedicating its efforts to assisting countries to engage at all the various levels of capacity building to effectively create sustainability and for developing countries to have an equitable place in the global marketplace, by means of suitable and appropriate capacity building initiatives.
Committee on Engineering Capacity Building is also critical to disaster risk management – strong engineering capability is vital to reduce risk, improve preparedness, respond appropriately and then implement recovery plans.
In the pursuit of a secure, stable and sustainable world, countries need to sustain and or enhance their human, institutional and infrastructure capacity. To achieve this goal, countries need a sufficient pool of appropriately educated and trained engineering professionals and practitioners to effectively sustain and where indicated, improve the quality of life for their communities and citizens. In the case of developing countries the presence of such a group of professionals could facilitate the infusion of foreign capital through attraction of multinational companies to invest in that particular country, assist in making sure that foreign aid funds are appropriate as well as that these funds are applied consistently and wisely in order to transfer skills and as such build indigenous capacity to deal with engineering infrastructure, services and products. This pool of experts can also provide a basis for business development by local entrepreneurs. In developed countries the challenges that face the engineering professions are different and much focus needs to be set on maintaining and replacing aged infrastructure and to promote attention to these issues to the decision-making authorities. In addition there is a diminishing engineering workforce due to a lack of interest from young citizens and in many cases these developed countries have contributed substantially to the brain drain of engineering professionals from developing countries and therefore need to embark on capacity building ventures to rekindle a new interest in engineering from their own communities.
In turn, the establishment and maintenance of indigenous engineering capacity is imperative to ultimately ensure that developing countries can become equal partners in world trade and commerce in order to provide sustainable economies that are not relying on continuous handouts from developed countries. The removal of trade barriers by some developed countries goes hand in hand with facilitating the rise of sustainable economies in previously disadvantaged or excluded countries, which are mostly in under developed regions of the world.
In a coordinated approach, UNESCO and WFEO are joining and mobilizing forces to harmonize, align and integrate efforts in terms of capacity building in the engineering environment of both developed as well as developing countries by means of education and training, communication, facilitation and promotion regarding the principles of sustainability.
The mission of the WFEO-CECB is to identify and mobilize a representative international teams of individuals from member countries, with a thorough understanding of the needs of communities in terms of sustainable engineering infrastructure, services and products.
Engineering capacity is a prerequisite for the sustainability of countries, their communities and ultimately the world in general. This applies whether or not a country is developed or not.
In the quest to ensure and facilitate sustainable engineering, the mandate of the CECB is to identify needs for capacity building within the engineering professions and for areas associated with engineering as well as to provide guidelines and ideas for capacity building activities, events, projects and programs.
The CECB acts as a mechanism to harmonize and align as well as integrate capacity building initiatives within the membership of the WFEO and where possible beyond the membership of the WFEO.
The CECB furthermore has a mandate to communicate the outcomes of the tasks assigned to the member countries of the WFEO as well as to the public at large as represented by Governments and other civil, commercial and industry structures and stakeholders.
To identify, advise, as well as develop and facilitate ways and means to address shortcomings and gaps in engineering and decision making capacity at all levels of society and in the engineering professions.
The committee is constituted by means of a voluntary assembly of participants from WFEO member countries or any other interested parties. In general these individuals are knowledgeable and interested in the ways and means to build engineering capacity as well as to facilitate informed decision-making for those who might not necessarily be engineering practitioners.
The committee is assigned to a member country to act as chair and to provide a secretariat for a four year term, renewable for one additional term after the expiry of the first four years.
The CECB is mandated to arrange events associated with the Capacity Building initiative and arrange for activities including workshops and or presentations at WFEO events. | http://www.votreweb.net/stc_capacity_building/ |
Here’s an advance look at some of the “This Day in Geographic History” (TDIGH) events coming up this week. For each date, we’ve matched it with a map or visual, background information, and a classroom activity so you can plan ahead.
Check out our Pinterest board for more related resources!
Monday, September 11
The 2001 terrorist attack resulted in the U.S. government’s declaration of “The War on Terror,” which led to extended wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Visual: Photo gallery
Background: al-Qaida
Activity: Read and discuss Survivors’ Stories. Use this blog post for discussion ideas.
Thursday, September 14
TDIGH: Arctic Ice Reaches Record Low
In 2007 satellite imagery revealed that sea ice in the Arctic had shrunk to the smallest area ever recorded, providing additional evidence of climate change.
Map/Graphic: Arctic Ice
Background: More about the Arctic’s geography and climate
Activity: Why Melting Glaciers Matter to Coasts
Friday, September 15
TDIGH: Darwin Explores Galapagos Islands
Naturalist Charles Darwin developed his theory of natural selection from his research in the Galapagos Islands, which began in 1835.
Map: Galapagos Islands and Route of the HMS Beagle
Background: Charles Darwin and more about the Galapagos Islands
Activity: Learn about “Darwin’s Paradox” and how scientists recently solved it.
TDIGH: Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month, which began as a week in 1968, celebrates the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
Map: Latino Population of the U.S.
Background: Cultural Diversity in the U.S.
Activity: Watch this video of author Junot Díaz accepting the Hispanic Heritage Literature Award in 2016. Discuss his speech in the context of President Trump’s recent decision to end DACA.
Saturday, September 16
TDIGH: Gandhi Protests Caste Separation
In 1932 Indian reformer Mahatma Gandhi began a six-day fast to protest caste separation in British-controlled India.
Map: India
Background: What is India’s caste system? and Gandhi Arrested
Activity: Watch this video about Gandhi and his belief in nonviolence. | https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2017/09/10/this-week-in-geographic-history-september-11-17/ |
FREE Downloadable
Moon Phase Calendar
Debate on Universe’s Cold Spot Heats Up
A new galaxy survey suggests that a supervoid isn’t responsible for the Cold Spot seen in the cosmic microwave background — the oddity may have a far more ancient origin.
The Big Bang’s fading afterglow has left most of space a remarkably uniform 2.7 degrees above absolute zero. Tiny fluctuations give the afterglow a mottled look, but most of the temperature fluctuations are unremarkable, statistically speaking. However, one cold spot on the sky is not part of this harmony.
The map of the CMB sky produced by the Planck satellite. The large area with anomalously low temperature, known as the CMB Cold Spot, is highlighted in the inset. ESA / Durham University, UK
Astronomers are still trying to figure out why this so-called Cold Spot exists. New survey results may help them find an explanation—but it’s unclear which explanation is the best match to what the team observes.
How Cold is the Cold Spot?
The Cold Spot’s core spans 10°, or 20 times the size of the full Moon; a slightly warmer halo spans 20°. The core is a whopping 0.00007 kelvin colder than average. That sounds like an awfully small difference, and it is, but it’s big with respect to the other variations we see — the Cold Spot’s average temperature is four times cooler than the average temperature fluctuation in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the radiation set free 380,000 after the Big Bang.
If this blemish is just a statistical fluke, then we’re living in the only one of 50 universes where such a thing might happen by chance — a big enough fluke to make astronomers uncomfortable.
One non-fluke explanation is that a huge, mostly empty region of space called a supervoid lies along the line of sight to the Cold Spot. CMB photons lose energy when they pass through voids. As a result, photons from this direction of space would appear colder.
This explanation seemed all the more likely when, in 2014, István Szapudi (University of Hawai‘i) and colleagues discovered a supervoid in the direction of the Cold Spot. They found that the void, the largest yet discovered, spanned about 1.8 billion light-years 11.1 billion years after the Big Bang. However, initial calculations showed that the supervoid didn’t fully account for the Cold Spot’s temperature drop.
New Galaxy Survey, New Questions
A new galaxy survey casts further doubt. Astronomers operating the 2dF-VST ATLAS Cold Spot galaxy redshift survey (phew, say that three times fast!) mapped the positions of almost 7,000 galaxies along the line of sight toward the 10°-wide Cold Spot core.
The survey is admittedly sparse — there are a lot more than 7,000 galaxies along that line of sight. But from the data, Ruari Mackenzie (University of Durham, UK), Szapudi, and colleagues detected three voids. The biggest is a tad closer (and therefore older, 11.9 billion years after the Big Bang) and smaller than the 2014 result suggested, and it appears to contain even fewer galaxies than Szapudi’s team had estimated.
Nevertheless, even all three voids are not enough: Mackenzie and colleagues calculate the voids' cooling effect to be just 9 microkelvin — that’s a far cry from explaining the 70 microkelvin temperature drop in the Cold Spot’s core.
So is the Cold Spot supervoid-created, or not? The team members disagree. One complication is the control field. In many scientific studies, a control serves to test what would happen if the theory weren’t true — if, say, the medication weren’t applied in a medical study. In this case, the team has selected as a control a large, average-mottled field of CMB sky. Along this line of sight, the team finds voids of similar size to the Cold Spot supervoid — but no Cold Spot to go along with them.
Based on this control, some on the team conclude the supervoid isn’t to blame, opting for exotic solutions instead (more on that below). However, Szapudi cautions, the control field also contains a big galaxy cluster, and the Cold Spot field does not. That cluster’s heating effect would offset the voids’ cooling effects. “We absolutely do not expect that [this region of space] would project a cold spot on the CMB,” he says.
This figure compares the 3D galaxy distribution in the foreground of the Cosmic Microwave Background's Cold Spot (black points) to the galaxy distribution in an area with no background Cold Spot (red points). The number and size of low galaxy density regions in both areas are similar. Durham University, UK
The Alternatives
Still, the alternatives are fun to consider — and who knows, they might even prove to be true.
One option is that the early universe went through a phase transition, much like water freezing into ice as it cools. If that happened, it may have left a defect in the CMB, akin to an imperfect snowflake’s not-quite-crystalline pattern. Cosmic inflation ought to have smoothed out any such defects, though, making them a less viable explanation.
Other options involve going beyond the standard theory of inflation. Studies of the CMB have so far validated this theory, so if astronomers want to keep it around, then they have to resort to something pretty crazy to explain the Cold Spot — a collision with another universe.
According to most versions of the inflation paradigm, this exponential expansion, once started, ought to keep going forever. It only stops in pockets, so-called bubble universes. If we live in one such bubble universe, there’s a chance that early in this bubble’s existence, it bumped into another, leaving a cosmic bruise on the CMB.
“The paradox [is] that the craziest-sounding of the exotic models for the explanation of the Cold Spot, the bubble universe collision model, is actually the most standard in terms of the inflation model,” says study coauthor Tom Shanks (University of Durham, UK).
Only time (as well as more galaxy surveys and tests of inherent assumptions) will tell.
About Monica Young
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Featured Observing Resources
Any time you’re viewing a partially eclipsed Sun, you need to protect your eyes. These ISO and CE certified eclipse-viewing glasses filter out 100% of harmful ultraviolet and infrared. Get your pack of 25 viewers today and make sure everyone’s eyes are protected. | |
It's not always possible to accurately measure cyber maturity from an internal vantage point, which is why we created the Compliance and Risk Tracker (CRT) platform.
It monitors fifteen critical areas for gaps in your cybersecurity framework to give you a consolidated view of vulnerabilities. You receive support and analysis from our team of experts to help you prioritize and remediate risks before they become a problem.
CRT will better prepare you to meet compliance requirements for mandated yearly risk assessments, but also help you stay on top of cybersecurity issues all year round.
It is no longer enough to solely focus on your internal cybersecurity. If your third-party vendors don't have the same security solutions and security standards in place, you and your customer's sensitive data is at risk.
Adopting cloud technologies or cloud service providers opens organizations up to a myriad of commercial, financial, technical, legal, and compliance risks.
As businesses continue on the path of digitization and become more data-driven, the rapid adoption of new data technologies like artificial intelligence presents security concerns for organizations in nearly every industry. | https://cybersecurity.cyturus.com/quantifiable-cybersecurity |
Ephesoft 4.0.4.0 Release Notes
Please contact [email protected] for an installer.
Release Notes:
|1. Retain sorting information in cookies for Batch Instance Management and Batch List Screen.|
|2. Validation tab to get opened by default if there are no batches in Review, Review tab to get opened by default if there are no batches in Validation or if there are batches in both Review and Validation.|
|3. Review Validate tab title should display either Review or Validate.|
|4. Web Service API to submit a batch instance and get back the Batch Instance Id.|
|5. Display Page Id’s in the Review, Validation and Web Scanner screen thumbnail view.|
|6. Collapse the Web Scanner leftmost panel on the basis of configuration in the property file. The panel should be collapsed by default.|
|7. Files in Shared Folders should not be allowed to be downloaded directly.|
|8. Turn the Deploy button red in case user is required to deploy the workflow changes.|
|9. On the Validation Table view, highlight all the extracted columns of a row in case the checkbox is checked.|
|10. Move the Setting.sts file for Nuance at the Batch Class level.|
|11. Job to delete the finished and deleted batches from the database if reporting has been executed on them.|
|12. Webscanner: Add a “forward” and “back page” shortcut to go through the Preview of Scanned Pages.|
|13. Use Adv. Key Value screen vs. simple kv extraction in KV page Process plugin|
|14. Incorporate GraphicsMagick with as a separate option (along with imagemagick) for file conversion.|
|15. Ability to disable KV Extraction Rules.|
|16. Ability to delete a document or multiple documents in Validation.|
|17. Sticky field feature at Index Fields level.|
|18. Ability to create new batch class that should copy BC1 by default.|
|19. Support variables similar to COPY_BATCH_XML in CMIS export.|
|20. Given the same aspect ratio of images but different resolutions, the ephesoft system should have built in mathematics to automatically deal with differing resolutions of the same image and be able to successfully handle KV extraction.|
|21. Batch Instance ID to be passed through on the workflow error email template.|
|22. Shortcut to close a batch on RV screen and confirm all navigation changes from the batch with the help of confirmation popup.|
|23. Switch to generate plugin level batch xmls|
|24. Always on feature for ETL, Logi Info and Batch class management PPM charts|
|25. Retain filters in batch instance management/batch list/etc|
|26. Being able Delete New Status batches|
|27. Internationalization of embedded logiinfo report contents|
|28. Performance enhancements in ETL|
|29. Feature to show limited number of alternate values for fields to prevent large size xmls causing slowness on Validation screen|
|30. Addition of workflow start time in batch instance table|
|31. Allow Fuzzy DB and DB Export to configure for Database Schema other than “dbo” for MSSQL. | https://ephesoft.com/docs/4-0-0-0/ephesoft-4-0-4-0-release-notes/ |
The conversion factor from hours to minutes is 60, which means that 1 hour is equal to 60 minutes:
1 hr = 60 min
To convert 29 hours into minutes we have to multiply 29 by the conversion factor in order to get the time amount from hours to minutes. We can also form a simple proportion to calculate the result:
1 hr → 60 min
29 hr → T(min)
Solve the above proportion to obtain the time T in minutes:
T(min) = 29 hr × 60 min
T(min) = 1740 min
The final result is:
29 hr → 1740 min
We conclude that 29 hours is equivalent to 1740 minutes:
29 hours = 1740 minutes
Alternative conversion
We can also convert by utilizing the inverse value of the conversion factor. In this case 1 minute is equal to 0.00057471264367816 × 29 hours.
Another way is saying that 29 hours is equal to 1 ÷ 0.00057471264367816 minutes.
Approximate result
For practical purposes we can round our final result to an approximate numerical value. We can say that twenty-nine hours is approximately one thousand seven hundred forty minutes:
29 hr ≅ 1740 min
An alternative is also that one minute is approximately zero point zero zero one times twenty-nine hours. | https://convertoctopus.com/29-hours-to-minutes |
The study showed in the 90 days after experiencing an active shooter drill, people's social media posts signaled increased anxiety, stress and depression.
Author: Joe Henke
Published: 7:02 PM EDT September 3, 2020
Updated: 7:02 PM EDT September 3, 2020
ATLANTA — Active shooter drills are a common part of safety plans at schools in Georgia and across the entire country.
Researchers with Georgia Tech's College of Computing said as drills have increased over the years, there has been little scientific data examining the mental impact of the drills on students and staff.
"People have been reporting that these drills are having a negative impact on their mental health. This wasn't empirically validated," Associate Professor Munmun De Choudhury said.
A new study, though, published Thursday by Everytown for Gun Safety, features scientific findings from research De Choudhury and her research team in the College of Computing's Social Dynamics and Well-Being Lab recently finished.
"Different symptoms of stress, such as anxiety and depression, we could measure those attributes based on the words, and patterns of words, that people used in their social media posts," De Choudhury said.
The findings showed in the 90 days after experiencing an active shooter drill in a school, people's social media posts signaled increased anxiety, stress and depression.
As they conducted their research, the team at Georgia Tech analyzed nearly 28 million social media posts between Twitter and Reddit, using methods called psycholinguistics analysis and machine learning - which allowed them to efficiently process large amounts of social media data.
The data used was from the 2018-2019 academic year, spanning 114 schools in 33 states. De Choudhury and her team compared the language people used on social media in the 90 days before a drill and 90 days after a drill.
"What was surprising to us was the change in the levels of stress, and anxiety and depression," she said. "It wasn't a small change. It was significant compared to what it was before the drills."
The results showed a 42 percent increase in anxiety and stress; depression increased 39 percent; and posts about health concerns and fears about death also spiked, increasing 23 and 22 percent respectively.
Words such as "afraid," "nervous," "therapy," "struggling" and "suicidal" were used more frequently in the 90 days studied following drills.
People were identified as being connected to a school through their social media bios, if they followed the school's Twitter account, mentioned the school in posts or geolocation showing their posts were coming from the school.
The posts from people connected with the schools were then compared with a control group of people in the same community that didn't have a connection with the school.
"We found that, compared to that control, the increases we saw were still valid," De Choudhury said. "In the control, we didn't see these kinds of changes, which would rule out situations where people were feeling overwhelmed due to another unfortunate incident in the community and not necessarily due to the drill."
Part of the team of researchers working on the study was Georgia Tech postdoctoral fellow Mai ElSherief and PhD candidate Koustuv Saha.
ElSherief said they collected the data in a way that allowed them to not re-traumatize anyone - as they gathered social media posts people had already made - meaning they didn't have to ask questions that may trigger emotions or skew their results.
"Stress, anxiety, depression can manifest in different ways, and using an unobtrusive method with collecting these data, and, as you mentioned, it is a large data set makes us very confident in our results," ElSherief said.
Saha said he had a hypothesis their research would show increases in serious mental health issues, but the magnitude of the changes caught him off-guard.
"The levels - the 30 to 40 percent increase - it is both alarming as well as surprising for us," he said. "This is huge, and this needs to be taken care of as soon as possible."
ElSherief also found the results showed higher changes in mental health than she expected before the study was completed.
"While it was surprising for us, it wasn't really surprising for them," she said.
After conducting their research, the team presented their findings to people who had previously participated in active shooter drills at schools.
"They said these results make sense, these are spot, on and it really resonated with what they were going through," ElSherief said. "This also adds this validity by involving these people who were affected and they experienced that first-hand."
Saha hopes their research can now be used as governments and schools create or adjust policies and plans for active shooter drills in the future.
"When thinking about policy changes or what could be done to address these mental health or psychological challenges that people may face out of these events," he said. "Maybe even consider conducting these events in a more grounded or structured approach so these kinds of mental health or psychological impacts that can happen can be minimized." | |
Sustainability plays a role in British and Dutch architects’ projects the most
The extent to which sustainability plays a role in projects of European architects varies a lot. However, in all countries but Poland a majority of the architects is involved in projects in which sustainability is one of the aspects that plays a role in the design. What stands out is that a third of Polish architects reported in 2020 to be still not really aware of the concept of sustainability. In this, Polish architects are lagging behind the other countries. The Netherlands and the UK, on the other hand, are ahead of the other countries. There, over three quarters of architects are actively involved in projects in which sustainability plays a role, quite a lot more than in the other six countries.
Despite the role sustainability plays in projects, principals are not always willing to invest
In many European countries the effect of sustainable solutions being taken into account in many projects is evident. But in many cases, architects will have to propose solutions that are not more expensive than other less sustainable solutions. The willingness to invest in sustainability in projects still remains low among principals. No significant development can be seen in this yet. Architects in all European countries experience a demand for sustainable solutions from these parties, but only one in five principals also seems willing to invest in them. The willingness to invest is relatively high in the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium, which provides a plausible explanation for Dutch and British architects being more involved in projects in which sustainability plays a role.
For more information on a country level we refer you to the European Architectural Barometer Q4 2020: Sustainability & Circularity. | https://www.usp-research.com/sustainability-remains-a-topical-theme-but-willingness-to-invest-remains-low/ |
Lectures and class discussion will cover the main topics. There is not an assigned text for the course. The reading list contains several items on each topic. Within each topic, the readings are ordered with the highest recommended readings first.
Starred(*) readings are on reserve. I do not expect that you will have time to cover all the readings. The reading list may guide you in writing essays, term papers, and book reviews.
We will focus on the theory and application of the economic topics covered. An important part of the class will be to apply the theories and concepts to practical examples drawn from everyday life. To practice applying the concepts and theories developed in the class, you should regularly read relevant newspaper articles. Also, reflecting on your own individual situation as an economic agent and social being should reinforce and make more concrete the concepts and ideas.
1. Class Participation 30%
2. Written Work: Book Reviews, Essays, Term Papers,
and assignments 30%
The form of the written work is flexible. You can do book reviews, essays, and/or a term paper. Written work will get up to one and a half points per page. Unacceptable written work will receive zero points.
All written work must be typed and contain a careful documentation of sources. Your work should be clearly written and have a sound logical structure. This is facilitated by working from an outline and by rewriting. Poorly written work, that does not show a reasonable amount of care and attention, will not be graded.
Papers should be clearly organized, with structure and direction - again, work from an outline. The title of the paper should clearly indicate the subject (do not use cutesy titles). The first paragraph must give a clear description of the content of the paper. A clear and commonly used three part structure is: in the introduction say what you intend to do, in the body of the paper do it, and in a concluding section review or summarize what you have done. Paragraphs should usually begin with a topic sentence. Do not expect your first draft to be the best that you can do - write, read, critique, think about, rewrite.
Book Reviews: Book reviews should include a clear discussion of the following questions: Why was the book written - what was the purpose? What is the central argument of the book? What are the major points? What is the author(s) arguing against? How is the book related to the course? In addition to reporting, also evaluate and critique the book.
Guides to Clear and Effective Writing: Poor writing is vague, confusing, and a pain to read. Good writing in clear, simple, well organized, and to the point. To facilitate development of a clear and effective writing style you are encouraged to buy one or more of the following brief, and inexpensive, practical guides. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E. B. White, is the classic brief guide to clear and effective writing. The Writing of Economics, by Donald McCloskey, is a useful and concise guide to clear and effective writing. The Most Common Mistakes in English Usage, by Thomas Elliott Berry, lists common problems and how to correct them.
PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND BASIC MICROECONOMIC CONCEPT
Aug. 22 INTRODUCTION AND SURVEY OF THE COURSE
1. Objectives of the Class: To enhance your ability to think like an economist - to be able to use the economic approach to examine common everyday real world issues, and to understand the economic role of institutions in facilitating cooperation and mutually beneficial exchange.
3. Introduction to Market and Government Institutions
__ The Importance of Exchange Between Autonomous Individuals
__ The Role of Institutions and Organizations in Reducing Transactions Costs Between Self-Interested Individuals
__ The Role of the Market in Coordinating Economic Activity
__ Visible and Invisible Guiding Hands of Organizations and Markets in Providing Individual Incentives
6. The ‘Coase Theorem’ and the Importance of Transactions Costs
Douglas North: Application of the New Institutional Economics to the Development and “The New Economic History”
7. Imperfect and Asymmetric Information
8. The New Institutional Economics: Institutions and Organizations evolve to Reduce Costs of Cooperation and Coordination: According to North, “Institutions are the rules of the game and organizations are the actors in the economic game.”
10. The Autonomous Individual vs the Group [On ‘Methodological Individualism’, see Hayek, Individualism and Economic Order, and von Mises, Human Action, p. 41-44 (4th revised ed., 1996). For a comprehensive essay see the article on “Methodological Individualism” at www.Plato.Stanford.edu.
__ Decision Making by Self-Interested Individuals, given Social/ Cultural Norms and Values, with Individuals Seeking After Peer Approval - The Role of Socialization
11. In a Pure Exchange Model, Transactions Costs Limit Exchange Between Individuals, i.e., Limit Specialization and Division of Labor, and Limit Economic Development and Growth
12. Outline of the Course
Aug. 29 THE STANDARD ECONOMIC MODEL, BASIC MICROECONOMIC CONCEPTS, AND THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS
1. The Standard Economic Model: rational, informed, self-interested individuals; profit-maximizing firms operating in perfectly competitive markets; with zero transactions costs (including perfect information). All impediments to individuals making mutually beneficial exchanges are assumed away. Looked at from another angle, markets (magically) get the institutions required for efficiency.
__ The logic of Constrained Optimization and Individual Choice
__ Scarcity and Choice
__ Does Pursuit of Individual Self-Interest Promote The Social Good?
__ What Combinations of Goods and Services to Produce
__ Who Gets the Goods and Services Produced - Distribution
__ Static Efficiency: Exhaustion of all Possibilities to Get Something for Nothing
__ Dynamic Efficiency: Incentives to encourage Innovation and Growth
__ Incentives to reduce costs and develop new goods and services and new ways of doing things [vs traditional societies where individuals may incur social cost (peer disapproval) for trying to reduce costs or introduce new ways of performing economic activities of production, exchange, and consumption]
4. Economic Analysis of Taxes: taxes keep individuals from making exchanges that would be mutually beneficial
Consumer Surplus and Producer Rents
5. Efficiency vs Fairness (Distribution, equality)
6. Equity, or Equality, vs Efficiency: Independent or Interdependent - Incentive effects and Property Rights Enforcement Costs
7. Redistribution and Social Insurance: See Rawls.
8. Use of Demand and Supply Diagram to Provide Money Measures of Utility, Costs, and Efficiency Losses
9. Economics of Cooperation and Coordination
__ The Invisible Hand
__ Conflict vs Cooperation
10. Information Economics
11. Transactions Costs and Institutions
PART 2: MARKETS AND SOCIETY, AND THE ROLE OF MARKET PRICES
Sept. 5 THE ECONOMIC ROLE OF MARKETS AND EXCHANGE
1. What do Markets do?
__ How a Market Based Economy Answers Basic Economic Questions: What will be produced?; How will it be produced?; and Who will get to consume the goods and services produced?
3. Market Prices
__ Provide Information
__ As Signals
4. The Concept of Economic Effiency
5. The Central Role of Individual Incentives
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF MARKET FAILURES?
“There are subtle but important differences between the allocationist-maximization and the catallactic-coordination paradigm in terms of the implications for normative evaluation of institutions. [Note: Catallactic, pertaining to exchange; catalactics (n.), study of commercial exchange; thus, catallactic approach focus on individual exchange, the theory of exchange] In particular the evaluation of the market order may depend critically on which of these partially conflicting paradigms remains dominant in ones stylized vision. To the allocationist the market is efficient if it works. His test of the market becomes the comparison with the abstract ideal defined in his logic. To the catallactist the market coordinates the separate activities of self-seeking persons without the necessity of detailed political direction. The test of the market is the comparison with its institutional alternative, politicized decision making.” (James Buchanan, Nobel Address, 1987)
1. What exactly do we mean by “market failure”?
2. J. K. Galbraith believed that individual tastes are endogenous, manipulated by big business, that competitive markets are a myth, and that the real world choice is between private power exercised by giant corporations and the wealthy, or power exercised collectively through democratically elected governments.
3. Importance of Information (Costly and Asymmetric Information)
__ Transactions and Bargaining Costs (and Coase)
If transactions costs are zero, then private bargaining and exchange will eliminate all efficiency losses - from externalities, monopoly, etc. - All Mutually Beneficial Exchanges Will be Made.
__ Exogenous Tastes and Preferences
__ Competitive Markets vs Market Power
4. Market Failures: Transactions and Bargaining Costs
5. Externalities: Pigouvian vs Coasian Approaches
__ The Coase Theorem - Externalities and Monopoly Power
__ Public Goods
6. The Problem of the Commons and Property Rights
Sept. 12 HOW DO TRANSACTIONS COSTS AND IMPERFECT INFORMATION
AFFECT MARKETS AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR?
1. Transactions Costs: Costs of Using Markets and Costs of Using Organizations (including Government Organizations)
__ Bargaining Costs and Strategic Behavior
__ Commitment Problems and the Limits of Rationality
__ Free Rider and Holdout
2. Asymmetric Information and Adverse Selection
__ Monitoring Costs - Moral Hazard and Principal/Agent Problems
3. Examples and Implications of Market Failures in:
Financial Markets, Labor Markets, Output Markets
Sept. 19 THE ROLE OF MARKETS IN SOCIETY
__ Efficiency vs Justice
__ Fairness and Equality
__ Equality of Opportunity vs Equal Outcome
__ What Determines Individual Rewards: Endowment, Effort, Chance
__ Equality vs Individual Freedom/Liberty
__ Does “Commodification” of Things Change Values?
PART 3: HUMAN NATURE, ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR, AND THE EVOLUTION OF INSTITUTIONS
Sept.26 THEORIES OF HUMAN NATURE AND COOPERATION
“Settlement may seem a natural choice to us, but it requires a set of wrenching adjustments for hunter-gatherers. They must learn to live with strangers. They must abandon the freedom to move away from danger or from people they don’t get along with. They must yield their firmly egalitarian way of life for a hateful social order of superior and inferior, rife with rules and priests and officials.” Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors, by Nicholas Wade, 2006 (p. 101)
1. Alternative Theories of the Nature of Man
Rational Economic Man
Adam Smith’s View
Sociobiology
Freudian View
2. The Limits of Rationality:
__ Bounded Rationality: Scarce Information, Cognition, and Time
3. Commitment Problems
__ Rationality and Irrationality vs Purposeful
__ Group Norms and Individual Behavior
__ Education and Socialization of the Young
__ Ethics, Morality, and Religion
4. Individual vs Group Rationality
Oct. 3 ORIGINS and LIMITS OF COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR: COMMITMENT, FREE RIDER, and HOLDOUT PROBLEMS
1. If there are potential gains from exchange/cooperation in a group, would we expect to see cooperation?
2. Free Riding and The Prisoner’s Dilemma
3. Is Human Propensity for Cooperative Behavior ‘Hardwired’?
__ Is Propensity for Cooperation a Beneficial Characteristic for Individual Survival?
__ The Problem of Mimicry.
4. If you were a used care salesperson would you want Pinoccheo’s Nose?
2. Some Thoughts from Sociobiology
__ Why do the young appear to take more risks?
__ What is the decision making unit?
__ Altruism, or disguised self-interest
__ The Limits of Rationality
1. Examples of External/Visible Institutions: Constitutions, Legal Structures
2. Organizations: The Role of Organizations in Facilitating Specialization and the Division of Labor
-- Voluntary Organizations: private for profit (firms); private non-profit (Associations, see Tocqueville); and Governmental Organizations
__ Voluntary vs Coercive Organizations
5. Constitutional Economics
__ Economic Analysis of the Rules of the Game
__ Choosing the Constraints
1. Economics and Law
__ The Role of Laws in Reducing Transactions Costs and Facilitating Mutually Beneficial Exchanges
__ Property Rights and Incentives
__ Contract Law and Time Inconsistency
__ Torts and Incentives
2. Importance of Adaptability vs Predictability of Legal Rules
__ Common Law vs Statute Law
3. Different Schools of Law and Economics
__ Fairness vs Economic Efficiency
__ Analysis of Power vs The Gains from Trade
__ Chicago School, Public Choice Theory, Institutional
__ Critical Legal Studies vs Economic Approaches
4. Theories of Justice: Utilitarian and Focus on Outcomes vs The Importance of Process and Natural Rights Views
1. From the Perspective of the New Institutional Economics
__ The Design of Organizations to Reduce/Minimize Transactions Costs
__ The Function of Organizations in Economizing on Costly Information
2. Principal Agent Issues Within & Between Organizations
__ Imperfect Contracting and Risk Management
__ Credible Commitments and Reciprocity
__ Property Rights and Institutional Policies
__ Property Rights and Incentive to Innovation
3. Economic Theories of Organizational Structure and Individual Behavior in Organizations
__ Determinants of Organizational Structure
__ Asset Specificity
__ Influence Costs - how are organizational strategies and tactics determined?
__ A basic trade-off between individual incentives and information flow in work groups and in the organization
4. The Importance of Large Private Organizations (esp. the modern corporation) in a Market Economy
5. The Modern Corporation __ Use of transfer pricing in multi-division organizations
__ The famous Fisher Body case/example (GM and Fisher Brothers)
6. Public (Government) vs Private Organizations
__ Government (defn.) Has a monopoly over the legitimate use of coercion.
__ Coercion and Power: Defn. Choice? Artificial limits to choice, ex. Sharecropper has choice between sharecropping for several land owners, but no choice to own land. Are substitutes available at little difference in price?
Adam Smith gives as the initial impetus for government, the need to protect property. “It is only under the shelter of the civil magistrate that the owner of that valuable property, which is acquired by the labour of many years, or perhaps of many successive generations, can sleep a single night in security....The acquisition of valuable and extensive property, therefore, necessarily requires the establishment of civil government.” ( )
1. Response to Market Failures
2. Distribution and Equity; Efficiency vs Equity - a tradeoff?
3. Size and Role of Government in the US
4. International Comparisons
__ Central Planning and the Soviet Union
__ Government and Business in the Japanese Economy
__ The Role of Incentives - China and Rural led Development
__ Developing Countries: Markets vs Central Planning
__ Development and Growth: Roles of Physical Capital, Technology, Development of Human Capital, Legal and Governmental Structures
__ Government: Efficiency, Equity, and Rent Seeking
5. The Debate over Markets vs Central Planning
__ Efficiency vs Equity and Pareto Conditions
__ Role of Information
__ Planning/Coordination and Individual Incentives
6. Government as Impartial Referee; as Regulator; as Manipulator (subsidies and taxes); as Producer
7. What is the relationship between economic and political freedom? Friedman’s view is that free markets promote political freedom because they separate economic power and political power.
According to Buchanan: “...the two central elements in public choice theories (are)(1)the conceptualization of politics, as exchange, and (2) the model of Homo economicus. The second of these elements is shared with social choice theory, which seeks to ground social choices on the values of utility-maximizing individuals. Where social choice theory and public choice theory differ-and dramatically-lies in the first element noted. Social choice theory does not conceptualize politics as complex exchange; rather politics is implicitly or explicitly modeled in the age-old conception that there must exist some unique and hence discoverable “best” result. This element in social choice theory, from Arrow on, stems directly(from) the allocative paradigm in orthodox economics, and the maximization of the social welfare function becomes little more than the extension of the standard efficiency calculus to the aggregative economy.
1. Public Choice Theory - Apply Rational Choice Theory to Behavior in Government Organizations
__ Decision Making by Self-interested Individuals Under Institutional Constraints and Incentive Structures
2. Rent Seeking
3. Theories of Bureaucracy
__ Absence of a Bottom Line
__ Crises Management
4. Government Goods: Immediate Benefit and Deferred Recognition of Costs - Insurance example
5. Special Interests
6. Can Voter Surveys Overcome Special Interest Groups?
1. Free Rider Problem and The Rise and Decline of Nations
2. The Laffer Curve in History: An Unstable Dynamic?
3. What Types of Institutions and Organizations have Survived?
4. Do Institutions Evolve To Promoting Efficiency and Fairness?
5. The Concept of Social Capital and the Relationship Between Economic Efficiency and Fairness - Are economic outcomes perceived to be generated by a fair process? | http://sckool.org/1market-and-government-institutions-the-economics-girton-of-ex.html |
The Philanthropy Outlook 2019 & 2020
On January 23, Marts & Lundy released The Philanthropy Outlook 2019 & 2020 in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
It is still too early to determine exactly how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may impact future donor decisions. The stock market slow down and the government shutdown further complicate the matter. Though it is not possible to exactly predict how these factors will impact giving in the next two years, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s unique ability to thoroughly analyze the multifaceted charitable giving landscape makes the Outlook an exceptional resource for philanthropy professionals.
Overall, the models project growth across all sources of giving, as well as giving to education, health and public-society benefit (the only three recipient types the Outlook currently models).
Furthermore, the Outlook offers three charitable giving scenarios: Uneven Growth, Flat Growth and Economic Downturn. Each is explored in the report. | https://www.martsandlundy.com/what-we-think/2019/01/the-philanthropy-outlook-2019-2020/ |
4 edition of Evidence and inference in educational assessment found in the catalog.
Evidence and inference in educational assessment
Robert J. Mislevy
Published
1995 by Educational Testing Service, U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Educational Resources Information Center in Princeton, N.J, [Washington, DC] .
Written in English
Edition Notes
|Statement||Robert J. Mislevy.|
|Contributions||Educational Resources Information Center (U.S.)|
|The Physical Object|
|Format||Microform|
|Pagination||1 v.|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL16268330M|
|OCLC/WorldCa||35677715|
Inferences: Reading Between the Lines. In this Exit Ticket lesson, teachers are able to assess students’ understanding of making inferences. Students review what inferences are (looking for clues to help discover meaning in texts), then participate in a variety of assessment activities. This lesson is most appropriate for 4th grade students.
Tolleys employment handbook
AVIGEN, INC.
Tim Rollins [and] K.O.S..
Usborne Book of Graphic Design (Practical Guides)
Subject, Nematoda and nematode diseases
Civil society and indigenous language education in Bangladesh
late twelfth-century rebuilding at Dundrennan abbey.
Childbirth (The Dan Danciger publication series)
White Coat
Paines letters
Chattanooga Walking Tour and Historic Guide
design of computer-based instruction
Virginia City rascals & renegades
Actors as artists
Evidence and Inference in Educational Assessment [Robert J. Mislevy] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Evidence and Inference in Educational AssessmentAuthor: Robert J. Mislevy. EVIDENCE AND INFERENCE IN EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT Robert J. Mislevy Educational Testing Service Abstract Educational assessment concerns inference about students’ knowledge, skills, and accomplishments.
Because data are never so comprehensive and unequivocal as to ensure certitude, test theory. Essentials of Evidence-Based Academic Interventions puts at your fingertips the successful instructional techniques and materials necessary for accurate and effective use of evidence-based interventions.
Written by Barbara Wendling and Nancy Mather, two experts in educational assessment and intervention, this intervention-oriented reference presents clear descriptions of research-based Cited by: Abstract.
Educational assessment concerns inference about students' knowledge, skills, and accomplishments. Because data are never so comprehensive and unequivocal as to ensure certitude, test theory evolved in part to address questions of weight, coverage, and import of data. The resulting concepts and techniques can be viewed as applications Cited by: Evidence and Inference: Consistency and Variation Revisited At the core of science is a commitment to rigorous reasoning, method, and the use of evidence.
The final session of the workshop was designed to take a step back Evidence and inference in educational assessment book the specific issues of how federal agencies support science and how science can inform education practice, and to focus on the “first principles” of evidentiary and inferential reasoning.
An inference is a reasonable conclusion based on evidence that has a common point of reference. The strategy explained in this section is: Visualize or see what is happening when you are reading so that you actually see the evidence you need in order to make a reasonable conclusion. I write the words "evidence" and "inference" next to the T-chart, and discuss these terms with students.
I explain that evidence is data that can be measured, observed, examined, and analyzed. Next, I explain that inference is an educated guess or explanation that can be derived after analyzing the evidence.
The meaning of “assessment” This was the start of “assessment for learning”, or what Wiliam now calls “responsive teaching” – a much more appropriate term, given what we know now. And what we know now is that the practical meaning of assessment is the number one problem with assessment.
Making Inferences with Nonfiction Texts Resources Create comprehensive readers with these resources that have your students put their skills to the test. Students can read passages and identify possible outcomes from the information given, allowing them to become more creative in their problem solving.
Remind students that an inference is something that is not explicitly stated, but has evidence to support it. Explain that today students will be making inferences while reading nonfiction texts. Remind students that a nonfiction text is a book or article that give facts about a topic.
Get this from a library. Evidence and inference in educational assessment. [Robert J Mislevy; Educational Resources Information Center (U.S.)] -- Educational assessment concerns inference about students' knowledge, skills, and accomplishments.
Because data are never so comprehensive and unequivocal as to ensure certitude, test theory evolved. MATTHEW J. PERINI is director of publishing for Silver Strong & Associates and Thoughtful Education Press. He has authored more than 20 books, curriculum guides, articles, and research studies covering a wide range of educational topics, including learning styles, multiple intelligences, reading instruction, and effective teaching practices.
Display the Evidence, Schema, and Inference worksheet and read the instructions to the students. Invite students to examine the illustration carefully, then have them work in small groups to Evidence and inference in educational assessment book what they see for one minute before sharing with the whole group.
10 + 1 Picture Books to Teach Inference Septem Pernille Ripp I remember I was told to teach inference as a 4th grade teacher, it was one of the many skills students were supposed to develop in literacy, and I was astickler for following the rules.
Why teach inference. Inference is a "foundational skill" — a prerequisite for higher-order thinking and 21st century skills (Marzano, ) Inference skills are used across the curriculum, including English language arts, science and social studies.
Because inferring requires higher order thinking skills, it can be difficult for many students. An assessment is a tool designed to observe students’ behavior and produce data that can be used to draw reasonable inferences about what students know. In this report, the process of collecting evidence to support the types of inferences one wants to draw is referred to as reasoning from.
Suggested Citation: "2 The Nature of Assessment and. The product is a 21 question 6th Grade Common Core Assessment for Inferences (RI Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.) The answer key, and explanations are included.
This excerpt from the To Kill a Mockingbird script is a great reading comprehension exercise. Pair it with the novel to improve your kid's reading skills.
For generations, reading experts have told teachers that they had to teach students to read at their instructional levels. Teachers were admonished that if they taught children with books that were too easy, there would be nothing for the kids to learn.
If they taught with books that were too hard, then the reading instruction would frustrate rather than improve. In general, that kind of.
assessment becomes the beginning step of each iteration of a continuous improvement cycle. The U.S. Department of Education, in its non-regulatory guidance on Using Evidence to Strengthen Education Investments (U.S.
Department of Education, ), presents this process as File Size: 1MB. Discover the best Education Assessment in Best Sellers. Find the top most popular items in Amazon Books Best Sellers.
(Eye on Education Books) Nicki Newton. out of 5 stars Paperback. $ # Practical Research: Planning and Design (12th Edition) FTCE Reading K Study Guide: FTCE Reading Exam Prep Review Book and.
With reasoned inferences, it's useful to examine both the truth of the premise and the validity of the thinking that led to the inference. In the case of the science student, her thinking was valid. In the absence of other factors, a decidedly elliptical orbit would have a significant influence on Earth's.
Inferences are conclusions of fact rationally drawn from a combination of proved facts. If A, B and C are established as facts then one might rationally conclude that D is also a fact, even though there might be no direct evidence that D is indeed a fact. With this reading exercise, students will identify a character’s traits and provide evidence from the text.
Reading & writing. The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Learn more about one of the most famous characters in children's literature, The Wizard of Oz, in this character analysis sheet.
Reading & writing. Helping your child understand when information is implied, or not directly stated, will improve her skill in drawing conclusions and making inferences.
These skills will be needed for all sorts of school assignments, including reading, science and social studies. Inferential thinking is a complex skill that will develop over time and with experience.
Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives. Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention.
It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately Cited by: Welcome to the What Works Clearinghouse. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews the existing research on different programs, products, practices, and policies in goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based focus on the results from high-quality research to answer the question “What works in education?”.
The goal of this lesson is to build on students’ understanding of making inferences when reading nonfiction text. To assess students’ understanding of the concepts, have students complete the Making Inferences Assessment (L_Making Inferences ).Collect and grade the sheet to determine if each student is successful in meeting the goal of understanding making inferences.
of Inference Ability in Reading Comprehension Evidence abounds to suggest that poor reasoning is prevalent in our students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress () reported large decreases in inferencing responses of and year-olds over a year period.
The evidence on reading for pleasure Benefits of reading for pleasure: • There is a growing body of evidence which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development (cited in Clark and Rumbold, ).
• Evidence suggests that there is a positive relationship between readingFile Size: KB. Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade.
Practice Guide. chieving high levels of literacy among young readers continues to be a challenge in the United States. Inonly 35 percent of 4th-graders scored at or above a proficient level. Gender Differences in Reading and Writing Achievement: Evidence From the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) David Reilly Griffith University, Queensland, Australia David L.
Neumann and Glenda Andrews Griffith University, Queensland, File Size: KB. Classroom assessment and pedagogy. basis of that evidence, makes inferences. years there has been observed growing awareness of importance that assessment plays in language education.
Medical education, the art and science behind medical learning and teaching, has progressed remarkably. counseling, evidence- and system-based care. MCQs, Critical reading papers, rating scales, extended matching items, tutor reports, portfolios, short case assessment and long case assessment, log book, trainer’s report, audit.
Student Assessment — one of the four essential components of physical education — is the gathering of evidence about student achievement and making inferences about student progress based on that evidence.
Student assessment is aligned with national and/or state physical education standards and established grade-level outcomes, and is.
Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade NCEE U.S. Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade: A practice guide (NCEE ). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and his section provides information about the role of evidence in Institute of Education.
The assessment process is characterised as a cycle involving elicitation of evidence, which when interpreted appropriately may lead to action, which in turn, can yield further evidence and so : Maddalena Taras. Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books.
My library. Effective Reading Programs for Secondary Students The reading performance of students in America’s middle and high schools is one of the most important problems in education.
Inthe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; NCES, ) reported that only 34% of eighth graders scored at or above Size: KB. Audio and video assessment. Audio and video assignments can be used in place of more conventional written assignments or presentations.
They also allow for the assessment of specific skills that are not easily captured by other means, such as presentation and interview skills. Pros. Allows for the assessment of a wide range of skills.
Learn how to make inferences in literature, nonfiction and real life, and to support those inferences with strong, reliable evidence.
An inference is just coming to a logical conclusion from.This exam tests students on the reading strategy Making Inferences. It utilizes photographs, quotes from young adult literature and newspapers. It has one page of additional questions that can be used as Level 4 or bonus questions.
Students answer multiple choice questions and support their infere /5(10).My students LOVE making inferences because they feel like they get to be detectives!! This is a great end of the unit assessment where students read a short description of something that has happened and have to make an inference based on the clues.
The first four questions are multiple choice, fo 4/4(54). | https://notiboretefapa.amstrad.fun/evidence-and-inference-in-educational-assessment-book-18798vc.php |
Social babbling: The emergence of symbolic gestures and words.
Language acquisition theories classically distinguish passive language understanding from active language production. However, recent findings show that brain areas such as Broca's region are shared in language understanding and production. Furthermore, these areas are also implicated in understanding and producing goal-oriented actions. These observations question the passive view of language development. In this work, we propose a cognitive developmental model of symbol acquisition, coherent with an active view of language learning. For that purpose, we introduce the concept of social babbling. In this view, symbols are learned in the same way as goal-oriented actions in the context of specific caregiver-infant interactions. We show that this model allows a virtual agent to learn both symbolic words and gestures to refer to objects while interacting with a caregiver. We validate our model by reproducing results from studies on the influence of parental responsiveness on infants language acquisition.
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Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “A nation is not built by mountains and trees … it is built by the character of its citizens.”
For Aristotle, self-discipline was about living a life that complied with the norms and expectations of society.
His words of wisdom are still relevant today. Discipline, observing rules and regulations, and abiding by good behavioural ethics are fundamental to the orderly functioning of society.
A free society not only upholds democratic norms but also expects its people to live by decent social norms. In a nutshell, it upholds the rights that society expects and shuns the wrongs.
The role of decent members of society goes beyond just obeying the law. It also entails behaving and exhibiting noble values like honesty, integrity, respect for the law, discipline and civic consciousness.
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Regrettably, many in Malaysia lack these intrinsic values. They seem unable to surmount narrow-minded needs and selfish interests that may endanger others in society.
The nation appears to lack enough exemplary people with a moral obligation and unwavering commitment to their neighbours, the community and others in society. If basic traits of human correctness are lacking, then the nation stands on an insecure foundation.
I feel disgusted when I witness the irresponsibility and appalling behaviour of many people daily. These undisciplined folk come from all walks of life, ranging from ordinary folk to the affluent in luxury cars. I don’t have to go far; I only need to look within Bangsar and its vicinity.
Motorists and motorcyclists beating the lights can cause fatal accidents. So too those who disregard pedestrian lights when pedestrians are crossing the road. “Who cares if these careful and law-abiding people crossing the road are hit due to my carelessness,” seems to be the attitude of these motorists.
When motorists and motorcyclists turn from Jalan Maarof into Lorong Maarof 3 in Bangsar Park, they should be able to see the conspicuous ‘no U-turn’ sign, double lines and cones down the road. But many blatantly disregard these traffic warnings: they insist on driving to the end of the road to make a U-turn.
Walk in front of the Bangsar light rail transit station and the adjacent Etiqa building and you will find motorcycles parked on the pedestrian walkway – even obstructing the special lane for blind people.
Just the other day, I was driving behind a cement transporter in front of Maybank in Jalan Maarof. The vehicle was dropping cement on the road. Fortunately, I kept my distance – if I had been a little closer, the cement would have splashed onto my car. I snapped a photo and immediately lodged a complaint. Thankfully, the road was soon resurfaced after my complaint.
Parking by yellow lines and double parking seems to be the norm for many motorists in places like Bangsar Park and Lucky Gardens and on both sides of the roads next to the Bangsar Shopping Complex. Such haphazard parking causes traffic jams in these areas.
Some motorists even block byroads completely, parking their cars in the middle of the road in these areas. Pathetic characters!
In all fairness, I have seen police officers and city hall enforcement officers issuing tickets to offenders, but this seems to be ineffective. Motorists and motorcyclists continue to flout the law. I have requested city hall to erect barriers to prevent such contravention of traffic rules.
Look at the roadside in many parts of Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere and you will see it littered with plastic wrappers and used food containers. Many are not at all concerned about littering the environment.
Take a ride on the elevated light rail trains and you will see youths sitting on priority seats, ignoring the senior citizens, pregnant women and disabled people who are standing. These youths put their heads down on purpose, pretending to be busy texting away on their mobile phones.
I have seen such uncouth behaviour in all parts of the country, not only in Bangsar and KL.
The character of any country is determined by the character of its people. Everyone has a responsibility to make the country a decent place to live in, by helping to create a comfortable ambience. If we are responsible people, it means we know what is right and wrong; we have consciousness and concern for our fellow human beings.
Conversely, those who contravene the law and desecrate the environment are just exposing certain abnormal complexes within them. Such deplorable acts are a pitiable reflection of their character and upbringing. Obviously, these disgraceful offenders are unconcerned about their self-respect and dignity.
The people of any country must above all adhere to the rule of law. This is essential for the long-term progress and success of any country.
It is our choice whether we want to move forward or backwards as a nation. If we want to be respected as a nation like Singapore, then we must be instilled with virtuous qualities, like many in the ‘red dot’. | https://m.aliran.com/thinking-allowed-online/blot-on-malaysia-as-many-deliberately-flout-the-law |
DIP2017: Presenting New Possibilities from Limitations (Primary Workshop) (TH/EN)
The outcomes of the projects under the Designing Impact Program 2017, aimed at raising awareness and finding solutions for issues of an aging population, have resulted in innovations driving the society forward. From the first day that the four teams participated in this program to the Final Review, their ideas developed through the incubation process are presented to the juries, facilitators and ChangeFusion as our guest specialist on the 21st December 2017’s presentation.
The team set up an online matching system that matches tenants with homeowners based on their interests and lifestyles. They suggested home space to foster the relationships between the inhabitants, covering areas such as dining room, bathroom, washroom, garden, library, and fitness room, which can be adjusted into both common and private spaces. Co-Habit designed four areas: kitchen, bathroom, library, and interactive wall, as common spaces with shared utilities such as water, electricity, and the internet. The system works with a detached house, townhouse, and home extension. Consultation is provided to homeowners who want to extend or renovate their houses to optimize space utilization. Moreover, Co-Habit provides technical and operational assistance such as repairing broken home objects and fixing utilities.
The matching algorithm looks at personal information, including age, occupation, status, interest, and lifestyle to produce accurate results. Tenants include those looking for a place to live and those looking for a place to work. They may be young people who need space while being open to new things they can learn from older adults whom they share and live with. This online system can be further developed and put it into action not only in Thailand but across the globe.
Recommendation
- While it is good to foster interactions between people from different generations, the team was cautioned about the fine line between personal and general space in cohabitation. In Thailand, the idea of how to use public space or cohabitation is not widely understood, as it would be in other countries. This project has the potential to create a new perspective or perception of utilizing public space for Thai people.
- The design must be inclusive to make it clear that it is for everyone, not just for the elderly. It can shape the society to become an inclusive community, helping people from all walks of lives to live together in harmony.
- Cohabitation should be carried out with an understanding of predetermined conditions. Not to force interactions 24 hours, choices should be present for the inhabitants. For example, when someone is using the common area, there should be a system to alert that the room is in use. This can be in the form of an ‘available’ sign.
- The strength of this project is its economic impact. Sharing a place means reduced costs for each inhabitant. For example, the inhabitants can split garden expenses, allowing more money to be spent on other things. Other benefits include housesitting and sharing food recipes.
- In the initial phase, the team should improve the online system to be credible and reliable before developing the physical components of the project. | https://dip.tcdc.or.th/dip2017-final-review-primary/ |
It is easy to become discouraged by your circumstances, but you also have the power to change your mindset. When you consciously shift your mindset by repeating a positive statement followed by a positive action that reinforces the statement, and you practice mindfulness. You become present in the moment. According to an article by mental health advocate, Michelle P. Maidenberg, the following statements are examples of how to shift your mindset in a positive direction;
“I’m not a bad person when I act badly; I am a person who has acted badly.
I will seek contentment or satisfaction, rather than happiness because happiness is impossible to ascertain because it’s so broad and ambiguous.
I can be myself without trying to prove myself.”
For more examples on how to shift your mindset, click here. | http://www.yokhuselohaven.co.za/2019/10/30/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-positive-thoughts/ |
Degrowth is a political, economic, and social movement based on ecological economics, anti-consumerist and anti-capitalist ideas that seek to address the limits-to-growth dilemma. Key to the concept of degrowth is that reducing consumption does not mean a decrease in well-being. Rather, the aim is to maximise well-being through non-consumptive activities like having more time for family, community, art, nature, culture, etc.
There are now Degrowth Summer Schools and various annual conferences being held all over Europe, as well as a growing number of publications on the concept. It is also endorsed in the Pope’s second encyclical Laudato Si, which was published in 2015 wherein the Catholic church’s critiques on consumerism and irresponsible development that leads to environmental degradation and global warming was expounded.
It shares several seemingly similar calls with systemic alternative approaches supported by climate and environmental justice movements in the global south. Most importantly these approaches critique the idea of growth itself, advocate the fundamental need for social transformation to address inequality, and emphasise the urgency of stopping rising emissions and increasing depletion of non-renewable resources. These principles are aimed at charting approaches towards satisfying the moral obligation of the current generation to preserve future generations’ rights to fulfil basic needs.
However, degrowth is not finding the same level of support among movements in the South despite these seeming convergences and the political opportunities there may be for reinforcing each other. A whole raft of arguments exists as to why degrowth is unsuitable and lacks resonance with movements in the South. To understand these arguments, it is important to appreciate how Southern movements position themselves in their resistance to the dominant development concepts and growth model, as well as the systemic alternatives that they are already practicing. From this understanding, reciprocal solidarity can be built.
Southern critique of growth
The critique of growth has already been an intrinsic part of resistance by key social movements and progressive organisations in the South for a long time. In Asia, the analysis on the limits of the growth-oriented model of development and capitalism was even expressed regionally way back in the early 1990s through networks like the People’s Plan for the 21st Century or PP21. The critique is based on the understanding that the economically advanced countries in the region like Japan and South Korea achieved their progress by sacrificing their environment and exploitation of the labour force.
Walden Bello’s ideas on Deglobalisation as a systemic alternative to the current development framework further advanced that critique and at the same time identified basic strategies for how to realise a vision for alternative societies that movements, not just in Asia but also globally, can agree on in the early 2000s. For Bello, it does not mean withdrawing from the world economy, but rather a process of restructuring the world economic and political system so that the latter builds the capacity of local and national economies instead of degrading it. Deglobalisation means the transformation of a global economy from one integrated around the needs of transnational corporations to one integrated around the needs of peoples, nations, and communities.
Latin American thinkers and practitioners have been long-time rebels from the Northern or mainstream views on development. The region has offered vibrant debates on the development question since the 1970s and has already shown us a history of experimentation with diverse forms and models of development. These Latin American streams have argued about the direct structural relationship between the underdeveloped and developed, underscoring that the developed countries achieved their economic advancement at the expense of the underdevelopment in other regions. This was explored in the different streams of Beyond Development group in the region.
Degrowth as part of a matrix of alternatives
Degrowth is viewed in some circles as an addition to the matrix of alternatives because of its adherents’ recognition of the limits of capitalism and the unsustainability of the neoliberal dystopia. However, key movements in the South have reservations with the concept. The common argument is that the South still needs sustainable industrialisation. There are tensions between degrowth and just transition discourses from the South as well as some ethical assumptions.
For indigenous communities, the question “how to live together and together with nature?” is already central in their practice of Buen Vivir or Vivir bien (‘living well’). In terms of policy it is already institutionalised through, for example, the inclusion of the Rights of Mother Earth in the constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador. However, environmental justice movements inside and outside criticise that the economies of these two countries are still very extractive-based and have financed the social reforms they initiated through relatively conventional growth patterns.
One area where the southern critique is strong is on the question of state power. Movements in the South have a common understanding that societal institutions are not neutral and that there is a gross asymmetry of power between the state, corporations and communities/people. Therefore, progressive movements have pushed for state-based solutions when they come to power as shown by the ‘pink tide’ in Latin America in the 1990s and 2000s. There will always be conflicting values and interests and the state is a domain of power and struggle so the element of transforming the state to effect change in the ownership, access, and management of the commons is a key factor.
Critique of the Western norm of progress and its imposition on the entire planet
There are also streams of Buddhist Economy. It is introduced in Thailand as a philosophy called Sufficiency Economy, which was developed over three decades by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the happiness development approach that guides the government of Bhutan. In July 2018, the government of Bhutan established in its constitution that Gross National Happiness will be used to measure the collective well-being of its population. The term Gross National Happiness was coined in 1972 by the then king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who argued that “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product”.
These approaches inspired organisations in Laos and Cambodia as well as in China, however marginal, around 2010-12. The criticisms against it is that they are top-down approaches coming from monarchs who own and control vast properties and companies.
How will it make sense in the South?
Southern movements often quote Gandhi’s, “Live simply so others may simply live,” in their climate and environmental justice advocacy. With the same logic, they argue that Degrowth will only make sense in the Global South if the economic and political processes will put equitable redistribution of wealth and regulation of big banks and transnational corporations.
Degrowth is not appealing in the South because the reality there is that their ecological footprint is still low and the basic needs of the population have not yet been met. Also, recent examples of states that dealt with poverty in meaningful way like China, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, etc., relied on growth.
There is of course a strong tendency to aspire for everything that people in the North enjoy and to follow the cultural domination of the North. In rural and indigenous communities, moderation and traditional cultures based on sufficiency instead of greed is still dominant. The climate and environmental movements in the South do not see the climate crisis as a purely environmental concern. It is political, economic, developmental, gender, cultural and security concerns. | https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2019/sep/19/degrowth-and-perspectives-about-it-south |
the ancient Egyptian goddess of the daytime sky and later the goddess of the entire sky and was the place where clouds formed; her father and mother were Shu and Tefnut. Her husband was the earth god Geb, with whom she had four children, Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys.
Nut was originally a mother-goddess who had many children. The hieroglyph for her name, which she is often seen wearing on her head is a water pot, but it is also thought to represent a womb. As the sky goddess, she is shown stretching from horizon to horizon, touching only her fingertips and toes to the ground.
A dry fruit similar to an achene, but differing in having a hard woody outer surface.
The point on the guitar neck where the strings touch the neck and join the headstock.
A fairly large hard, dry one seeded fruit which does not explode.
A type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. See also: Bolt, Thread.
Hexagonal part of a fastener assembly which has been drilled and tapped to screw on to the shank of the fastener.
A hard-walled, one-seeded fruit that does not split spontaneously, e.g. Hazelnut.
Nut intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Nutted ; present participle & verbal noun Nutting .] To gather nuts. | https://www.encyclo.co.uk/meaning-of-nut |
Climate Change Adaptation Planning in the City of Chula Vista, California
Photo attributed to Roman Eugeniusz. Incorporated here under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. No endorsement by licensor implied.
Summary
Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area of southern California. Since the early 1990s, Chula Vista has been working to address climate change and in early 2009, the city tasked the Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) with developing strategies to help plan for and adapt to the potential impacts of climate-related changes. In October 2010, the CCWG released a final list of recommendations on climate adaptation strategies to reduce the city’s future risk from climate change-related impacts. Staff developed implementation plans around the proposed adaptation strategies, which were then approved by the City Council on May 3, 2011.
Background
Chula Vista is located between San Diego Bay and the coastal mountain foothills in southern California. It is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area with a population just over 227,000. Since the early 1990s, Chula Vista has been working to address climate change through a number of programs and policies (e.g., greenhouse gas emission inventories, free business and energy evaluations, energy efficiency and conservation, alternative transportation, etc.). The Climate Change Working Group (CCWG), comprised of residents, businesses, and community organization representatives, helps the city to develop climate change related plans and policies.
In 2008, the CCWG reviewed over 90 carbon reduction measures designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Chula Vista. A final list of seven mitigation measures were recommended to the City Council. In addition, Chula Vista signed the Kyoto Protocol and is working with ICLEI and the California Climate Action Registry to monitor the city’s progress by performing annual emission inventories. However, Chula Vista realized that even with efforts to mitigate emissions, climate change impacts are still likely to occur in the region. In response, the City Council asked the CCWG to evaluate strategies and actions to help the Chula Vista adapt to potential climate change impacts.
Implementation
The CCWG began the process of planning for adaptation measures in January 2010. Multiple diverse stakeholders were brought together for the entire working group process, including representatives from the water districts, electric companies, local builders, colleges, public health groups, small businesses, local environmental groups, realtors associations, ICLEI, and local foundations. The group met bi-monthly at different locations and on different days so that all stakeholders were given a chance to attend. Initial meetings focused on educating the CCWG about the potential risks and impacts of climate change on Chula Vista; this included lectures on sectors most likely to be adversely affected by climate change including water management, energy management, public health, wildfires, infrastructure and resources, ecosystems and biodiversity, and business and the economy. Representatives from each sector were present during the meetings so that the CCWG could ask questions.
At the request of the City Council, the CCWG was asked to do two public presentations. For the first forum, a community building was set up with exhibition areas for the different sectors (i.e., water, energy, public health, ecosystems, wildfires, business, infrastructure) and people were invited to come anytime within a two-hour window. City staff created posters with photos, key points, and possible adaptation options, and distributed stickers to people as they visited each station. Public participants were then able to use the stickers to vote for the issues and strategies they felt were most important; this public input was used to influence the final decisions made by the CCWG.
Following the public forum, the CCWG began identifying and prioritizing adaptation measures. City staff members that were experts in a particular area were invited to attend, which allowed the CCWG to ask questions regarding the feasibility of adaptation options. In October 2010, the CCWG released final recommendations on climate adaptation strategies to reduce the community’s future risk from climate change-related impacts. These eleven strategies focus on:
- Cool paving
- Shade trees
- Cool roofs
- Local water supply and reuse
- Storm water prevention pollution and reuse
- Education and wildfires
- Extreme heat plans
- Open space management
- Wetlands preservation
- Sea level rise and land development codes
- Green economy
Outcomes and Conclusions
The entire adaptation planning process took about 10 months to be completed. Final recommendations were presented to the City Council in October 2010. The Council has since accepted the recommendations and turned them over to city staff to develop Climate Adaptation Strategies Implementation Plans, including details on steps, economic costs, performance metrics, and timelines, which have been designed to build on existing efforts. These plans were approved by the City Council on May 3, 2011. Between 2011 and 2014, these eleven adaptation strategies will be phased into development at a cost of around $554,000; existing funding is able to support nearly full implementation of at least eight of the strategies.
Outcomes and lessons learned from the Chula Vista adaptation planning process include:
- A committed city staff and council helped tremendously.
- The planning process needs to be all-inclusive and bring together multiple, diverse stakeholder representatives.
- Using public experts to educate the CCWG about the risks posed by climate change to specific sectors ensured that all group members were given access to the same information and were able to ask clarifying questions to improve understanding.
- The entire process was well-publicized and there was a substantial effort to include as many people as possible (e.g., the Chamber of Commerce and other citizen groups were always kept informed).
- Adaptation measures were constrained by a lack of funds; as a result, adaptation strategies attempted to build on programs already put in place by the city.
StatusInformation gathered through interviews and online research. Updated 6/1/2011. | https://www.cakex.org/case-studies/climate-change-adaptation-planning-city-chula-vista-california |
5 Ways to Identify Emotionally Immature People
Healthy, genuine, real relationships (both romantic relationships as well as other relationships) are built on trust, respect, and ability to talk about issues. In your relationships with others, have you ever felt that the other person is always blaming you or acting in extremely selfish ways? These might be the signs that the other person is emotionally immature.
Emotionally mature people are often able to manage their emotions. They often talk about how they feel and take responsibility for their actions. These are some of the things with which an emotionally immature person struggle. We bring you five ways to identify an emotionally immature person.
Emotionally immature people tend to blame others
A client of mine used to blame her elder sister for all the failures in her life. If she scored low in her exams, she would blame her sister; if she had issues with her friends, she would blame her sister. This not only resulted in a lot of distress in the client but also led to a strained relationship between the siblings.
Emotionally immature people are often irresponsible and blame others for problems in their lives. If they fail at a task, they blame the people around them. They often have an external locus of control, that is, they attribute their success and failures to external factors such as luck, destiny, chance, etc.
They have struggle expressing their feelings
Emotionally immature people often find it difficult to express their feelings. They are often in denial about how they feel about a person or a situation. They may choose to suppress their emotions instead of expressing them.
Processing emotions and feelings is an overwhelming process for such people. They often come across as “Be Strong” personalities. Emotionally immature people may feel vulnerable or ashamed when it comes to expressing their emotions or feelings. This may lead them to withdraw or shut down.
The inability to express emotions and feelings may lead to commitment issues in relationships. Talking about the future can feel intimidating to someone emotionally immature. They’ll avoid planning things together because they’re afraid of limiting their freedom.
Emotionally immature people are defensive
Have you come across people who can’t take criticism or may try to prove themselves correct even if they are wrong?
An emotionally immature person may feel hurt or might get offended even at the smallest criticism. They may become defensive if you try to prove them wrong. They may not own up for their action. For example, your co-worker made a mistake during a team project. He doesn’t come forward and accept their mistake.
They may have a victim mentality. Some emotionally immature people may feel that the “universe” has turned against them. In relationships, they may blame the other person for their failures and mistakes.
They have poor impulsive control
Emotionally immature people are impulsive. They often don’t think before acting. They may speak recklessly or may act impulsively without thinking about the consequences. Emotionally immature people are also poor listeners; they may impulsively interrupt the speaker.
It has been observed that emotionally immature people are reckless when it comes to spending money. They may often invest in bad businesses, may purchase things that they do not require. They may not objectively evaluate their investments and have a hard time making long term projections.
They often feel lonely in their relationships
Emotionally immature people often feel lonely in their relationships. Due to their inability to express their emotions and being emotionally detached in their relationship, their relationships with others (both romantic and other relationships) may lack intimacy.
They may feel disconnected in their relationships because they find it difficult to bond with their partners at a deeper level. Most of their relationships are superficial and have only surface level bonding. Have you ever felt that your partner is holding back something or isn’t opening up to you? These might be the signs that your partner is emotionally immature.
How to deal with emotionally immature people?
Once you are aware that the other person is emotionally immature, you may work towards improving your relationship with that person. Initiate a straightforward conversation with the person. Be assertive when you talk to the person and express your needs and wants.
Another thing you can do is create boundaries in your relationship with the other person. By setting boundaries, the other person will realize that some of their behaviors will not be tolerated. Make sure that you reinforce the boundaries.
If nothing works, seek professional help. If the person is willing to work on themselves, addressing issues with a qualified therapist can help them identify their feelings and find healthy coping skills. | https://www.thecyanproject.org/2020/07/healthy-genuine-real-relationships-both.html |
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- Weining Ma, S Cheng, Colin Campbell, Alan R Wright, Henry Furneaux
- The Journal of biological chemistry
- 1996
The neuronal-specific Elav-like proteins (HuD, Hel-N, and HuC) contain three RNP-type concensus motifs and bind to AU-rich elements. We have identified and cloned a fourth member of this family (HuR)… (More)
- Weining Ma, Suhman Chung, Henry Furneaux
- Nucleic acids research
- 1997
The Elav-like proteins are specific mRNA binding proteins which are required for cellular differentiation. They contain three characteristic RNP2/RNP1-type RNA binding motifs. Previously we have… (More)
Imaging appearance of granulomatous disease after intravesical Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment of bladder carcinoma.
- Weining Ma, Stella K Kang, Hedvig Hricak, Scott R. Gerst, Jingbo Zhang
- AJR. American journal of roentgenology
- 2009
OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study is to present the radiographic findings in a series of 16 patients with complications associated with intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment of… (More)
- Harpreet K. Pannu, Weining Ma, Emily C Zabor, Chaya S. Moskowitz, Richard R. Barakat, Hedvig Hricak
- ISRN obstetrics and gynecology
- 2013
Purpose. To assess if there is a significant difference in enhancement of high grade serous carcinoma of the ovary compared with other ovarian malignancies on clinically performed contrast enhanced… (More)
- Rachel N Grisham, Christina Adaniel, +4 authors Jason A. Konner
- Journal of clinical oncology : official journal…
- 2011
5098 Background: There are few chemotherapy options for advanced EMC. Gemcitabine is active in several gynecologic malignancies including ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and uterine leiomyosarcoma;… (More)
Ovarian vein thrombosis after debulking surgery for ovarian cancer: epidemiology and clinical significance.
- Simon Mantha, Debra M. Sarasohn, +6 authors Gerald A Soff
- American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
- 2015
OBJECTIVE Ovarian vein thrombosis is associated with pregnancy and pelvic surgery. Postpartum ovarian vein thrombosis is associated with infection and a high morbidity rate and is treated with… (More)
- Shanu Modi, Alison T Stopeck, +7 authors Clifford A. Hudis
- Journal of clinical oncology : official journal…
- 2006
501 Background: KOS-953 (17-AAG in Cremophor) is a potent Hsp90 inhibitor that in vivo induces rapid degradation of Her2, loss of pAKT and tumor growth inhibition in a Her2+ breast cancer xenograft.… (More)
Causes of Avascular Hypoechoic Testicular Lesions Detected at Scrotal Ultrasound: Can They Be Considered Benign? | https://www.semanticscholar.org/author/Weining-Ma/47121096 |
SciTechDaily: Residence of one of the best science and technology information since 1998. Keep up with the most recent scitech information through electronic mail or social media. From essentially the most elementary facets of science to on a regular basis applications, analysis is carefully linked to evolutions in latest discoveries and focuses on the next main themes: materials, laser optics, info technology and the atmosphere. These results enhance supercomputer performance while limiting configuration costs, and contribute to the development of computing in science and technology.
The Faculty also goals to create an educational hub for advanced research in utilized technologies. By way of close cooperation between scientific and engineering departments, we launched this new group system to advertise distinctive and superior research and applied research that can reply to social wants. We will endeavor to deepen scientific technology in a comprehensive method, create new scientific technologies, and promote individualization of the graduate school.
The OAS executes a variety of projects funded by donors. Evaluation reviews are commissioned by donors. Reviews of those evaluations could also be found right here. The 2 main campuses – Gløshaugen for engineering and sciences and Dragvoll for arts and social sciences – are both located within the city of Trondheim. There are different campuses for marine technology, drugs, archaeology, music and artwork.
In 1926, the British statistician Ronald Fisher discovered a robust technique of control known as randomization By assigning subjects or participants to an experimental group and a management group strictly at random, and then treating the 2 groups identically apart from the manipulated independent variable (utilized to the experimental group only), an experimenter can management, at a single stroke, for all particular person variations and different extraneous variables, including ones that nobody has even considered. Randomization does not assure that the two groups might be similar however relatively that any variations between the groups will follow exactly the recognized laws of likelihood.
By way of Sonia Kovalevsky Arithmetic Day for Center Faculty Girls (SK Day), as much as 75 native middle-school ladies be taught about the subject of math and profession paths. SK Day provides participants with engaging mathematical instruction intertwined with strong mentorship by Temple undergraduate and graduate girls students in STEM disciplines. Help the Math Division attain its $5,000 aim to fund SK Day activities. | https://www.animoparis-services.com/oecd-ilibrary-2.html |
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, the Senate Committee Chairman on Youths and Sport, Senator Obinna Ogba, and the leadership of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation have called in Nigerians in privileged positions to emulate the bold efforts of the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, on Sports Development.
The Minister and the other guests spoke at the unveiling of the 2021 edition of the Nanaye Dickson Traditional Wrestling Competition in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Nanaye Dickson Traditional Wrestling Tournament is an annual sporting event organized in 2012, in honour of the memory of Senator Dickson’s late father, a community leader, an unbeaten wrestling champion and promoter of the game in his time.
This event is deliberately designed to target Bayelsa youths in the bid to promote grassroots Ijaw Traditional Wrestling, culture, as well as to serve as a talent hunt for the youths of the state.
The Minister said that there was ample evidence that Senator Dickson is a lover of sports and its development while as the former Governor of Bayelsa State and now as a Senator.
The Minister called on senators and other lawmakers to emulate the bold contributions of Senator Dickson to the development of sports in the country.
He urged the members of the National Assembly to identify and focus development on a particular sport that has a prevalence of talents in their respective areas in order to produce a new generation of talented athletes in the country.
Dare recalled how the Federal Government adopted the annual wrestling classic initiated by Senator Dickson as a national event.
He stressed that the government would take a cue from the Senator in the area of recognising and identifying sports legends for honour in the country.
In his remarks, Senator Dickson said that his interest in sports and commitment to its development remain the same even after his administration which built a sports academy, sponsored a football tournament known as the Restoration Cup for eight years and the Nanaye Dickson Wrestling Classic which was adopted by the Federal Ministry of Sports.
He said that the event was organized to honour Bayelsa wrestlers who dominate the sport not only in Nigeria but also on the African continent, stressing that Bayelsa has the highest concentration of wrestling champions.
The high point of the event was the presentation of bank drafts of N2 million to Bayelsa born Olympic Silver Miss Blessing Oborodudu and N500,000 to her Coach, Mr Victor Kode.
According to Senator Dickson, the Henry Seriake Foundation, which unveiled the Nanaye Dickson Wrestling Tournament, is also the sponsors of the ongoing community-based grassroots football competition, the Ofuruma Pepe Cup which involves 100 teams and 1000 young boys.
“As you all know, as governor of Bayelsa, I did my best to promote sports in all its ramifications. We established a sports academy, we have several young people who are receiving both academic pieces of training as well as exposure to sports development that is taking place even now.
“For eight years, we also sponsored a football tournament known as the Restoration Cup and the products of that initiative are all over the world, and I want to thank my team for that. We also sponsor the wrestling classic named after me and my father.
“I’m grateful that your predecessor and you adopted our wrestling classic as a national classic. All the wrestlers in our country assemble there in readiness for international competitions,” he said
The Chairman of the occasion and Chairman, House Committee on Youths and Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, called on politicians to emulate Senator Dickson stressing that no money invested in sports development would be a waste.
He said that he was not surprised that the former Governor decided to sustain his interest and investment in sports development even after leaving office because ‘sports investment means investing on one’s self and the youths.’
He also commended the minister for the ongoing renovation of the national stadia in Abuja and Lagos.
The Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the first Governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete Spiff, the Amayanabo of Twon Brass, commended Dickson for the initiative to promote wrestling which he described as the joy of the Ijaw man.
The President of the Wrestling Federation, Mr Daniel Igali, was represented by the Vice President, Mr Christopher Amkpila, who commended the Senator for his unwavering support for the development of sports in the country. | |
Pakistan Coat of Arms
State emblem of Pakistan was adopted in1954, after the proclamation of independence. A distinctive feature of the coat of arms is that it is completely green. This is due to the fact that the state religion of Pakistan - Islam, and green is for this sacred religion.
Brief description of the coat of arms
In the center of the coat of arms of Pakistan - green shieldFrench heraldic form, and at the top - crescent and star. The shield shows the four most important crops of the country - tea, jute, wheat, cotton. The shield is divided into four parts, and each part is one of these crops. Around the shield is a floral wreath. At the bottom - a scroll on which is written in Arabic script: "Faith, Unity, Discipline."
What do the symbols mean the Pakistani Emblem
- The predominant color of the emblem - green - is the sacred history of Pakistan.
- Shield - a symbol of agriculture in Pakistan, it is a wealth of natural resources.
- The crescent and star - the main symbol of Islam, are found everywhere where it is accepted as a state.
- Floral wreath symbolizes the country's history.
- Scroll to the national motto in Urdu, as it is a government in this country. The very motto is taken from the statements of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Why Islamic symbols are used in the coat of arms
Coat of arms of Pakistan has Islamic symbols asa Muslim country: most believers living in this country - Muslims. Star and crescent - is the ideological foundations of the state of Pakistan. Coat of arms of Pakistan is using them to emphasize the importance of Islamic symbols in public buildings. In addition, Islam - is the foundation of the economy and policy of the country, its economic power. All this underlines the coat of arms.
The coat of arms used by the National Plant of Pakistan images - Jasmine drug. This - the connection with the cultural heritage of Pakistan.
Pakistan coat of arms is one of the most important ofthe country's national symbols. Its use in this Islamic state is strictly regulated all regulations of Sharia. He is considered one of the greatest shrines. | http://aroundtravels.com/article-about-pakistan/coat-arms-pakistan-photo-value-description.html |
Sunday, 23 December 2018
There is some refreshing news for owners suffering from defective construction work by main contractor and sub-contractors – domestic or nominated by a recent decision of the New South Wales (NSW) Australia Court of Appeal – PND Civil Group Pty Ltd v Bastow Civil Construction Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 159 (27 June 2017).
The case arose out of a claim for damages by a main contractor, particularly costs incurred by him for rectifying defective works executed by a sub-contractor.
Reading between the lines it might sound simple, but there is more to it than meets the eye. In the context of defective work carried out by a main contractor or any of his sub-contractors, it is the main contractor’s responsibility under any building contract to put it right for the owner with whom he has a contract and from whom he has received payment for the works. Extending this rue or maxim, whatever one might call the sub-contractor has a similar responsibility to the main contractor but not to the owner as the sub-contractor has no contract with the owner and all sub-contract work payments are paid direct by the main contractor from monies he has received from the owner. So, then what seems to be the problem?
When defects are detected either in a punch list at the time of taking over the works from the contractor or latent defects appear during the defects liability period (or defects notification period according to the FIDIC Red Book), the defects have to be rectified at his own by the person who caused – to the owner it is the main contractor, to the main contractor the sub-contractor. That may be simple in terms of understanding, but consider the time and expenses of the owner and his staff and the inconvenience he is put through depending on the extent of the defects.
I have ventured to cite the NSW case stated above in full for the benefit of owners, consultants, and contractors alike who continue to suffer from defective work and not only put stakeholders in difficulties but also many of the construction team’s reputation at stake. Incidentally, NSW and all Australian cases for that matter, being common law cases akin to Sri Lanka decisions of the Australian Courts can be cited in support in Sri Lanka as well as long as the case cited is not remote or overridden by another decision.
This case centers upon whether the one suffering the effects of the defective work can claim the cost of management time as damages.
THE FACTS OF THE CASE
Bastow Civil Constructions (Bastow) contracted with Energy Australia to undertake work that involved constructing trenches in public roads, installing cable ducts in those trenches and backfilling and sealing trenches.
Bastow subcontracted some of that work to PND Civil Group (PND).Bastow claimed that PND's work was defective and successfully sued PND in the District Court of New South Wales, for (part of) the cost of the rectification works.
The District Court judge concluded that Bastow had suffered loss and quantified Bastow's loss as the costs of the rectification work, namely $269,355.
In quantifying the loss, the District Court judge excluded an amount of $43,669 claimed by Bastow for the time its employees spent in connection with the defects and their rectification.
The $43,669 part of Bastow's claim against PND was rejected by the District Court judge because "there is no evidence that the allocation this time resulted in any additional cost to Bastow".
Bastow challenged this conclusion in its cross-appeal filed in the New South Wales Court of Appeal.
Bastow submitted that the District Court judge had erred in holding that Bastow was not entitled to recover, as an element of its damages, the cost of the management time spent by its employees in dealing with PND's defective work.
THE DECISION OF THE NSW COURT OF APPEAL
The NSW Court of Appeal unanimously found against Bastow concluding that there was no evidence that Bastow had incurred any additional management expenses.
The Court found that:
a. it did not appear that Mr Bastow caused himself or the other staff member involved (who were both employees of Bastow) to be paid overtime or any other compensation or additional remuneration;b. nor did it appear that any additional staff or contractors were employed, either to i. to deal with PND's defective work and its consequences, orii. to attend to tasks from which Mr Bastow had been distracted because of his attention to matters of defect rectification; orc. there was no evidence that Bastow had been prevented from seeking or taking up any valuable business opportunity because Mr Bastow's attention was focused on PND's breach of the contract and its consequences.
When might the cost of management time be allowed in a damages claim for rectification of defective work?
To successfully claim the cost of management time, as damages for breach (defective work), the claimant must prove that it incurred additional expense.The Court noted that damages may be recoverable for lost management time in certain circumstances such as where the Claimant can prove that;a. existing staff were paid more, orb. additional staff were employed to either:i. manage the breach of the contract and its consequences; orii. attend to tasks from which existing staff had been distracted because of their attention to the defective work issues; orc. if no additional staff were employed, but the diversion of management time to the breach of contract meant that the employer lost other valuable business opportunities, then damages might be allowed, although the quantification of lost business opportunity may be difficult to establish.
So how can this decision be good news for the Owner or Main contractor?
Take heart one can still claim damages for the cost of management time lost in dealing with the rectification of defective work carried out by your contractor or subcontractor, but you must prove that you have incurred additional costs.
These additional costs incurred, which you must be able to prove, will most likely be in the form of:a. additional payments (such as overtime or additional remuneration) made to staff members; orb. the employment or engagement of additional staff or contractors, either to deal with the subcontractor's defective work and its consequences or to attend to tasks from which your employees have been distracted because of their attention to the rectification of the defective work.
Hence it is not a closed door for you if you are prudent enough to have records as the British eminent contacts and claims lawyer and Quantity Surveyor often stresses in his lectures – RECORDS, RECORDS AND RECORDS and nothing like proper records will prove a claim.
By M Haris Z Deen
Ph.D., MBA., BSc., LLB (Hons)., FRICS
Note: Many thanks to the Dr. Haris Deen for providing us with this article.
| |
Jessica Watkins to Become First Black Woman To Have Extended Stay in Outer Space
Astronaut Jessica Watkins will make history in April when she will become the first Black woman to spend six months on the International Space Station (ISS).
Watkins has been training for the mission, where she will live and work for an extended stay, NPR reported. Watkins will be taken to ISS by way of a SpaceX capsule sent out as part of NASA’s multi-billion dollar Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the moon in 2025.
“We are building on the foundation that was laid by the Black women astronauts who have come before me,” Watkins said. “I’m definitely honored to be a small part of that legacy, but ultimately be an equal member of the crew.”
Of the 250 astronauts who have boarded the ISS, only 10 have been Black, and very few of them Black women. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel to space in 1992, paving the way for other Black female NASA astronauts like Stephanie Wilson and Joan Higginbotham.
During Watkins’ six-month mission, the Stanford University alumnus will research things such as the effects of long-duration spaceflight for humans as well as observe and photograph geological changes on Earth. The mission comes five years after Watkins was selected to join NASA’s astronaut program in 2017.
She got through an extensive training period that included wearing a puffy white suit in an underwater ISS mockup pool in preparation for her spacewalk. Watkins has also been trained on how to fix anything that isn’t working properly.
“We are all coming together to accomplish this really hard thing that none of us would be able to do on our own,” Watkins said. “I think that is just such a beautiful picture of what we can all do if we come together and put all of our resources and skill sets together.”
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Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising way to mitigate CO2 emissions and close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. Among products from CO2RR, multicarbon chemicals, such as ethylene and ethanol with high energy density, are more valuable. However, the selectivity and reaction rate of C2 production are unsatisfactory due to the sluggish thermodynamics and kinetics of C–C coupling. The electric field and thermal field have been studied and utilized to promote catalytic reactions, as they can regulate the thermodynamic and kinetic barriers of reactions. Either raising the potential or heating the electrolyte can enhance C–C coupling, but these come at the cost of increasing side reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we present a generic strategy to enhance the local electric field and temperature simultaneously and dramatically improve the electric–thermal synergy desired in electrocatalysis. A conformal coating of ∼5 nm of polytetrafluoroethylene significantly improves the catalytic ability of copper nanoneedles (∼7-fold electric field and ∼40 K temperature enhancement at the tips compared with bare copper nanoneedles experimentally), resulting in an improved C2 Faradaic efficiency of over 86% at a partial current density of more than 250 mA cm–2 and a record-high C2 turnover frequency of 11.5 ± 0.3 s–1 Cu site–1. Combined with its low cost and scalability, the electric–thermal strategy for a state-of-the-art catalyst not only offers new insight into improving activity and selectivity of value-added C2 products as we demonstrated but also inspires advances in efficiency and/or selectivity of other valuable electro-/photocatalysis such as hydrogen evolution, nitrogen reduction, and hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis. | https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/publications/accelerating-co2-electroreduction-to-multicarbon-products-via-syn |
To the Times of Ti:
I recently read an article in the Times of Ti regarding the Ticonderoga School budget. In the article it was noted an Advance Placement 11th Grade English Teacher would still be on part-time. This teacher was referred to by her last name only. How tacky was that? Did the person doing the article not know the teacher had a first name?
My next question is, “Why is this Advance Placement English Teacher still going to be on half-time?” I am not the only one wondering this. I have had people ask me this question. I tell them to go to the Board of Education. I have noticed in my 80 odd years that people like to complain, but do nothing about the problem.
Again, I ask this question, “Why is this Advance Placement 11th Grade English Teacher still on half-time?” This person not only teaches the AP English course for college credit, she also teaches an English class to prepare all Juniors for the New York State Regents exam which they have to pass in June in order to graduate. This sounds like a huge responsibility placed on a half-time teacher. I have heard this is because of numbers. Really? There is a full time 9th grade English Teacher and a full time 10th grade English Teacher. Do some of the 10th grade English Pupils just disappear over the summer before they go into 11th grade? I don’t think so. This half-time 11th grade Advance Placement English Teacher has had three large classes each year for the last two years. She does not have sufficient time to help students who need it. Consequently, the bulk of her work, all her correcting of papers and her planning are done at home on her own time. This teacher has been working hard in this half-time situation for the last two years with the promise of “you are slated for full-time when possible.” Now, the decision to keep this position on half-time for another year. Is this fair to the students? Is this fair to the teacher? I don’t think so.
I think it is time for the Board of Education to reconsider their decision to keep this a half-time position and fulfill that promise! | https://www.suncommunitynews.com/opinions/keep-part-time-teacher/ |
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Volgograd is one of Russia’s oldest cities and an important industrial centre with just over a million inhabitants. It has already been an important commercial hub during the Soviet era and remains so in the present day. To most Europeans Volgograd is perhaps more well-known under its Soviet name Stalingrad and for the famous resistance against the German troops during the Second World War. In fact this historical legacy still stands so strong that in 2013 the city council voted in favour of using the name ‘hero-city Stalingrad’ during six important commemorative days every year.
Volgograd is located 1000 kilometres south of the capital on the convergence of the Volga and Don Rivers in the south-eastern region of the European part of Russia. A canal connects the two rivers since 1952. The surrounding landscape is marked by the rough wilderness of the southern Russian steppe.
Since Volgograd was established as the fortress of Tsarytsin in 1589 it has been a commercially and historically important site. The location on two rivers turned it into an important harbour with flourishing trade and commerce and the city grew rapidly. Tsaritsyn was renamed into Stalingrad in 1925 and it then became a centre for heavy industry. This is one of the reasons for which it became an important target during the Second World War. The Battle of Stalingrad and the resistance against the Nazis is equally the most tragic and most triumphal event in Soviet history. Having claimed a million and a half lives it remains the deadliest battle in the history of warfare. During the war large parts of the city were destroyed, but due to its symbolic links with Stalin it was rebuilt more quickly than other places.
Volgograd has nearly been rebuilt from scratch after the war, which means large parts of the town are shaped by Soviet architecture from the 1950s and 1960s. Nevertheless, the city’s history is ubiquitous. There is the Mamayev Kurgan, the hill on which the Battle of Stalingrad took place and the Panorama Museum, which houses a panoramic painting of the event, but fallen warriors are commemorated at many other corners of the city. Volgograd is also home to the largest Lenin statue in Russia and the Motherland Calls statue, which is one of the world’s highest and most complex of its kind. Trips to the surrounding rural area offer a relaxing holiday and there are options to go hiking and fishing and to do boat or canoe trips.
Volgograd has a humid continental climate. This means summers can be extremely hot, with temperatures climbing to 30°C in July, while winter can be cold with temperatures falling well below zero. By Russians standards, however, these winters are relatively mild with light snowfall and dry air. Spring and autumn have nice temperatures with less precipitation and usually very enjoyable seasons.
Despite its name Volgograd International Airport can mostly only be reached via domestic flights. There are seasonal connections to Greece and Cyprus. The railway links are good and it takes around 20 hours to get to Moscow or 34 hours to St. Petersburg. Moreover, there are occasional international trains to Eastern European destinations, though these may be seasonal. Due to its location on the river Volgograd can also be visited as a stop on a boat cruise down the Volga River.
Though the lack of beautiful, ancient architecture may put some travellers off at first sight, the city is steeped in history and national pride. In this Volgograd offers a taste of the Soviet Union that has been eradicated in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Due to this unique position in Russian history large numbers of Russian tourists flock into the city every year and a trip to the famous ‘hero-city’ should be on the itinerary of any foreigner wishing to get to know Russia better.
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Friday - July 26, 2013
From: Galveston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation, Cacti and Succulents
Title: Controlling agave pups from Galveston, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:I live in Galveston, Tx.I have several large 5ft tall century plants in my yard and the pups are coming up everywhere..how do I control these??? HELP!!
ANSWER:
Here is a recent Mr. Smarty Plants question and answer that, while it is from Southern California, addresses the same problem you are having - aggressive pups. Here is an excerpt from another recent answer (we really hate retyping the same thing) on the nomenclature of century plants.
"There are 10 plants with the common name "Century" plant native to North America, of which 7 are native to Texas. None are native, nor even very close to, Montgomery County, in southeastern Texas. All are members of the Agave genus and, since your plant may not only be not native to your area, it may even be a hybrid or native to Mexico, which means it is not in our Native Plant Database at all. Here are three of the Texas natives, with maps for each from the USDA Plant Profiles, showing in which counties they are native:
Agave univittata (Maguey mezortillo) (Map) native closest to Montgomery County, in Kennedy and Starr Counties on the far southern tip of Texas.
Agave havardiana (Havard's century plant) (Map) native to to Jeff Davis, Pecos and Brewster Counties, in the West Texas Big Bend areas
Agave parryi (Parry's agave) (Map) native to Culberson, Jeff Davis and Brewster Counties, also in Big Bend Area"
If you follow the links to the USDA Plant Profile maps above, you will see that Galveston County is no closer to where these plants are native than is Montgomery County. We suspect that living down there with all that Gulf moisture available has inspired your plants to throw out lots of children.
In the first link above that we provided you, there are several more links to questions on removing the somewhat aggressive pups. We can only wish you good luck, sorry.
More Cacti and Succulents Questions
Identification of
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Cat eating yucca stalks in England
May 07, 2013 - Is it safe for my cat to eat yucca as she is being sick and its hard to stop her
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Propagation of Agave americana by seed
July 11, 2007 - Dear Mr Smarty Pants, My Century Plant is fulfilling its one wish and blooming flowers from its massive stalk. Although I am very sad to see it go, it is certainly a sight to behold. This plant, ...
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Container plants for Yakima WA
May 11, 2013 - My condo complex has purchased large, pottery pots for around our pool. I need to choose low maintenance plants. hopefully something that takes limited water, etc.
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Scale on Agave attenuata from Melbourne, Australia
January 27, 2011 - I have an agave attenuata in a pot. It has been attacked by scales. I have been spraying it every 3-4 days at night with a chemical sold to me by the local gardening store. It's not helping and I am... | http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=9696 |
The Victorian is the most popular style of conservatory, with a versatility that makes it suitable for a number of house styles. Its distinguishing architectural features such as a bay front, steeply pitched roof and ornate ridge details give this style of conservatory a more classical appearance.
Three facet - a bay front that has three main windows that give a curved appearance, widely angled for maximum space.
Five facet - a bay front with five main windows creating a rounded appearance. | https://www.croft-glass.com/article/20/victorian/38313af5e2ca05dd4b0dc876a89a874c |
RELATED APPLICATION
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/CN2019/093810, filed Jun. 28, 2019 and entitled METHODS FOR WIRELESS RADIO LINK RECOVERY, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure is directed generally to wireless communications and particularly to wireless radio link recovery procedures.
BACKGROUND
Wireless communication technologies are moving the world towards a rapidly increasing network connectivity. High-speed and low-latency wireless communications rely on efficient network resource management and allocation between user wireless communication devices and wireless communication nodes (including but not limited to wireless base stations). Unlike traditional circuit-switched networks, efficient wireless access networks may not rely on dedicated user channels. Instead, wireless network resources (such as carrier frequencies, transmission beams, and transmission time slots) for transmitting voice or other types of data between the wireless communication devices and the wireless communication nodes may be allocated and changed as transmission conditions or configurations change.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment, a wireless radio link recovery method includes determining, by a wireless communication device, a beam failure event for a first cell according to channel qualities corresponding to one or more reference signal resources transmitted by a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device then determines that a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource is available for transmitting a beam recovery request message. The method also includes transmitting, by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node, the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource, wherein the beam recovery request message comprises an index of the first cell or a cell group including the first cell.
In another embodiment, another wireless radio link recovery method includes determining, by the wireless communication device, a beam failure event for the first cell according to the channel qualities corresponding to the one or more reference signal resources transmitted by the wireless communication node. The method also includes transmitting, by the wireless communication device to the wireless communication node via a second cell, a resource request (RQ) message on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource, the RQ message requesting allocation of a PUSCH resource.
In another embodiment, another wireless radio link recovery method includes determining, by the wireless communication device, the beam failure event for the first cell according to the channel qualities corresponding to the one or more reference signal resources transmitted by the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device then determines whether a PUSCH resource is available for transmitting the beam recovery request message. When the PUSCH resource is available for transmitting the beam recovery request message, the wireless communication device transmits to the wireless communication node, the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource, wherein the beam recovery request message comprises an index of the first cell or a cell group including the first cell. However, when the PUSCH resource is not available for transmitting the beam recover request message, the wireless communication device transmits to the wireless communication node via a second cell, the resource request (RQ) message on an uplink control channel, the RQ message requesting allocation of the PUSCH resource.
The above embodiments and other aspects and alternatives of their implementations are described in greater detail in the drawings, the descriptions, and the claims below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows an example system diagram including a wireless communication device and a wireless communication node according to various embodiments.
FIG. 2
shows an example of a prior art wireless radio link recovery procedure.
FIG. 3
shows an example of a method for wireless radio link recovery, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 4
shows another example of a method for wireless radio link recovery, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 5
shows another example of a method for wireless radio link recovery, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 6
shows another example of a method for wireless radio link recovery, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 7
shows an example a procedure for determining a beam failure event, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 8
shows an example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 9
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 10
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 11
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 12
shows an example of a process for generating and canceling pending RQ messages, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 13
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 14
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 15
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 16
shows another example of additional details of a method for wireless radio link recovery, according to various embodiments.
FIG. 17
shows example beam recovery request message formats, in accordance with various embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
General Description of the New Wireless Radio Link Recovery Procedure
Beam Failure Detection Procedures
Beam Failure Recovery Timer
Configuration Parameters for RQ Message Transmission
Prohibit Timer for the Beam Recovery Request Message
UE Behavior for RQ Messages
Transmission Priority for RQ Messages
Priority Rules for Multiplexing RQ Messages with Other Messages
Beam Recovery Request Message Configurations
Successful Recovery from a Beam Failure
In the 5G new radio (NR) standard, analog and digital beam-forming concepts are introduced to improve the robustness of high-frequency communications (e.g., above 6 GHz). However, the directional transmission of analog beam-forming limits multipath diversity and makes communications above 6 GHz vulnerable to channel fluctuations. For example, such channel fluctuations may include communications blockage due to the human body, vehicles, buildings, landscaping, and so on.
A wireless radio link recovery procedure, also referred to as a beam recovery procedure, has previously been adopted for 5G NR, in order to enable a wireless communication device, such as a user equipment (UE), to initialize an event-driven reporting of a beam failure to a wireless communication node, such as a next generation Node B (gNB), and to identify a beam for the subsequent data transmission. In the 5G NR Release 15, the link recovery procedure includes the following four steps: a) beam failure detection, b) new candidate beam identification, c) link/beam recovery request from the UE to a next generation Node B (gNB), and d) the gNB response to the UE for recovery. Currently, the procedure can be configured only for a primary cell (Pcell) or a primary second cell (PScell). Both of these cell types are configured with uplink (UL) channels for carrying a link recovery request, for example, on a physical random access channel (PRACH).
However, a general second cell (Scell) can often be configured for downlink (DL) only. For example, in one configuration a wireless communication device may include a Pcell with DL capabilities and UL capabilities (e.g., below 6 GHz), but may also include one or several Scells with DL capabilities only (e.g., above 6 GHz). In such a configuration, the link recovery request cannot be carried by the Scell and transmitted to gNB due to lack of UL capabilities. Accordingly, various embodiments are disclosed herein that address such shortcomings. Moreover, although the following embodiments address the shortcomings identified above with respect to the Scell(s), the following embodiments may be implemented with any cell type, including a Pcell or PScell or other cell type that includes UL capabilities.
As mentioned above, previous 5G NR specification versions include beam-forming concepts. As the expense of wide or ultra-wide spectrum, the considerable propagation loss induced by the high frequency propagation, e.g., above 6 GHz, becomes a noticeable challenge. To solve this, antenna array and beam-forming training technologies using massive MIMO, e.g., up to 1024 antenna element for one node, may be adopted to achieve beam alignment and obtain sufficiently high antenna gain. To keep the implementation cost low while still benefitting from the antenna array and associated antenna gain, analog phase shifters may be used to implement mmWave beam-forming, which means that the number of phases to be controlled is finite and constant modulus constraints are placed on these antenna elements. Given the pre-specified beam patterns, the variable-phase-shift-based beam forming training targets to identify the best pattern for subsequent data transmission generally.
FIG. 2
In order to improve robustness, the UE can initialize one link recovery procedure in Pcell or PScell, as shown in , where the link recovery request transmission is based on physical random access channel (PRACH). With a Pcell or PSCell, the detailed procedure for contention free based link recovery is summarized as follows:
202
a) Beam failure detection (): One or more downlink reference signals (DL RSs) are configured, or implicitly derived, for beam failure detection, and the corresponding block error ratio (BLER) results (as the metric for beam failure detection) are determined through measuring the one or more DL RSs. When the BLER of all or a portion of the DL RSs is not worse than the pre-defined threshold within a configured window, the MAC-CE layer is notified with an indication of link failure instance, which may also be referred to as an indication of beam failure instance or a beam failure instance indication. In the MAC-CE layer, if the indication of link failure instance is received from the PHY layer, the UE shall increment a counter for the beam failure instance or indication, i.e., BFI_COUNTER, by 1, and when the BFI_COUNTER is not less than the pre-configured threshold, a beam failure event is declared.
204
b) New candidate beam identification (): One or more DL RSs are configured as candidate RSs for a new candidate beam. If the reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) results (as a metric for the new beam) associated with the DL RS is not worse than the pre-defined threshold, the DL RS can be assumed as a new candidate beam, (i.e., q_new).
206
FIG. 1B
c) Link recovery request (): When a beam failure event is declared and/or at least one new candidate beam is found, the UE shall initialize a PRACH transmission associated with the selected RS q_new from step-b (when the channel quality of any DL RSs as a candidate beam for recovery is all worse than the threshold, any one of DL RS can be selected randomly), where each DL RS for a new beam is associated with one or more PRACH occasions. For example, in , N SS blocks, also called a SS/PBCH block, are respectively associated with N PRACH occasions.
208
d) gNB response for recovery (): After transmitting a PRACH transmission for a link recovery request, the UE monitors the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a dedicated control resource set (CORESET) or a dedicated searching space for link recovery according to the quasi co-location (QCL) parameter associated with the DL RS q_new. Once the gNB response is detected, the UE should assume that the gNB response for recovery is received successfully and the corresponding UE behavior, e.g., updating QCL assumption for one or more CORESETs and a spatial filter of PUCCH resources, are performed.
However, as mentioned above, the preceding procedure does not address the needs of all situations or configurations. Accordingly, various embodiments are disclosed herein that address such shortcomings.
FIG. 1
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110
A wireless access network provides network connectivity between wireless communication devices (e.g., mobile devices) and an information or data network (such as a voice communication network or the Internet). An example wireless access network may be based on cellular technologies, which may further be based on, for example, 4G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, and/or New Radio (NR) technologies and/or formats. shows an example system diagram including a wireless communication device and a wireless communication node according to various embodiments. The wireless communication device may comprise a user equipment (UE), which may further include but is not limited to a mobile phone, smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, or other mobile devices that are capable of communicating wirelessly over a network. The wireless communication device may include transceiver circuitry coupled to an antenna to effect wireless communication with the wireless communication node . The transceiver circuitry may also be coupled to a processor , which may also be coupled to a memory or other storage device. The memory may store therein instructions or code that, when read and executed by the processor , cause the processor to implement various ones of the methods described herein.
104
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Similarly, the wireless communication node may comprise a base station or other wireless network access points capable of communicating wirelessly over a network with one or many mobile stations. For example, the wireless communication node may comprise a 4G LTE base station, a 5G NR base station, a 5G central-unit base station, a 5G distributed-unit base station, a next generation Node B (gNB), an enhanced Node B (eNB), or other base station, in various embodiments. The wireless communication node may include transceiver circuitry coupled to an antenna , which may include an antenna tower in various approaches, to effect wireless communication with the wireless communication device . The transceiver circuitry may also be coupled to one or more processors , which may also be coupled to a memory or other storage device. The memory may store therein instructions or code that, when read and executed by the processor , cause the processor to implement various ones of the methods described herein.
104
102
When a wireless radio link between the wireless communication node and the wireless communication device fails, communications using that link stops. A wireless radio link recovery procedure is required to re-establish communications.
102
310
302
304
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308
1
318
322
104
326
In accordance with various embodiments, the disclosed wireless radio link recovery procedure or method is performed by the wireless communication device and includes two different sub-procedures. Generally, upon determining that a cell fails at (e.g., a first cell up to an nth cell , which beam failure events are detected at and ) one of two sub-procedures may be triggered. In one approach, a first sub-procedure (“step ”) includes transmission of a resource request (RQ) message to a wireless communication node to notify it that a beam failure event has occurred and to simultaneously request a PUSCH resource on which to transmit a beam recovery request message. The transmission of the RQ message may be governed by various collision and multiplexing rules .
2
314
104
320
324
2
314
316
1
318
The second sub-procedure (“step ”) involves transmission of the beam recovery request message (e.g., recovery reporting message) to the wireless communication node on a PUSCH resource. The transmission may include a multiplexing and/or message assembly procedure and may be subject to priority rules . In various approaches, the second sub-procedure (“step ”) may be triggered whenever a cell fails. However, if no PUSCH resource is available (), the beam recovery request message cannot be transmitted and a new PUSCH resource may instead be requested via the first sub-procedure (“step ”) .
1
318
2
314
316
1
318
Thus, in certain embodiments, the first sub-procedure (“step ”) may be triggered when the second sub-procedure (“step ”) cannot be performed because there is no available PUSCH resource available to transmit a beam recovery request message, as shown at . Alternatively, the first sub-procedure (“step ”) may be triggered whenever a cell fails in certain embodiments. Each of these various procedures and methods are discussed in further detail below.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 3
1
318
402
102
404
With reference to , a method for wireless radio link recovery is disclosed in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, the method of corresponds to the first sub-process (“step ”) discussed in . At , the wireless communication device determines a beam failure event for a first cell according to channel qualities corresponding to one or more reference signal (RS) resources transmitted by the wireless communication node . The beam failure event may apply to a single first cell or a cell group to which the first cell belongs. In various embodiments, the first cell is an Scell, though the first cell may be a Pcell or PScell in other approaches.
404
102
316
1
318
406
102
104
104
FIG. 3
Optionally, at , the wireless communication device determines that no PUSCH resource is available for transmitting a beam recovery request message (corresponding to step in ). This may be a triggering condition for performing the first sub-process (“step ”) , and more specifically, the following step. In response, at , the wireless communication device transmits to the wireless communication node a resource request (RQ) message on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource via a second cell. The RQ message notifies the wireless communication node of the beam failure event, and simultaneously requests allocation of a PUSCH resource to transmit the beam recovery request message corresponding to the beam failure event.
The RQ message may include or comprise different message types. In some examples, the RQ message is a dedicated recovery-specific resource request (RS-RQ) message that includes, for example, a dedicated RS-RQ configuration or sequence and/or a dedicated PUCCH resource.
In other examples, the RQ message is a scheduling request (SR) message that may be a dedicated SR message type that indicates it corresponds to a beam failure event (as opposed to a normal SR message that is not associated with a beam failure event). For example, the SR message may be configured with a parameter of usage for beam recovery or associated with a parameter of beam recovery configuration. In yet other examples, the RQ message is an SR message that is configured with a parameter of higher priority than a normal SR message that is not associated with a beam failure event.
104
102
When the RQ message is configured in one of the manner described above, the wireless communication node can receive the information of the beam failure event as distinguished from a normal SR message (or another message), and can responsively schedule or allocate UL-SCH resources quickly and with priority in order to receive the beam recovery request message from the wireless communication device in order to attempt to recover the wireless link in time. However, in certain examples or configurations where the above configurations of the RQ message (e.g., RS-RQ message or dedicated/prioritized SR message) are not available or utilized, the RQ message can simply be a normal SR message.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
2
314
502
402
102
404
With reference to , another method for wireless radio link recovery is disclosed in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, the method of corresponds to the second sub-process (“step ”) discussed in . At (which is similar to step in ), the wireless communication device determines a beam failure event for a first cell according to channel qualities corresponding to one or more RS resources transmitted by the wireless communication node .
504
102
102
104
At , the wireless communication device determines that a PUSCH resource is available for transmitting a beam recovery request message. In response, the wireless communication device transmits to the wireless communication node the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource. In this embodiment, the beam recovery request message comprises an index (e.g., identification) of the first cell or a cell group including the first cell.
The beam recovery request message may also be called a recovery-information reporting message. In certain embodiments, the beam recovery request message is a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE) message. In certain embodiments, the beam recovery request message includes index(es) of the failed cells and new candidate beam index(es) for the failed cell(s), if found. If no new candidate beam for the failed cell(s) is found, an indication that no candidate beam or candidate reference signal is identified for the cell can be delivered in the beam recovery request message.
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
FIG. 3
1
318
2
314
602
402
502
102
604
102
102
102
104
606
102
102
104
608
With reference to , yet another method for wireless radio link recovery is disclosed in accordance with various embodiments. In particular, the method of incorporates both the first sub-process (“step ”) and the second sub-process (“step ”) discussed in and above. At (which is similar to steps and ), the wireless communication device determines a beam failure event for a first cell. At , the wireless communication device determines whether or not a PUSCH resource is available for transmitting a beam recovery request message. If the wireless communication device determines that the PUSCH resource is available, the wireless communication device responsively transmits to the wireless communication node the beam recovery request message, including the index of the first cell or a cell group including the first cell, on the PUSCH resource at . However, if the wireless communication device determines that the PUSCH resource is not available, the wireless communication device transmits to the wireless communication node via a second cell the RQ message on the PUCCH resource at .
102
102
102
In accordance with these various embodiments, the wireless communication device may transmit the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource using a second cell or another different cell. For example, if the first cell is an Scell that does not have UL capabilities, then the wireless communication device may use the UL capabilities of a Pcell or a PScell (or a different Scell) to transmit the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource. Additionally, even if the Scell does have UL capabilities, a different cell (Pcell, PScell, or Scell) may be used to transmit the beam recovery request message. However, in other embodiments, the wireless communication device may transmit the beam recovery request message on the PUSCH resource using the same first cell. Different variations are possible.
When one or more cells (e.g., Scell(s)) is configured with the link recovery procedure, beam failure detection procedures, including independent counters for beam failure instances, are performed accordingly. Once the counter(s) exceeds a threshold, a beam failure event for the corresponding cell is claimed to begin initializing the link recovery procedure.
FIG. 7
FIGS. 3
702
102
102
704
102
306
308
706
102
With reference to , a procedure for determining a beam failure event for the first cell further includes, at , the wireless communication device determining that one or more values representing channel quality of the one or more RS resources are outside an acceptable range determined by a quality threshold (thereby indicating that the one or more RS resources have poor quality). For example, a block error rate (BLER) may be used as the metric for channel quality to indicate beam failure, and if the value of the BLER reaches and/or exceeds a threshold value, then that indicates that the particular RS resource has poor quality. Other channel quality metrics may be used. If the wireless communication device determines that the value representing channel quality indicates that the one or more RS resources have poor quality, then, at , the wireless communication device will increment a beam failure counter (indicated in at and ). Similarly, at , the wireless communication device determines that the beam failure counter is greater than or equal to a beam failure counter threshold, and responsively determines a beam failure event has occurred for the first cell or a group of cells including the first cell.
The beam failure counter can apply to an individual cell or a cell group including many cells. As such, two alternative solutions are presented for counting and handling failures with regard to these multiple cells.
In a first approach, a beam failure event is claimed for a cell, where the beam failure detection counter and beam failure detection timer are configured per each individual cell, and the beam failure event is determined independently for each cell that is configured with the recovery procedure. For example, the first cell may be part of a cell group, and determining the beam failure event for the first cell of the cell group includes determining a beam failure event for any cell of the cell group independently.
In this first approach, the physical layer can inform the higher layer of a beam failure event with a periodicity determined by the maximum between the shortest periodicity among the periodic channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and/or the synchronization signal (SS) blocks from reference signal(s) (RS) used for beam failure detection of the corresponding cell.
In a second approach, a beam failure event is claimed for a cell group when at least one cell from the cell group fails. For example, the first cell may be part of a cell group, and determining the beam failure event for the first cell includes determining the beam failure event for all or some of the cells in the cell group.
In this second approach, the physical layer can inform the higher layer of beam failure event with a periodicity determined by the maximum between the shortest periodicity among the periodic CSI-RS and/or SS blocks from reference signal(s) (RS) used for beam failure detection of any cells configured with the beam recovery procedure.
Furthermore, the counter or timer for beam failure detection of a cell may be stopped or reset if the beam recovery procedure corresponding to the cell is successfully completed.
To conserve UL resource overhead and to prohibit highly frequent re-transmissions of various UL signals relating to the beam recovery process, various maximum re-transmission numbers (e.g., counters) or re-transmission periodicity (e.g., timers) for transmitting the RQ message and/or the beam recovery request message can be configured.
FIG. 8
102
802
102
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102
One example of such a timer is a recovery timer, which can set a maximum duration after determining a beam failure event to attempt to recover the communication link for the cell. With reference to , for example, the wireless communication device can establish the recovery timer for a recovery procedure after determining the beam failure event for the first cell at . Similarly, upon successful completion of the recovery procedure for the first cell, the wireless communication device can cancel the recovery timer at . However, upon expiration of the recovery timer at , the wireless communication device can perform at least one of the following processes:
808
Precluding transmission of the beam recovery request message ();
810
Precluding transmission of the RQ message on the PUCCH ();
812
Initializing a physical random access channel (PRACH) (e.g., for contention-based RACH) ();
814
Initializing a radio link failure procedure ();
816
Determining an event that the recovery procedure is unsuccessfully completed ();
818
Deactivating the first cell or cell group including the first cell (); and/or
820
Deactivating another cell or another cell group, wherein the other cell or other cell group is associated with the recovery configuration or is associated with the recovery timer ().
FIG. 9
102
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102
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906
In a similar manner to the beam failure recovery timer discussed above, various timers and/or counters may be configured for the transmission of the RQ message, as well. In one approach, the configuration for the RQ message includes an RQ prohibit timer. An RQ message cannot be transmitted when the RQ prohibit timer is running or is not expired. Conversely, an RQ message can be transmitted when the RQ prohibit timer is stopped or is expired. With reference to , which illustrates additional details of the method of wireless radio link recovery in accordance with various embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine that an RQ prohibit timer is at least one of stopped or expired at . Also, the wireless communication device may allow the transmission of the RQ message at and restart the RQ prohibit timer at when the RQ prohibit timer is at least one of stopped or expired. Further, these conditions may occur when the RQ prohibit timer is associated with the first cell or an RQ configuration.
The RQ transmission counter (discussed below) is less than or equal to the threshold for maximum number of transmissions;
The RQ message is transmitted on a valid PUCCH resource;
One or more radio resource control (RRC) parameter in the RQ message configuration (e.g., or an associated SR configuration) is reconfigured; and/or
An RS for beam failure detection and/or an RS for new candidate beam determination is reconfigured or re-determined.
Additionally, the RQ prohibit timer may be restarted if:
FIG. 10
102
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102
Similarly still, the configuration for the RQ message transmission may also be subject to an RQ transmission counter. With reference to , which illustrates additional details of the method of wireless radio link recovery in various embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine that an RQ transmission counter has not exceeded or reached a maximum number of RQ transmissions at . Also, the wireless communication device may increment the RQ transmission counter and allow the transmission of the RQ message at when the RQ transmission counter has not exceeded the maximum number of RQ transmissions. However, when the RQ transmission counter is greater than or equal to the maximum number of RQ transmissions at , the wireless communication device may perform at least one of the following procedures:
Notifying the RRC to release PUCCH for all serving cells;
Notifying the RRC to release sounding reference signals (SRS) for all serving cells;
Clearing any configured downlink assignments or uplink grants;
Clearing any PUSCH resources for semi-persistent channel state information (CSI) reporting;
Initiating a random access procedure;
Cancelling all pending RQ messages for the first cell; and/or
Deactivating the first cell or cell group including the first cell.
0
Additionally, if an RQ message is triggered and there are no other RQ messages pending, the RQ transmission counter is reset to , particularly when there are no other RQ messages pending that correspond to the same RQ configuration.
1008
102
Additionally, at , the wireless communication device can reset the RQ transmission counter when at least one of the following conditions is met:
The RQ transmission counter is less than or equal to the threshold maximum number of transmission;
The RQ message is transmitted on one valid PUCCH resource;
An RQ transmission is triggered and there are no other pending RQ messages corresponding to the same RQ configuration;
Successful completion of a recovery procedure is determined;
The first cell or cell group including the first cell is activated or de-activated;
Another cell or another cell group is activated or de-activated, wherein the other cell or the other cell group is associated with a recovery configuration or are associated with the RQ transmission counter; or
A parameter of the beam recovery configuration (e.g., RQ message configuration) is re-configured.
An RS for beam failure detection and/or an RS for new candidate beam determination is reconfigured.
102
Additionally, the wireless communication device the transmission resources for the RQ message may be further configured by establishing a periodicity parameter for transmission of the RQ message, establishing an offset parameter for transmission of the RQ message, and/or establishing a PUCCH resource index, which is selected from a PUCCH resource pool.
The prohibit timer. The parameter for a prohibit time is to describe the length of timing;
Threshold for maximum number of transmission,
Usage of the SR configuration. For example, a parameter of SR configuration can be “normal SR”, “SR for logical channel”, “URLLC” or “beam failure recovery.”
Priority level. For example, a parameter of priority level can be high or low.
Periodicity and offset for SR transmission, which may be called, for example, as PeriodicityAndOffset.
PUCCH resource. Specifically, the PUCCH resource can be selected from a pool of PUCCH resources.
Additionally, in the cell, the beam failure recovery configuration can be associated with an RQ configuration, e.g., which may be a dedicated SR message configuration for recovery, where the RQ information is delivered by the dedicated SR resource. Furthermore, the dedicated SR message configuration can comprise at least one of the following parameters:
Additionally, in some embodiments, the RQ message configuration, e.g., a dedicated SR configuration, can be configured in RRC configuration parameter of MAC-CellGroupConfig or configured in RRC configuration parameter BeamFailureRecoveryConfig.
Additionally, in certain embodiments, the RQ message configuration can be configured in Pcell. For example, when multiple Scells can be configured with the beam recovery procedure (or multiple Scells can be associated with the beam recovery configuration), and the unique RQ message configuration is associated with the multiple Scells, the RQ message configuration can be configured in Pcell. However, it can be also configured in the Scells in other embodiments.
In a similar manner to the beam failure recovery timer discussed above, various timers and/or counters may be configured for the transmission of the beam recovery request message, as well. Recovery reporting via the beam recover request message is performed according to the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message, which is used to prevent very-frequent transmission for the recovery reporting. The parameter for the prohibit timer for beam recovery request message, e.g., the parameter for timer expiration, may be configurable.
FIG. 11
102
1102
1104
102
In one approach, the beam recover request message cannot be triggered and/or transmitted if the prohibit timer the beam recovery request message is running or is not expired. Conversely, the beam recover request message can be triggered and/or transmitted if the prohibit timer the beam recovery request message is stopped or is expired. With reference to , which illustrates additional details of the method of wireless radio link recovery in various embodiments, the wireless communication device may determine whether the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message is at least one of stopped or expired at . At , the wireless communication device may responsively allow the transmission of the beam recovery request message and may restart the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message when the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message is at least one of stopped or expired.
1106
102
Additionally, at , the wireless communication device may restart the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message (e.g., at its configured initial value) when at least one of the following conditions is met:
The PUSCH resource can accommodate the beam recovery request message; and/or
A pending beam recovery request message is generated.
1108
102
Similarly, at , the wireless communication device may stop the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message when at least one of the following conditions is met:
A radio resource control (RRC) configuration parameter for the beam recovery request message is reconfigured (e.g., reconfiguration of an RRC parameter or configuration of the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message);
A reference signal for beam failure detection or a reference signal for new candidate beam detection is reconfigured or re-determined (e.g., when a TCI state of the PDCCH or a control resource set (CORESET) is re-configured);
Successful completion of a beam failure recovery procedure (e.g., when the beam failure recovery procedure corresponds to the first cell or cell group including the first cell);
The first cell or cell group including the first cell is activated or de-activated;
Another cell or another cell group is activated or de-activated, wherein the other cell or the other cell group is associated with a recovery configuration or is associated with the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message; and/or
A new beam failure even is determined for another cell.
Additionally, in some approaches, the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message is specific to the first cell or cell group including the first cell. In other approaches, the prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message may be applied for a plurality of (or all of the) the cells that are configured with a beam recovery configuration. In such an approach, when a new cell beam failure event is claimed, the prohibit timer can be restarted.
102
Once a beam failure event has been determined, the wireless communication device reviews various considerations prior to transmitting an RQ message. In various embodiments, if at least one of the following conditions is satisfied, a pending RQ message (which may also called as a pending SR message, e.g., for beam recovery) is generated and/or transmitted:
A number of beam failure instances for at least one cell is equal to or greater than a first threshold value (e.g., a beam failure event has been determined);
The PUCCH resource for the RQ message does not overlap with a measurement gap or BWP-switching gap; and/or
The PUCCH resource for the RQ message does not overlap with the PUSCH resource that could be used to transmit the beam recovery request message.
102
102
The wireless communication device (e.g., the MAC-CE entity) has an RQ transmission occasion on the valid PUCCH resource for the RQ message (which may be a dedicated RS-RQ message). However, in one embodiment, if the wireless communication device has an SR transmission occasion on the valid PUCCH resource for SR, then an SR message may be transmitted instead. However, the above behavior can be skipped when the first PUCCH resource for the RQ message is transmitted.
The RQ prohibit timer is not running at the time of RQ message transmission occasion;
The RQ transmission counter is less than or equal to the threshold for maximum RQ transmissions; and/or
At least one SR is pending for the RS-RQ configuration.
No PUSCH resource is available for or can accommodate transmitting the beam recovery request message;
102
As stated above, the RQ message may be a dedicated recovery-specific resource request (RS-RQ) message, or an SR message that is configured to indicating a type (e.g., for beam recovery purposes) or priority level (e.g., high/low) of the SR message. However, if there is not a dedicated RS-RQ configuration, an SR configuration that is associated with recovery configuration, or an SR configuration that accommodates indicating a type or priority level of the SR message, the wireless communication device can at least generate a pending SR message corresponding to a SR configuration (e.g., a SR configuration for logical channel).
FIG. 12
1202
1204
1206
1208
1208
1206
1210
Additionally, as is shown in , a process for generating and canceling pending RQ messages is disclosed. At , the beam failure recovery procedure is triggered when a cell fails. If the PUSCH resource for sending the beam recovery request message is available, then it is transmitted on the PUSCH resource at . However, if the PUSCH resource is not available, then the RQ message is generated or triggered at . The RQ message is put into a pool of pending RQ messages . When the PUCCH resource is available, an RQ message from the pool of pending RQ messages (or directly from the generation step ) can be transmitted at .
1204
1208
1208
If a beam recovery request message is transmitted (at ) on the PUSCH resource while there is a corresponding pending RQ message in the pool , then that pending RQ message can be cancelled. Additionally, if a pending RQ message in the pool can be cancelled in response to deactivating or activating the first cell or a cell group including the first cell that corresponds to the pending RQ message.
1208
Similarly, if a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) message that includes the beam recovery request message(s) (e.g., the MAC-CE based recovery reporting) is transmitted, all of the pending RQ messages in the pool that were triggered prior to assembly of the MAC PDU message, which also correspond to the beam recovery request messages for the failed cells, can be cancelled. Similarly, each respective RQ prohibit timer or RQ transmission counter shall be stopped or reset when the MAC PDU is transmitted and this PDU includes a the beam recovery request message including indexes of failed cells up to the last beam failure event that triggered the beam recovery procedure prior to assembly of the MAC PDU message.
In order to transmit the RQ message with sufficient priority, priority rules for RQ message transmission and other UL signaling, such as normal SR, hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), CSI, or SRS, should be specified for UE behavior. As mentioned above, in accordance with various embodiments, the RQ message may be the dedicated RS-RQ message, a dedicated SR message type (e.g., configured with a parameter of usage for beam recovery or associated with a parameter of beam recovery configuration), or an SR message with a higher priority.
In one example, the RQ message comprises an SR message (e.g., a first SR message), wherein the SR message can be configured with a parameter of transmission priority (e.g., high/low), a parameter of usage (e.g., for beam recovery), or associated with a parameter of beam recovery configuration. Further, the RQ message can be assigned as a first SR message. Additionally, in certain examples, the first SR message may have a higher transmission priority as compared with a second SR message (e.g., a normal SR message) that is not used for beam recovery.
Different priority rule options are disclosed for the case that a normal SR message and an RQ message (e.g., the first SR message or a dedicated RS-RQ message) collide at a same time unit, or when different PUCCH resources for normal SR and the RQ message are overlapped.
102
As a first option, the RQ message shall be transmitted instead of a normal SR message when the RQ message and the normal SR message are transmitted or triggered in the same time domain unit or same transmission occasion. Put another way, the wireless communication device transmits the information of the first SR message (as opposed to a second SR message that is a normal SR message), when the PUCCH resource assigned for the first SR message overlaps with a PUCCH resource assigned for a second SR message in a time unit. Similarly, when the RQ message comprises the dedicated RS-RQ message, in the above situation, the RS-RQ message has a higher transmission priority as compared with a normal SR message or a HARQ-ACK message and would be transmitted instead of the normal SR message or the HARQ-ACK message.
102
As a second option, a new PUCCH resource can be transmitted. The new PUCCH resource can be RRC configured for the case that the normal SR message and the RQ message collide at a same time unit, or when different PUCCH resources for the normal SR and the RQ message overlap. On the other hand, the new PUCCH resource can be derived by the wireless communication device according to resources of PUCCH for normal SR messages and RQ messages. For instance, the initial cyclic shift value for the new PUCCH is the sum of initial cyclic shift value of respective PUCCH resources of normal SR and RQ messages mod X, where X is positive integer, e.g., 13.
As a third option, a priority rule for the RQ messages can be determined according to the configuration index for the SR message. More specifically, an SR message with a lower SR index will have a higher priority.
104
Additionally, in a specific embodiment, for PUCCH format 0, the RQ message (i.e., for beam recovery) can be indicated by a resource block (RB) index/location and/or a sequence index, e.g., a cycling shift offset in the message. For example, a sequence index of Mcs=6 can be used to represent the RQ message (e.g., an SR message for beam recovery, an SR message with a higher priority, or a dedicated RS-RQ message), while a sequence index of Mcs=0 can be used to represent a normal SR message with lower priority. Other sequence indexes are possible, as well. By varying the sequence index or RB index/location to indicate whether the message is an RQ message (i.e., relating to beam recovery) or not, the wireless communication node can recognize that the request relates to beam recovery and assign UL resources for the beam recovery request message quickly.
102
Additional priority rules relating to collisions between the RQ message and an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) are also disclosed. In various embodiments, the wireless communication device transmits the RQ message with a higher transmission priority than the aperiodic SRS when the PUCCH assigned for the RQ message overlaps with the SRS in a time unit. The above priority rule also applies when the RQ message comprises an SR message, and when the SR message has an assigned usage for beam failure recovery, or the SR message is scrambled by a modulation coding scheme cell radio network temporary identifier (MCS-C-RNTI). Furthermore, the RQ message is transmitted when the PUCCH assigned for the RQ message overlaps with the SRS in a time unit.
Various priority rules are also provided for multiplexing the RQ message with other messages, e.g., a HARQ-ACK message, in PUCCH. As mentioned above, in accordance with various embodiments, the RQ message is for beam recovery, and may be the dedicated RS-RQ message, a dedicated SR message type (e.g., configured with a parameter of usage for beam recovery or associated with a parameter of beam recovery configuration), or an SR message with a higher priority. The following priority rules can apply to RQ messages of any type mentioned above, unless otherwise stated.
In a first example embodiment, when PUCCH format 0 is used for the HARQ-ACK message, and when the RQ message or normal SR message is multiplexed with a HARQ-ACK message, the following approaches are provided.
According to a first approach, a sequence cyclic shift value for the PUCCH format delivering multiplexing information is determined according to a positive RQ message or a positive normal SR message. For example, mapping of values for one HARQ-ACK information bit and a positive RQ message, for PUCCH format 0, is illustrated in Table 1, below.
TABLE 1
HARQ-ACK value
0
1
Sequence cyclic shift
m<sub>cs </sub>= 3
m<sub>cs </sub>= 9
However, in this same example, mapping of values for one HARQ-ACK information bit and a positive normal SR message, for PUCCH format 0, is illustrated in Table 2, below.
TABLE 2
HARQ-ACK value
0
1
Sequence cyclic shift
m<sub>cs </sub>= 1
m<sub>cs </sub>= 7
The sequence cyclic shift values can be varied. However, the four values that populate the two above tables may remain different in various embodiments.
According to a second approach, the PUCCH resource that delivers multiplexing information is determined according to the RQ message or the normal SR message, when either is multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK message. More specifically, when a positive RQ message is transmitted, the PUCCH resource corresponding to RQ message is used to deliver the information of multiplexing the RQ message and the HARQ-ACK message. However, when a positive normal SR is transmitted, the PUCCH resource corresponding to the HARQ-ACK message is used to deliver the information of multiplexing the normal SR message and the HARQ-ACK message.
1
In a second example embodiment, when PUCCH format 0 is used for the RQ message and PUCCH format 1 is used for the HARQ-ACK message, and when the RQ message or normal SR message is multiplexed with a HARQ-ACK message, the following approaches are provided. If the RQ message is positive, only the PUCCH format 0 resource with positive RQ is transmitted (e.g., using the PUCCH format 0 resource associated with the RQ message). However, if a normal SR message is positive, only the PUCCH format 1 resource with HARQ-ACK is transmitted. Additionally, it should be noted that if the PUCCH format 1 message is transmitted with -bit HARQ-ACK information, the other bit in the message can be used carrying the information of the RQ message.
In a third example embodiment, when PUCCH format 1 is used for both the RQ message and the HARQ-ACK message, and when the RQ message or normal SR message is multiplexed with a HARQ-ACK message, the following approaches are provided.
If either the RQ message or the normal SR message are positive, the PUCCH resource corresponding to the positive RQ message or the positive normal SR message is used for delivering the HARQ-ACK message. Conversely, if either of the RQ message or the normal SR message are negative, the PUCCH resource corresponding to the HARQ-ACK message is used for delivering the HARQ-ACK message.
102
In a fourth example embodiment, when PUCCH format 2, PUCCH format 3, or PUCCH format 4 are used for delivering the RQ message (e.g., a dedicated SR message or SR message with a higher priority), the SR message bit(s) first, then the HARQ-ACK message bit(s) and/or CSI bit(s) (if any) are combined for coding in PUCCH. Put another way, when there are collisions between the RQ message and the HARQ-ACK message, the wireless communication device can transmit the RQ message followed by the HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message when the HARQ-ACK message is assigned with at least one of PUCCH format 2, PUCCH format 3, or PUCCH format 4.
102
However, when PUCCH format 2 or PUCCH format 3 or PUCCH format 4 are used for delivering the normal SR message, HARQ-ACK bit(s) first, then the SR message bit(s) and/or CSI bit(s) (if any) are combined for coding in PUCCH. Put another way, when there are collisions between the second SR message (normal SR message) and the HARQ-ACK message, the wireless communication device can transmit the HARQ-ACK message followed by the second SR message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message when the HARQ-ACK message is assigned with at least one of PUCCH format 2, PUCCH format 3, or PUCCH format 4.
Furthermore, the above two approaches in the fourth example embodiments can occur regardless of whether the RQ message or the normal SR message is positive or negative.
In accordance with the above disclosed example priority rules for multiplexing, the following example methods are provided.
FIG. 13
1302
1304
102
1304
1306
1308
102
Referring to , which discloses additional details of the wireless radio link recovery method, when a PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message overlaps with a PUCCH resource assigned for a HARQ-ACK message in a time unit, as shown at , transmitting the RQ message further utilizes at least one of the following techniques. In a first approach, at , the wireless communication device transmits the information of the RQ message multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message, or on a third PUCCH resource. Put another way, the PUCCH resource corresponding to RQ message is used to deliver the information from multiplexing the RQ message and the HARQ-ACK message when a positive RQ message is transmitted. In various examples, this first approach may be performed when the HARQ-ACK message is assigned with PUCCH format 0, as shown at . In a second approach, at , the wireless communication device transmits the information of the HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message, or the third PUCCH resource.
In certain examples, the third PUCCH resource may be configured according to an RRC parameter for the case that the HARQ-ACK message and the RQ message collide at a same time unit, or when different PUCCH resources for the HARQ-ACK message and the RQ message overlap. On the other hand, the new PUCCH resource can be derived by configuration parameters of the PUCCH resources for the HARQ-ACK message and the RQ message. For instance, the initial cyclic shift value for the new PUCCH is the sum of initial cyclic shift value of respective PUCCH resources of the HARQ-ACK message and the RQ messages mod X, where X is positive integer, e.g., 13.
FIG. 14
1402
1304
102
1404
1406
1408
102
1408
1410
Referring to , which discloses additional details of the wireless radio link recovery method, when a PUCCH resource assigned for a second SR message (e.g., a normal SR message, particularly when the RQ message is a first SR message for beam recovery) overlaps with a PUCCH resource assigned for a HARQ-ACK message in a time unit, as shown at , transmitting the second SR message further utilizes at least one of the following techniques. In a first approach, at , the wireless communication device transmits the information of the second SR message multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message. In various examples, this first approach may be performed when the HARQ-ACK message is assigned with PUCCH format 0, as shown at . In a second approach, at , the wireless communication device transmits the information of the HARQ-ACK message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message. In various examples, this second approach may be performed when the HARQ-ACK message is assigned with PUCCH format 1, as shown at .
FIG. 15
1502
102
1504
102
discloses additional details of the wireless radio link recovery method in accordance with various embodiments. At , the wireless communication device determines that the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message (e.g., a first SR message) overlaps with a PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message in a time unit. At , the wireless communication device may then multiplex a HARQ-ACK value (e.g., 1 or 0) with the RQ message by selecting a sequence cyclic shift value of the HARQ-ACK message dependent upon the HARQ-ACK value and the RQ message (e.g., positive message), wherein the sequence cyclic shift value is different than is used for transmitting a second SR message (e.g., a normal SR message). Examples values for the sequence cyclic shift value are provided in Tables 1 and 2, above.
FIG. 16
1602
102
1604
102
1604
1606
At least one of the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message or the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message is format 0 ();
1608
The PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message has a different format than the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message ();
1610
A format of the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message is format 1 and a format of the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message is format 0 (); and/or
1612
A format for the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message is format 0 and a format for the PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message is format 1 ().
discloses additional details of the wireless radio link recovery method in accordance with various embodiments. At , the wireless communication device determines that the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message overlaps with a PUCCH resource assigned for the HARQ-ACK message in a time unit. At , the wireless communication device may then transmit the RQ message on the PUCCH resource assigned for the RQ message. In various examples, step may be performed when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied:
At least one beam failure event is claimed, i.e., the number of beam failure instances is more than or equal to the threshold;
The prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message is expired or is stopped; and/or
The beam failure event changes, or a new cell beam failure event is claimed. (For example, q_old is not equal to q_new, where q_old is SCell_Index set when triggering last beam failure reporting, and q_new is real-time SCell_Index set.)
The beam recovery request message, as well as the conditions for transmitting it, may be subject to different rules. In various examples, when at least one of the following conditions are satisfied, the beam recovery request message can be triggered:
1
In various examples, the beam recovery request message can be transmitted when at least one beam recovery request message is triggered, and/or the allocated UL resources (e.g., the PUSCH resource) can accommodate transmitting the beam recovery request message. Alternatively, as has been discussed throughout, if no allocated UL resources (e.g., no PUSCH resource) is available that can accommodate transmitting the beam recovery request message, the RQ request procedure is triggered (e.g., “step ”).
The value of failed cell indexes are obtained;
The value of CSI-RS or SSB index of new candidate beams according to the failed cell, or the state of non-identifying a candidate beam for at least one failed cell is obtained;
A multiplexing and/or assembly procedure to generate and transmit the beam recovery request message is initiated;
The prohibit timer for the beam recovery request message is restarted; and/or
The triggering beam recovery request message is cancelled.
In accordance with various embodiments, one or more of the following procedures may be performed in coordination with the transmission of the beam recovery request message:
FIG. 17
1702
The format of the beam recovery request message may include different options in accordance with various embodiments. shows example beam recovery request message formats in accordance with various embodiments. In a first embodiment, the beam recovery request message corresponds to a single failed cell, as is shown at . In such an approach, the priority for transmission of more than one beam recovery request message can be based on an index of the respective failed cells corresponding to the more than one beam recovery request messages. For example, the beam recovery request message corresponding to a lower (or higher) index of the respective failed cells can be sent with a higher priority.
1704
1706
1704
In a second embodiment, the beam recovery request message corresponds to information of multiple failed cells and a number of the multiple failed cells, as is shown at and . Similarly, the beam recovery request message may correspond to a plurality of cells that are associated with a recovery configuration. In these examples, the length of the beam recovery request message is determined according to the number of failed cells or number of cells configured with recovery procedure. In the example beam recovery request message format shown in , only information related to the failed cells is provided. One field for indicating the number of failed cells may also be provided. The number of failed cells may be provided first, which can be used for decoding the beam recovery request message or determining its length. Subsequently, for each of the failed cells, the index for failed cell and a corresponding new candidate beam index (e.g., RS index), or an indication of non-identified candidate beam state, can be provided.
1706
1706
In the example beam recovery request message format shown in , a plurality of (or all of) the cells that are associated with a recovery configuration are included in the message . In this example, information for all cells is provided, regardless that cell is failed or not. A fail flag field is provided for each of the cells to indicate whether each individual cell has failed or not. For each cell associated with the recovery configuration, the information for recovery is provided, including the one fail flag, and an index of a new candidate beam (e.g., RS index) or an indication of a state of non-identifying a candidate beam for at least one failed cell. In each of the above examples, the formats may be configurable. The above examples are non-limiting and may be altered further.
102
104
The beam failure recovery successful event, successful completion of the recovery procedure, or the state that the beam failure recovery is completed successfully, is determined when the wireless communication device receives at least one of the following responses from the wireless communication node .
PDCCH or DCI in the CORESET or search space for recovery is received;
DCI codepoint associated with the link recovery is received;
A MAC command confirming the link recovery request message is received;
An indication for new data for a PUSCH carrying the beam recovery request message is received. Additionally, the indication for new data is associated with the same HARQ process number; and/or
Reconfiguration or activation of a TCI associated with PDCCH or CORESET is received.
PDCCH or DCI with RNTI dedicated for recovery is received;
Furthermore, when the beam failure recovery successful event, successful completion of the recovery procedure, or the state that the beam failure recovery is completed successfully is determined, the QCL assumption for all PDCCH for cells or cell groups is determined according to the new identified RS. Furthermore, the above approach is up to UE capability, or the above approach is performed when the new candidate beam index (e.g., RS index) is reported in the beam recovery request message. Furthermore the cells or cell groups are associated with beam recovery configuration.
FIG. 1
102
110
112
110
112
102
104
120
122
120
122
104
112
122
110
120
In various embodiments, as illustrated in , the wireless communication device includes a processor and a memory , wherein the processor is configured to read computer code from the memory to implement any of the methods and embodiments disclosed above relating to operations of the wireless communication device . Similarly, the wireless communication node includes a processor and a memory , wherein the processor is configured to read computer code from the memory to implement any of the methods and embodiments disclosed above relating to operations of the wireless communication node . Also, in various embodiments, a computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable program medium (e.g., memory or ) with computer code stored thereupon. The computer code, when executed by a processor (e.g., processor or ), causes the processor to implement a method corresponding to any of the embodiments disclosed above.
Note that in this document a “beam” may be equivalent to a reference signal (RS), a spatial filter, or pre-coding. Specifically, a “Tx beam” may be equivalent to a DL or UL reference signal (such as channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signal block (SSB) (which is also called as SS/PBCH), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), sounding reference signal (SRS)), a Tx spatial filter, or Tx precoding (“Tx” refers to “transmit” or “transmitter”). An “Rx beam” may be equivalent to a spatial filter, an Rx spatial filter, or Rx precoding (“Rx” refers to “receive” or “receiver.”). A “beam ID” may be equivalent to reference signal index, a spatial filter index, or a precoding index. Specifically, the spatial filter can be either at the UE-side or gNB-side, and the spatial filter is called as spatial-domain filter.
Note that in this document, “spatial relation information” includes one or more reference RSs, which is used to represent a “spatial relation” between a targeted “RS or channel” and the one or more reference RSs, where a “spatial relation” means the same beam(s), same spatial parameter(s), or the same spatial domain filter(s).
Note that in this document, “QCL state” may include one or more reference RSs and their corresponding QCL type parameters, where QCL type parameters include at least one of the following or a combination: [1] Doppler spread, [2] Doppler shift, [3] delay spread, [4] average delay, [5] average gain, and [6] Spatial parameter. In this patent document, a “QCL state” may be equivalent to a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state.
Note that in this document, if there is no special description, a “Pcell” may be equivalent to a primary cell or a primary cell in a corresponding cell group, e.g., PScell.
Note that in this document, a link recovery may be equivalent to beam recovery.
Note that in this document, a “time unit” may be a sub-symbol, a symbol, a slot, a subframe, a frame, or a transmission occasion.
Note that in this document, PUSCH may be equivalent to uplink shared channel (UL-SCH).
Note that in this document, “no PUSCH resource is available for transmitting a message” may be equivalent to “no PUSCH resource meets the requirement for transmitting a message”.
Note that in this document, PUSCH resource may be equivalent to PUSCH occasion.
Note that in this document, PUCCH resource may be equivalent to PUCCH occasion.
Section headings are used in the present document only to improve readability and do not limit scope of the disclosed embodiments and techniques in each section to only that section.
The description and accompanying drawings above provide specific example embodiments and implementations. The described subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any example embodiments set forth herein. A reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, systems, or non-transitory computer-readable media for storing computer codes. Accordingly, embodiments may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware, storage media or any combination thereof. For example, the method embodiments described above may be implemented by components, devices, or systems including memory and processors by executing computer codes stored in the memory.
Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase “in one embodiment/implementation” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment/implementation” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter includes combinations of example embodiments in whole or in part.
In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from usage in context. For example, terms, such as “and”, “or”, or “and/or,” as used herein may include a variety of meanings that may depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Typically, “or” if used to associate a list, such as A, B or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein, depending at least in part upon context, may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used to describe combinations of features, structures or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms, such as “a,” “an,” or “the,” may be understood to convey a singular usage or to convey a plural usage, depending at least in part upon context. In addition, the term “based on” may be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors and may, instead, allow for existence of additional factors not necessarily expressly described, again, depending at least in part on context.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present solution should be or are included in any single implementation thereof. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present solution. Thus, discussions of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages and characteristics of the present solution may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the present solution can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present solution. | |
- One of the grand challenges in glacier research is to assess the total ice volume and its global distribution. Over the past few decades the compilation of a world glacier inventory has been well-advanced both in institutional set-up and in spatial coverage. The inventory is restricted to glacier surface observations. However, although thickness has been observed on many glaciers and ice caps around the globe, it has not yet been published in the shape of a readily available database. Here, we present a standardized database of glacier thickness observations compiled by an extensive literature review and from airborne data extracted from NASA's Operation IceBridge. This database contains ice thickness observations from roughly 1100 glaciers and ice caps including 550 glacier-wide estimates and 750,000 point observations. A comparison of these observational ice thicknesses with results from area- and slope-dependent approaches reveals large deviations both from the observations and between different estimation approaches. For glaciers and ice caps all estimation approaches show a tendency to overestimation. For glaciers the median relative absolute deviation lies around 30% when analyzing the different estimation approaches. This initial database of glacier and ice caps thickness will hopefully be further enlarged and intensively used for a better understanding of the global glacier ice volume and its distribution. | http://doc.rero.ch/record/234234 |
Unlike any other book, Avian Cognition thoroughly examines avian intelligence, behavior, and individuality. Preferences, choices, motivation, and habits of species, flocks, and individual birds are discussed and compared. This book investigates who birds are and why they do what they do. Daily, seasonal, and play activities, creativity, reasoning abilities, problem-solving skills, social interaction, life stages, and communication patterns are described, and a distinction is made between vocalizations that are learned and those that are inherited. The behavior and intelligence of both wild and pet birds is compared, and unlike other books, entire chapters are devoted to a single species. 529 p.
- Debra Herrmann. Biological Computing Initiative, North Bethesda, MD (USA). | https://www.vet-library.com/clinical-sciences/small-animal-and-exotic-pet/welfare-ethics/p-1488-avian-cognition-exploring-the-intelligence-behavior-and-individuality-of-birds.html |
I am 8 years old and my favorite color is gold. I love coffee. My favorite class in camp is dance and in art I learned to be patient.
2017 – I like makeup. My favorite game is tag. Something people don’t know is that I’m fancy. In ceramics afterschool I like glazing and the projects.
With artist/counselor Shanel Edwards campers explored their own movement while creating a group piece to perform. They learned 3 foundational styles, Hip-hop, Salsa and Contemporary/Modern to build a piece. The campers were able to implement some of their own choreography. | https://westparkcultural.org/students/aaliyah-smith/ |
The latest quarterly progress report on the development of next-generation mobile infrastructure and networks has been made available by the European 5G Observatory. This is the 16th report and adds two new countries to the European accounts, the Belgium and Slovakia, which have just completed their 5G spectrum auctions. The report also reflects new developments at European Union level, such as the political agreements reached under the Digital Decade programme.
The analysis now also reflects the challenges of measuring 5G development and progress in countries and operators. The report examines publicly available data on 5G coverage, connection speeds and the extent of developments in private networks, in the countries disclosing the respective data.
The report also presents a scoring tool coverage and network speeds, highlighting countries like Italy, Holland and Denmark with nearly 100% coverage. In the case of Portugal, the the country has already reached 75% of total 5G coverage (7,723,689 inhabitants), well ahead of Spain (58.9%) and even France (74.4%).. It should be noted that the European Union of 27 already has 66% of the population covered by 5G and includes indicators such as the use of dynamic spectrum sharing and by places covered with at least one operator.
It is not clear if the new report already includes data recently shared by Anacom, which indicates that the coverage reaches 64% of the municipalities of Portugal(with the report of The Observatory indicates that Portugal has 61.11% current use of the 5G pioneer bands, with a network speed performance of 142.05 Mbps).
This first assessment of the development of the Portuguese regulator’s 5G mobile networks shows that 2,918 stations are already installed in 198 municipalities in the country. Anacom estimates that, at the end of May, the traffic carried over 5G networks represents approximately 5.3% of total mobile data traffic, with a maximum measured speed of 871 Mbps.
According to the European 5G Observatory, in order for regulators and competent authorities to have a clearer idea of the development of fifth-generation networks, they need information on download speeds. These metrics are rarely shared by operators and authorities, so they are external tools from companies such as Ookla and Open Signal were used.
The report does not list Portugal in Ookla’s tests, but previously the tool has had highlighted Portugal as one of the European countries with the fastest speed in Europe, but not in the 5G context. On the other hand, in the Open Signal 5G speed tests shared by the Observatory place Portugal not only in the European Top 15, but worldwide. The country even recorded a fifth place in terms of maximum download speed with 738.1 Mbpshaving ahead of them only South Korea, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden, and considering that the first place has a peak of 866.9 Mbps.
In terms of average speeds, Portugal ranks 12th in the world, with a speed of 216.3 Mbps. Portugal also ranked 14th overall in terms of downloadshaving recorded 28.9 Mbps, considering it was ahead of countries like Germany.
While 5G promises to bring services to various industries, the so-called “verticals” include businesses such as agriculture, factories and logistics. These are dependent on private 5G networks, i.e. those that are not accessible to the general public. As such, they cannot be measured by tools like Ookla and Open Signal.
The 5G Observatory says it depends on public announcements, whether from equipment vendors or mobile network operators. It is mentioned that in some countries like Germany, regulators have made available spectrum licenses dedicated to 5G Vertical. Countries like Italy and Portugal have yet to provide dedicated spectrum for 5G verticals, making it difficult to report in this area.
It is also mentioned that Portugal has two 5G corridors, Porto-Vigo and Évora-Mérida, connecting the country to Spain. | https://lorazepamhowto.com/2022/08/02/5g-portugal-in-the-top-15-networks-with-the-fastest-speeds-in-the-world-telecommunications/ |
September 30, 2021 marks the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Our offices and facilities will be closed in observance of this new statutory holiday, which was established in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #80. This date coincides with Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led grassroots movement that began on September 30, 2013.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. The public commemoration of the true history and tragic legacy of residential schools is an important part of increasing awareness to support the reconciliation process.
Miigwech (thank you) to our neighbours in the Municipality of West Nipissing and the City of North Bay for respecting the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday and standing in solidarity with our community and Indigenous people across Canada.
How Can You Show Support?
We encourage our friends and allies to learn the truth about the lasting harms caused by residential schools, and to reflect on how we can continue moving forward together meaningfully towards reconciliation.
Wear an Orange Shirt
Wearing an Orange Shirt is an important symbol of respect and remembrance of all Indigenous children who were removed from their families and communities to attend residential schools. It is a small way to show support and solidarity and to honour this painful legacy on September 30th, and beyond.
Orange Shirt Day honours the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, who had her orange shirt taken away on her first day at residential school. This became a symbol of the stripping away of language, culture, identity, freedom and self-esteem that generations of Indigenous children experienced in residential schools.
Learn more about the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day and read Phyllis’s story (in her own words) here: orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html
Listen, Learn & Reflect
September 30th is an opportunity to commemorate, educate and reflect on the history and ongoing intergenerational impacts of residential schools. Learning the truth is vital to moving forward towards reconciliation and building a better future together.
It is estimated that over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children attended one of the 140 federally run Indian Residential Schools that operated in Canada between 1831 and 1998. 127 children from Nipissing First Nation attended these institutions. The recent discoveries of the remains of Indigenous children on former residential school sites are traumatizing and confirm what so many survivors, their families and communities have known all along.
The advocacy efforts and demands for accountability and reparations from survivors of residential schools over the course of many years resulted in a settlement agreement (2006), apologies from the government (2008), the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2008 to 2015) and the creation of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (2015).
Resources:
- A Survivor’s Story with June Commanda (video)
- An Overview of the Indian Residential School System – Anishinabek Nation
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- Virtual events hosted by The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Moving Forward as One, September 30 – North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre
- Downie Wenjack Foundation – Webinar Series
- Indigenous Ally Toolkit – Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK
- Indigenous Arts, Culture and Heritage – Start Your Learning Journey
The following website contains a listing of events, organizations, resources, and learning opportunities related to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day to encourage learning throughout the year:
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Culture Days
Take Action
Participate in local events in your municipality or First Nation and/or in virtual events being offered across the country. Nipissing First Nation is hosting a Community Walk on September 30th starting at 9:00am in the Outdoor Rink in Garden Village. View the event flyer and see photos of the event on our Facebook page.
Donate to local, provincial and/or national organizations that:
- Support residential school survivors
- Ensure First Nations children and their families have equitable opportunities
- Advocate for the safety and wellbeing of First Nations children and families
- Provide humanitarian support to Indigenous communities
- Promote reconciliation-based education that raises awareness and commemorates the experiences of survivors
Some options are listed below.
- First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
- True North Aid
- Reconciliation Canada
- Gord Downey and Chanie Wenjack Fund
- Orange Shirt Society (Based in B.C.)
- Indian Residential School Survivors Society (Based in B.C.)
Crisis Support
- National Residential School Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419 (available 24/7)
- Hope for Wellness Help Line – 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat (24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention)
- Mental Health Counselling: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1576441552462/1576441618847#a2
- Call Nipissing First Nation’s Giyak Moseng (The Right Path) Counselling and Prevention Services at 705-753-1375. | https://nfn.ca/sept30/ |
Corrosion:
When some metals articles come in the contact of oxygen or moistures, this reacts with oxygen or water vapour and forms metal oxides which get rusted, resulting in fatal surface loss of metals. This surface loss of metal is known as corrsion.
Prevention of Corrosion:
Corrosion can be prevented by
(i) By painting, Oiling and by greasing.
(ii) By Galvanisation, chrome plating or by anodising.
(iii) By making alloys.
Galvanisation: A method of protecting steel and iron from rusting by coating them with a thin layer of zinc. This process is known as Galvanisation.
Alloying: Pure metals are not used to make articles. So there are mixed some other substances to make them hard and strong and causing changing in metal's properties. This process is called alloying.
- Alloying is a very good method of improving the properties of a metal.
- An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals, or a metal and a nonmetal.
- It is prepared by first melting the primary metal, and then, dissolving the other elements in it in definite proportions. It is then cooled to room temperature.
Some examples of alloys:
(I) Iron is the most widely used metal. But it is never used in its pure state. This is because pure iron is very soft and stretches easily when hot. But, if it is mixed with a small amount of carbon (about 0.05 %), it becomes hard and strong steel.
(ii) Iron is mixed with nickel and chromium to make stainless steel.
(iii) Pure gold is of 24 carat gold, which is very shoft. so there can not be made jewellery by it. It is alloyed with either silver or copper to make it hard. 22 parts of pure gold is alloyed with 2 parts of either copper or silver such a gold is called 22 carat of gold.
|Alloy||Mixture||Symbols|
|Brass (पीतल)||Copper + zinc||Cu + Zn|
|Bronze (कांसा)||Copper + tin||Cu + Sn|
|Solder (सोल्डर)||Lead + tin||Pb + Sn|
Select Your CBSE Classes
Important Study materials for classes 06, 07, 08,09,10, 11 and 12. Like CBSE Notes, Notes for Science, Notes for maths, Notes for Social Science, Notes for Accountancy, Notes for Economics, Notes for political Science, Noes for History, Notes For Bussiness Study, Physical Educations, Sample Papers, Test Papers, Mock Test Papers, Support Materials and Books.
Mathematics Class - 11th
NCERT Maths book for CBSE Students.
books
Study Materials List: | https://toppersstudy.com/view-cbse_notes-96 |
Views: 13 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-04-25 Origin: Site
What you need to know about which materials hinges are made in.
Before you shop for hinges, you need to have a general understanding of what material would be more suitable for your application. Although almost all hinges are made in metal, metal varies in density, ductility and corrosion resistance. Some outdo others in density, stronger and harder while other hinges do much better in anti-corrosion work. This article provides a basic understanding of material considerations.
1) Stainless Steel
Perhaps stainless steel is the most commonly used in metal hardware. Stainless steel is an iron alloy with a certain amount of carbon. It is the presence of carbon that essentially distinguish stainless steel from other steel. Thanks to the carbon content, stainless steel boasts with the most marked feature--a high level of protection against corrosion and rust. This is essential because hinges can experience metal fatigue and failure due to the long time exposure to moisture and salt in the outdoor.
2) Aluminum
Hinges made of aluminum is also availbale in market. Aluminum is a pure metal instead of a alloy, like stainless steel. Aluminum holds a unique advantage--naturally protecting hinge from corrosion. More importantly, aluminum hinges are both lightweight and cost-effective without comprising quality and degradative effects of corrosion.
3) Brass
Brass hinge also can been seen in metal hardware shops. Brass is also a metal which is extremely malleable as Aluminum. In other words, it is soft and can be easily made into different shapes than other materials. However, that is also a double-blade sword to brass hinges. They are susceptible to stress-related cracking. If exposed to extreme physical stress, they may crack. Fortunately, not all hinges haveto suffer from considerable physical stress. For low-stress applications, brass hinges may suffice.
4) Bronze
The forth common material is bronze. Bronze hinges are relatively hard, extremely malleable and anti-corrosisive. These also demonstrate protective qualities against friction. They are durable metals able to withstand extreme weather conditions from rain to acid smog—and can be made into thicker hinges than stainless steel. And bronze is naturally weatherproof and suitable for use in marine applications. A downside to bronze hinges is their relatively high cost when compared to other materials. | https://www.rfinternationalco.com/What-you-need-to-know-about-which-materials-hinges-are-made-in-id43006477.html |
The Orphan Drug Act Turns 25
The legislation is credited with building biotech and spawning hundreds of drugs for rare diseases. So why do some analysts hesitate to call it a success?
Oct 1, 2008
Twenty-eight years ago, Abbey Meyers was at her wit's end. Her young son, who had Tourette's syndrome, had been cut off from the drug pimozide, which had begun to show promise in treating his debilitating condition. The doctor running the clinical trial told her the study was halted when McNeil Laboratories pulled out of producing the drug because it proved ineffective against schizophrenia, its primary (and more common) target. He told Meyers that pimozide would now be considered an "orphan drug," the term for products that target too few patients to bring in big bucks.
Now, her son's rare disorder was essentially untreatable. There was no recourse for the Connecticut housewife. "I was devastated," she says.
Meyers reached out to people experiencing similar pain and frustration. "We knew we had to solve the problem." Meyers and...
According to Meyers, attention from Hollywood was exactly the shot in the arm her movement needed. "That's what really started it, the Quincy episode," she says. "It was like an instant grass roots movement."
As public momentum gathered behind the cause, the orphan drug legislation made its way through Congress. On January 4, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) into law, which encourages the development and marketing of orphan drugs through incentives that lower costs to manufacturers.
Since the ODA's passage, more than 325 orphan drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and more than 1,800 drugs have received orphan designation, meaning they treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people living in the United States. In contrast, in the decade before the ODA became law, fewer than ten such products came on the market. Furthermore, the percentage of patients with rare diseases dying at a young age decreased by more than 6% from 1979 to 1998, according to a 2003 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. Recently, the European Union and Australia have adopted statutes to encourage orphan drug development that mirror the ODA. Some analysts say that the ODA even helped to give birth to the biotech industry, which received 63% of all the orphan drug designations from 2000-2004, according to a report from the Tufts University Center for the Study of Drug Development. Two of the most well-known names in biotech - Genzyme and Amgen - both got their start from orphan drugs. "It turned out to be one of the most successful pieces of health legislation ever enacted," says Meyers.
However, some economists claim that the true benefits and costs of the act have not yet been fully assessed, making it premature to trumpet the act as an overwhelming triumph. "The conclusion that [the ODA's] a tremendous success is unwarranted based on available data," says Rob Rogoyski, an attorney specializing in intellectual property law.
The adoption process
Today's Orphan Drug Act looks slightly different from the act that was passed 25 years ago, thanks to several amendments added by Congress through the years. But the intent of the law remains intact. The ODA incentive commonly cited as the most important to drug makers is a seven year period of market exclusivity after approval. This assures drug companies full access to the market for their drug free from any competition without going through the patent process. The ODA also guarantees up to 50% of the cost of clinical trials in tax credits, grants to further defray the cost of clinical research, advice on designing clinical trial protocols, and a waiver of Prescription Drug User Fee Act filing fees, worth $1 million per application in 2008.
Tim Coté, director of the FDA's Office of Orphan Product Development, says that his office, which administers the ODA, receives about 200 applications per year. "Without the incentives of the ODA," he says, "many drugs never would have been developed." Case in point: After the morning sickness pill thalidomide was pulled for causing birth defects, a few researchers continued to study the compound and found that it was effective against some symptoms of leprosy and multiple myeloma. Still, says Meyers, "No drug company would go near thalidomide."
A success?
But with the incentives and protections of the ODA, a small biotech company, Celgene, applied for and got orphan drug status for thalidomide in the early 1990s, and is now testing thalidomide for its anti-cancer properties and its ability to alleviate symptoms of Crohn's disease.
Still, some experts hesitate to dub the ODA a resounding success. While studying law at Harvard in 2005, Rob Rogoyski conducted an economic analysis of the ODA and spotted what he calls a "correlation/causation problem." Specifically: "You can't explain the totality of the rise in drugs for orphan conditions by the ODA alone," Rogoyski says. "There's an absence of good evidence to show that that's happening."
Instead, Rogoyski argues that the passage of the ODA and the rise in orphan drugs may be simply coincidental, and based more on reforms to the patent system and leaps in biomedical technology that both occurred in the 1980s. For instance, of the 29 orphan drugs approved between 2001 and 2003, 79% already had some level of patent rights. This would negate the market exclusivity commonly cited as the main incentive offered by the ODA, and suggest that these, and many other orphan drugs, would have reached the market without the ODA, argues Rogoyski.
Frank Lichtenberg, a business professor at Columbia University, credits the ODA for encouraging innovation targeting rare diseases, but says that alone does not qualify the ODA as an overall economic success. "The aggregate benefit to society is not very big because of the small market size," he says. "The fact that [the ODA] did encourage more drug development does not necessarily mean that it succeeded," he adds. "That's a minimum requirement."
Additionally, Lichtenberg says it's possible the ODA has diverted resources away from common conditions. Since 1995, orphan drugs have accounted for about 20% of all the drugs approved by the FDA. "It is conceivable that [the ODA] caused firms to reallocate their investments towards orphan drugs and away from non-orphan drugs after the ODA was passed, but I doubt that effect, if it indeed exists, would have been very large."
Then there's the problem of drug companies charging exorbitant prices (See Box on p. 68) for orphan drugs in order to recoup R&D costs on a medication intended for a small patient population. Genzyme, for example, said in 2005 that the average cost to treat a patient with Gaucher's disease with Cerezyme - an orphan drug - was $200,000. Similarly, patients with mucopolysaccharidosis paid an average of $175,000 per year for BioMarin Pharmaceuticals' enzyme replacement therapy. Even thalidomide, one of the ODA's main success stories, sells for more than $150 per pill. Abbey Meyers, who founded the National Organization for Rare Disorders while helping to get the ODA signed into law, says her organization tried to tackle this problem by urging drug makers to offer prescription assistance programs, as the ODA matured.
As a result of her efforts in the early 1980s, Meyers's son was able to go back on pimozide, and today, "He's doing very well," she says. But in the end, it wasn't the ODA that saved her son: McNeil Laboratories eventually developed pimozide as a Tourette's syndrome treatment of their own accord, in response to the arguments about human responsibility that convinced Congress to eventually enact the ODA. "They changed their mind voluntarily and they developed it without getting it designated as an orphan drug," says Meyers. | https://www.the-scientist.com/biobusiness/the-orphan-drug-act-turns-25-44762 |
The news frequently covers CalPERS’ investment returns, but that’s only part of the way to gauge the portfolio’s performance. It’s important to also look at returns versus the benchmarks.
What is a benchmark?
You may have heard of the term “benchmark” in investing and wondered what it means. Simply put, it is an established target that gauges how well an investment portfolio is performing.
As an analogy, think of someone running a race. Based on their age, running experience, and the difficulty of the course, they might project how long it will take to finish the race. That projected finish time would be their benchmark. If they finish the race faster, they outperform the benchmark. If they finish it slower, they underperform.
In the case of CalPERS, we benchmark the whole portfolio and each asset class. The benchmarks are also broken out by time periods. Just as a runner wouldn’t project the same finish time for a 5k that they would for a marathon, CalPERS has different benchmarks for different lengths of time. We set benchmarks for 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year periods.
Then we report how well we did against each benchmark in measurement units called basis points (bps). One basis point is equivalent to 0.01%. For example, if our benchmark was 5.25%, but we earned 5.30% that would be reported as +5 bps.
Why are benchmarks good indicators of the health of our fund?
CalPERS tracks investment returns relative to benchmarks to measure performance more accurately. This way we can quantify if our investment strategies are meeting their goals and objectives. Our benchmarks are specific to CalPERS’ portfolio objectives and the risk tolerance set by the CalPERS Board.
That is why performance relative to our benchmark is a good indicator of the health of our investment portfolio. If we are consistently underperforming a benchmark in a specific asset class, we look at how we can adjust our investment methodology to strengthen returns. If we are constantly outperforming, we know we are on the right track and we can seek opportunities to continue to grow.
How did CalPERS perform versus our benchmarks?
At our Investment Committee meeting on February 15, CalPERS team members and the board’s consultants presented the Trust Level Review, which includes a report on performance versus the benchmarks. You can view the full report (PDF), but here is a brief overview of how the portfolio did versus the benchmarks, as of December 31, 2021:
- For the total fund, CalPERS outperformed the benchmark for the 1-year (+120 bps), 3-year (+39 bps), 5-year (+10 bps), and 10-year (+1 bps) periods.
- CalPERS only underperformed the benchmark for the 20-year period (-41 bps).
- For the 1-year return, the strongest performing asset classes were private equity (+792 bps) and real assets (+242 bps).
- The asset class that most underperformed was real assets for the 20-year period. It was -262 bps. A major contributor to the underperformance is the 20-year time period that includes the great recession, which heavily impacted real estate.
If you’re interested in staying up to date on CalPERS’ investment performance, visit our Investment page. There you will find the most current total market value of the fund, plus links to the asset allocation monthly and quarterly update reports. | https://news.calpers.ca.gov/what-are-benchmarks-and-why-do-they-matter/ |
During April's A-Z Blog Challenge, I talked about a variety of social psychological concepts. I talked about emotion (also known as affect) and how it influences the decision-making process. The thing many people outside of psychology do not always understand is that there really isn't a hard line between decisions made through cognition ("rationally") and those made through affect ("emotionally"). The two forces work together. Without emotion, we would find it very difficult to make some of the most basic decisions. Why? Because rational thought can only get us so far, and when two options are equally matched on a logical level, it takes that extra push of emotion to make a decision.
[Damasio] learned that when Elliot was at work, he might spend an entire afternoon trying to figure out how to categorize his documents: Should it be by date, pertinence to the case he’s working on, the size of the document, or some other metric? Yet his cognitive faculties were ace: He tested well when given an IQ test and other measures of intelligence; Elliot’s long-term memory, short-term memory, language skills, perception, and handiness with math were all still present. He was not stupid. He was not ignorant. But he acted like he was both. He couldn’t make plans for a few hours in advance, let alone months or years. And it had led his life to ruin.
What was even more confounding is that Elliot could think up lots of options for a decision. When given assignments of assessing ethics (like whether or not to steal something for his family, Les Miserables–style), business (like whether to buy or sell a stock), or social goals (like making friends in a new neighborhood), he did great. But, even with all the idea generation, he could not choose effectively, or choose at all.
Without emotions, it becomes more difficult to know which tasks are more pressing, which organizational method is most preferable, or even when to buy or sell a stock. Those little emotional cues push us along. Whether we mean to or not, emotions come into play regularly. If they didn't, we would be like poor Elliot, forever analyzing organizational methods while blowing work deadlines or falling for scams that might sound legit if not for the little nagging doubt or fear in the back of our minds.
In fact, emotional reactions occur more quickly than cognitive reactions. We feel fear and begin to run before we consciously realize we've just seen a bear during our hike. One reason for this might be how our brain uses short-term memory (also known as working memory) versus long-term memory. Working memory is filled with information we want to have readily accessible, while long-term memory refers to the information and episodes (memories of our lives) in storage.
In sum, the present study extends previous findings by demonstrating that the content of WM can affect emotional processing in the absence of conscious awareness, and such WM modulation effects on nonconscious processing seem to be tuned to threat-related signals (e.g., fear and anger).
Essentially, the faces put people on edge and made them react more quickly. In a computer-driven study, this might not seem very important but what if (for instance) you're out in a public place and you look around and see fear on people's faces? You now know there's something to be afraid of and you will hopefully react more quickly when you encounter whatever you should fear. If you didn't have emotions, faces would just be faces, and whatever emotion they're displaying would be as meaningless as organizing files by document size. | http://www.deeplytrivial.com/2016/09/on-importance-of-emotion.html |
Austrian designer Andreas Scheiger believes that letters are full of life, and following this theory, he has cut into the anatomy of typography by dissecting and rearranging their basic elements, researching their development and origins. You can see his unbelievable handiwork in The Evolution of Type, a series of letter sculptures.
Andreas Scheiger is a Vienna based illustrator, graphic designer and artists. His works celebrate the craft of etching, engraving and letter design with a nod to both science and the graphic design of the Victorian era. Some for his work borderlines surreal, but is still deeply based on traditional craftsmanship. The ongoing project, The Evolution of Type is inspired by The Alphabet and Elements of Lettering (1918), a book by the pioneering and vastly prolific American type designer Frederic W. Goudy. Goydy believed that letters themselves were a record of man’s history and development, and that each possessed an essential and organic form. Inspired by his ideology, Schneiger has developed and designed a series of typographic sculptures, shown below.
In The Evolution of Type, Schneiger put each of the letters of the alphabet under a microscope and studied its structure and original development. The almost autopsy like pieces show a never seen before aspect of typography, making you see something so ordinary, in a new light. In the case of some letters, he went even further than showing the structure, actualizing the development of the form and anatomy in its earlier stages. Watching these photographs you can not help but be mesmerized by Schneiger’s imagination and skill set to produce a series as impacting as The Evolution of Type. See for yourself! What do you think? | https://www.designandpaper.com/the-evolution-of-type-by-andreas-scheiger/ |
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abstract: 'In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency of conventional collaborative compressive sensing (CCCS) scheme, focusing on balancing the tradeoff between energy efficiency and detection accuracy in cognitive radio environment. In particular, we derive the achievable throughput, energy consumption and energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme, and formulate an optimization problem to determine the optimal values of parameters which maximize the energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme. The maximization of energy efficiency is proposed as a multi-variable, non-convex optimization problem, and we provide approximations to reduce it to a convex optimization problem. We highlight that errors due to these approximations are negligible. Later, we analytically characterize the tradeoff between dimensionality reduction and collaborative sensing performance of the CCCS scheme – the implicit tradeoff between energy saving and detection accuracy, and show that the loss due to compression can be recovered through collaboration which improves the overall energy efficiency.'
bibliography:
- 'IEEEabrv.bib'
- 'CCCbiblonew.bib'
title: Energy Efficiency Analysis of Collaborative Compressive Sensing Scheme in Cognitive Radio Networks
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Achievable throughput, collaborative compressive sensing, energy consumption, energy efficiency, spectrum sensing.
Introduction {#sec:introduction}
============
With growing concern about environmental issues and an emerging green communications paradigm ([@Mowla_IEEETGCN_2017], [@Huang_IEEECST_2015]) in wireless communications, the design of cognitive radio (CR) networks (CRNs) have to be considered from the energy efficiency perspective ([@Zheng_IEEETGCN_2017], [@Yousefvand_IEEETGCN_2017]). A fundamental feature of a CR is spectrum sensing [@Yucek_IEEECST_2009], which is typically carried out by the CR users or secondary users (SU) to find the unused licensed resources for implementing a CRN or a secondary network.
It is well-understood that larger the bandwidth of the licensed or primary user (PU) spectrum, the SUs will have more transmission opportunity for communication. Towards this end, wideband spectrum sensing (WSS) [@Bruno_IEEETC_2018],[@Cao_IEEETSP_2018] has attracted considerable research attention, to design efficient algorithms for detecting multiple bands simultaneously. Typically, the duration of a spectrum sensing slot includes two phases, namely, the sensing phase and the data transmission phase. If the sensing phase is not optimally designed, the energy consumption of SUs increases. Such a design problem is of primary importance for WSS [@Ali_IEEETVT_2017]. The energy consumption for spectrum sensing, mainly caused by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC), is proportional to the sensing time and the sampling rate ([@Xiong_IEEETVT_2017], [@Zhao_IEEETMC_2017]). However, it has been observed that at a given time instant, only a small number of frequency bins (channels) across the entire bandwidth are occupied by PUs. In other words, the occupancy of the PU network over a wideband is sparse in the frequency-domain. Such inherent sparsity of the spectrum is taken as an advantage in compressed sensing (CS)-based approaches, which was originally envisioned to reduce the sampling rate below the Nyquist rate [@Sharma_IEEE_2016]. Based on this key observation, the authors in [@SALAHDINE_ADhoc_2016] present an extensive survey on compressive sensing techniques and discuss about the classification of these techniques, their potential applications and metrics to optimally design and evaluate their performances in the context of CRNs. To summarize, CS, when compared to the conventional WSS, reduces the sampling rate to below Nyquist rate [@Ma_IEEEVT_2017], which in turn reduces the sensing time, favoring considerable saving in energy consumption. For this reason, the CS-based spectrum sensing methods have been proposed for improving the energy efficiency [@Arienzo_IEEETGCN_2017] in CRNs.
Despite its attractiveness as an energy efficient sensing technique, CS suffers from a few major drawbacks which limit its applicability in practice. A CS based sensing scheme incurs a considerable performance loss due to compression when compared to the conventional sensing scheme, while detecting non-sparse signals. This performance loss is characterized in terms of the probabilities of false-alarm and signal detection. Recently, the authors in [@varshney_IEEE_2017] proposed a collaborative compressive detection framework, in which group of spatially distributed nodes sense the presence of phenomenon independently, and send a compressed summary of observations to a fusion center (FC) where a global decision is made about the presence or absence of the phenomenon. This technique was designed to compensate for the performance loss due to compression, and it was shown that the amount of loss can be improved and recovered through collaborative detection. In particular, it was shown that as the the degree of compression is decreased (keeping number of collaborating nodes fixed), or as the number of collaborating nodes is increased (keeping the degree of compression fixed), the overall probability of error in detection can be made arbitrarily small. However, the study in [@varshney_IEEE_2017] never addressed energy efficiency and was restricted to the detection performance of the collaborative compressive detection scheme, in a non-CR context.
In this work, we have shown that a similar trend observed in [@varshney_IEEE_2017] can be seen in CRNs, with energy efficiency as a metric. In particular, we derive the expressions for the average energy consumption and the average achievable throughput of a conventional collaborative compressive sensing (CCCS) scheme. Next, we derive an expression for the energy efficiency of CCCS, and formulate an optimization problem that maximizes the energy efficiency, subjected to constraints on probability of detection and probability of false-alarm. We provide some approximations to reduce the proposed non-convex optimization problem to a convex optimization problem. Later, we establish that these approximations are sufficiently accurate, and result only in an insignificant performance loss. The motivation to consider the proposed CCCS is threefold. First, it reduces the sampling rate below the Nyquist rate, which results in a shorter sensing duration and much lesser energy consumption. Secondly, by exploiting the collaboration between the sensors, the achievable detection performance can be maintained to a target limit. Finally, since it promotes energy saving and ensures a desirable detection performance, the energy efficiency is guaranteed. In the process of determining optimal system parameters such as the degree of compression (or the compression ratio) and number of collaborative nodes, we seek the answer to the following question: For a given compression ratio, what would be the minimum number of collaborative nodes required to maximize the energy efficiency of the CRN$?$[^1]
On a related note, the energy efficiency using compressed sensing in wideband CRNs was studied in [@Zhao_eurosipSpringer_2016], where the authors show that by optimizing the sampling rate, energy efficiency of the network can be maximized. It was also shown that as the sparsity of the wideband spectrum increases (that is, as the associated vector becomes more and more sparse), the energy consumption decreases, and the energy efficiency increases. But the analysis in [@Zhao_eurosipSpringer_2016] was restricted to strictly sparse signals. However, in this work, we have considered the utility of both compressed sensing and collaborative sensing to guarantee dimensionality reduction and detection performance, respectively, that yields improvement in energy efficiency to a greater extent. Moreover, our approach is also applicable to non-sparse signals. To the best of our knowledge, such an analysis on energy efficiency for the CCCS scheme has not been considered earlier in the literature.
The main contributions of this paper are as follows.
- Energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme for CRNs is studied, in terms of the average achievable throughput and the average energy consumption in the network.
- Maximization of the energy efficiency is posed as a non-convex optimization problem, to find the number of sensors required for collaboration (or the degree of compression), that satisfies a given constraints on probability of false-alarm and probability of detection.
- A study on the effect of reducing the number of samples due to CS, and its impact on the energy efficiency is carried out, considering the random and deterministic PU signal models. In both cases, we show that the energy efficiency is improved by either decreasing the compression ratio, or by increasing the number of collaborative nodes.
- Through numerical results, we compare the performances of the conventional collaborative sensing (CCS) and CCCS schemes in terms of the energy efficiency, and highlight the regimes where CCCS outperforms the CCS scheme. Such an improvement in energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme is shown to be due to a significant amount of saving in the energy consumption, with a relatively insignificant performance loss due to detection accuracy, in comparison to the CCS scheme.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. We propose the system model for CCCS scheme and review the CCCS and CCS schemes for random PU signal case in Sec. \[SecSysModel\]. The optimization problem to maximize the energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme is proposed in Sec. \[SecCCCEEProblem\], and associated approximations, reformulation and detailed analysis are provided in Sec. \[SecCCCSEEApprox\]. A similar energy efficiency formulation, approximations, and analysis for a deterministic PU signal is presented in Secs. \[EEforDetersignal\]. Numerical results and discussion on performance comparison are presented in Sec. \[SecResults\] and concluding remarks are provided in Sec. \[SecConc\].
System Model {#SecSysModel}
============
{width="1\linewidth"}
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\[fig:test2\]
We first describe the conventional cooperative sensing (CCS) framework. Consider a CRN – as depicted in Fig. \[fig:test2\](a) – with $N$ CR nodes denoted by $C_1,\ldots,C_N$ that record $P$ observations each from a licensed band owned by a primary user (PU). These nodes forward their observation vectors over a lossless link to a fusion center (FC), where they are fused to make an overall decision on the availability of the primary spectrum. The hypothesis testing problem governing this scenario can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{H}_{0}: {\mathbf{y}}(n) = {\mathbf{w}}(n) \nonumber \\
& \mathcal{H}_{1}: {\mathbf{y}}(n) = {\mathbf{x}}(n) + {\mathbf{w}}(n), ~~ n=1,\ldots,N, \label{MainHIProb}\end{aligned}$$ where ${\mathbf{w}}(n)$ represents the $P \times 1$ noise vector, and ${\mathbf{x}}(n)$ represents a $P \times 1$ primary signal vector, whose entries are assumed to be i.i.d. Gaussian random variables with zero mean and variance ${\sigma_w^2}$ and ${\sigma_x^2}$, respectively. That is, if $\mathcal{N}(\boldsymbol{{\boldsymbol{\mu}}}, \boldsymbol{\Sigma})$ denotes a Gaussian random vector with mean vector $\boldsymbol{{\boldsymbol{\mu}}}$ and covariance matrix $\boldsymbol{\Sigma}$, then ${\mathbf{w}}(n) \sim \mathcal{N}(\boldsymbol{0},{\sigma_w^2}{\mathrm{I}_{\scriptscriptstyle P}})$, and ${\mathbf{x}}(n) \sim \mathcal{N}(\boldsymbol{0},{\sigma_x^2}{\mathrm{I}_{\scriptscriptstyle P}})$, where ${\mathrm{I}_{\scriptscriptstyle P}}$ is a $P \times P$ identity matrix.
Next, we focus on the conventional collaborative compressive sensing (CCCS) framework. Here, instead of $P \times 1$ vector ${\mathbf{y}}(n)$, each node sends an $M \times 1$ compressed vector ${\mathbf{z}}(n)$ to the FC, with $M < P$. The collection of these $M$-length universally sampled observations is given by $\{{\mathbf{z}}(n) = {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{y}}(n), n=1,\ldots,N\}$, where ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}$ is an $M \times P$ fat compression matrix, which is assumed to be the same across all nodes. With this setup, the problem in reduces to $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{H}_0: {\mathbf{z}}(n) = {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{w}}(n) \nonumber \\
& \mathcal{H}_1: {\mathbf{z}}(n) = {\boldsymbol{\phi}}({\mathbf{x}}(n) + {\mathbf{w}}(n)), ~~ n=1,\ldots,N, \label{CompHIProb}\end{aligned}$$ The FC receives the observation matrix ${\mathbf{Z}}= [{\mathbf{z}}(1) \cdots {\mathbf{z}}(N)]$, and makes a decision on the availability of the primary spectrum, by employing the likelihood ratio test (LRT), which is Neyman-Pearson optimal. The LRT at the FC, with a detection threshold $\lambda_L$, is given as $$\begin{aligned}
\prod_{n=1}^N \frac{f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_1)}{f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_0)} \overset{\mathcal{H}_1}{\underset{\mathcal{H}_0}{\gtrless}} \lambda_L, \label{LRTeqn}\end{aligned}$$ where $f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_0)$ and $f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_1)$ represent the PDF of ${\mathbf{z}}(n)$ under $\mathcal{H}_0$ and $\mathcal{H}_1$, and are respectively given by $$\begin{aligned}
& f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_0) = \dfrac{\exp\left(-\frac{{\mathbf{z}}^T(n) ({\sigma_w^2}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\mathbf{z}}(n)}{2}\right)}{(2\pi)^{M/2} |{\sigma_w^2}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T|^{1/2}} ~~
\vspace*{2cm}
\\
& f({\mathbf{z}}(n); \mathcal{H}_1) = \dfrac{\exp\left(-\frac{{\mathbf{z}}^T(n) (({\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2}) {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\mathbf{z}}(n)}{2}\right)}{(2\pi)^{M/2} |({\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2}) {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T|^{1/2}}.\end{aligned}$$ Substituting in and simplifying, yields $$\begin{aligned}
&\left[\frac{|{\sigma_w^2}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T|^{1/2}}{|({\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2}) {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T|^{1/2}}\right]^N \hspace{-0.2cm} \exp \hspace{-0.1cm} \left[ \hspace{-0.075cm} - \hspace{-0.1cm} \sum_{n=1}^N \left(\frac{{\mathbf{z}}^T(n) ({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\mathbf{z}}(n)}{2({\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2})}\right. \right. \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \left. \left. - \frac{{\mathbf{z}}^T(n) ({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\mathbf{z}}(n)}{2{\sigma_w^2}} \right)\right] \overset{\mathcal{H}_1}{\underset{\mathcal{H}_0}{\gtrless}} \lambda_L. \label{LRTeqn1}\end{aligned}$$ Recalling that ${\mathbf{z}}(n) = {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{y}}(n)$, it is easy to see that the above test reduces to the form $$\begin{aligned}
T({\mathbf{Y}}) \triangleq \sum \limits_{n=1}^{N} {\mathbf{y}}^T(n) {\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T ({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{y}}(n) \overset{\mathcal{H}_1}{\underset{\mathcal{H}_0}{\gtrless}} \lambda, \label{SuffTest}\end{aligned}$$ where $\lambda \triangleq \log \left \{\left [ \frac{|\sigma_x^2+\sigma_w^2|}{|\sigma_w^2|} \right ]^{N/2} \lambda_L \right \}\left \{ \frac{2\sigma_w^2(\sigma_w^2+\sigma_x^2)}{\sigma_x^2} \right \}$ is the detection threshold, which is chosen based on the Neyman-Pearson criterion. To simplify performance characterization of the above test in , we assume that the linear mapping ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}$ satisfies the $\epsilon$-embedding property, as considered in [@varshney_IEEE_2017]. However, designing such a ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}$ that satisfies the $\epsilon$-embedding property is beyond the scope of the current study.
Let $\gamma \triangleq \frac{{\sigma_x^2}}{{\sigma_w^2}}$ denote the average received SNR at a CR node, and ${\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}\triangleq {\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}$ the projection matrix on the row space of ${\boldsymbol{\phi}}$. Following the central limit theorem for large values of the product $NM$, it can be shown that the test statistic under both $\mathcal{H}_0$ and $\mathcal{H}_1$ is distributed as $$\begin{aligned}
\label{teststatdet}
\frac{T ({\mathbf{Y}})}{{\sigma_k^2}} \overset{NM \rightarrow \infty}{\sim} \left\lbrace \begin{array}{cl} \mathcal{N}(NM,2NM), & \hbox{under}\ \mathcal{H}_{0} \\ \mathcal{N}(N M,2 N M), & \hbox{under}\ \mathcal{H}_{1} \end{array}\right. \hspace{-0.15cm}
\end{aligned}$$ where $k=0,1$, that is, ${\sigma_0^2}={\sigma_w^2}$, and ${\sigma_1^2}={\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2}$. Let ${\mathtt{c}}\triangleq \frac{M}{P} \in (0,1)$ denote the compression ratio. Based on , the probability of false-alarm at the FC is given by $$\begin{aligned}
& {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\triangleq P(T({\mathbf{Y}}) > \lambda |\mathcal{H}_{0}) = Q\left( \frac{\frac{\lambda}{P {\sigma_w^2}}-{\mathtt{c}}N}{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P}} \right). \label{pfeqn}\end{aligned}$$ Similarly, the probability of detection at the FC is given by $$\begin{aligned}
&{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\hspace{-0.1cm} = \hspace{-0.1cm} P(T({\mathbf{Y}})>\lambda|\mathcal{H}_{1}) = \hspace{-0.1cm} Q\left(\hspace{-0.1cm} \frac{\frac{\lambda}{P ({\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2})}-{\mathtt{c}}N}{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P}} \hspace{-0.1cm} \right). \label{pdeqn}\end{aligned}$$
Note that the expressions for ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ depend on the value of ${\mathtt{c}}$, which dictates the loss in the detection accuracy due to the compressed measurements $\{{\mathbf{z}}(n), n=1,\ldots,N\}$. The time slot structure indicating the sensing, reporting and total duration for the CCCS scheme is as shown in Fig. \[fig:test2\](b). Since the detection accuracy is also a function of $N$, it can be improved by increasing $N$. In other words, the loss in detection accuracy due to compression can be recovered by increasing the number of collaborative nodes, $N$. This observation is shown in Fig. \[PdVsSNR\], where the variation of ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ across $\gamma$ is plotted, with ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}=0.1$, for different values of ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$. The case of ${\mathtt{c}}=1$ corresponds to Nyquist sampling, i.e., the CCS approach. As ${\mathtt{c}}$ decreases, ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ decreases, which can be increased to a desired level by increasing $N$. Interestingly, as $N$ increases, even though the probability of detection – and consequently, the achievable throughput of the secondary network – increases, the total energy consumption in the secondary network also increases, thereby decreasing the energy efficiency. Towards this end, it is of paramount importance to optimally determine system parameters ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$ in order to maximize the energy efficiency. In other words, we seek to answer the following question. Given a CR network with $N$ nodes, how small can the compression ratio ${\mathtt{c}}$ be, such that the energy efficiency is maximized? To answer this question – which is the main contribution of this paper, we next derive expressions for the average achievable throughput, average energy consumption and energy efficiency of the CR network, and formulate an optimization problem to maximize the energy efficiency.
![Variation of probability of detection, ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$, for different values of average SNR, $\gamma$. Probability of false-alarm, ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}=0.1$. Note that as ${\mathtt{c}}$ decreases, ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ decreases. However, ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ can be increased to a desired level by increasing $N$.[]{data-label="PdVsSNR"}](PdvsSNRfigVer2.eps){width="3.5in" height="2.5in"}
Energy Efficiency and Problem Formulation {#SecCCCEEProblem}
=========================================
In this section, our aim is to find the optimal value of the compression ratio ${\mathtt{c}}$, for a given $N$, such that the energy efficiency is maximized. To this end, we first derive expressions for the average achievable throughput and the average energy consumption, and then derive the energy efficiency of the network. For the underlying CCCS, the average achievable throughput and the average energy consumption depend on the communication link between the PU node and the sensing nodes, and can be calculated based on the following scenarios, where ${\pi_0}$ and ${\pi_1}$ denote the prior probability that the channel is vacant and occupied, respectively.
[p[2cm]{}p[4cm]{}p[6cm]{}p[3cm]{}]{}\
**Scenario** & **Probability** & **Energy Consumed (J)** & **Achievable Throughput (bits/Hz)**\
**S1** & ${\pi_1}$ ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ & $NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{s}$+$N P_{t}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}$ & 0\
\
\
**S2** &${\pi_0}$ ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ & $NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{s}$+$N P_{t}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}$ & $-\phi \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$\
\
\
**S3** &${\pi_1}$ $(1-{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$ & $NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{s}$+$N P_{t}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}+P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$ & $\kappa_c \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$\
\
\
**S4** &${\pi_0}$ $(1-{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$ & $NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{s}$+$N P_{t}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}+P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$ & $ \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$\
\
In a CR network with CCCS, the average achievable throughput and the average energy consumption depend on the communication link between the PU node and the sensing nodes, which can be calculated based on four scenarios denoted by **S1**-**S4**, detailed below.
1. The first scenario corresponds to the case when the PU is present, and the FC correctly declares its presence, which occurs with probability ${\pi_1}{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$. Hence, the CR network throughput achieved is zero.
2. The second scenario covers the case when PU is absent but incorrectly declared as present by the FC, which occurs with probability ${\pi_0}{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$. Since the CR network misses a transmission opportunity in this case, the achievable throughput in this case is calculated as $-\phi \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$, where $T_{s}= (\tau_{s} + N \tau_{r})$, $\mathcal{C}$ is the capacity of the secondary link, and $\phi \in (0,1)$ is a suitably chosen penalty factor. For simplicity, $\phi$ can be considered to be zero.
3. In the third scenario, FC makes an incorrect decision that the PU is absent, when it is actually present, which occurs with probability ${\pi_1}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$. In this case, the CR network transmits and causes interference to the PU. Even with the interference to the PU, the CR communication achieves a partial throughput of $\kappa_c \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}- {\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$ units, for some $\kappa_c \in [0,1)$. Additionally, we assume that the CR nodes are located far from the PU network, such that the interference term due to PU is negligible.
4. The last scenario corresponds to the case when the PU is absent and the FC makes a correct decision, which occurs with probability ${\pi_0}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$. In this case, the achievable throughput is maximum, and is given by $\mathcal{C}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}- {\mathtt{c}}T_{s})$ units.
The achievable throughput, along with the energy consumed in each of the above scenarios are listed in Tab. \[TputEconTable\], on the top of the next page, where $P_s$ and $P_t$ denote the power required for each SU node for sensing and data transmission, respectively. Considering all the above cases, the average throughput of the CCCS scheme is given by $$\begin{aligned}
& \hspace{-0.15cm} {R_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N) \hspace{-0.1cm} = \hspace{-0.1cm} {\pi_0}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})\mathcal{C} \nonumber \\
&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + \kappa_{c}\mathcal{C}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}) {\pi_1}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}) \nonumber\\
&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - \phi \mathcal{C}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}) {\pi_0}{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}. \label{RCCCSEqn}\end{aligned}$$ Similarly, the average energy consumption of the CCCS scheme, as illustrated in Tab. \[TputEconTable\], can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
& \hspace{-0.15cm}{E_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N) \hspace{-0.1cm} = \hspace{-0.1cm} \left(NP_{s}\mathtt{c}\tau_{s}+N P_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}\right) \nonumber \\ &~~~+P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})\left(1-{\pi_1}{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}- {\pi_0}{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Based on above, the energy efficiency, measured in (bits/Hz/J), of the underlying CR network is given by $$\label{EEeqn}
{EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \triangleq \frac{ {R_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{E_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}.$$
Recall that our goal here is to design $\lambda$ and ${\mathtt{c}}$, for a given $N$, such that the energy efficiency ${EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)$ is maximized, subject to constraints on the sensing errors. The optimization problems can be divided into two sub-categories, namely, optimizing $N$ for a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, and optimizing ${\mathtt{c}}$ for a given $N$. For a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, the governing optimization problem is: $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}: \underset{N}{\max} ~~~ {EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}({\mathtt{c}}, N) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~ s.t. ~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_{f}, \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}, \label{OPwithN}\end{aligned}$$ and for a given $N$, the governing optimization problem is given as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}: \underset{{\mathtt{c}}}{\max} ~~~ {EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}({\mathtt{c}}, N) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~ s.t. ~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_{f}, \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}. \label{OPwithc}\end{aligned}$$ In the subsequent analysis, we assume that $0 \leq \overline{P}_{f} < \overline{P}_{d} \leq 1$. This is followed from the IEEE 802.22 standard [@Carl_IEEE_2009] requirements, where the lower bound on the probability of signal detection and upper bound on the probability of false-alarm are $0.9$ and $0.1$, respectively.
The problems given in and are hard to solve, because the expression for ${EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}({\mathtt{c}},N)$ calculated from is lengthy. For the ease of analysis, we approximate the cost function in the above problems, and mention the conditions under which the problem can be reduced to a convex optimization problem. Later, in Sec. \[SecResults\], we demonstrate that the corresponding error due to these approximations is negligible.
Approximation, Reformulation and Analysis {#SecCCCSEEApprox}
-----------------------------------------
In this section, we first provide an approximation of ${EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ and reformulate the optimization problems and . On a general note, the apriori probability of channel availability should be large enough to maintain the detection accuracy. That is, we assume that ${\pi_0}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}) > {\pi_1}(1-{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$, which is justified in a typical CR scenario [@Peh_IEEE_2011],[@Gao_IEEE_2013]. Following this, the average throughput in can be approximated by the above inequalities and setting $\kappa_{c}=0$ as $$\begin{aligned}
\label{ApprxReqn}
{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \approx {\pi_0}\mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})\left(1-(1+\phi){P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Similarly ${E_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N)$ can be approximated as $$\begin{aligned}
& \hspace{-0.15cm} {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \hspace{-0.1cm} \approx \hspace{-0.1cm} \left(NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{s}+N P_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_{r}\right) \nonumber \\
&~~~~~~~~~~ + P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}) {\pi_0}(1- {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}). \label{ECCCSEqn}\end{aligned}$$
Consequently, ${EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N)$ can be approximated as $$\begin{aligned}
{\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N) = \frac{{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda,{\mathtt{c}},N)}, \label{EECCCSapproxEqn}\end{aligned}$$ and the optimization problems $\mathcal{OP}^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ and $\mathcal{OP}^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ can be respectively reformulated as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}1^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}: \underset{\lambda, N}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) =\frac{{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)} \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.7cm} s.t. ~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_{f}, \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.7cm} ~~~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}, \label{OP2withN}\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}: \underset{\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) =\frac{{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)} \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.7cm} s.t. ~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_{f}, \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.7cm} ~~~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}. \label{OP2withc}\end{aligned}$$ Later, in Sec. \[SecResults\], we show that the errors due to these approximations are negligible.
Note that ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ are dependent on ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$, only through their product ${\mathtt{c}}N$. The following theorem provides the solution to the optimal threshold, $\lambda^*$, for the optimization problems in and .
\[OptLambdaRan\] The optimal threshold $\lambda^*$ for the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}1^{(c)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ satisfies the constraint ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}$ with equality, and is given by $$\begin{aligned}
& \lambda^* = {\sigma_w^2}(1+\gamma) \left\{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P} Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d) + {\mathtt{c}}N P\right\}.\end{aligned}$$
See Appendix \[OptLambdaRanNPThmProof\].
As a consequence of the above theorem, we now show that the other constraint in , namely ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_f$, reduces to an upper bound on the product ${\mathtt{c}}N$. By substituting $\lambda = \lambda^*$ in the constraint ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_f$, we get $$\begin{aligned}
& \overline{P}_f \geq Q\left(\frac{\frac{{\sigma_w^2}(1+\gamma) \left\{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P} Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d) + {\mathtt{c}}N P\right\}}{{\sigma_w^2}}-{\mathtt{c}}N P}{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P}}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Rearranging the above equation, this condition reduces to $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathtt{c}}N \leq \frac{2}{\gamma^2 P}\left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - (1+\gamma) Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2.\end{aligned}$$
Now, the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ given in can be reformulated as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}2^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}: \underset{{\mathtt{c}}}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda^*, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \nonumber \\
& ~~ s.t. ~ {\mathtt{c}}\leq {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}\triangleq \frac{2 \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - (1+\gamma) Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma^2 N P}. \label{OP3withc}\end{aligned}$$
In the next theorem, we consider in particular, and show that the corresponding objective function is monotonically increasing (and concave) for ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0,{\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$, for a given $N$. Therefore, the optimal ${\mathtt{c}}^*$ which maximizes ${\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda^*, {\mathtt{c}}, N)$ for a given $N$ is given as ${\mathtt{c}}^* = {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$.
\[cthmranNP\] For a given $N$, the objective function in the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}2^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ is monotonically increasing in ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0,{\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$. Therefore, ${\mathtt{c}}^* = {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$.
See Appendix \[cthmranNPProof\].
A similar argument can be made for the problem in , using the following theorem.
\[NthmranNP\] For a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, the objective function in the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}2^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ is monotonically increasing in $N \in (0,{N_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$. Therefore, $N^* = {N_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$.
The proof is in similar lines to that of Theorem \[cthmranNP\], and is omitted for brevity.
To find the optimal operating point – either $(N^{*},{\mathtt{c}})$, or $(N,{\mathtt{c}}^{*})$ – that maximizes the energy efficiency based on the above analytic development, we propose the following simple search algorithm. Summarized as Algorithm \[OptCCCSAlgooptimum\], this technique can be used to solve either of the optimization problems $\mathcal{OP}2^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$ or $\mathcal{OP}2^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}$. This completes our analysis on finding the optimal ${\mathtt{c}}^*$ for a given $N$, or to find the optimal $N^*$ for a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, such that the energy efficiency of the CRN is maximized. In the next section, we consider a similar performance analysis of the CRN with a deterministic PU signal.
Performance with Deterministic PU Signal {#EEforDetersignal}
========================================
In this section, we consider the EE performance of the CR network for the case when PU signal is deterministic. Although unrealistic in practice, performance study of a CRN with a deterministic PU signal has been studied earlier in the context of capacity analysis [@Urkowitz_IEEE_1967], spectrum sensing [@Reisi_IEEE_2012], etc., which serves as an upper bound on the performance of a system employed in practice. In the case of a deterministic PU signal, asymptotic distribution of the test statistic at the FC under either hypotheses can be written as [@varshney_IEEE_2017] $$\begin{aligned}
\label{teststati}
T({\mathbf{X}}) \triangleq \sim \left\lbrace \begin{array}{cl}\mathcal {N}(0, {\sigma_w^2}N\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2), & \hbox{under}\ \mathcal{H}_{0} \\ \mathcal {N}(N\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2, {\sigma_w^2}N\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2) & \hbox{under}\ \mathcal{H}_{1} \end{array}\right.,\end{aligned}$$ where $\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2 \triangleq {\mathbf{x}}^T {\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{x}}$. From , the probabilities of false-alarm and signal detection at the FC following the CCCS scheme with deterministic PU signal are given by $$\begin{aligned}
& {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}= P(T({\mathbf{X}}) > \lambda |\mathcal{H}_{0}) \nonumber \\
& \phantom{{P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}} = Q\left(\frac{\lambda-N {\mathtt{c}}\gamma {\sigma_w^2}}{\sqrt{{\sigma_w^2}N\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2)}}\right) \\
& {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}=P(T({\mathbf{X}})>\lambda|\mathcal{H}_{1}) \nonumber \\
& \phantom{{P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}} = Q\left(\frac{\lambda-N {\mathtt{c}}\gamma {\sigma_w^2}}{\sqrt{{\sigma_w^2}N\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2)}}\right)\end{aligned}$$ As discussed in the random signal case, using the concept of $\epsilon$-stable embedding, for larger value of $NM$ the approximation $\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert_2^2 \approx \frac{M}{P}\Vert {\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2 = {\mathtt{c}}\Vert {\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2$ [@varshney_IEEE_2017]. Therefore, $$\begin{aligned}
& {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\hspace{-0.1cm} = \hspace{-0.1cm} Q\left( \hspace{-0.1cm} \frac{\lambda}{{\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{N {\mathtt{c}}\gamma}} \hspace{-0.05cm} \right), \\
& {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\hspace{-0.1cm} = \hspace{-0.1cm} Q\left( \hspace{-0.1cm} \frac{\lambda-N {\mathtt{c}}\gamma{\sigma_w^2}}{\sigma_{w}^2\sqrt{N {\mathtt{c}}\gamma}} \hspace{-0.1cm} \right).\end{aligned}$$ It is easy to show that the detection threshold $\lambda = \frac{N}{2} {\mathbf{x}}^T {\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T({\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\boldsymbol{\phi}}^T)^{-1} {\boldsymbol{\phi}}{\mathbf{x}}= \frac{N}{2}\Vert {\widehat{\mathbf{P}}}{\mathbf{x}}\Vert _2^2=\frac{N}{2} {\mathtt{c}}\gamma \sigma_{n}^2$. Therefore, the final expressions for ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ are given by $$\begin{aligned}
\label{pdpfequdet}
& {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}= Q\left(\frac{\sqrt{{\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}}{2}\right), \\
& {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}= Q\left(-\frac{\sqrt{{\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}}{2}\right) \end{aligned}$$ Note that the expressions for average achievable throughput, average energy consumption and the energy efficiency expressions across all four scenarios $\textbf{S1}-\textbf{S4}$ for the deterministic case remains similar to the random case, except that ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}$ are replaced by ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$, respectively. The approximations discussed in the previous case also hold for the deterministic case. For a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, the corresponding optimization problem for the deterministic case can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}1^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}: \underset{N}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}}, N) =\frac{{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}},N)} \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.4cm} s.t. ~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\leq \overline{P_{f}}, \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.4cm} ~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\geq \overline{P_{d}}, \label{OP2withN_det}\end{aligned}$$ and the optimization problem for given $N$ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}: \underset{{\mathtt{c}}}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}}, N) =\frac{{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs, det}}({\mathtt{c}},N)} \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.4cm} s.t. ~~ {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\leq \overline{P_{f}}, \nonumber \\
& \hspace{-0.4cm} ~~~~~~ {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}\geq \overline{P_{d}}, \label{OP2withc_det}\end{aligned}$$ for some $0 < {P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}< {P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}< 1$. We later show that the errors due to these approximations are negligible. Again, note that both ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ and ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ depend on ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$ through the product ${\mathtt{c}}N$.
\[OptLambdaDetNPThm\] The optimal threshold $\lambda^*$ for the optimization problems $ \mathcal{OP}1^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ and $ \mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ satisfies the constraint ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}$ with equality, and is given by $$\begin{aligned}
& \lambda^* = {\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{N{\mathtt{c}}\gamma} \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d) + \sqrt{N{\mathtt{c}}\gamma}\right\}.\end{aligned}$$
See Appendix \[OptLambdaDetNPThmProof\].
\[t!\]
Set $P_{s}, P_{t}, {T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}, \tau_s,\tau_s, N, i_0, {\pi_0}, {\pi_1}, \overline{P_f}, \overline{P_d}$ When ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq\overline{P}_f$, Calculate ${\mathtt{c}}N$ using (\[pfeqn\]) When ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_d$, Calculate ${\mathtt{c}}N$ using (\[pdeqn\]) Fix $N \in (1,N_{\max})$ Compute ${\mathtt{c}}=\frac{2 \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - (1+\gamma) Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma^2 N P}$ () Compute ${\mathtt{c}}= \frac{ \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma N }$ () Compute ${\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}}, N)$ using with $N$ and ${\mathtt{c}}$ Compute $\max({\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}}, N))$ and respective ${\mathtt{c}}^{*}$ **return** ${\mathtt{c}}^{*}$
Fix ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0,1)$ Compute $N=\frac{2 \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - (1+\gamma) Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma^2 {\mathtt{c}}P}$ () Compute $N= \frac{ \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma {\mathtt{c}}}$ () Compute ${\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}}, N)$ using with $N$ and ${\mathtt{c}}$ Compute $\max({\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}}, N))$ and respective $N^{*}$ **return** $N^{*}$ Return $\max({EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}})$ and the corresponding $N^{*},{\mathtt{c}}^{*}$,
Similar to the case of random PU signal, following the above theorem, we now show that the other constraint in and , namely ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_f$, reduces to an upper bound on the product ${\mathtt{c}}N$. By substituting $\lambda = \lambda^*$ in the constraint ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\leq \overline{P}_f$, we get $$\begin{aligned}
& \overline{P}_f \geq Q\left(\frac{\sqrt{ {\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}{\sigma_w^2}(Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)+\sqrt{N{\mathtt{c}}\gamma})}{{\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{ {\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}}\right) \end{aligned}$$ Rearranging the above equation, this condition reduces to $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathtt{c}}N \leq \frac{1}{\gamma }\left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2.\end{aligned}$$
Now, the optimization problems $\mathcal{OP}1^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ and $\mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ given in and can be respectively reformulated as $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}2^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS,det}: \underset{N}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda^*, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~ s.t. ~ N \leq {N_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}\triangleq \frac{ \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma {\mathtt{c}}}, \label{OP3withNdet}\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
& \mathcal{OP}2^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS,det}: \underset{{\mathtt{c}}}{\max} ~~~ {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda^*, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~ s.t. ~ {\mathtt{c}}\leq {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}\triangleq \frac{ \left\{Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_f) - Q^{-1}(\overline{P}_d)\right\}^2}{\gamma N }, \label{OP3withcdet}\end{aligned}$$
In the next theorem, we consider the problem in particular, and show that the corresponding objective function is monotonically increasing (and concave) for ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0,{\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$, for a given $N$.
\[etathm\] For a given $N$, the objective function in the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}1^{({\mathtt{c}})}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ is monotonically increasing in ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0,{\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$, and hence ${\mathtt{c}}^* = {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$.
See Appendix \[etathmProof\].
A similar argument can be made for the problem in .
\[etathmdet\] For a given ${\mathtt{c}}$, the objective function in the optimization problem $\mathcal{OP}1^{(N)}_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}$ is monotonically increasing in $N \in (0,{N_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}})$, and hence $N^* = {N_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$.
The proof is in similar lines to that of Theorem \[cthmranNP\], and is omitted for brevity.
Numerical Results and Discussion {#SecResults}
================================
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\[Rran\]
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In this section, we study the performance of the CCCS technique in comparison with the CCS technique, in terms of energy efficiency and validate our analysis, through numerical techniques. The parameter values are fixed as follows. The target probability of detection, $\overline{P}_{d}$, and false-alarm probability, $\overline{P}_{f}$, are fixed to be $0.9$ and $0.1$, respectively. The prior probabilities ${\pi_0}$ and ${\pi_1}$ are set to be $0.5$ each. The total frame duration is assumed to be ${T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}=200$ ms [@Kishore_Adhoc_2017]. The sampling frequency at the local SUs is assumed to be $f_{s}=1$ MHz, and the sensing power $P_{s}=0.1$ W. The length of the uncompressed received signal vector, $P=100$. The sensing time, $\tau_{s}$, and reporting time, $\tau_{r}$, for the CCCS scheme are set to $30$ ms and $100$ $\mu$s, respectively. The achievable rate of secondary transmission is chosen to be $\mathcal{C} = \log_2(1+\text{SNR}_s) = 6.6582$ bits/sec/Hz, where the SNR at the secondary receiver is assumed to be $\text{SNR}_s = 20$ dB. The transmission power of individual sensors, $P_{t}$, is assumed to be $3$ W. Also, we set the partial throughput factor, $\kappa_c$, and the penalty factor, $\phi$, to be $0.5$ each.
Figure \[3Dplot\] shows the variation of energy efficiencies for the random and deterministic signal cases, as a function of parameters ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$. Observe that the energy efficiency is concave in both ${\mathtt{c}}$ and $N$. Furthermore, it can be seen that as $N$ increases, ${\mathtt{c}}$ decreases, which indicates a better compression. Also, the maximum energy efficiency can be improved with $N$.
Figures \[FigcvsNa\] and \[FigcvsNb\] show the variation of the optimal compression ratio ${\mathtt{c}}^{*}$ for the CCCS scheme, as a function of $N$ for different values of SNR $\gamma$. First, note that the optimal values of ${\mathtt{c}}$ are nearly equal for the actual and approximate energy efficiency values, thereby establishing our earlier claim on the tightness of our approximations involved in evaluation of energy efficiency. The decrease in ${\mathtt{c}}^{*}$ with an increase in $N$ is intuitive, since the loss due to compression is recovered in CCCS by increasing $N$, which results in a better throughput, and consequently, a better energy efficiency. Similarly, in Fig. \[FigNvsca\] and \[FigNvscb\], we consider the variation of optimal $N$ for different values of ${\mathtt{c}}$, which yields similar trends and observations.
Figures \[EEplotdet\] and \[EEplotran\] show the variation of optimal energy efficiency values with the actual and approximate expressions, for different values of $N$. Note that for low values of $N$, performances of both CCS and CCCS schemes are similar, due to the fact that ${\mathtt{c}}^* = 1$ for sufficiently low $N$. As $N$ increases, the system achieves a better compression, and therefore, the performance of CCCS scheme becomes better than that of the CCS scheme. Also, the energy efficiency for both CCS and CCCS schemes increase with an increase in SNR. Moreover, the loss due to the energy efficiency approximation is negligible. Therefore, in our subsequent results, we consider only the approximated energy efficiency values. The reason for a better energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme in comparison to the CCS scheme can possibly be either because CCCS achieves a better throughput, or it achieves a lower energy consumption. Between these two cases, since the detection performance of the CCS scheme is better than that of CCCS scheme for a given $N$ (or ${\mathtt{c}}$), the achievable throughput of the CCS scheme will always be higher as compared to that of the CCCS scheme. Therefore, the improvement in the energy efficiency of the CCCS scheme must be due to a significant reduction in energy consumption in comparison to the CCS scheme. Figures \[Rcomp&uncomp\] and \[energy\] corroborate this argument. In Fig. \[Rcomp&uncomp\], the achievable throughput of CCS and CCCS schemes are compared, where the former is naturally found to be better. For larger values of $N$, the detection probability and hence the throughput of the CCS scheme improves faster. However, as shown in Fig. \[energy\], the energy consumption of the CCS scheme also increases rapidly with $N$, as opposed to the CCCS scheme, where the increase is much slower since ${\mathtt{c}}^*$ decreases with $N$. This is true for both random signal and deterministic signal cases. Hence, in scenarios where the energy consumption has a larger priority in a signal detection scenario CCCS scheme could be preferred. However, in the scenario where the sensing accuracy is a main concern, CCS scheme yields a better performance, in terms of energy efficiency.
Conclusion {#SecConc}
==========
We consider the energy efficiency of compressed conventional collaborative sensing (CCCS) scheme focusing on balancing the tradeoff between energy efficiency and detection accuracy in cognitive radio environment. We first consider the existing CCCS scheme in the literature, and derive the achievable throughput, energy consumption and energy efficiency. The energy efficiency maximization for the CCCS scheme is posed as a non-convex, optimization problem. We approximated the optimization problem to reduce it to a convex optimization problem, and showed that this approximation holds with sufficient accuracy in the regime of interest. We analytically characterize the tradeoff between dimensionality reduction and collaborative sensing of CCCS scheme – the implicit tradeoff between energy saving and detection accuracy, and show that by combining compression and collaboration the loss due to one can be compensated by the other which improves the overall energy efficiency of the cognitive radio network.
Appendix
========
Proof of Theorem \[OptLambdaRan\] {#OptLambdaRanNPThmProof}
---------------------------------
To establish that ${P_{\scriptstyle d}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}\geq \overline{P}_{d}$ is satisfied with equality, we show that $\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda} \geq 0$, for all $\lambda$. Observe that $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda} = \frac{\frac{\partial {\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda)}{\partial \lambda} {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda)-{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda)\frac{\partial{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda)}{\partial \lambda}}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}^2(\lambda)}, \label{firstdriEE}\end{aligned}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial {\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda}=-\frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial \lambda}(1+\phi){\pi_0}\mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}), \label{firstdriR}\end{aligned}$$ and $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda}=-\frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial \lambda}{\pi_0}P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}). \label{firstdriE}\end{aligned}$$ Upon further simplification, we get $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda} = -\frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial \lambda} V_{1}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N),\end{aligned}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
& V_{1}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)=\left [\hspace{-0.1cm} \frac{(1+\phi){\pi_0}\mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}) {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}^{2}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)} \right. \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \left. - \frac{{\pi_0}P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s})*{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, c, N)}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}^{2}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}\right ]\end{aligned}$$ Now, to show that $\frac{\partial {EE_{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial \lambda} \geq 0$, it is enough to show that $V_{1}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \geq 0$, since $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial \lambda}=-\frac{1}{2{\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{{\mathtt{c}}NP\pi}}\exp\left[-\frac{\left(\frac{\lambda}{{\sigma_w^2}}-{\mathtt{c}}NP\right)^2}{(4 {\mathtt{c}}NP)} \right ] \leq 0.\end{aligned}$$ In general, it is hard to analytically show that $V_1(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \geq 0$. However, since ${\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \geq 0$ and ${\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \geq 0$, the parameters $\phi, \mathcal{C}, {T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}$ and $T_s$ can be chosen such that $(1+\phi){\pi_0}\mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}) {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N) \geq {\pi_0}P_{t}({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_{s}){\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)$. Later, in Sec. \[SecResults\], it can be seen that the above condition is satisfied for those parameter values which are of practical interest. Therefore, $$\begin{aligned}
& \overline{P}_d = Q\left(\frac{\frac{\lambda^*}{{\sigma_x^2}+{\sigma_w^2}} - {\mathtt{c}}N P}{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P}}\right) \nonumber \\
& \phantom{\overline{P}_d} = Q\left(\frac{\frac{\lambda^*}{{\sigma_w^2}} \left( \frac{1}{1+\gamma} \right) - {\mathtt{c}}N P}{\sqrt{2 {\mathtt{c}}N P}}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Rearranging the equation gives the expression for $\lambda^*$.
Proof of Theorem \[cthmranNP\] {#cthmranNPProof}
------------------------------
Note that $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} = \frac{\frac{\partial {\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}})}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} {\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}})-{\tilde{R}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}})\frac{\partial{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}({\mathtt{c}})}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}}{{\tilde{E}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}^2({\mathtt{c}})}. \label{firstdriEEwrtc}\end{aligned}$$ As ${\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0$, it can be shown that $$\begin{aligned}
\underset{{\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0}{\lim}\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \geq \underset{{\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0}{\lim} \left \{ - \frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \left(\frac{\mathcal{C}}{P_t}\right) + V_{2}({\mathtt{c}}, N) \right\}, \label{EEdrivwrtcV}\end{aligned}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eq:test38}
& V_{2}({\mathtt{c}}, N) = \frac{\left [NP_s\tau_s+NP_t\tau_r\right]{\pi_0}\mathcal{C} }{P_t^2} \geq 0\end{aligned}$$ Also, note that $$\begin{aligned}
&\frac{\partial P_f}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi}}\exp\left(\frac{(\frac{\lambda^*}{\sigma_{w}^2}-{\mathtt{c}}NP)^2}{4{\mathtt{c}}NP}\right)\nonumber \\
&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\left [-\frac{NP}{2\sqrt{{\mathtt{c}}NP}}-\frac{NP((\frac{\lambda^*}{\sigma_{w}^2}-{\mathtt{c}}NP))}{4({\mathtt{c}}NP^{3/2})}\right ] \label{dfdcwrtc} \end{aligned}$$ Therefore, $P_f$ is a monotonically decreasing function of ${\mathtt{c}}$. When ${\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0$, it can be shown that $\frac{\partial P_f(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \rightarrow - \infty$. Since $V_2({\mathtt{c}}, N)$ is a positive constant, $\underset{{\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0}{\lim}\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} = +\infty$. Furthermore, using a well-known bound on the Q function, we get the following lower bound $P_f$ as $$\begin{aligned}
P_{f} \geq \left[1-\frac{2cNP}{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2} \right] \exp{-\left[ \frac{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2}{4cNP}\right ]}, \label{firstdir}\end{aligned}$$ which can be used to get a lower bound on the first derivative of ${\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)$ as $$\begin{aligned}
&\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}\geq \underbrace{(BA-BD-BC-AE)}_{\triangleq X_1} \nonumber \\ &\hspace{-0.3cm}+\underbrace{(BC+AE-2BA+2BD)\left[1-\frac{2cNP}{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2} \right] e^{-\left[ \frac{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2}{4cNP}\right ]}}_{\triangleq X_2}\nonumber \\ &\hspace{-0.1cm}+\underbrace{(BA-BD)\left[1-\frac{2cNP}{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2} \right]^2 e^{-\left[ \frac{(\frac{\lambda}{\sigma_w^2}-cNP)^2}{4cNP}\right ]}}_{\triangleq X_3} \nonumber \\ &-\underbrace{(AC) \frac{\partial P_f(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}}_{\triangleq X_4},\end{aligned}$$ where $A = {\pi_0}\mathcal{C} \left[{T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}- {\mathtt{c}}T_s \right] \geq 0$, $B ={\pi_0}P_t T_s \geq 0$, $C =NP_{s}{\mathtt{c}}\tau_s + NP_t {\mathtt{c}}\tau_r \geq 0$, and $D =P_t \left[{T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}- {\mathtt{c}}T_s \right] {\pi_0}\geq 0$.
As seen earlier, $\frac{\partial P_f}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}$ is negative, and it is easy to show that $BC+AE-2BA+2BD >0, BA-BD >0$, and consequently, $X_2 \geq 0$, $X_3 \geq 0$ and $X_4 \geq 0$. Now, $$\begin{aligned}
& \frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \geq X_1 +X_2+X_3+X_4 \nonumber \\
& ~~ \geq X_1 \nonumber \\
& ~~ = BA-BD-BC-AE \nonumber \\
& ~~ = ({\pi_0}^2 P_t T_s){\pi_0}\mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_s)-({\pi_0}^2 P_t^2 T_s)({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_s)\nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~ -({\pi_0}P_t T_s)(NP_sc\tau_s+NP_tc\tau_r) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~ -\hspace{-0.1cm}{\pi_0}\hspace{-0.01cm} \mathcal{C} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}-{\mathtt{c}}T_s) (NP_s\tau_s+\hspace{-0.1cm}NP_t \tau_r))\nonumber \\
& ~~ = \underbrace{{\pi_0}\left \{P_t T_s \mathcal{C}-P_t^2 T_s-\mathcal{C} (NP_s \tau_s+NP_t \tau_r) \right\}}_{\triangleq W} ({T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}\hspace{-0.1cm} - \hspace{-0.1cm} {\mathtt{c}}T_s) \nonumber \\
& ~~~~~~~~~~ - {\mathtt{c}}\underbrace{{\pi_0}P_tT_s(NP_s \tau_s+NP_t \tau_r)}_{\triangleq Y} \label{RqdFormEqn}\end{aligned}$$ To ensure that $\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \geq 0$, we need that the right hand side of to be $\geq 0$. Rearranging , observe that this is true when ${\mathtt{c}}\leq {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$UB$}}}\triangleq \frac{{T_{\scriptscriptstyle Total}}W}{T_s W+Y}$. In other words, we have shown that $\frac{\partial {\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}} \geq 0$ whenever ${\mathtt{c}}\in (0, {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$UB$}}})$. Finally, to establish that ${\mathtt{c}}^* = {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$, we need to show that ${\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}\leq {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$UB$}}}$. Although hard to show analytically, it is verified to be indeed true numerically, for moderate values of $N$ and for low SNR, which is of practical relevance.
Proof of Theorem \[OptLambdaDetNPThm\] {#OptLambdaDetNPThmProof}
--------------------------------------
Note that the first derivative of $P_f$ is negative as given below. $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{\partial P_{f}}{\partial \lambda}=-\frac{1}{{\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{2\pi {\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}}\exp\left [\frac{-\lambda^2}{(2{\mathtt{c}}N \gamma \sigma_{w}^{4})} \right ] \leq 0\end{aligned}$$ As mentioned earlier, since the expressions for average achievable throughput, average energy consumption and the energy efficiency expressions across all four scenarios $\textbf{S1}-\textbf{S4}$ for the deterministic case remains similar to the previous case, and similar set of arguments hold true for the deterministic case too. These can be used to prove that the first derivative of ${\tilde{EE}_{\scriptscriptstyle cccs}}$ is greater than or equal to $0$. Therefore, $$\begin{aligned}
& \overline{P}_d = Q\left(\frac{{\lambda^*} - {\mathtt{c}}N {\sigma_w^2}}{{\sigma_w^2}\sqrt{ {\mathtt{c}}N \gamma}}\right).\end{aligned}$$ Rearranging the above equation gives the expression for $\lambda^*$.
Proof of Theorem \[etathm\] {#etathmProof}
---------------------------
Note that the first derivative of ${P_{\scriptstyle f}^{\scriptscriptstyle CCCS, det}}$ with respect to ${\mathtt{c}}$ from is given by, $$\label{firstdirpf1}
\frac{\partial P_{f}(\lambda, N,{\mathtt{c}})}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}=-\frac{\exp(-(\frac{\lambda^2}{2N \gamma \sigma_{w}^{4}})N\gamma \lambda}{2\sqrt{2\pi}(cN\gamma)^{3/2} {\sigma_w^2}} \leq 0.$$ Therefore, $\underset{{\mathtt{c}}\rightarrow 0}{\lim}\frac{\partial P_f(\lambda, {\mathtt{c}}, N)}{\partial {\mathtt{c}}}\rightarrow - \infty$. Similar arguments given in Sec. \[cthmranNPProof\] can be used to show that ${\mathtt{c}}^* = {\mathtt{c}_{\scriptscriptstyle \text{$\max$}}}$, even in this case.
[^1]: A related question would be that given a number of collaborative nodes $N$, what is the maximum allowable degree of compression, such that the energy efficiency of the network is maximized?
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Robert Ri'chard burst onto the international stage when he had the opportunity to star as Bobby Walker in Nickelodeon’s “Cousin Skeeter”. His performance in the sitcom entitled “One on One” further aided his meteoric rise to fame. He also played a huge role in the movie dubbed “Coach Carter”.
Achievements
- Daytime Emmy Award (1998) – “Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special”
Trivia
Growing up, he enjoyed playing baseball, football, and basketball.
He has a Creole root.
Some notable people that he has worked with are Kyla Pratt, Flex Alexander, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Robert Ri'chard Rank
Robert Ri'chard's Popularity
Robert Ri'chard is a famous American actor, who was born on January 7, 1983. As a person born on this date, Robert Ri'chard is listed in our database as the 42nd most popular celebrity for the day (January 7) and the 260th most popular for the year (1983).
People born on January 7 fall under the Zodiac sign of Capricorn, the Sea Goat. Robert Ri'chard is the 1038th most popular Capricorn.
Aside from information specific to Robert Ri'chard's birthday, Robert Ri'chard is the 10053rd most famous American and ranks 439th in famous people born in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
In general, Robert Ri'chard ranks as the 16921st most popular famous person, and the 2281st most popular actor of all time. “The Famous Birthdays” catalogs over 25,000 famous people, everyone, from actors to actresses to singers to tiktok stars, from serial killers to chefs to scientists to youtubers and more. If you're curious to see who was born on your birthday, you can use our database to find out who, what, where, when and why. You can search by birthday, birthplace, claim to fame or any other information by typing in the search box, or simply browse our site by selecting the month, the day, the horoscope, or any other clickable option.
Learn about famous persons' keys to fame, discover interesting trivia and find out where they rank on several types of charts. Use it as fun information for a birthday party or a game at another type of celebration. Start a scrapbook of everyone born on your birthday or give a gift of a scrapbook of everyone born on a loved one's birthday. Take a look at the currently trending celebrities, the most popular birthdays for a specific day or jump to a random or recently added celebrity's page if you're not looking for anything specific. | https://www.thefamousbirthdays.com/people/robert-ri-chard |
Visual Field Testing
It is an eye examination that can detect dysfunction in central and peripheral vision which may be caused by various medical conditions such as glaucoma, stroke, brain tumours or other neurological deficits. Visual field testing can be performed clinically by keeping the subject's gaze fixed while presenting objects at various places within their visual field. Simple manual equipment can be used such as in the tangent screen test or the Amsler grid. When dedicated machinery is used it is called a perimeter. The exam may be performed by a technician in one of several ways. The test may be performed by a technician directly, with the assistance of a machine, or completely by an automated machine. Machine based tests aid diagnostics by allowing a detailed printout of the patient's visual field.
Common problems of the visual field include scotoma, hemianopia, homonymous hemianopsia and bi temporal hemianopia.
: Cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye leading to a decrease in vision. It can affect one or both eyes. Often it develops slowly. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night. This may result in trouble driving, reading, or recognizing faces. Poor vision may also result in an increased risk of falling and depression. Age-Related Macular Degeneration is common cause loss of sharp vision in one or both eyes in people over the age of 60. Symptoms for AMD are Fuzzy or blurry areas, Distorted & wavy edges, Faded color Vision, that varies from day to day. Although AMD can cause vision loss that ranges from mild to severe, it rarely causes total blindness. | https://www.omicsonline.org/conferences-list/visual-field-testing |
Tubulin: loading control. Pol focus formation and its effectiveness to bypass across cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers after UV irradiation are not affected. Furthermore, the O-GlcNAc-deficient T457A mutation impairs TLS to bypass across cisplatin-induced lesions, causing increased cellular level of sensitivity to cisplatin. Our findings demonstrate a novel part of Pol O-GlcNAcylation in TLS rules and genome stability maintenance and establish a fresh rationale to improve chemotherapeutic treatment. Intro Translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) is definitely one mode of DNA damage tolerance, which utilizes multiple specialized DNA polymerases to replicate damaged DNA to keep up genome integrity. One such polymerase, Anticancer agent 3 polymerase (Pol), is definitely specifically required for the accurate replicative bypass of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in DNA generated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation1C4. Mammalian Pol possesses a polymerase catalytic website in its N-terminus5,6, a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-interacting region and a ubiquitin-binding zinc finger website (UBZ) responsible for its connection with monoubiquitinated PCNA (mUb-PCNA) in its C-terminus7,8. Convincing evidence has shown that Pol is definitely recruited to stalled replication forks after UV7, 9C11 and cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, CDDP) exposure12,13. Anticancer agent 3 DNA damage-induced Pol focus formation is dependent upon its UBZ domains7 and the RAD18 protein14. The biological significance of Pol in the bypass of UV-induced CPDs is definitely manifested by diseases in mice and humans lacking normal Pol protein15C17. Additionally, Pol is definitely capable of replicating across other types of DNA?damage in vitro, including CDDP-induced GpG adducts (Pt-GG)6,18,19. Consistently, the manifestation level of Pol is definitely inversely correlated with CDDP treatment effectiveness20,21. However, since Pol replicates undamaged DNA with a high error rate of 10?2C10?3, its recruitment and residence at replication forks has to be stringently regulated6. So far, it is known that, in addition to proteinCprotein relationships4,22C24, protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation13,25 and ubiquitination8,26,27, fine-tune Pol recruitment and bypass of CPD lesions after UV radiation. Given its reduced Anticancer agent 3 affinity for the DNA beyond the CPD, Pol dissociation after TLS has been suggested to be its intrinsic house28. Moreover, deubiquitination of mUb-PCNA by USP129, USP1030, or interferon-stimulated gene 15 changes of PCNA has also been suggested to dictate TLS termination30. Nevertheless, given that UV-induced mUb-PCNA can persist long after TLS is definitely completed31, it remains a conundrum how disassembly of Pol happens in the persistence of mUb-PCNA. Recently, O-linked -N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to serine and threonine residues of proteins, termed O-GlcNAcylation32, is definitely emerging as a key regulator of varied cellular processes, such as transmission transduction and proteasomal degradation33C35. Analogous to phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation is definitely highly dynamic and offers considerable crosstalk with additional PTM forms32. O-GlcNAc cycling is definitely modified by only one O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and only one O-GlcNAcase (OGA) in mammals. Its donor substrate, UDP-GlcNAc, is present in high intracellular concentrations. Aberrant O-GlcNAcylation has been linked to a plethora of human diseases, including malignancy36,37. Recently, OGT has been found to be recruited to sites of DNA damage38 and several proteins involved in DNA damage response (DDR) have been reported to be O-GlcNAcylated35,38C40. O-GlcNAcylation of H2AX is definitely further found to interfere with its phosphorylation38. However, much remains a mystery as for the part of O-GlcNAcylation in the DDR. In this Foxd1 study, we found that OGT interacts with Pol and promotes Pol O-GlcNAcylation at T457. Although T457A mutation does not impair Pol bypass across CPD lesions, it unexpectedly restrains p97-dependent Pol removal from replication forks after TLS is definitely completed, leading to an increased mutation rate of recurrence after UV irradiation. Pol also interacts with DDB1 and CDT2. Intriguingly, T457A mutation significantly attenuates Lys48 (K48)-linked Pol polyubiquitination catalyzed by Cullin 4-RING Ligase (CRL4)-DDB1-CDT2 (CRL4CDT2), explaining the long term retention of the Pol T457A mutant at UV-damaged chromatin. Through quantitative mass spectrometry (MS), we found that the Pol T457A mutant displays an obvious reduction in ubiquitination at K462, exposing a novel crosstalk between Pol O-GlcNAcylation and ubiquitination, which modulates Pol disassembly from replication forks. Additionally, T457A mutation also causes a TLS deficiency upon CDDP exposure, accompanied with a reduced DNA replication rate. Therefore, O-GlcNAcylation takes on an Anticancer agent 3 unexpected part in TLS polymerase switching, adding a further coating of rules that elaborately settings TLS and genome stability in vivo. Results OGT binds to Pol and promotes Pol O-GlcNAcylation at T457 To identify novel proteins that may regulate Pol functions in vivo, we transfected HEK293T cells having a 2xFlag-Pol manifestation vector and performed immunopurification using the nuclear components41. Affinity-purified proteins associated with.
Tubulin: loading control
Ubiquitin E3 Ligases March 3, 2022 ees2010prague
You may also like... | https://ees2010prague.org/2022/03/03/tubulin-loading-control/ |
Although employers and recruiters are increasingly relying on job seekers’ social media profiles to help them make hiring decisions, a recent study by Florida State University found no correlation between job performance and the pics and posts on a candidate’s profile, says Business Insider.
In the study, 86 recruiters reviewed the Facebook profile, photos and wall of 416 college students who were on the hunt for a full-time job. Each recruiter then rated the ability of five students to find employment, based only on the information gleaned from Facebook.
Fast forward to a year later. The researchers followed up with the students’ former supervisors and asked them about each one’s job performance. Of the 142 students for whom they were able to get a supervisor’s assessment, the recruiters’ Facebook ratings showed zero correlation with job performance.
Some of the posts and pictures that generated a low score for candidates included people drinking, profanity, sexual references and religious quotes.
Although the researchers found no correlation between a less-than-favorably rated social media site and job performance, it may take some time for employers and recruiters to wean themselves away from reviewing such material, since they don’t want to be accused of not having done enough due diligence. | https://insights.dice.com/2014/01/13/social-media-fails-job-performance-indicator/ |
The Elwins play a free lunchtime show at Sugar Beach today. Artwork by Matt Vergotis and AndreasJD.
Exuberant pop act The Elwins, whose new album Beauty Community drops in mid-October, are playing the 102.1 the Edge’s Sugar Beach Session series midday today, before they embark on their fall tour. The studio, which faces out onto the white sand and pink umbrellas, will open their bay doors wide and present the band live, playing a selection of their new tunes.
Sugar Beach (11 Dockside Drive), 12:30 p.m., FREE.
Two of Toronto’s cleverest comics return for “Season Three” of Salomon and Smith, tonight at Comedy Bar. Comedic partners Jess Salomon and DeAnne Smith (who’re both in lesbian relationships, but platonic pals—they even have a podcast about it) welcome stand-up guests Dawn Whitwell, Andrew Barr, and Sara Hennessey, who recently had two shows added due to demand to the just closed JFL42 comedy festival.
Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 9 p.m., $10.
Tonight’s previously scheduled comedy show Last Night On Earth, and all subsequent Comedy At the Broadview shows, have been cancelled.
Click here to view Tuesday’s picks. | https://torontoist.com/2017/10/urban-planner-monday-october-2-2017/ |
Media Contact:
Nalini Padmanabhan
ASHG Communications Manager
301.634.7346
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
Friday, September 18, 2015
12:00 pm U.S. Pacific Time (UTC-05:00)
WHEN:
Tuesday through Saturday, Oct. 6-10, 2015
WHERE:
American Society of Human Genetics 2015 Annual Meeting
Baltimore Convention Center, 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
WHAT:
Invited and platform (oral) sessions and other presentations of the latest research into precision/personalized medicine, including pharmacogenetics:
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, Room 307
Invited Session: Mendelian disorders of the epigenetic machinery: Genetic disorders with epigenetic consequences
Moderators: Hans T. Bjornsson, Johns Hopkins University; and Sharon E. Smith, Boston Children’s Hospital
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2:30-4:30 pm, Room 309
Platform Session: Advances in epigenetics: What would Waddington say?
Moderator(s): Reid Alisch, University of Wisconsin; and Terry Furey, UNC Chapel Hill
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2:45-3:00 pm, Hilton Ballroom 1
Platform Presentation: Williams-Beuren syndrome as an epigenetic disease: Association of GTF2IRD1 with chromatin silencing complexes
P. Carmona-Mora, University of New South Wales, et al
Friday, Oct. 9, 10:00-10:15 am, Hall F
2015 Curt Stern Award: Leonid Kruglyak, PhD
Dr. Kruglyak’s research has focused on understanding how genes interact with each other and the environment to influence traits.
Friday, Oct. 9, 4:30-6:30 pm, Ballroom III
Platform Session: Making connections: From DNA looping to eQTLs and tissue-specific regulation
Moderator(s): Nadav Ahituv, UCSF; and Tony Capra, Vanderbilt University
- 4:30-4:45 pm: Extremely high resolution 3D maps of human and mouse genomes across lineages and during differentiation reveal principles of chromatin looping
S. Rao, Baylor College of Medicine, et al
- 4:45-5:00 pm: Identifying the transcription factors mediating enhancer-target gene regulation in the human genome
Y. C. Hwang, University of Pennsylvania, et al
- 5:45-6:00 pm: Inferring causal relationships between gene expression and complex traits using Mendelian randomization (MR)
Y. Park, University of Pennsylvania, et al
- 6:15-6:30 pm: Mapping genetic and epigenetic factors influencing human hippocampal gene expression
A. Hoffmann, University of Bonn, et al
Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:15-8:45 am, Room TBD
Invited Workshop: Advanced workshop on integrative analysis using ENCODE and Roadmap Epigenomics data
Pre-registration ($25) is required for this event
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9:15-9:35 am, Hall F
Plenary Presentation: Genetic and epigenetic factors affecting regulatory elements underlie lactose intolerance and lactase persistence
R. Jeremian, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, et al
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Room 318/321
Platform Session: New insights in gene regulation
Moderator(s): Michael Talkowski, Harvard Medical School; and Vivian Cheung, University of Michigan
- 11:45 am-12:00 pm: Convergence of genes and pathways influencing neurodevelopment following suppression of ASD-associated chromatic modifiers and transcriptional regulators in human neural progenitor cells
S. Erdin, Massachusetts General Hospital, et al
- 12:00-12:15 pm: High-throughput analysis of gene-environment interactions across 250 cellular conditions
F. Luca, Wayne State University, et al
Saturday, Oct. 10, 1:45-3:45 pm, Room 316
Invited Session: Life beyond additive variance
Moderators: Julien F. Ayroles, Princeton University; and Andrew G. Clark, Cornell University
Ongoing: Posters Open for Viewing, Exhibit Hall
Epigenetics, Posters 391-467
Genome Structure, Variation, and Function, Posters 3026-3193
About the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)
Founded in 1948, the American Society of Human Genetics is the primary professional membership organization for human genetics specialists worldwide. Its nearly 8,000 members include researchers, academicians, clinicians, laboratory practice professionals, genetic counselors, nurses, and others with an interest in human genetics. The Society serves scientists, health professionals, and the public by providing forums to: (1) share research results through the ASHG Annual Meeting and in The American Journal of Human Genetics; (2) advance genetic research by advocating for research support; (3) educate current and future genetics professionals, health care providers, advocates, policymakers, educators, students, and the public about all aspects of human genetics; and (4) promote genetic services and support responsible social and scientific policies. For more information, visit: http://www.ashg.org. | https://www.ashg.org/publications-news/press-releases/201510-tipsheet-epigenetics/ |
Capillary isoelectric focusing with laser-induced fluorescence whole column imaging detection as a tool to monitor reactions of proteins.
Capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) whole column imaging detection (WCID) has the characteristics of high resolution, high speed and high sensitivity for separation of amphoteric biomolecules. These features enable a CIEF-LIF-WCID system to monitor the dynamic process of a protein reaction. The reaction can be a physical change or a chemical reaction, provided that the kinetics of the reaction is slower than the focusing speed or that the intermediates involved have long enough life-span compared to the analysis time. The processes of denaturation (a physical reaction), reduction and carbamylation (both chemical reactions) were dynamically monitored. The CIEF profiles at successive reaction times clearly displayed the formation of different products at different stages. At incomplete denaturation, intermediates with higher apparent pI values relative to the products at complete denaturation were detected. Carbamylation products of a protein were detected when the protein reacted with a urea solution that had prepared three months earlier, exhibiting gradually decreased pI values. Mechanisms involved in these reactions were rationalized. A combined mechanism of denaturation and reduction was suggested to explain the denaturing process under high concentrations of urea. Potential applications and critical factors to manipulate these reactions were also discussed.
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Culture Shift: Redirecting Humanity’s Path to a Flourishing Future
By Jeremy Lent
What do all these ideas have in common—a tax on carbon, big investments in renewable energy, a livable minimum wage and freely accessible healthcare? The answer is that we need all of them, but even taken together they're utterly insufficient to redirect humanity away from impending catastrophe and toward a truly flourishing future.
That's because the problems these ideas are designed to solve, critical as they are, are symptoms of an even more profound problem: the implicit values of a global economic and political system that is driving civilization toward a precipice.
Even with the best of intentions, those actively working to reform the current system are a bit like software engineers valiantly trying to fix multiple bugs in a faulty software program: each fix complicates the code, leading inevitably to a new set of bugs that require even more heroic workarounds. Ultimately, it becomes clear that the problem isn't just the software: an entirely new operating system is required to get where we need to go.
Searching for a Foundation of Meaning
This realization dawned on me gradually over the years I spent researching my book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning. My research began as a personal search for meaning. I'd been through a personal crisis when the certainties on which I'd built my early life came crashing down around me. I wanted my life going forward to be truly meaningful—but based on what foundation? I was determined to sort through the received narratives of meaning until I came across a foundation I could really believe in.
My drive to answer these questions led me to explore the patterns of meaning that different cultures throughout history have constructed. Just like peeling an onion, I realized that one layer of meaning frequently covered deeper layers that structure the daily thoughts and values that most people take for granted. It was a journey of nearly ten years, during which I dedicated myself to deep research in disciplines such as neuroscience, history and anthropology.
Finally, I discovered that what makes humans unique is that we—to a greater extent than any other species—have what I call a "patterning instinct:" we are driven to pattern meaning into our world. That drive is what led humans to develop language, myth and culture. It enabled us to invent tools and develop science, giving us tremendous benefits but also putting us on a collision course with the natural world.
Root Metaphors Underlie Cultural Frames of Meaning
Each culture tends to construct its worldview on a root metaphor of the universe, which in turn defines people's relationship to nature and each other, ultimately leading to a set of values that directs how that culture behaves. It's those culturally derived values that have shaped history.
Early hunter-gatherers, for example, understood nature as a "giving parent," seeing themselves as part of a large extended family, intrinsically connected with the spirits of the natural world around them. When agriculture first emerged about twelve thousand years ago, new values such as property, hierarchy and wealth appeared, leading early civilizations to view the universe as dominated by a hierarchy of gods who required propitiation through worship, ritual and sacrifice.
Beginning with the ancient Greeks, a radically new, dualistic way of thinking about the universe emerged, conceiving a split cosmos divided between a heavenly domain of eternal abstraction and a worldly domain polluted with imperfection. This cosmological split was paralleled by the conception of a split human being composed of an eternal soul temporarily imprisoned in a physical body that is destined to die. Christianity, the world's first systematic dualistic cosmology, built on the Greek model by placing the source of meaning in an external God in the heavens, while the natural world became merely a desacralized theater for the human drama to be enacted.
The Christian cosmos set the stage for the modern worldview that emerged in seventeenth century Europe with the Scientific Revolution. The belief in the divinity of reason, inherited from the ancient Greeks, served as an inspiration for the scientific discoveries of pioneers such as Galileo, Kepler and Newton, who all believed that they were glimpsing "the mind of God."
The Flawed Operating System Underlying Modern Culture
But the worldview that inspired these breakthroughs had a darker side. The Scientific Revolution was built on metaphors such as "nature as a machine" and "conquering nature" which have shaped the values and behaviors of the modern age. The entailments of a dualistic cosmos inherited from the Greeks have defined our received beliefs, many of which we accept implicitly even though they are based on flawed assumptions.
We are told that humans are fundamentally selfish—indeed even our genes are selfish—and that an efficiently functioning society is one where everyone rationally pursues their own self-interest. We accept technocratic fixes to problems that require more integrated, systemic solutions on the premise that nature is just a very complicated machine—one that is entirely separate from humanity.
The "selfish gene" is just one of the pervasive—and deeply flawed—metaphors of our modern age.
Continued growth in Gross Domestic Product is seen as the basis for economic and political success, even though GDP measures nothing more than the rate at which we are transforming nature and human activities into the monetary economy, no matter how beneficial or harmful it may be. And the world's financial markets are based on the belief that the global economy will keep growing indefinitely even though that is impossible on a finite planet. "No problem," we are told, since technology will always find a new solution.
These underlying flaws in our global operating system stem ultimately from a sense of disconnection. Our minds and bodies, reason and emotion are seen as split parts within ourselves. Human beings are understood as individuals separated from each other, and humanity as a whole is perceived as separate from nature. At the deepest level, it is this sense of separation that is inexorably leading human civilization to potential disaster.
Connectedness as a Foundation for Human Flourishing
However, the same human patterning instinct that has brought us to this precipice is also capable of turning us around and onto a path of sustainable flourishing. We have the capacity to build an alternative worldview around a sense of connectedness within the web of life—a sense shared by indigenous cultures around the world from the earliest times.
I've seen this idea disparaged as a New Agey, kumbaya-style mentality even by otherwise progressive thinkers. However, modern scientific findings validate the underlying connectedness of all living beings. Insights from complexity theory and systems biology show that the connections between things are frequently more important than the things themselves. Life itself is now understood as a self-organizing, self-regenerating complex that extends like a fractal at ever-increasing scale, from a single cell to the global system of life on Earth.
Nature as fractal: river in Malaysia.Paul Bourke / Google Earth Fractals
Human beings, too, are best understood not by their selfish drives for power but by cooperation, group identity and a sense of fair play. In contrast to chimpanzees, who are obsessed with competing against each other, human beings evolved to become the most cooperative of primates, working collaboratively on complex tasks and creating communities with shared values and practices that became the basis for culture and civilization. In the view of prominent evolutionary psychologists, it was our intrinsic sense of fairness that led to the evolutionary success of our species and created the cognitive foundation for crucial values of the modern world such as freedom, equality and representative government.
Just as the values of previous generations shaped history, so the values we collectively choose to live by today will shape our future. The cognitive patterns instilled in us by the dominant culture are the results of a particular worldview that arose at a specific time and place in human history. This worldview has now passed its expiration date. It is causing enormous unnecessary suffering throughout the globe and driving our civilization toward collapse.
Rather than trying to transcend what we are, our most important task is to peel away this received worldview, reach within ourselves to feel our deepest motivations as living beings embedded in the web of life, and act on them.
Jeremy Lent is author of The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning, which investigates how different cultures have made sense of the universe and how their underlying values have changed the course of history. He is founder of the nonprofit Liology Institute, dedicated to fostering a sustainable worldview. For more information visit jeremylent.com.
Originally published in Open Democracy | Transformation, March 20, 2018.
- What Does China's 'Ecological Civilization' Mean for Humanity's ... ›
- What Will It Really Take to Avoid Collapse? ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
World Consumption of Natural Resources Tops 110 Billion Tons a Year for the First Time
The world is using up more and more resources and global recycling is falling. That's the grim takeaway from a new report by the Circle Economy think tank, which found that the world used up more than 110 billion tons, or 100.6 billion metric tons, of natural resources, as Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Climate-Friendly Heating: How to Stay Warm Without Fossil Fuels
By Gero Rueter
Heating with coal, oil and natural gas accounts for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. But that's something we can change, says Wolfgang Feist, founder of the Passive House Institute in the western German city of Darmstadt.
Drug Epidemic: Death Toll May Be Twice as High as Previously Thought
By George Citroner
- Recent research finds that official government figures may be underestimating drug deaths by half.
- Researchers estimate that 142,000 people died due to drug use in 2016.
- Drug use decreases life expectancy after age 15 by 1.4 years for men and by just under 1 year for women, on average.
Government records may be severely underreporting how many Americans die from drug use, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University.
Forever Chemicals Contaminate More Drinking Water Than Previously Reported
In a new nationwide assessment of drinking water systems, the Environmental Working Group found that toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS are far more prevalent than previously thought.
Trending
Iguanas Are 'Freezing' and Falling From Trees in Florida (They're Not Necessarily Dead)
An unusual weather report made waves this week as meteorologists warned residents of Florida to be aware of "raining iguanas." | https://www.ecowatch.com/redirecting-humanitys-path-2553188530.html |
The main concept of piezoVolume is to develop a platform of integrated processes for production of piezoelectric microsystems.
The platform will cover the complete microfabrication process chain and enable cost-effective medium and large scale production. A set of procedures, guidelines and tools will be developed, enabling short time to market for new device concepts. The capacity will be 2.5 Mio 1x1 cm devices per year from 10.000 200 mm wafers.
Readily available cost-effective wafer based batch processing of piezoMEMS lowers the threshold for industry acceptance of piezoMEMS and is enabling to realise new products based on piezoMEMS.
The ThinSi project will develop a solar cell processing chain for high throughput, cost-effective manufacturing of thin film silicon based solar cells on low-cost silicon substrates. The substrates will be made on the basis of an innovative powder-to-substrate concept.
Plant photosynthesis depends on membranes, and human beings would be unable to hear without the eardrum. Could yet another membrane help rescue us from a climatic catastrophe?
In the project "Establishment of a process for production of membrane elements", an industrial manufacturing process for membrane tubes for CO2 capture using hydrogen separation, is developed. Reinertsen AS, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry and SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing AS participate in the project. | https://www.sintef.no/en/projects/piezovolume-high-volume-piezoelectric-thin-film-pr/ |
Mainly Norfolk: English
Folk and Other Good Music
The Heavens Above Us (An Astrologer's Song)
[words Rudyard Kipling, music Peter Bellamy]
An Astrologer's Song is a poem from Rudyard Kipling's book
Rewards and Fairies.
Peter Bellamy with counter-tenor Dik Cadbury and bass Chris Birch
sang it under the title The Heavens Above Us
on his second album of songs set to Kipling's poems,
Merlin's Isle of Gramarye.
He commented in the album's sleeve notes:
The Heavens Above Us (An Astrologer's Song)
is the companion piece to
Our Fathers of Old,
both coming from the story
A Doctor of Medicine which concerns the methods and beliefs of the
Seventeenth Century herbalist and astrologer Nicholas Culpeper. The organ and
counter-tenor parts were arranged by Dolly Collins, and the bass voice and
violin scores were added by Chris Birch.
Lyrics
To the Heavens above us
Oh, look and behold
The planets that love us
All harnessed in gold!
What chariots, what horses,
Against us shall bide
While the Stars in their courses
Do fight on our side?
All thought, all desires,
That are under the sun,
Are one with their fires,
As we also are one;
All matter, all spirit,
All fashion, all frame,
Receive and inherit
Their strength from the same.
(Oh, man that deniest
All power save thine own,
Their power in the highest
Is mightily shown.
Not less in the lowest
That power is made clear.
Oh, man, if thou knowest,
What treasure is here!)
Earth quakes in her throes
And we wonder for why!
But the blind planet knows
When her ruler is nigh;
And, attuned since Creation,
To perfect accord,
She thrills in her station
And yearns to her Lord.
The waters have risen,
The springs are unbound—
The floods break their prison,
And ravin around.
No rampart withstands 'em,
Their fury will last,
Till the Sign that commands 'em
Sinks low or swings past.
Through abysses unproven,
And gulfs beyond thought,
Our portion is woven,
Our burden is brought.
Yet They that prepare it,
Whose Nature we share,
Make us who must bear it
Well able to bear.
Though terrors o'ertake us
We'll not be afraid,
No Power can unmake us
Save that which has made.
Nor yet beyond reason
Nor hope shall we fall—
All things have their season,
And Mercy crowns all.
Then, doubt not, ye fearful—
The Eternal is King—
Up, heart, and be cheerful,
And lustily sing:
| |
The Annual International Waterborne, High-Solids, and Powder Coating Symposium is a multi-faceted conference benefiting industry, academia, and the Polymer Science and Engineering Program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Waterborne is a technical forum dealing with coatings and related fields, focusing on sustainable materials and practices. There will be paper presentations on new and emerging technologies related to materials, processes, production, characterization, application, and markets in the field of surface coatings.
Proceeds from the Symposium are vital to the school. Funds received are used for academic program development. This includes graduate student stipends, junior faculty development, equipment acquisition and maintenance, and scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in Polymer Science, most of whom enter the coatings or related polymer industries upon graduation. These scholarships are critical to the university's efforts to recruit the highest achieving students into our program.
The school also publishes an annual resume book featuring our students who will soon be graduating and looking for work.
We strive to offer the preeminent educational/technical forum in the United States directed to the science and technology of surface coatings. Profits from the Symposium provide revenue to support and advance students at the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi. Our Symposium offerings include:
The Waterborne Symposium
118 College Dr. Box 5169
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
United States
COATINO and The Waterborne Symposium goals are closely aligned – that is, to bring innovation and learning to the coatings industry. Working together as partners enables us to promote innovation in the industry. There is an unmet need for good technical know-how and exchange within the coatings community. The COATINO network addresses this need, and we are proud to partner with them to further educate and enhance the industry.
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TANRISKA, YENI DWI (2016) THE EFFECT OF INQUIRY BASED LEARNING TOWARD STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING. undergraduate thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik.
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Abstract
Study is not only memorise, but also practice and use thought optimally during lesson. Critical thinking is an intellectual concept that encourages individuals to analyse, evaluate and explain through interpreting ideas from a broader perspective. Critical thinking is one of the significant concepts which can optimize learners’ directing and controlling learning. This study investigated the effectiveness of inquiry based learning toward students’ critical thinking for senior high students in speaking class. The design of this study was quasi experimental design. This study was conducted in SMA NU 1 Gresik. The sample was XI Science 7 as control group which consisted of 35 students and XI Science 8 as experimental group which consisted of 36 students. The data was conducted from pre-test and post-test as the instrument. After getting the data, the researcher analysed the data by using SPSS 15.0 program. The instrument had been validated by two experts in education before doing the research. For homogeneity test, the researcher used Levene test to analyses the variances both of the groups were equal. Independent sample t-test was applied to analyse data. The research finding showed that there was significant difference between students who studied by using inquiry based learning and students who did not study by using inquiry based learning. The researcher found that the probability value of both groups was 0,000. It was less than the level of significance 0,05 (0,000 < 0,05). It indicated that inquiry based learning could significantly influence students’ critical thinking ability. It was proved that inquiry based learning could be effective and influence toward students’ critical thinking ability. The overall conclusion of the implementation of inquiry based learning made the students realized that the teacher was not the source of information and experience. Then, students were accustomed to ask about unclear information based on the topic and found information from different sources. This strategy also helped students’ in understanding about the importance to give opinion logically about an issue. When students always practice to deliver their own arguments, it can increase students’ vocabulary and speaking. Thus, this study not only supports Inquiry Based Learning strategy toward critical thinking, but also provides an opportunity to productive skill that is speaking. The last, the researcher suggests to the English teacher that this study can support him in senior high school to consider inquiry based learning strategy as an alternative strategy in teaching speaking English and create an enjoy learning English situation so, students will not feel bored and easy to understand the material well. | http://eprints.umg.ac.id/2726/ |
The prevalence rates of hoarding disorder (HD), adverse effects, limited treatment engagement, and challenges with clutter reduction speak to the need to enhance HD assessment and CBT treatment approaches. Hoarding symptoms are typically assessed using self-and/or assessor report as well as clinical interview instruments. To address the visual aspect of HD, the paper-based Clutter Image Rating (CIR) scale includes sets of 9 “clutter-equidistant” photos for each of 3 rooms (i.e., bedroom, living room, kitchen) that are used to rate clutter severity. Ratings may be provided by clients, family members, clinicians, and human service personnel. While the CIR has been validated, it can be subjective (requiring image rating by a human), potentially biased by the assessor’s perception, and costly, if a clinician performs a home-based assessment. This project aims to leverage the recent success of machine learning in visual recognition, to develop an automatic, computer-based rating of room clutter.
To date, we have collected a set of 1332 on-line images of hoarded rooms rated by a trained assessor using the CIR. We applied machine learning to automatically assess CIR values. In particular, we applied the support vector machine (SVM) as a classifier to either the histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) or convolutional neural network (CNN) features. Analysis of the dataset of 1332 on-line images resulted in a high correct classification rate within ±1 of the CIR rating. Large errors existed for some images.
Results are promising, and relatively consistent with ratings by trained professionals. Next steps include continuing to seek more accurate algorithms for rating CIR values. Automated real-time CIR assessment would remove human bias from CIR scoring, thus leading to a better precision and consistency across venues and time. Such an objective HD measure would also enhance the scalability of HD assessment, enable real-time monitoring and feedback, and facilitate the coordination of response among clinical and community providers.
Assoc Prof
Boston University
Enhancing Hoarding Disorder Assessment Through Automated Rating of Room Clutter
Friday, November 17
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Research and Professional Development 3 - Strategies for Providing Effective Training in CBT With Diverse Populations
Saturday, November 18
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
The asset you are trying to access is locked. Please enter your access key to unlock. | https://www.eventscribe.com/2017/ABCT/ajaxcalls/PresentationInfo.asp?efp=VE1QUUFKVVAzODYz&PresentationID=301758&rnd=0.4229183 |
My brother Michael was visiting fromAustralia. He was in KL for just 8 hours before heading back home. We were at one of the local shopping centres and wanted to have a quiet cup of coffee.
I knew of a little coffee shop that is a part of a large chain. We headed there.
Great! On arriving, we saw that there were only 2 people inside. We had made the right decision to come here to have a quiet chat and catch up on what was happening in each other’s lives.
Right in front of us there was a table with 4 comfortable chairs. This was the ideal place to have a quiet coffee with Michael.
It had a “Reserved” sign on it.
I asked a table attendant whether we could have that table and he politely said, “No. It is for the President.”
I assumed that Obama was not heading this way, so I figured that the big boss of the company was expected.
I asked the table attendant, “When do you expect him?” to which he answered, “I don’t know.”
It took just a bit of logical deduction to work out what was happening. The cafe staff were informed that the big boss would be visiting sometime during the day. So, they reserved the table for the whole day, to make sure that he would have the best table in the house.
The only problem, is that it’s people like me – the humble customer – who pay the President’s wages.
In my world, it’s the customer who should get the royal treatment. For, as Sam Walton said, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
I would like to publicly announce that I have just fired the President, as well as the entire café staff of this establishment. And I will do the same for any other organisation that does not treat me – the customer – as the most important person on its premises. I have a sea of choice in front of me, and, like all customers, I apply “The Golden Rule” – the customer has the gold, and therefore, the customer rules.
Do you treat your customers like VIPs? Or do your senior staff get higher levels of royal treatment – over and above the ones who pay their wages? And if so, what impact is that having on your business. Food for thought. | https://georgeaveling.com/2012/03/10/why-i-have-sacked-the-presidentand-everyone-else-in-this-company/ |
So dreamy, heavy and deep. Ethereal rock with out-of-this-world vocal harmonies, heavy guitars that give way to beautiful melodies, and pyschedelic accompaniment that brings it together.
SuzieQ Sharkey,Art Technologist, Music Lover
These are musicians who get out of the city. This album is far more pastoral than any LA band that comes to mind. And expansive beyond any trio save for the music of XTC. It’s good to remember that LA beaches are sometimes foggy as lush melodic vocal harmony-based tracks evoke prog/folk conversational markers advanced by experimental English bands Beatles, Pink Floyd, and West Coasters Alice In Chains, Elliott Smith, and Stone Temple Pilots.
Pato Milo,Dead Cat Hat, San Francisco
About They Stole My Crayon
They Stole My Crayon are an ethereal alternative music band from Southern California. Comprised of three multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, They Stole My Crayon employs a vast variety of influences and mixes them with beautiful dissonance, fascinating song structures, and an eccentric sense of musicality. | https://theystolemycrayon.com/ |
Studies of GRB host galaxies have shown that most are faint blue galaxies [41,52], with R ~ 22-30mag, and R-K ~2.5 mag. GRBs occasionally (but not always) occur within UV-bright parts of their hosts , consistent with their association with star forming (SF) regions.
The broad-band spectral energy distribution (SED) of practically all host galaxies are best fit with starburst galaxy templates [16,33,34,72]. Also, sub-mm and radio observations have shown that at least four GRB hosts (corresponding to 20% of the observed hosts), are intensively star forming galaxies [3,9,23]. A recent survey has led to the conclusion that the optical/infrared properties of the submillimeter-brightest GRB hosts are not typical of the galaxy population selected in sub-mm surveys. Also, there is evidence that Lya emission is common for GRB host galaxies, while it is not for other starbursts at similar redshift .
The study of the SF rate in normal galaxies is a controversial topic. Though several different tracers for SF have been proposed and used, there still remain questions and problems. Light dimming by dust biases SF rate measurements, both locally [8, 89] and at high redshift [55, 88], and is the cause of uncertain cross-calibrations between different indicators. GRBs, on the other hand, provide some important advantages (though measurement of the SF in a GRB host galaxy then suffers from the same biases), namely that (i) they can be seen to high red-shifts, (ii) finding the hosts by y-ray detection is unaffected by gas/dust absorption, (iii) they can be detected in hosts which are themselves too faint to appear in any flux-limited galaxy sample.
Morphologically, GRB hosts exhibit a surprisingly broad diversity of galaxy types. Based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging, two thirds of host galaxies are found to be situated in a region of the concentration-asymmetry diagram occupied by spirals or peculiar/merging galaxies while the other are more akin to elliptical galaxies . More interestingly, GRB hosts at z > 1 are different from the general field population at that redshift in terms of light concentration, yet have sizes similar to the general z > 1 population. This is the opposite of the effect at z < 1, where GRB hosts are smaller than average. This implies that GRB hosts trace the starburst population at high redshift, as similarly concentrated galaxies at z > 2 are undergoing a disproportionate amount of SF for their luminosities. Furthermore, GRBs are not only an effective tracer of SF but are perhaps ideal tracers of typical galaxies undergoing SF at any epoch, making them perhaps our best hope of locating the earliest galaxies at z > 7 .
Was this article helpful? | https://www.astronomyclub.xyz/proportional-counters/host-galaxies.html |
Introduction {#s1}
============
Use of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for the diagnosis of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* (TB) has allowed rapid identification and diagnosis of TB. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the first guideline in 1996, then an updated guideline in 2009 [@pone.0107552-Centers1] and suggested that "*NAA should be performed on at least one respiratory specimen from each patient with signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB for whom diagnosis of TB is being considered but has not yet been established*". Compared with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear microscopy, the addition of NAAT provides better positive predictive value with AFB smear-positive specimens [@pone.0107552-Centers1] and its usefulness has also been reported in smear-negative specimens [@pone.0107552-Centers1], [@pone.0107552-Kambashi1]. In addition, NAAT provides quicker results compared to confirmation by culture growth, a process that could take weeks.
Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) is a 960-bed urban teaching hospital in metro Atlanta. GMH primarily serves the residents in two counties (Fulton and DeKalb) which have the highest TB incidences in Georgia [@pone.0107552-Georgia1]. In 1992, in response to a nosocomial outbreak of pulmonary TB, GMH implemented an enhanced isolation policy [@pone.0107552-Zaza1]. The policy requires airborne isolation of all patients with active TB, those admitted with TB in their differential diagnoses, patients for whom AFB sputum smears and cultures ordered, and patients with HIV infection presenting with respiratory symptoms and/or abnormal chest radiograph [@pone.0107552-Leonard1]. For patients who remain hospitalized, isolation is continued until AFB smears are reported as negative and an alternate explanation for the presenting illness has been established, or when AFB smears are negative and the patient has completed at least two weeks of therapy for suspected TB.
The GMH microbiology laboratory implemented in 2000 the FDA-approved Amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis Direct Test (MTD), a type of NAAT from Hologic Gen-Probe (San Diego, CA), for AFB smear-positive respiratory specimens (first specimen only) following the CDC guidelines [@pone.0107552-Centers1], [@pone.0107552-Centers2]. After MTD was introduced, an additional criteria used to stop airborne isolation was a negative MTD result from a smear positive respiratory specimen. The test manufacturer reports high sensitivity (96.9%) and specificity (100%) when this test is used for AFB smear-positive specimens [@pone.0107552-Hologic1], suggesting that it would not only be useful for the rapid diagnosis of TB, but also to distinguish between TB and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species. One of the unique features of the patient population seen at GMH is a relatively high HIV prevalence, which is supported by the fact that metro Atlanta has one of the highest HIV incidences among the metropolitan statistical areas of residence [@pone.0107552-Centers3]. Atypical presentations of pulmonary TB has been described in patients with HIV, especially in those with advanced immune suppression [@pone.0107552-Hopewell1]. In addition, NTM species including *Mycobacterium avium* complex (MAC) in particular, is known to frequently colonize lung secretions of HIV-infected individuals [@pone.0107552-Salama1], and while these organisms are commonly suspected as the cause for AFB smear positive respiratory specimens, reports have also suggested that the presence of NTM may result in false-positive MTD results [@pone.0107552-Jorgensen1], [@pone.0107552-Tjhie1].
The purposes of this study are to describe the trends and characteristics of all AFB smear-positive respiratory samples that underwent MTD testing prospectively from 2000 to 2011 at GMH, and to evaluate the clinical utility of the test for diagnosis of TB in the hospital patients with high-HIV prevalence.
Methods {#s2}
=======
Clinical Specimens {#s2a}
------------------
All AFB smear-positive respiratory samples that had MTD testing at GMH from 2001 to 2011 were included in the study. The respiratory specimens included sputa, bronchial washings, and tracheal aspirates.
Specimen Processing and Culture {#s2b}
-------------------------------
The respiratory specimens were first decontaminated with N-acetyl-L-cysteine-sodium hydroxide (NACL), and were concentrated with centrifugation (3000 g for 15 minutes), according to standard procedures [@pone.0107552-Nolte1]. After centrifugation, the supernatant was decanted, and phosphate buffer was added to the pellet. Part of the sediment was used to prepare an AFB fluorochrome smear. Approximately 0.5 ml was used to inoculate into MB/BacT bottle and incubated in the BacT/ALERT 3D system (bioMérieux, Durham), and about 0.25 ml onto a Middlebrook 7H11 plate. The cultures were incubated at 37°C for 5--6 weeks. Isolates of mycobacteria were identified by DNA probes (AccuProbe, Hologic Gen-Probe, San Diego, CA) or by conventional biochemical tests, according to standard protocol [@pone.0107552-Nolte1]. The remaining sediments were stored at 2--8°C for up to 3 days until they were tested for MTD, or at −70°C if they needed to be stored for more than 3 days.
MTD Test {#s2c}
--------
In principle, the MTD test was only performed on respiratory specimens that were AFB smear-positive. If the first specimen from a patient resulted in an inconclusive test result, MTD was repeated on the second specimen. MTD testing and interpretation of the results were done according to the manufacturer\'s protocol [@pone.0107552-Gen1]: relative light units (RLU) of more than 500,000 was considered positive; RLU of less than 30,000 were considered negative; and RLU between 30,000 to 500,000 were considered equivocal. Equivocal results were repeated, and if the repeat testing continued to show equivocal results, the results were considered un-interpretable. The turnaround time, i.e., the duration between specimen collection to the report of MTD test result, was also recorded.
Patient Information {#s2d}
-------------------
For each specimen, we collected information on patient demographics (age, gender), and HIV status if available. For those who were HIV positive, CD4 count at the time of MTD testing was also collected. For MTD results that were un-interpretable or were discordant with the mycobacterial culture results, we further reviewed the patients\' medical records to obtain additional clinical information.
Data Analysis {#s2e}
-------------
For the purpose of calculating the testing characteristics of MTD, mycobacterial culture results from the same samples for AFB smear and MTD were used as the reference standard. For the MTD results, we used the results that were reported to the clinicians as the final results, as some samples had the test repeated before the results were reported. MTD results that were considered to be un-interpretable were excluded from the calculation of the testing characteristics. Although the laboratory protocol was to perform the MTD test on only the first smear-positive specimen, the test was occasionally performed on subsequent specimens mainly per the clinician\'s request. Therefore, in addition to reviewing the results of all the specimens individually ("per specimen"), we also looked at the results by "per unique visit" by only including the first MTD test result within a 30-day period per patient if the specimens came from the same patient, and disregarded the results that came from subsequent specimens.
We then calculated the testing characteristics after adjustment (adjusted MTD): if the MTD result was either un-interpretable or negative, but previously had a positive TB sample (within one year), the MTD result was considered positive in the adjusted MTD, as MTD is not recommended on samples from those already on treatment [@pone.0107552-Gen1]. In addition, if a known TB patient (culture positive within one year) had a negative culture result but a positive MTD, we also considered the sample to be culture-positive in the adjusted MTD analysis.
Lastly, the trends in the numbers of MTD tested smear-positive samples and the proportions of those that had positive results were calculated during the study period. Statistical p-values based on Pearson chi-square tests were used to evaluate the significance of year-to-year changes. For the categories with more than 5 observations, p-values were calculated using two-sample test of proportion. The p-values for the median were calculated using the K-sample median test. The calculations were done by STATA/IC 10.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX).
Ethics Statement {#s2f}
----------------
The study protocol received approval from the Institutional Review Board at Emory University (IRB00057687).
Results {#s3}
=======
MTD Test Performance {#s3a}
--------------------
There were a total of 2,240 AFB smear-positive specimens from 1,412 patients that underwent MTD testing prospectively during the period. When the specimens were counted per unique visit, there were 1,644 samples from 1,412 patients. The median turnaround time for the MTD test results was 2 days for both per specimen and per unique visit (range 0--46 for per specimen, 0--40 for per unique visit). The testing characteristics of MTD are summarized in [Table 1](#pone-0107552-t001){ref-type="table"} (without adjustment) and in [Table 2](#pone-0107552-t002){ref-type="table"} (after adjustment). The pre-adjusted results ([Table 1](#pone-0107552-t001){ref-type="table"}) were obtained by excluding the 40 samples (1.8%) that had an equivocal result, whereas after adjustment, only two samples (0.09%) were classified as equivocal ([Table 2](#pone-0107552-t002){ref-type="table"}). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value were 99.0%, 98.0%, 95.3% and 99.6% respectively, and the numbers improved slightly after adjustment (99.4%, 98.8%, 97.1%, 99.7% respectively).
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t001
###### Testing characteristics of MTD without adjustment.
{#pone-0107552-t001-1}
Per sample MTD result (number of samples) Total
------------------- -------------------------------- ----------- ------
TB culture result Negative Positive
Negative 1540 31 1571
Positive 6 623 629
Total 1546 654 2200
Sensitivity/Specificity (%) 99.0/98.0
PPV/NPV (%)\* 95.3/99.6
Note: \* PPV = positive predictive value, NPV = negative predictive value.
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t002
###### Testing characteristics of MTD after adjustment.
{#pone-0107552-t002-2}
Per sample MTD result (number of samples) Total
------------------- -------------------------------- ----------- ------
TB culture result Negative Positive
Negative 1571 19 1590
Positive 4 644 648
Total 1575 663 2238
Sensitivity/Specificity (%) 99.4/98.8
PPV/NPV (%)\* 97.1/99.7
Note: \* PPV = positive predictive value, NPV = negative predictive value.
Among all 2,240 smear-positive respiratory specimens (per specimen), there were 34 (1.5%) that had MTD results that were discordant from the AFB culture: 28 (1.3%) had a false-positive MTD result and 6 (0.3%) had a false-negative MTD result (data not shown). Of the 28 false-positives, 9 either previously (within one year) had TB or had TB isolated from other specimens. Of the 6 false-negatives, 2 samples had mixed culture results (TB and MAC). Additionally, there were 40 (1.8%) specimens that initially had an equivocal MTD result. 36 of the 40 (90%) had repeat MTD testing: 5 were positive (1 false-positive), 28 were negative (2 false-negatives), and 3 had repeat results that were also equivocal.
Trends of MTD Testing During the Study Period {#s3b}
---------------------------------------------
The trends in the numbers of MTD testing and the numbers and percentages of MTD-positive samples during the study period are shown in [Figure 1](#pone-0107552-g001){ref-type="fig"} (per specimen) and [Figure 2](#pone-0107552-g002){ref-type="fig"} (per unique visit). There were statistically significant downward trends in the number of MTD tests performed and the percentage of MTD positive samples during the study period (p\<0.01 for both, data not shown). The absolute number as well as the proportion of MTD positive specimens were highest in 2001 (126, 57.8% per specimen; 73, 51.8% per unique visit, data not shown), whereas the total number of smear- positive specimen tested for MTD was the highest in 2005 (311 and 249 respectively, data not shown). The results per specimen and per unique visit were compared to see if the peak in 2005 was due to multiple MTD testing from the same visit or if there were simply more smear-positive specimens eligible for MTD, and the fact that the trends were similar suggests that the peak in 2005 is likely due to the increase in the total number of smear-positive specimens submitted for MTD compared to other years.
{#pone-0107552-g001}
{#pone-0107552-g002}
Culture and Patient Characteristics {#s3c}
-----------------------------------
Culture and patient characteristics are summarized in [Table 3](#pone-0107552-t003){ref-type="table"} (per specimen) and in [Table 4](#pone-0107552-t004){ref-type="table"} (per unique visit). The majority of specimens came from males (male-to-female ratio 2.6 for both per specimen and per unique visit) and were sputum samples (94.9% per specimen, 95.3% per unique visit). The culture positive rates for TB were 28.5% of per specimen samples and 25.1% of per unique visit samples, respectively The culture positive rates for NTM were56.7% and 58.4%, respectively, and *Mycobacterium avium* complex (MAC) was most frequently isolated (46.3% and 47.3%, respectively). 14.1% of the samples per specimen and 16.5% of the samples per unique visit were culture negative.
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t003
###### Patient demographics and summary of microbiological data of the specimens, per specimen.
{#pone-0107552-t003-3}
Total HIV positive HIV negative Subtotal[\*](#nt103){ref-type="table-fn"} P value[\*\*](#nt104){ref-type="table-fn"}
------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------
No. of specimen 2,240 1,431 (70.6%) 596 (29.4%) 2,027
Median age 44 (13-- 97) 43 (18--76) 48 (13--83) \<0.01
No. of specimen with known gender (M/F, ratio) 2,228 (1,611/617, 2.6) 1425 (1,032/393, 2.6) 595 (445/150, 3) 2,020 (1,477/543, 2.7) 0.27
Types of Respiratory Specimen
Sputum (%) 2,125 (94.9) 1,364 (95.3%) 566 (95.0%) 1,930 0.77
Bronchial wash (%) 105 (4.7) 62 (4.5%) 27 (4.5%) 89
Tracheal aspirate (%) 10 (0.5) 5 (0.4%) 3 (0.5%) 8
Culture positive for TB (%) 639[1](#nt105){ref-type="table-fn"}(28.5) 233[1](#nt105){ref-type="table-fn"} (16.3%) 309[1](#nt105){ref-type="table-fn"} (51.8%) 542 \<0.01
Culture positive for NTM 1,269 (56.7%) 969 (67.7%) 211 (35.4%) 1,180 (58.2%) \<0.01
Number of NTM (%)
*Mycobacterium avium complex* 1,036[2](#nt106){ref-type="table-fn"} (46.3%) 756[2](#nt106){ref-type="table-fn"} (52.8%) 179 (30.0%) 935 \<0.01
*Mycobacterium kansasii* 215[3](#nt107){ref-type="table-fn"} (9.6%) 200[3](#nt107){ref-type="table-fn"} (14.0%) 12 (2.0%) 212 \<0.01
*Mycobacterium gordonae* 32[4](#nt108){ref-type="table-fn"} (1.4%) 16[4](#nt108){ref-type="table-fn"} (1.1%) 15 (2.5%) 31 0.02
*Mycobacterium xenopi* 5 (0.22%) 5 (0.3%) 0 5
*Mycobacterium chelonae*-abscessus complex 4 (0.18%) 1 (0.1%) 3 (0.5%) 4
Other mycobacteria 8 (0.36%) 4 (0.3%) 2 (0.3%) 6
*Nocardia* spp. 3[5](#nt109){ref-type="table-fn"} (0.13%) 2[5](#nt109){ref-type="table-fn"} (0.1%) 0 2
*Rhodococcus* spp. 4 (0.18%) 4 (0.3%) 0 4
Culture Negative 315 (14.1%) 215 (15%) 74 (12.4%) 289 0.13
\* Subtotal for those with known HIV status.
\*\* p value between HIV positive and HIV negative.
17 out of 639 specimen was also culture positive for MAC; 7 in HIV positive group and 9 in HIV negative group.
4 were also culture positive for *M. gordonae*, 10 with *M. kansasii*, 2 with Nocardia. All were found among HIV positive group.
10 were also culture positive for MAC. All were from HIV positive group.
4 were also culture positive for MAC\>All were from HIV positive group.
2 were also culture positive for MAC. All were from HIV positive group.
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t004
###### Patient demographics and summary of microbiological data of the specimens, per unique visit.
{#pone-0107552-t004-4}
Total HIV positive HIV negative Subtotal[\*](#nt110){ref-type="table-fn"} P value[\*\*](#nt111){ref-type="table-fn"}
------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------
No. of specimen 1,644 1,058 (71.1%) 429 (28.9%) 1,487
Median age 44 (13--97) 43 (18--76) 48.5 (13--83) \<0.01
No. of specimen with known gender (M/F, ratio) 1,633 (1,176/457, 2.6) 1,052 (751/301, 2.5) 428 (323/105, 3.1) 1,480 (1,074/406, 2.7) 0.11
Types of Respiratory Specimen (%)
Sputum (%) 1,567 (95.3%) 1,017 (96.1%) 409 (95.3%) 1,426 0.48
Bronchial wash 72 (4.4%) 38 (3.6%) 19 (4.4%) 57
Tracheal aspirate 5 (0.30%) 3 (0.3%) 1 (0.2%) 4
Culture positive for TB 412[1](#nt112){ref-type="table-fn"} (25.1%) 146[1](#nt112){ref-type="table-fn"} (13.8%) 202[1](#nt112){ref-type="table-fn"} (47.1%) 348 \<0.01
Number of NTM (%)
NTM 960 (58.4%) 721 (68.1%) 161 (37.5%) 882 \<0.01
*Mycobacterium avium* complex 777[2](#nt113){ref-type="table-fn"} (47.3%) 581[2](#nt113){ref-type="table-fn"} (54.9%) 141 (32.9%) 722 \<0.01
*Mycobacterium kansasii* 133[3](#nt114){ref-type="table-fn"} (8.1%) 130[3](#nt114){ref-type="table-fn"} (12.3%) 7 (1.6%) 137 \<0.01
*Mycobacterium gordonae* 19[4](#nt115){ref-type="table-fn"} (1.2%) 12[4](#nt115){ref-type="table-fn"} (1.1%) 9 (2.1%) 21 0.14
*Mycobacterium xenopi* 2 (0.12%) 2 (0.2%) 0 2
*Mycobacterium chelonae* 2 (0.12%) 0 2 (0.5%) 2
Other mycobacteria 8 (0.49%) 5 (0.5%) 2 (0.5%) 7
Nocardia spp. 2[5](#nt116){ref-type="table-fn"} (0.12%) 1[5](#nt116){ref-type="table-fn"} (0.1%) 0 1
Rhodococcus spp. 2 (0.12%) 2 (0.2%) 0 2
Culture Negative 271 (16.5%) 182 (17.2%) 66 (15.4%) 248 (16.7%) 0.40
\* Subtotal for those with known HIV status.
\*\* p value between HIV positive and HIV negative.
8 out of 412 also culture positive for MAC; 3 from HIV positive group, and 5 from HIV negative group.
3 also positive for *M. gordonae*, 6 with *M. kansasii*, and 1 with Nocardia. All from HIV positive group.
6 also positive for MAC. All from HIV positive group.
3 also positive for MAC.
1 also positive for MAC.
There were 2,027 specimens (90.5%) in the per-specimen group and 1,487 specimens (90.5%) in the per-unique visit group that had known HIV status, and the majority of them were HIV positive (70.6% per specimen, 71.1% per unique visit) ([Table 3](#pone-0107552-t003){ref-type="table"}, [4](#pone-0107552-t004){ref-type="table"}). The median age of the HIV positive group was younger than the HIV negative group (43 years vs. 48 years, p\<0.01). Of note, the proportion of specimens positive for TB was significantly higher in those specimens from HIV negative individuals (16.3% vs. 51.8%, p\<0.01 per specimen; 13.8% vs. 47.1%, p\<0.01 per unique visit). On the other hand, NTM, in particular MAC was isolated more from HIV positive samples (67.7% vs. 35.4%, p\<0.01 per specimen; 68.1% vs. 37.5%, p\<0.01 per unique visit).
We then looked to see if there were any relationships between the CD4 counts and culture positivity for TB among those who were HIV positive with known CD4 counts. The results are summarized in [Table 5](#pone-0107552-t005){ref-type="table"} (per specimen) and in [Table 6](#pone-0107552-t006){ref-type="table"} (per unique visit). There were 1,383 (61.7%) specimens (per specimen) and 998 (60.7%) specimens (per unique visit), respectively, which were from HIV positive individuals with known CD4 counts. Among those with HIV but without TB in the per specimen group, the median CD4 count was 34 cells/µL (range 0--1361). On the other hand, among those with HIV and TB, the median CD4 count was higher, being 82 cells/µL (range 1--624; p\<0.01). The results were similar when reviewed per unique visit.
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t005
###### Correlation between CD4 count and culture positivity for TB, per specimen (n = 1,383[\*](#nt117){ref-type="table-fn"}).
{#pone-0107552-t005-5}
Total (n = 1,383) TB positive (n = 221) Non-TB\*\* (n = 1162) P-value
------------------------------- ------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ---------
Median CD4 count (range) 38 (0--1361) 82 (1--624) 34 (0--1361) P\<0.01
Number CD4 \<200 cells/µL (%) 1,131 (81.8%) 178 (80.5%) 953 (82.0%) P = 0.6
\* Number among those who are HIV positive with known CD4 counts.
10.1371/journal.pone.0107552.t006
###### Correlation between CD4 count and culture positivity for TB, per unique visit (n = 998[\*](#nt118){ref-type="table-fn"}).
{#pone-0107552-t006-6}
Total (n = 998) TB positive (n = 134) Non-TB[\*\*](#nt119){ref-type="table-fn"} (n = 864) P-value
------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- ----------
Median CD4 count (range) 37 (0--1361) 82.5 (1-- 446) 33 (0--1361) P\<0.01
Number CD4 \<200 cells/µL (%) 828 (83.0) 108 (80.6%) 720 (83.3%) P = 0.47
\* Number among those who are HIV positive with known CD4 counts.
\*\* Includes all results that were not TB.
Discussion {#s4}
==========
Multiple studies have already shown the high yield of MTD in diagnosing TB especially in AFB smear-positive respiratory specimens [@pone.0107552-elSayedZaki1]--[@pone.0107552-Marks1]. To our knowledge, our study provides a summary of the largest number of AFB-smear positive respiratory specimens from a single institution with the MTD test. In the United States, both TB cases and rates have been decreasing steadily since the resurgence peak in 1992 [@pone.0107552-Centers4], and similar trends have been observed in the state of Georgia as well [@pone.0107552-Georgia1]. At GMH also, the reported cases of TB have been steadily decreasing during the study period, reaching the lowest in 2011 (GMH, unpublished data). This is also reflected in the downward trend of the total number as well as the proportion of MTD-positive specimens during the study period ([Figures 1](#pone-0107552-g001){ref-type="fig"}, [2](#pone-0107552-g002){ref-type="fig"}). In other words, the majority of AFB-positive samples submitted for MTD are positive for NTM, especially if the specimen came from a HIV-positive individual ([Tables 3](#pone-0107552-t003){ref-type="table"}, [4](#pone-0107552-t004){ref-type="table"}). When looking at the total number of MTD tested, there is a peak in the number tested in 2005, which was observed both in the results per sample and per unique visit. Despite the increase, the total number of MTD-positive samples did not increase. This indicates that number of MTD tests performed in 2005 was mainly due to increased numbers of sputum test screenings and not due to an increased number of TB cases that year. It is possible that there was a scale-up of TB screening at that time; another possibility is that it took a while for routine MTD testing to be fully implemented, as the proportion of MTD positive samples seem to be relatively steady after 2005, around 20--30% ([Figures 1](#pone-0107552-g001){ref-type="fig"}, [2](#pone-0107552-g002){ref-type="fig"}).
In our study, the majority of the samples were derived from HIV positive individuals, with more than 70% coming from HIV-positives among those with known status. In particular, those who were immunedeficient (CD4\<200 cells/µL) constituted more than 80% of HIV positive individuals with known CD4 counts. The disproportionately high AIDS population in our study population is likely related to the enhanced isolation policy in place at GMH, which includes isolation of all HIV patients with respiratory symptoms or with abnormal chest radiographs. As patients with lower CD4 counts are more likely to develop pulmonary infections [@pone.0107552-Wallace1], they are more likely to be tested for TB with respiratory AFB. In addition, HIV patients are more likely to have their respiratory tract colonized with NTM [@pone.0107552-Salama1]. It is therefore understandable why the proportion of TB was higher among the HIV negative group compared to the HIV positive group ([Tables 3](#pone-0107552-t003){ref-type="table"}, [4](#pone-0107552-t004){ref-type="table"}). Given that advanced HIV is associated with increased risk of development of tuberculosis [@pone.0107552-Selwyn1], [@pone.0107552-Wood1], it is interesting to observe that the median CD4 count was higher among those who were positive for TB compared to those who were non-TB among our HIV positive group ([Tables 5](#pone-0107552-t005){ref-type="table"}, [6](#pone-0107552-t006){ref-type="table"}). While the exact reasons are unclear, there are several possibilities to explain this: since those who have advanced immunodeficiency are more likely to have smear-negative TB [@pone.0107552-Hopewell1] and since in principle, MTD was performed only on smear-positive samples, it is possible that smear-negative TB in the severely immunedeficient cases were not captured; another possibility is that a lower CD4 count is associated with increased pulmonary infection [@pone.0107552-Wallace1] and the non-TB patients among our HIV positive patients simply represent those with especially low CD4 counts who are more susceptible to other pulmonary infections.
One limitation of this study is that complete clinical information was not available for every patient; therefore, we could not ascertain all the clinical decisions by the clinicians. It is possible that some culture-negative TB cases have been missed from the analysis. Regardless, our study was able to show the utility of the NAAT over an 11-year period in a population that is characterized by a relatively high proportion of NTM among smear-positive samples, especially if the specimen came from a HIV-positive individual.
There are several studies that looked at the cost-effectiveness of NAAT in TB diagnosis, which suggested that NAAT may not be cost-effective in low-TB prevalence settings [@pone.0107552-Dowdy1], [@pone.0107552-Hughes1]. Dowdy et al. stated that cost-effectiveness of MTD is sensitive to changes in the relative prevalence of TB among smear-positive patients, annual number of specimens processed by the laboratory, and the marginal cost of reagents [@pone.0107552-Dowdy1]. More recently, a study by Marks et al showed that MTD was cost effective in certain high-risk populations including HIV [@pone.0107552-Marks1]. Given that our patient population is characterized by the high proportion of NTM, especially in HIV-positives that comprised the majority of our study population, using the test on a routine basis in our setting is likely to be cost-effective.
After the new Xpert MTB/RIF NAAT assay received FDA approval in July 2013 [@pone.0107552-US1], we started to offer the test in the same way as MTD on smear positive respiratory samples. Xpert MTD/RIF has several advantages over MTD. For example, while MTD is a manual test, Xpert MTD/RIF is a self-contained automated test, with less potential for PCR contamination. In addition, the platform can be used to detect other pathogens. Teo et al. [@pone.0107552-Teo1] reported that the overall testing characteristics of Xpert MTD/RIF and MTD were comparable, whereas MTD resulted in a higher proportion of equivocal results compared to Xpert MTD/RIF (10.5% vs. 5.5%). The proportion of equivocal results was much smaller (1.8%) in our study, and the differences may be because we only looked at smear-positive respiratory samples, whereas Teo et al. looked at both respiratory and non-respiratory samples [@pone.0107552-Teo1]. Additional studies are needed to assess the true cost-effectiveness and the processing capacity, especially in a setting with a relatively high volume of samples.
Summary and Conclusion {#s5}
======================
Our study showed excellent clinical performance and utility of NAAT for diagnosis of TB from AFB smear-positive samples. This is especially significant in a clinical setting that is characterized by a high-proportion of immunodeficienct HIV-positive individuals, who are more likely to have NTM rather than TB. It is thus appropriate to utilize NAAT to diagnose or rule out TB in populations with a high prevalence of HIV.
We would like to thank Tim Drake, Celeste Williams, Stephanie Merritt, Mark Shapiro, Henry Blumberg, Astrid Suantio, and Andrew Young for the support.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**Dr. Yun F. Wang and Dr. Susan Ray received funding from CDC and Georgia EIP. Dr. Wang received pilot funding from Emory Global Health Institute, and funding for clinical trials was sponsored by Cepheid and bioMerieux. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors\' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
[^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: MK YFW. Analyzed the data: JH MK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: YFW SMR JH. Wrote the paper: MK YFW SMR JH. Reviewed the draft of the manuscript and involved in revision: MK JH SMR YFW. Provided key background information required for the manuscript: SMR YFW. Approved the final version of the manuscript: MK SMR JH YFW.
| |
Simple and Stylish Jeje will add a splash of pretty to bring your outfit together.
All our beads are dipped in a resin and dried 3 times. Although this makes the beads durable and water resistant, they are not waterproof. We do not recommend that they are worn in the shower or while swimming. They are likely survive moderate rain fall.
As our jewelry is handmade, no two pieces are ever alike making them completely one of a kind.
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De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHIRM) will be celebrating its 52nd Young Hoteliers’ Exposition (YHE) on Nov. 7 to 9 at Angelo King International Center.
In line with this term’s theme “Dia de los Muertos,” the expo will hold a series of competitions and seminars throughout the YHE week. The week will see students compete for success in the various solidarity-centered competitions that will awaken the souls of every student in the SHRIM community.
The YHE is a trimestral, school-wide event that gives opportunities for future hoteliers and restaurateurs to showcase their talents, skills, and creativity in culinary arts, hospitality, and the travel and tourism industry. | http://fnbreport.ph/news/young-hoteliers-and-restaurateurs-gear-up-for-52nd-exposition-admin-20181026/ |
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There has been an over-focus on “form rather than substance” in the recent State Constitution amendments by adopting the word “premier” to substitute “chief minister”
There has been an over-focus on “form rather than substance” in the recent State Constitution amendments by adopting the word “premier” to substitute “chief minister” under Article 6(3) of the Sarawak Constitution as such change of term without amendments made to the Federal Constitution and no tangible devolution of powers to Sarawak under Schedule 9, is merely cosmetic in nature.
While I am fully supportive to giving due recognition to the special position that Sabah & Sarawak has under the Federation of Malaysia, but such amendments must first and foremost show tangible contrast in terms of powers and authority in comparison to other States and constitutionally recognised under the Federal Constitution.
That is why while the Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah argued that the amendment is in accordance with the amendment to the Federal Constitution enforced last week, I think this “title” change was an after-thought or even over-sight by the Federal Law Minister.
If not amendments to Article 160 of Federal Constitution that refers to “chief Minister” or head of the executive in a state would also have been tabled in Parliament during the constitutional amendments of Article 1(2) and Article 160 back in November 2021.
For the title “premier’ be effectively more powerful vis-a-vis other states in Malaya, a Federal Constitution amendment must follow suit. He cannot just be known as a “premier” in Sarawak but constitutionally outside Sarawak he is still of the same status protocol ranking as all other Chief Ministers or Menteri Besar.
That is why I urge the Federal Law Minister who is also a member of Parliament of the GPS Government to correct this and give more substantive force to this amendments by tabling another Constitutional Amendment Bill in Parliament to give recognition to this title under Article 160 of Federal Constitution, and more importantly, table a amendment to Schedule 9 to devolve or decentralise powers concentrated at the federal government first, including certain policy-making powers and fiscal powers, in order for Sabah & Sarawak to achieve more tangible autonomy.
On top of that, I reiterate my call for the GPS Federal Ministers and state leaders to commit to and formulate a Power Devolution Blueprint for Sarawak to set a pathway for us to achieve greater decentralisation of powers and autonomy.
This plan should outline key milestones within the next 5 to 10 years along with a periodic review of the progress made to prepare us to take on the responsibility.
It should also outline the strategies that Sarawak will employ to develop human capital within the state to meet the unique challenges of today and tomorrow. Plans on how we build the capacity of Sarawakians and retain talent in the state so that we can develop it together should be covered thoroughly.
Towards that end, we can start with devolving the powers for 2 important sectors which is health and education to Sarawak. Necessary steps should be taken to insert education and healthcare in the concurrent list under Schedule 9 as a responsibility to be shared among federal and state governments of Sarawak and Sabah.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of an equal federal-state partnership, especially in health matters, to effectively manage outbreaks and protect the lives of Sarawakians. On top of that, it is important to address the years of neglect of our healthcare system especially in the rural areas.
In terms of education, it is the most potent vehicle for upward social mobility. On top of educational infrastructure, developing sufficient teaching manpower is essential. The syllabus being taught in schools and institutes of higher learning must incorporate inputs from local stakeholders to produce versatile talent geared towards the jobs we want to create. Such dynamic investments will bring a positive impact to the employability of youths as well as individuals, especially women, who aim to re-enter the workforce.
That is why the Power Devolution Blueprint for Sarawak is so important as it will lay out the steps that are necessary building blocks to guarantee the Federal & Sarawak government would commit to a proper implementation of power devolution. Only with these tangible steps, then only change of title will not merely be cosmetic but be constitutional and more importantly have tangible benefits for all Sarawakians on the ground. | |
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how people found "genetic evidence for natural selection." This course provides the basic biology you need to understand all of these issues better, tries to clarify some misconceptions, and tries to prepare students for future, more advanced coursework in Biology (and especially evolutionary genetics). No prior coursework is assumed.
Introduction to Genetics and EvolutionDuke University
About this Course
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Duke University has about 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Welcome to Genetics and Evolution
General introduction to this MOOC, including coverage and expectations.
Evidence for Evolution
This module discusses the definition of the word "evolution" in a biological context, evidence for the truth of evolution and common ancestry of species, and public thoughts and misconceptions about biological evolution. This module is optional and will not be included in the course assessments. There are not class discussion forums for this section, as we feel such discussion can happen on other, non-course-related, sites on this topic (of which there are a great many on the internet).
Genetics I
An introduction to basic transmission genetics and inheritance. This module reflects what is often covered in high school biology courses in the USA.
Genetics II
This module delves somewhat more deeply into genetics and specifically the concept of "recombination." It begins to discuss how recombination is leveraged in classic genetic works as well as mapping simple genetic traits using crosses or data from natural populations.
Genetics III
This module delves even more deeply into the complexities of the genetics underlying traits,the origin of genetic variation, and how "complex" traits (ones controlled by multiple genes) are studied genetically.
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I recommend this course for someone who is interested in learning of basics of population genetics and evolutionary processes. Prof. Noor is a very good teacher and I like his explanation of concepts.
The course is really interesting! I love the way the professor demonstrate genetics theories by countless examples and evidence. And those questions about debates in genetics are thought-provoking!
Very good course that prepared me for Genetics at Pima Community College in Tucson. I am able to follow the lectures and actually understand what is being presented. I am glad I took this course.
Excellent course. Would recommend it to anyone who wants to delve in the subject matter. Wonderful instructor and interesting lecture videos. One of the best courses I have taken in Coursera.
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More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center. | https://www.coursera.org/learn/genetics-evolution?ranMID=40328&ranEAID=SAyYsTvLiGQ&ranSiteID=SAyYsTvLiGQ-b1l5Ub0hB69yfMJuncYuQg&siteID=SAyYsTvLiGQ-b1l5Ub0hB69yfMJuncYuQg&utm_content=10&utm_medium=partners&utm_source=linkshare&utm_campaign=SAyYsTvLiGQ |
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Morrison & Foerster LLPID: 6597Job Posting Title: Research AnalystLocation: Office Location Flexible Morrison & Foerster LLP, an Am Law 50 law firm with 16 offices worldwide, has an opening for a Research Analyst within our Research Services Department. This role can be based in any of our U.S. offices. (San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, New York, Washington, DC, or Northern Virginia) The Opportunity The Research Analyst works as part of a global team to provide substantive research expertise for client work and business development efforts. The Research Analyst participates on project teams and ensures client service and satisfaction are attained in all areas of the position. | http://careers.fedbar.org/jobs/10793248/research-analyst-any-us-office |
Course Description: The basic premise of this course is that each child and adolescent will achieve if provided with multiple points of access to learning, with a mastery level of methodology delivered by innovative educators. This course is based on the work of key learning experts focusing on creativity, innovation and growth mindset in education. The primary focus of this exploration is the work of Dweck, Wagner, Stewart and the Harvard Graduate School of Educations Project Zero whose research and innovative approaches will be integrated throughout the course. The intention in this exploration is to help educators understand, design, and document powerful learning experiences in a range of disciplines and settings. Today, more than ever before, we must all be able to think creatively, manage change, and solve complex, open-ended problem solving. At the same time, this course will explore a myriad of effective approaches to better understand what drives student behaviors and self-regulation. We will address the effective integration of tier one routines and rituals that support best outcomes for all students. We will also provide a variety of cutting edge strategies that allow educators and administrators to intervene effectively with behaviors. The basic premise of this course is that when educators and administrators deliberately integrate an understanding of child and adolescent psychological development with innovative cutting edge strategies to engage students, that impactful change occurs tor the student and the system. Throughout the course, we will apply innovative approaches with creative practical strategies that support accessing the full potential of each student. Participants will also be given the opportunity to explore the complexity of development and the myriad of strategies that children, adolescents and adults develop and utilize to overcome cognitive and environmental challenges and pitfalls presented in their lives. The course will integrate theoretical concepts related to innovation, growth mindset and resilience.
This course is designed to close the gap between research and practice and to promote understanding and effective practice relating to creativity and innovation.
This course enables educators to facilitate the learning of students by acquiring and applying knowledge, skills, and abilities that address student needs and improvement goals of the district, school, and individual. The course conforms to best practices in research and relates to educators’ assignments and professional responsibilities.
Educators, counselors and administrators will be challenged to rethink educational environments. A growth mindset that requires a 21st century thinking will be cultivated throughout this course.
Leave a Reply. | https://mursdcurriculum.weebly.com/weekly-curriculum-updates/engaging-empowering-and-motivating-all-students-through-innovative-practices-and-approaches |
Welcome to our Second Grade Gifted Cluster Class.
I aim to create an innovative learning environment which will challenge which will your children to become confident, critical and creative problem solvers who recognize their strengths and utilize them to the fullest. In recognizing their unique talents and abilities, I want each student to have the opportunity to find their passions, fufill their curiosities, reach their true academic potential and develop a love of learning. We will work on all of our Second grade skills along with many additional enrichment activties to generate in depth research projects of choice, real world problem solving and expand their creative nature.
We will be working to create a well maintained city in our classroom where each student takes on roles and responsibilities as a citizen. They will each have their own checking account and will earn a salary which could also include bonuses or even possible fines based on the rules and expectations we develop together. Students will be able to use their hard earned money to purchase from a student driven "Specials" list which will include items and activities to expand their growth within the class/city.
The chosen by our class citizens-
1. Be kind.
2. Always do/try your best.
3. Help others learn.
4. Stay safe
5. Raise your hand to share and wait patiently for your turn.
If you have any questions at anytime, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
Announcements
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Look for my class Virtual Orientation Presentation in the next few days! | https://www.marionschools.net/domain/13720 |
An article by Alex Easton on abc.net.au - Ancient rock art at Carnarvon Gorge destroyed after walkway explodes in bushfire - reports on the ancient rock art that was destroyed after a recycled-plastic walkway intended to protect the site exploded during a bushfire in Carnarvon National Park, Australia.
Experts have assessed the site, containing rock art dating back thouands of years, and say it cannot be restored. The incident has prompted an archaeologist working with local Indigenous people to call for the removal of all flammable structures at vulnerable sites around the country. Similar walkways have since been removed across Queensland.
The destruction at Baloon Cave occurred during 2018's devastating Queensland bushfires, but has not been spoken about publicly until now to allow the site's custodians time to come to terms with the loss. While some of the hand stencils at the cave were ancient, other more recent stencils had been added over time. Baloon Cave working group member Dale Harding said the art was part of an ongoing cultural work that provided a link between his Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal ancestors over millennia and their descendants today.
Dale Harding explains "So what does it mean in the community? It's the foundation and the basis of who I identify as and who my family, my community — we all connect back to that. My elders describe the rock art panels, but also the whole network, as being a cathedral, a university, a hospital. All of these kinds of things come into that depending on who you are and how you have access to the knowledge that's contained in those cultural sites." Indeed, for the Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal people, the loss of the art, Mr Harding said, was akin to the destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral for the people of Paris. "We've lost one of the key sites of our cultural story."
Griffith University archaeology and anthropology professor Paul Taçon said the destruction would not have occurred were it not for the placement of the recycled-plastic walkway; "Unfortunately, that's sort of like solidified petroleum, and if you have a hot fire underneath it, it melts and then it just explodes into a ball of flame and that's exactly what happened."
Smoke from the fire blackened the cave and parts of the rock sloughed off, taking hand stencils with it. A chunk of rock from a set of hafted stone axes high on the wall broke away; what's left now has a large crack through it. Mr Harding said the cave also suffered water damage from steam released from the plastic boards as they burned; "I've been witness to other sites which have not had a fuel load constructed immediately in front of them," he said. "And natural fire, bushfire, part of ... the cultural story on the landscape, has been and gone with very little impact, even very little noticeable trace."
Professor Tacon said a fire at Keep River in the Northern Territory hit another recycled-plastic walkway in 2008, setting off a fireball that sent paintings and engravings in a natural archway crumbling to the ground; "Unfortunately, although everyone wanted to get the word out then some things were published, it appears that people have forgotten that this stuff is really dangerous. So we need to make sure, and indeed the Aboriginal community wants to make sure, that no-one ever uses this in a rock shelter with art again."
Professor Tacon said that new sense of caution had to go beyond plastic walkways to include wooden structures, which he said had also burned and damaged Indigenous sites in NSW and the ACT. He explains that the "best thing is a non-destructive platform, something made out of steel for instance, or concrete and steel."
Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch, who is a Quandamooka woman from North Stradbroke Island, said the message about plastic platforms had been heard and communicated to her counterparts around the country; "I, personally, was absolutely devastated. I went and visited the site not long after hearing about what had happened. I know how significant these sites are and, for me personally, I felt every bit of the pain that everybody else felt and there was a lot of tears shed that day." Her department has since audited other cultural heritage sites around Queensland for structures similar to the plastic boardwalk and had them removed.
For the Bidjara, Ghungalu, and Garingbal people, Mr Harding said they wanted the broader community to recognise and understand the grief, trauma and state of crisis they were facing. They also wanted other Indigenous people with a connection to the cave to join the conversation about the site and what had happened there. "If this is your story, if you are connected, you do have family lineage back to Carnarvon Gorge, whether that's through Bidjara ... or all the other groups which that water flows through, I'd encourage, as we are trying to do in our networks, have the conversations, ask who are those people who are the representatives or the older ones who might be able to shed light on that and then move out from there. There is an ongoing conversation and the more people we have, the more Murris we have involved in representing that story in the best way possible, the better we'll be able to move out of this, this reality with Baloon Cave." | https://bradshawfoundation.com/news/rock_art.php?id=Australian-rock-art-destroyed-by-fire&fbclid=IwAR2GNuuzipyEWFn5JQvYjzjQKvIwaDh2dBjQhj-j0LJ2wCOAWDxyBZr3tQw |
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts are a healing and restorative justice response to the criminal justice system’s failure to adequately treat persons and families suffering with substance abuse. However, Healing to Wellness Courts, like the rest of the criminal justice system, are also iterations of governance. Their careful planning, participation by diverse groups, written memorialization, and accountability are all crucial components because Healing to Wellness Courts serve not only participants but the entire community. This workshop will set the foundation for the training under the Tribal 10 Key Components, and frame Healing to Wellness Courts as important aspects of the larger tribal government. Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts are a healing and restorative justice response to the criminal justice system’s failure to adequately treat persons and families suffering with substance abuse. However, Healing to Wellness Courts, like the rest of the criminal justice system, are also iterations of governance. Their careful planning, participation by diverse groups, written memorialization, and accountability are all crucial components because Healing to Wellness Courts serve not only participants but the entire community. This workshop will set the foundation for the training under the Tribal 10 Key Components, and frame Healing to Wellness Courts as important aspects of the larger tribal government.
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts are the coming together of otherwise distinct service providers, all for the betterment of the participant. Because the criminal justice system is joining forces with treatment providers to better assist the participant, it is therefore crucial that the entire team understands treatment concepts and how they work best with the justice system. This workshop will provide a summary overview of the criminal topics relating to drug court treatment. The goals of workshop are to better understand treatment both as a consumer of treatment services, as well as to ensure that drug court participants are receiving the evidence-based services that they need.
A Technical Assistance Guide for What Drug Court Judges Should Know About Treatment, Jeff Kushner, Roger Peters, and Caroline Cooper, American University Bureau of Justice Assistance Drug Court Technical Assistance Project (April 15, 2014).
Drug courts are identified by ten operational characteristics of the drug court process. However, because tribal communities have unique government systems and cultural contexts, the standard state components may not always be appropriate. The Tribal 10 Key Components have been reoriented and generalized from the NADCP state drug court key components as relevant to the tribal setting and to allow for tailoring in different geographic, demographic, jurisdictional, and cultural tribal contexts. This workshop will provide an introductory overview the tribal 10 key components, including specific examples of how the components have been realized in operational Tribal Wellness Courts. In addition, this workshop will explore other important considerations for planning and implementing a Healing to Wellness Court.
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts function under a different legal framework than their State Drug Court counterparts. This workshop will explore that legal framework, including the Indian Civil Rights Act, the newly enacted Tribal Law and Order Act and the Violence Against Women Act, as well as potentially applicable tribal law. In addition, this workshop will explore state drug court case law, which while not authoritative, nevertheless might offer insights into legal issues facing Healing to Wellness Courts.
Tribal key component six calls for the use of progressive rewards (or incentives) and consequences (or sanctions) to encourage participant compliance with the Wellness Court requirements. This workshop will detail the research and evidenced-based principles behind effectively utilizing this strategy, and creative ways that Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts have been realizing this component in sustainable and culturally appropriate ways.
Tribal Key Component 3 calls for eligible parents, guardians, juveniles, and adults to be identified early through legal and clinical screening. This workshop will explore the strategies and tools available for this clinical identification, including tools for the initial screening, and tools for the subsequent, more in-depth assessment. This workshop touch upon the many available resources, and walk through a screening, pointing out important considerations for producing a reliable determination that will best serve the participant, as well as best utilize the Healing to Wellness Court resources.
Addiction Severity Index, 5th ed.
The best lessons come from our brothers and sisters practicing in the field. This workshop will offer the history and experiences of two Healing to Wellness Court teams in their journeys to serve their communities.
State and tribal courts stem from separate sovereigns and different histories, enforce different laws, and serve different, yet often overlapping populations. Recognition of these differences can strengthen rather than diminish the services that we provide. This plenary will explore the history that informs Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts, potential benefits to Tribal Wellness Courts and State Drug Courts from collaboration, strategies for collaboration, and specific examples of successful collaboration that include written referral agreements, joint team members, cultural consultants, and joint courts. In addition, this plenary will hear from the Shingle Springs of Miwok Indians Healing to Wellness Court, which is currently engaged in collaboration with its neighbor, El Dorado County.
As a leader of that team, the Healing to Wellness Court Judge provides a unique role of both accountability and mentorship that is markedly different that the role of a Trial Court Judge. The Wellness Court Judge is not only the leader of the Tribal Wellness Court team, but is also the guide to the participant, as well as the protector of the participants’ civil rights and other procedural processes. This workshop will explore these distinct new roles and responsibilities. The workshop will utilize Tribal Wellness Court “Bench Cards,” to provide quick access while on the bench.
The demands of a Healing to Wellness Court can be trying even for the most organized and best intentioned. Successful progression often necessitates guidance. This workshop will explore the important role of a case manager for every Healing to Wellness Court team, which includes providing services beyond substance abuse treatment. The case manager enhances coordination of the Wellness Court team’s efforts, including by providing case planning, referrals, tracking of progress, and collaborating with other agencies. This workshop will include poignant case examples, and real-world applications, as well as some moderate audience interaction.
Addiction is a disease that impacts the entire family and its relationships. Therefore, all collaborative courts are family courts if their clients include parents and children. This workshop will explore the importance of a family-centered approach and key elements of family engagement and supporting the parent-child relationship. Participants will gain a greater understanding and awareness of how addiction and drug court interventions impact the child and family unit and why collaboration and partnerships are critical for achieving family recovery and well-being. This workshop will preview and briefly highlight some of the lessons learned from the Family Drug Court model. Training and technical assistance resources will also be provided to facilitate further understanding of family-centered practice and approach in all drug courts.
Tribal key component eight calls for the collection of relevant data in order to monitor and evaluate the achievement of the program goals, to identify needed improvements, determine participant progress, and provide information to governing bodies, interested community groups, and funding sources. This workshop will detail the important data points that should be collected by every Healing to Wellness Court. In addition, this workshop will go over the Buffalo Management Information System (MIS), a software developed, used, and donated by the Buffalo, NY Drug Court. The Buffalo MIS is a simple, menu-driven system, used to record information on drug court clients from intake through to their termination or graduation. Each attendee will receive a copy of the Buffalo MIS, capable for modifying to your court’s particular needs.
Developed by Hope Works Counseling, the treatment providers for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Adult Healing to Wellness Court, the Enablement Prevention Program is an interactive program that involves education of family members to help create a united team between service providers and loved ones. The Enablement Prevention Program is based on existing programs such as Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Dialectic Cognitive behavioral therapy and on evidence based research of the damaging effect that enablement has on recovery. Enablement Prevention has been in practice and an element of recovery for at least the last 20 years. It originated out of Group Guided Interaction and the 12 step program. EPP is a form of peer-group treatment similar to group interventions where individuals experiencing similar problems can come together in a safe environment to share and receive experiences and get support. Furthermore, it is a cost-effective form of mental health treatment when compared to individual-based therapy. The goal of the group is to develop interactions with the client and to prevent the further enablement of the client and the client’s criminal behavior. EPP also utilizes value-based and process-oriented treatment model. The freedom from enablement will encourage clients into maturity, pro-social behavior and attitudes, and manages to make the client answerable for their own negative, delinquent behaviors and attitudes.
Built from a common vision and extraordinary collaboration effort among child welfare, substance abuse treatment providers and the Court system, Family Drug Courts (FDCs) have emerged as a promising model for improving outcomes for children and families affected by substance use disorders in the child welfare system. The model is impacting the lives and futures of children and families through timely decisions, coordinated services, provisions of substance abuse treatment and safe and permanent placements. This workshop will explore key elements and practice strategies of the FDC model, outcome findings from local site and cross-site evaluations, the challenges and opportunities ahead to expand or institutionalize the innovations of FDCs into the larger child welfare system. Training and technical assistance resources will also be provided to facilitate further understanding of the FDC model.
Tribal key component eight states that evaluation is an important aspect of a healthy, continually evolving Tribal Healing to Wellness Court. This workshop will overview the key considerations for what an evaluation should include, what data should be collected in order conduct an evaluation, what stakeholders should be involved, and how evaluations can best be utilized to facilitate the growth of the Wellness Courts. Additionally, this workshop will overview the key considerations for evaluations of Wellness Courts that operate with federal funding. Finally, this workshop will briefly overview available resources to obtain an evaluation.
Phased treatment is the structuring of a participant’s progress through Healing to Wellness Court by the marked passage from distinct “phases,” most often numbering in four. Tribal key component number four notes that phased treatment is a crucial aspect of the services provided to Wellness Court participants. Each Tribal Healing to Wellness Court will have a slightly different take upon what these phases represent, what is required to pass from one phase to another, and how, if at all, culture and tradition interplay. This workshop will detail the important considerations for what should be included in the different phases, what materials should be provided to participants and their families concerning the phases, how best to design your own phases that match with your strategic goals for your Wellness Court, and finally, how several different Wellness Courts have realized their own phased treatment.
This presentation will focus on how the National Indian Child Welfare Association's Positive Indian Parenting training model was used at Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (YDSP). Participants will learn about this unique curriculum that focuses on traditional ways of parenting, how it was tailored to fit YDSP's community and how it can be used in their own community.
A participant’s healing often includes re-integration into the community and re-integration with one’s self. Cultural resources can be used to ground the self, reconnect with lost custom, and develop spiritual and cultural meaning that may have been lost or disregarded. Incorporation of culture into Drug Court or Healing to Wellness Court programming can take a variety of forms, from including cultural activities into the sanctions and incentives, to having a Wellness Court tribal name, to embedding treatment phases with cultural significance. Incorporation of custom and tradition can be especially important for Native participants, who often stem from a different worldview than that offered in standard drug court settings. This workshop will explore this different worldview, and strategies for incorporating custom and tradition into both Tribal Healing to Wellness Court and into State Drug Court programs.
Developed by Hope Works Counseling, the treatment providers for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Adult Healing to Wellness Court, Positive Peer Group (PPG) provides the peer support and moral reconation that is missing in conventional talk and group therapy. The peer participants’ primary role is to learn to accept responsibility and in turn, hold their peers accountable. The group’s foundational approach is built on Harry Vorath’s and Larry Brendtro’s Positive Peer Culture modality. The PPG approach helps participants gain self-worth, accept responsibility, develop dignity and honesty with themselves and others. PPG also teaches the participants to help each other versus enable each other. The participants are taught exactly how to challenge their own dysfunctional thinking that leads to detrimental behavior. The participants learn how to change that thinking to a functional healthy thought process ultimately leading to identifying behaviors before they cause problems. PPG integrates the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches to teach daily living skills, healthy communication skills, healthy relationship development, anger management , and trauma informed psycho-education, volunteer work, community outreach/ support, and positive parenting techniques.
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts break the western adversarial mold by focusing on the participant’s healing journey through team-based collaboration. The success of the Wellness Courts depends on the well-being of the team. However, despite all the best intentions and focus, all teams are prone to temporary bouts of dysfunction, miscommunication, turnover, and vicarious trauma. This workshop seeks to send teams off in a good way, by turning the attention inwards and reflecting upon what makes a team work, and strategies that we can all use to better serve our participants. | http://www.wellnesscourts.org/2014enhtraining.cfm |
This workshop is the first of a series of Wedding Worshops that I'll be holding throughout the spring, designed for the amateur flower arranger who wants to learn the skills in wedding work.
In this workshop you will learn the technique of a hand-tied bouquet. This technique is used by all trained florists throughout the UK and beyond, it can be incorporated into many different floral designs and is used frequently in wedding floristry.
I'll discuss which seasonal flower varieties are best for the style you want to create and I'll demonstrate each step of the process, including conditioning the flowers, positioning of focal flowers, the mechanics of the design and tying off. You will then have a go at putting together a bouquet with my assistance which will be yours to take home. I'll also discuss presentation and transportation of bouquets.
All materials are included in the price, together with complimentarty tea, coffee and cake! There is free parking, loos and Thyme After Time Cafe on site, together with the French vintage brocante Oakland Collectibles and Simply Cooking who sell a wide range of farmhouse homecooked food. | https://www.theenglishflorist.co.uk/events/wedding-workshop-handtied-bouquets |
What is the Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx) and what challenges does it help solve?
The Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx) is a data-sharing framework and information system that affords greater visibility of and access to universities across Ohio.
When seeking research experts, accessible technologies, and research support services, businesses and industries will often comb our university websites and online faculty directories. In a world where access to just-in-time information has become the norm, they often encounter university websites that return varying degrees of information richness and utility. Their frustrations grow further when they need to find expertise and resources across multiple institutions.
OIEx, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, will help address these barriers to information.
What is the purpose of OIEx and how will it benefit both industry and faculty?
OIEx aggregates into a single, searchable, and open website information collected from Ohio universities describing faculty experts, state-of-the-art university equipment, and research support services. The OIEx web portal enables business, industry, and academic visitors to more easily find, connect, and collaborate. In doing so, OIEx creates additional channels for translating laboratory-to-production floor innovations by connecting ideas, solutions, and people across sectors. While the original driver was connectivity with industry, this is also a great resource for our faculty who are trying to make connections or looking for potential collaborators with researchers elsewhere in the state (when writing grant proposals, for example).
What is the long-term vision and mission for OIEx?
OIEx’s mission is to be a higher education-driven, state government-sponsored, industry-sought solution deployed to meet a real need. Expert collaborations and resource sharing are constrained when expertise, equipment, and technologies cannot be easily found. The long-term vision of OIEx is to enhance access to needed information and strengthen human networking crossties across sectors — universities, business, government and economic development agencies — to create the necessary catalysts to seed partnerships for researchers, expand workforce opportunities for students, and foster economic development for industry sectors.
What are the expectations of faculty who participate in OIEx?
If you are receptive, responsive, and willing to engage industry executives and entrepreneurs looking to develop the next big idea, then having an OIEx profile is ideal. University research collaborators, experts, and resources are often difficult for those outside of academia to find. OIEx helps overcome some of these traditional barriers by making it easy to find, connect, and explore collaborations with leading university faculty.
Once contacted by OIEx Rapid Response, what are faculty responsibilities in working with industry partners coming through OIEx?
Once an OIEx inquiry is received and triaged, you, your team, and department will work directly with industry and other university partners to assess interest, scope of work, and project details. The OIEx Rapid Response team will continue to be available to facilitate communication when necessary.
How could the OIEx promote university collaboration on projects?
Connecting industry with faculty and other university resources, OIEx introduces new pathways for collaboration outside of the traditional university setting. OIEx provides an additional channel for faculty members to raise the visibility of their work, promote its relevance, and explore new channels of application.
OIEx showcases university and industry collaborations through a series of featured case studies detailing how cross-sector partners worked together to solve a roadblock or problem, thus leading to a solution, discovery, or a new product. These case studies will also be promoted through multiple marketing channels such as blogs, social media, brochures, and email campaigns.
What universities are participating in OIEx?
Guided by senior research and technology officials at four leading Ohio universities ― Case Western Reserve University, Ohio University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Cincinnati ― OIEx represents a collaborative initiative conceived and deployed to address the barriers to information that frustrate industries seeking access to faculty experts, institutional equipment, and research services. The data-sharing framework and information system realized in OIEx afford greater visibility and access to universities across Ohio. Since inception, Cleveland State University and The University of Akron have joined the partnership. The strategy and extensible framework of OIEx will position it to incorporate all Ohio universities over time, a goal of ODHE and state officials.
Who sponsors and supports OIEx?
The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) is the primary sponsor of OIEx, accompanied by strong industry support through the Ohio Manufacturing Institute. ODHE is the state agency that coordinates higher education in Ohio under the direction of its Chancellor, a member of the Governor of Ohio's cabinet. The Chancellor provides policy guidance to the Governor and the Ohio General Assembly and carries out state higher education policy.
Leveraging Ohio’s sustained investment in statewide technology infrastructure organizations, the data and technology underpinnings of OIEx are supported by the Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH), an umbrella organization that includes the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet), the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), and the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK).
In this initiative, OH-TECH acts as the OIEx broker for institutional asset data, provides leadership for the project, supports the intake of critical and relevant data from Ohio’s institutions, and supports the secure user profiles. | https://www.ohioinnovationexchange.org/researchers/ |
Beth Uffner, an avid tennis player, developed an aching pain first in her legs, then in her shoulders that got progressively worse until she lacked the strength to get out of a chair unaided, let alone play tennis.
Faith Sullivan, a novelist, developed a headache so devastating that she could hardly read and had to take a fistful of aspirin to get through a scheduled talk about her books.
Both women were in their mid-70s when they were seized by different but related inflammatory autoimmune conditions — polymyalgia rheumatica in Uffner, temporal arteritis in Sullivan. Both disorders can sometimes afflict the same person. And while both are life-inhibiting, giant-cell arteritis, as temporal arteritis is also called, is especially dangerous. A delay in treating the cause of this viselike head pain can result in irreversible vision loss, a stroke or even death.
Prompt and proper treatment with a corticosteroid like prednisone can quickly relieve symptoms of both conditions. But the therapy must be carefully managed by a knowledgeable physician — in most cases, a rheumatologist — to minimize side effects and produce a lasting remission.
As I learned from speaking with both women, it is important for people with symptoms suggestive of these disorders to resist the tendency to assume they’re nothing serious — that they will soon resolve on their own with an over-the-counter remedy to counter the pain.
As a septuagenarian athlete, Uffner, a New Yorker, was used to having aches and pains. She self-treated with lots of ibuprofen for several months until this nonprescription remedy was no longer enough to get her through a normal day.
And as Sullivan, from Minneapolis, now knows, anyone who develops an unusual, severe headache should see a doctor without delay. As she described her symptom, “It was like an iron helmet on my head that kept getting tighter and tighter.”
Eventually, both women consulted their primary care doctors, who referred them to rheumatologists. Yet, as sometimes happens, both specialists made mistakes, resulting in a delay of effective treatment. Uffner was told that her symptoms were probably caused by osteoarthritis, a common condition among older adults that she’d had for years. Why, she wondered, would it have suddenly become so debilitating?
She then saw another, more experienced rheumatologist, who suspected and soon diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica and prescribed prednisone. Now, about three months later and on a lowered dose of prednisone, she’s back on the tennis court, though still not as energetic as she might have been.
And while the first rheumatologist who examined Sullivan correctly diagnosed temporal arteritis as the cause of her crippling head pain, the doctor failed to treat it with an adequate dose of prednisone. After several relapses of excruciating pain when the drug dose was reduced, she saw another rheumatologist who treated the problem correctly, with a starting dose twice as high. But by then it took five years of very gradually reduced doses for the condition to finally resolve.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, about 15% of people with polymyalgia rheumatica will also develop temporal arteritis, and half of people with temporal arteritis will also have polymyalgia rheumatica, so anyone with either of these conditions should be alert to the symptoms of the other.
Although there is no cure for either condition, the good news is that both disorders respond rapidly to prednisone or a related drug and, when adequately treated, will eventually go away. In fact, prednisone is so effective that if symptoms are not relieved within a few days when a proper dose is taken, chances are the diagnosis is incorrect.
Polymyalgia rheumatica, or PMR, more commonly afflicts women — most often Caucasians. The average age of onset is 70, and it rarely occurs in people younger than 50. No one knows why a person’s immune system suddenly attacks the body’s own connective tissue, although genetics are believed to play a role and an infection may be the precipitating factor.
Making the correct diagnosis is a process of elimination. Many blood tests are done to rule out conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Lyme disease, vasculitis, various muscle and infectious diseases, hormone abnormalities and even cancer.
Once PMR is diagnosed, it’s also important for patients to be checked for signs of temporal arteritis. If someone has symptoms suggestive of arteritis, a biopsy of the temporal artery on the side of the head may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
The symptoms of temporal arteritis are not nearly as confusing. They result from inflammation of the temporal arteries that feed blood to the head, and that’s nearly always where it hurts the most. Patients may also have scalp tenderness, vision changes or soreness of the face or jaw, especially when chewing. Other possible symptoms include feeling sick, fever, fatigue and achy arms or legs. The most serious complication is a stroke, which afflicts about one person in 20 who has temporal arteritis.
Steroids like prednisone work by curbing the function of inflammatory cells that are the hallmarks of both disorders. But the medication has its own challenges. While it can give patients an energy boost, it also stimulates the appetite and fosters water retention, causing facial and abdominal bloating and weight gain.
More serious, however, is immune suppression, which is the secret to steroids’ therapeutic success but also one of their main risks: They can increase a patient’s susceptibility to infection.
Finally, for people who cannot take steroids or who don’t benefit adequately from them, there are other drugs, including tocilizumab, that could be used instead. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/entertainmentlife/20190827/brody-for-these-autoimmune-disorders-speed-counts |
The guppy as a conservation model: implications of parasitism and inbreeding for reintroduction success.
Ex situ conservation is of increasing importance to prevent the extinction of endangered animals in the wild. Despite low success rates of reintroduction programs few researchers have investigated empirically the efficacy of captive breeding regimes for the release of captive-bred vertebrates. We used guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from two populations in Trinidad to compare different conservation breeding regimes. The upper Aripo population was chosen for its small effective population size (N(e) approximately 100) and genetic isolation, which makes it representative of many endangered natural populations. By contrast, the lower Aripo population is a genetically diverse, much larger population (N(e) approximately 2400). We examined three captive-breeding regimes: (1) inbreeding fish crossed with their full siblings, (2) minimized inbreeding, no consanguineous matings, and (3) control fish crossed at random. We kept pedigree records for all regimes so that we could calculate inbreeding coefficients over four generations. The body size and fertility of guppies was significantly reduced due to inbreeding depression. The genetic load of sterile equivalents was particularly high for the lower Aripo population. Body size also declined due to breeding conditions in the captive environment. After four generations in captivity, the fish were released into a mesocosm in Trinidad. Captive-bred guppies were extremely susceptible to gyrodactylid parasites (58% survival rate) compared with their wild counterparts (96% survival). A reduced level of immunogenetic variation due to inbreeding and lack of exposure to natural parasites may have rendered captive-bred individuals more prone to infectious disease. The threat of disease outbreak is particularly high when naive captive-bred hosts are released in wild populations. Susceptible, captive-bred hosts could facilitate the transmission of parasites throughout the wild population, thus initiating an epidemic. This risk could potentially be reduced by prior exposure to parasites before release and gradual release of captive-bred individuals.
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Format / Pages - MLA Style: 8th edition - LibGuides at ... Note: See the First Page tab for an example of the first page. An example of the Works Cited page (the last pages of a paper) in MLA style below . On the first page, note the header containing the author's last name and page number at half an inch from top of the page, justified to the right. MLA Works Cited Page Formatting | Guide to Writing In MLA style, all the sources you cite throughout the text of your paper are listed together in full in the Works Cited section, which comes after the main text of your paper. Page numbers: Just as the rest of your paper, the top of the page should retain the right-justified header with your last name and the page number.
This extended template include a title page, a table of contents, an abstract page (After table of contents), and a works cited page which is updated based on a ...
APA, Chicago & MLA Citations - frontrange.edu FRCC offers free assistance on how to properly format and cite your work with a variety of tutorials and templates. ... MLA 8th Works Cited Page Example; How to Style Essays Using MLA Format | EssayPro What Is MLA Format. MLA stands for Modern Language Association and is most commonly used to reference liberal arts and humanities. It is an academic style guide extensively used in the United States and Canada. In MLA format a paper typically includes a header, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. How to Format an MLA Paper in Word 2010 & 2013 & 2016
Citation Machine helps students and professionals properly credit the information that they use. Cite your book in MLA format for free.
Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: MLA, 2009. Print. General Guidelines Your list of references should begin on a separate page, with the title "Works Cited". Arrange entries alphabetically, using the last name of the author. If no author is given, alphabetize by the title, The Stress-Free Guide to MLA Essay Format (8th Edition) Preparing your Works Cited Page in MLA Essay Format. Setting up your Works Cited page before you write your essay makes your life a whole lot easier. This allows you to fluidly add in-text citations and the corresponding reference entries in the Works Cited as you use each source in your essay. APA, MLA and Chicago citation generator: Citefast ... Citefast is a FREE APA, MLA and Chicago citation generator. Generate references, bibliographies, in-text citations and title pages quickly and accurately. Used by students and professionals.
PDF 2018 - 2019 - tcc.fl.edu
In MLA Format EasyBib.Com EasyBib.Com is an automated bibliography creator. The user fills in the required information in the separate fields and, with the press of a button, EasyBib creates the citation! Easybib will export the list into Microsoft Word in correct MLA format as a "Works Cited" page. The user must create a free account to login. How to Format your Works Cited Page using the MLA Guidelines ...
MLA Format Works Cited | MLA Format
www.noodletools.com Difference Between Bibliography and Works Cited On the other hand, in the case of works cited you mention ONLY the books and other sources of information that you cited in your dissertation or thesis. • Works cited is the name used for the reference list that comes for MLA style. The format in which the resources are cited in works cited is as follows: Surname of the author, first name. The Works Cited List - Ready, Set, Cite (MLA), 8th - Research ... | https://coursessonqt.netlify.app/stuber35727fi/mla-works-cited-page-template-ceg.html |
We seek a Machine Learning Engineer to support development of a suite of valuation models and data products. This person would work alongside software engineers building the technology to manage our data, and the data scientists conducting statistical analysis and developing models. As a Machine Learning engineer, you would complement these efforts by demonstrating how ML can enhance approaches to data discovery, feature engineering, and predictive modelling.
-training ML models on semantically related public records.
Explain the effectiveness and assumptions of your approach and guide collaborative research and methodology development with appropriate technical rigor.
Build predictive models in production at scale.
Contribute to decisions about our technology stack, particularly as it relates to end-to-end ML model and data flow and automation.
Stay current with latest ML algorithms and methods and share knowledge with colleagues in data science and engineering and externally as appropriate.
Critical professional skills include: a curiosity to discover new approaches to problem-solving, a drive to initiate ideas and collaborate with colleagues to see them through, and an ability to communicate technical material clearly.
Skills in Python or R (+Scala a bonus), including ML libraries (e.g. SKLearn, NumPy, SciPy), SQL, parallelization and tools for large scale computing (e.g. Spark, Hadoop), matrix algebra, and vectorization.
Experience with at least one of the DL frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, Caffe, TensorFlow, Theano, Keras) and a perspective on what distinguishes them.
Experience with supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms, including cluster analysis (e.g. k-means, density-based), regression and classification with shallow algorithms (e.g. decision trees, XGBoost, and various ensemble methods) and with DL algorithms (e.g. RNN w/ LTSM, CNN).
Experience with advanced methods of ML model hyper-parameter tuning (e.g. Bayesian optimization).
Deep understanding of statistics and Bayesian inference, linear algebra (e.g. decomposition, image registration), vector calculus (e.g. gradients), time series analysis (e.g. Fourier Transform, ARIMA, Dynamic Time-Warping).
Proven track record of building production models (batch processing at minimum, online ML a bonus).
Experience in at least one of the following data domains: highly disparate public records, satellite images, text in various states of structure.
Experience with remote computing and data management (e.g. AWS, GCP suite of tools).
Being a technical lead on a successful ML-based product.
Doing applied research (at graduate school level or equivalent) with: 1) Geospatial analysis, 2) Image processing (e.g. denoising, image registration), 3) NLP, or 4) ML with semantic databases.
Experience with streaming models or online ML.
Authored technical publications or presented work in the field.
Domain expertise in real estate or the built environment. | https://geophy.com/career/6bd946da-9080-458c-bbf1-37c9d4d84c2b/greater-new-york-city-area-machine-learning-engineer |
In the context of the current crisis in the world, Indonesia is an emerging democracy. The country has a parliamentary system and holds presidential and parliamentary elections every five years. Although the elections are considered free, there is a history of money-politics and corruption in the country. In many cases, a candidate’s supporters give poor people money at the ballot box to encourage them to vote for that candidate.
While there is a lack of transparency in Indonesia’s democratic processes, the country has made some progress in the past decade. During the Reformasi process in 1998, the country evolved from an authoritarian, highly centralised state to a democracy with one of the most decentralized political systems in the world. It has also continued to consolidate its democratic institutions and has conducted successful elections at many levels of government.
The most striking change is that the public is not involved in decision-making processes. While there has been much political activity and debate in Indonesia, the general public is largely left out of the process. The country’s most recent national election was held in June 1999, and a unified parliament was elected for the first time in 40 years. Megawati Sukarnoputri was reelected as president, and Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as his vice president. The PDI-P party has the largest share of the vote in the recent polls. The opposition Golkar, which dominated the New Order, was dissolved by the PDI-P party. A few other mostly Islamic parties have gained seats in the DPR, as well.
The country’s first free national election was held in June 1999. The election produced the first democratically elected national parliament in forty years. Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as Indonesia’s fourth president, while Megawati Sukarnoputri was elected as his vice president. The PDI-P party received the largest number of votes. The former dominant party of the New Order, the Golkar, won the presidency and several other predominantly Islamic parties secured seats in the DPR.
The government’s commitment to strengthening democracy has been evident since 2005. The government has set targets and evaluated the democratic index in the country. A series of recent conflicts in the country have been triggered by the spread of the coronavirus in the country. A few of these conflicts have led to the resignation of a former President. These incidents have resulted in a high number of people, including the governing party, or the dissolution of a political party.
While the Indonesian constitution is generally stable and democratised, it is a complex process. It is not easy to change a country’s structure and maintain a democracy. In the meantime, there are many challenges and opportunities. The biggest challenge will be ensuring that all citizens have access to information about the government. This is the only way to strengthen the country’s democratic processes and ensure a stable and democratic society. | https://democraticfront.org/democracies-in-indonesia-2/ |
When I was approached by Claire to create her new brand, I was very excited. After an intitial chat Claire’s love of Art Deco buildings and Mid-century Modern Interiors really stood out to me. Combining these with elements of what Claire does created a unique and contemporary logo. The crispness of the logo represents the precision required when cutting in, the E’s are stylistic paint brushes and the A’s draw inspiration from the geometric shapes often used in Art Deco design. The overall feel however wouldn’t look out of place stamped into a Hemes chair.
The next task was to create a website that was clean, simple and to the point. | https://lisajaynecreative.com/design-reveal-claire-walker-decorating/ |
2409948 has 18 divisors (see below), whose sum is σ = 6091904. Its totient is φ = 803304.
The previous prime is 2409947. The next prime is 2409983. The reversal of 2409948 is 8499042.
It is a happy number.
2409948 is digitally balanced in base 2, because in such base it contains all the possibile digits an equal number of times.
It is a tau number, because it is divible by the number of its divisors (18).
It is a Harshad number since it is a multiple of its sum of digits (36), and also a Moran number because the ratio is a prime number: 66943 = 2409948 / (2 + 4 + 0 + 9 + 9 + 4 + 8).
It is a congruent number.
It is not an unprimeable number, because it can be changed into a prime (2409947) by changing a digit.
It is a pernicious number, because its binary representation contains a prime number (11) of ones.
It is a polite number, since it can be written in 5 ways as a sum of consecutive naturals, for example, 33436 + ... + 33507.
22409948 is an apocalyptic number.
It is an amenable number.
2409948 is an abundant number, since it is smaller than the sum of its proper divisors (3681956).
It is a pseudoperfect number, because it is the sum of a subset of its proper divisors.
2409948 is a wasteful number, since it uses less digits than its factorization.
2409948 is an odious number, because the sum of its binary digits is odd.
The sum of its prime factors is 66953 (or 66948 counting only the distinct ones).
The product of its (nonzero) digits is 20736, while the sum is 36.
The square root of 2409948 is about 1552.4007214634. The cubic root of 2409948 is about 134.0713216520.
The spelling of 2409948 in words is "two million, four hundred nine thousand, nine hundred forty-eight". | https://www.numbersaplenty.com/2409948 |
«INDIVIDUALIZING ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC INSTRUCTION: CASE STUDIES OF ASSESSMENT AND DIFFERENTIATION By Karen Salvador A DISSERTATION Submitted to ...»
Implications at the secondary level. Although this study took place at the elementary level (and is not generalizable due to its qualitative nature), applicable findings may be appropriated to other settings. Assessment strategies suggested by the current study—including aptitude testing, use of rating scales, self-assessments, and creative projects—are all possible at the secondary level. The methods participants in this study used to elicit individual responses and to track the assessment data they accumulated may be of particular interest to secondary instructors. Use of centers, praxial and creative groupwork, high-challenge and self-challenge activities could be adapted to suit the learning needs of older students. Furthermore, using a variety of grouping strategies to differentiate instruction might be especially beneficial and appropriate with adolescent learners, who are highly motivated by peer interaction.
Summary of implications for practice. Music teachers face a number of challenges as they seek to know each of their students as individual people and musicians. Elementary general music teachers must be prepared to individualize instruction for “typical” students, whose musical skills and abilities can be widely divergent, as well as teach students with a variety of special needs. Assessments of individual musicking can be integrated into music instruction on an ongoing basis in such a way that they do not significantly interfere with students’ immersion in musicking. Use of a variety of assessment strategies to track a number of musicking skills over time can result in a well-rounded picture of each student’s musicianship that can then be used to differentiate instruction. Differentiation of instruction in elementary general music settings can be accomplished by consistently varying the musical materials, presentation modes, and ways of interacting with music in whole-class instruction. Furthermore, opportunities for individuals to musick independently alongside one another and respond alone can be integrated into whole-class instruction at a variety of levels of difficulty and self-challenge. Differentiation could also be facilitated through use of various grouping strategies within centers-based instruction, praxial group work, and creative group work.
Suggestions for Future Research The results of the current study suggest a number of possible topics for future qualitative and quantitative studies. This study indicated that curriculum, assessment, differentiation, and planning are interwoven in an intricate web of reciprocal, linear and spiral relationships.
Fleshing out a more precise description of the nature of this complex interaction would be an interesting topic for future research. Perhaps because of the interplay of instructional components, questions arising from the current study encompass not only issues related to assessment and differentiation, but also curriculum and instructional philosophy.
Assessment practices. The current study described the assessment practices of three teachers and situated their practice within the literature, which included several broad surveys as well as studies of individual assessment methods. The results indicated that teacher-designed rating scales were an efficient way to evaluate individual student performances. How comfortable are practicing teachers with designing and using such scales? Do these scales reliably measure musical performance rather than behavior or other “halo” effects? How are teacher preparation programs addressing assessment topics, such as what should be assessed or how to design assessments so they are embedded in musicking? How often are teachers providing chances for individual musical responses, and do they have sufficient methods to elicit such responses to show a variety of musicking behaviors at a number of levels of difficulty and sophistication?
Performances. Further research is needed regarding the role and impact of formal performances on the music learning of students in public school elementary general music classes. Participants in the current study were troubled by the time that preparing a polished large-group performance took away from their normal instructional activities. Future studies could explore a number of facets regarding the preparation of musical performances as a part of elementary music classes, including: What is the role and value of large-group performance in an elementary general music curriculum? What do these performances contribute to individual music learning? Are they (or could they be) an effective assessment technique? Are there ways to modify or adapt the nature or practice of these performances to balance community expectations with individual music learning needs? Inquiries designed to answer these questions could shed light on the widespread but little-studied practice of producing large-scale performances as part of elementary general music curricula.
Differentiation practices. Teachers in the current study used aptitude testing as a way to differentiate instruction. Froseth (1971) found that teaching with aptitudes in mind may increase achievement for elementary band students at all levels of aptitude, but little other research has explored this. Does knowledge of students’ aptitudes lead to increased differentiation of instruction in elementary general music settings? Does this kind of differentiation result in higher levels of achievement, and if so, for which students? How does the use of high challenge and self-challenge activities affect the achievement levels of students at differing levels of aptitude?
Grouping practices. Participants in the current study usually allowed students to choose their own groups when they assigned group work. Other research regarding group work in music education did not explore grouping practices, but instead described compositional processes, social dynamics, or the products of groupwork, such as written work or performances. Research from outside music education indicated a variety of possible grouping practices. How could teachers use a variety of grouping strategies (assigned, student-chosen, heterogeneous or homogenous by musical ability or aptitude, etc)? What are the effects of each grouping strategy on individual music achievement? What are the effects of using a variety of grouping strategies over time on individual music achievement?
Group work. In addition to raising questions regarding grouping practices, results from the current study encourage further research into group work in general. For example, how (and how often) are elementary general music teachers currently implementing centers-based instruction, and what are they teaching when they do so? Does centers-based instruction increase individual music achievement (as a stand-alone question or in comparison to other methods such as whole-group instruction)? How and how often are music teachers using praxial group work or creative group work, and what are they teaching when they do? How do they rate the resultant performances or products, choose the groups, and tell how individuals are faring within the group?
Learning sequence activities (LSAs). Ms. Stevens used LSAs at the beginning of every class for about 5 minutes. Not only did they allow individual responses, provide assessment data and differentiate instruction, but they also seemed to signal to students that music class had begun and to reinforce Hailey’s views regarding the purpose of music class. How many teachers use LSAs? Are they typically implemented in the playful, fun, safe way I noted in Ms. Stevens’ practice? What is the effect of the addition of LSAs on music achievement, even if other teaching elements remain the same?
Students with special needs. Participants in the current study taught students with a variety of special needs in mainstreamed and self-contained settings. Although some research has explored this topic, (Hourigan, 2007; Linsenmeier, 2004; Salvador, 2010), further research is needed regarding how to better prepare music teachers to differentiate instruction for students with special needs. Few studies have examined music learning and instruction for students with special needs. What are the specific benefits or possible drawbacks of implementing an MLTinspired early childhood approach for self-contained classes of students with special needs in public school music settings? Are there modifications that should be made to this approach, and do they vary based on disability grouping (e.g., would students with ASD benefit from a different approach than those with CI)? What are the effects on music learning for students with average music aptitude and LD or ESL when verbal, written and notational material are kept to a minimum? Can (and should) music class be taught without relying on verbal, written, or notated information? Might this result in more “musicking” for the class in general (Campbell, 2010)?
Philosophy/Teacher beliefs. Even among three participants teaching in suburban schools within 150 miles of one another, there was considerable variation in instructional philosophy as well as beliefs regarding the purpose of public school music education, how children learn music, and other topics. These participants were chosen because they valued assessment in music education, but two of them mentioned regularly occurring disagreements with other elementary music teachers in their districts about this topic. Furthermore, even among the three participants, varying philosophies led to different approaches to classroom structure.
How cognizant are music teachers of their philosophies, and how intentional are they in terms of how these philosophies play out in their teaching? Does their instructional style match their stated philosophy? Do teachers think about their views of the nature of music learning and the purpose of music education and then plan lessons based on these views, or do they simply teach the way they were taught to teach? If their instructional decisions are rooted in personal philosophical ideas about the nature of music learning and the purpose of public school music education, are these philosophies/beliefs learned in teacher preparation programs, or were they already formed before students began their undergraduate study?
Applications to other music learning settings. The findings of this study indicate that it is possible to create well-rounded pictures of student achievement and then apply this information to individualize instruction in the elementary general music setting. What is the current state of assessment and differentiation practices in other music learning settings, such as secondary ensembles and secondary general music? Teachers in these settings face similar challenges in terms of the high numbers of students they teach and the wide variety of ability and aptitude levels they are likely to encounter. How do secondary music teachers assess music learning and apply the results of those assessments to individualize music instruction? Are any of the strategies for differentiation identified in this document (such as different types of groupwork, high challenge activities, self-challenge activities, and so on) transferrable into secondary settings? What is the impact of their use on student learning?
Conclusion School music programs are typically geared toward instruction en masse… Even as individualized and small-group instruction is common to math and language arts classes, there is a tendency for children to be musically educated at school in traditional ensembles and in their large-class group. While mass instruction may moderately benefit children, individual and small-group projects are important means of developing children’s musical knowledge and skills (Campbell 2010 pp. 270-271).
Given the variety of practices observed in the current study, the overall impact of assessment data on differentiated instruction in the elementary general music classroom was difficult to determine. When I framed this study, my questions implied a linear relationship between assessment and differentiation. This vision was shaped by instruction I witnessed in my non-music colleagues’ elementary classrooms during my tenure as “the music teacher” and also by instruction I administered as a long-term substitute teacher in third and fourth-grade elementary classrooms. In my experience, grade-level teachers had access to IQ scores and/or math and reading aptitude test scores for each of their students. Teachers administered ongoing assessments regarding classroom activities as well as standardized achievement tests in math and reading. Based on this assessment information, teachers could ascertain a student’s current achievement levels, ensure that they were commensurate with his aptitude and/or IQ, and structure assignments to help him to proceed.
This model seems to assume that learning in math and reading is sequential, and also to imply substantial agreement among teachers, publishers (of tests and educational materials), and other educational leaders regarding not only the sequential nature of learning but also the sequence itself. However, music educators do not agree on a model for musical development, nor do they agree that music learning is sequential (although models for musical development and music learning sequences have been proposed, evaluated, and substantiated, e.g., Gordon, 2003; Gordon, 2007). This large-scale discussion is outside the scope of the current study. What is important to the current study is that, over the course of more than a year of work on this project, I have determined that the guiding questions of this study were based in a model which assumed a direct, unidirectional relationship of assessment and differentiation: that data gathered from assessments of individual students’ abilities would then be applied to differentiate instruction for each student, as I had observed and experienced in grade-level classrooms.
Even among three teachers who valued assessment in their elementary general music and differentiation. Differentiation stemmed not only directly and indirectly from assessments, but also resulted from other information, such as the music teacher’s relationship to an individual student over the course of years. Instructional strategies such as group work provided differentiated instruction as students interacted with one another, the teacher, and with music.
Centers provided opportunities for students to explore areas of musical interest or interact with specific music learning goals in a variety of modalities. | http://www.dissertation.xlibx.info/d1-pedagogy/2087315-40-individualizing-elementary-general-music-instruction-case-studies.php |
Towards sustainable mass tourism: Paradigm shift or paradigm nudge?
View more >This paper contends that the adoption of practices affiliated with sustainable tourism is neither broad nor deep within the conventional mass tourism industry, and that, at least in the more developed countries, this veneer sustainability on the supply side mirrors the pervasive veneer environmentalism that characterizes the demand side of tourism. As such, it indicates a 'paradigm nudge' that will only progress into a 'paradigm shift' if the consumer mainstream is sufficiently motivated to demand and patronize genuinely sustainable products and destinations within conventional tourism. The emergence of a charismatic spokesperson and the introduction of a demand-side certification programme are suggested as two ways to induce this transformation. The paper concludes by considering the role that could be played by the academic community in this transformation. | https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/handle/10072/27512 |
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM – A WAY FORWARD POST COVID-19
Sustainable tourism is a responsible way of traveling and trying to make a positive impact on the destinations traveled. Recently, with the ban on non-essential travel and complete lockdown, we have seen the environmental benefits like cleaner air, clear water, reduced carbon emissions, and respite for wildlife. For example, the people of Northern India could see the Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas from a long-distance around 125 miles away. People in Delhi could see the clear sky and stars. Rivers namely the Ganges & Yamuna have cleaned up. We all know, these improvements in the environment have come as a result of restricted human activity. However, when lockdown gets lifted, life goes back to normal and people shall start traveling again. What will happen to the environment next? The situation may become as usual. Anyway, COVID-19 has allowed us the opportunity to introspect our behaviour and move towards a sustainable way of travel and leave a positive impact on the local community and on the Earth at large.
Having discussed the impact of COVID-19 as above, let’s discuss the following few options which we can contribute to a sustainable way of tourism:
Visit unexplored/Ecotourism friendly destinations: Social distancing has become part of our daily life and hence in times to come we need to revisit the trend we were used to following. We have seen, there is always a huge crowd around a popular tourist destination. Despite the fact that it has brought financial benefits to the locals and the country, however; leaves damages to the spot. So the decision in selecting a destination should be towards a positive impact on the environment and hence let’s explore less developed areas but still with rich culture, tradition, and natural beauty. Ecotourism is not a very popular terminology in India, however, there are many destinations in India working towards conservation of nature by adopting a sustainable way of living on the Earth. Some of the important eco-tourism places in India are – Backwaters, Munnar, Periyar National Park, Thenmala in Kerala, Kodaikanal in Tamilnadu, Coorg, Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka, Chilika, Bhitarkanika, Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, Sunderban National Park in West Bengal, Majuli Island, Kaziranga National Park in Assam, Mawlynnong in Meghalaya, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand, etc. to name a few.
Avoid travel during peak seasons: Prevailing weather conditions of India are favorable for International travelers during the winter season i.e. from October to March and we generally get maximum tourists during this period. Popular tourist destinations are generally overcrowded with tourists during such peak season and it experiences road jam with tourist vehicles. The wildlife gets scared, tourists cannot see landmarks because of the crowds and ultimately people litter around damaging the surrounding areas.
Hence, while planning for a trip, consider traveling in the off-season or shoulder season which falls in between the peak and off-peak seasons. With this change, the crowd in the area will get spread throughout the year and hence causing less burden on the destination. Normally during off-season service providers offer a discounted price, and tourists can get benefited from a better deal.
Support local business/use local guides: While visiting a place, you may try to partner with a sustainable tour operator or service provider locally who is more familiar with the community and its landscape. Try to experience a greener mode of transportation like rickshaw ride, bicycle ride through the lanes of small cities, market area to get a more authentic experience and get acquainted with the local culture. Use local guides to show you around the community and who can engage you with the storytelling of the area; can also accompany you with short adventure tour like hiking, village walks, etc. Such experiences yield cherished memories and simultaneously, a small vendor/family-owned businesses get benefited out of this.
Support local shops and local food outlets: While purchasing locally-made souvenirs from local shops, you may please avoid purchasing wildlife products such as ivory. Try eating some of the local delicacies at a local restaurant or dhaba or even share a meal or tea with a local family which is the ideal way to support the local economy.
There is no good about novel coronavirus; however, it has allowed us to think about being more responsible in our lifestyle including the way of travel. It’s a common misconception that sustainable travel costs more, compromise on an enjoyable vacation, and even a big task for a person to perform. However, in reality, it’s not at all a difficult task and costly to travel as a responsible traveler, but it’s just an awareness while deciding on the vacation to undertake, as every small or big contribution makes a significant difference to our people, local community and the Mother Earth.
Some Tips: As a responsible traveler while traveling, please pack a reusable water bottle or water filter, a reusable bag for shopping, your toiletries in reusable bottles, bamboo toothbrush, reusable bamboo coffee cup, learn about local customs & traditions, pay a fair price while buying souvenirs, use bio-degradable wet wipes & tissues or can carry handkerchiefs, avoid changing bed sheets/towels every day unless it’s required to do so. Also, turn off light, fan, AC when they are not required by you. Treat animals with respect. | |
An area that is being scrutinized as a more effective method of educating and preparing security professionals is that of ethical hacking. The purpose of this research is to examine a more proactive approach to adequately prepare future information security professionals. Future careers in security may require that professionals be equipped with the necessary skill sets to combat an ever-growing presence of unwanted activity throughout the Internet. Many argue that future information security professionals need to have the same skill sets as attackers in order to adequately recognize and defend networks from intrusion. This research defines ethical hacking and examines the pros and cons of ethical hacking pedagogy as a viable approach for teaching network security to future professionals. The analysis includes the concept of ethical hacking education with an emphasis on ethical and legal concerns associated with ethical hacking pedagogy. The research concludes with an overview of existing best practices in ethical hacking education highlighting a hands-on approach as well as the inclusion of soft skills needed to complement the technical hard skills for future information security professionals.
Hartley, Regina D. (2015) "Ethical Hacking Pedagogy: An Analysis and Overview of Teaching Students to Hack," Journal of International Technology and Information Management: Vol. 24 : Iss. 4 , Article 6. | https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/jitim/vol24/iss4/6/ |
The design for these oiled ebony serving spoons draws on a number of archetypes, including simple paddles and traditional Japanese Shamoji rice spoons. The refinement of the attenuated form derives from the precise relationship of curved and flat surfaces. Dimensions: 300mm TABLE WARE COLLECTION The origins of this collection of objects lie in a new Cistercian monastery in Bohemia designed by John Pawson. From the idea of creating a set of essential equipment for the monks' refectory has evolved a collection which represents the elegant minimum for the contemporary table. The collection is based on an understanding not simply of the principles of design but of the rituals of eating and drinking. Each implement or vessel is designed for the best possible experience in use for visual delight, to feel good in the hand and to be ideally fit for purpose. The forms are simple but powerful, refined but sensuously lyrical, uniting rigorous attention to details of scale, proportion and fabrication with a consummate material palette. | http://www.hubfurniture.com.au/brands/whenobjectswork/241-when-objects-work-tableware-belgium-accessories-kitchenware-cutlery |
Author(s) :
UCW
Abstract :
Building on previous cooperation efforts between the Government of Uganda and UCW, the Report is broadly aimed at informing the implementation of the equity and access dimensions of the BTVET Strategic Plan 2011-2020 (Skilling Uganda). In particular, the Report is designed to help inform the development of measures targeting groups that have hitherto had limited access to skills development opportunities – by profiling the young persons who dropped out of education before completing primary schooling. As we will see below, it is the substantial group of Ugandan youth with limited or no education whose prospects for obtaining decent work are especially poor and who are therefore in greatest need of “second chance” training opportunities to improve their human capital levels and the their chances for upward mobility in the labour market.
Year :
2015
Country :
Uganda
Publisher :
- -
City Of Publication :
- -
Source : | http://www.ucw-project.org/child-labour-bibliography-details.aspx?id=12403&Pag=1&Country=216 |
Pentair LTD (PNR) investors sentiment increased to 1.16 in Q1 2019. It’s up 0.24, from 0.92 in 2018Q4. The ratio is better, as 182 investment professionals increased and opened new stock positions, while 157 sold and decreased holdings in Pentair LTD. The investment professionals in our database now own: 135.99 million shares, down from 138.08 million shares in 2018Q4. Also, the number of investment professionals holding Pentair LTD in top ten stock positions decreased from 3 to 1 for a decrease of 2. Sold All: 24 Reduced: 133 Increased: 115 New Position: 67.
Among 7 analysts covering Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), 4 have Buy rating, 0 Sell and 3 Hold. Therefore 57% are positive. Johnson & Johnson had 14 analyst reports since February 14, 2019 according to SRatingsIntel. The stock of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has “Hold” rating given on Friday, June 21 by Barclays Capital. The rating was maintained by Raymond James on Monday, March 25 with “Buy”. As per Monday, February 25, the company rating was maintained by Citigroup. Credit Suisse maintained the stock with “Buy” rating in Thursday, February 14 report. The stock of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) earned “Buy” rating by Cowen & Co on Wednesday, March 6. Raymond James maintained the stock with “Outperform” rating in Wednesday, April 17 report. As per Wednesday, April 17, the company rating was maintained by Morgan Stanley. The stock of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) earned “Outperform” rating by Credit Suisse on Wednesday, April 17. As per Wednesday, April 17, the company rating was maintained by BMO Capital Markets. Credit Suisse maintained it with “Outperform” rating and $15600 target in Thursday, May 16 report.
More notable recent Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) news were published by: Finance.Yahoo.com which released: “Does Pentair plc’s (NYSE:PNR) P/E Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity? – Yahoo Finance” on July 15, 2019, also Finance.Yahoo.com with their article: “A Holistic Look At Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) – Yahoo Finance” published on June 27, 2019, Finance.Yahoo.com published: “Hedge Funds Have Never Been This Bullish On Pentair plc (PNR) – Yahoo Finance” on June 19, 2019. More interesting news about Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) were released by: Seekingalpha.com and their article: “Dividend Champion Spotlight: Pentair – Seeking Alpha” published on July 12, 2019 as well as Finance.Yahoo.com‘s news article titled: “Is Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H) A Good Stock To Buy? – Yahoo Finance” with publication date: June 20, 2019.
Pentair plc operates as a diversified industrial manufacturing firm in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company has market cap of $6.62 billion. The firm operates through two divisions, Water and Electrical. It has a 22.87 P/E ratio. The Water segment designs, makes, and services products and solutions to meet filtration, separation, flow, and water management challenges in agriculture, aquaculture, foodservice, food and beverage processing, swimming pools, water supply and disposal, and various industrial applications.
Analysts await Pentair plc (NYSE:PNR) to report earnings on July, 24. They expect $0.66 earnings per share, down 7.04% or $0.05 from last year’s $0.71 per share. PNR’s profit will be $113.45 million for 14.58 P/E if the $0.66 EPS becomes a reality. After $0.43 actual earnings per share reported by Pentair plc for the previous quarter, Wall Street now forecasts 53.49% EPS growth.
Since January 1, 0001, it had 0 buys, and 1 insider sale for $422,748 activity. | |
Most of the time, the deleted scenes that end up on the cutting room floor of any given movie don’t bring anything substantial to the movie, hence why the scene was cut to begin with. However, in the case of a sparsely seen deleted scene from the horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, some new information is revealed that changes the game a little bit.
In an extended version of the scene where Nancy Thompson learns how her mother Marge and some of the other parents took matters into their own hands by killing Freddy Krueger, even more information would have been revealed that makes the nightmare stalker’s recent killing streak more personal than random.
Watch the A Nightmare on Elm Street deleted scene after the jump.
Here’s the scene uncovered by our friends over at Bloody Disgusting:
As you can see, in the extended scene, we learn that Freddy Krueger killed a sibling that Nancy never knew she had. He did the same to the siblings of Nancy’s friends Glen, Rod and Tina. That would have made the parents’ decision to kill Freddy Krueger themselves a little more justified, but removing that fact makes their decision somewhat more morally questionable, which was an interesting move.
So why is this scene so rare? Apparently it was only previously available on a collector’s edition laserdisc and VHS release of the movie. However, the deleted scenes haven’t been seen on any of the more recent home video releases of the movie. Thanks to the wonder of the internet, we get to see this one. | https://www.slashfilm.com/a-nightmare-on-elm-street-deleted-scene/ |
Student Government Association meets Mondays at 3:30 in SU 104.
SGA opened the floor to a resolution that advocates for the inclusion of Halal meals on campus to meet the religious needs of Muslim students.
“Halal food is permissible food according to Islamic Law prepared in a certain manner,” Senator Onyinyechi Okorie explained.
Okorie’s resolution states that with “over 200 muslim students on campus” NKU could look into creating meals that satisfy the needs of those students.
Since the university requires international students purchase a meal plan, Muslim students have few options that meet their religious dietary restrictions, according to Okorie.
“The Travel Wagon in campus dining has helped and currently still helps expose the Norse community to diverse and various amounts of cultures through food, but still falls short on foods with religious restrictions,” Okorie said.
Senator Roberto Amazendes agreed with Okorie’s resolution and believes that there is room for these suggestions on campus.
“Those 200 international students are a big part of NKU, and we do have to acknowledge that,” Amazendes said.
SGA also read a resolution to allow Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities back on campus after the Greek orgs were expelled amid hazing allegations in 2012 and 2009, respectively.
The two organizations are a part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) which is made of nine historically African-American chapters.
“The return of these two prestigious organizations would help increase diversity and inclusivity on our campus as they help foster a sense of community among groups,” Miller said.
Both resolutions will be up for a second reading at SGA’s meeting on April 16.
SGA passed a resolution recognizing the fifth anniversary of the Office of LGBTQ Programs and Services on campus which was Created in 2013, the center celebrated the anniversary at NKU’s Pride Week that began April 2. | https://www.thenortherner.com/news/2018/04/10/what-you-missed-at-sga-april-9/ |
Spread of Pancreatic Cancer
When pancreatic cancer is at its advanced stage, it cannot be removed via surgery and the 5-year survival rate is as close as 0%. An estimate suggests that pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality in the United States, with 5-year survival rates for patients with tumors that can be surgically removed ranging from 15 - 20%.
In the United States, approximately 45,750 deaths per year are observed due to pancreatic cancer. Another study suggests that pancreatic cancer may become the second leading cause of cancer death by 2020. Early detection and diagnosis is the best way to treat patients suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Best Screening Time for Pancreatic Cancer: Early Diagnosis
Experts bring into consideration that individuals with minor symptoms or gastrointestinal issues should undergo regular early detection tests to survey their pancreas as they can be at a higher relative risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Who Should be Kept Under Surveillance for Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer can sometimes run in the genes. Individuals with a family history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma have higher chances of developing the disease.
People whose first-degree relative (parents, siblings or children) have developed pancreas cancer before the age of 50 or at least one of the second or third-degree relatives has developed pancreatic cancer (i.e. one parent and one uncle, or a sibling and a cousin) or if more than two of the second-degree relatives (aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews) have developed pancreatic cancer, are at a very high risk of suffering with the disease.
Apart from the family history, patients who have had the BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 mutation, Peutz Jhegers syndrome associated with STK11 gene mutations, Familial Atypical Mole Melanoma (FAMMM), Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome are more prone to suffer from pancreatic cancer.
Apart from family history, in the general population, patients who have crossed age of 55 and have new-onset diabetes are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. About 80 percent of people with pancreatic cancer are found to have diabetes or hyperglycemia. Patients with new-onset diabetes have an increased risk of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within one to three years of developing diabetes.
Screening Methodologies for Pancreatic Cancer
It is very important to understand the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer for those who are at a greater risk of developing the disease. Common symptoms of pancreatic cancer are pain in the abdomen or back, immediate weight loss, jaundice, change in stool, pancreatitis, etc.
For early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, screening tests may vary for each individual. For pancreatic cancer early detection, a combination of medical imagining techniques is used such as a combination of Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans that can detect small lesions and cysts at regular intervals for people who are susceptible to pancreas cancer.
More: Real Life Experiences of Coping With Cancer
Screening for Pancreatic Cancer Can be Done With the Help of –
Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer
On-going studies suggest that researchers are working on creating an effective screening blood test for early detection of tumor markers associated with pancreatic cancer. There are some blood tests that help in measuring hormones related to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) which can be beneficial in the diagnosis of the tumor type, but there is no defined blood test to detect such tumors.
In a study, published in Science Translational Medicine, a new blood test may be able to accurately detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages. The test is used to measure the levels of two specific proteins in the blood. For this, identifying and validating an unusual biomarker needed in the test was also an important step.
CA19-9 is known to be the best available tumor marker to understand the progression of the disease but is only about 75% accurate in identifying patients with pancreatic cancer.
Endoscopic Ultrasonography (EUS) for Pancreatic Cancer
EUS produces images of the pancreas using ultrasound waves bouncing off internal organs. It does not involve ionizing radiation. EUS is considered to be an invasive procedure and helps diagnose lesions which might be smaller than 1 cm. One major issue with EUS is that it is operator-dependent.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan for Pancreatic Cancer
CT scan is done to demonstrate a low sensitivity to the detection of pancreatic dysplasia. CT scan has a major drawback that its radiation exposure and the suboptimal detection rate can be harmful as a routine screening tool for asymptomatic high-risk patients.
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Figure: CT scan image of Pancreas which may be at a risk of developing cancer.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Pancreatic Cancer
Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) helps to detect earlier and small changes that occur in pancreatic parenchymal and (main) pancreatic duct. This is not found through the CT scan procedure.
MRI combined with EUS is considered to be one of the most accurate tools for pancreatic cancer screening.
Why is Early Screening Beneficial in Case of Pancreatic Cancer?
There is no defined technique or established way or tool to diagnose pancreatic cancer early. Early screening for pancreatic cancer is important because in most cases pancreatic cancer symptoms are not visible until it has reached an advanced stage and then the cancer becomes difficult to treat. In such cases, surgery is also not considered to be a beneficial option. Read about advanced stage pancreatic cancer.
New studies and further advancements are being made in the diagnostic procedures to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of screening methods for early screening and detection of pancreatic cancer. This will help in improving the outcome of pancreatic cancer. | https://www.diseasefix.com/page/pancreatic-cancer-screening-early-detection/5686/ |
President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to consider Nigeria’s huge population size and physical development deficits when sharing oil production cuts.
The President made the appeal on Thursday while hosting the Secretary-General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk from Nigeria in the State House in Abuja.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari observed Nigeria needs all the resources she can gather from all sources, considering the weight of the responsibility of the nation with “200 million poor people, with a severe deficit in infrastructure”.
He also welcomed the decision of the APPO to cite the headquarters of the African Energy Investment Corporation in Abuja.
Pledging the full support of the country in ensuring the successful take-off of the organisation, he also gave the assurance that Nigeria will pay for her share subscription.
The President, who received praises for the vision of setting up the APPO and the ratification of its charter by Nigeria back in 1985 as Military Head of State, said the peculiarities of the challenges facing African oil producers required them to come together under the association to share experiences and solve their problems collectively.
The President said the growing clamour for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels notwithstanding, countries like Nigeria needed to produce more oil to feed the petrochemical industry and create jobs.
Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, informed the President the proposed APPO Energy Investment Corporation to be sited in Abuja will start with USD 1 billion from the AFRO-EXIM Bank and is expected to bring employment and other benefits to Nigeria.
The Secretary General of APPO, who was accompanied by Dr Adedapo Odulaji, the OPEC Governor in Nigeria, conveyed the appreciation of the Congolese President and the Prime Minister for the President’s support in the relocation of the headquarters of the association to its chosen location, Brazzaville, the Congolese capital.
He expressed hope that members of the 16-member organisation will surmount the challenges posed by COVID-19 as well as that from receding fossil fuel use as a result of the climate change treaties signed by member states and other nations. | https://thepodiummedia.com/buhari-seeks-better-deal-on-opec-quota/26/11/2020/ |
Toxicity of individual pharmaceuticals and their mixtures to Aliivibrio fischeri: Experimental results for single compounds, considerations of their mechanisms of action and potential acute effects on aquatic organisms
In the first part of a broader study on the effects of individual and multicomponent mixtures of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), the authors use the Microtox® test system to analyse in detail the effects of ten widely used human and veterinary PhACs towards the bioluminescent bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. The experimental results indicated moderate toxicity for the majority of the tested compounds. The comparison between our experimental IC50 and those predicted from the Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models indicated that most of the tested PhACs behave as polar narcotic compounds towards A. fischeri (only the antibiotic chlortetracycline seemed to have a specific mechanism of action). A comparison between our experimental results and a collection of acute toxicity data on other non-target organisms indicated that in general A. fischeri has a comparable sensitivity to other aquatic species. However, according to the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), the majority of the investigated chemicals can be classified as harmful or non-toxic chemicals for aquatic ecosystems. Finally, based on the comparisons among the 95(th) percentile of Measured Environmental Concentrations (MECs) found in EU water bodies and acute toxicity data on various aquatic organisms, no risk to aquatic life exists when the tested PhACs are assessed as individual chemicals. | https://bulletin.chemwatch.net/technical/toxicity-of-individual-pharmaceuticals-and-their-mixtures-to-aliivibrio-fischeri-experimental-results-for-single-compounds-considerations-of-their-mechanisms-of-action-and-potential-acute-effects-on |
Your immune system is a complex system that is responsible for fighting off infections, bacteria, and viruses. As we continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of pain on the immune system is an important topic. Unfortunately, data shows that those with compromised immune function are more likely to contract the virus and experience severe symptoms that could be fatal. With this in mind, it’s important to understand the connection between chronic pain and your immune system.
Does pain lower immune system response?
Chronic pain is defined as ongoing pain that lasts more than six months. In many cases, it continues long after the initial injury or illness that prompted the pain has healed. This type of pain can make your everyday routine feel difficult, if not impossible. This often leads to depression and long-term increased levels of stress.
When you’re in a state of constant stress, cortisol levels in the body tend to rise, which can lead to a decline in immune system function. This may cause you to be more susceptible to unpleasant side effects and a range of different illnesses. In addition, research shows that chronic pain may actually have a significant impact on your genes and how they work in regards to immunity.
Fortunately, you can help combat the effects of pain on the immune system with some lifestyle changes. It doesn’t take much to boost your immunity and increase your chances of staying healthy. Read on for important tips that may help you boost your immune system every day after we discuss some of the latest research on pain and the immune system.
What are the effects of pain on the immune system?
Despite tremendous efforts to find breakthrough treatment options, there are still thousands of people who suffer from ongoing pain. In fact, chronic pain is one of the most common causes of disability worldwide.
In order to better understand the effects of pain on the immune system, scientists continue to conduct extensive research on how to help this population. Here is what we know so far.
Chronic pain changes our immune systems
Chronic pain may reprogram the way genes work in the immune system, according to a study by McGill University.
The team examined DNA from brains and white blood cells of rats using a method that mapped DNA marking by a chemical called a methyl group. Methyl marks are important for regulating how these genes function. This sort of chemical marking is part of the growing field of epigenetics, which involves modifications that turn genes on or off, reprogramming how they work. Researchers were surprised to find a number of genes that were marked by the chronic pain. In fact, hundreds to thousands of different genes were changed.
“We found that chronic pain changes the way DNA is marked not only in the brain but also in T cells, a type of white blood cell essential for immunity,” says Moshe Szyf, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill. “Our findings highlight the devastating impact of chronic pain on other important parts of the body such as the immune system.”
Fortunately, the findings in this study could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating chronic pain. For example, some of the genes found to be marked by chronic pain could become new targets for pain medications.
Link between immune function, osteoarthritic pain and progression
According to McMaster University researchers, the immune system plays an important role in the amount of pain and disease progression experienced by patients with osteoarthritis (OA).
The study found that monocytes, the white blood cells necessary to regulate immune responses, were more activated and pro-inflammatory in women with osteoarthritis. In addition, elevated inflammation and body mass index were associated with this increased activation. When compared with a control group of 22 women of the same age without OA, this combination resulted in increased pain and progression of knee osteoarthritis.
“It is the first study, to our knowledge, to specifically characterize changes in circulating monocytes in individuals with OA compared to healthy women,” said senior author Dawn Bowdish, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster, and member of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging.
The immune-suppressive effects of pain
In this larger collection of studies, researchers studied immune-suppressive effects of painful experiences in both humans and animals.
Stressors such as foot shock and tail shock can provoke pain without tissue damage in rats. The result has been diminishing immune functions, including mixed lymphocyte reactions in lymph node cells.
In humans, surgery has been known to result in immune suppression as well. The invasiveness of the surgery has been associated with the magnitude of immune suppression. Due to the crucial role played by the immune system in maintaining health and resisting infection and disease, this reflects the importance of pain management.
How to boost your immune system
While these studies do indicate a significant relationship between chronic pain and the immune system, it’s not all bad news. There are many ways to naturally strengthen your immune system every day.
By boosting your body’s natural defenses, you will have a better chance at fighting off infections and viruses, regardless of whether you’re dealing with chronic pain. Note, however, that these natural remedies can and should never take the place of your doctor’s guidance. While you can boost your immune system’s health, preventing transmission of illness, as we explain below, is your best approach.
Get plenty of sleep
The importance of sleep can’t be underestimated, especially when it comes to fighting off illness. In a study of 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than six hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept six hours or more each night.
What’s more, studies show that getting a full night of shut-eye may also help reduce inflammation and pain. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that treating insomnia in the elderly could lead to reduced inflammation and chronic pain. Those who were successfully treated for insomnia had a lower level of C-reactive protein (CRP), an identified marker of inflammation. When someone is suffering from an attack of inflammation, CRP levels rise. Adults over 55 who were treated for insomnia had continued low levels of this protein.
If your chronic pain is leading to sleep deprivation, or if poor sleep is exacerbating your pain, get help. A pain doctor along with a sleep specialist can assist in finding the right treatment.
Maintain a healthy weight with a nutritious diet
There are so many benefits to eating more nutritious meals. Even if you don’t see an immediate change in your pain level, you can improve your health to fight off illness. In order for the cells in your immune system to function properly, you need to follow a healthy diet. This is a diet that includes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.
Studies show that micronutrients and dietary components have very specific roles in the development and maintenance of an effective immune system. For example, vitamin A and zinc regulate cell division, making them essential for a successful and quick response within the immune system.
Doctors and scientists both confirm that eating whole, healthy foods can:
- Lower blood pressure
- Protect against chronic conditions, ranging from cancer to stroke
- Help prevent inflammation
- Protect your heart
- Lead to weight loss, which can lessen pressure that leads to issues like joint pain
If you’re looking for more details about the right foods to eat, find out how to create a chronic pain diet that works.
Exercise regularly
If you work out for the first time after a long break, it’s normal to wake up the next day with sore muscles. However, another workout a few days later is generally less painful. While scientists have studied this for decades, naming it the “repeated bout effect,” they haven’t been able to determine exactly why people feel less sore the second time around. What they do know is the immune system plays some role in how muscle repairs itself and protects against additional damage.
One study at BYU produced evidence that shows the surprising presence of very specific immune workers called T-cells.
“You think of T-cells as responding to infections, not repairing muscles–but we found a significant accumulation of T-cells infiltrating damaged muscle fibers,” said Robert Hyldahl, assistant professor of exercise science at BYU. “Our study is the first to show T-cells present in human muscle in response to exercise-induced damage.”
In addition to keeping your heart healthy and your weight in check, this study suggests that exercise may even help boost your immune system. Keep in mind that it does not need to be rigorous exercise to be beneficial. Consider incorporating gentle yoga or morning walks into your daily routine. Create a home exercise program that fits your lifestyle.
Reduce stress as much as possible
The power of your mind can be a double-edged sword. Scientific research shows that stress and immune function are closely related. When you’re experiencing a stressful event, your brain sends defense signals that prompt the release of hormones. These hormones are trying to prepare you for emergency situations, but they have a depressive impact on immunity. This can reduce white blood cells and even increase tumor growth and development.
For those dealing with chronic pain, stress can be an everyday battle.
It doesn’t have to be a single traumatic event or even a significant personal issue. The simple burden of pain can lead to stress. With this in mind, it’s important to find ways to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Exercise, healthy eating, and even meditation are great ways to naturally reduce stress. If these lifestyle changes aren’t helping, talk with your doctor about other options. Acupuncture, therapy, and other methods of treatment can help you reduce stress and improve immune function.
How to protect your immune system
In addition to living a healthy lifestyle, there are a few basic ways to protect your immune system on a daily basis. First, practice vigilant hand washing, especially whenever you leave your house and touch things in public. Take extra consideration to wash your hands for a full 20 seconds in order to be effective, and follow full hand washing instructions from the CDC here. If you don’t have access to soap and water, carry hand sanitizer with you wherever you go. The CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol.
In light of today’s COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also important to practice basic social distancing for the foreseeable future. Maintain at least six feet of distance from other people in public and avoid crowded places. This is the best way to reduce your risk of exposure to anyone who may be ill.
In situations where you have no choice but to be in public, wear a mask to protect yourself and those around you. Data shows that wearing a mask helps reduce your risk of exposure to the virus and could stop person-to-person spread. Find a mask that fits comfortably in order to keep you from touching your face.
Get help with chronic pain
Coping with chronic pain can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. While we encourage you to try the recommendations presented here, we understand that sometimes basic lifestyle changes still aren’t enough, and that’s okay. Remember, living with pain isn’t normal.
At Arizona Pain, we work as a team to develop a plan to tackle your pain from every angle. This may include many facets from our comprehensive care program, including minimally invasive medical procedures, chiropractic manipulations, and nutritional guidance. These methods can increase your chances of keeping your pain under control, so you can live a healthier life.
If you live in Arizona and need help managing your chronic pain, contact the Arizona Pain team or click the button below to get in touch with one of our pain specialists. Our trustworthy, compassionate team at Arizona Pain is ready to help you. | https://arizonapain.com/effects-of-pain-on-the-immune-system/ |
PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE EXTENDED THE DEADLINE FOR AUDITION APPLICATIONS TO FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER AT 9am.
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is very pleased to announce that it is recruiting for members for 2014. For the third year running, NYJO is inviting young musicians under the age of 25 with experience of playing big band jazz to apply for a chair in the band. Auditions will be held in Manchester and London in January 2014 and successful applicants would normally hold that position in the band for at least one year.
You will work with MD Mark Armstrong on some great music and give inspiring concerts (2013 highlights include a headline performance at The Sage Gateshead as part of Gateshead International Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, and appearances with special guests including Soweto Kinch, Jacqui Dankworth, Mark Nightingale, Jason Yarde and Lianne Carroll) NYJO will help give you the training and skills for the world of professional music-making, if this is the path you choose. We will also be taking the music to a younger generation through school concerts and workshops.
Although an audition is a short amount of time to make a judgement about a player’s potential, their choice of material and ability to play it combined with sight-reading tests gives a good indication of how they might fit in the band. For some really important chairs however, like the drum chair, which may be available from early next year, a trial period may be needed to ensure the right person fills the role.
Auditions will take place in January 2014 at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester on the 4th January and at the London Centre of Contemporary Music in London on the 25th January, both from 11am-5pm.
If you have any questions please contact Sean Corby, Projects Executive on [email protected] or call 020 7494 1733. | https://www.nyjo.org.uk/about/news/nyjo-auditions-for-2014-entry/ |
Once you have developed potential indicators, and have collected relevant data, it is possible to begin to analyse those data to identify and demonstrate trends. Readers with little or no experience with indicator development and data collection are encouraged to take time now to review Module 4 on Data and Indicators.
The integrated story, illustrating causality among key drivers and environmental states, is just the outer layer of the analysis. Beneath this high level integrated story are other stories more intimate in detail, which help us better understand what is happening to the environment and why. Getting to this next layer of information requires analysing the indicator to identify correlations, and to explain key temporal and spatial patterns.
A good place to start is the analysis of the state indicator to get to the core of the issue. The example below illustrates such an analysis for automobile fuel efficiency.
Source: IISD and TERI 2002.
Identifying and explaining trends in on-road automobile fuel efficiency in Canada
Travel by automobiles is one source of emissions in Canada. The fuel efficiency of the fleet of automobiles on the road in Canada is one good indicator of this pressure. Figure 12 presents on-road fuel efficiency data for the period 1970 through 1994, along with data for vehicle stock and average vehicle fuel efficiency.
Consider a historical analysis as a first step in identifying and explaining trends in a pressure indicator. The sudden improvement in fuel efficiency realized in the late 1970s as illustrated in Figure 12 below, can be explained by the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard that was adopted in the United States in 1975, following the 1973 Middle East oil embargo. In Canada in the 1980s, voluntary industry fuel efficiency targets were put in place through the federal government’s Company Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) programme. Through the 1980s, a 55 percent improvement in on-road fuel efficiency was realized in Canada.
But, there was a sudden halt in fuel efficiency improvements in the 1990s. In looking at an indicator of the vehicle stock, we see a change from small and large cars to light trucks that were used as personal vehicles, and often called sport utility vehicles. In fact, it would also appear that the change in the vehicle stock during the 1980s (more small cars and fewer large cars) was a factor in the longevity of the on-road fuel efficiency increase experienced during the 1980s, aided by increases in the on-road fuel efficiency of both small and large cars during this time.
It would appear that the lack of improvement in on-road fuel efficiency in recent years late is due to society’s preference for larger, less fuel-efficient light trucks and sport utility vehicles. | http://www.unep.org/IEACP/iea/training/manual/module5/1221.aspx |
Markets have kicked off the week with minor gains after a down week. Uncertainty about US inflation, China's tech crackdown and worries about covid and infrastructure. The dollar is gaining ground across the board. Cryptos are on the back foot.
Federal Reserve officials are now officially in their "blackout" mode ahead of next week's decision. Analysts expect the Fed to refrain from tapering their bond-buying scheme next week but to make a move later in the year. Apart from inflation figures, retail sales and consumer sentiment statistics are eyed.
US infrastructure spending plans are up in the air as Democrats are divided on raising corporate taxes and as conservative Democrat Senator Joe Manchin rejects the top line of the $3.5 trillion price tag.
Techlash: Chinese authorities are reportedly considering breaking up Alipay, one of the largest payment companies. It comes on the heels of Beijing's other efforts to curb the power of large tech companies and cools sentiment. Reports of new COVID-19 clusters also add to the damp mood.
German elections: Center-left candidate Olaf Scholz solidified his position as the leader to inherit Angela Merkel after the third televised debate. He refrained from ruling out a coalition with the radical left, and that is marginally weighing on EUR/USD, which is trading under 1.18.
Last week, the European Central Bank announced the slowing down of its bond-buying scheme but insisted it is only a "recalibration" and not a material change. More significant changes are due next
GBP/USD is hovering above 1.38 as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce changes to the country's covid policy and as cases remain elevated.
Gold is trading under $1,800 as US 10-year Treasury yields hold up around 1.33%. Oil is trading at around $70. Goldman Sachs said the global oil market is set to "rally significantly"
Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin is trading under $44,000 Etehreum below $3,300 and ADA below $2.50. Digital assets are on the back foot once again, with some citing Korean regulation as the catalyst. Cryptos suffered a "flash-crash" last week as El Salvador made Bitcoin a legal tender.
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Latest Forex News
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD is trading under 1.18, the lowest since late August as a cautious market mood boosts the safe-haven dollar. Worries about rising US inflation, the Fed's tapering intentions and German elections are pushing the pair lower.
Gold (XAU/USD) begins the key week on a positive note, on the bids near $1,793 while flashing 0.3% intraday gains at the latest. The yellow metal snapped a four-week uptrend the previous week as Fed tapering concerns escalate.
SafeMoon price has been on a downswing for roughly two weeks, but this downswing has pushed it close to a stable demand barrier. Assuming the bulls make a comeback here, investors can expect a new uptrend to originate here.
Global markets have been anticipating the end, or at least the beginning of the end, of central bank intervention since January. Bankers, led by the US Fed, have been very reluctant to end their accommodation.
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Opinions expressed at FXStreet are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of FXStreet or its management. FXStreet has not verified the accuracy or basis-in-fact of any claim or statement made by any independent author: errors and Omissions may occur.Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website, by FXStreet, its employees, partners or contributors, is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. FXStreet will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information. |
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