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C++ Vs Java: Difference Between C++ & Java
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a pc programming precept that focuses on constructing the software program design around “objects” as a substitute of logic or function. An object refers to a data field possessing unique attributes (characteristics). Essentially, OOP places extra emphasis on the manipulation of objects rather than the logic behind the manipulation.
Although C++ vs Java are each object-oriented programming languages, they’re quite different from one another. For example, C++ attracts inspiration heavily from the C programming language and is designed for system development. Nonetheless, Java relies on a secure and portable virtual machine and is explicitly built for application programming and network computing.
In this Article, we’ll dive deeper into the C++ vs. Java debate and learn more concerning the distinction between C++ and Java.
C++ vs Java: A brief discussion of their history
What’s C++?
C++ is an intermediate-level programming language that mixes the options of the C and Simula (first OOP language) programming languages. C++ encompasses each high-level and low-level options, and it was the primary programming language to introduce the ideas of Class and Objects. It’s appropriate with the foremost platforms, resembling Home windows, Mac OS, and likewise UNIX.
History of C++
Bjarne Stroustrup developed C++ at AT & T Bell Laboratories within the year 1979. Stroustrup had a imaginative and prescient of juxtaposing one of the best options of C and Simula languages. The thought was to design a language that retains the facility of C whereas also supporting object-oriented programming. Stroustrup developed C++ “with a bias toward system programming and resource-constrained, embedded software program functions and large-scale systems. The core highlights of C++ are high performance, effectivity, and flexibility.
What’s the Java language?
Java is a high-level, class-based OOP language that’s primarily based on the WORA (write as soon as, run anywhere) principle. This means compiled Java code can seamlessly run on all platforms with no need for any recompilation. Sometimes, Java applications are compiled into bytecode to run on any Java virtual machine (JVM), regardless of the underlying system architecture. Java’s syntax is fairly much like C and C++ – it options lesser low-level dependencies.
History of Java
Initially, Java was developed by Sun Microsystems. Sun Microsystems launched the language as the main component of the Java platform within the year 1995. In 2009, after Oracle Co. acquired Sun Microsystems, it turned the proprietor and host of Java and Solaris, the 2 top-class property of Sun Microsystems.
C++ vs. Java: The differences between C++ and Java
Listed here are the main variations between C++ and Java:
Design
Whereas C++ is primarily designed for system programming, Java is constructed for utility programming and is now extensively used for developing web-based, enterprise, and cellular functions.
Root hierarchy
As C++ combines procedural and object-oriented programming, it doesn’t have a strict root hierarchy. Java is a pure OOP language that follows a single root hierarchy.
Also read: Coding vs. Programming: A Never Ending Debate
Platform dependency
C++ is a platform-dependent language, however Java is platform-independent. So, you must compile the C++ source code on each platform. Nonetheless, when you compile the supply code into bytecode for Java, you possibly can efficiently execute it on any other platform.
Compiler & interpreter
Since C++ is a compiled language, the C++ source code is first compiled into object code after which executed to generate an output. Java is a compiled and interpreted language. The compiled output of a Java source code is a platform-independent bytecode.
Class relationship
In C++, there’s no stringent relationship between class names and filenames. Thus, you possibly can have a number of classes in a C++ program and set something as their filename (the filename and class identify needn’t be the same. Opposite to this, Java enforces a strict relationship between the source code class and the filename. So, the category containing the source code and the filename have to be the same.
Memory management
C++ helps manual memory management. Thus, you might want to allocate or deallocate memory manually utilizing the “new” and “delete” functions. Contrarily, Java helps system-controlled memory management.
Inheritance
C++ helps each single and a number of inheritances, however Java solely helps single inheritance. For a number of inheritances in Java, you might want to use Java interfaces.
Overloading
C++ helps the overloading of strategies and operators. This course of is known as static polymorphism. Java permits solely method overloading.
Virtual keyword
Since C++ features dynamic polymorphism, it makes use of a digital keyword with a function to indicate that the actual function will be overridden within the derived class. The virtual keyword idea is absent in Java – solely the non-static strategies will be overridden by default.
Thread support
C++ lacks built-in support for threads, and as a substitute, it depends on third-party libraries for thread support. In contrast to C++, Java has built-in thread support. You possibly can inherit any thread class and override the run method.
Pointers support
C++ offers robust support for pointers and permits developers to put in writing powerful programs utilizing pointers. Nonetheless, Java has restricted support for pointers. So, you can not use pointers in Java as naturally as you possibly can whereas writing a C++ program.
Whereas C++ affords no support for documentation comments, Java helps documentation comments. You should utilize (/** … */) to create documentation comments for Java source code.
Goto statement
C++ helps the goto statement, whereas Java doesn’t support the goto statement.
Call support
C++ has assist for each call by value and call by reference, whereas Java solely helps call by value.
Conclusion
To conclude, C++ vs Java sport quite a few differences regardless of being OOP languages. We hope this text affords you a greater understanding of the important thing differences between C++ and Java. | https://www.uniquenewsonline.com/c-vs-java-difference-between-c-java/ |
The present invention relates to a color developer for pressure sensitive recording or manifold paper and to a process for producing said developer. This color developer is superior in color development performance and yellowing resistance and forms a color image which has good resistance to discoloration by light and water.
Pressure sensitive recording or manifold papers are known and employ a color producing reaction of an electron-donating colorless dye (hereinafter referred to as "coupler") generally in solution form contained in a microcapsule. Upon release of the solution from the capsule, by pressure rupture of the capsule, the coupler contacts an electron-accepting compound (hereinafter referred to as "developer") and produces a color.
Pressure sensitive manifold or recording systems have various methods of arrangement of the coupler and developer locations. A common type provides a top sheet comprising a substrate and the microencapsulated solution of the coupler coated on the underside of the substrate. This sheet is placed in contact with a second sheet comprising a substrate coated on the upper surface with a developer compound. Upon impact to the top sheet, the microcapsule's content is released and reacts with the developer on the second sheet, producing a colored image in the impact area, on the second sheet. This process can be repeated to produce multiple copies, by preparing a sheet comprising a substrate coated on the upper surface with the developer and on the lower surface with the microencapsulated coupler solution.
A mixture of microcapsules containing a coupler and the developer may be coated on the surface of a substrate, allowing a colored image to form on the surface when impact ruptures the microcapsule. Combinations of these coatings may be combined to produce multiple copy systems for office and home use.
Known developers include acid clay, zeolite, kaolin, and other inorganic substances and also include phenol compounds, novolak phenolic resin, polyvalent metal salts of aromatic carboxylic acids, polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified terpene-phenolic resin, and other organic substances.
Inorganic developers are superior in initial color development; but they deteriorate in color development performance as they adsorb gases and moisture in the air during color development performance. Novolak phenolic resin, especially para-substituted phenol-formaldehyde resin, is superior in color development performance and produces a color image which is superior in resistance to discoloration by water. This color image, however, is liable to yellowing by sunlight and oxidizing gases (e. g., NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x) in the air. Polyvalent metal salts of aromatic carboxylic acids have good color development performance and good resistance to yellowing by sunlight and oxidizing gases. However, they produce a color image which is poor in resistance to discoloration by water. Polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified terpene-phenolic resin has good color development performance and provides a color image which has good resistance to discoloration by water. However, they provide a color image which is poor in resistance to yellowing by sunlight and oxidizing gases.
Conventional color developers have their own disadvantages as mentioned above, and they need improvement.
The present inventors carried out extensive studies to develop a color developer for pressure-sensitive recording paper which has good color development performance and resistance to yellowing and provides a color image which has good resistance to discoloration by light and water. As the result, it was found that a polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl- modified para-substituted phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin has very good color development performance and resistance to yellowing and provides a color image which has very good resistance to discoloration by light and water. These findings led to the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns the preparation of an improved color developer for pressure sensitive recording or manifold paper, and the paper systems therefrom. The developer is a polyvalent metal bound, carboxyl modified para substituted phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin composition, which is prepared by reacting a para-substituted phenol with a xylene-formaldehyde resin to form a co-condensate, which is then treated to form a carboxyl group in the co-condensate. The thus formed carboxyl modified p-substituted phenol-xylene-formaldehyde co-condensate is reacted with a polyvalent metal salt, e.g. zinc chloride to produce the desired resin which serves as the developer material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns the preparation of a improved color developer for pressure sensitive recording or manifold paper and systems, wherein the developer is a polyvalent metal bound carboxyl- modified p- substitutedephenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin composition produced by binding with a polyvalent metal a co-condensate of at least one kind of para-substituted phenol represented by the formula ##STR1## and xylene- formaldehyde resin, said co-condensate containing a carboxyl group and R denotes an alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, aryl group, alkylaryl group, or aralkyl group.
The para-substituted phenol which is used in the present invention and represented by the formula (I) above is a phenol having a substituent alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, aryl group, alkylaryl group, or aralkyl group at the para-position. The one in which the alkyl group has 1 to 12 carbon atoms is preferable. Examples of the para-substituted phenol include p-cresol, p-sec-butylphenol, p-tert-butylphenol, p-tert- octylphenol, p-nonylphenol, p-dodecylphenol, p-cycloheptylphenol, p- cyclohexylphenol, p-phenylphenol, p-naphthylphenol, p-tolylphenol, p- xylylphenol, p-styrenated phenol, and p-cumylphenol. Preferable among them are p-sec-butylphenol, p-tert-butylphenol, p-tert-octylphenol, and p- nonylphenol.
The p-substituted phenol should be used in an amount of 10 to 100 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 50 parts by weight, for 100 parts by weight of the xylene-formaldehyde resin. With p-substituted phenol in an amount less than 10 parts by weight, the resulting color developer would be poor in color development. With p-substituted phenol in an amount more than 100 parts by weight, the resulting color developer would be low in resistance to yellowing, poor in solubility in solvents, and hence inferior in initial color development.
The p-substitutedphenol-xylene-formaldehyde co-condensate is usually obtained by the co-condensation reaction of a p-substituted phenol with a xylene-formaldehyde resin. This reaction may be catalyzed by an inorganic or organic acid such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, p- toluenesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, and phenol-sulfonic acid.
The co-condensate is obtained by mixing a p-substituted phenol with a xylene-formaldehyde resin, performing condensation reaction at 90. degree. to 150° C. in the presence of an acid catalyst, washing the reaction product to remove the acid catalyst, and finally removing water from the reaction product by distillation under reduced pressure. The reaction may be carried out in an aromatic hydrocarbon such as benzene, toluene, and xylene.
Time required for the co-condensation reaction varies depending on the kind and amount of raw materials and catalyst used. Usually, it is 1 to 10 hours.
This reaction brings about the cleavage of the ether group in the xylene-formaldehyde resin, yielding a reactive functional group. Its group and the methylol group in the xylene-formalehdyde resin react with the para-substituted phenol at its ortho position. The thus formed p- subsitutedephenol-xylene-formaldehyde co-condensate has usually a number- average molecular weight of 250 to 1200.
The addition of a carboxyl group to the p-subsitutedephenol- xylene- formaldehyde co-condensate can be accomplished by reacting the phenolic hydroxide with metallic sodium, sodium hydride, or sodium hydroxide to form sodium phenolate, and subsequently reacting the sodium phenolate with carbon dioxide gas with heating under pressure. The sodium phenolate forming reaction and the carboxyl group adding reaction may be carried out in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, or an ether such as dioaxane and tetrahydrofuran.
The thus formed carboxyl-modified p-subsitutedphenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin is usually bound with a polyvalent metal by either of the following methods.
(1) The resin is reacted with an oxide, hydroxide, chloride, carbonate, or sulfate of a polyvalent metal at 100° to 150° C. in the presence of an inorganic ammonium salt such as ammonium carbonate or ammonium bicarbonate.
(2) The resin is dissolved in water or alcohol together with an alkali metal hydroxide such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, and a water-or alcohol-soluble salt of a polyvalent metal is added to the solution for reaction. (Metathetical reaction method)
The reaction product is subsequently washed with water and dried. Thus there is obtained a polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified p- substituted phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin.
The polyvalent metal is selected from salt-forming metals. Preferred examples include magnesium, aluminum, calcium, cadmium, titanium, zinc, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Most desirable among them are zinc and nickel.
The thus obtained polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified p- subsitutedphenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin composition is used as such as a color developer for pressure-sensitive recording paper.
Pressure-sensitive recording paper containing the color developer of the present invention is produced by any one of the following methods.
(1) The color developer is dispersed into water, and the resulting dispersion is applied to or infiltrated into a substrate incorporated with an inorganic pigment, binder, etc.
(2) The color developer is dissolved in an organic solvent, and the resulting solution is applied to or infiltrated into a substrate incorporated with an inorganic pigment, binder, etc.
(3) The color developer is incorporated into a substrate during its production.
(4) A coupler or coupler-containing microcapsules are further added in any one of the above-mentioned methods.
The color developer of the present invention can be used as ink after dissolution in a solvent. The ink is applied by printing to a specific part of a substrate in which color development is required.
The substrate that can be used include paper, synthetic paper, plastics film, metal foil, and their composites. The inorganic pigment that can be used include acid clay, activated clay, kaolin, calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, talc, and zeolite, etc. The binder that can be used include a latex, water-soluble binder, and water-dispersible binder, etc.
There are several methods of preparing pressure-sensitive recording paper from the color developer of the present invention as mentioned above; but they do not restrict the scope of the invention.
The polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified p-substituted phenol- xylene-formaldehyde resin of the present invention may be used in combination with any known inorganic or organic color developer such as acid clay, para-substituted phenol-formaldehyde resin and metal salts thereof, and aromatic carboxylic acid and metal salts thereof. It may also be incorporated with any known anti-oxidant, UV light absorber, etc.
The color developer of the present invention is very effective for any conventional coupler used for pressure-sensitive recording paper, and it can be used in combination with, for example, fluoran coupler, triphenylmethane phthalide coupler, spiropyran coupler, phenothiazine coupler, triphenylmethane coupler, and indole coupler.
The polyvalent metal-bound carboxyl-modified p-substituted phenol- xylene-formaldehyde resin of the present invention is by far superior to any known inorganic and organic color developer for pressure- sensitive record paper in color developing performance, resistance to yellowing, and ability to form a color image which has good resistance to discoloration by light and water. It is suitable for high-quality pressure-sensitive recording paper.
The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, which are not intended to restrict the scope of the invention. In examples, "parts" means "parts by weight".
EXAMPLE 1
A mixture composed of 30 parts of p-sec-butylphenol, 100 parts of xylene-formaldehyde resin (Nikanol-H made by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd.), and 1 part of conc. hydrochloric acid (35%) was heated at 100. degree. C. for 6 hours. The reaction produce was washed with hot water to remove hydrochloric acid and freed of water by distillation under reduced pressure. Thus, there was obtained 124 parts of p-sec- butylphenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin.
This co-condensate (50) parts was dissolved in 100 parts of dehydrated, purified toluene, and the solution was placed in a pressure reaction kettle having an internal volume larger than twice the volume of the solution. To the kettle was added 1.9 parts of metallic sodium. The contents were stirred at 100° C. for 1 hours. Carbon dioxide gas was introduced into the kettle until the internal pressure reached 30 kg/cm. sup.2. Reaction was carried out at 150° C. for 24 hours.
After cooling, the reaction product was extracted with water, neutralized with hydrochloric acid, and extracted with toluene, and the extract was freed of solvent by distillation. Thus there was obtained 28 parts of carboxyl-modified p-sec-butylphenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin.
To 28 parts of this carboxyl-modified p-sec-butylphenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin were added 13 parts of zinc benzoate and 13 parts ammonium bicarbonate, followed by reaction of 150° C. for 1 hour. Thus there was obtained 30 parts of zinc-bound carboxyl-modified p-sec- butylphenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin composition having a softening point of 94° C.
EXAMPLE 2
A mixture composed of 25 parts of p-nonylphenol, 100 parts of xylene- formaldehyde resin (Nikanol-LLL), and 1 part of p-toluenesulfonic acid was heated at 100° C. for 10 hours. The reaction product was washed with hot water to remove p-toluenesulfonic acid. Thus there was obtained a co-condensate.
To 200 parts of this co-condensate were added 200 parts of toluene and 5 parts of sodium hydroxide. Reaction was carried out until the internal temperature reached 115° C., during which water was removed from the azeotropic mixture. After cooling, the sodium was placed in a pressure reaction kettle having an internal volume larger than twice the volume of the solution. Into the kettle was introduced carbon dioxide gas until the internal pressure reached 30 kg/cm.sup.2. Reaction was carried out at 150° C. for 24 hours.
After cooling, the reaction product was purified in the same manner as in Example 2. Thus there was obtained 37 parts of carboxyl- modified p- styrenated phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin having a softening point of 96° C.
37 parts of this carboxyl-modified p-styrenated phenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin was subjected to the zinc-binding reaction in the same manner as in Example 2. Thus there was obtained 40 parts of zinc- bound carboxyl-modified p-styrenated phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin having a softening point of 110° C.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
The same procedure as in Example 2 was repeated except that the p- nonylphenol was replaced by phenol. Thus there was obtained 47 parts of zinc-bound carboxyl-modified phenol-mesitylene-formaldehyde resin composition having a softening point of 115° C.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
A mixture composed of 170 parts of p-phenylphenol, 22.5 parts of 80% paraformaldehyde, 1.7 parts of p-toluenesulfonic acid, and 200 parts of toluene was heated at 100° C. for 2 hours. The reaction product was freed of toluene and water by distillation under reduced pressure. Thus there was obtained 172 part of light brown p-phenylphenol- formaldehyde-resin having a softening point of 85° C.
40 parts each of the resin obtained in Examples 1, 2, and 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and zinc 3,5-ditert-butyl-salicylate was ground (by wet process) for 8 hours using an attritor together with 1 part of anionic surface active agent (Orotan 731, made by Rohm & Haas Co.), 0.1 internal pressure reached 30 kg/cm.sup.2. Reaction was carried out at 150° C. for 24 hours.
After cooling, the reaction product was extracted with water, neutralized with hydrochloric acid, and extracted with benzene again, and the extract was freed of solvent by distillation. Thus there was obtained 76 parts of carboxyl-modified p-nonylphenol-xelene-formaldehyde resin, having a softening point of 85° C.
50 parts of this carboxyl-modified p-nonylphenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin was dissolved in 200 parts of methanol. To the solution was added 3. 0 parts of potassium hydroxide, followed by mixing at 80° C. for 1 hour. After cooling to 40° C., the mixture was reacted with 7.7 parts of zinc chloride at 40° C. for 1 hour. The reaction product was freed of solvent and dried. Thus there was obtained 51 parts of zinc- bound carboxyl-modified p-nonylphenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin composition having a softening point at 98° C.
EXAMPLE 3
A mixture composed of 35 parts of p-styrenated phenol, 100 parts of xylene-formaldehyde resin (Nikanol-L made by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Ltd.), and 15 parts of oxalic acid was heated at 130° C. for 8 hours. The reaction product was washed with hot water to remove oxalic acid. The reaction product was further reacted with 40 parts of methanol and 7.8 parts of sodium hydroxide for 2 hours under refluxing. The reaction product was freed of methanol and water by distillation under reduced pressure. Thus there was obtained 133 parts of sodium salt of p- styrenated phenol-xylene-formaldehyde resin having a softening point of 72° C.
50 parts of this sodium salt of p-styrenated phenol-xylene- formaldehyde resin was placed in a pressure reaction kettle having an internal volume larger than twice the volume of the sodium salt of the resin. Into the kettle was introduced carbon dioxide gas until the parts of PVA powder, and 58.9 parts of water. Thus there was obtained a dispersion containing particles smaller than 5mm in diameter.
The dispersion was uniformly mixed for 1 hour with the ingredients shown in Table 1 using a laboratory mixer to give a coating solution. The coating solution was applied to fine paper in such an amount that the coating weight (dry basis was 5g/m.sup.2. Thus there were obtained six kinds of recording paper having a color developer layer on the surface thereof.
The six kinds of color developing paper were tested for color developing performance, resistance to yellowing, resistance to discoloration by light, and resistance to discoloration by water. The results are shown in Table 2. It is noted from Table 2 that all the kinds of color developing paper obtained in Examples are superior in every respect to those obtained in Comparative Examples.
Test methods
(a) Color developing performance
The color developing paper is pressed under a roll, with a piece of commercial colorless dye capsule paper placed thereon. The reflective color density is measured at 30 seconds and one hour after the pressure is applied, using Macbeth color densitometer. (White standard card: 0.05, black standard card: 1.76)
(b) Resistance to yellowing
The color developing paper is irradiated for 16 hours with light from a low-pressure mercury lamp, and the Hunter whiteness is measured before and after irradiation.
(c) Resistance to discoloration by light
The color developing paper which has undergone color development in the same manner as in the color developing test is irradiated for 8 hours with light from a low-pressure mercury lamp, and the reflective color density is measured before and after irradiation.
(d) Resistance to discoloration by water
The color developing paper which has undergone color development in the same manner as in the color developing test is immersed in water for 30 minutes, and the reflective color density is measured before and after irradiation.
TABLE 2
_________________________________________________________________________ _
Performance of Recording Sheet
Resistance to
Resistance to
Color Resistance to
discoloration
discoloration
development
yellowing
by light
by water
Example 30 s.
1 h.
before
after
before
after
before
after
_________________________________________________________________________ _
Example 1
0.45
0.66
88 87 0.68
0.45
0.68
0.65
Example 2
0.47
0.65
89 88 0.67
0.44
0.67
0.65
Example 3
0.47
0.68
90 87 0.70
0.49
0.70
0.67
Comparative
0.28
0.55
88 68 0.58
0.31
0.58
0.41
Example 1
Comparative
0.37
0.62
89 77 0.64
0.18
0.64
0.62
Example 2
Zinc salicylate*
0.41
0.64
89 87 0.66
0.38
0.66
0.21
_________________________________________________________________________ _
*zinc 3,5di-tert-butyl salicylate
"before" and "after" mean "before irradiation" and "after irradiation",
respectively. | |
942 F.Supp. 49 (1996)
Michael A. DERRIG, Plaintiff,
v.
WAL-MART STORES, INC. d/b/a Sam's Club, Defendant.
Civil Action No. 94-11171-NG.
United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.
September 10, 1996.
*50 David E. Guthro, Guthro & McAvoy, Melrose, MA, for Plaintiff.
Beth S. Stomberg, Richard E. Quinby, Craig & Macauley, Boston, MA, for Defendant.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER RE: DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
GERTNER, District Judge.
I. INTRODUCTION
Plaintiff Michael Derrig was terminated from his job with Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in November of 1993. Derrig alleges that his employer's decision to fire him violated the terms of his employment contract, as outlined in the various employment manuals provided to store employees.
Defendant, arguing that Derrig was an at-will employee without enumerated contractual rights, moves for summary judgment.
I do not agree with defendant's characterization of Derrig's employment status. However, for the reasons set forth below, I agree that Wal-Mart did not violate its obligations to Derrig when it terminated his employment. Accordingly, I ALLOW summary judgment in favor of the defendant and dismiss this action.
II. BACKGROUND
Plaintiff Michael Derrig was employed by Wal-Mart at its Sam's Club stores[1] from around October of 1991 until November of 1993. Initially, he worked as a merchandise manager at the Sam's Club in Scarborough, Maine. He was then transferred to the Sam's Club in Greece, New York in August of 1992. In or around July of 1993, at Derrig's request, he was transferred to the store located in Saugus, Massachusetts, where he worked as a merchandise manager and then as a receiving manager.
Sam's Club distributes two manuals to its employees: the "Wal-Mart Associate Handbook," which, among other things, establishes certain rules regarding employee purchases of the store's merchandise, and the "Sam's Club Manual," which details particular Sam's Club policies, often reinforcing or amplifying the general policies of Wal-Mart.[2]
The Associate Handbook, distributed to Wal-Mart employees, includes a "Welcome" section, which states, in part:
Wal-Mart has been successful because we have been willing to change the way we do things. We are constantly seeking new ways to better serve our customers and each other. That means that some rules may change because it is a guide, not a legal contract. It is an introduction to our Company culture, a way to inform you of things you should know and do to be successful. But no handbook can cover everything we encourage you to ask many questions. And remember: in the midst of *51 a constantly changing world, our Company values stay the same and can always guide us.
This statement of purpose is followed by another, in a "General Rules" section:
These rules, and those throughout this booklet, are designed for your well-being and that of our Company. They apply to associates in all divisions. All associates are expected to be aware of and follow them.
Indeed, while the Handbook goes over general principles and organizational features,[3] it set out in some detail employee rights and obligations.
With respect to employee rights, the Handbook includes the following: It promises training ("We support associates by providing training" ... It's your responsibility to listen, ask questions, learn and apply what you've learned); it spells out the process for evaluations (conducted after ninety days, around six months after a start date and then at or near an employee's anniversary date); and it sets out a system for pay increases (based on performance, considered after the first ninety days and thereafter annually), among other things. In addition, it provides a list of the fringe benefits each employee can expect.
The Handbook also contains an "Open Door Open Mind" Policy, which promises employees an open line of communication with store managers. The policy states in relevant part: "[I]f you have an idea or a problem, you can go to your Coach to talk about it without fear of retaliation. If you don't feel satisfied with the response, or if your Coach is the source of your problem, you can go to his or her supervisor."
Moreover, the Handbook sets some basic ground rules which employees are told to follow.[4] For instance, a "Statement of Ethics" is spelled out and associates are told that it, without deviation, "applies to all associates." They are also told that they are "responsible for ... reporting any violations of the Statement of Ethics."
It also details what might happen if an employee fails to follow the rules, discussing circumstances that may lead an employee to be disciplined or terminated and promises some restraint in this regard. Under a section entitled, "We maintain a strong work ethic," Wal-Mart states, for example, that the first ninety days are a probationary period, or in Wal-Mart's language, a "getting acquainted" period. At the end of that period, if an employee's performance is "unsatisfactory" that employee may find "a change which could include separation from our Company." Beyond that time, employees will be "coached," so that they will improve. The Handbook, indeed, devotes a section to "Coaching," in which Wal-Mart promises that, after the probationary period, "coaches" will assist associates with performance problems by developing plans of action or changing conduct. Wal-Mart specifically acknowledges that this approach, however, is not always applied: Where an employee engages in "gross misconduct," immediate termination *52 is warranted. The Handbook includes examples of such misconduct: fraud, theft, use of alcohol on company property, "[a]buse of the associate discount," and "[u]nauthorized possession or use of Company property."
The Handbook, in a special section for Sam's Club employees, states, among other things, that associates "may not purchase Code 2 (damaged) merchandise."
The Wal-Mart Associates Handbook is supplemented by the Sam's Club Manual. According to Derrig, it was this manual that served as the central document detailing the terms of employment for Sam's Club employees. Two particular provisions are relevant to this action: The first details the conditions under which employees may make reduced price purchases and the second sets out standards for improvement and employee discipline. In a policy section entitled "Code 2 Merchandise," Sam's Club directs employees that they may make some purchases, but that they are restricted from purchasing certain discounted items deemed "Code 2 merchandise" (damaged, returned or low-stock merchandise marked down for quick sale). The restriction says nothing about whose funds are used to make the purchase, or for whom the purchase is made. While associate-partners are not permitted to purchase such merchandise, that restriction does not extend to the family members, including parents, of such employees, if those family members live outside of the employee's household. The Club Manual also contains a section on "Performance Coaching." This section states that it is designed to assist Management Associate-Partners in correcting problems with employees and meting out discipline where necessary.[5]
On November 5, 1993, relying on the "Open-Mind, Open-Door Policy" articulated in the Associate Handbook, Derrig sent an e-mail message to Chuck Miller, the general manager of the Saugus store.[6] In that message, Derrig discusses being "demoted" from the floor. He blames a manager for "unprofessional behavior and favoritism," among other things, and states that he does not "accept blame for what is going on in this Club." He complains that he was being "defamed" in front of other store partners and that he believed there was an effort afoot to "try to force [him] out." He also discusses an incident where he apparently gave keys to an employee who was not authorized to have them. He acknowledged that the move was not "the best thing to do," but went on to say, "I also realize that that's part of the job [taking responsibility] but being screwed and taken advantage of isn't."
There is no evidence in the record of a corporate response to Derrig's rather expressive memo.
On November 15 or 16, 1993, plaintiff was told by his general manager to reduce the price of two tractors at the Saugus store and to indicate that they were "Code 2 Merchandise," marked down for quick sale.
Apparently, at a time not identified by the plaintiff, his father, David Derrig, expressed an interest in buying a tractor for his personal use. David Derrig did not live with his son.
According to the plaintiff, he told the store's general manager, Mark Buckley, that his father was interested in buying one of the tractors. Buckley expressed concern, particularly with respect to restrictions on employee purchases of Code 2 merchandise. Derrig responded by saying that his father was not a household member and was therefore eligible to purchase Code 2 merchandise. According to Derrig, Buckley never requested that his father not purchase the tractor.
*53 On November 19, 1993, plaintiff Derrig, without his father present, signed his father up for a Sam's Club membership. That same day, again without his father present, Derrig himself purchased the "Code 2" tractor. According to plaintiff, he bought the merchandise using his father's card and paid for it with his father's funds.
On November 21, 1993, Wal-Mart discharged Derrig. Buckley told him that the purchase of the tractor was a problem. According to plaintiff, he responded by offering to return the tractor. Buckley did not agree to this resolution. Derrig left the office.
III. DISCUSSION
Derrig contests the propriety of this termination. His argument rests on one premise: that store policies set forth in the Associate Handbook and the Club Manual created certain contractual obligations which were breached when Wal-Mart decided to terminate Derrig's employment.
For the reasons set forth below, I find that Wal-Mart's employment manuals do create contractual obligations for both employer and employee. However, I also find that Derrig violated Wal-Mart policies and that his employer's decision to terminate him did not constitute a breach.
A. Standard of Review
Summary judgment is appropriate when all the relevant pleadings and supporting documents, viewed in a light most favorable to the non-moving party, present no genuine issue of material fact, and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. FED.R.CIV.P. 56(c); Barbour v. Dynamics Research Corp., 63 F.3d 32, 36 (1st Cir.1995); Lexington Ins. Co. v. All Regions Chemical Labs, Inc., 419 Mass. 712, 713, 647 N.E.2d 399 (1995). Where the moving party makes an initial showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists, the non-moving party may not merely rely on bald allegations to avoid summary judgment.[7]Byrd v. Ronayne, 61 F.3d 1026, 1030 (1st Cir.1995); Madsen v. Erwin, 395 Mass. 715, 719, 481 N.E.2d 1160 (1985). The non-moving party must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2514, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio, 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-56, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Barbour, 63 F.3d at 36.
The interpretation of a written contract's terms is a question of law, not fact, and is susceptible to determination at summary judgment. Lexington Ins. Co., 419 Mass. at 713, 647 N.E.2d 399.
B. Breach of Contract/Implied Contract Claims[8]
I turn first to the question of Derrig's status and the role of his employment manuals.
1. At-Will or Contractual Employment Status
In Count IV, plaintiff argued that he had an express employment contract with defendant Wal-Mart. In the alternative, Count III alleges that the contract was implied-in-fact.[9]
*54 Defendant argues that Derrig was an at-will employee and that its decision to terminate his employment was not constrained by any contractual obligations to its employees.
Massachusetts law assumes at-will employment, unless there exists, expressly or impliedly, a contract governing the terms and conditions of employment. "An employee at will may be terminated by an employer, without notice, `for almost any reason at all,'" GTE Products Corp. v. Stewart, 421 Mass. 22, 26, 653 N.E.2d 161 (1995), quoting Jackson v. Action for Community Development, 403 Mass. 8, 9, 525 N.E.2d 411 (1988).[10]
The at-will employment doctrine does not govern all cases where an express, written contract has not been entered into by the parties. "[O]n proper proof a personnel manual can be shown to form the basis of such an express or implied contract." Jackson, 403 Mass. at 13, 525 N.E.2d 411.
This is a fairly straightforward proposition, however, its application has not been nearly as clear, as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently acknowledged. O'Brien v. New England Telephone & Telegraph Company, 422 Mass. 686, 691, 664 N.E.2d 843 (1996); Jackson, 403 Mass. at 9, 525 N.E.2d 411.[11]
In O'Brien, the SJC set out to clarify the standard by which to determine whether an employment manual serves, either expressly or impliedly, as a contract. The O'Brien Court framed its discussion with an observation: "The idea that an employer may ignore promises made in a personnel manual is in increasing disfavor in this country." O'Brien, 422 Mass. at 691, 664 N.E.2d 843. The Court then reinforced the central holding of its earlier Jackson case: A personnel manual may form the basis of an express contract, where the parties agree that a personnel manual will spell out the relative rights and obligations of employer and employee; or its terms may be part of an implied contract. While an employer might deny expressly agreeing to contractual obligations, where its conduct is in conformity with procedures set forth in its own manual, an implied-in-fact contract may exist. Id. at 692, 664 N.E.2d 843.
The O'Brien Court then debunked certain notions that have developed in state and federal court after the Jackson decision. The SJC indicated that an absence of contract negotiation does not foreclose the possibility that a contract exists,[12] nor does a boilerplate disclaimer with respect to the binding nature of the document. Furthermore, the fact that an employee is not asked to sign the manual and acknowledge its receipt also is not dispositive. And finally, even an employer's express disclaimer may not be sufficient to erase contractual obligations stemming from an employment manual.[13]
*55 Instead, the central inquiries are: First, did the employee believe that the employment manuals he or she was given constituted the terms or conditions of employment, equally binding on employee and employer? Second, was this belief reasonable under the circumstances?[14]
In the case before this Court, defendant alleges that plaintiff Derrig acknowledged that he was an at-will employee and that this fact, above all else, determines the result in this case. Wal-Mart overstates its point. At deposition, Derrig acknowledged that Wal-Mart had not entered into a separate written contract with him as an employee. He further acknowledged that the defendant had not set a specific term of employment nor agreed to pay him certain sums for years to come. After persistent questioning by opposing counsel, he agreed to adopt that attorney's contention that those facts meant that he was an at-will employee.[15] The issue is not whether Derrig believed he was an at-will employee, a legal conclusion, but rather whether he believed the terms of the manual to be binding on him and on his employer. It is undisputed that Derrig so believed.
Further, plaintiff's general expectation was not objectively unreasonable. As a matter of form, both the mandatory language and the detail of the Handbook and the Club Manual reasonably suggest their binding nature. As a matter of content, the specific information with respect to attire, hours, training, advancement, discipline, and indeed possible grounds for termination set out what any reasonable employee would believe to be binding obligations and certain rights. Finally, as a matter of practice, Wal-Mart itself cites to the Club Manual as the primary reason for its termination of Derrig's employment. An employer may not, on one hand, rely on the mandatory nature of policies it spells out in a manual as the reason for its termination of an employee, and then, on the other hand, deny the contractual force of its manuals when it comes to obligations the document might impose on the employer.[16]
*56 I therefore find that Derrig's employment was defined by a contract, the terms of which included the policies set forth in the Associate Handbook and the Sam's Club Manual.
2. Terms of Employment
This conclusion does not end my inquiry. I must now determine whether the terms of the contract were violated here.
The plaintiff makes three claims: First, he alleges that he did not violate any store policy, since he purchased the tractor for his father, with his father's funds and with his father's card; second, he claims that his discharge was in fact related to a grievance he had lodged against store management, in good faith and relying on the company's "Open Door Open Mind Policy," as articulated in the "Wal-Mart Associate Handbook"; and third, he states that the termination was in violation of the company's coach and counsel procedure set forth in the Club Manual.
As to Derrig's purchase of Code 2 merchandise, it is plain in the policy that employees such as Derrig are prohibited from purchasing such merchandise. That the tractor was for his father's use and was paid for by his father is not the issue; the policy contains no such limitations on its force. Indeed, when Derrig mentioned his father's wish to purchase the tractor, he reports that his supervisor never told him his father could not purchase it. Given the clarity of the policy with respect to the prohibition against employees purchasing Code 2 merchandise, Derrig's purchase of the tractor himself, without his father even being present, constituted a formal violation of the rule.
As to Derrig's charge that Wal-Mart's stated reasons for termination were pretextual and that it acted in violation of its own "Open Door Open Mind Policy" in its Associate Handbook, Derrig's argument supports the defendant's actions and he offers no evidence to suggest another conclusion. For instance, he comes forward with no comparison cases, in which other employees who had made no complaints to Wal-Mart were allowed to continue their employment in the face of violations of the Code 2 merchandise policy.
Derrig's ultimate argument that Wal-Mart had an affirmative responsibility to engage in progressive discipline in this case is also without merit. The policy itself, in its sixth step, provides that "[i]n most cases, all four performance coaching steps will apply to the performance problem. However, based on the severity, the situation may warrant bypassing some or all of the steps." Id. at page 5.
Derrig acknowledges that the progressive disciplinary mechanism may be avoided where infractions are viewed as serious. However, he asserts that his infraction, if one existed, was not severe and that it therefore did not warrant bypass of the coaching steps.
I do not agree. As a matter of background, it is clear from Derrig's own memorandum that this was not the first time he had experienced problems. Moreover, the clarity of the Code 2 purchasing policy indicates that violation of its strictures may be viewed as an employee's decision to "abuse" certain discounts, in violation of both the Associate Handbook's rules and the Club Manual. As such, the violation itself, could reasonably be considered "gross misconduct" as the term is used in the Handbook.
In sum, the undisputed facts plainly do not support plaintiff's contention that Wal-Mart violated its binding obligation to this employee in deciding to terminate his employment.
IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, defendant Wal-Mart's motion for summary judgment is ALLOWED and the instant action is DISMISSED.
NOTES
[1] Defendant Sam's Club is a wholesale merchandise store which offers private memberships for shopping.
[2] According to Derrig, he was presented the Club Manual when he accepted employment at Wal-Mart's Sam's Club. Additionally, he asserts that his decision to accept employment was based, in part, upon the representations to him that employment at Sam's Club was based on a commitment of both employer and employee, consistent with Wal-Mart's corporate policies and as evidenced in the Sam's Club Manual.
Notably, Derrig asserts that he was never expressly directed to the Wal-Mart Associate Handbook. Notwithstanding, Derrig notes that the personnel manager hiring him referred to Wal-Mart's policies. Furthermore, in his own arguments against summary judgment, Derrig relies on one policy, detailed in the Handbook: the "Open Door Open Mind Policy." Derrig does not come forward with any evidence that he learned of this policy through documents or presentations other than the Associate Handbook. Accordingly, based on Derrig's own admissions and the absence of credible evidence to the contrary, I shall assume that both manuals guided Derrig's expectations.
[3] The Handbook details some general guiding principles ("The customer is always right"), provides outlines of the organizational structure (supervisors are called "coaches") and some features of the stores, including the use of video broadcasts and "Grass Roots Meetings," during which Wal-Mart employees from around the country gather to discuss ideas and concerns.
[4] The Handbook details rules governing almost every aspect of an employees work. For instance, rules with respect to attendance and work hours are set out in unambiguous language: Clocking in at the beginning of the workday is one of an employee's responsibilities; working off the clock is "against Wal-Mart policy." No employee should work more than six hours without taking a 30 minute break; failure to report to work and to so inform your supervisor for three consecutive days will be considered a voluntary resignation; engaging in non-work activities during work time is "not permitted," nor is "solicitation or distribution of literature." Additionally, Wal-Mart specifically notes that if an employee writes a bad check to the company, that fact may lead to "counseling, being charged for the costs incurred by the Company, and possible termination ..." Additionally, the Handbook states unambiguously: "[W]e consider it a serious violation of company policy if you disclose confidential information to an outsider. Even something as simple as our intercom codes regarding shoplifting must be kept within our Company." Particulars with respect to workplace safety are included in the Handbook, as is the company's "Dress Code," with specific reference to Sam's Club employees.
[5] The policy states at the outset: "Performance Coaching is a process that has been established to help Associate-partners correct and modify their behavior so they can continue their employment.... Performance Coaching applies to Management and hourly associate-partners. All Management Associate-partners must be very familiar with this procedure." Specific sections refer to the manager's treatment of the hourly worker. The policy does not have any subsection delineating specific rights for hourly workers.
[6] The e-mail amply confirms that Derrig was aware of the policies articulated in the Associates Handbook; he offers no other explanation for his knowledge of the policy stated therein and repeatedly refers to the policy as the grounds for his memo.
[7] As the First Circuit has noted, "[S]ummary judgment may be appropriate if the non-moving party rests merely upon conclusory allegations, improbable inferences, and unsupported speculation." Goldman v. First National Bank of Boston, 985 F.2d 1113, 1116 (1st Cir.1993).
[8] Counts I and II have been dismissed by agreement of the parties.
[9] He argues that his termination constituted breach of an express employment contract as those terms were set out both in initial oral representations to him and in the "Club Manual" he was directed to consult as forming the basis of the terms of his employment. Specifically, plaintiff refers to representations made to him that "employment at Sam's Club was based upon a commitment by the associate-partner to Sam's Club and the commitment by Sam's Club to the associate-partner to act in good faith and consistent with the corporate policies of Sam's Club ... evidenced to [him] by the express terms and conditions of the Club Manual." Derrig Affidavit, ¶ 6. Alternatively, plaintiff contends that the "Club Manual," and the Associate Handbook insofar as it details the "Open Mind Open Door Policy" created an implied-in-fact contract on which plaintiff relied and which defendant breached.
[10] At-will employees, of course, are still protected from discharge "for asserting a legally guaranteed right ..., for doing what the law requires ..., or for refusing to do what the law forbids...." Smith-Pfeffer v. Superintendent of the Walter E. Fernald State School, 404 Mass. 145, 149, 533 N.E.2d 1368 (1989).
[11] With respect to the confusion, the SJC focused on the factors enumerated in its earlier Jackson decision and noted that these factors "have been viewed as constituting a list of conditions that must exist in order to justify a ruling that the terms of a personnel manual are part of an express or implied contract.... The various circumstances discussed in the Jackson opinion are not a rigid list of prerequisites, but rather explain factors that would make a difference or might make a difference in deciding whether the terms of a personnel manual were at least impliedly part of an employment contract." O'Brien, 422 Mass. at 692, 664 N.E.2d 843.
[12] The SJC has made an important point: The mere fact that a personnel manual has not been negotiated cannot foreclose a finding that a contract existed, since it is not at all likely that employees will negotiate over such matters, except in a union context. O'Brien, 422 Mass. at 692, 664 N.E.2d 843.
[13] Indeed, in O'Brien, the Court noted that even where an employer retained the right unilaterally to modify the terms of the manual, the employee's continued acceptance of employment "would be in the nature of an acceptance of an offer of a unilateral contract ... and the promise would not be illusory." O'Brien, 422 Mass. at 692, 664 N.E.2d 843 (citations omitted). The central question is whether the employee "would reasonably conclude that the employer was presenting the manual as a statement of the conditions under which employment would continue." Id.
[14] It bears emphasizing that the objective prong of this test takes the perspective of the reasonable employee. The SJC reasoned: "Management distributes personnel manuals because it is thought to be in its best interests to do so.... Management expects that employees will adhere to the obligations that the manual has set forth. Courts recently have been reluctant to permit management to reap the benefits of a personnel manual and at the same time avoid promises freely made in the manual that employees reasonably believed were part of their arrangement with the employer. Management voluntarily offers, and defines the terms of, any benefit set forth in its unbargained for personnel manual. The employees may have a reasonable expectancy that management will adhere to a manual's provisions." O'Brien, 422 Mass. at 694, 664 N.E.2d 843.
[15] The deposition transcript reads as follows:
DEFENDANT'S COUNSEL: But you didn't have a written contract with Wal-Mart?
DERRIG: No, nobody does.
COUNSEL: And you understand that when you don't have a written contract you serve in the capacity of an at-will employee?
DERRIG: You don't think of it that way as a normal lay person. You guys do because that's your lingo.
COUNSEL: I'm not asking you to make a legal conclusion about what that means, but you understood that the designation
DERRIG: I did not have a contract that said Michael will be hired for the next five years and be paid certain sums.
COUNSEL: And you knew when you didn't have a contract, that means you're an at-will employee?
DERRIG: If that's what it means, yes.
I decline to conclude, from this dialogue, that plaintiff Derrig viewed himself as an at-will employee. The begrudging admission that having no contract setting out a term of employment means that he was an at-will employee came after defendant's counsel had over-stated the conclusion to be drawn. He merely adopted opposing counsel's conclusion, having stated that he didn't think of it in those terms seconds before. While adopting such statements may be ill-advised as a practical matter, it cannot extinguish a claim, in and of itself.
[16] Defendant points to the disclaimer indicating that the Associate Handbook merely provides guidance and is not legal contract. There is, on the record before me, no such disclaimer in the Club Manual. In any event, Massachusetts law counsels against giving too much weight to one initial disclaimer contained in the "Welcome" section to the Handbook, in light of the voluminous details of mandatory conduct and promises of treatment and benefits that follow. Indeed, O'Brien clarified and common sense requires that where employment manuals detail exact expectations of employees and the employer regularly relies on it, the promises made by the employer within the Manual cannot summarily be disregarded. They become equally binding. Accordingly, in this case, Wal-Mart's chatty disclaimer is patently inadequate to off-set Derrig's reasonable expectations that the Club Manual and the Associate Handbook set forth basic terms and conditions of employment.
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Burns Night is all about Scotch, neeps & tatties, and poems, of course. We have adapted a classic Burns Night cocktail, the 'Bobby Burns', and given it a Seaside twist! It's extremely delicious!
The evening of January 25th is when Scots (and others!) everywhere hold Burns Suppers in honour of the birth of Scotland's favourite poet and son, Robert Burns. Born on this day in 1759, one of seven children, he is most famous for writing the New Year favourite Auld Lang Syne.
One of our favourite part is when everybody gives his haggis poems a go, including best Scottish accent of course.
To help you feel confident when addressing the haggis (or recite the reply from the lassies), here is a bit of help from our friend Lesley Hart to get you started.
Ingredients
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How to Make
Stir all cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass/big jar. Strain into an ice-filled tumbler. Lush!
Enjoy! | https://brightongin.com/blogs/brighton-gin-cocktails-recipes/brighton-bobby-burns |
By Chella Courington
She had not seen a train pass through the town in years, yet she lived on the outskirts and could easily be wrong as she often miscalculated anything bound by a schedule. Time to her was a fixed concept easily eluded if one were concerned with other things like filling pages for a novel or thumbing through Franny and Zooey for inspiration. She could sit in her bed, computer on lap, and click words into existence without noticing the sun had come and gone multiple times when she walked to the kitchen for a peanut butter sandwich and found an empty jar among banana peels. The Amtrak could have blown its whistle every day, maybe three or four times, rushing over the rails, such as they were, and she would not have heard it. But now she wanted to go somewhere, leave her characters alone to settle their own snarky problems.
She went to the station. A one-room brick house with a toilet in the back. The stationmaster said it used to be an outhouse with a deep hole and a tub of lye to smother the smell. “Perfectly enclosed, of course.” But with the 21st century came porta potties. Somehow the town’s Amtrak still seemed behind, but he assured her otherwise. And he was a modern-enough looking man with his black pants and red vest, though his glasses reminded her of John Lennon. Round wire rims. “We have a train coming through today at 4 p.m.” His table heaped with spreadsheets, some marked with coffee stains, he asked if she wanted a ticket. “Not now,” she said.
At home, she changed into a pair of gray leggings with a black top long enough to cover her butt, sadly surrendering to gravity. Avocado leaves scraped against the window as wind blew several avocados to ground. Filling a basket with them, she returned to the depot and sat on a wooden bench. She spent the afternoon waiting to hand anyone who passed a dark green fruit. But without the train, there were no passengers. So she placed the avocados in a line on the seats and left to see what her characters had worked out.
###
Chella Courington is a writer and teacher with a Ph.D. in American and British Literature and an MFA in Poetry. Her poetry and fiction appear or are forthcoming in numerous anthologies and journals including SmokeLong Quarterly, The Collagist, and The Los Angeles Review. Originally from the Appalachian South, Courington lives in California with another writer and two cats (chellacourington.net). | http://fewerthan500.com/being-there/ |
The implantation of autologous chondrocytes is a therapeutic treatment for articular cartilage damage. However, the benefits are limited due to the expansion of chondrocytes in monolayer culture, which causes loss of chondrocytic characters. Therefore, culture conditions that enhance chondrocytic characters are needed. We screened 5822 compounds and found that A-674563 enhanced the transcription of several chondrocyte marker genes, including Col2a1, Acan and Col11a2, in mouse primary chondrocytes. Experiments using cycloheximide, MG132 and bafilomycin A1 have revealed that Sox9 is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and that A-674563 inhibits this degradation, resulting in larger amount of Sox9 protein. RNA sequencing transcriptome analysis showed that A-674563 increases the expression of the gene that encodes ubiquitin-specific peptidase 29, which is known to induce the deubiquitination of proteins. Although the precise mechanism remains to be determined, our findings indicated that A-674563 could contribute to culture conditions that expand chondrocytes without losing chondrocytic characters.
Keywords: Autologous chondrocyte implantation; Chondrocytes; Protein degradation; Sox9; Usp29.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29196261/ |
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(INTA), Joseph Ferretti, leads the global organizatio... | https://www.leadersleague.com/en/section/innovation-and-technology/europe?page=6 |
At several historical moments and within various socio-historical contexts, humans have created superheroes to meet the exigencies of the world around them. Today, in the face of the ever-increasing digital interconnectedness experienced by many individuals and societies around the world, more and more people might be looking for heroes to limn both the newly-available forms of mediated, virtual intimacy and the emergent anxieties surrounding surveillance and privacy concerns across digital platforms. This article explores the collective of heroes in Netflix’s queer science fiction series Sense8 (2015–2018) as a manifestation of those deeply-felt desires and anxieties in an era when neoliberal forms of capitalism and technology seem to have encroached on every part of the globe.
A riveting and complex work of the superhero science fiction subgenre, Sense8 is also arguably one of its most queer and ideologically progressive iterations. Co-created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski (known also for the Matrix trilogy, Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending) and J. Michael Straczynski (known also for Babylon 5), Sense8 follows a group of eight main characters spanning seven different countries and four continents. These heroes discover early in the first season that they are interconnected through their limbic systems, the part of the brain associated with instincts and affect. Having psychic and sensual links, these eight ‘sensoriums’ or ‘sensates’ function as the collective protagonist able to share and channel each other’s emotions, experiences, and bodies. Although far apart in physical relation to each other, their intimate connection helps them grow individually and aid each other’s evasion from the nefarious Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO), which seeks to capture them for experimentation. In terms of its identarian representations, the character ‘cluster’ contains four men and four women, one of whom is a gay man and one a transgender woman in a lesbian relationship. Nationally and sexually diverse, the cluster appeals to audiences that have gravitated to it for its identity politics as well as its compelling characterization and themes.
One of the biggest appeals of Sense8 that I consider is the queer form of kinship and utopian vision that it speculates through its portrayal of the sensate cluster. In this article, I also engage critically with the figurative potential of this cluster of superheroes as audiences might read it within the current context of the expanding digital age. Interpreting the Sense8 cluster as a metonym for conditions of the series production, circulation, and consumption on Netflix, I extend its figurative scope to refer to any globally expansive digital platform operating under the logics of neoliberalism. As an act of co-constituted creation, embodied and virtual interactivity, and queer kinship and belonging, the superhero cluster of Sense8 carries the appeals of cosmopolitanism, globalism, and promised forms of intimacy which also tends toward enveloping and flattening experiences of difference by uncritically bypassing nationalized, racialized, gendered, and sexed lines. However, even as the show’s cosmopolitanism pose problems for projects of re-negotiating and re-articulating systems and relations of power, at the same time the cluster represents the various forms of enacted resistance in which the bodies and inter-subjectivities for queer people and people of colour become sources of power in themselves. This too meets the need for increased diversity of visual representations in media and for the intersectionality that can rebound against the logics of neoliberal capitalism.
In order to trace my claims to their interpretive and evaluative conclusions, I first situate them within the formal or discursive categories of genre. In addition to a close reading of key moments and dynamics of the series, I also review what other scholars and critics have argued about the show in order to highlight its dialectical political and ideological tensions. Finally, I briefly weigh the Sense8’s material existence on Netflix’s digital platform against online fandom discourse and activism surrounding the series to suggest ways that audiences have identified with—and even imitated—the show’s superhero characters in tangible ways.
“I am also a we”: Sense8’s Queer Utopian Potential, Virtual Intimacies, and Digital Anxieties
The past three decades have seen a spike in popularity and commercial success for the speculative genres of fantasy and science fiction. These genresparticularly fantasy and science fiction – have tremendous potential to influence both individual and social change. In fictional worlds containing magic or advanced technology, truly egalitarian environments and societies are more seemingly within grasp. This is partly what leads scholar Robert Shelton to classify fantasy and science fiction as “utopian” genres. Furthermore, since the diegetic worlds of fantasy and science fiction texts can bend the rules and representations of mimetic realities in many senses, they are laden with potential to be free from any number of social, historical, or material norms and conventions. They might more easily surpass other genres, which might cower behind the shield of realism when it comes to their inclusivity and transformative power. In theory at least, the speculative nature of fantasy and science fiction provides a blank canvas upon which one can paint diegetic worlds, characters, and plotlines which might transcend most pre-existing cultural or social realities.
However, this idealist vision does not translate into the actual works being produced. Instead, these genres can be interpreted as playing out—through their semantics and syntaxes and largely in dystopian settings—current anxieties, struggles, and developments of the self and society at large. The superhero subgenre of science fiction, especially in its most simplistic binary form, reifies these tensions through the positioning of its heroes, who embody ideological virtues, against its villains, who represent ideological challenges or threats. However, we have come a long way since Adventures of Superman (1952–1958). One need only look to popular film and television today to see it rife with examples of more complex superhero media texts: Arrow (2012–), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–), The Flash (2014–), Supergirl (2015–), Jessica Jones (2015–), and The Runaways (2017–) are a few examples. Considering the Marvel X-Men franchise alone, there have been nine films since the turn of the millennium, with one more releasing in 2019, as well as two television series: FX’s Legion (2017–) and Fox’s The Gifted (2017–). Ramzi Fawaz traces the history of these and other superhero texts from their 1960s comic book origins, which had already begun to cast mutant superhero characters as outsiders to ordinary humanity. Coming to embody and represent the marginalized identities and social groups such as women and racial or sexual minorities, Fawaz observes how mutant comic book franchises such as X-Men reflected the radical political struggles of the 1960s as beyond. One can look to Brian Singer’s X-Men films as contemporary examples in which especially recent LGBTQ+ identity politics—as well as both assimilationist and more radical agendas—become symbolically represented through the characters, storylines, and fan discourse.
The Netflix original Sense8 is another contemporary science fiction show that fans, critics, and scholars have praised for its treatment of LGBTQ+ themes. The most famous moments of represented sexuality in the series are its scenes portraying already queer group sex formation in arguably even queerer ways. For example, a groundbreaking moment from Season 1, Episode 6 (‘Demons’) shows several cluster characters ‘visiting’ each other, or channeling each other’s consciousnesses, with explicitly sexual denotations and intents. In the scene, the character Wolfgang (Max Riemelt) visits a bathhouse in Berlin. While bathing in the nude, he makes psychic, virtual contact with the character Nomi, who happens to be having sex at that moment in San Francisco with her partner, Amanita (Freema Agyeman). Then Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre), who is having sex in Mexico City with his partner, Hernando (Alfonso Herrera), joins them. Meanwhile, Will (Brian J. Smith) is breaking a sweat at the gym where he also virtually joins in the shared sexual act, hoping that nobody notices when he climaxes. Considering only the sensates involved in this exchange, viewers witness a transgender lesbian, a gay cis man, and two cis men understood to be heterosexual engaging in sexual constructions extending beyond their self-defined or socially perceived purview.
According to the logic of the show, the characters’ virtual, mental intimacies matter just as much, if not more, than bodily ones. The series blurs, if not completely eliminates, the notion of an essentialized or socially inscribed sexual orientations or identities, offering up instead a shifting, mutable queer sexuality which transcends both. Slippages in and between various characters’ consciousnesses take place across time, space, bodies, and identities, arguably queering everything in between. Within the psychically-linked sensate cluster, there are polysemic portrayals of coupling, copulating, and group sex abound. Through their shared consciousness, the cluster’s members are capable of both disembodiment and of being fully, sensually present, arguably allowing for immersive, undefinable, and utopian possibilities for sexuality.
In fact, one might understand the intra-cluster sexuality or intimacy as a sexual, psychophilic partialism which privileges or employs the mind as a site from which to derive sexual pleasure. In other words, the sensates are literally capable of have sex with their minds. This arguably allows for immersive, undefinable, and utopian possibilities for forms of sexuality outside of normal space and time. Instead, queerness in Sense8 reimagines both. One of the queerest ideas that Sense8 presents is the disembodiment of the body. Even though it is a media text created within and bound by most conventions of continuity editing, Sense8 suggests a queerness which defies visual representation. In fact, its major shortcoming in its ability to portray the queer potential of psychophilia derives from having to use the signifiers of bodies at all. The nature of cinema forces the show to rely on images of actors in physical contact with each other to give imagery what, to a cluster-outsider in the diegetic world, would take place solely within headspace. Although poststructuralism or even neuroscience might tell us that all reality is mediated or even produced by mechanisms and structures of discourse or the human brain, Sense8 goes beyond to offer a queerness or queer sexuality that defies definition in its very pre-lingual—perhaps even pre-conscious—state. In other words, it transcends systems and structures of discursive formation, primarily that of human language, which construct human subjectivities. In semiotic terms, the sensate cluster exists as a sign of queerness without even the need for a signifier to contain it or nail it down concretely.
Nevertheless, the radical sexuality presented within the sensate cluster is subject to critique. Queer sci-fi scholar Alexis Lothian challenges the seemingly utopian vision of a “sexual connectivity [which] insists that Sense8’s fantasy of mind-to-mind connection never means leaving the body behind.” She argues that its “sterile fantasy [is merely] a cover for the messy, queer possibilities that erupt when bodies meet bodies.” However, instead of distancing itself from the messiness of bodies, I contend that the cluster invites a further messiness of inherent to forms of intimacy afforded by shared psychic connections. Hence, the psychophilia of the orgy scenes in Sense8 contains the pleasure that might exist were humans able to bridge the gap created by the separation of consciousnesses and bodies, a form of intimacy and kinship that would—and does—generate a lot of affective messiness. Furthermore, it hints toward where connective technologies are seemingly leading humanity.
I contend that one of the ways Sense8 invites audiences to interpret the cluster is through the lens of the increasingly interconnected digital world we inhabit. Even as the show outlines queer intimacies hinting toward true utopian, asemiotic potential, a potential that no existing technologies could afford, it uses this psychophilic connection as a way to deepen their individual and collective lived experiences in ways resembling how we use social media and other digital platforms to communicate across space and time. The series’ opening credits sequence furthers this notion as it displays in increasingly rapid succession, accompanied by a mounting non-diegetic score, a montage of moving images shot around the globe, featuring cultural practices, public displays of human contact and affection, iconography of LGBTQ+ pride, and well-known national and international landmarks. From the tone set at the outset and the diversity the show presents in the cluster, it works toward a global and sexual imaginary which contemporary digital platforms and their afforded modes of virtual intimacy seem to promise.
Of course, in addition to seeing the sensate cluster functioning as a metaphor for the ways we currently use digital technology and the Internet to connect with each other in sexual and non-sexual intimate ways, anxieties also emerge from the implications of mind-hacking and body-hacking within and between the cluster members of Sense8. Not only can Nomi’s character seemingly hack into any computer system mainframe with relative ease, but the sensates can fluidly hack each other’s minds and bodies at will. For example, in the ninth episode of Season Two (‘What Family Actually Means’), Sun (Bae Doona) is out of prison and is attempting to take justice for her father’s murder into her own hands by getting close enough to her brother to kill him. To do this, she needs Lito’s help to pass a cocktail mixology and serving exam. Furthermore, she needs to perform with dramatic flair to impress the interviewers so that they will hire her to work at an event where her brother will be present. Lito, however, happens to be in a casting audition for a role in a film which would help revive his acting career. The exigence of Sun’s situation almost jeopardizes his own performance and goals. Also, there is a moment in the fourth episode of the same season (‘Polyphony’) when Nomi expresses to Amanita that there are some personal experiences which her cluster still cannot know about her. However, Wolfgang visits her psyche precisely at that moment to seek her help, foreshadowing that it might be a matter of time before the cluster members’ separate lives collapse completely into each other’s.
Sense8, while perhaps lamenting the loss of privacy, also celebrates the characters’ separate and unique identities. Except for Will, Riley (Tuppence Middleton), and Wolfgang, the norms of dominant Western culture would marginalize the other five sensates in some way. In fact, in a roundtable of scholars about the series, Lokeilani Kaimana interprets all the major characters as “avatars for minoritized folx.” As they advance into new, shared explorations of sexuality and interconnectedness they begin to transcend—or even negate—the limitations of separateness in a way that allows for shifting possibilities for new subjectivities. Furthermore, this pluralism is what enables the characters to escape the “trauma of enforced confines.” Each separate subject, in other words, has become part of a stronger collective. Nomi echoes this in the second episode of Season One when she famously says while vlogging before San Francisco Pride, “I am also a we.” As in the real world, this transformative potential of interconnectedness might signal a dearth of privacy and the rights to one’s own thoughts, but it also opens up new potentiality for what happens when intimacy effaces the barriers of language and bodily affections into pure pre-conscious affect.
In addition to its attempts to portray undefinable queerness and queer forms of sexuality, the showrunners also queer Sense8 by framing its storylines outside and in resistance to linear, heteronormative narrative forms. In terms of the narrativising of the protagonists’ lives, Sense8 crafts its plot to operate outside or on the fringes of heteronormative spheres of contemporary capitalist society and conventional family life. Instead of merely gesturing toward the characters’ bedroom activities, the series instead positions the clusters’ shared sexuality—literally, their capacity and impetus for intimate connection—as the plot’s fulcrum and impetus, as opposed to the concerns of capitalism and its attendant needs for continuity and social order. This might also distinguish it from other superhero franchises such as Batman and Iron Man, which feature highly affluent protagonists, or even the elitism suggested by Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in X-Men. However, this also entails an overly escapist omission of the material realities of labour, wealth, and social class play in shaping people’s lives. Instead, Sense8 seemingly erases class differences and class concerns, and that is possibly not all it threatens to omit.
In the next section, I examine other potential sources of erasure by considering how the collective desires which Sense8 anticipates and imagines through its cluster of heroes also teeters on the edge of a cosmopolitan myth of shared progressive ethos.
The Flattening Effects of Sense8’s Cosmopolitanism and the Global Imaginary
The queer utopian vision of Sense8 seems to pair problematically with the flattening effects of cosmopolitanism and a global imaginary. First, it does not engage substantively with the localized contexts, lifeworlds, or struggles of any of its individual characters. Instead, it unites them under a shared agenda and bypasses meaningful, important lines of difference in seemingly effortless ways. Thus, it is in danger of reducing its characters to stereotypes and mouthpieces of a liberalist, universalist, and cosmopolitan fantasy. Katherine Sender notes “how readily cosmopolitan claims to sexual liberalism bolster neoliberal values of individualism and consumer acquisition. These values eschew community claims, efface real differences of power in the figure of the universal subject, and disavow the histories and continuing effects of colonialism.” In other words, cosmopolitanism offers a progressive ideological model of peaceful and participatory global citizenship, but to achieve this would most likely require and result in complete infiltration of and assimilation to dominant (i.e., Western neoliberal late capitalist) ideology. Similarly, the seemingly liberal project of cosmopolitanism surfaces in what Manfred G. Stegner calls the “global imaginary” to refer to “people’s growing consciousness of thickening globality.” Furthermore, this global imaginary “is also powerfully reflected in the current transformation of the conventional ideologies and social values that go into the articulation of concrete political agendas and programmes.” A progressive vision, such as the one Sense8 presents, flirts dangerously close and perhaps overlaps with a neoliberal myth of cosmopolitanism and its lure of the emancipatory potential that we might achieve through a shared ethos of individual freedom and acceptance.
Sense8 portrays a comprehensive progressive, queer sexual imaginary and unites the characters under a shared ethos. Thus, the show flirts closely with cosmopolitanism and its attendant ideologies of universal freedoms and rights that the West might unleash on the rest of the world, primarily through the free market and neoliberal practices of consumption and branding of sexual identities. Delicia Aguado-Pelàez, while praising how the series challenges heteronormative, patriarchal hegemonic structures and representations, simultaneously laments its presentation of non-normative homosexual identities. By this, she is not referring to Lisa Duggan’s conception of homonormativity; after all, none of the characters seem to be following a conventional heteronormative trajectory for marriage and human reproduction. However, what Aguado-Pelàez criticizes is the choice to have all of the characters situated in urban even more cosmopolitanist spaces, instead of rural, and inhabiting visually appealing and gender-conforming bodies, instead of bodies that might be less conventionally coded as attractive or genderqueer bodies. Similarly, Alexis Lothian critiques the group sex scenes for the way that they “highlight the racial limitations of dominant queer representation as well as…the white liberal fantasy that we are all under the same skin.” However, Lothian wrote this before the release of the Christmas Special and Season Two, which feature more group sex scenes with all members of the sensate cluster are involved, as well as their partners. One might argue that this unravels her previous claims.
This ignores the history of Western colonialism that deeply affected the cultures of at least three of its characters somewhat like the series does. The flashy appeal of the cosmopolitan myth rears its head in other aspects of the series as well. Just as the characters’ shared psychophilia erases their borders between identity and sexuality, their pre-lingual, asemiotic queerness seemingly eradicates the borders between their nations, as well as the other markers of cultural and nationality identity. For example, even though the characters speak six or seven different languages in reality, the virtuality of their connection flattens it all to English. The show explains this away by informing the reader they are all encoding in their primary language but being understood in the language of whoever is decoding them. The choice to make this language English, practically speaking, perhaps comes from the producers wanting to avoid the inconvenience of subtitles or gauche nature of dubbing that might be off-putting to audiences. Regardless, the effect furthers the global imaginary of Western, English-speaking audiences, flattening the cultural distinctions and differences that would otherwise separate international strangers in the real world. Presenting a slightly varied or more nuanced view on cosmopolitanism, Lisa Rofel observes that it “does not have a stable meaning, nor is it merely the opposite of ‘the local.’” Rather, she offers that “locating activity, rather than ‘local’ activity, might help us to position the ‘cosmopolitan’ in determinate cultural practices rather than treating it as a deterritorialized phenomenon or wholly a penetration from the West.” Instead of a flattening of national and individual subjectivity under the presupposed steamroller of globalized neoliberalism, she considers the uneven and mixed practices of consumption that shape the politics of desire and identity.
Rather than vindicate any version of the series’ cosmopolitanism, I simply want to acknowledge its immense appeal to audiences the growing hegemony of neoliberal global capitalism. As the promises of a digital utopia have failed and lived experiences within online spaces become even more insular, fragmented, and divided, audiences long for a set of diverse yet like-minded strangers in which to belong. Furthermore, the appeal of Sense8 for audiences comes from more than its portrayals of psychophilic group sex. In fact, the sex serves as a catalyst for transformative interconnectivity which causes the sensates to evolve as individuals and as a cluster. As these sensates initially discover their connections and shape a group ethos, they also help each other work through personal struggles, which are admittedly sometimes very reductive or stereotyped, especially for the non-Western characters. Furthermore, as a group they have to mobilize to escape the threat posed by the ominous antagonist Whispers and the Biologic Preservation Organization. To accomplish this, the sensates use their bodies as more than organic entities inhabiting space but as hyper-linking technologies capable accessing ‘bodies’ of knowledge which include particular subsets of skills: computer hacking, science, adept vehicle operation, performance and affective states, martial arts, and work outside the law. The cluster becomes a community of virtual intimacy, learning, and support which imbricates broader social fields. It is also one separate from traditional capitalist exchanges. Aside from the sexiness of the show, I contend this is also an equal, if not greater, part of its appeal.
Conclusion
In this article I have offered ways of reading Sense8 within complex dialectics of representation, affect, and ideology present in the contemporary moment of advancing digital connective technologies and neoliberal capitalism. Sense8 and its superheroes are undeniably and unabashedly queer, but they are also perhaps a bit too cosmopolitan and Western-centric. The series’ narrative foci enact resistance to capitalism by seemingly existing outside its material and ideological structures, but they also neglect the growing class divisions within such systems. Yet despite objections to certain aspects of the show, the series has found a firm niche among primarily queer audiences largely due to its highly visible and progressive representations of gay, lesbian, trans, and otherwise-queer bodies, sexualities, and subjectivities. This might be one of the its most redeeming, or perhaps the most redeeming, aspects. Like media texts in the X-Men franchise, Sense8 resonates with queer folx and people of colour. Furthermore, the series’ politics, arguably unlike those of recent iteration of X-Men, are not limited to those of recognition or conformity. In fact, even as the representation of queerness in Sense8 is normalized, it never seeks to be assimilationist or heteronormative. Instead, it presents the queerness of its cluster in opposition to hetero-patriarchal and corporate agendas.
Finally, I want to briefly consider Sense8’s material existence on Netflix as a digital platform, weighing this against the series’ online fandom discourse and activism. I hope that highlighting audience identification and interactivity with the series, I can point toward the potential of what might occur if mainstream society—especially in an age of great interconnectivity via virtual spaces, networks, and technologies—adopted these transformative models of kinship, such as those queer communities and collectivities already recognize and live.
The popularity of Netflix does not need to be restated, nor does the fact that its platform is now available in 190 countries around the world. Within a matter of years, Netflix has emerged as a poster-child for neoliberalism, both through its global expansion and its individualized algorithmic curation and recommendation of content for and to subscribers. When they released Sense8 in 2015, it successfully targeted fans of both science fiction and queer genres. Predominantly identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, fans of Sense8 congealed into a still active audience fandom which latched onto its inclusive identity representations and storylines as well as its portrayals of hyper-connected intimacy or kinship. Across platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook, several hashtags became attached to fan discourse. These included #iamawe, #wearetheglobalcluster, and #bravelikesense8. There were even webpages where users could generate their own clusters with others around the world. Therefore, it is unsurprising that when Netflix announced the cancellation during Pride Month in 2017, it sent shockwaves through the Twittersphere and immediately mobilized fans to push for the show’s renewal. New hashtags such as #bringbacksense8, #renewsense8, and #sensatesforever emerged and spread quickly through Internet spaces. Fans also created petitions, such as one on Change.org which acquired over half a million signatures, to urge Netflix to renew the series. Within the month, the fans had ultimately succeeded in gaining approval for a two-hour finale, which premiered on Netflix’s portal during the summer of 2018. Without overstating the implications of their digital activism, the fans of Sense8 essentially outmaneuvered, albeit in fairly temporary and limited ways, the logics of neoliberal capitalism. By successfully demanding what a company like Netflix—with its nearly endless options for streaming—was not supplying, fans with queer affiliations, queer alliances, and intersectional identities revealed power through collective movement.
In fact, one contention of this article has been that the most radical notion Sense8 presents through the collective consciousness of the sensate cluster lies in the very nature of its shared-ness or intersectionality. Instead of identifying with one or two characters in the series, Sense8 invites the process of identification with a group counter-intimacy and kinship in unison—man, woman, gay, straight, cis, trans—and to disrupt queerly the very labels that delineate their differences. Their differences in knowledge, bodies, individualities, and experiences are what give the cluster its powerful potential, but concurrently these differences efface into a public. In other words, they are asking the viewer as an ‘I’ to identify, like Nomi, as a ‘we.’ Alexis Lothian has also commented on the effects of this collision or collapse of identity:
The intensity of sensate communication means that each member of the cluster has no choice but to recognise every other member as an equal with whom they can empathise fully. Rather than a world with “no race…no genders…no age,” the utopia of sensate connection seems to offer an alternative vision for globalisation, one in which the dehumanisation and exploitation by the rich world of the poor could be replaced by an empathetic diversity in which the full subjectivity of every person would be incontrovertibly recognised.
Furthermore, this ‘alternative vision for globalisation’ seems look beyond the shortsightedness of cosmopolitanism that popular audiences perhaps have not yet recognized and advocated against. What would this ‘empathetic diversity’ look like in praxis, and is it even possible? Sense8 has not—or has not yet been given the full chance—to take its vision beyond that which “often relies on western colonial conception for its global imagination and marginalizes characters of color [and] theorizes contemporary media spectatorship in its appeal to affect and eroticism.” However, the show presents characters from many places on Earth who transcend xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia, all lamentably still traits of many contemporary, dominant societies and political climates. However, in its model, the show at least demonstrates the possibility of what might happen if subjectivities traded phobias for a form of psychophilia that might help individuals living in Western-dominated cultures to feel less alone and isolated. Sense8 and its heroes demonstrate the superpowers that emerge when shared bodies, identities, and virtual selves connect and activate in haptic, transcendent, and often quite literally intersectional ways. | https://www.panicdiscourse.com/i-am-also-a-we/ |
Natalia Thompson, Admissions Director for the Genesis Healthcare Breckensville facility in Hockessin Delaware, discussed the issues of dementia, which impact about one-third of families in the US. Dementia is a major and rapidly growing reason for the growth in long term care. Dementia is a slowly progressing "disease" that heavily impacts all the family members of those afflicted. Billions of hours are invested in providing care, which can be needed all day. Care givers can become isolated and exhausted. Eventually the care giver needs help to meet the needs of the person with dementia.
Dementia is associated with the shrinking of our brains as we age. The shrinking creates space within our skulls that is filled with increasing volumes of the normal fluids surrounding our brains. The net result is damage to those areas of our brain responsible for thinking, planning, and remembering. The hippocampus is also damaged, impairing our ability to create new memories. We don't know what causes dementia, but we do know there is a genetic component. There is no cure, just the ability to manage the symptoms more effectively.
A major difficulty in diagnosing dementia is the symptoms are similar to those experienced when there is a vitamin B12 deficiency, or we are dehydrated, depressed, or experience a number of other conditions. The underlying causal condition can start 15 to 20 years before any symptoms are recognized. Even after symptoms start to appear we are often quite productive, further compounding diagnosis issues.
Symptoms include:
- difficulty completing familiar tasks
- time/place confusion
- cannot understand visual images
- misplace things and cannot retrace your steps to find the item
- poor judgement
- withdrawal from normal activities
- changes in mood and behavior
Dementia is often accelerated by accidents such as falls. The body shifts its use of nutrients to support repairing the injury, resulting in a more rapid advance in dementia. That is one reason for the apparent correlation between balance issues and dementia. Basic physical exercise ensures stronger muscles and better balance, helping prevent dementia by limiting falls in addition to improving blood flow to the brain. Thinking games such as crossword puzzles and sudoku help reduce the advancement of dementia. You really can directly exercise your brain. | https://longwoodrotary.com/Stories/issues-in-aging |
Hawks 02 ECNL Florida Showcase Recap
The Hawks 02 ECNL headed to Sanford facing stiff competition including two teams highlighted in the Florida Showcase event preview.
On Friday, they opened their account against Ohio Premier, currently sitting in eighth place in the Champions League and billed as a “team to watch”. One would have been impressed however watching the Hawks as they came away with a 4-1 victory over their neighbor to the south.
Day 2 was against Atlanta powerhouse Tophat, and the Hawks can only wonder what might have been as some missed opportunities produced a 4-1 loss in a game much closer than the score line.
Your Hawks responded well however and in closing, upended a strong McLean YSA team1-0 in a game that was fast-paced and intense from whistle to whistle. The Hawks held long bouts of possession and continually disrupted their quality opponent, ending McLean’s previous 17-game unbeaten streak. | https://hawks.soccer/blog/2019/01/15/hawks-02-ecnl-florida-showcase-recap/ |
The assignment is to produce a fifteen-page introduction to an autobiography (or set of autobiographies by the same author) that sheds light on the Freedom Movement in the decades that followed World War II. Click here for a list of autobiographies that fill this bill, but feel free to select any other suitable text. The conference paper's task is to give readers information and analytic insight that can enhance their understanding of the autobiography(ies) the paper addresses. For an example of this kind of writing, see John Blassingame's introduction to the classic Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Copies will be distributed in class.
- include a preliminary bibliography of both primary and secondary sources you plan to use (not every pertinent text you've identified).
The outline should organize your paper, paragraph by paragraph. Note the main argument each paragraph will make and the evidence it will present in support of that argument. Use the outlining process to work through conceptual issues and organizational problems. Don't stint on this part of the project. If you do the job right, outlining the paper may require as much time as does writing it, and the outline may be just as long as the paper.
Document the outline by recording the source(s) of the evidence each paragraph will present. Footnotes are not required at this stage, though you'd be wise to start constructing them. It is a requirement that the outline include a bibliography that covers all of your sources. To construct notes and bibliography, follow the guidelines in Mary Lynn Rampolla, Pocket Guide to Writing in History. If you cannot find the necessary guidelines in Rampolla's handbook, see Kate Turabian's Manual for Writers (chapters on the note-bibliography style of documentation). Both of these books are on reserve at the library.
Not counting the title page and bibliography, the paper should weigh in at about fifteen pages, in double-spaced 12-point typeface and with 1-inch margins. It must be proofread and fully documented in accordance with the conventions laid out in Rapolla's Pocket Guide and Turabian's Manual. Hand in two hard copies and email the paper to the whole seminar, including Priscilla Murolo.
Read the papers before class meets and arrive at the seminar table with questions for the various authors. Be ready to respond to questions prompted by your own paper. Please come to class with the autobiography(ies) for which you have written an introduction. | http://priscillamurolo.net/RevLives/conference.htm |
DAMIAN: Ed, little did I know, sitting in the cinema as an eleven-year-old kid watching Young Sherlock Holmes in the spring of 1986, that I was witnessing the first character to be entirely created by computer-generated imagery. And who knew that The Glass Knight, impressive though he may have been back then, was merely a forerunner to Terminator 2’s T-1000 or Jurassic Park’s terrifying T-Rex? Visual Effects (VFX) have obviously come along way and previously only dreamt of scenes and images can now be realized, not only at the movies, but also in the corner of our own living rooms. When did you first become aware of the power and potential of VFX?
ED: From a very early age I have been in love with film. Some love books or music, but for me my medium was film. When I was really young, what I now know as special or visual effects, was never really questioned, and merely intertwined into the films narrative only leaving me in awe of the spectacle. The skeleton fight in Jason and the Argonauts was a particular moment of wonderment. It was magnificent, glorious, beautifully executed and equally terrifying.
Jurassic Park of course is a benchmark of visual effects for me. It still to this day stands up. A beautiful balance of practical, special effects, animatronics and visual effects. It’s very difficult to re-emulate that feeling I had when the first dinosaur was revealed.
However, the film that really sparked my imagination and curiosity for how it was crafted was Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. The simple yet effective optical effects of overlaying Doc Brown and Marty against the vanishing, time travelling DeLorean. This mixed with the animated glowing electrical tubes, flashing pops, comets & contrails surrounding the car before it disappeared to 1955. I was mesmerised.
When I was an early teen my family inherited a vast collection of VHS’s, a couple of TVs and a Panasonic M10 VHS camera. It was the beginning of me spending many hours either watching films or creating them. I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated good film making. Sometimes that has been with the support and use of visual trickery. From the simple act of floating walls within 12 Angry Men, allowing the director to reduce the size of the set and increase the claustrophobia and tension, to the bringing alive of creatures or characters, places and planets that don’t exist. I love a good illusion that supports the storytelling.
DAMIAN: This may get confusing but I understand that VFX can be categorized into the following: Simulation FX, Animation, Modelling, Matte painting and Compositing. I’m sure it would be useful for both myself and the reader if you could illustrate each of these techniques with examples from your work on Ripper Street.
ED: There are actually many more categories within the VFX dept. All tools to deliver a complete visual effect. Sometimes you end up using them all to do one shot, but most of the time it’s just a few. Ripper Street VFX has predominantly been about adding to the scale and embedding into the Victorian landscape. For the most part this means we’ve mainly concentrated on set extensions through digital matte paintings and CG buildings.
To give one example that contained multiple techniques and VFX departments would be the fully CG shot of the Kimberly Diamond mine. After a lot of research trying to really understand the scale of these massive mines we were able to plot and design this big high wide shot. We used a technique called 2 and a half D. That’s not 2D and not quite 3D, but somewhere in between where you build simple 3D geometry and project a digital matte painting onto it. We blocked out the camera move to know how far we could push this technique. We found that for the most part 2.5D worked well, however the foreground really required higher detailed 3D assets. These would be machinery, buildings, carts etc. It was also really clear that these mines were full of people. It took a lot of labour to run such large scale operations. CG crowds were created, animated and scattered through the shot. These little tiny visual specks helped to show scale whilst also demonstrate the bustling active mine.
We simulated FX for smoke and atmosphere. Created digital ropes and wires pulling carts and their contents. All of which finally end up within a compositors realm ready to assemble together into a realistic composition.
The VFX department often supports other departments directly, especially the SFX team. There is a great balance between the two departments. Ripper Street’s SFX team are amazing. There would be many examples of simple additions VFX would bring to help SFX complete a shot. Adding digital rain/snow or weather, adding smoke to chimneys, blood spurts and gore etc. We had great fun supporting Stunts & SFX with the scene where a detective is thrown from a two story window landing on a spiked fence. It was a wonderful example of multiple departments working collectively to create an exciting and thrilling Ripper Street moment.
[For clarification, SFX are practical/physical effects made during production such as props or animatronics. VFX are digitally created on computer in post-production] – D
DAMAN: Can you tell me a little bit about how you got into the business and the circumstances in which you first got hired to work on the show?
ED: In short, I met a girl.
Having completed my engineering based degree in product design, I followed an Irish girl back to Dublin leaving behind my ambitions to become an engineer or product designer.
The degree was enjoyable but I slowly fell out of love with most of the tasks a product designer did, bar the presentational side mocking up 3D renderings of my designs. So off I went to Dublin. I liked the idea of somehow continuing within 3D and very soon found an opportunity as a Runner within a small Post Production House. There I was surrounded by talented people creating visuals for Commercials, TV and Film. Spending all my extra time learning and offering up my 3D modelling abilities to support the team ended up with me being promoted from Runner to a 3D Generalist. It was in this capacity I learned my trade and over time and into another company as I shifted into Head of 3D before becoming a Visual Effects Supervisor.
When it was decided Ripper Street was going to be shot in Ireland it was inevitable that they would come and speak with Screen Scene, Ireland’s leading post production facility. We’ve been fortunate to build up a great catalogue of VFX work and have a reputation for quality. Also having then completed work on season one of Game of Thrones, it gave everyone confidence that we were the right guys for the show. I was delighted that Tiger Aspect awarded myself and SSVFX the project.
DAMIAN: So what’s your starting point – do you read the scripts and then annotate them with details regarding what kind of shots and effects are needed for each episode?
ED: Yes. Most shows start with a script in parallel with a vision. A director will know how they wish to tell their story visually. Doing the first read through of a script allows my brain and the directors to align. Through doing breakdowns and discussing relevant scenes both parties can be confident of singing from the same hymn sheet.
Of course one of the main reasons for doing a breakdown is to ascertain how VFX is needed and thus a cost. Through each iteration of script and talks about each shots approach a visual effects, a shot list will be created. We also might do some concept work or pre-visualization to help firm up the design and look.
This is all done before shoot giving the VFX department and any connecting department’s time to design and plan their execution. It is vital that we have a plan when it comes to visual effects.
DAMIAN: In general, do you work on each episode after it’s shot in chronological order or do you perhaps bunch together similar effects requirements?
ED: Episodic television is always a challenge. Mainly because of schedule. It’s generally fast and furious. Normally we do work in chronological order, however when some episodes have challenging or large scale visual effects within them, we will start earlier to build assets and prep for when an episode editorially locks and we are green lit to complete the work.
With Ripper Street the edit begins in anger as soon as that ep’s shoot is wrapped. Within maybe three weeks we’d have a cut and VFX will get turnover. At the same time this is happening the next episode is shooting. As you can imagine planning is key.
DAMIAN: How many VFX shots would an average episode of Ripper Street need?
ED: There is never really an average episode. Ripper Street is story telling heavy. This means some episodes, like Whitechapel Terminus, require a vast amount of visual effects to tell the story. Others may not.
If I had to say an average it would probably be in the thirty – fifty shots then plenty of small clean-ups.
DAMIAN: How long might each episode take to complete and how long would you typically spend working on an entire series?
ED: From an episode’s edit lock to VFX being finished, it was often four to six weeks. Sometimes quicker.
In terms of a whole series, from the first contact to the last episode’s VFX shot completing would be around seven to eight months. Of course I and a few other key VFX people would be on the show from the start until the end, through pre-production, shoot and post.
DAMIAN: I’m wondering how you go about your research given the intricate historic details. So, for example, when we see VFX shots of Tower Bridge or St. Paul’s Cathedral, are there certain books or websites that you’ll consult in order to get the right look from a particular angle or distance from Whitechapel?
ED: I love the research stage. It often happens through multiple departments, particularly Art department, and key individuals like Mark Geraghty and Stephen Daly [Production Designers] as well as the VFX dept. Ripper Street has always had a great writing team headed by Richard Warlow. They really know their period and locations and always have provided us with a great starting point. On some episodes we’ve consulted an historian. For the most part we do our own research after receiving any references from Mark or Stephen. It tends to be myself and my colleague Nicholas Murphy. We of course scour the internet, however I find for period visuals referencing old drawings and paintings extremely informative. Especially around the architecture. I’ve books of drawings from people like Falcon Hildred [below] which really do set a feeling and tone.
Of course many of the larger London landmarks are still here today. Which means we are capable of photographing and de-aging back to Victorian times. For many of our big wide establishing shots we would build our landmarks in 3D, thus allowing us to ensure we can use for the correct angle, lighting and time of day.
I believe that to hide a lie, you need to ground them in many truths. Getting your research right is the first major step in achieving our illusions.
I’m sure my internet search history looks pretty interesting if you didn’t know I was researching for Ripper Street.
DAMIAN: Indeed – mine too! Now, I frequently feel as though VFX are used too much in film and television and, in my humble opinion, this results in some productions becoming tiresome and often having the same look and feel to them. Again, it’s just my opinion, but Ripper Street is a good example of getting the right balance. So, for example it would be both expensive and impractical to employ hundreds of extras for crowd scenes and creating the Victorian backdrops and skylines that obviously no longer exist is entirely justifiable. Although it’s your bread and butter, to what extent would you agree that VFX can be used too much or inappropriately these days?
ED: Visual Effects is a film maker’s tool. In recent years VFX has got so good it’s often invisible. This means we all spot bad visual effects a mile away. Also we’ve seen a big shift in terms of the amount of studio films that are these huge visual spectaculars, often heavily relying on VFX, whether superhero or comic book. With these stories we are all aware that they are computer generated characters or environments and unless they’re flawless we feel cheated.
However, there are so many films and TV shows that are littered with invisible VFX work that the audience never notices and therefore never criticizes or complements. The story telling is merely supported perfectly by the use of VFX.
With shows like Ripper Street budget often helps us be savvier with the use of VFX. When you’ve a small budget you must be creative and careful not to leave yourself with a difficult task of creating complex visuals with not enough time or resources. I’ve always believed in the saying that you’re only remembered by your worst VFX shot. On Ripper Street our VFX team have gone into production firmly believing that if there’s a practical way to find the solution we must exhaust that before going digital. Also taking it further, if there is something we can shoot to help the VFX then it’s worth capturing.
Dublin is a great place to shoot period Victorian London. There are many streets and locations that are less touched by modern influences which mean there is less for Art Dept, Construction and Visual Effects to do. We would often only add a landmark to a background. A Christchurch steeple or St Paul’s. Just the subtle suggestion of London.
Of course Visual Effects are often the best route to go. Crowd duplication is definitely one way VFX can deliver scale at a fraction of the time and cost Production would have. Hiring large crowds, putting them in costume and make-up, feeding and moving them has a tipping point. We’ve done quite a number of crowd duplications over the five seasons.
DAMIAN: I think another good example of this is the Phossy Jaw effects from series two which were done digitally and that made perfect sense. However, where applicable, Waldo Mason steps in with the prosthetic special effects providing various severed heads, dismembered bodies and corpses which benefit from the actors’ ability to physically interact with them. I mean it would have been the wrong creative decision to animate any of these or the Elephant Man makeup that he created wouldn’t it?
ED: I love Waldo. He is a super talent and has brought some wonderful contributions to the world of Ripper Street. Prosthetics play such an important role with characters like the Elephant Man or with brutal injuries etc. However there are times where prosthetics need a little support. Often that’s with negative effects. Prosthetics tend to be additive. The Phossy Jaw effect was clearly a negative effect. We wanted to see into the jaw and mouth cavity.
We had originally planned to use prosthetics to create the edge/seam of the cavity and then green within. Waldo and his team had begun creating a mould of the actor’s head and were planning the sculpture, then the shoot schedule changed. It was brought dramatically forward. This meant Waldo was unable to deliver in time and we discussed the best approach. I was extremely keen that Waldo continue to sculpt and design the desired look. His expertise is in anatomy and he really understood the desired look. We therefore agreed with production that Waldo would provide the VFX department with a sculpture of the face. This of course meant that we shot the scene using a more traditional route of facial tracking markers. Little black dots placed on key areas of her face which we would use to track and attach the digital face.
After Waldo supplied this beautiful model, we were able to digitally sculpt using it as a wonderful physical reference. Our team then added subtleties like tongue movement and spit dribble to really sell the horrific look and also the negative space through depth cues.
To answer your question though, it would have been wrong to go digital with the Elephant Man. Waldo’s work was fantastic. To replicate this full in Visual Effects is of course possible, but extremely time consuming, challenging and ultimately costly and when you look at the result we got through Prosthetics, why would you try?
DAMIAN: You mentioned Whitechapel Terminus earlier and the epic train crash from that episode from series three was obviously another highlight that stands out. What can you tell us about that?
ED: That episode and particularly the train sequence was by far the biggest visual effects contribution of the entire series. Initially it wasn’t planned that way, but to really do the narrative justice it ended up this way. Richard had written this very tense and dramatic sequence which at its core was a train robbery that left a train on a collision course through London. London of course is a bustling built up city. We shot our train sequence at a closed train track up in Loughborough. The track was surrounded in countryside. Richard’s writing had the train departing from St Katherine’s Dock and ending up derailing in Whitechapel.
As the edit developed the story telling became more and more clear. The tension and drama really needed the train shots to be surrounded by buildings and an ever growing sense of London. Most of the train shots had their entire environment replaced with only the train and bits of track remaining. It was a mammoth undertaking within the tight TV schedule. A lot of late nights and long weekends. It was worth it. It’s a great sequence and was the perfect start to season three.
DAMIAN: What single individual effect have you found most difficult to create?
ED: There has been a few challenging shots. Whether it be the Phossy Jaw or the complexity of fully digital shots like the Diamond Mine or Hyde Park. But to be honest the difficulty tends to come with the sum of all within the tight TV time frame. You rarely get time to ponder your designs or try multiple routes. It’s fast and furious and ultimately all about planning and execution. If it was an unplanned VFX shot then sometimes that became difficult.
DAMIAN: And if you could pick just one effect that best exemplifies your work on the show over the past five years, what would it be?
ED: Such a difficult question. Five seasons of so many visual effects shots, with so many back stories to their creation and design. I think though the real success of our work has been the set extensions to establish the London period and location. Some as, I’ve said before, may be a small addition of a landmark or in many cases fully digital shots. I hope that most were invisible to our audience. I do like the St Katherine’s Dock shot of the train leaving at the start of season three. But again, so hard to choose.
I’d prefer to ask others what their favourites were.
DAMIAN: Perhaps fans will tell us and leave their comments below. Now then, you’ve been a little mischievous with some of your effects shots. Can you give us some examples?
ED: Oh yes. We’ve had a little fun.
When populating a world you need to have a lot of artwork and even names for shops and signs. We’ve always had a bit of fun giving homage to the Ripper crew and team. We’ve had ships named after post supervisors, shops named after the directors, book stores named after our writers. One of our follicly challenged 3rd ad’s had a barbers named after him.
There are plenty of hidden gems if you know where to look.
DAMIAN: What projects are you currently working on?
ED: I’m just finishing off season seven of Game of Thrones. This year is even more spectacular than the last. It’s an unbelievable show. We’re also about to go into post on The Favourite, starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Nicholas Hoult and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
I’m also about to begin the shoot for Lenny Abrahamason’s The Little Stranger, which I’m very excited about. I’ve worked with Lenny for years, from his early days in commercials and it will be my third feature with him after Frank and Room.
A few other things are in the melting pot. It’ll be an exciting year.
DAMIAN: Ed, thank you very much indeed.
ED: Thank you Damian.
It’s been an absolute privilege to work on Ripper Street and that has been because of the people involved across the board. We’ve had so many wonderful directors helming the 36 episodes carefully penned by Richard and his team of writers and performed by the awesome cast, especially Matthew, Jerome, Adam and MyAnna. This foundation has led to the ultimate success of the show and its appeal.
We must though remember all the amazing crew that it takes to make a show like Ripper Street. All departments have excelled and it’s always been a pleasure stepping on the set of Ripper Street because of the warm and generous support of so many people. It really is a testament to [executive producers] Will [Gould] and Frith [Tiplady] at Tiger Aspect for forming the band, so to speak. They’ve been such a great driving force and I’m very much looking forward to working with them again.
Of course I owe a huge applause to our visual effects team in Screen Scene VFX. They’ve really brought their craft, diligence and talent to the show. It is their hard work and ethos that has helped Screen Scene VFX amass an ever growing ten award nominations or wins including winning an Royal Television Society Award and being nominated for a BAFTA, Visual Effects Society Awards, two Hollywood Post Alliance Awards and two IFTAs.
It’s hard to believe there will be another show quite like Ripper Street.
~~~
All the interviews and articles on this website are original and exclusive and I would ask that the copyright be respected. Therefore, please do not use quotes or any other information contained here without permission. Thank you. | http://dmbarcroft.com/tag/ripper-street-sfx/ |
Social-emotional learning is essential to students’ well-being and New Jersey is a leader in the growing national conversation about the intersection of Social-Emotional Learning and Arts Education. There is complete integration between the four artistic processes (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting) and the five Social-Emotional Learning competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision Making, Relationship Skills).
There is a great deal of research to demonstrate that arts-based learning often leads to profound impact, with outcomes such as improvements in student learning and mastery, student engagement, and positive school culture and climate. Participation in the arts fosters collaboration, empathy, and critical thinking. To learn more about embedding social-emotional learning into curriculum and instruction visit selarts.org.
Explore the resources on this page and join the conversation! | https://www.artsednj.org/fostering-social-emotional-learning-in-and-through-the-arts/ |
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Urban environments in Latin America must begin decarbonizing their activities to avoid increasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions rates due to their reliance on fossil fuel-based energy to support economic growth. In this context, cities in Latin America have high potential to convert sunlight into energy. Hence, the main objective of this study was to determine the potential of electricity self-sufficiency production and mitigation of GHG emissions in three medium-sized cities in Peru through the revalorization of underutilized rooftop areas in urban environments. Each city represented a distinct natural area of Peru: Pacific coast, Andean region and Amazon basin. More specifically, photovoltaic solar systems were the technology selected for implementation in these rooftop areas. Data on incident solar energy, temperature and energy consumption were collected. Thereafter, ArcGis10.3 was used to quantify the total usable area in the cities. A series of correction factors, including tilt, orientation or roof profiles were applied to attain an accurate value of usable area. Finally, Life Cycle Assessment was the methodology chosen to calculate the reduction of environmental impacts as compared to the current context of using electricity from the regional grids. Results showed that the cities assessed have the potential to obtain their entire current electricity demand for residential, commercial and public lighting purposes, augmenting energy security and resilience to intermittent natural disasters, with the support of decentralized storage systems. This approach would also translate into substantial reductions in terms of GHG emissions. Annual reductions in GHG emissions ranged from 112 ton CO2eq in the city of Ayacucho to over 523 kton CO2eq in Pucallpa, showing that cities in the Amazon basin would be the ones that benefit the most in terms of climate change mitigation. | https://portalrecerca.uab.cat/en/publications/low-carbon-electricity-production-through-the-implementation-of-p |
Kids, cops, and confessions : inside the interrogation room / Barry C. Feld.Material type: TextSeries: JSTOR eBooksPublisher: New York : New York University Press, ©2013Description: 1 online resource (x, 341 pages)Content type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resourceISBN: 9780814770467; 0814770460; 9780814770672; 0814770673Subject(s): Juvenile justice, Administration of -- United States | Police questioning -- United States | Juvenile delinquents -- United StatesAdditional physical formats: Print version:: Kids, cops, and confessions.DDC classification: 363.25/40830973 LOC classification: HV9104 | .F443 2013Online resources: Click here to view this ebook.
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Includes bibliographical references and index.
Interrogating criminal suspects: law on the books and law in action -- Questioning juveniles: law and developmental psychology -- To waive or not to waive: that is the question -- Police interrogation: on the record -- Juveniles respond to interrogation: outcomes and consequences -- Justice by geography: context, race, and confessions -- True and false confessions: different outcomes, different processes -- Policy reforms.
"Juveniles possess less maturity, intelligence, and competence than adults, heightening their vulnerability in the justice system. For this reason, states try juveniles in separate courts and use different sentencing standards than for adults. Yet, when police bring kids in for questioning, they use the same interrogation tactics they use for adults, including trickery, deception, and lying to elicit confessions or to produce incriminating evidence against the defendants. In Kids, Cops, and Confessions, Barry Feld offers the first report of what actually happens when police question juveniles. Drawing on remarkable data, Feld analyzes interrogation tapes and transcripts, police reports, juvenile court filings and sentences, and probation and sentencing reports, describing in rich detail what actually happens in the interrogation room. Contrasting routine interrogation and false confessions enables police, lawyers, and judges to identify interrogations that require enhanced scrutiny, to adopt policies to protect citizens, and to assure reliability and integrity of the justice system. Feld has produced an invaluable look at how the justice system really works"--Provided by publisher.
Print version record.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal ReviewInvestigatory questioning by law enforcement is understood to involve an unequal balance of power with an intrinsic opportunity for abuse. For this reason, Miranda warning rights and other constitutional protections exist in the United States. Nevertheless, Feld (law, Univ. of Minnesota; Juvenile Justice Administration in a Nutshell) warns in his latest book that these legal protections have failed miserably, particularly when juveniles are involved. Feld cautions that juvenile interrogations are ripe for inquisitorial abuse owing, first, to juveniles' incompetence to exercise their Miranda rights effectively; second, to police officers' skill in using psychological tools to gain a waiver; and third, to judicial inability to supervise interrogations as they happen. His research reveals that juvenile interrogation tactics and procedures have resulted in various injustices including the proliferation of false confessions. Feld also offers solutions, including the simple one of recording all custodial interrogations for possible review. VERDICT Recommended. Judges and attorneys as well as law enforcement agencies and juvenile advocates will find this book useful as they work toward the goal of fair treatment and justice for juveniles, both guilty and innocent.-Reba Kennedy, San Antonio, TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
CHOICE ReviewFeld (Minnesota) examines the significant and complex issue of police interviewing (interrogation) of juveniles. He labels the standard use of police interrogation procedures for adult suspects as a discredited practice, even more egregious when applied to juvenile suspects. This study maintains that in the course of the typical investigative process, law enforcement routinely violates the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution with psychological mistreatment and physiological duress, at a minimum. One particularly important focus is the controversial but unintended failure of the Miranda warnings. These Fifth Amendment-based warnings, made applicable to juveniles in the case of In re Gault, provide a justifying shelter for less-than-adequate adult or juvenile protection. Further, the author asserts that juvenile protections (due to youthful fear and lack of an intimate understanding of the legal system) should be extended specifically to mandatory attorney counsel for juveniles under the age of 16 during any law enforcement questioning. His research is fairly conducted but generally limited to four counties in Minnesota, which by reasonable academic standards is ordinarily considered too constricted a sample size. This is especially significant, given the sweeping generalizations Feld makes regarding law enforcement practices and juvenile suspects in the US justice system. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. R. M. Seklecki Minot State University
Author notes provided by SyndeticsFeldBarry C.:
Barry C. Feld is Centennial Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Minnesota and author or editor of many books, including Kids, Cops, and Confessions and Bad Kids: Race and the Transformation of the Juvenile Court.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION INCLUDING BEST MODE
Hash Table Updating
Lattice Candidate Selection
First Alternative Lattice Candidate Selection
Second Alternative Lattice Candidate Selection
Hash Table Query
Advantage
ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The present disclosure relates to high-dimensional similarity searching and, in particular, to the field of content-based image searching.
Many approaches have been proposed to address the problem of content-based image searching, particularly when a database of images is large, and when a query image is a distorted version of the requested database image.
Many of the proposed approaches use feature vectors. A feature vector is an array of numbers that represents a portion of an image. When a new feature vector is received, it is often useful to be able to retrieve similar feature vectors from the database. The similar feature vectors will represent similar images to the image associated with the received feature vector.
When the database is small and the similarity function is fast to compute, then an exhaustive search method can be used. An exhaustive search computes the similarity between a query vector associated with a query image and each record in the database. Such an exhaustive search is too slow for many applications, particularly once the size of the database becomes large. One of the problems with content-based image searching is how to quickly find in the database those feature vectors that match a feature vector of a query image. While many approaches have been proposed, each of the proposed approaches suffers from limitations or inaccuracies.
Hash-based strategies provide approaches that are closest to being both fast and accurate. Hash-based approaches involve computing a hash code for each vector in a database, and using the hash code to associate records with entries in a hash table. At query time, a hash code is computed for a query vector and the hash code is used to quickly find matching records in the hash table. For this strategy to be effective, the hash function should be ‘locality sensitive’, which means the function returns the same hash code for vectors that are close to each other. A locality sensitive hash function partitions a feature space into regions, where each region is associated with a particular hash code.
One problem that exists with the hash-based approaches is that for any hash function there will always be two vectors that are close but return different hash codes. This will occur when the two vectors are located either side of a partition boundary and leads to the problem of false-negative matches. False-negative matches occur when the method fails to find similar vectors because the respective hash codes of the similar vectors are different.
One known approach to this problem is Locality-sensitive hashing (LSH), which uses multiple hash functions with randomly chosen parameters for each of the hash functions. Each feature vector in the database is hashed using all of the hash functions and is recorded in a corresponding hash table. Given a query vector, all the hash functions are used to access the stored records. As each hash function is different, the probability of a false-negative match decreases with an increase in the number of hash functions used. However, an increase in the number of hash functions also increases the amount of memory required for hash storage and the time taken for searching the hash table. Varying the number of hash functions allows for a trade-off between memory, speed, and accuracy to be selected, but LSH requires many hash functions to achieve high accuracy when used with high-dimensional feature vectors. An extension to LSH selects the hash functions to balance the number of allocations to each hash code allows further trade-off between accuracy and speed. The balance is achieved by selecting hash functions for each dimension of the hash code to balance allocations of records and is achieved by selecting the hash functions to jointly optimise the preservation of similarity, and entropy of the hash function. A disadvantage of the LSH extension is that the hash functions are selected during a training phase and will balance record allocations according to the distribution of training data. The effectiveness of the balancing will be decreased by any variation in the distribution of further data compared to the training data. This memory requirement has limited the usefulness of LSH when applied to large databases of high-dimensional vectors.
Another approach is Point Perturbation, which uses a single hash function with the problem of false-negative matches being dealt with in the search step. When given a query vector, the hash table is accessed to get a first list of candidate records. A number of probes are generated by applying a small random perturbation to the original query point. Each probe is used to access the hash table and the retrieved records are added to the list of candidate records. The process of generating additional probes from the original query point is repeated several times. The probability of a false-negative match decreases with an increase in the number of probes used, so varying the number of probes manages a trade-off between speed and accuracy, while having a lower memory requirement than using LSH. The disadvantage of Point Perturbation is the number of probes required for a query vector. Point Perturbation becomes slower as the dimensionality of the vectors increases since, for a single query vector, more probes are required to achieve high accuracy.
n
Another hashing approach is Hash Perturbation. Hash Perturbation is similar to Point Perturbation, in that hash perturbation performs multiple probes per query, but avoids the problem of needing to randomly perturb the query point. Instead, this method directly perturbs the hash code of the original query point. This is made possible because the hash function produces hash codes that are composed of many small hash codes, where each of the smaller hash codes is a function of exactly one coordinate of the feature vector. An early implementation of this approach is Grid Files. The Grid Files method forms a grid over the space of possible vectors by quantizing each dimension, and associates each grid cell with the records whose vectors fall within the cell. Given a query point, the method determines the grid cells that are within a query radius of the query point. The method then checks the records associated with the accessed grid cells for matching points. Unfortunately, this method is slow for high dimensional spaces. The reason is that when given an n-dimensional space, the number of accessed grid cells for one query is of the order 2. As each dimension is independently hashed, a hash code is associated with a rectangular region in the space, and a query covers a rectangular region that is composed of the union of the hash cells. In the extreme, each dimension is hashed to a single bit. In that case, the hash code for a vector is the concatenation of the bits from each coordinate. Thus an n-dimensional vector leads to an n-bit hash code. Additional query hash codes are generated by flipping one or more bits in the first hash code.
n
One problem with Hash Perturbation is that each dimension is independently hashed. The hash function partitions the space into rectangular regions. If a query point is near the corner of a region, then 2probes are needed to avoid false-negatives. For high dimensional vectors (large n), the number of required probes can significantly limit the speedup provided by hashing. This can be ameliorated by reducing the number of probes per query, but this also reduces accuracy.
Lattice theory has been applied to Point Perturbation and Hash Perturbation, using lattices known as A* and D*. This has led to methods that determine probes for a query which are based on the location of a query point within a Voronoi region. When a record with an associated vector is added to the database, the method determines in which Voronoi region the vector is located, and associates the record with the corresponding lattice point. For example, one method uses a hash code associated with the lattice point. When a query vector is received, the lattice point nearest to the query vector is used to access records associated with the lattice point. Additional probes for the query are determined by calculating the distance from the query point to a wall of the Voronoi region. If the distance is sufficiently small, then the lattice point on the other side of the wall is used as a probe. Unfortunately, when the vectors have a large number of dimensions, the number of walls of a Voronoi region is extremely large and calculating the distance from the query point to a wall is slow. Therefore, this method is inappropriate for systems with high-dimensional vectors and that need accurate and fast queries.
For a random hash function, 2-way chaining can be applied to achieve balanced allocations. The method uses a pair of hash functions, thus providing two hash codes for each object. At insertion time, a greedy algorithm selects the hash code with the lowest number of existing registrations. At retrieval time, both query hash codes are used to retrieve objects. Compared to unbalanced hash allocation with a random hash function, the expected maximum registration to any hash code is reduced exponentially by using the 2-way chaining algorithm.
Thus, a need exists to provide an improved method and system for content-based image searching.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome substantially, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for linking a hash code to a portion of an image. The method includes the steps of: selecting a plurality of lattice points in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image; determining a lattice point from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria, the determined lattice point being common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector, wherein when the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match; assigning the feature vector to the determined lattice point; and storing a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for linking a hash code to a portion of an image. The system includes: a storage device for storing a computer program; and a processor for executing the program. The program comprises code for performing the method steps of: selecting a plurality of lattice points in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image; determining a lattice point from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria, the determined lattice point being common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector, wherein when the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match; assigning the feature vector to the determined lattice point; and storing a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a processor to execute a method of linking a hash code to a portion of an image. The computer program comprises code for performing the steps of: selecting a plurality of lattice points in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image; determining a lattice point from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria, the determined lattice point being common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector, wherein when the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match; assigning the feature vector to the determined lattice point; and storing a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.
According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hash table storage and retrieval method, comprising the steps of: performing a registration phase to store at least one record, wherein for each of said stored records said registration phase includes the steps of: generating a hash code for a feature vector associated with the record, based on the feature vector and a present state of a hash table; and associating the record with the generated hash code in the hash table; and performing a query phase to retrieve at least one of said stored records from said hash table, said query phase including the steps of: identifying hash codes in said hash table that are associated with feature vectors that satisfy a search criteria; and retrieving at least one record assigned to at least one of said identified hash codes.
According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hash table storage and retrieval system comprising: a storage device for storing a computer program; and a processor for executing the program. The program comprises code for performing the method steps of: performing a registration phase to store at least one record, wherein for each of said stored records said registration phase includes the steps of: generating a hash code for a feature vector associated with the record, based on the feature vector and a present state of a hash table; and associating the record with the generated hash code in the hash table; and performing a query phase to retrieve at least one of said stored records from said hash table, said query phase including the steps of: identifying hash codes in said hash table that are associated with feature vectors that satisfy a search criteria; and retrieving at least one record assigned to at least one of said identified hash codes.
According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a processor to execute a method of hash table storage and retrieval, said computer program comprising code for performing the steps of: performing a registration phase to store at least one record, wherein for each of said stored records said registration phase includes the steps of: generating a hash code for a feature vector associated with the record, based on the feature vector and a present state of a hash table; and associating the record with the generated hash code in the hash table; and performing a query phase to retrieve at least one of said stored records from said hash table, said query phase including the steps of: identifying hash codes in said hash table that are associated with feature vectors that satisfy a search criteria; and retrieving at least one record assigned to at least one of said identified hash codes.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods.
Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.
Where reference is made in any one or more of the accompanying drawings to steps and/or features that have the same reference numerals, those steps and/or features have for the purposes of this description the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention appears.
The present disclosure relates to the storage and retrieval of records. The described arrangements may be used in a retrieval system to create and access a hash table for efficiently retrieving records associated with n-dimensional feature vectors, where the vectors of the retrieved records are located within a specified query radius of a given query vector. This is particularly useful when false-negatives are costly, as the system can be used to minimise false-negatives when the query radius is known at the time that the system is configured.
A first, registration phase relates to the storage of one or more records. A second, query phase relates to retrieval of one or more of the stored records, in accordance with a search criteria. The registration phase generates a hash code for a feature vector based on the feature vector and a present state of the hash table. The registration phase then associates a record associated with the feature vector with the generated hash code in the hash table. A second, query phase identifies those hash codes that are used by vectors that satisfy a search criteria.
A retrieval system in accordance with the present disclosure may be implemented to store and retrieve records associated with images, wherein each image is associated with a feature vector and a record. The feature vector is used as a key for storing the corresponding record. The record contains information relating to the image. The information may include, for example, but is not limited to, the corresponding feature vector, the image, a portion of the image, a subsampled version of the image, owner information, access information, printing information, or any combination thereof.
A retrieval system in accordance with the present disclosure may also be implemented for non-imaging applications, such as the retrieval of text, a portion of text, or a paper-fingerprint.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method, system, and computer program product for linking a hash code to a portion of an image. The method selects a plurality of lattice points in a multidimensional lattice to form a smallest enclosing region about a feature vector representing the portion of the image. The method determines a lattice point from the selected plurality of lattice points according to a distribution criteria, wherein the determined lattice point is common to the smallest enclosing region and a region of the lattice adjacent to the smallest enclosing region located within a query radius distance of the feature vector. When the feature vector is located within the query radius of a query vector the feature vector is considered a match. The method assigns the feature vector to the determined lattice point and stores a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a hash table storage and retrieval method, system, and computer program product. The method performs a registration phase to store at least one record in a hash table and a query phase to retrieve at least one of the stored records from the hash table. For each of the stored records, the registration phase generates a hash code for a feature vector associated with the record, based on the feature vector and a present state of a hash table, and associates the record with the generated hash code in the hash table. The query phase identifies hash codes for the hash table that are associated with feature vectors that satisfy a search criteria and retrieves at least one record assigned to at least one of the identified hash codes.
FIG. 14A
FIG. 14B
FIG. 14C
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shows a record and an associated feature vector in the form of a point [1.0, 0.1]. The registration phase generates a hash code for the feature vector based on the co-ordinates of the point and the present state of a hash table . shows the record being associated with the generated hash code in the hash table . shows the query phase in which a query vector in the form of a point [1.1, 0.0] is used to identify those hash codes , , in the hash table that are used by points that match the query vector .
n
At least one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in which a hash function is defined using an A* lattice. The A* family can be defined in terms of the A lattice family. The lattice Ais defined as:
A
=[pεZ
p
n
i
i
(n+1)
|Σ=0].
n
n
n
n
(n+1)
Ais an n-dimensional lattice, that is embedded in Rto make the coordinates integers. The dual of Ais A*, similarly embedded inside the same n-dimensional subspace. A* is defined by:
A
*=[pεR
p
qεA
, p·qεZ].
n
i
i
n
(n+1)
|Σ=0, ∀
When a record with an associated feature vector is received, a nearby lattice point is chosen and used to determine a hash code for the vector. A nearby lattice point is a point in the lattice that corresponds to a corner of the Delaunay region containing the vector. Given an arbitrary but particular lattice, each Delaunay region of the lattice will have corners that are within some predetermined range of each other. Therefore, a nearby lattice point is a point in the lattice that is within some predetermined range of the vector. However, it is not true that every lattice point within some predetermined range of the vector is a “nearby lattice point”. The hash code is linked to the lattice point and it may be possible to use the hash code to determine the lattice point and to determine the hash code from the lattice point. The result is that the hash code and the lattice point represent the same information and may be used interchangeably. In one embodiment, the lattice point is the hash code. Another embodiment applies a function to the lattice point to determine the hash code. The record is associated with the hash code using a hash table. When a query vector is received, the lattice points at the corners of the enclosing Delaunay region are located, and a query hash code is determined corresponding to each of the located lattice points. The hash table is used to retrieve the records associated with each query hash code.
It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the relevant art that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practised by applying multidimensional lattices other than the A* lattice without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, the A lattice, D lattice, D* lattice, Z lattice, and Leech lattice may also be used.
FIGS. 13A and 13B
1300
depict a general-purpose computer system , upon which the various arrangements described can be practised.
FIG. 13A
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As seen in , the computer system includes: a computer module ; input devices such as a keyboard , a mouse pointer device , a scanner , a camera , and a microphone ; and output devices including a printer , a display device and loudspeakers . An external Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device may be used by the computer module for communicating to and from a communications network via a connection . The communications network may be a wide-area network (WAN), such as the Internet, a cellular telecommunications network, or a private WAN. Where the connection is a telephone line, the modem may be a traditional “dial-up” modem. Alternatively, where the connection is a high capacity (e.g., cable) connection, the modem may be a broadband modem. A wireless modem may also be used for wireless connection to the communications network .
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FIG. 13A
The computer module typically includes at least one processor unit , and a memory unit . For example, the memory unit may have semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and semiconductor read only memory (ROM). The computer module also includes an number of input/output (I/O) interfaces including: an audio-video interface that couples to the video display , loudspeakers and microphone ; an I/O interface that couples to the keyboard , mouse , scanner , camera and optionally a joystick or other human interface device (not illustrated); and an interface for the external modem and printer . In some implementations, the modem may be incorporated within the computer module , for example within the interface . The computer module also has a local network interface , which permits coupling of the computer system via a connection to a local-area communications network , known as a Local Area Network (LAN). As illustrated in , the local communications network may also couple to the wide network via a connection , which would typically include a so-called “firewall” device or device of similar functionality. The local network interface may comprise an Ethernet™ circuit card, a Bluetooth™ wireless arrangement, or an IEEE 802.11 wireless arrangement; however, numerous other types of interfaces may be practised for the interface .
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The I/O interfaces and may afford either or both of serial and parallel connectivity, the former typically being implemented according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards and having corresponding USB connectors (not illustrated). Storage devices are provided and typically include a hard disk drive (HDD) . Other storage devices such as a floppy disk drive and a magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) may also be used. An optical disk drive is typically provided to act as a non-volatile source of data. Portable memory devices, such optical disks (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc™), USB-RAM, portable, external hard drives, and floppy disks, for example, may be used as appropriate sources of data to the system .
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The components to of the computer module typically communicate via an interconnected bus and in a manner that results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system known to those in the relevant art. For example, the processor is coupled to the system bus using a connection . Likewise, the memory and optical disk drive are coupled to the system bus by connections . Examples of computers on which the described arrangements can be practised include IBM-PCs and compatibles, Sun Sparcstations, Apple Mac™, or alike computer systems.
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FIGS. 1 to 12
FIG. 13B
The methods of linking a hash code to a portion of an image and hash code storage and retrieval may be implemented using the computer system wherein the processes of and A to C, described herein, may be implemented as one or more software application programs executable within the computer system . In particular, the steps of the methods of linking a hash code to a portion of an image and hash code storage and retrieval are effected by instructions (see ) in the software that are carried out within the computer system . The software instructions may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also be divided into two separate parts, in which a first part and the corresponding code modules performs the linking, storing, and retrieving methods and a second part and the corresponding code modules manage a user interface between the first part and the user.
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The software may be stored in a computer readable medium, including the storage devices described below, for example. The software is loaded into the computer system from the computer readable medium, and then executed by the computer system . A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on the computer readable medium is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer system preferably effects one or more advantageous apparatus for linking a hash code to a portion of an image and hash code storage and retrieval.
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The software is typically stored or recorded in the HDD or the memory . The software is loaded into the computer system from a computer readable medium, and executed by the computer system . Thus, for example, the software may be stored on an optically readable disk storage medium (e.g., CD-ROM) that is read by the optical disk drive . A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded thereon is a computer program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer system preferably effects one or more advantageous apparatus for linking a hash code to a portion of an image and hash code storage and retrieval.
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In some instances, the application programs may be supplied to the user encoded on one or more CD-ROMs and read via the corresponding drive , or alternatively may be read by the user from the networks or . Still further, the software can also be loaded into the computer system from other computer readable media. Computer readable storage media refers to any non-transitory tangible storage medium that provides recorded instructions and/or data to the computer system for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, a magneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the computer module . Examples of transitory or non-tangible computer readable transmission media that may also participate in the provision of software, application programs, instructions and/or data to the computer module include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like.
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The second part of the application programs and the corresponding code modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise represented upon the display . Through manipulation of typically the keyboard and the mouse , a user of the computer system and the application may manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner to provide controlling commands and/or input to the applications associated with the GUI(s). Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audio interface utilizing speech prompts output via the loudspeakers and user voice commands input via the microphone .
FIG. 13B
FIG. 13A
1305
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is a detailed schematic block diagram of the processor and a “memory” . The memory represents a logical aggregation of all the memory modules (including the HDD and semiconductor memory ) that can be accessed by the computer module in .
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FIG. 13A
FIG. 13A
When the computer module is initially powered up, a power-on self-test (POST) program executes. The POST program is typically stored in a ROM of the semiconductor memory of . A hardware device such as the ROM storing software is sometimes referred to as firmware. The POST program examines hardware within the computer module to ensure proper functioning and typically checks the processor , the memory (, ), and a basic input-output systems software (BIOS) module , also typically stored in the ROM , for correct operation. Once the POST program has run successfully, the BIOS activates the hard disk drive of . Activation of the hard disk drive causes a bootstrap loader program that is resident on the hard disk drive to execute via the processor . This loads an operating system into the RAM memory , upon which the operating system commences operation. The operating system is a system level application, executable by the processor , to fulfil various high level functions, including processor management, memory management, device management, storage management, software application interface, and generic user interface.
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FIG. 13A
The operating system manages the memory (, ) to ensure that each process or application running on the computer module has sufficient memory in which to execute without colliding with memory allocated to another process. Furthermore, the different types of memory available in the system of must be used properly so that each process can run effectively. Accordingly, the aggregated memory is not intended to illustrate how particular segments of memory are allocated (unless otherwise stated), but rather to provide a general view of the memory accessible by the computer system and how such is used.
FIG. 13B
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As shown in , the processor includes a number of functional modules including a control unit , an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) , and a local or internal memory , sometimes called a cache memory. The cache memory typically include a number of storage registers - in a register section. One or more internal busses functionally interconnect these functional modules. The processor typically also has one or more interfaces for communicating with external devices via the system bus , using a connection . The memory is coupled to the bus using a connection .
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The application program includes a sequence of instructions that may include conditional branch and loop instructions. The program may also include data which is used in execution of the program . The instructions and the data are stored in memory locations , , and , , , respectively. Depending upon the relative size of the instructions and the memory locations -, a particular instruction may be stored in a single memory location as depicted by the instruction shown in the memory location . Alternatively, an instruction may be segmented into a number of parts, each of which is stored in a separate memory location, as depicted by the instruction segments shown in the memory locations and .
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FIG. 13A
In general, the processor is given a set of instructions which are executed therein. The processor waits for a subsequent input, to which the processor reacts to by executing another set of instructions. Each input may be provided from one or more of a number of sources, including data generated by one or more of the input devices , , data received from an external source across one of the networks , , data retrieved from one of the storage devices , or data retrieved from a storage medium inserted into the corresponding reader , all depicted in . The execution of a set of the instructions may in some cases result in output of data. Execution may also involve storing data or variables to the memory .
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The disclosed hash code linking, storing, and retrieving arrangements use input variables , which are stored in the memory in corresponding memory locations , , . The hash code linking, storing, and retrieving arrangements produce output variables , which are stored in the memory in corresponding memory locations , , . Intermediate variables may be stored in memory locations , , and .
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FIG. 13B
Referring to the processor of , the registers , , , the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) , and the control unit work together to perform sequences of micro-operations needed to perform “fetch, decode, and execute” cycles for every instruction in the instruction set making up the program . Each fetch, decode, and execute cycle comprises:
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(a) a fetch operation, which fetches or reads an instruction from a memory location , , ;
1339
(b) a decode operation in which the control unit determines which instruction has been fetched; and
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(c) an execute operation in which the control unit and/or the ALU execute the instruction.
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Thereafter, a further fetch, decode, and execute cycle for the next instruction may be executed. Similarly, a store cycle may be performed by which the control unit stores or writes a value to a memory location .
FIGS. 1 to 12
14
14
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Each step or sub-process in the processes of and A to C is associated with one or more segments of the program and is performed by the register section , , , the ALU , and the control unit in the processor working together to perform the fetch, decode, and execute cycles for every instruction in the instruction set for the noted segments of the program .
The methods of linking a hash code to a portion of an image and hash code storage and retrieval may alternatively be implemented in dedicated hardware such as one or more integrated circuits performing the functions or sub functions of selecting lattice points, determining a lattice point according to a distribution criteria, assigning a feature vector to the determined lattice point, storing a link between a hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image, performing a registration phase, and performing a query phase. Such dedicated hardware may include graphic processors, digital signal processors, or one or more microprocessors and associated memories.
FIG. 1
FIG. 6
FIG. 1
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An embodiment of the retrieval system involving image retrieval will be explained with reference to and . shows an image that is associated with a record , where the record may be stored in a hash table in a database . The record contains information relating to the image. The image is processed by an image feature extractor, such as ‘Scale Invariant Feature Transform’ (SIFT), to identify a region of the image from which to determine a feature vector associated with the image . The feature vector may then be stored in the database and associated with the image record .
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FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
An image record may contain information about an image. For example, the image record may record pixel values of the image in some format, such as jpeg, or a file name or resource locator for accessing the image. The image record may contain ownership details or information about processes involving the image. For example, the image record may contain information relating to who printed the image, or where and when the image was printed. The image record may record a feature vector, or some compressed version of the feature vector, or some identifier indicating the feature vector. Feature vectors produced from an image, such as the feature vector of , are shown in a feature space representation in . It should be noted that feature vectors may be treated as points in a space such as feature space of . For this reason, the terms ‘vector’, ‘feature vector’, and ‘point’ may be used interchangeably to refer to an array of numbers that, in the present embodiment, represent a portion of an image. As a vector may be treated as a point, then a measure of dis-similarity between two vectors may be treated as a distance between the two corresponding points so that a distance is possible between two vectors.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
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shows the database , in which are stored two records, and . The two records and are associated with first and second images, which are not shown. The records and may store the same type of information about the respective first and second images. In one example, record stores a last print date for the first image and record stores a last print date for the second image. Alternatively, the records and may store different types of information about the respective first and second images. The records and are associated with feature vectors and , respectively. The vectors and have a spatial interpretation in the feature space . When an image is used to search for any similar images stored in a database, a query vector is a feature vector produced from the query image that is being used for the search. Finding images stored in the database that are similar to the query image is achieved by retrieving records within a predetermined radius of the query vector derived from that query image. The predetermined radius is shown in by a query radius , defining a circular query region around the query point . Vectors located inside the query region , such as vector , are defined as matches for the query point , while vectors outside the query region, such as vector , are non-matches for the query point . The query radius may be considered as a measure of the maximum allowed dis-similarity between a query vector and a feature vector. As vector is within the query region , record associated with vector is returned in response to the query vector , whereas vector is outside the query region, so record is not returned.
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Thus, the feature vector is derived from a first image and the feature vector is derived from a query image (not shown). As feature vector falls within the radius of the query vector , that indicates a required level of similarity between the first image and the query image. Assuming this is so, the record is returned. The record might store any type of information associated with the image . The record might store any type of information associated with the image .
In one embodiment, a query image is associated with a single feature vector, where the feature vector indicates the distribution of colour and/or edges in the query image. In such an embodiment, a matching record is a record associated with an image of similar distribution of colour and/or edges. In another embodiment, a query image has many feature vectors, each feature vector being associated with information about the texture of a portion of the image. In this embodiment, there are many matches that can be combined to score the matching records (e.g., by voting), thus a high-scoring record is a record associated with an image that in parts looks the same as the query image.
If a non-matching record is returned, then it is called a false-positive error. If a matching record is not returned, then it is called a false-negative error. In many applications, there is an asymmetry between the impact of false-positive matches and false-negative matches. False-positive matches may be tolerable, assuming that the false positive rate is suitably low, as the false-positives can be eliminated by subsequent exhaustive checking of the candidates. The impact is high for a false negative match, because no subsequent processing can regain the loss.
FIG. 3
FIG. 9
300
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is a flow diagram illustrating a hashing method for determining a hash code for an input image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The hashing method may be applied to a number of input images to form a hash table of images. Storing an image in the hash table allows the image to be retrieved when a query image is used to find similar images from the hash table, as will be described in more detail in relation to . The method may be implemented as a computer program containing a plurality of instructions executing on the processor unit .
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The hashing method starts at a START step and proceeds to an image receiving step , which receives the input image. The image may have been captured using a camera or scanner , or received and loaded by a user of the system, possibly via an input/output interface, or retrieved from a memory unit or storage device . The image is then passed to a feature vector calculation step to generate a feature vector that represents a portion of the image. In one embodiment, the feature vector calculation step uses a SIFT algorithm to select a portion of the input image and to determine a feature vector. Alternatively, other feature vector calculation methods may be used to generate a feature vector, such as SURF (Speeded Up Robust Features), GIST (by Oliva and Torralba), Edge Histogram, or Colour Histogram features. To achieve high matching accuracy between two similar images, the similarity of two feature vectors, as calculated in step for each image, should be high. Conversely for two dissimilar images, the similarity of two feature vectors should be low. For embodiments that use multiple features per image, this requirement may be relaxed, such that it is true on the balance of probabilities.
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FIG. 11
k
k
k
k
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Control passes from step to a lattice region selection step , which takes the calculated feature vector from step as an input and determines an enclosing region of a multidimensional lattice that encloses the feature vector. In one embodiment, an A* lattice is applied to the feature space, where each point of the lattice provides a point to which a feature vector may be hashed. The hashing of feature vectors to one of the lattice points may be considered as a form of quantisation, as each feature vector is assigned to one of the lattice points. The simplest method of selecting the lattice point for hashing is to select the closest lattice point, however this will lead to unbalanced use of hash codes. The configuration of the lattice used in the feature space will be described below with reference to . For an n-dimensional feature space, the lattice region selection step determines n+1 A* lattice points that define a Delaunay region as the enclosing region containing the feature vector. The Delaunay region is the smallest enclosing region around the feature vector formed by lattice points. The lattice region selection step is determined by any of the known methods that determine the lattice points which are the corners of the A* Delaunay region that contains the feature vector. A* Delaunay regions are congruent and the coordinates of any Delaunay region that touches the origin can be obtained from a canonical Delaunay region by permutation of its coordinates. This can be exploited to efficiently determine the Delaunay region enclosing a point. For example: a first corner point is determined by rounding each coordinate of the feature vector to its nearest integer value, then adding or subtracting one from some coordinates so that the sum of coordinates is zero and the coordinates which are changed are those that result in the minimal difference between the first corner point and the input feature vector. Then, the remaining n corner points are each determined by adding a vector to the first corner point, where the coordinates of the added vector are either il(n+1) or il(n+1)−1, such that the coordinates still all sum to zero. The choice of which coordinates of the added vector are il(n+1) and which coordinates are il(n+1)−1 is determined by the sort order of the coordinates of the difference between the first corner point and the feature vector. The vector vis defined to be the vector with the first n+1−k coordinates equal to kl(n+1), and the last k coordinates equal to kl(n+1)−1. The kth corner of the Delaunay region may be calculated as c+p(v), where c is the first corner, p is the permutation that sorts the differences in increasing order and p(v) denotes the vector obtained by applying the inverse of p to the order of the coordinates of v, for each value of k from 1 to n.
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FIG. 4A
FIG. 4A
An example of the lattice region selection step will now be described with reference to , which shows a feature vector located in a 2-dimensional feature space. An A* lattice has been applied to the feature space to form a number of lattice points, such as points , , and . also shows Voronoi regions around the lattice points, such as Voronoi region which is located around the lattice point . A Voronoi region of a lattice point consists of all points which are closer to that lattice point than any other point in the lattice. Each Voronoi region is bounded by multiple flat surfaces, or hyper-surfaces for more than 3 dimensions, and each surface defines a boundary between two nearby lattice points. Determining a hash code of a feature vector is equivalent to determining in which Voronoi region the feature vector is located. Each corner of a Voronoi region is called a ‘hole’, which is where multiple Voronoi regions meet.
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The feature vector , associated with the record as described previously, is shown located within a triangular Delaunay region formed by the three lattice points , , . A Delaunay region consists of all points that are no further from the hole than from any other hole. The vertices (i.e., corners) of a Delaunay region are the lattice points of the Voronoi regions that meet at the hole. No other lattice points are contained in the Delaunay region. A Delaunay region may thus be represented by the lattice points at its vertices.
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FIG. 4A
When applied to the feature vector shown in , the lattice region selection step returns the lattice points that form the Delaunay region , since the region contains the feature vector . The Delaunay region is the smallest region formed from the points of the lattice that encloses the feature vector .
FIG. 3
FIG. 9
FIG. 6
FIG. 4B
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Returning to , the lattice points determined in the lattice region selection step are passed to a lattice candidate selection step . The purpose of the lattice candidate selection step is to select lattice points from the enclosing region which are candidates for use as hash codes for the feature vector. A lattice point in the enclosing region is considered to be a valid candidate if, for any future query vector located within the query distance of the feature vector, a hash retrieval function will return an enclosing region that contains the hash value of the feature vector. For this reason, the process of adding a hash value to a hash table requires a matching hash retrieval process. A hash retrieval method will be described below with reference to . The output of the lattice candidate selection step is a set of candidate lattice points to which the feature vector may be assigned, that is a set of candidate hash values. The operation of the lattice candidate selection step will be described in more detail below in relation to and .
FIG. 4B
FIG. 4B
FIG. 4A
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The operation of the lattice candidate selection step will now be described by way of example with reference to . shows the Delaunay region of in more detail. The feature vector is shown located within the region with a query radius extending beyond a plane defined by points and . The query radius defines an area where any future query point would expect to return the feature vector as a feature vector of a similar image. The query radius is generally defined for querying a hash table, however the use of the query radius during construction of the hash table allows the hash table to be constructed taking into account the influence of the query radius. As the query radius extends beyond the current Delaunay region in to an adjacent Delaunay region then the feature vector should be hashed to a lattice point available to both of the current and adjacent Delaunay region. The lattice candidate selection step should exclude point from the set of candidate lattice points as point cannot be part of the adjacent Delaunay region located on the other side of the plane , therefore the lattice point validator should exclude lattice point from the set of candidate lattice points.
FIGS. 5A and 5B
FIG. 5A
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show more possible arrangements of a feature vector located within a Delaunay region in a 2-dimensional feature space. shows the situation where a feature vector is at the centre of the Delaunay region . A query radius associated with the feature vector does not extend past any side of the region . In this situation, all query points located within the region should return the feature vector , so the lattice points , , and may be considered by the lattice candidate selection step as possible lattice points for use in generating a hash code for the feature vector .
FIG. 5B
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shows a situation where a feature vector is located close to lattice point of the Delaunay region , so that the query radius associated with the feature vector now crosses over both planes and . The result is that feature vector may be considered a similar feature vector to query vectors located in the region or adjacent regions, not shown, located on the other side of planes and . Any query vector located in one of these three regions should return the hash of the feature vector . The only lattice point that is common to region and the adjacent regions is the lattice point .
FIG. 3
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Returning to , the hashing method continues at a hash code selection step , which receives the candidate lattice points from the lattice candidate selection step . The purpose of the hash code selection step is to select a single lattice code from the candidate lattice points as the hash code for the feature vector. In the preferred embodiment, the hash code selection step examines each lattice point of the lattice candidate points to determine a count of how many records have previously been associated with each lattice point. The hash code selection step can then quantise the feature vector to the lattice point with a minimum count of associated feature vectors and use the hash value associated with the lattice point. Alternatively, the feature vector may be assigned randomly to one of the candidate lattice points which will remove the requirement to determine the count of how many feature vectors have previously been associated with each lattice point. Yet another method for selecting a hash code is to choose a lattice point from the candidate lattice points such that the chosen lattice point is the furthest away from the centre of mass of records—thus tending to spread the distribution of associated records across the lattice.
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The hashing method passes from step to a hash insertion step , where the selected hash code is linked to the image record. This stores a link between the selected hash code associated with the determined lattice point and the portion of the image, represented by the feature vector. This information is then recorded in the hash table for use in the hash retrieval stage. Control passes from step to an END step and the hashing method terminates.
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FIG. 3
FIG. 6
FIG. 3
The lattice candidate selection step of will now be explained with reference to , which shows a lattice candidate selection method as may be used in the lattice candidate selection step of . The purpose of the lattice candidate selection method is to determine which lattice points of the enclosing region, containing the feature vector, are suitable as hash codes for the feature vector. The method starts at a START step and proceeds to an initialisation step , which initialises a set of candidate lattice points to be empty. The remaining steps of the method will loop over each lattice point of the enclosing region until all of the lattice points have been processed. Loop control step tests if all the lattice points have been processed. If all the lattice points have been processed, ‘yes’, then control passes to termination step END , where the candidate selection method stops and the set of candidate lattice points is returned. If at step not all of the lattice points have been processed, ‘no’, then control passes to selection step , which selects an unprocessed lattice point from the enclosing region.
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FIG. 4B
Plane determination step determines a hyper-plane from the enclosing region. The hyper-plane is a plane passing through all the lattice points of the enclosing region excluding the selected, unprocessed point. In the example of , the hyper-plane is plane when the selected point is lattice point .
FIG. 6
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Returning to , control passes from plane determination step to a distance calculation step , which computes a perpendicular distance from the feature vector to the hyper-plane. The perpendicular distance may be calculated by determining a unit normal to the hyper-plane passing through the lattice points in the hyper-plane, and calculating the dot product of the normal with the difference of the feature vector and any point in the hyper-plane. The normal may be calculated using methods such as Singular Value Decomposition. Computing this distance may be slow, but the time only affects the time to update the hash table and does not affect the time to query the hash table which determines recall speed of the system. Once the perpendicular distance is determined, control passes to distance test step , which compares the perpendicular distance to the query radius. The distance test step determines if the query radius extends from the feature vector and passes through the hyper-plane and into an adjacent region. If the query radius does extend through the hyper-plane, to an adjacent region, then the selected point is not suitable as a hash code for the feature vector as the point is not common to the adjacent region. If the query radius does not extend in to an adjacent region through the hyper-plane, then any adjacent region the query radius does extend to will have the selected point in common point. If step determines that the perpendicular distance is not greater than the query distance, No, then control passes back to loop control step to determine whether there are any more lattice points remaining to be processed. However, if at step the perpendicular distance is greater than the query distance, Yes, control passes to a hash code addition step .
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The hash code addition step determines a hash code for the selected point and adds the hash code to the set of candidate lattice points. As discussed above, the hash code and the lattice point are linked so that having a hash code allows the lattice point to be determined It is also possible that the hash code uses information from the lattice point so that the hash code and lattice point are effectively the same. The hash code addition step may use known methods for determining the hash code of a point. Most standard software libraries provide a suitable function, such as the Arrays.hashCode method in Java. Alternatively, any of the known methods for labelling lattice points with integers may be used as the point to which the feature vector is quantised as a lattice point. It is also possible to use an array of numbers as a hash code for the lattice point, for example by representing a lattice point by a lattice coordinate vector. A lattice coordinate vector is constructed for a lattice point using the coordinates of the lattice point with respect to a basis consisting of generators for the lattice. In this case, it is possible to represent the hash table as a tree structure, or other structure known in the art, for associating lattice coordinate vectors with records.
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FIG. 7
FIG. 3
An alternative lattice candidate selection method will now be explained with reference to a hash determination method of . The hash determination method replaces both the lattice candidate selection step and the hash code selection step of with the advantage that it is possible to select a hash value without processing all lattice points that form the enclosing region. The method works by processing all the hash codes of the enclosing region in order based on a count of the number of records already associated with the lattice point. The first suitable point is then used as the hash code of the feature point and results in the feature point being assigned to a suitable lattice point with the lowest count of assigned feature vectors.
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FIG. 3
The hash determination method starts at a START step and proceeds to a lattice points reception step , which receives all the points that define the enclosing region around the query vector. Next, a count determination step processes each of the lattice points that form part of the enclosing region to determine how many records have already been associated with each point. This is the same process that was described previously in the hash code selection step of , however the count determination step of determines the count for all lattice points of the enclosing region. The lattice counts are then used in a point selection step , which selects the unprocessed lattice point with the lowest count. Once the lattice point has been selected, then the point is checked to see if it is permissible to hash the feature vector to the lattice point. The point selection step is the start of a loop that continues until a suitable lattice point is found.
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FIG. 6
An optional closest point test , shown in a dotted outline, may be executed next to determine if the selected lattice point is the closest lattice point to the feature vector. If the selected point is the closest, Yes, then the hash determination method jumps to a hashing step which will be described below, otherwise processing continues. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the closest lattice point to the feature vector is determined by calculating the distance from the query point to each point in the enclosing region (as determined in step ) of ). If the optional closest point test is not included or if the selected point in step is not the closest lattice point to the feature vector, No, then the hash determination method continues with two steps that are the same as the plane determination step and the distance calculation step of . First, a plane determination step forms a plane based on all the lattice points of the enclosing region excluding the selected lattice point. Next, a distance calculation step calculates a perpendicular distance from the plane to the input feature vector. Control then passes to a distance step , which compares the calculated distance to the query radius. If the query radius is greater than the calculated distance from the feature vector to the plane, Yes, then the selected point is not suitable for hashing the feature vector. In this case, the hash determination method loops back to the point selection step where an unprocessed point will be selected. If the query radius is less than or equal to the calculated distance, No, then the query radius does not extend beyond the plane and the selected point is suitable for hashing the feature vector. This situation should occur for at least one lattice point of any enclosing region when parameters of the lattice have been selected correctly. More information on selecting correct parameters for the lattice will be discussed below. In this case, control passes from step to step .
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The hash determination method passes to a hashing step which may be performed in a similar manner to the hash code selection step . The hashing step takes the selected lattice point as input and produces a hash value for the input feature vector as the output. Control passes from step to an END step and the method terminates.
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FIG. 6
FIG. 8
The lattice candidate selection method of may alternatively be implemented as selection method of . The selection method has the same input and outputs as the lattice candidate selection method and starts at a Start step and proceeds to a lattice candidate receiving step , which receives all the lattice points that define the smallest enclosing region. All of the lattice points are then used to populate a lattice point candidate list at a list forming step . The candidate list may be stored in memory or a storage device of the computer .
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FIG. 6
The selection method then starts a looping stage where every surface of the enclosing region is tested. The looping stage starts at a surface processing test , which determines if all the surfaces of the enclosing regions have been processed. If all the surfaces have been processed, Yes, then the selection method moves to termination step and the selection method terminates. However, if at step all the surfaces have not been processed, No, then the method proceeds to a surface selection step , which selects one of the unprocessed surfaces. A distance calculation step then calculates a perpendicular distance from the selected surface to the feature vector. This is the same process used for the distance calculation step of . The calculated distance is then compared to the query radius in a distance test . If the distance is not less than the query radius, No, then the selection method loops back to the surface processing step to see if there are any more surfaces of the enclosing region to process. If at step the distance is less than the query radius, Yes, control passes to a refine list step to refine the lattice point candidate list. The candidate list is refined by determining an intersection between the existing candidate list and any lattice points that are part of the enclosing region that defines the plane. When the candidate list is all lattice points of the enclosing region, then the intersection with the lattice points forming the surface will be all the lattice points of the surface. Only the points that are common to both the surface and the candidate list will be returned by the intersection. The operation of the intersection function will reduce the number of points on the candidate list. Upon completion of the selection method , the candidate list is used in the hashing method for further processing, as described above. The candidate list will contain at least one lattice point, and at most the lattice points that define the smallest enclosing region.
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FIG. 9
A hash table query method will now be described with reference to . The hash table query method receives a query image and searches for any similar images by searching records stored in the hash table. The similarity of the images is determined by the size of the query radius, where a number of images considered to be similar will increase as the query radius increases. The hash table query method uses the same feature space and lattice that was used for the hashing method . In a preferred embodiment, the lattice used is an A* lattice.
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The hash table query method starts at a START step and proceeds to an image receiving step , which receives a query image. Control passes to a query vector calculation step , which calculates a query vector from the query image. In one implementation, the query vector calculation step uses the same process used in the feature vector calculation step to provide consistent results between the hashing method and the hash table query method . In some applications, the query vector calculation process used in step may be different from the process used in the feature vector calculation step . For example, if there is some known bias or regularity in the set of possible query images, then the query vector calculation step may be modified to take advantage of the known bias or regularity. As an example, if it is known that all query images will come from a low quality web camera, whereas the database images are high-quality digital photos, then the vector calculation steps may be different. The query vector is then passed on to a lattice region selection step , which determines a region enclosing the query vector. In one implementation, the lattice region selection step uses the same process as described above in relation to the lattice region selection step of hashing method .
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FIG. 10
FIG. 10
The operation of the lattice region selection step will now be explained with reference to , which shows a query vector located within an enclosing region . The enclosing region is a Delaunay region defined by three lattice points , , and . The diagram in is illustrative only and shows a 2-dimensional example. In general, embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to n-dimensional vectors, in which case, the lattice selection step provides n+1 A* lattice points that define a Delaunay region containing the query vector.
FIG. 9
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Returning to , the selected lattice points that define the enclosing regions are passed from step to a record retrieval step , which processes each of the lattice points to produce a list of query hash codes, wherein there is a query hash code for each of the lattice points of the enclosing region. The query hash codes are produced using the same method applied to produce hash codes in the hash code addition step of the candidate selection method . The query hash codes are then used to retrieve the image records associated with hash codes from the hash table. The result is that the lattice points of the enclosing region are used to retrieve image records that have been associated with the lattice points in the hashing method . The set of retrieved image records may be larger than just those associated with features located within the query radius around the query vector. This is because there may exist some records associated with feature vectors that became associated with included lattice points, even though the feature vectors were further than the query radius from the query vector. However, the set of retrieved images includes all of the images located within the query radius and additional images. The additional images may be filtered out using a subsequent processing stage, or the set of retrieved images may be small enough for suitable use as a set of similar images. These similar images may then be presented to a user for validation of the similarity. The user may then review each of the retrieved images and accept or reject the image as a similar image.
Lattice Sizing
FIG. 11
FIG. 5A
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As mentioned above, one embodiment of the present disclosure uses points of an A* lattice to provide hash codes for feature vectors. How the A* lattice is configured is important for correct operation of the image retrieval system. Consider the 2-dimensional feature space of , which shows a situation similar to with a feature vector located at the centre of a Delaunay region . A query radius has been used, extending from the feature vector . Due to the size of the query radius relative to the lattice point spacing, the query radius extends past all three planes , , and of the enclosing region and in to adjacent Delaunay regions , , and . In this situation, a query vector located in any of the adjacent regions , , and should return the image associated with the feature vector as a similar image. However, it is not possible to find a lattice point that is common to all four regions , , , and . As a result, the retrieval system will fail to operate correctly. From this, it is clear that there is a relationship between sizing of the lattice and the query radius. In one embodiment, the lattice is as dense as possible, provided that a ball with a radius equal to the query radius fits inside the Delaunay cell. This is equivalent to sizing the lattice such that the in-radius of the Delaunay cells is equal to the query radius, r. Half of the minimum distance between lattice points is known as the packing radius, . It corresponds to the maximum radius of non-overlapping spheres, centred at lattice points. The scale of a lattice can be defined in terms of its packing radius. For an A* lattice with packing radius rho and dimensionality n, the lattice can be sized using multiplication by r*sqrt((n+1)*(n/2))/rho. Equivalently, to make the in-radius equal to r, the packing radius should be set to r*sqrt((n+1)*(n/2)).
While one embodiment of the present disclosure uses an A* lattice, other lattice types may equally be used. However, for other lattice families such as Z, A, D, and D*, it may be that to ensure high accuracy the Delaunay cells are large, thus causing many false positive matches to be returned and leading to slow query times. For some lattice families, such as the Z lattice, the Delaunay cells consist of a large number of lattice points, thus creating a large number of query hash codes, and leading to slow query times. Some lattices, such as the Leech Lattice, may avoid this problem, but require time consuming methods for determining the enclosing Delaunay region to a given feature vector, also leading to slow query times.
FIGS. 12A and 12B
FIG. 12A
FIG. 12B
FIG. 12A
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FIG. 12B
FIG. 12B
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An advantage of the retrieval system is illustrated in , which show a 2-dimensional feature space with an A* lattice. In , eight records have been associated with the lattice points, with two records being associated with each of lattice points , , , and . shows an alternative hashing result that may occur using the hashing method , depending on the feature points under consideration. In this situation, some of the records have been associated with lattice points that were unused in . For example, lattice point has two records in , but only one record in . The second record that was associated with lattice point is instead associated with point . This would occur if a distance from a plane formed between the two lattice points and to the feature vector was less than the query radius. Each used lattice point in averages 1.3 records compared to the average of 2 records in . The advantage of the retrieval system arises as fewer image records may be returned for a given query vector while ensuring that all relevant image records are located. The use of lattices is more memory efficient than multiple registration strategies such as LSH, because only one association is stored between records and hash codes.
While the retrieval system has been described above for use with images, it is also possible that the system may be used to retrieve other data types. For example, a feature vector can be generated for text or a portion of text. One method of generating a feature vector for text is to use the so-called Bag-Of-Words representation of the text. A feature vector can be generated from a Bag-Of-Words by treating each word or sequence of words as a dimension with its coordinate value set to the frequency of the word or sequence or words. This may then be subject to dimensional reduction, such as Principle Component Analysis (PCA), to generate a feature vector for the text. The retrieval system can then be used to quickly access records associated with text, by using a query containing sample text. In another application, a feature vector may be a paper-fingerprint. A paper-fingerprint is an array of numbers that can be used to identify paper from its fibre structure. The retrieval system can then be used to quickly access records associated with an individual piece of paper, by using a query containing a paper-fingerprint.
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FIG. 9
FIG. 4A
An alternative embodiment of the hashing method may use alternative enclosing regions. One alternative uses the Voronoi cell to define an enclosing region where the vertices are holes instead of lattice points. In the alternative embodiment, the lattice region selection method determines the ‘holes’ that define the Voronoi region around the feature vector. These holes are used instead of lattice points and the candidate selection method shown in is then applied to select candidate holes according to distance of the feature vector from the surfaces of the Voronoi cell. Step selects a hash code corresponding to a hole chosen by the candidate selection step. The query process in remains unchanged: the region that contains the query vector is determined using the same method, and the records associated with the hash code for each point of the enclosing region are retrieved. Examining the lattice of shows that the Voronoi cell in 2-dimensions will be formed from six lattice points, not shown, compared to the three points for the Delaunay cell. It should be noted that this alternative embodiment is functionally equivalent to the main embodiment. However, the properties of the enclosing region, will be different in each formulation.
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An alternative embodiment of the retrieval system uses a re-hashing technique during the hash code selection step and hash insertion step . In this alternative embodiment, a hash code is selected for the feature vector while a list of alternative hash codes is maintained. When a record is inserted into the hash table, then the alternative hash codes are also linked to the record. The inclusion of alternative hash codes in the hash table allows for a redistribution of records. If one hash code is found to have a large number of records associated with the code, then some of the records associated with the hash code may be redistributed to alternative hash codes. The re-hashing technique then allows for hash codes with a large number of associated records to be altered during later processing of the hash table. A further alternative omits storing the alternative hash codes, and instead a redistribution process reapplies the hashing method to determine alternative hash codes for the record.
The arrangements described are applicable to the computer and data processing industries and particularly for the image processing industry.
The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.
In the context of this specification, the word “comprising” means “including principally but not necessarily solely” or “having” or “including”, and not “consisting only of”. Variations of the word “comprising”, such as “comprise” and “comprises” have correspondingly varied meanings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a representation of an image, image portion, and feature vector associated with an image portion;
FIG. 2
is a diagram illustrating a spatial interpretation of a vector, query point, and query radius;
FIG. 3
is a flow diagram showing a hashing method according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4
is a diagram showing an example spatial interpretation of the hash region for a given vector associated with a record;
FIGS. 5A and 5B
show arrangements of a feature vector located within an enclosing region in a two dimensional feature space;
FIG. 6
FIG. 3
is a flow diagram showing a method for selecting candidate lattice point as used in the hashing method of ;
FIG. 7
FIG. 3
is a flow diagram showing a hash determination method that may be used in one or more steps of the hashing method of ;
FIG. 8
FIG. 3
is flow diagram showing an alternative lattice candidate point selection method that may be used in the hashing method of ;
FIG. 9
is a flow diagram showing a hash table query method;
FIG. 10
is a diagram showing the spatial interpretation of the hash region for a given query vector;
FIG. 11
shows a feature vector in an enclosing region in a two dimensional feature space;
FIGS. 12A and 12B
show feature vector assignment to lattice points in a two dimension feature space;
FIGS. 13A and 13B
form a schematic block diagram of a general purpose computer system upon which arrangements described can be practised; and
FIGS. 14A
14
14
, B, and C illustrate registration and query phases of a retrieval system. | |
A temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out on the ground by the augur. Templa also became associated with the dwelling places of a god or gods. This tradition dates back to prehistoric times. For the ancient Egyptians, the word pr could refer not only to a house, but also to a sacred structure since it was believed that the gods resided in houses. The word "temple" (which dates to about the 6th century BCE), despite the specific set of meanings associated with the religion of the ancient Rome, has now become quite widely used to describe a house of worship for any number of religions and is even used for time periods prior to the Romans. | https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/Temples |
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You learn how to critically evaluate current issues in today's technology as you examine topics such as search engine optimization (SEO), HTML and responsive web design.
WEB DESIGN: INTRODUCTORY, 6E equips you with the key skills you need to develop a solid web design plan of your own in no time. | https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Jennifer-Campbell/Web-Design--Introductory/20612158 |
Deciding which creative projects to attempt is an incredibly difficult job, both as an artist and as any kind of executive producer.
We live in a world of infinite creative ideas but painfully finite resources. Each of us has a limited set of resources and skills, goals and values, and most importantly a limited amount of time with which to create, so it will never be possible to pursue every idea we have, no matter how good it seems on the surface.
In my estimation, there are no fewer than 7 specific criteria that must all align before a project makes sense, and each of these is variable and carries different weight on the decision.
First, as obvious as it might seem, we must start with a genuinely (1) Good Idea that can translate well to the chosen medium (video, audio, design, etc.).
Ideas are easy to come by, but frequently (especially in the non-profit world), they aren’t workable or interesting when turned into videos. Over the past 15 years that I've been producing original creative content, I've generated and/or been pitched several hundred different concepts, but very few of those were actually good for the intended medium.
Visual (and auditory) storytelling is different than writing an article, a white paper, or a book, and writing for video is a special skill that takes thinking beyond abstract concepts or dialogue, so finding an idea that actually makes sense for the medium is not easy—especially in an environment dominated by left-brained, systemizing thinkers such as economists, philosophers, and political scientists.
But beyond merely having a Good Idea, these ideas must (2) Fit Brand’s Vision, and they must (3) Fit Brand’s Tone.
For example, FEE is a 72-year-old institution with the crucial mission of advancing a free society, so producing any good idea still isn't enough. It must be an idea that actually advances our vision of a free society in some meaningful way.
In addition, because FEE is an organization that caters to parents, young students, and the general public; because it has donors to attract and keep; and because we have a long-standing legacy to uphold, we must also be very careful about the tone we present to our audiences.
This is can be a tough needle to thread when we also want to dominate social media as an organization. It’s no secret that much of the most shareable content online is pessimistic or angry, sarcastic, insulting, tribal, and deceptive. In general, if you can get someone to feel outraged or present them with content that provides a new reason to hate an enemy or pat themselves on the back, you’re probably going to get them to click on your content and possibly share it with their friends.
Note that in both of these cases, the content is designed to pit one group of people against another and relies on a sense of outrage or anger to connect with its intended audiences. My view is that while this is quite often the easiest path to success online, it is also frequently unethical and probably damaging to society in general.
But more importantly, from the standpoint of project selection at an organization like FEE, "good ideas" that are mean-spirited, inappropriate, fail to honor donor intent, which violate 501(c)3 rules, or fail to comply with the law in some other way simply must be rejected.
From there, once we have a Good Idea that Fits FEE's Vision and Tone, I begin asking questions about the idea as a matter of strategy. Is the idea (4) Relevant to an Audience that we're trying to reach? Is it actually (5) Likely to Succeed given all that we currently know about what's trending, what topics or styles are popular, and what kinds of stories people, in general, seem to respond to? Is it (6) Unique, both to FEE (ie. do we have overlapping projects happening simultaneously?) and to the market at large (ie. is someone else doing this already?) and thus unnecessary?
This means we have serious limitations both with regards to time and to overall capabilities.
Last, but perhaps most importantly of all, we have to be realistic and ask whether this idea is actually (7) Possible to Execute.
Like many other organizations in our network, FEE has an incredibly small production team—just 3 full-time staff members and a handful of independent editors and producers who work on specific projects.
While I like to think that we have built a strong unit, quality media production is still an incredibly difficult and complex process that requires a variety of skill sets from understanding and internalizing aesthetic ideas like story, design, composition, framing, rhythm/pacing, etc. to hard skills like using cameras, lights, editing & visual effects software, and other technology. We also have a budget significantly under those found in the broader media industry, and yet a core goal of the YEAR project requires us to be able to produce a wide variety and large quantity of content, so we need to make all of our resources go as far as we can.
Another, often underrated, aspect of assessing whether or not a project is truly "possible" is how passionate the creative team that will actually work on it is about the idea. Our now award-winning documentary series, "How We Thrive" is successful partly because the director/producer team contracted to shoot and edit those films went into the project with a strong passion for telling stories about female entrerpeneurs. That passion inspires them to work harder, pay closer attention to the fine details, and care enough to get every aspect of the film right.
Regardless of their professionalism or talent, pairing that same team with a project they weren't passionate about would not create the same results and that fact plays into project selection. Even when a project is technically possible, a lack of creative inspiration can be even more destructive than a low budget or tight schedule.
After taking into consideration all these criteria, we end up with a pretty narrow set of projects that are truly viable.
After taking into consideration all these criteria, we end up with a pretty narrow set of projects that are truly viable and a lot of projects that might seem like good ideas on the surface but are out of reach. There are a lot of tough choices that need to be made in that regard, based on our judgment of what's feasible.
These seven steps are essential to making effective production decisions and if well-understood can help organizations and individuals create their best possible creative work.
FEE has been a leading non-profit organization in teaching the principles of a free society since its founding in 1946 by Leonard E. Read. Today, FEE focuses on introducing freedom as a life philosophy to young newcomers, striving to bring about a world in which the economic, ethical, and legal principles of a free society are familiar, credible, and compelling to the next generation. FEE produces the annual FEEcon event, student seminars, free online courses, classroom resources, and engaging classic and contemporary content available at FEE.org and on social media. FEE is supported solely by contributions from individuals, private foundations, and businesses and by the sale of our publications. We invite you to advance liberty with us at FEE.org.
The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. We support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love, and free will. We encourage civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians and between such experts and the public at large, for the purposes of definitional clarity and new insights. The Foundation’s vision is derived from the late Sir John Templeton's optimism about the possibility of acquiring “new spiritual information” and from his commitment to rigorous scientific research and related scholarship. The Foundation's motto, "How little we know, how eager to learn," exemplifies our support for open-minded inquiry and our hope for advancing human progress through breakthrough discoveries. | https://fee.org/resources/the-seven-criteria-for-project-selection/ |
Section 1436.9. Loan amount and loan application approvals.
7 CFR § 1436.9 - Loan amount and loan application approvals.
§ 1436.9 Loan amount and loan application approvals.
(a) The cost on which the loan will be based is the net cost of the eligible facility, accessories, and services to the applicant after discounts and rebates, not to exceed a maximum per-bushel, -ton or, -cubic foot cost established by the FSA State committee.
(1) May include the following: All real estate lien related fees paid by the borrower, including attorney fees, except for filing fees; environmental and historic review fees including archaeological study fees; the facility purchase price; sales tax; shipping; delivery charges; site preparation costs; installation cost; material and labor for concrete pads and foundations; material and labor for electrical wiring; electrical motors; off-farm paid labor; on-farm site preparation and construction equipment costs not to exceed commercial rates approved by the county committee; and recently required on-farm material approved by the county committee.
(2) May not include secondhand material or any other item determined by the approving authority to be ineligible for loan.
(c) The maximum total principal amount of the FSFL, except for FSFL microloans, is 85 percent of the net cost of the applicant's needed facility, not to exceed $500,000 per loan. For FSFL microloans the maximum total principal amount of the farm storage facility loan is 95 percent of the net costs of the applicant's needed storage, handling facility, including drying and handling equipment, or storage and handling trucks, not to exceed an aggregate outstanding balance of $50,000.
(iv) Subtract existing storage capacity in the units of measurement, such as bushels, tons, or cubic feet, for the type of storage needed to determine remaining storage need.
(v) Compare capacity of proposed facility with storage need (calculated as specified in paragraphs (d)(1)(i)-(iv) of this section) to determine if applicant is eligible for additional storage.
(iii) Compare capacity of proposed facility with storage need (estimated as specified in paragraphs (d)(2)(i)-(ii) of this section) to determine if additional storage is required.
(iv) Subtract existing cold storage capacity to determine remaining storage need.
(v) Compare capacity of proposed cold storage facility with cold storage need (calculated as specified in paragraphs (d)(3)(i)-(iv) of this section) to determine if applicant is eligible for additional cold storage.
(4) For all eligible facility loan commodities, except sugar, if acreage data is not practicable or available for State and County Committees or authorized FSA staff to determine the storage need, specifically, but not limited to, maple sap, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, milk, meat and poultry, a reasonable production yield, such as ERS or NASS data may be used to determine the storage capacity need. A reasonable production yield may also be used for newly acquired farms, specialty farming, changes in cropping operations, prevented planted acres, or for facility loan commodities being grown for the first time.
(5) For FSFL microloans if the FSA State and county committees determine that self-certification is practicable based on the applicant's farm operation, then CCC may allow applicants to self-certify to the storage capacity need. The Deputy Administrator, Farm Programs, or an FSA State committee may rescind the FSFL microloan provision on a Statewide basis if it is determined that allowing FSFL microloans has increased the likelihood of loan defaults and is not in the best interest of CCC.
(e) When a storage structure has a larger capacity than the applicant's needed capacity, as determined by CCC, the net cost eligible for a loan will be prorated. Only costs associated with the applicant's needed storage capacity will be considered eligible for loan under this part.
(f) Any borrower with an outstanding loan must use the financed structure only for the storage of eligible facility loan commodities. If a borrower uses such structure for other purposes such as office space or display area, the loan amount will be adjusted for the ineligible space as determined by CCC.
(g) The FSA county committee may approve applications, if loan funds are available, up to the maximum approval amount unless the Deputy Administrator, Farm Programs, or the FSA State committee establishes a lower limit for county committee approval authority.
(h) The Farm storage facility loan approval period, which is the timeframe, from approval until expiration, during which the facility must be completely and fully delivered, erected, constructed, assembled, or installed and a CCC representative has inspected and approved such facility for all eligible facility loan commodities except sugar, will expire 6 months after the date of approval unless extended in writing for an additional 6 months by the FSA State Committee. A second 6 month extension, for a total of 18 months from the original approval date, may be approved by the FSA State Committee. This authority will not be re-delegated. Sugar storage facility loan approvals will expire 8 months after the date of approval unless extended in writing for an additional 4 months by the FSA State Committee.
(i) For sugar storage facility loans, paragraphs (c) and (g) of this section do not apply.
(j) For sugar storage facility loans, the agency approval officials may only approve loans, subject to available funds. | https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/7/1436.9 |
One of the most common frustrations we hear from librarians is the challenge of getting patrons to not only use familiar resources, but to also try out new ones.
We know that the patience of users can be measured in seconds, and so every extra barrier we put in their way deters usage.
So, in the spirit of renewal as we head into spring, we’ve pulled together six techniques to help you deliver a more effective library portal experience.
1) Enable access to all subscription resources from a single portal
It may seem obvious, but often a library’s legacy access infrastructure forces users to access resources via multiple entry points.
Some resources may be limited to onsite access only and can only be made available via the organization’s intranet. This often results in libraries having to maintain separate internet and intranet portals, in many cases designed by non-library staff with little to no input from the library, and maintained outside the library (and not always on a timely basis).
“We use a hodge podge of access methods – depending upon the resource, who needs access and from where” (Focus group participant)
Another cause can be departments purchasing and integrating resources into the desktop separately from the library portal (particularly publishers that market outside the library).
And every additional destination might add another layer of credentials for users to remember.
2) Curate resource sets to meet user needs
Many libraries serve multiple distinct sets of users, such as subject specialists, for whom only a small set of resources may be relevant. Curating custom sets of resources reduces time spent searching, and allows you to generate more value by improving discovery.
Even better, allow users to customize their experience so that the library portal they see is tailored to their needs and promotes specific resources when they login.
3) Allow users to create favorites lists
Another simple way to encourage repeat visits is to lower the ‘re-entry’ cost i.e. the time spent finding the useful resources you discovered previously. The traditional method is to let users manually build their own lists of URLs, but a much better approach is to enable them to create lists of favorites within their personal portal.
“It would help our users if they could easily create their own list of favorite resources instead of wasting valuable time “re-discovering” the resources they want to search” (Medical Library conference attendee)
There are a couple of approaches to this we recommend. The first is to allow users to tag resources they like, populating a favorites list as they go. The second is to automatically build lists of frequently accessed resources.
4) Integrate searching of external discovery services
Discovery services like Google Scholar and PubMed are integral to many users’ search strategies, so why not make it easier for your users and enable them to be searched from within your library portal? Adding custom search boxes saves time for users and reinforces the value of available paid resources.
“It is absolutely logical to include discovery services like PubMed and Google Scholar on our library portal – it eliminates time spent going to multiple sites” (Academic Library manager)
This feature is even more powerful when the discovery services can customize full-text links to redirect via a proxy server to provide seamless access to paid resources, reinforcing the value provided by the library.
5) Incorporate select free resources
Your users don’t care whether a resource is free or paid; just whether it’s relevant. By incorporating select free resources into your library portal, you help users improve their productivity while reinforcing the value of the library. Some free resources are fantastic, so include links to them too.
Better still, ask your power users for recommendations of relevant, high quality free resources and incorporate them into your library web portal. Your users might also appreciate a link to one of the high-quality, app review sites, such as www.imedicalapps.com.
6) Tailor landing pages to streamline access
Eliminate unnecessary clicks by reviewing your resource links to spot opportunities to tailor the URLs to more direct and relevant landing pages. For example, your library may subscribe to a handful of specific journals from Nature. Rather than linking to the generic Nature landing page, provide a list of specific links to those journals. You’ll save time for your users, and better promote the content you’re paying for.
“Our patrons get frustrated having to click on numerous links to get to a resource – they just want to search a specific resource” (User experience librarian)
If your existing library access infrastructure can’t support any or all of these enhancements, please contact us to learn more about how LibLynx Gateway can drive more usage of your library resources. | https://www.liblynx.com/news/library-portal-sabotaging-cost-per-access/ |
What makes a beauty brand worthy of investment? How can brands tell that it's time to secure outside funding? What questions should they ask of prospective partners? What do they need to do to prepare for the vetting process?
During "The Beauty Investors Speak Out," a free virtual panel discussion and Q&A now available on-demand, the co-founders of True Beauty Ventures discuss their views on:
- the future of beauty
- the investing landscape in the industry
- their advice for brands seeking to tap resources to drive growth
Moderated by contributing author Nancy Trent (Trent & Co.), the session features Cristina Nuñez and Rich Gersten, co-founders of True Beauty Ventures, which recently secured $42 million in funding and has invested in brands such as AQUIS and K18 Hair, Kinship, Feals, Crown Affair, maude, and a soon to be announced clean makeup brand.
Get your first peek at the briefing in the preview video above. | https://www.gcimagazine.com/events/event-coverage/video/21876918/on-demand-the-beauty-investors-speak-out?utm_source=Most+Read&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Most+Read |
In 2007, the industry fulfilled a total cargo turnover of 36.53 billion t-km and passenger turnover of 27.917 billion person-km, with person times transport volume of 190 million, and cargo and mail turnover of 11.64 billion t-km, with cargo and mail transport volume of 4.019 million, a respective growth of 19.5%、17.8%、16.3%、23.5% and 15.0%.
Large aviation companies fulfilled a total turnover of 29.65 billion t-km, a growth of 13.7%, accounting for 81.2% of the whole industry, down 4.1 percentage points than the previous year; medium-sized aviation companies fulfilled a total turnover of 5.03 billion t-km, a growth of 28.4%, accounting for 13.8% of the whole industry, a growth of 1.0 percentage points over the previous year; and small aviation companies fulfilled a total turnover of 1.85 billion t-km, a growth of 216.9%, accounting for 5.1% of the whole industry, a growth of 3.2 percentage points over the previous year (note: as classified by number of passengers transported annually, those with over 10 million person times are large aviation companies, those with 5 to 10 million person times are medium-sized companies, and those with less than 5 million person times are small companies).
All airports in the country handled a total throughput of 388 million person times and 8.611 million tons of cargo and mails, growing respectively by 16.8% and 14.3%. There were 10 airports in the country each with annual person time throughput of 10 million. Among them, Beijing Capital International Airport had an annual person time throughput of 53.6117 million, ranking the 9th among all airports in the world (source: ACI website); the person time throughput of Xiaoshan of Hangzhou, Xianyang of Xi’an and Jiangbei of Chongqing respectively exceeded 10 million for the first time.
In 2007, about 4.43 million landings and takeoffs were guaranteed in the whole year, a growth of 16.5%.
By the end of 2006, the operation mileage of railways in China had reached 77,083.8km, ranking the first in Asia.
In 2006, the passenger and cargo transport volume, transport revenue and main indicators in transportation of the railway in the whole country all set new historical high following large magnitude growth in three successive years. The passenger turnover, cargo transport volume, converted turnover and transport density all rank the first in the world, handling about one-fourth of the total converted turnover of world railways with 6% of the operation mileage of the world railways.
The railway system completed capital construction investment of 154.25 billion yuan during the whole year, up 75.2% than the previous year. This included 130.092 billion yuan from the Ministry of Railway, at 98.1% of the annual plan, up 75.0% than the previous year. The capital construction investment amount exceeded 150 billion yuan for the first time, 66.232 billion yuan more than that of 2005 (88.018 billion yuan), the previous highest in history.
There are 119 large-and-medium sized railway projects under construction by the state or in joint venture, with fulfilled investment of 150.72 billion yuan (34.285 billion yuan for double-track lines and expansion projects, 9.219 billion yuan for electrification, 11.099 billion yuan for junctures and passenger terminals, and 96.118 billion yuan for new railway lines), up 80.6% than the previous year. This included investment of 128.154 billion yuan completed by the Ministry of Railway, being 87.7% of the annual plan, up 79.4% than the previous year. Tracks were laid for 868.8km as new lines and 1,145.3km as double-track lines, and railways were put into operation for 1,490.9km as new lines and 816.4km as double-track lines. 3,921.2km of electrified railways were put into service, including 3,807.7km for electrification renovation on existing railways, being 1.5 times that of the "Tenth Five-year Plan" period.
The total volume of highways grew continuously. To obtain accurate and overall information of the highway network in the whole country, the Ministry of Communications organized a special survey of the rural highways in the whole country in 2005, and determined the statistic standard of rural highways on this basis. Since 2006, village roads have been incorporated in the statistic mileages of highways (for comparison on the same basis, the data of special survey and statistic standards are attached). By the end of 2006, the total mileage of highways in the whole country had reached 3,457,000km, 111,800km more over the end of previous year (on the same basis, the same for below). The network structure was further improved. In the total mileage of highways in the whole country, there were 133,400km of national highways,239,600km of provincial highways, 506,500km of county roads, 987,600km of township roads, 58,000km of dedicated highways, and 1,532,000km of village roads.
The highway density in the whole country was 36.0km/100km2, 1.2km/100km2 more over the end of previous year. The total number of townships (towns) accessible via highway in the whole country accounted for 98.3% of the total, and the total number of established villages accessible via highway in the whole country accounted for 86.4% of the total. There were still 672 townships and towns and 89,975 established villages not accessible via highway.
By the end of 2006, the total mileage of rural highways in the whole country (including county, township and village roads) had reached 3,026,100km, 110,800km more over the end of previous year. There were 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities each with rural highway mileage exceeding 100,000km.
By the end of 2006, the navigable mileage of inland river channels in the whole country had reached 123,400km. They included classified channels of 61,000km, accounting for 49.5% of the total mileage; channels of Class III and above of 8,687km, accounting for 7.0% of the total mileage; channels of Class V and above of 24,039km, accounting for 9.5% of the total mileage. The navigable mileage of inland river channels of different classes was: Class I channel of 1,407km、Class II channel of 2,538km、Class III channel of 4,742km、Class IV channel of 6,768km、Class V channel of 8,584km、Class VI channel of 18,407km, and Class VII channel of 18,589km. The inland river channels in the country included natural and canalized rivers of 64,526km, restricted channels of , wide and shallow river channels of 6,130km, channels in mountainous torrential rivers of , lake area channels of and channels in reservoir area of 8,804km. In the whole country, there were four provinces in the country each with navigable mileage of inland river channels exceeding 10,000 km, respectively Jiangsu (24,347km), Guangdong (11,844km), Hunan (11,495km) and Sichuan (10,720km).
By the end of 2006, there had been a total of 4,142 junctures on the inland river channels in the whole country, including 2,339 with navigation functions. The navigation structures included 833 ship gates and 42 ship lifts.
By the end of 2006, there had been a total of 35,453 operating jetty berths, a net increase of 211 over the previous year. They included 1,203 berths of 10,000t Class and above, a net increase of 169 over the previous year.
The coastal harbors in the country had 4,511 operating berths, including 978 berths of 10,000t class and over; the inland river harbors had 30,942 operating berths, including 225 berths of 10,000t class and over. The 10,000t class inland river harbor berths were distributed along the trunk course of Yangtze River, the Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Pearl River water system, respectively 216, 5 and 4. | http://cnto.org.uk/transportation.html |
Interview with Dr. Barbara Bierer to discuss her experiences in clinical trials, Clinical Natural Language Processing and why she decided to accept a Board position at Clinithink.
Maintaining patient data security and privacy at Mount Sinai with CLiX ENRICH [Video]/in Blog /by Clinithink
Maintaining the security and privacy of patient information is paramount to conducting clinical research and often times a prohibitive factor to deploying third party solutions. Forerunners in the use of automation to find eligible patients to enroll in clinical trials highlight the advantage of using CLiX ENRICH for Clinical Trials whereby they can process clinical […]
Get the Whole Patient Picture/in Blog /by Dr. Richard Gain
ICD-10, or the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, is used to collect morbidity and mortality information for populations all over the world. As a late adopter of the classification, the United States has its own specialized version of this clinical coding system, ICD-10-CM/PCS. The U.S. also uses this classification, as do many other countries […]
A paradigm shift at Mount Sinai [Video]/in Blog /by Clinithink
Researchers at Mount Sinai are making a paradigm shift in how they find and rank eligible patients by using CLiX ENRICH for Clinical Trials to analyze vast amounts of clinical data in the hundreds of thousands of patient records they hold. In this video blog, we spoke to Dr. Steven Coca, Dr. Girish Nadkarni and Stephen Ellis to understand the difference that CLiX ENRICH for Clinical Trials is making. | https://clinithink.com/blog/page/2/ |
God's Great Outdoors - Dr. Steve Austin
On this Trail To Adventure! interview, a visit to Dr. John Whitmore’s office at Cedarville University in Ohio, Gerry got to meet Dr. Steve Austin. As an undergrad geology student at Washington State, Dr. Austin was able to explore probably the most significant geological event in the 20th century, the eruption of Mt. Saint Helen’s. This was a turning point for him as he was able to watch and discover firsthand how this catastrophe affected the landscape, including a creation of a one-fortieth scale of the Grand Canyon, in only one day. During this time Dr. Austin switched from a Christian “old earth” geologist, to a “young earth” geologist, believing the biblical account of 6000 years of earth’s age. All from seeing layer upon layer of earth that was laid down by volcanic eruptions in minutes, not hundreds of thousands of years as he had been taught.
Featured Resources From God's Great Outdoors
Wonder if this is something you can send to a person the Holy Spirit places on your heart - after you watch this segment from our website and that we've placed on YouTube. Jesus Christ's blood was shed to cover our sins and allow us to be with Him for eternity! Won't you pray who you might email this link to! | https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/gods-great-outdoors/listen/gods-great-outdoors-dr-steve-austin-775927.html |
The Causeway Coastal Route is one of Ireland’s most popular coastal hiking routes. It’s known for extreme steep cliffs, spectacular views, and one of the filming locations of the HBO series Game of Thrones.
Northern Ireland is actually part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Southern Ireland (Now known as the Republic of Ireland) separated from Northern Ireland in the 1922 partition. Before this Ireland as a whole was part of the UK.
The island is still politically divided although as a visitor you won’t see much of a difference in terms of general appearance. Everyone has “similar” accents and they all speak English. Although North Ireland is mostly protestant while Ireland is mostly catholic.
Where is the Causeway Coastal Route
The Causeway Coastal Route starts from Belfast to Londonderry (Derry), this Northern Ireland road trip has everything from castles to stunning landscapes, Game of Thrones filming locations, whiskey distilleries, sandy beaches, and UNESCO world heritage sites.
Things to know about Causeway Coastal Route
Currency in Northern Ireland
Pound Sterling (£) is the official currency, but Euro’s (€) and major credit cards are also accepted at some places.
Visa for Northern Ireland
Although South Africans don’t require a visa for Ireland, we do require a visa for Northern Ireland which is part of the UK.
How long does it take to drive the Causeway Coastal Route?
The distance from Dublin to Northern Ireland is 150km. Northern Ireland is reachable by car, bus or train. There is an average of 8 trains and 10 buses a day between Dublin and Belfast, leaving approximately every 1h40 minutes to 2 hours.
What to do in the Causeway Coastal Route in one day
9:00 – Visit the Gracehill House
In 1775, James Stuart built the Gracehill House and named it after his wife, Grace Lynd. The family planted an avenue of over 150 beech trees along the entrance to the Georgian estate. It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached Gracehill House.
10:00 – Stroll through The Dark Hedges
Game of Thrones fans will recognize this as The King’s Road. This is actually Bregagh Road where a unique, tranquil and spellbinding tunnel of ancient beech trees creates a spectacular fusion of light and shadow.
Planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family, these beech trees are actually dead and they have become a natural phenomenon and one of the most photographed attractions in Northern Ireland.
11:00 – Find Scotland
Scotland and the North Antrim Coast are just twelve miles apart.
12:00 – Cross the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
In 1755, salmon fishermen made the first rope bridge to reduce reliance on a boat to reach the island.
The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. It spans 20 meters (66 ft) and is 30 meters (98 ft) above the rocks below. Today it’s a major tourist attraction with around 300,000 visitors per year.
13:00 – Admire The Giants Causeway
Legend states that an Irish giant challenged a Scottish giant to a duel, and thus they built the causeway across the channel in order to do battle; however, the truth is the natural wonder is comprised of around 40,000 polygonal basalt rock columns, formed by the ancient volcanic landscape and stretching along the coastline like a series of gigantic stepping stones.
This is one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in “Ireland” and an amazing stop on the Causeway Coastal Route!
14:00 – Grab a bite at Fullerton Arms
Located in the center of Ballintoy, Fullerton Arms serves traditional British food and amazing drinks.
15:00 – Find the Game of Thrones Doors
In January 2016 a storm Gertrude hit, felling trees from the famous Dark Hedges (known as The King’s Road filming location by Game of Thrones fans). The wood from these trees was carved into the 10 Game of Thrones Doors that are now dotted around Northern Ireland. Tours to see the carved doors are also available.
Locations:
- Door 1: The Cuan guest inn in Strangford
- Door 2: Fiddler’s Green Bar and B&B in Portaferry
- Door 3: Percy French Restaurant in the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle
- Door 4: Blakes of the Hollow pub in Enniskillen
- Door 5: Frank’s (Owens) Bar in Limavady
- Door 6: Fullerton Arms in Ballintoy
- Door 7: Gracehill House near Ballymoney
- Door 8: Mary McBrides Bar in Cushendun
- Door 9: Ballygally Castle Hotel
- Door 10: The Dark Horse in Belfast
16:00 – Enjoy world-famous whiskey
King James granted the Governer of County Antrim a license to distill Bushmills in 1608, making this the oldest Whiskey Distillery in the WORLD.
The Distillery Tour Centre is open 7 days a week. Visitors can go on guided tours of the working distillery with all the associated sights and scents, tutored whiskey tastings, and a specialist whiskey shop.
17:00 – See Dunluce Castle
Perched on basalt cliffs 100 feet above the North Atlantic, this 17th-century medieval castle was built by the McQuillans, who came from Scotland in the 1200s as hired mercenaries. They held the castle for about 55 years before it was taken by the MacDonnells.
Dunluce means fortified residence.
These families were embroiled in near-constant conflict to control the area of North Antrim known as ‘The Route’. The history is so amazing, definitely worth reading about!
18:00 – Have a pint of Guinness
Guinness contains antioxidants like those found in red wine and dark chocolate, which are not found in other beers.
I enjoyed The Giant Causeway Tour from Dublin with Paddywagon Tours and learned so much about the Causeway Coastal Route.
A special thank you to our guide/bus driver Val, who not only went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable and having fun. He was super organized; had a great sense of humor, enthusiastic and genuinely loved his country. Honestly, Valentine was one of the nicest people I met in Ireland!!
Amazing Ireland Travel Guide
- Unique things to do in Dublin on ANY budget
- Why you should visit Wexford
- Amazing Black Taxi Tour of Belfast
Travel Insurance for Ireland
Use travel insurance while visiting Ireland so you are covered for theft and medical expenses. There are a lot of adventurous activities to do in Northern Ireland, and it’s best to have peace of mind while driving, hiking and trying some of the best food in the world.
Find out why I recommend World Nomads, check out my World Nomads Insurance review.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a booking after clicking on a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! | https://www.lifefromabag.com/northern-ireland-causeway-coastal-route/ |
Added February 14, 2018
According to researchers and authors, school counselors are often faced with limited resources and ongoing support in professional development and in assisting their building populations (Griffin & Farris, 2010; Grimes et al., 2013). Coordinating resources and generating ideas through effective collaboration via a school counselor leadership team has shown much promise (Gysbers, 2006; Young & Bryan, 2015). Therefore, practitioners and stakeholders may find it beneficial to gain insight into the development and sustainability of a regional school counselor leadership team (RSCLT).
School counselor practitioners as well as directors or supervisors of school counselors may benefit from this study by gaining awareness of a collaborative approach to addressing their regional community needs. The study explores a regional school counselor leadership team in the southern region of a southern American state. The region consists of 12 school districts of varies sizes. School counselor representatives of these school districts make up the school counseling leadership team as well as community members. The findings of this study gives insight on how school counselors, school counselor educators, and supervisors of school counselors came together to develop and sustain the leadership team that has been in existence for over 13 years. Also, the study details the challenges that the regional school counselor leadership team (RSLT) has faced and handled throughout the years.
The RSLT was developed as an initial response to the need to help prepare school-counselors-in-training and further develop school counselors in their region. Findings indicated that additional professional development was necessary to improve school counseling practices in the area. Examples included supporting and providing professional development on topics such as ethics and legal matters, internship, military families, border violence, and suicide prevention training to name a few. In order to sustain, the RSLT faced and addressed challenges dealing with communication, lack of school counselor supervisors or experience, organizing meetings, meeting locations, and finding presenters. Furthermore, the RSLT has sustained over time because of important decision-making and shared leadership. The RSLT implemented policies and procedures to ongoing success such as developing a system of chair changes, creating sub-committees, strengthening community relationships, addressing financial contribution allocations, and determining equitable representation.
All in all, there are several probable benefits to developing and sustaining a RSLT. Benefits may include empowering school counselors, building leadership capacity in school counselors as well as strengthening advocacy and collaboration efforts among school counselors. It would be beneficial for future researchers to continue to explore and examine the effectiveness of such benefits. It would benefit practitioners to read more about the current study for more detailed findings as well as additional professional literature regarding school counselor leadership teams (Brott, Stone, & Davis, 2016; Gysbers, 2006; Kaffenberger, Murphy & Bemak, 2006; Miller, 2006) and discuss with interested parties in their communities the possibility to create a regional school counselor leadership team, or if a similar team is in existence, consider alternative ways to approaching challenges to growth and sustainability. Lastly, It would also be beneficial if researchers and practitioners worked together to study the effectiveness of school counselor leadership teams’ goals, strategic planning, and services provided to the population they serve.
Carleton H. Brown, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso; Arturo Olivárez, Jr., PhD, University of Texas at El Paso; Lorraine DeKruyf, PhD, George Fox University in Portland, Oregon. | https://scale-research.org/article/4866 |
I love to read. Sharing my favorite books and discovering new authors never grows old.
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BOOKS
Currently reading
Fosse
Sam Wasson
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
The Master and Margarita
Mikhail Bulgakov, Diana Burgin, Katherine Tiernan O'Connor
Recently added
Blood & Beauty: The Borgias
6:00 pm 2 September 2013
First of all, the author employs a device I usually dislike with such skill that I felt I was a witness hiding behind the curtains through most of this book. That is to say,the novel is written in the present tense giving the events a sense of immediacy and tension. Second, I have to give Dunant five stars for her melding of history and fiction. This novel gives us the larger than life period of the Italian Renaissance and focus's on the Borgia family and it's place in history. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will like this. Dunant's portrayals of everyone from Rodrigo Borgia, newly crowned pope and his family to all those whose fortunes rise or fall depending on the Borgia attempt to increase his empire and his coffers using any means necessary are engaging and well developed. In the afterword, she comments on key events, her version versus the history of the time and this enhanced the experience for me. | http://karenldarrough.booklikes.com/post/641992/blood-beauty-the-borgias |
The Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health combines public/population health, international medicine, wildlife and conservation medicine and infectious disease teaching and research. The department’s goal is to improve human, animal and ecosystem health locally, nationally and internationally.
The program assistant is responsible for managing the front desk in the Wildlife Clinic. This position will require the assistant to learn about the field of wildlife rehabilitation and about federal and state regulations governing wildlife activities. Key responsibilities include responding to inquiries from the public regarding injured, orphaned, and nuisance wildlife and providing information for their wide variety of questions about wild animals; admitting patients for clinical care and coordinating specialized care with other hospitals at the Cummings School; providing patient updates as necessary; managing and analyzing data from the clinic’s online database by entering patient data, ensuring information is accurate for annual reports, and providing information as needed to Clinic personnel; coordinating all legal aspects of patient releases and facilitating transport throughout New England; maintaining and updating Federal & State permits; managing shipping of hazardous materials; coordinating media inquiries and press releases with Public Relations; providing tours to donors and visitors with strong interest in wildlife; acting as a liaison to local, regional and national wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, biologists and state and federal agencies; processing cash and credit card donations; training students and staff on fielding basic wildlife calls from the public; manage clinic calendars and coordinate various functions; sorting mail, receiving deliveries, and coordinating other front desk functions for smooth running of the Wildlife Clinic.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
Associate degree with 3 years of veterinary and/or wildlife rehabilitation related experience. Valid US Driver’s license. Proficient in Microsoft Office suite. Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. with or without accommodation. Knowledge and experience in veterinary and wildlife medicine.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of years of veterinary and wildlife rehabilitation related experience. Demonstrated ability to learn new technology.
Special Work Schedule Requirements:
Occasional night and weekend work; occasional work in the clinic to assist with animal procedures.
An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer. | https://careers.insidehighered.com/job/1582649/program-assistant-wildlife-18001483/?TrackID=11 |
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MONTREAL --
Those planning on driving in and around Montreal this weekend in the snow for holiday shopping or other errands, should know that taking the Pie-IX Bridge or the La Fontaine Tunnel towards the South Shore are best avoided due to roadwork-prompted closures.
PIE-IX BRIDGE / ROUTE 125
From Friday at 10 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., the following closure is in effect:
Between Montreal and Laval, the Pie-IX Bridge in both directions
As a result, the following are default closures as of 9:30 p.m.:
The Highway 440 east and west ramps to Route 125 South.
The Saint-Martin Boulevard entrance for Route 125 South.
From Dec. 13 to the end of 2022, the northbound section of the bridge will be closed.
As of Monday, one lane will be open in both directions on the southbound span with two lanes open during rush hour in the direction of peak traffic.
As a result, the de la Concorde Blvd. eastbound entrances for Route 125 and westbound for Route 125 South will be closed.
HIGHWAY 25 / LOUIS-H.-LA FONTAINE TUNNEL
Southbound
Friday from 9:30 p.m. to Saturday at 6 a.m.; Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to Sunday at 7 a.m., and Sunday from 9:30 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., the following closure will be in effect:
Between Montreal and Longueuil, Highway 25 South between Exit 4 (Montreal, downtown) and the Île-Charron entrance, including the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel.
As a result, the following are default closures:
In Montreal
The Sherbrooke St. entrance.
The Souligny Ave. entrance.
The Tellier and des Futailles street entrances.
Northbound
From Friday at 10:30 p.m. to Saturday at 7:30 a.m., Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to Sunday at 8:30 a.m., and from Sunday at 10 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., the following closure is in effect:
Between Longueuil and Montreal, two of three lanes on Highway 25 North in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel.
TO BE EXPECTED
Between Kahnawake and Montreal, on the Honoré-Mercier Bridge towards Montreal (R-138 East), one of two lanes will be closed on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. | |
RALEIGH – Connecting a virus to systemic racism will become one of the more artful examples of the Left’s constant pursuit of deeming things racist, but NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen has done it. Cohen told reporters that health disparities in general, and the outsized impact of COVID-19 on black and hispanic populations, is due to structural racism.
Cohen told the News & Observer, “Health disparities in our country are historic and persistent, and when we have a crisis like this, I think it shines a light on health disparities that, frankly, I’ve been working on for 3 1/2 years.”
The answer is usually, according to the Left’s playbook, to expand the government redistribution and control programs. Here again, a familiar suggestion: Medicaid expansion.
The entire premise is teed up and gift-wrapped by a sympathetic media in order to exploit the health crisis to further a social justice agenda.
Trending: SLOW DOWN: NC State Highway Patrol Commander Tells ‘Lazy’ Troopers to Write More Tickets
From the Durham Herald-Sun:
“[…] Like many other states that are reporting the racial demographics of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, North Carolina is seeing a disparately high impact on the state’s black residents. As of Friday afternoon, 1,086 black people had tested positive for COVID-19.
That’s 39% of the 2,781 cases where the race of the patient was known. North Carolina’s population is 22% black.
That gap is wide enough that in the unlikely event that every single one of the 1,087 patients whose race was not recorded were white, black patients would still make up a disparately high portion of the state’s cases. […]”
The coronavirus has hit black and hispanic communities harder, proportionally, than other groups. There are any number of factors that would shape this result, not least of which is the basic tendency of a virus to exploit higher density urban centers, where blacks and hispanics represent higher percentages of the population.
While the North Carolina population is 22 percent black, that number is 35 percent in Charlotte where the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases are, plus 15 deaths. There have been 10 deaths in Greensboro where 40+ percent of the population is black. This could speak to the over-representation in the numbers compared to statewide averages, but you know the Left wouldn’t let such a common sense explanation ruin an opportunity to push social justice. The Left ignores the myriad factors like the one above and blames racism.
They even go straight to their authority, Rev. William Barber, to make it official.
“[…] The high number of deaths and illness among black North Carolinians was not unexpected. For one thing, they’re a result of long-term deficits in education, health care and opportunities that often force black residents to take on the manual jobs that are still deemed “essential” at a time that much of the population is able to stay home.
And that amounts to racism, said the Rev. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign and a past president of the North Carolina NAACP.
“It’s not the germ, it’s not the virus and it’s not merely race. Because to say it’s just race is to say that people’s biology has a certain predisposition to the disease,” Barber said.
Instead, he said, it’s “the existing disparities prior to the pandemic that are further exposed and exploited by the germ once the pandemic hits.” […]”
The only explanation, according to Barber, is that the pandemic is magnifying racist and economic injustices that are already there. The purported solution is to adopt the radical Leftists’ social and economic justice agendas, starting with Medicaid expansion as baby step toward the Marxism they openly promote.
Notice, that Barber could only frame this in terms of race. This is systemic racial injustice exposed by the pandemic, he says, because the only alternative is just race? Race or racism. The assertion doesn’t make much sense considering different people have different biological predispositions to certain diseases all the time, but we digress.
Familiar foes identified: racism, racists, the greedy capitalists. Solution: Socialism
“[…] Barber and the Poor People’s Campaign have called on federal officials to help Blalock and other workers by providing paid sick leave for everyone, health care including free COVID-19 treatment for everyone and a “guaranteed and adequate” income for all front-line workers, including those in health care, at grocery stores and behind fast food counters. […]”
“Free” healthcare; mandatory paid sick leave; and a guaranteed income. A progressively more socialist system. These are the ends for which the Left is exploiting the COVID-19 crisis. Mandating shutdowns, decrying the economic fallout, and then using socialist government to ‘fix it.’
If you’ve felt out of sorts of late that’d be understandable — there IS a history-changing pandemic going on — but at least we can find some comfort in the familiarity of the Left exploit a crisis to advance their dangerous agenda. They lay it on thick in this feature in the woke Herald-Sun with Secretary Cohen reinforcing the dogma from the Cooper administration.
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Have something to say? Send your own guest column or original reporting to [email protected]. | https://firstinfreedomdaily.com/coopers-health-secretary-blames-racism-for-covid-19-impact-on-minorities/ |
Complete the form below and we will email you a PDF version of "Bypassing Genetic Bottlenecks With the CRISPR-SNP-Chip"
Since its invention in 1983, genomics laboratories across the globe have been utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA. Since then, few fundamentally new technologies have been invented in this area. In order to “democratize” the field of genomics, Cardea Bio has developed the CRISPR-SNP-Chip, a system that enables the detection of many biomolecules directly, using a minimally processed sample.
We spoke to Cardea Bio's CEO, Michael Heltzen, and Dr. Kiana Aran, chief scientific officer, to find out more about the development of the SNP-Chip and how it has been used in a recent study to detect sickle cell disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Molly Campbell (MC): For our readers that may be unfamiliar, can you explain how the SNP-Chip works and how the technology was developed?
Michael Heltzen (MH): The CRISPR-SNP-Chip – SNP-Chip for short – is a CRISPR-powered system that runs on Cardean transistors and infrastructure. Cardean transistors are graphene-based field effect transistors (gFET) that use molecular biology bits as the transistor gate to form a direct link between live molecular signals and computer circuits. The nano material graphene was chosen as it has high biocompatibility and it is a near perfect conductor that gives the system a time resolution (detection speed) never seen before in life science. When a target molecule is present in the sample, it binds to the capture mechanism (the molecular gate) immobilized at the surface, changing the electrical base line profile of the transistor. This electrical signal is then digitized by a high-speed reader and fed into computer software that interprets the signal in near real time. The Cardean infrastructure and chips can be used for near real-time direct detection of many classes of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA and protein interactions, including RNA binding proteins and other interactions that otherwise can’t be detected. In the case of SNP-chip, the capture molecule is a CRISPR-Cas complex immobilized to the surface with a guide RNA (gRNA) that is highly specific to the SNP target of interest. When this Cas-complex finds its target in the sample genome, it binds to it, creating an electrical signal across the graphene surface that can be read on the linked up computer. If the target SNP is not present in the sample genome, there will be no perfect binding event, and that can be seen in the signal profile.
In contrast with other genetic testing technologies like PCR and sequencing, which require much more time and well-equipped labs with highly trained technical staff to execute complex sample prep and measuring processes, the SNP-Chip needs only a minimally processed sample (e.g., from blood, saliva or plant material) to work. As such, SNP-Chip is the first genetic detection method that does not suffer from the problems and bottlenecks caused by DNA amplification, nor does it require expensive optical detection instruments.
MC: Can you talk about the rationale behind the latest study that used the SNP-Chip to detect sickle cell and ALS diseases?
MH: Sickle cell disease and ALS are both human genetic diseases resulting from the same phenomenon: single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in which individual base pairs in various regions of the human genome differ between individuals. While many SNPs have no significant phenotypic effect, others have the potential to give rise to disease. Sickle cell and ALS represent two of the most widespread, severe and well-studied of these SNP-induced diseases. Studying the SNP-Chip on sickle cell and ALS allowed our research to have a greater impact and gave us the opportunity to test our technology’s ability to discriminate between homozygous and heterozygous samples without DNA amplification. Both diseases are furthermore early targets for CRISPR gene editing efforts by more pharma companies, and therefore relevant examples of use cases of the technology being used for quality assurance for genome engineering efforts.
MC: In the Nature Biomedical Engineering study, the SNP-Chip was able to discriminate between homozygous samples containing two copies of the healthy SNP vs the disease-associated SNP, without DNA amplification. Why is this a significant development?
MH: Having a single DNA base-pair resolution without the need of a fully equipped and expensive DNA lab is almost unbelievable for most geneticists, as it could lead to a future where DNA insight is as normal as any other data insight.
Through PCR and other DNA sample prep, the genomic sample is a proxy signal of itself before a signal is generated and then recorded, for example, sequencing a genome or a PCR test process can also take days. The SNP-Chip will in the future be able to be handheld and can provide answers to the presence or absence of important SNP mutations within an hour. This will allow doctors and gene-therapy developers to get the answers and actionable insights they need to provide and develop solutions to many diseases and save lives that we are not able to do today.
As SNPs make up 50 percent of mutations known to cause genetic diseases, the ability of the SNP-Chip to be reprogrammed via gRNAs to identify different disease markers is a relatively straightforward process that requires simply designing specific gRNAs to bind to SNPs specific to each disease. Most molecular biologists can therefore do it. Virtually any genetic disease can therefore be detected via SNP-Chip, as long as a gRNA can be designed to seek the target. In addition, SNP-chip is not just limited to human diagnostics but can also be used for SNP detection in any genetic material of interest for a wide range of applications, such as genotyping for agricultural and environmental monitoring. Eliminating the need for amplification means that detection can be done rapidly and at the point of need with minimal equipment and processing – bringing solutions to where they are most needed.
MC: SNP-Chip “opens up a new range of possibilities for diagnostic and research applications”. Can you expand on what some of these possibilities are, both in medical genetics and beyond?
Kiana Aran (KA): The ability to detect SNPs on a chip does not just get to the core of human health genetics, it also gives us valuable and actionable insight into areas like agriculture, industrial bioprocesses and even evolutionary change, such as mutations conferring resistance to antibiotics or mutating viruses. By eliminating the need for amplification and large optical instruments, SNP-Chip will make SNP genotyping for these purposes readily accessible. Our hope is that this paper will inspire scientists worldwide to explore SNP-Chip’s capacity for detecting genetic variation.
MC: Are there any challenges associated with developing a CRISPR-based device for use in a medical context?
MH: CRISPR and gFETs are novel technologies. Anytime that we are relying on a methodology or technology to bring insight to someone’s health, safety is critical. Maturing a new technology to the levels of consistency needed to meet the standards for human safety requires significant efforts in optimization and scaling. SNP-Chip is built on the Cardea infrastructure, which can meet the needed scale. Further optimization, safety testing and meeting all requirements set forth by the FDA is needed before ever considering using SNP-Chip and related technologies in a medical context. CRISPR-Chip and SNP-Chip is for research-use only, like www.CRISPRqc.com, as an early example.
MC: You have said “I believe this is the biggest tech breakthrough in the genetics industry since the invention of PCR in 1983”. What has made this breakthrough possible?
MH: First of all, there has been very few fundamentally new DNA detection technologies invented since PCR amplification (as that is what most technology is built with), and that is in itself a thought-provoking point, that the best and newest tech we have available in a pandemic is from the 80’s.
The inception of SNP-Chip can be viewed as the convergence of multiple distinct technological waves; it is the parallel advancements in the fields of semiconductors, digital networks, genomics and gene-editing that have made such a ground-breaking invention possible. When these technologies were invented, no one imagined it was possible to bring them together in such an impactful way that we would be able to get around using DNA amplification. By combining CRISPR with graphene semiconductors, we have enabled direct access and interaction – allowing us to pair biology directly with hypersensitive measuring technology to tap into the 3B year of R&D that we call evolution.
MC: How will SNP-Chip “democratize” genetics?
MH: Previous detection of genetic mutations and variation relied on largely inefficient optical technologies only found in DNA labs (e.g., PCR test, sequencing) as they required lengthy amplification steps, complex bio reagent use and processes done by technical trained experts. Our technology, the SNP-Chip, bypasses all of these bottlenecks and allows for the digital, direct and accurate detection of SNPs with minimal sample processing and no amplification step needed. In doing so, the SNP-Chip opens the door for a far more rapid, simple and accessible means of detecting genetic variation. With time it means everybody can do it everywhere.
MC: What is next for CRISPR-SNP-Chip?
MH: SNP-Chip and CRISPR-Chip open the door for thousands of use cases and possibilities and Cardea cannot possibly develop all of them alone. Through the Innovation Partnership Program, Cardea has created a vehicle for organizations to access these technologies to build novel, market disrupting products across agriculture, life science research, defense, environmental monitoring, human health and more. In the not too far future the Cardea partners will be able to start combining DNA, RNA and protein measurements on the same chips and the same samples, and that way open the door into understanding systems biology. | https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/blog/bypassing-genetic-bottlenecks-with-the-crispr-snp-chip-351189 |
What parts of the Americas was Columbus?
What parts of the Americas was Columbus?
It was also called “the high journey”. Columbus started with 4 ships: the Capitana, the Gallega, the Santiago de Palos and the Vizcana. He explored the Central American coast between Honduras and Panama because he wanted to prove that there was a passage to China there.
How did Christopher Columbus discover America?
He wants to go to the legendary riches of Asia and arrives in America: in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovers the “New World”. A new era is beginning, not a good one for the natives of the continent. They are exploited, oppressed and destroyed by the European conquerors.
Why did Columbus think he landed in India?
Columbus wanted to find the western sea route to India. So in the summer of 1492 he set out from the south coast of Spain. The Spanish kings Isabella and Ferdinand supported Columbus because they had an interest in being able to handle the spice trade with India more quickly and easily.
What idea did Columbus have?
Christopher Columbus had a different idea. He was convinced that the earth was a sphere and that if you always traveled west across the ocean, you would also end up in Asia. But nobody wanted to give him money for the trip.
What did Christopher Columbus discover?
A new continent In fact, Columbus landed on a continent that Europeans had never known before: America. He went ashore on an island in the Bahamas. Columbus embarked on three more major voyages to his “India”.
What did the discovery of America bring?
Christopher Columbus not only brought the potato with him from America, he also gave the go-ahead for the globalization of the animal and plant world.
Who discovered America before Columbus?
Christopher Columbus is known as the discoverer of America. Actually, one has to speak of “rediscoverers”, because the Vikings were already in America before Columbus. The Viking Bjarni Herjulfsson was probably the first European to sight the land.
Who discovered America first?
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
Should we celebrate the rediscovery of America?
In 1992 there were big celebrations in Spain and Latin America. The reason: Christopher Columbus had “discovered” America 500 years earlier. Everything seemed clear to the Spaniards: such a great event should be celebrated. In many Latin American countries, too, people celebrated happy festivals.
Why is Columbus Day celebrated?
Columbus Day in New York is celebrated in October every year. The day is celebrated in memory of Christopher Columbus, the man who discovered America. Every year on Columbus Day there is a big parade in New York, which takes place on Fifth Avenue.
What did Columbus bring from America?
More than a hundred types of fruit, vegetables and animals were exported from America in this way. The explorers brought beans, avocados, corn, zucchini, tobacco and turkey with them. The potato, which had been eaten at the royal court in Spain since the 16th century, was a triumph.
Which foods originally came from America?
The strawberries we grow originally come from North America, onions from Asia and corn, potatoes and tomatoes from South America. Blueberries and pumpkins also only came to us with the discovery of the New World.
What did Europeans bring to America?
The discovery of America began the globalization of animals, plants and microbes. Potatoes, bird droppings and rubber from South America shaped the fate of Europe. The tobacco, the potato and the turkey came from America. In return, the Europeans brought the wheat, the measles, and the horse.
What crops came to us from America?
We have researched and put together a few details worth knowing about the kitchen garden plants from America. Tomato (tomatoes), green beans (beans), peppers and chili. Potato (strawberry) garden strawberry. sunflower. Jerusalem Artichoke. Pumpkin.
Which plants are originally from America?
Whether sugar maple, sunflower, corn, potato or strawberry: they all originally come from America, but also thrive very well here and are used e.g. T. cultivated over a large area.
Which vegetables are native to America?
How did tomatoes and peppers get to Europe? Ultimately, because Columbus discovered America, because a short time later the Spaniards brought tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chili and many other types of vegetables and fruit to Europe, which are now an integral part of our menu.
What is the Columbus Effect?
“1492: The Columbus Effect” tells the story of America and Europe and explains what effects the encounter of the two worlds, which were completely separate until 1492, had on the animals, plants and people on the two continents. It is the year 1491.
What plant did Columbus find on his first voyage to America?
Christopher Columbus brought a variety of fruits and plants with him from his voyages to the Americas, starting a global exchange that has influenced cuisines around the world.
Which vegetables originally came from Europe?
Naturalized exotic species enrich our diet Although Germans are known for their cabbage dishes, cabbage originally comes from the Mediterranean region. Spinach was probably first cultivated in Persia. Peas probably come from Syria.
How did peppers come to Europe?
Peppers were cultivated in Central America around 9,000 years ago. The plants belong to the Capsicum family and originate in what is now Mexico. Christopher Columbus brought chili peppers with him on his first trip to Europe. The fruits were called piemento in Spain.
Visit the rest of the site for more useful and informative articles! | https://sonichours.com/what-parts-of-the-americas-was-columbus/ |
Human beings are different from the rest of the animals on our planets in so many ways, and, one significant difference is that we have, and kind of understand, the difference between our conscious and unconscious minds.
Your conscious mind helps you live a happy and healthy life. You really wouldn’t be able to survive without it. Sigmund Freud is famed for his use the idea of the iceberg to distinguish the conscious mind from the unconscious mind and it is one model that makes it very easy to explain.
The “tip” of the iceberg that extends above the water represents the conscious thinking mind. This part of your mind is the objective or thinking mind. It only holds one thought at a time. It also identifies information, and processes it through the senses or through sight, sound, smell, touch or taste.
This part of your mind is constantly observing, matching patterns and categorising what is going on around you. The unconscious mind, which is the part of the iceberg below the water, represents everything else – which is a hell of a lot.
Even though the conscious mind helps you as you go through your day, it can also hold you back by keeping you stuck in unhealthy patterns. Learning how to break through these limitations is critical when using self-hypnosis because the conscious mind can interfere with all your good work.
Just for example you decide to plant flowers in your garden. There are a several ways you can go about it. You could research different seeds and figure out the best ones to plant, and then even add some fertiliser into your soil if it’s lacking nutrients for the plants.
Now, let’s look at different approach you could take. After following all of the steps above, you chose to go out into the garden everyday and dig up the seeds to check on their progress. Every time you did this, you would reassure yourself that everything was going to plan. However, as you can see, your constant interference actually did more harm than good, because if you took this approach, your garden would never progress.
The same thing that happens when you overthink something. This is your conscious mind interfering. If you want your mental garden to thrive and prosper, you need to leave it alone so it has space and time to grow.
The same thing applies when using self-hypnosis. In a sense you are placing an order just like you would at a restaurant. If you ever worked for someone who micro-managed you, how much work actually gets done as a result of them constantly interrupting and sing for progress checks all the time, wanting to review what you’ve done and constantly adding to your workload because they want to make changes and add other things in. It’s a bloody nightmare, frustrating and a complete waste of time and effort.
When you do keep your conscious mind busy, it can’t interfere as much. What you need to do is find other things to get involved in, this way your conscious mind is focused elsewhere and not on the problem.
If you have time, go for a walk or get stuck into a different task; this allows you to let it go and allow the unconscious mind to work its magic.
It’s important to trust your unconscious, and yes I know that it can be frustrating “waiting” for the unconscious mind to work its magic. If you find yourself in this little cycle, and you decide to try a different approach before the first method has finished, you are actually disengaging from the process which keeps leading you further from your goal.
The key is to keep yourself engaged, without being too engaged.
The Chinese philosophy Taoism is based on the idea of trusting your inner nature and letting your unconscious mind do its work. This approach allows the conscious mind to sit back and appreciate things, setting the scene and then letting events play out as they will.
This is also known as doing without doing or “Wei Wu Wei”. This might be a tad confusing at first, because it may be hard to imagine doing something without really doing it. When you hand the responsibility over to your unconscious mind, you are trusting that it knows how to do its job.
What this means is that if your intellect can grasp it, feel it away and put it into a neat and tidy box, then you have probably missed the entire point.
Pre-hypnotic suggestions: These generally involve positive affirmations, visualisations and self motivational talk. Affirmations are statements that emulate the state of mind or condition you want to be in, and they are always set in the present tense. Affirmations can be incredibly effective and they are easy to create and use.
These are simple to create and by saying them, it actually gives your mind something to answer.
Emotional streaming or Emo-streaming: This is similar to the principle of hypnotic questions, except it’s based on emotions and moods. For those who find themselves getting stuck on the content of the goal, emo-streaming works well.
For example, imagine yourself at a certain point in the future, say a year or so down the road. Take yourself there in your mind and ask yourself how you would be feeling having already achieved your goal. Avoid “thinking” and focus on “feeling” instead.
You can even imagine yourself going way beyond that goal, imagining how you feel having achieved that all-important milestone.
The Big Drift: This involves allowing your mind to become a casual observer, noticing the responses that are happening, without making any judgments. In other words, you’re just allowing things to happen in their own time and way.
Trusting in the process of the unconscious mind is what this is all about. The Big Drift allows you to create a space in your mind where new possibilities can appear.
All of these techniques work through the process of distraction. In the Big Drift, you start by preparing yourself by raising your hands up infant of your face, palms facing you and looking at your hands as if they weren’t really your hands. In step two allow oner arm to lower automatically, while you review your life lessons.
Once your arm reaches your lap, you can then review your problem or purpose for self-hypnosis. Step four involves allowing your second arm to descend while you review the myriad of possibilities.
The next step involves you simply choosing for yourself a new behavioural pattern. Step six involves closing your eyes, if you haven’t already done so and integrating all of the steps together.
Step seven is all about learning how to “let go” and learning how to get on with your life. Focusing on something too intently only slows the process down; so there is no need to think too much about your issue once you finish your session.
In order to listen to your unconscious mind, you need to begin tuning into your intuition and paying attention to your gut feelings about whatever is bothering you. The messages of the unconscious can be subtle, but other times they may metaphorically slap you in the face.
When you use self-hypnosis you really have no idea how your unconscious mind will present the opportunity or change to you. Using these methods allows you to open up your mind to a host of new possibilities – possibilities that your conscious mind could never come up with!
A top tip is not to take self-hypnosis or yourself too seriously, it’s meant to be a fun process. You can take as many or as few of these tips as you want, because only you know what works for you and you will only really find out what works for you when you play around with them all and practice with these techniques. This will enable you to find the combination that works best for you. With your conscious mind out of the way – anything is possible!
You need your conscious mind to help you make important decisions throughout your day. Without it, you could not function. Always keep in mind though that your unconscious mind is vastly larger than your conscious thinking mind. Using the idea of the iceberg once again, you can clearly see that your unconscious mind plays a huge role in your life.
Programming your unconscious mind is easy, once you decide what you want to work on. The truth of the matter is that many problems you have can be solved using self-hypnosis because your unconscious mind is quite brilliant and it can help you achieve any goal.
The trick is getting your conscious mind out of the way and these techniques can help you do exactly that.
Obviously I am a firm believer in what we can achieve when we learn to access and harness the power of our unconscious minds. However, sometimes we need a little outside assistance because when we are the root of our own problem/s, it can be extremely difficult to solve it from inside our own minds. If this is the case for you, then I strongly recommend that you do your homework and find yourself a Hypnotherapist in your area that you feel comfortable working with and use their knowledge and experience to help you resolve your problem/s and make the changes you want and need to make.
Whatever path you choose, I wish you every success and much happiness. | https://simonmaryan.com/tag/unconscious-mind/ |
I am a client-focused Real Estate business providing a personalised individual customer experience and service to the vendor, landlord, buyer or property renter.
My Philosophy is very simple. I treat people the way I would like to be treated: with courtesy, respect, and sincerity. Just hard work and property expertise. No games, no double-speak.
Nowhere is trust as important as in property dealings. Through a transparent consultative approach, I work hard to deliver what I promise to my clients and accept responsibility for the result of my professional actions.
My Vision is to develop and build a real estate business that provides a high level of personal service. I want to deliver exceptional service and strive to earn the status and reputation of a trusted real estate professional recognised for delivering outstanding results and customer service excellence.
My Mission is to work hard to achieve the best outcome for my clients and to consistently elevate the standard of my work by constantly learning and fine tuning my skills. I want to change the way real estate agents are viewed and provide a level of service that exceeds my clients’ expectations. | http://www.annpatersonrealestate.com.au/ |
This upscale condominium complex’s public spaces needed an updated look that would not compete with the design within each individual living space.
The resulting design is warm and dynamic, featuring rich chocolate, caramel, cocoa, and red tones. In the hallways, grasscloth wall coverings create pleasing visual texture, while enabling accent pieces and art to be changed regularly. And, because many residents have substantial private art collections, their art was able to be incorporated seamlessly into the design, creating community and a sense of ownership of these public spaces. | https://davidlyalldesign.com/project/steeplehouse/ |
Honey bees are attacked by numerous parasites and pathogens toward which they present a variety of individual and group-level defenses. In this review, we briefly introduce the many pathogens and parasites afflicting honey bees, highlighting the biology of specific taxonomic groups mainly as they relate to virulence and possible defenses. Second, we describe physiological, immunological, and behavioral responses of individual bees toward pathogens and parasites. Third, bees also show behavioral mechanisms for reducing the disease risk of their nestmates. Accordingly, we discuss the dynamics of hygienic behavior and other group-level behaviors that can limit disease. Finally, we conclude with several avenues of research that seem especially promising for understanding host-parasite relationships in bees and for developing breeding or management strategies for enhancing honey bee health. We discuss how human efforts to maintain healthy colonies intersect with similar efforts by the bees, and how bee management and breeding protocols can affect disease traits in the short and long term. | https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/socialized-medicine-individual-and-communal-disease-barriers-in-h |
For anyone in their first year of quantum mechanics, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox (EPR) is required study. Its significance is underlined because it marked the final confrontation between the classical way of viewing the world, and the emerging quantum way. At its heart, is the universe deterministic, predictable, and classical? Or is it random, indeterministic, and quantum? Models describing particles with wave functions had emerged and been tested, and there was no question QM worked (and worked well). The question was, is QM fundamental? Or are all these probabilities and uncertainties the result of our particular model, which covered up a misunderstanding of deeper principals with probability descriptions?
Einstein, father of the beautifully deterministic worldview given to us in general relativity, refused to believe the universe could operate, at its lowest levels, with uncertainty. This is what he meant when he famously said, “God does not play dice with the universe”. It is also misquoted rather vigorously to suggest Einstein meant a literal god, but the fact he often spoke pantheistically is well documented. In any event, he felt strongly that a deeper understanding of quantum principals might some day remove the uncertainty and show us what was really going on under the surface.
If we produce two particles in a twin state (entangled) are fired them off towards detectors, their spin is described by QM as being in a superposition of states, and is thus effectively undefined until measured. EPR suggested the particle might be random in-so-much as it was assigned randomly at the time of entanglement, but while in flight and prior to being detected both particles must have (the same) determined (x,y,z) spin. It was not, fundamentally, uncertain.
Produce your entangled particles, then setup two detectors, one to measure each particle. The detectors are setup to RANDOMLY measure only 1 axis each time, either X, Y, or Z.
If a particle has a determined spin, it can be described as (A, B, C), where A, B, and C are either U (up-spin) or D (down-spin) for the x, y, and z axis respectively. (U,U,D) would be a particle spinning up on the x and y axis, and down on the z axis.
So in Bell’s setup, each time we run the experiment, each detector would report either “UP” or “DOWN” for whatever it measured on the axis it randomly chose that time. The two detectors pick their axis at random and need not report which they used, thus each time we run this experiment there are 9 combinations of measurements we might see.
In each of those 9 cases, we will just see UP or DOWN from each detector, not knowing which of those 9 specific combinations led to that result.
The quantum case is easy. If EPR were wrong, and we run Bell’s experiment, we should see the two detectors agree 50% of the time.
Let’s dig into this a bit. The first two I listed above will cause our detectors to ALWAYS agree, no matter what axis they pick. If the particle is in state (U,U,U), then it doesn’t matter if I look at x, y, or z… I am going to see a U, and so will the other detector (remember, for our simplified example entangled particles have the same state). This means out of the 8 possible particle configurations, we can expect 100% agreement 2 times out of 8 (no matter which of the 9 axis-combinations chosen by our detectors).
Out of the 9 possible combinations of detector-axis-choice shown in the table further up, the 5 shown right here will match, and the 4 I didn’t draw will not.
And there we have it. If QM is right, our detectors will spit out matching reports of UP and DOWN exactly 50% of the time. If EPR is right, our detectors will spit out matching reports of UP and DOWN 66% of the time.
Later, the experiment was conducted, and the results agreed spectacularly with the Quantum Expectation. This means particles really don’t have hidden properties as they flit around, they exist in a true state of uncertainty.
In the dampened wake of the Holidays, I found myself once again drifting aimlessly into my own mind, an activity that almost inevitably leads to a blog entry or at least mild insomnia. In this case the former; in particular, I became absorbed with the concept of a Collective “hive” mind, and how it might affect a species such as humans.
The common portrayal of such a paradigm is never positive, exemplified most vividly with the Star Trek The Next Generation antagonists: the Borg.
The Brog are a cybernetic species that specialized in the indiscriminate assimilation of foreign biology and technology. The Borg are also pivotally characterized by a collective mind… the members of the Borg are merely drones without any personal awareness or sense of individuality. Indeed the horror of assimilation, and the compulsive replacement of your individuality with the collective, are recurring themes in Star Trek, as well as other scifi stories that touch the concept.
I take issue with several of these portrayals, and ultimately assume the unpopular perspective that a collective mind would be a huge opportunity and sign of maturity for humanity. It would also represent a fundamental paradigm shift of unprecedented proportions to the “human experience”.
The key to keep in mind is that joining a “collective” does not alter the way individual brains process, it simple interconnects the brain with others. What a connection to a collective is supposed to entail is an instant and unfiltered exchange of all thoughts and experiences between all members of the hive. Each human connected (or node) remains an individual processing center, meaning they continue to have their own consciousness and their own interface with experiences. The difference is that after the instant of initial experience, the event becomes public and known to all, and free for everyone to individually react to.
This is where the idea of losing one’s self enters the picture. Of course it is a matter of speculation, but I don’t subscribe to this model. It seems reasonable that people in a collective might arrive at interpretations or beliefs that they would not have held individually. From this deviation, we might deduce that the node is no longer an individual as it was unable to hold its own opinion. In other words, it may seem the individual’s opinion was forcibly overwritten by the collective. To the contrary, however, I would expect this sort of deviation. The change in a node’s “personal” opinion is not because the individual is unable to hold their own thoughts, but because their own thoughts mingle with every other person’s thoughts and a massive averaging takes place whereby every node individually aggregates the diversity of opinions and knowledge and arrives inexorably at the same conclusion. The key to remember is that the nodes share everything, so any differences of perspective or personality of individual nodes are subjected to every opposing opinion and perspective, allowing each node to personally agree with the “collective” personality and perspective.
This difference may seem subtle, but I insist it is not. Consider the elements that prevent people from agreeing on fundamental principals — take for instance an Evangelist and an Atheist. These two groups have entirely incompatible world views, and no amount of arguing could ever get them to agree. If they were connected to a collective, however, they would suddenly be able to exchange feeling associated with experiences, inherent instincts that cannot be explained, and they would be exposed to each other’s actual belief. As stated, they cannot have both beliefs, points would come into conflict and all internal reasoning would be shared and inclusive.
The ability to exchange information on the level of our “inner voice” opens up the door to this idea of true knowledge averaging. When we all have the same pieces and the same feedback on the best and worst way to use those pieces, then our interpretation of information is likely to average out to the “most-globally-reasonable” interpretation. This is not a loss by any means, it is a huge gain. It enables the enhancement of human understanding and influence to extravagantly unthinkable levels. It also does not require us to lose anything that we value in our current method of individual contributions, those contributions simple become lower level. For instance, an individual whose perspective is very innovative and new can still redirects the whole collective. But in a collective mind, that innovation can be leveraged to a greater capacity because as soon as it is discovered by a single node, it becomes available to all nodes to leverage.
Because the processing of information is still within the brain of the nodes, it makes sense that certain nodes would have certain values — some more likely to innovate and some more likely to make abstract connections, much like in our world. Again with the key difference that all nodes instantly understand how and why that innovation was realized, and can hopefully simulate the thought process.
This dispersal also allows humans to optimize themselves in ways previously unimaginable. Technology as is stands now — wikipedia, social networking, televised entertainment, music — none of it would be required anymore when culture and enrichment is available on demand. We would not lose these facets of our culture, we would simply be able to experience them without the technology middleman. I imagin a collective culture relying very little on technology or surroundings for happiness or entertainment.
I will close with a curious afterthought on this subject. If the individual consciousnesses in a collective were so interconnected that they could actually distribute their existence over multiple brains, a very sci-fi opportunity appears. Up until now, I describe a node as its own person who is fully connected to each other person. In many ways, this allows the group to control the group, because every decision (where to walk, what to say) is influenced and planned by the whole collective. However to execute the actual action, the host of that particular body must agree with the collective, and their brain must control their body. In this new sense of shared consciousness, individuals could actually move their consciousness between particular nodes, or even share control of nodes living primarily in the cloud. For physical tasks, a strong body might be occupied by an individual, and then for solving a problem, a node better suited to mental work might be occupied. In addition, several individuals might share control of multiple nodes at once.
This kind of collective allows humans to break the 1:1 connection that exists between a body and a mind — in fact it opens up the ability for n:m where n minds control m bodies, and n >= m. Now if a body is lost, it does not necessarily pull its host out of the collective — the host may exists redundantly across the network. Now any consciousness can actually control any body, a subtle difference from before where only one could control a body, even through its decision to do so was largely the decision of the collective.
The technology to achieve the kind of interconnectivity a collective requires is no where near the horizon, and may be permanently delegated to the Sci-Fi realm. If it does every make it to reality, however, I think we stand to benefit greatly from its potential. The changes it represents to our way of life are so small compared to the amazing opportunity for peace, advancement, and growth as a species. If it ever comes to be, I envision plugging in will be a major point of contention, but inevitably everyone would seek its refuge and comfort, and be much happier they had done so. | http://www.curvingspace.com/category/thoughts/ |
CPT Theorem(redirected from CPT symmetry)
Also found in: Wikipedia.
CPT theorem
A fundamental ingredient in quantum field theories, which dictates that all interactions in nature, all the force laws, are unchanged (invariant) on being subjected to the combined operations of particle-antiparticle interchange (socalled charge conjugation, C), reflection of the coordinate system through the origin (parity, P), and reversal of time, T. In other words, the CPT operator commutes with the hamiltonian. The operations may be performed in any order; TCP, TPC, and so forth, are entirely equivalent. If an interaction is not invariant under any one of the operations, its effect must be compensated by the other two, either singly or combined, in order to satisfy the requirements of the theorem. See Quantum field theory
The CPT theorem appears implicitly in work by J. Schwinger in 1951 to prove the connection between spin and statistics. Subsequently, G. Lüders and W. Pauli derived more explicit proofs, and it is sometimes known as the Lüders-Pauli theorem. The proof is based on little more than the validity of special relativity and local interactions of the fields. The theorem is intrinsic in the structure of all the successful field theories. See Quantum statistics, Relativity, Spin (quantum mechanics)
CPT assumed paramount importance in 1957, with the discovery that the weak interactions were not invariant under the parity operation. Almost immediately afterward, it was found that the failure of P was attended by a compensating failure of C invariance. Initially, it appeared that CP invariance was preserved and, with the application of the CPT theorem, invariance under time reversal. Then, in 1964 an unmistakable violation of CP was discovered in the system of neutral K mesons. See Parity (quantum mechanics)
One question immediately posed by the failure of parity and charge conjugation invariance is why, as one example, the π+ and π- mesons, which decay through the weak interactions, have the same lifetime and the same mass. It turns out that the equality of particle-antiparticle masses and lifetimes is a consequence of CPT invariance and not C invariance alone. See Elementary particle, Meson, Symmetry laws (physics)
CPT Theorem
a theorem of quantum field theory stating that the equations of the theory are invariant under the CPT transformation—that is, they do not change form if the three transformations of charge conjugation (C), space inversion (P), and time reversal (T) are performed simultaneously. In charge conjugation, particles are replaced by the corresponding antiparticles. Space inversion, or reflection, involves the replacement of the space coordinates r by – r. Time reversal means the replacement of the time coordinate t by —t.
The CPT theorem was formulated and proved by the German physicist G. Lüders between 1952 and 1954 and by the Swiss physicist W. Pauli in 1955. The theorem follows from the fundamental principles of quantum field theory. If some process occurs in nature, the CPT theorem implies that there can also occur in nature, with the same probability, the process obtained by replacing the particles in the original process with the corresponding antiparticles, by changing the signs of the projections of the particles’ spins, and by interchanging the initial and final states of the original process.
It follows, in particular, from the CPT theorem that (1) a particle and the corresponding antiparticle have equal masses and equal lifetimes, (2) the electric charges of a particle and the corresponding antiparticle differ only in sign, as do the magnetic moments, (3) the interaction of a particle and of the antiparticle with a gravitational field is identical (that is, there is no “antigravitation”), and (4) in those cases where the interaction of particles in the final state is negligible, the energy spectra and angular distributions of the decay products are the same for particles and anti-particles, and the projections of the spins are of opposite sign.
Not a single instance of violation of the CPT theorem has been observed. The equality of the masses of a particle and the corresponding antiparticle has been tested for the kaons K0 and K̅0 with an accuracy of approximately 10–15, which exceeds by ten orders of magnitude the best accuracy achieved for the masses of other particles: ~10–5 for the electron (e–) and positron (e+), ~10–4 for the muons µ– and µ+, and ~10–3 for the kaons K– and K+. The equality of the lifetimes of particles and antiparticles has been verified with an accuracy not exceeding 10–3. The equality of the magnetic moments has been tested with an accuracy of ~10–6 for µ– and µ+ and ~10–5 for e– and e+. The accuracy of the comparison of spectra and polarization in the decays of particles and antiparticles apparently does not exceed 10–2.
Until 1956 the laws of nature were believed to be symmetric under each of the C, P, and T transformations performed separately. The discovery in 1956 of violations of P and C invariance and the discovery in 1964 of a violation of CP invariance (seeCOMBINED INVERSION) had little effect on the theoretical apparatus of physics, which was able to make allowance for these discoveries in a natural manner, without violating the fundamental principles of the theory. In contrast to the violation of P, C, and CP invariance, the detection of a violation of CPT invariance would require changes in the foundations of quantum field theory. The violation of the CPT theorem would “break” the connection between particles and antiparticles. Within the framework of traditional quantum field theory, the bases of the CPT theorem—such as relativistic invariance, the localization of interactions, and the relation between spin and statistics—are such that it cannot yet be seen how even one of them could be sacrificed without radically altering the entire theory. The same statement can be made with regard to axiomatic quantum field theory. The experimental search for effects reflecting a violation of CPT invariance is thus all the more interesting.
REFERENCESLapidus, L. I. “Sledstviia CPT-invariantnosti i eksperiment.” Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk, 1968, vol. 95, issue 4.
Fainberg, V. la. “Teoreticheskie osnovy CPT-invariantnosti.” Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk, 1968, vol. 95, issue 3. | https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/CPT+symmetry |
Stanford University Entrepreneurship Corner video stated description: Founder and CEO William Marshall takes us inside how Planet Labs seeks to benefit humanity by leveraging continuous imaging to understand the challenges facing the planet. Marshall discusses founding ventures with purpose, the opportunities possible from open access to data, and the novel technologies that bring their “dove” satellites to life in space.
Stanford University: Entrepreneurship Takes Flight by William Marshall
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Email [email protected] about bringing his innovation facilitation, speaking, workshops, or program development to your organization or conference. Let's create a culture of innovation and collaboration. | https://www.innovationtraining.org/stanford-university-entrepreneurship-takes-flight-by-william-marshall/ |
With Piero Gleijeses, Linda Heywood, Christabelle Peters, Adriano Mixinge, Tony Pinelli and Ned Sublette.
In November of 1975 the Cuban government made a major military intervention in Angola’s independence process. Forty years later we gather to commemorate this historical moment and its consequences with #CubAngola40 - a daylong symposium at New York University. The conference gathers participants, witnesses, critics and scholars to remember and reconsider the event, to illuminate its political and cultural consequences and rethink the relevance of this important chapter of Global South history.
What happened in November of 1975?
Forty years ago, the Cuban government launched Operation Carlota, a large-scale military intervention in Angola while this African country was on the eve of its independence from Portugal. The Cuban military victory over the forces supported by the United States and South Africa represented an explosive chapter of the Cold War and of the African decolonization. The consequences were immediate and long-lasting, since the resulting defeat of South African troops contributed to the end of the white-supremacist regime of Apartheid. In that context, the intervention of a small Latin American country into the two main geopolitical struggles of the time was not only unique, it represented an audacious South-to-South cooperation.
Nonetheless, this important historical fact still underrepresented. A great deal of historical and cultural material remains open to exploration, discussion, and scholarship. Hence, #CubAngola40 begins to redress the scant attention this event has received and will strive to answer many pertinent and suspended questions:
What did the internationalism behind this event mean,or what could it have meant to today’s racial politics of the African diaspora and to transnational solidarity?
What political role did the Bantu-based cultures shared by both countries since early slave trade bring to bear in the Angola-Cuba context?
In light of recent changes in US-Cuba relations, can we expect new narratives, revelations, or perspectives regarding the intervention?
Check here for more information and program schedule. Also follow this link to RSVP.
Organized by NYU CLACS. | https://www.kjcc.org/news/on-going-colloquium-friday-cubangola-40-rethinking-the-1975-afro-cuban-war/ |
English | MP4 | AVC 1280×720 | AAC 44KHz 2ch | 5h 48m | 814 MB
This course will take you from zero to being productive with modern C++, without requiring any previous specific programming knowledge.
This course is designed to give you everything you need to be productive with modern standard C++. Not every aspect of the C++ language is considered (that would be impossible in a few hour course); instead, the course is focused on some important practical-oriented features of the language. The language features discussed in this course will be shown in action with concrete C++ code samples. This course is a mix of slides and C++ demos. Even basic concepts will be explained, using interesting visuals and metaphors. In this course, C++11 from Scratch, you will begin your C++ journey learning how to compile your C++ code. First, you will start from a simple Hello World program. Next, you will learn how to represent data in your C++ programs with types and variables. Then, you will discover how to write code to make decisions and iterating. Finally, you will explore the basics of the STL vector container, and you will learn how to define your own classes. After following this course, you will be able to learn further C++ elements including minor C++14 additions, building on the solid modern C++ knowledge of this course.
1 Course Overview
Introducing C++
2 Introduction
3 Why C++
Building C++ Programs
4 Introduction
5 The C++ Compiler - A Translator
6 My First C++ Program - Hello World
7 Compiling from the Command Line
8 Errors and Warnings
9 Recap of Common Compiler Options
10 Dipping Your Toe in the Water of an IDE
11 A Brief Note on Coding Style
12 Going Deeper - The Preprocessor and the Linker
13 Summary
Representing Information with Types and Variables
14 Introduction
15 What Is a Variable
16 Representing Integer Numbers with the Integer Type
17 Basic Operations
18 Declaring and Initializing Variables
19 Demo - Integer Calculator
20 Approximating Real Numbers with Double
21 Demo - Temperature Conversions
22 Demo - The Roundoff Error
23 Representing Text with the Standard std - -string Class
24 Demo - Say Hi
25 Demo - Flowerbox
26 Representing Constant Values
27 Summary
Making Decisions and Iterating
28 Introduction
29 Making Decisions Using the if Statement
30 A Matter of Coding Style
31 Demo - Warming up with Multiplication Problems
32 Generating Random Numbers
33 Demo - Multiplications with Random Numbers
34 Executing Code Repeatedly with for Loops
35 Demo - Asking Multiple Multiplication Problems
36 Iterating Using while
37 Demo - Continue to Prompt Multiplication Problems Using while
38 Iterating Using the Range-based for Loop
39 A Few Common Beginner s Errors
40 Summary
Reusing Code with Functions
41 Introduction
42 Why Functions
43 Demo - Reusing the Temperature Conversion Code with a Function
44 Local Variables and Scope
45 The Swap Algorithm
46 Demo - Modifying Function Parameters Swap in Action
47 Passing Parameters by Value vs. by Reference
48 Observing Parameters with const References
49 Demo - Observing Parameters The Underline Function
50 Basic Rules for Parameter Passing in C++
51 Function Overloading
52 Introducing the New C++11 Trailing Return Type Syntax
53 Summary
Storing Sequences of Items with the STL vector
54 Introduction
55 Meet std - -vector - The Best Default Standard Container
56 Basic Vector Operations
57 Iterating Through Vector s Elements
58 Demo - std - -vector in Action
59 Iterators and Sorting
60 Demo - Reading and Sorting Lines from Files
61 Fixing a Couple of Subtle Bugs
62 Summary
Defining Custom Types
63 Introduction
64 Building Layers of Abstractions with Custom Types
65 Designing a Simple First Class - Rectangle
66 Implementing Rectangle in C++ - Data Members and Access Control
67 Initializing Objects with Constructors
68 Implementing Class Operations with Member Functions
69 Demo - The C++ Rectangle Class in Action
70 Demo - Three Common Mistakes with Classes
71 Automatic Resource Cleanup with Destructors
72 Demo - Destructors in Action
73 Summary
Organizing Code in Multiple Files
74 Introduction
75 Header-only Code Reuse
76 Preventing Multiple Header Inclusions with Include Guards
77 Splitting Class Code in Header and Source Files
78 Introducing the CMake Build System
79 Summary and Thank You
Resolve the captcha to access the links! | https://forcoder.su/c11-from-scratch/ |
Distinguished Members of today’s Panel,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed an honour and a privilege for me to be opening this important event for which I thank the representatives of Turkey and Benin. I also thank UNDP, UN DESA, UN ECA, the South- South Cooperation Unit and the government of South Africa for contributing to this opportune event which gathers experts and relevant stakeholders to discuss the issues of Illicit Financial Flows from LDCs, which is of great relevance for LDCs and thus needs to receive adequate attention at this conference. As you know the aim of these special events is to contribute to the concrete deliverables of this Conference.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are encouraged by the increasing awareness and attention that the subject matter of illicit financial out-flows from LDCs is receiving today. The fight against corruption, including the transfer of illicit funds, the return of such funds and stronger cooperation to eliminate money laundering has to be a top priority of the international community. To date, no specific international regulatory mechanism exists for monitoring and curbing the transfer of illicit funds and the laws of individual nations seem not sufficient to combat this growing problem.
This special event gives us a unique opportunity to take stock of feasible, workable solutions, and contribute to creating a truly global instrument to address the menace of illicit transfer of funds especially in the LDCs who are most likely to suffer greatly from this problem. It is very important from my point of view that this event will also discuss the linkages between the illicit capital and the financing for development agenda.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Illicit financial flows including its attendant problems of money laundering and tax evasion and the difficulties of identifying the sources of these funds are becoming very critical issues in most LDCs. Money laundering, which is the process by which the origins of funds from illegal enterprises are concealed through a variety of methods including offshore havens and legitimate businesses has a negative economic impact on most businesses and government entities. In addition, money laundering is a common element in many fraud, corruption and terrorist financing cases. Despite the improvement of international laws and regulations against anti- money laundering processes, many LDCs are still confronted with the difficulties of evolving practical measures to address this problem, given their underdeveloped financial markets and lack of capacity to enforce regulations.
The need to combat corruption at all levels is underlined at various international meetings, including the Monterrey Consensus and will also feature in the Istanbul Programme of Action. However, recent reports including the report of the Eminent persons for this Conferencepoint out that corrupt practices seriously inhibit effective resource mobilization and allocation, absorbing resources meant for vital economic and sustainable development that are aimed at reducing poverty. It is estimated that the illegal funds held abroad could wipe out external debt, plug the fiscal and trade deficits.
The draft PoA contains a concrete call for implementing measures to curtail illicit financial flows at all levels, enhancing disclosure practices and promoting transparency in financial information. It also calls for implementing additional measures to prevent the transfer abroad of stolen assets and to assist in the recovery and return of such assets, in particular to their countries of origin, consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption;
In an effort to reverse that trend, international organizations have put several measures in place to fight corrupt practices. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has intensified its work against money laundering and is also expediting its offshore financial centre assessment programme. It has increased technical assistance to Member States.
In addition, research by the watchdog Global Financial Integrity indicates that political instability, rising income inequality, and pervasive corruption are some of the structural and governance issues that could be driving illicit capital from many developing countries. In this regard, the GFI recommended that increasing transparency in the global financial system was critical to reducing illicit financial outflows.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is argued that economic growth will be much higher in most LDCs if Governments brought back illegal funds from abroad and stamped out corruption in government
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I see a full programme ahead of us, with a very respectable panel to elaborate on the issue of illicit financial flows from LDCs and I challenge you to explore the various factors that continue to induce illicit financial flows, the social and economic costs to LDCs and especially to identify practical deterrents which LDCs could readily embrace in their development programmes.
I thank you and wish you success in your deliberations. | http://unohrlls.org/meetings-conferences-and-special-events/statement-at-the-special-event-on-%C2%93illicit-financial-flows-from-ldcs-organized-by-the-governments-of-turkey-benin-and-undp/ |
NEW DELHI: Despite the government’s push towards a Digital India, there is a wide gap in Internet usage in urban and rural India. While Internet penetration in urban India is about 64.85 per cent, it’s just 20.26 per cent in rural areas. A recent report, Internet in India- 2017, by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) disclosed that though the growth rate in rural India seemed higher, it was mainly due to the low base effect; and overall Internet users in rural India are still critically low.
Internet penetration in urban India was 64.84 per cent in December 2017 as compared to 60.6 per cent in December 2016. In comparison, rural Internet penetration has grown from 18 per cent to 20.26 per cent in the same period. “Given that total urban population is much lower than the rural population, the digital divide is actually more acute than what the penetration numbers portray,” the report said. Future growth policies therefore must focus on bridging this digital divide, the report advised. Urban India, with an estimated population of 455 million, has 295 million Internet users.
Rural India, with an estimated population of 918 million as per the 2011 census, has only 186 million Internet users. Thus, there are 732 million potential users are still to be reached in villages. Out of an estimated 281 million daily Internet users, 182.9 million—or 62 per cent—are in urban areas, as compared to 98 million users or 53 per cent, in rural India. The Internet user market is still a male preserve, with just 143 million female users, or 30 per cent of total users.
In rural areas, the ratio between male and female Internet users is 64:36. However, the proportion of rural females using Internet is growing steadily since the last year. The number of Internet users in India was estimated to be 481 million in December 2017, a growth of 11.34 per cent over December 2016. The number is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018. As on December 2017, the overall Internet penetration was 35 per cent of the total population. Internet is the preserve of the youth, with students and youngsters accounting for around 60 per cent of all users in India. Popularity of entertainment, social networking, etc makes the Internet more attractive for youngsters at present. | https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2018/mar/03/wide-gap-in-internet-use-in-urban-rural-india-1781640.html |
Q:
For crackling, should I give pork a blast of super heat at the start or end of roasting?
I will be slow roasting a whole pork shoulder tomorrow -- it's huge! For most of the time the oven will be set to a fairly low temperature and the joint will be covered with foil. However for a time I will remove the foil and turn the oven up to full temperature to get some good crunchy crackling developing. My question is: should I do this crackling at the beginning or the end of the roasting?
A:
The heat should be applied at the end, if you covered the crackling with tinfoil and slow cook it will soften (not crispen!) due to the steam and the trapped fat.
A:
For the best crackling, score the top before you cook it and pour boiling water over the top. Sprinkle it with salt, then cover it with tin foil to cook it, removing the tin foil for ten minutes at the end. Makes fantastic crackling every time!
A:
This is the way I've always done it...
I like to give the shoulder a good blast at a high temperature at the beginining to get some good colour and add flavour. Score the skin, season with salt and give it about half an hour at 220 degrees C or higher, uncovered, with some stock veg in the tray. Take it out, add some herbs or flavourings if you like (bay leaves, lemon, thyme, spices etc) pour in half a bottle of wine and about the same in water. Cover the shoulder in a sheet of baking paper, then cover tightly with foil (occasionally foil will stick to the fat on the pork, so it's best to have a layer of parchment between).
After it's slow cooked at the low temp and is falling apart tender, take it out and turn up the oven again. Strain off all the juices for making your sauce, then carefully remove the skin and lay it on a seperate, dry, tray and give it a blast in the hot oven .
This has always worked for me as you're getting perfect meat and perfect crackling. Slow cooking meat always makes the skin flabby and if it's a joint as large as a shoulder I'd prefer to remove the skin and blast it at the end on it's own rather than still on the joint as you run the risk of drying some of the meat in the process of drying the skin enough for it to crackle.
Hmm... crackling....
| |
[June 17, 2014] Practicing leadership skills is not something we normally think about when it comes to improving our leader talents. Athletes, target shooters, musicians, Army tank crews, etc., all have scheduled practice sessions designed to improve their performance. But, what about leaders, do they practice their trade? Yes, leadership requires practice … however, maybe not in a traditional way of thinking.
Leadership requires practice because to get better, there is no substitute for a deliberate effort designed to improve action. As long as a leader has interest to improve their performance and takes purposeful steps to do so, that is what we call practice. True, this is done with on-the-job experience but leaders who desire to improve will reflect on ways to do better.
Leaders that seek out other professional leaders who can teach, coach, and mentor them are those who have made a conscious decision to improve. This gives that leader feedback on their past performance and provides a non-judgmental way of elevating performance. Furthermore, this is one of the best ways to accelerate the development of leadership skills.
The traditional studies of leadership through professional-level reading, developmental leadership courses, and interaction with other experienced leaders are a few other ways to improving leader talent. As long as the leader is taking steps to improve, then we can rightfully call it “practice”.
We have all met “leaders” that have no desire to improve their skills. Many have no sense at what it means to be a leader. These are often toxic to the work environment and to the people around them. Perhaps they have “hope” that they will get better but do not want to do the work and study required to make changes in themselves. This is unfortunate. Such people are unwilling to practice leadership and will harm themselves and others as a leader.
“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King1
Leadership must always be about improving. Leadership requires practice. Practice must be deliberate and involve all those traits we normally think of when we have the passion to be the best at what we do.
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page.]
—————————-
Some other quotes that I like regarding the concept of practice: | https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-requires-practice/ |
GUELPH, ON, May 7, 2015 /CNW/ - The Co-operators has been awarded the 2015 J.D. Power Canada award for Canadian Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction in Alberta and tied in the Atlantic region. The 2015 Canadian Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study released today by J.D. Power also showed The Co-operators ranked second in Ontario.
The study measures overall customer satisfaction with their auto insurance providers by examining five critical study factors that constitute the relationship between customers and their insurance company: Non-claim interaction, Policy Offerings, Billing and Payment, Price, and Claims. The rankings, based on responses from insurance customers across Canada, are divided into the following regions: the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
Customers of The Co-operators rated the organization highest in satisfaction in three of the five factors in Alberta, and two factors in the Atlantic.
"Our performance in this study completed by J.D. Power clearly indicates we are making solid progress towards our long-term goal of being the industry leader in Client Engagement," says Rick McCombie, Executive Vice-President and Chief Client Officer. "We will carefully review the detailed results to see where we can continue to improve the client experience."
Since the inaugural study in 2008, detailed results of the J.D. Power surveys have been used to identify strengths and areas in need of improvement. Results from previous years have helped The Co-operators focus on specific areas to improve customer service, and these efforts are producing positive results. | http://newsreleases.cooperators.ca/2015-05-07-J-D-Power-ranks-The-Co-operators-highest-for-customer-satisfaction-in-the-Alberta-and-Atlantic-regions |
D step in your CI/CD pipeline.
We have added a guide on configuring GitLab and GitHub to push edge application changes to your edge sites by using Avassa. The same technique should be applicable in any CI/CD pipeline. The simple principle is to maintain your Avassa Application and Deployment specifications YAML files in your repository, and controlled changes trigger the complete pipeline.
New Web UI frontend for the Avassa Cloud Platform
In the release highlights for March, we informed about the Web UI facelift for the Control Tower. You will now see the same frontend design for the Avassa Cloud Platform. This is where you manage your different environments before launching Control Tower.
How to integrate Avassa Edge with your central cloud application
Many solutions consist of a central application running in a cloud and companion edge applications. Applications running in the central cloud manage data from all the edge nodes, in many cases, do analytics across all the data received from the edge apps.
The Avassa platform is optimal for running the edge applications on your hardware. The central applications usually run in a private or private cloud, in many cases in a K8S cluster.
We have now provided tutorials and example source code on how to write a central application that interacts with Avassa to manage the edges. As illustrated below, your central application interacts with the edge sites over our published APIs directly if they are reachable or indirect proxied by Control Tower if needed. There is another scenario covered in the tutorial where the edge sites push data to your central application.
The interaction is typically around the two following use cases:
- Secrets management: from your central application, you may need to both push secrets to your edge
- Events and logs: from your central application, you may need to subscribe to specific event topics from the edges or produce events to specific edge sites
In the first case, you would use the Strongbox APIs, and in the latter, you would use our Volga APIs.
Links to new resources
- Tutorial on central and edge integration
- Programming with Strongbox
- Programming with Volga
- Example code repository for the above
Kubernetes integration
As pointed out above, it is common to have a central application in K8S and edge applications managed by Avassa. To make it easier to manage Avassa edge secrets from your central application within K8S, we have provided a K8S Avassa Strongbox secrets integration.
The integration is provided as an init container in Kubernetes to access secrets stored in Strongbox. It can be used to mount the secrets as files and to populate Kubernetes secrets with the contents of a Strongbox vault secret.
The container will read k8s annotations; see below:
apiVersion: v1 kind: Pod metadata: name: auth-demo annotations: avassa.io/api-host: api.telco.avassa.io avassa.io/tenant: telco avassa.io/service: minikube avassa.io/role: default
Suppose we have an Avassa Strongbox vault called
credentials with the following secret:
name: admin data: password: verysecret user: [c](<mailto:[email protected]>)[email protected]
This secret can be mapped to unique individual files for each data key by adding this annotation
avassa.io/vault.<vault-name>.<secret-name>: files
for example
avassa.io/vault.credentials.admin: files
The integration allows for a similar principle to populate K8S secrets. The procedure is to create a K8S secret with a specific field named
strongbox-map. The field should contain a mapping specification on the format
<secret-key>: <vault-name>/<secret-name>/<key-id>
The above mapping specifies that the Avassa
vault-name and
secret-name will be expanded into a K8S secret.
Below is an example:
apiVersion: v1 kind: Secret metadata: name: db-credentials type: Opaque stringData: strongbox-map: |- username: credentials/admin/user password: credentials/admin/password
Read more in the K8S secrets integration tutorial.
Documentation additions
Many of you might have started by using the Avassa Web UI. For some use cases a command-line interface might give richer flexibility and more options; meet the Avassa command line
supctl. It has been there since the first release, but maybe some of you are not yet fluent in using it. Therefore we have added a
[supctl tutorial](https://docs.avassa.io/docs/tutorials/supctl) showing different scenarios and usage options.
The Avassa system has intrinsic support for multi-tenancy. When you start building out your edge sites you acted as a site provider tenant: you own and manage the sites and the constituting hosts. If you are one single organization that both own the sites and the applications you might stop here. You also deploy your applications as the site provider.
But either if you just want to delegate the responsibility within your organization or give access to other organizations to deploy applications to the sites, multi-tenancy is your friend. As a site provider you can create application owner tenants. They are isolated from each other, and they can share (policy-restricted) resources on a site. We have now written a multi-tenancy tutorial explaining and illustrating most of these features.
In summary, documentation updates covered in this month’s Avassa highlights include: | https://avassa.io/feature-releases/april-2022-feature-releases-highlights/ |
The body of the former 'Home and Away' star - who played Jesse McGregor on the Australian soap on and off from 1996 to 2005 - was found at his home in Minyon Falls in New South Wales, on August 14th, but his death is "not being treated as suspicious".
"The body of a 41-year-old man was located. The death has not been treated as suspicious."
Ben was due to turn 42 on August 15th.
A spokesperson for 'Home and Away' told Australia's Channel 7: "Cast and crew from 'Home and Away' are saddened to learn of the passing of former castmate, Ben Unwin.
"Ben’s work in the role of Jesse McGregor is remembered with much affection.
"Ben’s family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers."
Kimberley Cooper, who played Gypsy Smith in the soap, paid tribute to her former co-star.
She wrote: "My first tv week cover was with you. We had years of laughter, be it giggles on set trying to get through scenes as lovers or doubled over belly laughs at the pubs after work. I will be sad for now, but I promise to tell stories of great joy about our times together. You forever hold a special place in my heart. Love you Onion (sic)"
Ben initially starred as Jesse from 1996 until 2000 and then returned to the soap from 2002 to 2005.
His role earned him a National Television Award in 1997 for Most Popular Newcomer.
After leaving the soap, he completed a law degree and started work as a senior solicitor. | |
A project of the Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development and The Consensus Council, Inc.
Contacts:
Jim Burg, South Dakota Utilities Commission
605-773-3201
Larry Diedrich, South Dakota Senate
cell 605-690-3297
Betsy Engelking, Great River Energy
763-241-2368
Kevin Kephart, SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station
605-688-4149
Media Briefing
U.S.-Canadian Delegation from the Northern Plains sees climate-friendly policies and investments as economic engine
Briefings in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Iceland renew commitment to energy diversity and security
Pierre, SD, October 10, 2003: Amid acrimony and gridlock over national energy policy in the U.S. Congress, blackouts in the United States, Canada and Italy, and predicted increases in North America's dependence on foreign oil, a group of leaders from Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas and the Province of Manitoba recently explored Northern Europe's success in energy diversification through use of domestic resources and innovative technologies. The unique collection of top officials from government, industry, agriculture and the non-profit sector returned from an intensive series of government and industry briefings with a compelling message for the Northern Plains:
The transition toward a renewable, climate-friendly and job-creating energy economy is well underway in Europe, and we need to act now to create comparable opportunities for our region because the transition will take a generation or more.
"We saw wind farms putting increasing levels of power on the grid, biogas operations ably supporting livestock production and farmer cooperatives, and the first hydrogen fueling stations being deployed," said Kevin Kephart, Director of the South Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station. "When you see the technologies working successfully in communities with far less than the wealth of resources that exist in our region, the question isn't whether we should be doing the same thing - it is how much of what we learned can we quickly implement here."
The delegation, organized through the Powering the Plains (PTP)* project, sought to learn from cutting edge developments in Europe 's energy sector and apply those insights to the Northern Plains region. PTP, an initiative of the Minneapolis-based Great Plains Institute for Sustainable Development and the Consensus Council in Bismarck, North Dakota, is focused on stimulating economic growth in our region's energy and agriculture sectors while mitigating the risk of climate change. Delegation participants returned from their trip committed to developing federal and state/provincial policy recommendations, model projects and other initiatives together that will lead to a positive energy future for the Northern Plains.
Government and industry executives in leading European economies see the transition toward a cleaner, renewable energy economy as both inevitable and desirable. Toward this end, they are developing and implementing long-term plans to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants and to obtain a steadily growing proportion of energy from renewable and less carbon-intensive sources. European industry executives who met with the delegation routinely cited climate change and other environmental concerns not just as factors to be considered, but as fundamental drivers of innovation and competitive advantage. "Europeans have confidently staked their future on the economic benefits of this energy transition," observed Betsy Engelking, Manager for Resource Acquisition at Great River Energy, a power company headquartered in Elk River, Minnesota.
Where our region currently produces less than 2 percent of its electricity from wind, the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein now generates 25 percent of its power from wind, and aims to reach a target of 50 percent in the next six years. Delegates saw impressive results in all four countries and not just Germany with its industrial might and large population. "It was clear to us that bold leadership committed to ambitious long-term goals was a critical component of their success and every bit as important as resources or population base," said Larry Diedrich, State Senator and farmer from Elkton, South Dakota.
Denmark, for example, has a population similar to that of Minnesota, he Danes made an early commitment to generate 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources and used public policy incentives to create a local market for renewable energy technologies. Danish companies have since transformed their experience in Denmark's early domestic wind market into global dominance of the wind turbine manufacturing industry today, commanding nearly half of the rapidly growing world market for turbines.
Iceland, an island nation with less than half the population of North Dakota, has harnessed extensive domestic and renewable hydro and geothermal resources and now produces 97 percent of its electricity and heating without relying on imported oil and coal. In 1998, Iceland took its transition to energy independence a bold step further, without knowing in advance how that transition might occur. The country's parliament outlined a bold vision to conver entire vehicle and fishing fleets to hydrogen produced from renewable energy. In response, Daimler-Chrysler, Shell Oil and other corporations have partnered with industry and government in Iceland to research and invest in the country's transition. Now, Iceland receives industry and trade association visitors from all over the world coming to learn from their model. In contrast, the Netherlands has few domestic energy resources. Yet, the country is so committed to its energy transition that government officials, industry executives and environmentalists are exploring the importation of biomass from as far away as Africa to replace fossil fuels it currently imports.
"This trip abroad was enlightening," said Jim Burg, South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner. "It reminded us that our region is so much richer in resources such as wind and biomass when compared to the countries we visited, and there is so much more we ought to do to capitalize on those strengths."
The delegation will now actively work together to propose and implement policies and projects that will assist the Northern Plains states and the Province of Manitoba in developing their vast sustainable energy resources in a coordinated manner. In addition, a group of regional legislators have formally requested that PTP submit recommendations on renewable energy and hydrogen policy reforms for consideration in upcoming legislative sessions.
* PTP and its activities are funded by the Bush Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, Xcel Energy, The US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Energy.
Delegation Site Visits and Briefings
The Powering the Plains delegation began their itinerary with a tour of a hydrogen fueling station for fuel cell buses in Amsterdam. This fall the station will service three fuel cell transit buses as part of the Clean Urban Transportation for Europe (CUTE) Project, an initiative of the European Union to pilot hydrogen fuel and fuel cell transit applications in multiple locations throughout Europe. Experts from GVB, Amsterdam's transit authority, Hoek Loos B.V., which installed the fuel station, and Vandenborre Hydrogen Systems, which supplied the electrolyzer technology, provided an in-depth overview of the fueling station. They explained that the hydrogen electrolyzer technology is compatible with variable power supplies such as the wind so prominent in our region.
At the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the directors for Energy Transition and Market Regulation and Energy Policies briefed the delegation on The Netherlands' comprehensive approach to a national energy policy agenda. This policy combines industrial, agricultural, transportation, land use, housing and fiscal measures in support of an energy vision for the year 2050. Transition projects exploring a number of technology pathways are under review to determine which will proceed and receive continuing support.
The Ministry also facilitated a review of the Dutch government's effort to develop environmental criteria and strategies for long-term biomass energy in the Netherlands, including a discussion with Essent, a major producer and marketer of green power. One of the most interesting findings for the delegation was the government's expectation that it will actually be importing biomass to meet future needs.
In Denmark, the Danish Energy Authority described how they are building a global renewable energy industry, integrating renewable energy onto their grid (with up to 25 percent of production coming from renewables this year), and stabilizing energy consumption during long-term economic growth. The Deputy Director of Eltra, western Denmark's transmission system operator, discussed the Danish experience and measures for ensuring reliability of the power supply and for accommodating high wind energy penetration of the grid.
At NEG Micon headquarters, the delegation learned about NEG Micon A/S, the world's second largest manufacturer of utility-scale wind turbines (over 11,000 turbines installed in 39 countries), and an industry in which Denmark ranks first in the world. The president of NEG Micon led a tour of the wind turbine manufacturing facility that included a first-hand look at the next generation of turbines. The delegation also met with the president of Dansk Biogas A/S, an affiliate of NEG Micon and pioneer in manure digestion technologies to produce methane with 29 plants installed. Along with wind energy technologies, Denmark is recognized as a world leader in biogas. At a 370-cow dairy farm, the group observed a combined heat and power unit that utilizes 13,000 m3 of manure per year. The manure digestor was linked with two NEG Micon 600 KW wind turbines for integrated, on-farm renewable energy production.
The final leg of the Denmark experience included a tour of the Linko Biogas production plant. Denmark, along with other Scandinavian countries, has long-standing expertise in combining energy production and waste heat for hot water and heating, maximizing energy efficiency levels far beyond those found in North America. At the Linko Biogas plant, the primary energy production comes from local livestock manure, a renewable resource that otherwise presents waste management problems. The group also had an interesting discussion with the planner of the South Jutland Regional Authority about the saturation of wind turbines on land in Denmark, public response to turbines in densely populated areas, and the need to go offshore for future wind farms.
In Germany, the delegation was hosted by State Secretary Wilfried Voigt, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employment and Transport for the State of Schleswig-Holstein. Like Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein has achieved some of the world's highest levels of wind energy development and grid penetration. Briefings by the head of the National Climate Change Program from Berlin and from two German wind energy executives helped illuminate German federal policies and strategies in climate change and renewable energy. Germany has set bold targets for greenhouse gas reductions, aggressively implementing wind and other renewables and pursuing hydrogen and fuel cell development. By 2010, Schleswig-Holstein expects 50 percent of their electric power to be supplied by wind, and Germany now uses more steel in the wind industry than was once used to build ships. As the world's third largest economy and long-standing ally and trading partner of the U.S. and Canada, these policies have long-term implications for North American countries and companies.
The final leg of the delegation's work focused on Iceland, which is dedicated to transitioning to a renewables-based hydrogen economy. Over the next 50 years, Iceland expects to conver bus flee , 180,000 cars and 2,500 fishing vessels to hydrogen power.
Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation was briefed by high level officials on their foreign policy perspective on hydrogren and sustainability, sustainable energy in Iceland and the hydrogen project, dimensions of hydropower research, the Icelandic New Energy consortium, Landsvirkjun - the National Power Company, and Iceland's national energy resources and vision. The group also toured the geothermal Nesjavellier Power Plant, toured a self-contained sustainable energy farm at Laugarvatn, met local farmers who produce hydro and geothermal power for their own operations and sell power to the the grid, and visited the Hitaveita Sudurnesja Geothermal Power Plant.
Culminating events included a discussion about potential hydrogen and other energy partnership opportunities between Iceland and the Northern Plains and a process for identifying specific opportunities, and the opportunity to witness the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Republic of Iceland and the Province of Manitoba regarding cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell development. Valgerdur Sverrisdottir, Minister of Industry and Commerce for Iceland and the Tim Sale, Minister of Energy, Science and Technology for the Province of Manitoba signed the MOU in a ceremony that included participation by Ambassador James Gadsden, Embassy of the United States, and Ambassador Richard Tetu, Embassy of Canada. | http://puc.sd.gov/News/2003/101003.aspx |
How much luck do you need in business? Are entrepreneurs lucky? According to this article in Start-Up Donut, many successful entrepreneurs attribute their success, at least partly, to being in the right place at the right time; in other words, luck.
But clearly it is not all about luck. An entrepreneurial idea needs to be developed and planned before it can become a successful venture. Once established, it needs to be managed and the entrepreneur will need to be strategic in their approach. Some people talk about ‘making your own luck’ by ensuring that you take up the opportunities when they come your way. In the article, Levi Roots says:
I’m surprised how humble a lot of successful people are. They frequently tell
you they’ve been lucky, but most of them have either made their own luck or at
least taken full advantage when a little bit of luck has come their way.
As a new group of students start on the MA Media and Creative Enterprise , I am going to suggest that they think about how to make their own luck as well as doing their research and planning. | http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/culturalentrepreneurship/2013/09/18/get-lucky/ |
*1 IN RE METPATH INC.
Serial No. 480,760
November 18, 1986
Hearing: August 5, 1986
Michael A. Cornman, Fritz L. Schweitzer, Jr., Hubert T. Mandeville, Felix L. D'Arienzo, Jr., Gerard J. McGowan, Jr. and Andrew S. Langsam for MetPath Inc.
Russ Herman
Trademark Examining Attorney
Law Office 4
(Thomas Lamone, Managing Attorney)
Before Rice, Krugman and Cissel
Members
Member
An application has been filed by MetPath, Inc. to register 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' as a service mark for clinical pathological immunoassay testing services for detecting and monitoring prostatic cancer and reporting the results thereof. [FN1] Applicant has claimed acquired distinctiveness of the mark pursuant to Section 2(f) of the Trademark Act.
Registration has been refused by the Examining Attorney essentially on the grounds that the subject matter sought to be registered is so highly descriptive of the recited services as to be incapable of functioning as a service mark to indicate origin and that, even if the term is capable, the record does not support a showing of secondary meaning for purposes of Section 2(f) of the Act. Specifically, it is the Examining Attorney's position that the term 'Pap Test' is commonly perceived as a test for detecting cancer of the female reproductive tract; that in view of this perception, members of the public encountering the designation 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' used in connection with applicant's services are likely to believe that the services constitute a test for cancer designed for the male reproductive tract and analogous in nature to the 'Pap Test' for women. The Examining Attorney, while acknowledging that the 'Pap Test' for women concerns a taking of cells from a women's cervix and microscopically examining them while the 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' comprises a chemical analysis of blood serum, asserts that both tests are nevertheless designed as procedures for early detection of cancer in the uro-genital tract; that while the 'Pap-Test' for women is derived from the last name of George Papanicolaou, the developer of the procedure, the average person would not be aware of this derivation and its significance is unimportant. The Examining Attorney further points out that applicant's test is an enzyme immunoassay test that measures prostatic acid phosphatase; that 'P.A.P.' is an acronym for 'prostatic acid phosphatase' and that as used by applicant in its literature, it is clear that 'P.A.P.' refers to prostatic acid phosphatase. The Examining Attorney notes that at least one other party utilizes the identical test as that rendered by applicant and refers to said test as a 'PAP Test.' In support of his position, the Examining Attorney, has submitted definitions of 'Pap test' taken from Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary and Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language as well as a number of excerpts taken from the NEXIS research database. These excerpts refer to the development by Abbott Laboratories of a diagnostic test to monitor prostate cancer. The NEXIS excerpts note that '. . . Abbott is introducing its PAP test worldwide . . .' and that '. . . The new product--Abbott PAP--is an enzyme immunoassay test that measures prostatic acid phosphatase. . . .'
*2 Applicant has appealed, asserting that its testing services rendered under the mark sought to be registered comprise a chemical analysis on blood serum performed exclusively for men to detect prostatic cancer and that, therefore, it is significantly different in process, sample, patient and disease from the ordinary Pap test on women's cervical cells. Applicant argues that the inclusion of the term 'MALE' in association with 'P.A.P. Test' creates an oxymoronic effect since there can be no 'male Pap test' in the ordinary sense, in view of the fact that men have no cervices nor do men get cervical or uterine cancer. Moreover, applicant contends that to the few people who might understand that 'P.A.P.' is an abbreviation for prostatic acid phosphatase, the presence of the term 'MALE' in the mark is redundant since only men have prostate glands and only men generate prostatic acid phosphatase. Applicant concludes that the mark, which always includes 'MALE' separated by a hyphen from the initials P.A.P. which always are separated by periods, is at most suggestive and requires considerable thought and imagination to conclude that the mark suggests the blood-testing services offered and that the mark is properly registrable, especially in view of the more than five years' continuous exclusive use prior to the filing date of the application. In support of its position, applicant has submitted a claim of five years of substantially exclusive and continuous use of the mark, together with estimates of sales revenues and advertising expenditures. Applicant has also submitted a number of advertisements and laboratory schedules evidencing use of the mark.
At the outset, we note that while applicant emphatically contends that its mark is not merely descriptive of the services but is, at most, suggestive, this question has already been determined by the Board in connection with a decision on appeal from a Section 2(e)(1) refusal of applicant's previously filed application for the identical mark for the identical services as those involved herein. That case, In re MetPath, Inc., 223 USPQ 88 (TTAB 1984) held that applicant's mark 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' would likely be perceived by the public as an indication that applicant's services involve tests for the detection of cancer of the male reproductive tract; that is, tests analogous to the female 'Pap Test.' The Board specifically rejected applicant's contention that the use of 'P.A.P.' in all capital letters, each followed by a period, would dispel the probable descriptive significance of applicant's designation to consumers since the Board doubted that the average person would be aware of the derivation and therefore, the proper form of presentation of 'Pap Test.' The Board further held that those knowledgeable in the field of medicine as well as those laymen who read applicant's advertisements carefully, would recognize the letters 'P.A.P.' to be an acronym for 'prostatic acid phosphatase' and that the designation as a whole would indicate that applicant's services involve the testing of prostatic acid phosphatase levels in males. The Board concluded that in view of the foregoing reasons, the term 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' was merely descriptive of applicant's testing services. That decision, which was not appealed, constitutes a final adjudication on the issue of the merely descriptive character of 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' as applied to applicant's testing services and the only issue remaining for us to consider herein is whether applicant's Section 2(f) showing of secondary meaning is sufficient to warrant registration. In this regard, we note that applicant's showing consists of a claim of substantially exclusive and continuous use for the five years next preceding the filing of the application as well as sales revenue and advertising expense figures. Applicant states that from September 1978 through May 1984, it has conducted some 485,000 tests under the mark, generating some $2 million in revenues. Applicant further states that during this period, it has expended over $62,000 in advertising and promotion of the mark. Aside from the fact that the advertising expenditures appear to be quite modest, there is nothing in the record evidencing recognition by the public of 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' as an indication of origin, associating the mark exclusively with applicant. On the contrary, the record shows that 'PAP test' is used by at least one other party for the identical test or services rendered by applicant. Applicant's own use of the term, while consistently capitalized and while consistently accompanied by an 'SM' designation, is always used in a generic noun form as the name of the services as opposed to a trademark adjectival form to modify the generic name of the services.
*3 In view of the foregoing, we conclude that the term 'MALE-P.A.P. TEST' for applicant's testing services is a highly descriptive term and that the Section 2(f) showing by applicant falls far short of persuading us that the term has acquired secondary meaning, thereby justifying registration pursuant to Section 2(f) of the Act.
Decision: The refusal of registration is affirmed.
J. E. Rice
G. D. Krugman
R. F. Cissel
Members, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
FN1. Application Serial No. 480,760 filed May 17, 1984. | https://ipmall.info/content/ttab-trademark-trial-and-appeal-board-1-re-metpath-inc-serial-no-480760-november-18-1986 |
The present invention relates to game rackets, and particularly to a racket having a removable stringed inner frame insert.
The construction of rackets for games, particularly tennis rackets, has improved considerably in recent years, with lightweight but very strong materials being used in the construction of racket frames. Tennis rackets are built to be stiffer and are strung more tightly, in order to permit players to impart greater speed to the tennis ball and at the same time control its direction and the amount and direction of spin imparted to the ball. While this tighter stringing permits the desired control and speed to be obtained, one disadvantage is that the shock of impact between the ball and the strings of the racket is generally transmitted through the racket's head and handle to the player's hand and arm. Depending on the material used in the frame and handle of the racket, varying amounts of vibration are transmitted similarly to the player's arm. Such transmission of shock and vibration to the player's hand and arm may be tiring to the player, and may additionally contribute to the injury of the player's wrist, arm, or elbow.
Tennis rackets, particularly when tightly strung, are subject to occasional failure of the strings. Over a period of use the stringing of a racket ordinarily loses some of its tension. In the past, these conditions have required the racket to be restrung. This procedure takes a considerable amount of time and is beyond the skill of most racket users. As a result, restringing usually results in loss of use of the racket for at least a day or more.
Different conditions may make it desirable to use rackets strung with a different amount of string tension. For example, a difference in air temperature may result in a change in the tension in the racket strings. It may therefore be desirable to have rackets strung at different tensions at a given air temperature, in order to have a desired tension at the ambient air temperature where the racket will be used. Different playing surfaces may make it desirable to have more or less tension in the strings of the racket in order to take greater advantage of the ability of the ball to be spun off the playing court surface, or the need to deliver the ball with a great deal of speed where a playing court surface does not permit as effective use of spin.
These problems have been approached previously in several different ways. For example, Shockley, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,423 discloses a racket having parallel metal frames located on opposite sides of a resilient plastic member which supports the strings of the racket.
Guillem, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,917 discloses a racket in which the strings are held in tension by passing over a liquid-containing flexible tube in the frame of the racket.
Ryder U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,507 discloses a racket whose head frame may consist of little more than an inflated tube.
Small helical springs have also been embedded in the frames of rackets to provide tension in the racket strings. While these inventions provide for some resiliency in the support of the strings of the racket, when the strings of such rackets break the rackets must still be restrung as in the past.
Li, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,822 provides a racket having a separate inner frame which holds the pretensioned strings within an outer frame, permitting the inner frame to be replaced by flexibly opening the outer frame. The inner frame of one embodiment of the Li racket is suspended between a pair of pneumatic tubes, but similarly is removable only by flexing open the outer frame of the racket's head.
In another recently developed tennis racket, an outer frame includes a hinge permitting the outer frame to be opened to allow replacement of a stringed inner frame. However, the hinge and outer frame closure of such a racket provide undesirable potential stress concentrations within the outer frame of such a racket, which may cause undesirable flexure patterns in the racket frame or lead to early failure of such an outer frame.
What is needed, then, is an improved sports racket which may be tightly strung yet transmit an acceptably small amount of shock and vibration to the user's arm. Preferably such a racket could be quickly provided with strings having the optimum tension for the playing conditions and could be quickly adjusted to provide a desired amount of stiffness or softness of action of the racket frame.
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AGRONOMIST Josh Bell regularly questions `what’s possible’ on a crop yield front if growers reconsider their approach to nitrogen (N) applications across the entire farming system.
Mr Bell, who is based at Emerald in Queensland’s Central Highlands, suspects additional strategic N applications based on system requirements rather than simply a crop-by-crop basis could potentially deliver greater overall farm productivity and profitability.
This theory has been tested over the past five years as part of a major grains research investment into the long-term impacts on productivity, profitability and soil health under different farming systems.
The northern farming systems initiative is a key research investment for the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) alongside research partners, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, CSIRO and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
It centres on comparing a baseline system with a number of system modifications such as higher amounts of legumes in the rotation, higher intensity of cropping, higher nutrient inputs, higher soil fertility with manure inputs and a more comprehensive weed management program.
The project incorporates a trial site at Emerald which is one of six regional sites stretching from central Queensland to central west New South Wales.
Mr Bell was among a number of agronomists and growers who attended a recent workshop in Emerald to discuss the project’s outcomes and practical implications for farming operations in the Central Highlands.
“The high nutrition and high fertility treatments were particularly interesting. I have long suspected we are only putting on just enough N to make an average crop and some of the initial trial results certainly suggest that we could be leaving a fair bit of yield on the table due to lack of fertiliser,” he said.
“At the same time the high legume rotation highlighted that we may need to revise our views of legume crops in the rotation.
“Instead of being a net contributor of N, the trial results suggest that in the long-term, a high legume rotation will be a net exporter of N due to the fact that these crops are not currently fertilised with N and tend to take out more N than they contribute.”
Like other growers across Australia, Central Highlands growers are facing significant challenges to their farming system from soil fertility rundown as well as other issues such as herbicide tolerance/resistance in weeds such as milk thistle, feathertop Rhodes grass and sweet summer grass.
Extensive research into both issues has been undertaken by GRDC in the northern region, particularly within the deep placement of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and integrated weed management techniques to help growers address these productivity challenges.
The impact of these challenges can reverberate across the entire farming system and leave growers with little option but to reassess their existing farming practices, highlighting the importance of research to investigate the ramifications of system modifications to overall farm productivity and gross margins.
“By way of example, the deep P and K work that’s been undertaken in central Queensland has achieved significant success in certain situations but as a result, we need to pay close attention to our N fertiliser management and watch that our N levels don’t become limiting as well,” Mr Bell said.
“Overall, the trial work is starting to deliver some valuable information, especially now that results from the different system modifications are starting to separate in yield and dollar terms.
“It is important to remember that it’s impossible to simulate every local scenario within the trial but you can generate overarching data on that allows growers to make more informed decisions down the track.”
From a practical perspective, the results to date are likely to provide agronomists like Mr Bell with the impetus to consider broadening the scope of agronomic options in certain scenarios, particularly with regards to soil nutrition management.
“It will be interesting to experiment with higher rates of N to see what extra yield is achievable,” Mr Bell said.
“It also highlights the importance of increasing the overall amount of N in the system, rather than only fertilising for cereal crops, especially if the soil is inherently low in N.
“In terms of cropping frequency, maybe in some instances we need to look at setting slightly more conservative trigger points for planting crops – for example, needing a full profile before planting sorghum in the early part of the planting window.”
Source: GRDC
For more information on the northern farming systems project and the central Queensland trial work, click here. | https://www.graincentral.com/cropping/cq-agronomist-questions-whats-possible-with-nitrogen/ |
NOTE: This is an hourly wage position without state benefits, and is limited to approximately 20 – 29 hours per week not to exceed 1,500 hours in a 365-day period.
Works on multiple, complex projects and has responsibilities in Analysis & Design, Code, Test, Deployment, and Configuration Management under limited supervision of the supervisor or designee. Writes code that is well structured, efficient, and compliant with appropriate guidelines, standards, and acceptable practices. Follows security best practices as related to coding, testing and deployment. Prepares data requirements and program specifications that are complete, concise, appropriate and easily understood. As assigned, ensures unit tests are written for new business functions and classes, and runs successfully before deployment; changes are thoroughly tested and documented; and the system is deemed acceptable by the customer with nominal defects found after deployment. This position will be located at 6606 West Broad Street, Brookfield Place.
Basic knowledge of data systems; program coding, documentation, and Information Technology (IT) security guidelines. Ability to write code and programs; update, repair, modify, and expand existing programs; perform work on multiple projects; recognize and prevent errors that can cause substantial delay, expense and inefficiency; work within set time constraints and changing priorities; and follow direction. Strong analytical, written and oral communication skills. Strong computer skills. Must be willing to accept guidance and training from more experienced staff, and work well with others in a team environment.
The selected candidate must successfully pass a background investigation.
Applications for this position must be submitted electronically through this website. Mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand delivered applications and résumés will not be accepted.
Consideration for an interview is based solely on the information within the application (resume).
This website will provide a confirmation of receipt when the application is submitted for consideration.
Please refer to your RMS account for the status of your application and this position.
NOTICE: VEC will record information from each new employee’s Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) into the Federal E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
The Virginia Employment Commission Is An Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.
Auxiliary Aids and Services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Applicants needing accommodations should contact the Human Resource office for additional information.
The Commonwealth does not provide sponsorship; therefore, applicants must be a citizen or national of the U.S., a Lawful Permanent Resident, or an alien authorized to work. | https://www.entryleveljobs.me/job-opening/43470-jr.-programmer-wage-at-virginia-va-employment-commission |
“The Audiotalaia Summer Camp is already in its third edition. This is a 9 days workshop and a residency program happening every summer since 2016 at the heart of the Catalan Countryside, on a privileged location surrounded by nature. The Third edition of the Summer Camp takes place at El Polell, a cottage house at the outskirts of Barcelona. The house is prepared for long term educational programs and its fully prepared to host a group of 15 people.
During the 9 days residency and workshop participants from all over the world will share, work and explore together the creative possibilities of sound art, field recordings and digital arts as a framework. The workshop will focus the attention on the relationship between soundscape, landscape, technology, and specially the act of listening our environment.
The workshop wants to serve as a starting point to introduce the participants into all the creative possibilities of sound from a wide range of perspectives. From a musical point of view through narrative, composition, documentary, phonography all through the prism of field recordings and its relationship with the landscape and the natural environment.
The Summer Camp includes lecturing hours, a microphone workshop and several outdoor activities ranging from deep listening exercises, field recordings campaigns, the development of sound installations, live performances and site-specific interventions in the natural surroundings.
By the end of the Camp, the participants will work together towards a public presentation of their work during the stay. This activity will invite local audience into an open evening dedicated to sound art, experimental music inspired by the surrounding landscape and territory. All lecture and practical activities will be conducted and tutored by Edu Comelles”. | http://www.mediateletipos.net/archives/41094 |
A hallmark of aging in both humans and rodents is thymic involution or decrease in thymic mass. Although this suggests that the ability of the thymus to produce new naive T-cells decreases in combination with decreased progenitor production in the bone marrow, it would be predicted that peripheral T-cell numbers should decline with age. However, the impact on peripheral T-cell number appears to be minimal. This may be due to clonal expansion of mature memory and naive T-cells in the periphery. The spleen is one of the major secondary lymphoid tissues, and aging appears to reduce germinal center (GC) size by as much as 90%, as determined based on size and cellularity. The decrease in GC size, which may result in decreased B cell activation and subsequent proliferation, may be responsible for the decrease in plasma B cells. Recent evidence demonstrated that the decline in proliferation in the GC is due to the lack of costimulatory signals provided by T cells located in the surrounding tissue (Zheng et al., 1997).
Aging also results in dysregulated humoral immunity, which may be due to defects in B cells directly and T cell help indirectly. Two problems in B cell development have been found in aged mice. First, the generation of pre-B cells from pro-B cells is two-fold less in aged mice (Klinman and Kline, 1997), which may be due to decreased RAG gene expression in B cell precursors
(Ben-Yehuda et al., 1994). Second, the generation of sIgM+ B cells from sIgM- B cells is reduced by aging. The net result is an accumulation of sIgM- B cells and subsequent reduction in mature B cell formation. Altogether, the rate of mature B cell generation is only 20% in old mice as compared to young mice (Klinman and Kline, 1997). However, the total peripheral B cell number is normal in aged mice, which may be due to a slower turnover rate (i.e., longer lifespan) of mature B cells in the aged (Klinman and Kline, 1997). B cells that do reach maturity in aged mice also have defects. For example, some aged B cells have defects in Ig gene rearrangement, specifically V gene repertoire formation, which has been shown to result in hyper B cell reactivity to phosphorylcholine (Riley et al., 1989). The net result of these age-associated defects in B cell development is a decreased response to foreign antigen and a shift from IgG to IgM predominance (LeMaoult et al., 1997). Paradoxically, autoantibody production increases in old mice and humans. This may be due to the indirect actions of the help B cells receive from autoreactive T cells that may be increased with age (Klinman and Kline, 1997; LeMaoult et al., 1997).
Although in both humans and mice, the total number of peripheral T cells doesn't change significantly with age, a decrease in T cell subpopulations does occur. Commonly, a decrease in naive T cell numbers and a concomitant rise in memory T cells are seen in aged rodents and humans. The increase in memory T cell proportions correlates with reduced polyclonal T cell proliferation ex vivo in response to a wide variety of mitogens like anti-CD3 and concanavalin A in humans and rodents. Two major changes in aged T cells have been found in humans, which may explain the reduced proliferation. First, CD28 receptor expression is decreased on human, but not rodent, T cells. Approximately 99% of the T cells from newborn humans express CD28, which decreased to 85% in adults and further decreases with age to 50 to 70% in the elderly (Effros, 1996). Second, CD95 receptor expression also declines. In young T cells, CD95 expression will increase upon stimulation, preventing T cells from proliferating out of control by inducing apoptosis (Aspinall et al., 1998). In aged T cells, the increase in CD95 expression and subsequent induction of apoptosis do not occur in response to stimulation ex vivo, suggesting that there is a defect in T cell deletion following a normal immune response (Herndon et al., 1997).
As mentioned before, anti-TCR or anti-CD3 mAb treatment on resting T cell could initiate a series of activation of protein kinases and an increase of Ca2+ concentration, which contribute to the activation of transcription factors, secretion of cytokines, and cell proliferation. In old mice, CD4+ T cells lose the ability to robustly increase intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in response to stimulation. It seems that this phenomenon is independent of IP3 production and function, but related to high levels of Ca2+ extrusion and a low level of Ca2+
release from the intracellular pool (Miller et al., 1997). Similar to the calcium signal, phosphorylation signals in T cell activation are different in old mice. More specifically, the extent of CD3y chain phosphorylation is much weaker in old T cells. This decreased phosphorylation of CD3y chain reflects a combination of decreased kinase activity, increased phosphatase activity, and increased difficulty to access the TCR/CD3 complex (Miller et al., 1997). Downstream, other protein kinases such as Raf-1, MEK, and ERK show age-associated decline in activity upon stimulation (Miller et al., 1997). Recently, the function of negative regulators in T cell signal transduc-tion pathways and its effects on aging are beginning to be examined. For instance, Cbl-b, an E3-ubiquitin ligase, can bind with both CD3 and CD28 upon cell stimulation and consequently associate with various proteins that are essential to signal transduction (Bachmaier et al., 2000). In contrast to the positive regulator that enhances the stimulatory signals, Cbl-b can catalyze the ubquitination of the associated signaling proteins and down-regulate protein function by either sending them to the proteasome for degradation or blocking the association of substrate proteins with other effector protein in a proteasome-independent mechanism (Xu et al., 2004). Thus, Cbl-b can set the threshold of T cell activation. Cbl-b itself can be down-regulated upon T cell stimulation in young T cells, and such proteasome-mediated degradation is missing in old T cells. Thus, in old T cells, a stronger negative regulation form Cbl-b persists upon stimulation, and T cell activation is diminished in old T cells (Xu et al., 2004). As a result of reduced T cell activation, IL-2 production is reduced, and a dysregulation of T helper cell function results, which may impact B cell, CD8+ T cell, and other accessory cells in old rodents.
A significant proportion of aging immune research has focused on the CD4+ T helper cells because of its functional importance in regulating both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Recently, changes in CD8+ T cytotoxic cells have also been found to occur in aging, and examination of both T cell subsets will be important in understanding immune senescence. For example, up to 70% of CD8+ T cells in aged rodents express an identical TCR gene, indicating they are derived from same-parent CD8+ T cells. These types of CD8+ T cells are called large CD8 T cell clones and have a poor proliferate capacity in both human and mouse (Ku et al., 1997). The reason for the large CD8+ T cell clones is most likely due to frequent exposure to the same antigen, which is most likely to occur on old rodents and humans (Ku et al., 1997).
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Discover The Secrets To Staying Young Forever. Discover How To Hinder The Aging Process On Your Body And In Your Life. Do you feel left out when it comes to trying to look young and keeping up with other people your age? Do you feel as though your body has been run down like an old vehicle on its last legs? Those feelings that you have not only affect you physically, but they can also affect you mentally. Thats not good. | https://www.ormedmedical.us/down-syndrome/comparison-of-rodent-aging-and-human-aging.html |
Q:
Prove that a set is closed
Let $f : \mathbb{R}^m \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^n$ be a $C^1$ function. Prove or disprove that $\{x \in \mathbb{R}^m : f(x) = 0 \}$ is a closed set. How would you prove this??
I do not even understant what $f(x)=0$ represnets. I assume that it represents a surface in $\mathbb{R}^n$ but I am not sure.
A:
I'll prove a more general result using the continuity of $f$. Call your set $A$. Take $x \in A^c$, i.e. $f(x)\neq0$ (the zero vector of $\mathbb{R}^n$).
By continuity there exists $\delta >0$ such that $|x-y|<\delta$ implies $|f(x)-f(y)|<|f(x)|/2$ which gives by the triangle inequality $|f(y)|>|f(x)|/2$ for all $y$ in the open ball $B_\delta (x)$. Hence $B_\delta (x) \subset A^c$, which means that $A^c$ is open, and therefore $A$ is closed.
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A sincere Hypnotherapist & Psychotherapist massage therapist and teacher of Yoga dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of my clients. I am keen to obtain a position as a massage therapist and Yoga teacher in organisations that will enable me to further develop my skills in both these fields and to pass on my knowledge and experience for the benefit of others. I have also gained qualifications in Hypnotherapy and Counselling and use my skills when appropriate to further enhance my client relationships and provide individualised care.
Diploma in Thai Yoga Massage obtained through the British School of Thai Yoga Massage, Lyme Regis, Dorset in 2010.
Completed Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training course at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Neyyar Damm, Kerala, South India gained in 2007.
Extensive experienced of providing Thai Massage, Ayurvedic Massage, Indian Head Massage, Foot Massage and Abdominal Massage.
I design my sessions based on client’s individual needs.
I have a dedicated massage and treatment room and maintain professionalism and cleanliness of therapy rooms and common areas.
I assess the needs of each of my clients individually and select the appropriate treatment.
I observe my client reaction to massage and modify as necessary.As well I am a person who are passionate with healthy cooking style and loving it.
I am able to comply with policies, procedures, and standards as necessary.
I am professional, sincere, enthusiastic and caring. Please see my website for client testimonials and in depth detail of my practice.
I am able to adapt postures for clients with physical difficulties and have a range of equipment to help this. Teaching Yoga, Doing Ayurvedic Massages, Thai yoga Massages and Hypnosis Throughout Switzerland 2013 July onwards.
I am skilled in teaching postures, Yogic breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation, Yogic health and diet.
Please see the website in detail for client testimonials and more in-depth information. | http://www.mindbodywisdom.ch/qualifications-certificates/ |
The past few days Noah and I have been able to spend quite a bit of time together. We started the weekend out with Saturday morning basketball. This is his second year in basketball but we switched this year to a new program. This one is part of Jr NBA which includes each kid getting their own smaller basketball and NBA team T-Shirt. Noah got to choose between OKC Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Golden State Warriors, he choose the Spurs. There were also the Toronto Raptors to choose from, but they were gone by the time Noah choose. The parents don’t always get involved but this time I did. We practised chest passing back and forth and had a fun game where we had to pass our way across the gym.
We spent most of the rest of Saturday painting Noah’s room. We swapped rooms with Alexandria and let Noah choose a new wall colour. The room was previously pink and blue, two walls of each, Noah kept the blue and choose a green, clean n crisp, for the other two walls. I’m not a fan of painting and for some reason it took us four coats to cover the pink over. In the end he was very happy though so it makes it worth it.
Sunday afternoon he and I went out together on a bit of a shopping date. Each year we take the kids out to pick out Christmas presents for their siblings. It’s pretty early this year to get started but we had an afternoon free and the weeks seem to fly by, so we decided to just do it. When we were done shopping we stopped for a treat of his choice at Tim Hortons.
Noah seems to be really liking math and numbers lately, especially number patterns. The one he really likes is the power of twos. He doesn’t really know what that is but he starts out with 2 + 2, then 4 + 4, then 8 + 8 etc. Tonight he went on sticky notes up to 2^13 (4096 + 4096 = 8192). It seemed to be the perfect opportunity to teach him my cell phone number which ends in 2^10. He was pretty impressed with that and it’s one of the reasons it’s my favourite number I’ve ever had. | https://sandy.mcfadden.blog/2016/10/24/noah-and-daddy-time/?shared=email&msg=fail |
Asset management strategies are needed by electrical utilities to effectively deal with the growing presence of ageing network infrastructure. Large network assets like the power transformer are approaching their anticipated design lives and have raised concerns over the negative effects of failure (e.g. safety, environmental, technical and commercial). However, the high capital outlay and long lead-time needed to replace large network means that this is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. Appropriate forward planning is, therefore, a prerequisite to ensure the continued success of the modern power system. In order to effectively determine immediate and future network investment strategies a high-level understanding of transformer reliability is required. In this PhD thesis the general methodology on how to create a mathematical transformer failure model is discussed for the UK transmission system operator National Grid. The work conducted focuses on two widely used reliability methodologies; statistical modelling and degradation modelling. Statistical modelling of component lifetime data is conventionally used in reliability studies, however, because of the limited availability of transformer lifetime data and subsequently high censoring rate, its use in transformer reliability studies is limited. Therefore, through a series of Monte Carlo simulations, a study on the data quality requirements for statistical analysis of populations containing different sample sizes and percentages of censored data is conducted. Through these simulations it is subsequently demonstrated that by focussing on estimating characteristic features like percentiles of the lifetime model a more practical means of assessing data quality is achieved. As an alternative approach to modelling transformer reliability it is demonstrated how degradation based transformer reliability models can be developed using either accelerated life test data or transformer scrapping data. In the first instance accelerated life test data is used to consider the combined effects of thermal and mechanical stress on the transformer insulation wear life. The results are used to estimate transformer insulation wear life through the application of a cumulative damage model and a Monte Carlo simulation is subsequently used to assess the short-circuit performance of aged network transformers. From this simulation it is shown that two distinct lifetime regions are identifiable under what are considered to be 'typical' network conditions. Meanwhile, in the second instance, a combination of health index (HI) data and paper insulation measurements (made on 70 scrapped and failed transformers) are used to develop a condition-based degradation model. The developed model allows the possibility of planned (soft) or unplanned (hard) transformer failures to be assessed according to a transformer's assigned HI. Valuably, by utilising scrapping data, it is possible to assess reliability based on past operating experience of similar transformers operating in the same environment. When applied to National Grid's transformer population the initial results suggest that transformers with 'healthy' HI scores are able to maintain a high and near constant level of reliability, however, beyond this point, reliability declines as the condition of the transformer worsens. | https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.822825 |
Ouroboros. The most ancient description of this symbol is contained in the work “Hieroglyphics”, a kind of explanation on Egyptian hieroglyphics. It arrived in Europe in 1422, thanks to a manuscript brought to Florence from the island of Andros by the Florentine traveller Christopher Buondelmonti.
The work was written in Greek, the “Hieroglyphica” appeared in the last Egyptian period of the fifth century BC, when the Egyptian civilization had already disappeared and with it the key for the comprehension of its writing system. The aim of the text was to give a purely symbolic interpretation to signs which had represented a sort of mystery for ages. It’s generally attributed to “Orapollo” who directed one of the last pagan schools, the one of Menouthis, in Alessandria. According to the author the Ouroboros is one of the way that Egyptian people had to represent eternity: “The Egyptians represented eternity just drawing the sun and the moon: in fact they are endless elements. Otherwise they can represent a snake with the tail covered under the rest of the body, called “ureo” in Egyptian, basilisk in Greek. In ancient Egypt, the ouroboros can represent the primordial snake, called Sata that surrounds the world, protecting it from the cosmic enemies. The Egyptian Book of the Dead quotes: “ I’m Sata, I die and I can be born every day, I’m Sata that lives in the most remote regions of the world”. This snake represents the time that reproduces itself continuously. It combines the idea of movement, of continuity, of self-fertilization and so of endless return. It was born ichnographically from the Egyptian culture, the snake eating its own tail became quickly the esoteric symbol, which was very much used in the ancient world. The Ouroboros’s iconographic and conceptual symbol will be successful in Neoplatonism and in European art, especially in Italy, where it would be used mainly from the renaissance painting to the funerary sculpture of the nineteenth century. In funerary art production this particular snake is often associated with other symbols of eternity, as the winged sphere, or other indicating the passage, the change of state, like the butterfly. It's obvious that this iconographic symbol so similar to the circle and so to the simple and immediate representation of eternity, could enjoy a great success in the cemeteries of Europe, particularly on the monuments of the first half of nineteenth century, when people admired classical art.
Click here to introduction at funerary symbols. | https://www.storiaememoriadibologna.it/certosa-monumental-cemetery/ouroboros-96-simbolo |
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Right now, time is really flying by for me. I can’t believe that it’s already going to be Father’s Day this Sunday!
Well, for this week, I have planned recipes that you can serve for Dad on Father’s Day. I decided to focus on breakfast recipes. I think it’s a good way to start off Father’s Day with a tasty breakfast.
We are starting off the week with a variation of a classic breakfast recipe – egg in a hole aka egg in a basket. This has the addition of the ingredients of cheese and ham. Also, this baked ham and egg toast is baked in the oven instead of cooked in a skillet on the stovetop. This way you can cook 6 at a time instead of one or two. There is just something about eggs paired with crisp buttery toast. Then add in ham and cheese ad you have something amazing but still pretty simple.
Baked Ham and Egg Toast
Ingredients
- Butter
- 6 slices white bread
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped ham
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spread butter on both sides of the bread. Then cut out a 2 1/2 inch circle from the center of each slice.
- Place the cut out rounds on one baking sheet and the slices on the second tray.
- Bake both trays for 4-6 minutes ay 375 degrees or until the bottoms are golden brown. Turn each piece so the browned side is up.
- Crack an egg into the center of each bread slice then sprinkle with ham and cheese.
- Bake both trays for 5-8 minutes or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are runny. The amount of time will depend on how runny you like your yolk, Keep and eye the rounds and if they are getting too brown before the eggs are done, pull them from the oven. Serves 6.
- Garnish eggs with parsley and serve with rounds for dipping.
Recipe adapted from Chocolate Moosey. | https://www.realmomkitchen.com/baked-ham-and-egg-toast/ |
The formation of hydroxylated phases was investigated using K-depleted biotite (Na-biotite) and K-depleted muscovite (Na-muscovite) under hydrothermal treatment with alkali (Li+, K+, NH4+, Rb+ and Cs+), alkaline earth (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+), and aluminum (Al3+) cations at 200°C for 1 and/or 3 days. The K-depleted biotite treated with alkali cations produced anhydrous hydroxylated phases, while the K-depleted muscovite did not significantly exchange alkali cations but dehydrated to form Na-muscovite in all cases. The alkaline earth cations, however, produced hydrous hydroxylated phases with both K-depleted micas. The degree of hydration energy of cations and the charge density of micas were found to influence the formation of anhydrous and hydrous phases from the K-depleted micas. This type of topotactic cation exchange potentially could be used for fixation and immobilization of radioactive species such as Cs, Sr, Ra, etc. in the transformed micas. The K-depleted biotite and muscovite treated with Al3+ were transformed to hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculites (HIV) because of hydrolysis and polymerization of Al3+. These HIV phases could also serve as useful adsorbents for soil and groundwater contaminants. | https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/topotactic-cation-exchange-in-transformed-micas-under-hydrotherma |
This article proposes a radical paradigm shift for actor training and voice training. Using heuristic practice-based research findings, the article highlights how progressive education methods at the heart of psychophysical actor training dysconsciously discriminate against students who are dyslexic and/or dyspraxic learners. It discusses the psychological and cognitive impact of experiential learning models on neurodiverse acting students and challenges the widely held “truths” in this training. The article draws on the philosophical framework proposed by Jacques Rancière in his discussion of the emancipatory pedagogy of Joseph Jacotot, The Ignorant Schoolmaster, to offer an alternative perspective on actor training that starts from an assumption of equality, rather than a position where equality is a distant objective. The author argues that it is possible to reject a hierarchical expert-novice approach to training and implement a process of collaboration with students as fellow artists. The article reviews the position of knowledge within psychophysical training, and the author rejects the use of a universal language of experiences. The author proposes that, by trusting the student’s ability to learn what is needed, actor trainers can adopt a position of ignorance in relation to a student’s own self-knowledge. Finally, the author incorporates this work into a revised vocal pedagogy that embraces neurodiversity and effectively engages all students’ will to learn with full attention. | http://crco.cssd.ac.uk/id/eprint/771/ |
I am pleased to be here to participate and speak at this International Conference as part of the 21st edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair with the theme: “Copyright and Sustainable Growth in the Book Ecosystem: Setting A New Agenda”.
I must commend the Nigerian International Book Fair Trust for sustaining this forum over the years. It is has continued to offer opportunity, not only to showcase Nigeria’s best literary products but also, and maybe more importantly, for stakeholders to discuss urgent policy issues and intervention needs concerning the book industry in the widest sense of that phrase. The Nigerian Copyright Commission is delighted that this year focuses on the importance of the copyright system as the life blood of a thriving book ecosystem. It is therefore a good place for the Commission to feel the pulse of critical stakeholders with a view to enhancing its service delivery in the administration, promotion, protection and enforcement of copyright in Nigeria.
It is instructive that the first copyright legislation, the Statute of Anne was passed in England in 1709 as a legislative response to the progressive disruptions brought about by the invention of the movable press in the 15th Century. While it provided an answer to the yearnings of the book industry, the objective was also to safeguard the ultimate good of society by protecting the investment of time, energy and resources that went into the production of books. In one form or another, the copyright system has always had to respond to disruptions from within and from outside the creative sector, but that underlying rationale of the copyright system has not shifted much.
The theme of this year’s conference is very germane in the context of the Commission’s mandates as it rightly anticipates the role that copyright should play in the book industry especially at a time when our copyright legislation is going through the much anticipated overhaul, 23 years after the last amendment took place in 1999.
The Book as a Factor of National Development
FOR as long as human beings remain central as agents and beneficiaries of development, there is compelling need to pay attention to the education subsector as a tool to grow a smarter, more informed, healthier and more globally competitive population that would in turn boost national economic growth. Otherwise, society will stagnate or remain brutish. To the extent that books help to enlighten, influence, socialize and empower the individual, equipping him or her to become a positive influence on the environment, there is also a link between the book and the total development of man and society. Therefore, if we accept that education is the bedrock of an enlightened society, then it stands to reason that the book – in whatever form – is a major factor in national development.
Immediate Economic Value
NIGERIA has indeed made tremendous progress of growing its creative sector with limited policy intervention. The book and publishing sector is an aspect of the creative industry with great potentials for economic, cultural and intellectual development of any nation. According to a study on the publishing industry in 19 countries the sector generated revenue of about USD 50.3 billion in 2018 alone. Aside its economic potentials, the sector is one of the most trusted and potent vehicles for promoting knowledge, conveying ideas and expanding the cultural life of a people.
Education remains the bulwark against many debilitating evils that beset a nation and the book, whether physical or electronic, remains one of the bastions of hope for a country that wants to gain ascendancy and global relevance. The book industry is therefore a critical factor in the authentic development of any nation and the dignity of a people.
Another simple way of understanding the notion of books as a factor of development is to examine the role they play in promoting literacy as a catalyst for development. As one author puts it, “a developed society is a book glued society, [while] a developing society is a less book conscious society.” One may then conclude that “an under developed society is a book famished society”! Of course, one must admit that the number of books in circulation does not necessarily translate to enlightenment as there is a growing gap between publishing and readership index in a country like Nigeria. Show me your book-reading index and I will show you how developed you truly are!
The state of publishing in Nigeria today is pathetic but despite the challenges, it has managed to remain relevant and should be supported not only as part of the social responsibility of Government but also as an economic imperative to address our aspirations as a modern nation state. As Mr. Moses F. Ekpo once said in his speech at an earlier edition of this Book Fair in the 90s books are necessary “as the cement that binds us as a nation, defines us as a people and gives us hope as a country”. According to him:
“Besides being the embodiment of the national conscience, authors are also the teachers of society per excellence. Books constitute one of the most important instruments at their disposal. . . . The responsibility for national emancipation will therefore appear, on the one hand to lie with society, which is duty bound to encourage authorship and book production to its utmost capacity, but also on the authors themselves whose wisdom or folly alone will determine whether a nation is led to emancipation or down the slippery road to annihilation.
The importance of the book to society as a factor of development is self-evident and development experts are agreed that the book is:
• an economic asset for a country’s growth;
• a catalyst for mental growth and social integration;
• a dynamic tool for historical documentation and generational bonding;
• a medium of mass communication and enlightenment;
• a sustaining pillar for education, teaching, learning and research;
• a tool for national integration, cultural and social cohesion;
• a vehicle for cross-cultural understanding and diplomacy;
• a springboard for innovation and scientific advancement;
• a pivot of stability; and
• a fountain of pleasure and leisure to the general reader.
The value chain in the book industry involves multiple players whose inputs are critical to sustaining a viable book ecosystem. The publisher adds value to the author’s manuscript by employing editors, designers, layout artists, illustrators and indexers to polish and package the book. The publisher employs the services of the printer to bring the book to life, manufacturers of paper and other consumables supply the materials while shipping companies are engaged to transport the finished product. Distributors, acting as intermediaries between the publisher and retailers, deliver to retail bookstores and online sellers to make the book reach the reading public. Together, the separate but related stages in the process – creation, production, dissemination, and consumption – form an integrated chain of economic activity.
There is consensus that the book sector in Nigeria is, putting it very mildly, in very bad shape. As Nwankwo puts it, the business of publishing has suffered as a result of a fractured and traumatized environment. The challenges are both internal and external, but that goes also for so many other aspects of out daily life. There seem to be daunting challenges at every point in the entire value chain or what Kolawole describes as the fragmented – and I would add twisted – book chain.
Some have even wondered if there is an industry! In my optimistic view, there is a publishing industry. Battered and bruised maybe; but there is an industry.
Discussing the problems on the continent through a Nigerian prism, Professor Udeze once said concerning the prospects and challenges of publishing in Africa:
The publishing industry is bedeviled by a lot of challenges. It is a common phenomenon to hear publishers accuse printers and booksellers of piracy; authors accuse publishers of cheating them by non-payment or underpayment of royalty. Even the end users themselves — readers accuse booksellers of exorbitant pricing while the booksellers in turn point to the publishers as being responsible for the high price of books. Publishers deny it by stating that they give generous discounts to the booksellers whose greed would not allow them sell at official price. Publishers also try to justify their high price on the cost of doing business in the country because of Government’s inability to provide the needed infrastructure and good investment environment and policy. Students of tertiary institutions who constitute the major reading public try to play it smart by engaging in massive and unrestrained photocopying of any published material they borrow from the library while the librarians try to maintain seemingly dignified neutrality.
The other common problems are:
i. Problems of origination or authorship of texts and the dearth of adequately motivated and remunerated authors to produce acceptable manuscripts;
ii. Relatively low number of viable indigenous publishing houses devoted to the production of texts for the three tiers of the school system;
iii. Inadequate manpower base of editorial departments even in the established publishing houses;
iv. Low level of technological know-how and limited equipment in the printing sector of the book chain;
v. Absence of a co-ordinated and unambiguous national book policy backed up by law to protect and promote the book industry;
vi. Variations in public policies that often lead to further destabilization of the uneasy state of the book trade (policy summersaults);
vii. Structural and spatial problems arising from inadequate distribution networks and marketing outlets for the few Nigerian titles that get published annually; and
Viii Declining reading culture; dwindling stock in library collections; absence of public libraries and indeed school libraries.
That is a basket full and although the Commission is committed to helping the ecosystem, some of the problems are outside the copyright space.
Copyright in the Book Ecosystem
COPYRIGHT law remains the most proximate legal framework for the sustainable regulation and promotion of a viable book sector. As in other developed climes, the rise of the book and publishing industry in Nigeria also brought about the need for legal regulation of the sector. Nigeria received the English Copyright Act in 1912 as a colonial statute. It promulgated the first indigenous statute in 1970 and in 1988 followed with the present copyright legislation which has been amended twice in 1992 and 1999.
The Nigerian Copyright Commission in 2012 initiated a copyright reform process to review the Copyright Act in line with emerging trends and to address the impact of new technologies and bring the law in line with global best practices and treaty obligations.
Significant progress has been made in the reform project. A new Copyright Bill was passed by the Senate on 6th April 2022 and only yesterday, 11th May 2022, the same Bill went through its first reading at the House of Representatives where it had been transmitted for concurrence. This is therefore a good time to take stock and critically reassess our copyright ecosystem with a view to redefining duties and responsibilities for the active players which would include the producers, the consumers and the decomposers. We should also proffer strategies for functional interplay between the regulatory, administrative and business components in the industry to attain balance in an otherwise fragile but highly interdependent arrangement. Unless each of the links that make up the major components is strengthened, the entire value chain will eventually give in to the external pressure imposed by the well-known threats to this ecosystem. As the saying goes, any chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The New Agenda
CONVINCED on the need to effect diversification in Nigeria’s economy and grow the non-oil sector for long-term development, the Nigerian Copyright Commission, in 2012, initiated a comprehensive reform of the country’s copyright system with a view to stimulating its creative sector. Studies had shown that the country although Nigeria had very rich cultural industries that were globally competitive, their meagre contribution to the GDP necessitated a deliberate policy and legislative reform to “strengthen productivity and stimulate additional collateral growth in related cultural industries.” This would also stimulate domestic and foreign investments to boost revenue in the new knowledge-driven world economy.
Our copyright legislation was considered inadequate to curb the rising menace of piracy and other copyright abuses. Other shortfalls identified in the copyright system included poor management of rights; non-compliance with obligations under the relevant treaties; non-deterrent sanctions for copyright infringement; inadequate provisions to deal with new issues arising from the Internet; low level of awareness among key stakeholders. The Commission therefore sought to energise the copyright system “to considerably improve the living prospects for Nigeria’s authors and creators, while facilitating further growth of the country’s core copyright industries and stimulating innovation and investment in new sectors.” This was the basis of the new agenda, starting with a new Copyright Bill which has now in Clause 1 set out the following cardinal objectives:
(a) protect the rights of authors to ensure just rewards and recognition for their intellectual efforts;
(b) provide appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works;
(c) facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with obligations arising from relevant international copyright treaties and conventions; and
(d) enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for effective regulation, administration, and enforcement of the provisions of this Act.
In addition to the revision of the copyright legislation, the reform process also contemplates a robust implementation strategy “to strengthen the capacity of various sectors [including the book sector] to penetrate new overseas markets and more effectively leverage Nigeria’s comparative advantages.”
The strategies would have to be revised in view of present realities to allow for more stakeholder inputs. Most of these stakeholders will be participating at this Book Fair and their views on how best to address their subset in the ecosystem is very important if the vision and laudable objectives of the reform are to be realised.
Key Provisions of the New Bill
THE new Copyright Bill, which is the product of years of extensive consultation with local and international stakeholders, industry practitioners, right owner associations, experts in copyright and other interested persons, would be the first major overhaul of the nation’s copyright system in over three decades.
Some of the new issues addressed in the Bill include the right of remuneration for some categories of copyright owners, special exceptions for blind, visually impaired and print disabled persons, provisions concerning technological protection measures, rights management information, an elaborate enforcement mechanism for online infringement, stiffer sanctions for criminal infringements.
The Copyright Levy
WE have also made significant progress in the implementation of the Copyright Levy provisions in the Copyright Act. The Copyright (Levy on Materials) Order is aimed at cushioning the effect of the untracked reproduction of copyright works and provide support for the enforcement mandate of the Commission. The Order imposes levies materials used or capable of being used to infringe copyright in a work. It lists eleven (11) storage media items and sixteen (16) equipment/devices which are subject to between 1% -3% charge on the Cost Freight and Insurance (CFI) for imported items or cost of manufacture, production and assembly for items produced in Nigeria.
The rationale for the levies is to offer creators/rightowners fair compensation for losses of revenue arising from acts of copying carried out in circumstances that cannot be subjected to voluntary licensing by these creators/right owners. It is worthy of note that Nigeria has had the provision for levy imposition in its copyright laws since the promulgation of the present Copyright Act in 1988, but did not make the required Order until 2012 and we are now at the verge of its implementation, having signed the necessary framework agreement with Nigeria Customs Service and obtained the approval in principle, of the relevant government authority.
A substantial proceed from the collection will be paid to right owners through their Collective Management Organizations, while some percentage would be retained by government as part of its revenue and to fund anti-piracy campaigns and promote creativity. The book sector is unarguably one of the primary beneficiaries of this scheme, and would be in a position to cut back losses currently being experienced as a result of piracy and other illicit activities.
Piracy and Proactive Strategies
WE cannot talk about the challenges confronting the book in Nigeria without touching on piracy. It is the hydra-headed monster in the creative industry; the masquerade that must be shamed and put down. I believe it is a hydra-headed problem that calls for an equally multiprong solution. It must be attacked from all sides in a well-coordinated private-public collaboration between the Commission and stakeholders. First we must change our mind-set that this is problem that has no solution. It is not a part of us and it must be stopped.
The Commission has in the last decade deployed more of its resources to enforcement activities and carried out anti-piracy operations in several piracy hotbeds across the country. In report last year, we showed how the Commission had in the last decade or so, arrested over 730 suspected pirates; removed about 9.3 million units of assorted pirated copyright works, comprising books, software, DVDs, CDs, MP3 and contrivances from different piracy outlets across Nigeria with estimated market value of 9.6 Billion.
All these are like scratching a malignant growth on the surface. The Commission requires more funding to carry out the needed deep cleansing.
Unfortunately, there is a penchant by most consumers for pirated works even when they are well aware that such works are pirated. This is a major challenge in the fight against piracy. Unlike pharmaceuticals or other products where the dire consequences of consuming the counterfeit is a deterrent, the lure of cheap pirated products makes the fight against piracy even more daunting. That is why we must change the narrative to make the consuming public aware of the immediate and long-term impact of piracy and other copyright abuses on the society and the future of the industries.
One soft intervention that has been agreed upon with publishers is to curb the use of schools and public places as under the radar distribution points for pirated books. The Commission has issued warning letters to schools that henceforth, proprietors, principals and heads of schools would be held responsible for any pirated books distributed to pupils and students through their schools and such schools will also be sanctioned under the criminal provisions of the Copyright Act. Section 20(2) of the Act makes it an office to sell, distribute or be in possession of infringing copies of copyright works especially when the work is not for private use.
In the last couple of years, the Commission has also been discussing with the NPA on the possibility of adopting proactive anti-piracy measures for the book industry. This would include the introduction of antipiracy stamps and mobile verification systems. This discussion is yet to mature despite the urgency of such interventions to address the peculiar needs of the book industry. Booksellers and buyers have often complained about the increasing difficulty faced in identifying pirated materials. It is our belief that the implementation of a proactive anti-piracy system will go a long way in checking these infractions, help the consuming public to identify genuine works and also assist the Commission in its enforcement drive.
Changing Business Models
FOR the larger book ecosystem to thrive, it is important that everyone in the value chain contributes constructively to the sustainable growth of their respective sectors in the value chain starting from authors to publishers, editorial and production teams, printers, booksellers, librarians, digital platform providers, policy formulators, Government agencies, etc.
In the face of emerging technologies, we emphasize the need for right owners to explore new business models that can ensure easy access to legitimate creative content, and provide an efficient mechanism of licensing use of works. The Internet has given book publishers and other content providers an entirely new way to provide content. An independent author with minimal resources can make his or her work accessible to a global audience. With the popularity of e-books and growth of the technology to support them, electronic publishing has become a lot easier. Yet with that ease and a wide open marketplace, it becomes even more important for publishers take the necessary steps to protect their publications distributed on such platforms, by adopting suitable digital rights management solutions. DRM protection can limit what a reader can do with an e-book, such as printing or copying of text into another document, and even restrict the reader from unauthorized sharing of the file.
There is indeed no reason to be apprehensive of the digital platforms, especially considering that the new copyright bill has provided a framework for effective online enforcement of rights. More importantly, the online platform offers global market for products. The domestic market remains viable given the level of Internet and telephone penetration in Nigeria.
Despite its continental dominance in publishing, regrettably Nigeria is still yet to adopt modern trends in publishing. Most publications are still in the traditional book formats which limits their competition in the global market.
A case for Accessible Formats
ACCORDING to a 2018 World Health Organization estimate, approximately 253 million people are blind or visually impaired world-wide. More than 90% of these live in developing countries, including Nigeria. It is estimated that less than 10% of all published materials are available in formats that the blind or visually impaired can access. Limited availability of accessible books for the blind and visually impaired persons is a real barrier to their education and participation in other sociocultural life thereby impacting on their capacity to lead independent and productive lives.
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled was concluded in June 2013 and ratified by Nigeria in October 2017. Fortunately, the new Copyright Bill 2022 contains elaborate provisions in line with that treaty. To benefit print disable persons, publishers must make adjustments to make books available in accessible formats.
The Marrakesh Treaty has a clear humanitarian and social development dimension and its main goal is to create a set of mandatory limitations and exceptions for the benefit of the blind, visually impaired and otherwise print disabled persons. It is not oblivious of the need to ensure safeguards against abuses in the chain of supply. These safeguards include clear rules on the role authorized entities and the beneficiaries. The treaty does not in any way prohibit commercial distribution of accessible book formats by publishers along with regular market copies, as these would ordinarily ease challenge faced by people with visual impairment. With the large presence of persons with visual disability in Nigeria, there is no gainsaying the existence of a viable market for accessible format copies of books, and indeed books in other formats that are not strictly in prints. Publishers should therefore rethink their strategies to be more inclusive and in line with global trends.
Conclusion
FOR Nigeria to experience a sustainable growth in the book industry it must continue to have a balanced book ecosystem where the producers, consumers, decomposers and all the other players, including the regulatory authorities must constructively separately and collectively address the destroyers that have been decimating the industry. The copyright system is one of the pillars on which the book industry rests hence any weakness in the system does not only threaten the survival of the industry but would invariably affect the other dependent industries in the book ecosystem.
The copyright system must be made to be self-regulatory. In as much as government has a role to play in the area of policy formulation and enforcement of copyright, right owners being the primary beneficiaries of the system should play a more active role either as individuals or through their respective associations in bringing about the needed stability and sustainability of the ecosystem.
The Book industry in Nigeria is particularly fortunate to have cognizable industry structures that have the capacity to galvanize itself into action that will impact the progress of publishing and book trade in Nigeria. The Nigerian Publishers Association, the Nigerian Booksellers Association, the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria, Association of Nigerian Authors, etc., all have significant role to play in the emerging new order. A broad coalition that can articulate modalities of operations for the various sections of the industry towards creating an orderly system of production and distribution of books is necessary. Standard contracts that will create a balance between authors and publishers is very important, just as good faith dealing and transparency is paramount to maintaining healthy relationships between primary content providers and publishers, between publishers and printers and between publishers and booksellers.
Finally, I recall that a top-level meeting of stakeholders in the book industry was held in 2020 at the instance of the Late Otunba Lawal Solarin and some key items were itemized which, if addressed would help counter the threats to the ecosystem and restore sanity to achieve the needed balance. Some of the areas touched upon are:
• The need to promote reading using various strategies that would require publishers, librarians, schools and relevant MDAs to engage in the national campaign strategy collectively and individually.
• Introduction of appropriate regulations in the publishing industry to address distribution channels in line with global best business practice including the disruptive practice of direct sale of books through the school system.
• Enforcement of book standards in terms of content and production.
• Establishment of community and school libraries to cater for the needs of students.
• Promotion of substantial local printing of books and the resuscitation of the paper mills.
• Restoration of respect for the book chain in line with global best practices with well-defined roles for publishers, printers, booksellers, schools.
The think tank also outlined responsibilities for the Nigerian Copyright Commission which is expected to:
• Support the development of a National Book Policy for Nigeria.
• Promote respect for copyright and a more strategic use of the copyright system to grow the book industry.
• Regulate the production, stocking and warehousing and sale of books.
• Work with critical stakeholders to introduce appropriate anti-piracy devices.
• Increase its collaboration with other enforcement agencies to sustain its antipiracy campaign.
• Activate all relevant provisions of the Copyright Act that would ensure balance in the use of the copyright system, including provisions dealing with compulsory licensing, exceptions, production of books for the blind and visually impaired.
We have begun to set the agenda for the changes that would guarantee the sustainable growth of the book ecosystem. It is time for us to identify the champions in the industry who will drive the new agenda. The Commission and other agencies of Government responsible for the sustainable growth of this ecosystem must make out time for regular interaction with the key players and use the feedbacks in formulating policies.
I hope we will all find time in our respective constituencies to also examine the other Cankerworms that have bedeviled this industry.
As an agency committed to optimal service delivery, the Nigerian Copyright Commission will work with all stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria gets a modern copyright legislation that adequately protects rights, provides for appropriate exceptions and facilitates the effective administration, regulation and enforcement of copyright in a digital environment. We are also determined to rebuild a wholesome, functional and dependable copyright system that would restore a book ecosystem that stimulates growth. It behooves other players to complement this commitment by becoming more proactive to engage with and leverage the new opportunities to make it flourish in the global digital economy.
On behalf of all stakeholders in the creative sector, including the book industry, I commend the National Assembly for giving prompt attention to the Copyright Bill and complementing the administration’s reform agenda to reposition the sector for the much-needed upward swing. I am certain that discussants and participants at this conference will renew their commitment to the evolving agenda for sustainable growth in the book ecosystem.
I wish you all a fruitful and successful conference. | https://anotearthub.com/2022/05/14/copyright-and-sustainable-growth-in-the-book-ecosystem-setting-a-new-agenda/ |
The depreciation of the Turkish lira; in other words, the imbalance in exchange rates; is compelling Turkish publishers to take measures to the extent they could suspend their activities.
Prior to the recent disparity in exchange rates, the changes made in the examination system in 2017 returned as a substantial loss in the educational publishing sector that had had a large share in the overall publishing sector in Turkey and the industry suffered a loss of 560 million dollars in book sales.
From spring 2018 onward, there has been a noticeable slowdown in book sales. The publishing sector in Turkey incurs multiple problems triggered by the instability in exchange rates.
The first of such setbacks is paper shortage. All book papers used in Turkey are imported. All inputs (paper, ink, printing machines, and royalties, etc.) in the production in the publishing sector are directly linked to foreign currency. For a very concise example, 11th of October 2017, the eve of the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, one USD was 3.70 TL and one EURO was 4.33 TL. On the eve of the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, one USD is moving toward the level of 6-6.50 TL while one EURO has become 7-7,5 TL! When it comes to the prices of paper, the primary input of publishers, they increased by 15-20% globally since the beginning of the year and the increase in exchange rates in Turkey in July and August added to it, whereby giving birth to the skyrocketing in paper costs up to 80%. Many of our members say they will begin to run out of paper stock as of November, the date of the Istanbul Book Fair, the largest publishing event in Turkey. In short, Turkey’s publishers are experiencing serious problems both in finding paper to print books and in buying paper due to the increase in the exchange rates.
Another drawback is the changes in distribution companies in Turkey. The handover and restructuring of one of the largest chain stores in the country brought along losses in book sales. Due to the circumstances experienced, publishers are subject to difficulties in collecting their receivables from their customers. In the sector, the regular maturity period of repayment was 120 days, while it is presently up to 180-210 days, which in turn inflicts direct negative impacts on the cash flow in the publishing activity. It also causes a number of consequences ranging from inability to meet input costs to late payments of royalties.
Another industry-specific situation that needs to be included in all the foregoing is that one of the largest suppliers in publishing has requested bankruptcy. Highly significant amount of receivables expected by the publishing sector from that one of the largest suppliers of the country, who filed an application for concordat in court in July, is now at severe risks. Inability of publishers to collect their receivables in a timely manner has posed inconveniences on the cashflow.
Finally, of course, the most important direct result of the increase in the exchange rates is that the royalties paid abroad have come to be impayable for many publishers now. When the advance amounts are fixed in foreign currency, there become increases up to 80% in TL equivalents in the payments that become due and payable.
Numerous publishers have already stated that they could not make due and/or overdue advance and royalty payments and started to demand annulment of agreements. To prevent such cases, we, as Turkish publishers, consider that the international book publishing community as well as local and foreign copyright agencies should act in mutual understanding and we encourage such attitude. We inform the international publishing community that if many Turkish publishers cannot configure their remaining payments arising from existing contracts, they might be compelled to terminate those contracts in the forthcoming period.
Unfortunately, the contracts to be entered into in the upcoming period are also vulnerable to the foreign exchange imbalance. 30-35% of the books published in our country are constituted by translated ones concerning cultural areas. Already several publishers have announced that they would turn their attention from the translations to the works of Turkish writers. This situation both weakens our international cultural dialogue and also undermines our literary richness and scientific knowledge accumulation.
As Turkish Publishers Association, we do our best to represent the will of publishers to continue publishing activity even in these difficult economic circumstances our country is going through. As we continue to work under the conditions in question by not letting the Turkish publishing sector leave off the international levels of publishing, we urge all parties of the international publishing community, authors, publishers, and agencies to be sensitive to these conditions and be in solidarity with the Turkish publishers. For the continuation of our cultural exchange and dialogue, it is vital that you know the conditions under which we operate and that you evaluate the offers or demands coming from us within this period accordingly. We know we will overcome these days with solidarity and thank you very much in advance for your support. | https://turkyaybir.org.tr/en/call-for-solidarity-with-turkish-publishing/ |
The identification of novel genes, in inherited retinal dystrophies and optic neuropathies, is of major concern for the pathophysiological understanding and diagnosis of these diseases, to establish phenotype/genotype correlations, for a precise diagnosis and for the improvement of genetic counseling. It is also an indispensable step in the development of innovative therapies and in particular gene therapy.
Although many responsible genes have been discovered in these diseases, about 30 to 40% of patients do not have mutations in known genes. The goal of our studies, using candidate gene strategies, genetic mapping and exome and genome sequencing, is to discover the missing genes. Thus, we will have a more complete representation of the genetics and physiopathology of these diseases, these data being necessary to produce new effective therapies.
Currently, we are screening large cohorts of patients with either autosomal dominant or autosomal dominant inherited RP or hereditary optic neuropathies. Several new potential genes are under study.
The retina, located at the posterior part of the eye, is divided into several layers with specific functions. In particular, photoreceptors (PR) convert light into an electrical signal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) that plays a role in the maintenance and survival of PR. The interactions between RPE and PR are mainly at the level of the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM), a matrix that allows the junction between the outer segments of the PR and the apical micovilli of the RPE. IPM is the place of nutrient exchange between RPE and PR and retinoid transit of the visual cycle.
In 2010, mutations in the IMPG2 gene (Interphotoreceptor Matrix ProteoGlycan 2) encoding SPACRCAN were identified in patients with autosomal recessive RP. In 2013, we showed that the IMPG1 gene (Interphotoreceptor Matrix ProteoGlycan 1) encoding SPACR is responsible for dominant and recessive forms of vitelliform macular dystrophy (VMD, Manes et al., 2013). Our group has also identified mutations in IMPG2 in rare cases of VMD (Meunier et al., 2014). The involvement of SPACR and SPACRCAN in RP and VMD shows the major role of IPM in retinal pathophysiology.
The project aims to determine how a defect or absence of SPACR and SPACRCAN proteins modify the properties of IPM to lead to lipofuscin accumulation and PR death.
European Retinal Dystrophy Consortium: C. Ayuso (Spain), S. Banfi (Italy), F. Cremers (the Netherlands), C. Inglehearn (Great Britain), B. Leroy (Belgium), C. Rivolta (Switzerland), D. Sharon (Israel), B. Wissinger (Germany).
French national reference and competence centers for retinal dystrophies: S. Defoort-Dhellemmes (Lille), H. Dollfus (Strasbourg), J. Kaplan (Paris), J. Sahel (Paris), M. Weber (Nantes), X. Zanlonghi (Nantes). | http://www.inmfrance.com/inmfrance-j3/index.php/en/vision-en/101-1-3-genetics-of-retinitis-pigmentosa |
By Cooper Vittetoe ’21
When someone tells you about college, you’ll hear about a lot. From study abroad experiences, late-night fun in residence halls and great memories made, one thing will remain consistent: These memories and experiences were made possible by being involved. By the end of your time at Central College, you’ll understand why it means so much to get involved in at least one of more than 100 opportunities available to you at Central.
From the minute you walk on to campus, you will hear about opportunities for involvement. These opportunities are literally everywhere! Clubs on campus have everything from sports to music and everything in between. There also are work study positions in nearly every campus office. Beyond work study and clubs, there are many more opportunities to dive into activities. You can get involved with Central’s athletics teams, both intramural and Division III, music ensembles ranging from singing to instrumental and major-specific involvement like research.
All are great ways to meet new people and have lots of fun in college, but they also will serve you well beyond college. Each offering offers a learning opportunity focused around things like work ethic, dedication and a willingness to try new things! In addition, your openness to try new things and explore new opportunities help you discover what you want to do with your life! Maybe you want to be a physical therapist because of a volunteer position at a local nursing home or you want to investigate politics because you met an alum who works in the political field. Opportunities like these present themselves all the time when you embrace the Central experience by immersing yourself in activities.
Many of the students you will meet during college will have varying degrees of involvement, but one thing will be certain by the end of your first year: It’s hard to not get involved one way or another! So, take a chance and pick an activity to enjoy or challenge you. You may find that what you choose to spend your time on at Central will impact you for a lifetime.
Read More From Community Contributors
About the Author
Hi! My name is Cooper Vittetoe ’21. I was a communication studies major at Central College. I am originally from Waukee, Iowa, and I’m now a graduate student at the University of Northern Iowa pursuing my masters degree in postsecondary education: student affairs.
During my time at Central, I was a part of the A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers and held multiple work-study jobs all over campus. I truly loved my time at Central, and I hope you’ll make your best decision ever by coming to Central. Go Dutch! | https://news.central.edu/2020/06/whatre-you-going-to-do/ |
I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time.
The main objects of this Bill, which I am now asking the House to approve in principle, are, firstly, to eliminate as far as possible the present cumbersome and time-consuming procedure of taking depositions in the preliminary investigation of indictable offences in the District Court; secondly, to provide that normally these preliminary proceedings will be heard without any press, radio or television publicity; and thirdly, to re-enact various enactments relating to the grant of bail.
The most important provisions are those contained in Part II. This Part sets out the new procedure to be observed on the preliminary examination of an indictable offence in the District Court and will bring about a most important and, in my opinion, long overdue reform.
As Deputies know, the present law is that before a person may be put on trial for an indictable offence, that is, an offence which under the Constitution he has a right to have tried by a judge and jury, a district justice must first of all conduct a preliminary investigation. At this investigation the evidence, which is taken on oath, is written out by the district court clerk in longhand. After the district justice has heard the prosecution witnesses and any witnesses that may be called by the accused and after he has considered any statement the accused himself may make on being cautioned, he decides whether the prosecution has established a sufficient case to justify putting the accused on trial. It is important to emphasise that it is not the function of the district justice to resolve any conflict between the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution and that of any witnesses for the defence. The preliminary investigation is in no sense a trial. All the district justice has to see is whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the accused, in other words, whether there is enough evidence which, if it is not contradicted at the trial, a reasonably-minded jury could convict upon.
Because of the limited scope of this preliminary investigation it is not usual for the accused person to disclose his defence at this stage or to bring forward any witnesses on his behalf but the present procedure does allow an accused person to do so if he considers that this may secure his discharge at that stage. It is significant, however, that only about one per cent of persons arrested or summoned for indictable offences are discharged at this point of the proceedings. Of course, not all indictable offences go through this procedure. A number of them may be dealt with summarily if the accused consents and if the district justice considers that the offence in question is of a minor character. And in cases where a plea of guilty is entered in the District Court, the justice has power to impose a sentence of up to twelve months imprisonment or a fine of £100 or both for any indictable offence except the most serious ones if he considers that the punishment he can impose is adequate and the Attorney General does not object.
In the preparation of this Bill we were fortunate to have the benefit of the examination given to the existing procedure by the Committee on Court Practice and Procedure, which is under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Brian Walsh. In their First Interim Report the Committee, by a majority, recommended that the principle of having a preliminary investigation should be retained, subject to certain modifications which were designed to avoid having any investigation at all where an adult accused so desired and in other cases to reduce the time taken in court under the present arrangements. The Majority Report therefore recommended that in certain cases a person could be sent forward for trial without the taking of depositions where that person, though not wishing to plead guilty, was satisfied to waive the preliminary investigation. In other cases the evidence would be recorded by way of affidavit in the local State Solicitor's Office rather than by deposition and the accused would be served with copies of the affidavits together with particulars of the offences and a list of the prosecution witnesses. The accused would have the right to require the prosecution to have the witnesses attend and make a deposition and be subject to cross-examination. The prosecution would have a similar right in certain circumstances.
The Minority Report, on the other hand, recommended the complete abolition of the preliminary investigation, with the provision of certain safeguards, and envisaged that the accused would be sent forward for trial without the intervention of any judicial person to examine whether or not there was a sufficient case for putting the accused on trial and that in lieu of depositions the accused would be served with a notice in writing specifying the persons it was proposed to call as witnesses and giving a statement of the evidence that was to be given by each of them. The Report pointed out that such safeguards as were provided for the accused by the taking of depositions must now be looked at in the light of the fact that there are now other and sufficiently adequate safeguards which did not exist before 1924 and that circumstances have greatly changed since the present law, governing the existing procedure, was enacted over a hundred years ago. Since 1924, all criminal charges prosecuted upon indictment must be prosecuted at the suit of the Attorney General and, again since 1924, an appeal has been provided against every conviction on indictment. Apart from these safeguards, the Minority Report suggested that the court, if given power to award costs to an accused person in a proper case, would act as a further safeguard against a person being placed on trial without sufficient evidence. Finally, it made the point that in cases which are dealt with summarily there is no pretrial procedure, the person charged is not given any notice of the evidence proposed to be given against him, or of the witnesses to be called, though he is liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a maximum of 12 months.
The provisions in Part II represent a middle course between the views expressed in both Reports. In particular, instead of abolishing the preliminary investigation altogether, it maintains the principle that no person should be committed for trial unless a district justice considers that the prosecution has established a sufficient case for doing so. It proposes that the accused and the justice will be supplied with a copy of the charges, a list of the witnesses to be called by the prosecution at the trial, together with a statement of the evidence that is to be given by each of them and a list of the exhibits. The decision whether to return an accused person for trial will be taken on the basis of the justice's consideration of the documents and exhibits and of any statement the accused may make after caution.
In addition, the prosecution and the accused will each be entitled to require the taking on sworn deposition of so much of the evidence of any witness, whether included in the supplied list of witnesses or not, as appears to the justice to be necessary to enable him to form an opinion as to whether there is a sufficient case to warrant sending the accused forward for trial. The preliminary examination procedure may be waived altogether by the accused.
In my opinion, the new procedure provides ample safeguards to an accused person from his having to undergo a public trial unnecessarily. At the same time, it abolishes the existing slow and costly deposition procedure in all but exceptional cases. How slow and costly this procedure is can be illustrated from an estimate I have had made of the number of hours spent in taking depositions in the District Court during the year ended 30th September last. It was no less than three thousand hours. Allowing five hours a day, this represents over six hundred days. Naturally the new procedure will not entirely eliminate these sittings but there will clearly be a considerable saving of time and expense and inconvenience to all concerned.
From the point of view of the accused, the new procedure offers considerable advantages. In the first place, he will be presented with a complete statement of the charges and of the prosecution case before the commencement of the preliminary examination. This is something he has not got at present. He is saved the distress involved in prolonged attendances during the taking of depositions when, as so often is the case, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he is going to be sent forward for trial at the end of it all. Finally, the case against him may not be published unless he so desires it and even there the district justice has a discretion to refuse his application for publication. These advantages are additional to the advantage which he possesses under the existing procedure of being afforded an opportunity of hearing and knowing the evidence to be given against him, of testing the evidence and possibly breaking it down in cross-examination and of giving evidence himself which may possibly result in his being discharged.
I want to stress again that here we are dealing simply with the question of whether or not a prima facie case has been established and it will be for the prosecution to establish that case clearly. If the accused, by availing himself of the provisions in the Bill, can show that they have not done so, he is fully entitled to be discharged even though it may be, in the future as it has been in the past, that he is in fact guilty of the offence charged. Our law is still that a man is innocent until he is proved guilty and there can be no question of making any inroad into that fundamental principle. Of course, that is not to say that the provisions which we are now proposing in replacement of the present procedure will not have to be tested in practice to see that they operate satisfactorily. They are no more immune to periodic review than any other legislation enacted by this House but from the reception the Bill has received and the comments and suggestions that have been made concerning it, I am confident that it will provide a very satisfactory replacement for the present procedure.
Here I should like to say a word about the provisions which restrict the publication of the proceedings or evidence at the preliminary examination. This provision gives effect to the unanimous view of the Commission that publication of the evidence might frequently be the cause of injustice to an accused person and prejudice his fair trial as, in most cases, only the case for the prosecution is presented at that stage. The Committee were evenly divided on whether the fact that the preliminary investigation had been held and the result of it should be published. On this aspect the Bill comes down on the side, as I have said, of allowing such publication. Subsection (3) of section 16 allows publication of such information as the judge or justice before whom the proceedings are brought permits to be published at the request of the accused.
This departs somewhat from the Committee's recommendation in that the Committee thought the accused should have an absolute right to have publication if he so requested. My own view is that it might be better to allow the judge or justice discretion whether to agree to such a request by the accused and that this is a discretion which could safely be entrusted to them and would be exercised properly and responsibly. However, this is a matter on which there may be differing views and I shall be glad to give consideration to what any Deputies may have to suggest concerning it.
Before I leave the provisions about publication, I should like to say how gratified I was to learn that our journalists individually and the Press as a whole are overwhelmingly in favour of non-publication of the preliminary proceedings for the same reason as the Committee, that is that on the whole the publication might be prejudicial to the fair trial of the accused. Another feature is that as well as prohibiting publication of these proceedings the Bill is giving effect to the unanimous view of the Committee that there should be specific statutory recognition of the fact that the preliminary investigation is open to the public unless the court considers it desirable because of the nature or circumstances of the case or otherwise in the interests of justice to order that the investigation be held in private. Some statutory provisions requiring the holding of proceedings in camera, such as incest cases and certain proceedings under the Official Secrets Act, 1963, are not affected but, subject to this, the power of excluding persons from the court does not apply to press representatives or to certain other persons such as parents or friends of an accused person, who under the present law have an absolute right to be present at these proceedings.
There are two other provisions in Part II to which I should like to draw attention. The first is section 11, which replaces section 62 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, authorising the Attorney General to direct that a person be sent forward for trial where the district justice has refused informations under the present law. The section transfers this function to the High Court. The remaining section to which I wish to refer is section 18. Subsection (1) of this section amends 1951, which enables certain indictable offences of a minor character to be section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act, tried summarily: it requires the consent of the Attorney General for the summary trial of an offence consisting of an assault with intent to commit felony, or on peace officers, etc. Subsection (2) amends the list of indictable offences which may be tried summarily by raising the monetary value of stolen property which may be dealt with summarily from £50 to £100 and adding a number of other offences which are detailed in paragraph 24 of the explanatory memorandum which accompanies the Bill.
Subsection (3) of section 18 provides that free legal aid will not be available at the preliminary examination except in murder cases where, traditionally, such aid has been forthcoming. I am inclined to the view that such aid is requisite only where difficult questions of law may require to be argued and that any such arguments would be appropriate to the trial itself rather than to a preliminary examination. I am bearing in mind too the safeguards, the additional safeguards, which have been built in for the accused in the new procedure.
Part III of the Bill, although somewhat elaborate, does not seem to me to require detailed comment or explanation at this stage except, perhaps, in two respects. One of these is, again, in ease of the accused and is contained in subsections (2) and (3) of section 21. Subsection (2) extends to the whole country the existing power of the Dublin Metropolitan Justices to remand an offender on bail for longer than eight days if both the accused and the prosecutor consent. Subsection (3) allows the District Court, if the accused and the prosecutor consent, to remand in custody for a period of more than eight days but not exceedings 30 days. This provision will obviate the necessity for bringing the accused before the court at frequent intervals when there is no prospect of the prosecution being able to proceed with the preliminary examination. However, the present limit of eight days will continue to apply on the occasion of the first remand in custody, at which time it is reasonable to assume that the accused may not be in a position to appreciate the full implications of his situation.
The other provision in Part III to which I should like to draw attention is that in subsection (5) of section 26 which allows evidence of previous convictions to be given on an application for bail where these convictions were for offences committed while on bail. It is well known that it is a practice among some professional criminals to commit further offences of the housebreaking or larceny type while on remand on the view that even if they are apprehended for these further offences the additional sentence, if any, which they may receive will be more than balanced by the monetary gain from the commission of the offences. In the interests of the accused it is provided that the judge or justice who hears evidence of previous convictions may not try the case subsequently and there is a provision prohibiting publication of any information about the convictions.
In conclusion, I should like to say that I am presenting this Bill to the House as a non-controversial measure which will make a worthwhile reform in the administration of criminal justice in this country. I hope that it will be acceptable to the House in principle and that it will be possible to improve it still further in the course of its passage through the Oireachtas. I have already received, as I have said, a number of very useful suggestions about the Bill and I want to say that all these suggestions and any that may be made here in this House will receive sympathetic consideration. My aim, in this as in other matters connected with the practical business of administering justice, is to have a procedure which is as good as and, indeed, better than that obtaining in other countries; one which is fair to accused persons and to the public as a whole and which is recognised generally to be so. Only in this way can we have any real foundation on which to inculcate a genuine respect for the law and the institutions established by it.
I hope the Bill will commend itself to the House on this basis. | https://www.oireachtas.ie/ga/debates/debate/dail/1965-11-23/67/ |
About Evie Bentley
Evie Bentley is a trained psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist with many years of experience dealing with the problems and life challenges that adults and young people, teenagers and children, can face.
Evie trained in Oxford at the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, where she achieved a distinction in the examinations.
Before she retrained, Evie spent many years teaching sixth form students and adults. Her move into psychotherapy was sparked by her students' demands for therapy from a trusted tutor who understands the issues that adults and, in particular, young people can face.
Evie has a Masters degree in Physiology from St Hilda's College, University of Oxford, and was educated at the Lady Eleanor Holles School.
Evie works from home, where the rural setting creates a calm and tranquil environment for her clients. Her practice is conveniently placed in the centre of Mid Sussex. | http://sussexpsychotherapy.com/about_evie.htm |
What most of us don’t realize is that creating a product that is loved by your customers is as important as selling it to generate revenues. The key to the ultimate success of any business is knowing your customer and providing catered solutions that fix their problems. I learned many things over the years building Tricefy and coaching other software and hardware companies how to create a stand-out product. Here are some of my tips: Create a user-friendly and visually appealing product…. | http://www.wollertmelin.com/ |
Getting started with any type of collaboration or partnering is not easy. Finding the right organisations and people to come together and work on an initiative can be a challenge. Keeping them together and delivering greater impacts is even harder.
How you start your partnering process can be critical to its long-term success. Getting prepared by asking the right questions up front can give you a better chance of reaching that ultimate success you are seeking. So what are the questions you should ask? We have put together 5 key questions to ask before venturing into any form of collaboration or partnering arrangement and these are:
- Why partner?
The fundamental question is why would you want to work with other organisations. What is it that you are hoping to achieve by engaging with others that you cannot achieve by yourself? It is very easy to get swept up in the enthusiasm of an idea or initiative that may involve working with others, but you need to take a step back and really consider what alternative approaches are available.
Partnering and especially complex cross sector partnering can take a lot of time and resources so there needs to be a clear value proposition to embrace this approach. And there has to be an overarching mutual benefit for partners to come together and stay together. Taking the time before you start to consider all the options is time well spent.
- Are we ready to partner?
We often find that organisations have been involved in some form of collaboration or partnering, but do not have a consistent approach to how they should do it. There have been no internal conversations around what do we mean by partnering, when should we do it and what business processes we need to support it?
So you need to take a hard look internally to see just what partnering experience and skills you have available, what capacity you have to engage with others and what resources you could bring to a partnering process. You also need to have some understanding of the strategic direction for the organisation and how any potential partnering initiative could align with this direction.
- What permission do I have?
Early engagement with partnering involves getting together with representatives from other organisations to explore what the partnering could be about and how working together would have a mutual benefit. As these conversations continue relationships are developed and ideas generated. Then some decisions have to be made about how to move forward.
But what permission do you have to make decisions? What discussions have you had about the proposed partnering initiative internally and what support do you have for making decisions.
Getting clear about what level of empowerment you have with respect to any partnering initiative is essential. The greater the empowerment you and your partners have the faster the partnering will move forward.
- What do I know about the others?
Coming together with other organisations is not easy, especially if you have had little contact previously. It is also easy to make assumptions based on previous experiences or things you’ve observed. We often can bring our biases and prejudices to the table so it is important to fully understand just who you may be partnering with.
Taking the time to find out as much as possible about potential partners prior to and in early meetings will pay handsome dividends as you move through the partnering process. It will also help you to think about who else may need to be involved in the partnering – have you the right mix of diverse organisations with the skillsets and resources needed to tackle that wicked problem?
- Is now the right time?
When starting a partnering initiative another factor to consider is the timing. You may have a tough problem to solve, some excellent potential partner organisations and all looks set to go. But are there any external influences that may sink your partnering efforts soon after you get started?
It may be a change in Chief Executive in a partner organisation, a change of government or major restructuring for one of the partners. Casting an eye to the horizon and thinking about what external influences could impact on the partnering may influence when you get started.
These are just a few of the key questions that we believe you should ask before you start partnering, but there are many more questions to be asked as you navigate your way through the partnering process. Being able to ask the right question at the right time is a critical success factor for effective partnering.
Let us know what you think of these questions and if there are other questions you think should you ask before partnering with others? | http://www.iandixon.com.au/5-questions-to-ask-before-partnering/ |
Why do people give up their seats to children on buses?
Now, elderly or physically-disabled people I understand – in fact this morning I hurtled up the bus to ask the bus driver to wait as an elderly lady on crutches was almost at the door but he hadn't seen her and was about to speed off.
And OK, I concede that on a very busy bus it might be nice to let a mother put her children on a seat where she can see them – but do these pint-sized people really need a seat each?
This morning however, the bus was not busy. I got on and took a folding seat downstairs as I have a suitcase with me today. Just behind me two kids and their mum got on and the only seats were at the back of the bus. One of these little people stood there are looked at me expectantly, sticking his bottom lip out thinking he was looking cute when in fact he looked like a dying guppy. But what was clear was that he thought I should move for him!
At the risk of sounding like Jeremy Clarkson, where in the name of all that is holy did he expect me to go? To the back of the bus, maiming the shins of everyone with my suitcase on my way? Perhaps there is an argument about me having my suitcase with me taking up space – but it is only a cabin-sized one, which was slotted very neatly out the way of everyone and, had someone in a wheelchair needed the space, or it had got really busy, I would have moved it and balanced it on my head if need be.
This child was about 8 years old – he should be at his most robust, agile and physically fit, so I figured surely he, his brother and his mum were capable of the few extra steps it took them to get to the back.
But no, from every direction, people scattered to accommodate the boy king and his entourage!
Even pregnant women don't get the same treatment – in fact I once gave up my seat to one particularly large gestating lady and someone else nabbed it before she had a chance to manoeuvre her bump into place! Harsh words were exchanged!
On today’s journey, two stops later more little people got on and once again they looked at everyone who was sat down as if to say, “MOVE, NOW!” The mother kept sighing and eventually some poor soul caved! Why? Why? Why? Can these children not walk upstairs? Is the cotton wool wrapped so tightly around them that standing is a physical impossibility? One stop later they got off... They could have walked it quicker!
There is one more thing that gets me, which is actually a little controversial and in the past when I've broached the subject, my more tolerant friends have tried to reason with me. It is this: on London buses, there is a sign that reads buggies may need to be folded at busy times.... Now has anyone actually ever seen this happen? OK, so modern designs are often hard to fold and the various paraphernalia that comes with children do not make this the easiest of tasks. But in busy times I have been unable to get on a bus because there are three gigantic all-terrain buggies crammed in, all empty because the children are sat in all the seats.
I was once on a bus where a lady with her massive pushchair actually begrudged making room for a person in a wheelchair!
Perhaps, when I have four children and a buggy designed for the wilds of Scotland that I insist on pushing along the smooth terrain of London’s streets, I too will expect people to give up everything for me. Perhaps I will think it wise to catch a bus 100 metres and tut at wheelchair users. But my children however, will be taught that they are perfectly capable of standing. And when we are on the bus and someone gets on wielding a suitcase, or needs a seat, I will make my children stand up.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
I have a question…
2 comments:
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Great rant today Girly, I thoroughly agree! My mum made me give up my seat on the bus when I was a fit and healthy 8-year-old - and she also used to say "the world doesn't revolve around you". True!
- 2 October 2008 at 21:54
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She was right! The world revolves around me! :o) Happy engagement Danielle!
x
- 10 October 2008 at 16:44
Deaf Girly's return to work
When I went on maternity leave last August, one of the things I never considered was that I'd be returning to work in the middle of a gl...
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Back in May, during Deaf Awareness Week, I put out the following tweet : and then went to lunch with ma and thought very little about...
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There's been a lot in the news and on social media recently addressing the issues around face masks and deaf people being able to liprea...
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This time last week, I had just experienced my first ever TV appearance. On Sky News . And I loved it. So how did a deaf anonymous blogge... | http://www.deafinitelygirly.com/2008/10/i-have-question.html |
Expert will lecture on deep-sea exploration
A marine archaeologist who 3D-mapped the wreck of the famous Titanic is to give a talk at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute next month.
James Delgado is senior vice-president of Search, an American group specialising in archaeology.
His talk, “The Final Frontier: Space-Age Technology, Deep-Sea Exploration and Shipwrecks,” will explore the use of undersea camera technology which has enabled scientists around the world to discover marine life at extreme depths, undersea geology and a variety of shipwrecks.
Dr Delgado will discuss the technology, the science and missions he has led or participated in, including Titanic, Second World War wrecks in the Pacific and deep sea archaeological excavation of an early 19th-century shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico.
The talk is scheduled for Thursday, April 5, starting at 7.30pm.
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5. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted. | https://www.royalgazette.com/other/news/article/20180327/expert-will-lecture-on-deep-sea-exploration/ |
European policymakers are at a crossroads as geopolitical tensions compound economic concerns. While the E.U. reached its pre-pandemic GDP level in the fourth quarter of 2021, policymakers are withdrawing support as economic growth faces mounting headwinds in the form of weakened consumer sentiment, severe supply constraints and rising prices. A sharp spike in energy prices lies at the heart of Europe’s inflation — currently the highest in decades — and Russia-Ukraine tensions threaten to drive prices even higher.
Consumer sentiment has been stagnant or declining in much of Europe since September 2021, as once-hopeful consumers have faced the one-two punch of delta- and omicron-driven COVID-19 case surges. Supply chain crunches have also driven up prices and made some items more difficult to find.
Consumer sentiment in Germany, Italy and the U.K. is now more than 6 percentage points below pandemic-era highs, and declining confidence has dampened commerce. Consumer spending has declined in Germany in recent months, and this plus weaker manufacturing output led the German economy to contract by 0.7 percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Along with COVID-19, rising prices are undermining confidence and growth, with energy prices largely behind the spike in inflation. In the second half of 2021, natural gas prices in Europe roughly tripled, with the direct impact of rising energy prices contributing to over half of the eurozone’s 5.1 percent headline inflation in January. Consumers are seeing their bills become more expensive, and expectations of continued price increases have risen with them. The share of respondents saying that they expect energy and utility price increases in Morning Consult’s monthly surveys has trended higher over the course of 2021 and into this year. For example, in January 2022, 88 percent of Italian adults expected their energy and utility bills to increase over the next 12 months, up 23 percentage points from February 2021.
Geopolitical tensions are also threatening to drive up energy prices and drag headline inflation with them. The European electricity grid has faced myriad challenges in recent months, adding to the increase in prices and making the system even more reliant on imported natural gas, especially from Russia. According to data from the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, 49 percent of Germany’s gas supply came from Russia in 2020, along with 46 percent of Italy’s and 24 percent of France’s. Now, Russia-Ukraine tensions are threatening to disrupt that supply, and consumers in Germany and Italy — both heavily reliant on Russian fuel — are seeing the biggest increases in expectations of higher utility bills.
Rising input prices are already being passed on to consumers, with bills rising across Europe. Regulators in the U.K. announced this month that they would increase Britain’s energy price cap by a record-breaking 54% in April. Even before the announced hike, British consumers were already being impacted by rising prices. The share who said they weren’t sure if they’d be able to pay their water, gas or electricity bill increased from 12 percent in December to 17 percent in January.
High energy prices and limited supply will make the European economy especially vulnerable to any additional energy shocks, exacerbating the repercussions of current geopolitical tensions. While monetary policymakers would typically look past a spike in energy prices, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, has noted “geopolitical clouds” over Europe and their potential impact on prices. With anticipated higher energy prices potentially feeding into broader price increases and inflation expectations, the central bank could move sooner to conclude its asset purchases and tighten monetary policy.
Political pressures will also mount on the ECB to rein in rising prices, and the impact on the most vulnerable people who are struggling to pay their bills will be difficult to ignore. While European policymakers are currently dialing back pandemic-era support on the fiscal side, an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict could lead to a policy shift, with additional energy price shocks resulting in targeted energy subsidies, or more, to dampen the economic and political impact.
The Morning Consult data from this analysis draws on two survey instruments. The consumer confidence data comes from daily consumer confidence surveys that measure consumers’ views of their personal finances, business conditions in the country as a whole, and current buying conditions. The price expectations and payment confidence data reflects the results of monthly surveys of 1,000 respondents per country. The survey includes questions regarding spending and inflation expectations as well as views of broader geopolitical and social risks. The survey began January 2021, with some additions and edits occurring in February 2021. | https://morningconsult.com/2022/02/10/russia-ukraine-tensions-add-to-europes-economic-worries/ |
technology of the first quarter of the 21st century. We're already seeing significant impact from such technology in aerial warfare in the form of cruise missiles and small, inexpensive remotely operated reconnaissance aircraft. Right now remotely operated/semi-autonomous, reusable jet combat vehicles are under development by the U.S. for deployment in the 2005-2010 time period. The U.S. armed services are already working on developing tactics for these machines and the folks involved in that process talk about a real revolution in the effectiveness of air power once these systems are deployed.
Igor's right that the biggest breakthrough will come when this sort of technology begins to be developed for ground combat. However, the problems are very great -- much more so than for aircraft. Igor's proposed design for an RCCV highlights the two key problems: Mobility and supply. The vehicle he describes looks to be about the size of a mid-range automobile with mobility a little greater than a current-generation light SUV.
Imagine the offensive and defensive tactics such a vehicle would call for. Within its range, on roadways or relatively benign off-road terrain and supported by the right kind of air power, groups of such vehicles would represent as much or more of a breakthrough in military technology as the machine gun or tank represented. Deployed against an opponent that did not possess air superiority or significant heavy armor, Igor's RCCV would give its possessor a decisive advantage in a limited tactical range. But consider what it can't do: It can't enter buildings, it would be subject to ambush in close urban quarters and it can't take or control uneven terrain or ground with significant vegetation. Range and resupply considerations aside, in Kosovo, for example, a large number of such vehicles could easily take control of key open roadways and bridges. But facing such a force, Serb forces would just do what Mao did in the face of Japan's superior mechanized military: Cede the roads and control the countryside, fighting an attritional war of ambush and logistical strangulation.
The limitations of a "first-generation RCCV" are even more apparent when one considers logistical factors. How will these vehicles be resupplied with fuel and ammunition? The automatic weapons Igor proposes to arm his RCCV with expend ammunition at a prodigious rate. The amount of ammunition he's talking about would be expended with just a few minutes of sustained fire, at most. RCCV operators would have to be extremely parsimonious with their trigger fingers, something not common among video gamers :-) Yes, they could form an effective firing line on an assault front for very short periods of time, but a savvy enemy would be willing to sustain losses in an initial engagement to cause the RCCV-equipped opponent to use up as much ammunition as possible.
Similar problems develop with fuel. While RCCVs like this might have a decent range in straight-line travel over improved roadways, any sort of rough-terrain travel or combat maneuvering would quickly shorten that range. Again, a smart opponent would employ tactics of movement to force the RCCVs to maneuver as much as possible.
So, how would these vehicles be reloaded and refueled? Would there be remotely operated "tenders" trailing just behind the front line? If so, reliably engaging ammo and fuel ports would require some fairly sophisticated robotics. Furthermore, robotically or remotely operated resupply operations would present an inviting target. If the RCCVs have to travel back to secure human-tended support, the effective combat range of an RCCV would be very short, indeed.
The development front for RCCVs therefore will be mobility and logistical improvements. As for the former, a first-order improvement on the suggested design might involve equipping them with short-range remotely-operated rotorcraft (RORCs) for local reconnaissance and fire-suppression. Imagine a squad of RCCVs coming under fire from anti-tank rocket snipers in a building. The RCCVs launch ten one-meter long helicopter RORCs (with their own separate operators) that swarm the building, entering through windows and doors and suppressing the sniper fire with very small caliber semi-automatic fire, flash grenades, tear-gas and other short-range anti-personnel weapons. The RORCs could be disposable (perhaps used as weapons themselves, or to be recovered manually later) or, with some automated support, might be recoverable by the RCCVs "on the fly", so to speak.
The real RCCV mobility revolution will come when robotics advances to the point where an RCCV can be built with mobility approximating that of a human infantryman. Assuming that the work of folks like Hugo de Garis bears fruit soon, this might well come fairly quickly. I can envision a second-generation RCCV that would be little more than twice the size of a large human, with a six- or eight- legged spider-like mobility platform, upon which a swivelling sensor and weapon turret is mounted. The mobility platform would have its own sensor suite and would be largely autonomous, merely responding to direction and speed inputs from the main human operator. Some form of piezoelectric or other "electro-elastic" musculature would move the mobility legs. Presumably the power source would have to be some kind of very high efficiency fuel cells or perhaps a gas micro-turbine with very highly compressed gas fuel (although the latter would generate a lot of heat, making infrared sensing a problem in both directions). RCCV walkers could be delivered to combat areas by wheeled or rotorcraft ROVs and would supplement first-generation RCCV light armored vehicles in combined-tactics skirmish lines.
Pure fuel and ammunition logistics will continue to be the primary limiting factor for even second-generation RCCVs, but with a semi-robotic "quartermaster corp", field resupply would become much more realistic and effective.
Now, none of this addresses the electronic and information combat that would
increasingly dominate the actual ground battlefield. With second generation
(c. 2010-2020) and then third generation (2020+) RCCVs, control of the
dataflow to and from RCCVs would become decisive. I trust that super-strong encryption could protect the data flow from hacking attack, but EMP weapons might well become extremely important for the defense against RCCVs. One can imagine cryogenically-supported, superconducting capacitor EMP bombs being delivered aerially or with artillery, or even in the form of land mines. Internal automation could be hardened against EMP attack through the use of photonics, but what of radio? Line-of-sight microwave and laser would be very important in such a battlefield, perhaps supported by a LEO direct laser network, supplemented by close-support ROV aerial laser nodes. With sufficient miniaturization and hardening against acceleration damage, perhaps an RCCV force could even be supported by laser-node artillery shells, barraged continually over a battlefront, but we're talking FAST switching and HIGH network architecture flexibility here . . .
Well, that's my three cents on RCCVs . . . | https://extropians.weidai.com/extropians.2Q99/0946.html |
17 Photos Of The Most Eerie Abandoned Sites In The World
From vacant theme parks to deserted sanatoriums, these places manage to be both haunting and strangely beautiful at the same time.
From vacant theme parks to deserted sanatoriums, these places manage to be both haunting and strangely beautiful at the same time.
German miners flocked to this town in southwestern Namibia when diamonds were found there in 1908. But when the price of diamonds dropped significantly after World War I, it was gradually abandoned until it became a ghost town, which you can visit today.
In 1973, a U.S. Navy airplane—a Douglas Super DC-3 to be exact—crash landed on Sólheimasandur Beach in the south of Iceland. The entire crew survived, but the plane was abandoned and left to rot. It's located not too far from the Skógafoss Waterfall, but you need four wheel drive to navigate the unpaved roads if you want to see it.
When it became clear that if the sand dunes didn't completely engulf this century-old structure first, it would eventually topple into the North Sea due to coastal erosion, the lighthouse was left to the elements. It is located on the northern coast of Denmark.
The residents of this former fishing village east of Shanghai abandoned it in the 1990s for better opportunities on the mainland. In the years since, vines have completely taken over the ghost town.
Built in 1898 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, this massive hospital complex south of Berlin has a twisted history: Not only was it used to treat Nazis during World War II and the Soviet Army up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was also where a young Adolf Hitler recovered after being wounded in the Battle of Somme.
In order to hide his Polio from the public, Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived in New York via a secret extension of Grand Central Terminal underneath the Waldorf Astoria hotel. His abandoned train car—which is still there today—transported the president and his limousine directly up into the hotel's garage so he could come and go unnoticed.
Considered to be the most haunted place in India, the town of Bhangarh in Rajasthan was abandoned in the 18th Century after a holy man allegedly cursed the city. Whether or not you choose to believe it's haunted, the entire city is still off-limits between sunset and sunrise.
Located in New Taipei City, these UFO-like pods were built in 1978 as a futuristic resort complex. After a series of bizarre deaths during construction, the entire project was abandoned in 1980. The derelict site was a popular attraction for tourists until demolition began in 2008.
Once home to thousands of people who worked at the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the city of Pripyat—including the hospital seen here—was evacuated immediately after the 1986 explosion.
When construction began on Ryugyong Hotel in 1987, it was supposed to be the tallest hotel in the world. But this 105-story "Hotel of Doom" located in Pyongyang turned out to be the tallest abandoned building in the world after the project ran out of money in the '90s. While Egyptian company Orascom added a glass facade to the building in 2008, construction has halted once again.
The dorm where Jesse Owens stayed during the 1936 Berlin Olympics was completely restored for tourists to visit, but the rest of the Brandenburg-Elstal Olympic Village has been abandoned since the Soviet Army left in 1992.
At its peak, this Gold Rush boomtown was home to 10,000 people. But after the mines closed, the town's population dwindled until the state took it over in the '60s. While only a fraction of the buildings remain today, it is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in California, and it is open to the public.
Once Japan's version of Disneyland, this theme park closed in 2006 due to low visitor numbers. The rides were never dismantled, making it a popular destination for photographers bold enough to break in.
The headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party located on Mount Buzludzha were only open for eight years before being abandoned in 1989 after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The ruins remain there today because the current government cannot afford to restore or raze the building.
While this church in the countryside outside of Magelang was supposedly built in the shape of a dove, locals nicknamed it "Gereja Ayam," which translates to "chicken church." Even though it was abandoned in 2000 after issues with construction costs, it still draws tourists hoping to get a picture of the avian-shaped building.
This mall opened in Los Angeles in 1977, but after years of decline it was totally abandoned in 1999. Since then, it has been used as a filming location (you might recognize it from Gone Girl), and there is talk that it might soon be razed to make room for a new outdoor mall.
Technically, Detroit's Michigan Theatre isn't abandoned—it's used as a parking lot these days. But considering people like Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Glenn Miller used to perform there, it's really just a shadow of its former self. | https://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/travel/g3305/eerie-abandoned-sites-photographs/ |
Wade Berger is the manager of the Teen Learning Lab, a newly opened drop-in space for teens at Shedd Aquarium. He oversees the growth of the lab and its mission to provide learner-centered, interest-driven opportunities to high school teens through the creation of informal experiences that encourage teens to create projects, collaborate with peers and interact with Shedd experts.
By promoting tinkering and experimentation, the Teen Learning Lab provided teens with 21st-century and scientific literacy skills as well as opportunities to publish their work. The lab will become a community of teen scientists and designers who support each other in the lab and collaborate with participants in the many other teen programs offered at Shedd Aquarium. Wade also directs the innovate use of a variety of technologies within the Teen Learning Lab, including GoPro cameras, Google Glass, Adobe Creative Suite, game design tools, and Minecraft. With his passion for innovative learning, he assists the lab staff in the creation of unique opportunities for teens to engage environmental and aquatic science projects through the use of these technologies.
Wade is currently a member of the Games+Learning+Society — a group of educators and researchers who are constantly exploring the possibilities around video games built for learning. He previously served as a research assistant and outreach coordinator for the Games+Learning+Society Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he organized teacher professional development around games-based learning and assisted with the design of a curriculum for game-based computational thinking. Wade received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in social studies education from Indiana University-Bloomington.
As an educator, I enjoy bringing innovative and exciting learning opportunities to the teens who come through the Teen Learning Lab. Working at Shedd Aquarium means I am able to tap into a wide variety of resources to support our lab, including our animal collection, our talented staff and the exciting technologies available across the aquarium. | http://www.sheddaquarium.org/Learning-Experiences/Learning-Experts/Wade-Berger/ |
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 12 March) – Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz called on tuna industry players here to pursue critical reforms in their labor practices and make sure that they are aligned with international standards.
Baldoz issued the call as she warned that the country’s inclusion of its tuna products in the European Union’s (EU) Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) list could be jeopardized by the prevailing questionable labor practices in the tuna industry.
In a consultation-dialogue with members of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. here on Tuesday, she said it is important for local tuna companies to be compliant with the labor laws to avoid possible problems later on with the EU.
She said they should specifically put an end to the prevailing contractualization schemes in the operations of companies in the industry, especially the “cabo” system that is prevalent in tuna fishing operations.
The Labor Code of the Philippines defines “cabo” as “a person or group of persons or a labor group which, in the guise of a labor organization, supplies workers to an employer, with or without any monetary or other consideration whether in the capacity of an agent of the employer or as an ostensible independent contractor.”
Under such scheme, Baldoz said fishermen are mainly paid on a sharing scheme based on the total sales and in proportion to the catch rather than fixed wages.
“This sometimes lead to uncertainties whether a fisher receive the fair share of his hard work and the worth of being away from his family for a long period,” she said.
Fishermen contracted under the scheme are not usually covered by health insurance from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth as well as membership with the Pag-Ibig Fund and the Social Security System, she said.
Baldoz said such situation increases the vulnerability of the fishermen to income risks associated with old age, illness, disability, work-related injury and unemployment.
“That primarily pushes them more into poverty,” she said during the consultation-dialogue called by the agency.
Baldoz said the EU has been closely monitoring the labor situation in the city’s tuna fishing and its allied industries.
She earlier emphasized that the industry needs to align its labor practices with global standards as the EU GSP+ involved the ratification and observance with 27 international conventions on human and labor rights, including the eight International Labor Organization’s core conventions.
“The issue of labor rights, when it comes to the GSP+ privileges, is a serious matter. (The EU) can suspend or withdraw them in case of violations,” she said.
She said the tuna industry should not allow the GSP+ privileges to be put to waste as it greatly benefits from it.
“We should find solutions where we can help each other,” she said.
EU’s GSP+ mainly grants zero duty or tariff to over 6,000 eligible exports from the Philippines to its member-states.
It covers processed and canned-tuna products caught by 100-percent Philippine-registered vessels.
The city, which is home to six of the country’s tuna canneries, is dubbed the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines.”
The industry generates annual export receipts of around $350 million and directly employs about 20,000 workers.
Industry sources said the inclusion of the country in the EU GSP+ will mean at least additional $15 million, or P660 million, in revenues for tuna exporters. | https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/03/labor-secretary-baldoz-wants-tuna-industry-to-improve-labor-practices/ |
Blockchain is seen as one of the most promising and revolutionary new technologies: Crypto assets create new investment possibilities, token sales are heralding a sea-change in the way in which capital is raised, and smart contracts promise the extensive automation of complex agreements and bulk transactions. Besides their use in the FinTech sector, blockchain applications are also being tested for, among other things, manipulation-resistant supply chains and voting systems and in the areas of data and identity management.
Blockchain and its potential uses do not necessarily sit well with German law, however; to date there is no separate legislation specifically governing blockchain applications. Checks as to what information can be input into a blockchain and what technical adjustments are required, if any, therefore have to be based on the general legislation.
Our service portfolio includes the setup of compliance structures for the use of blockchains as well as the obligations and liability risks that need to be borne in mind when taking on key positions on a private blockchain. We evaluate the risks involved in inputting data onto a blockchain, especially as a result of the sometimes unavoidable mirroring of data on external nodes. We also examine the data protection and antitrust requirements that can run counter to blockchain transparency and immutability and need to be heeded on account of the transparency of blockchain data. | https://www.gleisslutz.com/en/digital-future/blockchain.html |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German Patent Application DE 10 2020 204 332.9, filed Apr. 2, 2020; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for operating a hearing system and a corresponding hearing system.
A hearing system includes a hearing aid, which is worn by a user on or in the ear. The hearing aid receives sounds from the environment by means of one or more microphones and generates electrical input signals, which are converted via a receiver of the hearing aid back into sounds and are output to the user. The electrical input signals are processed by a signal processing unit to form electrical output signals for the receiver, in order to adapt the hearing experience and the perception of the sounds to the personal requirements of the user. A hearing aid is typically used to care for a hearing-impaired user, i.e., to compensate for a hearing deficit of the user. The signal processing unit processes the electrical input signals in such a way that the hearing deficit is compensated for. Furthermore, a hearing system often includes an auxiliary device, which is connected to the hearing aid in order to exchange data.
For example, a system having a recommendation engine is described in European patent EP 3 120 578 B1, corresponding to U.S. patent publication Nos. 2015/0271608 and 2015/0271607, which can communicate via a mobile device with a hearing assistance device.
A binaural hearing assistance system is described in published, European patent application EP 2 928 214 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,123,134 and 9,516,430, having two hearing assistance devices and having a user interface, which can communicate with the hearing assistance devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,669,296 B1 describes a method for providing a game having parallel reality. A system and a method are described to link an activity in the real world to a location-based parallel game reality.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,539,498 B1 describes a method for mapping actions in the real world on a virtual world having a parallel game reality. The virtual world has experiences which are influenced by actions in the real world.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Against this background, it is an object of the invention to improve the operation of a hearing system and make it as intuitive as possible for a user. The operation of a hearing system and especially a hearing aid is to have as little complexity as possible for the user.
The object is achieved according to the invention by a method having the features according to the independent method claim, by a hearing system having the features according to the independent hearing system claim, and by a computer program product having the features according to independent computer program product claim. Advantageous embodiments, refinements, and variants are the subject matter of the dependent claims. The object is furthermore achieved independently in particular in each case by a hearing aid and by an auxiliary device, which are each designed to carry out the method. The statements in conjunction with the method also apply accordingly to the hearing system, the computer program product, the hearing aid, and the auxiliary device and vice versa. When method steps of the method are described hereinafter, advantageous embodiments result for the hearing system, the hearing aid, and the auxiliary system in particular in that they are designed to execute one or more of these method steps.
The method is used for operating a hearing system. The hearing system includes a hearing aid, which is worn by a user. Furthermore, the hearing system includes an auxiliary device, which includes a camera by means of which a real-time image is recorded of a current environment. The auxiliary device includes a display screen, on which the real-time image is output, so that the environment is displayed in particular in real time on the display screen. The method is thus also used in particular for operating the hearing aid and the auxiliary device. The environment is real and is thus a reality, the real-time image is a depiction of this reality.
One core concept of the invention is in particular the creation of an expanded reality (also referred to as “augmented reality”) on the auxiliary device by linking the environment to items of information, i.e., data, from the hearing aid. For this purpose, the hearing aid transmits an item of information to the auxiliary device, which is linked to a section of the environment and is thus an item of information on this section. The information is then displayed on the display screen in that an image element is generated and is overlaid with the real-time image in such a way that it is recognizable to the user with which section of the environment the information is linked. The information from the hearing aid is thus projected as a virtual image in a depiction of the real environment. The advantage results therefrom that the relationship between the environment and the items of information from the hearing aid is illustrated to the user on the display screen and furthermore a particularly intuitive approach to understanding the operation of the hearing aid is enabled for the user.
“Linked” is understood in particular to mean that the information describes a property or an aspect of the section or an object therein or a setting of the hearing aid for interaction with the section or an object therein. In other words: the information is generally an item of environmental or hearing aid information and specifies in particular how the hearing aid assesses (environmental information) or processes (hearing aid information) a sound signal from a section of the environment. The information is, for example, a specific value of an operating parameter of the hearing aid and is then an item of hearing aid information or a value of a property of a section of the environment, especially a sound signal from this section, and then an item of environmental information.
The specific embodiment of the information is primarily not relevant as such, however, it is more important that the information is displayed in a specific way on the display screen, namely not simply as mere data without reference to the environment, but rather as an overlay in such a way that the information is visually associated in the real-time image with that section of the environment which is linked to the information. For this purpose, the information is converted for display into an image element, which is overlaid with the real-time image, so that an augmented reality is displayed on the display screen, in which the real-time image is the reality and the image element, i.e., the information, is an augmentation of this reality. In these terms, the real-time image is real, since its elements are acquired by the camera, and the image element is virtual, since it is not acquired by the camera, but is additionally generated, preferably by a control unit of the auxiliary device.
The environment is typically divided into multiple sections, so that accordingly the real-time image is also divided into multiple image parts, wherein each image part represents one section and vice versa. A respective section is, for example, a spatial region which is occupied by an object, for example a person, or an angle region or solid angle region, for example the environment is divided into multiple angle regions starting from the user, or the section is a region of the environment at least partially delimited in another way. The precise delimitation of the section in relation to the remaining environment is in particular dependent on the type of the information.
The image element is suitably a marking, which points to the section or is displayed therein or thereon, e.g., a symbol, an icon, an arrow, a circle, a cross, a line, or the like. Alternatively, the image element is a text element in or on the section, a frame around the section, a border of the section, a color, transparency, image sharpness, or contrast of that part of the real-time image which shows the section, or lines for marking the section. Combinations of the above-mentioned embodiments are also suitable. The specific embodiment of the image element is dependent in particular on the type of information which is displayed.
One starting point of the invention is in particular the observation that a hearing aid typically includes one or more operating elements, by means of which one or more operating parameters of the hearing aid may be set by the user. Examples of such operating parameters are an amplification factor of the hearing aid, an alignment or a width of a directional lobe of a directional microphone of the hearing aid for spatial focusing, and the like. Examples of operating elements are switches, buttons, wheels, and rocker switches. Alternatively or additionally, an operating parameter is settable via a separate auxiliary device, for example by means of a smart phone.
A further starting point of the invention is in particular the observation that for demonstration of a hearing aid and its functional scope in operation, for example in the context of a product presentation, so-called demo apps are used to demonstrate the operation of the hearing aid to a potential user in different situations.
The setting of operating parameters by operating elements on the hearing aid itself is typically only possible to a limited extent due to the size of the hearing aid and is also not necessarily intuitive, since the effects of a change are not immediately visible. Feedback to the user about how one or more operating parameters are set at the current time is also only possible to a restricted extent and is not necessarily comfortable or comprehensible for the user.
In comparison to an operating element on the hearing aid, an auxiliary device for setting operating parameters offers increased comfort and improved scope and also more extensive feedback via a display. Especially in the case of a smart phone as an auxiliary device, improved setting and monitoring of operation of the hearing aid is advantageously enabled by means of a computer program product, for example an app, which runs on the auxiliary device. The auxiliary device displays on a display screen, for example, which of multiple operating programs of the hearing aid is activated or enables the setting of an operating parameter, for example a spatial focus, and thus in a simple way also a demonstration of the functional scope of a hearing aid.
However, it is disadvantageous that furthermore a relationship to the actual environment is absent. The settings and the behavior of the hearing aid in operation are not directly linked to the environment of the user and the interaction of the hearing aid with the environment in operation is not readily recognizable to the user. In other words: the user always has to undertake a certain mental exertion to link the performed settings and their effects to the actual environment. For example, it is indicated to the user on the auxiliary device that a directional lobe of the hearing aid is aligned at a specific angle, for example relative to the viewing direction, but this information is not directly related to the environment, so that it is not recognizable to the user which section of the environment is affected thereby.
In the present case, a linkage of an item of information to a section of the environment is advantageously also actually displayed to the user, namely via the augmented reality on the display screen. The information is advantageously displayed and overlaid with the real-time image, i.e., the image of the actual environment, in such a way that it is recognizable directly and intuitively for the user, i.e., in particular without mental exertion, which relationship the information has to the environment.
The hearing aid is preferably used to care for a hearing-impaired user. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes at least one microphone, which receives sound from the environment and generates an electrical input signal. This is supplied for modification to a signal processing unit of the hearing aid. The signal processing unit is preferably a part of the control unit. The modification takes place in particular on the basis of an individual audiogram of the user, which is associated with the hearing aid, so that an individual hearing deficit of the user is compensated for. The signal processing unit outputs as a result an electrical output signal, which is then converted via a receiver of the hearing aid back into sound and is output to the user.
The hearing aid is preferably a binaural hearing aid, having two individual devices, which each include at least one microphone and one receiver and which are worn by the user on different sides of the head, namely once on or in the left ear and once on or in the right ear. Aside from such a binaural hearing aid, an embodiment is also possible and suitable in which the hearing aid has two individual devices as described, of which only one includes a receiver and the other does not, however.
The auxiliary device is preferably an individual device in which the camera and the display screen are combined. In a suitable embodiment for this purpose, the auxiliary device is a smart phone. Alternatively, however, an embodiment is also suitable in which the auxiliary device includes the camera and the display screen as two separate devices.
To transmit the information, the hearing aid and the auxiliary device each have an interface for data transmission, for example a Bluetooth interface, and are connected or coupled to one another via these interfaces. During the data transmission, at least the information is then transmitted from the hearing aid to the auxiliary device.
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A relative location of the hearing aid and the auxiliary device in relation to one another is expediently determined in order to be able to reproduce the linkage of the information to the section particularly accurately in this way. For example, the respective position of the hearing aid and the auxiliary device is ascertained by means of suitable sensors, e.g., a gyroscope, a magnetic field sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a GPS system, and on the basis of this the relative location is determined. To improve the accuracy, the respective alignment of the hearing aid and the auxiliary device is suitably measured, for example by means of suitable sensors, for example acceleration sensors. However, an embodiment is also suitable in principle in which the relative location is estimated without additional measurement. For example, it is simply presumed that the camera is aligned in accordance with the viewing direction of the user and/or the position of the user is equated to the position of the camera. Alternatively, for example, in the case of a smart phone as the auxiliary device, it is presumed that the user holds it at a distance of less than cm in front of himself and approximately at eye height, so that it is then presumed that the auxiliary device is located, for example, 20 cm in the viewing direction in front of the hearing aid and the camera is aligned in the viewing direction. For the hearing aid, it is presumed that it is worn in or on one or both ears of the user.
In one advantageous embodiment, the information is a presence of a sound source in the section. The hearing aid recognizes the presence of the sound source and transmits this to the auxiliary device, for display in the real-time image. In the real-time image, the image element then marks the section in order to indicate the presence of the sound source therein. It is thus immediately recognizable for the user on the display screen where in the environment the hearing aid recognizes a sound source. It is initially unimportant how the hearing aid recognizes the sound source. The hearing aid expediently has an appropriately designed analysis unit for recognizing a sound source, for example as part of a control unit of the hearing aid.
The hearing aid expediently does not solely recognize the mere presence of a sound source, but also its position, in particular relative to the hearing aid, i.e., the section in which the sound source is located. This position is also expediently transmitted to the auxiliary device, so that it displays the presence of the corresponding position in the real-time image. The image element for representing the presence of a sound source in a specific section is, for example, an arrow or a frame.
In addition, the hearing aid advantageously also determines a class of the sound source, i.e., which type the sound source is. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes, for example a classifier, for example as part of the control unit. The input signal of the microphone is supplied to the classifier and classified therein. The class is also an item of information which is expediently displayed at a corresponding point in the real-time image. Especially a symbol or a text element is suitable to display the class of a sound source.
In one suitable embodiment, the sound source is a conversation partner of the user and is marked as such in the real-time image by means of the image element. In other words: the sound source has a class which is recognized by the hearing aid as “conversation partner” and is then displayed by the auxiliary device. It is thus immediately recognizable to the user via the display screen where the hearing aid has identified a conversation partner in the environment.
In one advantageous embodiment, an angle is displayed in the real-time image, at which the sound source is located relative to the viewing direction of the user. For example, the angle is represented as a pair of two lines or arrows, one in the viewing direction and a further one from the user toward the sound source. Alternatively or additionally, the angle is simply displayed as a number in the vicinity of the sound source in such a way that the angle is associated as unambiguously as possible with this sound source for the user.
In one advantageous embodiment, the information is a signal-to-noise ratio, abbreviated to SNR, of the section. The hearing aid measures the SNR in the section, for example by means of an analysis unit as part of the control unit. The SNR is then transmitted to the auxiliary device as information for display in the real-time image. The image element then indicates the SNR, more precisely the SNR for the section. Accordingly, the SNR is expediently measured separately in each case for multiple different sections and thus an SNR map is more or less overlaid on the display screen on the real-time image, so that the user can read off the SNR directly for a respective section of the environment.
In one advantageous embodiment, the information indicates whether an interference noise suppression of the hearing aid is activated for the section. The interference noise suppression is, for example a part of the control unit of the hearing aid and is designed in such a way that in the activated state it suppresses interference noises in the input signal. The interference noise suppression is in particular activatable selectively for one or more sections, so that different sections and interference noise sources located therein can be suppressed at different strengths. The image element now indicates whether the interference noise suppression is activated for the respective section.
In one expedient embodiment, the information not only specifies whether an interference noise suppression is activated for the section, but more precisely how strongly interference noises from the section are suppressed by the interference noise suppression. For this purpose, for example, a damping factor is displayed as a text element in the real-time image.
In one advantageous embodiment, the image element is a colored or transparent area or both, which are overlaid in the real-time image with the section, so that it is displayed colored or transparent or both depending on the information. A discrete representation is suitable, for example in that coloration takes place above a threshold value and does not below the threshold value, or a continuous representation, in which, for example the coloration takes place with a color strength which is dependent on the specific value of the information. For example, sections of the environment having low SNR are colored green on the display screen and those having high SNR are colored red. Especially in the case of the coloration of entire areas of the real-time image, a transparent image element is expedient to ensure optimum recognizability of the real-time image located behind it. “Transparent” is understood in particular as a transparency<100%.
The above-described embodiments predominantly relate to items of information which are environmental items of information, i.e., items of information which are properties of the environment and which are ascertained by the hearing aid by analysis of sound signals from the environment. In the case of hearing aid items of information, such an analysis of the environment is initially not absolutely required, rather a representation of such items of information is intended to illustrate to the user the behavior of the hearing aid relative to the environment. The representation of an item of hearing aid information is particularly advantageous in the case of a hearing aid which is designed for directional hearing and includes a microphone for this purpose, which is designed as a directional microphone, in order to emphasize sound signals from a specific direction, i.e., from a specific section, over sound signals from other directions, i.e., from other sections.
In one advantageous embodiment, the hearing aid is switchable between a non-oriented and an oriented operating mode. In the oriented operating mode, the image element indicates which section of the environment is emphasized over the remaining environment. In the non-oriented operating mode, in contrast, no image element is displayed or the image element indicates that no section of the environment is emphasized. It is then immediately recognizable to the user on the display screen whether the hearing aid is in the non-oriented operating mode (also: omnidirectional operation) or in the oriented operating mode (also: directional operation, for example mono-directional or multidirectional operation). In the latter case, it is then also immediately recognizable to the user on which section or on which sections the directional microphone is oriented.
In one advantageous embodiment, the hearing aid includes a microphone which is designed as a directional microphone, having at least one directional lobe which is oriented on the section and covers it, so that correspondingly sound signals from this section are emphasized over sound signals from other sections. The information is a dimension, preferably a width, or an alignment, preferably a direction, of the directional lobe or both. The image element represents the directional lobe and thus indicates in the real-time image which section of the environment is covered by the directional lobe and correspondingly from which section sound signals are emphasized. The image element is preferably a visual representation of the directional lobe, having corresponding dimension and/or alignment. However, a simple line or another representation is also suitable, for example. Since the directional lobe is not visible to the user in the actual environment, in this way an intuitive representation of the directional lobe and its location in the environment is offered to the user via the display screen, so that the user can recognize immediately and without further effort how the directional lobe is dimensioned and/or aligned relative to the environment and accordingly which sections of the environment and thus which sound sources thereof are possibly affected.
The display screen of the auxiliary device is preferably also designed as an input device, by means of which one or more operating parameters of the hearing aid are settable. In this way, a particularly intuitive operation is also implemented, using which the hearing aid is settable in a simple manner. The effects of a respective setting are recognizable directly to the user on the basis of the real-time image and the information overlaid thereon. For example, the dimension or the alignment of the directional lobe or both are settable by the user directly in the real-time image.
An embodiment is also suitable in which alternatively or additionally to the display screen as the input device, the auxiliary device or the hearing aid includes one or more operating elements for setting one or more operating parameters of the hearing aid. The effects of a setting by means of these operating elements are then advantageously directly recognizable on the display screen to the user.
An embodiment is also expedient in which an avatar is overlaid with the real-time image in order to display a position of the user in the environment therein. The avatar is accordingly a virtual representation of the user on the display screen and thus locates the user within the augmented reality. If user and camera are located on different sides of the display screen, the positioning of the avatar either solely represents an approximation in particular, which is typically sufficient, however, if the auxiliary device is located sufficiently close to the hearing aid, for example within a distance of less than 0.5 m.
In one advantageous embodiment, sound signals from the environment are received by the hearing aid and used as input signals for a game which is active on the auxiliary device. The game is used, for example, to illustrate or explain a function of the hearing aid or implements a training in dealing with the hearing aid or a hearing training. An embodiment is suitable, for example, in which the user is given a task in the context of the game which he or she is to achieve, for example by his or her own behavior and/or by means of corresponding usage or operation of the hearing aid. One exemplary game gives the user the task of moderating a conversation between two persons in such a way that they have an equal conversation component in the conversation within a tolerance. For a hearing training, for example, the user is given the task of locating a specific sound situation, for example a conversation, or a specific sound type, e.g., a bird, a person, or live music, in the environment.
A hearing system according to the invention is designed to carry out a method as described above. The hearing system preferably includes a control unit for this purpose. The method is implemented in the control unit in particular by programming or circuitry or a combination thereof. For example, the control unit is designed for this purpose as a microprocessor or as an ASIC or as a combination thereof. The control unit is expediently allocated onto the hearing aid and the auxiliary device. The above-described method steps may in principle be allocated substantially arbitrarily onto the auxiliary device and the hearing aid.
The computer program product according to the invention contains an executable program, which automatically executes the method as described above during or after installation on a hearing system as described above. The program is installed either on the hearing aid or on the auxiliary device or both. An embodiment is particularly expedient in which the computer program product is an app for installation on the auxiliary device. By means of the app, the auxiliary device receives the information from the hearing aid and generates therefrom a suitable image element, which is then overlaid with the real-time image from the camera in order to display an augmented reality on the display screen.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for operating a hearing system and a hearing system, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is an illustration showing a user and a hearing system;
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
is an illustration showing the hearing system from ;
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
is an illustration showing an auxiliary device of the hearing system from , having an augmented real-time image; and
FIGS. 4-11
FIG. 3
are illustrations each showing the auxiliary device from , with a variant of the augmented real-time image.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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FIG. 1
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A method for operating a hearing system and such a hearing system are described hereinafter on the basis of the figures. An exemplary embodiment of a hearing system is shown in . The hearing system includes a hearing aid , which is worn by a user N, for example as shown in . Furthermore, the hearing system includes an auxiliary device , which includes a camera , by means of which a real-time image E is recorded of a current environment U. The auxiliary device includes a display screen , on which the real-time image E is output, so that the environment U is displayed on the display screen . The auxiliary device is shown from the front in , so that the display screen is visible, while in contrast the camera is located on a rear side of the auxiliary device and is therefore shown by dashed lines.
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FIG. 1
The hearing aid is used in the present case to care for a hearing-impaired user N. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes at least one microphone , which receives sound from the environment U and generates an electrical input signal. This is supplied for modification to a signal processing unit (not explicitly shown) of the hearing aid . The signal processing unit is a part of a control unit of the hearing aid here. The signal processing unit outputs as a result an electrical output signal, which is then converted back into sound via a receiver of the hearing aid and is output to the user N. In the present case, the hearing aid is even a binaural hearing aid, having two individual devices as is recognizable in , which each include at least one microphone and one receiver and which are worn by the user N on different sides of the head, namely once on or in the left ear and once on or in the right ear.
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The auxiliary device is in the present case an individual device, in which the camera and the display screen are combined. For this purpose, the auxiliary device is especially a smart phone. In an alternative (not shown), the auxiliary device includes the camera and the display screen as two separate devices.
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To transmit the information, the hearing aid and the auxiliary device each have an interface for data transmission, for example a Bluetooth interface, and are connected or coupled to one another via these interfaces . During the data transmission, at least the information is transmitted from the hearing aid to the auxiliary device . The data transmission takes place, for example from both individual devices in each case to the auxiliary device or as shown in from one individual device to the other individual device and collected by this to the auxiliary device . The information I does not necessarily originate from both individual devices, however, but can also be generated by only one of the individual devices under certain circumstances depending on the type of the information I.
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In the exemplary embodiments shown, an augmented reality is generated on the auxiliary device by a linkage of the environment U to items of information I, i.e., data from the hearing aid . For this purpose, the hearing aid transmits an item of information Ito the auxiliary device , which is linked to a section T of the environment U and is thus an item of information I on this section T. The information I is then displayed on the display screen in that an image element B is generated and is overlaid with the real-time image E in such a way that it is recognizable to the user N with which section T of the environment U the information I is linked. The information I from the hearing aid is thus projected as a virtual image in a depiction of the real environment U. The relationship between the environment U and the items of information I from the hearing aid is thus illustrated to the user N on the display screen and furthermore an intuitive approach to understanding the operation of the hearing aid is enabled for the user N.
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The information I generally describes here a property or an aspect of the section T or an object therein or a setting of the hearing aid for interaction with the section T or an object therein. The information I is thus an item of environmental or hearing aid information and specifies how the hearing aid assesses (environmental information) or processes (hearing aid information) a sound signal from a section T of the environment U. The information I is, for example a specific value of an operating parameter of the hearing aid and then an item of hearing aid information or a value of a property of a section T of the environment U, especially of a sound signal from this section T, and then an item of environmental information.
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The information I is displayed in a certain way on the display screen , namely not once solely as a datum without reference to the environment U, but rather as an overlay in such a way that the information I is visually associated in the real-time image E with the section T of the environment U which is linked to the information I. For this purpose, the information I is converted for display into an image element B, which is overlaid with the real-time image E, so that an augmented reality is displayed on the display screen , in which the real-time image E is the reality and the image element B, i.e., the information I is an augmentation of this reality. In these terms, the real-time image E is real, since its elements are acquired by the camera , and the image element B is virtual, since it is not acquired by the camera , but rather is additionally created, in the present case by a control unit of the auxiliary device .
FIGS. 3-11
The environment U is typically divided into multiple sections T, so that accordingly the real-time image E is also divided into multiple image parts, wherein each image part represents one section T and vice versa, so that for the sake of simplicity the image parts are also marked as sections T in . A respective section T is, for example, a spatial region which is occupied by an object, for example a person, or an angle region or spatial angle region, for example the environment U is divided starting from the user N into multiple angle regions, or the section T is a region of the environment U at least partially delimited in another way. The precise delimitation of the section T in relation to the remaining environment U is dependent in particular on the type of the information I.
The image element B is, for example, a marking, which points to the section T or is displayed therein or thereon, e.g., a symbol, an icon, an arrow, a cross, a circle, a line, or the like. Alternatively, the image element B is a text element in or on the section T, a frame around the section T, a border of the section T, a color, transparency, image sharpness, or contrast of that part of the real-time image E which shows the section T, or lines for marking the section T. Combinations of the above-mentioned embodiments are also possible and suitable. Various examples of image elements B are shown in the figures.
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FIG. 2
In one possible embodiment, a relative location of the hearing aid and the auxiliary device in relation to one another is determined in order to be able to reproduce the linkage of the information I to the section T particularly accurately in this way. In principle, however, an embodiment is also possible in which the relative location is estimated without additional measurement. For example, in the case of a smart phone as the auxiliary device , it is presumed that the user N holds it at a distance of less than 10 cm in front of him and approximately at eye height as shown in , so that it is then presumed that the auxiliary device is located, for example 20 cm in the viewing direction R in front of the hearing aid . For the hearing aid , it is presumed that it is worn in or on one or both ears of the user N, as also shown in .
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
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shows an embodiment in which the information I is a presence of a sound source in the section T. The hearing aid recognizes the presence of the sound source and transmits this to the auxiliary device , for display in the real-time image E. The image element B then marks the section T therein, in order to indicate the presence of the sound source therein. It is thus immediately recognizable to the user N on the display screen B where in the environment U the hearing aid recognizes a sound source . In the exemplary embodiment of , the hearing aid additionally also recognizes the position of the sound source relative to the hearing aid , i.e., the section T in which the sound source is located. This position is also transmitted to the auxiliary device , so that it indicates the presence at the corresponding position in the real-time image E. The image element B for displaying the presence of the sound source is shown as a frame around the sound source as an example in .
FIG. 4
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In addition, in the exemplary embodiment of , the hearing aid also determines a class of the sound source , i.e., which type the sound source is. For this purpose, the hearing aid includes, for example, a classifier (not explicitly shown), for example as part of the control unit . The class is also an item of information I, which is displayed at a corresponding point in the real-time image E. To illustrate the class of the sound source , a text element is used as the image element B in , which explicitly specifies the class “speaker” (i.e., conversation partner) here, and is arranged on the frame, so that it is recognizable that the class is associated with the marked sound source .
FIG. 4
FIG. 3
FIG. 7
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In , the sound source is specifically a conversation partner of the user N and is marked as such in the real-time image E by means of multiple image elements B. It is thus immediately recognizable to the user N via the display screen where the hearing aid has identified a conversation partner in the environment U. In addition, in an angle, at which the sound source is located relative to the viewing direction R of the user N, is also indicated with a further image element B in the real-time image E. In the present case, the angle is simply displayed as a number in the vicinity of the sound source as an image element B in such a way that the angle is associated as clearly as possible with this sound source for the user N. Alternatively or additionally, the angle is represented in another embodiment as a pair of two lines or arrows, one in the viewing direction R and a further from the user N toward the sound source , cf., for example, .
FIG. 5
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In the embodiment shown in , the information I is a signal-to-noise ratio, abbreviated to SNR, of the section T. The hearing aid measures the SNR in the section T, for example by means of an analysis unit as part of the control unit . The SNR is then transmitted to the auxiliary device as information I for display in the real-time image E. The image element B then specifies the SNR, more precisely the SNR for the section T. Correspondingly, the SNR is measured separately in each case for multiple different sections T and thus an SNR map is more or less overlaid on the real-time image E on the display screen , so that the user N can immediately read off the SNR for a respective section T of the environment U. A section T is recognizable in which is marked by an area having a border as the image element B. An object is located in the section T, a vehicle as an example here, which results in a lower SNR in the section T than in the remaining environment U.
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shows an embodiment in which the information I indicates whether an interference noise suppression of the hearing aid is activated for the section T. The interference noise suppression is part of the control unit of the hearing aid here and is designed in such a way that in the activated state it suppresses interference noises in the input signal. The interference noise suppression is selectively activatable for one or more sections T, so that different sections T and interference noise sources located therein can be suppressed at different strengths. The image element B now indicates whether the interference noise suppression is activated for the respective section T. In one embodiment (not explicitly shown), the information I not only indicates whether an interference noise suppression is activated for the section T, but more precisely how strongly interference noises from the section T are suppressed by the interference noise suppression .
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
FIG. 6
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In one possible embodiment, the image element B is a colored or transparent area or both, which is overlaid in the real-time image E with the section T, so that it is displayed colored or transparent or both as a function of the information I. For example, in , sections T of the environment U having low SNR are colored green on the display screen and those having high SNR are colored red, so that then the section T having the vehicle is correspondingly colored red and the remaining part of the real-time image E is colored green. Especially with such a coloration of entire areas of the real-time image E, a transparent image element B is expedient in order to ensure optimum recognizability of the real-time image E located behind it. In , the display is discrete, for example, in such a way that those sections T for which the interference noise suppression is active are overlaid with image elements B, a color here, which is shown as a shading in . That section T for which the interference noise suppression is not active, in contrast, is not overlaid with an image element B.
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The embodiments described up to this point predominantly relate to items of information I which are environmental items of information, i.e., items of information which are properties of the environment U and which are ascertained by the hearing aid by an analysis of sound signals from the environment U. In the case of hearing aid items of information, such an analysis of the environment U is initially not absolutely necessary, rather a representation of such items of information I is intended to illustrate the behavior of the hearing aid relative to the environment U to the user N. The representation of a hearing aid item of information in the case of a hearing aid is described hereinafter, which is designed for directional hearing and for this purpose includes a microphone , which is designed as a directional microphone, in order to emphasize sound signals from a specific direction, i.e., from a specific section T, over sound signals from other directions, i.e., from other sections T.
FIGS. 7 and 8
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In the exemplary embodiment of , the hearing aid is switchable between a non-oriented and an oriented operating mode. illustrates how the image element B indicates in the oriented operating mode which section T of the environment U is emphasized over the remaining environment U. In the non-oriented operating mode, in contrast, no image element is displayed or, as shown in , the image element B indicates that no section T of the environment U is emphasized. It is then immediately recognizable to the user N on the display screen whether the hearing aid is in the non-oriented operating mode (also: omnidirectional operation) or in the oriented operating mode (also: directional operation, for example mono-directional or multidirectional operation). In the latter case, it is then also immediately recognizable for the user on which section T or on which sections T the directional microphone is oriented.
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FIG. 7
In one embodiment, the hearing aid includes a microphone having at least one directional lobe which is oriented on a section T and covers it, so that corresponding sound signals from this section T are emphasized over sound signals from other sections T. The information I is then, for example a dimension A, a width here, or an alignment A, a direction here, of the directional lobe. The image element B represents, as shown in , the directional lobe and thus indicates in the real-time image E which section T of the environment U is covered by the directional lobe and accordingly from which section T sound signals are emphasized. The image element B is a visual representation of the directional lobe here. However, for example, a single line as shown in , for example, or another representation is also suitable. Since the directional lobe is not visible to the user N in the actual environment U, an intuitive representation of the directional lobe and its location in the environment U is offered to the user N via the display screen in this way, so that the user N can recognize immediately and without further exertion how the directional lobe is dimensioned and/or aligned relative to the environment U and accordingly which sections T of the environment U and thus which sound sources are possibly affected thereby.
FIGS. 9 and 10
FIGS. 9 and 10
FIG. 9
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In , the display screen of the auxiliary device is also designed as an input device, by means of which one or more operating parameters of the hearing aid are settable. The effects of a respective setting are immediately recognizable to the user N on the basis of the real-time image E and the information I overlaid thereon. Thus, in , the dimension A and the alignment A of the directional lobe are settable by the user N directly in the real-time image E, so that the user can simply align, for example, the directional lobe aligned in the viewing direction R in in another direction as shown in .
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In one embodiment (not explicitly shown), alternatively or additionally to the display screen as the input device, the auxiliary device and/or the hearing aid includes one or more operating elements, for setting one or more operating parameters of the hearing aid . The effects of a setting by means of these operating elements are then immediately recognizable to the user N on the display screen .
FIG. 11
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An embodiment is shown in in which an avatar is overlaid with the real-time image E in order to indicate a position of the user N in the environment U therein. The avatar is a virtual representation of the user N on the display screen and thus locates the user N within the augmented reality. Since in the case shown, the user N and the camera are located on different sides of the display screen , the positioning of the avatar merely represents an approximation, which is sufficient, however, since the auxiliary device is located sufficiently close to the hearing aid .
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In one embodiment (not explicitly shown), sound signals from the environment U are received by the hearing aid by means of at least one microphone and used as input signals for a game, which is active on the auxiliary device .
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The hearing system shown is designed to carry out a method as described above. The hearing system includes a control unit for this purpose, which is allocated onto the hearing aid and the auxiliary device and is formed from their control units , , as is apparent in . In principle, the described method steps may be allocated substantially arbitrarily onto the auxiliary device and the hearing aid .
The concepts described in conjunction with the figures are fundamentally independent of one another as are the various embodiments shown, so that further embodiments and exemplary embodiments result by way of other combinations of the described concepts.
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The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: | |
Between Dreams is a Powered By The Apocalypse game about reclaiming intimacy in the haunted everyday. It is inspired by magical realism and hidden fantasy, and the works of Haruki Murakami and Hayao Miyazaki. It was written by Ashton McAllan, Luke Jordan, and Emily McAllan and is currently in alpha playtesting phase.
|Status||Released|
|Category||Physical game|
|Rating|
|Author||MachineSpirit|
|Genre||Role Playing|
|Tags||pbta, powered-by-the-apocalypse, roleplaying-game, ttrpg|
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Introduction:
Cornets, Flugel Horns, Tenor Horns, Baritones, Euphoniums, Trombones, Tubas and Percussion. This standard of instrumentation for a brass band has been in place for a good number of years. Yet before this standard was settled upon, there was an amount of time where the range of instruments was less distinguishable, or available. The brass band as we know it today is the result of years of evolution with the result being a largely homogenous sound across the ranges. Composers and arrangers also moved with the time, and we can see this in the sheet music.
This post will touch on one of the quirks of instrumentation in earlier brass bands, the use of woodwinds such as Clarinets and Saxophones, and even the odd Piccolo. For the best part of forty years, some Australian brass bands included woodwind musicians amongst their personnel and allowances were made at some competitions, including the famous South Street. This did not mean that there was widespread usage or acceptance of woodwinds in the brass bands. However, there is evidence that some bands used them right up into the 1920s.
Tied into this is the naming of bands. With the inclusion of woodwinds, some bands were still nominally called brass bands, but others were more inventive with names. Some bands were sitting on the border of being brass or military in their instrumentation, as we can see with the photo of the Malvern Town Military Band above.
Nowadays the distinction between brass, military, and symphonic bands (concert bands) is much clearer cut. The earlier times was when the boundaries were pushed.
Names and Instrumentation:
A brass band usually means that it is wholly comprised of brass instruments, and then when it included Clarinets, Saxophones, and Piccolos it was still called a brass band. Such was the discrepancy in the names of early bands, a discrepancy that would cause confusion in the minds of modern musicians – today, names of bands generally indicate what kind of instrumentation they include.
The inclusion of Clarinets in a brass band was one of those holdovers from English brass bands. Arnold Myers (2000), writing in a chapter titled Instruments and Instrumentation of British Brass Bands, explains that,
Often clarinets were used in what were otherwise all-brass groups, a usage which continued throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, though not in major contests from the 1870s. The presence of clarinets did not alter the essential nature of the brass band: they replaced one or more Bb cornets, or were used to provide brightness in the upper register in the role usually played by the soprano cornet.(p. 156)
In Australia, trends of instrumentation in brass bands tended to start and end much later than in the UK. We know that brass bands held a prominent part in many towns, communities and industries across Australia. We also know that various military bands, bands comprised of a more substantial variety of woodwind instruments, brass and percussion, had been a part of musical life since the early days of the colony. Although, at times, they needed special explanation, as shown in an article published in the Geelong Advertiser in 1911 (Blakiston, 1911). Mason (2013) in his thesis, tells us that “military bands provided music military and state functions, as well as performing for the general public and servicing as a source of musicians for cities’ orchestras and other ensembles.” (p. 81). In their own way, the military bands have their own important history. The early military bands served as a precursor to the many Defence Force Bands, school concert bands, community concert bands and symphonic bands that fill the musical landscape today (Mason, 2013).
Aside from the number of woodwinds, some commentators attempted to call out the brass bands which included clarinets for trying to be something they were not. One interesting article was published in the Bairnsdale (Vic.) based Every Week newspaper in May 1918. Titled “Clarinets in the Brass Band”, the writer used the premise that just because some brass bands included Clarinets (or other woodwinds) in their instrumentation, did not automatically make them a military band – and that they should not attempt to play military band music or arrangements.
Bands which have few clarionets or even bands which have a goodly number of clarionets, but no other reed instruments, make a big mistake when they consider themselves “military bands” and aim to play military band arrangements. They are really brass bands plus clarionets – a thing very far removed from a military band.(“CLARINETS IN THE BRASS BAND.,” 1918)
Excusing the seemingly blunt language, the writer was correct. Brass bands that included Clarinets and Saxophones in their line-up were still nominally brass bands, they were not military bands. Still, the naming of bands is interesting. Below is a picture of the North Hobart Concert Band taken in 1917. We can see in the picture that four of the members have Clarinets and one member a Soprano Saxophone. They also include all of the instruments that comprise a brass band. If we were to apply the modern name and meaning of a concert band, we would assume it to have a full section of woodwinds. However, in these early days, this was not the case. On a side note, we can see that the Bandmaster is one of the members holding a Clarinet. The Bandmaster in this photo, a Mr. A. W. Caddie, was appointed Bandmaster of the North Hobart Concert Band in 1916 after leading the Zeehan Military Band for a number of years (“NORTH HOBART BAND.,” 1916). Mr. Caddie was a Clarionetist of some renown and won the Clarionet section at the Royal South Street brass solo competitions in 1912 (Trombone, 1912).
Through this short discussion on instrumentation and naming, it is established that Clarinets and Saxophones existed in brass bands for several years and were accepted as such. It was up to the music publishers to cater for them as well.
Sheet music:
The other side of including limited woodwinds in brass bands is of course the sheet music. Brass bands that included limited woodwinds may not have had the instrumentation to play arrangements of military music, but they were able to play brass band music with added Clarinet parts – of which the writer of the article in Every Week pointed out (“CLARINETS IN THE BRASS BAND.,” 1918). Given that the instruments in brass bands are predominantly keyed in Bb or Eb, it was easy enough to create parts for Clarinets and Saxophones as well. Piccolos used in bands in those days were mostly keyed in Db or Eb which was different. Parts were included with some editions of music, but this was not always the case. It is easier to make a comparison between Clarinet and Cornet parts.
Below are two parts of the 1904 march “South Street” by Hall King (edited by T. E. Bulch). Here we can see clearly that the Clarinet part neatly doubles the Solo Cornet, in parts up the octave (King, 1904a, 1904b). The range of the Clarinet obviously makes this easy to do, and musically this would make sense. These Clarinet parts would be taken up by an Eb Soprano Cornet in todays brass bands.
Most of the brass band music that was printed in these times originated from large publishing houses in the form of journals, the parts above being published by Suttons Proprietary Limited. Here we see that this journal of brass band music included parts for Reeds, so obviously Clarinets, and possibly Saxophones, were catered for. Suttons was not the only Australian music publishing company that included parts for Clarinets in their journals of music. The two march cards below of the marches “Artillery” by Alex Lithgow and “Newtown” by T. E. Bulch were published by Allans & Co. (Bulch, 1901; Lithgow, n.d.).
Obviously, the publishing companies found there was a market for Clarinet, Saxophone and Piccolo parts and composers would have been encouraged to include these parts in their compositions – although, given the similarities in keys, maybe this was up to arrangers. After having some discussion with Dr. Richard Mason on this topic, extra money for publishers and composers to produce Clarinet parts was assumed (Mason, 2020). Possibly the real reasons cannot be found, however, the production of specific music to cater for extra instruments added some legitimacy to woodwinds being included in brass bands.
Brass bands with woodwinds:
As mentioned in the opening of this post, Clarinets and other woodwinds were part of brass bands in Australia for around forty years. We can find some evidence of this from early newspaper articles. It is claimed that Saxophones were added to brass bands in Australia as early as 1890, although, as mentioned in the linked article, this was a matter of conjecture (“The Saxophone,” 1934). Other bands were more forthcoming over what they had in their band. In August 1893, an article regarding the early history of the Dandenong Brass Band was published in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal. It seems that when the Dandenong Brass Band was formed in 1885, it comprised of ten members; three Cornets, two Piccolos, two Tenors, one Baritone and one Clarionet (using this unique spelling) (“DANDENONG BRASS BAND.,” 1893). Likewise, in 1899, a public meeting was held in Tallangatta with the aim of (re)forming a brass band. Several participants in the meeting spoke in support, one of them was a Mr A. J. Fortescue,
…speaking as a member, observed that the old band had died through want of proper management and lack of public interest. If formed on proper lines, with a good committee, he thought a band would prosper there. There were sufficient of the old brass instruments on hand for a start, but there would be some repairs needed. There would be wanted a piccolo and two drums. In reply to a question from the chairman, he stated that with a sum of £20 they could make a fairly good start.(“BRASS BAND FOR TALLANGATTA.,” 1899)
In January 1904 the Linton Brass Band held their annual general meeting, and they were another brass band that boasted a piccolo in their instrumentation.
The band has a stock consisting of one big drum, one side drum, three B flat cornets, two B flat Euphoniums, one E flat bass, one E flat piccolo.(“LINTON BRASS BAND,” 1904)
These were brass bands in their early years. Yet twenty years later, as can be seen in the list of musicians in the Wagga Wagga Concert Band (below), a Clarinet was part of the ensemble (“WAGGA CONCERT BAND.,” 1921). And in 1926 the Gnowangerup District Brass Band from Western Australia was proud to announce that they had added a new Clarionet to the band (“Gnowangerup District Brass Band.,” 1926).
There are of course numerous other examples of woodwind instruments appearing in early brass bands of which the above mentioned are a small number of instances.
Competitions:
When in competition, the woodwinds of brass bands were mostly treated the same as any other brass instrument, and they also received the same criticism as well. There are some examples of woodwinds being mentioned in competition, although this was mainly related to Clarinets and Saxophones. Even the famous Royal South Street competitions had sections for Clarinets and at times Saxophones over the course of a decade.
The year is 1899 and in September, Northcott’s Bendigo City Brass Band, conducted by Mr. O. Flight, had travelled to Echuca to take part in a small regional competition adjudicated by the famous Mr. E. Code. The article here details the adjudication of their program and at one point both the Clarinet and Piccolo were mentioned:
Largo – Clarionet and cornets not in tune ; cornet has good taste ; accompaniments too loud ; cornet not clean at bar 17 ; piccolo a little out of tune at bars 18 and 19 ; bass too loud at bar 20.(“NORTHCOTT’S BENDIGO CITY BRASS BAND.,” 1899)
Regarding South Street, they added another layer of legitimacy by having sections specifically for woodwinds included in the brass solo competitions. As can be seen in the lists of entries (which can be acccessed from the links), the Clarinet & Saxophone sections attracted musicians from all over Australia. Below is a list of competitions held over ten years (with some gaps), with the woodwind instruments that were included each year:
- 30/10/1906 – Alfred Hall – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet & Saxophone)
- 22/10/1907 – Alfred Hall – Brass Section (including Clarinet & Saxophone)
- 20/10/1908 – Coliseum – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet & Saxophone)
- 18/10/1910 – Coliseum – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet & Saxophone)
- 24/10/1911 – Coliseum – Brass Band Solos (including Clarinet)
- 20/10/1914 – Coliseum – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet)
- 21/10/1915 – Coliseum – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet)
- 30/10/1916 – Coliseum – Brass Solo Contests (including Clarinet)
(Royal South Street Society, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916)
Unfortunately, there are some gaps in the list due to lack of data however, it is known that a brass solo competition was held in 1912 which included a Clarionet section (Trombone, 1912).
As well as the records from Royal South Street, we also have articles in newspapers that provide the adjudication of Clarinettists. This article published in the Ballarat Star (below) in October 1915 is a prime example of an adjudication. The adjudicator of this section was the famous Albert Wade (“SOUTH STREET COMPETITIONS.,” 1915).
What of the Saxophonists? It is seen in the Royal South Street lists that Saxophones were only able to compete in sections for four years. However, other opportunities for them to integrate with bands were limited to military bands. That does not mean they were completely forgotten. In a forward thinking move, Saxophones were provided their own section in a “novelty” event at the Interstate Band Contest in Perth, February 1931 (“SAXOPHONE COMPETITION,” 1931). The reasoning was understandable at the time.
Hitherto the saxophone has not been considered to be a true brass band instrument, and therefore ineligible for registration under the W.A. Band Association contest rules. The contest committee, however, obtained permission from the association to include the competition in its program, and fourteen entries have been received. There are a number of capable executants among the entrants, and as the choice of the solo is left to the competitor, a varied range of saxophone music may be reasonably anticipated.(“SAXOPHONE COMPETITION,” 1931)
The recognition by competition societies that woodwinds had a place in their own sections was well-meaning and forward thinking. While they were brass band centric, all instruments of the brass band were included, even if they were not strictly brass.
Conclusion:
The thought of woodwinds in brass bands would probably raise the eyebrows of many brass band purists. Yet, like many other stories of the brass band world, it is one that is worth exploring, if only for the novelty. One wonders how these early brass bands would have sounded with limited woodwinds playing similar parts. The history and sheet music tell us that woodwinds existed in brass bands. As do some of the pictures, like the Brisbane Concert Band above.
References:
Blakiston, C. (1911, 22 April). A MILITARY BAND : How it is made up. Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 – 1929), 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149205289
BRASS BAND FOR TALLANGATTA. (1899, 18 February). Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 – 1918), 9. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199465362
Bulch, T. E. (1901). “Newtown” (2nd Clarionet Bb) : (Dedicated to Thos. Mellor Esq. Bandmaster). [March Card]. Allans & Co.
CLARINETS IN THE BRASS BAND. (1918, 09 May). Every Week (Bairnsdale, Vic. : 1914 – 1918), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153439388
Colouhoun, J. (1900). Malvern Town Military Band [Photograph]. [phot11448]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures : Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
DANDENONG BRASS BAND. (1893, 02 August). South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 – 1920; 1926 – 1927), 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70015776
Gnowangerup District Brass Band. (1926, 10 July). Gnowangerup Star and Tambellup-Ongerup Gazette (WA : 1915 – 1944), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158909246
King, H. (1904a). “South Street” (1st Clarionet). [March Card]. Suttons Proprietary Limited.
King, H. (1904b). “South Street” (Solo Cornet). [March Card]. Suttons Proprietary Limited.
LINTON BRASS BAND. (1904, 13 January). Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 – 1924), 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article210140838
Lithgow, A. F. (n.d.). “Artillery” (2nd Clarionet). [March Card]. Allans & Co.
Mason, R. W. (2013). The clarinet and its protagonists in the Australian New Music milieu from 1972 to 2007 (Publication Number 38294) [PhD, The University of Melbourne, Faculty of VCA & MCM, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music]. Minerva Access. Melbourne, Victoria. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/38294
Mason, R. W. (2020, 14 June). Phone call with Dr Richard Mason regarding the use of Clarinets in brass bands [Interview].
Myers, A. (2000). Instruments and Instrumentation of British Brass Bands. In T. Herbert (Ed.), The British brass band : a musical and social history (pp. 155-186). Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press. | https://bandblastsfromthepast.blog/2020/07/04/legitimate-quirks-of-instrumentation-the-inclusion-of-woodwinds-in-brass-bands/ |
Salman Khan Launches India’s First Social Token, Chingari’s ‘$GARI’ and its NFT Marketplace.
New Delhi, Oct 14 (UNI) India said on Thursday that it has seen the “disturbing reports of untoward incidents” of attacks on Durga Puja celebrations in Bangladesh and has noted that Dhaka has “reacted promptly” to ensure control of the situation, including through the deployment of police and security agencies.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, at the weekly media briefing, said that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the consulates are in close contact with the Bangladesh authorities over the incidents, including at the local level, and that the Durga Puja celebrations are continuing in the country, with the support of the Bangladesh agencies and the people of the country.
“We have seen some disturbing reports of untoward incidents involving attacks on religious gatherings in Bangladesh. We note that the government of Bangladesh has reacted promptly to ensure control of the situation, including through the deployment of law enforcement machinery.
“We also understand that the ongoing festive celebrations of Durga Puja continue in Bangladesh with the support of the government of Bangladesh agencies and of course the large majority of the public.
“Our high commission in Dhaka as well as our consulates in Bangladesh are obviously in close contact with the authorities, in Dhaka and at local levels,” he said.
On whether India was in touch with Bangladesh on who were the perpetrators of the attacks, the spokesperson said, “On the investigation aspect of it, we will leave it to the Bangladesh government.”
The comments were in reference to several instances of vandalism at Durga Puja pandals and temples across Cumilla in Bangladesh by extremist mobs in the wake of a rumour circulated on social media alleging besmirching of the Quran at a puja venue.
Mobs attacked temples in Chandpur’s Hajiganj, Chattogram’s Banshkhali, Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj and Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua and vandalised the Durga Puja pandals, and smashed the idols in many places.
Shibu Prasad Dutta, general secretary of Cumilla Mahanagar Puja Udjapon Committee, said someone placed a copy of the Quran at a Durga Puja pavilion in Nanua Dighir Par early in the morning when the guard was asleep, bdnews24 reported.
Photos and videos of the Quran were swirling on social media within 6 am. The matter was reported to the chief of the local police station via the 999 national helpline and the police officer subsequently recovered the Quran.
The Hajiganj Health Complex in Chandpur received the bodies of three people believed to have died in violent clashes with police, a doctor on duty, said. But the police did not confirm the deaths linked to violence.
The clashes erupted after police tried to stop assailants who attacked temples. Witnesses said police opened fire at that time.
“We are trying our best to keep the situation under control. The attackers will be identified and face legal steps,” said Harunur Rashid, chief of Hajiganj Police Station.
The government announced a ban on assembly in the area and tightened security with the deployment of Border Guards Bangladesh troops.
About 230 kilometres away in Chattogram’s Karnaphuli, assailants vandalised Durga idols in at least three venues, bdnews24 said.
In Cumilla, the authorities deployed border guards along with police to maintain law and order after clashes.
Meanwhile, police said they have detained 43 people for inciting attacks and vandalising several Hindu temples in Cumilla and other parts of the Chattogram Range.
Anwar Hossain, DIG of the police’s Chattogram Range, confirmed the arrests during his visit to the puja venue in Cumilla’s Nanua Dighir Par area on Thursday.
Parliament whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon and DIG Anwar Hossain visited the site of vandalism.
The incident was part of a plan to incite tensions, the DIG said.
Police have also detained Fayez, the initial poster of the Facebook video, and are questioning him for information.
"The country is developing, while one quarter is trying to sow instability," said parliamentary whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon during his visit to the scene. | https://centralchronicle.com/posts/We-are-in-close-touch-with-Bangladesh-over-disturbing-reports-of-attacks-on-Durga-Puja-pandals-India |
Discipline:
Arts & Music Subject:
Architecture
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
-The Gardens of Babylon was a huge, temple-like garden with exotic trees and waterfalls. The gardens were created around 600 BC by Babylon’s ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar. The king’s wife was homesick of her native land and missed the tropical plants that she used to see. Babylon, now present-day Iran, was desert-like and dry with hardly any green plants. Nebuchadnezzar saw his wife’s longing for her native land and built her the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
HISTORY
Did it ever exist?Those who think these gardens never existed, side with the fact that this creation does not have any standing proof. It is possible that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon could have been located in another city, Nineveh. “Babylon” means “Gates of the Gods” and was used to also describe Nineveh. These two cities could have easily been confused or mixed up. Historians think that an earthquake destroyed the gardens.
How did the garden recieve water?Another mystery is how the king transported water from the Euphrates River to the Hanging Gardens. Some historians say that the location where it is thought to be is too far from the river to have irrigated water, while others think that the king used a pumping system.
MY POV:Even though those theories may be true, there is also evidence that backs up the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar left several records describing “a luxurious set of gardens he’d built”. Historians have also located ruins near Babylon that could have once been the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The non-believers say that it is nearly impossible for the king to have irrigated water so far, but there is proof that the king accomplished it. Greek historian Diodorus stated that “The war machines raised the water in great abundance from the river to the gardens.” I believe this was how the king watered the garden. | https://edu.glogster.com/glog/hanging-gardens-of-babylon/25ghlpftuws?=glogpedia-source |
Defined terms in these Race Rules shall have the meaning set out in the Consent and Liability Release Form.
- All competitors are to use good sporting behaviour during the Event.
- All competitors competing in an age category must be under that age on 31st December of each year in which the race is held. So, for example, a competitor having their 10th birthday in early December will compete in the Under 11 category even though they may still be 9 years old on the actual day of the race.
- The minimum age for competitors is 8 years old on or before 31st December in the year of the race.
- If a competitor wishes to compete in an age group above his or her own age, i.e. they are U9 but wish to compete in the U10 category they are permitted to, at the discretion of the Team FEAR Organising Committee, but competitors should be aware that competing in a higher age group may mean that the course is longer or contains elements not included in the original age category.
- The results for the race will be determined by the time required to complete the course plus any penalties. The official race clock will run continuously from the start time until the last member of each team crosses the finish line.
- Teams must start and finish the race together and exit all checkpoints & transition areas together. Team members must stay within 25m of each other unless directed otherwise by course marshals.
- Time cut-off points may be designated at various places on the race course. Teams arriving after the designated time at any cut-off point may be required, at the sole discretion of race officials, to withdraw from the stage or take a shortened route to the finish line.
- No outside support is allowed between the start and finish lines of the race, other than at the designated support team access point, or to provide medical assistance. Parents should not accompany their children around the course.
- Penalties for unfair actions or violation of these rules may include: (a) time penalties added to a team’s finish time; or (b) time penalties served by stopping a team on the race course.
- As a safety requirement teams must wear the race shirts provided during the race
- Competitors will be required to display their team number at all times when on the race course.
- Teams must notify race officials at the nearest checkpoint or transition area of the withdrawal of a team member or an entire team. Teams should assist the withdrawing team member to a checkpoint or transition area where transportation off the course can be arranged.
- In the event that one team member withdraws from the race, the remaining team member may be allowed to complete the race however this may affect their final ranking.
- Protests must be filed with the race committee within 20 minutes of a team’s finish of the race. Protests may be made orally but must be made discretely and respectfully to the race committee. The committee’s decision will be final.
- The following equipment is mandatory and must be carried / properly used by each team member at all times between the start and finish line:
- Bike Helmet
- Lightweight Windproof Jacket
- Lightweight Pack
- Water Container with at least 1 litre of drink
- Food (Snacks and/or sweets)
- Running shoes
- Gloves
- Bike helmets must be worn and correctly fitted at all times during the race.
- The race course may be changed due to weather or safety hazards and the race committee will have complete discretion to adjust finish times to reflect any course changes.
- The race course will be marked by signs, arrows, ribbons, chalk, and marshals. Teams are responsible for (a) staying on the course; and (b) slowing down to pay attention to course markings.
- Teams must follow the direction of the marshals at all times.
- Teams must not leave any litter or equipment on the race course.
- The Organisers reserve the right to close entries to the event without notice when the quota of the Event is full. | https://www.team-fear.com/race-information/race-rules/ |
It's been a tough few years for social home robots: Where do we go from here?
On May 1, 2019
@Miles_Brundage shared
RT @OpenAI: Applications are open for the third class of OpenAI Fellows, a program designed for accomplished people who want to transition into AI research from another domain: https://t.co/WGygQzytkA
Check out the projects from our first class of Fellows: https://t.co/Qnk4y6eHDG https://t.co/99TXtvuwLM
Ethics
On May 4, 2019
@katecrawford shared
RT @veenadubal: I wrote something about why we should all care about & stand in solidarity with the @GoogleWalkout activists!
Who stands between you and AI dystopia? These Google activists https://t.co/08acyYF726
In this brave new digital world, the most effective oversight had come from an unlikely and surprising source: white-collar tech workers within Google
On May 7, 2019
@CSERCambridge shared
RT @FLIxrisk: The major worry with general AI has been an "intelligence explosion"--that it could, on its own, design even more intelligent AI. But there are other concerns we need to address. Here, FLI cofounder @vkrakovna elaborates: https://t.co/p4M3jIgClC https://t.co/5EmZRtJPvP
The International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) is the premier gathering of professionals dedicated to the advancement of the branch of artificial intelligence called ...
On May 1, 2019
@jeremyphoward shared
RT @gdb: I'm extremely impressed with the work done by our Fellows, who we train over 6 months to become outstanding ML contributors. Examples include MuseNet by @mcleavey (https://t.co/67TUxOn4IM) and CoinRun by @karlcobbe (https://t.co/DoO4johaot).
Apply today!
https://t.co/8qZ0sHg81K
Applied Use Cases
The OpenAI Fellows program is for people who want to be Machine Learning Researchers and have previously demonstrated excellence in another field. As a Fellow, you'll work with a mentor to ...
On May 2, 2019
@thinkmariya shared
RT @eytan: After many years in the making, we're open-sourcing Facebook's Adaptive Experimentation platform, Ax, and BoTorch, a library for Bayesian optimization research, built on PyTorch. https://t.co/1wpFnlqmPg https://t.co/vX8HeLF0Sg
We are open-sourcing BoTorch and Ax, two new tools that leverage adaptive experimentation to efficiently tackle optimization challenges in tuning software configurations, machine learning ...
Essentials publishes hand-picked high quality links carefully selected by top trusted experts in their industry.Thanks to it's social media filtering AI it helps focus on the news, and the people that matter.
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-Tap water is not safe for nasal rinse because it's not adequately filtered or treated. Some tap water contains low levels of organisms-- such as bacteria and protozoa, including amoebas-- that may be safe to swallow because stomach acid kills them. But in your nose, these organisms can stay alive in nasal passages and cause potentially serious infections. They can even be fatal in some rare cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Safely Using Nasal Irrigation Systems:
Leaning over a sink, tilt your head sideways with your forehead and chin roughly level to avoid liquid flowing into your mouth.
Breathing through your open mouth, insert the spout of the saline-filled container into your upper nostril so that the liquid drains through the lower nostril.
Clear your nostrils. Then repeat the procedure, tilting your head sideways, on the other side.
Sinus rinsing can remove dust, pollen and other debris, as well as help to loosen thick mucus. It can also help relieve nasal symptoms of sinus infections, allergies, colds and flu. Plain water can irritate your nose. The saline allows the water to pass through delicate nasal membranes with little or no burning or irritation.
And if your immune system isn’t working properly, consult your health care provider before using any nasal irrigation systems.
To use and care for your device:
Wash and dry your hands.
Check that the device is clean and completely dry.
Prepare the saline rinse, either with the prepared mixture supplied with the device, or one you make yourself.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.
Wash the device, and dry the inside with a paper towel or let it air dry between uses.
Talk with a health care provider or pharmacist if the instructions on your device do not clearly state how to use it or if you have any questions. | |
Introduced in Oracle 10g, the UTL_COMPRESS package can be used to compress and uncompress large objects (raw, blob or bfile). For all practical purposes, you can think of UTL_COMPRESS as PL/SQLs means of compressing or zipping files. When looking at the various procedures and functions, many are prefixed with LZ. The algorithm used to perform the compression is based on the Lempel-Ziv algorithm, and when used, the code is based on the LZW or Lempel-Ziv-Welch implementation.
Oracles documentation for this package is sparse in terms of showing a full-scale example. Sparse isnt even the correct word here. Nonexistent is a better descriptor. A MetaLink note (249974.1) shows two examples, and various pages on the Internet can be searched.
The actual implementation of this package is pretty easy to use once you see an example. Many of the examples shown elsewhere include a length comparison among the input, the compressed, and the uncompressed lengths. Ideally, the input and uncompressed lengths should be the same. You may find that the compressed length is longer than the input length. This occurs when the input length is small or short. The overhead of building a dictionary can make the compressed length longer than the input length.
In this simple example, well create our own input, compress it, uncompress it, and evaluate the lengths of each.
Note that the compressed length is longer than the input length. Adding a few more characters to the input string yields the following.
('This is a long string of words used for this example.
That little bit extra for the input string pushed us over the top in terms of having the compression take any real effect.
Note that the LZ_COMPRESS subprogram is overloaded (more than one signature method can be used to invoke it). The quality parameter is set to a default of 6. This parameter provides a trade-off between speed of compress and quality of compression. It takes quite a few more words or length of input before you see a difference in what the quality input does.
As an example, we can take the text about quality in the documentation and use that as the input string, and vary the quality from 1 to 9. If you use this block of text as an example, be sure to remove the single quotes around quality near the end.
Quality is an optional compression tuning value. It allows the UTL_COMPRESS user to choose between speed and compression quality, meaning the percentage of reduction in size. A faster compression speed will result in less compression of the data. A slower compression speed will result in more compression of the data. Valid values are [1..9], with 1=fastest and 9=slowest. The default 'quality' value is 6.
At a setting of 1, the compressed length is 248, and at 9, the length becomes 245. The strength or utility of using UTL_COMPRESS comes into play when dealing with truly large objects and not just experimenting with contrived strings. For this use case, we can use a document, but then, well also need a table.
The setup steps are to create a table to hold the BLOB, create a directory with read/write for the user, put a file into the directory, initialize the record, insert a BLOB, compress it, and compare the lengths.
-- Gets a pointer to the file.
-- EXISTING NON-NULL database BLOB.
When using a quality value of 1, the compressed size was 20868, so a value of 9 represents a 10% or so improvement. As file sizes increase, so will the amount of compression.
For production-type code, you will want to handle errors such as TOO_MANY_ROWS, NO_DATA_FOUND and DUP_VAL_ON_INDEX. For BLOB-related errors, a set of exception handlers (as shown in the documentation) such as follows could be packaged up for re-use.
Pre-processing checks such as checking if open (then closing) and vice versa could also be incorporated. Dont forget to use DBMS_LOB.FREETEMPORARY to release locked items (including the source file).
Armed with a couple of examples, you should be able to take this code and modify it for your use. One of the benefits of being able to compress and uncompress from within Oracle is that file manipulation can be stored in one place as opposed to having to bounce back and forth between a shell script and a SQL*Plus session. | https://www.databasejournal.com/features/oracle/article.php/3834631/Compressing-files-in-Oracle.htm |
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All Right Reserved.
Designed by Sakura Adachi, this striking console is made of maple wood with two distinct finishes: natural on the outside and with blue and natural stripes on the outside. The minimal, rectangular silhouette features an off-center, round mirror that cuts the top like a moon surrounded by clouds in the sky (Tsukimi refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the harvest moon). Placed in a living room or large hallway, this piece will make a statement in any decor. | https://artemest.com/products/tsukimi-console |
Facing Death Creatively, St Christopher's Hospice Call for Papers – deadeline 31st July 2018
The Arts team at St Christopher’s Hospice are mounting their third conference ‘Facing Death Creatively’ to explore how the Arts can be utilised to make sense of and provide comfort at the end of life and in bereavement. The focus of this year’s conference will be Cutting, Tearing & Slicing: Art & Art Therapy in the age of austerity exploring mixed media approaches to arts in end of life care.
Calls for expressions of interest in participation
Submissions are sought to take part in the form of oral presentations, seminars, performances or participatory workshops. The themes for the conference are: mixed media, austerity, working under cuts, survival of the field in times of financial distress, creative approaches to difficult situations. We encourage interested parties to consider these themes and to interpret them in ways that lend themselves to provocative and original ways of thinking
This conference will ask and seek to answer key thematic questions through discussions and presentations:
• How do the Creative Arts survive and thrive amidst the financial crisis.
• How and where do we find creative solutions to working with less support?
• How can we share knowledge and resources to improve resilience?
• How do we remain positive about the work when the arts are sidelined?
• How do we keep the Creative Arts a central part of good palliative care in the current financial and political climate?
• How do we come together when the dominant dialogue is about ‘othering’?
Presentations from different cultural and disciplinary spaces are welcome.
Proposals should include the following information:
Title, Abstract (150-250 words), Keywords (3-10 words), References (max. 3 references),
Bionote (max. 50 words per presenter), Email addresses of presenters, | http://www.lahf.org.uk/facing-death-creatively-st-christophers-hospice-call-papers-%E2%80%93-deadeline-31st-july-2018 |
Pictures and videos show three sweet penguins living out their pensioner lives at a park in Cornwall.
Believed to be the oldest Humboldt’s penguins in the UK, the birds - Mildred, Gladys and Spneb - will all be 33 by the end of next month with Gladys the last to celebrate the birthday.
The birds' keeper, at Paradise Park, Hayle, says that in the wild these penguins are known to live between 15 and 20 years, meaning they are doing well in captivity.
Keeper, Kirsty Snoxall, said: "We do believe Mildred, Gladys and Spneb are three of the oldest on record and all turn 33 years old this year.
''Caring for elderly birds and animals is all part of a keeper's job. Many of the issues that can crop up in old age are very similar to humans, like cataracts and joint pain, all of which receive treatments and medications plus a lot of TLC. ”
You can stay up to date on the top news and events near you with CornwallLive’s FREE newsletters – enter your email address at the top of the page.
Mildred was the first of the trio to reach the ripe old age of 33 on April 1 this year. Mildred used to be a favourite with the visitors as she used to take part at the ‘Penguin Photocall’ but the park had to retire her from them when her eyesight started to let her down.
She developed cataracts in both eyes back in 2014 and now has very little sight, but she finds her way around the pool just fine although the keepers do hand feed her a majority of the time. She is also still laying eggs but not had any chicks for a few years now.
Spneb reached 33 on April 16. Spneb’s name is a fusion of the two types of medication she was on during some intense treatment back in 2007 when she developed a fungal disease called Aspergillosis.
(Image: Paradise Park / SWNS)
It took four months to treat, but apart from some minor scaring to her lungs she recovered very well. She reached 33 on the 16th April. The park says she loves to have a fuss from the keepers even at her ripe age.
Gladys turns 33 in June this year. Kirsty says some visitors to Paradise Park comment on the penguin with a long beak, and this is Gladys.
A few of the penguins get an occasional beak trim to keep it neat, symmetrical and functional but hers needs more attention than any other penguin.
(Image: Paradise Park)
She has another quirk – back in 2010 an air sac on her neck became enlarged and now her head can tilt to one side a little but she copes just fine.
All three penguins live with the colony at the centre of Paradise Park.. A webcam means that you can see the penguins going about their lives each day.
To check in on them now, click here. You can watch video footage of the three penguins at the top of this page. | |
Community Organizational Development Volunteer
Currently, departure timelines are not available and the Peace Corps is not issuing invitations to serve. Once we begin issuing invitations, applicants will have a minimum of three to four months’ notice between invitation and departure.
The information provided for each assignment is subject to change.
Project Description
Kosovo is a new nation rich in history, cultural diversity, natural beauty, and hospitality. A mountainous country with ample hiking trails and centuries old cultural heritage sites, Kosovo is home to Albanian, Bosniak, Serb, Turkish, Roma, Askhali, Eqyptian, Gorani communities. Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Kosovo are participating in a significant and exciting period of growth and development in this fascinating and complex multicultural post-conflict nation. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and its citizens, including its vibrant young population, are working to strengthen and create their futures. The people of Kosovo are especially warm and welcoming to Americans and the Peace Corps Volunteers who leave lasting impacts on their communities. Since 2014, six groups of Volunteers have worked in public schools and non-governmental organizations across Kosovo. They have inspired students and expanded opportunities for youth and women. Kosovo is a small, emerging nation with tremendous potential and opportunities for creating positive change.
Community Organizational Development Volunteers work with local government and civic society organizations to promote citizen participation, especially among youth and women. Volunteers work alongside community members to strengthen the organizational capacity of local institutions and non-governmental organizations. They also encourage volunteerism through community-based projects. To support the economic upward mobility of youth and women, Volunteers organize employment skills training (networking, resume writing, interviewing, etc.).
Volunteer duties often consist of the following:
• Co-facilitate with local partners a community needs assessment to determine local needs and priorities;
• Co-facilitate community-based projects based on locally identified needs;
• Plan and facilitate extracurricular programs that strengthen employability skills;
• Coordinate youth programming including clubs, camps, sports and other extra-curricular activities that support life skills, leadership, and volunteerism;
• Implement workshops to raise awareness about key issues and concerns in the community, (e.g. environmental protection, gender equality and property rights);
• Support organizations’ preparation and submission of project and grant proposals;
• Mentor youth and/or women in life skills and employability skills.
Other expectations include:
• Demonstrate independence, self-initiative, flexibility, open-mindedness, and commitment to serve.
• Possess an attitude of humility and curiosity towards other cultures.
• Exhibit adaptability and a willingness to sensitively communicate when confronting challenges.
• Demonstrate empathy and a willingness to view situations from multiple perspectives.
COVID-19 Volunteer Activities
In the past year, the world has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Volunteer, you will be trained in how to best protect yourself from COVID-19 exposure and understand the impact of and steps to reduce stigma related to COVID-19. You may also have the opportunity to engage with your community on implementing or enhancing COVID-19 mitigation activities, such as COVID-19 prevention and risk reduction strategies including social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, addressing myths and misconceptions related to these practices, and vaccine hesitancy. Activities will be tailored to address the COVID-19 circumstances in the communities where you will serve.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years’ professional work experience
Desired Skills
• Master of Arts/Master of Science degree with an emphasis in non-profit management, public administration, or organizational development
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and 2 years’ management or organizational development experience with nonprofit organizations
• 5 years’ professional work experience with nonprofit organizations in a management or organizational development capacity
• Two+ years’ experience in public administration and/or working with non-governmental organizations• Experience in working with formal or informal youth and/or women groups/organizations
• Experience planning and organizing non-formal educational activities (clubs, camps, service learning, sports activities, etc.) for youth
• Experience working on gender equality/women and girls’ empowerment initiatives or programs
• Experience developing employment skills training (networking, resume writing, interviewing, etc.) for youth or women
• Experience in fund development and grant writing
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
While there is no language requirement for acceptance to serve in Peace Corps Kosovo, some communities have no English speakers, so all candidates should come fully prepared to learn the local language(s). There is great emphasis placed on Volunteers' language acquisition. All Peace Corps Volunteers are required to learn either Albanian or Serbian based on the language of the community where they will serve. Most Volunteers learn Albanian. Those Volunteers who are interested in learning Serbian and living in a non-majority community can indicate so before Pre-Service Training. Peace Corps encourages and supports language learning throughout Volunteers’ service by providing in-service language training and access to language tutors.
Living Conditions
Most Community Organizational Development Volunteers will live in medium sized towns and/or small cities (population 5,000 – 50,000). While some locations in Kosovo have good infrastructure and aspects of modern living, others do not. Homes generally have access to electricity, running water, and modest living conditions. Rooms are furnished with very basic furniture, and not every family member has their own bedroom. Family members, guests and neighbors spend many hours together in the common rooms of the house during the cold winter seasons. In the summer, patios or balconies are common shared spaces. Social and cultural norms, as well as high rates of unemployment, contribute to the frequent and extensive use of shared living areas as sometimes multiple generations live under one roof.
All Volunteers live with host families for a minimum of 9 months of service in their communities in order to facilitate community integration, language acquisition, and cultural adaptation. The host families provide living space with a secure, private bedroom with basic furniture, a shared bathroom and kitchen. Almost all Volunteers in Kosovo choose to live with their host families for 27 months as it as an important continuous learning experience that allows deeper understanding of the Kosovar culture. In general, in small communities and even in larger cities, there are few affordable options available for Volunteers to live independently. Integration with a family is important for community engagement. Kosovars generally live together in larger, multi-generational households with typical gender roles and norms. Concepts of privacy and independence in Kosovo are often different from the norms and expectations of most Americans. Most families will expect Volunteers to spend much of their free time with the family.
Spring and fall months are mild with some rainfall, while summers are hot and dry. Winter lasts from November to March with some snowfall, similar to the Mid-Atlantic area of the U.S. However temperatures may feel colder because few homes have central heating. The majority of homes in Kosovo use wood stoves for heating just one room of the house where everyone gathers in during the cold months. Homes, schools, and office buildings typically do not have central heating or air-conditioning. Cigarette smoking inside households is common.
Kosovo is a conservative culture with traditional gender norms. Women may be expected to perform routine domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, and serving coffee to guests. Men generally work outside the household as the primary breadwinner and perform household repairs. Kosovars are generally tolerant of different religions, but outward displays of religious symbols, such as wearing crosses or hijabs, are discouraged. In smaller communities, there are more conservative views regarding alcohol consumption, sexual orientation, gender identity, dress and social activities. Larger towns and cities may have different views. Volunteers of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the majority of the country of service may experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention. Volunteers are encouraged to use these moments as opportunities to deepen local community members’ understanding of U.S. diversity by sharing their values and experiences. Staff will address these topics during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms for incoming trainees such as various discussion panels with diverse PCVs, Volunteer led committees with focus on diversity and inclusion, peer support networks, etc.
Kosovars are known for their generous hospitality and graciousness and have favorable impressions of United States citizens. U.S. Citizens are generally respected in Kosovo, however Volunteers of diverse backgrounds may experience challenges. There are support networks and trainings in place for navigating these challenges.
Serving in Kosovo
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Kosovo: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, health, and safety -- including health and crime statistics -- in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Couples Information
Peace Corps Kosovo can accommodate couples serving in different sectors (English Education and Community Organizational Development combination). On very limited occasions, a couple where both are serving in English Education can be accommodated. During Pre-Service Training, couples are offered the option to either live together or live separately. Living separately during training can assist with quicker language acquisition and cultural integration.
Couples (male-female) are generally well regarded and treated with respect. They typically encounter fewer integration issues because marriage between a man and a woman is a common convention. Couples live with a host family for at least 9 months of their service. They may be extended a bit more privacy in the household.
During pre-service training, couples have the option to live with different families or together. During their service as Volunteers, couples are placed with host families, but may have more independent living space (an apartment on a separate floor of a large family home).
Medical Considerations
Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the medical clearance process.
Does this sound like the position for you?
Get started on your journey. | https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/volunteer-openings/community-organizational-development-volunteer-6967br/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hybrid vehicles and, more particularly, to a system for selectively consuming and storing electrical energy in the hybrid vehicle.
II. Description of Material Art
Hybrid vehicles are enjoying increased popularity and acceptance due in large part to the cost of fuel for internal combustion engine vehicles. Such hybrid vehicles include both an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor to propel the vehicle.
In the current design for both consuming as well as storing electrical energy, the rotary shaft from a combination electric motor/generator is coupled by a drive belt to the main shaft of an internal combustion engine. As such, the rotary shaft for the electric motor/generator unit rotates in unison with the internal combustion engine main shaft at the fixed pulley ratio of the hybrid vehicle design.
A control circuit controls and varies the torque of the electric motor/generator unit between a negative value and a positive value. When the control circuit sets the torque of the electric motor/generator unit to a negative value, the main shaft from the internal combustion engine rotatably drives the electric motor/generator unit in a generator mode thereby storing electrical energy in one or more batteries contained within the vehicle. Conversely, when the control circuit sets the torque to a positive torque, the electric motor/generator unit acts as an electric motor to increase the torque on the internal combustion engine main shaft thus consuming electricity from the battery and providing driving power for the hybrid vehicle.
These previously known hybrid vehicle designs, however, have encountered several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that, since the pulley ratio between the electric motor/generator rotary shaft and the internal combustion engine main shaft is fixed, e.g. 3 to 1, the electric motor/generator is rotatably driven at high speeds during a high speed revolution of the internal combustion engine. For example, in the situation where the pulley ratio between the electric motor/generator rotary shaft and the internal combustion engine main shaft is 3 to 1, if the internal combustion engine is driven at a high revolutions per minute of, e.g. 5,000 rpm, the electric motor/generator unit is driven at a rotation three times that amount, i.e. 15,000 rpm. Such high speed revolution of the electric motor/generator thus necessitates the use of expensive components, such as the bearings and brushes, to be employed to prevent damage to the electric motor/generator during such high speed operation.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known hybrid vehicles is that the electric motor/generator unit achieves its most efficient operation, both in the sense of generating electricity and also providing additional power to the main shaft of the internal combustion engine, only within a relatively narrow range of revolutions per minute of the motor/generator unit. However, since the previously known hybrid vehicles utilized a fixed pulley ratio between the motor/generator unit and the internal combustion engine main shaft, the motor/generator unit oftentimes operates outside its optimal speed range. As such, the overall hybrid vehicle operates at less than optimal efficiency.
A still further disadvantage of these previously known hybrid vehicles is that the electric motors were able to generate appreciable torque only at low engine speeds. As such, the electric motor was able to provide additional torque to the internal combustion engine only at low engine speeds, including engine start up. This, in turn, necessitated relatively larger internal combustion engines in order to obtain acceptable performance which resulted in a decrease in fuel efficiency for the hybrid vehicle.
The present invention provides a system for selectively consuming and storing electrical energy in a hybrid vehicle which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known systems for hybrid vehicles.
In brief, the present invention includes an electric motor/generator unit having a rotary shaft. The electric motor/generator unit, in the conventional fashion, operates under the control of a control circuit that varies the torque of the electric motor/generator unit between a negative value and a positive value as a function of the operating condition of the vehicle and driver demand. When the control circuit sets a negative torque for the electric motor/generator unit, the electric motor/generator unit operates in the generator mode which generates electrical energy for storage in the batteries for the vehicle. Conversely, when the electric motor/generator unit is set to a positive torque by the control circuit, the electric motor/generator unit operates in the motor mode in which a positive torque is provided to the rotary shaft for the electric motor/generator unit.
The system further includes an internal combustion engine which also has a main shaft. This main shaft is coupled to the drive wheels for the hybrid vehicle.
Unlike the previously known hybrid vehicles, however, a continuously variable transmission is mechanically coupled between the electric motor/generator unit rotary shaft and the engine main shaft. This continuously variable transmission includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member that are coupled together by a plurality of variable ratio transmission elements. Preferably, the first rotary member is attached directly to the electric motor/generator unit rotary shaft while the second rotary member of the transmission is rotatably drivingly connected to the engine main shaft by a pulley and drive belt.
A control circuit controls the actuation of the continuously variable transmission. Consequently, the control circuit, by varying the rotation ratio between the first and second rotary members of the transmission, is able to maintain the engine and the electric motor/generator unit in its most optimal and efficient rotation range. Likewise, the control circuit, by varying the rotational ratio between the first and second rotary members, is able to limit the rotation speed of the electric motor/alternator unit so that less expensive medium speed components may be used with the electric motor/generator unit. Similarly, higher torques may be obtained from the electric motor/generator unit at low speeds, including engine start up. This, in turn, reduces the requirements of the internal combustion engine thereby resulting in an overall fuel and cost savings.
FIGS. 1 and 2
FIG. 2
10
11
12
14
With reference first to , a preferred embodiment of the system for selectively consuming and storing electrical energy in a hybrid vehicle (illustrated only diagrammatically) is shown. The system includes an electric motor/generator unit having a rotary shaft ().
12
16
12
16
12
16
14
12
18
The motor/generator unit operates under the control of the control circuit which varies the torque of the motor/generator unit between a negative and a positive value. When the control circuit sets the motor/generator unit to a negative value, the control circuit configures the motor/generator unit as a generator. As such, rotation of the rotary shaft for the motor/generator unit generates electrical power which may be stored in a battery .
16
12
18
14
Conversely, the control circuit may configure the motor/generator unit in the motor mode. When this occurs, the motor/generator unit consumes electrical power from the battery to produce a positive torque on the motor/generator unit rotary shaft . That additional torque may then be utilized to provide additional driving power for the hybrid vehicle in a fashion subsequently described.
FIGS. 1 and 2
FIG. 2
20
22
22
Still referring to , the hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine () having a main shaft . That main shaft is mechanically coupled to the wheels for the hybrid vehicle to provide the driving force for the hybrid vehicle.
FIGS. 1-3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
24
12
22
20
24
26
28
32
26
28
26
28
With reference now particularly to a continuously variable transmission is operatively disposed between the motor/generator unit and the main shaft of the internal combustion engine . As best shown in , the transmission includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member . Transmission elements () are positioned between the first and second rotary members and to transmit rotational movement between the rotary elements and .
30
16
32
26
28
FIG. 2
A control circuit , which may be the same as the control circuit (), controls the actuation of the transmission elements to vary the rotation ratio between the rotary members and . Preferably, the rotary ratio may be varied from a relatively small number, e.g. 0.5, to a much higher number, e.g. 1.75.
FIGS. 2 and 3
26
14
12
26
14
Referring now to , the rotary member is directly connected to the rotary shaft from the motor/generator unit . As such, the first rotary member rotates in unison with the rotary shaft .
FIGS. 1-3
34
28
24
36
22
20
37
37
14
22
20
14
22
30
As best shown in , a pulley attached to the second rotary member of the transmission is connected to a pulley mounted to the main shaft of the engine by a drive belt . Consequently, the drive belt synchronizes the rotation of the motor/generator unit rotary shaft with the main shaft for the engine . However, the ratio of rotation of the shafts and may be varied as desired by the control circuit .
FIG. 1
37
38
40
36
With reference again to , the drive belt may also be used to rotatably drive other vehicle components, such as an air conditioning compressor . Likewise, idler wheels may be used to take up the appropriate slack in the drive belt .
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
50
20
12
52
22
51
53
20
54
12
20
20
With reference now to , the effect of utilizing the continuously variable transmission is illustrated. In , graph represents the engine torque of the internal combustion engine as a function of engine speed. The torque provided by the motor/generator unit is illustrated as graph as seen at engine main shaft for 0.5 overdrive. A torque graph is also illustrated for 1.75 underdrive while graph shows the torque for 3.0 underdrive. Consequently, the motor/generator unit when configured in a motor configuration is capable of generating significant torque at relatively high speeds for the internal combustion engine , e.g. 2000 rpm as shown at point . This, in turn, allows the motor/generator unit to be used for small increments of additional power as might occur, for example, when the hybrid vehicle encounters a slight uphill incline. In that case, the additional torque to drive the wheels of the hybrid vehicle is obtained from the motor/generator unit rather than the internal combustion engine , so that the internal combustion engine may be run at a constant speed for maximum fuel efficiency.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
60
With reference now to , an engine power curve as a function of engine speed is illustrated in graph form. The engine power is illustrated by the units on the right side of .
62
12
12
20
12
FIG. 5
Graph illustrates the power (left-hand units) from the motor/generator unit utilizing a fixed ratio pulley design between the motor/generator unit and the internal combustion engine . As is clear from , the motor/generator unit provides significant power, and thus torque, to the vehicle wheels at relatively low speeds, e.g. less than 2000 rpm.
24
12
64
66
64
12
24
66
12
24
24
20
20
FIG. 5
Conversely, by utilizing the continuously variable transmission , the power curve for the motor/generator unit may be shifted for optimum efficiency of the motor/generator unit as illustrated by graphs and (units on left of ). Graph illustrates that significant power, and thus torque, may be obtained from the motor/generator unit at much higher engine speeds in engine speeds more likely to be encountered during the normal operation of the hybrid vehicle by increasing the rotation ratio of the transmission . Graph illustrates the power curve of the motor/generator unit using yet a higher ratio for the transmission . In both cases, this, in turn, reduces the demands on the internal combustion engine and likewise reduces the fuel consumption by the internal combustion engine .
24
12
24
12
Additional torque at engine start up may also be obtained by reducing the rotation ratio of the transmission to a value less than one. This allows additional torque to be generated from the motor/generator unit at engine start up. Furthermore, since the variable ratio transmission enables the motor/generator unit to contribute significant torque at higher engine speeds, a less powerful internal combustion engine may be used without loss of overall performance.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple and yet highly effective system for selectively consuming and storing electrical energy in a hybrid vehicle. Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
FIG. 1
is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with parts removed;
FIG. 2
is a diagrammatic view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a diagrammatic sectional view of a transmission;
FIG. 4
is a graph illustrating the torque performance of the system of the present invention; and
FIG. 5
is a graph illustrating the engine power performance of the system of the present invention. | |
Candidates must fill out the following or they will not be considered:
A letter describing:
- Their interest in the job and why they would be a good candidate
- Their long term future goals
- CV with current city of residence
Holoclara Inc. is a therapeutic company focused on the development of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of allergic and autoimmune diseases. Our Caltech-derived company is focused on utilizing roundworm-derived molecules that have demonstrated relief in multiple animal models of inflammation.
We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join us as a Research Associate Director. The Associate Director will support our research program as we characterize our lead drug in preparation for clinical development. This individual will be responsible for supporting Research Team activities, including but not limited to:
- Provide Research Teams with project management leadership and insights in research strategy and process to guide and organize the Research Team.
- Support team members and empower them to complete deliverables efficiently and effectively.
- Support the development of Research strategy and plan according to Research Governance, including project planning and necessary scenario development, planning and analysis.
- Organize and manage research project team meetings, ensuring timely, efficient, and action-oriented operations.
- Work in partnership with project lead and functional leads, to develop, identify risks and opportunities, implement corrective actions and execute on the project plan and strategy.
- Manage external collaboration project and all associated interactions (e.g. meetings, communications etc.) with the partners when necessary.
- Direct research project communications and ensures that all stakeholders (internally and externally) are fully informed and knowledgeable of project activities and their status.
- Manage research project team through stage gate reviews toward milestone completion.
- Liaise with cross-functional and functional stakeholders to execute on cross-functional deliverables and resolve issues.
- Implement best-in-class project management processes and tools/templates such as project schedules, Gantt charts, action/decision logs, risk registers, SharePoint site etc.
- Manage and track non-clinical and clinical study report deliverables for IND filings.
This individual would be joining our company during an exciting time as we characterize our lead drug in preparation for Preclinical Studies and IND filing. This individual would gain insight into major decision making strategies that propel a lead drug from discovery towards human trials.
Requirements:
- PhD in immunology/cell biology, preferably postdoctoral experience or industry experience. Or BS/MS/PharmD + 8-10 years of related industry experience
- A solid scientific background is a must. Relevant experience consists of work in a scientific field or equivalent experience in association with Research, Translational Sciences/Medicine, R&D project teams and/or in cross-functional project management activities.
- Must have extensive experience in applying principles, concepts, practices, and standards of project management in Research and/or Translational Sciences/Medicine.
- Prior experience in cellular therapy, synthetic biology, inflammation and immune disease research greatly preferred.
- Exemplify our core value – integrity, accountability, team work, excellence and inclusion.
- Must possess excellent interpersonal, organizational, written and verbal communication skills along with ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Must be able to effectively communicate progress toward milestones, opportunities, and risks to all stakeholders.
- Must exhibit high emotional intelligence, with demonstrated ability to successfully negotiate through challenging situations and difficult conversations.
- Possess a strong ability to build trust, along with demonstrated ability to drive, lead and influence colleagues across the organization to achieve team, department and corporate goals.
- Must be a team player, focusing on shared goals, being flexible and applying skills where required, respecting others, listening to others’ views and value others’ contribution, sharing information and good ideas across organizations and celebrating/recognizing accomplishments.
- Must have strong leadership skills and ability to effectively develop teams and coach others.
- Must be comfortable and efficient in a fast-paced, dynamic and growing environment.
Benefits
- Stock options
- Health care insurance
- Dental & vision insurance
- Paid time off and holiday time off
Salary $85-100K depending on Degree, specialization, and Industry experience
PhD + Industry experience: will consider higher salary
Contact:
Email directly to CEO: | https://pda.usc.edu/2019/11/27/associate-director-research-holoclara-inc/ |
C-14 is produced when high-energy particles from solar radiation hit the earth’s atmosphere and make the unstable element called C-14.
As time goes by, this C-14 slowly changes back to stable atoms.
Yet when you look into the technical papers on these discoveries, you find that these dates are often questionable and are sometimes clearly in error.
Once the organism dies, however, it ceases to absorb carbon-14, so that the amount of the radiocarbon in its tissues steadily decreases.Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 ± 40 years—, half the amount of the radioisotope present at any given time will undergo spontaneous disintegration during the succeeding 5,730 years.Because carbon-14 decays at this constant rate, an estimate of the date at which an organism died can be made by measuring the amount of its residual radiocarbon. “It has proved to be a versatile technique of dating fossils and archaeological specimens from 500 to 50,000 years old.” There are also other radiometric dating methods that are used to date strata and fossils.When a new fossil is discovered, geologists assign a date for when they think the plant or animal lived.They normally use radiometric dating methods to date the fossil, and many promote these methods as being accurate. | http://vagaband.ru/profile?id=the-mythology-of-modern-dating-methods15519 |
- Inflation control is not an end in itself; it is the means whereby monetary policy contributes to solid economic performance.
- Low inflation allows the economy to function more effectively. This contributes to better economic growth over time and works to moderate cyclical fluctuations in income and employment. The monetary policy instrument
- As of December 2000, announcements regarding the Bank's policy instrument—the Bank Rate, which establishes the top of the operating band for the overnight interest rate—will take place, under normal circumstances, on eight pre-specified dates during the year.
- In setting the Bank Rate, the Bank of Canada influences short-term interest rates to achieve a rate of monetary expansion consistent with the inflation- control target range. The transmission mechanism is complex and involves long and variable lags—the impact on inflation from changes in monetary conditions is usually spread over six to eight quarters. The targets
- In February 1991, the federal government and the Bank of Canada jointly announced a series of targets for reducing inflation to the midpoint of a range of 1 to 3 per cent by the end of 1995. In December 1993, this target range was extended to the end of 1998. In February 1998, it was extended again to the end of 2001.
- By the end of 2001, the government and the Bank plan to determine the long-run target for monetary policy consistent with price stability. Monitoring inflation
- In the short run, a good deal of movement in the CPI is caused by transitory fluctuations in the prices of food and energy, as well as by changes in indirect taxes. For this reason, the Bank focuses on the CPI excluding food, energy, and the effect of changes in indirect taxes. This measure is referred to as the core CPI.
- Over longer periods, the measures of inflation based on the total CPI and the core CPI tend to follow similar paths. In the event of anticipated persistent differences between the trends of the two measures, the Bank would adjust its desired path for core CPI inflation so that total CPI inflation would come within the target range. | https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/indicators/key-variables/canada-inflation-control-strategy-inflation-control-and-the-economy/ |
The "Add" option of the materials menu allows the user to add a new material to the list of materials. When this option is selected, the following tab will appear:
In this tab, the user can set the parameters for the material they want to create. The "Material Attributes - Name" option allows the user to give a name for the created material for future reference, and the "Material Attributes - Color" allows to give the material a representative color by clicking the small rectangle with the current material color (white, by default). On more details about color selection for a material, see APPENDIX A: Color Selection.
The user should modify the Epsilon (permittivity) and Mu (permeability) values associated with the material, specifying their real parts (on the left text field) and imaginary parts (on the right text field), or the loss tangent and relative permittivity values. Common real parts for these values are greater or equal to "1.0". Additionally, materials with positive imaginary parts are considered to have gains, while materials with negative imaginary parts are considered to have losses.
When the user is satisfied with the properties given to the material, they should click the "Save" button to confirm the creation of the material. | https://2022.help.altair.com/2022/newfasant/topics/newfasant/materials/materials_menu_periodical_structures_module/add_materials_menu_periodical_structures_module.htm |
- £51,034 to £59,135 p.a.
- Posted
- Jul 10, 2020
- End of advertisement period
- Jul 23, 2020
- Ref
- CSDLS1072
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Are you a pro-active and influential professional with significant experience of managing and developing digital education systems and solutions at a senior level? Can you lead and collaborate effectively with others to deliver exceptional digital education services? Would you like to join an innovative and award-winning service that is at the forefront of Digital Education provision within the Higher Education sector?
Reporting to the Head of the Digital Education Service, you will be responsible for the development and delivery of the University’s digital education systems strategy. You will be responsible for business and user (i.e. staff and student) relationship management in relation to all institutional digital education systems, working closely with other professional services and suppliers/external partners in relation to technical needs. You will bring sector leading ambition and excellence through cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions. You will work closely with other members of the Service’s Executive Team to ensure the Digital Education Service delivers on the University’s strategic aims and objectives, and continues to keep Leeds at the forefront of digital education in the Higher Education sector.
You will lead and manage a team with responsibility for the delivery of a large number of existing institutional digital education systems and development of these through continuous improvement. You will also be responsible for leading and managing project teams who are implementing new digital education systems. You will lead the design, tendering process and implementation of new institutional digital education systems, in collaboration with other professional services and the academic and student community.
You will have significant experience of developing, delivering and managing large-scale and innovative digital education systems and solutions at a senior level. You will have excellent leadership skills with ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve service goals. You will have the ability to influence strategic priorities and successfully shape and align the direction of digital education systems delivery through strength of leadership and partnership working across the Service and with wider University stakeholders.
If you thrive on working in a complex environment this is an exciting opportunity for you to make a real difference in a world-class organisation.
To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:
Carol Elston, Head of Digital Education Service, Email: [email protected]
Interviews are expected to be held between 5th - 7th August 2020.
Please note: Due to the current Government Coronavirus lockdown and social distancing measures, the interviews for this role are likely to be conducted remotely using Microsoft Teams or Zoom. It is also expected that relevant work within these roles will be done remotely, within the UK, while these restrictions remain in place.
Location: Leeds - Main Campus
Faculty/Service: Professional Services
School/Institute: Digital Education Service
Category: Professional & Managerial
Grade: Grade 9
Salary: £51,034 to £59,135 p.a. | https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/en-us/listing/213393/head-of-digital-education-systems/?LinkSource=PremiumListing |
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