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Health Score:
7,7 / 10
Difficulty:
easy
Difficulty
Preparation:
30 min.
Preparation
ready in 50 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
4
- For the Spätzle
- salt
- 4 eggs
- 400 grams Pastry flour
- 300 grams Quark
- For the pan
- 2 onions
- 200 milliliters vegetable oil (for coking)
- 500 grams fresh button Mushroom
- 1 tablespoon butter
- freshly ground peppers
- 100 milliliters Whipped cream (at least 30% fat content)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 50 grams grated Gruyere
How healthy are the main ingredients?Whipped creamparsleysalteggonion
Preparation steps
1.
Boil salted water in a large pot. Whisk the eggs, flour, quark, and 1 teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer. using a spaetzle board, scrape the dough into the hot water. Let it form, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Drain well.
2.
Peel the onion, slice into thin rings, and cook in oil. Clean the mushrooms (using a paper towel if necessary) and thinly slices. Cook the noodles in butter, and season with salt and pepper.
3.
Add the mushrooms and cook. Pour in the cream and season to taste. Just before serving, mix in the parsley. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with the cheese. | https://eatsmarter.com/recipes/spaetzle-with-mushrooms-and-onions |
Feedback is a powerful tool for growth, learning, and life change.
Feedback helps us grow and develop personally, and it helps us focus, change, and/or re-direct our efforts for greater productivity and fruitfulness.
As part of my job, I recently prepared a project called “30 Days of Feedback“. The goal was to help people improve in giving and receiving feedback. Co-workers and friends were encouraged to sign up to receive posts of encouragement, tips, and simple activities they could do to build a culture of feedback at work, on a team, and in their families.
The project was a great learning experience for me. I enjoyed reading books, articles, and blog posts about feedback. I searched for videos to communicate key points. I organized the content into a month schedule and asked for lots of feedback 🙂 from others as the posts took shape. One of my favorite parts of the project was creating the graphic design memes for each day together with my very artistically talented daughter.
The posts covered both how to offer (give) positive feedback and how to invite (receive) constructive feedback from others.
After the 30 days, some of my co-workers asked if we could make the content available all together, so we created an eBook. The eBook will be helpful for those who want to continually review the ideas and practice the tips and activities with others.
I’d like to offer the eBook as a resource to you (click on the photo below)! I hope you will find it helpful. Feel free to pass it along to others also.
I’d love to hear your feedback on the book! What is something new you learned about feedback?
You can’t lead if no one follows.
On the other hand, a lot of people don’t think they are leaders because they don’t have a business title or position, but others are watching them and following their example all the time. We can all learn to lead better.
Leaders can get so fired up about their vision and strategies that followers begin to pay the price. The leader starts to view everyone else as caring less about the goals than they do. The leader then determines that if the followers don’t care about the vision, then the leader doesn’t have to worry about the followers’ heart… and those followers become expendable.
This attitude may not get expressed out loud, but everyone can feel it.
Do an objective/outside evaluation. Bring in a professional team, get a coach, ask a friend. Find out what your followers are thinking and feeling. Have someone else give you honest feedback about how you are treating your team (or students, or children…) with your attitudes and actions.
Make sure the leader and team “own” the desired culture. If the leader does not lead by example, others will get frustrated with the hypocrisy and not embrace or apply the culture either.
Increase the level of candor in evaluations/reviews. An easy format to use is the Start, Stop, Continue categories… and be specific! People (including children!) want desperately to know, “How am I doing?” They can’t get better or grow in areas, if they don’t know what it is that they need to improve.
The kindest form of feedback is the truth.
WOW! I have plenty to work on here… and that was just his first point! I’ll write about more of the sessions in upcoming posts.
Is there anything you would add to this list? How do you care about the heart and spirit of the people who follow you?
do you work in a team or a family?
I have worked in Latin America for many years. I love the Latin culture – especially the emphasis on relationships: relaxed meal times, fiestas for any occasion, inter-generational activities, inclusion of children at events, incredible friendships and loyalty. These characteristics provide an incredible richness to my life.
However, any strength – at its extreme – can also be a weakness. I was often uncomfortable when our organizational staff claimed that we were a “family”. I knew that, although I cared deeply for many of my co-workers, they were not a real family for me. I also knew that we did not treat each other like we would members of a true family. There was something I didn’t like or agree with that statement, although I couldn’t put it into words.
Today I read a blog post by Mark Miller that clarified this exact issue for me. His post helped me to understand that when we view our team through a family perspective, we often allow performance to suffer. This is a common problem for non-profits and religious organizations. I remember many times when we erroneously did not confront poor behavior, implement consequences, or even ask someone to leave the organization… because we did not want to lose a “family” member. This distorted perspective means that we postpone and avoid crucial decisions that often cause great harm to the individual and to the organization.
Does your team work like a team or a like a family?
Do you like homework? Neither do I… usually.
However, this fall I had to do a homework assignment for our Global Leadership MA class that I want to recommend to you. It was, by far, the most encouraging homework assignment I have ever done. The exercise is called “Your Reflected Best Self” (RBS), and it is fully described in the Harvard Business Review article, “How to Play to Your Strengths” from January 2005.
The exercise is not designed to build your ego, although it might do that. A while back I wrote about how we often receive six comments of negative feedback to one positive. The RBS is a systematic tool that balances out that ratio by discovering or confirming strengths and potential. With some analysis and application (done best with the help of a coach), you can use the information gained to develop a plan to maximize your talents at work and in other areas of life.
As part of my personal development program, I am constructing a profile of the ways that I add value and contribute. I am contacting twenty people who know me well from a variety of relationships: family, friends, co-workers. I am requesting that each person provide me with three stories of when I was at my best and my strengths were meaningful to them in some way. I would like to invite you to help me with this exercise.
I appreciate you taking time to do this for me. Please provide specific examples so I can understand the situation and the characteristics you are describing. One short paragraph will be fine.
Please email your responses to me by XXXXX.
Ethics 1. I stood up to a peer who was crossing the line of ethical behavior.
2. I am not afraid to choose right over wrong.
Team Builder 1. I coached our softball team.
2. I created a work group for a big project.
3. I thrive working with others.
After you summarize the feedback, you will know yourself better and the tasks, atmosphere, and relationships that energize you and facilitate your strengths. You can then evaluate where and how often you get to use your talents. Those are likely the times, projects, and situations where you are most encouraged and most productive. If you are not using your best self very often, you can understand why you feel tired and discouraged.
It is not always possible to redesign your whole job, but sometimes there is freedom to make a few key adjustments. We can also make changes at home to allow more time for the people and the tasks that bring out the best in us. This is when coaching is helpful – to think through where to make the changes… and help us actually follow through.
I learned a lot about myself by doing this exercise; I hope you will too. If you decide to try it, please let me know what you find out about your Best Reflected Self!
Traveling down the highway the other day, we saw many people texting or talking on their phone as they drove. Their speed was erratic, and they were constantly swerving from one lane to another. I felt nervous and in danger anywhere close to them, I and encouraged my husband to put some distance between us as quickly as possible.
It came to my mind that this dangerous behavior is very obvious to others, although the texting-driver may mistakenly think they have everything under control. From behind, we watch the unintentional lane changes and make adjustments for their inconsistent speed. When we pass along the right – because they are usually blocking the passing lane – we have never been wrong in our initial hypothesis as to the cause of their erratic driving. They are often so intent on their communication that they do not look up or even notice as we pass by.
I can have blind spots in many areas of my life. I am often so busy with my own tasks and concerns that I am completely unaware of how my attitudes and behavior are affecting others. I hate to think of how often a family member has to move out of my way for their own protection, or how often a co-worker has to make adjustments for my erratic actions. I don’t want to be a danger to others.
One tool we use in our organization is the 360° review; a feedback survey process that allows those around me – supervisor/director, co-workers, direct reports – to let me know how I am doing in my leadership. Their confidential responses are correlated with my self-assessment answers, and a trained feedback facilitator communicates the information during a personal appointment. The feedback confirms obvious strength and weakness areas, encourages strengths (those others saw, but I didn’t mention), and warns me about the dreaded blind spots.
The first time I went through a 360° review, it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. I felt clobbered by the negative comments and had a hard time recognizing the positive. I had a great facilitator at the time, and I have since come to greatly appreciate the process. I know that when I invite truthful feedback in my life, I grow in humility and I increase my abilities to work productively and serve others well.
I can hear truth from others in a formal 360° review or simply in vulnerable conversations with friends, family and mentors. It is one of the most important things I can do to ensure that I am a safe person, considerate of others, and aware of my impact… less blind spots!
Have can you invite someone to give you honest feedback about your blind spots?
Henry Cloud, in his book, Integrity, writes that many people lie… actually most of us do, in some form or another.
How about the little “white” lie answer to, “How are you doing?” Do I say “fine” when I’m not really fine? Or if someone asks me, “So… how did I do?”, do I give them honest feedback or do I respond with a generic, “Great”? What about when someone wants me to “fudge” on a recommendation letter, or a stats report, or a financial designation? Do I “help them out“, or do I tell the truth?
Truth about myself – I’ve heard many times to consider reality as my friend. It doesn’t help to hide, avoid or deny reality – especially about myself. One powerful element of leadership is self-awareness, understanding my strengths and weaknesses. If I don’t contend with my weak areas, others will. I don’t want to be the fool who’s not really fooling anyone except myself. Although it is not easy for me, I am learning to seek out truth – ask others (husband, co-workers, boss, friends) for an evaluation, request feedback about my leadership, apply what they tell me, and seek help where I am weak.
Will I pursue the truth?
Truth about others – I’ve written before about my desire to please others and be the “nice guy“. It is hard to tell people the truth when it may hurt them, but there is a big difference between a surgeon who causes pain while saving a life and a murderer who causes pain when taking a life. The pain itself is not bad – intent is what matters. I am learning that I sometimes have to tell someone a painful truth in order to help them mature, change, or make a wise decision. If I use tact, care, empathy, and respect when I speak, the truth pill is easier to swallow. The temporary pain is for their good; if I withhold the truth because of my fear of rejection or negative reaction, I have put my comfort ahead of their well-being.
Do I care enough to tell the truth?
Truth about my world – In our ministry, we used to do an honest evaluation of our progress every school quarter. We would look at the stats numbers and consider the brutal-truth information they provided. We would celebrate where we were doing well, and we would prayerfully adjust our plans and activities wherever we were missing the mark. Cloud calls this assimilation and accommodation.
The world is changing at breakneck speed. If I am not willing to let go of the “way we’ve always done it”, or if I mislead investors with a sugar-coated story that conceals the real numbers, or if I intentionally tell my teammates only a partial truth about my actions, I – and the organization – will never be able to grow to meet the demands of our reality. No growth = death.
Am I willing to respond to the truth?
Do you struggle with telling the truth?
What helps you remember that the truth matters? | https://maturitascafe.com/tag/feedback/ |
Hearing loss is a common problem caused by noise, aging, disease and heredity.
People with hearing loss may have difficulty maintaining conversations with friends and family. They may also have trouble understanding a doctor’s advice, responding to warnings, and hearing bells and alarms.
More than 5% of the world’s population, or 466 million people, have disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 more than 900 million people, or one in ten people, will have a disabling hearing loss.
Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 40 decibels (dB) in the better ear in adults and hearing loss greater than 30 dB in the better ear in children.
Most people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries.
Most children with hearing loss are born to parents with normal hearing. That means the whole family may have a lot to learn about living with this condition.
Causes of hearing loss and deafness
The causes of hearing loss and deafness can be congenital or acquired.
Congenital causes
Congenital causes can lead to hearing loss that is present or acquired shortly after birth. Hearing loss can be caused by both inherited and non-inherited genetic factors or by certain complications during pregnancy and childbirth, including
- Maternal rubella, syphilis or other infections during pregnancy.
- Low birth weight.
- Birth asphyxiation (lack of oxygen at birth).
- Inappropriate use of particular medications during pregnancy, such as aminoglycosides, cytotoxic drugs, anti-malarial drugs and diuretics.
- Severe jaundice in the newborn period, which can damage the auditory nerve in a newborn.
Acquired causes
Acquired causes can lead to hearing loss at any age, such as
- Infectious diseases including meningitis, measles and mumps.
chronic ear infections.
- Accumulation of fluid in the ear (otitis media)
- Use of certain medications, such as those used in the treatment of neonatal infections, malaria, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and cancers.
- Injury to the head or ear.
- Excessive noise, including occupational noise such as machinery and explosions.
- Recreational exposure to loud sounds such as the use of personal audio devices at high volumes and for extended periods and regular attendance at concerts, nightclubs, bars and sporting events
- Aging, particularly due to degeneration of sensory cells; and
wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal.
Among children, chronic otitis media is a common cause of hearing loss.
Types of implants
There are different types of middle ear implants, but their function is the same: to assist in the mechanical transmission of sound waves to the inner ear (cochlea).
The newest in the market and with better results are the baha implants.
What is the baha implant?
A BAHA implant is a medical hearing aid device that is connected to the external skull and is able to restore hearing clarity for people with a profound hearing loss.
Most typical hearing systems transmit sound through air conduction, while a BAHA hearing system stimulates the cochlea by conducting sound waves through the skull, stimulating the auditory nerve directly.
Bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA)
The bone-anchored hearing system (BAHA) uses a surgically implanted titanium element to transmit sound to the inner ear via bone conduction.
This avoids the ear canal and the middle ear.
How it works
A sound processor picks up the sound vibrations; a connecting abutment transfers the sound to mechanical vibrations from the BAHA device to the implant; a small titanium implant, placed in the bone behind the ear, fuses with the living bone; this implant transfers the sound vibrations, through the skull, directly to the functioning cochlea.
Other types of treatments
CROS hearing aids
A CROS (Contralateral Routing Of Sound) hearing system transmits the sound from the poorer ear to the better ear.
A microphone/transmitter is placed behind or inside the poorer ear, where it picks up the sound and transmits it wirelessly to an amplifying system in the normal hearing ear. Hearing in the good ear is preserved and not completely affected.
Bonebridge
Med-The BoneBridge is another type of bone-anchored auditory processing system. It is a semi-implantable hearing system, where the implant is placed completely under the skin. The implant receives signals from an external audio processor worn under the hair.
Types of hearing loss
Hearing loss comes in many forms. It can range from a mild loss, in which a person loses certain high-pitched sounds, such as the voices of women and children, to a total hearing loss.
There are two general categories of hearing loss:
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This type of hearing loss is usually permanent.
Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound waves cannot reach the inner ear.
The cause may be the accumulation of cerumen, fluid or a perforated eardrum. Medical treatment or surgery can usually restore conductive hearing loss.
Sudden hearing loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss, or sudden deafness, is a rapid hearing loss.
It can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency. If you or someone you know is experiencing sudden sensorineural hearing loss, see a doctor immediately.
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, occurs gradually as a person ages.
It seems to run in families and can occur due to changes in the inner ear and the auditory nerve. Presbycusis can make it difficult for a person to tolerate loud sounds or hear what others are saying.
Age-related hearing loss usually occurs in both ears and affects them equally.
The loss is gradual, so someone with presbycusis may not realize that they have lost some of their ability to hear.
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Tinnitus is also common in the elderly. It is usually described as a ringing in the ears, but can also sound like a roaring, clicking, whistling or buzzing sound.
You can come and go. It can be heard in one or both ears, and can be loud or soft. Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss in older adults.
Tinnitus can accompany any type of hearing loss and can be a sign of other health problems, such as high blood pressure, allergies or as a side effect of medications. | https://www.burrosabio.net/baha-implant-for-better-hearing/ |
IJBiotech is an open access, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the publication of novel research in all aspects of biotechnology, with particular attention paid to the exploration and development of natural products derived from tropical—and especially Indonesian—biodiversity. Original research articles written in English and featuring well-designed studies with clearly analyzed and logically interpreted results are accepted, with a strong preference given to research that has the potential to make significant contributions to both the field of biotechnology and society in general.
In keeping with the multidisciplinary nature of biotechnology, IJBiotech does not accept manuscripts written by a single author. Papers whose research focuses on method optimization or confirmation, or is a repetition of a previously conducted study but using a different organism will also not be considered, as these are outside of the journal's scope.
All manuscripts submitted to IJBiotech undergo a rigorous screening and review process to ensure that they fit into the journal's scope and are of sufficient academic quality and novelty to appeal to IJBiotech's readership. IJBiotech employs a double-blind peer review, in which both author(s) and reviewers identities are concealed from each other.
Initial screening. A newly submitted manuscript will be screened by the Editor-in-Chief for its conformity to IJBiotech’s scope and basic submission requirements.
Peer-review. If the manuscript passes the initial screening stage, it will be assigned to a handling editor, who will then send it to at least two experts in the relevant field to undergo a double-blind peer-review. Manuscripts that fail to pass the initial screening will be rejected without further review.
First decision. A decision on a peer-reviewed manuscript will only be made upon the receipt of at least two review reports. In cases where reports differ significantly, the handling editor will invite an additional reviewer to get a third opinion before making a decision. At this stage, a manuscript can either be rejected, asked for revisions (minor or major), accepted as is, or (if significant changes to the language or content are required) recommended for resubmission for a second review process. If it is accepted, the manuscript will be returned to the submitting author for formatting. The final decision to accept the manuscript will be made by the Editor-in-Chief based on the recommendation of the handling editor and following approval by the board of editors.
Revision stage. A manuscript that requires revisions will be returned to the submitting author, who will have up to three weeks to format and revise the manuscript, following which it will be reviewed by the handling editor. The handling editor will determine whether the changes are adequate and appropriate, as well as whether the author(s) sufficiently responded to the reviewers' comments and suggestions. If the revisions are deemed to be inadequate, this cycle will be repeated (the manuscript will be returned to the submitting author once more for further revision).
Final decision. At this stage, the revised manuscript will either be accepted or rejected. This decision is dependent whether the handling editor finds the manuscript to have been improved to a level worthy of publication. If the author(s) are unable to make the required changes or have done so to a degree below IJBiotech's standards, the manuscript will be rejected.
IJBiotech is published twice a year in June and December through the Open Journal Systems platform.
IJBiotech provides immediate open access to its published articles, with authors retaining copyright and free to deposit their work in any repository at any time.
Articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. In addition to being freely accessible, they may be copied, shared, or adapted for any purpose in any medium, as long as appropriate credit is given to the author and IJBiotech and changes are indicated.
This journal utilizes the PKP-PN LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.
Manuscripts submitted to IJBiotech will be automatically screened for plagiarism using Grammarly Premium. Papers found to contain a significant amount of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism) will be automatically rejected.
IJBIOTECH is the one of Indonesia’s leading partner for research societies. We recognize and committed to promoting ethical publication practices across IJBIOTECH. Scientific information publishing depends greatly on trust. Editors trust peer reviewers for there confidentiality and effective assessments, authors trust editors for selection of peers, and readers trust in the peer-review process. Appropriate decisions and strong editorial processes will boost an efficient publishing system; this will benefit scientific societies, editors, authors, research scholars, research sponsors, readers, and publishers.
All papers submitted to IJBiotech undergo a rigorous peer-review to ensure that they not only fit into the journal's scope but are of sufficient academic quality and novelty to appeal to our readers. As a reviewer, you will be required to uphold this standard.
These guidelines will help you understand your responsibilities as a reviewer, as well as your ethical obligations to both the journal and the authors. You will also be introduced to what you should be looking for in a manuscript, so that your review will be consistent with others requested by the journal. This is particularly important as all articles submitted to IJBiotech should be evaluated on the same playing field.
As a reviewer, you will be responsible for reading the manuscript and evaluating its suitability for publication in IJBiotech along with its scientific quality. You will be expected to provide constructive, impartial, unambiguous, and honest feedback to the authors, with the purpose of encouraging them to improve their manuscript.
In accordance with its commitment to the development of young scientists, IJBiotech aims to see all authors who submit to the journal—regardless of whether they are accepted—improve both as academic writers and researchers. As such, reviewer comments that in any way denigrate or discourage an author from re-submitting to this or another journal will not be tolerated. Reviews should be critical but not detrimental to accurate scientific communication.
The article matches your expertise. Log into your IJBiotech account and read the manuscript's abstract to determine whether your field of expertise matches that of the manuscript.
You are able to both complete the review on time and dedicate the appropriate time to conducting a thorough review. A review should be completed within three weeks. If you do not think you can complete the review within this timeframe, please let the editor know. If possible, please also suggest an alternate reviewer. If you agree to review a manuscript, but later on find yourself unable to complete it on time, please contact the editor as soon as possible.
You have no conflict of interest. Determine whether there is any conflict of interest that may affect your impartiality in evaluating the manuscript. If there is, you should contact the editor and immediately recuse yourself. If you were unable to detect any conflict before agreeing to the review request, but find one during the review, simply contact the editor and explain why you cannot continue.
IJBiotech relies on the impartiality and discretion of reviewers, and as a reviewer, you are entrusted with confidential material meant solely for critical evaluation. As such, we expect you to treat all documents and correspondence related to the review with the appropriate level of care.
Do not use any of the information therein for the advancement of your own research or to discredit another party.
Do not discuss any aspect of the manuscript with a third party.
Ensure that the information therein and details of the review process remain confidential before, during, and after publication.
Maintain the integrity of the double-blind review process. Do not under any circumstances contact any of the authors to discuss their manuscript.
Be fair, honest, and objective in your evaluation of the manuscript.
Declare a conflict of interest, and recuse yourself immediately if you believe your impartiality has been compromised.
IJBiotech uses an online submission and peer review system. When a reviewer is requested to review a paper submitted to IJBiotech, they will have a journal account created for them, through which they will be able to read the abstract and decide on whether to agree to review it.
If you have been requested to review a paper, simply log into your reviewer account, read the provided abstract, and indicate whether you agree to review it. If you decline to review the manuscript, please include the reason why, and if possible, suggest an alternate reviewer from a similar field.
To ensure the integrity of the peer-review process, all further correspondence will be through this system, with the reviewer being given access to the full manuscript and provided with a review page to fill out and submit. If you wish, you can also provide comments directly on the manuscript file, but be sure that all comments are made anonymously and focus on the content of the article, not its layout or formatting.
Scope. Is the manuscript within IJBiotech's scope? How interesting will the article be to the journal's readership?
Novelty of the research. Is the article sufficiently novel and interesting? Does it add new knowledge? How original is the research?
Appropriateness of the title. Does the title accurately represent the content?
Content quality. Does the article adhere to IJBiotech's standards? Is the research question an important one? Does the manuscript help to expand or further current research in its respective field?
Methodology. Is the description of the methodology informative, clear, and concise? Is the methodology of the research precise and properly conducted? How appropriate is the approach or experimental design?
Significance of the results. Do the results have significant implications for biotechnology and/or society?
Appropriateness of tables, figures, and/or supplemental material. Is every figure/table necessary and correctly described? Is the supplementary material appropriate for the content?
Completeness of the data. How complete are the data?
Relevance of the discussion. Is the discussion relevant to the results and rest of the content? Have the authors appropriately discussed their results in the context of previous research?
Appropriateness of citations/references. Are all citations accounted for? Is there an appropriate amount of citations for the content (neither too few nor too many)?
Clarity of the content. How good is the English? Will IJBiotech's readership have trouble understanding the content?
Adherence to IJBiotech's guidelines. Does the manuscript adhere to the journal's guidelines, such as the structure of the manuscript? Have tables and figures been submitted separately?
Adherence to correct scientific nomenclature. Are species names up-to-date and correctly spelled? Are technical terms used correctly?
Plagiarism. Observe whether a portion of the manuscript has been copied from another work without giving appropriate credit. For example, text has been copied verbatim without a clear indication that it is a quote, text has been copied but not cited (suggesting that these are the authors' own words/ideas), or some portion of the text has been copied without the permission of the original author. If you find that a significant part of the manuscript has been plagiarized, please contact the editor as soon as possible so we can take the appropriate actions.
Missing, incorrect, or incomplete references. All text, figures, tables, data, ideas, or concepts that have been published previously should be cited. It is considered plagiarism for an author to present something as their own even though it is not, regardless of their intent.
Re-publication. It is against IJBiotech's policy to publish work that has already been published elsewhere. Please notify the editor if you find an instance of a manuscript having been published previously (partially or fully).
Fraud. Any part of the manuscript that is found to be untrue should be highlighted as such. Any form of data manipulation or tampering should be brought to the editor's attention.
Publication ethics is not limited to these four items. If you believe the authors have attempted to mislead readers, infringed upon a copyright or patent, or might jeopardize the integrity of the journal in any other way, please contact the handling editor.
Once you have gathered enough information to make a decision on the manuscript, log into your IJBiotech account to complete the review. At minimum, you will be required to grade the manuscript based on the aforementioned criteria, as well as to summarize your major findings and give your overall impression of the article. Although it is only optional, we highly encourage you to also take the opportunity to comment on the manuscript in more detail, and provide specific suggestions that might improve any aspect of it.
If you have made specific comments in the manuscript file, remember to anonymize them to prevent the authors from being able to identify you.
It's important to ensure that all comments are constructive and intended to better the quality of the manuscript or otherwise help the authors understand where they went wrong. Please reconsider making comments that fall out of this purview.
Do not comment on the acceptability of the manuscript, and avoid suggesting revisions as conditions for acceptance.
Highlight areas that need clarification or should be elaborated further by the authors.
Make suggestions on how the authors can improve problematic passages. How might they improve the clarity of a given section?
You are not required to edit the authors’ style or grammar, but any improvement to the clarity of the manuscript is greatly appreciated, especially in regards to technical terms.
Highlight consistent instances of outdated or mispelled technical terminology.
Avoid making dogmatic statements. You should be able to backup your comments with proof or precedence in previous literature.
Take care not to dismiss the manuscript, whether in its novelty, methodology, or findings.
Your final task as a reviewer will be to recommend that the manuscript be a) accepted as is, b) accepted with minor revisions, c) accepted with major revisions, d) accepted with major revisions (requiring a re-review), e) rejected but with a recommendation to re-submit after the work is more developed, or f) outright rejected. If the manuscript is rejected, you should explain your reasons why.
Each recommendation should be supported by the facts of the evaluation, and backed with constructive criticism. Be aware that you are one of at least two reviewers. Even if your recommendation differs from the other reviewers' recommendations, a good critical review will enable us to make an informed final decision on the manuscript. Also note that the final decision on the manuscript is made by the editorial board, taking into account the recommendation of each review, and your recommendation might not be reflected in this decision. | https://journal.ugm.ac.id/ijbiotech/about/editorialPolicies |
Certain characteristics are protected against discrimination under both and federal laws in Moosic and other communities of Pennsylvania. Depending on what type of trait prompted the discriminatory treatment, government employers and even private organizations in Moosic may be held liable under various state and federal laws.
How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?
Employment discrimination can occur if the employer treats an employee unfairly based on their membership in a category that is legally protected. Race, gender, religion, familial status and national origin are examples of some traits that employers can not use when evaluating you. To show employment discrimination in Moosic, Pennsylvania, the plaintiff needs to be able to show that the employer's intent to treat them unfairly was motivated by their protected status.
How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Pennsylvania?
This may be shown if the employer has treated others of the same status similarly, or when people testify to specific statements made by the employer that would indicate bias when heard by a reasonable person. Furthermore, employers are in clear violation of the law when they fire someone or retaliate against them because they filed a discrimination lawsuit.
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abstract: 'This paper concerns the capacity of the discrete noiseless channel introduced by Shannon. A sufficient condition is given for the capacity to be well-defined. For a general discrete noiseless channel allowing non-integer valued symbol weights, it is shown that the capacity—if well-defined—can be determined from the radius of convergence of its generating function, from the smallest positive pole of its generating function, or from the rightmost real singularity of its complex generating function. A generalisation is given for Pringsheim’s Theorem and for the Exponential Growth Formula to generating functions of combinatorial structures with non-integer valued symbol weights.'
author:
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bibliography:
- 'IEEEabrv.bib'
- 'confs-jrnls.bib'
- 'Literatur.bib'
title: Capacity of General Discrete Noiseless Channels
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Introduction
============
When modelling digital communication systems, there are situations where we do not explicitly model physical noise. We rather introduce constraints on the allowed system configurations that minimise the influence of undesired effects. An example is the runlength-limited constraint in magnetic recording [@Marcus2001]. We consider in this paper the discrete noiseless channel (DNC) as introduced by Shannon [@Shannon1948]. A DNC is specified by a set of constraints imposed on strings over a certain alphabet, and only those strings that fulfil the constraints are allowed for transmission or storage. A DNC allows the specification of two types of constraints. The first constraint is on symbol constellations (for example, only binary strings with not more than two consecutive $0$s are allowed), and the second constraint is on symbol weights (for example, the symbol $a$ has to be of duration $5.53$ seconds). Depending on the system we want to model, the symbol weights represent the critical resource over which we want to optimise. This can for example be duration, length or energy. We then ask the following question. What is the maximum rate of data per string weight that can be transmitted over a DNC?
This question was first answered by Shannon in [@Shannon1948]. In [@Khandekar2000], the authors extend Shannon’s results to DNCs with non-integer valued symbol weights. In both [@Shannon1948] and [@Khandekar2000], the authors use the following approach to derive the capacity of a DNC. They restrict the class of considered DNCs to those that allow the transmission of a set of strings forming a regular language. The regularity allows then to represent the DNC by a finite state machine and results from matrix theory are applied to derive the capacity of the DNC.
Our approach is different in the following sense. We consider general DNCs with the only restriction that the capacity as defined in [@Shannon1948] and generalised in [@Khandekar2000] has to be well-defined, which will turn out to be a restriction on the set of possible string weights.
This allows us then to represent the combinatorial complexity of a DNC by a generating function with a well-defined radius of convergence and we use analytical methods to derive the capacity. In this sense, our work is a generalisation of [@Khandekar2000]. Perhaps more important, in many cases that could be treated by the techniques proposed in [@Khandekar2000], it is much simpler to construct the generating function of the considered DNC and to use our results to derive the capacity. We give two simple examples that may serve as illustrations. In this sense, our work can also be considered as an interesting alternative to [@Khandekar2000].
Definitions
===========
We formally define a DNC and its generating function as follows.
A DNC ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}=(A,w)$ consists of a countable set $A$ of strings accepted by the channel and an associated weight function $w\colon
A\mapsto{\ensuremath{{\ensuremath{\mathbb{R}}\xspace}^\oplus}\xspace}$ ([${\ensuremath{\mathbb{R}}\xspace}^\oplus$]{}denotes the nonnegative real numbers) with the following property. If $s_1,s_2\in A$ and $s_1s_2\in A$ ($s_1s_2$ denotes the concatenation of $s_1$ and $s_2$), then $$\begin{aligned}
w(s_1s_2)=w(s_1)+w(s_2).
\end{aligned}$$ By convention, the empty string ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}\xspace}$ is always of weight zero, i.e., $w({\ensuremath{\varepsilon}\xspace})=0$.
\[def:generatingSeries\] Let ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}=(A,w)$ represent a DNC. We define the *generating function* of ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}$ by $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}&=\sum\limits_{s\in A}y^{w(s)}\qquad y\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{R}}\xspace}.
\end{aligned}$$
We order and index the set of possible string weights $w(A)$ such that $w(A)=\lbrace w_k\rbrace_{k=1}^\infty$ with $w_1<w_2<\dotsb$. We can then write $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]y^{w_k}\end{aligned}$$ where for each $k\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}$, the coefficient $N[w_k]$ is equal to the number of distinct strings of weight $w_k$. Since the coefficients $N[w_k]$ result from an enumeration, they are all nonnegative. Note that for any DNC [$\mathcal{A}$]{}, we have ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(0)}=N[0]=1$ since every DNC allows the transmission of the empty string and since there is only one empty string.
The maximum rate of data per string weight that can be transmitted over a DNC is given by its capacity. We define capacity in accordance with [@Shannon1948] and [@Khandekar2000] as follows.
\[def:capacity\] The *capacity* $C$ of a DNC ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}=(A,w)$ is given by $$\begin{aligned}
C=\underset{k\rightarrow\infty}{\lim\sup}\dfrac{\ln N[w_k]}{w_k}
\end{aligned}$$ in nats per symbol weight. This is equivalent to the following. For all $\epsilon$ with $C>\epsilon>0$, the following two properties hold.
1. The number $N[w_k]$ is greater than or equal to $e^{w_k(C-\epsilon)}$ infinitely often ([$\mathrm{i.o.}$]{}) with respect to $k$.
2. The number $N[w_k]$ is less than or equal to $e^{w_k(C+\epsilon)}$ almost everywhere ([$\mathrm{a.e.}$]{}) with respect to $k$.
We assume in the following that the number sequence $\lbrace
w_k\rbrace_{k=1}^\infty$ is not too dense in the sense that for any integer $n\geq 0$ $$\begin{aligned}
\underset{w_k<n}{\max}k\leq Ln^K\label{eq:notTooDense}\end{aligned}$$ for some constant $L\geq 0$ and some constant $K\geq 0$. Otherwise, the number of possible string weights in the interval $[n,n+1]$ increases exponentially with $n$. In this case, Definition \[def:capacity\] does not apply. We present in the following example a case where capacity is not well-defined.
[ex:tooDense]{} Let $N[w_k]$ denote the coefficients of the generating function of some DNC. Assume $N[w_k]=1$ for all $k\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}$ and assume $$\begin{aligned}
\underset{w_k<n}{\max}k=\left\lceil R^n\right\rceil
\end{aligned}$$ for some $R>1$. According to Definition \[def:capacity\], the capacity of the DNC is then equal to zero because of $\ln N[w_k]=0$ for all $k\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}$. However, the channel accepts $R^n$ distinct strings of weight smaller than $n$. The average amount of data per string weight that we can transmit over the channel is thus lower-bounded by $\ln R^n/n=\ln R$, which is according to the assumption greater than zero.
Whenever we say that the capacity of a DNC is well-defined, we mean that is fulfilled.
Capacity by Radius of Convergence
=================================
One way to calculate the capacity of a DNC is by determining the radius of convergence of its generating function.
\[lem:capacityConvergence\] Let ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}$ be a DNC with the generating function ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$. If the capacity $C$ of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}is well-defined, then it is given by $C=-\ln R$ where $R$ denotes the radius of convergence of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$.
In the proof of this lemma, we will need the following result from [@Khandekar2000].
\[lem:notTooDense\] If is fulfilled and if $\rho$ is a positive real number, then $\sum_{k=1}^\infty \rho^{w_k}$ converges iff $\rho<1$.
We define $M[k]=N^{1/{w_k}}[w_k]$ and write ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ as $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty \bigl(M[k]y\bigr)^{w_k}.
\end{aligned}$$ We define the two sets $D(y)$ and $E(y)$ as $$\begin{aligned}
D(y)&=\bigl\lbrace k\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}{\ensuremath{\bigl.\bigr|}\xspace}M[k]y<1\bigr\rbrace\\
E(y)&={\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}\setminus D(y)=\bigl\lbrace k\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}{\ensuremath{\bigl.\bigr|}\xspace}M[k]y\geq 1\bigr\rbrace
\end{aligned}$$ and write $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}&=\sum\limits_{k\in D(y)}\!\!\bigl(M[k]y\bigr)^{w_k}+
\sum\limits_{l\in E(y)}\!\!\bigl(M[l]y\bigr)^{w_l}.
\end{aligned}$$ It follows from Lemma \[lem:notTooDense\] that ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ converges iff the set $E(y)$ is finite. The number $R$ is the radius of convergence of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$, therefore, for any $\delta>1$, the set $E(R/\delta)$ is finite. Since $D(y)={\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}\xspace}\setminus E(y)$, the finiteness of $E(R/\delta)$ is equivalent to $$\begin{aligned}
k\in D(R/\delta)\qquad{\ensuremath{\mathrm{a.e.}}\xspace}\label{eq:lemma1:1}
\end{aligned}$$ We define $\epsilon=\ln \delta$. Equation is then equivalent to $$\begin{aligned}
N[w_k]<e^{w_k(-\ln R+\epsilon)}\qquad{\ensuremath{\mathrm{a.e.}}\xspace}\end{aligned}$$ which implies $$\begin{aligned}
N[w_k]\leq e^{w_k(-\ln R+\epsilon)}\qquad{\ensuremath{\mathrm{a.e.}}\xspace}\label{eq:lemma1:2}
\end{aligned}$$ Again since $R$ is the radius of convergence of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$, for any $\delta>1$, the set $E(R\delta)$ is infinite. For $\epsilon =
\ln\delta$, this is equivalent to $$\begin{aligned}
N[w_k]\geq e^{w_k(-\ln R-\epsilon)}\qquad{\ensuremath{\mathrm{i.o.}}\xspace}\label{eq:lemma1:3}
\end{aligned}$$ It follows from and and Definition \[def:capacity\] that $-\ln R$ is equal to the capacity of ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}$. We therefore have $C=-\ln R$.
In the following example, we show how Lemma \[lem:capacityConvergence\] applies in practice. We denote by $A\cup
B$ the union of the two sets $A$ and $B$, we denote by $AB$ the set of all concatenations $ab$ with $a\in A$ and $b\in B$, and we denote by $S^\star$ the Kleene star operation on $S$, which is defined as $S^\star=\epsilon\cup S\cup SS\cup\dotsb$.
[ex:capacityConvergence]{} We consider a DNC ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}=(A,w)$ with the alphabet $\lbrace
0,1\rbrace$ and symbol weights $w(0)=1$ and $w(1)=\pi$. The DNC [$\mathcal{A}$]{}does not allow strings that contain two or more consecutive $1$s. We represent $A$ by a regular expression and write $A=\lbrace{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}\xspace}\cup 1\rbrace\lbrace 0\cup 01\rbrace^\star$. For the generating function of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}we get $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}&=(1+y^\pi)\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty (y+y^{1+\pi})^n.
\end{aligned}$$ The radius of convergence is given by the smallest positive solution $R$ of the equation $y+y^{1+\pi}=1$. We find $R=0.72937$. According to Lemma \[lem:capacityConvergence\], the capacity of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}is thus given by $C=-\ln R=0.31558$.
Capacity by Rightmost Real Singularity
======================================
There are cases where we derive the closed-form representation of the generating function of a DNC without explicitly using its series representation. The techniques introduced in [@Pimentel2003] and [@Guibas1981] may serve as two examples. In this section, we show how the capacity of a DNC [$\mathcal{A}$]{}can be determined from the closed-form representation of its generating function. We do this in two steps. We first identify the region of convergence ([r.o.c.]{}) of the complex generating function ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ with its rightmost real singularity. The complex generating function ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ results from evaluating the generating function ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ in $y=e^{-s}$, $s\in{\ensuremath{\mathbb{C}}\xspace}$. Second, we show that the rightmost real singularity of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ determines the capacity of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}.
\[theo:pringsheim\] If the [r.o.c.]{}of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ is determined by ${\Re\left\lbrace s\right\rbrace}>Q$, then ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ has a singularity in $s=Q$.
Suppose in contrary that ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ is analytic in $s=Q$ implying that it is analytic in a disc of radius $r$ centred at $Q$. We choose a number $h$ such that $0<h<r/3$, and we consider the Taylor expansion of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ around $s_0=Q+h$ as follows. $$\begin{aligned}
&{\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}=\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty
\dfrac{\bigl[{\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s_0})}\bigr]^{(n)}}{n!} (s-s_0)^n\\
&=\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty \dfrac{\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty
N[w_k](-w_k)^n e^{-w_k s_0}}{n!}(s-s_0)^n.
\end{aligned}$$ For $s=Q-h$, this is according to our supposition a converging double sum with positive terms and we can reorganise it in any way we want. We thus have convergence in $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-Q+h})}&=\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty
\dfrac{\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k](-w_k)^n e^{-w_k
s_0}}{n!}(-2h)^n\\
&=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]e^{-w_k
s_0}\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty \dfrac{w_k^n (2h)^n}{n!}\\
&=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]e^{-w_k
s_0}e^{w_k 2h}\\
&=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]e^{-w_k(Q-h)}.
\end{aligned}$$ But convergence in the last line contradicts that the [r.o.c.]{}of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ is strictly given by ${\Re\left\lbrace s\right\rbrace}>Q$.
We now relate the rightmost real singularity of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ to the capacity of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}.
\[theo:capacity\] Assume that ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ has its rightmost real singularity in $s=Q$. The capacity of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}is then given by $C=Q$.
Since ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ has its rightmost real singularity in $s=Q$, it follows from Theorem \[theo:pringsheim\] that the [r.o.c.]{}of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ is determined by ${\Re\left\lbrace s\right\rbrace}>Q$. For ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$, we have $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}&=\sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]e^{-w_k s}\\
&\leq \sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty |N[w_k]e^{-w_k s}|\label{eq:theo2:1}\\
&= \sum\limits_{k=1}^\infty N[w_k]|e^{-w_ks}|\label{eq:theo2:2}
\end{aligned}$$ where equality in holds because the coefficients $N[w_k]$ are all nonnegative and where we have equality in if $s$ is real. It follows that if the [r.o.c.]{}of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ is given by ${\Re\left\lbrace s\right\rbrace}>Q$, then the radius of convergence of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ is given by $R=e^{-Q}$. Using Lemma \[lem:capacityConvergence\], we have for the capacity $C=-\ln
R=Q$.
With Theorem \[theo:pringsheim\] and Theorem \[theo:capacity\], we generalised Pringsheim’s Theorem and the Exponential Growth Formula, see [@Flajolet2008], to generating functions of DNCs with non-integer valued symbol weights.
Capacity by Smallest Positive Pole
==================================
We formulate the most important application of Theorem \[theo:capacity\] in the following corollary:
\[cor:capacity\] Let ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}$ represent a DNC with a well-defined capacity $C$. Suppose that the generating function ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ can be written as $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}=\dfrac{n_1y^{\tau_2}+n_2y^{\tau_2}+\dotsb+n_py{^\tau_p}}{d_1y^{\nu_1}+d_2y^{\nu_2}+\dotsb+d_qy^{\nu_q}}\label{eq:quasiPolynomial}
\end{aligned}$$ for some finite positive integers $p$ and $q$. The capacity $C$ is then given by $-\ln P$ where $P$ is the smallest positive pole of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$.
The corollary was already stated in [@Pimentel2003 Theorem 1]. However, the proof given by the authors does not apply for the general case, which we consider in this paper.
If ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ is of the form , the complex generating function ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$ as defined in the previous section is meromorphic, which implies that all its singularities are poles. The substitution $y=e^{-s}$, for $s$ real, is a one-to-one mapping from the real axis to the positive real axis. Therefore, if $Q$ is the rightmost real singularity of ${\mathrm{F}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(e^{-s})}$, then $e^{-Q}$ is the smallest positive pole of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$. Applying Theorem \[theo:capacity\], we get for the capacity $C=Q=-\ln P$.
[ex:capacityPole]{} We consider the DNC ${\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}=(A,w)$ where $A$ is the set of all binary strings that do not contain the substring $111$ and where the symbol weights are given by $w(0)=w(1)$. We use a result from [@Guibas1981] in the form of [@Flajolet2008 Proposition 1.4]. It states that the set of binary strings that do not contain a certain pattern $p$ has the generating function $$\begin{aligned}
f(y)&=\dfrac{c(y)}{y^k+(1-2y)c(y)}
\end{aligned}$$ where $k$ is the length (in bits) of $p$ and where $c(y)$ is the autocorrelation polynomial of $p$. It is defined as $c(y)=\sum_{i=0}^{k-1}c_i y^i$ with $c_i$ given by $$\begin{aligned}
c_i=\delta[p_{1+i}p_{2+i}\dotsm p_{k},p_1p_2\dotsm p_{k-i}]
\end{aligned}$$ where $p_i$ denotes the $i$th bit (from the left) of $p$ and where $\delta[a,b]=1$ if $a=b$ and $\delta[a,b]=0$ if $a\neq b$. For $p=111$, we have $c(y)=1+y+y^2$ and $k=3$. This yields for the generating function of [$\mathcal{A}$]{} $$\begin{aligned}
{\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}&=\dfrac{1+y+y^2}{y^3+(1-2y)(1+y+y^2)}.
\end{aligned}$$ Note that the application of the technique from [@Pimentel2003] would have led to the same formula. For the smallest positive pole $P$ of ${\mathrm{G}_{{\ensuremath{\mathcal{A}}\xspace}}(y)}$ we find $P=0.54369$. According to Corollary \[cor:capacity\], the capacity of [$\mathcal{A}$]{}is thus given by $C=-\ln
P=0.60938$.
Conclusions
===========
For a general DNC, we identified the capacity with the characteristics of its generating function, namely the radius of convergence of its generating function, the rightmost real singularity of its complex generating function, and the smallest positive pole of its generating function. We generalised Pringsheim’s Theorem and the Exponential Growth Formula as given in [@Flajolet2008] to generating functions that allow non-integer valued symbol weights.
Representing a DNC by its generating function and not by a finite state machine has an additional advantage. Although the finite state machine allows the derivation of the correct capacity of the DNC, it says nothing about the exact number of valid strings of weight $w$. The generating function of a DNC provides this information. The coefficients $N[w_k]$ are equal to the number of distinct strings of length $w_k$ that are accepted by the DNC. The coefficients can either be calculated by an algebraic expansion of the generating function or they can be approximated by means of analytic asymptotics as discussed for integer valued symbol weights in [@Flajolet2008]. In [@Bocherer2007a], the analytic approach is extended to generating functions of DNCs with non-integer valued symbol weights.
For a regular DNC fulfilling some further restrictions, the authors in [@Khandekar2000] define a Markov process that generates valid strings at an entropy rate equal to the capacity of the channel. Based on generating functions as introduced in this paper, it is shown in [@Bocherer2007a] that for a general DNC, any entropy rate $C'$ smaller than the capacity $C$ is achievable in the sense that there exists a random process that generates strings that are transmitted over the channel at an entropy rate $C'$.
Acknowledgement {#acknowledgement .unnumbered}
===============
V. C. da Rocha Jr. and C. Pimentel acknowledge partial support of this research by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) under Grants No. 305226/2003-7 and 301253/2004-8, respectively.
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Q:
Is the same amount of electricity used for ceiling and table fans on different speeds?
We use ceiling and table fans in home which are can be set to low or high speeds using regulators. I want to ask that does it uses or consumes same amount of electricity at different speeds? Here, "same amount of electricity" means exactly I want to know that, my electricity bill will be different for different speeds or will it be same. I know that, when it has less speed, less electricity flows through it, but my friend told me that, when it is at less speed, the remaining electricity get wasted at regulator, so total electricity consumed by fan + regulator is same, so same electricity bill will be generated regardless on which speed we use it. So is my fried correct or wrong?
A:
It depends on the fan, but I'd guess the majority of domestic fans will use less power at lower speeds.
I can state with authority that the fan in my car (a Ford Focus) uses roughly the same power regardless of speed because I've just had to replace the ballast resistor that is uses to control fan speed. When you select a lower speed the fan dissipates power as heat in the ballast resistor so the speed setting makes little difference to the power drawn.
I can't be sure about domestic fans, but in the car fan the heat dissipated in the ballast resistor is very noticable and indeed theresistor gets too hot to touch. The fan on my desk does not get hot when used at a lower speed, so I think it's very likely it doesn't simply dissipate power to lower the speed and therefore it will use less power at lower speeds. It's probably significant that the car fan is DC while domestic fans are AC. It's much easier to control power in AC circuits because you can use a thyristor or something similar to control the power delivery in a lossless way.
The only way to be sure is, as EnergyNumbers suggests, to measure the power drawn. A simple power meter like this one is all you need. Unfortunately I'm working away from home this week otherwise I could measure the power drawn by my own fan and give you a definitive answer. However I'm sure there must be some fan owning, power meter armed, experimental physicists reading this :-)
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When a couple decides to get divorced, mediation may be chosen as the preferred method for handling the separation. This is a process where a neutral third-party mediator helps the two parties come to an agreement. In this blog post, we will explore in detail what happens during mediation sessions.
Signing an Agreement
The mediation process typically begins with both parties signing a mediation agreement. This is a document that establishes the ground rules and states that all information shared during mediation sessions will be confidential. It also outlines the role of the mediator, which is to facilitate discussion and help the couple reach an agreement, not to provide legal advice.
The First Session
After the mediation agreement is signed, the first mediation session will usually take place. During this session, the mediator will explain how the process works and ask each party to state their goal for mediation. The mediator will then ask each party to share their side of the story. It's important for both parties to be honest and open during this time so that they can properly communicate with each other and reach a resolution.
Working Towards Solutions
The mediator will then help the couple start to brainstorm solutions that could potentially work for both parties. Once an agreement is reached, the mediator will draft up a mediation settlement agreement. This document will outline all of the terms of the divorce agreement that have been decided upon by the couple. Once this agreement is signed, it becomes legally binding.
Consult Experienced Attorneys
If you are going through a divorce and are considering mediation, it's important to understand what happens during these sessions. Simon, O'Brien, & Knapp can help provide you with the explanations you need to feel confident entering mediation sessions. Remember, every case is different so be sure to consult with a qualified mediation attorney before making any decisions about your divorce.
Contact us today for more information on mediation at(973) 604-2224. | https://www.simonobrienknapplaw.com/blog/2022/october/what-happens-during-the-mediation-process-/ |
A key takeaway is that problems and solutions are best addressed when they are self-defined. The problem that has been most adamantly professed revolves around employment and educational opportunities for so many youth who feel that they are not adequately prepared for the demands of the modern labor market. As a result, we propose that international development organizations fill the institutional void that exists in many developing countries by focusing their programming on solving problems such as poverty, unemployment and education with what has also been identified as an empowering tool in the modern era: technology. The most comprehensive solution that involves all of these aspects is greater Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills training, listening, and using this medium as one method for combating the development challenges youth face in today’s world.
By orienting many youth development initiatives towards ICT skills, there is no doubt that developing youth with have much greater advantages to propel their capacity to be prosperous members of society. This is because, “equitable access to information, knowledge (or know-how) and education is one of the most vital principles in the emerging global knowledge economy. ICTs are practical tools in narrowing knowledge gaps between countries, regions and also people by providing new frontiers in the areas of information exchange, intellectual freedom and online education.” Additionally, “in the knowledge era continuous education and training is the only way for job security, especially if the education and training is in ICT-related skills.” The role of international development organizations should be to enable this type of progressive skills training both just for such access but also as a means for listening to our clients through mobile, Facebook, Yammer, Twitter and other applications. Also by improving access to ICT education programs to youth cohorts, they are more competitive in a global market that is increasingly demanding of workers with advanced ICT skills. These programs must tackle the “widening digital divide” between developed and developing countries to ensure a more sustainable and balanced development scheme.
To this point, the Executive Secretary of the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, gave a statement at the 2011 African Press Organization (APO) forum themed ‘Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development’, which highlighted the fact that human capital is key in facilitating growth, and with greater education and training the African youth can contribute more to development and growth for the continent. Nonetheless, he could not go without saying that, “several commitments, policies and programmes on youth education and employment have been prioritized at national, sub-regional and global levels to improve the livelihoods of young people in Africa. However, these initiatives have yet to translate into the desired outcomes. Thus, concerted and innovative efforts are still required especially at a time when the youth population continues to increase.” Again we see the trend that current policies have thus far failed to provide the circumstances necessary for youth empowerment to become realized in many African counties, which means development is happening too slowly for the millions of African youths who could be contributing invaluable skills to their societies – if they only had the means- and we were listening and funding their priorities!
An example of a good ICT4D training program is the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) in Nigeria, which was a two-year program implemented by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and Microsoft, to “to improve the employability of disadvantaged African youth in Nigeria between ages 16 to 35. The program, with support from Microsoft, worked with LEAP Africa and local partners to provide demand-driven training in information and communications technology (ICT), life skills, entrepreneurship and employment services.” Over two years, the program addressed the inadequacy of technical skills and lack of labor market information in the Nigerian youth by providing training to “improve the employability prospects of 2,500 young people throughout the country,” in an aim to place 70% of the program participants in jobs, internships, self-employment or community service opportunities with greater capacity in education and training. Six months after project completion, the project was evaluated by interviewing a sample follow-up cohort of 69 participants:
· “All together, 55% of the respondents were employed, self-employed, participated in an internship or community service, or continued their studies after the training.” (This number is thought to be low, primarily because of the few employment opportunities in Bauchi, where the follow-up participants were from. This is typical in many cities where demand far outstrips employment opportunities)
· “Over 78% of the respondents in the sample follow-up cohort confirmed that the ICT training had improved their employment prospects.” They indicated that this was because ICT skills are important selection criteria in the job market,” and there was also a significant increase in the follow-up cohort’s use of computers.
Unfortunately there was no data on employment that was using these new ICT skills; more data is needed to compare those trained versus untrained regarding employment using these skills used, and how much more ‘development’ was fostered by such trainings. Yet given our dependence on technology, technical illiteracy seems a logical barrier. IYF has identified eight high-growth sectors for ICT-enabled youth employment, in fields such as, “Banking and Financial Services, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Oil and Gas, Education and Training, Media, Marketing and Advertising, Hospitality and Tourism, and Healthcare Services.”
The Arab Spring movements have proven that power in numbers and influence aided by the technological spread of ideas will not allow the youth cohort to be left behind in the push for development. Rather, they are demanding to be heard, and they are calling for greater capacity to be major contributors in their development goals. By funding ICT training programs that would allow youth to address the institutional weaknesses that hinder their demographic, international development organizations could find that the solution lies in shifting the goals of development towards sustainability – a sustainability that necessitates the empowerment of youth. By funding such training, youth can be heard, employed, and inform the development agendas for their countries.
We Value their Voices, and yours. What else is missing? | https://valuingvoices.com/youth-series-part-iii-the-role-of-ict4d-information-and-communications-technology-for-development-in-empowering-youth/ |
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abstract: 'We propose a simple mechanism that may explain the observed particle-antiparticle asymmetry in the Universe. In the Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory of gravity, the intrinsic spin of matter generates spacetime torsion. Classical Dirac fields in the presence of torsion obey the nonlinear Hehl-Datta equation which is asymmetric under a charge-conjugation transformation. Accordingly, at extremely high densities that existed in the very early Universe, fermions have higher effective masses than antifermions. As a result, a meson composed of a light quark and a heavy antiquark has a lower effective mass than its antiparticle. Neutral-meson oscillations in thermal equilibrium therefore favor the production of light quarks and heavy antiquarks, which may be related to baryogenesis.'
author:
- 'Nikodem J. Pop[ł]{}awski'
title: 'Neutral-meson oscillations with torsion'
---
The Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble (ECSK) theory of gravity naturally extends general relativity (GR) to include the intrinsic angular momentum of matter [@KS; @Hehl]. In this theory, the spin of Dirac fields is a source of the torsion tensor $S^k_{\phantom{k}ij}$, which is the antisymmetric part of the affine connection: $S^k_{\phantom{k}ij}=\Gamma^{\,\,\,k}_{[i\,j]}$. The Lagrangian density for a free Dirac spinor $\psi$ with mass $m$ is given by $\mathfrak{L}_\textrm{D}=\frac{i\sqrt{-g}}{2}(\bar{\psi}\gamma^i\psi_{;i}-\bar{\psi}_{;i}\gamma^i\psi)-m\sqrt{-g}\bar{\psi}\psi$, where $g$ is the determinant of the metric tensor $g_{ik}$ and the semicolon denotes a covariant derivative with respect to the affine connection $\Gamma^{\,\,k}_{i\,j}$. We use units in which $\hbar=c=k_\textrm{B}=1$. Varying $\mathfrak{L}_\textrm{D}$ with respect to the spinor adjoint conjugate $\bar{\psi}$ gives the Dirac equation $i\gamma^k(\psi_{:k}+\frac{1}{4}C_{ijk}\gamma^i\gamma^j\psi)=m\psi$, where the colon denotes a Riemannian covariant derivative (with respect to the Christoffel symbols) and $C_{ijk}=S_{ijk}+S_{jki}+S_{kji}$ is the contortion tensor [@Hehl; @HD]. Varying the total (gravity plus matter) Lagrangian density $-\frac{R\sqrt{-g}}{2\kappa}+\mathfrak{L}_\textrm{D}$ with respect to $C_{ijk}$ gives the Cartan relation [@KS] between the torsion tensor and the Dirac spin tensor $s^{ijk}=\frac{2}{\sqrt{-g}}\frac{\delta\mathfrak{L}_\textrm{D}}{\delta C_{ijk}}=\frac{1}{2}e^{ijkl}j_{\textrm{A}l}$, where the tensor $e^{ijkl}=\frac{\epsilon^{ijkl}}{\sqrt{-g}}$, $\epsilon^{ijkl}$ is the Levi-Civita permutation symbol and $j_{\textrm{A}}^k=\bar{\psi}\gamma^5\gamma^k\psi$ is the axial fermion current [@Hehl; @HD]. Substituting this quadratic (in spinor fields) relation to the Dirac equation gives the cubic Hehl-Datta equation for $\psi$ [@Hehl; @HD]: $$i\gamma^k\psi_{:k}=m\psi-\frac{3\kappa}{8}j_{\textrm{A}k}\gamma^5\gamma^k\psi.
\label{HeDa1}$$ For a spinor with electric charge $e$ in the presence of the electromagnetic potential $A_k$, we must replace $\psi_{:k}$ by $\psi_{:k}-ieA_k\psi$: $$i\gamma^k\psi_{:k}+eA_k\gamma^k\psi=m\psi-\frac{3\kappa}{8}(\bar{\psi}\gamma^5\gamma_k\psi)\gamma^5\gamma^k\psi.
\label{HeDa2}$$
The charge conjugate $\psi^c$ of a spinor $\psi$ is defined as $\psi^c=-i\gamma^2\psi^\ast$ [@BD]. The complex conjugate of (\[HeDa2\]) leads to [@mat] $$i\gamma^k\psi_{:k}^c-eA_k\gamma^k\psi^c=m\psi^c+\frac{3\kappa}{8}(\overline{\psi^c}\gamma^5\gamma_k\psi^c)\gamma^5\gamma^k\psi^c.
\label{HeDa3}$$ Comparing (\[HeDa2\]) with (\[HeDa3\]) shows that $\psi$ and $\psi^c$ correspond to the opposite values of $e$, as expected from a charge-conjugation transformation. They also satisfy different (classical) field equations because of the opposite signs of the corresponding Hehl-Datta cubic terms relative to the mass term. Therefore, the classical Hehl-Datta equation leads to a charge-conjugation asymmetry between fermions and antifermions [@mat]. This equation solved for fermion plane waves in the approximation of Riemann flatness gives the energy levels for a free fermion, $\omega=m+\epsilon$, where $$\epsilon=\alpha\kappa N,
\label{eps}$$ $N$ is the inverse normalization of the spinor’s wave function, and $\alpha\sim1$ is a constant [@mat; @Ker]. These levels are higher than for the corresponding antifermion, $\omega=m-\epsilon$ [@mat]. Since fermions have higher energy levels than antifermions due to the charge-conjugation asymmetric Hehl-Datta term, they are effectively more massive (in dispersion relations) and decay faster. Such a difference between fermions and antifermions plays is significant only at extremely high densities where the contributions to the energy-momentum tensor from the spin density and from the energy density are on the same order [@Tra; @non]. In almost all physical situations, the ECSK gravity reduces to GR in which the Hehl-Datta term vanishes[^1] and the field equations are charge-conjugation symmetric.[^2]
We now investigate how the above asymmetry of the Hehl-Datta equation affects the masses of mesons. The effective masses due to torsion of a quark, $m_q$, and an antiquark, $m_{\bar{q}}$, are given by $$\begin{aligned}
& & m_q=m_q^{(0)}+\epsilon, \label{cor1} \\
& & m_{\bar{q}}=m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}-\epsilon,
\label{cor2}\end{aligned}$$ where $m_q^{(0)}$ and $m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}$ are the corresponding masses in GR, where the Hehl-Datta term is absent. The sum of these masses is not affected by torsion, $m_q+m_{\bar{q}}=m_q^{(0)}+m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}$. The simplest toy relation for the effective mass of a ground-state meson, $m_{q\bar{q}}$, is $$m_{q\bar{q}}=m_q+m_{\bar{q}}-\frac{m_q m_{\bar{q}}}{\mu},
\label{mes1}$$ where the last term on the right-hand side is an interaction term with a negative sign due to the fact that a meson is a bound state of a quark and an antiquark. The strength of an interaction between a quark and an antiquark is given by a mass-dimension parameter $\mu$. Without torsion, the corresponding mass of a meson would be $$m_{q\bar{q}}^{(0)}=m_q^{(0)}+m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}-\frac{m_q^{(0)}m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}}{\mu}.
\label{mes2}$$ The relations (\[cor1\]), (\[cor2\]), (\[mes1\]) and (\[mes2\]) give $$m_{q\bar{q}}=m_{q\bar{q}}^{(0)}+\frac{\epsilon}{\mu}(m_q^{(0)}-m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}).$$
If a meson is composed of a quark and its Dirac-adjoint antiquark, then $m_q^{(0)}=m_{\bar{q}}^{(0)}$. In this case, the Hehl-Datta term does not affect the mass of such a meson, $m_{q\bar{q}}=m_{q\bar{q}}^{(0)}$. As a result, the mass of the corresponding antimeson is the same as the mass of the meson. If, however, a meson is composed of a quark and an antiquark with different flavors, then the mass of the corresponding antimeson is not equal to the mass of the meson. For example, for neutral $B$ mesons, $$\begin{aligned}
& m_{B_0}=m_{d\bar{b}}=m_{d\bar{b}}^{(0)}+\frac{\epsilon}{\mu}(m_d^{(0)}-m_{\bar{b}}^{(0)})=M_{B_0}-\Delta_{bd}, \label{bd1} \\
& m_{\bar{B}_0}=m_{b\bar{d}}=m_{b\bar{d}}^{(0)}+\frac{\epsilon}{\mu}(m_b^{(0)}-m_{\bar{d}}^{(0)})=M_{B_0}+\Delta_{bd},
\label{bd2}\end{aligned}$$ where $$M_{B_0}=m_{b\bar{d}}^{(0)}$$ and $$\Delta_{bd}=\frac{\epsilon}{\mu}(m_b^{(0)}-m_{\bar{d}}^{(0)})>0.
\label{delt}$$ The relations (\[bd1\]) and (\[bd2\]) use $m_b^{(0)}=m_{\bar{b}}^{(0)}$, $m_d^{(0)}=m_{\bar{d}}^{(0)}$ and $m_{b\bar{d}}^{(0)}=m_{d\bar{b}}^{(0)}$.
Neutral-meson oscillations transform neutral particles with nonzero internal quantum numbers into their antiparticles. For example, $B_0$ mesons transform into their antiparticles $\bar{B}_0$ through the weak interaction. In thermal equilibrium at temperature $T$, the particle number densities $n$ of these mesons are related by $$\frac{n_{\bar{B}_0}}{n_{B_0}}=e^{-(m_{\bar{B}_0}-m_{B_0})/T}=e^{-2\Delta_{bd}/T}.$$ If $\Delta_{bd}\ll T$ then $$\frac{n_{B_0}-n_{\bar{B}_0}}{n_{B_0}+n_{\bar{B}_0}}\approx \frac{\Delta_{bd}}{T}.
\label{nn}$$ $B_0-\bar{B}_0$ oscillations in thermal equilibrium therefore produce more $d$ quarks than $\bar{d}$ antiquarks and more $\bar{b}$ antiquarks than $b$ quarks. Generally, neutral-meson oscillations in thermal equilibrium favor the production of light quarks and heavy antiquarks. Such an asymmetry caused by the fermion-torsion coupling may be related to baryogenesis [@mat].
Since the inverse normalization $N$ of a Dirac spinor is on the order of the cube of its energy scale and such a scale in the early Universe is given by the temperature of the Universe, we have $N\sim T^3$ [@mat]. Substituting this relation to (\[eps\]), (\[delt\]) and (\[nn\]) gives $$\alpha=\frac{n_{B_0}-n_{\bar{B}_0}}{n_{B_0}+n_{\bar{B}_0}}\approx \frac{\kappa(m_b^{(0)}-m_d^{(0)})T^2}{\mu},$$ which then gives $$T\approx m_{\textrm{Pl}}\biggl(\frac{\alpha\mu}{m_b^{(0)}-m_d^{(0)}}\biggr)^{1/2}\approx m_{\textrm{Pl}}\biggl(\frac{\alpha\mu}{m_b^{(0)}}\biggr)^{1/2}.$$ Putting $m_b^{(0)}\approx 4\,\mbox{GeV}$, $\alpha\approx 10^{-10}$, which is on the order of the observed baryon-to-entropy ratio, and $\mu\approx 200\,\mbox{MeV}$, which is near the QCD scale parameter of the SU(3) gauge coupling constant, gives $T\approx 10^{-6}\,m_{\textrm{Pl}}\approx 10^{12}\,\mbox{GeV}$ ($m_{\textrm{Pl}}$ is the reduced Planck mass). This value is near the freeze-out temperature found in [@mat].
T. W. B. Kibble, J. Math. Phys. (N.Y.) [**2**]{}, 212 (1961); D. W. Sciama, in [*Recent Developments in General Relativity*]{} (Pergamon, 1962), p. 415; D. W. Sciama, Rev. Mod. Phys. [**36**]{}, 463 (1964); D. W. Sciama, Rev. Mod. Phys. [**36**]{}, 1103 (1964); F. W. Hehl, Phys. Lett. A [**36**]{}, 225 (1971); F. W. Hehl, Gen. Relativ. Gravit. [**4**]{}, 333 (1973); F. W. Hehl, Gen. Relativ. Gravit. [**5**]{}, 491 (1974). F. W. Hehl, P. von der Heyde, G. D. Kerlick, and J. M. Nester, Rev. Mod. Phys. [**48**]{}, 393 (1976); E. A. Lord, [*Tensors, Relativity and Cosmology*]{} (McGraw-Hill, 1976); N. J. Pop[ł]{}awski, arXiv:0911.0334. F. W. Hehl and B. K. Datta, J. Math. Phys. (N.Y.) [**12**]{}, 1334 (1971). J. D. Bjorken and S. D. Drell, [*Relativistic Quantum Mechanics*]{} (McGraw-Hill, 1964). N. J. Pop[ł]{}awski, Phys. Rev. D [**83**]{}, 084033 (2011). G. D. Kerlick, Phys. Rev. D [**12**]{}, 3004 (1975). A. Trautman, Nature (Phys. Sci.) [**242**]{}, 7 (1973); F. W. Hehl, P. von der Heyde, and G. D. Kerlick, Phys. Rev. D [**10**]{}, 1066 (1974); B. Kuchowicz, Gen. Relativ. Gravit. [**9**]{}, 511 (1978). N. J. Pop[ł]{}awski, Phys. Lett. B [**690**]{}, 73 (2010). N. J. Pop[ł]{}awski, Ann. Phys. (Berlin) [**523**]{}, 291 (2011). W. Heisenberg, Rev. Mod. Phys. [**29**]{}, 269 (1957). P. du T. van der Merve, Nuovo Cimento Soc. Ital. Fis. A [**46**]{}, 1 (1978); P. du T. van der Merve, Phys. Rev. D [**19**]{}, 1746 (1979); P. du T. van der Merve, Nuovo Cimento Soc. Ital. Fis. A [**59**]{}, 344 (1980).
[^1]: The Hehl-Datta equation corresponds to the axial-axial four-fermion interaction term in the Dirac Lagrangian. If spinor fields, such as quarks, have a nonzero vacuum expectation value (form condensates), then this term can be the source of the observed small, positive cosmological constant [@dark].
[^2]: Torsion may also introduce an effective ultraviolet cutoff in quantum field theory for fermions [@non]. The solutions of the nonlinear equations for the two-point function of a nonlinear spinor theory of [@Hei] exhibit self-regulation of its short-distance behavior [@Mer]. The propagator of a similar theory based on the Hehl-Datta equation should thus also be self-regulated.
| |
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abstract: 'The effective gravitational field equations on and off a $3$-brane world possessing a $Z_{2}$ mirror symmetry and embedded in a five-dimensional bulk spacetime with cosmological constant were derived by Shiromizu, Maeda and Sasaki (SMS) in the framework of the Gauss-Codazzi projective approach with the subsequent specialization to the Gaussian normal coordinates in the neighborhood of the brane. However, the Gaussian normal coordinates imply a very special slicing of spacetime and clearly, the consistent analysis of the brane dynamics would benefit from complete freedom in the slicing of spacetime, pushing the layer surfaces in the fifth dimension at any rates of evolution and in arbitrary positions. We generalize the SMS effective field equations on and off a $3$-brane to the case where there is an arbitrary energy-momentum tensor in the bulk. We use a more general setting to allow for acceleration of the normals to the brane surface through the lapse function and the shift vector in the spirit of Arnowitt, Deser and Misner. We show that the gravitational influence of the bulk spacetime on the brane may be described by a traceless second-rank tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, constructed from the “electric” part of the bulk Riemann tensor. We also present the evolution equations for the tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, as well as for the corresponding “magnetic” part of the bulk curvature. These equations involve the terms determined by both the nonvanishing acceleration of normals in the nongeodesic slicing of spacetime and the presence of other fields in the bulk.'
author:
- 'A. N. Aliev'
- 'A. E. Gümrükçüoglu'
title: '**Gravitational Field Equations on and off a 3-Brane World**'
---
Introduction
============
The idea of a $3$-brane world is strongly motivated by developments in string theory. String theory predicts the existence of higher-dimensional topological defects, D-branes, which are inherent in the theory and defined by the property that open string endpoints can live on them [@pol]. The attractive feature of the branes is that they have open string modes confined to them. In other words, open string modes which involve gauge fields, fermions and scalars of the Standard Model sector are trapped on the brane, while closed string modes of the gravity sector can propogate in higher dimensions. Another scenario of the localization of gauge fields arises in the framework of the Horava-Witten model [@hw]. In this model the strongly coupled ten-dimensional $ E_{8}\times E_{8} $ heterotic string has been related to an eleven-dimensional theory (M-theory) compactified on an $S^{1}/Z_{2}$ orbifold with gauge fields propagating on two ten-dimensional branes located on the boundary hyperplanes with a $Z_{2}$ mirror symmetry. It has also been shown that there exists a subsequent compactification of this model on a deformed Calabi-Yau space, which leads to a five-dimensional spacetime with boundary hyperplanes becoming two 3-branes [@w; @lukas]. The two 3-branes carry the matter and gauge fields on them and are identified with four-dimensional worlds. In this sense, one may phenomenologically think of a regime of five-dimensional bulk Universe which envelopes our physical four-dimensional Universe residing on a $3$-brane.
Earlier, the idea that our physical Universe might reside on a $(3+1)$-dimensional hypersurface embedded in a higher dimensional space was suggested and studied in the framework of simple field-theoretical models not necessarily connected with string theory (see Refs.([@rsh]-[@gw]). However, a new striking feature of this idea has emerged in Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali (ADD) model [@ADD], where by combining the $3$-brane universe idea with the original idea of the Kaluza-Klein compactification, the authors suggested to solve the long-standing hierarchy problem of high-energy physics. The ADD model is built on the basic ingredients that our observable four-dimensional spacetime is a $3$-brane with all Standard Model fields localized on it, while gravity is free to propagate in all extra spatial dimensions. The size of the extra dimensions may be much larger than the conventional Planckian length ($\sim 10^{-33}
cm $). Thus, in contrast to the original Kaluza-Klein scenario, in the ADD models the extra dimensions are supposed to manifest themselves as physical ones. One of the dramatic consequences of this model is that the fundamental scale of gravity might become as low as the ultraviolet scale of the Standard Model (of the order of a few TeV). This also raises the idea of TeV-size mini black holes and their detectability in cosmic ray experiments or at future high energy colliders [@emp1]-[@dl].
An alternative approach to solution of the hierarchy problem was put forward by Randall and Sundrum, who proposed a new higher-dimensional model consisting of a single extra spatial dimension [@rs1]. This model (RS1) is based on two 3-branes that are located at the boundaries of an orbifold $S^{1}/Z_{2}$ in a five dimensional anti-de Sitter $(AdS_5)$ spacetime. Under a certain fine balance between the branes’ self-gravity and bulk cosmological constant, the ultraviolet scale is generated from the large Planckian scale through an exponential warp function of a small compactification radius. Randall and Sundrum also proposed the second model (RS2) suggesting that our observable Universe resides on a single self-gravitating 3-brane with positive tension, which is embedded in $ AdS_5$ bulk spacetime with infinite extra dimension and negative cosmological constant [@rs2]. In this model the fine tuning between the brane and the bulk leads to the phenomenon of localization on the $3$-brane of a $5$-graviton zero mode along with rapid damping at large distances of massive KK modes. In other words, the RS2 model supports the conventional potential of Newtonian gravity on the $3$-brane with high enough accuracy.
Due to their striking phenomenological consequences the ADD and RS braneworld models have caused enormous activity in particle physics, gravity and cosmology, paving the way to braneworld “scenarios” in these fields. A comprehensive description of these scenarios can be found in recent reviews [@csaki]-[@rubakov]. Among them, the study of the properties of gravity localized around the branes is of particular interest. In [@gt]-[@gkr] it has been shown that not only the ordinary Newtonian potential, but also four-dimensional Einstein gravity is localized around a $3$-brane in RS2 braneworld, if in the linearized approach one properly takes into account the so-called brane-bending effect. A nonlinear model of plane wave propagating along the brane was studied in [@chgw]. The subsequent analysis of this issue has been performed in [@sms1]-[@sms2], where the authors handled the problem in a nice covariant way, deriving the effective gravitational field equations on a $3$-brane embedded in a five-dimensional bulk spacetime with $Z_{2}$-symmetry. These equations involve the higher-dimensional corrections to the ordinary Einstein equations, which are determined by a term quadratic in the energy-momentum tensor of the brane, as well as a curvature term from the bulk space. These correction terms become ignorable in the low energy limit. Further generalizations of this approach to include the dilaton fields in the bulk, as well as high-order curvature terms of Gauss-Bonnet combinations have been given in [@mw]-[@mt]. The case of null radiation in the bulk was considered in [@roy].
The basic idea of the paper [@sms1] and the other related works was to use the Gauss-Codazzi projective approach and project the field equations in the bulk on a $3$-brane with the subsequent specialization to the Gaussian normal coordinates in the neighborhood of the $3$-brane. However, as is well-known the Gaussian normal coordinates imply a very special slicing of spacetime in the sense that the geodesics orthogonal to a given hypersurface remain orthogonal to all successive hypersurfaces in the slicing [@mtw]. This slicing may not affect the field equations on the brane, but it will change the off-brane evolution equations. Clearly, the consistent analysis of the brane dynamics would benefits from complete freedom in the slicing of spacetime by timelike hypersurfaces, pushing them in the fifth dimension at arbitrary rates and in arbitrary positions.
It is the purpose of this paper to present the effective gravitational field equations on a $3$-brane in the five-dimensional bulk, as well as the evolution equations off the brane in the case of arbitrary energy-momentum tensor in the bulk. We use, instead of the Gaussian normal coordinates, more general coordinate setting in the spirit of Arnowitt, Deser and Misner (ADM) [@adm]. The use of the ADM type coordinates implies the slicing of the spacetime by timelike hypersurfaces pierced by a congruence of spacelike curves that are not geodesics and do not intersect the hypersurfaces orthogonally. In this approach one has freedom in analyzing the bulk dynamics in the most general case. We show that in the framework of this more general geometric setting the effective gravitational field equations on the $3$-brane have the same form as obtained earlier [@sms1] in the absence of matter fields in the bulk. We show that the gravitational influence of the bulk spacetime on the brane may be described through a traceless second-rank tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, properly constructed from the “electric” part of the bulk Riemann tensor. We also show the evolution equations in the bulk are significantly modified due to the acceleration of normals in the nongeodesic slicing of spacetime and the presence of other fields in the bulk as well.
The paper is organized as follows. In Sec.II we describe the general formalism of a $(4+1)$ decomposition of a five-dimensional bulk spacetime using an approach similar to the ADM approach in the Hamiltonian formulation of four-dimensional general relativity. In Sec.III we begin with the decomposition of the connection coefficients using the usual definition of the Christoffel symbols. Then we derive the decomposition formulas for the Ricci, Einstein and Riemann tensors, in accordance with the $(4+1)$ splitting of the spacetime metric, without appealing to the Gauss-Codazzi projective approach. The effective field equations on the brane, as well as the conservation equations on it are given in Sec.IV. Finally, in Sec.V we derive the evolution equations off the brane for the corresponding projected parts of the curvature and energy-momentum tensors in the bulk space.
Geometric Setting
=================
We consider a five-dimensional bulk spacetime with manifold $M$ and metric $ g_{AB} $ and suppose that the spacetime includes a $3$-brane, a $(3+1)$-dimensional hypersurface, which, in turn, is endowed with the metric $h_{AB}$. Assuming that the bulk spacetime is covered by coordinates $ x^{A}$ with $A=0,1,2,3,5$ we introduce an arbitrary scalar function $$Z= Z(x^A) \,,
\label{scalarf}$$ such that $Z$= const describes a layer surface in the family of non-intersecting timelike hypersurfaces $\Sigma_Z$, filling $M$, with the $3$-brane located at the hypersurface $Z=0$.
The total action corresponding to the above setting consists of the Einstein-Hilbert action with bulk matter fields and the brane action $$S=\frac{1}{2 \kappa_{5}^2}\,\int_{M} \,d^5 x\sqrt{-g}\,
(\,^{(5)}R -2\,\Lambda_5)
+\int_{M} \,d^5 x\sqrt{-g}\, ^{(5)}L_{bulk} + \int_{brane} \,d^4 y \sqrt{-h}
\,L_{brane}\,,
\label{action}$$ where $\,\kappa_{5}^2=8\pi G_5\,$, with $\,G_5\,$ being the gravitational coupling constant, $y^{i}$ with $i=0,1,2,3$ are coordinates intrinsic to the brane and $\Lambda_{5}$ is the bulk cosmological constant. To avoid an undesired term in extremization of this action with respect to variations of $g_{AB}$ and $h_{AB}$, the Gibbons-Hawking boundary term [@gh] is also implied in it. The field equations derived from the action (\[action\]) have the form $$\begin{aligned}
^{(5)}G_{AB}&=& \, ^{(5)}R_{AB}- \frac{1}{2}\,g_{AB}\,^{(5)}R
\,=\, - \Lambda_{5} \, g_{AB}+
\kappa_5^2\left(^{(5)}T_{AB}+\sqrt{\frac{h}{g}}\,\,\tau_{AB}\,
\delta(Z)\right)\,,
\label{5dfeq}\end{aligned}$$ where $^{(5)}T_{AB}$ is the energy-momentum tensor for the generic fields in the bulk, $\,\tau_{AB}\,$ is the energy-momentum tensor in the braneworld, the $\delta$-function singularity means that the brane energy-momentum has the form of a thin sheet distribution and the quantities $\,g\,$ and $\,h\,$ are the metric determinants of $g_{AB}$ and $h_{AB}$, respectively.
The effective gravitational field equations in the braneworld are obtained by implementing a $(4+1)$ decomposition of the five-dimensional bulk spacetime, viewing it in terms of the four-dimensional hypersurface of a $3$-brane and a spatial fifth dimension. (In the following we shall basically adopt the notations of Refs.[@Israel]-[@eric] and use the reduced on-brane coordinate, instead of general five-dimensional ones). Clearly, one can introduce the unit spacelike normal to the brane surface as $$n_A = N\,\partial_A Z\,,
\label{vnormal}$$ satisfying the normalization condition $$g_{AB}\,n^A\,n^B = 1\,,
\label{normalization}$$ where the scalar function $$N=\left| g^{AB}\,\partial_A Z\,\partial_B Z \right|^{-1/2}$$ is called the lapse function. The metric intrinsic to the brane can be obtained through defining the infinitesimal displacements within the brane. We recall the parametric equation of the brane $ x^A=x^A (y^i) $, that implies the existence of a local frame given by the set of four vectors $$e^A_i = \frac{\partial x^A}{\partial y^i}~~~,
\label{tvector}$$ which are tangent to the brane. It is clear that they satisfy the orthogonality condition $$n_A\,e^A_i = 0 \,.
\label{orthogonal}$$ With this local frame the infinitesimal displacements on the brane are determined by the induced metric $$h_{ij} = g_{AB} \,e^A_i \,e^B_j\,\,,
\label{indmetric}$$ and its inverse, satisfying the completeness relation on the brane $$h^{ik}\,h_{kj} = \delta_{j}^i\,\,.
\label{completeness}$$ From equations (\[orthogonal\]) and (\[indmetric\]) it follows that the bulk spacetime metric can be given as $$g_{AB} = n_A n_B +h_{ij} e^i_A e^j_B \,\,,
\label{5metric1}$$ while the inverse metric has the form $$g^{AB} = n^A n^B +h^{ij} e_i^A e_j^B\,\,.
\label{5metric}$$ In obtaining the last expression we have also used the completeness relation $$e_A^i\,e^A_j = \delta_{j}^i \,\,,
\label{orthogonal1}$$ for the basis vectors on the brane.
Next, we shall introduce a spacelike vector $Z^A$, which formally can be thought of as an “evolution vector” into the fifth dimension. Having chosen the parameter along the orbits of this vector as Z, we can write the relation $$Z^A\,\partial_A Z =1\,,
\label{evector1}$$ which means that the vector $Z^A$ is tangent to a congruence of curves intersecting the succesive hypersurfaces in the slicing of spacetime. We are interested in the general case, when the curves are not geodesics and they do not intersect the hypersurfaces orthogonally. The evolution vector $Z^A$ is not necessarily parallel to the normal vector $n^A$ and it can be decomposed into its normal and tangential parts $$Z^A = N\,n^A +N^i\,e^A_i \,\,,
\label{evector2}$$ where the four vector $N^i$ is known as the shift vector (see Ref.[@eric]). With this construction one can always define an alternative coordinate system $\,(y^i, y^5)\equiv (y^i, Z)\,$ on $M$, and express the spacetime metric in these new coordinates. Then the relations (\[tvector\]) and (\[evector1\]) imply that $$\begin{aligned}
e^A_i & = &\left(\frac{\partial x^A}{\partial y^i}\right)_Z\,
= \delta^A_i\,\,, ~~~~~~~~~~
Z^A= \left(\frac{\partial x^A}{\partial Z}\right)_{y^i} = \delta^A_Z \,\,.
\label{ntevectors}\end{aligned}$$ Furthermore, we note that $$\begin{aligned}
dx^A &=& Z^A dZ +e^A_i dy^i
= \left(N dZ \right) n^A + e^A_i \left(dy^i+N^i dZ \right)\,,
\label{diff}\end{aligned}$$ and the spacetime interval is decomposed into the form $$\begin{aligned}
ds^2&=&g_{AB} dx^{A}dx^{B} \nonumber \\
&=& h_{ij}\, dy^i\,dy^j + 2N_i \,dy^i \,dZ +
\left(N^2 +N_i N^i \right)\,dZ^2 \,.
\label{demetric}\end{aligned}$$ It follows that the components of the five-dimensional metric can be written in terms of the induced 4-metric, the lapse and the shift functions as $$g_{AB} =
\begin{pmatrix}
{h_{ij} && N_i \cr\cr N_j && N^2 +N_i N^i}
\end{pmatrix} \,\,.
\label{redmetric}$$ For the metric determinant we have $$\sqrt{-g} = N \sqrt{-h}\,,
\label{determinant}$$ while the inverse metric takes the form $$g^{AB} =
\begin{pmatrix}
{h^{ij} + N^i N^j/N^2 && - N^i/N^2 \cr\cr - N^j/ N^2
&& 1/N^2}
\end{pmatrix} \,\,.
\label{invmetric}$$ We also note that the covariant components of the spacelike unit normal vector in equation (\[vnormal\]) are given by $$n_A =\left(0,0,0,0,N \right)\,,
\label{normaldown}$$ and its contravariant components are obtained through the use of equations (\[normalization\]) and (\[redmetric\]). We have $$n^A = \left( -\frac{N^i}{N}\,\,,\,\,\, \frac{1}{N} \right)\,.
\label{normalup}$$
Finally, to describe the bending of the brane surface in the bulk we shall introduce the extrinsic curvature of the brane [@eric], calculating the derivative of the normal vector as $$\nabla_A\,n_B= K_{AB}+n_A a_B\,,
\label{acceleration1}$$ where $\,\nabla\,$ is the covariant derivative operator associated with the bulk metric $\,g_{AB}\,$, the extrinsic curvature tensor $\,K_{AB}\,$ is a symmetric tensor tangential to the brane $(\,K_{AB} n^A=0 \,)$ and the 5-acceleration of the normal vector is given by $$a_A = n^B \,\nabla_B\,n_A\,\,,
\label{acceleration}$$ which with equations (\[ntevectors\]) and (\[normalup\]) can be written in the $\,(4+1)\,$ component form $$\begin{aligned}
a_A = (a_i, a_5) &=&
-\frac{1}{N}\,\left(D_i N\,\,,\,\,\,N^i\,D_i N \right)\,\,.
\label{acccomp}\end{aligned}$$ Here $D$ is the covariant derivative operator defined with respect to the brane metric $\,h_{ij}\,$ and it is clear that $\,a_A n^A=0\,$.
The projected extrinsic curvature tensor is the symmetric 4-tensor given by $$\begin{aligned}
K_{ij}&=& \nabla_{(B}n_{A)}\, e^A_i e^B_j\,\
=\frac{1}{2}\left({\pounds_n} g_{AB}\right) e^A_ie^B_j\,\,,
\label{excurv1}\end{aligned}$$ where the symbol $ \pounds$ stands for the Lie derivative. The extrinsic curvature can be related to the evolution of the brane metric into the fifth spatial dimension through its Lie derivative along the evolution vector $Z^A$. We obtain that $$K_{ij}=\frac{1}{2N}\left[\left({\pounds_Z} g_{AB}\right) e^A_i
e^B_j-D_i N_j-D_j N_i\right] \,\,,
\label{excurv2}$$ which, with equations in (\[ntevectors\]), reduces to the form $$K_{ij}=\frac{1}{2N} \left( \partial_{5} h_{ij}- D_i N_j-D_j N_i\right)\,.
\label{excurv3}$$ Here and in what follows $\,\partial_5= \partial/\partial{Z}\,\,$ and the indices of all $4$-tensors intrinsic to the brane are raised and lowered with respect to the metric $h_{ij}$.
Decomposition of Connection Coefficients and Curvature Tensors
==============================================================
In accordance with a $\,(4+1)\,$ decomposition of the five dimensional spacetime metric given in (\[demetric\]), we now need to establish the reduction formulas between the five dimensional connection coefficients and curvature tensors and the quantities characterizing the intrinsic and extrinsic properties of the brane surface. We start with the usual definition of the Christoffel symbols in five dimensions $$\Gamma^A_{BC}=\frac{1}{2}\, g^{AD}\left(\partial _B
g_{CD}+\partial _C g_{BD}- \partial _D g_{BC}\right)\,,
\label{5chr}$$ and substituting into it the metric decompositions given in (\[redmetric\]) and (\[invmetric\]), we obtain that the nonvanishing components of the Christoffel symbols are split into the form $$\begin{aligned}
\Gamma^5_{ij} & = & - \frac{1}{N}K_{ij}\,\,, \nonumber\\
\Gamma^5_{i5}& = & N^j\,\Gamma^5_{ij} +\frac{1}{N}\,D_{i} N\,\,,\nonumber\\
\Gamma^i_{jl}& =&\lambda^i_{jl}-N^i\,\Gamma^5_{jl}\,\,,\nonumber\\
\Gamma^i_{j5}& = & -N^i\,\Gamma^5_{5 j}+ N \,K^i_j +D_j \,N^i
\,\,,\nonumber\\
\Gamma^5_{55} & = & N^i\, \Gamma^5_{i5} +
\frac{1}{N}\,\partial_{5} N\,\,, \label{redchr}\end{aligned}$$ $$\Gamma^i_{55} = - N^i\, \Gamma^5_{55} +\partial_5 \,N^i + N^j \,D_j \,N^i
+ N\,(2\, K^i_j \,N^j - D^i N) \,\,,$$ where the quantities $$\lambda^i_{jl}=\frac{1}{2}\,h^{im}\left(\partial _j
h_{lm}+\partial _l h_{jm}- \partial _m h_{jl}\right)\,,
\label{4chr}$$ are the Christoffel symbols on the brane formed from the metric $\,h_{ij}\,$.
The decomposition of the five dimensional Ricci tensor can be obtained through the use of the above reduction formulas (\[redchr\]) and (\[determinant\]) in the general expression $$^{(5)}R_{AB} = \partial_C \Gamma^C_{AB} -
\partial_A \partial_B \left(\ln{\sqrt{-g}} \right) + \Gamma^C_{AB}
\partial_C \left(\ln{\sqrt{-g}} \right) - \Gamma^C_{AD}
\Gamma^D_{BC}\,. \label{ricci}$$ After performing straightforward calculations we find that $$\begin{aligned}
^{(5)}R_{i j} & = & R_{ij} - \frac{1}{N}\,\left[\left(\partial_5
- \pounds_{\vec{N}}\right) K_{ij} + D_i D_j N\right] +2\,K^m_i
K_{mj} - K K_{ij} \,,
\nonumber \\[3mm]
^{(5)}R_{5 i} & = & ^{(5)}R_{ij} \,N^j - N \left(D_i \,K-D_j
\,K^j_i \right)\,,
\nonumber \\[3mm]
^{(5)}R_{55} & = & ^{(5)}R_{ij} \,N^i N^j - N \left(\partial_5 \,K
+ \Box N \right) - N^2 \,K_{lm} \,K^{lm}
\nonumber\\
&& + \,2 N \,N^j\, D_i \left(K^i_j - \frac{1}{2 }\,\delta^i_j \,K
\right)\,,
\label{redricci}\end{aligned}$$ where $\,R_{ij}\,$ is the Ricci curvature of the braneworld, $\,K=\,h^{ij}\,K_{ij}\,$ is the trace of the extrinsic curvature, the operator $\,\Box = D_m\,D^m\, $ is the D’Alembertian acting on the brane and the Lie derivative $\pounds_{\vec{N}}$ is taken along the shift vector $\,N^i\,$.
Similarily, for the five dimensional Ricci scalar we obtain the following reduction formula $$^{(5)}R = R - \frac{2}{N}\left(\partial_5\, K -
\pounds_{\vec{N}}\,K + \Box N \right) - K_{lm}\,K^{lm} - K^2\,\,,
\label{redscalar}$$ with the four-dimensional Ricci scalar $\,R\,$ defined on the brane. We note that in obtaining the above expressions we have repeatedly used the following useful relations $$\begin{aligned}
\partial_5 \,h^{ij} & = & - h^{im} \,h^{jl}\,\partial_5 h_{lm}\,\,,
\nonumber \\[2mm]
\partial_5 \ln \sqrt{-h} & = & N\,K + D_i\,N^i \,\,,
\nonumber\\[2mm]
h^{ij}\,\partial_5 \,K_{ij} & = & \partial_5 \,K +
2\,\left(K^i_j\,D_i\,N^j + N\, K_{ij}\,K^{ij} \right) \,\,.
\label{useful}\end{aligned}$$
We can now establish the reduction formulas for the components of the Einstein tensor in equation (\[5dfeq\]). Using equations given in (\[redricci\]), (\[redscalar\]) and taking into account relations (\[useful\]) we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
^{(5)}G_{ij} & = & G_{ij} - \frac{1}{N} \left[ \left(\partial_5 -
\pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) \left(K_{ij} - h_{ij}\,K\right) +D_i D_j
N \right] - 3\,K K_{ij} + 2\,K^m_i K_{mj}
\,\nonumber\\
&& + \frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij} \left(K^2 + K_{lm} K^{lm} +
\frac{2}{N}\,\Box N \right)\,,
\nonumber \\[3mm]
^{(5)}G_{i5} & = & ^{(5)}G_{ij}\,N^j - N\left(D_i K-D_j
K^j_i\right)\,,
\nonumber \\[3mm]
^{(5)}G_{55} & = & ^{(5)}G_{ij}\, N^i N^j -
\frac{1}{2}\,N^2\left(R-K^2+K_{lm} K^{lm}\right) +2\,N N^j
D_i\left(K^i_j-\delta^i_j \,K\right) \,\,, \label{redeinstein}\end{aligned}$$ where $\,G_{ij}\,$ is the Einstein $4$-tensor in the braneworld.
We shall also need the decomposition formulas for the Riemann curvature tensor of the metric (\[demetric\]). They can be obtained from the general expression $$^{(5)}R^A_{\,\,\,BCD}=\partial_C\Gamma^A_{BD} - \partial_D
\Gamma^A_{BC}+ \Gamma^M_{BD}\Gamma^A_{CM}
-\Gamma^M_{BC}\Gamma^A_{DM} \,\, \label{griemann}$$ by substituting into it the decomposition of the Christoffel symbols given in equation (\[redchr\]). Having done this, for the covariant components of the five dimensional Riemann curvature we find $$\begin{aligned}
^{(5)}R_{ijlm} & = & R_{ijlm} + K_{im} K_{jl}-K_{il} K_{jm}\,\,,
\nonumber \\ [3mm] ^{(5)}R_{5ijl} & = & ^{(5)}R_{mijl}\,N^m -
N\left(D_j K_{il}-D_l K_{ij}\right)\,\,, \nonumber \\ [3mm]
^{(5)}R_{5i5j} & = & ^{(5)}R_{5imj}\,N^m - N \left[\,
\left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) K_{ij}
+D_i D_j N \,\right] \nonumber \\
&& +\,N \left[\,N^m\left(D_i K_{mj}-D_m K_{ij} \right) + N K^m_i
K_{mj}\,\right]\,\,, \label{redriemann}\end{aligned}$$ where the unmarked Riemann tensor is intrinsic to the brane surface. In the derivation of these expressions, in addition to equations in (\[useful\]), we have also used the relation $$\partial_5\,\lambda^i_{jl}= R^i_{\,\,\,lmj} \,N^m +D_j D_l N^i +
D_j (N\,K^i_l) + D_l (N\,K^i_j) - D^i (N\,K_{jl})\,\,.
\label{5lam}$$ It is important to note that among equations in (\[redriemann\]) only the last equation involves the term describing the evolution into the fifth dimension. We recall that the first equation is known as the Gauss equation. In the case of vanishing acceleration of the normals $\,(N=1,\,\, N^i=0 )\,$, the above formulas are in agreement with those obtained in [@mt] within the Gauss-Codazzi projective approach.
Effective Equations on The Brane
================================
We are now in position to write down the effective gravitational field equations on a $3$-brane substituting the reduction formulas (\[redeinstein\]) into the basic equation (\[5dfeq\]) together with a suitable decomposition of its right-hand-side. First, we note that $$\begin{aligned}
^{(5)}G_{i5}&=&{}^{(5)}G_{iA}\,Z^A
= {}^{(5)}G_{ij}N^j+N~{}^{(5)}G_{iA}n^A\,\,,\\[3mm]
\label{einstein5i}
^{(5)}G_{55}&=&{}^{(5)}G_{AB}Z^A Z^B\,\nonumber\\
&=&{}^{(5)}G_{ij}\,N^i\,N^j+2 N ~^{(5)}G_{iA}\,N^i\,n^A +
N^2~^{(5)}G_{AB}\,n^A \,n^B \,\,, \label{einstein55}\end{aligned}$$ and comparing these expressions with the second and third equations in (\[redeinstein\]) we arrive at equations $$\frac{1}{2}\,\left(R-K^2 + K_{lm}K^{lm}\right) =\,\Lambda_{5}
-\kappa_5^2~P \,\,, \label{constr1}$$ $$D_m K^m_i-D_i K = \kappa_5^2~ J_i\,\,, \label{constr2}$$ where $\,P=\ ^{(5)}T_{AB}\,n^A n^B\,$ is a sort of “pressure” exerted on the brane, while the $4$-vector $\,J_i=\ ^{(5)}T_{iB}n^B\,$ describes the energy-momentum flux onto or from the brane. Using the analogy with the Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity [@adm] we can think of these equations as the Hamiltonian constraint and the momentum constraint equations on the brane, respectively.
Next, we insert the remaining first equation in (\[redeinstein\]) into equation (\[5dfeq\]) and rewrite it in form $$\begin{aligned}
G_{ij}& - &\frac{1}{N} \left[ \left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}}
\right) \left(K_{ij} - h_{ij}\,K\right) +D_i D_j N \right] - 3\,K
K_{ij} + 2\,K^m_i K_{mj}
\,\nonumber\\
& + &\,\frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij} \left(K^2 + K_{lm} K^{lm} +
\frac{2}{N}\,\Box N \right)
%\nonumber\\
= - \Lambda_{5} \, h_{ij}+
\kappa_5^2\left(^{(5)}T_{ij}+\sqrt{\frac{h}{g}}\,\,\tau_{ij}\,
\delta(Z)\right)\,. \label{beq1}\end{aligned}$$ In order to assign to this equation a physical meaning on the brane we must do two things. First, we must relate the $\delta$-function behaviour in the brane energy-momentum tensor on the right-hand-side of equation (\[beq1\]) to the jump in the extrinsic curvature of the brane on its evolution into the fifth dimension. Further, we must express the term describing the evolution into the extra dimension in terms of four-dimensional quantities on the brane, more precisely in terms of their limiting values on the brane. At this stage, it is useful to impose on the brane $Z_2$-symmetry and integrate with an appropriate weight the equation (\[beq1\]) across the brane surface along the orbits of the evolution vector $\,Z^A\,$. Then passing to the zero limit $\,Z\rightarrow \pm \,0\,$ and assuming that the quantities $\,K^{+}_{ij} \,$ and $\,K^{-}_{ij}\,$ evaluated on both sides of the brane, respectively, remain bounded, we arrive at Israel’s junction condition [@Israel] $$\begin{aligned}
\left[h_{ij}\right]_{\pm}=h^+_{ij}- h^-_{ij}&=&0\,,\nonumber\\
\left[K_{ij}\right]_{\pm} - h_{ij} \left[K \right]_{\pm}
&=&-\kappa_{5}^2\,\tau_{ij}\,. \label{jcisrael}\end{aligned}$$ Since we have imposed on the brane $Z_2$-symmetry, that implies $\,Z^A\rightarrow -Z^A\,\;\;\;\left(n^A\rightarrow -n^A \right)$ and hence, $$K^+_{ij}= - K^-_{ij}\,. \label{Z2sym}$$ Taking this into account in equation (\[jcisrael\]) and omitting the indices $\,\pm\,$ we obtain $$K_{ij}=-\frac{1}{2}\,\kappa_5^2\,\left(\tau_{ij} -
\frac{1}{3}\,h_{ij}\,\tau\right)\,, \label{brextcur}$$ where $\,\tau=\tau_{ij}\,h^{ij} \,$ is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor of the brane.
Next, we note that $$^{(5)}R_{5i5j}={}^{(5)}R_{ABCD}\,Z^A Z^C\,e^B_i\,e^D_j\,,
\label{riemann5i5j}$$ which by means of equation (\[evector2\]) and the second equation in (\[redriemann\]) can be written in the form $$^{(5)}R_{5i5j}=N^2 A_{ij}+ {}^{(5)}R_{5imj}\,N^m - N
B_{jim}\,N^m\,, \label{empart}$$ where we have introduced the quantities $$\begin{aligned}
A_{ij}&=&{}^{(5)} R_{ABCD}\,n^A \,n^C e^B_i e^D_j \,,\nonumber\\
B_{jim}&=& {}^{(5)} R_{ABCD}\,n^A e^B_j e^C_i e^D_m =
2\,D_{[m}K_{i]j}\,\,, \label{defab}\end{aligned}$$ which, by analogy with their corresponding counterparts in ordinary general relativity [@landau], can be thought of as the “electric” part and the “magnetic” part of the bulk Riemann tensor, respectively. Comparing equation (\[empart\]) with the last equation in (\[redriemann\]) we find that $$-\,\frac{1}{N}\left(\partial_5 K_{ij}-\pounds_{\vec{N}}K_{ij}
\right) = A_{ij} - K^m_i K_{mj} - D_i a_j +a_i \,a_j\,\,,
\label{excev1}$$ where we have inserted the four-dimensional acceleration $\,a_i= a_A e_i^A\,$ given in (\[acccomp\]). Similarily, from the reduction formula (\[redscalar\]) for the Ricci scalar, it follows that $$\frac{1}{N} \left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}}\right)
K=\frac{1}{2} \left(R-{}^{(5)}R-K_{lm} K^{lm}- K^2 \right) + D_m
a^m - a^2 \,\,, \label{excev2}$$ where $\,a^2= a_m a^m\,$. Taking into account the obvious relation $$\frac{1}{N}\left(\partial_5-\pounds_{\vec{N}}\right) K h_{ij} =
\frac{1}{N}h_{ij} \left(\partial_5 K -\pounds_{\vec{N}}
K\right)+2\,K K_{ij}\,, \label{excev3}$$ and combining equations (\[excev1\]) and (\[excev2\]) we arrive at desired expression relating the evolution term in (\[beq1\]) to the four-dimensional quantities on the brane $$\begin{aligned}
-\frac{1}{N}\left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}}\right)
\left(K_{ij} - h_{ij} K\right) & = & A_{ij} + \frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij}
\left(R- K_{lm} K^{lm} - K^2 -{}^{(5)}R \right) -K^m_i\,K_{mj}\,\
\nonumber\\
&&+2\,K K_{ij} - D_i\, a_j + a_i \,a_j +h_{ij} (D_m a^m -
a^2)\,\,. \label{exev3}\end{aligned}$$ Inserting this expression into (\[beq1\]) and approaching the brane from either $\,+\,$ or $\,-\,$ side, we obtain the effective gravitational field equations on the brane in the form $$\begin{aligned}
G_{ij}&+&\frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij}\left(K^2-K_{lm}K^{lm}\right)+K^m_i
K_{mj} - K K_{ij} + A_{ij}\,\nonumber\\ &=& -\frac{1}{3}\,h_{ij}
\Lambda_5 + \kappa_5^2\left[^{(5)}T_{ij}+
h_{ij}\left(P-\frac{1}{3}\,^{(5)}T\right)\right] \,\,,
\label{breq2}\end{aligned}$$ where we have used equation (\[constr1\]), while the extrinsic curvature terms are determined through equation (\[brextcur\]).
It may be useful to introduce a traceless tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, constructed from the electric part of the Riemann curvature according to the relation $$W_{ij}=A_{ij}-\frac{1}{4}\,h_{ij}\, A \label{wtrl}\,\,,$$ where $\,A\,$ is the trace of $\,A_{ij}\,$ with respect to the induced metric $\,h_{ij}\,$. We have $$A=\frac{1}{2}\,\left(^{(5)}R-R-K_{lm}K^{lm}+K^2\right)\,.
\label{atrl}$$ Substituting this new tensor into equation (\[breq2\]) and expressing the extrinsic curvature terms through the energy-momentum tensor in the braneworld, we obtain the alternative form of the effective field equations $$G_{ij}= - \frac{1}{2} h_{ij}\, \left(\Lambda_5 - \kappa_5^2\,P
\right) - W_{ij} -3 \kappa_5^2 \,U_{ij} - \kappa_5^4\,\tilde
T_{ij}\,\,, \label{breq3}$$ where the source term $\,\tilde T_{ij}\,$ is quadratic in the energy-momentum tensor of the brane and given by $$\tilde T_{ij} = \frac{1}{4}\, \left[ \tau^m_i \tau_{mj} -
\frac{1}{3}\,\tau \tau_{ij} - \frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij}
\left(\tau_{lm}\tau^{lm} - \frac{1}{3}\,\tau^2\right)\right]\,\,,
\label{quadratic}$$ while $$U_{ij}= - \frac{1}{3}\,\left(^{(5)}T_{ij} - \frac{1}{4}\,h_{ij}
h^{lm}\,^{(5)}T_{lm}\right)\,\,, \label{utrl}$$ is the traceless, with respect to the metric $\,h_{ij}\,$, projection of the bulk energy-momentum tensor onto the brane. On the other hand, taking into account the decomposition of the Riemann tensor in five dimensions in terms of the traceless Weyl tensor $\, C_{ABCD}\,$ and the Ricci tensor $$R_{ABCD}=C_{ABCD}+\frac{2}{3}\,\left(g_{A[C}R_{D]B}-g_{B[C}R_{D]A}\right)
-\frac{1}{6}\,R~g_{A[C}g_{D]B}\,\,,
\label{weyldecom1}$$ and passing from the electric part of the Riemann tensor $\,A_{ij}\,$ in equation (\[defab\]) to that of the Weyl tensor defined as $$E_{ij}={}^{(5)}C_{ABCD}\,n^A n^C e^B_i e^D_j\,\,,
\label{weyldecom}$$ we find that $$A_{ij}= E_{ij}+\frac{1}{3}\,\left[{}^{(5)}R_{ij}+
\frac{1}{4}h_{ij}{}^{(5)}R -
\frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij}\left(R-K^2+K_{lm}K^{lm}\right)\right]\,\,.
\label{weylel}$$ Using this equation one can easily relate the tensors $\,W_{ij}\,$ and $\,E_{ij}\,$. We find that $$E_{ij}= W_{ij}+\kappa_5^2 \,U_{ij}\,\,, \label{ewrel}$$ which shows that the traceless projection of the bulk energy-momentum tensor (\[utrl\]) determines the difference between the electric part of the five-dimensional Weyl tensor and the traceless tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, constructed from the electric part of the Riemann tensor as in equation (\[wtrl\]). In the particular case, where the energy-momentum tensor of the braneworld admits the form [@sms1] $$\tau_{ij} = - \lambda h_{ij} +S_{ij}\,, \label{branematter}$$ where $\lambda $ is the brane tension, we can transform equation (\[breq3\]) into the following form $$G_{ij} = -\Lambda h_{ij} + \kappa_4^2 \, S_{ij} + \kappa_5^4
\,M_{ij} - W_{ij} - 3 \kappa_5^2\,U_{ij}\,\,,
\label{breq4}$$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\Lambda &=& \frac{1}{2} \left(\Lambda_5 + \frac{1}{6}\kappa_5^4
\,\lambda^2 - \kappa_5^2\, P\right)\,,
\label{cosmcons}\\
\kappa_4^2 &=& \frac{1}{6}\,\kappa_5^4\,\lambda \,\,,
\label{gravconst4}\\
M_{ij} &=& - \frac{1}{4} \left[ \left(S^m_i S_{mj} -
\frac{1}{3}\,S S_{ij}\right) - \frac{1}{2}\,h_{ij}
\left(S_{lm}S^{lm} - \frac{1}{3}\,S^2\right) \right]\,\,.
\label{quademt2}\end{aligned}$$ It is important to note that these equations do not involve any terms determined by a nonvanishing accerelation of normals inherent in the ADM type foliation of spacetime. In the absence of the energy-momentum sources in the bulk, equations (\[breq4\]) have exactly the same form as the effective field equations derived by Shiromizu, Maeda and Sasaki (SMS) in [@sms1]. Thus, the form of the SMS equations still continues to be held in the ADM type non-geodesic slicing of a spacetime manifold.
We see that the effective field equations (\[breq4\]) drastically differ from the usual four-dimensional Einstein equations not only due to the term quadratic in the energy-momentum tensor of the brane (\[quademt2\]), but also due to the curvature and energy-momentum terms from the bulk space. In other words, the gravitational effects of the bulk are transmitted to the brane through a traceless second-rank tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$, while the influence of the bulk space energy and momentum on the brane is felt through both the normal compressive pressure and the traceless in-brane components of the bulk energy-momentum tensor. On these grounds, it is clear that the effective equations on the brane are not closed, thereby there exists a continuous exchange of energy and momentum between the brane and the bulk.
In order to demonstrate these features we appeal to equation (\[constr2\]) and insert into it the relation given in (\[brextcur\]). Then we arrive at the following equation of “continuity” $$D_m\,\tau^m_i=-2~^{(5)}J_i\,\,, \label{flux1}$$ which manifests the existence of an energy flux onto, or away from the brane. In the case where $^{(5)}J_i\equiv 0$, we have conservation equation for energy-momentum on the brane.
Next, we calculate the divergence of equation (\[breq3\]). Taking into account the contracted Bianchi identities $$D^i G_{ij}=0 \,\,, \label{bianchi1}$$ after some rearrangements we find that $$\begin{aligned}
D^i \left(W_{ij}+ 3 \kappa_5^2\, U_{ij} - \frac{1}{2}\, \kappa_5^2
\,h_{ij} P \right) & = & \frac{1}{4}\,\kappa_5^4 \left[\tau^{mi}
\left(D_j \tau_{mi}-D_i\,\tau_{mj}\right) +
\frac{1}{3}\,\left(\tau^i_j - \delta^i_j \,\tau \right) D_i\,\tau
\right. \nonumber \\[2mm]
&& \left. + 2~^{(5)}J_i \left(\tau^i_j-\frac{1}{3} \delta^i_j
\,\tau \right) \right]\, .
\label{divergence}\end{aligned}$$ From this equation it follows that the divergence of the corrections from the bulk space to the effective field equations is completely determined by the distribution of matter on the brane, though the total behaviour of these quantities must obey the evolution equation in the bulk. In the case of a vacuum on the brane $\,( \tau^i_j=0 )\,$, equations (\[breq4\]), (\[divergence\]) and (\[flux1\]) are reduced to the form $$G_{ij} = -\Lambda h_{ij} - W_{ij} - 3 \kappa_5^2\,U_{ij}\,\,,
\label{short}$$ $$D^i \left(W_{ij}+ 3 \kappa_5^2\, U_{ij} - \frac{1}{2}\, \kappa_5^2
\,h_{ij} P \right) = 0 \,\,,
\label{integr}$$ where equation (\[integr\]) is of an integrability condition on the brane. In the case of empty bulk and vanishing cosmological constant $\,\Lambda=0\,$, one can solve equations (\[short\]) and (\[integr\]) using a special metric anzatz on the brane that makes the system of equations closed [@roy1]. Since the tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$ is traceless, the authors of paper [@roy2] made a prescription for mapping four-dimensional general relativity solutions with traceless energy-momentum tensor to vacuum braneworld solutions in five-dimensional gravity. In particular, they found the exact solution for a static black hole on a $3$-brane with a [*tidal*]{} charge arising due to gravitational influnce of the fifth dimension on the brane. A similar approach has been used in [@aemir] to construct exact solutions for rotating and charged black holes localized on the brane. It is clear that with further assumptions on the metric structure on a $3$-brane and on the projections $\,P\,$ and $\,U_{ij}\,$ of the bulk energy-momentum tensor, one can extend the link between some solutions in general relativity and braneworlds to include contributions from non-empty bulk space as well.
The Evolution Equations
=======================
As we have emphasized above, the effective gravitational field equations (\[breq3\]) and (\[breq4\]) on the brane in general are not closed and the evolution equations into the bulk are needed to be solved for the projected bulk curvature and energy-momentum tensors. In this section we shall derive these evolution equations. First, we note that using equations (\[wtrl\]) and (\[atrl\]) along with (\[excev1\]), for the traceless tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$ defined from the “electric part” of the bulk Riemann tensor we obtain $$\begin{aligned}
W_{ij}&=&-\frac{1}{N}\left[\left(\partial_5-
\pounds_{\vec{N}}\right) \left(K_{ij}-\frac{1}{4}\,K
h_{ij}\right)+D_i D_j N\right] -\frac{1}{2}\,K K_{ij}
+K^m_i K_{mj}\,\nonumber\\
&&+\frac{1}{4}\,h_{ij} \left(K_{lm}K^{lm} +\frac{1}{N} \Box N
\right)\,\,.
\label{wtrl1}\end{aligned}$$ We recall that the “magnetic part”, $\,B_{jim}\,$, of the Riemann tensor defined in equation (\[defab\]) is not traceless. It may be useful to construct from this quantity its traceless counterpart. This is given by $$M_{jim} = B_{jim} + \frac{2}{3}\,\kappa_5^2 \,h_{j[i} J_{m]} \,,
\label{mtrl}$$ where we have used equation (\[constr2\]). It turns out that this quantity is exactly the same as the “magnetic part” of the Weyl tensor introduced in [@sms1]. We now need to establish the equations governing the evolution of the quantities $\,W_{ij}\,$ and $\,M_{jim}\,$ into the bulk. For this purpose, it is convenient to start with equation (\[breq2\]), which can also be rewritten in the form $$R_{ij}= \frac{1}{2} h_{ij}\, \left(\Lambda_5 - \kappa_5^2\,P
\right) - W_{ij} -3 \kappa_5^2 \,U_{ij} - K_i^m K_{mj}+K
K_{ij}\,\,. \label{breq5}$$ Acting on both sides of this equation by the operator $\,\partial_5- \pounds_{\vec{N}} \,$ one can express the evolution of $\,W_{ij}\,$ in terms of the evolution of the braneworld Ricci tensor $\,R_{ij}\,$ which, in turn, can be determined through the five-dimensional Bianchi identities $$\nabla_{[A}\ ^{(5)} R_{BC]DE}=0\,.
\label{bianchi5d}$$ Using equations (\[redchr\]) and (\[redriemann\]) along with (\[empart\]) one can decompose (\[bianchi5d\]) to obtain the following set of identities $$D_{[i} R_{jl]ms} = 0 \,, \label{bianchi4d}$$ $$D_{[m} B_{|j|lk]} + K^i_{[m} R_{kl]ij} = 0\,, \label{cyclicid}$$ $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{N}\left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) B_{jml} &
- & 2 \left(D_{[m} A_{l]j} + K^i _{[m}
B_{l]ji} - A_{j[l} a _{m]} \right)\,\nonumber\\
& - & K^i _j \,B_{iml} - \ ^{(5)}R_{ijml}\,a^i=0\,, \label{eB}\end{aligned}$$ $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{2N}\left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) R_{ijlm}
& + & D _{[l} B_{m]ji} + a_{[i} B_{j]lm} + a_{[l} B_{m]ij}
- 2 K _{[i|[l} D _{m]|} a_{j]}\,\nonumber\\
& + & R _{lms[i} K ^s _{j]} - 2 a _{[i} K_{j][l} a _{m]} = 0\,,
\label{eriemann}\end{aligned}$$ here and in what follows the vertical bars at both sides of an index, or indices indicate that the indices are omitted from (anti)-symmetrization.
Taking the trace of equation (\[eriemann\]) and comparing the result with equation (\[breq5\]) after acting on it by the operator $\,\partial_5- \pounds_{\vec{N}} \,$, we obtain the following evolution equation for the projected bulk curvature and energy-momentum tensors involved in the effecive field equations on the brane $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{N} \left( \partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right)&&\! \!
\! \! \left(W _{ij} + 3 \kappa_5^2\,U _{ij} + \frac{1}{2} \kappa
_5 ^2 \,P h _{ij} \right)
= \left( D ^m - 2 a ^m \right) M _{(ij)m} + 3 \left( K^m _{(i} \,W
_{j)m} + \kappa_5^2\,K ^m _{(i} \,U _{j)m} \right)\,\nonumber\\ &&-\left[
K W _{ij} + \left( K _{ij} K _{lm} - K _{im} K _{jl} \right) K
^{lm} - R _{limj} K ^{lm} - \frac{1}{6}\, \Lambda_5 \left( K _{ij} -
h _{ij} K
\right) \right]\,\nonumber\\
&& + \frac{2}{3}\, \kappa _5 ^2 \left[ 2\left( J _{(i} a _{j)} +
\frac{1}{2} h _{ij} J _m a ^m\right) - \left( D _{(i} J _{j)} +
\frac{1}{2} h _{ij}\, D_m J ^m\right) \right]
\nonumber\\
&&+ \frac{1}{4}\, \kappa _5 ^2 \left[\frac{2}{3}\,\ ^{(5)}T
\left(K _{ij} + \frac{1}{2} h _{ij} K \right) - P h _{ij} K
\right] \,\, \label{evolbulk}\end{aligned}$$ In obtaining this equation we have also used Bianchi identities given by equations (\[bianchi4d\]) and (\[cyclicid\]). Taking into account the expression (\[mtrl\]) in equation (\[eB\]) we we arrive at the evolution equation for the traceless “magnetic” part of the Weyl tensor
$$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{N} \left(\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) M _{jml}
&=& 2 \left( D _{[m} W_{l]j} + K ^i _{[m} M _{l]ji} + W _{j[m}
a_{l]}\right) + K ^i _j M _{iml} + a ^i \ ^{(5)} R _{ijml} \,
\nonumber\\ & - & \frac{2}{3}\, \kappa _5 ^2 \left[ \frac{1}{N}
h_{j[l} \left(
\partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) J_{m]} + 2 \left( K ^i
_{[l}\, h _{m][i} J _{j]} + K _{j[l} J _{m]} \right) + K ^i _j
\,h_{i[m} J _{l]}\right]\,\nonumber\\ &+& \frac{1}{2}\, \kappa _5 ^2
\,h_{j[l} D _{m]} \left(P - \frac{1}{3} \ ^{(5)} T \right) -
\frac{1}{2} \left[ \kappa _5 ^2 \left(P - \frac{1}{3} \ ^{(5)}
T \right)+ \frac{2}{3} \Lambda_5 \right] h _{j[l} a _{m]} \,
\label{evolM}\end{aligned}$$
The equations (\[wtrl1\]), (\[evolbulk\]) and (\[evolM\]) generalize the corresponding equations obtained in [@sms1] to the case of non-geodesic ADM type slicing of the bulk spacetime with nonvanishing matter fields. We note that here we deal with the tensor $\,W_{ij}\,$ which looks more simpler and it coincides with $\,E_{ij}\,$ when the bulk is empty. We see that the evolution equations are significantly modified due to the nonvanishing acceleration of spacelike normals to the brane surface, as well as the presence of the other fields in the bulk. Clearly, these equations are needed to be solved with appropriate boundary conditions on the brane. They are given by equation (\[divergence\]) and also by $$\left[M _{jml}\right] = -2\, \kappa _5 ^2 D _{[l} \left( \tau
_{m]j} - \frac{1}{3}\, h _{m]j}\, \tau \right) - \frac{2}{3}\,
\kappa _5 ^2\, D_i \left(h _{l[j} \tau ^i _{m]}\right)\,,
\label{jumpM}$$ which follows from the Israel junction conditions (\[jcisrael\]) along with taking into account equation (\[constr2\]). In the case of a vacuum in the bulk $\,^{(5)}T_{AB}\equiv 0 \,$ , the above equations are simplified to have the form $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{N}\left( \partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) W _{ij}
&=& \left(D ^m - 2 a ^m \right) M _{(ij)m} + 3 K ^m _{(i} W_{j)m}
- K W _{ij} + R _{limj} K ^{lm}\,\nonumber\\ &&+ \left(K _{im} K
_{jl} - K _{ij} K _{lm}\right)K ^{lm} + \frac{1}{6}\, \Lambda_5 \left(
K _{ij} - h _{ij} K \right)\,, \label{empty1}\end{aligned}$$ $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{N}\left( \partial_5 - \pounds_{\vec{N}} \right) M _{jml}
&=& 2 \left( D _{[m} W _{l]j} +K ^i _{[m} M _{l]ji} + W _{j[m} a
_{l]} \right) + K ^i _j M _{iml} \,\nonumber\\ &&+ a ^i \ ^{(5)} R
_{ijml} - \frac{1}{3}\, \Lambda_5\, h _{j[l} a _{m]}\,. \label{empty}\end{aligned}$$ When passing to the Gausssian normal coordinates these equations are in agreement with those obtained in [@sms1]. Thus, the equations governing the evolution of quantities $\,W_{ij}\,$ and $\,M_{jml}\,$ into the fifth dimension are the desired supplements to the effective field equations on the $3$-brane given in (\[constr1\]), (\[constr2\]) and (\[breq4\]) making the full system of equations closed.
Conclusion
==========
We have generalized the effective gravitational field equations on and off a $3$-brane with $\,Z_2\,$ symmetry to the case where there exists an arbitrary energy-momentum tensor in the bulk. We have adopted a general coordinate setting introducing the lapse scalar field and the shift vector field, in accordance with their corresponding counterparts in ADM type slicing of a spacetime in four-dimensional general relativity. The use of the ADM type coordinates provides complete freedom in the slicing of a five dimensional bulk spacetime by pushing the timelike hypersurfaces forward in the fifth dimension at arbitrary rates in different positions. We have shown that the form of the on-brane effective gravitational field equations obtained earlier by Shiromizu, Maeda and Sasaki in the framework of the Gaussian normal coordinates continues to be held in the ADM type coordinate setting, however, the evolution equations into the bulk are significantly changed due to both the acceleration of normals inherent in the ADM approach and the presence of other bulk fields. We have also shown that the gravitational effects of the fifth dimension on a $Z_2$-symmetric $3$-brane may be described by means of a traceless second-rank tensor, properly constructed from the “electric” part of the Riemann tensor from the bulk space.
It should be emphasized that the formalism used in this paper might be very useful in studying gravitational perturbations in braneworld gravity and cosmology. The use of a general lapse function and shift vector may provide one with a new gauge, thereby taking into account the “brane -bending” type effects consistently. In particular, it would be interesting to explore the effects of the universal aspects of linearized gravity in a $3$-braneworld, solving the on-brane and the off-brane equations for corresponding metric fluctuations.
Acknowledgments
===============
We would like to thank R. Maartens for discussions and valuable comments. One of us (A.N.) also thanks M. Sasaki for useful discussions at an early stage of this work.
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| |
Costa stresses "constructive will" to improve proposal in the specialty – The Economic Journal
The Prime Minister said today that the Government is going to the debate on the budget with a "constructive will" to improve its proposal and considered that the path taken was only possible because there is political stability.
António Costa was speaking to journalists, with Finance Minister Mario Centeno next to him, moments after the proposal for the State Budget for 2019 was approved in general by the Assembly of the Republic with votes in favor of PS, BE, PCP, PEV and PAN, and with rejection by the PSD and CDS-PP benches.
"We have good reason to start now for the budget debate in the specialty with the same constructive will we have always had to improve the proposal, so that it remains a budget that allows for more growth, better jobs and greater equality," said the Prime Minister.
According to the Prime Minister, the approval of the State Budget proposal for 2019 was, in general terms, "an important step for the continuation of work to improve the lives of the Portuguese people, their income", but also "for the continue to invest and generate employment. "
"It is important for us to continue to improve the quality of our public services and recover the much that the country has lost in public investment over the years of crisis. This budget will help build confidence and is only possible thanks to the political stability that we have been able to secure over the last three years – and we will certainly guarantee it by the end of the parliamentary term, "he said, referring to BE, PCP and ENP. | https://portugalsnews.com/costa-stresses-constructive-will-to-improve-proposal-in-the-specialty-the-economic-journal/ |
This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the crystalline process of Co-Cu nanoparticles of high and low Co concentrations (5 and 25%) during the annealing process. The modified many-body tight-binding potential involving magnetic contribution is adopted to accurately model the Cu-Cu, Co-Co, and Co-Cu pair interactions. The Co-Co bond length increases, while the Co-Cu bond length decreases as the temperature gradually drops from 2000 K to the upper melting point. During that process, the Cu-Cu bond length remains constant and the value of the first peak of the radial distribution function (RDF) increases, which indicates that Cu atoms increase their short-range order by mutual rearrangement. At temperatures lower than the upper melting point, the bond length of each pair decreases while the value of the first peak increases as the temperature is continuously reduced. Because the kinetic energy of an individual atom is not enough for rearrangement, the variations of bond length and the first RDF peak can be attributed to the shrinking effect. | https://scholar.nctu.edu.tw/en/publications/investigation-on-the-structural-variation-of-co-cu-nanoparticles- |
Summary:
Human memory, despite being among the most indispensable aspects of a person’s personality and perception, is a fragile thing. Up until recently, people had no understanding of the biological workings of memory. While South Korean researchers are slowly discovering how memory works, they have yet to understand how or why the mind creates false memories.
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This article deals with
counseling, treatment, trauma, mental health
People have been making stuff up for as long as anyone can imagine, perhaps even longer. The human mind is capable of incredible feats of creativity and artistic talent, though this is not usually applied to something as critical as a person’s memories. Yet, if you examine the witnesses, you’ll notice a few things that are amiss. Their sworn statements, their testimony while under cross-examination, and what they said years after the fact can all differ drastically, with details being altered, deleted, or added seemingly at random. Things can get even more confusing for people who have undergone counseling or treatment due to some form of psychological trauma, because there are usually even more alterations.
This is not because they’re making this up as they go, of course. At least, they may not be doing it consciously. The state of their mental health is not entirely fractured either, as even the sanest and most “normal” people can have memories that are altered drastically with each retelling of it. Certainly, people with certain mental health issues might have more “false” memories than others, but that doesn’t mean that their minds are the only ones capable of such things. The fact is, the human mind has a propensity to create false memories. That much has been known to medical science for decades now, though the reasons for this unusual trait have yet to be fully explored and, if possible, understood.
Human beings tend to have a lot of faith in memories that they can recall in detail, whether the one doing the recollecting is the type to note detail or not. This is a logical mechanism, after all. The more you remember about a certain event, the more likely it is that you were actually there and you didn’t dream the whole thing up. However, if fiction writers are any indication, the mind is capable of creating things with as much vivid detail as anything that can be conjured up from memory. There are also times when the foggiest, least detailed memories are the ones that actually occurred, despite the lack of details that a person can draw on as support. The mechanics of this unusual aspect of memory and the mind have recently been put under intensive study by South Korean researchers, under the leadership of Hongkeun Kim of Daegu University.
The study discovered that there were two sections of the brain devoted to memory, with one storing the specific details while another stored the basic gist. Using common memory tricks, the team managed to discover that most people called on the area that stored the gist more often than the area that stored the specifics. Additionally, the more confident the person was in his memories, the more likely that the “detail” area would light up on a scan of the brain while the memory was being recalled.
While this does explain how the brain works with regards to memory, it does not explain the phenomenon of false memories. The researchers assume that it somehow relates to the interaction between the two, along with areas that are more closely linked to the subconscious than memory. At the moment, though, this is still conjecture and further study is needed. The researchers believe that, once understood, the knowledge can help people with memory-impairing problems, such as Alzheimer’s. It may also improve our understanding of how certain disorders cause someone to lose recollection, but retain familiarity. | http://www.marlandlasers.com/the-games-memories-play/ |
The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), which runs the website Opensecrets.org and is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy seeks a talented front end designer looking for a Front-End Designer who is motivated to combine the art of design with the art of programming. This person will translate UI/UX design requirements into html/css along with working with many of our other software products. This person will work with our Ruby and Python developers and bridge the gap between graphical design and technical implementation, taking an active role on both sides and defining how the application looks as well as how it works.
Responsibilities
- Develop new user-facing features
- Build reusable code and libraries for future use
- Ensure the technical feasibility of UI/UX designs
- Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders
- Ensure graphics and interfaces adhere to usability best practices
Skills And Qualifications
- Proficient understanding of web markup, including HTML5, CSS3
- Advanced knowledge of image authoring tools such as Illustrator and Photoshop and familiarity with Figma
- Basic understanding of server-side CSS pre-processing platforms, such as LESS and SASS
- Good understanding of design principles and usability
- Proficient understanding of cross-browser compatibility issues and ways to work around them.
- Proficient understanding of code versioning tools, such as Git
- Good understanding of asynchronous request handling, partial page updates, and AJAX
Please support us by letting OpenSecrets know that you found this position on remoteworkers.net. | https://remoteworkers.net/remote-jobs/graphic-design/front-end-designer-at-opensecrets |
I Participated in a CRTC Proceeding and Now I'm in Court. What do I do.
I participated in a CRTC proceeding and now I'm in Court. What do I do?
As Internet access becomes ever more critical to our daily lives, decisions made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – our telecommunications regulator – can have increasingly wide ranging impact on our lives.
It is not surprising that public participation in CRTC proceedings is common, and it is important for the CRTC to hear how the issues it must decide might impact the general public.
The CRTC’s procedure is generally structured to make public participation in ongoing proceedings relatively easy, and it can be as simple as filling out a form on the CRTC’s website indicating one’s views or concerns relating to a particular proceeding. But CRTC decisions are subject to review by the courts and in the past this has been a cause of concern for individual participants in CRTC proceedings who find themselves potentially embroiled in more formal and complex judicial processes on appeal.
If you are an individual who provided input into a CRTC telecommunications proceeding and suddenly find yourself in court–don’t worry. Generally speaking, you can ignore the court process and there will be no direct consequences to you, as we explain in more detail below. (Note that if you initiated a complaint or proceeding at the CRTC,or if you have a direct personal interest in the outcome of the proceeding, the implications in terms of legal costs might be different for you).
I received court documents in my email inbox. Am I being Sued?
No, you are not. CRTC decisions are often appealed to the Courts, most frequently by industry participants such as Bell, Rogers and TELUS. This appeal process is typically initiated with a legal document called a Notice of Appeal that must be filed with the Court (usually this will be the Federal Court of Appeal and, sometimes, the Supreme Court of Canada).
When this happens, rules of court require the person initiating the appeal to include everyone who participated in the CRTC proceeding as a party to the appeal. This is typically achieved by serving the Notice of Appeal and other relevant court documents on anyone who participated in the CRTC proceeding being appealed. In the past, this has been a cause of concern for individuals who receive these formal legal documents in their inboxes.
The rationale behind the obligation to include and serve legal documents on all participants is to ensure that anyone who participated in a proceeding is aware that the CRTC’s decision is being appealed and has an opportunity to participate in that appeal.
You have no obligation to participate in the appeal, these documents are sent to you for your own benefit so that you are aware you have the option of participating.
I have no interest in participating in this Appeal. What do I do?
You do nothing.
The rules of court require that you be provided with some of the core documents that establish the appeal and set out its parameters. If you want to actively participate in the appeal, you must fill out a document called a Notice of Appearance and file it with the Court. If you do not file this document with the Court, it’s an indication that you have no intention in actively participating in the appeal and, in due time, you should stop receiving court documents from those parties who do continue to actively participate.
I’m worried I may need to pay someone’s legal costs.
You should not worry.
In our legal system, the general principle is that if someone succeeds in a legal proceeding, the losing party must pay part of their legal costs. It is not uncommon, then, for court documents to include broadly framed claims for recovering their legal costs and you may see a claim like this in the legal documents you receive here. And it is true that if someone chooses to actively oppose an appeal of a CRTC decision, for example, the court may order them to pay part of a winning appellant’s legal costs.
If you do not actively participate in the appeal, generally speaking, you won’t be included in any award of legal costs eventually issued by the Court.
Historically, successful parties have not tried to recover their legal costs from individuals who did not actively participate in an appeal. This is for both practical and legal reasons. Practically, it’s not very efficient or feasible to divide one’s legal costs among the hundreds (and often even thousands) of individuals who participated in a CRTC proceeding. Legally, courts have recognized the importance of ensuring that legal cost recovery rules encourage public participation at the CRTC and allowing legal costs against individuals who have done nothing more than participate in a CRTC proceeding would greatly undermine that principle. This is particularly so if you did not actively participate in the appeal itself.
If, despite this, a winning party in a CRTC court appeal attempts to recover its legal costs from you after the appeal is over, you should seek legal advice. Contact us as well and we can try to help. But, despite numerous appeals of CRTC decisions over the years, this has not happened in the past.
I did nothing. Why do I keep getting all of these documents in my email?
Even if you followed Step 2, above, and did not file a Notice of Appearance, you may still continue to get a lot of court documents and other emails in your inbox.
This could be for a number of reasons. First, the Court process continues to require service of some documents to you even if you’re not actively participating in a proceeding.
Second, sometimes those who are actively participating in an appeal will continue to send documents to everyone who was included in the initial email. This can be out of an over abundance of caution or out of lack of familiarity with the court process.
Often, if this continues for some time, the Court may itself issue an instruction to parties to clarify that they no longer need to send all documents to every single person in the initial email list. Courts who are more familiar with CRTC appeals can proactively emphasize and clarify this when approving the service process for the appeal by indicating certain types of participants will not need to receive any documents after a certain stage in the proceeding.
It can be frustrating to receive all these documents in your inbox, particularly if you’re using a personal email account. The best thing to do though is to be patient. Keep in mind that there will often be hundreds or even thousands of individuals who are also receiving these emails. If every one of them begins replying to the email thread whenever a document is sent, it will only serve to clog up everyone’s inboxes even more. The court itself is prevented by its rules from responding to such emails directly.
I want to participate in a CRTC proceeding, but don’t want to get caught up in future legal proceedings. Can I do anything?
Unfortunately, the CRTC does not currently have an easy and consistent process for individuals to voice their concerns to the Commission without fully joining the proceeding. It is not within the CRTC’s power to prevent you from being notified if any resulting decisions are later appealed.
In some proceedings, there will be other opportunities for individuals to voice their views without fully joining. Often, public interest organizations will collect comments on behalf of individuals and submit these to the CRTC. OpenMedia frequently provides opportunities for this type of input (for an example, see this blog post). Sometimes the CRTC itself will issue an online survey seeking input from the public on issues arising from the proceeding and anyone can answer these.
These forms of participation are far more limited – you won’t be able to participate in any CRTC hearing that might be held, or to send additional comments later on in the proceeding if you have additional thoughts. But they do allow you to voice your concerns in a way that insulates you from later appeals.
If you do choose to participate directly in a CRTC proceeding, it is a good idea to set up and use a separate email address so that you can keep your personal email address both private and clear of legal documents and other proceeding related emails.
What if I do want to actively participate in an appeal?
If you do want to actively participate in an appeal of a CRTC decision, you have the right to do so. If you choose to do this, though, it’s a good idea to get a lawyer to help.
While efforts have been made to make the court’s process accessible to self-represented individuals, the rules of court can be complicated and difficult to navigate.
Also, as noted above, actively participating in an appeal can put you at greater risk of a claim for legal costs. As a public interest public participant in a CRTC proceeding, you should still be insulated to some degree from legal costs, particularly if you have no personal direct stake in the outcome of the proceeding. But active participation in an appeal can increase the chance that the court will order you to contribute to a winning party’s legal costs. This is another reason to get a lawyer to help you with your participation. | https://cippic.ca/en/FAQ/individual_CRTC_participants_dragged_in_to_court_appeals |
NEW DELHI // India decided yesterday to block the commercial cultivation of a genetically modified aubergine that would have been its first GM food crop following weeks of passionate protests from farmers and environmentalists. The decision to stop cultivation of Bt Brinjal - as the GM aubergine is known - was announced by India's minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh. "It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary, principle-based approach and impose a moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal, till such time independent scientific studies establish, to the satisfaction of both public and professionals, the safety of the product," Mr Ramesh said.
"A moratorium implies rejection of this particular case of release for time being. It does not, in any way, mean conditional acceptance. This should be clearly understood." The moratorium marks a huge victory for environmental groups that are campaigning against the introduction of GM food to India - one of the last big untapped markets for such transgenics companies as US-based Monsanto. Greenpeace, the environmental group, welcomed the decision and called for "stringent" measures to ensure that no GM crops were released, and that GM companies were held liable for accidental or illegal releases.
"The minister must now reassure the nation that the moratorium will not lead to a back-door entry of Bt Brinjal or the 41 other food crops which are in different stages of trial in the country," it said. But many scientists see it as a setback for India and other developing nations, where hunger is widespread and farmers are struggling to increase yields, as well as adapt to climate change. "We are depriving our farmers of a technology that would increase production," Bhagirath Choudhary of the International Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications said in an interview.
"This technology can empower farmers to be self-reliant. It can help to alleviate poverty and hunger." Aubergine has been grown for more than 4,000 years in India, where it is known as "the king of vegetables". It is the most consumed vegetable in the country after the potato and India is the world's second largest producer of aubergines after China. However, the crop is often blighted by a small insect known as the fruit and shoot borer - so called because the aubergine is technically a fruit - which spoils as much as 60 per cent of aubergines in India.
To try to prevent this, Bt Brinjal was developed by an Indian company, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co (Mahyco), in collaboration with Monsanto. Their scientists inserted a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the DNA or genetic code of the vegetable to produce pesticidal toxins in every cell. The borers are killed when they ingest small amounts of the vegetable because the Bt protein creates holes in their stomachs.
Mahyco says humans and animals are safe because the toxins break down during cooking or on contact with stomach acid. It says Bt Brinjal could more than double yields, and reduce pesticide use by up to 80 per cent, without increasing seed prices. "BT is specifically targeted at controlling this insect," M K Sharma, general manager of Mahyco, said. "One gene is not going to make a difference." India's genetic engineering approval committee, the regulatory body for GM crops, approved Bt Brinjal for cultivation in October after a series of tests. But the decision triggered widespread protests from farmers and environmental activists, and the government was forced to hold off on formally approving the crop.
To try to win public support, Mr Ramesh embarked on a series of nationwide public consultations. Government officials and many agricultural experts argued that India should adopt GM technology to help achieve food security and boost its failing agricultural sector. India's population of 1.1 billion is growing at an average annual rate of 1.5 per cent, yet agricultural growth has been stagnant for years. India has had to import edible oils, wheat and sugar to make up for shortfalls, and last year it had to ban exports of non-basmati rice, to protect national stocks after a poor harvest. India also has some of the highest levels of child malnutrition in the world.
Proponents of Bt Brinjal cited the success of Bt cotton, which was introduced in 2002 and has helped India overtake the United States as the world's second biggest producer. As Mr Ramesh's tour continued, the level of opposition to Bt Brinjal became apparent. His meetings descended into slanging matches or violent confrontations. In the last week alone, 14 out of India's 28 states said that whatever the government's decision, they would not allow genetically modified food crops to be grown in their states.
Some opponents argued that insufficient independent tests had been carried out and that the genetic engineering committee's decision was taken based solely on data provided by the company. Others objected to the prospect of companies such as Monsanto becoming the main suppliers of seed to Indian farmers. "If our food production falls into the hands of big multinationals then India is no longer independent," Pushpa Bhargava, a committee member who voted against its introduction, said in an interview. | https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/india-bans-gm-crop-after-green-protests-1.550155 |
There were no indicators of impairment during the years presented. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company’s goodwill is as follows:
Intangible Assets
Amortization expense is recorded within cost of goods sold and total expenses. The amount in cost of goods sold for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, was $12,047,224 and $1,691,787, respectively. The following table represents intangible assets:
The anticipated amortization expense over the next five years is as follows:
|X|
- References
+ Details
No definition available. | https://ir.ayrwellness.com/financial-results/sec-filings/xbrl_doc_only/111 |
Are Wall sits beneficial?
So are wall sits effective? The short answer is: Yes. You’ll work your hamstrings, and the abductor muscles in your inner thighs will also feel a burn—if you’re doing the exercise correctly. … That said, you’re not going to burn a boatload of calories with wall sits.1 мая 2017 г.
How long should you do wall sits?
Keep your head, shoulders and upper back against the wall and hold the position. Hold for between 20 seconds and a minute, rest for 30 seconds and do it again.
Do wall sits slim thighs?
6. Increase resistance training. Participating in total-body, muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week may help you burn calories, reduce fat mass , and strengthen your thighs. Include lower-body exercises such as lunges, wall sits, inner/outer thigh lifts, and step-ups with just your body weight.
Do wall sits help you lose weight?
Think of wall sits as the cousin to the squat. When performed correctly, this stationary exercise is a great way to activate your abdominal muscles to help lose belly fat.
Are wall sits a waste of time?
Wall Sits
Apart from select athletes (i.e. skiers) or a rehabilitation setting, wall sits are a waste of time and effort. A sub-maximal isometric exercise held for time, they provide little to no aesthetic, performance, or health related benefits.28 мая 2013 г.
Is it bad to squat everyday?
If you love squats, you can still do them pretty often, though perhaps not every day; rest days are important as well, giving your muscles time to recover, rebuild, and get bigger and stronger. But if squats are something you want to keep in your routine, Jackie said adding weight is essential.
What do wall sits do for the body?
Benefits. Wall sitting primarily builds isometric strength and endurance in glutes, calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductor muscles. This also is good for people who do sports.
How long should I hold a plank?
if you can’t hold a plank for 120 seconds, you’re either a) too fat; b) too weak; or c) doing something wrong in your workouts. Simply put: a fit, healthy guy should be able to do a two-minute plank, and not for a second longer. “Enough is enough,” he says. “It’s just a plank.
Do squats make your butt bigger?
“What daily or weekly squats will do is strengthen those big muscles in your lower body—primarily the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and hips.” … And it’s important to train the other muscles if you ultimately want a rounder, bigger booty.
How many calories does 30 squats burn?
Just 30 jump squats–with 30-second rests between sets of ten–can burn 100 calories in almost no time at all. | https://www.tresestilosdesign.com/tips/do-wall-sits-build-muscle.html |
Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al₂SiO₄(F, OH)₂.
Topaz is found colours such as colourless, blue, brown, orange, grey, yellow, green, pink and reddish-pink. Orangy-Pink and bright yellow to deep golden brown hue topaz are known as Imperial Topaz. Naturally occurring blue topaz is quite rare. Typically, colourless, grey or pale yellow and bright blue stones are heat-treated and irradiated to get a good blue colour.
Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces. It occurs in pegmatites and high-temperature quartz veins, also in cavities in granites and rhyolites.
Topaz can be found in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, USA, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Hungary, Ireland, Indonesia, India, Japan, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mexico, Malaysia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Africa, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda, USA, Uk, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
¶ Chemical Formula: Al2(SiO4)(F,OH)2
¶ Lustre: Vitreous
¶ Mohs Hardness: 8
¶ Specific Gravity: 3.4 – 3.6
¶ Crystal System: Orthorhombic
¶ Tenacity: Brittle
¶ Cleavage: Perfect (001)
¶ Fracture: Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
¶ Optical Properties: Biaxial (+)
¶ Max Birefringence: δ = 0.010
¶ Pleochroism: Weak
X= yellow
Y= yellow, violet, reddish
Z= violet, bluish, yellow, pink
¶ Refractive Index: nα = 1.606 – 1.629
nβ = 1.609 – 1.631
nγ = 1.616 – 1.638
Topaz is frequently used in jewellery whole around the world. also, Blue topaz is one of the popular and most using stones in jewellery because of it’s attractive blue colour.https://danugroup.lk/?product_category=&s=++topaz&post_type=product
Topaz is the birthstone of the month of November. Also, Topaz is known as one of the best cooling stone and believed as help to keep calm your mind.
Gemstones Energies
We must remember that the most powerful of all is our mind power. The use of gemstones in the chemical, wave and vibration energy of the gemstones can only be of some help to the well being of man. It is like a fence on the stairs. The stair fence is not essential for climbing stairs. But having a stair fence will make it easier to climb the stairs. That is also the case with using a gemstone. Almost every gem has its own vibrational and waves energy. also, the chemical properties of the gemstones are very special. Gemstones are used to cure diseases and to stimulate and balance the energy fields of the human body by the chemical composition and other energies of the gemstones.
Healing Properties of Topaz
Topaz is excellent for cleansing the aura, and for relaxing and releasing tension at any level. It is highly empathic to the system and directs its energy to where it is needed most, aligning the meridians of the body.
Topaz is one of the best cooling gemstones among gemstone varieties and that will use in meditation. It’s vibrational energies connect with the circulation of the body and that will help to reduce stress and good for heart health.
In crystal healing Topaz is best known for its manifesting properties, it is a crystal of joy, generosity, abundance and good health. | https://danugroup.lk/topaz/ |
Revision of the Output Filter of a High-End Audio-Digital-Analogue Converter
In the digital age, it has become standard to play your music from a compact disc (CD) or from your computer. With both devices, you can enjoy the music directly via analogue outputs. If you want to output the music signal digitally and then process it with a high-quality digital-to-analogue converter (DAC), you need a digital S/PDIF output (Sony Philips Digital Interface) on the CD player or a USB port on the computer. Some computer mainboards even have an S/PDIF output. The digital audio signal of a CD has a typical resolution of 16 bits with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. Computers, on the other hand, output the signal at 48 kHz.
A lot of work is done on digital audio circuits in the Digital Technology Laboratory at the TH Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences. In the past, a high-end audio DAC was developed as part of a bachelor’s thesis. In the analogue output circuit, ceramic capacitors in the SMD design 0805 were used in the low-pass filter. Figure 1 shows the measured spectrum for the realised audio DAC with a test signal with a frequency of 1 kHz. The measurement was carried out with an Audio Precision APX 515 audio analyser. You can clearly see harmonics at odd multiples (3 kHz, 5 kHz, 7 kHz etc.) of the test signal.
In another study, the low-pass filter was to be revised and the ceramic capacitors were to be replaced by film/foil capacitors of the type FKP 2 from the company Wima. These should have better audio properties than ceramic capacitors. The aim is to improve the audio quality. Figure 2 shows the revised layout, which was realised with Autodesk EAGLE. On the right side (top and bottom) the analogue output stages with low-pass filters for the right and left channel can be seen. Only the above-mentioned FKP 2 capacitors are used.
The circuit board manufactured by Eurocircuits can be seen in picture 3. Furthermore, this has been racked with solder paste and already assembled with all SMD components. The next step is to solder the assembly in the reflow oven.
The fully assembled circuit board can be seen in Fig. 4. You can see the many red components, which are the Wima FKP 2 capacitors.
The subsequent comparison measurement shows that the harmonics at odd multiples (3 kHz, 5 kHz, 7 kHz etc.) of the test signal have almost completely disappeared. Other harmonics are clearly lower (see picture 5).
Conclusion
The revised output circuit with film/foil ceramic capacitors of the type FKP 2 from Wima causes significantly fewer harmonics in the frequency range up to 20 kHz than with ceramic capacitors. All other harmonics are almost lost in the noise carpet. Thus, the aim should be not to use ceramic capacitors in analogue audio output circuits.
For more information, please visit our website.
Text by:
Student Daniel Ullrich
Under the supervision of: | https://www.eurocircuits.com/blog/a-partnership-between-th-aschaffenburg-and-eurocircuits/ |
No parent wants to hear the words "your child needs to see a specialist," then hear that the next available appointment is two months away.
This is a problem facing parents and kids nationally - a shortage in pediatric subspecialists. According to the Children's Hospital Association (CHA), the most severe pediatric shortages are in neurology, developmental/behavioral medicine, gastroenterology, surgery and neurosurgery.
The president's top advisor in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS said Friday that the nation has a "moral imperative" to provide the keys for prevention and care to those who are locked out.
Douglas M. Brooks, the director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and the lead speaker at the Third Minority HIV and Health Disparities Conference, told his audience at the Jackson Convention Complex that the science behind HIV/AIDS treatment is clear on what works.
"Now we must figure out how to get people access to it … to high-quality, life-extending care free from stigma and discrimination."
Brooks was one of several authorities who addressed the conference sponsored by the Medical Center, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center, which includes the UMMC AIDS Education and Training Center. | https://www.umc.edu/news/ECV/2015/September/ECV-for-Monday--September-28-2015.html |
If we take a logistic function as in logistic regression, and feed the outputs of many logistic regressions into another logistic regression, and do this for several levels, we end up with a neural network architecture. This works nicely to increase the number of parameters as well as the number of features from the basic set you have, since a neural network's hidden layers act as new features.
Each non-input neuron in a layer gets its inputs from every neuron from the previous layer, including a fixed bias neuron which acts as the x0 = 1 term we always have.
Rather than θ, we now call the parameters weights, and the outputs are now called activations. The equation for the output (activation) of neuron p in layer l is:
Breaking it down:
- w(l-1)pq is the weight from neuron p in layer l-1 to neuron q in layer l.
- a(l-1)pq is the activation of neuron p in layer l-1, and of course when p=0, the activation is by definition 1.
- z(l)q is the usual sum, specifically for neuron q in layer l.
- g is some function, which we can take to be the logistic function.
So we see that the output of any given neuron is a logistic function of its inputs.
We will define the cost function for the entire output, for a single data point, to be as follows:
Note that we are using the linear regression cost, because we will want the output to be an actual output rather than a classification. The cost can be defined using the logistic cost function if the output is a classification.
Now, the algorithm proceeds as follows:
- Compute all the activations for a single data point.
-
For each output neuron q, compute:
-
For each non-output neuron p, working backwards in layers from layer L-1 to layer 1, compute:
-
Compute the weight updates as follows:
The last step can, in fact, be delayed. Simply present multiple data points, or even the entire training set, adding up the changes to the weights, and then only update the weights afterwards.
Because it is extraordinarily easy to get the implementation wrong, I highly suggest the use of a neural network library such as the impressively expansive Encog as opposed to implementing it yourself. Also, many neural network libraries include training algorithms other than backpropagation.
The Concrete Example
I used Encog to train a neural network on the concrete data from the earlier post. I first took the log of the output, since that seemed to represent the data better and led to less network error. Then I normalized the data, except I used the range 0-1 for both the days input and the strength output, since that seemed to make sense, and also led to less network error.
Here's the Java code I used. Compile it with the Encog core library in the classpath. The only argument to it is the path to the Concrete_Data.csv file.
The network I chose, after some experimentation checking for under- and overfitting, was an 8:20:10:1 network. I used this network to train against different sizes of training sets to see the learning curves. Each set of data was presented to the network for 10,000 iterations of an algorithm called Resilient Backpropagation, which has various advantages over backpropagation, namely that the learning rate generally doesn't have to be set.
As before, the blue line is the training cost, the mean squared error against the training set, and the red line is the cross-validation cost, the mean squared error against the cross-validation set. This is generally what I would expect for an algorithm that is neither underfitting nor overfitting. Overfitting would show a large gap between training and cross-validation, while underfitting would show high errors for both.
If we saw underfitting, then we would have to increase the parameter space, which would mean increase the number of neurons in the hidden layers. If we saw overfitting, then decreasing the parameters space would be appropriate, so decreasing the number of neurons in the hidden layers would help.
Since the range of the output is 0-1, over the entire training set we get an MSE (training) of 0.0003, which means the average error per data point is 0.017. This doesn't quite tell the whole story, because if an output is supposed to be, say, 0.01, and error of 0.017 means the output wasn't very well-fit. Instead, let's just look at the entire data set, ordered by value, after denormalization:
The majority of errors fall under 10%, which is probably good enough. If I were concerned with the data points whose error was above 10%, I might be tempted treat those data points as "difficult", try to train a classifier to train data points as "difficult" or "not difficult", and then train different regression networks on each class.
The problem with that is that I could end up overfitting my data again, this time manually. If I manually divide my points into "difficult" and "not difficult" points, then what is the difference between that and having more than two classes? How about as many classes as there are data points?
What would be nice is if I could have an automatic way to determine if there is more than one cluster in my data set. One clustering algorithm will be the subject of the next post. | http://www.halfbakedmaker.org/blog/2411 |
Working with architects Purcell, our Manchester team are proud to be acting as civil and structural engineers on the Reimagining Wordsworth project. Due for completion in 2020, it is perfectly timed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the esteemed poet’s birth! The £6.2 million project was commissioned by the Wordsworth Trust and approved by the Lake District National Park Authority. The National Lottery Heritage fund has also provided generous financial support to the project.
The project intends to ‘conserve, adapt and extend’ several properties connected to the poet in Grasmere. The plans have included extension of the original Museum, a revamp of Dove Cottage (Wordsworth’s former home), a new Café in the building housing the previous shop and the development of a Learning Space in the building which housed the existing tea rooms. The development of outdoor areas has also ensured that Wordsworth’s beloved nature is celebrated, including a sensory garden and Woodland, where the spectacle of changing seasons can be enjoyed throughout the year.
The project is nearing the end of the construction stage and although the buildings are now closed to the public, Dove Cottage was open during the planning stages which meant the team had to deal with the constraints of working on a busy, public site with many tourists. Additionally, the site slopes steeply towards the A591 with a difference of 10m in elevation between the highest part of the site and the main road. This has meant that extensive retaining walls were required across the site to cope with level differences.
The main structural work on the project has been at the existing Museum. To add gallery space and improve circulation around the building, a new semi-external staircase and Viewing Station has been cut into the hillside with a reinforced concrete retaining wall, to allow visitors to see the views across Grasmere. The Museum also includes an above ground extension providing more gallery space, which is formed of traditional masonry construction with a timber truss roof that mirrors and complements the existing timber trusses.
Preservation of heritage is firmly at the heart of this fantastic project and cleverly combined with innovation to ensure Wordsworth’s legacy is continued for future generations. Rachael McClenan Fitton, Senior Structural Engineer, on the project explained that a challenge of the historic nature of the buildings meant there was a lack of drawings available. This necessitated extra focus to counteract the limited availability of survey information. She said, “Throughout the construction phase, we have worked with the design team and the contractor, Parkinsons, to adapt construction details to suit the existing building fabric as more information about the existing buildings was revealed.”
Wordsworth intended his poetry to make people “wiser, happier and better” and the Reimagining Wordsworth project will certainly enable visitors to experience his world in an environment which blends history with contemporary enhancements. | https://civicengineers.com/reimagining-wordsworth-2/ |
A tag is a keyword or label that categorizes your question with other, similar questions. Using the right tags makes it easier for others to find and answer your question.
the method of deducing information by working backwards from a given position or outcome. This information can be about past positions of the same game, or may contain forward c…
Questions relating to the chess pieces in a general, abstract sense; questions about physical pieces (e.g. identification questions) should be tagged [chess-set] instead.
the opening given by the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4. White offers a pawn in order to gain more central control.
a semi-closed opening starting with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d6. Black develops with Bg7 and O-O and then either e5 or c5 depending on white's setup. The KID…
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A move that doesn't respect the rules of chess.
Questions related to the Norwegian Grandmaster and current (as of 2021Jan20) World Champion Magnus Carlsen.
Robert J. Fischer (1943-2008) was an American grandmaster and world chess champion. At the height of his skills (1972) he was peerless. He was known for his meticulous preparation, deep understanding…
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Correspondence chess was traditionally played using postal mail, nowadays it's more common to use dedicated servers. Time limits are usually measured in days.
Endgames where each side has a king, a rook, and possibly some pawns
For questions about the Alpha Zero chess engine, currently the strongest chess engine there is, using artificial intelligence rather than minimax algorithms.
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a rule allowing a pawn to make a special-case capture.
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For questions about the threefold repetition rule, which states a player can claim a draw if it's his/her move and a position has appeared / is about to appear which happened before at least twice.
Questions about teaching chess, chess strategies etc.
In blindfold chess, players play without sight of the board. They state their moves verbally while a referee makes them on a board, checking for correctness etc.
Garry Kasparov was the World Chess Champion from 1985 to 2000. He is often cited as one of the strongest players in the history of the game, if not the strongest.
Best practice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice) is the best way of doing something or the recommended way of doing something in a high-quality manner. | https://chess.stackexchange.com/tags?page=3&tab=popular |
The Asia House Film Festival, generously supported by Prudential plc, returned for its eighth year in 2016 with a diverse programme of 19 films that included several European premieres and UK premieres. All of the films were shown in London for the first time.
The 2016 Festival, which took place from 22 February to 5 March, included 11 feature films, three documentaries and five short films coming out of countries including Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Myanmar and Afghanistan.
The Festival began on 22 February with the opening night gala at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho. This was followed by a move to the historic Regent Street Cinema where screenings took place from 25 to 28 February.
Selected events occurred during the same week at Asia House. The 2016 Festival came to a close on the first weekend of March at The Cinema Museum in Kennington with a special one-day retrospective entitled ‘Singaporeana’. This featured British and American films shot in Singapore during the 1960s and 1970s.
“There were some enthralling, insightful and hugely entertaining titles emerging from places you’d least expect, and which we rarely get a chance to see onscreen,” said the Festival’s Artistic Director Jasper Sharp.
The theme for the 2016 Festival was ‘Breaking Boundaries’, with the programme selection exploring transnationalism and globalisation.
“Many of the films selected reflect ideas of how cultures, identities and experiences are increasingly transcending geographical boundaries and, though the Asian continent encompasses such a vast and varied range of peoples and nations, there are commonalities between these that will resonate with everyone,” Sharp explained.
The films selected represent a globalised world in which culture, politics and economies are transcending national boundaries. There were a number of international co-productions featured too, reflecting how the film industry has also globalised.
The Regent Street Cinema became the birthplace of cinema in the UK in 1896, when the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe machine was demonstrated to the press there. The cinema closed to the public in 1980 and became a lecture theatre. Following a fundraising campaign the 119-year-old cinema re-opened its doors in May 2015, reinstating one of the most historic cinemas in Britain to its former grandeur.
The full 2016 Film Festival programme can be seen here.
Asia House had an ongoing programme of film screenings throughout 2015 including its Fortnight of Film in August when two critically acclaimed documentaries set in Asia were screened at Asia House. Kicking off the fortnight on Thursday 13 August was Mahout – The Great Elephant Walk (88mins), winner of the Best Film Award at the 2014 London Independent Film Festival. We also screened The Silk Road of Pop (53 mins) on 18 August, a portrait of the explosive pop music scene among the Uyghur community in China’s Xinjiang Province.
A number of pre 2016 Asia House Film Festival screenings also took place, including a screening of Taiwanese documentary Dive With You (2015) in December 2015 and American director Alex Azmi’s film To Climb a Gold Mountain (2015).
For press enquiries, please contact Lucy Tomlinson on [email protected] or 0207 307 5451.
The Asia House Film Festival is a major cultural showcase for Asian cinema that receives wide support from industry bodies and cultural organisations in Britain and across Asia.
The only Festival of its kind in the UK, the annual Asia House Film Festival offers UK audiences the chance to experience all the beauty, variety and dynamism of Asian cinema. The festival screens dynamic and challenging cinema from all over the region – from Iran to Japan – in London cinemas and at selected regional vities throughout the countrFestival
Previous editions of the festival have premiered leading films including In the Absence of the Sun (Indonesia, 2014); The Last Reel (Cambodia, 2014), Passion (Mongolia, 2010), Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2013), the Japanese remake of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (2013), Vietnam-born, Academy Award nominee Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood (2010), Indian director Mira Nair’s The Namesake (2006) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012). The Festival has also previewed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Wong Kar-Wai’s film, 2046 (2004).
The 2015 Asia House Film Festival took place from 27 March to 31 March 2015. Two post-Festival screenings took place on Friday, 10 April and Sunday, 19 April 2015 with a special focus and retrospective on Mongolia on the Sunday. The 2015 theme was New Generations reflecting on new talents, new styles, new landscapes and new modes of film production from and about the Asia Pacific region, with films from Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesian, India, Japan and Uzbekistan. Festival venues were the Ham Yard Theatre in Soho for the Opening Gala Night screening, Rich Mix in Shoreditch, The Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury and The Cinema Museum in Kennington. The 2015 Festival featured three European premieres, eight UK premieres and three London premieres. Directors that attended included Lucky Kuswandi (In the Absence of the Sun); Byamba Sakhya (Passion) and Kulikar Sotho (The Last Reel.)
The 2014 Asia House Film Festival took place from 26 February to 9 March 2014. Screenings took place at cinemas across London and there were also satellite screenings in Glasgow and Leeds. Directors that attended included Ravi Kumar (Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain), Lee Sang-il (Unforgiven), Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (36 and Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy), Shan Khan (Honour) and Tetsuichiro Tsuta (The Tale of Iya.) The Tale of Iya won the 2014 Asia House Film Festival Best Film Award.
Insightful Q&A sessions with directors, actors and producers have reinforced the Festival’s reputation for building audience’s understanding of Asian cinema. Other prrevious guests of the festival have included Gurinder Chadha, Chen Kaige, Mira Nair, Rinko Kikuchi, Zhang Yi Mou and Ken Loach.
Our programming focuses on showing UK premieres from established Asian directors as well as introducing fresh film-making talent from the whole of Asia to audiences for the first time.
Festival supported by
Read the full programme of our 2014 Festival.
The 2015 festival took place from 27 March to 31 March 2015. | https://asiahousearts.org/arts-learning/film/ |
If you haven’t heard by now, the way you get better at doing harder things is to do harder things. If you are constantly playing it safe, building volume, and avoiding discomfort, well guess what – you’d better get used to doing the same routes over and over again. For those who want to advance, there are some obvious questions that come up and sometimes the answer isn’t so obvious.
In training (and by training I mean working on the hangboard, weights, campus board, etc.) it is generally easier to quantify, and thus progress, training values. When we are out at the crag or bouldering in the gym, there are so many factors to address that it can be a struggle to tell if you are getting better at all.
Some things are obvious: if you can do one pull-up, a good goal might be to aim for two. If you can hang the 25mm edge on the Grindstone, 20mm is an excellent new target. If you can bench 135, well, you need to get your butt in the gym more often, and aiming to add load is a good starting point.
At some point, things just stop. This is a best-case scenario…often they go south for no known reason. There is no reason to despair. If you are punching the clock and training regularly, you should be able to get better and stronger and maybe even prettier for a long time to come. What factors to increase, and when, and by how much, will determine your training outcomes. Don’t forget: if you’re happy where you are, no need to try harder.
Progressing Load (Weight)
Asking your muscles to do more work is the fundamental principle behind getting stronger. I’m sure you love Conan the Barbarian as much as I do, so I’ll remind you of the “Wheel of Pain” scene. After his people’s village is destroyed and he’s captured, young Conan is chained to the gigantic Wheel and forced to push it around in circles along with a dozen or so other children. Over time, the weak presumably die or get transferred to another department. After several years, and we should assume a few days where he switched to the other side of the spoke and pulled to even out the development of his back, Conan is the only one pushing the wheel. This is how progressing weight in training works: keep the sets and reps the same, but increase the weight you have to move.
So let’s say you are doing 5 sets of 2 reps in the deadlift. You start out as a new lifter at, say, 225 pounds. For the first few weeks you can add 5 pounds to the bar each workout, and pull the same load all the way across 5 sets. (i.e. 225-225-225-225-225, 230-230-230-230-230, 235-235-235-235-235, etc.) After several cycles of training, the work starts to add up and your gains level off. One workout, you get 345-345-345-345 and then only one rep on the last set. Hmm…
Your next workout’s goal would be to get 345 across all sets. Because you hit this stopping point, you know that progress won’t be easy anymore. At this point, you are going to do two things:
- Stick to ten reps (5×2 was the original structure) even if you have to do a couple of singles.
- Progress the load one set per workout.
So, your next session might be 345-345-350-345-345. You did a couple of sets to get “lit” before trying a new max (350), and then finish up with a conservative last two sets at 345. Subsequent workouts would find you going 345-345-350-350-345, then 345-350-350-350-345, then 345-350-350-350-350, and then finally 350 across all five. Then, you start into 355s with the same progression.
To point 1 above, it’s OK to not get all the reps in the planned sets. If you’re not injured, though, you should always have the discipline to get all the reps, no matter how many sets it takes. Often, when we are pushing strength, we might end up with a few reduced sets…not something to worry about. Do the work and it will all come together. This holds true in almost all strength training, whether you are attempting 2 reps per set or six. If you are aiming for higher reps, add some damn weight to the bar and force yourself back to a respectable rep range.
Progressing Volume
Sometimes, even the strongest of us stop advancing the load we can push. For almost all athletes almost all of the time, we want to generate more force or do it more quickly. One thing that is inevitable in any program is that progress stalls out in that ability…and such a plateau can last for months or years. Luckily, our bodies also respond well to increased volume at slightly submaximal loads. Yes, we all understand that doing more work per session or per week or per _____ time period can increase our work capacity, but it can also increase maximal strength.
This concept is especially useful in situations where the ability to create force with the muscles outpaces the strength increase of the connective tissue. This isn’t uncommon in finger strength building. As the grip strength increases, the fingers themselves don’t keep pace and we end up with a tendon strain or pulley injury.
The wonderful thing about strength training that most of us forget is that loads even as low as 60% of our maximum can really increase strength if training is regular and of high enough volume. What does this mean in the real world? It means that even a bodyweight-only hangboard program or doing exercises where you can do more than the standard 3-5 reps can still really work…and your injury risk is a lot lower.
Our favorite way to add strength through volume is to use ladders in our programs. A ladder is simply a repeated cycling of reps (or static hold times) done at the same load across all sets. For example, instead of doing 3 sets of 3 reps at a load near 85% of your maximum, you might do a set of 1, then a set of 2, then a set of 3 at maybe 70-75%. Next session, instead of adding load, you’d aim to go 1-2-3-1 (adding just one rep), or even 1-2-3-1-2 (adding three more reps), to advance the session.
We’ve had great success with a loading scheme of 2-4-6 ladders at 75% of max for building big strength gains in our athletes. This is a very safe rep range for older athletes and for people who are coming back from injury. In one six week period, we had a woman who was stuck at a 200 pound bench press max jump to 222.5 while training at only 155 pounds.
This is also the basis for the hangboard ladder program that is “too easy and boring” to possibly work. Think of ladders as your savings account – easy slow progress, and if you stick with them, great long-term rewards.
You can be less formal with volume progression, too. A great way to improve your pull-up is to simply do more of them. This is the basis for “grease the groove” programs, but the general idea is to start with around 6-8 total reps of a hard exercise (one where you can do no more than 4 reps per set) and add just one rep per session across a 4-6 week series.
Let’s say you can do just three good pull-ups. Training them twice per week, your volume program might look like this:
W1S1 (week one, session one): 3-3-2
W1S2: 3-3-2-1
W2S1: 3-3-3-1
W2S2: 3-3-3-2
W3S1: 3-3-3-2-1
W3S2: 3-3-3-3-1
W4S1: 4-4-3-3
W4S2: 4-4-4-3
Once you have progressed volume like this to about double your starting volume, you can cycle back and try to increase load again to continue progress.
Progressing Density
Despite what Charlie Manganiello might tell you, there is more to life than just getting wickedly strong. Occasionally, we need to develop strength endurance (the ability to exert high loads for greater durations) or capacity (the ability to do work over several intervals or even days). One of the best ways to do this on a limited schedule is to increase the density of your sessions. Density is simply a way of looking at how much work you can do in a given timeframe.
The general protocol is this: pick 1-3 exercises that you could do for about 10 repetitions, then do them for 5 reps each in a circuit format for a fixed amount of time. Over the training cycle, you’d keep the load the same, keep the time the same, but try to do more sets of work. In the weight room, you might do 5 rack squats, 5 pull-ups, and 5 levers in sequence for 15 minutes. If you got through three sets of each in the first session, your goal for session 2 would be simply to get one additional set of squats. Workout three, the goal might be to add another set of pull-ups, and by the fourth workout, you might get through 4 full circuits.
One of our favorite climbing-specific drills is to do density bouldering. Set a timer for 30 minutes and do as many mid-level (around your onsight grade) problems as you can. To quantify this, you would add up the V grades of all the problems you completed in the session, then divide by the time of the session. Although I recommend sticking with the same session duration for an entire training cycle, you can still improve density even with slightly varied times. An example:
Session 1: V-Sum of 35 in 30 minutes: Density = 1.17
Session 2: V-Sum of 38 in 30 minutes: Density = 1.27
Session 3: V-Sum of 34 in 26 minutes: Density = 1.31
Session 4: V-Sum of 46 in 35 minutes: Density = 1.31
This is a good method for ramping up to bouldering comps or for a destination bouldering trip. It is also pretty useful for climbers who just can’t seem to handle doing more than a few hard moves in a row. After as few as 5 sessions, most climbers show a noticeable improvement in strength endurance. Most importantly, the structure of the sessions is such that your performance is easy to track and it is pretty clear when things are getting better.
Decreasing Rest Between Like Sessions
I hesitate to suggest this one, as it is almost universally the most-abused and least useful way of progressing training. However, if you are keeping track of performance during these sessions and have the discipline to back off if you go flat, it can be a useful way of jumpstarting progress. Let’s say you are bouldering twice a week for 90 minutes and have been flat for 6 months. An option is to try to increase the number of sessions in an effort to force adaptation. In this case, we’d add a third session to the week, but start by maintaining the same total volume overall. So instead of splitting your 180 minutes of bouldering into two sessions, you’d simply do three one-hour sessions to start.
If your elbows don’t hurt and your fatigue levels don’t go up (and your boyfriend isn’t pissed because you’re missing out on yet another movie night each week), you could then try for 70 minute sessions, then 80, and eventually 90. Yes, we are increasing the weekly volume, but in reality, we are decreasing rest between similar sessions. In other words, weekly volume can be increased via any means, such as adding a kettlebell session. Decreasing rest between like sessions is slightly different, in that we are trying to fast-forward specific adaptations.
This method should be used sparingly and conservatively. Once you have ridden this train for a couple of months, you’d better get off and try something new.
Adding Assistance Exercises
If you are going flat doing your 3×5 pull-up workout or the Beasty 6cish hangboard session isn’t showing you the results it did earlier in the cycle, you may consider adding assistance exercises to these rather than swapping your workout altogether. Sometimes, it’s a matter of adding just a little more non-specific work to your primary exercises to get the progress started again. This can be a simple result of a slight angle change, a change in the sequence the muscles are fired, or an increase in training volume.
For example, one might add a couple of sets of dumbbell rows or trx rows to a pull-up workout, or maybe some heavy finger rolls to a hangboard session. Adding in an integrative exercise might be of benefit, as well. These are usually multi-joint compound movements that include, to some degree, the primary pattern you are trying to improve. For example, if you are working on an overhead press, a Turkish Get-Up would be an excellent assistance exercise.
Start by adding just a couple of sets of movements per session and look for progress in the primary exercise. If, after 2-3 weeks, you still don’t see progress, consider trying a different exercise, or try adding a bit more volume.
Session Stacking
Session stacking is an advanced programming decision that can result in overtraining or injury if abused. The general idea is to perform a training session, recover incompletely, and then perform a second session. In some cases, you could even do a third session. To look at it more deeply, you’d start at full readiness in session one, start session two at, say, 90% readiness, and then session 3 at 70-80%. The incomplete recoveries cause you to go deeper into fatigue, with the general idea of getting much more fatigued than is possible with any single session.
Session one should be the most intense and the following session should be both less intense and feature simpler movement to reduce injury risk. Inadvertently, many of us do this already. Tuesday bouldering is followed by Wednesday route laps. Saturday redpointing is followed by Sunday mileage.
The result of stacking, whether intended or not, is an increase in work capacity. This is a simple intervention that requires much less focus and motivation than simply going harder or longer in a single session.
Advancing load is a pivotal choice for athletes. Deciding to add even more hard training to your program should not be taken on without thinking carefully about what you need as an athlete. Are you really needing more training? Is there a better way to achieve the same result? Too often, we think of advancing load as the only way to make ourselves advance when really it should be the last intervention considered. When it comes time to add more to your training, do it carefully, incrementally, and keep good notes on what you do and what the true results are. | https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/advancing-training-load/ |
of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates. For air-breathing animals, the...
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The
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olfaction n. The sense of smell. The act or process of smelling. [Latin olfactus , past participle of olfacere , to smell; see
olfactory
+ –ION
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EPS or Encapsulated PostScript is a standard graphics file format for exchanging images, drawings (such as a logo or map) or even layouts of complete pages. An EPS file internally contains a description of such an object or layout using the PostScript page description language. It can include both bitmap and vector data. The purpose of an EPS file is to be included in other pages. Sometimes EPS files are called EPSF files. EPSF simply stands for Encapsulated PostScript Format. EPS files have the extension .eps or .epsf.
This page discusses:
- the basics of the EPS file format
- how to create EPS files
- how to view EPS thumbnails
- how to reduce the file size of EPS files
- More technical details about the file format
EPS is still in widespread use, but it is essentially an outdated file format that no longer evolves.
- For exchanging logos or drawings, it has been replaced by the native file formats of Adobe applications.Adobe has made it easy to drop a native Illustrator or Photoshop file in an InDesign document. Given that most people work with the Adobe Creative Cloud or Creative Suite software, EPS no longer makes sense as an intermediate file format.
- For exchanging complete pages or advertisements, it has been replaced by PDF (just like PostScript itself is also being phased out and replaced by PDF).
Even though PDF and native file formats are the way to go, your existing library of EPS files will still remain usable for a long time. Here is what Dov Isaacs from Adobe said in a discussion on a PrintPlanet forum: “ …Adobe will continue to support EPS as a legacy graphics format for import of non-color managed, opaque graphical data into Adobe applications (such as InDesign and Illustrator). Although we certain do not recommend that new graphical content be stored in EPS format (except to satisfy the need to import data into page layout programs that aren’t quite PDF-centric — no need to mention names here!), our user base should feel comfortable that there is no need to worry about a need to convert their very sizable libraries of EPS-based graphic assets.”
The basics of EPS files
An EPS file can contain any combination of text, graphics, and images. Since it is actually a PostScript file, it is one of the most versatile file formats that are available. EPS-files usually contain a small preview image that is used to visualize the content of the file. This is done so that applications don’t need a PostScript interpreter to display the content of the EPS file. Even office applications such as Microsoft Word can display the preview image. If an EPS file is sent to a printer that doesn’t support PostScript, it is once again this preview image that is printed. The quality will not equal that of the read EPS artwork but at least there is an image on the print-out. There are millions of people working with *.eps files without realizing how complex the artwork they are using really is.
How to create EPS files
EPS files can be generated by all professional drawing applications as well as most layout applications.
- The most widely used application to create EPS files is Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator’s native file format is called AI. An AI file is smaller than the corresponding EPS file and it retains all of the editing capabilities of Illustrator. The advantage of saving as an EPS is that it is easier to use the file with other (non-Adobe) applications. If you need to send artwork to another company and you do not know what software they will use to process your creation, use EPS or PDF.
- Image manipulation programs like Adobe Photoshop can also save bitmap images as EPS-files.
- Some printer drivers are capable of generating EPS-files as well as PostScript files.
How to view EPS files
Viewing placed EPS files
When you place an EPS file on a page in a layout or word processing application, that application needs to visualize the content of the EPS. It can do this in two different ways:
- It can display the preview image that is embedded in the EPS file.
- It can attempt to render the content of the EPS file and generate a preview image that is optimized for the current screen size and magnification. Only a few applications, such as Adobe InDesign, are capable of doing this. Since this operation can be fairly processor intensive, InDesign will only do this if the display quality selected by the user is set to High.
Viewing EPS thumbnails in operating systems
Seeing the content of an EPS can be a real hassle, both on PCs and on Macintosh.
- EPS thumbnails in Windows
When an EPS-file is viewed in the thumbnail view of Windows Explorer, a generic icon is used. Below are for example 2 EPS-files viewed in Windows XP.
For other file formats such as JPG or PNG, Explorer shows a thumbnail of the actual image content. This can be very practical when dealing with large amounts of files. There is a little tool called PS+Ai Thumb which at least partly solves this problem. It works on some images but not on all types of EPS files, as shown below. I’ve only used it with Windows XP. It does not work on the 64-bit version of Windows 7.
The best solution is to use a more dedicated image browser or viewer. Below is what Adobe Bridge displays. Bridge is bundled with applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite or Photoshop.
- EPS previews in Mac OS X
In Leopard the situation is a bit similar to that of Windows: viewing EPS thumbnails works fine in applications like Adobe Bridge but in the Finder or QuickLook you don’t see a preview. Fortunately there is an excellent plugin called EPSQLPlugIn which fixes this. It can be downloaded here.
Apple eliminated this limitation in OS X 10.6. Below is how the above two icons look in the Finder in Snow Leopard.
How to convert an EPS file to another file format
An EPS file can be converted to PDF, TIFF, JPG, PNG or other graphic file formats.
- If you are an Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop user, just open the EPS file and use SAVE AS to export to another file format. CorelDraw and other drawing applications can also be used to do the same.
- If you do not have any of the above-mentioned applications, there are web sites that can convert an EPS to an image. Google and you shall find.
Keep in mind that converting an EPS that contains vector data to an image file format that only can contain bitmap data means you are converting to a file that is optimized to be used at one specific size. The page on bitmap versus vector graphics explains this in more detail.
How to reduce the file size of EPS files
Logos and other types of artwork are often saved as EPS files. It makes sense to try and keep the file size down. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the size of EPS data:
- Often the preview image that is embedded in an EPS file makes up a large part of the EPS data. If you originally filled a landscape A4 or letter size canvas with a logo, the A4 or letter sized preview image can easily exceed half a megabyte. If the logo is a vector based drawing, there is no disadvantage in reducing its size and making it 10 centimeters or 4 inches wide. That may halve the file size of the EPS file.
- An application like Adobe Illustrator saves additional information in its EPS output. When saving as an EPS file, you can select the file format. By selecting Illustrator 9 instead of Illustrator CS5, I shaved 200K off the file size of an EPS. Take into account that saving in an older file format may impact your ability to edit the EPS file afterward.
- Get rid of unnecessary data: In its Action window, Adobe Illustrator has an option to delete unused palette items. This deletes unused color swatches, brushes, symbols, and styles. That may reduce the file size by an extra 200 to 400 K. Also make sure that there isn’t any irrelevant artwork hidden in a deactivated layer or the pasteboard area.
- Try optimizing the design by simplifying paths or merging multiple paths into a single one.
- If the EPS file needs to contain bitmap images, make sure to use the optimum resolution for these.
Additional information can be found on this excellent page.
More in-depth information on the EPS file format
An EPS file must conform to the Adobe Document Structuring Conventions (DSC). These are a set of rules that define how PostScript data should be organized.
At a minimum, it must include a header comment, %!PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0, and a bounding box comment, %%BoundingBox: llx lly urx ury, that describes the bounds of the illustration. (The specification does not require the EPSF version, but many programs will reject a file that does not have it.)
The EPS program must not use operators that initialize or permanently change the state of the machine in a manner that cannot be undone by the enclosing application’s use of save and restore (e.g.. the operators starting with ‘init’ like initgraphics). As a special case, the EPS program may use the showpage operator. The importing application is responsible for disabling the normal effects of showpage. The EPS program should make no environment-sensitive decisions (the importing application may be trying to attain some special effect, and the EPS program shouldn’t screw this up), although it can use some device-dependent tricks to improve appearance such as a snap-to-pixel algorithm.
There are some operators that should not be used within an EPS file: banddevice, cleardictstack, copypage, erasepage, exitserver, framedevice, grestoreall, initclip, initgraphics, initmatrix, quit, renderbands, setglobal, setpagedevice, setshared and startjob. These also include operators from statusdict and userdict operators like legal, letter, a4, b5, etc. There are some operators that should be carefully used: nulldevice, setgstate, sethalftone, setmatrix, setscreen, settransfer, and undefinefont.
EPS files can be encoded using 7-bits (ASCII, like PostScript data usually are) as well as 8-bits (binary, which is virtually always done on Macintosh because it decreases the size of the file significantly). 8-bit EPS-files cannot be handled properly by all operating systems or applications.
The image preview
EPS files can optionally contain a bitmapped image preview so that systems that can’t render PostScript directly can at least display a crude representation of what the graphic will look like.
There are 4 preview formats:
- PICT, mainly used in files generated on Macs. The PICT file is stored in the resource fork of the EPS file while the actual PostScript data are stored in the data fork. PICT is the default file format of QuickDraw, the graphics model that is used by MacOS 7/8/9 applications to generate the screen display.
- TIFF: Most EPS files created by Windows applications contain a TIFF file for preview purposes.
- Metafile: Some EPS files originating on PC contain a Windows Metafile preview. WMF or Windows Metafile is the PC equivalent of the Macintosh PICT file format.
- EPSI which is an EPS file with a platform device independent preview. EPSI is an all ASCII (no binary data or headers) version of EPS. EPSI provides for a hexadecimal encoded preview representation of the image that will be displayed or printed. EPSI files were documented by Adobe as a means of providing a preview for EPS files which would be cross-platform. In reality though, DOS machines and Windows favor embedding TIFF or even Windows Metafiles in the PostScript. EPSI is mainly used on Unix systems.
It is also possible to have an EPS file without a preview, though. In this case, the imported file is usually displayed as a grayed out box or a box with diagonal lines running through it.
The preview image has a fixed resolution, which is usually 72 dpi. If you enlarge an EPS file in a document, the preview image is stretched and may become ‘blocky’ and lacking in detail. This does not necessarily mean that the EPS-data themselves will degrade in quality. As long as the EPS-file only contains text and vector graphics, scaling it does not affect its quality.
If you print a file containing an EPS-image on a non-PostScript printer, it is usually the preview image that gets printed. The preview image is ignored when you print to a PostScript device.
Remarks
Although an EPS file contains PostScript data, you cannot always send it straight to a printer to have it printed. Some interpreters cannot handle the preview data that may be included in the EPS file. Others don’t output the file because the ‘showpage’ operator is missing. It can also happen that the printer does process the job but outputs a blank page because the content of the EPS-file was located outside the printable area.
EPS-files can contain PostScript level 2 operators that make it impossible to output the file on an old PostScript level 1 device.
Specsheet
Name: EPS
Developer: Adobe
Release date: mid 80’s
Type of data: vector, bitmap & fonts
Number of colors: unlimited
Color spaces: ?
Compression algorithms: ?
Ideal use: information exchange between prepress applications
Extension on PC-platform: .EPS
Macintosh file type : EPSF (sometimes TEXT)
Special features: –
Remarks: manual available here
Additional sources of information
Wikipedia has an elaborate but fairly technical page on the Encapsulated PostScript file format. | https://www.prepressure.com/library/file-formats/eps |
Save your talent: how to keep a voice?
The talented singer is admirable. His voice is like a rare instrument in the hands of a master. And therefore, you need to handle it carefully, carefully. Let’s see how to keep a singer’s voice together. To prevent negative deviations, we consider the possible problems of the vocal apparatus. Coryza Appears as a result of a cold. For singers, it is unpleasant for complications of the nasopharynx, larynx and trachea, and subsequently the maxillary sinuses (sinusitis). In the future, the development of a chronic form is possible, which will not allow the development of singing talent in full. It is necessary to be treated by a doctor in order to avoid complications.
Can I sing with a cold? Without temperature – yes, with temperature – no. ANGINA Infectious disease with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, pharynx, palatine tonsils. Continue reading
Why is breathing so important for a vocalist
A professional teacher will immediately distinguish a beginner from an experienced vocalist in setting his breath. The main signs of unsettled breathing are: Inability to stretch a long note. The beginner simply does not have enough air to hold it, so his voice begins to tremble on long notes, a falsity appears, the timbre becomes dull or the sound disappears completely. Inability to sing a phrase in one go. Often such a singer begins to take a breath in the middle of the words, which distorts the transmission of the meaning of the song and its mood. This is especially pronounced in slow or, conversely, very fast compositions. The voice sounds dull, not at full strength. It does not fully reveal its timbre, characteristic intonation, even in some cases it is difficult to understand who sings, soprano or mezzo, tenor or baritone. Without proper breathing, good vocals are impossible.
The breath is short, short, when you inhale the shoulders rise. This is because the layman breathes only the tops of the lungs, so he does not have enough breath to hold the whole phrase to the end. Continue reading
Vocal and singing How to introduce yourself to the competition – simple tips
Every vocalist dreams of winning a vocal competition or getting into a popular group, especially if he is young and talented. However, even the vocal teacher does not accurately imagine how to present himself at the competition, so his advice can not always help the performer to take a worthy place or just to perform well so that they pay attention to him. Some performers, wanting to take part in the contest on their own, often do not show their data because they do not know the criteria for evaluating the performer or choose what they like, rather than a repertoire showing the merits of their vocal training, therefore they often make mistakes. | http://symbandpb.com/list/highest-notes |
Used Martin Bb/F Bass trombone with 9-1/2" red brass bell with closed wrap rotor valve valve section. Slide is .547 all lacquer slide. Instrument is in great condition apart from some lacquer wear on the bell and some minor scratching on the bell flare.
Used Martin Bb/F Bass trombone with 9-1/2" red brass bell with closed wrap rotor valve valve section. Slide is .547 all lacquer slide. Instrument is in great condition apart from some lacquer wear on the bell and some minor scratching on the bell flare. Comes with original case. | https://www.dillonmusic.com/used-martin-bb-f-bass-trombone.html |
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Mathematical Informatics 4th Laboratory
Statistical Informatics Laboratory（Mathematical Informatics 4th Laboratory）
– Deep Theory and Wide Applications. That’s Statistics –
HomePage of Lab.→
Fumiyasu Komaki
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Tomonari Sei
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Hiromichi Nagao
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Teppei Ogihara
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Theoretical Statistics
We establish the basis of statistical methods. A wide range of mathematical tools such as information geometry, algebraic methods and algorithms play an essential role as well as probability theory.
Statistical Modeling
Statistical methods are used in various fields such as brain science, geoscience, finance, medical science, quantum information and sports science. We are developing specific statistical models for analyzing complex phenomena in the real world.
Data Assimilation
Data assimilation integrates large-scale numerical simulation models and observational big data based on Bayesian statistics. We develop algorithms of data assimilation towards applications to practical problems.
Understanding, Predicting and Controlling Dynamics
Dynamics are hidden in a lot of things in the real world such as weather, renewable energy, earthquakes, economics, brain, lives and diseases. We are studying time series analysis for understanding, predicting and/or controlling them. | https://www.keisu.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/2019/04/01/mathematical-informatics-4th-lab/ |
In our pursuit of scientific advancement we are committed to sharing our acquired knowledge through actively publishing our data in peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences. We aim to provide a deeper understanding through extensive study and analysis on ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibition, for both the scientific and patient communities.
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Application of real-world evidence analytics: A 6-year event-free survival analysis in Alagille syndrome of the GALA clinical research database and maralixibat treated patients
Hansen BE, et al. Presentation. AASLD 2021.
Efficacy and safety of maralixibat treatment in patients with Alagille syndrome and cholestatic pruritus (ICONIC): a randomised phase 2 study
Gonzales E, et al. The Lancet. 2021;398:1581-1592.
Predictors of 6-year event-free survival in patients with Alagille syndrome treated with maralixibat, an IBAT inhibitor
Sokol RJ, et al; AASLD 2021 Late-breaker.
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Until a relevant regulatory agency has approved a Mirum product for a specific disease or population, any scientific presentations regarding such disease or population are not to be considered instruction on the appropriate use of Mirum products or clinical candidates. | https://mirumpharma.com/our-science/publications-presentations/ |
In this group show, Samantha Laub, Jason Sweidan and David Taylor present vibrant abstract paintings, influenced by abstract expressionism. The paintings demonstrate distinctive emotional responses to the natural.
Samantha, Jason and David have been developing a set of unique styles in close interaction with each other – all with strong colour use. The theme of present and remembered emotion displays their distinctive styles whilst drawing on a common theme.
Samantha’s works begin as spontaneous outpouring of energy and emotion that she then develops and refines into finished pieces. Her paintings are visceral, full of movement and texture.
Jason applies oil on canvases to construct and deconstruct images that reflect elements of nature. His paintings are predominantly fluid, physical and textured using gravity to allow the paint to evolve.
David’s work reflects memories of the natural in which strong colour use is combined with loose natural references that evoke a sense of fluidity, water or landscape.
All three artists are local to the exhibition and originally met at the Hampstead School of Art (HSOA).
Samantha is Creative Director of Gorgeous Brewery based in Highgate and also works in advertising, as well as being a painter. She has exhibited at a number of HSOA exhibitions and was also shortlisted in the National Open Art exhibition in 2016.
Jason works in investor relations as well as being an artist. He recently held his first solo art exhibition and has exhibited at several HSOA summer exhibitions and the Green and Stone summer exhibition 2019. His work is held in private collections in the UK, USA, Spain and Bermuda.
David is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Professor Emeritus at the University of Brighton. He is a leading academic social theorist and writer as well as a painter and sociologist of art. | https://www.highgatecalendar.org/event/abstraction-and-emotion-paintings-by-samantha-laub-jason-sweidan-and-david-taylor/?instance_id=2926483 |
The social and economic benefits derived from sustainable use, including revenues from trophy hunting, provides sustainable incentives for local people to conserve wildlife.
That’s why the FAO and the IGF Foundation, in collaboration with other organisations such as Conservation Force, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) or the International Foundation for Wildlife and Management have published “Guidelines for Improving the Administration of Sustainable Hunting in sub-Saharan Africa”. The book is now available on the FAO website.
Summary of the book:
These guidelines provide both operational and technical guidance on approaches in countries practising regulated hunting. When and where well-managed, this hunting industry brings considerable conservation benefits and socio-economic profits. However, like any sector, the hunting sector is in need of improvement in respect to nature conservation, rural socio-economy and cultural livelihoods and lifestyles. By raising the level of professionalism in its administration, it is expected that the performance and quality of services of the whole sector will improve. Good administration is obviously crucial for promoting best practices and discouraging the others. | https://www.face.eu/2016/09/guidelines-for-improving-the-administration-of-sustainable-hunting-in-sub-saharan-africa/ |
One of the most fundamental beliefs in our society is that men and women are distinct. Recent times have seen this as one of the most frequently asked questions. Society is fascinated by the existence of brain differences between men and women. Each new discovery is the subject of heated debates, in which scientific knowledge is frequently mixed with preconceived notions.
There are many people, both inside and outside of the scientific community, who believe brain differences are small and few. They point out, with good reason, that we don't know much about brain differences and their possible relationships to temperament, cognitive abilities, or behavior.
There are also people outside and within the scientific community who believe the contrary. These differences are not insignificant and, even though they may seem small, add them all up and you get two types of brains: male or female.
These results, which have been supported by a multitude of scientific studies, show that machine learning algorithms (AAA), are capable of predicting sex based on brain scan images. They do this with a success rate of over 90%.
Are these two types of brains the final proof?
It is possible. It seems plausible to believe that these algorithms are capable of predicting gender with high accuracy. They can also identify a set features that distinguish the brains of men and women clearly and reliably. It is almost impossible.
But, as is often the case, it's not always easy.
First, and regardless of how famous the figure of 90% may be, many studies show that the efficacy is much lower at around 70%. In one study, the efficacy was only 51.1%.
These predictions are based on neuroanatomical features and have not considered the size differences between men's and women's skulls. This is because the variable artificially increases neuroanatomical differences' size. The ability of algorithms to predict gender can actually be reduced by as much as 60% when they are controlled using statistical procedures.
Different algorithms can identify sex with great accuracy. However, it is not possible to assume that all of them have identified the same set characteristic features capable of distinguishing the brains of men and women.
Although they show a similar efficiency in their predictions, various studies have identified distinct brain areas that are characteristic of male and female brains.
These studies also showed that brain characteristics of North American men and women are different in other regions.
A recent study has shown that even though a single sample was used, different algorithms still base their predictions from different brain areas. The result is that the same brain can be classified by different algorithms as "male" and "female".
The five algorithms used in this study had a range of 86 to 90% for correctly classifying cases, but 75% of the cases were correctly classified by them all. If skull size differences were considered, it was 38%!
The same study revealed that cases correctly classified using a single algorithm do not have the same brain characteristics. The brain patterns of men and women were not similar to those of random women.
When analyzed in detail, it is impossible to conclude that there are only two types of brains. However, it seems that each algorithm has its own type of types.
Additionally, although algorithms can identify the sex of an individual based on brain characteristics, it is not possible to predict the person's characteristics by knowing their sex. Your brain.
This doesn't mean there aren't differences in the brains and brains of men and women, or that algorithms can't be used to characterize them.
These and other findings suggest that there are differences at the group level. However, they do not result from divergences between two types brains (one "typically masculine" and one "typically feminine" reproduced in most men. and women, respectively.
We need to reexamine how we interpret and study these differences.
This article was published in "The Conversation". | https://www.jellypages.com/breaking/is-it-possible-to-predict-the-gender-of-a-person-using-brain-data-h118411.html |
UK Guardian: After Samantha Hartsoe stumbled upon an entire three-bedroom apartment hidden behind the bathroom mirror in her own New York home, she chose to ignore the lessons of any good horror film – and explore further.
“Curiosity killed the cat, curiosity is going to kill me,” the Roosevelt Island resident told NBC New York. “I can’t not know what’s on the other side of my bathroom.”
Hartsoe’s adventure, which took place earlier this month, was outlandish even in New York’s notorious housing market, where real-estate horror stories are almost a badge of honor. The 26-year-old documented the ordeal online and millions tuned in, offering comparisons to films such as Parasite and Candyman.
In a series of now viral TikTok videos, Hartsoe first notices a cold draft in her bathroom, strong enough to blow wisps of her hair. Then she looks behind her mirror, revealing the concealed apartment.
Shocked, she nonetheless straps on a makeshift headlamp and mask, arms herself with a hammer – “Mean it when you swing it,” her roommate says – and climbs through the hole in her bathroom wall.
A disclaimer on the video warns that such actions “could result in serious injury” – but Hartsoe reaches the ground unscathed.
“You’re in the other side of the dimension!” her roommate tells her. “Go onward.” read more..
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/08/new-york-woman-secret-apartment-bathroom-mirror
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The International Association for Travel Behaviour Research (IATBR) is an international organization of scholars, researchers, practitioners, consultants, and public agency professionals dedicated to the advancement of travel behaviour research. The organization aims to serve as a forum that brings together professionals from a wide range of disciplines interested in the study of the factors that influence activity and travel choices of people and businesses, the formulation of new computational and analytical modeling methods and approaches for forecasting activity-travel demand, and the analysis of the land use and transportation impacts of a wide range of socio-economic, public policy, and modal scenarios. The association was established in the early 1970’s to facilitate the exchange of information among researchers around the world with a governing Executive Board reflecting the international balance of interests in travel behaviour research.
The main activity of the association has been the organisation of triennial conferences on travel behaviour research. Papers presented at the IATBR conferences are published in a series of Elsevier/Emerald books and in special issues of various journals. The Association meets annually in January at the Transportation Research Board Meeting in Washington, D.C. and occasionally at the European Transport Conference in Europe. In addition, IATBR supports presentation sessions at other international transportation conferences and organises or co-sponsors smaller specialty conferences and workshops.
Please browse through this website to learn more about the activities of the organisation and consider supporting the Association through your membership and participation. | http://iatbr.weebly.com/ |
The DEEEP project will finish in December 2015 after having provided support to the European development education community over 12 years. This is the end of an era, but also the start of a new phase of addressing global citizenship and public engagement for global justice through the new CONCORD strategy. What have we learned from this journey? What will remain?
DEEEP has been existing for 12 years as European Commission funded project of CONCORD’s Development Awareness Raising and Education Forum (DARE Forum) with four project phases of three years each: from DEEEP1 to DEEEP4.
Initially, DEEEP was established as a platform for European civil society actors active in Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR). Traditionally, its mission has been to support DEAR actors through co-ordination, capacity building, advocacy and communication work at European level. However, the DARE Forum and the consortium of CSOs managing the last DEEEP project added significant innovations and modifications to the role and mission of DEEEP, and its ambition and scope went far beyond the usual DEEEP1, 2 and 3 functions.
DEEEP4 started with the highly ambitious intention to reconceptualise DEAR as Global Citizens Empowerment for Systemic Change. DEEEP4 produced a considerable amount of activities and outputs (over 100 single activities including trainings, conferences, advocacy processes and publications, all of which are accessible in the DEEEP online and offline library, which will move to the CONCORD website in a few months).
But beyond this, DEEEP4 had the ambition to fundamentally change DEAR and its context in manifold ways:
– DEEEP attempted to radicalise and politicise the DEAR and development discourse by reframing this work as an endeavour for system change, radically questioning the dominant economic system and Western culture.
– DEEEP set out to move DEAR out of its cosy niche and to build cross-sectoral alliances for citizen empowerment by linking with wider areas of education, activism, social movements and global networks for change.
– DEEEP got engaged in a process of building a global coalition in the perspective of a world citizens’ movement (see global conferences). This idealistic and highly ambitious, probably in parts overambitious agenda made the special charm of the project.
This endeavour was at the same time fascinating and challenging, sometimes over-challenging. It generated moments of extraordinary passion and flow – and moments of deep frustration. The key contradiction built into DEEEP4 was the inherent opposition between its ambition (transformative system change) and its realisation (the fact that it was part of the very system it was criticising and challenging). This paradox – and the dedication of the key people shaping the project – characterised DEEEP4, gave it its magic and created the wealth of experiences and results, successes and failures, moments of enthusiasm and of confusion which made DEEEP4 a unique adventure.
If you want to go deeper into these aspects, we invite you to read Johannes Krause’ final project evaluation. In its inspiring report, our “critical friend” has qualitatively addressed the changes which have occurred throughout the project and reflected on the challenges faced.
DEEEP is ending, but the work on global citizenship “towards a world citizens’ movement” is more relevant than ever. An increasing number of actors, including CONCORD, recognised that thinking in terms of “North” and “South” or other traditional development paradigms won’t help us to address the multiple global and systemic crises we are facing as humanity: NGOs, movements, people from all over the world have to work together on a joint and multi-dimensional agenda, that does not know “single issues”. We cannot address global poverty without talking about climate justice, peace, migration, feminism or trade. DEEEP has made a modest contribution to raise awareness on the systemic and transformational challenges. We are confident that the DARE Forum and CONCORD will take on this endeavour. But first of all we are grateful for the multitude of inspiring encounters over these years, and the friendships that have emerged from these. Development is first of all about people. And this is what DEEEP was also all about. People have the power to change the course. | https://concordeurope.org/2015/12/18/goodbye-deeep/ |
This article summarizes the benefits of strategic risk identification and governance methods for financial institutions, identified by applying business war games as a standard testing method. Strategic Risk is difficult to quantify. Unlike other risk categories such as market, credit, or operational risk, where metrics can serve as guideposts to motivate senior management discussions, quantifiable thresholds can be leveraged to support conclusions. Given that strategic risk is an intangible quantity understanding how to test your assumptions can support strategic decisions and help set estimated thresholds.
Risk Identification biases and managerial myopia can be a barrier to turn-based scenario-style games. However, many large organizations use techniques like wargaming to build support for strategic decision-making. Wargames should be used when your company wants to predict new threats to your market share or to test realistic reactions from competitors. For example, this technique could test threats to income from cryptocurrencies and digital innovations or peer-to-peer payments solutions, reducing market share dominance from companies like Visa or Mastercard.
Defining the Company’s Strategic Risk
Strategic Risk is not a new subject and has been debated in board rooms, among risk committees, and executives across industries for many years. Strategic risk is often defined as the financial risk to your firm’s ability to earn revenue, which can be affected by internal and external factors (economic, political, regulatory, and episodic events). Strategic risk management seeks to quantify the risk to your company’s revenue and market share as a direct consequence of managerial decisions (or lack of) and adjustments in business strategies. These can include delays in responding to industry changes, lack of response to competitor moves, or missed opportunities such as entering new markets or expanding existing services. No matter how your company defines strategic risk – the potential to miss, omit and mistakenly calculate economic factors is extremely high. Given the potential for error in measuring the intangible, how can you depend on your risk identification team to find holes in a weak strategy or detect a bad decision?
Here is a non-exhaustive list of examples of potential strategic risk:
- Strategic decisions that are unclear or poorly made
- Changes in senior management and leadership
- The introduction of new services or products
- Market or industry changes, such as a shift in the needs or expectations of customers
- Problems with suppliers and other stakeholders
- Financial challenges
- Failure to adapt to a changing environment or keep up with competitors
- And income effects where your reputation is damaged
Business Wargaming History and Misconceptions
Wargaming is rooted in military planning, and despite allusions to warfare, business wargaming is not about airstrikes or tabletop simulations with miniature soldiers. Wargaming should be designed to test what a competitor, or decision-maker, might accomplish in each scenario.
Business wargaming does not need to be analytically complicated and expensive. Consultants and technologists might pitch mathematically interesting algorithms, maybe even suggest optimal decision analysis through game theory – but to be effective, a war game must be realistic and never entertain an outlier-style event. Realistic and likely scenarios enable managers to focus on how their company might react to a change in the business landscape.
What makes a business wargame realistic? Let’s start with what is not a business war game:
- War games are not based on executive bias, e.g., a senior executive has valuable experience – but in a wargame, it is their strategy we need to test. Individual views hurt a wargame, and a scenario should include managers across your companies disciplines to be effective.
- War games are not based on fantasy or zombie apocalypses. The company’s strategy should be defined, and the objective should be to test one theory or question against competitors’ most likely moves.
- There is no need to understand 10 or 20 moves ahead; you need to understand the next move to your strategic decision and two to five outcomes. Attempts to predict longer-dated future landscapes become more like fantasy and less like strategic outcomes.
- Wargames ask uncomfortable questions of business leaders. Anyone running a test will need to ask serious operational and performance questions that some in your company may find difficult to discuss.
Gaming Approaches to Identify Risk and Test Real-Life Questions
Wargaming is a process that enhances risk-informed decision-making through captivating experiential learning. It is an event that sets aside time for strategic thinking and educates managers on the dynamic aspects of strategic planning. Reasonable, interchangeable scenarios bring diverse stakeholders together to challenge biases and assumptions, identify critical gaps and vulnerabilities, and provide insights into emerging threats and opportunities. Players are allowed to experience failure in pursuit of these insights, all without facing real-world reputational, organizational, and financial risk.
You can use a war game to test scenarios; here are some examples:
- Future Planning (what if?) – gives investors a peek into the expected returns and risks involved when planning for future investments. The goal of any business venture is to increase revenue over time, and it is best when used as predictive analysis.
- Predicting Competitor Moves – Companies can avoid or decrease potential losses from uncontrollable factors during worst-case scenarios by analyzing events and situations that may lead to unfavorable outcomes.
- Avoiding Risk and Failure – Scenario analysis enables businesses or independent investors to assess investment prospects to avoid poor investment decisions. It takes the best and worst probabilities into account so that investors can make an informed decision. Scenario analysis gives measurable data that investors can use to achieve a better outcome. As an example, think of where there is a lack of available clean data; you can’t understand what you cannot measure, and you cannot measure what you don’t track. Business wargames can illuminate where your data team misses the mark; or where your business intelligence team cannot answer fundamental competitor moves?
Wargaming as a Strategic Requirement
In any strategic risk scenario or analysis – pinpointing holes in your data capture systems is crucial to the success of any game.
Often the failure to capture lessons learned from external events while re-examining the execution of the company’s strategy and blindly adhering to the mission statement leads to missing events and inflection points that should be quantified in the company’s strategic plan. Consider the rise of companies like Robinhood or Coinbase. Could financial institutions have anticipated these external threats to their business services and developing products by simulating services by FinTech, RegTech, and challenger companies where new players took over market share?
Likely, all the company analysis can come down to a few individuals who make decisions that impact the firm. Those few critical executive decisions are made by humans who can have biases, regardless of metrics and sometimes because of hubris. Ask yourself, if income or an economic indicator for your new strategy misses the mark, will you change direction, or will you as the decision-maker stay the course and see what happens? More importantly, who gets the information? Are those reports discussed in committee, and what governance on those discussions disseminates to decision-makers?
Through constant wargaming and scenario modelling, threats can potentially be spotted and predicted by utilizing business intelligence data and visualizations.
Authors:
About Vox (Now Part of Treliant): Vox has a wealth of risk experience within their ranks, providing SMEs, change management, and analysis expertise to deliver a basis for their clients to perform wargaming exercises. To find out more, please contact [email protected]. | https://www.treliant.com/knowledge-center/utilizing-wargames-to-identify-strategic-risk-gaps-and-scenarios-outcomes/ |
Why is it snowing so much in the Northern US States this Spring? Two words: Global Warming. Let me ‘splain.
Weather is all about air and moisture. The distribution of air is uneven, with some places having more air in big piles, other places having less air, into which the extra air from the big piles of air tends to spill. The big piles form because the surface beneath is relatively warm, causing the air to expand more than in adjoining areas. As air falls off these giant mounds of seeming nothingness, it forms low pressure systems that consist of swirling moving masses, made up of air of different temperature and humidities, and this is where many storms come from. Where the high mounds of air form depends on the seasons; since it is the relative temperature that matters, we might expect high pressure systems (mounds of air) to form over water during the winter and land over the summer with the low pressure systems being located over the opposite landform, but it is of course way more complex than that.
Using this simplified model of piles of air pouring into low spots, one can understand the climatic concept of “oscillations.” There are large regions of the earth where high pressure tends to form, and spill its air in a certain direction. That air, somewhat cooled off, may then return to the area of the high pressure where it is re-warmed (by surface conditions) to contribute to the high pressure mound. If this happens over the ocean, the movement of air may also drive the movement of surface currents, which can actually increase the level of heat at the base of the high pressure system. If the earth was simple, i.e., had no continents and a sea of even depth over the entire surface, high and low pressure systems might form and last for very long periods of time, merely changing slightly during seasonal changes. Also, since the overall driving force of the climate system involves the movement of heat (in water and air) and the warm water and air itself from equatorial regions (where the sun has a stronger effect) to the poles, and the earth is spinning, this set of high and low pressure systems should be organized in bands encircling the planet, bands that interact with each other at their edges.
As long as we are on the subject we should note that the Jet Streams can be thought of as places where the dynamics of air hearting, rising, thus becoming less dense and releasing heat (and thus becoming more dense per altitude) and so on and so forth runs into a nasty math problem. If you model (again, I oversimplify) the movement of air molecules that are passing through different conditions of altitude, pressure, temperature, etc. there are places where the math seems to get hinkey, and there are air molecules that are definitely not supposed to be where they are, and there are places where there should be more air molecules as well. This causes air molecules to move very quickly from point A to point B, and the result is a set of high altitude, sinuous very rapidly moving bands of air … the Jet Streams. These tend to occur at the boundaries of the hypothetical (but rarely actualized in any clean and neat way) bands of air that would exist around a simplified version of the earth.
And, of course, the earth is not simple; there are continents, mountain ranges, huge glaciers or ice fields, areas where water in the sea is trapped by continental configurations so it gets extra warm and other areas where currents can circumnavigate a land mass pretty easily and redistribute heat efficiently. You have probably already heard that the dynamics of land ice and sea ice formation and melting in the Arctic and the Antarctic are different. Knowing what you know now (see above) a quick glance at the distribution of land and sea in those two regions should lead you to conclude that the Arctic and Antarctic simply can not have the same climatic details, even though both are polar regions.
Getting back to the oscillations… So, we have these areas which may for years at a time have high pressure in one place linked to an adjoining lower pressure in another area, and air and water currents are both affected by and cause this relationship. But, it is also possible that a different configuration could emerge, perhaps with the same basic layout but with the high pressure zone moving to a somewhat different location nearby, or being more widely or narrowly positioned. Then, this alternative configuration could last a few years.
It is the shifting back and forth between two (or more) such configuration that we call an oscillation (usually). ENSO, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, is one such system in the equatorial pacific. There is a North Atlantic Oscillation and an Arctic Oscillation, and others.
Very simply put, the fact that we are having coldish and snowy weather in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and nearby areas at the same time that the Arctic Sea’s ice is breaking up and melting early is because the Arctic Oscillation … a big giant climatic feature at the northern end of the Earth, is undergoing its “negative” phase, which is kinda rare, instead of its “positive” phase, which at least in the recent past has been more common.
So, what the heck does this have to do with climate change, or in particular, global warming?
Global warming has caused the Arctic Ocean to lose much more of its ice than it has in the recorded past, which leaves more sea water exposed to sun during the Arctic summer. Sea water absorbs (and later releases) sunlight and stores it as heat, while ice and snow reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere and onward into space. For this reason, the Arctic Ocean is warming, and this causes ice to form more slowly and melt more quickly, which in turn allows the summer ice free waters to absorb more heat, and so on and so forth. The Arctic Ocean’s ice cover, which expands every winter and shrinks every summer, is undergoing a sort of climatic death spiral that looks like this:
Remember the part above about how surface conditions determine the location, intensity, and extent of high and low pressure systems? During the “positive” phase of the Arctic Oscillation, highish pressure systems around the Arctic maintain a large low pressure region known as the Arctic Vortex, over the pole. But the Arctic Ocean, being warmer, says “hold on there, a second, I’m also a high(ish) pressure system, stop vortexing me!”
The high pressure region that encircles the Arctic during the positive phase backs off (goes south) and is less effective in maintaining a nice vortex over the Arctic. The strong gradient between a sub-arctic high pressure encircling the polar region and the strong polar vortex, during the positive phase of the oscillation, keeps colder Arctic air near the poles, and regions like the Great Lakes, Upper Plains, and Norther Eurasia enjoy warmer weather. With the weaker gradient during the negative phase, the Arctic air spreads out and encompasses more of the subarctic and temperate land masses, but the cold, as it were, is now distributed over a much larger region, so is it less cold in places that would otherwise be very cold, and less warm in places where it would be more warm.
One analogy that has been knocked around a bit and works pretty well is the traditional refrigerator, with a freezer on top, and the fridge below. Imagine that your refrigerator occasionally develops a modest hole between the two compartments. The freezer would still be colder because there are more cooling coils up there, but it would not be as cold and your ice would be wet and your frozen beans soft, while skims of ice would form on your milk and cranberry juice. In real live, this means that North Dakota bets to be slushy cranberry juice, wile the Arctic Ocean gets to be a bunch of soft, barely frozen Freeze-Pops.
The region of colder air is not a uniform, even circle around the poles in any case, but during the negative phase, it is very uneven because the oceans have a strong effect. Since the oceans are busy moving large amounts of heat from the equator to the north, the cold tends to get bunched up over the continents. In the North Atlantic, changes in the Arctic Oscillation interact with the North Atlantic oscillation and that affects weather in that region.
You’ve already heard that changes in the Arctic likely contributed to the path (and strength) of Hurricane Frankenstorm Sandy last year. Well changes in the Arctic have resulted in some very snowy winters in recent times, some killer cold snaps, and most recently, a series of large winter storms that don’t seem to have gotten the memo about it being Spring. The Weather Channel just recently started naming regular storms like hurricanes are named, in order to keep track of them. Winter Storm Xerxes just passed through my back yard, and Winter Storm Yogi is now forming up on the West Coast.
We’re gonna need a longer alphabet.
Information about Winter Storm Yogi from Weather Underground.
More on the Arctic Oscillation from Paul Douglas
Arctic Warming’s Effect on the Jet Stream by Peter Sinclair
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More like this
Typos: Pp 4, "where there are"/'where they are"
Pp 10, "Arctic ocean is worming"
Word "GRAPHIC"
Pp 14 "the tradition refrigerator", "In real live, this means that North Dakota bets to be"
Pp 15 "Since the oceans are buy moving large amounts of heat" also check "affects"/"effects" (may not be wrong)
Pp 16 "Strom"
Overall good, but the tone reads like you're stoned.
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Thanks for the edit. I'm going to get a snack now.
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As I recall we also needed a longer alphabet during a recent hurricane season.
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I have heard we are expecting a warmer than average summer and a strong hurricane season for 2013. Is that still true despite the vortexing of the North Pole? | https://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2013/04/15/why-is-winter-not-ending |
According to my research, the decision to use one or the other is often a finely balanced one. The data show that both investment styles can bring value and it’s time to move away from broad-brush statements about the merits of either. In fact, a broad view of performance across asset classes and categories shows that active/ passive results are decidedly mixed. Fund managers’ performance depends on time frames and market cycles.
I agree with Amin Rajan, that reiterates at the end of the FT article that both active and passive management have a role to play in investor portfolios. Active funds have confirmed their attractiveness in volatile times while passive funds on their side will continue to attract investors focus on costs, liquidity, and research innovation.
👉Taking the right decision to allocate between active and passive funds is key to optimise portfolio performance. | https://bsdinvesting.com/news/%F0%9F%A4%94are-concerns-about-the-risks-of-passive-investing-the-only-reasons-to-shift-from-passive-to-active-funds/ |
With these next experiments I wanted to try painting from drawings of new mediums and experiment more with painting more instinctually.
Charcoal drawing from life, 20 mins.
I picked this drawing because of the tonal detail I made and the notes of colour written on the body, making a pretty comprehensive drawing to paint from. By chance, I also liked the way the body faced away from space on the right of the paper and so chose to keep that in the composition of the painting.
What worked well
I used a palette knife to apply a light blue layer at the end to the background. I chose blue because its opposite the warm orangy-nudes on the colour wheel and I wanted to see what that looked like. Using a palette knife meant the underpainting still shows through which works well to add depth to the piece. This is a similar technique to one Denis Sarazhin with his backgrounds and I can now see why it works well. It directs the eyes towards the body and provides a contrasting texture to the brushstrokes.
The way the face is cut off at the nose. The viewer is given no clues as to the emotion of the person since they cannot read their eyes. So again, the viewer has to read the body to find narrative.
What didn’t work
The pose of the man: Not dynamic, doesn’t provide a narrative. Too much of a life drawing pose for the piece to be anything more than a technical experiment.
Oil pastel sketch from life.
This drawing is very successful in it’s right. Since the eyes are shown in the piece our direction is focused on the expression, and the rest of the body just supports the narrative of the face – the slumping of the shoulders.
The vibrant colours and texture of oil pastels made me question whether this piece could be translated in to something any better.
What worked well
Cool, dark brown palette knife background. Contrasting texture and silhouettes the figure well.
Brush size and colour palette.
Less focus on face since I reduced the contrast of the his features so move the focus to the body. This works well for the purpose of these experiments – to capture narrative with the body.
What didn’t work
If the body filled less of the paper? And there was more black? Just an idea. But the figure takes up most of the paper, which makes the piece very painterly, but a nice narrative could work if this figure was placed amongst more dark space or an interior.
Overall and what next?
I now want to branch into painting from sketches with more intention than just technique. I want my next drawings to be of people in bed, so that I can start applying what I have learnt with these paintings to my concept for this body of work. | https://georginaharrisartist.com/2018/11/04/life-drawing-to-painting-ex-34/ |
Wrought iron, for example, is used in outdoor items that can beautify the yard and the patio. There are iron fences, arbors, trellis, and even the most decorative iron furnitures can be made of iron. Cast iron is an important form that is used in manufacturing pots, pans, skillets, ovens, and trays.
Jul 26, 2019· While Britain had good iron ore reserves, the iron produced was of low quality with plenty of impurities, limiting its use. There was plenty of demand but not much was produced as wrought iron, which had many of the impurities hammered out, took a long time to make, and was available in cheaper imports from Scandinavia.
Iron ore, flux (limestone or oyster shells) and charcoal were loaded into the top of a furnace usually made in the form of a flat topped stone pyramid. Air blasted into the furnace caused the fire's temperature to approach 2000 degrees, freeing the iron from the oxygen and other minerals in the ore. ...
Apr 14, 2009· Turning low grade iron ore into the most used metal in the world is no easy task. Learn how this hot process works on Discovery Channel's "HowStuffWorks" show.
Jun 25, 2019· Iron was likely originally discovered and extracted as a result of wood burning on top of iron-containing ores. The carbon within the wood would have reacted with the oxygen in the ore, leaving a soft, malleable iron metal. Iron smelting and the use of iron to make tools and weapons began in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) between 2700 and 3000 BC.
Iron making. Iron ore is mined in around 50 countries – the largest producers are Australia, Brazil and China. Around 98% of iron ore is used in steel-making. During the iron-making process, a blast furnace is fed with the iron ore, coke and small quantities of fluxes (minerals, such as limestone, which are used to collect impurities).
Jul 17, 2019· Iron arsenate is used in the insecticides that are used in flower and vegetable gardens. Iron hydroxide is used in many water purification systems, including the type that attaches to the kitchen sink. People who have an iron deficiency that needs correction will use iron gluconate as a diet supplement. Other uses for iron in some form include ...
Iron ores are rocks and mineral deposits from which clanging iron can be reasonably extracted. Iron ore mining is classified into two categories- manual mining and mechanized mining methods. Haematite and magnetite are the most commonly found iron ore minerals. Deposits of iron ore such as haematite containing iron oxide are found in sedimentary rocks from which the oxygen is removed from the ...
Uses of Iron Ore Of all the metals that make modern life possible, steel is the most widely used – and iron ore is its main ingredient. Iron ore is needed for train tracks and other types of infrastructure, which is one reason for the great demand from emerging economies such as China and Brazil.
Iron ore is the raw material used to make pig iron, which is one of the main raw materials to make steel—98% of the mined iron ore is used to make steel. Indeed, it has been argued that iron ore is "more integral to the global economy than any other commodity, except perhaps oil ".
Some iron ore contained vanadium producing so-called Damascene steel, ideal for swords. The first person to explain the various types of iron was René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur who wrote a book on the subject in 1722. This explained how steel, wrought iron, and cast iron, were to be distinguished by the amount of charcoal (carbon) they ...
Iron Ore Price: Get all information on the Price of Iron Ore including News, Charts and Realtime Quotes. Iron Ore Price: Get all information on the Price of Iron Ore including News, Charts and ...
Iron ore is most often found in the forms of hematite and magnetite. Learn what makes those types of iron ore different and make an informed investment. Did you know that there are different types ...
It is a soft, brittle metal in its pure form, but is strengthened by impurities such as carbon that are added to it to make steel, for which over 98% of the iron ore mined today is used.
Fine-grained iron ore is processed into coarse-grained clumps for use in the blast furnace. Coal is cleaned of impurities in a coke furnace, yielding an almost pure form of carbon. A mixture of iron ore and coal is then heated in a blast furnace to produce molten iron, or pig iron, from which steel is made. ...
Iron ore is the main ingredient in steel, which makes up 95 percent of the metals used in the world per year. Two billion metric tons of raw iron ore are produced in a year. The world's largest single producer of iron ore is Brazilian mining company Vale, which produces over 350 million tons of iron ore annually.
Iron ore is usually smelted to produce pig iron (metallic iron), which is used to make steel. It is for this reason iron is perhaps one of the most important metals used in developed and developing economies.There is also wrought iron (low in carbon) and cast iron (otherwise known as pig iron), and corrugated iron structural sheeting, a recognisable material in the buildings throughout the ...
Hematite is the most important iron ore. The iron content of the pure minerals is as follows: Ankerite is a carbonate of lime, magnesia, manganese, and iron. It is of valuable composition, carries only 14 or 15% of iron, and is used more for its lime and magnesia as a flux than for its iron-content.
Aug 12, 2018· Left: Pig iron is the raw material used to make other forms of iron and steel. Each of these iron pieces is one pig. Middle: Cast iron was used for strong, structural components like bits of engines and bridges before steel became popular. Right: Wrought iron is a softer iron still widely used to make everyday things like these street railings.
Iron ore is the raw material used to make pig iron, which is one of the main raw materials to make steel—98% of the mined iron ore is used to make steel. Indeed, it has been argued that iron ore is "more integral to the global economy than any other commodity, except perhaps oil".
Iron Ore is a common ore found almost everywhere in a Minecraft world. Iron ore generates around and below sea-level in the Overworld. It is a crucial material to gather during the early stages of the game since it can be made into a Pickaxe, capable of mining all types of ores (including...
Most important, it releases oxygen from the iron ore, which makes up a high percentage of common iron ores. The most primitive facility used to smelt iron is a bloomery. There, a blacksmith burns charcoal with iron ore and a good supply of oxygen (provided by a bellows or blower). Charcoal is …
Ore is a deposit in the Earths crust of one or more valuable minerals. The most valuable ore deposits contain metals crucial to industry and trade, like copper, gold, and iron. Copper ore is mined for a variety of industrial uses. Copper, an excellent conductor of electricity, is used as electrical wire.Copper is also used in construction.
Iron ore is found in nature in the form of rocks, mixed with other elements. By means of various industrial processes incorporating cutting-edge technology, iron ore is processed and then sold to steel companies. The iron ore produced by Vale can be found in houses, cars and appliances.
Oct 28, 2016· The beginning of the Iron Age is dated as somewhere between 1200 and 600 BC depending on location, so humans have been using this metal for some time and developed various technologies to convert pig iron, the intermediate product of smelting iron...
Iron ores in the form of hematite (ferrous oxide) and magnetite are removed from the earth through mining. The use of heavy mining equipment is necessary to dig out large pits in an area with a large deposit of iron ore; however, because iron does not occur naturally, it is necessary to use a blast furnace to separate or refine iron from the other substances in the iron ore.
Iron is the world's most commonly used metal - steel, of which iron ore is the key ingredient, represents almost 95% of all metal used per year.
People having chemotherapy may develop iron deficiency and anemia, for which intravenous iron therapy is used to restore iron levels. Iron overload, which may occur from high consumption of red meat, may initiate tumor growth and increase susceptibility to cancer onset, particularly for colorectal cancer. See also
Jun 30, 2019· One of the most important uses of iron ore is steel production, accounting for the bulk of iron ore processed annually. Iron-rich ores have a number of other uses, some of which are literally quite colorful; they are used in cosmetics, for example, and in the production of some paints, inks, and dyes.
This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft iron ore with screenshots and step-by-step instructions. In Minecraft, iron ore is an item that you can not make with a crafting table or furnace. Instead, you need to find and gather this item in the game. Let's explore how to add iron ore to your inventory.
Iron ore is the source of primary iron for the world's iron and steel industries. It is therefore essential for the production of steel, which in turn is essential to maintain a strong industrial base. Almost all (98%) iron ore is used in steelmaking. Iron ore is mined in about 50 countries.
Iron is the mineral. Iron is an element and as such, is not composed of any other materials, though iron ore comes out of the ground mixed with many other minerals.
Iron is a chemical element and a metal.It is the second most common metal on Earth, and the most widely-used metal.It makes up much of the Earth's core, and is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust.. The metal is used a lot because it is strong and cheap. Iron is the main ingredient used to make steel.Raw iron is magnetic (attracted to magnets), and its compound magnetite is ...
Mar 14, 2014· Iron ore is almost exclusively mined by surface operations. The most predominant surface mining methods used for mining of iron ores are open pit mining methods and open cut mining methods. However a few underground iron ore mines are also in operation around the globe. The decision for employing surface mining or underground mining is ...
Iron processing, use of a smelting process to turn the ore into a form from which products can be fashioned. Included in this article also is a discussion of the mining of iron and of its preparation for smelting. Iron (Fe) is a relatively dense metal with a silvery white appearance and distinctive
The primary use of iron ore is in the production of iron. Most of the iron produced is then used to make steel. Steel is used to make automobiles, locomotives, ships, beams used in buildings, furniture, paper clips, tools, reinforcing rods for concrete, bicycles, and thousands of other items. It is the most-used metal by both tonnage and purpose. | https://www.palazzofineschisergardi.it/1521805446_what-was-iron-ore-used-for.html |
by Paul Quealey
Over a 19-year audit career, I think I have seen every possible reaction to the news that the auditors are coming to visit.
While there are the few surprising responses of “we love audit time” from clients that see an audit as a way for continuous improvement, the large bulk of people become instantaneously guarded. They see an audit process as a way of picking out the things they did wrong, whether it’s an internal audit, process and control review, or an external audit.
Unfortunately, the stigma around auditors and our reputation precedes us. I can appreciate this reaction, with our reporting to management often being focused on exceptions only, and the approach of some auditors is to demand large lists of information be delivered yesterday while sitting behind closed doors in the main boardroom.
While he will never know it, a South African CFO of an ASX winery company was the catalyst for changing my approach to dealing with clients and ensuring the audit achieves a common goal. Being a typical brash 21-year-old auditor, I provided a list of information to him that I needed yesterday and he turned to me and said, “you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar”. Being the first time I had heard this saying, it resonated with me and has stuck with me ever since.
Being the Audit Partner at Lambourne Partners, I have mandated that our approach to working with our clients in a collaborative manner is a “non-negotiable”.
Here to Work With You
More often than not, the completion of the audit doesn’t fall at a time when the finance staff have a whole week off from their usual tasks to fully assist us in our role. As such, our audit team takes the approach of “point us in the direction of the folders/source records, explain the filing system and let us help you”.
Working through the records ourselves, often in the offices with the finance staff, we are discussing and understanding operations at a more detailed level, and gaining an understanding of the “pain points” for staff. It is not until you truly understand these daily processes and tasks that you find the most value-add recommendations for process, technology or risk improvements.
Always Contactable
Another must for all my clients is that they have my direct mobile number and the awareness that I want them to call whenever they have a question. Often hearing comments like “we have never met the person who signs our audit report” or “the audit partner never seems to take my calls” throughout my career has illustrated the importance of being accessible. For every audit we complete, I have direct dialogue with the client, and I attend the client’s premises for most of the audit field work (COVID restrictions permitting, of cause).
I operate under the ethos that there is only one silly question, that being the one that isn’t asked.
Regular contact is something I strive to have with all my clients so we can discuss issues or plans before making the key decisions, which ensures we are discussing the risks and impacts upfront.
…All While Remaining Independent
Working collaboratively with my clients doesn’t impact my understanding of my role, as at the end of the day I need to remain objective and independent.
Some of the clients I have my best relationships with are those I have had to have the more difficult discussions with that could have a significant impact on the financial performance of the company, or the need to report unexpected news to Board/Executives/Owners.
Our clients engage us to play this independent role, while ensuring we can provide value to their business. This value comes through recommendations for business and process improvements, being a third opinion on a business decision, or providing assurance to Management/Board/Owners that compliance matters are being met (i.e. staff being paid accurately, super paid on time, GST filings accurate and up-to-date).
If the Lambourne Partners approach doesn’t resonate with your experiences with auditors, or you think you could benefit from this different approach to auditing, please contact Paul Quealey below for a no obligation discussion of how Lambourne Partners could assist you and your team. | https://lambourne.com.au/auditors-a-friend-in-disguise/ |
The Executive Committee oversees the management of the business and affairs of the Bank and the Group, within the parameters delegated by the Board.
It reviews the Bank's policies, principles, strategies, values, objectives and performance targets. These include investment and divestment policies. It also endorses such other matters and initiates any special reviews and actions as appropriate for the prudent management of OCBC Bank.
The Executive Committee comprises Dr Cheong Choong Kong (Chairman), Mr David Conner, Mr Lee Seng Wee, Mr Colm McCarthy and Mr Teh Kok Peng. Mr Lee Seng Wee is an observer.
The Nominating Committee plays a vital role in reinforcing the principles of transparency and meritocracy at OCBC Bank.
It plans for board succession and ensures that only the most competent individuals capable of contributing to the success of the organisation are appointed.
This includes review of all nominations for the appointment, re-appointment, election or re-election of our Directors and members of our Executive Committee, Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee and Risk Management Committee of the Bank.
The Nominating Committee is also charged with determining annually whether or not a Director is independent, capable of carrying out the relevant duties and qualified to remain in office.
It also reviews nominations for our senior management positions, including the Chief Executive Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer. The Nominating Committee makes recommendations to the Board on all such appointments.
The Nominating Committee establishes annually the profile required of Board members, having regard to the competencies and skills required at the Board, and makes recommendations to the Board on appointment of new Directors, when necessary.
When the need for a new Director is identified, the Nominating Committee will prepare a shortlist of candidates with the appropriate profile and qualities for nomination.
The Nominating Committee may engage external search consultants to search for the Director. The Board reviews the recommendation of the Nominating Committee and appoints the new Director, subject to the approval of the MAS.
In accordance with our Articles, the new Director will hold office until the next annual general meeting, and if eligible, the Director can stand for re-election.
The Nominating Committee comprises Mrs Fang Ai Lian (Chairman), Dr Cheong Choong Kong, Mr Lee Seng Wee, Professor Neo Boon Siong and Dato' Ooi Sang Kuang.
The Audit Committee performs the functions specified in the Companies Act, Chapter 50 of Singapore, the 2005 Code, the listing manual of the SGX-ST and the MAS’ corporate governance regulations and guidelines. The Board approved the terms of reference of the Audit Committee.
The Committee may meet at any time but no less than four times a year. It has full access to, and co-operation from management, and has the discretion to invite any Director and executive officer to attend its meetings. It has explicit authority to investigate any matter within its terms of reference.
In addition to the review of the consolidated financial statements, the Audit Committee reviews and evaluates with the external and internal auditors, the adequacy of the system of internal controls including financial, operational and compliance controls; and risk management policies and systems.
It reviews the scope and results of the audits, the cost effectiveness of the audits, and the independence and objectivity of the external auditors.
When the external auditors provide non-audit services to us, the Committee keeps the nature, extent and costs of such services under review. This is to balance the objectivity of the external auditors against their ability to provide value-for-money services.
The Audit Committee also reviews significant financial reporting issues and judgments to ensure the integrity of the financial statements, and announcements relating to financial performance.
We have in place a whistle-blowing policy and the Audit Committee reviews concerns, including anonymous complaints, which staff may, in confidence, raise about possible improprieties in matters of financial reporting or other matters, and have the concerns independently investigated and followed-up.
It meets at least once a year with the external auditors and internal auditors in separate sessions and without the presence of management, to consider any matters which might be raised privately.
In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee meets the internal auditors on a regular basis to discuss the work undertaken, key findings and any other significant matters arising from our operations. Formal reports are sent to the Audit Committee on a regular basis. The Board is updated on these reports.
The Audit Committee has received the requisite disclosures from the external auditors evidencing the latter’s independence. It is satisfied that the financial, professional and business relationships between the OCBC Group and the external auditors are compatible with maintaining the independence of the external auditors.
Where appropriate, the Audit Committee has adopted relevant best practices set out in the Guidebook for Audit Committees in Singapore issued by the Audit Committee Guidance Committee.
The Audit Committee comprises Mr Bobby Chin (Chairman), Mr Colm McCarthy, Dato' Ooi Sang Kuang and Dr Teh Kok Peng, all of whom are independent Directors and have accounting or financial management expertise and experience.
The Remuneration Committee recommends to the Board a framework for determining the remuneration of the directors and executive officers, and reviews the remuneration practices to ensure that they are aligned with the approved framework.
It also recommends the remuneration and fees of non-executive Directors as well as the compensation of executive Directors, and is empowered to review the human resources management policies and the policies governing the compensation of the executive officers of OCBC Bank and our subsidiaries, as well as the remuneration of senior executives.
In addition, it administers the various employee share ownership schemes. The Remuneration Committee, if necessary, will seek independent expert advice from an external expert on remuneration matters. In its deliberations, the Remuneration Committee takes into account remuneration principles, practices and standards that may be specified by the MAS from time to time.
The Remuneration Committee comprises Mrs Fang Ai Lian (Chairman), Dr Cheong Choong Kong, Dr Lee Tih Shih, Professor Neo Boon Siong and Mr Quah Wee Ghee. All the Committee members are well versed with executive compensation matters, given their extensive experience in senior corporate positions and major appointments.
The Risk Management Committee reviews the overall risk management philosophy, guidelines and major policies for effective risk management, including the risk profile, risk tolerance level and risk strategy.
The Committee reviews the scope, effectiveness and objectivity of our Group Risk Management division and the risk reports that monitor and control risk exposures.
It also oversees the establishment and operation of an independent risk management system for identifying, measuring, monitoring, controlling and reporting risks on an enterprise-wide basis, including ensuring the adequacy of risk management practices for material risks.
The Risk Management Committee, which supports the Board in performing its risk oversight responsibilities, comprises Mr Lai Teck Poh (Chairman), Dr Cheong Choong Kong, Mr David Conner, Mr Colm McCarthy, Mr Pramukti Surjaudaja and Mr Quah Wee Ghee. | https://www.ocbc.com.my/group/who-we-are/Leaders-Board-Committees.html |
Q:
Difference (or intersection) of two convex polyhedra
I have two convex polyhedra stored in the following form: a set of vertices vertices = {{x1,y1,z1},...}, a set of faces, where each face is a convex polygon specified by the ordered list of the numbers of its vertices. For example,
vertices1 = {{-1, -1, -1}, {-1, -1, 1}, {-1, 1, -1}, {-1, 1, 1}, {1, -1, -1}, {1, -1, 1},
{1, 1, -1}, {1, 1, 1}};
vertices2 = {{-(1/2), -(1/2), -(1/2)}, {5/6, -(7/6), 5/6}, {-(7/6), 5/6, 5/6},
{1/6, 1/6, 13/6}, {5/6, 5/6, -(7/6)}, {13/6, 1/6, 1/6}, {1/6, 13/6, 1/6},
{3/2, 3/2, 3/2}};
faces = {{5, 6, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 4, 3}, {3, 4, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 6, 5},
{2, 4, 8, 6}, {1, 3, 7, 5}};
These are just two cubes, one of them rotated and translated. They can be visualized by GraphicsComplex:
Show[{Graphics3D@GraphicsComplex[vertices1, Polygon /@ faces], Graphics3D@GraphicsComplex[vertices2, Polygon /@ faces]}]
I need to find a way to calculate the exact coordinates of the vertices for the concave polyhedron that is the difference of these two ($P_1\setminus P_2$ or $P_2\setminus P_1$), which, I guess, is almost equivalent to finding their intersection.
Obviously, in my example the difference consists of several polyhedra, not one, but the idea is still the same -- this is just a set of faces stored as lists of numbers of vertices. The output has to have the same form as the input. The algorithm has to be applicable to any pair of convex polyhedra.
Edit: one interesting case is when the polyhedra do not even contain any of each other's vertices:
`vertices1 = {{-1, -1, -1}, {-1, -1, 1}, {-1, 1, -1}, {-1, 1, 1}, {1, -1, -1}, {1, -1, 1}, {1, 1, -1}, {1, 1, 1}};`
`vertices2 = {{-(1/2) - 1/Sqrt[2], -(1/2) + 1/Sqrt[2],0}, {-(1/2) + 1/Sqrt[2], -(1/2) - 1/Sqrt[2], 0}, {1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], -Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], -Sqrt[2]}, {3/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 3/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 0}, {3/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 3/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 0}};`
`Show[{Graphics3D@GraphicsComplex[vertices1, Polygon /@ faces], Graphics3D@GraphicsComplex[vertices3, Polygon /@ faces]}]`
A:
Update for v10
I used MeshRegion and MeshPrimitives for intersected points.
linePoly[v1_, v2_, f_] := Module[{fC = Append[#, #[[1]]] & /@ f},
{x, y, z} /. NSolve[
Or@@ ({x, y, z}\[Element]# & /@
MeshPrimitives[MeshRegion[v1, Line /@ fC], 1]) &&
Or@@ ({x, y, z}\[Element]# & /@
MeshPrimitives[MeshRegion[v2, Polygon /@ f], 2])]]
polysIntersected[v1_, v2_, f_] := Union[linePoly[v1, v2, f], linePoly[v2, v1, f]]
There are your data.
vertices3 = {{-1, -1, -1}, {-1, -1, 1}, {-1, 1, -1}, {-1, 1,1}, {1, -1, -1}, {1, -1, 1}, {1, 1, -1}, {1, 1, 1}};
vertices4 = {{-(1/2) - 1/Sqrt[2], -(1/2) + 1/Sqrt[2], 0}, {-(1/2) + 1/Sqrt[2], -(1/2) - 1/Sqrt[2], 0}, {1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], -Sqrt[2]}, {1/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 1/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], -Sqrt[2]}, {3/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 3/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 0}, {3/2 + 1/Sqrt[2], 3/2 - 1/Sqrt[2], 0}};
faces = {{5, 6, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 4, 3}, {3, 4, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 6, 5}, {2,4, 8, 6}, {1, 3, 7, 5}};
You can test for second your data.
points = polysIntersected[vertices3, vertices4, faces] // Chop;
Show[Graphics3D[GraphicsComplex[#, {Opacity[0.5], Polygon /@ faces}]] & /@ {vertices3, vertices4}];
Graphics3D[{PointSize[Large], Red, Point /@ points}];
Show[%, %%]
And you might want to know intersected points like this.
points
{{-1., 0, 0}, {-1., 0, 0}, {-1., 0.414214, -0.292893}, {-1., 0.414214,
0.292893}, {-0.5, 0.914214, -1.}, {-0.5, 0.914214, 1.}, {-0.414214,
1., 1.}, {-0.414214, 1., -1.}, {0, -1.,
0}, {0.414214, -1., -0.292893}, {0.414214, -1.,
0.292893}, {0.585786, 1., -1.}, {0.585786, 1.,
1.}, {0.914214, -0.5, -1.}, {0.914214, -0.5, 1.}, {1., -0.414214,
1.}, {1., -0.414214, -1.}, {1., 0.585786, -1.}, {1., 0.585786,
1.}, {1., 1., -0.707107}, {1., 1., 0.707107}}
Old
Have try this following code.
vertices1 = {{-1, -1, -1}, {-1, -1, 1}, {-1, 1, -1}, {-1, 1,
1}, {1, -1, -1}, {1, -1, 1}, {1, 1, -1}, {1, 1, 1}};
vertices2 = {{-(1/2), -(1/2), -(1/2)}, {5/6, -(7/6), 5/6}, {-(7/6),
5/6, 5/6}, {1/6, 1/6, 13/6}, {5/6, 5/6, -(7/6)}, {13/6, 1/6,
1/6}, {1/6, 13/6, 1/6}, {3/2, 3/2, 3/2}};
faces = {{5, 6, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 4, 3}, {3, 4, 8, 7}, {1, 2, 6, 5}, {2,
4, 8, 6}, {1, 3, 7, 5}};
makeSurfaceEq[v_List, {x_, y_, z_}] :=
Module[{a, b, c, d, eq},
eq = a x + b y + c z + d == 0;
eq /. Solve[(a #1 + b #2 + c #3 + d == 0 &) @@@ v, {a, b, c}][[
1]] /. d -> 1
] /; Length[v] >= 3
polygonToSurfaceInEq[v_, f_, {x_, y_, z_}] := Module[{cOfG, eqs, ineq},
cOfG = (Plus @@ v)/Length[v];
eqs = makeSurfaceEq[v[[#]], {x, y, z}] & /@ f;
Table[
ineq = eqs[[i]] /. Equal -> Greater;
If[ineq /. Thread[{x, y, z} -> cOfG], ineq, ! ineq],
{i, Length[eqs]}] /.
{Greater -> GreaterEqual, Less -> LessEqual}
]
makeLineInEq[v_List, {x_, y_, z_}] :=
Module[{eq, t},
eq = (v[[1]] - (Subtract @@ v) t) == {x, y, z};
Reduce[Exists[{t}, eq && 0 <= t <= 1], {x, y, z}, Reals]
] /; Length[v] == 2
polygonToLineInEq[v_, f_, {x_, y_, z_}] := Module[{eqs},
eqs = v[[#]] & /@ f;
eqs = Partition[#, 2, 1, 1] & /@ eqs;
eqs = Union[Flatten[eqs, {1, 2}],
SameTest -> (Sort[#1] == Sort[#2] &)];
eqs = makeLineInEq[#, {x, y, z}] & /@ eqs
]
polyInterSected[v1_, v2_, f_] := Module[
{x, y, z, ieq1, ieq2, ieq3, ieqs, eqs1, eqs2},
ieq1 = polygonToLineInEq[v1, f, {x, y, z}];
ieq2 = polygonToSurfaceInEq[v2, f, {x, y, z}];
ieq3 = ieq2 /. {Greater | GreaterEqual | Less | LessEqual -> Equal};
Off[NSolve::svars];
p1 = Cases[{x, y, z} /.
NSolve[(Or @@ ieq1) && (And @@ ieq2) && (Or @@ ieq3), {x, y,
z}], {_?NumberQ, _?NumberQ, _?NumberQ}]
]
polyInterSected[vertices1, vertices2, faces]
{{-1., 0.75, 1.}, {-1., 1., 0.75}, {-0.5, 1., 1.}, {0.75, -1.,
1.}, {0.75, 1., -1.}, {1., -1., 0.75}, {1., -0.5, 1.}, {1.,
0.75, -1.}, {1., 1., -0.5}}
g1 = Show[{
Graphics3D[GraphicsComplex[vertices1,
{Opacity[0.5], Polygon /@ faces}]],
Graphics3D[GraphicsComplex[vertices2,
{Opacity[0.5], Polygon /@ faces}]]}];
g2 = Graphics3D[{PointSize[Large], Red,
Point /@ polyInterSected[vertices1, vertices2, faces]}];
Show[g1, g2]
A:
This takes some time for pre-processing:
h1 = Hexahedron[{{-1.1666666666666667`, 0.8333333333333334`,
0.8333333333333334`}, {0.16666666666666666`, 2.1666666666666665`,
0.16666666666666666`}, {1.5`, 1.5`, 1.5`}, {0.16666666666666666`,
0.16666666666666666`,
2.1666666666666665`}, {-0.5`, -0.5`, -0.5`}, {0.8333333333333334`,
0.8333333333333334`, -1.1666666666666667`}, {2.1666666666666665`,
0.16666666666666666`,
0.16666666666666666`}, {0.8333333333333334`, -1.1666666666666667`,
0.8333333333333334`}}]; h2 =
Hexahedron[{{-1.`, 1.`, -1.`}, {1.`, 1.`, -1.`}, {1.`, 1.`,
1.`}, {-1.`, 1.`,
1.`}, {-1.`, -1.`, -1.`}, {1.`, -1.`, -1.`}, {1.`, -1.`,
1.`}, {-1.`, -1.`, 1.`}}];
ri = RegionIntersection[h1, h2];
rd1 = RegionDifference[h1, ri];
rd2 = RegionDifference[h2, ri];
Visualizing:
With[{rp1 = RegionPlot3D[ri, PlotPoints -> 100, PlotStyle -> Red],
rp2 = RegionPlot3D[rd1, PlotPoints -> 100, PlotStyle -> Green],
rp3 = RegionPlot3D[rd2, PlotPoints -> 100, PlotStyle -> Blue]},
Manipulate[
Show[If[p == 1, rp1, Graphics3D[]],
If[q == 1, rp2, Graphics3D[]],
If[r == 1, rp3, Graphics3D[]], Boxed -> False, Axes -> False,
Background -> Black,
PlotRange -> Table[{-3, 3}, {3}]], {p, {0, 1}}, {q, {0,
1}}, {r, {0, 1}}]]
An estimate of volume of intersection: Volume[DiscretizeRegion@ri] is 3.61699
Update
To find points of intersection:
pts = Part[vertices1, #] & /@ faces;
pts2 = Part[vertices2, #] & /@ faces;
ip1 = InfinitePlane[#[[1 ;; 3]]] & /@ pts;
ip2 = InfinitePlane[#[[1 ;; 3]]] & /@ pts2;
ans = Cases[
RegionIntersection @@@
Tuples[RegionIntersection @@@ Tuples[{ip1, ip2}], 2], Point[x_]];
rmfun1[x_] := Or @@ Through[(RegionMember /@ (Polygon /@ pts))[x]]
rmfun2[x_] := Or @@ Through[(RegionMember /@ (Polygon /@ pts2))[x]]
rmf[x_] := And[rmfun1[x], rmfun2[x]]
pck = Union[Pick[ans, rmf /@ ans[[All, 1]]]];
Graphics3D[{Red, PointSize[0.02], pck, , Blue, Opacity[0.5],
Polygon /@ pts, Yellow, Polygon /@ pts2}]
Also works for second set of vertices (but no efficient):
with points:
{Point[{-1, 0, 0}], Point[{-(1/2), -(1/2) + Sqrt[2], -1}],
Point[{-(1/2), -(1/2) + Sqrt[2], 1}], Point[{0, -1, 0}],
Point[{1, 1 - Sqrt[2], -1}],
Point[{1, 1 - Sqrt[2],
1 - Sqrt[2] - (3 - 2 Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2] + 1/2 (-4 + 5 Sqrt[2])}],
Point[{1, 2 - Sqrt[2], -1}], Point[{1, 2 - Sqrt[2], 1}],
Point[{1 - Sqrt[2], 1,
1 - 3/Sqrt[2] - Sqrt[2] + 1/2 (-4 + 5 Sqrt[2])}],
Point[{-(1/2) + Sqrt[2], -(1/2), -1}],
Point[{-(1/2) + 1/2 (3 - 2 Sqrt[2]), -(1/2) + Sqrt[2] +
1/2 (3 - 2 Sqrt[2]), 1}],
Point[{1/2 + (2 - Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2], -(3/2) + Sqrt[2] - (2 - Sqrt[2])/
Sqrt[2], 1}],
Point[{1/2 (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
1 + 1/2 (1 - Sqrt[2] - (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
1/Sqrt[2] - Sqrt[2]}],
Point[{1/2 (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
1 + 1/2 (1 - Sqrt[2] - (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]), -(1/Sqrt[2]) +
Sqrt[2]}],
Point[{1/2 (2 - Sqrt[2]) (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
1 + 1/2 (2 - Sqrt[2]) (1 - Sqrt[2] - (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
Sqrt[2] - (2 - Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]}],
Point[{1/2 (2 - Sqrt[2]) (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
1 + 1/2 (2 - Sqrt[2]) (1 - Sqrt[2] - (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[
2]), -Sqrt[2] + (2 - Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]}],
Point[{1/2 (-1 + Sqrt[2]) (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[
2]), -1 +
1/2 (-1 + Sqrt[2]) (1 - Sqrt[2] - (-2 + Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]), -((-1 +
Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2])}],
Point[{-1 +
1/2 (-1 + Sqrt[2]) (1 + Sqrt[2] + (-2 - Sqrt[2])/Sqrt[2]),
| |
focused on growth, embracing these dynamics faster than the rest.
Traditional role of a CFO
Role of a CFO has always ranged from a fiduciary one (value preserver) to a visionary one (value creator). Traditionally, businesses have pushed the CFO role towards the fiduciary end of the spectrum rather than the visionary end. But nowadays, this role is becoming more and more about strategy than stewardship and even more about value realisation and optimisation.
Value in businesses has been traditionally created by a well-understood capital investment and commercial model with a strong emphasis on effective regulatory positioning, clear competitive strategies for each market segment and disciplined infrastructure development and deployment. But in e-commerce, it is all about digital innovation, data proliferation, volatile risks, tightening regulatory environment and a growing sphere of stakeholders.
CFO’s role in the era of digital disruption
CFOs who don’t proactively demarcate their role in response to all the forces mentioned above, are compromising their ability to shape organization’s strategy and drive the necessary innovations for sustainable growth. In e-commerce, digital disruption is like being caught between the promise of rain and the threat of drought. On one side, digitization offers the opportunity for new business models and revenue streams but on the other side, it makes the organization vulnerable to
competition from new players and agile incumbents and creates exposure to new risk.
However, in this space, value is likely to come through more diverse and less stable sources. This broader value creation and greater uncertainty requires a new strategic lens to be applied by the CFO – one that is capable of discerning ‘where to play’ strategically, ‘how to play’ commercially and ‘how to win’ competitively. Focus provided by this position on realisation of value complements the design of these strategies. The role will particularly be focused on creating congruence between the strategies developed for the enterprise and the financial imperatives established for the business. CFOs understands that strategic success can only be achieved with financial success, and linkage of these two key dimensions is fundamental to realising expected values from strategy to execution. As this technology, market and consumer preferences evolves further, this role will move from holding a perspective that effective execution is the primary driver of results to one that recognises that realised value is a function of congruence between strategy and operations.
Way ahead for finance leaders
To become successful in this new environment, CFOs need to develop a splendid set of key capabilities that can be leveraged to strengthen strategic, financial and market positioning. To help their organization profit from digital opportunities, finance leaders can use a traditional finance skill: striking a balance between innovation-led growth and prudent risk management. They need to collaborate with other domains to develop their understanding of how the technological landscape is evolving and what strategic investments should be encouraged to enable innovation and support the business’s growth. | https://programicasia.com/evolution-of-cfo-role-in-e-commerce-sector/ |
Breath test evidence has not been used in Court in Massachusetts since August of 2017. The reasons for this was based on discovery violations that were uncovered during the 9510 Breath test litigation in Commonwealth v. Ananias. In November 2018, Judge Brennan held a hearing to determine when breath test evidence could be used in Court following efforts of the Commonwealth to remedy its discovery violations. Judge Brennan rejected the Commonwealth’s proposal that would have allowed it to use all breath test after August 2017 and also rejected the defense proposal that breath test evidence should not be used until the OAT becomes accredited. His decision was a victory for the defense as his seven criteria require the OAT to implement standards consistent with the scientific community and have transparency throughout their processes.
That the OAT has filed an application for accreditation with the ANAB that is demonstrably substantially likely to succeed; The ANAB is a national accreditation board for scientific labs that has to confirm to the ISO standards. This will subject the OAT to annual audits and oversight by an independent entity.
Breath test evidence has not been used in Massachusetts since August 2017 as a result of serious discovery violations that occurred during the litigation in Commonwealth v. Ananias. This litigation originally started over whether the breath test source code was reliable, but evolved to include litigation about whether the Office of Alcohol Testing had a scientifically reliable method to certify the machines as reliable.
Recently, a hearing was conducted in which Judge Brennan reviewed evidence submitted by the State. A number of violations on behalf of the Office of Alcohol Testing were highlighted including unsanitary conditions, potential rodent contamination, and failure to properly calibrate the Alcotest machine. Defense attorneys highlighted evidence that some of the 9510 devices were used as a nesting site for rodents, and that the breath test machine tested positive for MRSA. The state’s position is that the outstanding issues related to the breath test have been addressed, citing the state’s compliance with the discovery last summer.
Defense attorneys point to the systemic issues that surround the breath test machine which inherently hinder the Office of Alcohol Testing’s ability to properly calibrate the machines that police officers utilize. As of now, the OAT is not a nationally accredited crime lab. Defense Attorneys argued that in order for the tests to be used, the OAT needs to be accredited by the American National Standards Institute-American Society for Quality. To read more about Accreditation you can read out prior blog post.
Should the Office of Alcohol Testing in Massachusetts responsible for calibrating and certifying the breath test be an accredited lab? This is the next issue before Judge Brennan in the Massachusetts breath test litigation in the case of Commonwealth v. Ananias.
Judge Brennan recently granted the defense request for a hearing on this issue in the Ananias litigation. The defense has requested that prior to the continued use of the breath test in Massachusetts that the OAT should seek accreditation. In May of this year, I attended a seminar called Serious Science at the University of Texas Arlington Laboratory which was a five day program that focused on many of these scientific standard that will be at issue in the accreditation motion hearing.
Why you may be able to vacate an Old OUI conviction in Massachusetts? For the past two years, over 30 DelSignore Law clients have been involved in the breath test litigation in Concord District Court. It was a 6:00 meeting with myself and a group of Massachusetts OUI lawyers where we discussed the upcoming litigation regarding the breath test source code. At DelSignore Law, we initially joined approximately 30 clients to the litigation who took breath tests. As the breath test litigation took additional time, more clients were joined to this statewide litigation.
The litigation took about two years, as every aspect of the machine was tested by the defense. Judge Brennan ultimately ruled that the breath test had a reliable source code, that it was specific enough for alcohol and that the partition ratio was scientifically reliable. He essentially rejected all of the defenses scientific attacks on the machine. However, he made a major ruling that resulted in two years of breath tests being excluded from evidence. Those were tests prior to September 14, 2014. In his original ruling, the results were only presumptively excluded meaning that the Commonwealth could seek to introduce them. Ultimately, the breath tests were excluded in all of our cases that were part of the litigation as the Commonwealth was never able to meet this burden in court to admit the test results.
Since August of this year, breath test evidence has not been used in Massachusetts as a result of discovery violations that occurred during the Alcotest 9510 litigation in the Concord District Court that was heard before Judge Brennan. Now New Jersey, has also had an issue impacting breath test evidence Statewide. New Jersey uses the same Breath test used in Massachusetts.
Nearly 20,000 DWI cases with breath test results are currently on hold in New Jersey after a State Police Sergeant was accused of incorrectly calibrating the breath test machines used in police departments across the state. The issue arose out of a lawsuit filed in federal court by a woman who was convicted in 2016 of DWI after blowing a breath test reading of .09.
The Attorney General’s office in New Jersey has charged Sergeant Marc Dennis with records tampering, arguing that he overlooked and incorrectly handled the Alcotest breath test machine in the 6-month recalibration of the machine. All of the Alcotest instruments produced and manufactured by Draeger Safety Diagnostics were required to undergo the said 6-month recalibration.
Massachusetts breath test evidence not being used in Court as the Head of the Office of Alcohol Testing was fired Monday. Melissa O’Meara, the head of the Massachusetts Office of Alcohol, was fired Monday amid an investigation which uncovered that the office was withholding evidence of breath test machines that were improperly calibrated. The 126 page report cultivated by public safety officials stated that the withholding of such evidence was done intentionally and was not the result of a big mistake.
O’Meara was the technical leader of the Office of Alcohol Testing and had the responsibility of certifying the reliability of the breath tests submitted by defendant’s under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol. Melissa O’ Meara worked with the Massachusetts State Police for nearly a decade.
The Massachusetts Office of Alcohol Testing oversees all of the states breathalyzer machines. They ensure the machines are up to date, and are, at all times, functioning and calibrated properly. The information that O’Meara was withholding is information that could have been hugely helpful to defense attorney’s and their clients. The report concludes that he Massachusetts OAT “made serious errors in judgement” in regards to handling requests made by defense attorneys in their requests for discovery.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled today that the breath test operator does not have to watch the defendant to be in compliance with the 15 minutes observation period. This ruling is contrary to the regulations requiring that the breath test operator observe a defendant for 15 minutes.
This decision arose out of a motor vehicle homicide case and is likely to be appealed. The Appeals Court’s decision is contrary to the regulations and disregards the fact that a breath test operator has special training to determine whether someone is under the influence of alcohol. The decision of the Appeals Court is Commonwealth v. Leary.
The burden of the Commonwealth to prove compliance with the 15 minute observation period is not very difficult. A breath test operator should be able to watch the person taking the test for 15 minutes. There are a lot of issues with the reliability of breath test machines that are being litigated as part of the consolidated litigation before Judge Brennan. It was recently revealed that there were serious discovery violations during this litigation. To lessen the requirement of admissibility was an unfortunate decision for the court when the regulation could not be more clear. As a Massachusetts OUI Lawyer, this decision can be distinguished; it appears as though the Court may have been making inferences from the video in the case. There is no indication from the opinion what role the other officers had during booking. If this case is affirmed, it can be distinguished based on the facts this decision was based on.
This week there will be two significant hearings on breath testing. The SJC will hear oral argument in the case of Commonwealth v. Camblin. This case has been at the SJC before; in the first Camblin decision, the SJC held that a district court judge was wrong to deny the defense as hearing on the scientific reliability of the breath test. At the time of the decision, the breath test being used was the Alcotest 7110. The case was remanded back to the district court judge for a hearing on whether the Alcotest 7110 was scientifically reliable. The judge concluded that it was scientifically reliable, rejecting a number of defense challenges to the accuracy of the machine.
The Camblin decision opened the door for the current litigation regarding the Alcotest 9510. In response to the Camblin decision, defense lawyers filed motion to exclude the breath test arguing that the machines were not scientifically reliable. The district court judge consolidated this litigation before Judge Brennan to resolve all issues regarding the scientific reliability of the Alcotest 9510. That litigation expanded over two years; Judge Brennan concluded that the Alcotest 9510 was scientifically reliable, but found that the Office of Alcohol Testing did not have a scientifically reliable method to annually certify the machines prior to September 14, 2014. As a result he made all tests prior to that date presumptively excluded.
That ruling resulted in district court judges holding hearings on whether the Commonwealth could prove that the analyst from OAT followed a reliable method. Judges were reaching different decisions on this issue. Recently, the Commonwealth stopped using all breath test results after it was discovered that the OAT failed to turn over 400 documents that were ordered to be produced as part of the litigation. The hearing this week will address what remedy is afforded a result of this discovery violation. District Attorneys are investigating what occurred and have not used breath test evidence since this violation was uncovered. As a Massachusetts OUI Lawyer, I would expect Judge Brennan to order that test results cannot be used at all prior to September 2014 as a remedy for the discovery violation. As to cases outside of the period of the consolidated appeal, which would be case after September 14, 2014, these may be impacted but the discovery violation depending on the reason for the violation and whether any particular analyst had a role in the failure to disclose the exculpatory evidence.
For the past two years, there has been extensive litigation about the reliability of the breath test. Judge Brennan consolidated all issues pertaining to the accuracy of the breath test in one hearing. Judge Brennan rejected all challenges to the scientific reliability of the machine, but found that the Office of Alcohol Testing did not have reliability procedures to conduct the annual certification. As a result he presumptively excluded two years of breath testing between 2012 and September 2014.
Some district attorneys office did not attempt to admit the results; while others, pursuant to the decision attempted to have the Office of Alcohol testing overcome the presumption of exclusion by testifying that they followed a reliability procedure at the time. In an article in the Boston Herald, by Bob McGovern discusses a motion that was recently filed to be heard by Judge Brennan that could result in exclusion of thousands of breath tests.
Following the litigation, attorneys continued to review the documents provided by the Office of Alcohol Testing to determine if all data was provided. Thomas Workman an expert of breath testing, reviewed the documents and discovered that the Office of Alcohol Testing did not provide all worksheets. Workman filed Freedom of Information Requests and discovered that all worksheets were not provided pursuant to Judge Brennan’s order. A motion filed in Concord District Court alleged that 89% of the withheld worksheets were exculpatory. The defense is arguing that by failing to provide the worksheets, that the Commonwealth undermined the ability of the defense to challenge the reliability of the breath test machine. The litigation took 2 weeks of court time and was a substantial cost to tax payers. To have evidence withheld that was ordered to be produced undermines the integrity of the Court process and litigation. I would expect Judge Brennan to schedule an evidentiary hearing to determine why the worksheets were not produced. This would involve further testimony by the Office of Alcohol Testing and possibly the district attorneys involved in handling the litigation. | https://www.delsignoredefense.com/blog/category/breathalyzer-testing/ |
Today, I open up the mailbag (or e-mailbag I should say) and hear from one of my loyal followers Jonathan. He writes:
"I know you are a set builder and you build sets of older cards. I've been wanting to build a 1977 (my birth year) Topps set and I just want a couple tips on how I might go about it. So here are my questions.
I don't have any cards from 1977 that are in good condition. When I was in high school I got a handful of cards from this set that a friend of mine had scotch taped to the wall. They still have the tape on them and the corners are pretty bad. So it's safe to say that I'm starting with no cards from the set.
Where is a good place to start?
I'm not looking for the cards to be in MT condition and I don't have unlimited money to spend, so I want something in between.
I guess I could find one of these sets already put together, but I think it would be more fun to build over time, plus would fit into my budget easier.
Any tips or advice you have would be much apprectiated. Thanks so much for your time!
Jonathan"
Thank you for the email Jonathan! Here is my response:
I would be glad to answer some of your questions and hopefully give you some useful advice. Building a set is a very fun and challenging pastime that I have been doing for over 30 years. There are several ways you can go about building a set as well as things you need to consider before you start. One way you can build a set is to flat out buy it! This is the easiest way to have a complete set and in some cases can be the cheapest. While this may be easy to do for people who have the money to do so, it is not what I do. Why? For me, there is no challenge in buying a complete set and doing so lacks that sense of accomplishment. To me, there is no greater feeling than to complete an old vintage set that I have been working on for years. (Well, except for pulling a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter Stephen Strasburg autograph card out of a pack numbered to 10 and selling it for $3,250 but that’s another story for another time)
If people did not want to be challenged and did not want the possibility of a game-used memorabilia card or an autograph and all they wanted was a complete set, they would buy factory sets. This is why I do not buy factory sets – although cheaper, it is not challenging and not very fun for me.
Some people find that upgrading a set is a fun challenge. You may consider buying a set off of Ebay and then work on upgrading it. However, if condition does not matter to you, then this would not be an option for you.
Before you begin your own vintage set quest, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
Do I have the time and patience to do this? If you do not, you need to find another project as building a set requires a lot of time and patience. At first, it mays seem like an uphill battle that you will never accomplish but if you have the time and patience, you will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel. It took me 30 years to build some of my sets.
What condition do I want my set to be in? Some people want near perfect sets, some collect only graded cards, and some do not care what condition the cards are in as long as they are not mangled. Heck, I know of one person who is putting together sets of mangled cards! For me, condition is pretty important. I want the cards to look like they came straight out of a pack. Corners do not have to be razor sharp but they must look really nice. Gum stains and wax stains I try to avoid and I do not own a single card from 1955 to present that has creases or ink marks. I am not too much of a stickler on centering because that is the way they come out of packs. All of my cards would grade a PSA 5 or higher. I have made an exception for the 1952, 1953, and 1954 sets I am working on. The cards must be graded by PSA and be a rating of 3 or higher. I’ll accept a 2 on the 1952 Topps high numbers.
How should I go about getting cards? Well, it helps if you have some and can find collectors that are also building sets so you can trade. But if you do not have any to trade, the best source is to look at EBay first. I wouldn’t buy right away without doing a little research. It is important to look at completed auctions to see what the market is on the set you are working on. You can also have a better idea of what a “good deal” is by knowing the sales history I have found that the best way to buy cards for a set is to buy common lots (100 count lots, for example) first and then focus on bigger names at the end. I have a friend who is building vintage sets just like me and his philosophy is to buy the big stars first and then that way buying commons later makes it seem like he is not spending as much money. For me, the closer I get to completing a set, the more likely I am to spend a larger amount for the star players. Other sources that I have found to be quite helpful are trading forums like The Bench and Freedom Card Board. I tried using Beckett’s trading forum a year ago or so after they completely revamped their web site, but I never could get comfortable with it and decided to stick with what was familiar to me. If you have a lot of cards to trade, I have found The Bench to be a great community of helpful collectors and I have never had any bad experiences over there.
One way I have received a lot of vintage cards is by getting a few boxes of Topps Heritage cards, opening them, and trading my hits and shortprints for vintage cards on my want list. A lot of people that collect Topps Heritage have vintage collections. I have been lucky in that there are a couple of people that will trade me cards off of my vintage want list for my Heritage cards that they need. One person sends me cards without even telling me who he is sending. The other day I received a 1967 Topps Jim Palmer card in my mail in very nice condition. In return, I will be sending him $80 worth of 2013 Topps Heritage when it comes out.
Is my want list current? Another important thing to do is to have an updated want list. I have mine updated and it can be found at www.mytoppscards.com. By keeping an updated want list, you and other collectors will always know what cards you need for your set.
What kind of budget do I want to have? It is always a good idea to have a set amount in mind when building a set. For me, I have a card account that I use for buying and selling. When my funds run low I usually sell cards to replenish it. I do a lot of buying and selling which helps me keep my account in the positive. There are some good deals that can be found on sites like EBay, especially from those who do not use a good title for what they are selling or from those that end their auctions at odd times. If you ever see me sell a bunch of cards, it usually means I am about to make a big purchase. My next big purchase will probably be a 1967 Topps Tom Seaver rookie card since I am just 11 cards away of completing that monster!
Now that you have asked these questions and have my advice, you are ready to begin!
Take care and good luck! I'd be interested in hearing your progress! | http://mybaseballcardblog.com/topps/how-to-start-collecting-a-vintage-topps-set/ |
Pharmacologists are responsible for finding out how drugs interact with the human body. They may specialize in regulatory pharmacology, clinical pharmacology or neuro-pharmacology. These medical scientists conduct research on animals or on human subjects to find out chemical compounds that can be used as new medications. Some of them focus on the research of the harmful and beneficial effects of chemicals on particular parts of body. In addition, they are also responsible for standardizing drug doses and following safety procedures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of pharmacologists, which falls under the category of medical scientists, is expected to increase by 36% between 2010 and 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. So if you are considering a career in healthcare that can possibly offer growth prospects as well, consider pursuing a doctorate of pharmacology.
Students can work towards the bachelor and master programs to learn the fundamentals of pharmacology, toxicology, and microbiology. The coursework may also include courses in drug delivery systems, and molecular cell biology and path physiology. Those who want to pursue a master’s degree can work towards a program in cardiovascular pharmacology, clinical investigation programs, drug development and free radical biology.
In addition to traditional universities, some online schools also offer programs in pharmacology. Students who want to study from their homes or those who already hold a degree in the field can pursue the self-paced online programs and maintain the balance between their personal and professional lives.
Though a variety of degrees are offered in pharmacology, a PhD or a Pharm.D. Degree is required by positions entailing a higher degree of responsibility. The doctoral programs in pharmacology allow students to explore the subject in depth by studying biochemistry, principles of pharmacology and advanced pharmacology. The dissertation is the most essential part of these programs. These advanced degrees combine traditional aspects of pharmacology with novel approaches drawn from other disciplines, such as molecular genetics, biophysics, and biomedical engineering.
The PhD programs in pharmacology may take 5 to 7 years to complete. The duration of a program depends on the enrollment status of candidates. The major focus of the program is the development of expertise in basic research. In addition to covering the core curriculum, students also go through laboratory rotations where they get a chance to investigate potential areas for dissertation research.
Candidates who want to pursue a PhD degree in pharmacology need to hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field. They may also have to submit a personal statement, letters of recommendation and official transcripts. In addition, these programs also require candidates to take the GRE general test.
Pharmacologists can work in hospital labs or get into academic research. Scientific research and development services, pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing and drugs and druggists' sundries merchant wholesalers are other industries that employ these medical scientists.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of medical scientists in 2010 was $76,700. | http://www.excite.com/education/healthcare/pharmacology/doctoral |
The Pre-Employment Department consists of a variety of small group, classroom-style training programs. The mandate for each program is to provide quality and effective learning opportunities through consumer-directed initiatives.
Department Goals:
- To recognize and accommodate the unique and diverse learning abilities of students in all teaching practices.
- To provide an environment which promotes effective learning.
- To ensure that all programs meet consumer demands and are cost effective.
- To facilitate ongoing training and/or employment opportunities for program participants.
- To provide an effective method of evaluation which recognizes individual accomplishments.
- To recognize and address individual accomplishments and needs through the effective partnering of internal and external agencies. | https://www.horizon-ns.ca/programs/pre-employment/ |
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The Wilson Education and Technology Center was built in 1997 and is named in honor of Harvey and Barbara Wilson. It includes a library collection of over 32,000 books, videos, and educational resources. Access to internet resources is available to students, teachers, and community members.
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These comprehensive databases for elementary through adult levels contains articles from thousands of magazines, newspapers, educational journals, encyclopedias, and general reference sources.
For further information, please call 254-687-2922 ext. 156, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. or E-Mail . | https://www.itascaisd.org/o/itasca-isd/page/library--613 |
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Identity theft alert : 10 rules you must follow to protect yourself from America's #1 crime / Steve Weisman.
Weisman starts with a clear-eyed assessment of the problem, helping you understand just how much risk you face. Next, he helps you understand, anticipate, and prevent many frightening forms of identity theft.
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This week, A. K. Smiley Public Library announced that all RUSD students (regardless of address or age) will be able to apply for a temporary digital library card! This digital library card will give you access to ebooks, magazines, newspapers, and much more. You can also get a physical (permanent) library card which gives you access to the entire physical library’s books and magazines AND the digital library. All you must do is to go to the library and inquire about the card. Parent/Guardian permission is required for both cards. The digital card will expire on August 31st, 2021, but you can renew it as long as you are enrolled in RUSD. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Zinner (our school librarian), ask on the library google classroom, or ask at the A. K. Smiley Public Library’s front desk.
Link to application: Temporary eLibrary Cards
Also, it has come to our attention that you can now check out books from our school library! There are only 5 simple steps to check out a book:
Step 1: Search the Destiny Discover Library Catalog to find the book that you would like to check out (please make sure it is available before requesting). Take note of the title and the author.
Step 2: Click on the link below to complete the book request form.
Step 3: Wait for an email from the school (it will be sent to your Redlands Google email) letting you know that the book is ready for pickup.
Step 4: Once you have received the email, come to the front office to pick up the book (on Mondays-Fridays) from 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM.
Step 5: Enjoy the book! When finished, please bring the book back to the front office to turn in. | https://thetalononline.org/9436/redlands/how-to-check-out-books-from-cope-m-s-and-smiley-libraries/ |
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On Tuesday, September 12 @ 6:30 Master Gardeners Donna Lanni & Ron Lockwood will be presenting tips on planting and maintaining decorative plants and talking about preparations for spring and winter. This free program is sponsored by Friends of the Vaughn Library. Refreshments will be served.
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These beautiful Apple Diamond earrings are made of Cherry wood and sterling silver findings. The design is based on a traditional Finnish tablet weaving pattern - these motifs have survived through time, over a thousand years!
This is a part of the Peilikuva Collection, made in collaboration with my sister, Sara Thornton. We are thrilled to be combining my love of wood, with her tablet weaving to bring these designs to life.
These are light-weight wooden earrings and 1.8 inches long. | https://www.jessicathorntondesigns.com/products/apple-diamond-earrings |
Although Tanzania has set a target of 90% Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), retesting among pregnant women, the rate of re-uptake is still low despite the service being free of charge. This study determined HIV retesting among pregnant women with the gestational age of 36 weeks or higher attending the antenatal clinic at Temeke Regional Referral Hospital.
Methods
The cross-sectional study design was used. The data was collected from 12th October 2020 to 9th November 2020 in Temeke regional referral Hospital. Two hundred pregnant mothers attending the Reproductive and child health clinic (RCH) clinic who had a gestational age of 36 weeks or above and tested HIV negative from the first test were included. The demographic and obstetrics information were collected by using a structured questionnaire. The descriptive and factors analysis was done by using SPSS version 20. The Chi-square test determined the relationship between variables, and the P-value of less or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
The percentage for re-uptake of second HIV test was 30% (60/200). Out of 60 who repeated the test, 6.7% (4/60) were HIV seroconverted. Factors associated with re-test were being married (p-value 0.05, X2=7.8), being self-employed (p-value is 0.00 , X2=18.838 ) ,four and above antenatal clinic visit (p-value is 0.003, X2=11.737 ) ,having knowledge of repeating (p-value is 0.00 ,X2=59.294) , multiparty ( p-value is 0.015 ,X2=8.334 ,positive perception during the first test (p-value is 0.044, X2= 4.039) ,maternal age of 25-29 years old (p-value is 0.053, X2= 10.901) ,and having access to radio and television (p-value is 0.04, X2= 6.442).
Conclusion
The proportion of HIV retesting was 30%, and factors associated with retesting were being married, being self-employed, more than four ANC visits, multiparity, having knowledge about retesting, and positive perception during the first test. | https://tmj.or.tz/index.php/tmj/article/view/501 |
Department of Business Administration, 1 Amman Arab University, Amman, Jordan.
P.O. Box 86,2 Rumana, Palestine
ABSTRACT: Background: Pharmacists’ jobs in Jordan are important and contribute to the welfare of patients and citizens. Through interviews of a number of pharmacists it was felt that there is need to study their feelings about their rights and satisfaction. Objectives: The aim of this study is to measure the perceptions of Jordanian pharmacists on attaining their rights, and the impact of these rights on their satisfaction. Methods: The study is an observational one. A random sample of 49 pharmacists was chosen to fill a self- administered questionnaire covering the dimensions of pharmacists and their satisfaction. The study tested the following hypothesis: there is no significant impact (at level α=0.05) of Pharmacists’ rights on their satisfaction. Results: The null hypothesis was rejected indicating a significant impact of pharmacists’ rights on their satisfaction. The results also showed that pharmacists were not highly satisfied, whereby they reported satisfaction mean of 2.8 out of 5. Pharmacists’ perception on salary was also low, (mean=2.71). Means and standard deviations of all questionnaire items are reported. Conclusion: Based on the results of this research, there should be effort from the employers and the Jordan Pharmacists’ Association to develop higher understanding and regard toward Pharmacists’ rights, especially salary and working conditions which showed effect on satisfaction.
|Keywords:|
Pharmacists’ rights,
Satisfaction, impact, Jordan Pharmacists’ Association
INTRODUCTION: Merriam Webster dictionary1 defines pharmacy as "The art, practice or profession of preparing, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs". According to Wikipedia 2, "pharmacy is the science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs. Pharmacists are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize use of medication for the benefit of the patient". Jaiswal 3 defines pharmacy as "the health profession that links the health sciences with the basic sciences; it is committed to ensuring the safe and effective use of medication".
Our usage of the term "pharmacy" is in line with these definitions. Six decades age, pharmacists in Jordan were graduates of neighbouring and foreign countries. Nowadays, there are about ten universities in Jordan which grant B.Sc. and M.Sc. in pharmacy and its branches. The pharmacy graduates from Jordanian and other countries Universities work in private and hospital pharmacies in addition to pharmaceutical companies, government hospitals and medical centers, universities and in neighbouring countries.
In 1957 the Jordan Pharmaceutical Association (JPA) was established as pharmacists Union to regulate the profession and to help, promote welfare of its members, speak in their name and protect their rights in all matters regarding the profession. Its role is to enhance awareness of the profession and regulate the relationship between pharmacists and their employers.
Pharmacy is a very important profession in Jordan whereby it plays a vital role in providing the pharmaceutical services required for the health care of patients and it is an effective factor in the economy and development of the nation.
Being an important constituent of the work force in Jordan, pharmacists are keen to secure and attain their job rights. Like other constituents of the society, they are entitled to enjoy high level of satisfaction to enable them to promote their profession. There is need to study the pharmacists rights and their effect on job satisfaction.
The term "private sector pharmacist" refers to every Jordanian employee who holds a B.Sc. degree in pharmacy as a minimum qualification, works in private pharmacies in Jordan, is a member of pharmacists' Union (JPA), and is certified for the pharmacy profession. A pharmacist has rights as depicted in laws and regulations of Jordan Labor Law (JLL), Pharmacy and drugs Law, and Jordan Pharmacists law. And in return he has responsibilities toward the profession and society.
Through several interviews conducted by the first author and due to her work as a practicing and teaching pharmacy, it was concluded that the private pharmacies' owners have different views towards the rights of pharmacists employed by them. Also, some owners have not complied with the Jordan Labor Law (JLL). In addition to that some Jordanian pharmacists do not have knowledge of JLL and are not satisfied with the existing laws of the pharmacists Union (PW) regarding the pharmacists’ rights. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to measure the degree of satisfaction among pharmacists employed in the private sectors, investigate the level of getting their rights and determining the impact of their rights on their job satisfaction. To achieve the purpose of this study the researchers will test the following hypothesis:
Main hypothesis:
Ho: There is no statistically significant impact (at level α = 0.05) of pharmacists' rights on their job satisfaction in Jordan private sector. Based on the statement of the problem, the frame work of the study is given in Fig.1. The dimensions of the independent variable (IV) are chosen because of their importance to pharmacists’ daily life in addition to being recognized as factors of human rights.
FIG. 1: FRAME WORK OF STUDY
Literature Review:
Research on job satisfaction of pharmacists has been widely done in the last few decades. It is widely recognized that job satisfaction, in general, and among pharmacists in particular, is of importance since it may have effect on performance and employees' retention. Predictors of job satisfaction amongst employees in general and among pharmacists in particular were the subject of study by many researchers. Abu-Hussein et al 4 studied the impact of job stress on job performance among the employees of the Jordan Telecom Group and reported that stress factors negatively affect performance and its dimensions.
Hardigan and Carvajal 5 conducted a Rasch Analysis to investigate the effect of gender, ethnicity, practice site, income, and age on levels of job satisfaction among practicing pharmacists. In a study of five star hotels in Istanbul, Akova et al 6 reported a negative correlation between job stress and job satisfaction and a positive relationship between job stress and turnover intent.
Several factors affecting job satisfaction, positively or negatively have been examined by researchers. Liu and White 7 investigated the key factors determining hospital pharmacy staffs’ job satisfaction and their relative importance among pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel practicing in Australian hospitals. They considered sex, job positions, education levels, size and location of the hospital and work experience, and reported that none of these factors were significant in determining job satisfaction. Also, they reported that ability utilization and recognition were predictors of job satisfaction. Manan et al 8 studied predictors of job satisfaction among Pharmacists in public hospitals and health care clinics in Malaysia. Al Khalidi and Wazaify 9 reported that the type of pharmacy practices setting has a significant effect on pharmacists' job satisfaction. Also their study showed that community pharmacists in Amman are less satisfied with their jobs than their hospital counterparts. Murawski10 reported that extrinsic factors have significant effect on job and career satisfaction, but intrinsic factors do not have significant effect. Also they reported that job satisfaction is a predictor of career satisfaction.
In a pilot study of chain pharmacists in the Tucson area, Hindcupie et al 11 used the Warr-Cook-Wall questionnaire of job satisfaction to evaluate community pharmacists' satisfaction with their current position. The study concluded that pharmacist experience outside community practice affects pharmacist job satisfaction and leads to less job satisfaction. Tekingunduz and Kurtuladu12, by studying a sample of hospital staff in Kahramanmar as, reported that job satisfaction has negative impact on intention to leave while job stress has positive effect. Also they showed that job stress has negative impact on job satisfaction.
Seston et al 13 explored the relationship between pharmacists’ job satisfaction, intention to quit the profession, and actual quitting. The study reported that pharmacists appeared to be satisfied with their work. Males were less satisfied with their job than females. Pharmacists of the community sector were less satisfied than those in other sectors. Salary was found the least satisfying regardless other factors, namely, age, sex, or sector of practice. Strength of desire to practice pharmacy was a predictor of both job satisfaction and intention to quitting. Alhuwitat & Shehada 14 studied the services offered by the JPA and their impact on its members. They reported that services offered by JPA were financing, health insurance and loans. They found out that loans with interest have the highest impact on the association's services.
Methodology:
This study uses the observational methodology whereby the aim was to measure the levels of the factors of the IV and DV which are expressed in the framework of the problem. The population consisted of all private sector pharmacists working in Amman. Their total number is about 1200. The sample consisted of 49 pharmacists.
TABLE 1: CROSS TABULATION OF THE SAMPLE ACCORDING TO GENDER & MARITAL STATUS
|Male||Female||Total|
|Single
|
Married
Total
|4
|
10
14
|24
|
11
35
|28
|
21
49
Table 1 shows that 71% of the sample were females and 57% of it were married.
A self – administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to the members of the sample. The questionnaire covered the dimensions of IV and DV, and followed the 5-point Likert Scale. Its validity was established by taking the advice of pharmacy academicians and professionals on its suitability. Reliability of the questionnaire was established by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha measure whose values are presented in Table 2.
All values were more than 0.65 indicating reliability of the scale used.
TABLE 2: VALUES OF CRONBACH’S ALPHA
|Dimension||Cronbach’s Alpha||Number of Items|
|Salary (work fare||0.658||7|
|Work Hours & Overtime
|
Vacations
(Annual, Sickness & Maternity)
Job description
Total
Satisfaction
|0.756
|
0.772
0.708
0.843
0.682
|7
|
9
6
29
9
Results:
The collected data were analyzed using SPSS V.18 and the results are as follows.
Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations of the respondents views on dimensions of the IV (rights of pharmacists in private sector pharmacies), and satisfaction.
TABLE 3: MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF DIMENSIONS OF IV, AND DV
|Dimension
|
|Mean
|
|Std.
|
Deviation
|Salary (work fare)
|
Work Hours & Overtime
Vacations
(Annual, Sickness & Maternity)
Job description
Total
Satisfaction
|2.71
|
3.27
3.13
3.41
2.99
2.80
|0.63
|
0.72
0.72
0.76
0.50
0.58
Table 3 shows that Job description has the highest mean of 3.41 out of 5, but salary has the lowest mean of 2.71. The mean of pharmacists satisfaction was 2.80, meaning that satisfaction was just above average (2.5 out of 5).
The means and standard deviations of the items of the questionnaire according to the dimensions were calculated but are not reported here.
Testing of the hypothesis:
The hypothesis of the study was tested using multiple regression. The main hypothesis was:
Ho: There is no significant effect (at significance level α=0.05 of pharmacists’ laborrights on their satisfaction in private sector pharmacies. To check the adequacy of the regression model, ANOVA for Regression was carried out and then the coefficients and their significance are reported in Tables 4 and 5.
TABLE 4: ANOVA FOR REGRESSION
|Source of Variation||Sum of Squares||d.f||MS||F Sig.|
|Regression
|
Error
Total
|6.374
|
9.683
16.058
|4
|
44
48
|1.593
|
0.220
|7.239
|
0.000
TABLE 5: COEFFICIENTS IN THE MULTIPLE REGRESSION MODEL
|Dimension||Beta||Std. Error||Std. Beta||T||Sig|
|Salary||0.214||0.108||0.234||1.982||0.054|
|Working hours and Overtime||0.022||0.163||0.027||0.134||0.894|
|Vacations
|
(Annual, Sickness &Maternity)
|0.225||0.147||0.281||1.534||0.132|
|Job Description||0.295||0.105||0.387||2.805||0.007|
Correlation coefficient R= 0.63 and coefficient of determination (R2) =0.369.
Tables 4 and 5 show significant linear relationship between the dimensions of the IV (the Pharmacists’ rights) and satisfaction.
From Table 4 it is seen that the null hypothesis is rejected, F =7.239 and P-value = 0.000, indicating that the model is adequate, and there is significant impact of pharmacists’ rights on their satisfaction. Effect size is = SS for regression / Total SS = 39.7% which indicates a strong effect of the dimensions of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The coefficient of R2 =0.397 explains 39.7% of the total variation and the remaining 60.3% are due to other factors not studied in our model.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results of the study show that pharmacists’ rights have significant impact (α = 0.05) on their satisfaction. The means of responses of the sample on items of salary were the lowest among all items (mean = 2.17) with relatively large standard deviation. The lowest mean (1.59) was on item 4: my salary is proportional with the cost of living in Jordan.
This result is in agreement with findings of Seston et al 13 whereby they reported that remuneration was constantly ranked as 1 of the aspects of their work that pharmacists found less satisfying".
The next lowest mean was that of pharmacists’ satisfaction (mean = 2.80) and the lowest mean of Satisfaction times was that of item 38: I am satisfied about the role of JPA in protecting my rights and following up my issues. Its mean 1.84 indicates very low satisfaction of respondents on that item dealing with the role of JPA.
It is concluded that pharmacists in general did not report high satisfaction level (mean = 2.8 out of 5). They also indicated that job description has significant effect on their satisfaction. Results show that pharmacists complain on the status of their salary which has a low mean of 2.17 and has effect on satisfaction (almost significant with p-value = 0.054).
Table 5 indicates that job description has significant effect (at α = 0.05) on satisfaction, p-value = 0.007. Also salary (with p-value 0.054) has an almost significant effect at α = 0.05.
The dimensions of vacations and working hours and overtime did not show significant effect on satisfaction, indicating that these two dimensions are not worrying the pharmacists and are not of much concern to them in the sense that they are not affecting their job satisfaction. This is in contrast of what Lea et al 15 has related regarding some researches which reported that increasing work hours contributed to decreasing job satisfaction. It is recommended that further studies are to be done on more factors which might have impact on the level of pharmacists' satisfaction.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: The authors appreciate highly the views of referees who improved this research. This research was a winning report of Scientific Research Award by the first author. The award was organized by the Center for Middle East studies. The first author likes to thank her children, Ameera, Sarah, Al Harith, Faris and Ward, for their patience and support.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST: There is no conflict of interest among the authors in carrying this research.
REFERENCES:
- Merriam – Webster Dictionary – Official Site, www.merriam-webster.com Accessed March 10, 2016
- Pharmacy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pharmacy Accessed March 10, 2016
- Jaiswal, NR: Social status of retail pharmacist in India. The Indian Journal of Hospital pharmacy 2008; Vol. XL III 6: pp 175-179.
- Abu-Hussein AM, Abu-Salih MS and Al Saket LZ: Impact of Job Stress on Job Performance among the Employees of Jordan, Research Journal of Social Sciences, 2016. 9(2):1-9
- Hardigan and Carvajal M: Job Satisfaction Among Practicing Pharmacists: A Rasch Analysis. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practices 2007; Vol. 5 No. 4, Article 11.
- Akova O, Emiroglu BD and Tanriverdi H: The Relationship between Employees’ Job Stress, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intent: A Study at Five Star Hotels in Istanbul. Journal of Management , Marketing and Logistics, 2015, Vol.2 ,Issue 4, 378-390
- Liu CS, White L: Key Determinants of Hospital Pharmacy Staff's Satisfaction. Res. Social Admin. Pharm. 2011; 7 (1): 51-63.
- Manan MM, Azmi Y, Lim Z, Neoh CF, Khan TM and Ming LC: Predictors of Job Satisfaction Among Pharmacists in Malaysian Public Hospitals and Healthcare Clinics: J. of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 2015, 45, 404-411
- Al Khalidi D, and Wazaify M.: Assessment of Pharmacists' Job Satisfaction and Related Stress in Amman. Int J Clin Pharm 2013; 35 (5): 821 – 8.
- Murawski MM, Payakchat N, and Koh-knox C: Factors Affecting Job and Career Satisfaction among Community Pharmacists: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 2003, Vol. 48 No 5: pp 610-620.
- Hindcupi SL, Yandow S, Hines S, Martineau M and Wartholak.: Job Satisfaction among Chain Community Pharmacists: Results from a Pilot Study: Pharm Practices (Granada) 2010, 10 (4): 227 – 233.
- Tekingunduz S and Kurtuldu A: The Analysis of Relationship Between Intention to Leave, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Leadership and Job Stress: A Hospital Example: International Journal of Human Sciences.2015, Vol.12, Issue:1, 1501-1517
- Seston E, Hassell K, Ferguson J and Hann M: Exploring the Relationship between Pharmacists Job Satisfaction, Intention to Quit the Profession, and Actual Quitting. Research in Social and Administrative 2009, Vol.5, Issue 2, 121-132
- Alhuwitat MA. & Shehada M: The Services Offered by the Jordanian Pharmacists’ Association and their Impact on its Members. International J. of Economics, Commerce & Management 2015, Vol. III, Issue 7.
- Lea VM, Corlett SA and Rodgers RM: Workload and its Impact on Community Pharmacists' Job Satisfaction and Stress: A review of the Literature. Int. J. Pharm. Practice 2012, Vol. 20, No. 4. Pp: 259 -271.
How to cite this article:
Abujarad Alhuwitat MA, Abu- Salih MS and Eseid MM: Impact of Labor Rights on Jordanian Pharmacists’ Satisfaction. Int J Pharm Sci Res 2016; 7(8): 3361-65.doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7(8). 3361-65.
All © 2013 are reserved by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. This Journal licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. | https://ijpsr.com/bft-article/impact-of-labor-rights-on-jordanian-pharmacists-satisfaction/?view=fulltext |
As we examine poetry from Asia, we will first look at the form of haiku and tanka. Specifically, we are going to examine the tradition of Japanese Death Poetry in Japan, China and Korea.
Death poems have been written by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Zen monks, by many haiku poets, and Japanese Samurai. It was an ancient custom in Japan for literate persons to compose a jisei on their deathbed. The format of the poem is as follows – three lines with syllable counts of 5/7/5, conveying strong emotions through images of nature and the natural world.
Tanka poetry is similar to haiku – its formal structure is five times with syllable counts of 5/7/5/7/7. Tanka poetry typically contain two images – the first of nature, and the second of the poet meditating on the meaning of nature. While still conveying very deep emotion, tanka poetry is also know for being more whimsical and dream-like than haiku.
As you analyze these poems remember that you need to be able to summarize the poem, explain the tone, and the use of metaphor, symbolism or imagery by the poet. As all of these poems are about the same topic (the death of the speaker) it should be easier for you to conduct analysis. Also remember the aspects of Japanese culture we have discussed in class – usually very reserved in outward displays of emotion, these death poems allowed these individuals a chance to finally express their feelings and emotions openly right before their death. This means for many of these poems there is a lifetime of emotion wrapped up in three short lines – making them incredibly moving!
Click here for the haiku’s covered in class.
Click here for the tanka poetry covered in class.
SOPHOMORES – You will be taking the PSAT at school on October 13th and October 14th!
All Students – please take note of the college fair coming up in a few weeks! If you are interested in attending but do not have transportation, please see Mrs. Bailey, as the school will be providing a bus!
Juniors – Be aware of the SAT and ACT Testing dates – you need to take your test of choice at least twice before senior year!
Juniors – Also be aware of the changes taking place to the SAT this year! You will need to make sure you study for the right format, depending on when you register to take the exam! | https://englishwithmrspierce.com/category/10th-grade-literature/fall-2015-10th-grade-literature/ |
Sitting is the new smoking and what to do about it
Earlier this year, precedence-setting research was released suggesting that a sedentary lifestyle is worse for your health and longevity then smoking, which is known to be one of the worst habits some of us practice on a daily basis. What makes this research scary is that even people who regularly hit the gym will still fall into the high risk category. How can this be? And more importantly, what can you do about it if this is you?
History
The human body was not designed for extended periods of sitting. Throughout most of our evolution we were walking and on our feet, squatting (there were no chairs in the hunter-gatherer periods of our evolution!) or lying down sleeping episodically (evidence shows we did not sleep extended periods, but took a series of sleep periods throughout the 24-hour cycle). Our current daily life habits have us sitting anywhere from 8 to 18 hours per day for extended periods of time. Examples include sitting at an office job for eight hours a day; sitting in college classes sometimes for three hours at a time; and sitting either at our computers, watching TV or going to the movies for hours at a time.
Extended sitting is bad for us for a few reasons. First, the sitting position places force on the skeletal system that it is not built to accommodate. The neutral spinal curves that are made for shock absorption when upright are corrupted. This isn’t helped by the fact that most of us sit with our lower back rounded and hips tucked under, thereby reversing the natural lumbar curve and setting the stage for lower back, hip and pelvic issues. Thus, circulation issues and joint and muscle aches and pains can and do result.
Second, sitting burns very little calories. An office worker can expect to burn approximately 300 calories per day at work. In comparison, a mail carrier can burn upwards of 2,300 calories for the same eight-hour work shift. Ultimately, obesity is the result of the total energy expenditure across the whole day. If we are sitting and burning very little, then we have to take in very little in order to avoid getting fat. But as we all well know, sitting so long actually leads us to eat more to get the “energy” to sit and stay focused or to combat psychological boredom or work stress. We eat high-calorie density snacks and foods at work which throws the energy out (low when sitting) and energy in (higher than necessary due to sedentary lifestyle) equation into a weight gaining formula!
Finally, by burning so little, our risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity increase exponentially. Why? Because without movement we become insulin-resistant, which causes trouble metabolizing sugar (which we are all eating while sitting at work!). This sets us up for risk of diabetes. Sitting also has been shown to suppress the production of lipoprotein lipase which is necessary for the conversion of turning bad cholesterol into the good. This sets us up for risks of heart disease.
And here is something that was not clear in the original release of the research: even if you go to the gym or exercise for an hour or more a day, you are still at risk of the sedentary lifestyle. The benefits of the exercise starts to wear off within an hour or so, so if you then sit for extended periods of time during the day, you increase your risk. Research has shown that those who exercise and even those who do triathlons and train extensively, actually burn less calories in the rest of the day then those who don’t. The reason is that they feel they have burned a lot of calories and are tired; therefore they engage in less activity throughout the rest of the day.
What can you do?
The critical issue is that we need to break up the extended periods of sitting that we all seem to do. Around the country several solutions are being instituted to try to reverse our sedentary lifestyle. In the US, approximately 60,000 treadmill desks have been purchased. These are treadmills with a desk where the console would be so you can stand up and walk at relatively slow speeds while working. Also, sitting on an exercise stability ball in place of a normal chair is another way to off-set the extended sitting forces on your skeletal system.
Getting up every hour and taking a cruise around the hallway or up a few flights of stairs is another way to break up the episodes of sitting. Standing at a counter when on your computer at home another option.
Purchasing a pedometer or one of the newer activity monitors or downloading an app is helpful for people who like to see hard copy data of their own activity patterns. These devices help motivate you to get more the next day; making it more like a game then a chore.
Please remember that even though you are working out for an hour or two a day, if the rest of your day is spent sitting, you are most likely still at high risk for obesity, joint and muscle pains and diabetes and heart disease just like people who don’t exercise. Make it a point to break up extended periods of inactivity with the tips above for a healthier lifestyle.
Judy Torel is a USAT certified coach, has a Master’s degree as a psychotherapist/life coach, is a certified metabolic nutrition coach, 200 RYT yoga instructor, and ACSM certified fitness specialist. She is an ultra-distance runner and 6 time Ironman competitor. She can be reached at [email protected] and her office is located at 116 Everett Road, Albany. | https://www.crlmag.com/fitness-11/ |
The invention discloses community fitness equipment convenient to move, and relates to the technical field of fitness equipment. A shading and rain shielding plate is fixed to the upper end of the supporting column, a solar panel is fixed to the upper portion of the shading and rain shielding plate, an illuminating lamp is installed below the shading and rain shielding plate, and the solar panel is in circuit connection with the illuminating lamp; a mobile phone holder is fixed to the side wall of the supporting column, the lower portion of the supporting column is fixedly connected with a hand-held frame, stand columns are fixed to the two ends of the hand-held frame respectively, bearings are oppositely arranged on the stand columns and the supporting column, rotating shafts are installed in the bearings respectively, swing rods are fixed to the rotating shafts, and pedals are fixed to the bottoms of the swing rods. Idler wheels are installed at the bottoms of the stand columns, installation plate supports are installed on the two sides of the lower portions of the stand columns through hinges respectively, installation plates are integrally connected to the bottoms of the installation plate supports, and elastic pieces are connected between the installation plate supports and the stand columns. The solar street lamp is convenient to move and install, convenient to use at night, beneficial to use of natural resources and capable of achieving the effects of energy conservation and emission reduction. | |
Obesity and other eating disorders are major health issues that affect a large number of people. In 2019, half of adults in the Netherlands were overweight and 1 out of 7 were obese. In order to better understand obesity and develop treatments we need to more deeply investigate the brain cells and mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases. In this thesis, we aimed to better classify brain cells that are involved in food reward and energy balance and developed tools to better understand their function. First, we investigated cells in the hypothalamus of the brain that respond to leptin, a hormone that signals to increase energy expenditure and decrease food intake. By simultaneously measuring the activity of all genes, we showed that leptin-responsive cells are highly heterogeneous, which is reflected in their response to energy deficit. This information underlines the importance and diversity of leptin’s actions. Secondly, we developed genetic tools that allow us to investigate the function of brain cells. We defined criteria for specific parameters of dosing of these tools to more precisely target specific brain cells and developed a novel technique to alter the activity of brain cells and is used to dissect their role in diverse behavioral and pathological paradigms. Overall, the findings of this thesis build a basis to utilize knowledge of brain cells for the development of treatments for obesity and related metabolic diseases. | https://www.uu.nl/en/events/promotie-molecular-profiling-and-targeting-of-brain-cells-and-circuits-related-to-energy-balance-and |
When is the right time to bluff in poker and diplomacy? How does a dating site find our right match? What needs to be done in order to stop an infectious disease from becoming epidemic? This cluster, with faculty from sociology, anthropology, statistics, and mathematics, will teach students how to build and test models in the natural sciences and social sciences. By using these models to evaluate different "what if?" scenarios, we can then explain the past, predict the future, and make the world more comprehensible.
One example of how modeling has contributed to notable recent progress in biosciences is the completion of the Human Genome Project, which is the first step toward a molecular genetic understanding of the human organism. To synthesize the massive sets of loosely structured data generated and to draw knowledge from them, scientists have relied heavily on mathematical and statistical models. In the social sciences, models can test theories of economics by creating a population of agents that exchange commodities at prices they determine from local information. Alternatively, computer simulations may determine the outcome of social policies under different conditions. These are used in domestic, international and military operations to discover the envelope of possibilities resulting from being different "what if" scenarios.
By participating in this Focus cluster, students will learn how to formulate mathematical models that can be used to answer scientific questions. They will also learn a variety of techniques for studying the models, including mathematical analysis, computations, and simulations. The ability to identify essential features of a system that must be represented in a model, and then to properly interpret model outputs in the appropriate scientific context, is a valuable skill that will be useful in many fields.
Understanding the mathematics and algorithms that are central to a variety of data science applications. Basic mathematical concepts underlying popular data science algorithms will be introduced and students will write code implementing these algorithms. We will discuss the impact of these algorithms on society and ethical implications. Algorithms examined include: Google's pagerank, principal component analysis for visualizing high dimensional data, hidden Markov models for speech recognition, and classifiers detecting spam emails. Linear algebra and basic probability will be the mathematical focus and there will be a programming component to this class using the R programming language.
This class will teach you how to use modern, widely-used tools to create insightful, beautiful, reproducible visualizations of social science data. We will also put the theory and practice of visualization into context throughout the semester. By that I mean that we will think about different ways of looking at social science data, about where data comes from in the first place, and the implications of choosing to represent it in different ways.
Exploration of the intersection between social structure, social behavior, and evolution. Examines the role of social and historical factors in promoting evolutionary change and the evolutionary history of social structures themselves, with an emphasis on humans and other primates. Topics include: evolution in modern human societies, evolutionary demography, genetic signatures of social and cultural change, the genetics of socially relevant traits, and social environmental effects on health.
We explore a mathematical model of how people attempt to maintain identities in institutional settings, and self-actualize their fundamental conceptions of themselves in moving from one setting to another. In other words, we explore a model of why people do what they do: both in performing normal roles, responding to odd situations, and trying to feel good about themselves. The class involves reading academic literature, doing presentations, collecting evidence about research questions that you have developed, and proposing new research that will contribute to this growing literature. The goal is to teach you to think scientifically about everyday life: both the routine and the unexpected parts of that life. | https://focus.duke.edu/clusters-courses/what-if-explaining-pastpredicting-future |
The National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) has been a centre for teaching and research in engineering since 1849. The new Engineering Building now houses the five departments of civil, electronic, industrial, engineering hydrology and mechanical and biomedical engineering under one roof.
Opened in July 2011, the development includes heavy and light laboratories, offices, teaching space and lecture theatres. Situated on the banks of the river Corrib, the building was designed to complement the curves of Galway’s most famous river.
The four-storey architectural gem and its 400 rooms accommodate some 1,100 students and 110 staff. The 14,600m² building supports an emerging generation of engineers, engaged in a new wave of technologies, embracing innovation and entrepreneurship.
An educational tool
The overall design of the building has been driven by sustainability objectives to achieve a `state of the art´ educational building. This design principle has been carried through in the choice of a suitable structural scheme for the project. The main criteria for the assessment of the structural solutions were cost effectiveness, compatibility with building finishes, ease of construction, sustainability and market availability.
The scheme also reflects the requirement to maintain maximum flexibility for future use of the building, ensuring that internal re-planning can be easily incorporated. One of the key objectives for the new building is to act as an educational tool where possible through its fabric and systems, encompassing as many of the engineering disciplines to be housed in the new building as possible.
One of the key objectives for the project was that the building itself would act as an exemplary design of sound engineering principles and practices. To this end, the design team produced a design that reflected a number of engineering principles both in form, function and material choice. The architectural and engineering language of the building with ‘cluster columns’, ‘floating structure’ and exposed services challenges the student and visitor to engage in and to understand the engineering principles behind the building’s design. | https://www.arup.com/projects/nuig-engineering-building |
Component security starts here. More and more devices communicate with each other and are interconnected. In addition to numerous advantages, this development also brings new challenges and threats, especially in terms of security. Like security in most IT areas, IoT security requires an end-to-end approach that includes addressing security issues during the design phase.
How can security vulnerabilities be avoided right from the start? What threats do I need to protect my system against? What security measures do I need to use?
Content of Training
- Introduction to IoT-Security
- Attacks, threats and risks in the real world
- Threat modeling
- Security testing & toolset for attackers
- Guidelines and standards (IEC 62443, OWASP IoT Security, ENISA, NIST)
- Secure system design
- Secure updates
- Secure storage and cloud connectivity
- IoT communication protocols
- Secure development lifecycle basics
- Vulnerability disclosure
After the training the participants should
- have acquired a solid foundation for implementing security in IoT systems.
- know security concepts that are applicable to a wide range of IoT devices.
- have gained a solid, technical understanding of the typical attacks, threats and risks that IoT entails.
- be able to look at an IoT system from the perspective of an attacker.
- have learnt how to identify relevant assets.
- understand defense principles and create defense strategies.
Upon Request
Are you interested in a SEC.312 Secure Development of IoT Components Training? Contact us! | https://limessecurity.com/en/academy/sec-312/ |
The number for participants for the whole event is capped to 150.
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Races
50 Miler
March 27, 2021 (Saturday)
Running
50 miles
Solo
Trail
Marathon
March 27, 2021 (Saturday)
Running
42.195 kilometers
Solo
Trail
Weather
Mar 27 2021 : Mostly cloudy throughout the day.
1.2°C - 20.8°C (34.1°F - 69.4°F)
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The information about this event is based on data from the official website or may be provided by the organiser. Before booking flights or accommodation check the event's website and social media. If this listing is not up-to-date, please let us know at
[email protected]
Last checked on 2021-08-20
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Hotels and Airbnbs near Rockin K Trail Runs. Book your stay now! | https://marathons.ahotu.com/event/rockin-k-trail-runs |
We are Simion, The Evolutionary Collective.
We will discuss these symptoms of transformation as they will apply throughout this year of 2012 and beyond. We will call this the Transformation Series. This is a pivotal time for transformation and we wish to guide you on some of the changes you may be going through, and how to enhance your individual potential within this opportune year.
Part One: Time Shift Part Two: Accelerataion Part Three:Spontaneous Metamorphasis
Part Four: Arcturian Geometry Part Five: Telepathic Contact
Simion Channeling ~ The Transformation Series Part One
TIME SHIFT
Your perceptions of time as a consecutive notion, where cause and effect follow one another, is changing.
If you can take a more birds eye view of time, you will be better able to cope with what can be disorienting shifts. Your experiential time will become more important that the idea of one thing happening after another as you transform into a lighter dimensional being.
Many of you will feel as though you are doing something in the past, even though you seem to be sitting in a present moment. Or you will be influencing or doing something in the future, from your past, or in what you think is the present. You can feel like you skipped some time or are jumping ahead. Allow these feelings and become an observer of them. By doing so you will be learning how to see through the seeming boundaries of sequential time, and will find your experiences to be more fluid.
This feeling of quantum jumping can be disorienting and at times even have the physical effect of causing dizziness or light headedness. You are likely not going crazy or coming down with something. We suggest you try to allow these experiences and take a moment to observe what is happening. Much may be going on subconsciously, or within your soul energies, this year, that you are not totally aware of in your physical, emotional, or mental levels.
We recommend you take a higher view of your transformation by shifting your awareness to above your head, at your crown chakra entry, and/or imagine your awareness in the space in front of your third eye region. If you are not able to actually bring your awareness out of your physical, emotional and mental functions, or outside your head basically, then try imagining these two higher chakra areas being filled with light. Imagine a connection to a universal vision through a column of light through your crown and/or a beam of light through your third eye, that fills your soul with the light of all universal knowing. This is a way to focus the higher energies coming through, and to open yourself to a timeless vision. If you feel too "in the clouds" when doing this, then bring the light energy down through your spinal column and ground it into the Earth through your root chakra. This will also help to bring the higher vision to your Earthly existence and allow you to make use of it in your daily endeavors.
You may also feel that time is speeding up or slowing ...even to a halt. In the case of speeding time, you may forget entirely what just happened in a given period of time, as if a week just shot past, for example, and you don't really feel grounded in what occurred, and your memory is fuzzy. It will feel more like a sensation of having had experiences, rather than having had a sequence of occurrences. At other times, you may feel that everything is suddenly in slow motion, like all the little things occurring are taking on more depth, and you may even sense the consciousness of the space around you acutely as you move through it.
If you haven't noticed these timely events, then you could be blocking this natural flow and flux of consciousness shifting. If you are blocking this heightened awareness then you could feel more physical, emotional or mental symptoms that could be disturbing, such as odd aches and changes in your appetite. Or you might notice that your emotions are fluctuating without a reason, or your mind feels cloudy and then really sharp an instant later. If you feel such symptoms they may be related to the time flux. Try not to get distressed over them. Instead, take note of them and practice putting your senses into the soul awareness as described. If you are feeling none of the discussed symptoms or sensations of time shift, you can certainly open yourself to the new Aquarius view with conscious efforts.
The leap in awareness that is occurring on your planet is not necessarily an easy thing to birth. Exciting and enlightening it is, but there is a reason for the gradual progression. If you fight it or take it on too quickly, you will find yourself feeling continually out of sync and eventually your resistance will cause you to fall into a denser reality. If you can lighten yourself through the changes, you will find it to be invigorating and down right blissful, as you will literally be expanding your perceptions to see and feel more of your universe. If you can open the higher chakra flow, you will notice your psychic senses turning on as well.
When you open to time shifting, you will find yourself shifting the past and seeing future potentials and living more fluidly in a timeless way. You will begin seeing how you are creating the time experience and that it need not be creating you. You can begin to see how you can be the mover of the sense of time and the movement of events in time, in your personal experiences. This is a huge awakening to your multidimensional nature. You may even practice slowing and speeding time and traveling to the so called past and future in your seeming now. It has been said as a philosophical idea to "Be Here Now." We are saying "Be out of now" as a definitive moment in time, so that you can be whenever, and create your experience with greater awareness outside the confines of time. As the now is no more real than the past or future. What is real is what you decide to perceive. Now you can make your perceptions timeless.
~ Simion, from the annuls of timelessness
Simion Channeling
The Transformation Series Part Two
ACCELERATION
We are Simion, The Evolutionary Collective.
Pisces is representative of the era that you are leaving behind. The fish has lived a life of Mercy enveloped in the sanctuary of the sacred element of water. Your Earth has been protected by the shield of Pisces for millennium and this has been a place of protected growth, but you could not breathe your own air within this shield. It was an era that demonstrated your potential, as seen in the energy of Jesus and others that came as messengers during this period.
In this new era, the Pisces water shield is being poured from the Aquarius water bearer. This represents your freedom to flow forth from the womb of Pisces with a new bravery and certainty as you let go of the need for Mercy and claim your own power as the Messiah collectively. Within this month of Pisces you can finally let go of the concept of the need for forgiveness and power from an outside source.
You can finally fully create your own power of transformation from within that is connected by means of your own consciousness to the source of all life in the universe. And this is evident in Aquarius as an Air sign.
The water flowing from the container is a symbol of an Acceleration. This relates and builds on the concepts relayed in the first of the series, Time Shift. All within the series are representative of ongoing sensations and developments, and each person will experience these transformations in their own time and way.
Creation in your system is accelerating. You can feel this as a speeding up of time, but it is really a speeding up of the creative evolution of experiences within time and space. This acceleration has symptoms and sensations that may be associated with it, which we will describe. What is most evident, however, is that thoughts and accompanying emotions and actions will exponentially accelerate the creation they vibrate within. In other words, your individual thoughts and collective energies will create results much faster, and this will continue to accelerate during this year.
Hopefully, you are already realizing that you better focus your creative energies on a positive path, as we say this. All you have learned regarding the importance of your creative frequency generating ability will become crucial to activate this year. It may relieve you to know, however, that if you find you get off target and an accelerated creation occurs that you did not intend, you can just as quickly, reverse or change the direction and accelerate in a more promising way. So fret not that you will be plunged into a dreaded place and never find your way out. That is as long as you recognize your personal power to alter your course, and use it.
You may look at this acceleration as similar to your science fiction star ships activating their hyper drives causing them to enter a worm hole that takes them across the galaxy in a single bound. Metaphorically, a lot of that will occur this year, especially when you have entered the coordinates that match your higher soul intentions. When you are functioning in this intuitive place, the path of light will automatically cause a burst of accelerated creation and you may have to hold onto your seat as you will be flying through the creative process.
If you have been working on recognizing your individual soul drives vs. the fallacies of your ego identity, then this will be an exhilarating process. You will see the results of your shift of consciousness from the petty behaviors of your ego mind to your soul inspirations readily, and will see forward movement as a result. This will be truly inspiring and cause you to really move in your direction of passion. The more you have been working on realizing your truth, the more acceleration you will see toward an ascension experience.
The acceleration that is occurring is a part of the transition of Earth to her next octave and you will be a part of this. The energetic acceleration will speed up the drop out of those that will not fit through the aperture to the next dimension. Only finer energetic beings will move through the opening.
It may be slightly unnerving to your auric field as the frequencies begin to cause increased acceleration. Some related symptoms you may notice are:
Our advice in dealing with the Acceleration sensations is to Slow Down. Now you are laughing at the irony, no doubt. You will be able to direct accelerating creations best when you are in a quiet and calm state of consciousness. If ever there was a time to do some meditating, this is it. Even for 10 minutes a day, you will find it quite helpful to relax your body, slow your thoughts, and focus on being. You need no fancy methods, unless you prefer them. The idea is to find the place of ultimate creation where you can direct your flow. This is found in a relaxed centered state, where you can feel the frequency you are emitting and can it adjust as needed.
As you know and can plainly see, all this acceleration is occurring in your world creations as well. You may feel as though you can't catch up with that either. For example, technologies and social ideas are speeding through the air waves faster than even those in their respective fields can't keep up with the progress.
Again, allow yourself to slow down and feel the creative urges that are meaningful for you and don't worry about keeping up with trends. They are moving so fast that by the time you get on the wagon, they will have progressed to rocket ships. Focus on the rocket ship that is your soul ride, and you will have the acceleration of your life, and it will feel like a beautiful breath of fresh air!
~ Simion, in the accelerating winks of light transference
The Transformation Series
Part Three
SPONTANEOUS METAMORPHOSIS
This year of 2012 will see a lot of what will later be seen as Spontaneous Metamorphoses. Everything that has been building up, has the potential to be released into creation at any given moment. This can result in overnight personality and characteristic changes. The alterations will have, of course, been developing over time, but they now have the possibility of suddenly being released. All dormant potential can now spontaneously manifest. It is important to allow for these changes as they are observed. We will speak of how this relates to your personal lives, but the ideas can also be translated into global movements.
What on Earth do we mean by spontaneous metamorphosis? Imagine you witness a caterpillar in a cocoon and you come back later to witness its final moment of becoming a butterfly! Wow! It appeared to be a sudden, drastic miraculous change! How could this be? If you did not know any better.....if you hadn't been taught of how this metamorphosis occurs in science class, or observed the slow process yourself, you may think it was a miracle that happened in minutes.
This is the nature of the transformative powers of this year 2012 as a launching for the release of hidden powers and potentials. Everything to date in your personal development, and the growth of the Earth, has been at the caterpillar stage of development. Now it is time to see metaphorical butterflies being born, and it will often appear to be quite sudden.
Here are some thoughts on how such sudden developments might appear in your lives. Changes can and will happen literally overnight. In other words, you go to bed one way and wake up different. Or the shift will be in the middle of a conversation, and without any real logical reason you completely shift your answer or argument. It will seem logical to you, perhaps, but others may find it drastic and sudden. You may have been a generally depressed person with a pessimistic attitude for most of your life, and wake up one day feeling happy, light, and really optimistic, without explanation. You may think you are just having a good day, but those that know you will be astounded or dumbfounded by your personality change. And though, the old you may sneak in at moments, you will find that your new optimistic self is there more than your old self.
Such sudden transformations will be happening with most of you in some way or another. What it will look like depends on what has been holding you back, an d what true potential is released. A person who had a latent artistic ability, but hasn't picked up a paint brush m ay start painting beautiful pieces of art one day, and start a whole new life as an artist.
Another, who never thought a spiritual thought in their life, may suddenly become a great philosopher of metaphysical ideas. You may have eaten red meat your whole life and wake up one day as a vegetarian. You may have been a coach potato, and the next day become a mountain climber, starting with a walk up a hill in your own neighborhood that you never explored before. You may awaken with new sensitivities to nature and find you can communicate with your pets and plants. Whatever the change, it will be something that was latent in your nature, and will reflect something of your whole soul being. The new butterfly will be a reflection of a higher aspect of yourself.
The metamorphosis may take several steps. For example, you may awaken to your true optimistic self one day and a month later become a musician, having had no musical training, or having given it up long ago. One shift will affect another. Much of the change is related to dormant DNA strands literally being switched on as the circuitry has finally been allowed to activate. The activation may be triggered by changes in frequency from the influence of celestial bodies. The circuits may turn on during a solar flare or even during Earth changes, such as earth quakes. Certain astrological line ups can turn your strands on, as can a powerful New Moon. The potential for your awakening talent or qualities will already have been there, waiting for release.
Often, something you have been trying to change your whole life without success will suddenly and seemingly miraculously be altered in you. This may even be something quite physical, like instant healing. You may have had a chronic ailment or habit that suddenly disappears. You may not even realize at first that it has gone away, because you are so used to it being there and thus you continue to act as if it still is. Someone else might have to point out to you that you no longer seem to need that leg brace, or that, gee, you are walking without a limp, or that your face has cleared up of acne, or your rash is not coming back, or that you are not smoking a cigarette after meals anymore. You get the picture.
Often your friends or family will notice your metamorphosis before you do. They will comment that you have changed. They may keep saying things like, I am so glad that you see it that way now. You may wonder what they mean at first, as you didn't even realize that you changed. It will sometimes feel as if you have been that way all along. But, when they keep mentioning it, you may begin to notice that, hey, you are different, and gee, it is true you haven't laughed and played this much since your were a child, or maybe never. When you recognize you are in fact different, then you can further embrace it, and develop the potential that lies therein.
It will be important for you to allow these spontaneous developments and to encourage them further. That sounds obvious, but it can be a bit shocking to be suddenly new. You may not believe it, and thus will squelch the truth within yourself, and your changed loved ones, if you do not allow yourself, or them, to be different. You learn to have certain expectations of yourself and others over time, and this can hold you, and them, back from accepting and being the change. Thus, it is crucial to remember to allow each other to be the new butterfly as it appears with fresh wings and is learning to fly.
Most important is not to diminish the progress in yourself. Once you see it, revel in it, and allow it to flourish. You are being given a gift in these spontaneous shifts. Accept the gift with enthusiasm and the gift will grow and your new developing wings w ill allow for new flight. The direction of the flight may not be clear, but allow yourself to fly with the modifications, and you will surely be thrilled. This is your destiny. You now have the opportunity to actually experience the change you have been hoping for, or dreaming of. When it happens, you can run with it, or you can be in a state of disbelief and make the transition progress slow to a crawl.
We suggest you allow your metamorphosis to show you the truth of your greater potential, and fly with it. We suggest you believe that the sudden changes can occur in your loved ones, as well. Give them a boost of encouragement when you see them growing wings. This is your ch ance to become your highest self, and to experience it in others, so embrace these spontaneous metamorphoses, and believe they are in fact possible!
~ Simion, Seeing you as already there!
Fly, Butterflies, Fly!
as telepathically relayed through Jill Amariah Mara
For much
more on the shift and December 2012 prophecy and ascension symptoms read
Simion's book Keys to Soul Evolution: Gateway to the Next Dimension.
See the publications link above for details. | http://simion7d.com/transformation2012.html |
The premise that the law should be equally applied to all persons regardless of their ability to pay has its origins in 15th Century England. However, until the 19th Century this concept was only applied to specific cases. Today, pro bono representation is an important part of the legal profession and is applied to a large spectrum of civil cases, though rarely to criminal cases because of the existence of our system of public defenders. In fact, the lawyer’s duty to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford it is written into the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Responsibility/. BA Model Rule 6.1 states:
“Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least (50) hours of pro bono publico legal services per year.”
In its commentary section, Rule 6.1 further states:
”Every lawyer, regardless of professional prominence or professional workload, has a responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and personal involvement in the problems of the disadvantaged can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer. The American Bar Association urges all lawyers to provide a minimum of 50 hours of pro bono services annually. States, however, may decide to choose a higher or lower number of hours of annual service (which may be expressed as a percentage of a lawyer’s professional time).”
The Commitment to Pro Bono Representation Sets the Legal Profession Apart
Its devotion to providing free assistance to the indigent sets the legal profession apart from others. No other field has the obligation to perform pro bono assistance written into its guiding principles. Men and women entering the legal profession are introduced to the obligation to offer pro bono services while in law school where they are encouraged to provide voluntary law-related services to the poor. According to the American Bar Association organizations that support pro bono and public service by law students include the ABA Center for Pro Bono, The Public Service Law Network Worldwide, Equal Justice Works, the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and the National Association of Law Placement (NALP).
In 2014 New York became the first state to require pro bono service as a condition for bar applicants to become licensed for law practice when the state’s highest court when it added a new section to its Rules for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law requiring that nearly every applicant seeking admission to the state bar “shall complete at least 50 hours of qualifying pro bono service prior to filing an application for admission. The requirement applies to both law school graduates and lawyers from other jurisdictions, including foreign lawyers—who must go through the normal admissions process. The only group exempt from the rule is those seeking admission without examination.”California, Massachuse tts and New Jersey are reportedly considering pro bono requirements similar to those now in effect in New York,
How much time does your firm devote to pro bono representation? What were some of your most interesting or rewarding pro bono cases? How has your involvement in pro bono representation enriched your practice of law? | https://www.needles.com/learning/blog/tradition-of-pro-bono-representation/ |
interventions.
Geographical location: North East
Description:
Evolution Children’s Services are dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for all of the young people it provides service for. We provide bespoke individualised care within a safe and structured environment that actively nurtures and cares for young people, affording them the same rights and opportunities as enjoyed by those not living ‘in care’. This enables them to reach their fullest potential in preparation for adulthood.
Our aim is simple, to ensure that our young people gain an understanding of the reason for being with us and equip them with the necessary skills to develop self-esteem and emotional resilience. Thus gain control of their lives through a consistent range of structured, flexible approaches.
Our staff team is experienced, trained and committed to the work they undertake with our young people and the aims of our organisation. Staff work in partnership with professionals and each young person to develop a detailed placement plan which establishes targets, outcomes and destination plans which are specific, time aware, measurable and achievable. To support this work, we have established a team of multi-disciplinary professionals to deliver a range of therapeutic services to meet their individual need.
We engage all young people in our certified Life Skills Programme which provides a comprehensive underpinning for essential skills, to enable young people to move into independent adulthood or to provide a foundation for referrals to our ‘Next Step’ Accommodation Project. | https://www.icha.org.uk/location/evolution-childrens-services/ |
Why take a Controller role with this company?
- Exposure to multiple business units and international Joint Ventures
- Key part of Accounting team
- Opportunity to work domestically and internationally
- Ability to help take the company to the next level (work on potential acquisitions)
What the Controller will do…
- Manage monthly, quarterly & annual close process and the timely and accurate completion of financial statements
- Ensure the timeliness and accuracy of all SEC and other statutory filings
- Provide oversight and direction for all accounting department functions
- Establish and maintain a robust internal control environment
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, sales and other taxes and serve as primary interface with external tax advisors
- Oversee independent audit and serve as primary interface with independent auditors
- Interface with the audit committee of the Board of Directors as necessary
- Provide manufacturing accounting support and analysis
- Oversee risk management function
- Special projects as assigned by CFO
What the company needs in a Controller:
- Certified Public Accountant
- 10+ years of progressively responsible accounting experience.
- Well versed in U.S. GAAP, SEC reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements
- Hands on experience in the preparation and filing forms 10-Q, 10-K, and Proxy Statements
- Hands on experience in multi-divisional and international business reporting
- Strong communication and leadership skills
Perks of the Controller role: | https://dianedelgadolemaire.com/2015/01/28/controller-west-houston-sec-dlemairecfstaffing-com/ |
Under Armour has disclosed that 150 million MyFitnessPal diet and fitness app accounts were affected by a security breach. The number of records compromised make this the largest data breach this year and one of the top five in history.
The company said it became aware of the hack on March 25, but it believes that an unauthorized party had access to the accounts since late February. Information made vulnerable to cyber criminals in the breach includes users’ email addresses, usernames, and hashed passwords.
“The affected data did not include government-issued identifiers (such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers), which the company does not collect from users,” Under Armour said in a statement.
“Payment card data was also not affected because it is collected and processed separately. The company's investigation is ongoing, but indicates that approximately 150 million user accounts were affected by this issue.”
Users urged to change passwords
Four days after discovering the breach, Under Armour notified MyFitnessPal users via app and email notifications. The company said users could safeguard their account and information by taking the following measures:
Change your password for any other account on which you used the same or similar information used for your MyFitnessPal account.
Review your accounts for suspicious activity.
Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal data or refer you to a web page asking for personal data.
Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.
Under Armour said it doesn’t know the identity of the unauthorized party and is currently working with data security firms to assist in its investigation. It did not provide details on how the hackers got into its network in the first place.
“We continue to monitor for suspicious activity and to coordinate with law enforcement authorities,” Under Armour informed its customers. “We continue to make enhancements to our systems to detect and prevent unauthorized access to user information."
Keep an eye on your inbox, the lastest consumer news is on it's way! | https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/under-armour-says-150-million-myfitnesspal-accounts-were-affected-by-data-breach-033018.html |
Intellectual Property is the product of a notion which would have developed with time and work into an idea. The latter needs to be original, unique and potentially very valuable. These constructions of the human mind are bestowed official and special protection through statutory rights that are conferred unto the creators. The two broad categories of Intellectual Property are Industrial Property (which includes trademarks, patents and designs) and Copyright.
Malta is a member of the following international agreements, conventions and treaties:
Malta is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), hence having its copyright laws in line with TRIPs (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). Moreover, before Malta's accession to the EU, Malta carried out an exercise of aligning all its intellectual property legislation with the EU’s acquis communitaire and the EU’s legislative measures in this field mainly related to copyright in advanced technological aspects such as computer programs, databases and satellite broadcasting. Copyright Protection is covered by Cap 415 of the Laws of Malta and extends to artistic, audio-visual, literary, musical works and databases.
The Maltese Copyright Act provides that the term “literary work” shall include, any of the following, or works similar thereto:
It is important to note that this protection is offered irrespective of the literary quality of the work.
The law provides that the term “musical work” shall refer to any musical work, irrespective of musical quality, and includes works composed for musical accompaniment. Under this category, one also finds song lyrics which qualify as literary works.
Irrespective of artistic quality, this term includes the following:
A work will only be eligible for copyright if it satisfies three criteria, namely – qualification, originality and fixation.
Copyright is granted to an eligible work automatically. Therefore there is no need for registration under Maltese law as the law provides that protection is granted ipso jure upon creation of the work. This protection is obviously limited by territoriality. The main connecting factors would be domicile or citizenship of the creation.
However, there is definitely an issue with proving the ‘date’ when the artistic work was created and be able to use this ‘date’ against any infringing third parties who claim that the work / or a similar creation, is theirs rather than the original author’s. Since there is no system of formal registration at a public registry, one would need to establish the most formal procedure possible to freeze the date when the work was created. Our firm has assisted various artists and authors in establishing the best procedure for their case. Copyright formalisation can provide protection of your work from infringement and misuse, and ensures the rightholder always has the best evidence to protect his work and rights.
We represent corporate and personal clients in matters related to copyright protection & neighbouring rights, by identifying and addressing issues, structuring the best procedure to obtain maximum protection and hence avoid or minimize the risk of copyright infringement. We also represent clients in court litigation, negotiation, and out of court settlements related to all aspects of copyright.
Our services include: | https://www.ccmalta.com/services/malta-copyright-protection?lang=fr-FR |
What is DMCA?
Digital Millenium Coyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures (commonly known as digital rights management or DRM) that control access to copyrighted works. It also criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, whether or not there is actual infringement of copyright itself. In addition, the DMCA heightens the penalties for copyright infringement on the Internet. Passed on October 12, 1998, by a unanimous vote in the United States Senate and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 28, 1998, the DMCA amended Title 17 of the United States Code to extend the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability of the providers of on-line services for copyright infringement by their users.
In Layman’s Terms?
The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) makes it illegal to produce, and share copyrighted works. It also makes it illegal to offer technology, devices, or services designed to get around any copyright protection you have included in your copyrighted works. Penalties are steeper when the copyright infringement is online. | https://dmca.pro/what-is-dmca/ |
In a recent article for The New Yorker, Siddhartha Mukherjee offered an explication of epigenetics that quickly became controversial, inspiring a wave of complaints and commentary among scientists after it appeared. If nothing else, the article's notoriety shows how epigenetics has become one of the hottest corners of contemporary science. I've long been fascinated by the discipline, which shows how specific genes along an inherited spiral of DNA can be switched off and on by epigenes, which hover around DNA and determine how it is activated. The discovery of epigenes has shown that genetics may be a malleable system that can respond to human behavior by locking down or unlocking potential written into the structure of our DNA.
The controversy over Mukherjee's piece arose from his emphasis on histones--a sort of protein packing around the DNA--to the exclusion of RNA and "transcription factors," which are influential proteins that attach themselves to DNA. In either emphasis, the mechanisms of epigenetics has the same outcome: the structure of DNA isn't altered, yet its influence on a human being can be modified during the course of one individual's life. At the very least, Mukherjee has increased visibility for a field that may eventually become one of the most vital branches of science in the future. The article was an excerpt from a book which was favorably reviewed on the front of The New York Times Book Review. No matter how you explain its inner workings, epigenetics maintains that human nature can improve or degrade itself, at least slightly in incremental ways, in the span of a single life.
The author quotes one scientist in the piece: ""There's an epigenetic code, just as there's a genetic code. There are codes to make parts of the genome more active, and codes to make them inactive."
In The Constant Choice, I speculated that epigenetics may eventually show that the choices we make are imprinted on an epigenetic history of our lives, within our own cells, altering how our own DNA is activated. Eventually this could help personal changes in behavior become second nature to a particular individual. It doesn't appear that science has yet demonstrated this conclusively. Yet Mukherjee cites studies of ants that show the death of a queen in an ant colony triggers a wave of changes: the social cataclysm immediately alters the DNA of some worker ants who physically change to become "pseudo queens." They not only behave differently, but live three times longer than ordinary worker ants--even though the basic structure of their shared DNA is identical. The transformation--from little Clark Kents into one collective Superwoman, essentially--is epigenetic.
It isn't hard to imagine that changes in daily habit, making better choices, hour by hour and day by day, can effect a less dramatic but just as decisive change in the way an individual's DNA operates, unlocking potential for a person to become his or her best or worst self. Good habits breed other good habits, and once a set of good choices becomes engrained it becomes easier to maintain--more of an integral part of your own, individual nature. This is easily observable at the level of psychology, but epigenetics suggests maybe these behavioral changes could be supported physiologically.
Whether or not epigenetic changes can be passed down to progeny remains extremely controversial, and Mukherjee dismisses the idea that epigenetics represents a "wormhole" offering a shortcut around Darwin's long process of mutation and natural selection. Yet he tells a story about health issues among grandchildren of a generation of men and women in The Netherlands who were nearly starved during the German occupation of WW II. The health of both children and grandchildren were impacted by the famine, and scientists observed corresponding changes in the epigenetic makeup of those successive generations. (The author observes that this study has been challenged, and research into this group continues.)
It would seem odd, at least to this layman, that, if DNA can be inherited, the configuration of proteins that activate and suppress certain parts of the DNA couldn't also be inherited. If so, then individual human behavior could actually have an evolutionary impact on the behavior of future generations. That's a huge leap, granted. Yet whether or not individual choice can impact the epigenetic structure of DNA in children and grandchildren, doesn't simply that possibility motivate you to do the right thing?
For me, the simple possibility of impacting humanity through "good behavior" is thrilling. The chance that making the right choices repeatedly might actually leave a genetic record aligns with the notion that we can consciously evolve toward a better world, where our behavior increasingly reflects our most cherished values. To bet on this extraordinary possibility should be motivation enough to start making better choices now. One look around at the state of our world only reinforces that resolve.
Peter Georgescu is the author of The Constant Choice. He can be found at Good Reads. | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hope-for-the-future_b_10239130 |
John, Elizabeth and Turkington, Roy (1997) A 5-year study of the effects of nutrient availability and herbivory on two boreal forest herbs. Journal of Ecology, 85 (4). pp. 419-430. ISSN 0022-0477Full text not available from this repository.
Abstract
1) The responses of populations of Mertensia paniculata (bluebells or lungwort) and Anemone parviflora (small-flowered anemone) to herbivore exclosure and fertilization in a factorial experiment were monitored over a 5-year period beginning at peak herbivore (hare) densities during the snowshoe hare population cycle. For each species the population density, number and size of leaves and the number of flowers were measured.
2) Both species responded more strongly to fertilizer addition than to the exclusion of herbivores. Mertensia produced more flowering stems, more leaves per stem, and stem density increased in the fertilized plots. Fertilizing increased total leaf length per plant for non-flowering stems but this was not observed for flowering stems. However, the net effect of having more flowering stems and having greater leaf area on nonflowering stems was to increase the total leaf area of the population. The responses of Mertensia make it likely to become a stronger competitor in a more productive plant community.
3) Anemone showed contrasting responses at both individual and population levels. While individual stems produced slightly more leaves in fertilized plots, the density of stems declined. There were no strong effects on either leaf size or flowering. There was evidence of higher leaf turnover in fertilized plants. Meanwhile, control and exclosed unfertilized plots showed an increase in population density.
4) The weak responses to herbivory may be explained by the timing; this part of the experiment was run during a period of declining herbivore activity. However, observed interaction effects suggest that those herbivores remaining in the system may be attracted to fertilized plots. It is planned to continue the experiment for at least another 5 years through, and beyond, the next hare peak. | http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/28489/ |
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.
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Abstract
Workflow scheduling is one of the most challenging tasks in cloud computing. It uses different workflows and quality of service requirements based on the deadline and cost of the tasks. The main goal of workflow scheduling algorithm is to optimize the time and cost by using virtual machine migration. This algorithm computes the subset problem and decision problem in NP time. It works on the decision-making process to reduce the time and cost of computation on the server side. This paper proposes hybrid optimization to optimize the virtual machine locally and globally. The PEFT algorithm is used for initialization and worked as a heuristic algorithm. This algorithm reduces the error of random initialization of optimization. The proposed algorithm based upon Flower pollination with Grey Wolf Optimization using hybrid approach shows significant end effective results than flower pollination with genetic algorithm. The proposed approach also considered the reliability parameter on different workflows. | https://eprints.eudl.eu/id/eprint/687/ |
Individuals who have 2 copies of a certain gene variant that increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes may be able to reduce their fasting glucose and lipid levels and decrease their risk of stroke by eating a Mediterranean diet. The findings appeared online August 13 in Diabetes Care (http://tinyurl.com/l5jglh5).
Researchers from the United States and Spain studied 7018 participants who were randomly assigned to either a low-fat control diet or 1 of 2 slightly different Mediterranean diets (featuring such foods as fruits and vegetables, fish, and legumes, supplemented with either extra-virgin olive oil or nuts) during a multicenter trial conducted in Spain. DNA was isolated from participants, who were monitored for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and myocardial infarction for almost 5 years. The researchers focused on a variant in the gene encoding transcription factor 7-like 2, a protein that has been implicated in glucose metabolism but whose relationship to cardiovascular disease risk was uncertain. About 14% of the study enrollees were homozygous carriers (meaning they carried 2 copies of the gene variant) and had increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Mitka M. Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Stroke Risk in Individuals With Genetic Predisposition to Diabetes. JAMA. 2013;310(10):1013. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.277647
© 2020
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Create a personal account or sign in to: | https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1737038 |
Last updated November 15, 2022
This year has been memorable. Marked by uncertainty, social distancing, canceled trips and new safety measures. If you’re anything like me, you may be thinking it’s time to book a trip. A yoga retreat can help you to recoup, rest and restore mentally and physically.
Table of contents
Yoga is a perfect activity to satisfy this need. Specifically, yoga retreats provide an opportunity to relax your mind and soul, with a focus on rejuvenating the body.
You might be wondering, are yoga retreats worth it?
As a yogi myself, I’ve been on and have led many retreats in the past. I can definitively say they are worth it and offer many benefits that extend well beyond the retreat itself. Here are 5 reasons to consider a yoga retreat.
1. Provides Long-Lasting Motivation and Structure
Let’s take a moment to reflect… Are you taking time for self-care? Are you scheduling time in your day for fitness, yoga or other activities that you enjoy?
If you’re pretty dedicated to your mat and practice, well done for sticking to it! If you’re like many and find it hard to stay dedicated to a routine, then it’s a good idea to consider a yoga retreat. A yoga retreat offers a daily (oftentimes, twice daily) structure that will give your body and mind a deeper practice.
By participating in a structured program with yoga at its core, it encourages a routine with tangible feel-good results. Additionally, it provides you with new elements to add to your lifestyle when you get back home.
2. Encourages Learning and Growth
I taught yoga for around ten years and have led retreats for three. It took me a while to realize that even though I was a teacher, I had much to gain and benefit from attending a yoga retreat as a student.
Where are you on your yoga journey? If you’re new and just starting to look for a practice to kickstart your journey, a yoga retreat is a beautiful opportunity to dive in.
Maybe you’ve hit a boring patch in your practice and think a yoga retreat would add some new “tricks” to your current practice. Maybe you’re a yoga teacher in need of some personal restoration and just need to be led for a bit in a practice. Or perhaps you want something new to share with your students.
Throughout my experiences, I’ve learned that the best teachers are always a student. One should never actually stop learning and there is always room for growth mentally, physically and spiritually. A yoga retreat provides you with the opportunity to learn and improve—both personally and within your practice.
3. Introduces New Techniques
One of the benefits of going on a yoga retreat is the countless opportunities to explore what your body is capable of.
On these retreats, discover new practices and yoga techniques that will leave you feeling empowered to embrace a new routine upon returning home. Learning new techniques will help to diversity your day, bringing upon new modes of relaxation. From solidifying the child’s pose to trying aerial yoga, there’s so much to learn on these retreats.
When considering the best yoga retreat for you, research the types of yoga, what equipment will be used and the facilities where you will be practicing. Understanding these elements will help your comfort level.
4. Discover New Locations
With the stressors of work, life, and relationships, sometimes all you need to do is get away. These yoga retreats can also transform your life by bringing you to a new destination. Whether that’s in the heart of New York City or by the waters surrounding Costa Rica, each location provides a unique atmosphere to help you center your mind and body.
Consider your location when picking a yoga retreat and visualize yourself in that location. When you’re doing yoga, what do you picture in the distance? What kind of environment makes you feel most relaxed?
While each location and yoga retreat provides a different atmosphere and intensity, the one thing all yoga retreats have in common is its focus on zen and well-being.
5. Connect with a Well-Being Community
Yoga can be seen as the physical journey of connecting the mind and the body. On a yoga retreat, this can also be an opportunity to connect with fellow yogis. You’ll learn to feel grounded in yourself and even support others in their journey. By doing this, you are establishing a new community of like-minded people.
Push yourself outside of your comfort zone by joining a group of unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar place. This will open you up to a new world with new faces, allowing you to connect in a way you haven’t previously.
“Yoga is an opportunity to connect with like-minded souls and come together with new people as a community. It’s an opportunity to have experiential growth and learning and to literally immerse yourself into the yumminess of yoga in a beautiful setting with healthy delicious food, beautiful surroundings and great people.”Samantha Ho, San Francisco-based yoga and reiki teacher
Your Next Journey Begins Here
Final thoughts: Mindset is everything, especially when it comes to your expectations for a trip. Before going on the retreat, ask yourself:
- What am I expecting out of this retreat?
- Can a retreat even offer that, or fulfill it?
- What’s the worst that could happen if I did go on this retreat?
- Is my expectation even realistic?
If you’re looking to learn something new, experience something fresh, meet like-minded people and try something different than a regular vacation to a resort, then a yoga retreat may be a fantastic option for you.
To get started on your journey, learn about our unique yoga packages or email [email protected]. Our concierge team will work to ensure your retreat is personalized and memorable.
Read some more Retreats articles:
- 5 Female-Owned Wellness Resorts & Retreats
- Guide to Wellness Retreats, Resorts and Hotels with Spas
- Retreat to Canyon Ranch Woodside to Reflect and Connect
- 7 Free-Spirited Wellness Retreats in North America
- What To Expect on a Fitness Retreat
Destinations:
About Vacayou
We believe that travel has the power to change lives. The power to revive, rejuvenate and redirect the inner self. That’s why we’re here. Take an online staycation with us. Change how you think about travel and let us make it easier for you to search, discover, and book wellness and active vacations. But we don’t stop there. We are with you every step of the way—before, during and after your journey—to make sure you enjoy the most meaningful vacation ever. It’s Travel That Moves You. | https://vacayou.com/magazine/5-reasons-to-go-on-a-yoga-retreat/ |
Asylum seekers and refugee engagementDownload (PDF 2.4MB)
Summary of report contentHealthwatch Blackburn and Darwen examined asylum seeker and refugee’s experiences of using local services and the additional support available to them. The team engaged with service users at the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Drop-in Sessions over two months. Using informal interviews and focus groups, 60 people shared their views and experiences. The feedback revealed that communication was a recurring them. Respondents suggested that there could be better explanation of diagnosis and ensuring that they understand the potential implications from taking medication. Language interpreting often fell to the patient’s children during appointments. In addition, the respondents reported that they would like to have more flexibility of appointments; to have more options with booking GP appointments and more time for children’s appointments. Respondents felt they were not taken seriously by health professionals and that the attitudes of staff could be improved by them introducing themselves to patients and create an environment where patients are comfortable to discuss their mental health. The report made a number of recommendations including complying with guidance to ensure that patients understand the care they require, ensure that GP patients have access to a formal language interpreter and allow patients to make appointments in different ways via telephone or in person. The report also suggested that local services should review their Equality and Diversity training. No service provider response was included in the report.
Would you like to look at:
General details
Report title
Asylum seekers and refugee engagement
Local Healthwatch
Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen
Date of publication
Tuesday, 6 January, 2015
Type of report
Report
Key themes
Booking appointments
Communication between staff and patients
Diagnosis
Health inequalities
Information providing
Interpreters
Medication
Prescription
Quality of appointment
Quality of care
Staff attitudes
Healthwatch reference number
Rep-5302
Methodology and approach
Was the work undertaken at the request of another organisation?
No
Primary research method used
Engagement event
Focus group
Unstructured Interview
How was the information collected?
Engagement Event
Details of health and care services included in the report
Primary care services
GP practice
Details of people who shared their views
Number of people who shared their views
60
Age group
Not known
Gender
Not known
Ethnicity
Not known
Sexual orientation
Not known
Other population characteristics
Refugees or asylum seekers
Does the information include public's views?
Yes
Does the information include carer's, friend's or relative's views?
Not known
Does the information include staff's views?
No
Does the information include other people's views?
No
What was the main sentiment of the people who shared their views?
Negative
Outcomes and impact
Were recommendations made by local Healthwatch in the report?
Yes
Does the information contain a response from a provider?
No
Network Impact
Relationships that exist locally, regionally, nationally have benefited from the work undertaken in the report
Implied Impact
Where it is implied that change may occur in the future as a result of Healthwatch work. This can be implied in a provider response, press release or other source. Implied impact can become tangible impact once change has occurred.
Tangible Impact
There is evidence of change that can be directly attributed to Healthwatch work undertaken in the report. | https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/reports-library/asylum-seekers-and-refugee-engagement |
We thank Bukowski for his critical comments on our article ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]), in which we reported associations between ambient air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Vancouver, Canada. In recent years, air pollution has come to be recognized as an important risk factor for a number of adverse health outcomes, particularly cardiorespiratory morbidity ([@b2-ehp0112-a0792b], [@b3-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b12-ehp0112-a0792b], [@b13-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b25-ehp0112-a0792b]) and mortality ([@b2-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b5-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b16-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b22-ehp0112-a0792b]).
The adverse effects of air pollution on pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and developmental anomalies are of increasing concern. Before our study, there were reports of associations between particulate (total suspended particulate) and gaseous (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide) air pollutants and adverse pregnancy outcomes from southern California ([@b17-ehp0112-a0792b], [@b18-ehp0112-a0792b]), China ([@b23-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b24-ehp0112-a0792b]), and the Czech Republic ([@b1-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b4-ehp0112-a0792b]). Replication of these findings in different populations under different conditions of exposure is an important aspect of epidemiologic research, with consistency of results strengthening the weight of evidence for a true association between exposure and outcome.
Data on important predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes were not available to us for use in our study ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]). Although numerous risk factors have been identified (including maternal age, parity, infant sex, and season of birth, as well as gestational age and birth weight, in the case of LBW and preterm birth, respectively, which we were able to take into account), our understanding of the etiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes remains far from sufficient ([@b11-ehp0112-a0792b]). The omission of known or unknown risk factors for birth anomalies may lead to uncontrolled or residual confounding of the association between air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes, as Bukowski suggests. However, the extent to which residual confounding might occur in our data is unclear. [@b21-ehp0112-a0792b] have argued that the estimated effects of air pollution are unlikely to be confounded by these factors because they are unlikely to be correlated with daily air pollution levels.
Exposure assessment is always a critical factor in environmental epidemiology ([@b19-ehp0112-a0792b]). Like most other studies of air pollution and population health, our study ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]) relied on ecologic rather than personal indicators of exposure, with average ambient air pollution concentrations determined using one or more fixed site monitors within census areas in Vancouver. [@b8-ehp0112-a0792b], [@b9-ehp0112-a0792b] have suggested that air pollution levels from outdoor monitoring stations can provide useful surrogates for personal exposure. Exposure misclassification due to the use of fixed site ambient monitors rather than personal dosimeters is likely to underestimate rather than overestimate the effect of air pollution on birth outcomes ([@b15-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b26-ehp0112-a0792b]).
The weight of evidence that air pollution is causally related to adverse pregnancy outcomes would be considerably increased through understanding of biological mechanisms by which such effects could occur.
Burkowski notes that we ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]) included a number of statistical tests of the strength of association between air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and observes that multiple testing raises the risk of false positives. Our *a priori* strategy for hypothesis testing focused on predetermined stages of pregnancy (month or trimester), which are thought to represent periods of differential susceptibility to exogenous exposures. Findings from both epidemiologic and toxicologic studies suggest that the fetus is most susceptible to the effects of air pollution during the first trimester ([@b7-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b20-ehp0112-a0792b]). Human studies also have suggested that initial changes leading to IUGR might be triggered in early pregnancy, around the time of implantation ([@b6-ehp0112-a0792b]; [@b10-ehp0112-a0792b]). Air pollutants may be absorbed into the maternal bloodstream, cross the placental barrier, and have direct toxic effects on the fetus.
Our *a priori* strategy for the development of appropriate risk models focused on single-pollutant models, with adjustment for relevant covariates available to us, as we reported in Tables 4--7 ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]). Our strategy also called for an assessment of the robustness of the associations between pregnancy outcomes and specific pollutants against adjustment for copollutants. Although this strategy does involve a moderately large number of statistical tests of the significance of logistic regression coefficients associated with specific pollutants, our evaluation of the data is based more on the evidence provided by this set of hypothesis tests as a whole, rather than on the results of individual tests alone.
Overall, our data suggest that adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with exposures to air pollutants during pregnancy, particularly in early gestation. Because of limitations of our study, we ([@b14-ehp0112-a0792b]) concluded that
> "these effects require further examination in other populations, and further research also needs to be conducted with more detailed information on personal exposures, effect modifiers, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as birth defects and spontaneous abortion."
Our data need to be interpreted in the context of the emerging body of scientific evidence on air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes, to which we have made a contribution.
[^1]: The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.
| |
What are some general instructional practices that can be beneficial to students who are learning to speak English?
Page 6: Activate Background Knowledge
Among the more effective instructional techniques available to teachers is to tap into their ELL students’ background knowledge. Background knowledge helps students make connections with new information and helps them understand concepts. When teachers make connections between the lesson and their ELL students’ backgrounds, they validate their culture and experiences and may facilitate greater interest in the lesson. Teachers should take care to consider their students’ cultures, as well as the experiences they bring to the classroom, and should provide additional classroom experiences for students who do not have the necessary background knowledge for particular lessons.
Activating background knowledge can:
- Make learning easier and more meaningful
- Stimulate interest in the subject matter
- Boost motivation
Teachers can connect new concepts to students’ prior experiences and previous learning by:
- Asking students to brainstorm about what they already know about a topic
- Making explicit connections between previously learned concepts and new ones
- Using graphic organizers and other visuals to show the connections between students’ prior experiences and new knowledge
- Developing learning activities that are relevant to students’ cultural experiences
- Asking students to think about and write down what they know about a new topic and then share their ideas with a partner
- Teaching new vocabulary words by making connections to students’ background knowledge
Example: Ms. Westerman, a sixth-grade science teacher, and her colleague, the bilingual education teacher, know that Chandra grew up near a river valley. Whether in science class or in the bilingual education class both teachers tap into Chandra’s background knowledge to help her learn new vocabulary words. For example, Chandra does not know the word tributary, but she knows first-hand that smaller rivers or streams flow into larger ones. Ms. Westerman uses a map to show Chandra how the rivers flow near her previous home to illustrate the meaning of tributary. She uses Chandra’s experiences to help other students in the class increase their understanding of the science lesson. | https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/ell/cresource/q2/p06/ |
In complete obscurity and silence, on a large black and white screen, words floating in a three-dimensional space appear through a video projection. The words abandon one sentence, come together into another, then new ones appear. They are constantly in movement and change over time. These words appear strangely relevant to the present and are put together in sentences without meaning but grammatically and syntactically correct.
The installation Désambiguïsation functions in real time. An algorithm continuously gathers texts from the information streams of different websites on the Internet. Before presenting a word on the screen, it identifies its grammatical structure in order to determine its place in the sentence. The process of semantic disambiguation then allows words to be organized together into a sentence by reducing the plurality of their meanings. The installation thus automatically generates a text in natural language.
This process of computational linguistics is used in human-computer communication for voice recognition, automatic translation, and spelling corrections, in particular. This work showcases language at work. Because of their particular behavior, the words, despite being managed by machines, seem to seek out their place, to hesitate.
The spectator as observer has no knowledge of this process and cannot anticipate the development of events. Just like the computer, we will also naturally process the text, trying to give meaning to what we read, to the rearrangements we observe. We enter into a relationship with the computer.
Jeff Guess voluntarily chose to sample the text sources from news websites since the language used is rather telegraphic. In the work, these words take on a whole new turn of phrase, and through the game of polysemy, poetry is born of the words.
Jeff Guess (1948-), a photographer and movie director, first worked on the ties between fixed images and images in movement during performances and with the help of experimental research on new technologies. His research progressively led him to a work on algorithms to describe this link, which is centered on the question of language, whether it is through image or text. | http://www.espacemultimediagantner.cg90.net/oeuvre/desambiguisation-disambiguation/?lang=en |
The LSM growth had declined by 0.65 percent in July-October period of the fiscal year 2018-19 as compared to the corresponding period of previous year, reported the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Tuesday. However, the LSM growth went up by 0.95 percent during October 2018 as against the corresponding period of previous year.
The slowdown in LSM growth indicates that economic activities have decelerated in the country. The tightening of monetary policy and massive depreciation of the rupee has increased the cost of production for the big industries, which are posting negative growth.
“Taking a lead from the recent large scale manufacturing data, economic activity is expected to witness a notable moderation during FY19 – reflecting a short term cost of pursuing macroeconomic stability. The lagged impact of the 275 basis point increase in the policy rate since January 2018 and other policy measures is likely to contain domestic demand during the current fiscal year,” according to the State Bank of Pakistan. Furthermore, it added that initial estimates for major crops, except wheat, are expected to fall short of levels achieved in the last year. The slowdown in commodity producing sectors is expected to limit the expansion in the services sector as well. In this backdrop, SBP projects real GDP growth for FY19 at slightly above 4.0 percent.
The PBS computes the quantum index numbers of the LSM on the basis of latest production data of 112 items received from various sources, including the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC), Ministry of Industries and Production and provincial Bureau of Statistics. The LSM data, provided by the Ministry of Industries and Production for 36 items, showed growth of 0.56 percent during the first four months of the FY2019 over a preceding year. Similarly, the data provided by the provincial Bureaus of Statistics for 65 items showed negative growth of 0.75 percent over the same period. The output of 11 items, whose data is provided by the Oil Companies Advisory Committee, had decreased by 0.46 percent during the period under review.
As far as the main drivers of the LSM sector's growth during the period under review are concerned, engineering products sector recorded growth of 14.41 percent followed by rubber products that recorded 3.95 percent growth. Similarly, fertilizer sector grew by 2.96 percent and paper and board grew by 2.56 percent. Meanwhile, leather products, non metallic mineral products, chemicals and food, beverages and tobacco had also recorded growth during the period under review.
On the other hand, wood products recorded negative growth of 53.94 percent, coke & petroleum products’ down by 6.46 percent. Meanwhile, the growth of pharmaceuticals went down by 6.12 percent, iron & steel products by 4.87pc and electronics growth by 2.42 percent during July to November period of the current fiscal year.
In the automobile sector, the production of tractors went down by 6.57 percent, trucks 15.06pc and motorcycle production declined by 4.57pc. Meanwhile, production of buses had declined by 3.93 percent, light commercial vehicles 6.31pc during first five months of the ongoing fiscal year. However, production of jeeps and cars had enhanced by 7.14 percent.
In non-metallic mineral products, cement posted a growth of 1.95 percent. In the food, beverages and tobacco segment, an increase of 3.43pc was recorded in cooking oil production. Other item that had witnessed an increase of 0.28pc was tea blended. | |
UK Accounting Glossary
EBITDA or “earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization” is a commonly used measure of cash flow. EBITDA can be calculated “top-down” by adding back DDA or depreciation and amortization deducted as sales costs to operating income before interest and taxes. EBITDA can also be calculated “bottom-up” by adding interest and DDA back to pretax income. For example, to find EBITDA, if the income statement shows $2 million of pretax income and DDA is $12 million and interest expense $6 million, then EBITDA is $20 million. EBITDA became a standard tool for measuring cash flow leverage for LBOs in the 1980s. An EBITDA/debt ratio at a 2x multiple was considered the limit of safe leverage. EBITDA is often the cash flow measure most often associated with profitability comparison between investments. For example, enterprise value/EBITDA provides a valuation multiple of all of a company’s debt and equity times its cash flows. EBITDA is not a GAAP approved accounting measure because EBITDA neutralizes the effects of a company’s financing and accounting decisions.
To help you cite our definitions in your bibliography, here is the proper citation layout for the three major formatting styles, with all of the relevant information filled in.
Definitions for EBITDA are sourced/syndicated and enhanced from:
This glossary post was last updated: 9th February 2020. | https://payrollheaven.com/define/ebitda/ |
Context: Adverse work schedules and conditions may affect the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of workers, impairing quality of life and causing conflict between family and work roles. Aims: To compare quality of life, professional quality of life (ProQOL), and work/family conflict (WFC) between shift workers and nonshift workers and explore possible associations with demographic characteristics. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rehabilitation center in Central Greece, recording demographic, occupational, and family characteristics. Materials and Methods: Participants answered the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, the ProQOL questionnaire [compassion satisfaction (CS), and the burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress scales], and the WFC scale. Statistical Analysis Used: IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 for Windows. Results: Ninety-one employees (68.7% shift workers) participated, with mean age 33.5. Females reported higher compassion/satisfaction level (P = 0.031). Nursing profession was associated with higher levels of BO (P = 0.021), impact of work to family life (P = 0.008), and impact of family to work (FtW), and WFC (P = 0.008). Parenthood increased the impact of FtW (P = 0.008) and predispose to WFC (P = 0.023). In general, wellbeing was significantly correlated with CS (r = 0.368, P < 0.01), BO (r = −0.538, P < 0.01), and levels of WFC (P = 0.003). Work and family roles conflict was statistically significantly correlated with levels of BO (r = 0.497, P < 0.01), and CS (r = −0.288, P < 0.01). Conclusions: The interaction between general, professional, and family quality of life can guide interventions in the workplace in order to improve workers' quality of life and promote workers' health. | http://www.ijoem.com/article.asp?issn=0973-2284;year=2017;volume=21;issue=3;spage=115;epage=120;aulast=Skoufi;type=0 |
This Service Level Agreement (“SLA”) applies to all persons and entities (“customers”) using the products and services of Site B Data Services., (“SiteB”). The SLA is incorporated into the Terms of Service (“TOS”) and applicable to all Services delivered to Customers. This SLA does not apply to the availability of Third Party Services (“TPS”) which are subject to the TPS Agreements. The SLA is binding only on the Customer and SiteB and does apply to any Third Parties, including Customer End Users. The issuance of SLA Credits (defined below) is the sole and exclusive remedy of Customer and SiteB’s sole and exclusive obligation, for any failure by SiteB to satisfy the requirements set forth in the SLA.
To claim a credit the Customer shall follow the Approved Procedure within seven (7) days of the end of the Claimed Outage. The claim will be reviewed by SiteB, any credit for Verified Outages (“SLA Credits”) shall be issued as provided below.
Claimed Outage means the period (measured in minutes) during which Customer claims a Loss of Service during a Measurement Period as reported using the Approved Procedure.
Excluded Minutes means the period of any outage measured in minutes due to the exclusions set forth in the SLA Credit Exclusion in the Measurement Period.
Measurement Period means the relevant Initial Term or Renewal Term.
Qualifying Outage Minutes mean the aggregate of all minutes of a Verified Outage during a Measurement Period, minus any Excluded Minutes in that Measurement Period.
Services means the services ordered by Customer and accepted by SiteB as provided in the TOS.
Loss of Services means the Customer’s inability to connect to the SiteB data centers providing the Services to access either (i) the Customer Portal or (ii) a Service. If Customer can connect to one of the SiteB data centers to access either the Customer Portal or any of the Services, there is no Loss of Services, whether or not Customer can use the Customer Content.
Verified Outage means a Claimed Outage for a particular Service that has been verified by SiteB using its monitoring logs of accessibility of the SiteB data centers or any of the Services.
Public Network: SiteB will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide a service level of 100% for the Public Network.
Private Network: SiteB will use commercially reasonable efforts to meet the service level of 100% for the Private Network.
Customer Portal: SiteB will use commercially reasonable efforts to meet the service level of 100% for access to the Customer Portal.
Redundant Infrastructure: SiteB will use commercially reasonable efforts to meet the service level of 100% for access to the power and HVAC services provided to Customers.
For each 30 continuous minute period of Qualifying Outage Minutes for a Service in a Measurement Period, SiteB shall provide a SLA Credit of 5% of the fees for the relevant Service which was subject to the Loss of Service during the Measurement Period. Any period of Qualifying Outage Minutes for a Service which is less than 30 continuous minutes shall not be eligible for an award of SLA Credits. The Customer cannot combine alleged Claimed Outages for different Services (such as Public Network and Private Network) to meet this calculation. The calculation of SLA Credits for failure of hardware replacement or hardware upgrade shall be as set forth respectively, in Table A and Table B.
a. The Customer’s identified master administrative user will report a Claimed Outage by opening a ticket on the Customer Portal. The ticket must include Service type, IP Address, dates and times, error messages received (if any), contact information, and full description of the interruption of Service including logs, if applicable.
b. In order to receive a SLA Credit, Customer must submit a report of Claimed Outage to the Customer Portal within seven (7) days of the end of the Claimed Outage after the technical issues have been resolved.
c. SiteB will review Claimed Outages against Verified Outages.
d. SiteB’s determination of SLA Credits is final.
e. Customer agrees to pay all invoices in full while a Claimed Outage is being reviewed or SLA Credit is being determined.
f. SiteB will communicate the SLA Credits to Customer through SiteB accounting and the ticket will be updated, provided that, the SLA Credit may not be used to reduce the payments due in a Renewal Term below zero. SiteB will apply the SLA Credits to the Customer’s future invoices for the relevant Services subject to SiteB’s standard policies.
SLA Credits may be used solely for future payments due for the particular Service or failure of other obligations (such as hardware) for which the Service Credits are issued. The SLA Credits may not be sold or transferred to other parties. SLA Credits may not be used until any Customer violations of the TOS are resolved to SiteB’s reasonable satisfaction. Any Customer making false or duplicative claims for Claimed Outages will incur a one-time charge of $50 per incident for such claims. False or duplicative claims are also a violation of the TOS and may, in SiteB’s sole discretion, result in a suspension of Services. SLA Credits shall expire on the termination or expiration of the TOS.
SiteB will use commercially reasonable efforts to replace failed hardware and hardware components located within our data centers at a service level of two hours after SiteB verification of Customer’s notification in the Customer Portal ticketing system of a hardware failure. This response period does not include time required to reload the operating system or applications. If the installation does not meet this service level, Customer shall be eligible for SLA Credits as provided below for the future fees directly related to the hardware if the Customer follows the Approved Procedure. | http://sitebdata.com/service-level-agreement/ |
our park and it will continue to be the best-looking park in the Valley.
1. Registration: All leaseholders and renters MUST register at the office upon arrival.
2. Maintenance Fee: Includes water, garbage, sewer and parking area for extra vehicles.
3. Badges: Name badges are issued at the office and should be worn at all functions.
These badges should be worn when attending Bingo.
4. Phone Calls: All emergency calls will be delivered to you as soon as possible. Other
calls will be put in the mailboxes in the clubhouse on the east wall.
5. Clubhouse: The laundry room is on the northwest end of the clubhouse and is open 24
hours a day. There is poolroom, library, poker and card tables and a TV available in
the clubhouse. Each and every person should help keep the clubhouse, laundry and
restrooms neat and clean at all times. The last person to leave the clubhouse, library
or poolroom is responsible for turning off the lights, coffee pots, fans, TV, VCR, etc.
and making sure all doors are locked. Equipment in the clubhouse cannot be removed
for personal use. Clubhouse showers are for emergencies and guests.
6. Private Functions: Any leaseholder or renter wishing to conduct any function in the
clubhouse or other recreational areas, must first obtain permission from the Activities
Director. If it is the same time as a regular scheduled activity, a written permission must be obtained from that activity chairperson to cancel that activity for that date.
Those with permission shall be responsible for clean-up. The building shall be left in the same condition as found. On Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day no regular activity is to be scheduled so that special events can be arranged by the Activities Director.
7. Electricity: Meters will be read on the last business day (weekday) of the month and
bills will be put in the mailboxes in the clubhouse on the east wall. If you are not
staying in the park and your monthly bill is over $25.00 or more, your bill will be
mailed to your home address.
8. Pets: Pets (any domesticated animal) must be on a leash at all times not to exceed ten
(10’) feet. You are responsible for the actions and conduct of your pets, including
noisy and barking pets. Do not leave pets outside unattended. Pets (excluding service dogs) will not be allowed in any common areas, including swimming pool, clubhouse, mailboxes, shuffleboard courts or similar areas. Pets are not allowed to walk on or relieve themselves on any leaseholder lot, which also includes the area around sign poles and the poles themselves. Pets may be exercised in the park streets, if the rules
are followed. Designated areas for pet walking include the south side of Sage Street, the landscaped strip along Stewart Road and the pet owner’s own lot. A container must be carried and waste must be picked up immediately. It is recommended that all children walking pets should be under the supervision of an adult. All pet owners are required to register at the office. Pet owners new to the park will be asked to document their understanding and intent to comply with the pet rules. Leaseholders will be required to register only once, unless their pet status needs to be updated. All pet complaints must be taken to the Pet Committee, where an attempt will be made to resolve the issue. When an individual has been contacted by the Pet Committee for violating pet rules for the third time, he or she will be sent a letter of warning. Upon the fourth time and for every additional complaint there will be a penalty of $10.00
9. Advertising: No leaseholder or renter may establish a sale facility or transact business
within the park area. No advertising signs may be displayed except “For Sale” or
“For Rent” which must be posted on the front or side window of the unit or front of
shed. A one-time, two-day garage sale is allowed when selling and moving out of the
park. Signs may be posted in the laundry room and on bulletin boards only. Exceptions are licensed vehicles, motorcycles, golf carts which may have a “For Sale” on them.
10. Self-Contained Units: No tents or tent trailers are permitted. All units must be self
Contained. NO PORT-A-POTS to be accepted in the park.
11. Heated Swimming Pool: Rules are posted at the entrance to the pool. PLEASE abide
by them. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult and supervised at all
times while in the pool area and all other common areas within the park.
12. Smoking Code: NO tobacco use (smoking or chewing) in the clubhouse.
13. Trash and Garbage: All garbage MUST be in plastic bags, tied and deposited in the
dumpsters at the southwest corner of the park. No changing of oil or disposal of oil
filters is allowed in the park (maintenance vehicles are the exception). All waste,
such as grass clippings and shrub trimmings (not fruit or rinds) must be put in the front of your lot for pick up by the maintenance crew. The following items CANNOT be put into the W&I dumpsters nor discarded or left within the premises of W & I Resort.
• Large household goods: Refrigerators, water heaters, stoves, microwaves,
household furniture, mattresses, carpeting, etc.
• Building materials: Doors, windows, roofing, gutters, toilets, sinks, cabinets, etc.
Also, propane cylinders, gas cans, motor oil, a/c units, heating units, bicycles,
scooters, wet cell batteries, auto/truck tires and parts, patio furniture, etc.
These items must be removed from W & I Resort and the removal paid for by the
person(s) responsible for the item(s). Anyone found in violation of this rule will be
required to retrieve the item(s), regardless of where they are and have them disposed
of properly.
14. Lights: All yard lights are to have electricity to them so the light will come on during
the night time hours all year long.
15. Individual Lots: It is your responsibility to keep flowerbeds weeded and trees pruned.
No storage is allowed under travel trailers or motor homes. No clothes lines are permitted that can be seen.
16. Units: Only one RV used for living quarters is allowed on each lot.
17. Transportation: Only one vehicle (automobile, van or pickup) and 1 golf cart and 2
motorcycles may be parked on each lot with the exception of a Motor home , 5th wheel or trailer when you arrive or leave. These vehicles may be parked on the street overnight for a maximum of 72 hours for unloading and loading.
18. Parking Area: Units in the parking area at the south end of the park need to have the
lot number of the owner displayed on them at all times, so it can be seen from the street, or they will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense. There needs to be a
6 foot space all the way around the vehicle or trailer so mowers can get around them.
19. Parking Permits: If you park your vehicle, 5th wheel trailer or motor home on
someone’s lot, you need to have written permission, filed in the office, in the lot
owner’s folder.
20. Visitor Parking: Visitors can park on the north side of the street between the hours of
6:00am and 11:00pm ONLY. NO OVERNIGHT PARKING ON THE STREET.
Extra parking space is available in the area at the south end of the park.
21. Speed Limits: Any vehicle driven in the park needs to observe a 15 mph speed limit.
22. Construction: There is to be no construction or alteration on your lot without first
having your plan approved by the Park Manager and the Buildings and Grounds Committee, that the plans are following our Park Building Codes. This includes all electrical work, and outside construction.
23. Electric: All electrical connections for park models, trailers, and 5th wheels are required
to have a 30 amp plug (for 120 volt meters) or 50 amp plug (for 240 volt meters) so
they can be unplugged for safety. In no case shall two adapters be used for your
hookup. All permanent units installed after March 1985, must have a 240 volt meter
and a 220 volt power source. All work must be accomplished by a licensed electrician
after obtaining a “Buildings and Grounds Approval Form” from the office and signed
by the Buildings and Ground Chairman.
24. Trees: Two types of palm trees are permitted on your lot. They are the Washingtonia or
Chinese Fan Palms. They must be planted between the light post and five feet from the
edge of the street. The planting of other types of trees are acceptable in allowable
areas. See page 16, Figure 8, to see where you can plant trees and shrubs. For Tree Trimming & Removal: If you hire a tree service or a private individual from outside the park, to trim or remove any tree or shrub in your yard (including the palm trees), they are responsible for hauling all debris out of the park.
25. Safety: It is advised that bicycles ridden after dark have a white light in front and a red
light in the rear. Bicycles ride with traffic. Walkers who walk after dark are advised
to carry a light or wear a blinking device and face traffic. No driving of scooters, mopeds, motorcycles or golf carts is permitted on sidewalks. The only exceptions are handicap scooters, electric wheel chairs and maintenance vehicles. Walkers shall always have the right-of-way.
26. Recycling: Aluminum cans must be washed and crushed. Tin cans need to be washed
out and both ends cut out then flattened. Bi-Metal cans can be recycled as tin cans.
Clear or green plastic bottles/containers should be cleaned and flattened before placing
in bin. Corrugated cardboard and cereal boxes must be flattened. Newspapers are to
be bundled up and stacked neatly. No magazines, white office and computer paper,
brown grocery bags, telephone books or OIL BOTTLES, Please! PLEASE refer to
current recycling procedures posted at the recycling area.
27. Leaseholder Property: All goods and personal property of any kind placed by Lessee
in or upon the leased premises, shall be the sole responsibility of Lessee, and in no event shall Lessor be liable for any loss or damage to said goods or property for any reason whatsoever. Note: This includes all trees and shrubs. | https://wandiresort.net/by-laws-and-rules/ |
The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting Oct. 28 elected a new assistant presiding officer and board secretary.
The board unanimously chose Jeffrey Scott Tallas, of Sugar Land, to serve the two-year term of assistant presiding officer and W. Ford Taylor III, of Waco, to serve the two-year term of secretary. The duo replaces R. LeRoy Bell, of Tuscola, who formerly served as assistant presiding officer, and Salvatore A. Zaccagnino, of Caldwell, who previously served as secretary.
Board members cannot serve more than two consecutive terms, but can serve limitless nonconsecutive terms, said Riley Woods, BRA senior staff attorney. The BRA governing board consists of 21 members appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the Texas Senate and serve a six-year staggered term.
Projects and training
Two of the three BRA-owned and operated dams are due for state-required five-year inspections. The Board approved professional services agreements with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. to perform work at the Lake Granbury DeCordova Bend Dam for $247,300 and the Lake Limestone Sterling C. Robertson Dam for $248,565. Two companies bid for the project.
Five-year inspections are required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The BRA always selects an outside engineering firm to conduct the inspection, said Brad Brunett, BRA Central and Lower Basin Regional Manager. BRA employees, however, perform documented daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual inspections of each of the dams. Ensuring the dams’ safety is a team effort and a daily focus year-round. The inspections’ activities include onsite work, records review, and measurements to ensure the dam has not moved, Brunett said.
The BRA will also be able to enter into an interlocal agreement with the Texas A&M Engineering and Extension Service after the board gave the program its support. TEEX offers customized training and services through hands-on instructional facilities for agencies in College Station or at customer-specified locations worldwide. The up to $500,000 interlocal agreement will provide BRA employees training and services, including, emergency preparation, disaster response and rescue, critical license certification, leadership infrastructure and facility protection, cybersecurity, safety training and compliance assessment assistance, peace officer development, water and wastewater certification, and EPA compliance assistance.
Dissolved Oxygen study
A recent fish kill prompted new measures to limit the extent of future fish kills. In July 2019, a fish kill was observed below the Lake Granbury DeCordova Bend Dam. The incident was due to low dissolved oxygen levels associated with the closing of spillway gates following extended gate releases. Dissolved oxygen levels were depleted as there was an extremely high concentration of fish congregated in the river immediately below the dam. Fish, like all other complex life forms, need oxygen to survive. They obtain oxygen in the form of oxygen gas dissolved in the water.
Michael McClendon, Upper Basin Regional Manager, said the BRA is also initiating a three-year dissolved oxygen study in the Lake Granbury stilling basin and pool immediately below the stilling basin. The study will track and record dissolved oxygen concentration and water temperature at different intervals. The data will then be correlated to season, ambient conditions, and release conditions to identify which release strategies, if any, are successful at maintaining dissolved oxygen concentrations in the stilling basin and during what conditions those strategies should be used.
“We need to understand what those dissolved oxygen concentrations are before installing anything,” McClendon said.
Meanwhile, McClendon said, staff will attempt to make graduated and incrementally reduced releases after a flood event as opposed to a more rapid reduction of flows which may allow fish to vacate the stilling basin and travel downstream to a larger pool or reach within the river system.
In addition to the dissolved oxygen study, the BRA will engage an engineer to re-design the low flow gates for full operational capacity, McClendon said. After design completion, the BRA will go out for bids for construction. The BRA is optimistic that regaining this flexibility will assist and limit future occurrences.
The BRA will continue to assess opportunities and partner with agencies to improve conditions in the Brazos River basin. As an example, the BRA provides water from its reservoirs to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s fish hatchery below Possum Kingdom Lake to supplement and restore populations of fish throughout the basin. The BRA is committed to exploring all opportunities for responsible and efficient uses of its water resources to maintain the aquatic and riparian ecosystem of the basin while providing water supply for beneficial use.
Presiding Officer Cynthia A. Flores, of Round Rock, said she appreciated the work staff had done evaluating options after a community member expressed concern about the fish kill at the last board meeting.
Also at the quarterly meeting, the Board:
The next board meeting will be Jan. 27. To see a full list of board actions, go here.
The Board meets quarterly on the last Monday of January, April, July and October. | https://brazos.org/About-Us/News/Current-News/ArticleID/1850 |
All relevant data are contained within the paper.
Introduction {#sec004}
============
Although effective treatment has existed for more than 50 years, tuberculosis (TB) is the most frequent infectious cause of death worldwide \[[@pone.0185018.ref001]\]. An estimated 10.4 million people developed TB disease in 2015 --the majority of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries such as Peru \[[@pone.0185018.ref001]\]. Although Peru has a model National TB Program (NTP) that incorporates directly observed therapy (DOT) and provides medications, diagnostic tests, and psycho-social services free of direct charges, it continues to have the second highest TB burden in the Americas. In 2015, the estimated incidence rate was 119 per 100,000 population \[[@pone.0185018.ref002]\]. The incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB is the highest of all American countries and continues to increase \[[@pone.0185018.ref002],[@pone.0185018.ref003]\].
Early detection, diagnosis and notification of TB is a global priority for TB control efforts and is emphasized in the World Health Organization (WHO) End-TB Strategy \[[@pone.0185018.ref004], [@pone.0185018.ref005]\]. In 2015, only 57% of TB cases were estimated to have been diagnosed and notified globally \[[@pone.0185018.ref001]\]. Low case detection and delays in treatment initiation contribute to increased household and community transmission of TB, severity of individual disease, and risk of adverse treatment outcomes \[[@pone.0185018.ref006]\].
Globally, TB is recognized as a socially stratified disease that clusters among disadvantaged groups. This has recently been confirmed in the setting of the current research \[[@pone.0185018.ref007],[@pone.0185018.ref008]\]. An inequitable distribution of low income, food insecurity, poor housing, unhealthy environmental conditions, and other social determinants exacerbate poor TB control in areas of low socio-economic position \[[@pone.0185018.ref009]\]. In order to meet the ambitious targets set out in the End-TB Strategy and ensure the prompt diagnosis and treatment of often vulnerable individuals, it is important to understand the relationships between social determinants and TB diagnostic delay \[[@pone.0185018.ref010]\], and how interventions may address these social determinants \[[@pone.0185018.ref011]\].
The reasons and risk factors for diagnostic delay have been investigated in many parts of the world and vary considerably according to the context \[[@pone.0185018.ref012]--[@pone.0185018.ref018]\]. Several studies have examined diagnostic delay, but none have used comparative analyses of qualitative data collected from persons diagnosed with TB (PDTB), family members, and health personnel working in the NTP \[[@pone.0185018.ref019]--[@pone.0185018.ref021]\].
The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the social determinants that contribute to diagnostic delay among PDTB living in Lima and Callao, Peru. We focused on the perspectives of PDTB, their family members, and health personnel in order to gain an individual, community, and health-system level understanding of this phenomenon.
Methods {#sec005}
=======
Setting {#sec006}
-------
From May to October 2015, this study was conducted in 25 public health facilities throughout 19 districts of Lima and Callao, Peru. The estimated population of Lima and Callao is 9.8 million people living in 50 districts, defined by having a mayor and municipality. In order to select the districts for this research, we met with regional TB coordinators in 7 health management network offices to identify geographically distinct districts with the highest respective TB burdens for their network. Districts varied from desert shantytowns to dense, historical city neighbourhoods. All public health facilities had a designated TB treatment program with at least one nurse technician devoted exclusively to working with PDTB.
Participants {#sec007}
------------
Inclusion criteria were PDTB (n = 105) aged at least 18 years old, who were currently taking treatment for their first episode of pulmonary TB in a public health facility regulated by the NTP, whose NTP treatment card indicated that they had had a sputum smear microscopy positive result. In Peru, sputum smear microscopy is the only widely-used rapid laboratory test. Culture and molecular testing are largely restricted to drug-susceptibility testing after TB has been diagnosed. We included people with drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB. Exclusion criteria were inability or unwillingness to give written, informed consent, and history of past TB disease.
PDTB were selected to participate by convenience sampling whereby we approached individuals taking treatment for TB at selected public health facilities who happened to be present at the time of our visit. Approximately 10% of PDTB declined to participate in our study. All recruited PDTB gave written informed consent to be interviewed and were asked to agree to a home visit. Family members interviewed (n = 63) were currently living in the same household or city district as the PDTB. Recruited family members were also selected by convenience sampling whereby we approached them at the time of our home visits. Six focus groups were held, each with 5--8 health personnel. These health personnel included doctors, nurses, nutritionists, lab technicians, social workers, nursing technicians, and/or psychologists who currently and/or previously worked with PDTB in the study districts. Family members and health personnel gave verbal consent to participate.
Data collection {#sec008}
---------------
Healthcare experiences and community perceptions of TB disease were explored with current PDTB, their family members, and health personnel who currently and/or previously practiced in the NTP. Two methods were used: (1) semi-structured interviews; and (2) focus group discussions.
### (1) Semi-structured interviews {#sec009}
All PDTB were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide developed from a prior WHO survey of diagnostic and treatment delay \[[@pone.0185018.ref012]\]. This document was reviewed and edited by three Peruvian medical professionals with more than twenty years of experience with TB in-country. Thereafter, it was piloted during 2 pilot interviews with PDTB and modified based on their responses. The pilot interviews were only used for refining the interview guide, were not recorded, and are not further reported here. Data from pilot interviews are not included in the main study. The main study interviews lasted 30 minutes to 1 hour, over 1 or 2 meeting occasions, and explored the following themes: socio-demographics; household environment and family composition; migration history; past medical history; history of patient's illness including symptoms; health-care seeking behaviours; and socio-economic consequences of TB. Medical charts were also reviewed for history of past TB disease and other comorbidities. Interviews with family members lasted 5 to 30 minutes and were conducted either in the public health facility or the family member's home, depending on their preference. These interviews focused on community perceptions of TB disease, its causes and social consequences, common health seeking behaviours and interactions people had with the public health system. All interviews were conducted in Spanish and digitally recorded. These recordings were then transcribed for analysis except in three cases when recording was declined. Detailed notes were taken in these cases.
### (2) Focus groups {#sec010}
Focus groups with health personnel lasted 40 to 90 minutes and questioned community perceptions of TB disease and common health seeking behaviours. Relationships and attitudes between health personnel, PDTB, and the NTP were discussed. Participants were encouraged to provide what they thought were the general opinions and behaviours of the populations in which they worked. The discussions were freeform, such that participants could respond to one another's comments and build on emerging themes. Interview guides for PDTB, family members, and health personnel are shown in the online supplement.
**Analysis**. Diagnostic delay was defined as the number of days between symptom onset and the first smear positive TB diagnostic sample recorded by public health facilities regulated under the NTP. PDTB first described their symptoms of TB and then we specifically asked them if they had experienced cough, fever, weight loss, and/or hemoptysis. Symptoms described by PDTB included cough, fever, weight loss, hemoptysis, fatigue, and night sweats. We used the date PDTB self-reported their first symptom related to TB as the date of symptom onset. The number of days of diagnostic delay was then back-calculated using this date.
All spoken words from the interviews and focus groups were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Interviews and focus groups were reviewed to identify emerging themes and concepts. Using the software Atlas.ti 7 (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany) a list of conceptual codes was then created to organize and group information provided by participants. A fully coded analysis of all transcripts was completed and used to create a conceptual framework of factors contributing to diagnostic delay. Translation of representative quotes from Spanish to English was done after analysis. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel 2013 (Microsoft Office).
**Ethics statement**. The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Committee of Research Ethics at the Peruvian National Institute of Health and the Internal Review Board of Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Michigan, USA.
Results {#sec011}
=======
Demographic characteristics of all PDTB are shown in [Table 1](#pone.0185018.t001){ref-type="table"}. The median age was 28 and 38% were female. [Table 2](#pone.0185018.t002){ref-type="table"} shows characteristics of the family members interviewed. The median age was 46 and 87% were female. [Table 3](#pone.0185018.t003){ref-type="table"} outlines characteristics of the focus groups, for whom the median duration working with PDTB was five years.
10.1371/journal.pone.0185018.t001
###### Demographic characteristics of all persons diagnosed with TB.
{#pone.0185018.t001g}
Variable Units Persons diagnosed with TB (n = 105)
------------------------- ------------------------ ---------------- -------------------------------------
**General** Age median (IQR) 28 (22--49)
Female sex n (%) 40 (38)
Monthly personal income median \$US (IQR) 218 (116--349)
**City districts** San Juan de Lurigancho n (%) 18 (17)
El Augustino n (%) 7 (7)
La Victoria n (%) 14 (13)
Santa Anita n (%) 6 (6)
ATE n (%) 2 (2)
Lurin n (%) 3 (3)
Villa Maria del Triunfo n (%) 3 (3)
Villa El Salvador n (%) 3 (3)
San Juan de Miraflores n (%) 4 (4)
Bellavista n (%) 3 (3)
Rimac n (%) 5 (5)
San Martin de Porres n (%) 14 (13)
Independencia n (%) 3 (3)
Los Olivos n (%) 6 (6)
Callao n (%) 3 (3)
Ventanilla n (%) 4 (4)
Mi Peru n (%) 1 (1)
Carabayllo n (%) 3 (3)
Comas n (%) 3 (3)
10.1371/journal.pone.0185018.t002
###### Demographic characteristics of all family members interviewed.
{#pone.0185018.t002g}
Variable Units Family member (n = 63)
------------------------------------------ ---------- -------------- ------------------------
**General** Age median (IQR) 46 (39--54)
Female sex n (%) 55 (87)
Previously had TB n (%) 3 (5)
**Relation to person diagnosed with TB** Parent n (%) 31 (49)
Sibling n (%) 5 (8)
Child n (%) 6 (10)
Spouse n (%) 10 (16)
Other n (%) 11 (17)
10.1371/journal.pone.0185018.t003
###### Demographic characteristics of focus groups.
{#pone.0185018.t003g}
Variable Units Focus Group Discussion (n = 6)
------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------- ------------- --------------------------------
**General** Total health professionals n (%) 35 (100)
Number of health professionals per focus group median (IQR) 5.5 (5--6)
Years working in TB median (IQR) 5 (3--14.5)
**Occupations** Physician n (%) 11 (31)
Technical nurse n (%) 7 (20)
Nurse n (%) 12 (34)
Nutritionist n (%) 2 (6)
Laboratory technician n (%) 1 (3)
Psychologist n (%) 1 (3)
Social worker n (%) 1 (3)
The age of health personnel was not recorded for confidentiality purposes. Note: IQR indicates interquartile range; TB indicates tuberculosis.
Diagnostic delay {#sec012}
----------------
The median diagnostic delay was 57 days (interquartile range (IQR): 28--126). Interview and focus group data were organized conceptually into five categories that directly or indirectly contributed to diagnostic delay. Categories are illustrated in [Fig 1](#pone.0185018.g001){ref-type="fig"} and are presented below with direct quotes from PDTB, family members, and health personnel. [Table 4](#pone.0185018.t004){ref-type="table"} shows descriptions of codes used to create the conceptual framework.
{#pone.0185018.g001}
10.1371/journal.pone.0185018.t004
###### Codes used to create the conceptual framework.
{#pone.0185018.t004g}
Factors contributing to diagnostic delay Conceptual codes: PDTB Conceptual codes: family members Conceptual codes: health personnel
--------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**A. Material resources and social support available** Initial reactions to symptoms Reasons for high TB prevalence Reasons for high TB prevalence
Knowledge of TB prior to diagnosis Groups at greater risk of contracting TB Groups at greater risk of contracting TB
Knowledge of TB transmission Common community knowledge of TB Common community knowledge of TB
Knowledge of causes of TB Initial reactions to TB diagnosis
Other health beliefs related to TB mentioned Generalized beliefs and behaviors of PDTB
Reasons why individuals wait to seek care at public health posts
Initial reactions to TB diagnosis
**B. Previous knowledge and experience with illness** Knowledge of TB transmission Reasons for high TB prevalence Reasons for high TB prevalence
Knowledge of causes of TB Groups at greater risk of contracting TB Common community knowledge of TB
Other health beliefs related to TB mentioned Common community knowledge of TB Initial reactions to TB diagnosis
Reasons why individuals wait to seek care at public health posts
Initial reactions to TB diagnosis Initial reactions to TB diagnosis
**C. Threshold of symptom severity** Reasons for seeking professional medical attention Health seeking behaviors Average time PDTB wait before they seek attention at a public health facility
Progression of symptoms to diagnosis Health seeking behaviors following hemoptysis
**D. Health seeking behaviors** Health seeking behaviors Health seeking behaviors Practices of private clinics
Reasons for seeking attention from a professional health facility Motivations for self-medication Motivations for self-medication
Description of first experience with a professional health facility
Time waiting at first professional health facility
Personal treatment received from first professional health facility
**E. Community and health system reactions to TB disease** Personal treatment received from first professional health facility Community opinions of TB Attitudes of health personnel working in the National Tuberculosis Program
Concealment of TB diagnosis Community treatment of PDTB Interactions between health personnel and PDTB in the public health post
Changes in work or studies due to TB diagnosis Consequences of TB diagnosis
Embarrassment due to TB diagnosis Political inhibitions to TB control
Changes in familial interactions due to TB diagnosis Reasons for high TB prevalence
Changes in social interactions due to TB diagnosis Groups at greater risk of contracting TB
Note TB indicates tuberculosis; PDTB indicates persons diagnosed with TB.
### A. Material resources, time availability, and available social support {#sec013}
The median individual income of all PDTB was US \$218 per month (IQR: 116--349). It was universally agreed that indirect and direct costs associated with healthcare visits often contributed to patients' delay in seeking professional care.
> "\[I waited\] because of work...there was no time. I returned in the night from my job, around 8:30 pm and at this time the health posts are not open."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
>
> "I didn't want to bother my children. I felt so alone. I didn't want to leave \[my house\]. My husband treated me bad and I wanted to die...I didn't have money \[to go to the doctor\]."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
For those PDTB who did have available social support, preoccupation by family and friends was noted as a key motivation for accessing health facilities.
> "In the month of April I started to feel a little sick and I was coughing frequently and my mom got worried and made me go to the hospital for an appointment."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
Fear associated with a possible diagnosis was frequently mentioned as another barrier to seeking professional medical attention.
> "Some people are afraid of what they \[the doctors\] will say. They have TB and they \[the patients\] think that the people are going to treat them poorly."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
Health personnel also mentioned that fear of being sick extended to fear of job loss. As discussed in every focus group, PDTB often struggled to maintain sufficient household income in resource-constrained settings.
> "For example, in \[their neighbourhoods\], they live in completely overcrowded conditions not because they want to, but because their economic situation obligates them to be there."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
### B. Previous knowledge and experience with illness {#sec014}
Prior to diagnosis, almost all PDTB had, at least, heard of the existence of a disease called TB in their communities. PDTB generally associated TB with poor nutrition and low immune defences due to excess of work, stress, or a "disordered" life of drug, alcohol, and cigarette use for example.
> "I thought TB was for people who did not eat, for the vagabonds that didn't look after their things."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
When PDTB first started experiencing typical TB symptoms, it was very often attributed to a common virus.
> "I sincerely thought it was something that would pass because I never would have thought to get this disease. I thought it was a cough...."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
Family members held similar ideas of TB as a nutritional disease that predominantly affects those with weak immune systems.
> "Weak people \[are at major risk\]. For example, a person dedicated to studying in the university. He, \[my son\] got good grades in school and he neglected food...and the bus dropped him very far from the university. All this physical activity and responsibility killed my son."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
Community knowledge of TB treatment was variable; some family members reporting widespread knowledge of Peru's NTP and others none.
> "I guess that, if there was a percentage, 70% don't know \[about treatment for TB\]."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
>
> "The whole world knows that if you have TB you leave your sputum for free and they give you your medicine for free."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
Health personnel agreed that upon seeing PDTB for the first time, many have some awareness of the disease, although few know details such as treatment length or the quantity or type of treatment medications.
> "When they come for the first time, they tell us it's a contagious disease. And they come worried because maybe they have infected someone.... So they have some knowledge, but what they don't know is how long treatment lasts. They only know it is contagious."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
### C. Threshold of symptom severity {#sec015}
Eventually, every PDTB's health deteriorated to a point where they had to seek medical attention. Although each PDTB held their own individual threshold, most went to see a physician after ill health prevented them from conducting daily activities including working; was noted as extremely abnormal; or persisted for an unusually long time.
> "I lost weight because I was sweating a lot. I felt really cold and I lost 15 kilos in two weeks and this was very worrisome."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
>
> "The cough made my chest hurt. I couldn't take it...I started to feel pain behind in my back. I had fever and my body hurt. My fever was too high."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
>
> "It came to the extreme...I threw up blood from my nose, my mouth...and I went to the hospital."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
Half of family members agreed that most people do not seek medical attention until a relatively high threshold of symptoms is passed, such as when people begin to cough blood.
> "Here in Peru people wait to see if it will pass normally and when they fall really sick that is when they go \[to the doctor\]."
>
> (Family member, Interview)
>
> "\[Coughing blood\] is something else. Then they go to the hospital. Definitely the hospital."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
In focus groups, health personnel noted that most PDTB normally waited weeks, if not months, to seek treatment, after symptoms appeared.
> "Some delay, some wait, coughing, and they come when it doesn't pass with any pills and they start to vomit blood...."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
### D. Health seeking behaviours {#sec016}
PDTB first health seeking behaviours were largely determined by influential factors described in the three previous sections. The most common initial behaviour, was to self-medicate with pills including antibiotics such as amoxicillin and levofloxacin, cough syrups, injections bought without medical prescription from pharmacies or natural medicines.
> "It was for a throat infection. Every day I took different pills because I was going to different pharmacies and they told me I was sick in the throat.... I thought it would pass in the night and the next day it came back.... At this time I didn't have health insurance and I didn't have time \[to go to the doctor\]."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
Unlike public health facilities, most pharmacies stay open until late in the night, after working hours. They are the most accessible facilities to receive healthcare, especially for working people who leave their homes early in the morning and return in the night. Medical advice provided by the individuals working there is also free and rapid and does not require proof of health insurance.
> "They always go to the pharmacy and they say this or that and they get a diagnosis and a pill. It's faster...sometimes there is no time to go to the health post...Here you have to work and if you don't, you don't survive."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
However, as noted in focus groups, the advice given in pharmacies very rarely, if ever, is given by professionally trailed health practitioners. Individuals cannot receive the correct tests or treatment for TB so attention provided by pharmacies may increase diagnostic delay in these communities.
> "In \[the pharmacy\] it is not the pharmacist that sees you, but rather the technical assistant, but not even the pharmacist is authorized to prescribe \[TB\] medications."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
>
> "I have seen \[the pharmacy\] give levofloxacin for up to three days. Imagine that."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
Using natural medicine was another common health seeking behaviour before seeking care from a physician.
> "\[I took\] coca caramels, water with salt, some herbs, but nothing passed...Pills are a lot of chemicals and they told me that first you start with natural things and then take drugs..."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
The remaining PDTB who did not first self-medicate or take natural medicine used public health facilities, public hospitals, employer insured health facilities, or private clinics as their first health seeking behaviour. Their decision to pay out-of-pocket expenses for private care or use the state-insured or employer-insured health system largely depended on the person's amount of available time and money and where they held the greatest trust. Long wait times were frequently noted as an obstacle for using the insured systems. Health personnel admitted that many individuals resorted to use of these facilities only if it was the last available option for them.
> "People have the perception that if they go to a private doctor they are going to receive better attention..."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
>
> "The majority come with one month of symptoms---they thought it was something normal or they went to the pharmacies or did what their mother, sister, grandmother told them to do. When the symptoms persist they go to a private professional and since he doesn't have much experience he says upper respiratory infection. And then they continue hurting and then finally go to the public health post when a lot of time has passed."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
Although all PDTB eventually did seek professional medical attention, most had to visit two or more professional health facilities to receive a diagnosis of TB and enter the NTP to receive free treatment.
> "I went to the \[private\] doctor and he gave me shots, cough syrups, and it didn't pass. The fever went, the body aches went, but the cough didn't.... Again, I went to the \[private\] doctor and he gave me another cough syrup and a pill, an antibiotic...Nothing passed...A woman \[in my neighbourhood\] told me to go to a public health clinic close by so I could leave my sputum sample because the cough is dangerous and maybe I have TB..."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
### E. Community and health system response to TB disease {#sec017}
After diagnosis, the great majority of PDTB reported that they faced discrimination within their communities. Most admitted hiding their diagnosis from friends, work colleagues, and even some family members, attempting to avoid stigma and its subsequent socio-economic consequences.
> "I don't want them to be scared.... I hide \[my diagnosis\] for work because if I didn't, I wouldn't be working..."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
>
> "Sometimes people think that TB is for people who have bad lives, but in my case, I don't have a bad life because I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't go to parties..."
>
> (Female Patient, Interview)
>
> "If you have TB...you feel like a source of infection and the people are going to, they are going to reject you..."
>
> (Male Patient, Interview)
Family members agreed that discrimination within communities often stemmed from a fear of disease contagion.
> "They are scared, they say it's contagious and they don't want to go close to \[the TB patient\]. They isolate them."
>
> (Family Member, Interview)
Health personnel admitted, in concordance with testimonials from PDTB, that discrimination within health facilities was strong and common.
> "I had a patient and I asked him, why did you abandon treatment? He said the nurse left him the pills on the table and then everyone disappeared, everyone left running.... The patient said: why am I going to come here if they treat me bad, if I feel bad? A TB patient has low self-esteem, and with the treatment we give him it gets worse...."
>
> *(Health Care Worker, Focus Group)*.
Health personnel in focus group discussions often noted that many of their colleagues did not want to work in the NTP for fear of contagion.
> "There are some who consider it a punishment and look for a way to get out of working in the TB Program."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
As noted in focus groups, although the Peruvian NTP has established treatment guidelines, many of them are not strictly followed due to a lack of human resources. Similarly, NTP policies state that all PDTB should receive support from several different health professionals including psychologists throughout treatment, but public health facilities often cannot complete the array of specialty appointments the NTP aims to provide.
> "This is the route: nurse, doctor, psychologist, nutritionist, social worker, and obstetrician if you are a woman. This is the route, but it's not really like this. We don't follow it because there are not complete teams in the health posts, and in those that are they can't meet the demand..."
>
> (Health Care Work, Focus Group)
The lack of political will to support a stronger multi-disciplinary effort against TB was also described during focus groups as a major barrier to finding disease and subsequently decreasing diagnostic delay in high burden areas. With limited health staff, public health facilities are often left with no resources to run social and/or educational programs that might reduce stigma, disseminate information into communities and/or encourage prospective patients to seek care at public health facilities.
> "There is a multi-sectorial strategic plan and it involves the ministry \[of health\], but it is not taken up. They do not give it the importance it should be given.... \[It\] is a plan that should include all of the ministries, but it is not being applied..."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
>
> "We have technical guidelines, which obligate that we focus on integral treatment, and they also include an educational part and require private and public institutions to make work plans \[for PDTB\] that they are still not executing. We should work so that people...have more information \[about TB\] and break stigmas that TB is only for poor people, homeless people, for ignorant people...We have to \[advertise our program\] as free. Some people don't come because of the cost. They are scared of \[losing\] money."
>
> (Health Care Worker, Focus Group)
Discussion {#sec018}
==========
Prompt diagnosis and treatment of TB is important for reducing morbidity, mortality, and preventing TB transmission \[[@pone.0185018.ref022],[@pone.0185018.ref023]\]. Our results show that PDTB generally experienced symptoms associated with TB for approximately two months before receiving a diagnosis. These significant diagnostic delays were largely influenced by five defining areas: (A) material resources, time availability, and available social support; (B) knowledge and previous experience with illness; (C) threshold of symptom severity; (D) health seeking behaviours; and (E) community and health system responses to TB disease. Understanding these five areas may help strengthen health systems seeking to improve case-finding and health promotion strategies. Consequently, this may reduce detrimental diagnostic delays \[[@pone.0185018.ref024]--[@pone.0185018.ref027]\] that increase community transmission, a major contributor to high TB incidence rates \[[@pone.0185018.ref028]\].
During focus groups and interviews, many individuals associated TB with poor nutrition and high consumption of alcohol and/or illegal drugs, as reported previously in Peru \[[@pone.0185018.ref029]\]. This belief created a stereotypical profile of PDTB within communities and may subsequently contribute to diagnostic delays for individuals who have symptoms of TB if they do not suspect that they have TB because they do not fit this stereotype. Although only a small proportion of PDTB in our sample reported extensive use of alcohol and/or illegal substances, our data is subject to recall and social desirability biases. Despite this, our results suggest that the association of TB with substance abuse was exaggerated within communities and by health personnel in our setting. This exaggeration may contribute to the stigma felt by PDTB and by extension, the reported fear that delayed some individuals from seeking healthcare. Many PDTB associated their symptoms to a common virus and as in other studies, lack of knowledge of TB was associated with diagnostic delay \[[@pone.0185018.ref030],[@pone.0185018.ref031]\]. Our findings suggest that grade of knowledge influences threshold of symptom severity and health seeking behaviours by PDTB, as shown in [Fig 1](#pone.0185018.g001){ref-type="fig"}.
As reported in other studies, many PDTB prioritized working over seeking professional medical attention when they began to feel ill \[[@pone.0185018.ref031],[@pone.0185018.ref032]\]. The income of most participants was similar to Peru's minimum monthly salary of US \$215 and although TB diagnostic tests are free of direct charges in Peru, many PDTB reported anticipated costs associated with visiting a physician as a reason for diagnostic delay \[[@pone.0185018.ref033]\]. Furthermore, wait times were perceived as extremely long when using public or employer-insured health facilities, as was quantified in another study in Peru \[[@pone.0185018.ref031]\] and described in other settings \[[@pone.0185018.ref015]\]. If PDTB had the economic resources to do so, many preferred to first visit private clinics, a preference previously reported by other studies \[[@pone.0185018.ref032],[@pone.0185018.ref034]\]. We suggest that the Peruvian NTP collaborates with private clinics to promote consideration of TB as a possible diagnosis amongst their patients and additionally, encourage all PDTB to seek free treatment in public and employer-insured health facilities as quickly as possible.
Overwhelmingly, PDTB in this study declared that they had little trust in the public health system. Most PDTB admitted to visiting public health facilities only when they continued to experience symptoms and their other options for available healthcare decreased. As in other studies, when economically insecure, time-pressured individuals enter a resource-constrained public health system, we found that most PDTB experienced stigma \[[@pone.0185018.ref035]--[@pone.0185018.ref037]\]. The shared demand for material resources and social and occupational support amongst actors in the health system may maintain community knowledge gaps, weaken trust and entrench already established stigma. This may contribute to diagnostic delay through the relationships shown between areas (A), (B), and (E) of [Fig 1](#pone.0185018.g001){ref-type="fig"}. Studies from Malawi, Nepal, and Ghana have shown stigma produced through similar relationships between PDTB and health personnel \[[@pone.0185018.ref015],[@pone.0185018.ref038],[@pone.0185018.ref039]\].
Statements by PDTB, family members, and health personnel suggested that strong social support acted as a catalyst for seeking care in professional health facilities. This supports similar qualitative results from the Philippines which describe the importance of accompaniment in initiating care seeking behaviour \[[@pone.0185018.ref032]\]. Additionally, a study from Uganda found that individuals most often seek advice from their immediate social network when first experiencing symptoms of TB \[[@pone.0185018.ref040]\]. In our study, a lack of social support may then contribute to diagnostic delay through increasing the threshold of symptom severity required before initiating health seeking behaviours. Consequentially, these health seeking behaviours may lead to further delay based on the time to diagnosis in public health facilities.
Self-medication was frequently reported when PDTB first began to experience TB symptoms. Self-medicating with antibiotics and other medications bought from pharmacies in areas including Tanzania, has been shown to contribute to diagnostic delay and may also contribute to the generation of antibiotic resistance \[[@pone.0185018.ref041]--[@pone.0185018.ref044]\]. The high proportion of PDTB attending pharmacies before visiting professional health facilities identifies a location that future public health campaigns could target in their TB case-finding initiatives. Globally, few pharmacies advise their customers to seek professional medical attention \[[@pone.0185018.ref034],[@pone.0185018.ref045],[@pone.0185018.ref046]\]. We suggest that the Peruvian NTP collaborate with pharmacies to train their employees to identify customers seeking medications to relieve symptoms of possible TB. We encourage the NTP to offer these pharmacies information leaflets and sample containers that customers, or the individuals for whom they represent, could deliver to the closest public health post for free TB testing. This working relationship between the NTP and pharmacies could be established through recovering PDTB, who may be recruited to help find TB in pharmacies operating in the neighbourhoods in which they live.
This study has several limitations. Reporting and recall biases may have occurred because participants provided responses retrospectively. We aimed to reduce this by questioning and reconfirming participants' narratives. The study is also subject to selection bias because we used convenience sampling to recruit PDTB and their family members. However, the study took place in multiple diverse health centres and approximately 10% of patients declined to participate, so any possible selection biases could not have explained our findings. Additionally, we only studied diagnostic delay in adults, and did not include children and adolescents who are high risk groups for TB. The study design inevitably excluded people with undiagnosed TB because they were either: (1) people with never-to-be-diagnosed prevalent TB that can only be diagnosed by door-to-door prevalence surveys; or (2) chronic and/or paucisymptomatic TB that had not yet been diagnosed. Another limitation concerns our definition of diagnostic delay as the number of days between symptom onset and the first smear positive TB diagnostic sample recorded by public health facilities regulated by the NTP. This definition may neglect some earlier sputum samples that could have been positive for TB if more sensitive tests like sputum culture had been used. The precise number and characteristics of PDTB who declined to participate were not recorded; however, this affected approximately 10% of PDTB and so it is unlikely to have caused important bias. This issue has prompted current ongoing research interviewing PDTB who decline research participation, to better understand how their characteristics may differ from research participants.
The first author of this manuscript was the only person who fully coded transcripts for qualitative data analysis. In order to ensure high-validity of research results, we triangulated sources and methods by conducting interviews with patients and their family members and focus groups with health personnel. All data were analysed using a grounded theory approach, whereby the person carrying out analysis remained aware of her own preconceived ideas and used "bracketing" to prevent these ideas from influencing her examination of accounts from participants \[[@pone.0185018.ref047]\]. Data were collected past the point of saturation, after no new ideas emerged from interviews or focus groups.
Future research might quantify subsequent health system delay following TB diagnosis. This is the time between official diagnoses in the NTP and start of treatment. Although other studies have noted this delay to be comparatively minor, further research may shed light on additional opportunities to strengthen Peruvian NTP activities and help pinpoint other needed resources \[[@pone.0185018.ref022]\]. Future research should also evaluate social and/or economic interventions to reduce diagnostic delay with interventions that may be informed by our findings.
Conclusions {#sec019}
===========
Overall, this study demonstrated that diagnostic delays are frequent, and associated with important underlying social determinants. PDTB, their family members and health personnel all stated that when individuals reach a threshold of symptom severity, they address their health with the least time-consuming, most economically feasible and well-known healthcare option available to them. Our findings suggest that in Peru and other resource-constrained settings the development and/or improvement of policies that address and help reduce diagnostic delays are urgently needed to reduce community transmission, morbidity, and mortality. Case-finding initiatives should target locations that are a first point of contact for possible PDTB, shown to be pharmacies in our research. More and improved material and human resources are required in health clinics and private sector health facilities to implement these strategies, reduce TB associated stigma, and address the multifaceted social determinants of TB.
Supporting information {#sec020}
======================
###### Interview guides for persons affected by TB, family members, and focus groups with health personnel.
(PDF)
######
Click here for additional data file.
Advice and support from the funders and advisers is gratefully acknowledged: Henry Dyson, John Godfrey, Bruce Mannheim, Sian Williams, all participants and the staff of Peru's National Tuberculosis Program and their regional coordination centers. Additionally, the authors thank all of the research participants and members of Peruvian National Tuberculosis Program and their regional coordination centers.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**The author Carlton Evans has no conflict of interest but notes that he is an Academic Editor for PLOS Medicine. The other authors also have no other competing interests. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
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Cultural Planning
Bicentennial Park – Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush
In 2005/6 Catherine was employed as an ‘action researcher’ by the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, in this position she utilized a variety of innovative consultative techniques which resulted in over 2000 park users participating in the identification of arts and cultural facilities and activities which were then prioritized and incorporated into the Bicentennial Park Cultural Plan.
Southern Councils Group – Illawarra Region, New South Wales
In 2004/5 Catherine conducted extensive participatory action research (PAR) in the Illawarra Region of NSW, Australia in order to establish the arts and cultural development needs of the area. This process involved consultation with all major providers, local government authorities and arts practitioners. The resulting ‘Illawarra Cultural Status Report‘ accurately reflects the regions needs and aspirations.
Palmerston City Council – Northern Territory, Australia
In 2004 Catherine was employed by the Northern Territory Government (Australia) to conduct community consultation with all major arts and cultural providers, local government authorities and remote indigenous communities, in order to produce a training package entitled ‘’Working with Community’’. Her action research methods guaranteed that the contents of the package accurately met the need of the identified market and requirements of the funding bodies.
Catherine is the founding Director of Cultural Partnerships Australia established in 2010 and has held the position of Director Special Projects at Red Gate Gallery since 2009. She is a member of the prestigious International Association … [Read More...]
[…] to make the project ‘Cadavre Exquis’. I met wonderful artists through the exhibition ‘Crossing Boundaries’ which was held in Sydney Town Hall as the part of Chinese New Year Festival. And the theatre with […]
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Information printed about a topic is often printed on multiple pages because the information does not fit on a single page and/or is more effectively presented using multiple pages. The multiple pages may be in the same source or in multiple sources. For example, technical drawings of an aircraft may be printed such that different portions of the same diagram may be printed on different pages. Drawings of one assembly on the aircraft may be contained in one library or source, while drawings of another assembly may be contained in a second library or source.
Printed information may also be printed such that one document contains one level of detail about an object, while a second document contains a second level of detail about the same object. For example, a diagram of an aircraft may be printed such that the exterior of the aircraft is visible in the diagram. Another diagram of the same aircraft may be printed such that the exterior of the aircraft is obscured, but the interior of the aircraft is presented. Thus, a reader may use different diagrams to learn different information about the same object.
As another example, wiring diagrams of wiring systems are often printed across multiple pages because the graphical and textual information presented in the wiring diagram is too great to fit on a single page. Thus, a reader may change documents multiple times to learn information about an entire wiring system.
Documents such as engineering diagrams, technical drawings, wiring diagrams, and other suitable document types may be used in the maintenance of an aircraft. The documents are created to be viewed in printed form. However, such documents are commonly stored in electronic form and viewed on a display device of a data processing system. As a result, the reader looks through different documents that may be on different types of media. This type of review may be more time-consuming than desired to find information about an aircraft.
Documents regarding a complex system of systems such as an aircraft may therefore contain large amounts of information regarding the complex system and its components, subsystems and parts, and the connections and relationships among the respective elements of the complex system. The complexity of the system and the large amount of information often required to describe the system may increase not only the time required to study the documents, but the difficulty in comprehending the complex system and its elements. A user may not only require the time to review documents containing large amounts of information, but may also require the time and endure the difficulty of studying the information to understand the ways in which the complex system and its elements relate to each other.
Therefore, it may be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.
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In this talk given on New Years Eve 2020, Luang Por Anan speaks about that which does not change with the passing of years: the truth of Dhamma and the necessity of the practice. Along with reflections on the supramundane, he speaks about the basics of practice.
A preview of the recently-uploaded audiobook of teachings from Ajahn Anan, a disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Wat Marp Jan Monastery in Thailand. The book includes four Dhamma talks, progressing from the basics of meditation to more advanced stages of the Path. Includes a talk giving detailed accounts of Ajahn Anan’s own experiences in the practice. You may find the audiobook in its entirety on itunes now. For more information, visit www.watmarpjan.org/en.
From this videoconference talk from 26 July, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses truthfulness and determination.
An excerpt: “All the people born in the world, whether a monk or layperson, must follow the law of karma. One does good, and one gets good results. One does bad, and one gets bad results. No one has the power to overcome the results of karma that one has done. But additana, determination, is building the power of one’s mind to be strong to set a goal, locking that goal in so that we will succeed in that. This sets the compass of one’s life, so that it is straight. So, if we have enough strength of determination, then we will be able to succeed. Our minds need to build parami – build dana, giving, build sila, morality, build bhavana, mental development, build goodness, then our determinations will succeed.”
From this videoconference talk from 2 August, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses the value of that which overflows from the mind, like the value of that which overflows from a teacup.
An excerpt: “Ven. Nan-in said, “For you as well, how can I put any more in to you? You are full of thoughts and views, following your own attachments and opinions. These two things will make you unable to understand Zen Buddhism. This is called “the teacup that is overflowing”.””
From this videoconference talk from 9 August, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses the topic of giving and helping others. An excerpt: “Today we learn about the Dhamma topic of self-sacrifice. The Buddha said this quality of self -sacrifice is something good for getting rid of the mental defilements and the sense of self. When we stay together in a group, each person needs to have this sense of self-sacrifice and metta, the love and compassion to help one another.”
From this videoconference talk from 16 August, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses the way of practice and understanding nature. An excerpt: “When we have wisdom, then we will be able to understand the truth of life, the truth of nature – that there is arising, persisting, and ceasing. Regardless of whether the Buddha becomes awakened, or doesn’t become awakened, the nature, the way things are, already exists. Our Buddha is the one who finds, understands, and becomes awakened to that nature. And after the Buddha has passed away into parinibbana, the nature of truth that is here already, is still here.”
From this videoconference talk from 15 November, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses the history of King Asoka and some great disciples of the Buddha.
An excerpt from the end of the talk: “Then we can see the sacca Dhamma, the truth of reality, that there is changing of compounded things. All things are in this breath of ours. When we have the breath, we have everything. When the breath stops then everything ends with it, as well. The decay and ending of all things comes from this decay and ending of the in and out breath first. So when we travel, we sit, stand, walk and lie down, we have the breath there with us, and these breaths that we have left are getting less and less in each passing moment. So may we establish ourselves in not being heedless. May you all grow in blessings.”
In this talk translated by Ajahn Kalyano, Luang Por Anan speaks of the proper way to look at the Triple Gem, how to contemplate necessities such as food, and how to approach duties such as raising children.
From this videoconference talk from 6 September, 2019, Ajahn Anan discusses a Zen story about the way to true happiness. An excerpt: “If we have no goodness, then, even if we are breathing, then we are careless. It’s like we are someone who is already dead. Have you seen a dead person that is still breathing? They are walking around everywhere. They are already dead, because they are careless. Careless in building goodness and virtue.”
In this talk translated by Ajahn Kalyano, Luang Por Anan speaks about the challenges and necessity of practicing sincerely in today’s age of growth and technology.
In this talk translated by Ajahn Kalyano, Luang Por Anan gives a sweeping summary of the entire path of Buddhist practice, from the early stages of meditation to refined states of concentration and insight.
In this question-and-answer session, Ajahn Anan speaks on how one can begin walking the Buddhist path in a dedicated manner through doing good, making determinations, and staying in a good practice environment once one has found it. Additionally, he speaks on how a formal meditation practice can assist in other aspects of one’s life.
In this talk given at the end of the traditional rains retreat, Luang Por Anan speaks of the importance of maintaining the practice even as the monastery enters its usual schedule. He reflects that, if the practice is going well, all other regular comforts cease to occupy one, and so encourages the monks to put forth effort.
In this Friday night videoconference Dhamma session from October 18th, 2019, Venerable Ajahn Anan discusses the Kathina ceremony that occurs after the annual monastic rains retreat. He talks about a story of a great donation made in a past Kathina and the origin story of the Kathina ceremony.
In this Friday night videoconference Dhamma session from October 11th, 2019, Venerable Ajahn Anan discusses the Great Invitation Day that occurs at the end of the annual monastic rains retreat. He talks about the 7 factors of group harmony, the importance of forgiveness, and more.
In this session, Luang Por answers questions about the nature of mindfulness versus clear awareness, cultivating sati in the midst of daily life, developing specific insights into oneself, and giving up the habit of street racing.
In this Friday evening video-conference talk, Ajahn Anan discusses the biography of the right-hand chief disciple of the Buddha – Venerable Sariputta, the bhikkhu foremost in wisdom. Venerable Sariputta was known for his gratitude, as well. The Kalama Sutta is also discussed. This talk was given 4 October, 2019.
In this talk, given on the Uposatha Day of September 28th, 2019, Luang Por Anan reminds the monastics and laity that the 2019 rains retreat has almost past, and that the fleeting nature of time, our possessions, and our bodies demand that we look with urgency towards that which does not decay. While he acknowledges continuity of mindfulness during daily life as a cornerstone of practice, on this occasion Luang Por Anan encourages those present to put forth special effort in sitting together through the night, not rising from the posture for a period of at least five hours. To practice occasionally in such a way, he reminds all present, represents a method of crossing over painful feeling and achieving a peace of mind above and beyond painful feeling.
A translation of a talk in which Ajahn Anan describes the life of Khujjuttara, the foremost female lay disciple of the Buddha in terms of learning. Her story is one of difficulty and unexpected blessings that led her to become a source of liberation and inspiration for many, from her time until the present day.
This Friday videoconference talk is on the topic of effort. The story of the monk foremost in effort from the Buddha’s time is given as an example.
The translation of a talk in which Ajahn Anan describes the life of Venerable Khema Theri, a prominent bhikkhuni during the time of the Buddha. Declared one of the chief disciples, Venerable Khema Theri came from a royal family and, after renouncing her wealth, achieved awakening and became renowned for her mindfulness and wisdom.
A talk given one Saturday morning by Venerable Ajahn Anan. This talk covers a range of topics, from contemplating the body in terms of the four elements, Christian ideas of salvation and how they relate to Buddhism, the nature of nibbana (nirvana), the meaning of not-self, and more.
A translation of a talk given by Ajahn Anan to the monastic community on the weekly lunar observance day. In concise terms, Ajahn Anan stresses how time’s relentless passage mandates that we apply ourselves to formal practice now, not taking our fortunate conditions for granted. Apart from urging the monks to maintain their foundational practices, such as attending daily chanting and participating in the monastery’s regular routine, Ajahn Anan also speaks of the higher insights one eventually can gain into the nature of the body and mind.
Ajahn Anan teaches techniques for maintaining a still center of mindfulness while fulfilling one’s regular duties. Apart from stressing the importance of constantly recollecting the formal practice, he speaks of the early days of his own monastic life and teachings he received from Ajahn Chah.
Ajahn Anan’s advice to the monks entering the traditional annual rains retreat at Wat Marp Jan regarding how to develop their practice in the midst of duties, study, and work. This talk was offered on August 15th, 2019.
Three short teachings on the practice of meditation. Here Ajahn Anan describes the importance of keeping mindfulness present within us at all times. If we can do this then our hearts will constantly be growing and developing the Dhamma. Next, he talks about using our reflective capacities in order to bring up peace and joy, firstly by reflecting on the Buddha, then by cultivating the ‘Four Divine Abidings’ of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
Weekly podcast with teachings from Venerable Ajahn Anan Akincaño.
Note: The subscribe button above only works for devices with iTunes installed (iPhones and iPads). If you use an Android device install Google Podcasts and search for “Ajahn Anan”.
Ajahn Anan’s advice to Ven. Jayanando, our new bhikkhu from Malaysia, and his family and friends who gathered together to celebrate his ordination.
Ajahn Anan describes the foundation practices for the mind to gather in, becoming serene and still. Firstly he goes through ways of watching the breath and how to use the mantra ‘Buddho,’ then he proceeds to describing how to practice meditation while walking. Lastly, he gives a brief overview of the joyful results that comes from developing these practices.
This is the first part of the second chapter from ‘Simple Teachings on Higher Truths.’
A collection of short Dhamma teachings on how to find true happiness in our lives. This is the first chapter from Ajahn Anan’s book ‘Simple Teachings on Higher Truths.’
Profound reflections on life and death from Ajahn Chah to an old disciple during her last days. This reading is from a detailed translation by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro.
A short, informal discourse to the monks after the evening chanting about life in Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery that Ajahn Chah established, and how to keep the spirit of those practices alive today despite all the changes that have taken place in the last four decades. This talk displays how qualities such as respect, humility, energy and loving-kindness can be lived out on a day-to-day basis.
On the occasion of his birthday, Ajahn Anan talks about the importance of joy, how to develop appreciation for the goodness of others and the best way to show our love and respect for our teachers.
Ajahn Anan tells the story of the Buddha’s disciple Yasa and explains how it relates to the practice of the Dhamma in our lives.
In this episode of the Friday night videoconference, Ajahn Anan discusses dukkha and the nature of liking and disliking.
A powerful and inspiring talk given to the thousands of monks, nuns and laity who gathered together on January 16th for the annual memorial of their teacher Ajahn Chah.
On the occasion of Asalha Puja, Ajahn Anan discusses the Four Noble Truths proclaimed by the Buddha in the Deer Park at Isipatana, as well as Venerable Añña Koṇḍañña’s realization of these truths.
In this episode of the Friday night videoconference, Ajahn Anan discusses the problem of attachment to happiness and other topics.
In this talk on the occasion of the new year, Ajahn Anan recalls the good we’ve done over the past year and encourages us to recall the Buddha and his teachings as a foundation for doing good in the coming year.
From the Friday night videoconference with Ajahn Anan Akiñcano. Topics covered include breath meditation, abstaining from alcohol, metta meditation, Ajahn Chah stories, and Stream Entry.
Seeking Buddho Chapter 4: Marananusati: Keeping the End in Mind
Seeking Buddho Chapter 3: Seeking Buddho: Awakened Awareness
Seeking Buddho Introduction and Chapter 1: Developing Samadhi
Sotapatimagga by Ven. Ajahn Anan Akiñcano: Introduction and Part 1 Section 1
Ajahn Chah gives advice and encouragement—at times light-hearted and humorous, at others hard-hitting and profound—to a weary old monk. This talk is not found in the Collected Teachings.
Ajahn Anan tells a story of a Zen master, his heavy-hearted disciple and a bamboo basket.
Soon after the crumbling of a huge dam in Laos, Ajahn Anan gave this talk emphasizing the importance of maintaining firm mindfulness in order to keep suffering and the unwholesome tendencies of the mind at bay.
In this talk on the occasion of Visakha Puja, Ajahn Anan explains the causes and conditions for insight into the truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation.
This talk includes Ajahn Anan speaking on the practice of giving as the foundation for the path to awakening, the Hinayana vs Mahayana traditions, and advice for young monks.
In this talk, Ajahn Anan discusses using different meditation objects, the nature of “parami”, or spiritual perfections, using determination skillfully, and recollecting death as a meditation practice.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bodhikusuma Buddhist Center in Sydney, Australia, Ajahn Anan gives reflections on the nature of nibbana being not far away from us, and how nibbana can be seen in the present moment through mental development and learning to let go.
In this set of questions and answers, Ajahn Anan speaks on his life and his early practice. He also covers topics such as eating meat vs. vegetarianism and skillfully relating to one’s children.
In this episode, Ajahn Anan talks on the function of mindfulness as a protection for the mind, the practices of death and corpse recollection, renouncing sense objects, and a story of a monk from the time of the Buddha.
In this series of questions and answers, Ajahn Anan explains the monks’ code of conduct (Patimokkha), dealing with difficulties in the workplace, dealing with anger, and how to contemplate the Dhamma.
In this podcast, Ajahn Anan gives a talk on the occasion of Vesak Puja, a day commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing away (parinibbana) of the Buddha. Ajahn Anan reflects on these events and encourages listeners in the practice of mindfulness.
In this talk directed at the monastic community at Wat Marp Jan, Ajahn Anan discusses the importance of starting meditation time with loving-kindness practice, dealing with thinking, the recollection of death and corpses as meditation themes, and finding balance in mind training.
In this series of questions and answers, Ajahn Anan covers topics such as loving-kindness (metta) practice as it relates to insight, how to explain Buddhism to those unfamiliar with it, and objects that are suitable for contemplation in meditation.
In this podcast, Ajahn Anan describes the progression of meditation practice from making the mind peaceful and cooling down mental disturbances, to continuous mindfulness, the arising of concentration, and the mind’s release to seeing the nature of reality. | https://watmarpjan.org/en/podcast/ |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improving image data processing in image data processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image frames of motion pictures or video productions are traditionally captured on stock film and subsequently digitised for image editing professionals to edit such frames in post-production, for instance to blend computer-generated special effects image data therein, a function known to those skilled in the art as compositing. Modern developments in image capture technology have yielded advanced film stock, such as the well known 65 millimetres IMAX film, and digital cameras, wherein image frames captured by either have higher resolutions, thus capable of depicting their content with much more detail over a larger projection support.
Digitally-generated or digitised image frames have a resolution, or definition, expressed in picture screen elements also known as pixels, whereby said resolution amounts to the area defined by the height and width in pixels of such frames. For instance, motion picture frames exposed on 65 millimetres film stock comprise about 2048×1536 pixels once digitised for post-production purposes. Comparatively, video frames exposed on Super 16 millimetres film stock comprise about 1920 by 1080 pixels once digitised to the known 1080p High-Definition TV (HDTV) standard for broadcast.
Known image processing systems, such as Silicon Graphics Fuel™ or Octane2™ workstations manufactured by Silicon Graphics Inc of Mountain View, Calif., USA may be used to process both types of digitised frames respectively before the final theatre release or the broadcast thereof, and are typically limited to an optimum frame display size of about 1920×1200 pixels.
When considering the respective costs of image editors as highly skilled operatives and of image processing systems configured with image processing applications, which are non-trivial, trade-off situations are inevitable in that said systems may display said frames at higher resolutions than the original, but at the cost of decreasing both the rate of frame display and the data processing capacity of said workstations, thus slowing the output in terms of image data processed per unit of editing time of an image editing professional using such a system. Conversely, said systems may display said frames at lower resolutions than the original, but at the cost of decreasing the amount of detail observable by the image editor in the image frame, thus potentially introducing undesirable artefacts in said output. It is therefore desirable for the image editor to work with full-resolution image frames whenever possible.
However, image editing professionals using said image processing systems traditionally invoke the image data processing functions thereof by means of function-specific user-operable menus, known to those skilled in the art as widgets, within the graphical user interface (GUI) of an image processing application, which must also be displayed onto said VDU such that said professionals may accurately select the function appropriate for the task at hand. In this framework, comparing the increasing resolution of the above high-definition image frames with the maximum display resolution offered by current image processing systems highlights a growing problem, in that said GUI itself requires a substantial amount of the image frame displayable by said systems, whereby the portion of displayable image frame taken by said GUI is at the expense of the portion of displayable full-resolution image frame to be worked upon.
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“I am unapologetically a Pan-Africanist at heart.”
Nelson Kwaje is a South Sudanese ICT professional, and social transformation agent, who has leveraged on his profession, to work towards peace-building, media literacy, and people development in his country and Africa. When asked about his works, he described it in three words; People, Technology, and Transformation.
Kwaje is deeply involved in advocating for media literacy in South Sudan and its environs. He also serves as the Director of Programmes for the #DefyHateNow; A Community Based Organization registered in South Sudan, to support voices acting against conflict, bring the diaspora into the online peacebuilding framework, and bridge knowledge gaps.
As this COVID19 pandemic continues, a majority of the population fall victim to propaganda and misinformation, due to the low literacy, and lack of proper understanding of information verification and facts checking.
There is so much that this misinformation can do to a community. Should this persist, we would probably have a lot more to contend with than the coronavirus pandemic.
To curb the spread, Nelson Kwaje has been at the forefront of the fight against fake news about the pandemic. Through his workshops on various e-channels, he brings together a digital community of youth, to fight misinformation and raise awareness on coronavirus prevention and protection. Kwaje helps educate communities by ensuring that people don’t act on misinformation and propaganda that leads them to form wrong opinions about other communities, which can lead to unnecessary conflict.
He is the Founder and Team Lead of Design to Transform, a community and people-centred initiative designed to give an online voice to community-based organizations (CBOs). Which has, over the years, grown to share ICT skills with young people in the community, helping them to choose an ideal career, and to transform their communities.
Kwaje is also the Founder of Web4All limited, an ICT enterprise, which he created in 2015 to bridge the literacy gap in Africa and build sustainable ICT4D Solutions. A feat that he is achieving strides by stride.
In his words about what inspires his work: People inspire me. I believe in the power of youth to make the change and create meaningful solutions for the problems we are facing in Africa. I am unapologetically a Pan-Africanist at heart. The African transformation agenda is what drives me. | https://blog.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk/blog/2020/05/23/nelson-kwaje-people-technology-and-transformation/ |
Penske Media CorporationDesign Engineer
Lara Schenck is a self-taught developer/designer originally from Pittsburgh, PA. After several years of self-employment, Lara now works as a Design Engineer at Penske Media Corporation in Los Angeles where she develops the front-end architecture for enterprise WordPress websites and bridges the gap between design, engineering, and product. Lara is passionate about exploring the computer science behind web technologies – especially CSS – and loves to share her findings through speaking, teaching, and writing. Lara is active in the LA tech community, and organizes the meetup CSS.la.
Check out all of our other speakers.
Front End Foundations
October 17, 6:00pm PT, C3PO Room
Over the past 10 years, CSS has transformed from descriptive language for presentation into a Turing-complete, domain-specific, declarative programming language for layout on the web. But how does one go from “describing presentation” to “programming” in CSS? It’s all about a shift in thinking and, most importantly, knowledge of the domain in domain-specific. Through the lens of algorithms, this entertaining talk will review CSS's implementation as declarative language in the browser, and delve into practical steps for using algorithms to demystify modern-day CSS. | https://signal.twilio.com/speakers/-6P4kqonEeiKDQpYClQNAw |
Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal, two young progressives, share a secret: They believe in God. One is a former wannabe Catholic priest, the other a failed Jewish mystic, and they formed a friendship that's shaped by their common belief. In The Faith Between Us, they engage in a dialogue that ranges widely, from the mundane to the divine. They discuss finding religious meaning in their secular worlds, the moral implications of decisions both personal and political, their different religious cultures, and how their lives have been shaped by the pursuit of an authentic, livable faith. Both a spiritual memoir and an examination of contemporary religion as it's played out in unconventional ways, The Faith Between Us offers an alternative vision of faith in America, one that is equally irreverent and devout, ironic and earnest. For everyone interested in a modern take on keeping faith-and in reclaiming religion from the fundamentalists and literalists who have co-opted it for the right and those on the left who dismiss its redemptive power-The Faith Between Us will be an engaging and thought-provoking read. A religious "coming out" story by two young believers-one Catholic and one Jewish, with an introduction by Freakonomics coauthor Stephen J. Dubner. | https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Faith-Between-Us/Peter-Bebergal/Q629163156 |
Momentum plays a critical part in collisions, which means that your gut feeling about the bit of paper and the vehicle is accurate. Despite the fact that, I want to have more roadtrips, maybe it’s going to be logical to have a great car that could survive a 40 meter road (and snow). It is a good idea to keep a sensible distance when driving your vehicle. The sole unbalanced force on every vehicle is the force of the accident. The most notable case in point is the auto air bag system.
Here are a few practice questions that you’re able to try. Quite simply, I have never been in a position to acquire in addition to my problems and achieve my preferred end result or be the person I would like to be. Click the button to see the answers.
This means an object with mass can’t get to the speed of light. The total sum of momentum possessed by the 2 objects does not change. It is difficult to stop heavier objects. A two-dimensional collision is a collision where the 2 objects aren’t originally moving along precisely the same line of motion. This equation represents one of two key principles to be utilized in the analysis of collisions in this unit.
We need electricity and momentum. We’ll observe that momentum has the exact same value in modern physics. This is in agreement with the equation for momentum. Before we can define impulse, we will need to chat about the notion of momentum. Overall quantity of momentum remains unchanged. Building momentum is an essential part of ongoing successful shipping and is, thus, for every single leader to take into account. The larger The impulse, the larger the change in momentum.
Investing is simple but not easy we attempt to adhere to this. You can also check at your worldview with respect to momentum. People don’t want to get left from the movement or the trend within the organization.
That is a consequence of impulse. Accountability partners are able to make an immense difference whenever you’re in motion. This movement isn’t only about disruption this movement is all about direction. Thus the exact same value has to be true before the collision.
Long term, you might not like your work, but overcoming the momentum of your present routine requires a great deal of energy. Indeed, there’s frequently a bar at the degree of a youngster’s head. In politics for instance, media will often say that a candidate has gained momentum only after a collection of events, like a speaking tour and an excellent debate performance. But they’re not thinking about how powerful momentum is and what’s required to develop or maintain it. It’s possible to create momentum in every region of your life.
You’ve observed this lots of times if you’ve watched the sport of football. A given shift in momentum can be produced by a huge force acting over a little time or a more compact force acting over a lengthier time. A team which has a lot of momentum is actually on the move and will be difficult to stop.
To stop this kind of object, it’s essential to apply a force against its motion for a particular amount of time. On the flip side, you can be on a roll by means of your life. When you quickly shove the box, it doesn’t move very fast through the ground, but should you push it with that exact force for a long duration of time, you can move it all of the way throughout the room. A roller coaster at the summit of a hill, same day essay reviews for instance, has plenty of gravitational possible energyit could begin moving at the slightest push. To denote the fact that it is moving in the opposite direction after it has been struck use a negative sign for the final velocity.
She explained that if her daughter was in the exact same situation, she wouldn’t have like that. The forces act between both objects for any particular period of time. Think about the perspective your life is about your relationship with momentum. Now it’s time to reposition my mass so it’s all aligned to live an amazing life and leave an enormous effects.
The term momentum is also utilized as a member of normal speech, and is among the hardly any physics concept whose metaphorical definition is exactly like its actual one. Objects that are affected by means of a field carry something which enables them to interact. Within the next section, we’ll learn about the notion of energy which is another helpful concept for understanding and predicting the motion of objects.
In that case, find the conditions under which this can happen. Forces may develop from zero over time and also may vary based on a lot of aspects. It is due to Impulse.
Generally, elastic collisions are characterized by a huge velocity change, a huge momentum change, a massive impulse, and a massive force. It’s the whole impulse that is created by means of a unit of propellant as it’s consumed. This is borne out by the simple fact it takes far less energy to provide an electron the very same momentum for a photon. We are requested to calculate only the size of the moon’s momentum (i.e. we do not will need to specify a direction). In the event the mass and initial velocity is known then it’s an easy matter to discover the last velocity. | http://servicevip.be/the-ideal-strategy-to-physics-momentum/ |
The anthropologists have various ideas about the cognition processes of different nations. Proceeding from the concept of brain asymmetry, they suggest several conceptions.
Most of the anthropologists confirm, that, in spite of cultural differences, the average brains function identically. They also confirm that the basic ways of thinking of different nations differ depending on their cultural factors.
The anthropologists conclusion is, that the ability of the right cerebral hemisphere of radically different cultural groups (the ability of figurative thinking) develops similarly, while the left cerebral hemisphere (the ability of thinking-in-words) delays in its development, because of the impossibility of getting education.
The representatives of another school promote another theory: they think that there exist qualitative different public, national, racial, personal methods of thinking.
One can suppose that generally and entirely, the human brain has more abilities, than a single type of thinking processes, but the representatives of different cultural groups differ depending on the kinds, thinking processes and the degree of their participation in the formation and the development of the nations, their traditions, cultures.
We are attracted by the idea that the brain consists of two structures (right and left hemispheres), they have abilities for qualitative different thinking processes, which develop differently for each nation.
Taking into account the latter idea, we have to get an answer to the following question: is it possible to explain the cognition methods for different cultures on the basis of differences in the development of right and left hemispheres.
According to the studies of the famous neuropathologys and neurophysiologists, we know that the right hemisphere is dominating in the perception and processing of certain irritations in real time and space.
The right hemisphere is important in the formation of many creative (artistic, musical) abilities. It can feel, recognize and integrate the irritations of various modalities, percept figures and compare them with the standard of memory. The right hemisphere is not able to execute tasks, which demand thinking-in-words, evaluating and decision-making through the language (letters, text information, lingual signals).
The linguistic and mathematical abilities are concentrated exclusively in the left hemisphere. It analyzes various signs in picture in sequence; it can speak, bent for consistent analytic thinking-in-words.
Studying the rich cultural heritage, which weve got from our forefathers, particularly the pictures on the rocks, discovered in the territory of modern Armenia, proceeding from brain asymmetry concept, the authors promote some ideas about Armenian peoples cognition processes, according to which they have considerations about the development stages of lateralization of the hemispheres and underline the idea of the early existence of speech (and, obviously, conscious) in ancient Armenia.
Analyzing the pictures on the rocks (petrographys, ideograms, pictography) of Vardeniss, Geghard, Syunik mountains, on the basis of complex approachment, and summarizing the results of the studies of the founders of Armenian ancient astronomy, (doctors of physical and mathematical sciences B. Petrosyan and E. Parsamyan, doctors of historical sciences S. Sardaryan, A. Martirosyan, distinguished psychologists, linguists and other specialists, academicians A. Lurye, A. Abrahamyan and P.Geruni, Art critic A. Manoucharyan, architect S. Petrosyan, S, Ayvasyan, G. Karakhanyan, P. Safyan, A. Israelyan, S. Babayan, N. Aroyan, A. Mnatsakanyan, A. Movsesyan, etc.) the authors came to the following conclusion: single (or unique) simultaneous pictures on the rocks mention on early stages of development of thinking processes and the dominating right hemisphere of the natives of Armenia.
Entire pictures with plot, mentioning on definite events (scene of hunting, birth; astronomic signs, calendar systems, etc.), which are described in sequence on the petrographys, are talking about the later stages of the development of thinking process. The research of these graphical images (through modern technologies, methods of formation of typical elements) shows that the identical harmonic development of two hemispheres of forefathers of Armenian people started very early. Perhaps, in this stage speaking abilities of Armenian people appeared.
By the creation of pictures on the rocks, our forefathers improved their organs of sight: developed visual ability, memory, scope of logical exercises, sensitiveness to the symbols, in terms of the theory of informatics and artificial intellect, developed the visual functions of image recognition. Identically was developed their hearing and speaking organs. The information-passing ability of the sound components of the speech stimulated our forefathers to increase their informative capacity, enlarge the possibilities of intonation modulating of linear consistent-telegraphic (wireless) speech.
The genesis of the musical creation is similar to the genesis of fine arts in the coordinate system, coming out of the rock pictures.
In fact, meaningfulness and spreading of typical elements of the rock pictures indicate, that corresponding exercises have become a rudiment in formation of independent phrases of speech and music, which systematically show the development of processes of thinking, speaking, musical abilities. One can see musical records among the petrographys.
The development of the organs of sense, figurative memory, space thinking (in the pictures you can see episodes, which express cartographic description of the location and phenomenon; petrogliphes, drawn in various projections, from the front , side-view and birds-eye view, etc.), the improvement of sensitive and communicative abilities (accompanied with the complication of the central nervous system), the virtual usage of stone tools, the formation of harmonic, adequate, correct presentation of the reality, the development of artistic taste and mastership - entirely represent the progressive motion of purposeful system by the cause and effect trajectory. Later this movement stimulated the appearance of artistic activity, which had no spontaneous practical usage (see: ornamental, decorative, architectural arts, carpet-making in Armenia, miniatures, etc.). Presently, this heritage is displayed in national creation and modern Art of Armenian people.
So, a special type of cognitional interaction was gradually formed in the following relations: man to man, man to animals, man to surroundings. Figurative mastering of external world in space and time, analyzing, synthesing, remembering and graphical figurative language saving structure, talk about the correspondent thinking tools and technologies» as a necessary and sufficient basis for the development of intellectual system and speech abilities of our forefathers. The existence and the genesis of an identical logical system bring to the final conclusion: our forefathers had all the preconditions for the creation of proalphabet (see: goats letter, pictographic letter, ideograms, hieroglyphs, danilian letters, mesropian old Armenian alphabet).
The scientists suppose that the language was developed and located in the left hemisphere not for its analytic ability, but for its adjustment for several activities. Possibly, during the evolution of manipulation of right hand (which was gesticulating, participating in contacts, in stone graphics) were added voice muscles as well. In the result - the left hemisphere, in fact, got a monopoly in the management of the motive systems, participating in oral and written speech.
So, it is confirmed the idea of the early birth of language of the natives of Armenian elevation, the existence of ancient civilization on the territory of ancient Armenia, created ancient system of the rock pictures art, letters and other cultural values.
1. Vahanyan G., Computer Graphics in Management, Hayastan (Armenia), 1985, 176 p.
2. Vahanyan G., Internet and Culture. US Research and Educational Program Alumni Armenian Association Democracy Building in Armenia Seminar Proceeding, Yerevan, Armenia, 1999.
4. Vahanyan G., Computer Graphics Art in Armenia, EWVO2, East-West-Vision, International Workshop Project Festival, Sep. 10-13, 2002, Graz, Austria.
Man and the universal intelligence.
The spheric Earth and four races, four continents, four parts of the Earth and a cross - as a symbol of life and evolution.
The small cross - David, the big cross Mher (Davids father), from the right side - Lira, and next to it - Davids star. The oldest illustration for Bible?
The authors of the pictures on the rocks are unknown (7000-8000 years old), but their successors are known.
* The materials are taken from computer database of pictures on the rocks of Armenian Search Center (http://www.arminco.com/hayknet/naskal.htm). | http://iatp.am/ara/sites/articles/antropology/index-e.htm |
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AuthorsHambler, Andrew
Seifert, Roger
Issue Date2016-09-30
MetadataShow full item record
AbstractWhen a Sikh bus driver working for Wolverhampton Borough Council in 1967 wore a turban and beard to work for the first time he was sent home for breaching the existing dress code. The Sikh municipal workers pursued their demands through pressure-group politics after being marginalized by their union. It ended with a change in the employer and the employment regulations, and subsequent changes to the law. This case illustrates how a religious and cultural issue, originating from outside the workplace, led to challenges to the making and enforcement of workplace rules. It indicates the nature of struggle with, in this case, the relevant trade union failing to support its Sikh members, the local Labour council failing to confront its own racial prejudices, and how immigration, then as now, divides and weakens communities across the class spectrum. The limitations of treating industrial relations as mainly based on job regulation within the organization, to the neglect of external, often political, factors, are discussed, and the subsequent arguments over legal exceptionalism for Sikhs are rehearsed.
CitationHambler, A., Seifert, R. (2016) 'Wearing the turban: the 1967-1969 Sikh bus drivers dispute in Wolverhampton', Historical Studies in Industrial Relations, 37(1), pp. 83-111.
PublisherLiverpool University Press
JournalHistorical Studies in Industrial Relations
TypeJournal article
Languageen
ISSN1362-1572
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3828/hsir.2016.37.3
Scopus Count
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The following license files are associated with this item: | https://wlv.openrepository.com/handle/2436/620302 |
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