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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spatially-enabled computer databases, and deals more particularly with techniques for programmatically computing street intersections using street geometry.
2. Description of the Related Art
Geographic information systems are known in the art and store geographic or cartographic (i.e. map-oriented) data. Systems are also known in the art for using relational databases to process (e.g. store and access) this type of geographic data. When a relational database is adapted for use with geographic information system (xe2x80x9cGISxe2x80x9d) data, the database is often referred to as xe2x80x9cspatially-enabledxe2x80x9d.
Geographic data pertains to physical locations, and when using 2 dimensions, is typically expressed in terms of latitude and longitude. The latitude and longitude values for a particular location are given relative to fixed points of reference, using a coordinate system in which a latitude value represents an offset from the equator and a longitude value represents an offset from the prime meridian.
Geographic data may describe the physical location or area of a place or thing, or even the location of a person. When geographic data is stored in a spatially-enabled database, it is stored using a geometric model in which locations/areas are expressed in terms of geometric shapes or objects. The geometric data stored according to this model may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cspatial dataxe2x80x9d. In addition to locations or areas of geographic objects, spatial data may also represent relationships among objects, as well as measurements or distances pertaining to objects. As an example of relationships among objects, spatial data may be used to determine whether a geometric shape corresponding to the location of a particular bridge intersects a geometric shape corresponding to the location of a river (thus determining whether the bridge crosses the river). As an example of using spatial data for measurements or distances, the length of a road passing through a particular county could be determined using the geometric object representing the road and a geometric object which specifies the boundaries of the county.
Spatial data values are expressed in terms of xe2x80x9cgeometryxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cgeometricxe2x80x9d data types. Thus, the location of a landmark might be expressed as a point having (x,y) coordinates, and the perimeter of a lake might be defined using a polygon. Typical spatially-enabled database systems support a set of basic geometry data types and a set of more complex geometry data types, where the basic types comprise points, line strings, and polygons, and the complex types comprise collections of points, collections of line strings, and collections of polygons.
A common geometric model used by spatially-enabled database systems is shown in FIG. 1. As shown therein, the model is structured as a hierarchy or tree 100 having geometry 105 as its root, and having a number of subclasses. Point 110, linestring 120, and polygon 130 represent the basic geometry data types. In this model 100, linestring 120 is a subclass of curve 115, and polygon 130 is a subclass of surface 125. Geometry collection class 135 is the root of a subtree representing the more complex geometric data types, and each subclass thereof is a homogeneous collection. Multipolygon 145, multistring 155, and multipoint 160 represent the collections of polygons, line strings, and points, respectively. Multipolygon 145 is a subclass of multisurface 140 in this model, and multistring 155 is a subclass of multicurve 150. Only the classes which are leaves of this tree 100 are instantiable in typical spatially-enabled database systems; the other nodes correspond to abstract classes. (Each of these entities is an actual data type.)
Referring now to the basic data types in particular, geometric data according to the model 100 of FIG. 1 may be expressed in terms of a single point having (x,y) coordinates, or may be described as a line string or a polygon. A line string may be considered as one or more line segments which are joined together, and is defined using an ordered collection of (x,y) coordinates (i.e. points) that correspond to the endpoints of the connected segments. A polygon is defined using an ordered collection of points at which a plurality of line segments end, where those line segments join to form a boundary of an area.
Many different examples may be imagined where points, line strings, and polygons can be used for describing locations or areas. A point might represent the location of a landmark such as a house or a building, or the intersection of two streets. A line string might be used to describe a street, or the path of a river or power line, or perhaps a set of driving directions from one location to another. A polygon might be used to describe the shape of a state or city, a voting district, a lake or any parcel of land or body of water.
Once spatial information has been stored in a database, the database can be queried to obtain many different types of information, such as the distance between two cities, whether a national park is wholly within a particular state, and so forth.
Early geographic information systems relied on proprietary data formats. A widely popular example is the xe2x80x9c.shpxe2x80x9d shape format. These shape files contain binary data that may represent points, line strings, or polygons relating to geographic locations or areas. Another commonly-used proprietary data format is known as xe2x80x9c.EDGxe2x80x9d. Files using EDG format contain binary data that provides a mapping between an address and its 2-dimensional geographic location. Efforts have been made in recent years to define open, standardized data formats for GIS data, in order to facilitate exchange of data between systems. This work is characterized by two data formats known as xe2x80x9cwell known textxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cwell known binaryxe2x80x9d, or simply xe2x80x9cWKTxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cWKBxe2x80x9d. The Open GIS Consortium, Inc. (xe2x80x9cOGCxe2x80x9d) is an industry consortium which promulgates standardized specifications including these data formats. The data formats are termed xe2x80x9cwell knownxe2x80x9d because they are standardized and therefore non-proprietary. Typical spatially-enabled database systems support one or more of these four data formats.
As one example of a spatially-enabled database, a feature known as xe2x80x9cSpatial Extenderxe2x80x9d can be added to IBM""s DB2(copyright) relational database product to provide GIS support. Spatial Extender provides support for the geometric data types shown in FIG. 1, and provides a number of built-in functions for operating on those data types. When using Spatial Extender, spatial data can be stored in columns of spatially-enabled database tables by importing the data or deriving it. The import process uses one of the WKT, WKB, or xe2x80x9c.shpxe2x80x9d shape formats described above as source data, and processes that data using built-in functions to convert it to geometric data. For example, WKT format data may be imported using xe2x80x9cgeometryFromTextxe2x80x9d functions; similar functions are provided for WKB format data (xe2x80x9cgeometryFromWKBxe2x80x9d) and xe2x80x9c.shpxe2x80x9d shape data (xe2x80x9cgeometryFromShapexe2x80x9d). Spatial data may be derived either by operating on existing geometric data (for example, by defining a new polygon as a function of an existing polygon) or by using a process known as xe2x80x9cgeocodingxe2x80x9d. A geocoder is provided with Spatial Extender that takes as input an address in the United States, and derives a geometric point representation. Other geocoders can be substituted to provide other types of conversions.
Refer to xe2x80x9cIBM(copyright) DB2(copyright) Spatial Extender User""s Guide and Referencexe2x80x9d, Version 7.2, published by IBM in July 2001 as IBM publication SC27-0701-01, for more information on Spatial Extender. This User""s Guide is hereby incorporated herein as if set forth fully, and is hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cSpatial Extender User""s Guidexe2x80x9d. (xe2x80x9cIBMxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cDB2xe2x80x9d are registered trademarks of IBM.)
Another example of a spatially-enabled database is the IBM Informix(copyright) Spatial DataBlade(copyright) product. This database is described in xe2x80x9cSDE Version 3.0.2 for Informix Dynamic Server, Spatial DataBlade Reference Manualxe2x80x9d, published on the Internet at location http://www.esri.com/software/sde/pdfs/datablade.pdf. Spatial DataBlade also supports the geometric types shown in FIG. 1, and the WKT, WKB, and xe2x80x9c.shpxe2x80x9d shape formats. This Reference Manual is referred to hereinafter as the xe2x80x9cSpatial DataBlade(copyright) Reference Manualxe2x80x9d. (xe2x80x9cInformixxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cDataBladexe2x80x9d are registered trademarks of IBM.)
While WKT is an open, interchangeable data format, it may be considered as a relatively xe2x80x9cartificialxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccontrivedxe2x80x9d format for source data. That is, all geometric data that is expressed in WKT format must be specified using particular syntax conventions. To represent the point having an x-coordinate of 12 and y-coordinate of 25, commonly denoted as (12,25), for example, the following WKT syntax is used:
xe2x80x98point (1225)xe2x80x99
Extensions have been defined to WKT and WKB formats for supporting 3-dimensional dataxe2x80x94that is, allowing points to be expressed with a z-coordinate as well as x- and y-coordinates. (An extension is also defined for a fourth dimension, whereby measurement information can be added to a data value.) To express a 3-dimensional point in WKT format, a syntax that differs slightly from the 2-dimensional syntax is used. Suppose this 3-dimensional point has coordinates (12,25,55). The WKT representation of this point is then:
xe2x80x98point z (12 25 55)xe2x80x99
The syntax for line strings and polygons is similar to that used for points, yet is different in some respects. Given a square polygon having vertices at (0,0), (1,0), (1,1), and (0,1), the WKT representation is:
xe2x80x98polygon ((00, 10, 11, 01, 00))xe2x80x99
A detailed discussion of the WKT syntax, including syntax examples for each possible permutation of geometry type, may be found in xe2x80x9cAppendix C, The well-known text representation for OGIS geometryxe2x80x9d, of the Spatial DataBlade(copyright) Reference Manual.
As will be readily apparent, this type of textual representation of geometric data does not naturally occur in textual documents; instead, geometric data must be specially adapted for, or converted to, this type of textual representation.
An object of the present invention is to provide improved techniques for deriving street intersections.
Another object of the present invention is to provide techniques for deriving street intersections using street geometry data stored in a spatially-enabled database, enabling the intersection information to be subsequently queried without requiring use of WKT, WKB, xe2x80x9c.shpxe2x80x9d shape, or EDG files.
A further object of the present invention is to define techniques for creating street intersections data from readily-available textual address information.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide improved ways for storing street intersections.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description and in the drawings which follow and, in part, will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as broadly described herein, the present invention provides methods, systems, and computer program products for programmatically computing street intersections using street geometry. In a preferred embodiment, this technique comprises: obtaining street geometry information for a first street; comparing the object street geometry information for the first street to obtained street geometry information for one or more other streets to determine intersecting ones of the one or more other streets; and for each of the intersecting ones, storing a geographic location of a point of the intersection, along with an identification of the first street address and the identification of the intersecting one.
The obtained street geometry information may originate from textual address information (and may be dynamically computed from such textual address information), or may be retrieved from a database table. The geographic location preferably comprises latitude and longitude values of the obtained intersection point, and these geographic locations are preferably stored as geometric data.
The storing operation preferably further comprises storing a reciprocal comprising the geographic location of a point of the intersection, along with the identification of the intersecting one and the identification of the first street address. The storing preferably further comprises creating or updating one or more rows in a relational database table.
Comparing the obtained street geometry preferably further comprises comparing a geometric line representation of the first street to the geometric line representation of each of the one or more other streets. Furthermore, this comparison may be preceded by comparing a bounding box corresponding to the geometric line representation of the first street to the bounding box corresponding to the geometric line representation of each of the one or more other streets, as a precondition to the comparing the geometric line representations wherein the comparison of the geometric line representations is only performed if the comparison of the bounding boxes determines a potential intersection.
Typically, the obtaining, comparing, and storing operations will be repeated for at least one of the one or more other streets.
The present invention may also be used advantageously in methods of doing business. For example, the street intersections data created through use of the present invention can be used to support a wide variety of business services, such as pay-for-access services that use the street intersection data for business applications.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numbers denote the same element throughout.
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The ADRC at Columbia seeks to advance and disseminate knowledge of the causes, prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other age-related neurodegenerative and dementing disorders. Toward this end, we maintain and follow a multi-ethnic and multi-racial patient population of normal elderly and the elderly with cognitive disorders to establish the natural history of the disease as a function of age and of genetic makeup. In this application we propose to use a variety of neuropsychological, neurological and imaging tools to examine the earliest stages of AD and to follow these subjects throughout their lives. At death a comprehensive neuropathologic examination will be performed and the clinical, radiological and pathological views of the disease correlated. Tissues and DNA obtained from these subjects will be available for research on the biology and genetics of the disease. Individual research projects within the ADRC will examine various aspects of the cellular and molecular biology of AD as well as an in-depth analysis of brain function in human subjects using MRI. Patients enrolled in the ADRC will have the opportunity to participate in trials of new drugs and treatments for dementing diseases as they become available. The well-documented cognitive status of these patients makes them highly suitable for inclusion in clinical trials. The Education and Information Core of the Columbia ADRC endeavors to educate both lay and medical communities about AD, about the latest advances in research and about the care of the AD patient. The ADRC serves as a resource for scientists with Columbia as well as outside of it, encouraging new research avenues by the award of pilot grants, by providing tissues and other biological samples, by providing access to a carefully documented patient population and by numerous seminars and Clinical Pathological Correlation Conferences. The Genetics Core serves as the major organizer of family recruitment and identification across the ADRCs and ADCs. HIPAA compliant data organization and statistical consulting services are provided under the ADRC to the research community at Columbia and external to it. | https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/P50-AG008702-16 |
Sustainable ocean energy is a largely untapped resource that has the potential to provide a significant amount of clean energy to meet the world’s growing demands. Forms of energy such as OTEC, wave, and current can be extracted and used for floating communities, datacenters, and even power lines back to land. Hydrogen can also be extracted for boats, cars, etc, and converted to methane for Starship. In this article, we will explore these forms of ocean energy and the ways they could benefit us.
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) harnesses the temperature difference between warm surface waters and cold deep waters to generate electricity. These systems typically consist of a heat exchanger, a turbine, and a generator. Warm surface waters are pumped through the heat exchanger, where they heat a working fluid such as ammonia or propane. The working fluid is then vaporized and used to power a turbine, which in turn drives a generator to produce electricity. The cold deep waters are then used to condense the vaporized working fluid back into a liquid state, completing the cycle.
OTEC is particularly well-suited for powering floating communities, as it can provide a constant and reliable source of energy. These systems can be integrated into the floating platforms, and can provide power for lighting, heating, cooling, and other needs. This technology can also be integrated into existing coastal infrastructure and can provide backup power for critical facilities such as hospitals and emergency response centers.
Wave energy is generated by the movement of surface ocean waves. Waves are caused by the wind, which creates ripples on the surface of the ocean. Wave energy can be harnessed through the use of wave energy converters (WECs), which are devices that capture the energy of the waves and convert it into electricity. WECs can be designed to oscillate back and forth or up and down, depending on the type of wave and the design of the device.
There are several different types of WECs, including point absorbers, oscillating water columns, and attenuators. Point absorbers are buoy-like devices that are tethered to the ocean floor and move up and down with the waves. Oscillating water columns are large hollow chambers that capture the energy of the waves as they enter and exit the chamber. Attenuators are long, snake-like devices that move with the waves and generate electricity through the use of hydraulic pumps.
Wave energy has several advantages over other forms of renewable energy. It is a predictable and reliable source of energy, as the movement of the waves can be accurately forecasted. This form of energy is particularly well-suited for powering data centers, as the energy generated by waves can be used to power large-scale wave energy converters. These converters can then be used to generate electricity that is fed directly into the data center’s power grid.
Ocean current energy is a form of energy that is generated by the movement of currents below the surface. Ocean currents are large, moving bodies of water that circulate around the world’s oceans, driven by a combination of temperature, salinity, and wind patterns. This energy can be harnessed through the use of underwater turbines. These turbines are typically anchored to the ocean floor and are designed to rotate as the ocean currents flow past them. The rotational energy of the turbines is then used to generate electricity. Underwater turbines can be installed in areas with strong and consistent ocean currents.
Current energy is a predictable and reliable source, as ocean currents are driven by long-term climate patterns. It is also a clean and renewable source of energy. Current energy is particularly well-suited for powering crypto mining operations, as they can provide a constant and reliable source of energy. Large-scale wave energy converters and underwater turbines can be used to generate the electricity needed to power the crypto mining hardware.
Being one of the most abundant elements in the universe, Hydrogen is a promising fuel for a variety of applications, including transportation, power generation, and industrial processes. While most of the world’s hydrogen is currently produced from fossil fuels, there is growing interest in the sustainable extraction of hydrogen from ocean waters. The hydrogen in seawater is tightly bound to oxygen atoms, making it difficult to extract. The most common method for extracting hydrogen from seawater is through a process called electrolysis. An electric current is passed through the seawater, which breaks the water molecules apart into hydrogen and oxygen.
This process is complex and requires a number of specialized components. The most important is the electrolytic cell, which is the device that actually splits the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrolytic cell typically consists of two electrodes, one positively charged and one negatively charged, immersed in the seawater. When an electric current is applied to the electrodes, the water molecules near the positively charged electrode lose their electrons and are converted into oxygen gas. The water molecules near the negatively charged electrode gain electrons and are converted into hydrogen gas.
Converting hydrogen into methane is known as methanation. In this process, hydrogen gas is combined with carbon dioxide to produce methane gas and water. Methane is a highly energy-dense fuel that is easier to store and transport than hydrogen. Methane is a preferred fuel for rocket engines, as it has a high energy density and is more stable than other fuels. Methane can be used as a fuel for rocket engines, and has been tested in several space vehicles, including the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The world’s oceans cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface and contain an estimated 1.3 billion cubic kilometers of water. The potential supply of sustainable ocean energy is virtually unlimited. While other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are highly dependent on geography and weather patterns, the oceans are a global resource that can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world. Energy and hydrogen extraction from ocean waters could help to promote energy independence and security for countries around the world.
The extraction of hydrogen from ocean water and the conversion of that hydrogen into methane has the potential to provide a clean, renewable, and high-energy-density fuel source for transportation and other applications. While there are still challenges associated with the cost and scalability of these technologies, continued research and development in this area could help to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of hydrogen as a fuel source. | https://arktide.org/category/uncategorized/ |
As we celebrate the 72nd Republic Day today, democracies across the world are at risk, with the rise of populist and authoritarian regimes. India has been no exception under the current political regime. The rise of authoritarian regimes and its implications for democratic decline is a global phenomenon. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), in its annual Democracy Report 2018, “Democracy for All?” noted that “autocratisation is now manifesting in a number of large countries, including Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey, and the United States. Aspects of democracy that make elections truly meaningful are in decline. Media autonomy, freedom of expression and alternative sources of information, and the rule of law have undergone the greatest declines among democracy metrics in recent years.”
This reflects the lapses in the commitment of the political leaders to the values of democratic tradition, including in India. The current government has come under heavy criticism from within and outside the country for its political intrusion into the autonomous functioning of institutions of governance through its patronage and identity politics.
During the tenure of the Narendra Modi government since 2014-20, a democratic value that has not got attention in practice is consensus decision-making through deliberation, discussion and dissent. It is observed that only 25% of Bills were referred to Parliamentary Committees for scrutiny, which is far lower than that done during the 14th (60%) and 15th (71%) Lok Sabha. The ongoing farmers’ protests on the three farm laws are one of the recent examples that show the denial of democratic practices.
One of the performance indicators of democracy is the nature of decision-making and inclusiveness in governance. The inevitability of political contestation and pressures in a democracy is well-known, and the stability of government is critical. However, it can’t be misunderstood as necessitating arbitrariness in the decision-making process, as the current political regime does. The political stability that evolves out of debate and discussion provides much-needed social legitimacy, which the one acquired through monopoly of power and authority does not.
Issues of nationalism and terrorism have been evoked during electoral campaigns, leaving aside the social and economic problems of the country. This pattern has given the necessary political dividends to the ruling party, but it must be noted that democracy has become a casualty of this electoral process itself. The role played by the media and money makes a mockery of democracy. The use of ‘behavioural politics,’ rather than the ‘performative’ or ‘transformative’ politics, has become a prominent poll strategy.
The argument of morality in politics needs to be understood from the changing political culture since the 1952 elections. In the formative years, the people of India exercised franchise with great zeal and enthusiasm to be part of the nation’s development. The 2014 general election had seen the same hope in giving a strong leader for nation-building. However, what changed from 1952 to 2014 is the nature of the governing leadership and their political value system. Be it majority government or a coalition, what matters is whether the top leadership shows commitment to the constitutional values of democracy or not. The role of the top leadership matters a lot in protecting and preserving the democratic legitimacy of Parliament as the country witnessed in the formative stages of the Indian republic.
The question is, how to view this institutional decline, be it of Parliament, the Election Commission of India, the Universities, and so on. Can we attribute this to individual or institutional deficits or to a general democratic decline as a whole? The role of the political regime in steering institutional decline, especially in influencing the functioning of constitutional institutions, is the heart of the problem.
The interplay between the different organs of the State is a complex phenomenon. Delineating the dynamics behind this complexity is essential to understanding the institutional interaction in a functional democracy. The failure of the institutions of governance to abide by constitutional provisions, most importantly in fulfilling citizens' aspirations, can be correlated with the decline of democracy. However, all these are consequences of both functionality decline and institutional autonomy of democratic institutions. Apart from these institutional and political economy factors, another critical yet unattended factor is the issue of committed leadership or individuals in governance.
In the context of the shrinking space for democratic voices, there is an urgent necessity to strengthen the citizen’s stake in a democracy through civil society organisations to put pressure on governments to uphold constitutional governance and to maintain the rule of law. It’s high time all of us as citizens showed the power of “We, the people of India…”, who gave ourselves this Constitution, by actively participating in governance rather than leaving it in the hands of the political elites. The transition from representative to participative democracy is the need of the hour.
The ongoing farmers' protest demonstrates such active citizenship as a fight for the issues of rights, equality and justice. This has to be perceived and understood from a democratic citizenship point of view by combining the elements of human values into political theory, thereby enabling a way to construct a project of democratisation. In order to sustain our democracy, it is pertinent here to remind ourselves of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s great caution, which he expressed in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly: “(what) we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution.” Individual citizen’s assertion is the basis of all reforms, be those political or social. It could be one of the ways through which various processes underlying the un-armed revolution can be pushed further for peaceful human advancement.
(The writer is a PhD Fellow & Guest Faculty at ISEC, Bengaluru, and University Law College, Bangalore University, respectively)
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In order to completely re-engineer the existing processes, we first engaged in a lengthy discussion with the individual most suited to describe the problems with the previous application—the AQPP technician whose role included updating the database. While discussing her daily reality, we identified several irritants and potential areas for improvement for the new version of the application. The discussion made it possible for us to target specific areas that could result in errors being made or a significant amount of time being wasted. That’s when the idea for our solution began to take shape.
Substance Provincial drug list management tool
Management
of a list of
more than
15,000 drugs
The Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP) had been using an application to manage the official list of medications used by all of the pharmacists in the province. However, their team had a monumental daily task—manually updating the list! The application was outdated and needed to be redesigned. As such, our assignment was to completely redesign the system to prioritize automation and minimize the amount of human input and resulting errors. We also needed to simplify the maintenance of the future application to make sure it would last.
The cloud application we designed and named Substance is a web platform that stores several sources of information on medications in a single central database. The data consolidation that had previously been done manually was now automated, leading to a decrease in human error and significant time savings. In addition, we redesigned the structure of the database and the application interface in order to simplify the procedures followed by AQPP employees.
Rethinking the processes
Processing a large quantity of data
Multiple Data Sources
The Substance database brings together information from multiple sources, including more than 160 pharmaceutical companies and distributors, as well as the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). Every week, these various sources send the AQPP changes to be made to the consolidated list of more than 15,000 medications. The process is complex due to the large quantity of data to be processed and the fact that each source submits data in a different format. Our solution therefore had to be able to analyze and understand the specific characteristics of each data source.
Assisted Import
With a single click, the person managing the database could now import new lists of medications into Substance. It would no longer be necessary to manually enter the information for each medication one by one. Dragging and dropping each list of medications received triggers the application to analyze the data and automatically generate a list of changes to be made to the medications. With its data analysis system, Substance can handle lists in Excel, text or PDF format, no matter how the data is presented in each file.
Error Detection
To make mistakes is human. Since the previous database was manually managed by a single person, it contained several errors. Thanks to Substance, potential errors are now spotted right away and data is automatically validated through a set of business rules and comparisons with third-party data sources such as Health Canada. Substance also includes a decision support system that uses tooltips and colour coding to help the user identify potential errors that are ranked according to severity. The user can then focus on correcting the identified inconsistencies.
Modernizing the user experience
One of our objectives was to update and improve the interfaces of the previous software from 2008. However, we wanted to keep the functional aspects of the interface to avoid throwing off the users too much. The design of the new platform revolves around the needs of its main users—AQPP technicians. After analysing their work methods, we simplified and restructured the application so that it displays all useful information on a single screen. This prevents the user from constantly having to scroll down the page to view certain information and saves time by reducing the number of clicks and actions required to perform various tasks.
Introducing cloud computing architecture
Once Substance had been introduced, the Windows system installed on each physical computer at AQPP was no longer needed. Substance is installed on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) architecture, meaning that users can now connect to the application from any computer or operating system. Decentralizing in this way has also resulted in lower material and maintenance costs. | https://www.exolnet.com/en/projects/substance |
While much attention has been devoted to examining the beneficial effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs on patients' ability to cope with various chronic medical conditions, most studies have relied on self-report measures of improvement. Given that these measures may not accurately reflect physiological conditions, there is a need for an objective marker of improvement in research evaluating the beneficial effects of stress management programs. Cortisol is the major stress hormone in the human organism and as such is a promising candidate measure in the study of the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs. In conjunction with other biological measures, the use of cortisol levels as a physiological marker of stress may be useful to validate self-reported benefits attributed to this program. In the current manuscript, we review the available literature on the role of cortisol as a physiological marker for improvement with regards to mindfulness practice, and make recommendations for future study designs. | https://sources.mandala.library.virginia.edu/source/cortisol-marker-improvement-mindfulness-based-stress-reduction |
Like any historian, the genealogist relies upon records for credible information about the past. Depending upon the questions being asked, he/she consults different kinds of records for the best possible data. They come in two broad categories: primary sources and secondary sources.
A primary source offers information supplied by a direct witness to an event during the time this event occurred. Such records are the basic stuff with which we write history. A secondary source is an account written after an event by someone who was not a direct witness to it. Both primary and secondary sources have important uses, but primary sources are the strongest support for genealogical facts.
The important thing to keep in mind about these categories is that they often depend upon context. A primary source for one historical fact may be a secondary source for another. For instance, a death certificate is a primary source for its person’s death date/place, cause of death, last address, and often their spouse’s identity. But this certificate is usually a secondary source for the person’s birth year and place. Why do I say “usually”? Because much depends upon when the person died, who supplied the information filled out on the certificate, and what this person directly knew about the deceased. If the informant is a child or spouse of the deceased supplying this information many years after the birth event, the death certificate is a secondary source for that event. If the informant is a parent tragically supplying information for their deceased newborn, their testimony about the birth event becomes primary source information (or something extremely close to it). For another instance, a biography of Abraham Lincoln authored in 1999 is a secondary source concerning Abraham Lincoln, but it becomes a primary source if the research question directly involves evaluating biographies of Abraham Lincoln rather than studying Lincoln’s life circumstances.
Sometimes things can get pretty dicey, because you’ll encounter grey areas. For instance, say that you interview your grandfather, and he starts talking about things he remembers happening decades previously. He may tell you that he recalls attending his great uncle’s funeral, and that he’s “pretty sure” it occurred in Seattle in 1962. Your grandfather may have been a primary witness to this event, but his information has long since ceased to be primary source information. Time has altered the credibility of his recall. It’s quite possible that he is confusing this funeral and/or this year with another funeral at another place. It’s also possible he’s not. You have no way of knowing based upon his testimony alone.
Likewise, some information on written sources (even ones more squarely primary in nature) may be recorded incorrectly, incompletely, or illegibly. This leads to a crucial point: you should never be so satisfied with one source about a fact that you stop seeking and citing other quality sources for it when at all possible. Sometimes beginners say, “I already have a source for X event.” But it’s not just what one source, even a primary source, tells you; it’s also how multiple sources synergize, and what they say in concert with one another about the facts under consideration. Analyzing and making decisions about their collective testimony, contradictions and all, are at the heart of responsible genealogy. Doing well at these things requires patience and meticulousness, which develop with practice and experience.
Once more, while there are some very important uses for secondary source information, primary source information should be the basis, indeed the very lifeblood, of your family history research. And while many records are at least in some cases primary sources, others will only ever be secondary sources when it comes to your family history. Unfortunately, beginners often use certain easily-accessible secondary (or even tertiary) sources with abandon, and in ways that make them genealogical junk food. One of these, Findagrave.com, is a veritable security blanket among neophytes. I’ll address this website and its uses in my next post. | https://www.onceremovedblog.com/2019/10/a-short-primer-on-sources_88.html |
Our client is one of the fastest growing platforms in the world. They are looking to set up a regional headquarter here in Singapore. Looking to expand their market to this region of the world, they are looking to hire a Product Marketing Manager focused on increasing their brand visibility and awareness as well as come up with the right strategies to help them in their plan to capture the market in the region.
Job Description
Reporting to the Global VP of Marketing, the Head of Product Marketing will be helping to develop, drive and implement the overall marketing strategy of the product. You will be analysing the customers' insights and provide useful feedback to the product team and help to refine the product. You will be working on the full end-to-end go-to-market strategies. You will be working across teams to come up with a compelling marketing plan that positively influence their clients' and users' experience.You will be joining a diverse, multinational team and be responsible for leading a high-performing team working closely with Product, Engineering, and Business Development and other cross-functional partners.
The Successful Applicant
The ideal candidate must have the following: | https://www.michaelpage.com.sg/job-detail/head-product-marketing-manager-fintech/ref/4185102 |
Collaborative Planning is a process that helps connecting and bringing together different actors to help transform our cities.
Transformation can be fine-tuned by giving more attention to the spaces forgotten by urban development projects like abandoned industrial sites or underused public spaces. In the Collaborative Planning workshops, we work together with local communities and invite international experts from around Europe to come together and elaborate ways to intervene in a local situation. The international component is key to the success of the workshops: we believe that by exchanging expertise internationally, we provide fresh knowledge and a new experience of design and planning not only to workshop participants but also to the cities’ representatives. The workshops we have organised throughout the years confirmed our acknowledgement of the gradual shift in the role of architects and planners in urban development processes.
This shift corresponds to the economic crisis which not only showed how speculation-based development schemes proved unsustainable, but also demonstrated the inability of traditional planning methods to handle more complex and unconventional planning issues. The same crisis also deprived many architects of their jobs, forcing them to venture into neighbouring fields such as graphic design, publishing or teaching: these experiences helped designers acquire new expertises and take their new insights back into the architecture practice, enriching it with new methods and defining new roles for the profession. Experiencing the changing circumstances from a close proximity, architects started to see themselves less as designers of pretty objects, than as conceivers of processes, engaging with various economic and social forces in the urban context. Discovering their capacities as initiators of communication campaigns, spatial interventions, pop-up installations, temporary use programs, architects spent the past years exploring new approaches to urban challenges. One of the objectives of the the Collaborative Planning workshops is to bring these experiments in dialogue with the official city planning. With this activity, we support an emerging trend: in recent years, bottom up design and planning initiatives have been recognised as important contributions to urban development; institutions began embracing these practices as valuable methods in mainstream planning.
In order to bring together design and planning professionals and local stakeholders to elaborate strategies for local change, the Collaborative Planning workshops have developed three different program types: communication, prototyping and process design. These program types have been deployed in a variety of European cities like Budapest, Venice, Mannheim, Cluj and Vienna: in these cities, we worked to link local partners and young professionals from across the continent to collectively think of new spatial possibilities. In Cluj, a series of postcards referring to the regeneration potentials of an abandoned area were produced and addressed to the Mayor; in Mannheim, a participation toolkit was developed to feed into the ongoing process around the conversion of military areas; in Budapest a framework was designed to develop a city agency that could deal with vacant properties by promoting temporary uses.
In order to bring about local change through fresh ideas, a diversity of actions by a wide range of actors need to be carried out in a coordinated manner; Collaborative Planning can help fostering this collaboration by engaging them in working together to improve their city. | https://eutropian.org/project-space/ |
When people turn to religion for answers, they find two very different aspects to the Judaic-Christian-Islamic God. They find what Rabbi Michael Lerner calls the left and right hand of God. The Right Hand of God speaks to our fear and emphasizes laws and rules, judgement, punishment, competition, domination, violence, and obedience. The Left Hand of God represents hope and emphasizes love, compassion, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, cooperation, and peace. Both are found in the Bible. And we can easily find denominations and religious groups that emphasize one or the other.
Let me give you one example of how these two facets of religion look at the issue of abortion. The Right Hand defines the issue in simplistic, black and white terms. Those on the right say life begins at conception (ignoring the fact that the sperm and egg have to be alive before conception can happen). They say abortion is murder, and they focus on punishment of everyone involved. In fact, some even oppose contraception and comprehensive sex education showing that the real agenda is not to reduce abortions but to punish the “sin” of sexual behaviors they consider unacceptable.
Contrast that with the Left Hand of God that sees abortion as a tragic option for a desperate woman. This view considers the complex issue of unwanted pregnancies, long-range consequences of unplanned children and the historical evolution of moral views regarding personhood – it begins with the first breath [Genesis 2:7]; it begins 40 to 90 days after conception at “ensoulment,” [St. Augustine]; it begins at quickening [Pope Innocent III], or it begins with fetal brain and nervous system development and survivability [neonatology]. Left Hand morality emphasizes compassion and support for the woman, and looks at rational ways to minimize the need for abortions. The lowest abortion rates in the world are in Western Europe where people have easy access to contraceptives, comprehensive sex education and adequate health care for themselves and their babies; and rates are highest in South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe, where most abortions are illegal, few social services are available and religious sanctions are severe.
Even in the U.S., young women are seven times more likely to have an abortion than young women in the Netherlands. Nearly half (45%) of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. More than half (54%) of unintended pregnancies are women who did not use contraception at all, and another 41% used contraception inconsistently or incorrectly. Comprehensive sex education and easily available, affordable long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) would eliminate about 2.7 million unplanned pregnancies and more than 1 million abortions. Fewer unwanted pregnancies would also reduce family poverty, child abuse and neglect, divorces, and other social ills. Those on the left find prevention much more effective than punishment.
People who subscribe to the ideology of the Right Hand of God have managed to hijack public discussions of morality and values. Today when we hear that someone is voting on the basis of morals or values, we probably assume the person is politically or religiously conservative. How did that happen? Liberals, progressives and mainline churches have emphasized inclusion by challenging racism, sexism, homophobia, and other human rights violations. In our strong commitment to respecting diverse opinions and keeping religion out of politics and government, we have failed to articulate our progressive values. We have sometimes acted as if public policy can be morally neutral and value free. All public decisions have moral implications. It’s not just abortion, same-sex marriage, sex education, prayer in schools, and evolution that are moral issues. The Federal budget is a moral document. Tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of services for the needy are immoral. Poverty, homelessness, the environment, healthcare, and war are all moral issues.
When progressives have remained neutral on spiritual and moral topics in public discourse, conservatives have filled the vacuum. Fundamentalist mega-churches have grown by leaps and bounds. Prosperity theology is frighteningly popular. This ideology preaches that wealth and prosperity is God’s reward to the chosen few and that poverty and disaster are deserved punishments for the unsaved. Some even believe that unregulated capitalism is an economic system ordained by God. End times theologies are even more dangerous because they interpret world disasters as signs of the end times, rapture, etc. Based on those beliefs, they welcome world destruction and see progressive social action as not only a waste of time but, for Christians, as the work of the Antichrist. Why be concerned about conserving the environment if the world is about to end anyway. Why strive for peace in the middle east if war is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and is necessary for Christ’s return?
I have to admit it’s very easy for me to be cynical and dismissive of fundamentalism and even hostile to religion in general because fundamentalism and Biblical literalism seem so irrational. However, that attitude ignores the spiritual void in America and the importance of meaning and purpose in people’s lives. That attitude ignores the emotional appeal of conservative theology, especially to frightened people who value certainty above all else. Fundamentalist theology definitely preaches certainty – they claim to have the absolute and eternal truth and guaranteed salvation. They claim that only they are right and everyone else is wrong and doomed to everlasting damnation. They have all the answers and don’t need (or even tolerate) any questions or doubt.
But most people who embrace conservative ideology are not religious fundamentalists. They are simply people who are seeking emotional reassurance and certainty and don’t see anyone except the religious and political right addressing moral issues. They will even vote against their own economic well-being and ignore significant personality flaws in candidates just to support people they think are fighting for their values. We need people describing progressive values and standing up for an alternative moral agenda in America.
Part 2 will describe what a progressive world would be like.
References: | https://bscritic.com/2017/05/20/what-could-the-world-be-like-part-1/ |
The immersive film Carriberrie uses virtual reality technololgy to invite the audience into a much-needed dialogue about the threatened culture of Australia's first nations people, writes Kate Gwynne.
OPINION: Virtual reality technology is making it far easier to connect with remote Indigenous Australians. Carriberrie, a mesmerising 360-degree, live-action documentary film showing at the Australian Museum in March, illustrates how well immersive technology can transcend cultural boundaries.
Against the backdrop of a pre-dusk sky, I stand among the Anangu women, the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta. They stamp their feet into the red dusty earth. In the final scene, I am surrounded by Mayi Wunba dancers. They share their story as if just with me. At times, their gaze breaks the fourth wall. It is hauntingly intimate. I feel as if I am a traveller welcomed like a friend into a local’s home.
This sense of visceral presence is what makes immersive technology such a powerful medium for exploring real-world issues. Australian filmmaker Lynette Wallworth has gained international recognition for similar work. Collisions (2016) and more recently Awavena (launched at this year’s Sundance New Frontier program) use 360-degree film to share the unique world view and stories of Indigenous peoples around the world.
As Chris Milk, multi-award-winning director and immersive artist, has argued in a widely viewed Ted talk, one of the promises of virtual reality (VR) is its potential for building empathy. VR works do this by exposing you to experiences and perspectives that you feel you have actually lived.
Alejandro Iñárritu’s Carne y Arena (2017), for instance, a VR installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is a live-action dramatisation of actual immigrant stories. It puts the viewer in the shoes of Mexicans to share their plight crossing the US border. Carne y Arena creates empathy by giving audiences the feeling of personally experiencing immigrants’ hardships.
A 360-degree film that doesn’t invite some form of viewer participation can feel too distant, failing to create a sense of immersion. Carriberrie immerses you by replicating the personal experience of a front-seat performance. A potential limitation, the solitary nature of wearing a VR headset, is embraced by the film’s director Dominic Allen. Watching his film feels like a personal dialogue between the first peoples, me and their land.
Dominic Allen on country with Mayi Wunba Karunda, Queensland. Photo © Dominic Allen.
The 360-degree aerial footage in Carriberrie, which allows you to look around as you “fly over” the terrain, is one of the film’s standout innovations. I look down over the water-stained plains as a flock of magpie geese swoop across it. It is like being on a helicopter joyride.
In her book Computers as Theatre (1991), VR theorist Brenda Laurel argues the importance of the first-person perspective in a three-dimensional VR space. In Carriberrie, I feel myself take on the role of the traveller. I am there to learn and reflect.
The technical expertise to pull all this off is almost invisible. However, working in VR is incredibly complex for creators. Allen used a consumer drone and fitted it with two cameras to create the 360-degree aerial footage. He then patched the shots together at the edit stage. Other scenes were shot with a Jaunt One VR camera – it gives the experience a live, photo-realistic quality.
Consumer drone fitted with two cameras to create aerial 360° footage in Carriberrie. Photo © Dominic Allen.
Carriberrie uses the latest immersive technology to invite the audience into a much-needed dialogue about the threatened culture of our nation’s first peoples. If their practices are not preserved and passed on to the next generation, if they are not encouraged by all Australians, they could all too quickly be lost. With VR headset adoption yet to become mainstream, museums and cultural spaces will be vital for these important projects to reach wide audiences.
Immersive films like Carriberrie should also be used in educational settings such as classrooms. We learn through experience. Virtual reality can be a proxy for the real thing. It can give students exposure to Australian Indigenous culture when excursions are unfeasible.
Geographical and language divides are no longer an excuse for ignorance. As artists embrace immersive technologies, let’s hope their work counters the fissures born from a lack of true understanding and empathy.
Carriberrie can be seen at the Australian Museum from March 2-27 as part of WEAVE, a festival of First Nations and Pacific cultures.
Kate Gwynne is a PhD Candidate in Interactive Storytelling at UNSW. | https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/art-architecture-design/vr-film-carriberrie-vital-face-face-experience-threatened-indigenous |
The job match is considered crucial for successful employment of anybody, but especially so for adults with social-cognitive challenges, including those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), who tend to thrive in jobs whose requirements match their personal strengths and preferences (Schutte, 2009).
Grandin and Duffy (2008) identified jobs that are compatible with the learning style of visual thinkers and nonvisual thinkers. They have also identified vocations that are less suitable (see Table 4.1).
Researchers Howlin, Alcock, and Burkin (2005) attempted to quantify the concept of job matching for adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) by identifying the types of work held by 89 adults with HFASD. Table 4.2 highlights the type of work, examples of jobs within each type, and the percentage of adults who held this type of position.
Many of these jobs have structure, routine, and focus on a special interest, all crucial attributes when finding suitable employment for individuals with ASD (Hagner & Cooney, 2005). Researchers and practitioners further assert that adults with HFA are successful in jobs that require few or very structured social interactions. For example, jobs that incorporate mentors (see Chapter Two) who clearly specify job responsibilities, expectations, assumptions, and rules provide the predictability necessary for employees on the spectrum. Table 4.3 lists a series of factors that create employment success (Dew & Alan, 2007; Hagner & Cooney, 2005; Hurlbutt & Chalmers, 2004).
Table 4.3
Factors That Lead to Successful Employment for Adults on the Spectrum
• Consistent schedule and job responsibilities
• Ongoing relationship with a mentor, who explains specific job duties,
responsibilities, expectations, and rules related to productivity,
breaks, tasks, social interactions, and how to ask for help
• Predictable social demands
• System to keep track of work progress
• Predictable routines for lunch, breaks, and other unstructured times
during the workday
• Time before the beginning of the workday to organize self and tasks
• Direct communication with opportunities for clarification and
verification
• Reminders and reassurances
• Coworkers who initiate interactions and help “keep an eye out”
for the employee
• If support providers are involved, a method to transfer these
services and supports to the mentor and fellow employees
Adults with classic autism and with HFASD rank the lowest among all disability groups in employment, with 6% and 12%, respectively, having jobs (http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/employment.aspx). This, combined with the short job tenure of high-functioning adults on the autism spectrum, makes it clear that the concept of job matching must be broadened to take into consideration the hidden curriculum beyond the job match. That is, the traditional notion of job matching is only one component since many adults can easily master the job task itself. Among those who get hired, many find that the work environment, along with all the complex everyday situations generated by the various players, tips the scales in such a way as to become the deal breaker in terms of keeping the job.
In this chapter, we will look at elements of the work-related hidden curriculum that are known to pose challenges for individuals with autism and other social-cognitive difficulties who otherwise meet the specific “technical” requirements of a given job. These include (a) arriving at work ready to engage, (b) managing stress to maintain engagement throughout the workday, and (c) interpreting and reacting to social demands.
Excerpt from The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment, pp. 45-49.
BOOKS BY JUDY ENDOW
Endow, J. (2019). Autistically Thriving: Reading Comprehension, Conversational Engagement, and Living a Self-Determined Life Based on Autistic Neurology. Lancaster, PA: Judy Endow.
Endow, J. (2012). Learning the Hidden Curriculum: The Odyssey of One Autistic Adult. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Endow, J. (2006). Making Lemonade: Hints for Autism’s Helpers. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.
Endow, J. (2013). Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated. Cambridge, WI: CBR Press.
Endow, J. (2009). Paper Words: Discovering and Living With My Autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Endow, J. (2009). Outsmarting Explosive Behavior: A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Endow, J. (2010). Practical Solutions for Stabilizing Students With Classic Autism to Be Ready to Learn: Getting to Go. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing.
Myles, B. S., Endow, J., & Mayfield, M. (2013). The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment. Shawnee Mission, KS: AAPC Publishing. | http://www.judyendow.com/autism-and-aging/excerpt-from-the-hidden-curriculum-of-getting-and-keeping-a-job-navigating-the-social-landscape-of-employment/ |
With Power-user you can browse and insert PowerPoint templates directly into your presentation. This is one of the most popular features of the add-in, as it helps any user craft outstanding presentations with slides that look as made by a professional design agency.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- How to insert templates from the Library
- Sources of templates
How to insert templates from the Library
Inserting a template
- From the Power-user tab, click Library. The Library pane will open at the right of your screen. If it's the first time you are using it, or if there are new content updates available, you may see it loading for a moment.
- Search for templates using the search bar on top, the scrollbar or the Categories. For instance, you can select the Boxes x04 category to filter only PowerPoint templates with 4 items on the slide.
- Simply click a template to insert it in the presentation.
Facing an issue with the Library? Here are the 2 most frequent issues: The templates / icons / maps are not downloading in the Library
The mouse cursor is flickering in the right pane
Defining the insertion format
Templates can be inserted either keeping source formatting or using the destination theme. Set up your prefered behavior from the dedicated button in the pane:
All Power-user templates are designed with theme colors and theme fonts. This means that when using the destination theme, templates will automatically be converted to the colors and fonts of y our current presentation.
Defining the insertion layout
When inserting a template using the destination theme, Power-user will by default apply the layout of the previous slide in the deck.
You can also set up a specific layout to be used for templates upon insertion. For this, just right-click a slide with the desired layout, and click Set as Template layout.
Filtering and sorting templates
Click the Sort button to change how the templates are sorted. By default, they are sorted alphabetically by Description (i.e. slide title), but you can also sort by Category, number of Items, Background color, etc or any custom field set up by your organization. You can always sort Ascending or Descending.
Filtering and sorting templates require a customization of the templates to include metadata. This is possible for the Power-user templates or for templates customized at an organization level, however such custom filters and sorting is not possible for My templates or self-configured templates.
Sources of templates
The Library can include many sources of Templates. You can switch between them from the Sources drop-down list:
Power-user templates
Power-user gives you access to over 500 PowerPoint templates, immediately available to design presentations quickly. We update the Library periodically with additional templates.
Customization of the Power-user templates Our templates can be customized to match your organization's layout, colors, logo position etc. This provides users with a highly unified, on-brand experience. It also removes the need to adjust templates after insertion to take into account the title, logo, footer positions etc. Contact us if you would like to inquire about converting our templates to your brand.
My templates
This is your own individual collection of templates. You can save here your favorite or most frequently used slides, and access them anytime later.
- To add a slide to My templates, just right-click it and choose Save in My templates.
- Find it and insert it from the Library by selecting My templates under Sources.
The slides you save in My templates are saved locally on your computer. You can find them in Documents\Power-user\Templates\My templates, which can be useful if you want to migrate them to a different computer for instance.
Configure
Instead of adding slides individually, you can click Configure in the Sources drop-down, and link to an existing file. The entire file will be automatically added as a link to the Library. This means when the file gets updated, the update will be automatically reflected in the Library. This can be very useful especially if you are working collaboratively with files saved on a shared location.
My company templates
The Library can be customized to integrate your organization's own resources. For instance, it can integrate your official corporate presentation, the CVs of your team, key figures, training support material, etc.
This is a great solution to ensure that users have access to useful and up-to-date content.
- These templates can be set up centrally by your Power-user administrator from your organization.
- The administrator can also push updates to the users when needed, securing that every user has access to the correct, up-to-date version of each slide.
- Users can be divided into different teams, each team having access to their own templates.
- With our help, the admin can also set up custom fields to allow users to easily filter and sort the templates as if it were a mini knowledge management system for slides.
Read more about this here: Integrating your assets in the Library
Favorites
The Library opens directly on your favorite source of templates, so that you can immediately start looking for the templates you need.
To define your favorite source, click the yellow Favorite star in the Sources drop-down list.
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great! | https://support.powerusersoftware.com/support/solutions/articles/80001019679 |
Ceramics: Youth Hand-Building (Spring)
Explore ways of creating with clay! Young artists will learn to make mugs, bowls, sculpture and other ceramic work by using various hand building methods such as coiling, pinching and using rolled slabs. They will learn about glazing and decorating their unique kiln fired pieces that they can use for themselves or give as gifts.
Date Summary:
6 Tuesdays 4:00PM-5:30PM starting May 12
Duration:
6 weeks
Day/Time:
Tuesday 4:00PM-5:30PM
Instructor:
Age Range:
Member Tuition:
$90.00
Non-Member Tuition:
$108.00
Materials Fee:
$30.00
Materials added to tuition at checkout
Schedule: | https://motherbrookarts.org/ceramics-youth-hand-building-spring |
Potentials and Challenges Computer graphics technology enables us to create a remarkable variety of digital images and displays that, given the right conditions, effectively enrich education [Clark 1983]. Real-time computer graphics are an essential component of the multi-sensory environment of Virtual Reality (VR).
This article addresses the unique characteristics of emerging VR technology and the potential of virtual worlds as learning environments. I will describe several key attributes of VR environments and discuss them in relationship to educational theory and pedagogical practice. I will then identify three challenges that must be met before VR can be integrated into educational settings: cost, usability, and fear of the technology. The practical potential of VR is still being explored. Of the number of application areas that suggest themselves, education is clearly worth immediate investigation.
VR was devised to enable people to deal with information more easily, and it has been successfully developed to facilitate learning and task performance for over 20 years in the U.S. Air Force [Furness 1978]. Public education and training applications are a natural extension of this work. The national mandate for educational improvement is based on increasingly grim statistics. Between 25%-30% of our children don’it graduate from high school, and of those who do, at least 700,000 are functionally illiterate. Our students rank at the bottom of 19 industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The Term Paper on Educational Technology
1. List down all the technological tools/ concepts that you have discussed/ learned in your Educational Technology 1 subject. Briefly describe each of the tools in bullet form and its application to the teaching-learning process in the classroom. • Educational technology also known variously as e-learning, instructional technology and learning technology, educational technology is the use of ...
`iOne thing is for certain: the information revolution is changing our lives, and we need to prepare ourselves to cope with its promise and potential.^i [Gore 1991] How might VR help? Virtual Reality as a learning environment Using a head-mounted audio-visual display, 6-D position sensors, and tactile interface devices, we can inhabit computer-generated environments. We can see, hear and touch virtual objects. We can create, modify and manipulate them in much the same way we do physical objects, but without those pesky real-world limitations. VR is not only virtual: we can meet real people in virtual worlds, we can tele-exist in real places all over the world and beyond, and we can superimpose virtual displays onto the physical world. VR offers teachers and students unique experiences that are consistent with successful instructional strategies: hands-on learning, group projects and discussions, field trips, simulations, and concept visualization. Within the limits of system functionality, we can create anything imaginable and then become part of it.
The VR learning environment is experiential and intuitive; it is a shared information context that offers unique interactivity and can be configured for individual learning and performance styles. ‘If there are limits on the human ability to respond to learning environments, we are so far away from the limits as to make them presently inconsequential. Throughout human history to date, it has been the environments, not the human beings, that have run up against limitations.’ [Leonard 1968] 1. VR is experiential. We actively inhabit a spatial multi-sensory environment. We are both physically and perceptually involved in the experience, and we feel a sense of presence within a virtual world. `iWe are immersed in a very high bandwidth stream of sensory input, organized by our perceiving systems, and out of this “ebath’i of sensation emerges our sense of being in and of the world.^i [Zeltzer 1990] We experience the environment as if it were real, while still fully aware that it is computer-generated.
Educational theorists have agreed on the fundamental importance of experiential learning for over a hundred years: ‘Learning is the development of experience into experience.’ [James 1892] ‘Knowledge begins with enaction.’ [Bruner 1962] ‘To learn is to make sense out of experience.’ [Silberman 1970] ‘If you can be a gear, you can understand how it turns by projecting yourself into its place and turning with it…As well as connecting with the formal knowledge of mathematics, it also connects with the `ibody knowledge^i , the sensory-motor schemata of a child. It is this double relationship–both abstract and sensory–that gives a transitional object the power to carry mathematics into the mind.’ [Papert 1980] Text, oral, and screen-based presentations address subsets of human capacity. In contrast, the VR learning environment provides a context that includes the multiple nature of human intelligence: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, auditory, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. The importance of affective learning has been carefully explored [Kohlberg 1968, Rogers 1969]. It is apparent that we must consider the whole learner in his or her effort to attain educational goals [Belkin 1977]. VR’is experiential computing environment allows the `ipurposeful movement that coordinates the cognitive, the psychomotor, and the affective domains^i [Harrow 1972]. VR provides a context for both cognitive and affective learning by engaging us in a process that is rational and emotional, practical and whimsical, organized and spontaneous. 2.
The Essay on IT Enters a New Learning Environment
It is most helpful to see useful models of school learning that is ideal to achieving instructional goals through preferred application of educational technology. These are the models of Meaningful Learning, Discovery learning, Generative Learning and Constructivism. Meaningful Learning If the traditional learning environment gives stress focus to rote learning and simple memorization, meaningful ...
The VR learning environment allows intuitive human-computer interaction. The technology is designed to fit human architecture. A virtual world empowers us to move, talk, gesture, and manipulate objects and systems in a natural way: to move an object, you reach out your hand and pick it up; to see what you hear going on behind you, you turn around and look. The skills needed to function within a virtual world are the same skills we’ive been practicing in the physical world since birth. This method of representing and interacting with information is fundamentally different from the way we are now using computers. Novices require minimum accommodation time [M.
The Dissertation on Students Experiences In Mathematic
Abstract The central research question of the study asks: how do middle school students experience learning mathematics in middle school mathematics class? The additional research questions that guide the study ask: what are some of the barriers to learning mathematics in middle school mathematics class and what causes students to understand certain mathematics concepts in middle school ...
Bricken 1990]. Skilled users can represent and manipulate increasingly complex information in forms that are easy to remember and interpret [Furness 1988]. The motivation to learn hinges on interest, and most people find VR a very interesting experience. It has a magical quality, which fascinates children of all ages. You can fly, you can make objects appear, disappear, and transform. You can have these experiences without learning an operating system or programming language, without any reading or calculation at all. But the magic trick of creating new experiences requires basic academic skills, thinking skills, and a clear mental model of the system.
3. The VR learning environment is a shared experience. A personal computer is designed for solitary operation; there is one keyboard, one mouse, and one display. Virtual worlds can be both individual and social contexts. Networked VR allows multiple participants to interact simultaneously in the same audio-visual environment, sharing control naturally while conversing with augmented capability (`iI’ill show you what I mean. It sounds like this…^i).
Research in collaborative learning abounds with evidence of its educational value: ‘The learner tends to be more productive in a group situation than working in isolation. Ongoing discussion involves the active participation of students in the teaching-learning process; attention is then directed toward the learning activity.’ [Belkin 1977] `iChildren solve practical tasks with the help of their speech, as well as with their eyes and hands…Human learning presupposes a specific social nature and a social process by which children grow into the intellectual life of those around them.^i [Vygotsky 1978] For the most part, our schools exist separately from the world that they teach about.
Virtual worlds can be linked to the physical world through telepresence; distance learning systems could be expanded to allow students and teachers to share worldwide learning environments. Through virtual participation in local and international activities, students become active in the process of culture, and can see more clearly their relationship to the whole of humanity. Students can learn about different electronic communication and information networks through participation. They can learn how to deal with different forms of electronic data, building computer skills and data management skills. Real-time access to a multitude of people and information sources opens the virtual world — and the classroom — to the world at large: `iWhen heterogeneous students interact within a context characterized by positive goal interdependence, a process of acceptance is promoted, resulting in increased interaction, convictions of peer encouragement and acceptance, more ….
The Essay on Active Learning Hear Students Important Web
... to implement active learning are to provide students with long-term learning experiences, or group activities. ... (Hendrikson, 1984). Students are more attentive when actively involved in the learning process. By the ... include better interaction skills and leadership skills. ? The whole point of active learning? , says ... September) Active Learning. ERIC Digest 17 [Article posted on the World Wide Web]. ... | https://educheer.com/essays/virtual-reality-learning-environments/ |
The thought of pizza with no cheese could be enough to make some people cringe. I would rather have pizza with no cheese, than no pizza at all. :) So this is a Paleo version of some BBQ chicken pizza & a Paleo tomato sauce chicken pizza.
I started with the pizza dough, and this is what you will need:
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
2 C. Almond Flour
3 T. Olive Oil
1/4 t. Baking soda
1 t. Garlic Powder
any herbs you would like to add to crust
Note: I doubled the ingredients above to make enough dough for four individual pizzas
(It made 4 semi-thick 5-6 inch pizza crusts)
Crust Directions:
Mix all ingredients together & roll out to the size you would like.
I used the same process of rolling it out as I did for the Paleo Taco Tortillas
Place a little olive oil on the pizza sheet and place crust on top… Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (Time will change depending on thickness)
Now for the fun part!
Toppings and Baking Directions:
Once the crust is out of the oven, use whatever toppings you want!
Here is what we used in different variations:
Paleo BBQ Sauce & Tomato Sauce
Bacon, Pineapple, Chicken, Onions, Sausage, Cheese, Mushrooms
Here are the pizzas before I put them in the oven for the second time (Mine is the one without cheese). I kept the oven at 350 degrees, and cooked the pizzas until the cheese melted, which took about 10 minutes.
I would not recommend the BBQ sauce recipe I used. It was just way to strong for me, but the tomato sauce was yummy! | https://courtneyscraftinandcookin.com/2013/02/12/paleo-pizza/?replytocom=3150 |
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
In mid-March, the federal government passed legislation to expand access to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to individuals whose natural deaths are not reasonably foreseeable.
CPSO updated its Medical Assistance in Dying policy to reflect the legal framework changes that resulted from the passage of Bill C-7.
The most significant change in Bill C-7 is it is no longer necessary for an individual’s natural death to be reasonably foreseeable for them to be eligible for MAID. Instead, whether an individual’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable now determines which of the two procedural safeguards apply:
Existing safeguards have been maintained or eased for individuals whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable, including reducing the number of independent witnesses required to sign the individual’s written request and eliminating the 10-day reflection period.
New and strengthened safeguards have been established for individuals whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, including requiring individuals be informed of available and appropriate means to relieve their suffering, and offered consultations with professionals who provide those services. It also requires individuals undergo a 90-day assessment period before receiving MAID.
To reflect the new legal framework, the following key amendments were made to CPSO’s policy:
- Deleting the requirement that an individual’s natural death be reasonably foreseeable and adding the exclusion of mental illness as the sole condition that makes an individual eligible for MAID. (This exclusion will stay in place until March 17, 2023, at which time it will be repealed).
- Adding the new circumstances where patients can enter into a written arrangement that waives the requirement that the MAID provider obtain their final express consent immediately prior to the patient receiving MAID.
- Updating procedural safeguards for MAID to reflect the new two-track approach.
- Adding the requirement to report an eligibility assessment, including a preliminary assessment of whether a patient meets the eligibility criteria.
The MAID policy is being reviewed as part of the regular policy review cycle and is currently out for preliminary consultation. More substantive policy revisions will be proposed in the context of the review. | https://dialogue.cpso.on.ca/2021/06/medical-assistance-in-dying-maid/ |
In addition, most companies want their underwriters to help build business by seeking new potential customers that fall within the risk analysis scenario of the insurer.
Anita serves as the Office Manager for Kaiser Consulting. Contacts for More Information The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information underwriting analyst trainee salary the occupation.
Kristi brings a solid working knowledge to special projects including internal audit and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Her previous experience includes positions such as financial analyst, customer billing manager, project manager, consulting manager and various management posts in revenue finance departments.
Kathleen began her career at Bank One as a staff auditor and was promoted to project manager and, later, compliance officer. They assess risk and either accept, reject, or modify potential policy applications. Her expertise in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, strong work ethic, and ability to successfully tackle any client project make her a well- regarded member of the Kaiser Consulting team.
Underwrite, submit, approve or pend coverage amounts and premiums, and present decisions to management.
She is a highly efficient CPA certified in the state of Ohio with over 20 years of experience. The underwriter must determine if new risk applies and then must make policy decisions to modify, continue, or decline further coverage.
Recommend this page using: Proven ability to deliver results with multiple awards as a result of key involvement in several high-profile strategic initiatives. Her previous experience includes positions such as accounting manager, financial reporting manager, and controller.
Kathleen has demonstrated a strong work ethic and collaborative communication skills throughout each of her engagements. Her previous experience includes underwriting analyst trainee salary as an accountant, financial analyst, and office manager. Training is provided for this position.
Hilary is well known for her enthusiasm and willingness to approach problems in a creative way. She is currently assigned to a complex, long-term financial project that requires analyzing vast amounts of information.
They assess risk and either accept, reject, or modify potential policy applications. Core expertise in finance and accounting, with a talent for identifying process improvements and motivating teams to reduce costs, eliminate re-work and increase revenue.
Insurance Underwriter Job Listings Popular Skills for Insurance Underwriter This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.
Amy brings strong technical and interpersonal skills to Kaiser Consulting. Her previous experience includes positions such as cost accounting, SAP Super User, and accounting supervisor.
Capita is a large and successful organisation in Northern Ireland with offices based in Newtownabbey. Those familiar with Insurance also tend to know Data Analysis. Underwriters must follow all regulations, from the guidelines of the company and external underwriter to federal regulations for the approval process.
A competitive healthcare package. Loans are the primary source of income for a bank, and ensuring the quality of loans is of the utmost importance. Drag job titles to investigate a particular path and click on a link to see where particular career can lead.
Terry has over 20 years of experience in private industry and public accounting. Underwriter Job Listings Popular Skills for Underwriter This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.
This is a great opportunity to begin a career in the commercial insurance industry to learn about interesting commercial insurance products.
Average total compensation includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay. His unparalleled knowledge of IT software applications enables him to extract and massage data into critical information used by executives and other decision-makers to make crucial and fundamental business decisions. He is highly regarded at client sites for his insightful financial analysis and business strategy skills, as well as his ability to work with diverse teams in various disciplines.
Responsibilities Utilize company underwriting criteria to evaluate risks for various lines of business Perform independent verification of insured's operations Review and process change requests on in-force policies Evaluate in-force policies at renewal Develop relationships with agencies Participate in Underwriting Training for new products, directives and processes Qualifications Candidates should have investigative skills, be comfortable using the Internet as a research tool, have excellent communication and customer service skills, and must be an overall team player.
Plan your career path. Insurance underwriters may be asked to look at existing policies and situations as well, particularly after a settlement has occurred. With strong time-management skills, a commitment to accuracy, and a talent for process improvement, Kelly is an asset to any Kaiser Consulting engagement.
This tab may also describe opportunities for part-time work, the amount and type of travel required, any safety equipment that is used, and the risk of injury that workers may face.
Insurance underwriters typically work in an insurance company and must have strong accounting and statistical analysis skills. We pride ourselves on our people and the ability to attract the best people with raw potential to bring into our business today, train and develop them and become our IT professionals of tomorrow.
It may also discuss the major industries that employed the occupation. She provides project management for accounting, process improvement and audit engagements.LiveSalary is a free community-based website where New Zealand workers exchange salary data.
The site contains REAL salaries entered by New Zealand employees to help them compare their salary to people in similar positions to them. Help maximise the richness of this data by contributing today and please return in the near future to see how salaries in your area of expertise change over time.
Underwriting Analyst Trainee- Personal Lines. Job Locations US-PA-Wilkes-Barre. Job ID # of Openings 1 Category Underwriting. Overview Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies, an A+ Superior rated Insurance company.
This will be an exciting opportunity to get in on the ground floor in Berkshire Hathaway GUARD’s. Consultancy Job Vacancies in UK London and South East Excellent Health and Social Care Opportunities - make an impact! Great opportunities to make a positive impact on health and social care in the UK, great culture in the organisation!
A high level of analytical and numerical ability along with attention to detail in order to make sound credit decisions. Must be able to work on their own initiative in order to solve problems posed by internal and external customers. TRAINEE MI ANALYST to £20, City based Lloyds Syndicate is seeking to recruit a Trainee Analyst to provide management information in accordance with monthly and quarterly reporting timetables.
To assist with the development of internal reporting capabilities. NADIA cannot guarantee that registering on this site will ensure placement, nor can we guarantee that you will be selected for an interview. | https://nyrebycipamogon.funkiskoket.com/underwriting-analyst-trainee-salary-20617do5109.html |
On Wednesday, January 5, the FTC released a report titled “Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion?” (the “Report”). The Report addresses the effects of the growing use of big data analytics on low-income and underserved populations, and the FTC’s role in monitoring and regulating the impacts of the commercial use of big data. There are two high-level takeaways from the Report: First, big data is a powerful tool that can be used to include or to exclude. Used responsibly, it can be a key to unlocking opportunities for underprivileged and underserved classes; but, the FTC emphasizes that when used with disregard for its effects, big data can serve to shut the underprivileged and underserved out of those same opportunities. Second, the FTC will be the cop on the beat. The Report’s emphasis on the tools at the FTC’s disposal for regulating the use of big data analytics, signals that the FTC intends to make use of its enforcement powers where it can.
The Report begins by observing that “mining large data sets to find useful, nonobvious patterns is a relatively new but growing practice in marketing, fraud prevention, human resources, and a variety of other fields.” Big data is beginning to help underserved communities in various areas, including education, access to credit, individually tailored healthcare, and equal access to employment. For example, Google used analytics to determine that its emphasis on grade point averages and brainteasers in its recruiting process resulted in unintended biases on the candidate pool, and was able to revise its practices accordingly. For these points, the FTC repeatedly cited the workshop testimony of Hogan Lovells partner Chris Wolf, as well as comments and a report from the Future of Privacy Forum.
The Report next identifies several risks of predictive analytics, such as mistakenly denying individuals opportunities based on the actions of others, creating or reinforcing existing disparities, exposing sensitive information, assisting the targeting of vulnerable individuals for fraud, and creating new justifications for exclusion. The Report cautions data miners that, while using more data can “increase the power of the analysis, simply adding more data does not necessarily correct inaccuracies or remove biases.”
The Report notes that companies assessing the risks of big data should both (1) maintain an awareness and familiarity with research aimed at identifying potential biases and inaccuracies, and (2) have an understanding of the relevant laws. The FTC urges companies to ensure that they use data ethically and comply with existing fair credit, equal opportunity, or consumer protection laws. The Report—drawing upon testimony and research collected in connection with its workshops, including a paper by Hogan Lovells senior associate Andrew Selbst—recommends that data miners consider four questions when using predictive analytics:
- How representative is your data set? Depending on how the data was collected, data sets could be missing information about certain populations, and companies should work to address issues of underrepresentation and overrepresentation.
- Does your data model account for biases? Models can contain built-in biases when they incorporate data that itself reflects prejudices, and thereby reproduce past, disparate results. Companies should develop strategies to overcome such biases.
- How accurate are your predictions based on big data? Big data is excellent at finding correlations but not at explaining them. Companies should take care to take all relevant variables into account and give sufficient attention to traditional applied statistics techniques to avoid inaccuracies.
- Does your reliance on big data raise ethical or fairness concerns? Companies should assess the predictive value of the various factors in the predictive analysis and ensure that certain factors do not raise fairness concerns. For example, one company incorporated into its hiring algorithm the fact that employees who lived closer to work stayed at their jobs longer than those who lived farther away, while another excluded this factor as racially discriminatory because of the differing racial composition of neighborhoods.
The Report reviews the various laws under which the FTC has authority to regulate uses of data: the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), and the FTC Act. The FTC observes that, although big data allows for credit determinations based on non-traditional data, such as social media information, if such data is to be used in a credit determination, then it would be subject to the FCRA. The FTC also observes that, to an extent, the use of data might disadvantage protected classes under equal opportunity laws, such as the ECOA. Finally, the FTC states that it will take action against unfair and deceptive uses of data under the authority granted to it in Section 5 of the FTC Act.
The Report also makes several recommendations for compliance, including ensuring compliance with the accuracy and privacy provisions of the FCRA if a company compiles big data for others to use in eligibility decisions, or if a company receives such data, complying with provisions applicable to users of consumer reports. Additionally, the Report recommends that companies ensure they are not treating people differently based on a prohibited basis, such as race or national origin. There are more recommendations highlighted on page 24 of the Report, including compliance with Section 5’s requirements to avoid deceptive practices and to use reasonable data security.
The Report concludes by exhorting government, academics, consumer advocates, and industry to work together to “help ensure that we maximize big data’s capacity for good while identifying and minimizing the risks it presents,” and notes that the FTC will continue to monitor the space.
Andrew Selbst, a senior associate in our Washington, D.C. office, contributed to this entry. | https://www.hldataprotection.com/2016/01/articles/consumer-privacy/ftc-report-big-data-can-create-opportunities-or-shut-people-out/ |
The current audience is constituted of a selection of local, small-business owners. Most of these business owners are retail store owners, who offer plastic bags as standard in their stores. It is likely that these business owners will have some awareness and sympathy for the case of reducing plastics, given the fact that some retail stores do already encourage customers to utilize reusable bags by making them readily available for purchase at the point of sale. However, this proposal calls for more drastic changes, and so it is likely that these small business owners may be a little reluctant to remove the convenience of the plastic bag from their shop, in case it dissuades custom.
Therefore, it will be important to emphasize the many gains that small business owners can achieve by implementing responsible environmental changes (for example: positive brand development, cohesion with the local community) and that, if anything; sales could actually indirectly improve as a result of the proposed actions. It is also important to emphasize, through a mix of factual and emotive language, the real damage that is caused by current levels of plastic bag usage, thereby appealing to the moral conscience and compelling these small-business owners to consider making changes to their businesses.
After extensive revision of this piece, it became clear that the proposal did not adopt a persuasive enough tone. Therefore clauses were added in order to encourage the reader to share deeply in ‘ideas’ and ‘concepts’ relevant to the proposal. Key concepts were described in rich detail and the reader was invited to really engage with the proposed idea, with bold, authoritative statements such as; “It is truly exciting to imagine what this small change could achieve.”
Secondly, it became clear that some of the elements of the argument did not flow particularly well and that elements of the argument appeared repetitive. Therefore, I made bullet points of all the individual points of the proposal, and then took the time to arrange them into chronological order. This helped to build up the proposal slowly, keeping the reader's interest, and engaging them in much the same way that a suspenseful narrative might. This suspense was also achieved by presenting an amalgamation of long and then short sentences, where necessary.
Finally, I re-engaged with my target audience and really considered what they would want to hear in a prospective proposal. I then made a concerted effort to relate the argument back to how the prohibition of plastic bags could enhance, and improve their business, in order to try and provide an inspirational and highly relevant proposal.
With a fast-growing population, it is pertinent to consider how to properly dispose and recycle the daily waste products of our modern lifestyle (NRDC 2013). Many individuals are now prepared to take personal responsibility for recycling their bottles, cans, and cardboard, and it is admirable to appreciate the extent to which local governments have implemented a relatively straightforward recycling system. However, it is worrying to consider that one of the primary materials of our modern-day is nearly impossible to recycle effectively; thus the persistent use of plastic is agonizing to many. Regrettably, the prolific usage of the plastic bag is somewhat understandable; given the convenience, it offers to a modern lifestyle centered upon consumerism, speed and comfort of service.
Retailers are slowly beginning to acknowledge that along with these modernist luxuries, one needs to be considering how best to protect and sustain the surrounding environment. More needs to be done to phase out the dangerous and destructive plastic bag; though clearly, the challenge is in trying to achieve this end without losing the irresistible convenience and ease which the plastic bag offers the hurried consumer (Williams, 2004). This proposal suggests that there are viable steps retailers can achieve to reduce and eventually prohibit the use of plastic bags, without causing any adverse effects to their sales figures. It is argued that small business owners have a privileged and agented position in this journey and that they should be brave enough to initiate grassroots lifestyle changes in order to protect the planet. The most promising strategy is to invest in the research and production of biodegradable bags, seen as these seem likely to satisfy the modernist desire for convenience, and also gratify the common-sense desire for a healthy and sustainable environment for our children.
The scope of the problem: What does it have to do with small business owners? In general terms, the usage of plastic bags is becoming an extremely worrying concern for anyone wishing to protect their local and global environments. It has been estimated that worldwide; between five hundred billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year. Less than three percent of these bags are recycled (Root 2011).
So, what happens to all of these plastic bags once they have fulfilled their transitory use? It is likely that they will end up in landfills, where they will take approximately hundreds of years to decompose. Plastic does not decompose in the same way as raw or organic materials; plastic simply breaks down into smaller substances which can be extremely hazardous to the soil, and local wildlife (Williams 2004). Many plastic bags do not even make it to landfills, and it is the irresponsible disposal of plastic which poses another threat to wildlife; aggravating and sometimes choking the marine life who mistake disposed plastic for food (Derraik 2002). No one is questioning the brilliant convenience of the plastic bag, but at the same time, no one can easily ignore these inconvenient truths. The price to pay for the convenience of a plastic bag is huge and is a trade-off that is becoming less and less viable in our ever populating world.
All these facts and statistics concerning plastic usage globally may seem a little too generalized; but the reality is that plastic bag usage is a huge environmental concern internationally, nationally and locally. Therefore, it should be a personal concern on everybody’s agenda. Every five seconds, 60,000 plastic bags are used in America alone (Root, 2011). Whilst some stores in the USA have banned plastic bags, there is no state-wide or country-wide law enforcement on this issue. Globally, countries such as Ireland and Bangladesh have, however, placed a firm ban on plastic bags. More needs to be done to reduce the usage of plastic bags in the USA; often a good way to start is by looking at one’s own local neighborhood. In fact, the contention here is that the best place to start is with intervention from small, local businesses.
Many industry professionals have acknowledged that the small local business is extremely important to not only the local economy but also towards supporting the collective sense of identity of a local community (HSBC, 2012). As Brown writes; “While small businesses may not generate as much money as large corporations, they are a critical component of and a major contributor to the strength of local economies. Small businesses present new opportunities and serve as the building blocks of the United States” (Brown 2012). If local businesses can be thought to act as the building blocks of a wider national economy then it seems right that these businesses should pursue innovative, individual, and environmentally responsible business methods. In fact, the microcosmic small business seems like the perfect arena to initiate positive environmental change. Given that the over-usage of plastic is currently one of the major environmental concerns, it is strongly recommended that small businesses should lead by example and implement strategies to prohibit the usage of plastic bags within their establishments.
It has been found that businesses are perceived as more favorable if they are seen to be environmentally conscious. Moreover, employees are more likely to want to stay with a business that is environmentally friendly (HSBC, 2012). These important points should be remembered closely. It is comprehensible that some businesses would shy away from prohibiting plastic bag use, or charging a fee for plastic bags, out of fear that this action might drive customers away. However, the gains described above are likely to highly benefit the business in the long run, especially if marketing is in place to describe exactly why plastic bags have no place there. The proposal is that being environmentally friendly can have huge gains for any business, through the image they promote, the social responsibility they convey, and the sales figures they achieve through loyal customers keen to revel in the achievements of a morally responsible company. The implementation of a plastic bag charge in other countries has resulted in up to an 80% reduction in plastic bag usage (Smith 2012) suggesting that consumers’ lifestyle changes can be implemented relatively easily. In fact, the introduction of stylish reusable ‘bags-for-life’ has actually satisfied a niche business opportunity. There is no convincing argument to suggest that reusable bags are inconvenient, given that many now fit easily into small handbags or back pockets.
So, it is likely that this innovative move could improve many aspects of a small business, from improving the company image of environmental responsibility, to indirectly increasing local interest and sales takings. Of course, it is not only the business that would benefit, but these benefits would fan out to include the local, national and eventually the international community. A reduction in plastic bags would result in less pollution to our landfills and oceans - thereby reducing the need for ocean cleanup operations. This ultimately makes for a cleaner and healthier environment. When less plastic bags are being produced, more petroleum is freed up, meaning that this non-renewable energy source has an increased life span. It is truly exciting to imagine what this small change could really do to protect and prolong our shared environment.
The UK government has proposed a plastic bag tax to be introduced nationally by 2015 (NRDC 2012) and with other countries following suit it only seems a matter of time before plastic bags will be a thing of the past. It, therefore, seems both responsible and forward-thinking for small businesses to take the lead and start implementing these changes now. It is far better to embrace this gradual change in tide, rather than fight against it. By coming up with innovative solutions and strategies, small businesses can effectively convince consumers to steer clear of the plastic bag and to move comfortably forward towards a more sustainable shopping experience. It is difficult to see what could be lost from removing plastic bags from small business stores, and clearly evident to imagine all the many possible gains to be had from this action!
The solution is ‘in the bag!’ What you can do to help. There are a few different pathways which could be implemented in order to eliminate plastic bag usage in small retail outlets. These various approaches will be detailed here but it is argued that a combination of two methods is likely to be most effective in the successful reduction of plastic bag usage (whilst sustaining positive and/or improved business outcomes).
Some large department stores have imposed an absolute ban on plastic shopping bags, a move that has been largely accepted by customers (Smith 2012). The data on small businesses is less widely available, though given that many small businesses thrive on loyal and repeat local customers it is highly likely that customers would be supportive of change, especially if the change is positive and environmentally conscious. However, even those who are generally very environmentally conscious and responsible would admit that very occasionally, when they have forgotten to carry a reusable bag, the plastic bag offers a type of convenience and luxury which, if not available at all, would be incredibly frustrating. This type of criticism does have to be acknowledged.
Indeed, certain stores feel that by introducing a fee, or a ‘tax’ for the plastic bags rather than an absolute ban, the choice is still available for emergencies, though generally speaking customers are encouraged and gently persuaded to reduce and hopefully eliminate their reliance on plastic bags. This fee method is useful in the sense that it may not be perceived as being too decisive and authoritarian an action, though it is problematic in the sense that some customers who do not consider the fee of any unfortunate consequence may continue to use the same amount of plastic bags as ever before.
This proposal suggests that small business owners should charge their customers a small charge for plastic bags, but that the money raised should be channeled directly into the research and production of biodegradable bags. Biodegradable bags are currently more expensive to produce than plastic bags, though with the money raised from a plastic bag “tax” it is likely that more research could be channeled into producing these bags at a cheaper cost. This proposal would work well because it takes a two-pronged approach towards responsible environmental action. Firstly, as has already been seen to work to some extent, the small plastic bag tax is likely to dissuade people from using plastic bags in the first place. It is unrealistic to expect that every customer shall cease all plastic bag usage overnight and so this strategy allows for gradual lifestyle changes, whilst at the same time raising money to invest in a longer-term plan of attempting to produce an efficient biodegradable bag, which could adequately meet the needs of a fast-paced, modern, though environmentally conscious society. If one small group of local businesses initiated this action and pooled the money into the research and production of biodegradable bags it is likely that collective action could achieve positive results. After all, some of the most successful business plans have had grassroots beginnings, and often it takes smaller individuals to implement grand-scale changes.
The first step is to begin advertising and telling customers about the desire to reduce the damaging effects of plastic bag pollution. Once the customer is on-board with the initiative, the business should implement a small plastic bag charge. By talking with other local businesses, it can be established whether the pooled funds should be channeled into the purchasing of, or further research into, biodegradable bags. Put simply, the primary aim of this proposed action is to drastically reduce plastic bag usage in order to prevent pollution and promote a sustainable environment. The secondary aim is to encourage the introduction and sustained usage of cost-effective biodegradable bags, seen as the use of the bag appears rightfully necessary in a retail environment. It seems perfectly possible to promote sustainable, responsible and healthy consumerist behavior and it seems as if the small-business is the perfect location at which to start.
Annotated Bibliography
Derraik, J. 2002. Plastic pollution in the south pacific subtropical gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 68. Pp 71-6.
This journal article details the devastating effects of plastic pollution upon marine life.
HSBC. 2012. Your Business and the Environment. [Online] Available at: https://www.knowledge.hsbc.co.uk/green+business/your+business+and+the+environment [Accessed 29 November 2013].
This website article was useful to help formulate the argument as it describes the types of
environmental concerns which are relevant to small business owners.
NRDC, 2013. Issues: Recycling. [Online] Available at: http://www.nrdc.org/recycling/default.asp [Accessed 01 December 2013]
This website was utilized first in order to research the most pertinent environmental issues facing America today.
Root, J. 2011. 60,000 Bags are being used this second: Help slow it down. [Online] Available at: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/plastic-bag-facts.htm [Accessed 01 December 2013]
This article provided a lot of statistical information concerning the true extent of plastic usage and damage, and was therefore useful to construct some eye-opening arguments.
Williams, C. 2004. Battle of the bag: the world has declared war on the plastic bag. What did this harmless item do to attract such opprobrium? (Harmful impact of plastic materials). New Scientist, 168. Pp. 30.
This article discusses the ‘hype’ surrounding plastic bag criticism, though concludes by admitting (as my proposal does) that plastic bags are extremely harmful and some intervention is certainly needed.
Smith, P. 2012. Telling plastic to 'bag it': Seattle is the latest U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags out of concern for the environment. The New York Times Upfront, 114:11. Pp. 12.
This article provided some useful information on actions that have already been implemented against plastic bag usage. | https://writer.tools/subjects/e/english/proposal-persuasive-paper-on-plastic-bags |
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New medical treatments and pharmaceuticals are constantly entering the market, and most are developed using clinical trials. These are scientific studies using human volunteers, usually to test a product or treatment. They can help determine whether a specific therapy is safe and effective for treating a specific condition. Clinical trials are vital tools in finding new, effective medical treatments.
Clinical trials are the backbone of many new therapies, particularly cancer treatments, and most are conducted at universities or research hospitals. Most have specific inclusion/exclusion criteria that varies from trial to trial. For instance, one on an obesity drug might specify participants who have not had weight-loss surgery or those who have not taken prescription weight-loss medication in a particular period of time. This ensures that unknown or unusual circumstances are less likely to affect the trial's outcome.
Some trials use a control group that is given a placebo medication or the standard treatment for a disease, and the results are compared against those who receive the experimental treatment. Others use a double blind process, in which neither the researchers nor the patients know which group is receiving the treatment or a placebo.
A patient volunteer may experience unpleasant side effects and may have to visit a medical professional often for evaluation. These factors can be a disadvantage, but many volunteers are willing to risk these side effects for the chance of a cure. Participants may leave the trial at any time, although they may be asked why they are dropping out of the study.
Clinical trials are usually conducted in three phases before the drug tested receives government approval. Phase I is the first and smallest study, using groups numbering between 20 and 80 patients to test the effectiveness and optimal dosage of a drug and to identify any side effects. Phase II uses groups of between 100 and 300 people to further test the safety of the drug and to make more notes on its effectiveness. Phase III compares the experimental treatment to standard therapies and evaluates it further for safety and dosage ranges. When a drug receives approval, it goes through a Phase IV trial that helps determine its risks and benefits.
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what is coding management?
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK! | http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-clinical-trials.htm |
Visit SCDAA’s Clinical Trial Finder
Clinical trials are used to test the safety and effectiveness of drugs and devices. Usually, they are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and conducted by research teams that include doctors and other medical professionals. Trials are typically conducted in four phases:
- During phase one, healthy people are given the medication to test if the ingestion of the pill or treatment has any adverse side effects.
- Phases two and three dive deeper into the safety, effectiveness and dosage of the medication. After these stages, the FDA will approve the drug or device.
- Phase four examines new uses for previously approved treatments.
All the phases in clinical trials are governed by strict protocols and overseen by many regulatory bodies, from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to small Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). IRBs are a group of independent medical experts, ethicists and lay people. Researchers report periodically to the IRB to share updates on the trial including contact with patients, the tests conducted and if any serious side effects have been reported. IRBs are accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). (Resource: https://www.policymed.com/2010/05/the-importance-of-clinical-trials.html)
To find a clinical trial near you and learn more, click here to visit SCDAA’s Clinical Trial Finder (created in partnership with Forma Therapeutics). | https://www.sicklecelldisease.org/sickle-cell-health-and-disease/education-and-research/clinical-trials/ |
An important principle in statistics is that correlation is not causation. An argument that makes such an assumption could be said to commit the fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc or the fallacy of cum hoc ergo propter hoc. Where there is a significant correlation between two variables A and B, there are four distinct possibilities:
See also clustering illusion.
To digress slightly, several years ago, there was a news article about a study that indicated that getting the flu shot halves the risk of heart attack or stroke in seniors. Now, a study showing that getting the flu shot reduced the risk of getting the flu wouldn't be at all surprising, because the flu shot is designed to prevent flu, but not necessarily heart attacks. Results such as this could be explained by quite a large number of things. You'll notice that possibilities (1), (2), (3), and (4) above are all represented below.
Obviously, some of the above possibilities can be eliminated pretty easily, others can be eliminated (and may well since have been eliminated) by further studies, but when you see news articles about studies, it can be useful to think in this manner rather than immediately jumping to the conclusion that A causes B instead of some other possibility. | http://mathlair.allfunandgames.ca/correlationcausation.php |
Course Description:
This module provides an insight into the strategic management of sports events of
different sizes and types. Through the process of proposing, planning, reviewing and
evaluating an actual event, it will allow students to experience the planning and delivery of a real-life sports event with local and international considerations.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Acquire the concept of sports event organization and the impact to the society.
- Illustrate the bidding process, financial planning and revenue in sports events.
- Apply a constructive critique to alternative marketing approaches and uses of sponsorships in organizing sports events.
- Analyze the event planning process involved in staging an event.
- Apply the integrated communication process in the event planning and management. | https://sao.hsu.edu.hk/our-services/pe/pe-module/pe1001-event-management-in-sports-2/ |
Emma’s maturation allows her to see Mr. Knightley as a romantic figure despite deviations from her concept of the ideal hero. Initially, Emma’s need to write her own storylines obscures reality, and only when she stops attempting to change the world to suit her notions can she look outside herself and realize that Mr. Knightley is the man with whom she belongs. In this way, Austen parallels Emma’s comprehension of responsibility to her maturation into competent wife. The two processes cannot be separated, and in the same manner the role of the wife cannot be separated from social responsibilities. Emma is not the story of a man teaching a woman how to be his perfect wife; rather, it is the story of a woman understanding her social responsibility and realizing her true potential.
K. Narayan tries to promote the status of women very consciously. His ‘Women’s Lib’ movement, which actually begins in The Dark Room, comes to an apparent fulfillment in The Painter of Signs, encompassing a long journey from Savitri to Daisy via Shanti, Bharati and Rosie. The novelist laments the pitiable condition of women and this has perhaps led him to formulate the ‘Women’s Lib’ movement. Narayan does not advocate the westernized life style of women and he cannot accept the atrocities done on women in the moribund Malgudi patriarchal society. Thus, Narayan favours freedom for his new women and wants to see them educated, active and independent.
The setting is a contributing factor to social codes and benefits the work as a unabridged function . In the novel courtship , gender , social class distinguish the living arrangements for the characters in the novel. Gender was overall the most important contribution to the developed interpretation of the text and how era affected the viewpoints or actions of the characters . Katherine and Bianca being leading female roles in the works symbolized the strong sexist succession of the works . Kate being interpreted as a Shrew or bad selection for a wife reflects the ideal role women were expected to portray during this time period .
Abstract The paper, titled Female Resistance against Repression throws light on the significance of the institution of marriage and familial love as portrayed in Shobha De’s sensational novel Strange Obsession. It also underscores that women, must be discrete to distinguish between the real and deceptive, fake and genuine, deleterious and healthy. She also exhorts the need for women to master their own self in the process of attaining independence. The emphasis is laid on curbing the unconventional feminine desires which subjugates women. As a socially conscious writer, De attempts to bring these erring women back into the orbit of socially sanctified morality.
While women remained conservative and subservient, this novel roused the spirit of feminism which led to the change in women’s social status by the end of the nineteenth century. Through Catherine, the main protagonist, whose strong and rebellious character was evident throughout the novel, she was able to portray the female consciousness that rejects and abhors the male-dominated society she lived in. She also possessed a strong sense of independence, and sought for happiness through her struggles and battles against the patriarchy. Despite the idea of women being depicted as weak and incapable of thinking for themselves, Catherine’s persona showed that the gentle grace and civility of a Victorian woman did not suit her – she grew up to be wild and unrefined – unlike her sister-in-law,
These customs and tradition are often nurtured, strengthened and kept alive through violent and unjust actions centred on women. This paper shows how the female body is associated with cultural traditions, such as honour, to lay claims to female sexuality. Shahraz’s female figures find their bodies and sexualities as a means of exploitation which possess a threat to their female identity. Shahraz highlights the restrictive family structures that bind women into submission, who passively accept their fate with little resistance. The Holy Woman reveals male domination over female bodies and sexuality and, as this paper also demonstrates, women remain bound within male-constructed boundaries of piety and honour whereas men hold the ultimate deciding power.
The Scarlet Letter is a perfect example of how one person in a society can defy the traditional social structure. Throughout the literature, Hawthorne presents numerous examples of feminist ideals through the character of Hester. After analyzing and interpreting the meaning of the novel, Hawthorne specifically targets gender roles in societies by making the protagonist of the story a woman. Hawthorne questions the expectation that men should retain all authority and purpose by creating a character that specifically rejects these traditional norms. Hawthorne continuously demonstrates feminist ideals by characterizing and portraying Hester to be the character that breaks gender roles in Salem society.
Here, Yeats attempts to preempt a shift in gender roles and the consequence this may have on cultural norms in society. Yeats presents to his readers “inherited generic norms of love poetry against feminist objections and demands” through the male voice Robartes (Cullingford, 92). Yeats does this through representing a dialogue between the male and his traditional values and the progressive feminist, highlighting their differences in opinion. The poem begins with the Robartes stating that a woman is most “wise” when she is “plain”, and free of any opinion (Albright, 223). The revolutionary aspect of this poem is demonstrated by the woman who questions Robartes saying “May I not put myself to college” (Albright, 223). | https://www.ipl.org/essay/The-Roles-Of-Men-And-Women-In-PKCJQR7EAJPR |
In this blog for World Suicide Prevention Day, Helen Garnham, the Head of Equalities at Rethink Mental Illness, talks about the work we have started with North West (NW) London to co-produce suicide prevention initiatives that offer hope, connection and support to prevent people from wanting to take their own lives.
The pandemic has had an impact on all communities, widening and exposing inequalities and affecting the most vulnerable. Recent ONS statistics show that suicide rates did not increase during the early stages of the pandemic. Thankfully – it is likely that the support measures mobilised at short notice in response to the pandemic have had a protective impact. But no level is acceptable, and we must not be complacent. There are also concerns about risk factors such as rising rates of unemployment and debt.
Rethink Mental Illness are very proud to be working across NW London to develop a multi-agency suicide prevention plan, rollout suicide awareness training for professionals and implement innovative projects and pilots for the local population. NW London has a diverse local population of over 2.4 million and there is much suicide prevention activity already underway. Our work will build on and co-ordinate this work as well as rolling out tailored co-produced awareness training for professionals and innovative projects and pilots for the local population.
Co-production is at the heart of this programme. Engaging and connecting with people who have personal experience around suicide – those who have experienced suicidal ideation, cared for someone or who has been bereaved by suicide – is essential. This will improve the quality of services and people’s experiences but may also be a part of the Expert by Experience’s recovery – feeling that something positive has come out of drawing on their experiences, talking with peers and that they have made a difference to other people in the future.
To lead this, we are currently recruiting two Co Production officers – who will, in turn, recruit 8 Expert By Experience Leaders. Our own Lived Experience Advisory Board are overseeing the process.
Reaching people who reflect the full diversity of the population will arguably be one of the biggest challenges. At Rethink Mental Illness we have approached this by developing a diversity matrix that helps to understand needs and perspectives across protected characteristics, underserved groups and high-risk factors.
Once we have identified the communities we need to reach we will harness the power of community listening– taking time to build relationships through co-produced one to one conversations, working with a diverse range of groups, including faith, grassroots and civil institutions. By building local relationships and listening to our communities and local leaders, we are better able to surface the deep issues affecting those suffering and enable them to become part of the solution and part of co-producing suicide prevention initiatives. We appreciate that it can be hard for smaller charities to be involved in projects due to capacity constraints and budget limitations. We are therefore planning to follow the successful model for Open Mental Health, who offer micro-grants to enable them to engage with the work.
When I discussed with the NWL Lived Experience Advisors how we should approach this project, they emphasised the importance of connection – between people, communities and services. This is particularly poignant at a time when so many have experienced isolation and separation from friends and family during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, many have also been recipients of extraordinary help from complete strangers within communities. We hope that our work in NW London will build on this community cohesion and support people to reconnect. Please do share ideas and comments on how we do this in the comments.
‘Unless you have real-life, visceral experience – lived experience – equally valued in shared considerations and decisions you will be missing a big part of the picture. When done properly co-production is genuinely transformative.”
- Samantha Holmes, Head of Co-Production Rethink Mental Illness.
'The benefits of co-production include better support, wellbeing for all involved (people with lived experience and professionals/staff), collaborative working and the power of the community. Being an Expert by Experience Advisor was life changing, using my own life experiences to implement new models of care and improve quality standards. Furthermore, it helped my self-esteem and increased my self-awareness. Service users and carers play an increasingly important role in a variety of activities. What is crucial in their involvement is to build a relationship where professionals and users/carers support each other on an equal basis and share a common goal where trust, respect and value are at the centre.'
- Vittoria De Meo. NWL Lived Experience Advisor.
NW London is committed to deliver the Long Term Plan commitments for suicide prevention and bereavement by developing and delivering a multi-agency suicide prevention plan and suicide bereavement services. In NW London we know that we have higher rates of suicide in some boroughs and communities than in others; the NW London Suicide Prevention activities will play a significant role in targeting at risk groups and reducing inequalities across communities.
- Annabel Crowe, GP and Clinical Lead – Mental Health Crisis Care, NW London CCG.
If you are struggling to cope, please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or contact other sources of support, such as those listed on the NHS's help for suicidal thoughts webpage. Support is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place for anyone struggling to cope, whoever they are, however they feel, whatever life has done to them.
If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact [email protected]. You may also be interested in hearing more about the National Suicide Prevention Alliance’s Lived Experience Network.
Further information
How to support someone with suicidal thoughts
Suicide is when someone ends their own life. This section looks at why someone might think about suicide and how you can help them. It also looks at support for you.
Read more How to support someone with suicidal thoughts
Responding to unusual behaviour
Unusual behaviour in a relative is often the hardest part of mental illness for people to understand, accept and cope with. There are lots of reasons why people do things. Not everything your relative does is because of their illness. | https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/blogs/2021/09/putting-coproduction-at-the-heart-of-our-suicide-prevention-services/ |
Floppy baby syndrome is the term that is commonly used to denote a medical condition called hypotonia. Read on to know more about the same.
Floppy baby syndrome is a condition, which is characterized by abnormal and reduced muscle tone, along with muscle weakness. It could be associated with diseases and disorders, that are congenital or acquired. The medical term for this condition is ‘hypotonia’, which is also known as benign congenital hypotonia, congenital hypotonia, myotonia congenita, infantile hypotonia and congenital muscle weakness. Usually, this condition is detected during the infancy itself, but, at present, there is no cure for floppy baby syndrome. Though this disorder is uncommon, most of the affected babies are found to be severely paralyzed and may even fail to survive.
Causes
Floppy baby syndrome or hypotonia is defined as a condition with reduced muscle tone and muscle weakness. It is usually associated with diseases and disorders that affect motor nerve control, thereby causing muscle weakness. The diseases and disorders associated with this syndrome could be either congenital or acquired. They may include autoimmune disorders, certain genetic conditions, infections, exposure to toxins, neurological problems and metabolic disorders. The following are some of the common causes of this condition.
- Down syndrome, Krabbe disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, Aicardi syndrome
- Myasthenia gravis, Kernicterus, Brain injury, Muscular dystrophy, Meningitis
- Hypothyroidism, Rett syndrome, Poliomyelitis, Rickets, Developmental dyspraxia
- Infant Botulism, Marfan’s syndrome, Spinal muscular atrophy, Metachromatic leukodystrophy
- Tay-Sachs disease, Sepsis, Canavan disease, Hypervitaminosis
Congenital genetic disorders are said to be the most common causes for this syndrome. It has been observed that this condition is mainly associated with Down syndrome. Even myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy are among the common causes for this syndrome. Sometimes, floppy baby syndrome exists along with the causal diseases, whereas in some other cases, the causal disease leads to this condition indirectly.
Symptoms
Babies with this condition resemble rag dolls, in the sense that they lack muscle strength. As you hold them, they feel loose in your hands and may even slip. While normal infants can be lifted by holding them under their armpits, this may prove difficult for babies with floppy baby syndrome. In such cases, the baby may slip out of your hold, as their arms raise upward due to muscle weakness. In short, such babies lack the required muscle strength to maintain a posture or hold on to something and usually exhibit uncontrolled head movements. The symptoms depend on the underlying cause, severity of the condition, age and the type of muscles affected. The following are some of the general symptoms of this condition.
- Lethargy, reduced muscle tone
- Poor or no head control
- Loose limbs, flexible joints
- Drooling, feeble cry
- Poor attention
- Difficulty feeding, poor reflexes
- Speech problems
- Decreased activities
- Developmental delay
The symptoms may vary from one patient to another, as per the severity and underlying cause. This condition is often detected during infancy and early diagnosis is found to be beneficial in treatment. Diagnosis is often done with tests like MRI scans, CT scan, electromyography, genetic tests and biopsy of muscles and/or nerves.
How is it Treated
Hypotonia treatment is decided as per the severity, cause and age of the affected person. In fact, there is no cure for this condition. The available treatments may either improve the muscle tone or enable the patient to cope up with the condition. However, in case of infants with conditions like cerebellar dysfunction or motor neuron diseases, floppy baby syndrome can worsen and may also become life-threatening. It is very difficult to zero in on the underlying cause. If it is detected, then, the treatment would be aimed at the cause. If the cause is not detected, then, symptomatic and supportive therapies are recommended.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy are prescribed for tackling this syndrome. It may happen that some parents fail to notice the symptoms of this condition in their newborn. So, it is always better to gain some knowledge about the normal reflexes of a baby. Monitor your newborn and if you notice anything abnormal, take the baby to the pediatrician, immediately. One of the important infantile reflexes is sucking the breast or bottle, while feeding. If the baby fails to do so, it could be a warning sign.
Latest Findings
Floppy baby syndrome is one such condition, which does not have a treatment that can guarantee complete cure. So, studies are still being conducted in this regard. Recently, a team of Australian researchers came up with a suggestion that the protein named heart actin may prove useful in treating this syndrome. Heart actin is nothing other than actin produced by the heart muscles, during the fetal stage.
Infants with this syndrome fail to produce another protein called actin, in their skeletal muscles. This protein (called actin) plays a key role in muscle contractions. Production of actin in the skeletal muscles is controlled by the gene named ACTA1. Those with this condition have a faulty version of this gene, and thus no actin is produced in their skeletal muscles.
While some newborns with floppy baby syndrome are completely paralyzed at birth, others are not. It has been revealed by these scientists that in latter cases, the skeletal muscles were found to have heart actin (there was no actin). In such babies, small amount of heart actin was found in the skeletal muscles, at the time of birth. Once the child is born, heart actin disappears from the skeletal muscles. So, it is the heart actin that is believed to function like actin, in skeletal muscles. So, it has been suggested that heart actin may help a lot in improving the condition of babies with this syndrome. This was proved right in animal studies.
Scientists used heart actin in lieu of missing skeletal actin, in mice. Normal muscle function was restored and the rodents lived a healthy life. Now, studies are underway to come up with medicines that can increase the rate of heart actin in human skeletal muscles, so that floppy baby syndrome can be treated effectively.
So, if you notice any such symptoms in your baby, take him/her to a pediatrician at the earliest to rule out the possibility of hypotonia.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice. Visiting your physician is the safest way to diagnose and treat any health condition. | https://healthhearty.com/floppy-baby-syndrome |
20th-century French literature is literature written in French from 1900 to 1999. For literature made after 1999, see the article Contemporary French literature. Many of the developments in French literature in this period parallel changes in the visual arts. For more on this, see French art of the 20th century.
French literature was profoundly shaped by the historical events of the century and was also shaped by—and a contributor to—the century's political, philosophical, moral, and artistic crises.
This period spans the last decades of the Third Republic (1871–1940) (including World War I), the period of World War II (the German occupation and the Vichy–1944), the provisional French government (1944–1946) the Fourth Republic (1946–1958) and the Fifth Republic (1959-). Important historical events for French literature include: the Dreyfus Affair; French colonialism and imperialism in Africa, the Far East (French Indochina) and the Pacific; the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962); the important growth of the French Communist Party; the rise of Fascism in Europe; the events of May 1968. For more on French history, see History of France.
Twentieth century French literature did not undergo an isolated development and reveals the influence of writers and genres from around the world, including Walt Whitman, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Franz Kafka, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Luigi Pirandello, the British and American detective novel, James Joyce, Jorge Luis Borges, Bertolt Brecht and many others. In turn, French literature has also had a radical impact on world literature.
Because of the creative spirit of the French literary and artistic movements at the beginning of the century, France gained the reputation as being the necessary destination for writers and artists. Important foreign writers who have lived and worked in France (especially Paris) in the twentieth century include: Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, William S. Burroughs, Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Julio Cortázar, Vladimir Nabokov, Edith Wharton and Eugène Ionesco. Some of the most important works of the century in French were written by foreign authors (Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett).
For Americans in the 1920s and 1930s (including the so-called "Lost Generation"), part of the fascination with France was also linked to freedom from Prohibition. For African-Americans in the twentieth century (such as James Baldwin), France was also more accepting of race and permitted greater freedom (in a similar way, Jazz was embraced by the French faster than in some areas in America). A similar sense of freedom from political oppression or from intolerance (such as anti-homosexual discrimination) has drawn other authors and writers to France. France has also been more permissive in terms of censorship, and many important foreign language novels were originally published in France while being banned in America: Joyce's Ulysses (published by Sylvia Beach in Paris, 1922), Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch (both published by Olympia Press), and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer (published by Obelisk Press).
The early years of the century (often called the "Belle époque") saw radical experiments in all genres and Symbolism and Naturalism underwent profound changes.
Alfred Jarry united symbolism with elements from marionette theater and a kind of proto-surrealism. The stage was further radicalised both in the direction of expressionism (the "théâtre de l'oeuvre" of Aurélien Lugné-Poe) and hyper-realism (the theater of André Antoine). The theater director Jacques Copeau emphasized training an actor to be a complete person and rejected the Italian stage for something closer to the Elizabethan model, and his vision would have a profound impact on the "Cartel" of the 1920s and 1930s (see below).
Guillaume Apollinaire radicalized the Baudelairian poetic exploration of modern life in evoking planes, the Eiffel Tower and urban wastelands, and he brought poetry into contact with cubism through his Calligrammes, a form of visual poetry. Inspired by Rimbaud, Paul Claudel used a form of free verse to explore his mystical conversion to Catholicism. Other poets from this period include: Paul Valéry, Max Jacob (a key member of the group around Apollinaire), Pierre Jean Jouve (a follower of Romain Rolland's "Unanism"), Valery Larbaud (a translator of Whitman and friend to Joyce), Victor Segalen (friend to Huysmans and Claudel), Léon-Paul Fargue (who studied with Stéphane Mallarmé and was close to Valéry and Larbaud).
In the novel, André Gide's early works, especially L'Immoraliste (1902), pursue the problems of freedom and sensuality that symbolism had posed; Alain-Fournier's novel Le Grand Meaulnes is a deeply felt portrait of a nostalgic past.
But radical experimentation was not appreciated by all literary and artistic circles in the early 20th century. Popular and bourgeois tastes were relatively conservative. The poetic dramas of Edmond Rostand, especially Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897, were immensely popular at the start of the 20th century, as too the "well-made" plays and bourgeois farces of Georges Feydeau. Anatole France, Maurice Barrès, Paul Bourget were leading authors of the period who employed fiction as a convenient vehicle for ideas about men and things. The tradition of the Balzac and Zola inspired roman-fleuve continued to exert a profound attraction, as in Romain Rolland's Jean-Christophe (1906–1912). Paul Léautaud (1872-1956) was the author of a highly original personal diary chronicling the life of the Parisian literary world in the first half of the 20th century in his monumental 13-volume "Journal Littéraire", considered to be "the greatest study of character ever written" by Mavis Gallant, and "more devastating in its truthfulness than the Confessions of Rousseau" by his biographer Dr James Harding.
Popular fiction and genre fiction at the start of the 20th century also included detective fiction, like the mysteries of the author and journalist Gaston Leroux who is credited with the first "locked-room puzzle" -- The Mystery of the Yellow Room, featuring the amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille (1908) -- and the immensely popular The Phantom of the Opera (1910). Maurice Leblanc also rose to prominence with the adventures of gentleman-thief Arsene Lupin, who has gained a popularity akin to Sherlock Holmes in the Anglophone world.
The First World War generated even more radical tendencies. The Dada movement—which began in a café in Switzerland in 1916—came to Paris in 1920, but by 1924 the writers around Paul Éluard, André Breton, Louis Aragon and Robert Desnos—heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud's notion of the unconscious—had modified dada provocation into Surrealism. In writing and in the visual arts, and by using automatic writing, creative games (like the cadavre exquis) and altered states (through alcohol and narcotics), the surrealists tried to reveal the workings of the unconscious mind. The group championed previous writers they saw as radical (Arthur Rimbaud, the Comte de Lautréamont, Baudelaire, Raymond Roussel) and promoted an anti-bourgeois philosophy (particularly with regards to sex and politics) which would later lead most of them to join the communist party. Other writers associated with surrealism include: Jean Cocteau, René Crevel, Jacques Prévert, Jules Supervielle, Benjamin Péret, Philippe Soupault, Pierre Reverdy, Antonin Artaud (who revolutionized theater), Henri Michaux and René Char. The surrealist movement would continue to be a major force in experimental writing and the international art world until the Second World War. The surrealists technique was particularly well suited for poetry and theater, although Breton, Aragon and Cocteau wrote longer prose works as well, such as Breton's novel Nadja.
The influence of surrealism will be of great importance on poets like Saint-John Perse or Edmond Jabès, for example. Others, such as Georges Bataille, created their own movement and group in reaction. The Swiss writer Blaise Cendrars was close to Apollinaire, Pierre Reverdy, Max Jacob and the artists Chagall and Léger, and his work has similarities with both surrealism and cubism.
In the first half of the century the genre of the novel also went through further changes. Louis-Ferdinand Céline's novels—such as Voyage au bout de la nuit (Journey to the End of Night) -- used an elliptical, oral, and slang-derived style to rail against the hypocrisies and moral lapses of his generation (his anti-semitic tracts in the 1940s, however, led to his condemnation for collaboration). Georges Bernanos's novels used other formal techniques (like the "journal form") to further psychological exploration. Psychological analysis was also central to François Mauriac's novels, although he would come to be seen by Sartre as representative of an outdated fatalism. Jules Romains's 27-volume novel Les Hommes de bonne volonté (1932–1946), Roger Martin du Gard's eight-part novel cycle The Thibaults (1922–1940), and Marcel Proust's seven-part masterpiece À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time, 1913–1927) expanded on the roman-fleuve model. André Gide continued to experiment with the novel, and his most sophisticated exploration of the limits of the traditional novel is found in The Counterfeiters, a novel ostensibly about a writer trying to write a novel.
Theater in the 1920s and 1930s went through further changes in a loose association of theaters (called the "Cartel") around the directors and producers Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, Gaston Baty and Ludmila and Georges Pitoëff. They produced works by the French writers Jean Giraudoux, Jules Romains, Jean Anouilh, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, and also of Greek and Shakespearean theater, and works by Luigi Pirandello, Anton Chekhov and George Bernard Shaw.Antonin Artaud 1896-1948 as a poet and playwright revolutions the concept of language, and changes the history and practice of theater.
In the late 1930s, the works of Hemingway, Faulkner and Dos Passos came to be translated into French, and their prose style had a profound impact on the work of writers like Jean-Paul Sartre, André Malraux and Albert Camus. Sartre, Camus, Malraux and Simone de Beauvoir (who is also famous as one of the forerunners of Feminist writing) are often called "existentialist writers", a reference to Sartre's philosophy of Existentialism (although Camus refused the title "existentialist"). Sartre's theater, novels and short stories often show individuals forced to confront their freedom or doomed for their refusal to act. Malraux's novels of Spain and China during the civil wars confront individual action with historical forces. Similar issues appear in the novels of Henri Troyat.
The 1930s and 1940s saw significant contributions by citizens of French colonies, as Albert Camus or Aimé Césaire, the latter whom created, along with Léopold Sédar Senghor and Léon Damas the literary review L'Étudiant Noir, which was a forerunner of the Négritude movement.
The 1950s and 1960s were highly turbulent times in France: despite a dynamic economy ("les trente glorieuses" or "30 Glorious Years"), the country was torn by their colonial heritage (Vietnam and Indochina, Algeria), by their collective sense of guilt from the Vichy Regime, by their desire for renewed national prestige (Gaullism), and by conservative social tendencies in education and industry. The works, positions and thinking of Albert Camus are also emblematic of a reckoning in the French intellectual circles of post World War II, signaling the moral imperative to distance from Communism.
Inspired by the theatrical experiments in the early half of the century and by the horrors of the war, the so-called avant-garde Parisian theater, "New Theater" or "Theatre of the Absurd" around the writers Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet, Arthur Adamov, Fernando Arrabal refused simple explanations and abandoned traditional characters, plots and staging. Other experiments in theatre involved decentralisation, regional theater, "popular theater" (designed to bring working classes to the theater), and theater heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht (largely unknown in France before 1954), and the productions of Arthur Adamov and Roger Planchon. The Avignon festival was started in 1947 by Jean Vilar who was also important in the creation of the T.N.P. or "Théâtre National Populaire."
The French novel from the 1950s on went through a similar experimentation in the group of writers published by "Les Éditions de Minuit", a French publisher; this "Nouveau roman" ("new novel"), associated with Alain Robbe-Grillet, Marguerite Duras, Robert Pinget, Michel Butor, Samuel Beckett, Nathalie Sarraute, Claude Simon, also abandoned traditional plot, voice, characters and psychology. To a certain degree, these developments closely paralleled changes in cinema in the same period (the Nouvelle Vague).
The writers Georges Perec, Raymond Queneau, Jacques Roubaud are associated with the creative movement Oulipo (founded in 1960) which uses elaborate mathematical strategies and constraints (such as lipograms and palindromes) as a means of triggering ideas and inspiration.
Poetry in the post-war period followed a number of interlinked paths, most notably deriving from surrealism (such as with the early work of René Char), or from philosophical and phenomenological concerns stemming from Heidegger, Friedrich Hölderlin, existentialism, the relationship between poetry and the visual arts, and Stéphane Mallarmé's notions of the limits of language. Another important influence was the German poet Paul Celan. Poets working within these philosophical/language concerns—especially concentrated around the review "L'Ephémère"—include Yves Bonnefoy, André du Bouchet, Jacques Dupin, Claude Esteban, Roger Giroux and Philippe Jaccottet. Many of these ideas were also key to the works of Maurice Blanchot. The unique poetry of Francis Ponge exerted a strong influence on a variety of writers (both phenomenologists and those from the group "Tel Quel"). The later poets Claude Royet-Journoud, Anne-Marie Albiach, Emmanuel Hocquard, and to a degree Jean Daive, describe a shift from Heidegger to Ludwig Wittgenstein and a reevaluation of Mallarmé's notion of fiction and theatricality; these poets were also influenced by certain English-language modern poets (such as Ezra Pound, Louis Zukofsky, William Carlos Williams, and George Oppen) along with certain American postmodern and avant garde poets loosely grouped around the language poetry movement (such as Michael Palmer, Keith Waldrop and Susan Howe; with her husband Keith Waldrop, Rosmarie Waldrop has a profound association with these poets, due in no small measure to her translations of Edmond Jabès and the prose of Paul Celan into English).
The events of May 1968 marked a watershed in the development of a radical ideology of revolutionary change in education, class, family and literature. In theater, the conception of "création collective" developed by Ariane Mnouchkine's Théâtre du Soleil refused division into writers, actors and producers: the goal was for total collaboration, for multiple points of view, for an elimination of separation between actors and the public, and for the audience to seek out their own truth.
The most important review of the post-1968 period -- Tel Quel—is associated with the writers Philippe Sollers, Julia Kristeva, Georges Bataille, the poets Marcelin Pleynet and, the critics Roland Barthes, Gérard Genette and the philosophers Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan.
Another post-1968 change was the birth of "Écriture féminine" promoted by the feminist Editions des Femmes, with new women writers as Chantal Chawaf, Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray ...
From the 1960s on, many of the most daring experiments in French literature have come from writers born in French overseas departments or former colonies. This Francophone literature includes the prize-winning novels of Tahar ben Jelloun (Morocco), Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique), Amin Maalouf (Lebanon) and Assia Djebar (Algeria). | https://everything.explained.today/20th-century_French_literature/ |
Transcriptomic Analysis of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Medicago truncatula Symbiosis Using Nitrogen Fixation-Deficient Nodules.
The bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti interacts symbiotically with legume plant hosts such as Medicago truncatula to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules. During symbiosis, plant and bacterial cells differentiate in a coordinated manner, resulting in specialized plant cells that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. Both plant and bacterial genes are required at each developmental stage of symbiosis. We analyzed gene expression in nodules formed by wild-type bacteria on six plant mutants with defects in nitrogen fixation. We observed differential expression of 482 S. meliloti genes with functions in cell envelope homeostasis, cell division, stress response, energy metabolism, and nitrogen fixation. We simultaneously analyzed gene expression in M. truncatula and observed differential regulation of host processes that may trigger bacteroid differentiation and control bacterial infection. Our analyses of developmentally arrested plant mutants indicate that plants use distinct means to control bacterial infection during early and late symbiotic stages.
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Species:
Frankia alni; Frankia sp.
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NCBI: Taxonomy Genome
Description and Significance
Frankia is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium that lives in the soil and has a symbiotic relationship with many plants.
"The actinomycete Frankia is of fundamental and ecological interests for several reasons including its wide distribution, its ability to fix nitrogen, differentiate into sporangium and vesicles (specialized cell for nitrogen-fixation), and to nodulate plants from about 24 genera."
Species of the Frankia Genus are Gram positive bacteria.Frankia sp. are filamentous nitrogen-fixing bacterium that grow by branching and tip extension and thus resemble the antibiotic-producing Streptomyces sp. . They live in the soil and have a symbiotic relationship with certain woody angiosperms, called actinorhizal plants. During growth, the Frankia sp. produce three cell types: sporangiospores, hyphae, and diazo-vesicles (spherical, thick walled, lipid-enveloped cellular structures). The diazo-vesicles are responsible for the supplying of sufficient Nitrogen to the host plant during symbiosis. Frankia supplies most or all of the host plant nitrogen needs without added nitrogen and thus can establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with host plants where nitrogen is the limiting factor in the growth of the host. Therefore, actinorhizal plants colonize and often prosper in soils that are low in combined nitrogen. Symbiosis of this kind adds a large proportion of new nitrogen to several ecosystems such as temperate forests, dry chaparral, sand dunes, mine wastes, & etc.
The Frankia alni ACN14a was first isolated in Tadoussac, Canada from a green alder (Alnus crispa). Except for Australia and Antarctica, Frankia alni can be isolated from soils on all continents. Frankia alni causes root hair deformation in a way that it enters the cortical cells and induces the nodule formations, which look like those induced by Rhizobium in legumes. Then, the nodules are colonized by vegetative hyphae (mycelium filaments) that differentiate into diazo-vesicles. Reductive nitrogen fixation takes place in the diazo-vesicles and this process is protected from molecular oxygen by many layers of tightly stacked hopanoid lipids.
Genome structure
The genome sequencing project of Frankia alni ACN14a was done at the Genoscope sequencing center and was completed on 03/08/2006. The genome of Frankia alni ACN14a contains a circular chromosome that is 7,497,934 necleotides long. It also cantains plasmids, but the amount was not clear based on my research. It has a high G-C content of 72.8% and contains 88% coding regions. The genome has 6,786 genes, comprising of 6,711 protein coding genes, 63 structural RNAs, and 12 pseudo genes.
Genome Structure
Genoscope, the CNRS, and University of Lyon began in October of 2003 on a Frankia squencing project. They are sequencing the Frankia alni ACN14a genome and compare it to other Actinobacteria. Their goal is to gain more knowledge on the mechanisms behind Frankia's symbiotic relationships. Currently there are three projects taking place at the DOE Joint Genome Institute, two are in the draft assembly stage and one is in progress. Frankia sp. Mbj2, Frankia sp. EAN1pec, Frankia sp. CcI3 are the three species (click on links to view infromation through NCBI).
Cell Structure and Metabolism
Frankia are Gram-positive, aerobic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The membranes of Frankia, as well as the membranes of some other bacteria like Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium, and Streptomyces, contain lipid components called hopanoids. Hopanoids, which are amphiphilic, pentacylic triterpenoid lipids, condense membrane lipids therefore stabilizing the membranes in a similar way to which sterols do in higher organisms. There are many structural variants of hopanoids like polyol- and glyco-derivatives that can be found within various bacteria; the specific functions of each hopanoid derivative have not been found. Some people hypothesize that hopanoids may have more refined functions than just membrane stabilizing. In Frankia specifically, membranes containing hopanoids surround vesicles called diazovesicles that contain nitrogenase, an oxygen-sensitive enzyme. While hopaniods thicken and stabilize the walls which help to keep oxygen away from the nitrogenase, some suggest that the hopanoids themselves play a more specific and molecular role in the oxygen protection mechanism of nitrogenase.
Frankia (both Frankia that lives in a symbiotic relationship with plants and free-living Frankia strains) secrete extracellular proteins that might be involved in processes like bacteriolysis, hydrolysis, and virulence. Some Frankia strains have been known to secrete extracellular cellulases, pectinases, and proteinases. It is not totally understood how these secretions impact Frankia's symbiotic systems, but they are being studied along with other common enzymes and proteins, like uptake hydrogenase, that are found in Frankia's symbiotic relationships.A hydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyses the reversible oxidation of molecular hydrogen (H2). Hydrogen uptake is also present in free-living Frankia.(Sellstedt).
Ecology
Organisms in symbiotic relationships with plant hosts are necessary for the health and survival of certain plants. They assist in creating and transporting certain root hormones, controlling pathogens and nematodes, root exploration, water retention, mineral uptake, and resource sharing. Frankia specifically fixes nitrogen in the air and produces molecules that other plants can use.
Frankia has symbiotic relationships with numerous dicot plants and is said to be responsible for 15% of the biologically fixed nitrogen in the world. One type of symbiotic relationship including plant, mycorrhiza, and Frankia is called a tripartite relationship and is a complex, multi-layered community of organisms that protect and support each other. Other symbiotic relationships include Frankia, one or multiple plants, and other bacteria. Frankia alni's specific role in these relationships is to infect the roots of plants: it deforms root hairs of its plant host by going into the cortical cells and causing the formation of nodules. Vegetative hyphae colonize the nodules and then differentiate into diazovesicles. (These structures can be seen on the bottom right-hand picture.) Diazovesicles are the thick-walled (containing hopanoids), spherical cells in which reductive nitrogen fixation occurs.
References
Genoscope: Frankia alni: A symbiotic nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium
Las Pilitas Nursery: Frankia is an actinomycete bacteria
Eberhard Karls University Tubingen: The Biosynthesis and Function of Hopanoid Lipids
Sellstedt, Anita: Regulation of efficiency in nitrogen fixation using Casuarina-Frankia symbioses as a model system. | https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Frankia |
conference have, over just a couple months, gotten single-celled yeast to grow into colonies that function as multicellular organisms. How the Heck:
First, to get populations of yeast that would be naturally inclined to stick together, the biologists made it hard for lone cells to survive. They suspended cells in tubes of liquid and then spun them in centrifuges, which caused clumped cells to sink to the bottom, while lighter, singleton cells stayed afloat. While floating cells were discarded, the sticky cells underwent the selection process again and again. The team developed 10 separate strains of sticky cells this way, which they spread on Petri dishes and watched grow.
Within 60 days, the cells had developed snowflake-shaped colonies whose reproduction resembled that of a multicellular organism: when a snowflake got large, part of it broke off and formed a new, smaller snowflake.
Furthermore, there were tantalizing signs of division of labor in the form of cell death, or apoptosis. When a snowflake grew large, some of its cells killed themselves to make a weak point where a smaller snowflake could break off. While part of a larger organism often sacrifices itself for the good of the whole (such cell death is a major theme of multicellular development, from fruit flies to humans), this isn't something single cells generally do.
The researchers showed that the size at which snowflakes started fragmenting this way changed according to how much evolutionary pressure they put on the colonies, indicating that evolution was occurring on the multicellular level. Selection, in other words, was having an effect on the whole snowflake, not just on individual cells.
The sticky cells in each of these snowflakes were genetically identical to each other---each cell had budded off from a mother cell, but had stuck around rather than setting off on its own. Since each colony was a mass of identical cells, it made evolutionary sense that they would cooperate for the good of the group.
What's the Context:
Multicellular life has evolved at least 20 times in the past---the first time may have been more than 2 billion years ago---and there are likely several different ways of achieving this state.
Understanding how it arose is one of the central problems in biology, and this work points to certain characteristics, like cell death, that might have been important in the early stages of multicellular life. Last year, geneticists working on a sponge genome identified more than a thousand genes that appear to make up the toolkit required for the jump, including genes for apoptosis, cell signaling, and telling self from other. | https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/yeast-can-evolve-into-multicellular-organisms-in-a-few-short-months |
The Rainbow Festival of Love and Wisdom!
Holi, the spring festival celebrated on the full-moon day as per the Hindu calendar in the month of Phalguna, which falls around March. The Chhoti Holi i.e Holika Dahan falls an evening before the Rangwali Holi. During Holika Dahan people come together and perform religious rituals and pray and also sing and dance in merriment in front of the bonfire. The next morning is the colourful morning where all young and old play delightfully with colours. Its a pleasurable time where family and friends also strangers are included in the celebrations of this festival of love by throwing coloured powders on each other, enjoying delicacies, music, food and drinks with lots of fun and laughter.
This festival is a reflection of the divine unconditional love of Radha for Krishna. The Holika Dahan is the significance of unconditional faith of Prahlada (Hiranyakashipu's son) in Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu took the Narasimha (Half Human and Half Lion) avatar to restore Dharma and to signify the victory of good over evil. There are many such beautiful stories associated with this festival of colours.
Holi is the mark of a new start, of seasons changing, for many the start of a new year. It's basically start of a new spirit.
Holi though being a Hindu festival is still cherished by and celebrated by non-Hindu's especially Newar Buddhists (Nepal), Sikhs, and the Mughals celebrated Holi too under the name Eid-e-gulabi or Aab-e-Pashi. Its a festival of unity in diversity.
The purpose that can be drawn from this festival is to enjoy each moment by being truly present, to cherish the beauty and grace of relationships by offering friendship and forgiveness, to believe in unconditional love and faith in the divine, to know that good always wins over evil if not immediately but definitely, to enjoy all colours of life, to be open to new beginnings, to celebrate spring, to acknowledge the fact that as seasons change so do we need to change with time, to enjoy the harvest of our hard work, to respect mother nature for all her blessings she has so freely bestowed upon us, to learn to laugh more, to celebrate the beauty and wisdom of all ages, to live vibrantly and finally to understand that a purpose driven life is not only honourable but also enjoyable at the same time. Its a harmony of colours, love and wisdom. Cherish it and Value it.
Name
Rohit Agrawal
Comment
color well penned
Date
06/05/2020
Reply
Thank you! | http://snowhiteaditi.com/blogs_detail.php?ids=188 |
Building a Solid Foundation for Understanding Seismic Waves
On April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake struck Northern California, killing an estimated 3000 people, leaving more than 200,000 people homeless, and sparking fires that leveled most buildings in San Francisco and other cities across the region. The earthquake spurred novel inquiry and analyses, which led to a new conception of seismic activity: the elastic rebound theory of Harry Fielding Reid. This theory was a crucial step forward in our modern ability to predict and prepare for earthquakes.
In this light, we see how even a tragic experience can be valuable — if we can learn from it. Since 1906, the feedback loop of experience, inquiry, and theory has helped put modern seismology on a sound scientific foundation. On this foundational understanding, we can build credible models for simulating seismic activity. And by enabling us to better prepare for future seismic events, past experience led to something positive for the present and future.
A computational model showing the propagation of seismic waves through Earth.
Let’s explore some of the layers of historical experience, inquiry, and theory that support our understanding of Earth’s seismic activity.
Experience: The California Earthquake of 1906
The 1906 earthquake was certainly not the first seismic event to strike a busy urban area, but it was effectively the first to be photographed and otherwise witnessed by the entire world. Panoramic images show the effects of the tremor and subsequent fires on San Francisco, then a city of 400,000; the largest in the Western United States.
Panoramic images show the devastation of San Francisco during and after the earthquake and subsequent fires. Top image by Pillsbury Picture Co. and in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Bottom image by Lester C. Guernsey and in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Beyond its horrific human cost, “the earthquake confounded contemporary geologists with its large, horizontal displacements and great rupture length,” notes the US Geological Survey. The recently invented seismograph provided a valuable record of how the earthquake’s energy dispersed across Earth. Its impact was recorded as far away as the University of Gottingen in Germany, as shown here:
Seismogram of 1906 California earthquake, as recorded at the University of Gottingen, 9100 km away. Image in public domain via US Geological Survey.
Inquiry: The Lawson Report of 1908
After a natural disaster, people naturally ask: Why did this happen, and how? For most of history, answers to questions like these would have been purely speculative. But by the early 20th century, the empirical study of earthquakes and other natural phenomena had made important progress. Beginning in the mid-1700s, after an earthquake in Portugal, observation of seismic activity became more objective and systematic. By 1906, well-established universities and observatories contributed more than 20 earth scientists to California’s inquiry into the event, known as the State Earthquake Investigation Commission. Its findings would be published in a 1908 report named for the team’s leader, geologist A.C. Lawson.
Two of the Lawson Report’s observations would prove especially significant:
- Buildings on soft ground sustained more damage than those built on bedrock
- The ground had clearly shifted in opposite directions along a visible seam, and not just at the epicenter of the earthquake near San Francisco
In fact, the seam was nearly 300 miles long, and the ground had moved dramatically on either side of what we now know as the San Andreas Fault.
A fence that crossed the San Andreas Fault was displaced more than 8 feet by the 1906 earthquake, creating the gap shown in the center of the photo. Public domain image via US Geological Survey.
The first finding hinted at how seismic energy propagates differently through different materials; the second would lead to the elastic rebound theory of Johns Hopkins University professor and Commission member Harry Fielding Reid.
Theory: Elastic Rebound, Plate Tectonics, and the Behavior of Seismic Waves
Harry Fielding Reid’s elastic rebound theory, which was first proposed in the 1908 Lawson Report and then formalized in a 1910 paper, gave us a new conception of what causes earthquakes. This conception is now so familiar that it may be hard to imagine how groundbreaking it once was (pun intended).
Harry Fielding Reid. Image by Charles Will Wright and in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
As noted above, the commission had compiled detailed observations of how the ground cracked on April 18. Were these cracks a cause of the earthquake, or an effect? It had long been assumed that fault lines were a result of seismic activity: The earthquake’s waves of energy had split solid ground. But what if the ground was not as solid as we had thought?
Reid’s theory, supported by photos and surveys of shifted ground, was that the exposed fault line was revealing the cause of the earthquake, not just its effect.
According to the US Geological Survey:
[The elastic rebound theory] describes how the earth’s crust gradually and elastically distorts with accumulating plate motion until it is suddenly returned to its undistorted state by rapid slip along a fault, releasing the years of accumulated strain and, in the process, generating seismic waves that produce shaking.
This explanation of the theory is from our time, not that of the Lawson Report. The clue that gives away its modernity is the phrase “accumulating plate motion.” For while Reid could articulate how earthquakes resulted from violent movement along fault lines, no one had yet conceived of faults as divisions between “plates” of rock that moved across the surface of Earth.
The modern theory of surface plate tectonics would not emerge until after decades of further inquiry. What lay beneath Earth’s crust was also mostly unknown, but soon another great theorist would help answer that question.
With the elastic rebound theory, Reid countered a common misunderstanding through careful extrapolation from empirical research. In 1936, Danish geophysicist and seismologist Inge Lehmann made a comparable leap forward by “finding” the solid core of Earth through her study of seismic wave behavior.
Inge Lehmann in 1932. Image by The Royal Library, National Library of Denmark and University of Copenhagen University Library and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Seismic waves can be categorized as:
- P-waves
- Also called primary or pressure waves
- First to be detected after an earthquake
- Can travel through gases, liquids, and solids
- S-waves
- Also called secondary or shear waves
- Travel more slowly, so they are detected after P-waves
- Oscillate perpendicular to their direction of travel, hence, “shear”
Most significantly for Inge Lehmann’s work, S-waves do not propagate through liquids with very low viscosity.
In the late 1920s, there was broad agreement that Earth’s solid crust and mantle surrounded an entirely liquid core. However, there were inconsistencies in the behavior of P-waves and S-waves that suggested otherwise. Lehmann’s investigation culminated in a 1936 paper titled “P.” In her paper, she proposed that discontinuities in the structure of Earth could explain the observed pattern of seismic wave activity.
How could wave activity on the surface tell Lehmann what’s at the center of Earth? Her careful study of seismographic records showed the presence of a P-wave shadow zone, which suggested the presence of Earth’s solid core.
Building on Seismology’s Foundation with Simulation
The hard-won lessons of scientific history help support further exploration. For instance, the Acoustics Module in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software incorporates our understanding of wave behavior. The Propagation of Seismic Waves Through Earth tutorial model visualizes the generation and propagation of the different pressure and shear waves across the inner structure of Earth. The model also captures all other type of elastic waves, such as surface and interfacial waves.
Watch this video, which is based on the geometry of the new model, to see how the p-wave shadow zone helps us “find” the solid core of Earth.
The model featured here uses a 2D axisymmetric formulation of the Elastic Waves, Time Explicit interface, as well as the Pressure Acoustics, Time Explicit formulation to analyze how seismic waves propagate through Earth.
The model can easily couple fluids and solids and implement depth-dependent material properties. It’s also a large model, solving for 17.2 million degrees of freedom!
Next Step
Download the Propagation of Seismic Waves Through Earth tutorial model to try it yourself via the button below (includes step-by-step instructions in the PDF documentation):
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Image by Reto Stöckli (land surface, shallow water, clouds). Enhancements by Robert Simmon (ocean color, compositing, 3D globes, animation). Data and technical support: MODIS Land Group; MODIS Science Data Support Team; MODIS Atmosphere Group; MODIS Ocean Group Additional data: USGS EROS Data Center (topography); USGS Terrestrial Remote Sensing Flagstaff Field Center (Antarctica); Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (city lights). | https://www.comsol.de/blogs/building-a-solid-foundation-for-understanding-seismic-waves?setlang=1 |
Trustonomy will be one of the speakers of the workshop “Ethical issues raised by driverless mobility” which will be held on 13 February 2020 at DG Research and Innovation (please note: the event is not public and accessible only under invitation).
This workshop is organized to support the ongoing work done by the Commission Expert Group on specific ethical issues raised by driverless mobility, which was set up earlier this year by the European Commission, and
to bring additional experts and stakeholders together to allow for interactive discussions and to foster a user-centered approach to these ethical recommendations.
The objective of this independent Expert Group is to stimulate a discussion at European level in order to provide practical support to relevant stakeholders, policymakers and designers in the safe and ethical transition to connected and automated mobility.
A final report including recommendations and possibly ethical guidelines for the development of driverless mobility in the EU is expected from the Expert Group in June 2020. | https://h2020-trustonomy.eu/ethical-issues-raised-by-driverless-mobility-trustonomy-at-the-workshop-from-dg-research-and-innovation/ |
In April, the journal JAMA Psychiatry published a study that was reported to be the first of its kind. The randomized clinical trial adapted an insomnia treatment program for Black women, which adjusted elements such as visual content so that participants felt better represented, and included discussion of how the unique experiences of Black women can contribute to their insomnia. The researchers found that a culturally tailored program was more effective at engaging participants — while still comparably improving their insomnia symptoms — than the untailored treatment.
While the study is new, the research touched on a long-discussed topic in the field of mental health: How should therapists adapt their approaches for people of different cultures, including for racial and ethnic minority groups?
Psychological research has historically skewed towards studying White people in Western societies, and practitioners shouldn’t assume that treatment and diagnosis tools designed for those populations will work for everyone. It’s important to make sure that underserved communities are not being left out from effective services. “Cultural adaptation” refers to preserving the essential components of evidence-based tools, while modifying certain aspects to increase engagement and relevance for the cultural group being served. Various factors, including language barriers, setting, race, ethnicity, country of origin, treatment goals, education level, and religious beliefs must all be considered.
Evidence suggests that cultural adaptation is effective. Yet, despite growing interest and awareness, it remains unclear the extent to which therapists are practicing cultural adaptation with their patients — and if they are, whether they’re doing so effectively.
The mental health field must make cultural adaptation a priority in both research and practice. Psychologists must build upon previous work to understand how best to adapt therapies, along with screening and diagnostic tools. They should also explore barriers to applying those therapies in clinical settings. Furthermore, there is a critical need for standardized frameworks so that culturally adapted interventions can be routinely and feasibly applied.
In the U.S., the American Psychiatric Association’s main resource on the topic specifies some guidelines, but is nearly 10 years old, lacks a referral to standardized tools and approaches to use for implementation, and it is unclear whether and how these are incorporated in practice. And while the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a resource that mental health professionals use to guide diagnoses, includes a Cultural Formulation Interview — questions that professionals use to make cultural assessments related to diagnosis and treatment — experts believe it is not used as much as it can be and still needs to be refined. Better guidance from organizations such as the APA would help practitioners and organizations become better trained and able to adapt therapies for different cultures.
Some institutions have embraced working and conducting research in culturally sensitive ways — and more should. Organizations like UNICEF and the World Health Organization are among those that have recognized the relationship between culture and health. For instance, UNICEF has developed cultural adaptations of screening tools to improve global measurements of adolescent mental health through the Measurement of Mental Health Among Adolescents at the Population Level (MMAP) initiative, a project which I’ve been fortunate to collaborate on. Even though mental health conditions are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, data on psychological conditions are limited in low- and middle-income countries, and few instruments are validated in these settings.
“You may completely misdiagnose the patient if you don’t understand the cultural variations,” said Shervin Shahnavaz, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at the Center for Psychiatry Research and Center for Education & Research at the Karolinska Institute.
It isn’t always obvious when a treatment or diagnostic tool needs to be adapted. Sometimes the need for adapting screening or treatment is clear, for instance, in the case of internally displaced people by the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria or refugees in humanitarian settings coming from unique, traumatic situations, who may face language barriers and have different cultural expressions and understandings of mental and psychological health.
Psychological research has historically skewed towards studying White people in Western societies, and practitioners shouldn’t assume that treatment and diagnosis tools designed for those populations will work for everyone.
Other times, the cultural disparities may be less obvious. For example, the insomnia study looked at an American population, but the treatment was adapted for Black women because they been historically underrepresented in research, display high rates of sleep problems, and have been previously shown to be less likely to initiate and continue treatment. According to Eric Zhou, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, while the study didn’t look at the exact reasons for the increased engagement, one main factor could be the treatment experience. Because the culturally adapted treatment used materials featuring Black women, it better reflected the study’s participants and may have made the program more relevant for them.
It might be the case that methods don’t need to adapt all that much — for instance, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which was used in the insomnia study, is known to be a flexible protocol according to Iony Ezawa, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California. Similarly, a validating approach — in which the therapist affirms that the patient’s experiences are understandable — could in fact be the most effective treatment for certain groups. After all, the therapeutic relationship is one of the best predictors of treatment outcomes. But without further research and better guidance, clinicians may be left with guessing best methods.
Furthermore, a study published in May explored whether a patient’s race affected how therapists provided CBT — a common and evidence-based treatment for depression. Ezawa and colleague Daniel Strunk, a professor of psychology at the Ohio State University, reported that therapists in the study found it less appropriate to use cognitive techniques typically employed in CBT when working with Black patients compared to White patients. While validation could be considered a form of adaptation, in that it’s culturally sensitive, it’s unclear if it is the most effective approach. As the study’s authors pointed out, “Whether such adaptations enhance or detract from the care of Black patients is an important issue that merits future investigation.” The field of psychology needs such studies, along with better guidance on how best to apply culturally adapted treatments.
Until then, embracing the practice of patient-centered care, is critical. Therapists must continue to be mindful and respectful of cultural differences. Everyone, regardless of their background deserves equitable mental health care.
Kasra Zarei is a freelance science journalist whose work has appeared in Slate and other outlets. He is a Ph.D. and M.D. student in global mental health. | https://undark.org/2022/09/08/culturally-adapting-therapy-can-help-but-needs-further-research/ |
1. Technical Field
2. Background
3. SUMMARY
5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
5.1. General Principle
5.2. First Embodiment
5.3. Second Embodiment
5.4. Third Embodiment
5.5. Fourth Embodiment
5.6. Device
The present disclosure relates to 3D modeling. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for constructing lighting environment representations of 3D scenes. The method can be applied in various Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR) applications for rendering 3D scenes.
In AR/MR applications, a scene is a location observed by a user through a rendering device such as a tablet or a glass-type HMD (Head-Mounted Display). The scene is illuminated by a set of light sources. It is necessary to model the lighting environment so as to address the AR/MR application for rendering the scene.
Various methods have been proposed for modeling 3D lighting environment of 3D scenes and constructing lighting environment representations of the scenes. Some of the known methods analyze a scene from a RGB camera and detect shadows in the scene from which light source positions are estimated. The quality of the lighting representation of the scene produced by these methods highly depends on the texture of the scene, and the position and intensity of the light sources in the scene. For example, when light sources are vertically above the scene, the shadows are so small that it becomes difficult to estimate the exact positions of the light sources by the shadows. Recently, it has been proposed a method for estimating the 3D locations of light sources based on detecting specular effects in the scene. This method is efficient but requires specular surfaces in the scene. The result of this method also highly depends on the motion of the camera around the scene, because the specular effect of some lights may not be detectable from some observing points. The lighting environment representations obtained by this method may therefore lose some light sources.
Another class of methods estimates the locations of light sources using light probes or fish-eye cameras placed in the 3D scene. The light probes can directly detect the locations of light sources. However, the use of light probe is costly and tedious for an inexperienced user. The fish-eye cameras can directly provide images representing the lighting environment (light sources) of the scene. In order to fit the resulting lighting environment representation to the world coordinate system (WCS) of the scene in an AR/MR application, it is necessary to compute the orientation of the camera. The estimation of the orientation of the camera can be made by asking the user to match points of the scene observed in both the lighting environment representation and an image of the scene taken by another camera posed with respect to the world coordinate system (WCS). Again, it is tedious and costly for an inexperienced user to assist in the estimation of the orientation of the camera. Besides, the fish-eye cameras may not be able to detect some light sources outside its angle of view or obstructed by some objects in a scene. The lighting environment map generated by this method may lose some light sources illuminating the scene.
In document WO 2008/063168 to Thomson Licensing (inventors A. B. Benitez, D.-Q. Zhang and J. A. Fancher), it is proposed to collect light readings, e.g. on a motion picture set, at different positions and times to build a light model for a predetermined physical space. The light readings can correspond to light sensors associated with light and position information, which can be obtained e.g. by sensors of one or more camera(s) placed at different positions inside the physical space. The light model represents the light distribution across space and/or time and can be used for visual effect compositing. It is suited to predicting or interpolating the lighting at intermediate or other positions and/or times for which no specific light readings were obtained.
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That solution can provide a way of determining the lighting at various locations and times. This can still be enhanced at a desired level of accuracy and of realism by increasing the number of sensors and optimizing the sensor locations given some lighting conditions (see page , lines -) and/or by exploiting autonomous robots equipped with light sensors so as to cover better the target space including occluded areas (page , lines -).
Anyway, that technology can prove relatively complex and computationally demanding in several situations, depending on the distribution of the light sources.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method for constructing lighting environment representations of 3D scenes in a convenient and less costly way. It is also desirable to construct a more complete lighting environment map without losing some light sources.
The present disclosure makes it possible to construct a more complete lighting environment representation of a 3D scene in a convenient and less costly way.
obtaining, from at least one first device, data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
obtaining, from at least one second device, data representative of at least one second image of the 3D scene, the second image(s) containing at least one light source illuminating the 3D scene and being taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
merging a first lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one first image and a second lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one second image and including that/those light source(s) into the synthesis lighting environment representation.
More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation of a 3D scene. The method comprises:
By a “3D scene”, it is meant a content of a spatially limited area to be visually represented, for example for AR or MR applications. The 3D scene can therefore have any shape, including for example a hemispherical or a parallelepiped form.
The 3D scene can contain all, parts or none of light sources illuminating that 3D scene. In this respect, the light source(s) contained in the second image(s), which are part of those light sources, can themselves be contained in the 3D scene or not. Also, they can include all or part of the light sources illuminating the 3D scene.
That 3D scene is advantageously an observed scene in which an AR or MR application takes place. Such an application can be carried out either on the first images obtained with the first device, or on images obtained with another device observing the 3D scene.
The second image(s) contain(s) advantageously at least two light sources illuminating the 3D scene.
Combining the outside originating image data with the inside originating image data as defined above can potentially provide a very powerful and flexible tool in constructing the synthesis lighting environment representation of the 3D scene, which can be possibly suited to any kind of lighting and of scene. It can further leverage the advantages of existing technologies specifically directed to either outside image capture or inside image capture. In addition, given the potential efficiency of that solution, simple versions of inside and outside image captures can be exploited while possibly yielding high-precision results.
In spite of the apparent simplicity of the present solution, a skilled person failing an imaginative capacity would not have designed it, and would have even turned it down if a related idea had been proposed. This is due to the very different conceptual categories and processing operations of lighting representations associated with images obtained from inside the scene on one hand, and from outside the scene on the other hand, as developed typically in the above mentioned prior art. In fact, overcoming the drawbacks of the existing methods and enhancing the related technologies was so far developed within each of those categories, leading to continual respective enhancements, but without considering the potentialities offered by the joined exploitation of both categories as presently disclosed.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the first device(s) and at least one of the second device(s) are at least one same and unique device successively arranged in locations chosen among the location(s) outside the 3D scene and the location(s) inside the 3D scene. Advantageously, one of the devices or the unique device is thus exploited for capturing the images successively both inside and outside the 3D scene (in either order).
obtaining the filming position(s),
generating the first lighting environment representation centered on the filming position(s) from the first image(s); and
generating the second lighting environment representation centered on the filming position(s) from the second image(s).
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises:
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the filming position(s) comprises deriving the filming position(s) from recognizing the first and/or second device position(s) on the second image(s) and/or on the first image(s) respectively.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises deriving the first lighting environment representation from shadows and/or specularities on the first image(s).
In alternative implementations, which can be combined with the previous ones in any way, the first lighting environment representation is obtained by exploiting colors and/or direct light source identification (insofar as some of the light sources illuminating the 3D scene are contained therein and visible on the first image(s)).
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises obtaining the data representative of at least one of the second image(s) as corresponding to a wide range of view (for example associated with a wide-angle camera of a mobile device, or with a cheap wide-angle lens placed on a camera of a mobile device, or with a fixed fish-eye camera).
In alternative implementations, which can be combined with the previous ones, the method comprises obtaining the data representative of at least one of the second image(s) as corresponding to a limited range of view. For example, part or all of the second images can be obtained by such cameras positioned inside the 3D scene and directed to known light source directions. The use of two or more such cameras makes possible a broad coverage of the lighting sources, which can further be e.g. completed by a camera having a wide range of view.
For example, a camera having a wide range of view is arranged at a center of the 3D scene, while one or more further camera(s) having a limited range of view are targeting light source directions not easily accessible from the center of the 3D scene.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the 3D scene has a center and the first lighting environment representation is centered at the center of the 3D scene.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the synthesis lighting environment representation, the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation are environment maps.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the environment maps is a grayscale image.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the merging comprises rotationally matching the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the merging comprises translationally matching the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the merging is based on correlations between the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the merging comprises combining at least one light source (advantageously at least two light sources) of the first lighting environment representation with the light source(s) of the second lighting environment representation.
The present disclosure also relates to a method for rendering an Augmented Reality or a Mixed Reality scene. The Augmented Reality or Mixed Reality scene is generated using a synthesis lighting environment representation constructed by any of preceding methods for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation of a 3D scene.
receive data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
receive data representative at least one second image of the 3D scene, the second image(s) containing at least one light source illuminating the 3D scene and being taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
merge a first lighting environment representation derived from the data representative of the first image(s) and a second lighting environment representation derived from the data representative of the second image(s) and including that/those light source(s) into the synthesis lighting environment representation.
According to the present disclosure, there is provided a device for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation of a 3D scene, comprising at least one processor configured to construct a synthesis lighting environment representation. The at least one processor is configured to:
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one processor is configured to carry out any of preceding methods for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation.
receiving data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
receiving data representative at least one second image of the 3D scene, the second image(s) containing at least one light source illuminating the 3D scene and being taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
merging a first lighting environment representation derived from the data representative of the first image(s) and a second lighting environment representation derived from the data representative of the second image(s) and including that/those light source(s) into the synthesis lighting environment representation.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation of a 3D scene, comprises means for:
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the device for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation comprises means for carrying out any of preceding methods for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation.
According to the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product, comprising program code instructions for performing any of the preceding methods for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation, when the program is executed by a processor.
According to the present disclosure, there is also provided a non-transitory computer storage medium containing the computer program product.
In the present disclosure, the term “lighting environment representation” designates a representation of locations of light sources of a 3D scene. It can also comprise additional information, such as the intensity, color, size and/or shape of the light sources. The lighting environment representation can be stored in any form of data structure. For example, it can be a 2D or 3D environment map on which the 2D or 3D locations of the light sources are recorded. A 2D environment map can be an image (colored or grayscale) in which the locations of the light sources are highlighted according to the intensity and the size of the light sources. A grayscale image can contain essential information of lighting environment (direction, size and intensity of light sources) while it is easy to be processed and requires less memory for storage.
FIG. 1
The present disclosure proposes a method for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation that combines a method based on processing images of the scene taken from outside the scene and a method based on the direct observation of the lighting environment inside the scene. The general principal of the proposed method lies in the merging of a first lighting environment representation derived from data representative of at least one first image taken from at least one position outside the scene by a first device and a second lighting environment representation derived from data representative of at least one second image taken from at least one position inside the scene by a second device, into a synthesis lighting environment representation. The second device can be a camera with a wide range of view (for example, a wide-angle camera of a mobile device or a camera of a mobile device with a cheap wide-angle lens placed on it). The resulting camera can provide at least one image of the environment including light sources of the scene. The first device can also be a camera or any electronic device that comprises a camera. The first and second device can be a same and unique device. In this case, the device can be positioned outside the scene for capturing at least one first image at a first period of time and positioned inside the scene for capturing at least one second image at a second period of time. The proposed method is disclosed in view of .
FIG. 1
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illustrates a 3D scene of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. The 3D scene is illuminated by three light sources L, L, L. Objects O, O are disposed in the 3D scene and create some shadows due to the light sources L and L. Light source L is located vertically above the scene and far from the scene. In consequence, there is no obvious shadow created in the scene by light source L. A second device A is positioned at a filming position inside the scene. The filming position can be preferably situated at the center of the scene. A first device B is positioned outside the scene. The first device B can be a moving video camera that captures images of the scene at different locations outside the scene. The first device B can capture images while moving along a circular orbit whose center coincides with the center of the scene. The second device A can be a wide-angle camera and can capture at least one image of the scene from the filming position inside the scene.
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receiving (), from at least one first device, data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
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receiving (), from at least one second device, data representative of at least one second image of the 3D scene taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
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merging () a first lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one first image and a second lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one second image into said synthesis lighting environment representation.
More specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment, the method comprises:
The first lighting environment representations can be derived from data representative of the images taken by the at least one first device. The data representative of the images can be directly or indirectly (by additional processing) derived from the images. In an exemplary embodiment, the step of generating the first lighting environment representation comprises estimating lighting from shadow and/or specularities detected in the images taken by the at least one first device. The first lighting environment representation can be presented in any form, such as a hemispherical, cubic, 2D or 3D lighting environment map (e.g. set of 3D point lights). The first lighting environment representation in hemispherical, 2D and 3D forms is detailed below in three embodiments of the disclosure.
The second lighting environment representations can be derived from the images taken by the at least one second device positioned in the 3D scene. The second lighting environment representation can also be presented in forms differing from the first lighting environment representation. A 2D lighting environment representation can be directly derived from at least one image taken by one second device positioned inside the scene. Indeed, each image captured by the second device contains the light sources in the view range of the second device. It is therefore not necessary to specifically create a 2D lighting environment representation. If there are at least two cameras positioned in the scene, a 3D lighting environment representation can be generated from at least two images taken respectively by the two second devices positioned in the scene. A hemispherical lighting environment representation can also be generated by projecting the 2D or 3D lighting environment representation onto a hemisphere.
rotationally and/or translationally matching the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation; and
combining light sources of the first lighting environment representation with light sources of the second lighting environment representation, delivering the synthesis lighting environment representation.
The merging step may further comprise:
The orientations of the first lighting environment representation and the second lighting environment representation are important for merging the two environment representations. If the two environment representations have different orientations, the quality of the resulting synthesis lighting environment representation would be affected. This problem can be avoided by asking the user to make the acquisition of the images with caution. For example, a particular 2D marker is placed in the scene and used to define the world coordinate system (WCS) having a coordinate system (x, y, z). Then, the camera placed inside the scene is oriented by the user with respect to the marker so that it allows an easier correspondence between image axes and the axes of the WCS.
The first lighting environment map can be registered with respect to the second lighting environment map. This can improve the quality (accuracy) of the synthesis lighting environment map. More specifically, the first lighting environment representation can be preprocessed to detect highlights (light sources) and both environment maps can have a binary representation to allow comparison and computation of a correlation or matching error. The 3D registration can be limited to the estimation of a 3D rotation (no translation estimated) if either the two maps are described with respect to close (if not same) coordinate systems in the scene or the light sources are so far from the scene that distance between the two coordinate systems has a weak effect. The searched rotation can be estimated by rotating the second lighting environment representation around its center point with a preset of rotations, computing correlation and identifying the one corresponding to the maximal correlation. The searched rotation is 3D in the general case, but if the two coordinate systems share a common plane (e.g. xy plane) the searched rotation is limited to one angle ϕ around the normal to the plane (z-axis). A gradient descent algorithm or other iterative method can be used to refine the rotation.
The translational matching of the first and second lighting environment map may be important if the two lighting environment maps are not centered on a same point. The translation can be made using the filming position as a reference point in the two lighting environment maps if easily identified in the images captured by the second device. Otherwise, a preset of translation vectors is introduced in the registration process. The translation is 3D in the general case, but can be limited to 2D if the two coordinate systems share a common plane (e.g. xy plane). The registration process consists then in searching rotation and translation that allow the best fitting between the two lighting environment representations. The various positions take into account the fact that the position of the second device in the scene is not known. The translational matching is optional since the two lighting environment maps are already centered on the filming position.
Thus, the synthesis lighting environment representation combines the lighting information (information of light sources) of at least two (a first and a second) lighting environment representations. It is therefore more complete and more reliable than any of the first and second lighting environment representation. Besides, the method uses images taken from inside and outside the scene for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation. The first and second devices taking the images can be conventional cameras (camera of a tablet or a smartphone). It is not necessary to use special and costly equipment, or tedious operations such as based on light probes as used in the prior art for constructing a lighting environment representation.
The method according to the present disclosure takes advantage of lighting environment representations derived from images taken from locations inside and outside of a 3D scene, and provides wide lighting environment representations of the 3D scene from various cues plus additional useful information issued from these various cues (surface reflectance, attenuation etc.) for AR/MR applications, without requiring complex or specific equipment nor tedious handling. In fact, using multiple complementary cues avoids a complex acquisition set-up.
The synthesis lighting representation can be constructed off-line before its use in an AR or MR application (in particular if only one device is used for capturing images outside and inside the scene). Alternatively, it can be constructed online, i.e. together with the AR/MR application. In this case, the electronic device (for example, a HMD, a tablet or a computer) on which the AR/MR application runs must be powerful enough for both updating the synthesis lighting environment representation and processing the MR/AR scenario. Furthermore, both processing modules can work at different frequencies, and in any case, a previously constructed (i.e. computed earlier) synthesis lighting environment representation can be considered in a current MR/AR scene. An advantage of considering both processing operations simultaneously is that this mode can take into account the possible variations of lighting during the MR/AR application (at least the lighting environment representation observed by the second device(s) only).
The first and the second devices can be two distinct cameras (or two distinct devices comprising respectively a camera) respectively positioned inside and outside the scene: the at least one image taken by the first device B therefore comprises the second device A, since the second device A is positioned in the scene while the first device B is taking the images. The at least one image taken by the first device B can be processed to detect the filming position (of the second device A) in the scene. This can be carried out for example via stereovision (at least two images of the scene are captured from the first device B at distinct viewpoints or from depth data if the first device B comprises an RGB-D sensor (“D” for depth). This 3D location estimation requires identifying the camera of device A in the image(s), which can be done via recognition.
obtaining the filming position (of the second device A),
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generating () the first lighting environment representation centered on the filming position from data representative of the at least one first image; and
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generating () the second lighting environment representation centered on the filming position from data representative of the at least one second image.
The method for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation can therefore comprise:
As the filming position (3D position) is recovered, the first lighting environment map can be generated with respect to the filming position (centered on the filming position). The filming position of the second device A inside the scene can also be obtained by matching images captured by the two devices A and B. In fact, as the geometric model of the 3D scene is available, by matching such two images, the filming position of the second device A and the location of the first device B in a same reference system (world coordinate system—WCS) can be estimated. The two solutions for obtaining information on the filming position can be combined so as to get a better estimation. The filming position can therefore be derived from existing images taken from positions outside and/or inside the scene. In other words, the step of obtaining the filming position of the second device A may comprise deriving that filming position from recognizing the at least one second device position from the at least one first image.
It is therefore not necessary to take additional images or use special devices, such as RGB-D sensor or distance meter, for detecting the filming position. A first and a second lighting environment representations centered on the filing position can then be generated from the information on the filming position.
In the following, three embodiments are more specifically presented. The three embodiments are based on the previous explanations. The first device B and the second device A are respectively presented as a camera B and a camera A. Some specific characteristics are described as a function of the way the lightning environment representations are generated. The specific characteristics of a first embodiment can be integrated into a second embodiment for delivering a new embodiment which comprises the characteristics extracted from the first embodiment.
In this first embodiment, the first, the second and the synthesis lighting environment representations are presented in form of hemispherical lighting environment maps. The main steps are globally the same as the ones previously presented.
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estimating lighting from shadows and/or specularities detected in the images taken by camera B; and
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creating a first hemispherical lighting environment map (Rep H) by projecting the estimated 3D light sources on a hemisphere.
In this embodiment, the step of generating the first lighting environment map comprises:
The lighting designates 3D locations and other information (intensity, size, color etc.) of the light sources. The representation of the light sources depends on the method used to detect them and is often point-based or area-based. For example, the shadow-based method generally provides sets of point lights. As to specularity-based methods, they provide either point lights if 3D position is estimated, or patches in a hemispherical map if the specular effects such as highlights in the scene are interpreted e.g. as mirror reflections of the lighting.
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The location of the camera B at the moment of taking each image is recorded together with the images or in a separated file. Therefore, the viewpoints (with respects to the WCS) by which the images were captured are known. The WCS can for example be attached to a particular feature visible and detected in at least one image of the scene. It can also be attached to the filming position of the camera A in the scene if it is known. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the WCS is attached to the filming position of the camera A that is roughly placed at the center of the scene. Therefore, the 3D locations or directions of the identified light sources can be expressed with respect to the WCS as shown in . It can be seen that only light sources L and L are identified. Light source L is not identified because no obvious shadow or specular effect is created by this light source due to its special location vertically above the scene.
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From the 3D locations of the identified light sources, a hemispherical lighting environment map (Rep H) can be created by projecting the estimated 3D light sources to a hemisphere. Land Lon the hemisphere are light sources projected on the hemispherical environment map (Rep H) as shown on . The hemispherical lighting environment map is centered at the filming position of camera A. Land Lin the hemispherical lighting environment map can also be projected to a 2D plane (2D lighting environment map) as shown by Land L. The 2D lighting environment map will be discussed in the second embodiment.
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creating a two dimensional lighting environment map (Rep 2D) from at least one image captured by the camera A; and
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creating a second hemispherical lighting environment map (Rep H) from the 2D lighting environment map.
The second hemispherical lighting environment map can be derived from the images taken by camera A positioned inside the scene as shown in . In this embodiment, the step of generating the second lighting environment map comprises:
The image captured by the camera can itself constitute the second environment map of the light sources—this is a common representation mode of the hemispherical map. That image can also be transformed by the selection of pixels having an intensity exceeding a threshold, in which case the light sources are generally represented as strong intensity patches in that map. Alternatively, the image can be transformed by reducing such patches to punctual light sources having an intensity and a position induced from patch specificities. If such a patch is expanded, it can then be segmented and represented by several point-based light sources.
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is a sketch of a two dimensional lighting environment map created from at least one image captured by camera A. It can be seen that only light sources Land Lcorresponding to light sources L and L are identified in the 2D lighting environment map, because the location of light L is close to the horizontal plan of the scene. It is difficult for camera A with a limited angle of view to capture light source L which is outside of the angle of view of camera A. Another possible reason is that some objects (object O for example) may have obstructed the view of camera A. By projecting the light sources Land Lto a hemisphere, a hemispherical lighting map (Rep H) is generated as shown in .
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In this embodiment, in the step of merging , the first hemispherical lighting environment map Rep H(shown in ) and the second hemispherical lighting environment map Rep H(shown in ) are merged into a synthesis hemispherical lighting environment map.
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The step of merging comprises combining light sources of the first hemispherical lighting environment map and light sources of the second hemispherical lighting environment map. A synthesis hemispherical lighting environment map SYT Has shown in can be obtained by the step of combining. It can be seen that the synthesis hemispherical lighting environment map SYT His more complete, since it comprises all the three lighting sources (L, L, L) while each of Rep Hand Rep Hcomprises only two of the three light sources.
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For a light source (L) present in a same zone of a predetermined size in both Rep Hand Rep H, the combining step will add one light source in the synthesis lighting environment map in the zone. The coordinates of this light source can be computed by averaging the coordinates of the light source Lin Rep Hand Rep H. For example, in the synthesis hemispherical environment map, the coordinates of light source Lcan be represented as (θ, φ) in which θrepresents polar angle and φrepresents azimuthal angle,
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>θ</mi><mi>S</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>θ</mi><mi>A</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>θ</mi><mi>B</mi></msub></mrow><mn>2</mn></mfrac></mrow><mo>,</mo><mrow><msub><mi>θ</mi><mi>S</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mrow><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>ϕ</mi><mi>A</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>ϕ</mi><mi>B</mi></msub></mrow><mn>2</mn></mfrac><mo>.</mo></mrow></mrow></mrow></math>
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(θ, φ) and (θ, ψ) represent respectively the coordinates of Lin Rep Hand Rep H. The radial distance is not mentioned, since it is constant in the hemispherical environment map (all the light sources are on the hemisphere). It should be noted that the coordinates of the light source in the synthesis environment map can also be obtained by directly selecting the coordinates of this light source in the first or the second environment map in which the light source has a higher intensity value.
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The intensity of light source Lin SYT Hcan also be obtained by averaging the intensity of this light source in Rep Hand Rep H. Alternatively, the intensity of light source Lcan be obtained by taking the maximum value of this light source in Rep Hand Rep H.
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For a light source (Lor L) that is present only in one of the two environment maps (Rep Hand Rep H), its coordinates and intensity in the SYT Hcan be the same as its coordinates and intensity in the environment that contains it.
In the present disclosure, a light source is simplified as a point in the environment map, in order to simplify the presentation of the general principles. The skilled person can also model the shape and size of light sources in lighting environment representations so as to get precise representation of the light sources.
In the first embodiment, the lighting environment representation is presented in the form of hemispherical lighting environment maps. The skilled person can use any other possible lighting environment map (for example, a cubic environment map) for representing the lighting environment of the scene. The features disclosed in the first embodiment can also be applied in the other embodiments of the disclosure. If necessary, the skilled person can obviously modify these features so as to make them adapted to other types of environment representations.
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In the second embodiment, the 3D scene is identical to that of the first embodiment as shown in . The first and the second lighting environment representations as well as the synthesis lighting environment representation are 2D environment maps in the second embodiment.
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More specifically, a first 2D lighting environment map (Rep 2D) is generated from data representative of at least one image taken from a position (by camera B) outside the scene and a second 2D lighting environment map (Rep 2D) is generated from the received data representative of at least one image taken from a position (by camera A) inside the scene.
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The first 2D lighting representation can be generated by projecting lighting sources Land Lin the hemispherical environment map Rep Hto a 2D plane (2D map) as shown in and explained in the first embodiment.
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FIGS. 6and 6
show the projection of a point in a hemispherical environment map to a 2D environment map. A point P (R, θ, φ) in a hemispherical environment map (θ represents polar angle and φ represents azimuthal angle, R is the radius of the hemisphere) can be projected to a 2D environment map using the following equations:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mo> </mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mtable><mtr><mtd><mrow><mi>u</mi><mo>=</mo><mrow><mrow><mi>r</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>cos</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mi>θ</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>cos</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mi>ϕ</mi></mrow><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>u</mi><mn>0</mn></msub></mrow></mrow></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd><mrow><mi>v</mi><mo>=</mo><mrow><mrow><mi>R</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>cos</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mi>θ</mi><mo>×</mo><mi>sin</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mi>ϕ</mi></mrow><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>v</mi><mn>0</mn></msub></mrow></mrow></mtd></mtr></mtable></mrow></mrow></math>
0
0
0
0
FIG. 8
In the above equations, (u,v) is the coordinates of the point P projected into the 2D environment map. The coordinates (u, v) correspond to the center of the hemispherical environment map in the 2D environment map. When the hemispherical environment map is centered at the filming point of camera A, the coordinate origin of the hemispherical environment map coincides with the coordinate origin of the 2D environment map (u=v=0). By implementing the projection, the first 2D lighting environment map is obtained as shown in .
FIG. 3
The second 2D lighting environment map can be generated directly from at least one image taken by camera A inside the scene. Indeed, the images captured by camera A inside the scene comprise light sources in the 2D plane of the images. The second 2D lighting environment shown in has been explained in detail in the first embodiment.
FIG. 7
FIG. 3
FIG. 8
By merging the first 2D lighting environment map shown in and the second 2D lighting environment shown in , a synthesis 2D lighting environment map is obtained as shown in .
1
2D
The step of merging in the second embodiment is essentially the same as the step of merging disclosed in the first embodiment, except for the fact that the coordinates of light sources are cartesian in the second embodiment. Light source Lappears in both the first and the second 2D lighting environment maps. Its coordinates (u, v) in the synthesis lighting environment map can be obtained by the following equation:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mi>u</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>v</mi></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>=</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>u</mi><mi>A</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>u</mi><mi>b</mi></msub></mrow><mn>2</mn></mfrac><mo>,</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>v</mi><mi>A</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>v</mi><mi>B</mi></msub></mrow><mn>2</mn></mfrac></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math>
A
A
B
B
2D
2D
1
1
In the above equation, (u,v) and (u,v) represent the coordinates of light source Lrespectively in the second and the first 2D lighting environment map. It should be noted that the coordinates of the light source Lin the synthesis environment map can also be obtained by directly selecting the coordinates of this light source in the first or second environment map in which the light source has a higher intensity value.
1
1
1
2D
AB
A
B
H
AB
A
B
2D
A
B
The intensity of light source Lin SYT 2Dcan also be obtained by averaging the intensity of this light source in Rep 2Dand Rep 2D. Alternatively, the intensity of light source Lin SYT 2Dcan also be obtained by averaging the intensity of this light source in Rep Hand Rep H. Alternatively, the intensity of light source Lcan be obtained by selecting the maximum value of this light source in Rep 2 Dand Rep 2D.
2
3
2D
2D
A
B
AB
For a light source (Lor L) that is present only in one of the two environment maps (Rep 2 Dand Rep 2D), its coordinates and intensity in SYT 2Dcan be the same as its coordinates and intensity in the environment map that contains it.
The use of 2D environment maps is particularly adapted in the following context. On one hand, the image captured by the “inner” camera (camera A) can itself constitute the second environment map of the light sources. That image can also be transformed by the selection of pixels having an intensity exceeding a threshold, in which case the light sources are generally represented as strong intensity patches in that map. On the other hand, in the context of specularity-based analysis, images of camera B can be processed to detect highlights in the surfaces, these highlights are interpreted as ‘mirror’ reflections of lights on specular surfaces. From these reflections, bundles of 3D vectors that indicate the directions of lights can be derived. These data can be naturally represented in a hemispherical map or a 2D environment map. This map can thus contain patches of pixels corresponding to area lights as in the first map. Then these two environment maps can be merged as described previously on a pixel basis.
FIG. 9
illustrates a 3D scene and principle steps of a method for constructing a synthesis 3D environment map according to a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the first, second and synthesis lighting environment representations are extended to three-dimensional level.
B
B
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
1
3
By analyzing (processing) the images taken from outside the scene by camera B, 3D position estimates of light sources of the scene can be obtained. A first 3D lighting environment map (Rep 3D) can be generated from data representative of images taken from outside the scene. The generation of the 3D lighting environment map Rep 3Dhas already been discussed in the first embodiment with . As shown in , 3D positions of light sources L and L are present in a 3D lighting environment map.
1
2
1
2
A
In the first and second embodiments, the at least one second image is obtained by camera A placed in a filming position in the scene. In the third embodiment, two “inner” cameras A and A are placed in the scene. The two “inner” cameras observe the lighting environment of the scene from two distinct positions inside the scene. Using stereovision techniques, the images are matched and a 3D lighting representation can be built. A second 3D lighting environment map Rep 3Dis therefore generated from the received data representative of at least one image taken by a first inner camera A and at least one image taken by a second inner camera A.
1
2
1
2
The first and second 3D lighting environment maps can then be merged into a synthesis 3D lighting environment map. To help the stereovision and the merging of the 3D environment maps, the two inner cameras A and A can be detected from the outside camera B. The 3D positions of the two inner cameras A and A can be estimated from at least two images taken by the outside camera B from distinct viewpoints.
1
2
The two distinct 3D environment maps can be described with respect to the WCS that is chosen to correspond to the filming position of one of the two cameras A or A. As already explained, the two 3D environment maps (“outer” and “inner”) have to be registered (via 2D or 3D rotation) before fusion.
1
2
1
2
A
B
In the third embodiment, an “outer” camera B and two “inner” cameras A and A, (three in total) are used. Alternatively, only two cameras can be used. The two cameras are first used as inner cameras A and A for taking images from inside of the scene. Then, one of the two cameras is used as outer camera B to take images from outside of the scene, while the other camera remains in the scene (this latter camera defines the filming position). Finally, two 3D lighting environment maps are generated from the images taken by the two cameras and a synthesis 3D environment map is created by merging the two 3D lighting environment maps Rep 3Dand Rep 3D. The camera used as camera B outside the scene is then used for MR/AR application and possibly for continuously updating the first environment map, while the camera in the scene is used to continuously update the second environment map, both the first and second environment maps updates being then continuously merged.
FIG. 1
FIG. 9
In another embodiment, the 3D positions of light sources are estimated from a combination of 2D information obtained from at least one “inner” camera (noted A) placed in the scene and observing the lighting environment of the scene, and at least one “outer” camera (noted B) placed outside the scene and filming it. The related arrangement can correspond e.g. to the representation of or of .
Camera B is then used to detect the direction of lights through the detection of specular effects in the scene or via the analysis of detected cast shadows, while camera A provides a 2D environment map from which light sources can be detected and their direction estimated. This provides two light direction maps, the combination of which allows to estimate the 3D positions of lights. Namely, matching between the lights in the two representations is established. Then, if all light directions can be expressed in a same WCS of the scene, triangulation is used to recover the 3D poses of the matched lights. Otherwise, if the two light representations are expressed in two distinct coordinate systems, a matching is used to estimate the relative 3D poses of the two light representations, and the 3D poses of the lights when observed in the two systems.
FIG. 10
illustrates the simplified structure of an electronic device DVC for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation of a 3D scene. The electronic device can be for example a tablet, a HMD, a PC or a Smartphone.
According to an embodiment, the device DVC comprises a processor PROC driven by a computer program PG stored in a memory MEM and implementing a method for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation. The device DVC comprises also a module I/O controlled by the processing unit PROC for communicating with external devices. The processing unit PROC, the Memory MEM and the I/O module are connected to a bus. The I/O module can be a wired (USB, Ethernet) or wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth®) communication interface. The electronic device may also comprise a camera and can therefore be used for taking images from positions inside and outside the scene.
At initialization, the program code instructions of the computer program PG are for example loaded into a RAM (not shown) and then executed by the processor of the processing unit PROC. The program code instructions, when executed by the processor PROC, implement the steps of any method disclosed in the present disclosure for constructing a synthesis lighting environment representation.
receive data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
receive data representative at least one second image of the 3D scene taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
merge a first lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one first image and a second lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one second image into said synthesis lighting environment representation.
The processor can in particular be configured to:
means for receiving data representative of at least one first image of the 3D scene taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
means for receiving data representative at least one second image of the 3D scene taken from at least one filming position inside the 3D scene;
means for merging a first lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one first image and a second lighting environment representation derived from said data representative of said at least one second image into said synthesis lighting environment representation.
According to a specific embodiment, a device may be directly built for constructing the synthesis lightning environment. According to this embodiment, the device may comprise:
Of course, these devices may also comprise the necessary means and/or configuration for implementing the various characteristics of the methods which have been described previously.
4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates a 3D scene and principal steps of a method for constructing a hemispherical synthesis lighting environment representation according to a first embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 2
illustrates lighting environment maps derived from images taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
FIG. 3
illustrates a 2D lighting environment map derived from images taken from at least one location inside the 3D scene;
FIG. 4
illustrates a hemispherical lighting environment map derived from images taken from at least one location inside the 3D scene;
FIG. 5
FIG. 2
FIG. 4
illustrates a synthesis hemispherical lighting environment map obtained by merging a first lighting environment shown in and a second lighting environment map shown in ;
a
b
FIGS. 6and 6
illustrate a point P projected from a hemispherical environment map to a 2D environment map;
FIG. 7
illustrates a first 2D lighting environment map derived from images taken from at least one location outside the 3D scene;
FIG. 8
FIG. 8
FIG. 3
illustrates a synthesis 2D lighting environment map obtained by merging a first 2D lighting environment shown in and a second 2D lighting environment shown in ;
FIG. 9
illustrates a 3D scene and principal steps of a method for constructing a 3D synthesis lighting environment representation according to a third embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 10
shows a modular structure of an electronic device for constructing synthesis lighting environment representations. | |
Gratitude is a simple but powerful practice that has the ability to transform our lives in countless ways. At Just Integrity, we believe that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is an important part of living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
One of the most well-known benefits of practicing gratitude is its ability to improve mental health. Research has shown that expressing gratitude on a regular basis can lead to increased happiness and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is thought to be due to the way gratitude helps us focus on the positive aspects of our lives, rather than dwelling on the negative.
But the benefits of gratitude go far beyond just improving our mental health. Studies have also found that practicing gratitude can lead to physical health benefits as well. For example, expressing gratitude has been linked to improved immune function and a lower risk of heart disease.
In addition to these individual benefits, gratitude can also have a positive impact on our relationships. When we show gratitude towards others, it can strengthen our bonds and improve our overall sense of connectedness. This is why expressing gratitude towards our friends, family, and loved ones can be such a powerful and meaningful practice.
So if you’re looking to improve your mental and physical health, strengthen your relationships, and live a more fulfilling life, consider incorporating gratitude into your daily routine. At Just Integrity, we believe that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is an essential part of living with integrity and purpose. | https://justintegrity.com/the-power-of-gratitude-how-practicing-gratitude-can-benefit-your-mind-body-and-relationships/ |
May 31, 2022.
Each session is scheduled for
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Central Time
All Sessions Take Place on Zoom
$299/Full Series
June 7, 8, and 9, 2022
Recorded Access until
August 31, 2022.
Each session is scheduled for
9:30 am - 10:30 am Central Time
All Sessions Take Place on Zoom
As secondary math teachers, we strive to help our students meet their maximum potential and open doors for high levels of mathematics. However, the learner diversity within classrooms can provide unique challenges that are difficult to meet within a traditional lesson structure. Incorporating small groups and student teams into your daily routine allows teachers to meet the diverse needs of students in their classroom. Best practices in secondary mathematics instruction include providing strategically planned lessons that promote student discourse, problem-solving, risk-taking, inquiry, and increased student engagement that results in conceptual understanding of mathematics concepts to maximize student learning outcomes.
Shelly Daun and Cyndie Lowe have many years of experience working with teachers to successfully meet the diverse mathematical needs of their students by providing teachers with increased knowledge of how students learn math and what teachers can do to move their students along a continuum of deeper understanding. During this series, Shelly and Cyndie will share practical small group instructional tools and activities that teachers can use instantly in their classroom to leverage student success and conceptual understanding of various mathematical concepts.
Presenters
Shelly Daun
Shelly Daun has over 25 years of professional experience in public education. Currently, she is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Menasha Joint School District located in Wisconsin. She has been an instructional leader and administrator for most of her career in education focusing on systems change and school-wide reform. She has worked in large suburban and high poverty school districts in Northeast Wisconsin.
Shelly has led school districts in district level and school improvement utilizing a systems approach to school improvement. All with a curriculum design that focuses on analyzing student data, developing standards and assessments, implementing research-based instructional pedagogy, honoring student equity, leadership development, and creating sustainability action plans. She has had success with developing and implementing school reform and improvement plans when schools are identified as needs improvement at the state level. Shelly is well versed in standards, assessment, K-12 literacy and mathematics instruction, equitable multi-level systems of support for students, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements, and leadership development.
Cynthia Lowe has over 25 years of experience in education where she enjoyed teaching high school math, training teachers and most recently being an interventionist/instructional coach. Currently, she is the 9-12 math interventionist/coach at Menasha High School located in Wisconsin. Cynthia is a passionate instructional leader, focusing on lesson and unit development through the use of instructional strategies. She has been providing professional development for her district and others for over 10 years, ranging from math focus to building and district level goals based on researched best practices.
Cyndie Lowe
Session Details
Session 1
4:00 - 5:00 pm Central
Incorporate Small Group Instruction in Your Classroom: The Why and the How
In this session, participants will Learn why it is important to rethink how we teach secondary students math. Learn how small groups/teams leverage access for all students to higher levels of thinking about mathematics. In this session we will share strategies to build a culture and environment where students are risk-takers and engaged in their learning.
Session 3
4:00 - 5:00 pm Central
Making Math Visible and Meaningful for Student Success
In this session, we will focus on developing students' conceptual understanding through the use of various tools that support students conceptual understanding. Making math visible and accessible to the wide-range of abilities in their classrooms. Participants will also discover why discourse in small groups/teams is the key to improving student outcomes.
Session 2
4:00 - 5:00 pm Central
Purposefully Planning Instruction for Small Groups and Teams
In this session, participants will learn how to develop mathematical tasks that promote conceptual understanding and how to facilitate learning through strategies that promote student ownership and problem solving. Participants will walk away with strategies and knowledge to develop student and teacher roles in highly engaged math classrooms. | https://www.firsteducation-us.com/secondary-math-small-groups |
How to identify where the risks in your business are right now and use them to make your business safer and more resilient in unprecedented times.
The Risk Management lifecycle is not static. It’s really important to recognise that just identifying risks and expecting them to manage themselves is not enough. We need to focus on all the key parts of the lifecycle, and we will look at how to properly identify what risks are – and how to understand what are not risks.
Think of an example of a risk that you are aware of right now.
Think particularly about the risks you think you face as a business in the current operating environment and how the unprecedented events we are experiencing have impacted how you work.
This doesn’t need to be a business risk. It can also be something that has impacted you at a personal level.
We will revisit this throughout the course.
This can be:
Risk is defined as:
"...looking at potential perils, factors and types of risk to which your assets, operations, projects, interests and clients are exposed"
In order for it to be defined as a 'risk', there are 3 factors involved:
Is there a cause and an impact? There must be a cause of the risk and there must be an impact to us (or our customers) of the risk happening. If there isn’t, chances are that it’s not a proper risk. A risk can also have one or multiple causes and impacts.
Risks are things we cannot be certain about Things that could happen but we're not sure that they will. All risks are uncertain but not all uncertainties are risks to our business or to us.
If there is a cause and an impact, and it’s uncertain, the third thing that defines if it is a risk, is if it matters. It matters to us, for example, if it could have a negative impact on a project being delivered, then it becomes a risk.
It is really important to remember these 3 factors:
Look back at the risk example you just detailed. Can you answer yes to the questions above? Do you still think it is a risk?
One of the great things about good risk management, is that it strengthens our business and enables us to grow in the right way. Risks makes us think about our strategy in different ways, and ensures that we properly assess the decisions we make. It doesn’t stop us from doing the things we want – it just makes sure that we have assessed them and have reduced the risk of something going wrong.
Risk is good for our business and is a positive framework to protect our people and our business. There are a number of other benefits of getting risk right.
It facilitates a proactive risk culture through investment in risk management skills of our people
It clearly defines our risk appetite in alignment with targets and strategy
It ensures a same way and consistent approach to how we look at risk management across the business
Develops appropriate strategies and effective operating controls
It establish clear roles and responsibilities for risk management internally
It provides reliable and meaningful risk information to decision makers
It helps us to identify, analyse and understand each of our material risks
It applies balance to historical risk performance through metrics and lessons learned
"...across the totality of systems, structures, policies, processes and people that identify, measure, evaluate, control or mitigate, monitor, and report all internal and external sources of material risk."
Think of the types of risk that we could face as a business and what each of these key categories mean. It is important to note that these are not the only risk types in our business, but these are the likely principle risks we may come across every day.
Failing to understand / comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry codes of conduct and not responding appropriately to changes in the regulatory environment
Examples of reg and compliance risk would be Breach Reporting or Data Protection (breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data),, or Conflicts of Interest (a situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity.)
The risk of products or services being used to facilitate financial crime within the business, against clients, or third parties (relating to Money Laundering, Terrorism, Corruption Internal Fraud, Data Theft, or Bribery)
The risk of loss resulting from failed internal processes and systems and external events. Impacts arise from the day to day activities and result in direct or indirect losses
Examples of operational risk would be errors in Data Input, Data Loss, Failure of Controls in key processes, loss of System Availability, or Cyber related crime
The risk of not having sufficiently skilled and motivated colleagues who are clear on responsibilities and who behave ethically, leading to inappropriate decision making that is detrimental to clients, colleagues and shareholders.
Examples of People Risk would be failing to secure Talent, lack of Succession Planning, Health, Safety and Well being, and Underperformance
The risk of significant loss, loss of earnings and/ or damage arising from business decisions that impact the long term interests of the stakeholders or from an inability to adapt to external developments
Examples would be Reputational Damage and Financial Detriment
The risk of undertaking business in a way which is contrary to the interests of our clients, resulting in inappropriate client outcomes, detriment, redress costs and/or reputational damage.
Examples would be inability to process Client remediation, lack of Post Sales Admin and support, and unfair terms in Product Design and Pricing
Risk helps us to deliver our strategic objectives in a safe environment. It’s important that we understand our objectives and think about risk in line with those objectives. This will help us to identify the risks that might stop our objectives being achieved and our strategy from being delivered.
An easy way to remember the steps in the Risk Management Lifecycle is to use the acronym, IAMM: Identify, Assess, Mitigate and Monitor.
Identify Risks
Risk Profiling helps identify changes to internal and external risk environments at an enterprise and client level; and supports the identification of emerging risks. This is first step when embarking on a change programme of activity but risks should be identified throughout a project lifecycle.
Assess the Risk
Once risks have been identified, they are evaluated in terms of their likelihood and the impact or consequence. This prioritises the risks that we really need to focus on (and those that need to be highlighted within the risk register).
Mitigate Risks
The materiality assessment of the risk helps to determine the strength of the controls required to bring the risk to within the business’ appetite threshold and inform key control areas that require greater oversight / assurance to ensure that they operate effectively.
Once risks have controls in place, it is likely there will be actions required to ensure the likelihood and impact of the risk is minimised. It’s important that these actions have named owners in the business and dates to ensure they progress.
Monitor Risks
Risks should be managed on an ongoing basis to reflect changes in the business and control environments. This should include monitoring of key indicators that provide immediate management information on the performance of the risk and controls. This should be done throughout the project lifecycle.
What are the top 3 client risks you are aware of right now?
Knowing what is critical to your customers is paramount. Here are some key things to think about that enable you to better understand the risks they are facing. Applying this kind of thinking will enable your projects and operational delivery to be more robust.
We should always be thinking about our customers when it comes to risk, and applying our knowledge of things we have seen already, specifically in the sector and wider industry.
When thinking about risks for your projects or operational activities, we first of all need to make sure we have thought about the following:
Re-visit the top customer risks you identified – is there anything you would now change? | https://academy.waterstons.com/course/risk-management/part-1/risk-management-lifecycle |
Modern life, despite all our technology, can still feel challenging. Many of us work very long hours to make ends meet, burdened by stress that can dramatically affect our health. The internet provides us with a wealth of helpful knowledge but also bombards us with headlines that can make us uneasy about the state of the world. In short, life can feel very stressful. Sometimes, leaving it all behind and becoming a monk may seem like a perfect way to escape it all. Though this may work for some, this is simply not a practical thing to do for many of us. Many of us are here to stay. However, even though the stressful nature of society will not change for a very long time, it is possible to reorient one’s perspective so that it feels less stressful. In other words, rather than needing to go to a temple to become a monk, one can learn to bring the monk mind here.
It can be challenging to know where to begin to generate a positive outlook on life. So many people try to give advice, yet there never seems to be a “one size fits all” approach. We attempt to solve our outlooks by rationalizing the situation in a more positive way. Indeed, this can be useful for some, but not all. Furthermore, different people require different rationalizations. Regardless of advice, some are still stuck wondering how to have a better outlook on life. There is, of course, another method of perspective, and that is through non-judgment and simple acceptance.
Mindfulness meditation is a method of training the mind to become calmer and more at peace. In the scientific community, meditation is defined as a method of self-regulation of attention to the present moment, involving adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences characterized by curiosity, openness, acceptance, and non-judgmental (Bishop et al., 2004). The benefits of meditation are many; however, much more research is required to understand its benefits and mechanisms better. The most well-documented benefit of mindfulness meditation is its ability to alleviate stress and anxiety (Greeson et al., 2018; Petterson & Olson, 2017; Querstret et al., 2020). The method by which this occurs is still reasonably unclear, yet many researchers have developed psychological and physiological theories. Furthermore, meditation reduces stress and anxiety while also creating resilience (Chin et al., 2019; Hwang et al., 2018). So, not only does it seem to be a curative treatment, but a preventative one as well. Understanding how meditation creates stress resilience is crucial to understand why meditation is so beneficial to health—the lessons provided in the research share profound philosophical lessons for us to bear in mind.
When studying meditation and its effects on the mind and body, it is essential to take a neuroscientific and psychological approach. The neuroscientific approach is valuable in both providing evidence that meditation impacts the body and sheds light on the mechanisms of action. A psychological perspective is also critical because it evaluates the mental schemas’ effect on the body to better understand how the reader can practice this at home and in their daily lives. Both points of view will be discussed below.
Amygdala and ACC connectivity
The two brain areas that seem to be highly related to the process of resilience toward stress induced by mindfulness meditation are the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
The amygdala is found medial to the brain’s temporal lobe and plays a vital role in emotional regulation and attention (Desbordes et al., 2012). For this reason, numerous studies have shown to be heavily involved in the experience of stress (Britton, 2006; Hölzel et al., 2009; Rubinow et al., 2016). It also influences the body in response to stress. For example, the amygdala regulates blood pressure in response to stressful stimuli (Saha, 2005).
The role of the ACC is seemingly more complex than the amygdala. In general, it is involved in executing responses regarding incoming interoceptive signals (signals from within the body) (Craig, 2002). For this reason, it connects to the motor cortex of the brain (Craig, 2002). On this same note, the anterior portion of the amygdala, the more executive region, has been associated with regulating endocrine functions, conditioned learning responses, expressing internal states vocally, and maternal-infant interactions (Devinsky et al., 1995). The ACC is related mainly to the processing of internal stimuli, associating it with the practice of mindfulness meditation. Less clear is how it relates to the amygdala and resilience to stress.
The neuroscientific observations of stress resilience are found within the connectivity between the amygdala and the ACC. In a randomized control trial involving a 3-day intensive mindfulness meditation program, researchers found that reduced stress following the practice was marked by decreased communication between the amygdala and the ACC (Taren et al., 2014). The study also noted reduced communication between the amygdala and ACC lessened HPA-axis activation (Taren et al., 2014). The HPA-axis is responsible for releasing hormones such as cortisol, which is a common biomarker for the activation of stress. This study is not alone in observing signs that mindfulness meditation reduces cortisol (Hoge et al., 2018). This is strong evidence that meditation induces physical changes within the brain, promoting resilience to biological responses to stress. The question is, how does this occur mentally, and how can we put this into practice?
Important Techniques within Meditation
The discussion and research surrounding how meditation leads to physical changes in the brain and body are complex and poorly understood. The appreciation for science in the west is new, and there is much research to be done. The author’s current opinion is that meditation involves both physical and mental mechanisms that lead to some of its practical health benefits. Regarding resilience, a randomized control trial also observed that the resilience created was both physical and mental (Hoge et al., 2018). Though the exact mechanism is not fully understood, there has been an effort to gain insight applicable to modern-day life.
The research involving the mechanism at which meditation generates resilience towards stress is often pursued from a psychological point of view. To pursue this question, experiments involve different groups of people who are asked to perform similar tasks but differ in mental schemas practiced. The observed differences in health results indicate specific meditation techniques that are so helpful in generating resilience. For example, a randomized control trial in 2018 involved sending a group of participants to a temple (Hwang et al., 2018). One group was asked to participate in meditation sessions, while another group was asked to simply relax during this time at a peaceful place. The purpose was to discern whether or not the relaxing aspect of meditation was sufficient to produce resilience to stress or if something else was causing the change. The results found that both groups showed short-term benefits, but only the meditators had prolonged resilience towards stress months after the experiment. The results indicate that there was a mental practice involved through meditation that promoted stress resilience. A randomized control trial in 2019 expanded on this investigation by having one group of meditators purely practice the focused attention on the present, while the other group focused on the present while also cultivating a perspective of acceptance to all incoming stimuli (Chin et al., 2019). This study found that those who practiced a non-judgmental awareness showed a more significant reduction of stress than the attention group and the non-meditators, suggesting that the non-judgmental awareness of the present moment and experience was an essential aspect of stress resilience. Others have produced a similar theory on why meditation seems to be a healthy therapeutic method for those suffering from PTSD (Thompson & Waltz, 2010). The significance of these findings is not only crucial for those who have a meditation practice but anyone in general.
Be Non-Judgmental
A key aspect of meditation practice is to be mindful and aware of the present experience and interpret all thoughts, experiences, and stimuli in an accepting and non-judgemental manner. Not only is this important within the philosophical teachings, but it is a core aspect of how meditation works from a scientific point of view. This has profound implications for the importance of how we generate personal narratives. In meditation, one learns to let go of every incoming experience, no matter how tempting it is to value that thought or feeling. This is perhaps why the amygdala and ACC are involved. The amygdala is involved in emotions and stress, and the ACC is involved in “doing something about it.” In meditation, no matter the feeling, thought, or stressor, one must cultivate an attitude of acceptance. One must simply continue sitting and focusing on the present. There is no evaluation, no judgment, simply acceptance.
This article began with the idea that one can become resilient to stress and experience less of it by simply reorienting their perspective of modern stressors. It was also stated that there is seemingly no one answer for everyone. This may be because people often try to generate rational or schemas to help people think about events differently. This article argues a different approach: don’t think, just accept, let go, and move on. This is easier said than done, of course, and by no means are the benefits of meditation best articulated through argument. It is best to be experienced first hand.
Nonetheless, we are heavily burdened by the values we give to thoughts related to the stressors of modern-day life. We cannot avoid the stressors, but we can change their power over us. Removing their meaning and value removes their power and influence.
References
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. v., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., & Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077
Britton, W. B. (2006). Meditation and Depression. | https://themindfulinquisitor.com/2021/09/17/meditation-and-stress-resilience/ |
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a composition for preventing sweat-related odor by interfering with different steps of the odor-producing course, particularly by the inhibition of the androgen receptor expression and human odorant carrier proteins.
2. Description of the Related Art
Formation of body odor especially axillary odor results mainly from exceptional odor-producing abilities in the areas of body. These abilities include the following:
1) There arc increased apocrine sweat glands in these areas, which are comprised of ducts that open directly into the hair follicle and become functional at puberty. It is known that there is a high level of 5alpha-reductase activity in human apocrine glands of which type-1 5alpha-reductase is predominant. 5alpha-reductase converts testosterone (T) to dihydrotestoserone (DHT) and may play a central role in the apocrine gland development and function from the beginning of puberty. The androgen receptor levels were also found to be high in the apocrine gland of patients with osnidrosis. These observations indicate that the activity of androgens is involved with the functions of apocrine sweat glands.
2) Sweat secreted from apocrine sweat glands contains numerous substances, which are most likely the precursors for forming odoriferous compounds, even although these precursors are odorless. These precursors mainly consist of (1) volatile odor-producing steroids such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 5xcex1-androst-16-en-3-one (androstenone), and 5xcex1-androst-16-en-3xcex1-ol (adrostenol); (2) nonvolatile steroid sulfates such as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), which can be bacterially converted to odorous adrostenol; (3) volatile short-chain fatty acids, especially (E)-3-methyl-2 hegemonic acid (E-3M2H), and cholesterol esters. It is demonstrated that E-3M2H is presented in far greater quantities than volatile odoriferous steroids in apocrine secretions (700:1), although both have similar olfactory thresholds; and (4) sulfur-containing amino acids. Apocrine gland cells may take up these precursors from serum and/or enzymatically formed in apocrine gland cells.
3) Odorless apocrine precursors are transported to the skin surface by odorant carrier proteins. A main odor-producing precursor E-3M2H can be carried to the skin surface by binding to apolipoprotein D (apoD). ApoD is expressed in apocrine sweat glands as an apocrine secretion odor-binding protein (ASOB2). ASOB2 is glycoprotein and found to be glycosylated for their functions. Some of androgens such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can significantly increase the expression of apoD.
4) Odorless apocrine precursors carried onto the skin surface interact with the microflora in areas of body such as the underarm to cause the characteristic odor. It is demonstrated that the nature and intensity of malodor correlate with microbial populations and counts, At least two different kinds of Gram-positive bacteria metabolize odorless precursors to be odoriferous substances. Lipophilic diphtheroids cause the steroid odor by metabolizing androstenone, if the population of micrococci is staphylococcus epidermis, the odor of isovaleric acid could be apparent because of metabolizing fatty acid. Some anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria may also contribute to malodor by using sulfur-containing amino acids to generate the volatile sulfur-containing compounds (VSC). In general, mixed odor of the steroids and short-chain fatty acids may characterize the axillary region.
Deodorant products in the market are typically based on three principles to control body odor, especially in the underarm regions: (1) reduce perspiration; (2) inhibit bacterial growth; and (3) cover malodor. These products show that they have some effects on reducing unpleasant body odor. However they still have considerable disadvantages. First, effective period of these products is very limited. For example, an active component in commercial products for reducing perspiration is aluminum salt, which blocks the sweat gland ducts and only causes a 50% of perspiration reduction. Antimicrobial agents in these products reduce the number of microorganisms on the surface of the local skin. However the effect obtained with the antimicrobial agents are easily reversed by the recovery of microflora numbers. Next, the active components in the products often cause irritation, burning, itching, and other uncomfortable sensations to some people with sensitive skin. Lowering the amounts of active components in the products may reduce irritation but it may also result in impaired efficiency. Therefore, there remains a need for improved products.
An ideal composition for preventing sweat-related odor should be able to: (1) maximally attenuate functions of the apocrine sweat glands including gland development, maintenance and secretion; (2) reduce uptake and formation of odor-producing precursors; (3) reduce transport of odor-producing precursors to skin surface; (4) block apocrine gland ducts to decrease sweating moisture on the skin surface; (5) inhibit bacteria activities including suppression of enzymatic metabolites which may convert: the odorless precursors to odoriferous substances; and (6) prevent possible irritation of skin. A deodorant composition with these functions would be more potent, safer, and long-lasting.
This invention is based on the finding that the sweat-related odor is produced mainly through an increase in the odor-producing precursors from the apocrine gland and consequent transport of odor-producing precursors to skin surface to for in malodor after interacting with the microflora. According to this invention, it has been found that a composition, when topically applied to body parts such as the underarm, prevents sweat-related odor by interfering with the odor-producing course. This invention is capable of attenuating functions of the apocrine sweat glands, reducing sweating moisture on the skin surface and bacteria activities. This invention may be more specifically regarded as inhibiting transport of odor producing precursors to the skin surface.
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Life expectancy for Americans has suffered a historic drop in the last couple of years, according to new estimates from the CDC and a June preprint study. While every demographic’s life expectancy dropped in 2020 and 2021, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities were hit the hardest.
Life expectancy at birth — or how long a person is expected to live if nothing in the world changes — is usually calculated by using death rate data within each age group. So while life expectancy isn’t a prediction of how long a baby born today will live, the drop reveals the scale of untimely deaths during Covid-19.
What we are seeing is the steepest drop in life expectancy since World War II.
The CDC report and other recent life expectancy research show that the pandemic’s impact has been massive, and its effects may well persist for years. The average life expectancy for all groups has gone down since 2019, from 79 years to about 76. For white and Black Americans, it’s the lowest it has been in over 25 years. And the preprint’s authors found that while other rich countries began to recover from the pandemic last year, the US has continued to decline.
The estimates for 2021 are based on provisional death rates, while data for 2019 and 2020 are final. Because every estimate takes different factors into account, it’s normal that their conclusions slightly vary. (The preprint factored in rapid uptake of Covid-19 vaccines for older populations, so its death rate estimates are lower than the CDC’s, said Ryan Masters, a social demographer at the University of Colorado Boulder and one of the preprint’s authors.)
All estimates show that life expectancy in the US has continued to decline, even as almost all rich countries have bounced back from lower life expectancies in the first year of Covid. “[The US] is one of the richest countries on the face of the planet,” said Laudan Aron, a senior fellow in the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute and one of the co-authors of the June paper. “The fact we cannot translate our economic wealth into protecting our population and ensuring that everybody has a fair chance to live a long and healthy and productive life is a real failure.”
Why the decline in life expectancy is so stark
Before the pandemic, global life expectancy was consistently getting higher by a few months every year. Yet even in that context, there were already worrisome signals for the US. A few years ago, US life expectancy dropped slightly, by about a month, due to an increase in deaths from various diseases, like stroke and heart failure.
That drop pales in comparison to the three-year loss we’ve seen in the wake of Covid-19.
The June preprint found that the US was one of only two among 21 selected similar wealthy countries — along with Israel — in which life expectancy continued to decline last year. While most countries suffered hundreds of thousands of untimely deaths during the first year of Covid-19, once people began to get vaccinated, life expectancies for almost all the 21 countries either stayed the same or began to rise again, many up to their pre-pandemic levels.
The US started off with lower pre-Covid life expectancies than other rich countries like South Korea, France, and Australia. It has been the case for decades that the United States spends exorbitant amounts on health care, yet has worse health outcomes than comparable countries. Even before the pandemic, people in the US faced the opioid epidemic, gun violence, and higher chronic disease rates than people in other rich countries.
Many of the same underlying factors are why the US has failed to recover from Covid, according to experts. Lack of health access and a robust public health care system exacerbated Covid-19’s effects, said Noreen Goldman, a professor of demography and public affairs at Princeton University. The lack of national coordination to address the pandemic, and lower vaccination rates, said Goldman, have also been a factor in outcomes being worse in the US than other comparable countries.
Young people were dying more from Covid-19 in 2021 than 2020, said Theresa Andrasfay, a demography researcher at the University of Southern California. While age remains the biggest risk factor, more middle-aged adults who are not vaccinated are dying. Additionally, she said, high rates of chronic disease, obesity, and diabetes had not yet affected mortality statistics, but when a disease — Covid-19 — came along that had these as risk factors, “it was like lighting a match.”
Covid-19 has disproportionately affected already-vulnerable groups
In the United States, Covid-19 has affected some communities worse than others. Even pre-pandemic, life expectancies for different demographic groups were highly disparate due to structural factors, such as lack of access to health care. In 2019, the average life expectancy for Black men was 10 years lower than for white women.
“Health travels along with economic well-being, housing stability, food security,” said Aron, one of the preprint co-authors, and these circumstances are largely driven by systemic issues.
Even pre-pandemic, drivers of mortality like air pollution disproportionately affected Americans of color; Black Americans are more likely to live in areas with worse determinants of health outcomes because of racist policies like redlining. For Native Americans, said Goldman, there were already high poverty rates, unemployment, lack of water infrastructure, underlying health risk factors, and lower quality and less accessible health care.
Covid-19 only made this gap worse.
In 2020, Black Americans died from Covid-19 at twice the rate of white Americans. In the CDC’s latest estimates, while every demographic group experienced a decline in life expectancy, Native Americans, Black Americans, and Hispanic Americans all experienced more loss of life.
Men also experienced greater loss of life expectancy than women across every race/ethnicity group. As with other demographics, this was likely due to a number of factors, including men being more likely to have jobs that would expose them to the disease, behavioral differences in hand-washing and vaccines, and biological factors.
I asked Goldman, who authored (with Andrasfay) two papers about race/ethnicity disparities in life expectancy declines, about the factors that led to the particularly negative outcomes for Indigenous people. Despite a strong vaccination campaign, the pandemic exacerbated many of the factors — lack of infrastructure, chronic disease, an underfunded Indian Health Service — that had already led to lower life expectancies. “This is just an astounding loss,” she said.
Given many of the same drivers of deaths during Covid-19 were also causes of already bad US health outcomes, there’s no one policy that will turn this trend around. The same policies that will make health better overall will also make us better prepared the next time a health crisis emerges. Thinking ahead to preventing the next pandemic will also be crucial to ensuring that everyone in the US — particularly the most vulnerable populations — has the opportunity to live long, healthy lives.
When looking at statistics like this, said Aron, it’s important to think about the ripple effects of untimely deaths. Before someone dies, they may spend months suffering; and after they die, their family, friends, and community need to mourn and come to terms with their loss.
Covid-19 has been “not only a potentially mass disabling event, but a mass bereavement event,” she said. The decline in life expectancy isn’t just a blinking indicator of a national failure — it’s an index of the societal trauma that’s been playing out, over and over again, in our homes and communities. | https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/9/7/23339734/life-expectancy-shorter-united-states-covid |
Arbuscular Mycorrhizas and Biological Invasions: A Family Affair?
Invasive plant species are known to decrease biodiversity and negatively effect native plant communities. However, the environmental factors that contribute to invasiveness are still poorly understood. Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are an important biotic factor in many ecosystems and may contribute tothe success of invasive species as they colonize new habitats. However, previous studies have provided conflicting data as to whether this is the case. Four groups of native and non-native ferns were examined for evidence of mycorrhizal colonization and the average level of mycorrhizal colonization for each species was determined. No significant differences were found in the level of AM colonization between closely related native and non-native species. Among confamilial groups however, significant differences in overall levels of mycorrhizal colonization were found. There appeared to be no significant effects of either month of collection or substrate on the levels of AM colonization. The differences in level of mycorrhizal colonization did correlate well with the phylogenetic relationships among the fern families examined. These findings indicate that the non-native species tested are able to form relationships with AM fungi outside their native range and have a similar level of responsiveness to AM as closely related native species. Additionally, there was no observed pattern of colonization level among the non-native species examined suggesting that evolutionary relationships better predict a species response to AM fungi than whether a species is native or non-native. | http://2012.botanyconference.org/engine/search/index.php?func=detail&aid=116 |
# Ctenochasmatoidea
Ctenochasmatoidea is a group of early pterosaurs within the suborder Pterodactyloidea. Their remains are usually found in what were once coastal or lake environments. They generally had long wings, long necks, and highly specialized teeth.
## Evolutionary history
The earliest known ctenochasmatoid remains date to the Late Jurassic Kimmeridgian age. Previously, a fossil jaw recovered from the Middle Jurassic Stonesfield Slate formation in the United Kingdom, was considered the oldest known. This specimen supposedly represented a member of the family Ctenochasmatidae, though further examination suggested it belonged to a teleosaurid stem-crocodilian instead of a pterosaur.
## Ecology
Most ctenochasmatoids were aquatic or semi-aquatic pterosaurs, possessing large webbed hindfeet and long torsos - both adaptations for swimming and floating -, as well as a predominant occurrence in aquatic environments, the exception being the more slender-limbed and short-torsoed gallodactylids. They occupied a wide variety of ecological niches, from generalistic carnivores like Pterodactylus to filter-feeders like Pterodaustro and possible molluscivores like Cycnorhamphus. Most common, however, were straight-jawed, needle-toothed forms, some of the most notable being Ctenochasma and Gnathosaurus; these possibly occupied an ecological niche akin to that of modern spoonbills, their teeth forming spatula-like jaw profile extensions, allowing them a larger surface area to catch individual small prey.
## Flight
Most ctenochasmatoids have wing proportions akin to those of modern shorebirds and ducks, and probably possessed a similar frantic, powerful flight style. The exception is Ctenochasma, which appears to have had longer wings and was probably more comparable to modern skuas.
Launching varied radically among ctenochasmatoids. In forms like Cycnorhamphus, long limbs and shorter torsos meant a level of relative ease. In forms like Pterodaustro, however, which possessed long torsos and short limbs, launching might have been a more taxing and prolonged affair, only possible in large open areas, just like modern heavy-bodied aquatic birds such as swans, even with the pterosaurian quadrupedal launching.
## Classification
Ctenochasmatoidea was first defined by David Unwin in 2003 as the clade containing Cycnorhamphus suevicus, Pterodaustro guinazui, their most recent common ancestor, and all its descendants. Below is a cladogram showing the results of a phylogenetic analysis presented by Steven Vidovic and David Martill, using the earliest available definitions for each clade name.
Below is cladogram following a topology recovered by Brian Andres, using the most recent iteration of his data set (Andres, 2021). Andre's analysis found the "aurorazhdarchian" group recovered by the analysis of Vidovic and Martill to mostly be members of the Ctenochasmatidae, with only a small group of gallodactylids falling outside that group. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurorazhdarchidae |
The terms prototype and model describe tools frequently used in product design and development processes. There is a certain amount of confusion because the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. In general, however, a prototype is a working representation used to detect flaws or problems in advance of production. A model is a non-working representation used to illustrate the product, and may be constructed at any stage in the product cycle.
Definitions
The word prototype derives from the Latin words meaning “original” and “form.” Thus, a prototype is the “original form” or formulation of the envisioned product. It should be similar enough and have sufficient functionality that the designers and engineers building the product can activate it to carry out the functions of the intended product. The enables the design team to identify any flaws in the product’s operation, so that these flaws can be corrected before the production stage.
The simplest definition of model is a representation, usually three-dimensional, that shows the appearance of something. The “something” being represented can be anything from a person or animal, to a product, style or design, to an abstract scientific concept. The common uses of the term extend far afield into fashion and arts. In engineering and manufacturing, a model is usually a representation that does not have full functionality and is often constructed at a smaller scale than the intended product.
User Interface and Testing
The purpose of a prototype is testing for performance, and the ultimate in prototype testing is done by the end user. The user test pool may be as broadly defined as the entire population of users on a social media platform, for example, or restricted to a specialized group, such as the test pilots who fly experimental aircraft. In all cases, the closer the test pool resembles the actual end users of the product, the more reliable the results will be. In software development, this level of user testing is often known as beta testing, and may apply to the software as a whole or only as a modification of it, like a review feature added to a comment file. If you have ever used or evaluated the beta form of your favorite social media site, for example, you have participated in this kind of prototype testing.
Models, in contrast, are not typically employed in user testing of a developing product. However, models may be used to convey information about the new product to prospective customers, who, ideally, will become end users.
Prototyping
Given the importance of both models and prototypes to the product development cycle, it’s no wonder that the word has entered the language in verb form. Prototyping is frequently used as shorthand for the recursive process of product development. A prototype is made, tested, refined and then retested in a loop that may be repeated many times before the design reaches beta testing. Interim versions of the product may be called models, mock-ups or paper prototypes. The overall goal, however, remains the same, which is to get the developing product to a point in which a group of users can have hands-on experience with it, and then provide feedback to the designers. Only then will the developers know if the product is likely to find the customer base it needs to succeed in the marketplace.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Jan Burch has over 20 years of experience in freelance writing and editing. Her writing on business topics encompasses subjects ranging from entrepreneurship and career development to business planning and strategy, marketing and human resources. In addition to writing articles for AZ Central, SFGate, Chron and other online magazines, Burch has prepared business documents and website content for numerous private clients. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. | https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/difference-between-protoype-model-28781.html |
The Data of Cosmology Say the Universe Had a Beginning and Is Finely Tuned for Life
The facts and laws of physics, especially in cosmology, are best explained by intelligent design. The available evidence and best theories suggest the universe had a beginning and therefore a cause. The laws of physics and chemistry are finely tuned for life as we know it. There are no known natural laws that account for the creation of the universe from nothing with all the required properties for the existence of intelligent beings. Indeed, the idea that nature created itself is self-contradictory. Speculative naturalistic explanations involving a multiverse have no empirical support. The one known cause that can account for the origin of the universe from nothing and the fine tuning of physics is a powerful intelligence.
The origin of the universe is a scientific mystery. Throughout history there have been those who believed the universe has always existed and those who believed it had a beginning. An eternal universe of some sort is required by naturalism or materialism, the philosophy that nature is all there is or ever has been. However, the available evidence and known laws of science strongly suggest the universe had a beginning. 1
First, the Second Law of Thermodynamics requires a beginning. The Second Law of Thermodynamics—also known as the Law of Entropy—says that the total amount of energy available to do work in the universe is irreversibly decreasing with time. Hence a universe that had existed for an infinite amount of time would no longer contain any useful energy. Since our universe still has useful energy (the stars shine, plants use light to manufacture molecules for life, etc.), it must have been in existence for a finite period or, in other words, had a beginning.
Edwin Hubble discovered that most galaxies are moving away from us, and the farther away, the faster the recession; the universe is expanding. Run the expansion in reverse (back in time) and eventually all matter converges on a single point where there is infinite temperature, infinite gravity, infinite density, and an infinitesimal volume. It is at this “singularity” that our best theories break down; our current science can’t describe the singularity. Time itself stops at the singularity or in other words, the universe and time had a beginning.
As it turns out, many of the laws and constants of physics are just what they must be within narrow tolerances to permit our existence. This fact has been referred to as the fine tuning of physics and is widely acknowledged by Christians and atheists alike. Change any of these laws or constants just a little and our universe becomes uninhabitable. 2 One of the amazing things about fine tuning is that there is no known physical law or principle that accounts for it. 3 We just happen to have won the cosmic lottery! For example, there are four fundamental forces: gravity, the strong force, the weak force, and electromagnetism. If gravity were much stronger, stars would burn faster and hotter, 4 too hot for liquid water to exist on earth given its current position. If gravity were much weaker, nuclear fusion in stars would be too slow and would fail to produce many chemical elements. The strong force holds quarks together in protons and neutrons (there are three quarks in each), and protons and neutrons together in the atomic nucleus. If the strong force were much stronger, hydrogen would convert into helium much faster during nuclear fusion, and stars would be short lived. 5 There would also be little hydrogen left in the universe. If the electromagnetic force were much stronger, atomic nuclei would become unstable due to charge repulsion (protons are positively charged) and only the smallest atoms would exist.
Atheist physicist Stephen Hawking has recently reviewed some evidences of the “fine tuning” of physics in our universe. 6 For example, we don’t have a binary star (most stars are binary), 7 the eccentricity of earth’s orbit is near zero (close to a circle), the sun’s mass and our distance from it put us in the “habitable zone” (not too hot or cold), the sun emits the right spectrum of light for life as we know it, and our temperature allows liquid water. The fundamental forces had to be able to create elements in stars, make stable elements, and allow for star/galaxy/solar system formation. Forces had to allow for the expansion rate of the universe to be fast enough to avoid gravitational collapse but slow enough to allow star and galaxy formation. 8
Carbon is formed in stars by the “triple alpha” reaction (2He➝Be; Be + He➝C). If the strong force was different by 0.5% or the electric force by 4%, carbon and oxygen would not form in stars. If the weak force was a little weaker, all hydrogen in the early universe would have become helium, if much stronger, supernovas would not spread the heavier elements. If protons were 0.2% heavier, they would decay into neutrons thereby destabilizing atoms. If the sum of the masses of the quarks that make up the proton changed by 10%, there would be few stable elements. It appears that the summed quark mass is optimized to allow for the largest number of stable elements.
The number of spatial dimensions determines the nature of gravity. Stable elliptical orbits are only possible with three large space dimensions. If the earth’s distance from the sun were changed by as little as 2%, life would cease. 9 With more than three large spatial dimensions, electrical forces would vary such that electrons would either escape from or spiral into the nucleus. In three-dimensional space, gravity varies by 1/r2. For a four-dimensional space, gravity would vary with 1/r3 in which case stars would fall apart or collapse into a black hole. Hawking summarizes:
The emergence of the complex structures capable of supporting intelligent observers seems to be very fragile. The laws of nature form a system that is ex- tremely fine-tuned, and very little in physical law can be altered without destroying the possibility of the development of life as we know it. Were it not for a series of startling coincidences in the precise details of physical law, it seems, humans and similar life forms would never have come into being 10
So what is a materialist to do about the beginning of the universe and the fine tuning of physics? Current thinking among materialists says that although the universe had a beginning in time, there were other types of time dimensions existing prior to the time in our universe. For instance, Stephen Hawking has said that before time was imaginary time. 11 He has said that time doesn’t stop at the singularity but only changes direction or changes into another dimension.
Our best theory of gravity is Einstein’s theory of Relativity. It is the equations of relativity that break down at the singularity. 12 The state of matter/energy at the beginning is thought to have been a plasma consisting of quarks, electrons, photons, and other basic particles of the quantum world. To understand the physics of the singularity therefore requires insight from both quantum mechanics and relativity or a quantum theory of gravity. However, currently there is no confirmed quantum theory of gravity.
One attempt to combine quantum mechanics and relativity is String Theory. String Theory says the most basic fundamental particles are strings of energy of various shapes that vibrate at various frequencies; the frequency determines what particles and forces there are. One prediction made by 10-dimensional string theory (there are versions with more dimensions) is the existence of 10500 universes, 13 each with four large and six “compactified” dimensions. Each universe has its own particular set of physical laws, dimensions and particles. In other words, each universe has a unique set of dimensions and laws of chemistry and physics. The ensemble of universes or multiverse has been referred to as the “landscape” 14 and dovetails with the “many worlds” interpretation of quantum mechanics. 15 And this is how the materialist explains fine tuning. If there are 10500 universes with every conceivable set of dimensions, particles, and laws, at least one of those universes had to be like ours; we did indeed win the cosmic lottery!
The major problem with this view of reality is lack of evidence for its existence. There is no direct evidence for other universes or their spontaneous generation, the hidden compactified dimensions suggested by string theory, or imaginary time. There is not even a theory that allows an eternal past, even among theories that predict multiple universes. 16 The spontaneous generation of universes from nothing may work in some theoretical models, but without evidence it is mere speculation and metaphysics. The origin of the physical laws that would permit the generation of a multiverse is not explained. Indeed, materialists assume the existence of quantum mechanics, gravity, and empty space and then claim a universe can be created from nothing, yet physical law is something! The mechanism whereby quantum mechanics and gravity could generate a universe is likewise not explained. Empirically our universe is all we know of, so the problem of fine tuning remains. Hawking claims the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is correct, but there are many other interpretations. For example, the Copenhagen interpretation, which does not invoke other universes, was favored by Niels Bohr, 17 one of the fathers of modern atomic theory. Many atheists assume Darwinism or one of its variants can answer all the questions in evolutionary biology, but this simply is not so; macroevolution is still looking for a credible mechanism. So far, the only known source of complex specified information such as found in books and DNA is an intelligent agent. 18 Hence, even if the many worlds interpretation is correct (this is dubious in my view), the origin of information in biology would still need to be explained. Just as the “just so” stories of biological evolution have failed to explain the origin and diversity of life on earth, the “just so” many worlds hypothesis and multiverse theories fail to explain the origin of the universe, natural law, and the fine tuning of physics. So far there is no mechanism to start and stop inflation, 19 a critical part of the Big Bang scenario. In fact, the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson has suggested that current inflation theories may not work. 20 So far there is no evidence for microscopic black holes and curled up compactified extra dimensions predicted by M-theory 21 and related theories. 22 There is still no complete explanation for why there is no antimatter in the universe. M-theory, string theory, and related theories have not been confirmed, so perhaps it is premature to say everything has been explained without God. Hawking’s explanation for the universe is more philosophy than science.
Atheist Lawrence Krauss says that the difference between speculative physics and spiritual realities is that the former can be measured in principle. 23 However, this ignores personal spiritual experience, the fulfillment of prophecies, the empirical detection of design in nature, the historical accuracy of the scriptures, the over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Christ, etc. These spiritual realities have been measured in fact.
Krauss, similar to Hawking, says you can get a universe from nothing if you can start with empty space with nonzero energy and the laws of gravity and quantum mechanics. He then admits empty space with nonzero energy is something! 24 This is a clear violation of the law of noncontradiction.
In summary, the second law of thermodynamics, the expansion of the universe, and the most recent scholarship on major cosmological theories all require a beginning to the universe. No current theory allows an eternity past! Hence all current theories say there still had to be a beginning. 17 Since there is no evidence so far for hidden dimensions, other universes, string theory, etc., fine tuning is still a problem for materialists. The matter/antimatter problem is still unsolved. Even if the landscape of a multiverse is correct (there is no evidence it is), one still has to explain origin of life and evolution. However, there is still no evidence for hidden dimensions and other universes. The theoretical scenarios advanced by Hawking and Krauss are speculative and depend on a quantum theory of gravity, which is not currently available. The best answer to the beginning and fine tuning of our universe is found in Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
- 1. Lennox JC (2009) God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Lion Hudson, Oxford, 66-67
- 2. Lennox JC (2009) 70
- 3. Berlinski D (2008) The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions, Crown Forum New York, 115
- 4. Deem R (2011 May 17) Evidence for the fine tuning of the universe, < http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/designun.html > Accessed 2014 Feb 22
- 5. Bai TA, The universe fine-tuned for life, < http://quake.stanford.edu/~bai/finetuning.pdf > Access 2014 Feb 22
- 6. Hawking S.(2010) The Grand Design, Bantam Books, New York, 49-166
- 7. Most stars have a companion star and are hence called binary. Our sun is an exception.
- 8. Lennox JC (2009) 71
- 9. Lennox JC (2009) 72
- 10. Hawking (2010) 166
- 11. Hawking S (1988) A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, Bantam Books New York, 134
- 12. Ibid., 133
- 13. Kraus L (2012) A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing, Free Press New York, 134
- 14. Berlinski D (2008) 120
- 15. The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics was inspired by the double slit experiment. See an online video clip, Dr. Quantum – Double-slit experiment, < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc > Accessed 2014 Feb 22, Clip from Lord of the Wind Films, (2004) What the bleep do we know.
- 16. Grossman L (2012) Why physicists can’t avoid a creation event. New Scientist 2847:6-7, Available at: < http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328474.400-why-physicists-cant-avoid-a-creation-event.html > Accessed 2014 Feb 22
- 17. a. b. Berlinski D (2008) 94
- 18. Reynolds DW (2013 May) The origin of information in biology, TASC Newsletter, < http://tasc-creationscience.org/sites/default/files/newsletter_pdf/may2013.pdf > Accessed 2014 Feb 22
- 19. Inflation refers to rapid expansion of the universe fractions of a second after the Big Bang. Inflation is thought to explain the horizon problem and the homogeneity of matter in the universe. Recent news that evidence for inflation has been found could be premature. However, if inflation is confirmed, its starting, stopping, rate, and duration will merely add to the fine tuning argument. See Herbert J < http://www.icr.org/article/8031/ > Accessed 2014 Apr 12
- 20. Merali Z (2013) Higgs data could spell trouble for leading Big Bang theory: Universe’s latest baby picture combines with LHC findings to raise new questions about cosmic ‘inflation’. Nature, Available at: < http://www.nature.com/news/higgs-data-could-spell-trouble-for-leading-big-bang-theory-1.12804 > Accessed on 2014 Feb 22
- 21. M-theory is favored by Stephen Hawking. It is actually a collection of theories in physics that agree where they overlap. | https://tasc-creationscience.org/article/data-cosmology-say-universe-had-beginning-and-finely-tuned-life |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illumination optics for a two-plate type projector, capable of obtaining stably an illumination light having a wavelength band of desired polarization state, without using a rotary color filter, and capable of obtaining stable color reproducibility over a long period.
SOLUTION: An optical path of a white light of linear polarization from a light source 10 is switched alternately from the first optical path 21 to the second optical path 22 and vice versa, by an optical path switching part 20, and is guided to a two-plate type light modulation part 50, by rotating, by 90°, a polarization direction of the first elementary color B light, by the first polarization-rotating element 33, in the first optical path 21, and by rotating, by 90°, a polarization direction of the second elementary color G light, by the second polarization-rotating element 37, in the second optical path 22.
COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT | |
An early adopter of the federal Electronic Health Records (EHR) Meaningful Use initiative in Indiana was named a Health IT Fellow (Fellows) by the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT, giving Bambi McQuade-Jones of Lebanon, Ind., a voice in the pace and direction of the program to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and care coordination of hospital and practice-provider EHR systems.
"As Health IT Fellows, we respond to the stages of the Meaningful Use initiative by offering perspectives that will best allow for both an improved patient and improved provider experience as they interface with new technologies, such as provider-to-provider health exchanges, electronic patient portals, and e-prescribing," said McQuade-Jones, DNP, APRN,FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner with a doctorate of nursing practice who founded the Boone County Community Health Clinic in the late-90s to serve primarily underserved and underinsured patients. The self-supported, not-for-profit clinic employs a staff of 12 and serves approximately 6,000 patients per year.
McQuade-Jones is one of 28 Fellows who will meet regularly in Washington, D.C., for the next year to provide grassroots insight and feedback on the appropriateness, clarity and effectiveness of the ONC's Meaningful Use initiative. Fellows are asked by the ONC to "lend their voice and experience regarding ways providers can leverage Health IT to improve patient engagement and experience in the delivery of patient care, making Meaningful Use meaningful."
As executive director of the clinic, McQuade-Jones worked with the Purdue Regional Extension Center, a division of Purdue Healthcare Advisors responsible for guiding the majority of Indiana providers to EHR Meaningful Use compliance, to select an EHR vendor that would best meet its needs. "Boone County Community Clinic wanted to upgrade from an EHR system that functioned merely as an electronic paper chart," said Purdue REC Director Randy Hountz. "Purdue partnered with clinic leadership and staff to ensure theirs system would improve patient outcomes, improve safety for patients, and decrease medical errors."
To ease the transition from old to new EHR system, Purdue educated the clinic staff on the new system's advanced functionality. McQuade-Jones, meantime, secured grants and additional funding that allowed her to hire licensed practical nurses to help capture information in the EHR and provide care-planning support. Moving patient data from the old to new system took time, so the practice purposefully decreased patient volume during the implementation period to ensure proper implementation and training.
Today, the clinic's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores are up significantly; Purdue is helping the clinic to implement the factors necessary to receive Patient Centered Medical Home Level 2 recognition; and McQuade-Jones serves on the Executive Nurse Fellows program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of 20 nurses selected nationally to help lead a reformed health care system. McQuade-Jones also was recognized by the Indiana Primary Healthcare Association as "Most Innovative Provider of the Year." | https://pha.purdue.edu/news-folder/purdue-rec-client-named-among-onc-health-it-fellows/ |
Golgi Complex also termed as Golgi Apparatus. It is a membrane-bound organelle, which is mainly composed of a series of flattened, stacked pouches called cisternae. This cell organelle is primarily responsible for transporting, modifying, and packaging proteins and lipid to targeted destinations. Golgi Apparatus is found within the cytoplasm of a cell and are present in both plant and animal cells.
Composition
The Golgi body comprises 5 to 8 cup-shaped, series of compartments known as cisternae. Cisternae is a flattened, disk-shaped, stacked pouches that make up the Golgi apparatus. A Golgi stack mostly contains 4 to 8 cisternae. However, ~60 cisternae are found in some protists. A mammalian cell contains ~40 to 100 stacks of cisternae. Animal cells generally contain around 10 to 20 Golgi stacks per cell, which are connected by tubular connections. Golgi complex is mostly found near the nucleus.
Functions
Listed below are the functions of Golgi complex
- The vital function of the Golgi apparatus is packaging and secretion of proteins.
- It receives proteins from Endoplasmic Reticulum.
- It packages it into membrane-bound vesicles, which are then transported to various destinations, such as lysosomes, plasma membrane or secretion.
- They also take part in the transport of lipids and the formation of lysosomes.
- Post-translational modification and enzymatic processing occur near the membrane surface in Golgi bodies, e.g. phosphorylation, glycosylation, etc.
- Golgi apparatus is the site for the synthesis of various glycolipids, sphingomyelin, etc.
- Complex polysaccharides of the cell wall are synthesised in the Golgi apparatus in plant cells. | https://byjus.com/questions/list-out-the-functions-of-golgi-complex/ |
At a meeting of NHS Borders Board, board members today supported the recommendation that the Coldingham Branch Surgery and Dispensing Service is no longer sufficiently resilient or sustainable to remain viable.
This follows notification from the Partners of Eyemouth Medical Practice in June 2021 that, despite significant efforts having been made to recruit to vacant posts and to diversify their workforce, they have not been successful in filling some of the key posts. This in turn has significantly impacted on their ability to continue operating from Coldingham.
A public consultation was undertaken from 3 July to 9 August 2021 with all 6500 patients registered to Eyemouth Medical Practice invited to feed back their comments and suggestions. This resulted in a total of 132 responses being received.
Commenting on the decision of the Board, Chief Executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Roberts said: “General Practice faces a very challenging time at present with a national shortage of GPs and particular difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff in remote and rural locations.
“The board considered in depth the information submitted in the paper discussed today, including the feedback from the community and stakeholders, and are satisfied that all avenues have been explored in relation to the future sustainability of the Coldingham Branch Surgery and the local Dispensing Service.
“Having considered the actions being taken to mitigate the situation and, in particular, having considered the potential impact on the overall sustainability of the whole of Eyemouth Medical Practice, the Board agreed to withdraw the dispensing service contract and endorse the closure of the Coldingham Branch Surgery.
“While I recognise the disappointment that this will cause for members of the Coldingham community I would like to thank them for their participation in the consultation process. I am assured by the Partners of Eyemouth Medical Practice and our Primary and Community Services management team that all steps will be taken to ensure that the transition is a smooth one, and where possible steps will be taken to address issues raised by members of the local community to minimise the impact. Details will be communicated to all Practice patients during week commencing 13 September 2021.”
“In addition, I have made a commitment to the Board that we will continue to work with the Eyemouth Practice and local communities to identify ways to mitigate any health inequalities impacts as far as possible.”
Dr Kirsty Robinson, GP Partner at Eyemouth Medical Practice said: “After careful consideration over a lengthy period of time we approached the NHS Borders Board in June this year following comprehensive discussions within our GP Partnership about the future resilience of the practice. It is regrettable that we were in that position, however the closure of the Coldingham branch premises and ceasing dispensing services, although disappointing for our patients, ensures that our Practice is more sustainable for the future and will help us to continue to provide the high quality person centred services to our patients that we pride ourselves on. | https://www.eyemouthmedicalpractice.co.uk/important-coldingham-branch-update/ |
What are some angles to make a light prism?
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The graph below gives you a visual look at KMB’s recent movement. We will get into why these numbers matter below, and get in more detail through out the article. For now enjoy the graph we have created for you.
- Price Open: The price as of market open.
- Change: The price change since the previous trading day’s close.
- High: The current day’s high price.
- Low: The current day’s low price.
Market Data
In this article, we will be analyzing Kimberly Clark Corp. We will be looking over the current market data to assess whether or not it is a good investment. To get started, the stock opened this morning at $132.78 and has moved $0.75 from yesterday’s closing price of $132.55. The high for today is $133.67 and the low is $132.5. A great indicator of where a stock is trending is by looking at its 52-week high/low. This is a technical indicator used by some traders and investors who view these figures as an important factor in the analysis of a stock’s current value and as a predictor of its future price movement.
The 52-week high for Kimberly Clark Corp is $155.26 and the low is $128.02. We will be moving onto the number of outstanding shares. One is that you can use shares outstanding to calculate the market capitalization, the total value, of a corporation. Multiply the price of a single stock by the number of shares outstanding to find a business’s market capitalization. The number of outstanding shares for Kimberly Clark Corp is 336762000. Now that you know more about Kimberly Clark Corp stands, let’s learn more about the future of the company.
Forecast & Beta
As an investor, you can get an idea of where the stock is trending by the forecast and beta. Beta is calculated using regression analysis. A beta of 1 indicates that the security’s price tends to move with the market. A beta greater than 1 indicates that the security’s price tends to be more volatile than the market. A beta of less than 1 means it tends to be less volatile than the market. Kimberly Clark Corp has a beta of 0.5. Knowing all of this, we project that Kimberly Clark Corp will have a price of $173.29 in 12-months compared to its current price of $133.3
We can also take a look at the company’s market cap. Market cap is important because it allows investors to understand the relative size of one company versus another. Market cap measures what a company is worth on the open market, as well as the market’s perception of its prospects because it reflects what investors are willing to pay for its stock. Kimberly Clark Corp has a market cap of $44890388957.
Stock Chart
Stock analysis is a method for investors and traders to make buying and selling decisions. Investors and traders try to gain an edge in the markets by making informed decisions through analyzing the past and current data. The ultimate goal is to arrive at a number that can be compared to the present price of a security to determine whether it is undervalued or overvalued. View the chart below to get a better understanding of how the stock has been moving.
The chart above displays the price history to help you determine whether the stock is appreciating or depreciating in value. If you do not use stock charts you’re essentially investing with a blindfold. You won’t be able to see what’s really happening with the stock. | https://wallstreetfacts.com/2021/10/14/kmb-investors-will-love-the-forecast-for-kimberly-clark-corp-14/ |
This paper reflects on some amendments to the Declaration of Helsinki in 2008. It focuses on former paragraphs 5 (now 6) and 19 (now 17). Paragraph 5 suggested that the wellbeing of research participants should take precedence over the interests of science and society. Paragraph 6 now proposes that it should take precedence over all other interests. Paragraph 19, and the new paragraph 17, suggest that research involving the members of a disadvantaged population is only justified if the clinical trial is likely to benefit them. In both cases, the recommendation is that the interests of the research subjects should prevail over the interests of third parties. This paper assesses the plausibility of these statements, and in order to do so, considers debates on the moral duty to participate in biomedical research. It is argued that, even if seen in the context of the Declaration as a whole, the statements contained in these paragraphs risk offering a misleading portrait of science and risk eroding some of the ethical principles that should form the basis of a satisfactory shared life, such as altruism and responsibility for our fellows.
- Applied and professional ethics
- Declaration of Helsinki
- duty to participate in research
- philosophical ethics
- research ethics
- scientific research
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- Applied and professional ethics
- Declaration of Helsinki
- duty to participate in research
- philosophical ethics
- research ethics
- scientific research
In 2008 the World Medical Association (WMA) published an amended Declaration of Helsinki.1 The Declaration is among the most well-known frameworks for ethical management of clinical research involving human persons and materials. In spite of the sometimes unfavourable comments they receive,2 these guidelines are thought to have important political influence both in domestic and transnational social movements and institutions,3 and to provide ‘a global standard of legitimacy’.4 5
While similar guidelines can be useful for the management of research, some statements might give rise to important and general ethical issues. In particular, I discuss paragraphs 5 (now 6) and 19 (now 17). The way they are phrased and the way they have been amended invite us to reconsider the responsibilities that each individual has towards others. Both paragraphs, with important nuances in the new version, recommend that the wellbeing of research subjects should always be protected and should not be subordinated to the interests of third parties. Whereas this might seem an obvious ethical principle, the relationship between the wellbeing of research subjects and the interests and wellbeing of all others is complex and requires that we re-examine the moral responsibilities that we all have towards each other. In order to bring to light the complexities inherent in such relationship, I consider the debates on the moral duty to participate in biomedical research.
Paragraph 1 indicates that ‘the Declaration is intended to be read as a whole and each of its constituent paragraphs should not be applied without consideration of all other paragraphs’. Yet, even if seen in the context of the Declaration as a whole, paragraphs 6 and 17 risk offering a misleading portrait of science and risk eroding some of the ethical principles that should form the basis of a satisfactory shared life, such as altruism and responsibility for our fellows. Similar statements should be tempered with the recognition of the moral importance of bearing small sacrifices for the sake of others.
It could be objected that a narrow focus on this Declaration is misguided, as paragraph 10 advises that other ‘applicable international norms or standards’ should also be ‘considered’. A comparative analysis of various guidelines, however, goes beyond the remit of this paper. Moreover, paragraph 10 requires that none of these other norms ‘should reduce or eliminate any of the protections of research subjects set forth in this Declaration’. It is thus important to understand what these protections are, and what their ethical significance is.
Historical significance
The Declaration of Helsinki, as many other documents written after the Second World War, was to an important extent a response to war crimes and to the persecutions of German national socialism, sometimes performed in the name of science.6 The (in)famous ‘Dachau Hypothermia Study’ is one example of these.7 The input motivation for this ‘research’ came from the losses that the German navy experienced in the cold North Sea. No data were available to document at what temperatures humans could survive, and for how long. The Nazi ‘scientists’ threw prisoners into ice water tanks to observe their response to cold. Other shocking experiments were performed. Josef Mengele murdered and dissected several twins to study the similarities of their organs.8 Many similar horrors have been denounced since the late 1940s.9
After the Nuremberg trials, everybody came together to condemn the brutal crimes performed under the guise of medical research.10 Many years later, the feeling that humans should not be sacrificed to science is still strong. See also the account of the controversial case of Jesse Gelsinger in Obasogie.11 At the commemoration of the Nuremberg trial in 1996, Katz, a Jewish doctor who emigrated to the USA during the Second World War, said: ‘I believe that the concentration camp experiments […] transgressed the last vestiges of human decency’. He also said: ‘we must confront a question still relevant in today's world: How much harm can be inflicted on human subjects of research for the sake of medical progress and national survival?’12 We shall return to this important point later.
The Declaration, up until 2008, contained a paragraph that somehow represented a response to the past and possible crimes. Paragraph 5 reads:
‘In medical research on human subjects, considerations related to the well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interests of science and society’
Paragraph 5 has now been amended, and it is important to see how it has been modified. Understood in light of the historical context, paragraph 5 meant that fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, bodily integrity and health should not be sacrificed in the name of science, that people should not be tortured or murdered even if many others stood to gain important benefits as a result.
The problem with paragraph 5 is that it seems to require that the interests of research subjects be given paramount importance, and that the ‘interests of science and society’ be subordinate. However, the ‘interests of science and society’ are the interests of real persons who could benefit from what science can offer. In light of this, some have argued that not only should the interests of research subjects not automatically take precedence, but that there is a positive duty to participate in biomedical research.
It is not the main purpose of this paper to establish whether people have a moral duty, be it positive or imperfect,13 to participate in biomedical research. Yet these arguments shed light on what the individuals' responsibilities within society should be, and help us to assess the moral plausibility of some of the statements of the Declaration.
On the duty to participate in research
While many, just after the Second World War, came together to state the fundamental importance of people's right autonomously to enter (or refuse to enter) into biomedical research, some dissented from the majority's view. For example, the physicians Lasagna,14 McDermott15 and Eisenberg argued that citizens have a moral duty to participate in biomedical research. ‘How many of medicine's greatest advances might have been delayed or prevented by the rigid application of some currently proposed principles to research at large?’, asked Lasagna.14 Caplan16 and later Harris17 and Chan and Harris18argued that there is a moral obligation to participate in biomedical research.
The most cogent reasons brought in support of such a duty are:
The benefits that we all gather from living in a society that pursues medical research; and
Consistency: citizens of liberal states might be called to serve the public good in various ways, when the benefits for people are significant and the disadvantages are minimal or bearable. By consistency we cannot exclude serving the public good by participating in biomedical research.17
The first argument has found an important philosophical ground in the Rawlsian concept of ‘fair play’. Rawls argued that those who accept the benefits of any given cooperative social scheme have an obligation to take the risks and burdens that might be required for the sake of that scheme.19 Refusing to do so means being a free rider. Hart construed the obligation to contribute to the common good as a duty of reciprocity: ‘When a number of persons conduct any joint enterprise according to rules and restrict their liberty, those who have submitted to these restrictions when required have a right to similar submission from those who have benefited by their submission.’20
It has been objected that the duty of reciprocity, in the case of research, would have to be discharged cross-generationally: in what sense could an obligation to past generations be discharged by the members of future generations?16 What degree of participation is needed to discharge this general duty? Do financial contributions,21 or even campaigning for research represent valid or sufficient discharge of people's obligations?
Nozick22 objected that those who unwillingly benefit from a social scheme are under no obligation towards the members of the enterprise. I am not a free rider if they decide to benefit me regardless of my wishes. It is of course true, however, that consent can be implicit. If I use the results of biomedical research I might be implicitly consenting to the enterprise, and the principle of fair play might apply.16
There are other problems, however.
Even on the assumption that we all directly or indirectly benefit from research, a moral duty to pursue research cannot straightforwardly be derived from the recognition of such a benefit, unless one or both of the following propositions are accepted: (1) There is such a thing as a moral duty of reciprocity; (2) There is such a thing as a moral duty to do what is beneficial to us, or what is rational to prefer.
Hart, Rawls and Caplan focused on argument (1). However, it is not clear that there is such a thing as a duty of reciprocity in the first instance;21 23 even if one assumed the existence of a duty of reciprocity in other forms of social cooperation, it is not clear that this applies to biomedical research; and even if one assumed that there is a duty of reciprocity in biomedical research, there are problems in qualifying and quantifying this duty.
A moral obligation to participate in something beneficial can also be grounded by (2): X is in my interests, therefore I have a rational preference for X, therefore I have a moral obligation to pursue X. This seems to be Harris's suggestion.17 However, none of the authors cited so far has argued that there is a moral obligation to do what is rational to prefer (maybe for the obvious reason that this argument is tyrannical in principle and inapplicable in practice). The second ground is thus also shaky.
To conclude, argument (A) (the argument from benefit) is incomplete.
Argument (B) is one of consistency (although none of the authors mentioned articulates it in this way). According to this argument, our liberties are often restricted for the common good (with compulsory vaccinations, speed limits, jury services…). If we accept these, we are committed in principle to accept limitations of freedom for good things. Research being a good thing, we need to accept participating in it.17
Argument (B) is also incomplete. The fact that our liberties are restricted (sometimes unfairly) in several ways is not a good enough reason for also imposing participation in biomedical research. Moreover, under consistency, we can at the most subsume a moral duty to contribute to medical research. I might be called to contribute to medical research by way of taxation, or by donating (or selling) tissue (such as blood or umbilical cord tissue). This might raise further ethical and legal issues relating to the provider's right to control over the given tissues, and to the fair allocation of benefits, including financial benefits, which might also be generated thanks to the availability of tissues provided. More clearly, two sets of questions arise: one is whether tissue providers should retain control (even in the absence of property rights) over the removed tissue they provided, in possible future and possibly unpredictable usages (and would this control extend to future generations in case, for example, of stem cell lines that survive the provider?). The other is whether, given that a number of people might obtain financial benefits for research that has involved the use of these tissues, tissue providers can legitimately be excluded from a fair share of financial benefits (eventually, would financial benefits extend to the provider's descendants?). These issues are not specific to tissues provided as a part of a ‘compulsory’ programme of contribution, but also apply to voluntary free provisions, under the scheme adopted, for example, in the UK. It is not immediately clear whether, if we had two systems running, one in which some tissues are recruited under a ‘moral responsibility programme’ (ie, mandatory contribution to research) and one in which they are recruited on a purely voluntary basis, citizens would be expected automatically to waive any form of control over their tissue in the former case, but not in the latter. This paper is set out in the current UK policy framework, in which tissue providers have no control over further uses of provided tissues, and stand no financial benefit from research they have contributed to. On the themes relating to tissue providers' control over their excited tissues, see Holm.24 The analysis of these ethical and legal problems cannot be explored further here. What matters here is that contribution is not the same as participation in biomedical research. To participate means to take part in something, to share and having direct involvement. The word ‘participation’ denotes a situation in which citizens might be called to take part in research, for example, by being enrolled in research. Whereas it is ethically legitimate and widely accepted that the state requires its citizens to contribute to the common good, or to the good of others, in some ways, it is not clear that it could legitimately require them to repay for the services provided with the same coin.
If this was the case, medical treatment should also be rationed on the basis of responsibility for ill health. According to this argument, the state has a duty to protect my health and I have a corresponding duty to try to be healthy. I would be a free rider if I, let's say, drank to excess, smoked, and let others pay for my vices. Likewise I would be a free rider if I benefited from medical research without participating in it. Harris and I argued that healthcare resources should not be rationed according to a principle of reciprocity, but according to need and prognosis, regardless of how the affliction has occurred.25 This implies that the argument that the state can compel its citizens to repay for what it provides with the same coin (health with health, research with research) needs to be justified (if this is possible) on other grounds, not simply on the grounds of reciprocity or consistency.
What does this have to do with former paragraph 5, now paragraph 6? Paragraph 5 was not about voluntary participation, yet it raised an important ethical issue: should the interests of research participants always come first? Philosophical debates on the duty to participate in research show that the answer cannot unequivocally be ‘yes’.
However, to suggest, as paragraph 5 did, that the wellbeing of human subjects should take precedence over the interests of science and society meant much more than saying that participation should be voluntary (an already controversial claim, as we have just seen). It might even indicate that voluntary participation might be unethical, that it might be unethical if I decided to sacrifice a little of my own wellbeing for the sake of my fellow citizens, of my family, of my siblings, or of unknown others who I feel I may help. On this, it is interesting to remember the Hwang case. In May 2004, Nature reported that Hwang, a scientist from South Korea, used two of his researchers to recruit the oocytes for his research on cloning. There have been claims that the researchers, adult and competent individuals, have been exploited. I am not suggesting that Hwang's conduct was ethical or legal. However, I would like to bring attention to one particular claim that was made, that to donate eggs for research in which we have a particular interest might be unethical, because the woman, albeit adult and competent, cannot consent voluntarily given the importance of the research trial for her. This is the part of the claim that in my view is dubious. See, for example, Magnus and Cho.26 It is to this much more controversial message that I now turn.
Should the wellbeing of research subjects always take precedence?
The interests of research subjects cannot automatically take precedence over the interests of society. Society in fact is a conglomeration of individuals, and the interests of societies include the interests of other people, whose rights are of equal importance. All people are morally important, and with respect to one another, each has a claim to equal consideration. The interests of those who might benefit from research are not, in principle, less important than the interests of research participants.
The 2008 Declaration did not address these issues. Indeed, it appears that the revised Declaration has exacerbated these problems. Paragraph 5, moved to paragraph 6, has been amended as follows.
Paragraph 6 of the 2008 Declaration of Helsinki
‘In medical research involving humans, the well-being of the individual research subject should take precedence over all other interests’.
In the explanatory notes, the WMA writes: ‘Minor editorial changes’.
Changing human subjects into ‘humans’ can hardly be defined as a ‘minor editorial change’. It is a substantial modification of the meaning and scope of the paragraph. The word ‘human’ is far-reaching. Embryos are ‘humans’: is the Declaration making a statement against embryo research? Moreover, ‘the interests of science and society’ have been replaced with ‘all other interests’, a clause that is even more vague and all-inclusive than the previous one. It clearly includes ‘all others' interests’, and thus the equal and equally valuable interests in health and life of those who could benefit from research.
There are more problems with paragraph 6.
Is subordination unethical?
Probably the more profound meaning of paragraph 6 is that research subjects should not be exploited or exposed to avoidable health risks. However, the Declaration contains elsewhere statements that seek to protect the health and dignity of research subjects.
‘It is the duty of physicians who participate in medical research to protect the life, health, dignity, integrity, right to self determination, privacy and confidentiality of personal information of research subjects’. (paragraph 11)
Paragraph 6 thus is purely a statement of subordination. There is, however, nothing inherently problematical with subordination. I see no problem in having my wellbeing (however defined) subordinated to the interests of others, so far as my interests (including my interest in my wellbeing) are also served satisfactorily. The problem is not subordination of interests, but that interests are served, and that people's health, safety and dignity are protected.
Moreover, my own wellbeing can be served, at times, by being subordinated to the interests of others.27 I have a prudential reason to bear some sacrifices for the sake of the community of which I am a part. Even when I stand to gain no benefit from my sacrifice (even when I obtain no self-gratification for having done something good for others), and thus when prudential reasons do not fully validate my contribution to the welfare of others, there might still be important non-prudential reasons that do so, which have to do purely with altruism. Being required to bear sacrifices for the sake of others can give people the chance to be better people. Of course egoism is not necessarily irrational. Hume famously said: ‘It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger’.28 Likewise ‘It is not contrary to reason for me to choose my total ruin, to prevent the least uneasiness of an Indian or person wholly unknown to me’.28 It can neither be irrational nor unethical in principle to subordinate some of an individual's wellbeing to the interests of others (including the interests in their own wellbeing). If anything is ethically dubious, it is to inflict avoidable suffering on people, and whether this is done in the name of science, of God, of justice, or in any other name, is irrelevant.
Also, it might be ethically problematical to dismiss the wellbeing of one group to favour the interests of another, but this is what paragraph 6 suggests. Paragraph 6 in fact claims that the interests of one group, the potential beneficiaries, should be subordinated to the wellbeing of another group, the group of research participants.
It could here be objected that this reading of paragraph 6 does not account for the fact that the interests of research participants and the interests of potential beneficiaries often coincide. Indeed, this is another problem with paragraph 6. It is not clear whether it refers only to situations of conflict of interests or to all cases.
Conflict of interests
The Nazi experiments mentioned earlier are examples of conflict of interests. Another example may be the donation of ova for research.29 In these cases, the wellbeing of research participants is subordinated or sacrificed to the interests of third parties. In most cases, however, research produces benefits to individual participants and to those affected by the same condition, and also creates additional knowledge, which can be useful in other and sometimes unpredictable ways. In these cases there is no obvious conflict of interests. The problem with paragraph 6 is that it could be interpreted as suggesting that there is no moral difference between a research study that focuses narrowly on the condition of the research subjects and a study that, in addition to that, also attempts to enhance scientific knowledge of other conditions. This is surely implausible.
One could argue that this is an unconvincing reading of paragraph 6, which necessarily refers to situations of conflict of interests. Only in these cases should the interests of research participants take precedence. Even interpreted in this way, paragraph 6 still has problems. The words ‘wellbeing’ and ‘interests’ are value laden and should be qualified: if my conception of ‘wellbeing’ involved an extravagant lifestyle, whereas your ‘interests’ were interests in treating a life-threatening disease, surely it could not in principle be unethical to request giving in some of my ‘wellbeing’ to promote your ‘interests’.
Other paragraphs of the Declaration contain clarifications of how the ‘wellbeing’ of research participants should be understood. Paragraph 4 supports the idea that the ‘health of my patient will be my first consideration’ and that ‘[a] physician shall act in the patient's best interest when providing medical care’. Paragraph 11, as we saw above, states that physicians who participate in medical research have a duty to protect ‘the life, health, dignity, integrity, right to self-determination, privacy and confidentiality’. The notion of wellbeing of research subjects is thus somehow qualified, what is not qualified are the interests of third parties. The word ‘interests’ might recall goods that are more trivial than life, health, dignity and integrity, such as financial interests, profits and advantages. Who could argue that your wellbeing should be sacrificed to my advantages? However, if in ‘interests’ one included the interests in health, life and wellbeing, it would be more difficult to accept paragraph 6.
Moreover, suppose that, by asking to remain under the same research conditions for one extra week, the research is likely to offer important knowledge relating to a condition that does not affect the research subjects. Paragraph 6 implies that such a request would be unethical. Here the problem is not how many extra days and how much extra discomfort people can be required to stand for others; even one extra day, or one extra hour would in principle be unethical, according to paragraph 6, because the wellbeing of the individual research subjects should take precedence over all other interests, and thus nobody should be asked to bear any extra sacrifice for the sake of others. All other interests, in fact, must include the interests of other humans, equally suffering, equally disadvantaged, equally ill.
It is unclear whether the research subjects, in this case, would have a moral obligation to remain in the project. Yet it seems, at the very least, that a research project that requested the research subjects to continue to participate for an extra week is not unethical in principle, contrary to what paragraph 6 seems to suggest.
Exploitation
In defence of paragraph 6, it could be argued that it is meant to protect research subjects from exploitation. It would be cruel to let someone die in agony, when his pains could be alleviated, just to observe the natural development of his disease; it would be cruel to induce a terminally ill person to take part in painful experiments under false promises, just because ‘she is going to die anyway’. The problem in these types of conduct is not that all other interests have taken precedence. The problem here is that people are inflicted avoidable suffering; that they are deceived or exposed to risks they have not consented to; and that their life, a life that they might still value, is shortened against their wishes.
Finally, paragraph 6 offers a misleading and offensive image of science. Whereas there are unscrupulous individuals, it is a gross mistake to suggest, even implicitly, that science is a dangerous enterprise, and is a mistake that risks complicating further the already complex interaction between scientists and civil society.
Paragraph 19 of the previous Declaration raised other important ethical issues.
Paragraph 19
‘Medical research is only justified if there is a reasonable likelihood that the populations in which the research is carried out stand to benefit from the results of the research’. (Previous Declaration)
The suggestion that research that is not directly beneficial to the patient or to the category of patients to which the subject belongs is unjustified (whether these categories are defined by patient groups or national boundaries or in any other way) seems not only untenable but also offensive. I developed the following argument with John Harris. Some of the arguments here formed a part of our proposals to the WMA.
If there are moral reasons to accept some risks, it is not plausible to request that I must also benefit from the risks taken. Should I be able to donate blood or bone marrow only when this is likely to benefit me, or those like me? Should we say that research carried out in the UK should only benefit the British like me? Or the sick like me? Or the black like me? Surely, if any category has to apply, this has to be a person like me, and thus it seems that if medical research is likely to benefit other persons like me, but not me or my fellow citizens, it cannot be deemed unethical just for that reason.
This is how the WMA has amended paragraph 19.
Paragraph 19, now moved to paragraph 17, reads:
‘Medical research involving a disadvantaged population or community is only justified if the research is responsive to the health needs and priorities of this population or community and if there is a reasonable likelihood that this population or community stands to benefit from the results of the research’.
The WMA explains:
‘The addition of ‘a disadvantaged population or community’ allows for phase one clinical trials on diseases that primarily affect developing countries (eg, malaria) to be conducted in developed countries.’
The Declaration is intended to deal with globalised medical research, and conflicting policies and interests among countries might have a bearing upon how populations are treated in the medical and research environment. It thus seems important that a global standard of care attempts to prevent exploitation and further hardship for those who already appear disadvantaged. However, enrolling people in a study that is not likely to benefit them is not necessarily exploitative. Of course, it seems unfair to vulnerable populations that they be subjected to extensive studies because, for example, this will give them access to treatments that they would otherwise be denied, or that they should agree to participate in research because this might give them financial benefits, in the form of reimbursement, necessary for their own survival or for the survival of their families.
These are, however, problems of the fair allocation of resources, of poverty and global justice, which cannot be resolved by banning altruism.
It cannot and should not be excluded that disadvantaged populations or communities act out of altruism. There is nothing wrong in principle in enrolling disadvantaged populations in research that is not likely to benefit them (at least no more wrong than enrolling anyone else). If there is something wrong, it is to deny them benefits that are available, because they belong to a disadvantaged community, but whether they have contributed to the discovery of these benefits or not is irrelevant. When someone is allowed to die, or allowed to suffer, when their life could be saved and their suffering could be alleviated, whether or not the drug that might save them has been discovered with their participation seems an unimportant issue. If people are allowed to die, when they could be saved with, for example, antibiotics, why should we care about whether they have contributed or not to the development of antibiotics?
Conclusions
People's participation in research raises acute ethical issues: some relate to poverty and social degradation, which at times might induce people to take risks that they would not otherwise take. Some relate to people's rights to life, bodily integrity and health, which in principle should not be violated. Some relate to our responsibilities towards others. The Declaration of Helsinki, now one of the milestones in the protection of the rights of research participants, is set out to provide an ethical framework, which should guide medical research. By using the solemn anthems of ‘protection of dignity’, ‘integrity’ and other noble words, the Declaration seems to capture widespread sentiments of respect for those who are vulnerable, maybe because of illness or other disadvantage, and who might be unable to defend themselves from unscrupulous exploiters. Whereas the intention is honourable, some statements contained in the Declaration are dubious, even if viewed in the context of the Declaration as a whole. People should be protected, but people's interests and wellbeing are not best served by stating articles of faith of questionable significance, which discourage altruism and fail to promote cohesion and a sense of reciprocal responsibility among the members of the human family.
Acknowledgments
The input for writing this paper came from the Luca Coscioni Association, a no-profit organisation based in Rome, active in various areas of ethics and public policy, among which, scientific research. The Luca Coscioni Association, John Harris and the author commented on the Declaration and responded to the WMA's call for amendments in 2008. This paper is a further reflection on the Declaration and their proposals. The author therefore wishes to thank the Luca Coscioni Association for having had the idea of participating in this enterprise in the first instance, and also for the discussions they had on the themes of this paper. The author would like to thank Sarah Chan and Iain Brassington for their invaluable comments on this paper. He also wishes to thank the anonymous reviewers who have given extensive and helpful feedback on this article. He would like to acknowledge the stimulus and support of the iSEI Wellcome Strategic Programme in The Human Body, its Scope Limits and Future in the preparation of this article.
References
Footnotes
Competing interests None.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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Write clear and simple content that is easy for everyone to read on any device.
Invert the pyramid. Place the most important information at the top of the paragraph and the page.
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Many of today’s jobs, hobbies, and modes of transportation make it easy to succumb to a sedentary lifestyle. Unfortunately, prolonged periods of inactivity are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. If you find yourself sitting too often, here are seven simple ways to incorporate more movement into your daily routine.
1. Sit on a stability ball rather than the couch while you watch TV or play video games.
2. Walk around the room while you’re on the phone. For longer calls, consider taking a stroll around the block.
3. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts while you use an elliptical machine, stationary bike, or treadmill to make your workout more interesting.
4. Use a standing desk. Do simple exercises, such as calf raises, while you complete routine tasks like checking your email.
5. Time how long it takes you to do an active chore like vacuuming, and then see if you can beat your previous record.
6. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. To really get your heart pumping, climb them two steps at a time.
7. Do jumping jacks or run in place during the commercial breaks while you watch a hockey or basketball game on TV.
With a bit of creativity and effort, there are plenty of simple and fun ways to be more active.
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1. Boxing. Fast footwork and dynamic punching combinations keep you on your toes, improving both your muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Boxing is also a great way to relieve stress and boost your confidence. If you prefer, you can opt for classes that focus on solo boxing drills rather than sparring.
2. Cross-country skiing. This sport provides a full-body, aerobic workout that can be sustained for hours. The smooth gliding motion is easy on your joints and improves your balance. Plus, you can enjoy winter landscapes as you ski along trails blanketed in snow.
3. Swimming. The sustained effort required to swim laps increases your heart rate and lung capacity but places limited stress on your joints. This makes swimming a low-impact workout that’s suitable for people of all ages. It also engages various muscle groups, especially if you learn different strokes.
4. Running. This activity is a simple way to boost your cardiovascular endurance, and it can be done almost anywhere. Keep in mind that speed isn’t key. Instead, start slow and focus on running longer distances to see improvements in your stamina.
5. Zumba. This fitness program combines Latin-inspired dance moves, muscle-toning exercises, and lively music to get your heart pumping and your hips swaying. Zumba is both a fun workout and a healthy way to burn calories and lose weight.
If you want to boost your endurance by participating in these activities, consider signing up for a class or joining a club in your area.
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Flexibility plays a key role in your overall fitness. In fact, stretching your muscles and joints on a regular basis can make a variety of everyday activities easier. Here are the five main benefits of increasing your flexibility.
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2. It increases your range of motion
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4. It helps your muscles work more effectively
5. It reduces aches, pains, and muscle tension
Furthermore, stretching after your exercise facilitates muscle recovery and repair. It also prevents lactic acid from building up and causing muscle soreness.
Keep in mind that stretching shouldn’t be painful. Though it’s normal to feel a pulling sensation, a sharp or stabbing pain means you’ve over-extended your muscles or joints, which can result in injury.
Activities to try
Stretching is just one of many ways to improve your flexibility. You can also try yoga, tai chi, water aerobics, Pilates, ballet, and more. Consider signing up for a beginners’ class in your area.
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If you suddenly start forgetting the names of your grandkids and maybe your memory seems shorter, it could be hypothyroidism, especially if it has gone undiagnosed for some time.
Another common symptom is depression. Like muscle pain, depression can be the only noticeable symptom of hypothyroidism. In severe, untreated cases, adults can even experience hallucinations.
Constipation may be dismissed as a routine problem, but it often accompanies low thyroid.
Unexplained high cholesterol can pop up in tests and be a sign that the thyroid should be checked.
Finally, low thyroid levels can even make your heart work poorly with weaker contractions and a slower heart rate.
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Daikon is a sweet, mildly spicy root vegetable that resembles a plump white carrot. Also known as white or Japanese radish, daikon is popular in many types of Asian cuisine and a great addition to your winter meals.
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This crunchy cruciferous vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants. In addition to being low in calories, some studies indicate that eating daikon:
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• Increases satiety and promotes a healthy body weight
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Daikon can be served raw or cooked. Often, it’s thinly sliced for pickling or to be used as a garnish. However, it also makes a tasty addition to a variety of hot and cold dishes and can even be used in baked goods. This winter, try daikon pan-fried or roasted. Additionally, the greens can be used in salads, soups, and stir-fries.
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Keep daikon in a perforated plastic bag or wrapped in a damp towel in the fridge. It should last for several weeks. Store the greens separately.
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Exposure to nicotine
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Heart and lung disease
Inhaling the harmful chemicals found in e-cigarettes increases the risk of cardiovascular and lung disease. Health experts are also currently investigating the rise of a severe and potentially fatal lung disease referred to as vaping-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI).
While the potential long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, there’s no doubt that the use of e-cigarettes is hazardous. The best way to avoid the health risks associated with vaping is to not start or to ask a health-care professional for advice on how to quit.
The hazard of batteries
Vaping devices can be dangerous if they’re not properly used or stored. The lithium-ion batteries in electronic cigarettes can overheat, catch fire, or explode in your pocket if they come into contact with metal objects like loose coins or keys.
Health
Orthokeratology: an overnight treatment for myopia
If you’re nearsighted, orthokeratology can be an effective alternative to wearing glasses or contacts. This non-surgical treatment involves wearing rigid, custom-fit lenses overnight to temporarily reshape your cornea. Here’s a look at how orthokeratology can improve your vision.
What to expect
Orthokeratology lenses are made of a sturdy, gas-permeable material that flattens the center of the cornea while still allowing oxygen to reach your eye. For best results, these lenses should be worn for at least six consecutive hours every night.
You may experience some minor discomfort during the first week as your eyes get used to the rigid lenses. When you remove the lenses in the morning, your cornea will stay flat and change the way light enters your eye. This vision correction usually lasts about 24 to 48 hours.
How it can help
Though it can’t permanently correct your vision, orthokeratology slows the progression of myopia in 50 to 90 percent of cases. Among other things, this preventive action can help you:
·Avoid further eye health problems
·Reduce your risk of retinal detachment
·Prevent the appearance of eye floaters
To find out if orthokeratology is right for you, speak with your optometrist. | https://royalexaminer.com/womens-health-7-ways-to-move-more-every-day/ |
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The risk of having or dying from heart disease varies by race. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are more at risk for complications from heart disease than white Americans. This includes a higher death rate and is partly due to the barriers to healthcare BIPOC groups face.
Heart disease accounts for about
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that heart disease is the biggest cause of death for most BIPOC living in the U.S., including the following groups:
- African American
- American Indian
- Alaska Native
- Hispanic
This article explains how a person’s race affects their risk for cardiovascular disease.
According to the same data from the CDC, heart disease death rates overall have fallen for white Americans since 1999. However, the rate of heart disease has remained consistent among Black, Hispanic, and Asian American groups.
Even though white Americans have the highest rate of heart disease diagnosis, they are less likely than Black Americans to die of the disease.
According to the
|Groups||Mortality rate|
|non-Hispanic Black adults||208 per 100,000 persons|
|non-Hispanic white adults||168.9 per 100,000 persons|
|Hispanic adults||114.1 per 100,000 persons|
|non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander adults||85.5 per 100,000 persons|
While anyone can develop heart disease, certain risk factors increase the likelihood. These
- age, with the risk increasing after the age of 35 years
- sex, as males are more likely than females to develop heart disease
- a family history of heart disease
However, BIPOC groups have a higher prevalence of certain conditions that raise their risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. These include:
High blood pressure
A
Within each group, there were also significant differences. For example, 43% of people from South Asia and 39.9% from East or Southeast Asia had hypertension.
Inequities
Many factors other than genetics can lead to a higher risk of BIPOC developing high blood pressure, including racism in healthcare and everyday life.
For example, researchers in a
Learn about hypertension in African Americans here.
Obesity
Obesity is a significant heart disease risk factor. It may also signal other risk factors, such as a low-quality diet and an inactive lifestyle.
According to the CDC,
Inequities
Higher poverty rates and
Diabetes
A
- 22.1% for Hispanic people
- 20.4% for Black people
- 19.1% for Asian people
- 12.1% for white people
Within groups, there was significant variation. For example, 12.3% of South American Hispanic participants had diabetes compared to 21.7% of Mexican participants.
Inequities
These disparities happen due to a number of factors, including:
- lack of access to quality healthcare and checkups
- residential segregation
- higher poverty rates among BIPOC groups
- higher stress rates among BIPOC groups
Learn about how these factors affect African Americans with diabetes in more detail here.
High cholesterol
High cholesterol rates vary by race and ethnicity. The
|Asian males||11.3%|
|Asian females||10.3%|
|Black males||10.6%|
|Black females||10.3%|
|Hispanic males||13.1%|
|Hispanic females||9%|
|White males||10.9%|
|White females||14.8%|
Race is a
Many of the risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease or complications from the conditions are preventable and exist because of systemic racism.
A number of modifiable factors could help reduce disparities between groups:
Racial stress
Racism causes chronic stress, which can increase the risk of developing heart disease. This occurs through “weathering,” a term that describes the long-term impact of exposure to racial stress on a person’s overall health.
A 2019 study found that out of 2,694 people, weathering contributed to Black Americans having a biological age that was 2.6 years older than their actual age, while white Americans’ biological age was 3.5 years younger.
Racial stress
Access to resources
It can be more difficult for individuals from BIPOC groups to access healthcare in comparison to white people. This is true for a number of reasons.
For example, residential segregation in the U.S. means that predominantly Black neighborhoods have fewer financial resources and are
Economic inequity also contributes to healthcare being unaffordable for many, making it difficult to access or pay for medical treatment. For undocumented migrants, the fear of deportation
Racism in medicine
Numerous studies have found that individuals from BIPOC groups receive lower-quality healthcare than white people.
For example, in an older
A
In 2020, the American Heart Association (AHA) emphasized that structural racism is a key driver of disparities in heart disease and heart health outcomes. The organization called for more research on the health effects of racism and urged providers and organizations to examine their role within systemic racism.
One example of an organization that has committed to promoting antiracist policies is The Commonwealth Fund. Measures they call for include:
- Improvements in how doctors help individuals from BIPOC groups with chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, to control their symptoms. This strategy should address the issues of trust that exist between healthcare professionals and BIPOC.
- More transparency on racial disparities in the treatment of certain conditions by collating and publishing data.
- More information in order to better educate people from all racial groups about factors that could affect their health.
- A better understanding of how structural racism affects the way individuals from BIPOC groups can engage with their treatment and healthcare professionals. This could include an acknowledgment of limited public transport and food deserts.
Systemic and unfair health disparities, or inequities, are something everyone has a responsibility to change. At an individual level, though, there are also things people can do to reduce their risk for heart disease. Where possible, people can try:
- eating a heart-healthy diet that focuses on high-fiber fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy unsaturated fats, such as olive oil
- exercising regularly
- quitting smoking
- reducing, or stopping, drinking alcohol
- avoiding foods high in saturated fat or added sugar
- monitoring blood pressure to detect early signs of hypertension
- seeking treatment for any chronic conditions or unexplained symptoms
- telling a doctor if a person has a family history of heart disease, so they can monitor them more closely
In the U.S., the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is higher among certain racial and ethnic groups than it is among white people. Conditions that elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and obesity, are also more prevalent among BIPOC groups.
Evidence shows that the chronic stress, socioeconomic inequity, and discrimination caused by racism all contribute to this disparity. | https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cardiovascular-disease-and-race |
Language Use and Understanding BCS 261 LIN 241 PSY 261
Introduction and organization • Drs. Jennifer Arnold and Duane Watson • What is the class about? • Class structure • Primary articles • Seminar-like discussion • Requirements • Prerequisites • BCS 152 (which requires BCS 110/111/112 or LIN 110).
Room Change • Class will be held in Meliora 366 starting WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 • Next class is a week from today, Wed. Jan. 21, here in Gavet 310 • The next Monday, Jan. 26, also in Gavet 310 • Wed. 28 and after -- Meliora 366
Hand out… • BCS student questionnaires
Goals of the course • Why are you taking the course? • Learn about the cognitive mechanisms that let us use language • Learn about methods of inquiry • Gain experience with interpreting data • Gain experience with reading and interpreting primary articles • Work on analytical and communicative skills in writing
How do people speak and understand? • What are the cognitive processes involved? • Cognitive Science approach • Information processing
What do you think the language processing system might look like? • Sounds • Words Meaning • Phrases • Sentences
Another view • Input • Knowledge of Language • Output
Comprehension • Input: sounds • Knowledge of language • Output: interpretation
Production • Input: Mental message • Knowledge of Language • Output: sounds
Some questions… • What is the input like? • What is the architecture of the knowledge system like? • What *is* the output like? • Comprehension: What are mental representations like? • Production: what are the characteristics of the speech signal under different circumstances? (and thus, what is the input to the comprehension system)? | https://www.slideserve.com/tavi/language-use-and-understanding |
The public offer contract is public, that is, according to Article 633 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, its terms are the same for all buyers regardless of status (individual, legal entity, individual entrepreneur). With full agreement with this contract, the buyer accepts the conditions and procedure for placing an order, paying for the goods, delivering the goods, taking responsibility for an unfair order and failing to comply with the terms of this contract. The contract is considered to be concluded from the moment you press the CONFIRM button on the checkout page and confirm its purchase.
1.TERMINES AND DEFINITIONS
Site – https://peanut.com.ua
Product – an object of agreement of the parties, which was chosen by the buyer from the list of products posted on the site.
Buyer – any legal person, legal entity, individual entrepreneur, according to the current Ukrainian legislation, that has the intention to acquire a particular product, and pay for the receipt of such goods.
Seller – the Executive order Buyer.
2. General provisions
2.1 This public offer (hereinafter – the contract) defines the features of the sale of goods on the site.
2.2 Clicking on the CONFIRM button on the ORDER registration page in the online resource means that the Buyer, regardless of status (individual, legal entity, individual entrepreneur), according to the current Ukrainian legislation, took to fulfill the terms of the public offer contract, which are indicated below .
2.3 This offer applies to any product.
3. The subject of the public offer contract
3.1 Providing the Buyer with access to all necessary information about the Products (description, composition) presented on the website.
4. MOMENT OF CONCLUSION OF THE AGREEMENT
4.1 The text of this Agreement is a public offer and is valid for all site visitors who have the intention, desire and ability to purchase Products.
4.2 Offer Acceptance – purchase of goods in the manner prescribed by this contract, at the prices indicated on the site and acceptance of the terms of payment and delivery of the goods.
4.3 The fact of purchase of the Goods is the unconditional acceptance by the Buyer of the terms of this Agreement.
5. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
5.1 Seller undertakes:
5.1.1 Organize the transfer of the Goods to the Buyer according to the conditions defined on the site and selected by the Buyer, or agreed with the Buyer after placing the order.
5.1.2 Provide the Goods with a label indicating the date of manufacture.
5.1.3 Do not disclose any private information about the Buyer, do not provide access to this information to third parties, except as required by law or at the request of the Buyer.
5.2. The seller has the right to:
5.2.1 Modify the terms of this Agreement, as well as the prices of products unilaterally, placing them on the site.
5.2.2 All changes take effect immediately from the moment they are published on the website.
5.3 Buyer shall:
5.3.1 At the time of the conclusion of the Agreement, familiarize yourself with the contents of the Agreement, the terms of the Agreement and the prices of the Products.
5.3.3 In fulfillment by the Seller of its obligations to the Buyer, the latter must provide all the necessary data, uniquely identifying him as the Buyer, and sufficient for the delivery of the paid goods to the Buyer.
5.3.4. Before using the Goods, the Buyer is obliged to familiarize himself with its composition, storage conditions and date of manufacture.
5.3.5 In order to prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction to the Product, the Buyer must carefully read the composition and establish the absence of allergens for himself. In case the Buyer is aware of his allergic reaction to any component of the Goods, he shall not use it in order to avoid the consequences of the allergic reaction.
5.3.6 The Buyer undertakes to indicate the real name at the time of placing the order, to which the consignment may be sent and received. The buyer undertakes to indicate these means of communication with him, otherwise he bears the risk of receiving the order or late receipt of the order.
5.4. The buyer has the right to:
5.4.1 Receive the paid goods in the quantity corresponding to their order in the intact packaging of the Goods, with a label indicating the date of its manufacture.
6. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
6.1. The Seller shall do its utmost to provide quality services to the Buyer.
6.2 The Parties are exempt from liability for non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of obligations under the Contract for the duration of the force majeure. By force majeure means extraordinary and insuperable circumstances under the given conditions that prevent the parties from fulfilling their obligations under this Agreement. These include natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, etc.), circumstances of public life (military actions, emergencies, major strikes, epidemics, etc.) prohibiting government measures. During this time, the parties do not have mutual claims, and each party assumes the risk of the consequences of force majeure.
7. PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING THE PRICE OF THE GOODS
7.1 Prices of goods are determined in the relevant sections of the site.
7.2 Prices for goods and services depend on market conditions. The Seller cannot change the price for a specific Buyer, if he has already accepted the conditions of the Seller and has fulfilled the payment for goods (services) established by this contract.
8.TERMIN of the offer
8.1 Validity of this offer is set from February 19, 2019 to February 19, 2020 p.
8.2 The withdrawal of an offer may be made by the Seller at any time, is not a basis for disclaimer on already completed sales.
9. DELIVERY AND PAYMENT OF GOODS
9.1 The terms of delivery and payment for the Goods are indicated on the relevant pages of the site. All questions arising in the process of payment and receipt of goods, the Buyer can find out the contact information in the Contact section.
9.2. Orders made by the Buyer on weekends and holidays are processed by the Seller on the first working day, as indicated by the Buyer on the details specified by him, by telephone.
10. OTHER CONDITIONS
10.1. Information about the Products is presented on the website.
10.2. The Buyer agrees with the receipt of promotional materials about promotions, sales, marketing programs, etc., e-mail, mobile communications, including the contact information specified by the Buyer in his profile on the site. In case of unwillingness to receive such information, the Buyer may write a letter of refusal to receive information to the Seller’s address.
10.3. By accepting the terms of this offer, the Buyer agrees to the processing (registration, accumulation, storage, adaptation, modification, restoration, use and destruction without your presence) of his personal data in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection”. | https://peanut.com.ua/en/public-offer/ |
CLAIM TO PRIORITY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/710,079 filed on Jun. 17, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,132.
Applicants hereby claim priority under all rights to which they are entitled under 35 U.S.C. 120 based upon application Ser. No. 10/710,079, filed 17 Jun. 2004 and 35 U.S.C. 119(e) based upon the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/499,028 filed 28 Aug. 2003.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a transparent wave riding vehicle. More specifically, the present invention also relates to a transparent surfboard with an optional embedded or surface mounted locator and alarm for large aquatic animals, specifically prepared to identify such animals as sharks, and an optional shark-resistant signal generator that transmits an interference signal to interrupt the electrical signals used by aquatic animals for electrical sense. More specifically these aquatic animals maybe greater than three feet in length (such as a shark) and within at least a specified radius of the wave riding vehicle with regard to the sensory perception of a shark, thus diverting or distracting it from a surfer. The wave riding vehicle may include surfboards, wind surf-boards, kite surfboards, knee boards, boogie boards, as well as jet skis and the like.
2. Relevant Art
The incorporation of unique features on or pertaining to a surfboard is well known in the prior art. Such prior art includes, for example, a hydrofoil surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,138), a steerable surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,195), a foldable water sports board (WO 00/24631), a travel surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,568), and a motor-driven surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,840). No known invention exists, however, describing a surfboard which is fully transparent, allowing one to see clearly and completely through the surfboard in its entirety. Additionally, no known invention exists describing methods or devices for controlling or deterring sharks in combination with the use of a surfboard or other aquatic sports devices used where sharks or other predatory marine animals harmful to humans may be present.
U.S. Pat. Des. 377,072, Surfboard with Transparent Window, published Dec. 13, 1996, describes a design in which a surfboard has a small transparent window that is rectangular or oval in shape. The transparent portion of the surfboard in this design patent, located in the front center of the board, is only a small portion of the entire board surface area. The present invention describes a surfboard that is transparent in its entirety. No documentation is known in which a completely transparent surfboard is described.
To be fully transparent, all parts of a surfboard must be transparent—both the foam blank which forms the center or core of the surfboard and the epoxy or other polymeric coating which is covers the blank to form the outer surface of the surfboard. There are in existence clear epoxies and other polymers that can be spread over a foam blank, but clear foam blanks themselves do not exist. The following two patents, each incorporated herein by reference, discuss and describe existing methods to develop and manufacture transparent foam. It is an embodiment of the present invention to use such foam in the manufacturing process that forms the foam blank which constitutes the core of a surfboard. A clear epoxy or other transparent polymer can then be used to cover the clear foam blank, thus creating a fully transparent surfboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,589, entitled Transparent Supermicrocellular Polymer Foams and Method for Their Manufacture, which was granted Apr. 29, 2003, describes a novel class of transparent polymeric foams comprising submicron cells and a process for their production. This patent further describes polymers that are preferably high glass transition materials and the process comprises saturating a consolidated polymer shape with an inert gas at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer and under a pressure of at least 9000 psi for a period adequate to dissolve the gas in the polymer shape and then controllably cooling the polymer shape to produce the submicron cell structure. These novel polymeric foams, because of their sub-micron or even nano-size of their component bubbles, are transparent and demonstrate enhanced optical properties.
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U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,590, entitled Transparent Super-microcellular Polymer Foams from High TPolymers and Method for Manufacture, by the same inventor on the patent cited immediately above, granted Apr. 29, 2003, describes a novel class of transparent polymeric foams from high Tpolymers comprising submicron cells and a process for their production. This patent similarly describes novel polymer foams that are transparent and a method for their manufacture.
In addition to the transparency of the surfboard or wave riding vehicle in the present invention, which alone aids the surfer, swimmer, or diver in shark detection simply based on increased visibility, the surfboard also contains a shark-resistant signal generator. Shark attack is a long-recognized hazard that must be considered by surfers, divers, and swimmers in marine waters. In fact much concern exists about all marine elasmobranches (sharks, skates, and rays) and their potential dangers.
Addressing this concern regarding the danger of sharks, much prior art exists describing methods in which sharks are repelled, deterred, destroyed, etc. by electrical, mechanical, and chemical methods each designed to aid a surfer, diver, or swimmer.
The following patents provide existing methods and devices to control aquatic animals, particularly sharks, using electrical or electro-magnetic techniques.
−1
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,643, entitled ‘Control of Sharks’, which was granted Oct. 22, 1996, describes a method and apparatus for controlling sharks and other aquatic animals. The method uses electrodes that are immersed in a body of water to create an electric field by applying electrical pulses. The pulses may have a duration of between 0.1 and 200 ms, a repetition rate of between 1 and 60 Hz, and a field strength of 1 to 10 V·min the body of water at a distance of 1 m from the electrodes. Such apparatus acts to repel aquatic animals from the vicinity of the electrodes. The patent states that in a preferred form of the invention, the pulses are generated in pulse trains each comprising a plurality of pulses, with each pulse having a duration of between 0.1 and 3 ms, the pulses in each train being spaced at intervals of between 1 and 30 ms, and the pulse trains being repeated at intervals of between 100 and 1000 ms. The patent further states that in a specific form of the invention, each pulse in such a pulse train has a duration of 2 ms, the pulses in each train are spaced at intervals of 20 ms and the pulse trains are repeated at a frequency of between 2 and 5 Hz.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,280, entitled Shark Repelling Device Including Pulse Generator Producing Electrical Field in Water between Widely Spaced Electrodes, which was granted published Aug. 8, 1972, is based on the repeated charging and discharging of a capacitor to establish an electric field in a body of water. This invention is primarily concerned with aiding the fishing industry and is used alongside fishing nets to prevent sharks from entering the open mouths of nets drawn by trawlers, so as to preserve the catch in the nets from devastation by sharks. The invention is, nonetheless, an electrical pulse generator concept designed for the control of sharks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,980, entitled Method of Creating an Electric Field for Shark Repellent, which was granted Jul. 8, 1980, describes a method for repelling sharks and the like by creating an electric field containing a zone about an anode and/or cathode electrodes submersed in salt water. The patent further describes a voltage gradient of sufficient magnitude to overstimulate the nervous system of a shark yet which is insufficient to disturb most scaled fish and man. The electric field created is maintained only long enough to allow nerve cell response in a shark. It is turned on with a frequency near a shark's nervous system's normal frequency.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,403, entitled Apparatus and Method for Repelling Sharks and the Like, which was granted Jul. 2, 1974, describes an apparatus and method for electromagnetically repelling elasmobranches, such as sharks and the like, where an electric circuit, including a timing circuit, a plurality of spaced electrodes and a source of electrical energy, is connected in a housing and is energized upon submergence of electrodes in a body of water, the electric circuit including means for rapidly pulsing a direct current between the electrodes to generate an electromagnetic field in the body of water to repel sharks and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,810, entitled Electric Barrier for Fish, which was granted May 2, 1989, describes a fish barrier to prevent passage there past of fish is established by applying alternating asymmetrical pulses across water immersed anode and cathode electrodes, where the cathode electrode represents the barrier. A higher voltage negative pulse produces a direct current field in a first zone adjacent the cathode electrode which zone is sensed by the fish at a threshold value of field intensity. The first zone induces a neuromuscular twitch response to turn the fish away from the negative electrode. A lower voltage positive pulse produces an alternating current field in a second zone closer to the cathode electrode, which zone is sensed only by those fish in close proximity to the cathode electrode. The second zone induces muscular contraction followed by tetany and usually death. By placing the cathode electrode across a stream or canal to prevent upstream fish movement, most of the fish will be involuntarily prevented from swimming close to the barrier. The dying and dead fish which did swim too close to the cathode electrode will be carried downstream and away from the barrier by the water flow. The use of alternating pulses of essentially equal energy level prevents degradation of the field intensity by preventing a build-up of metallic oxides on the cathode electrode due to electrolysis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,833, entitled Shark Diverting Apparatus, which was granted Nov. 14, 1989, describes a shark diverting apparatus in which a signal generator is used to attract sharks and further uses the release of air pressure to create air bubbles to draw sharks away from and below an individual, thus protecting a person in marine waters from shark attack.
Although each of these inventions may be useful in the scope of their limited design, further means are necessary to adequately protect a surfer, swimmer, or diver from possible shark attack.
Additionally there are means by which a shark or other elasmobranch may be controlled or deterred without the use of large electrical or electro-magnetical fields. The following patents discuss existing methods and devices to control aquatic animals, particularly sharks, using techniques that are or resemble an underwater firearm. Previous inventions include an underwater repeating shotgun (U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,031) specifically designed to fire against a shark, a shark prod (U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,431) whereby a shark is repelled by electrically conductive prongs upon impact with the device, a shark protecting device (U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,194) whereby a probe must be armed by the swimmer and the probe contains a dart that, once launched, enters a shark's body causing bloating and the inability to maneuver, and an underwater protection device (U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,692) whereby a cylindrical barrel carries a firearm shell which detonates upon contact of a shark or like animal and the barrel itself.
These inventions of course will likely destroy or severely harm the shark. The present invention is primarily directed with deterring the shark such that a surfer is protected from shark attack. In addition, these inventions require much intervention by the surfer, swimmer, or diver. Additionally the devices described in the art would be difficult, if not impossible, to operate while in the process of surfing. The present invention is different in that it does not require intensive participation.
There are still further examples of art in which the control of sharks or like animals is concerned. The following patents discuss existing methods and devices to control aquatic animals, particularly sharks, using techniques that essentially surround a person by a protective barrier. Such prior art includes a shark screen (U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,220) in which a survivor of a shipwreck has increased protection from shark attack by means of a vacuum-packed screen that unfolds to fully surround one floating in the water. Another invention also includes a waterborne life-saving apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,415) in which a buoyant raft includes a bag which surrounds the underwater side of the raft and protects the persons contained within from shark attack. These inventions are more likely to be used in a life-saving event such as after a plane crash over marine waters or a boat wreck.
There are additional examples of art in which the control of sharks or like animals is concerned. The following patent discusses an existing method and device to protect a person in marine waters from a shark. Prior inventions include a shark protector suit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,729) in which a person wears a rubber suit and helmet which is covered with a plurality of long spikes. Such an invention would not be well-suited for a surfer or recreational swimmer in marine waters.
There are still further examples of art in which the control of sharks is concerned. The following patents discuss existing methods and devices to control aquatic animals, particularly sharks, using techniques that are more chemical in nature. Earlier inventions exist describing a shark-repellant patch (U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,679 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,333) in which a patch is worn by a person or in which a patch is placed on an object. Such patch includes an impermeable membrane containing a shark repelling substance that upon bite or attack by shark ruptures and thus deters the shark. This invention presumes that the wearer of such a patch can withstand even the initial contact that would then release the shark-repelling substance into the waters. This invention may perhaps deter a shark attack once in progress, but it offers little in the way of prevention of the initial attack of the shark.
In addition to the transparency of the surfboard or other wave riding vehicle in the present invention and the associated shark-resistant signal generator, this invention also describes a component of the device in which aquatic animals that are about three feet in length (such as a shark) and within about a one-hundred foot radius of the surfboard can be identified by location. The following patents discuss existing methods and devices to identify or locate fish or other aquatic animals and are incorporated by reference herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,912, entitled Side-Looking Fish Finder, which was granted Nov. 9, 1993, describes a side-looking fish finding apparatus that transmits a sonar pulse approximately horizontally into a body of water, and then monitors echoes from the pulse. This invention and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,912 is incorporated by reference herein. Such a device is useful to a surfer who needs to know not only what large aquatic animals are beneath but also needs to know what large aquatic animals are within a certain horizontal radius of the surfboard. The patent further describes the echo device to be sensitive such that an individual echo is treated as the detection of a fish if it has a magnitude above a predetermined threshold. Additionally, the device is sensitive if the fish has a length within a predetermined range bounded by upper and lower limits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,438, entitled Hand-Held LCD Fish Finder, is incorporated by reference herein. This patent describes a hand-held LCD game machine used as a hand-held LCD fish finder. This patent is incorporated by reference herein and provides the availability, portability, and compactness of such a fish-finder type device. This type of device may be used by embedding the device within the shark-safe surfboard described in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,783, entitled Fish Finder Capable of Discriminating Sizes of Fish, which was granted Mar. 28, 1978, is incorporated by reference herein. This patent describes a fish finder wherein one transducer is used to generate both high- and low-frequency ultrasonic waves which are simultaneously emitted and the electrical signal representative of the reflected high- or low-frequency ultrasonic waves is extracted by the signal representative of the reflected low- or high-frequency ultrasonic waves, thereby discriminating the sizes of fish detected. This invention is particularly useful to the present invention because a surfer need not be informed of all aquatic animals in the immediate vicinity. A surfer need only be made aware of large predatory aquatic animals that are at least a certain size in length, such as a shark, that may cause harm and this patent describes an invention which is easily incorporate into the body of a surfboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,609, entitled Fish Finder, which was granted Aug. 1, 1978, describes a fish-finder of the type emitting ultrasonic pulses into the water and receiving and displaying the reflected waves, the received reflected waves are converted into digital signals corresponding to their levels and written into a main memory as information of one display line of a color cathode ray tube display. The main memory has a capacity of storing information of one picture frame of the color cathode ray tube display, and is read out repeatedly. The read-out signals are converted into color signals according to their levels and the color signals are supplied to the color cathode ray tube. Every time a new reflected wave is written into the main memory, the stored content of the main memory is partly removed so that the oldest display on the screen may disappear and, at the same time, the display on each display line is shifted to the older display line. This invention and U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,609 is incorporated by reference herein. The use of color in this invention would be helpful to a surfer who needs to be able to easily read the display and be informed of a nearby shark, especially in conjunction with an otherwise transparent surfboard.
Additional art exists describing a fish finder (U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,707) that discloses the condition of the water bottom and displays obstacles that might interfere with a boat. Design patents also exists for fish finders (U.S. D 459,250 and U.S. D 398,546), each suggesting ornamental designs of fish finders. These design patents suggest the potential compactness of such a device, as would be necessary for the incorporation into a surfboard.
It is an object of the present invention to address all of the above-mentioned concerns regarding protection of a surfer, swimmer, or diver from shark attack. While each of the above mentioned embodiments is each useful in its own right and limited scope, none suggest a comprehensive solution for a surfer, swimmer, or diver to be protected from shark attack by means of a transparent surfboard, shark resistant signal-generator and alarm, and locator of large aquatic animals.
The present invention is partially based on recognition of the electrical sensory perception of elasmobranches. The following science journal articles discuss electro-sensory capabilities of sharks.
Physical Review E
One article of significance is “Electrical Characterization of Gel Collected from Shark Electro-sensors,” by Brandon R. Brown et al. published in , Volume 65, 061903, Jun. 12, 2002. These article states, “To investigate the physical mechanism of the electric sense, we present an initial electrical characterization of the glycoprotein gel that fills the electro sensitive organs of marine elasmobranches sharks, skates, and rays. We have collected samples of this gel, postmortem, from three shark species, and removed the majority of dissolved salts in one sample via dialysis. Here we present the results of dc conductivity measurements, low-frequency impedance spectroscopy, and electrophoresis. Electrophoresis shows a range of large protein-based molecules fitting the expectations of glycoprotein, but the gels of different species exhibit little similarity. The electrophoresis signature is unaffected by thermal cycling and measurement currents. The dc data were collected at various temperatures, and at various electric and magnetic fields, showing consistency with the properties of seawater. The impedance data collected from a dialyzed sample, however, show large values of static permittivity and a loss peak corresponding to an unusually long relaxation time, about 1 ms. The exact role of the gel is still unknown, but results suggest its bulk properties are well matched to the sensing mechanism, as the minimum response time of an entire electric organ is on the order of 5 ms.”
The Journal of Experimental Biology
Another article of significance is “Modeling an Electro sensory Landscape: Behavioral and Morphological Optimization in Elasmobranches Prey Capture,” by Brandon Brown, which was published in 205, 999 1009 (2002). This article states, “Most biological sensory systems benefit from multiple sensors. Elasmobranches (sharks, skates and rays) possess an array of electro receptive organs that facilitate prey location, mate location and navigation. Here, the perceived electro sensory landscape for an elasmobranches approaching prey is mathematically modeled. The voltages that develop simultaneously in dozens of separate sensing organs are calculated using electrodynamics. These voltages lead directly to firing rate modifications in the primary afferent nerves. The canals connecting the sense organs to an elasmobranches surface exhibit great variation of location and orientation. Here, the voltages arising in the sense organs are found to depend strongly on the geometrical distribution of the corresponding canals. Two applications for the modeling technique are explored: an analysis of observed elasmobranches prey-capture behavior and an analysis of morphological optimization. For the former, results in specific predator-prey scenarios are compared with behavioral observations, supporting the approach algorithm suggested by A. Kalian. For the latter, electro sensory performance is contrasted for two geometrical models of multiple sense organs, a rounded head and a hammer-shaped head.”
The present invention includes three features which aid the surfer or wave rider, or swimmer, diver, or water bather in avoiding a shark attack. The transparent surfboard or other wave riding vehicle itself, that enables one to see what is directly below or around at all times, an optional locator and alarm embedded within or on the surface of the surfboard or wave-riding vehicle itself that locates aquatic animals about three feet in length and within about a one hundred foot radius of the surfboard, and an optional signal generator that transmits a signal at a less-than-one-kilohertz frequency to interrupt the electrical sensory perception of a shark and thus divert a shark from the wave or water rider are all part of the invention. Each of the novel surfboard or wave riding vehicle features including; transparency, locator and alarm, and the low frequency signal generator will provide a measure of safety for the surfer, diver, or swimmer that is either using the surfboard or wave riding vehicle or has the surfboard or other vehicle in close proximity while in the ocean. The wave riding vehicle of the present invention may include surfboards for surfing, wind surf-boards for wind surfing, kite surfboards for kite surfing, knee boards for knee boarding, and boogie boards for belly boarding, as well as jet skis and the like.
FIGS. 1 through 3
The description below, in reference to , is one example of the transparent surfboard or wave riding vehicle, embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention.
FIG. 1
100
shows a transparent surfboard representative of the invention using transparent foam. The transparent surfboard () is manufactured using transparent super microcellular polymer foam. The surfboard illustrated is fully transparent allowing one to see clearly through the surfboard in either direction. The foam blank forming the center or core of the surfboard is coated with clear, transparent epoxy or other transparent polymeric coating, thereby creating a fully transparent surfboard.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
200
200
220
210
200
illustrates a surfboard again representative of the invention, which may be either transparent or not, but is displayed here as transparent, with a compact locator of aquatic animals (). The aquatic animal locator may be either embedded or surface mounted, but is shown embedded in . The aquatic animal locator (), which is specifically prepared to identify such animals such as sharks, can identify aquatic animals which are about three feet in length (such as a shark) and within about a one-hundred foot radius of the surfboard (, for example). The surfer () is also represented in the animal locator display () in order to provide the surfer with a frame of reference.
FIG. 3
FIGS. 1 and 2
340
300
310
330
illustrates a surfboard that incorporates all features of the invention from as well as the use of a signal generator (), which may be bottom or top-mounted, but is shown here as bottom-mounted, and an alarm (, , and are examples of visual alarm) for protecting the surfer from harmful predators. The signal generator is configured for generating a signal pulse at a frequency of less than 1 kilohertz to disrupt the electro-sensory perception system of sharks. The alarm is configured for alerting the rider of large aquatic animals, such as sharks, that are located by the locator device. The alarm is configured for providing a visual and/or an audio warning signal to the rider.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
illustrates a transparent surfboard using transparent foam.
FIG. 2
illustrates a surfboard with compact locator of aquatic animals.
FIG. 3
FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrates a surfboard that incorporates all features of as well as the use of a signal generator and alarm for protecting the surfer from harmful predators. | |
The government is supposed to pay 70 percent of the price of the laptops
Teachers belonging to a group calling itself Innovative Teachers have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe plans by the government to resource teachers in the country with some 280,000 TM1 laptops.
President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the plan to distribute the laptops in his State of the Nation Address.
“I’m happy to announce that the government is facilitating the acquisition of 280,000 laptops for members of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) this year”, the President told parliament on Tuesday, 9 March 2021.
“I acknowledge that the teacher is at the centre of every reform in the field of education”, the President said.
The government is supposed to pay 70 percent of the price of the laptops (GH¢1,550) per unit while the teachers shoulder the remaining 30 percent burden.
The teachers, however, say not only is the price high but are not convinced of the brand and quality of the laptops.
About a week ago, the group said if the government wishes to give the Ghanaian teacher a laptop, it must be free and not come at a 30 percent cost to the beneficiary.
The teachers, in a statement signed by their Secretary, Christian Aidoo on Wednesday, 10 March 2021, noted that in accordance with the labour law, it is the responsibility of the employer, the Ghana Education Service (GES), to provide all the necessary tools for the work of the teacher.
The group stated: “It is instructive to note that the relationship that exists between teachers as employees and Ghana Education Service as the employer is regulated by law. The Labour Law section 9(a) specifically tasks the employer (GES) to provide the machinery, equipment and tools needed by the employees (teachers) to work. It is the responsibility of the Ghana Education Service to tool teachers to work.
“This cost-sharing idea of tooling teachers under the cloak of 'personal assets' is alien to the Labour Law (Act 651)”,
The group further noted that: “No survey was done to determine the number of teachers who have laptops and teachers who might not be interested in acquiring laptops from the government through cost-sharing.
“Teachers who are interested in paying 30 per cent of the cost of the laptop ought to have signed a consent form that would have formed the premise to produce a number of laptops in order to prevent waste of public funds.”
It continued: “Procuring 280,000 laptops for all teachers when GES cannot force all teachers to pay 30 percent of the cost of the laptops is a grotesque waste of public funds and a betrayal of protecting the public purse mantra by the President. GNAT, NAGRAT and CCT acceptance of this deal is irrelevant because the individual teacher has the choice to make whether to pay the 30 percent cost of the laptop or not”.
“Deductions of employees' salaries by the employer is regulated by section 70 (1 a, b, c, d, f and 2a. b, c, d) of the Labour Act (Act 651). Any attempt to force all teachers to pay the 30 per cent will be fiercely resisted through the court.
"The TM1 laptops are of doubtful quality just like the RLG laptops. There are no parts on the market to replace them when any part needs to be replaced and as a result, it will not last long to deliver the purpose for which they were procured”.
"One cannot fathom but wonder why the state cannot procure laptops from known brands such as HP. Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, Acer that are generally of good quality and their parts can easily be replaced when they get spoilt.”
It also called on the government to “order the company contracted to produce of 280,000 TM1 laptops to stop production immediately” emphasising that: “In order to show respect to teachers and the labour law government must acquire laptops such as hp, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, and Dell for teachers. The laptops must be given to teachers free of charge. What is good for Article 71 officeholders is equally good for teachers under section 9(a) of the Labour Act.”
It further said: “What teachers need now is the payment of the legacy arrears from 2012 to 2016 and not the unsolicited distribution of laptops of doubtful quality.” | |
The default measurement unit on the page is the pixel. If you want to change the unit for other design platforms (such as the pt in iOS, dp in Android, rem for Web or rpx), you can change this in the unit panel.
Mockplus has three variables of units: pixels, custom width and unit.
Go into Development, and click Switch development platforms at the top of the Properties panel. There, select the device platform you’re designing for Web/H5, iOS or Android.
Note: The design resolution ratio of the page is the same as the ratio you’ve chosen when you imported the page from Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD or Photoshop. If you want to change the page resolution, you may need to re-upload the page, re-select the ratio and try again.
After selecting a device platform, the measurement unit will be changed instantly. The relevant specs and code of the current page will automatically be calculated and generated according to the new unit.
You can also set a custom unit conversion ratio to get the design specs or codes you want.
If you need a custom device, you can also customize a width to get the measurement unit you want.
To show or hide the assets’ frames, click show/hide frames of assets in Settings.
Customize Specs' Decimal Places
In Development, you can customize the number of decimal places by going into Settings.
Note: You can go to a maximum of three decimal places. | https://help.mockplus.com/p/273 |
Why Don’t More Colleges and Universities Use Their LMS as a True Learning Management System?
After reading and writing about Steven Mintz’s Inside Higher Ed article questioning whether or not educational technology will ever live up to its promise, I thought about the workhorse software that most colleges and universities use: the Learning Management System (LMS).
After nearly two decades of working in online higher education, I have observed that most institutions use their LMS as the central repository for course shells containing syllabi, assignments, and assessments. The LMS, along with some add-on tools, can and should be much more. The opportunity to make it much more requires some discipline and standardization.
The key to the establishment of any course, online or on-ground, is the syllabus. Well-designed learning management systems not only have a specified location for a syllabus, but usually prescribe a standard format for a syllabus. Minimum syllabus requirements include an upfront statement of the expected learning objectives for the course, the expected assignments along with the timeline that they are due, and the grading rubrics for each assignment.
In addition, there are instructor expectations for completing assignments on time and how late assignments are evaluated, plagiarism policies, and any other institutional policies. Better practices include linking each week’s assignments with program-specific or institutional learning objectives that tie into the course learning objectives.
At traditional universities where the courses are generally taught face-to-face, the standardization of syllabi may or may not occur. With the utilization of an LMS, standardization is important, particularly for the evaluation of the effectiveness of online courses and the efficient operation of online teaching and learning at scale. I would suggest that the same evaluation could occur for face-to-face courses where the LMS is utilized for syllabi and assessments.
It’s relatively easy to pinpoint when the first online courses were offered to students. It’s safe to say that even institutions with tens of thousands of online students, hundreds of courses, and dozens, if not more than a hundred online programs, built their online courses one by one. Over time, any institution concerned about the quality and effectiveness of their online courses will recognize the importance of syllabus standardization.
With the standardization of syllabi, the effectiveness of course content and assessments can be measured — course by course, program by program, student by student. The leading learning management systems offer the ability to have auto-graded assessments that offer students instant feedback to their learning and provide faculty with additional time for substantive feedback or interactions with the students.
Measuring overall effectiveness can be done by extracting the data through a dashboard provided by the LMS vendor. Another way to do this assessment is through a dashboard provided by an LMS partner.
Data loaded in an LMS exists in a digital state. The more robust and standardized the data, the more it can be utilized in accurate dashboard reports. The most basic data considered are the grades issued for assessments as well as the final grade for a course. At the same time, since everything uploaded to the LMS is digital, there is much more.
Semantic analysis tools powered by AI algorithms are now capable of reviewing the learning objectives listed in a syllabus and comparing them to the assignments to ensure alignment. Effectively developed curriculum for certificates and degrees includes required courses, the key learning outcomes expected from those courses, and elective course options and the key learning outcomes expected from those courses as well.
A semantic analysis software tool can determine not only whether the courses are constructed properly by comparing course objectives with assignments, but it can also analyze the sequencing of courses and milestone assignments in those courses to determine if the content, assessments, and sequencing match the expectations of the faculty who developed and approved it. Holistically, these tools help to demonstrate that the professors and courses are teaching the expected lessons and content to students as they progress through their programs.
Using these tools, academic curriculum structured to prepare the student for a professional license can be reviewed to make sure that when the objectives change, the assessments change to match it or vice versa. This streamlined and standardized process of maintaining the curriculum helps to ensure that course content stays current and relevant.
As higher education institutions become more comfortable with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, it’s important to know that most of the earliest and successful uses have been in data analytics. An LMS that is well-structured can provide data that can easily be migrated into a data lake used for AI analysis.
Beyond the data already mentioned could be data from student and faculty discussion board posts, data from student and faculty logins, and other similar information. Complementary data from the Student Information System (SIS), such as student demographic information, enrollment trends, and course pairings could be included in the data lake to provide analyses of student academic engagement, as well as potential explanations for student persistence and/or student dropout.
Once again, there are a number of companies that provide tools that are able to dive deeply into the digital data collected by an LMS. As more colleges and universities expand their utilization of the LMS as well as their online course offerings, I am optimistic that the faculty and staff responsible for improving learning outcomes as well as student persistence insist on structure and standardization in order to utilize the continuing advancement of AI-enabled software. The benefits will far outweigh the costs, particularly as we are able to learn more about how to achieve better outcomes through enhanced teaching, learning, and engagement. | https://wallyboston.com/why-dont-more-colleges-and-universities-use-their-lms-as-a-true-learning-management-system/ |
Q:
How to convert 23.5 into binary using 1 byte for the mantissa and 1 byte for the exponent
I tried and this is what i've got so far:
10111.100 = 1.0111100 x 2 ^ 100
Giving 10111100 for the mantissa and 00000100 for the exponent, but i think i may have got it wrong.
A:
23.5 is the same as 47 x 2^-1. 47 is binary 00101111. Now simply shift that right (and increment the exponent accordingly) until you get 1.0111100 and an exponent of 4 (binary 00000100). I assume you have some kind of bias for the exponent (probably 128) to cater for negative exponents, so add that.
In other words
23.5 = 47 * 2^-1 --> 00101111. exp -1
0010111.1 exp 0
001011.11 exp 1
00101.111 exp 2
0010.1111 exp 3
001.01111 exp 4 --> m=00101111 e=00000100
But normally, such value are normalized to set the top bit to 1:
1.01111000 exp 4.
And the exponent gets a bias, so negative values are turned into positive ones, say 128. Add 4 and you get:
e=10000100
The top mantissa (a.k.a. significand) bit is always 1, so it can be discarded, so now you have:
m=01111000 e=10000100
This is how I would store such a 16 bit floating binary point value.
| |
Objective: To clarify the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering dynamics of COVID-19 in Shanghai in 2022. Methods: The COVID-19 data presented on the official websites of Municipal Health Commissions of Shanghai during March 1, 2022 and May 31, 2022 were collected for a spatial autocorrelation analysis by GeoDa software. A logistic growth model was used to fit the epidemic situation and make a comparison with the actual infection situation. Results: Pudong district had the highest number of symptomatic and asymptomatic infectants, accounting for 29.30% and 35.58% of the total infectants. Differences in cumulative attack rates and infection rates among 16 districts (P<0.001) were significant. The rates were significantly higher in Huangpu district than in other districts. The attack rate of COVID-19 from March 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022 had a global spatial positive correlation (P<0.05). Spatial distribution of COVID-19 attack rate was different at different periods. The global autocorrelation coefficient from March 16 to March 29, April 6 to April 12 and May 18 to May 24 had no statistical significance (P>0.05). Our local autocorrelation analysis showed that 22 high-high clustering areas were detected in eight periods.The high-risk hot-spot areas have experienced a "less-more-less" change process. The growth model fitting results were consistent with the actual infection situation. Conclusion: There was a clear spatiotemporal correlation in the distribution of COVID-19 in Shanghai. The comprehensive prevention and control measures of COVID-19 epidemic in Shanghai have effectively prohibited the growth of the epidemic, not only curbing the spatially spread of high-risk epidemic areas, but also reducing the risk of transmission to other cities.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Epidemics , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , China/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that various social determinants of health (SDOH) may have contributed to the disparities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality among minorities and underserved populations at the county or zip code level. OBJECTIVE: This analysis was carried out at a granular spatial resolution of census tracts to explore the spatial patterns and contextual SDOH associated with COVID-19 incidence from a Hispanic population mostly consisting of a Mexican American population living in Cameron County, Texas on the border of the United States and Mexico. We performed age-stratified analysis to identify different contributing SDOH and quantify their effects by age groups. METHODS: We included all reported COVID-19-positive cases confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing between March 18 (first case reported) and December 16, 2020, in Cameron County, Texas. Confirmed COVID-19 cases were aggregated to weekly counts by census tracts. We adopted a Bayesian spatiotemporal negative binomial model to investigate the COVID-19 incidence rate in relation to census tract demographics and SDOH obtained from the American Community Survey. Moreover, we investigated the impact of local mitigation policy on COVID-19 by creating the binary variable "shelter-in-place." The analysis was performed on all COVID-19-confirmed cases and age-stratified subgroups. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed that the relative incidence risk (RR) of COVID-19 was higher among census tracts with a higher percentage of single-parent households (RR=1.016, 95% posterior credible intervals [CIs] 1.005, 1.027) and a higher percentage of the population with limited English proficiency (RR=1.015, 95% CI 1.003, 1.028). Lower RR was associated with lower income (RR=0.972, 95% CI 0.953, 0.993) and the percentage of the population younger than 18 years (RR=0.976, 95% CI 0.959, 0.993). The most significant association was related to the "shelter-in-place" variable, where the incidence risk of COVID-19 was reduced by over 50%, comparing the time periods when the policy was present versus absent (RR=0.506, 95% CI 0.454, 0.563). Moreover, age-stratified analyses identified different significant contributing factors and a varying magnitude of the "shelter-in-place" effect. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, SDOH including social environment and local emergency measures were identified in relation to COVID-19 incidence risk at the census tract level in a highly disadvantaged population with limited health care access and a high prevalence of chronic conditions. Results from our analysis provide key knowledge to design efficient testing strategies and assist local public health departments in COVID-19 control, mitigation, and implementation of vaccine strategies.
Subject(s)COVID-19/epidemiology , Social Determinants of Health , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Censuses , Female , Health Equity , Humans , Incidence , Male , Mexico/ethnology , Middle Aged , Minority Groups , Physical Distancing , SARS-CoV-2 , Socioeconomic Factors , Spatial Analysis , Texas/epidemiology , United States , Vulnerable Populations , Young Adult
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Primary health care (PHC) is widely perceived to be the backbone of health care systems. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, PHC has not only provided primary medical services, but also served as a grassroots network for public health. Our research explored the accessibility, availability, and affordability of primary health care from a spatial perspective, to understand the social determinants affecting access to it in Hong Kong. METHOD: This constitutes a descriptive study from the perspective of spatial analysis. The nearest neighbor method was used to measure the geographic accessibility of PHC based on the road network. The 2SFCA method was used to measure spatial availability and affordability to primary health care, while the SARAR model, Spatial Error model, and Spatial Lag model were then constructed to explain potential factors influencing accessibility and availability of PHC. RESULTS: In terms of accessibility, 95% of residents in Hong Kong can reach a PHC institution within 15 minutes; in terms of availability, 83% of residents can receive PHC service within a month; while in terms of affordability, only 32% of residents can afford PHC services with the support of medical insurance and medical voucher. In Hong Kong, education status and household income show a significant impact on accessibility and availability of PHC. Regions with higher concentrations of residents with post-secondary education receive more PHC resources, while regions with higher concentrations of high-income households show poorer accessibility and poorer availability to PHC. CONCLUSION: The good accessibility and availability of primary health care reflects that the network layout of existing PHC systems in Hong Kong is reasonable and can meet the needs of most residents. No serious gap between social groups further shows equality in resource allocation of PHC in Hong Kong. However, affordability of PHC is not ideal. Indeed, narrowing the gap between availability and affordability is key to fully utilizing the capacity of the PHC system in Hong Kong. The private sector plays an important role in this, but the low coverage of medical insurance in outpatient services exacerbates the crowding of public PHC and underutilization of private PHC. We suggest diverting patients from public to private institutions through medical insurance, medical vouchers, or other ways, to relieve the pressure on the public health system and make full use of existing primary health care in Hong Kong.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Primary Health Care , Social Determinants of Health , Humans , Costs and Cost Analysis , COVID-19/epidemiology , Hong Kong/epidemiology , Spatial Analysis , Health Services Accessibility , Healthcare Disparities
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we propose a portmanteau test for whether a graph-structured network dataset without replicates exhibits autocorrelation across units connected by edges. Specifically, the well known Ljung-Box test for serial autocorrelation of time series data is generalized to the network setting using a specially derived central limit theorem for a weakly stationary random field. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic under the null hypothesis of no autocorrelation is shown to be chi-squared, yielding a simple and easy-to-implement procedure for testing graph-structured autocorrelation, including spatial and spatial-temporal autocorrelation as special cases. Numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate and confirm the derived asymptotic results. Convergence is found to occur quickly depending on the number of lags included in the test statistic, and a significant increase in statistical power is also observed relative to some recently proposed permutation tests. An example application is presented by fitting spatial autoregressive models to the distribution of COVID-19 cases across counties in New York state.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Spatial Analysis , Time Factors , New York
ABSTRACT
Emergency response capability evaluation is an essential means to strengthen emergency response capacity-building and improve the level of government administration. Based on the whole life cycle of emergency management, the emergency capability evaluation index system is constructed from four aspects: prevention and emergency preparedness, monitoring and early warning, emergency response and rescue, and recovery and reconstruction. Firstly, the entropy method is applied to measure the emergency response capability level of 31 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020. Second, the Theil index and ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis) are applied in exploring the regional differences and spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of China's emergency response capacity. Finally, the obstacle degree model is used to explore the obstacle factors and obstacle degrees that affect the emergency response capability. The results show that: (1) The average value of China's emergency response capacity is 0.277, with a steady growth trend and a gradient distribution of "high in the east, low in the west, and average in center and northeast" in the four major regions. (2) From the perspective of spatial distribution characteristics, the unbalanced regional development leads to the obvious aggregation effect of "high-efficiency aggregation and low-efficiency aggregation", and the interaction of the "centripetal effect" and "centrifugal effect" finally forms the spatial clustering result of emergency response capability level in China. (3) Examining the source of regional differences, inter-regional differences are the decisive factor affecting the overall differences in emergency response capability, and the inter-regional differences show a reciprocating fluctuation of narrowing-widening-narrowing from 2011 to 2020. (4) Main obstacles restricting the improvement of China's emergency response capabilities are "the business volume of postal and telecommunication services per capita", "the daily disposal capacity of city sewage" and "the general public budget revenue by region". The extent of the obstacles' impacts in 2020 are 12.19%, 7.48%, and 7.08%, respectively. Based on the evaluation results, the following countermeasures are proposed: to realize the balance of each stage of emergency management during the holistic process; to strengthen emergency coordination and balanced regional development; and to implement precise measures to make up for the shortcomings of emergency response capabilities.
Subject(s)Economic Development , Efficiency , China , Entropy , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The development of rural tourism (RT) has great significance in reducing poverty and achieving rural vitalization. Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is a depressed area with rich RT resources due to its unspoiled nature and diverse culture. For future sustainable development of RT in QTP, this paper analyzes the spatial distribution characteristics and its influencing factors of RT villages using various spatial analysis methods, such as nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, vector buffer analysis, and geographic detectors. The results show the following. First, the RT villages present an agglomeration distribution tendency dense in the southeast and spare in the northwest. The inter-county imbalance distribution feature is obvious and four relatively high-density zones have been formed. Second, the RT villages have significant positive spatial autocorrelation, and the area of cold spots is larger and of hot spots is smaller. Third, the RT villages are mainly distributed with favorable topographic and climate conditions, near the road and water, around the city, and close to tourism resources. Fourth, the spatial distribution is the result of multifactor interactions. Socio-economic and tourism resource are the dominant factor in the mechanism network. Fifth, based on the above conclusions this study provides scientific suggestions for the sustainable development of the RT industry.
Subject(s)Climate , Tourism , China , Humans , Rural Population , Spatial Analysis , Tibet
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic increasingly threatens the public health security worldwide. We aimed to identify high-risk areas of COVID-19 and understand how socioeconomic factors are associated with the spatial distribution of COVID-19 in China, which may help other countries control the epidemic. METHODS: We analyzed the data of COVID-19 cases from 30 provinces in mainland China (outside of Hubei) from 16 January 2020 to 31 March 2020, considering the data of demographic, economic, health, and transportation factors. Global autocorrelation analysis and Bayesian spatial models were used to present the spatial pattern of COVID-19 and explore the relationship between COVID-19 risk and various factors. RESULTS: Global Moran's I statistics of COVID-19 incidences was 0.31 (P<0.05). The areas with a high risk of COVID-19 were mainly located in the provinces around Hubei and the provinces with a high level of economic development. The relative risk of two socioeconomic factors, the per capita consumption expenditure of households and the proportion of the migrating population from Hubei, were 1.887 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.469~2.399] and 1.099 (95% CI: 1.053~1.148), respectively. The two factors explained up to 78.2% out of 99.7% of structured spatial variations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that COVID-19 risk was positively associated with the level of economic development and population movements. Blocking population movement and reducing local exposures are effective in preventing the local transmission of COVID-19.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Bayes Theorem , COVID-19/epidemiology , China/epidemiology , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The main targets of this were to screen the factors that may influence the distribution of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] reference value in healthy elderly people in China, and further explored the geographical distribution differences of 25(OH)D reference value in China. In this study, we collected the 25(OH)D of 25,470 healthy elderly from 58 cities in China to analyze the correlation between 25(OH)D and 22 geography secondary indexes through spearman regression analysis. Six indexes with significant correlation were extracted, and a ridge regression model was built, and the country's urban healthy elderly'25(OH)D reference value was predicted. By using the disjunctive Kriging method, we obtained the geographical distribution of 25(OH)D reference values for healthy elderly people in China. The reference value of 25(OH)D for healthy elderly in China was significantly correlated with the 6 secondary indexes, namely, latitude (°), annual temperature range (°C), annual sunshine hours (h), annual mean temperature (°C), annual mean relative humidity (%), and annual precipitation (mm). The geographical distribution of 25(OH)D values of healthy elderly in China showed a trend of being higher in South China and lower in North China, and higher in coastal areas and lower in inland areas. This study lays a foundation for further research on the mechanism of different influencing factors on the reference value of 25(OH)D index. A ridge regression model composed of significant influencing factors has been established to provide the basis for formulating reference criteria for the treatment factors of the vitamin D deficiency and prognostic factors of the COVID-19 using 25(OH)D reference value in different regions.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Vitamin D Deficiency , Aged , China/epidemiology , Geography , Humans , Spatial Analysis , Vitamin D/analogs & derivatives , Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology
ABSTRACT
This study considers the Point of Interest data of tourism resources in Xinjiang and studies their spatial distribution by combining geospatial analysis methods, such as the average nearest neighbor index, standard deviation ellipse, kernel density analysis, and hotspot analysis, to explore their spatial distribution characteristics. Based on the analysis results, the following conclusions are made. Different categories of tourism resource sites have different spatial distributions, and all categories of tourism resources in Xinjiang are clustered in Urumqi city. The geological landscape resource sites are widely distributed and have a ring-shaped distribution in the desert area of southern Xinjiang. The biological landscape resources are distributed in a strip along the Tianshan Mountains. The water landscape resources are concentrated in the northern Xinjiang area. The site ruins are mostly distributed in the western region of Xinjiang. The distributions of the architectural landscape and entertainment and shopping resources are highly coupled with the distribution of cities. The distributions of the six categories of tourism resource points are in the northeast-southwest direction. The centripetal force and directional nature of the resource points of the water landscape are not obvious. The remaining five categories of resource points have their own characteristics. The distribution of resources in the site ruins is relatively even, and there are many hotspot areas in the geomantic and architectural landscapes, which are mainly concentrated in Bazhou and other places. The biological landscape has many cold-spot areas, distributed in areas such as Altai in northern Xinjiang and Hotan in southern Xinjiang. The remaining four categories have cold-spot and hotspot areas with different distributions. Tourism is an important thrust for economic development. The study of the distribution of tourism resources on the spatial distribution of tourism resources has clear guidance for later tourism development, can help the tourism industry optimize the layout of resources, and can promote tourism resources to achieve maximum benefits. The government can implement effective control and governance.
Subject(s)Tourism , Water Resources , China , Electronics , Spatial Analysis , Water
ABSTRACT
Bayesian empirical likelihood (BEL) models are becoming increasingly popular as an attractive alternative to fully parametric models. However, they have only recently been applied to spatial data analysis for small area estimation. This study considers the development of spatial BEL models using two popular conditional autoregressive (CAR) priors, namely BYM and Leroux priors. The performance of the proposed models is compared with their parametric counterparts and with existing spatial BEL models using independent Gaussian priors and generalised Moran basis priors. The models are applied to two benchmark spatial datasets, simulation study and COVID-19 data. The results indicate promising opportunities for these models to capture new insights into spatial data. Specifically, the spatial BEL models outperform the parametric spatial models when the underlying distributional assumptions of data appear to be violated.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Bayes Theorem , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Likelihood Functions , Normal Distribution , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the effect of transportation infrastructure on the decrease of NO2 air pollution during three COVID-19-induced lockdowns in a vast region of France. For this purpose, using Sentinel-5P satellite data, the relative change in tropospheric NO2 air pollution during the three lockdowns was calculated. The estimation of regional infrastructure intensity was performed using Kernel Density Estimation, being the predictor variable. By performing hotspot-coldspot analysis on the relative change in NO2 air pollution, significant spatial clusters of decreased air pollution during the three lockdowns were identified. Based on the clusters, a novel spatial index, the Clustering Index (CI) was developed using its Coldspot Clustering Index (CCI) variant as a predicted variable in the regression model between infrastructure intensity and NO2 air pollution decline. The analysis revealed that during the three lockdowns there was a strong and statistically significant relationship between the transportation infrastructure and the decline index, CCI (r = 0.899, R2 = 0.808). The results showed that the largest decrease in NO2 air pollution was recorded during the first lockdown, and in this case, there was the strongest inverse correlation with transportation infrastructure (r = -0.904, R2 = 0.818). Economic and population predictors also explained with good fit the decrease in NO2 air pollution during the first lockdown: GDP (R2 = 0.511), employees (R2 = 0.513), population density (R2 = 0.837). It is concluded that not only economic-population variables determined the reduction of near-surface air pollution but also the transportation infrastructure. Further studies are recommended to investigate other pollutant gases as predicted variables.
Subject(s)Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , COVID-19 , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/analysis , Communicable Disease Control , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Humans , Nitrogen Dioxide/analysis , Particulate Matter/analysis , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The first case of COVID-19 in continental Portugal was documented on the 2nd of March 2020 and about seven months later more than 75 thousand infections had been reported. Although several factors correlate significantly with the spatial incidence of COVID-19 worldwide, the drivers of spatial incidence of this virus remain poorly known and need further exploration. In this study, we analyse the spatiotemporal patterns of COVID-19 incidence in the at the municipality level and test for significant relationships between these patterns and environmental, socioeconomic, demographic and human mobility factors to identify the mains drivers of COVID-19 incidence across time and space. We used a generalized liner mixed model, which accounts for zero inflated cases and spatial autocorrelation to identify significant relationships between the spatiotemporal incidence and the considered set of driving factors. Some of these relationships were particularly consistent across time, including the 'percentage of employment in services'; 'average time of commuting using individual transportation'; 'percentage of employment in the agricultural sector'; and 'average family size'. Comparing the preventive measures in Portugal (e.g., restrictions on mobility and crowd around) with the model results clearly show that COVID-19 incidence fluctuates as those measures are imposed or relieved. This shows that our model can be a useful tool to help decision-makers in defining prevention and/or mitigation policies.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Portugal/epidemiology , Spatial Analysis , Transportation
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Spatial variability of COVID-19 cases may suggest geographic disparities of social determinants of health. Spatial analyses of population-level data may provide insight on factors that may contribute to COVID-19 transmission, hospitalization, and death. METHODS: Generalized additive models were used to map COVID-19 risk from March 2020 to February 2021 in Orange County (OC), California. We geocoded and analyzed 221,843 cases to OC census tracts within a Poisson framework while smoothing over census tract centroids. Location was randomly permuted 1000 times to test for randomness. We also separated the analyses temporally to observe if risk changed over time. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were mapped across OC while adjusting for population-level demographic data in crude and adjusted models. RESULTS: Risk for COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were statistically significant in northern OC. Adjustment for demographic data substantially decreased spatial risk, but areas remained statistically significant. Inclusion of location within our models considerably decreased the magnitude of risk compared to univariate models. However, percent minority (adjusted RR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.07), average household size (aRR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.05, 1.07), and percent service industry (aRR: 1.05, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.06) remained significantly associated with COVID-19 risk in adjusted spatial models. In addition, areas of risk did not change between surges and risk ratios were similar for hospitalizations and deaths. CONCLUSION: Significant risk factors and areas of increased risk were identified in OC in our adjusted models and suggests that social and environmental factors contribute to the spread of COVID-19 within communities. Areas in north OC remained significant despite adjustment, but risk substantially decreased. Additional investigation of risk factors may provide insight on how to protect vulnerable populations in future infectious disease outbreaks.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Korea was confirmed on January 20, 2020, approximately three weeks after the report of the first COVID-19 case in Wuhan, China. By September 15, 2021, the number of cases in South Korea had increased to 277,989. Thus, it is important to better understand geographical transmission and design effective local-level pandemic plans across the country over the long term. We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of weekly COVID-19 cases in South Korea from February 1, 2020, to May 30, 2021, in each administrative region. For the spatial domain, we first covered the entire country and then focused on metropolitan areas, including Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon. Moran's I and spatial scan statistics were used for spatial analysis. The temporal variation and dynamics of COVID-19 cases were investigated with various statistical visualization methods. We found time-varying clusters of COVID-19 in South Korea using a range of statistical methods. In the early stage, the spatial hotspots were focused in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do. Then, metropolitan areas were detected as hotspots in December 2020. In our study, we conducted a time-varying spatial analysis of COVID-19 across the entirety of South Korea over a long-term period and found a powerful approach to demonstrating the current dynamics of spatial clustering and understanding the dynamic effects of policies on COVID-19 across South Korea. Additionally, the proposed spatiotemporal methods are very useful for understanding the spatial dynamics of COVID-19 in South Korea.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , Spatial Analysis , Spatio-Temporal Analysis
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to assess the gap between the supply and demand of adult surgical masks under limited resources. Owing to the implementation of the real-name mask rationing system, the historical inventory data of aggregated mask consumption in a pharmacy during the early period of the COVID-19 outbreak (April and May 2020) in Taiwan were analyzed for supply-side analysis. We applied the Voronoi diagram and areal interpolation methods to delineate the average supply of customer counts from a pharmacy to a village (administrative level). On the other hand, the expected number of demand counts was estimated from the population data. The relative risk (RR) of supply, which is the average number of adults served per day divided by the expected number in a village, was modeled under a Bayesian hierarchical framework, including Poisson, negative binomial, Poisson spatial, and negative binomial spatial models. We observed that the number of pharmacies in a village is associated with an increasing supply, whereas the median annual per capita income of the village has an inverse relationship. Regarding land use percentages, percentages of the residential and the mixed areas in a village are negatively associated, while the school area percentage is positively associated with the supply in the Poisson spatial model. The corresponding uncertainty measurement: villages where the probability exceeds the risk of undersupply, that is, Pr (RR < 1), were also identified. The findings of the study may help health authorities to evaluate the spatial allocation of anti-epidemic resources, such as masks and rapid test kits, in small areas while identifying priority areas with the suspicion of undersupply in the beginning stages of outbreaks.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Adult , Bayes Theorem , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Masks , Pandemics , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to identify how the literature analyzes (identifies, evaluates, forecasts, etc.) the relationship between health issues and urban policy in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four main levels were identified in these cases: (1) direct demands for changes in health care, (2) social issues, (3) spatial organization and (4) redefining the tasks of public authority in the face of identified challenges. The basic working method used in the study assumed a critical analysis of the literature on the subject. The time scope of the search covered articles from January 2020 to the end of August 2021 (thus covering the period of three pandemic waves). Combinations of keywords in the titles were used to search for articles. The health perspective pointed to the need for urban policies to develop a balance between health and economic costs and for coordination between different professionals/areas. A prerequisite for such a balance in cities is the carrying out of social and spatial analyses. These should illustrate the diversity of the social situations in individual cities (and more broadly in urban areas, including, sometimes, large suburbs) and the diversity's relationship (both in terms of causes and consequences) to the severity of pandemics and other health threats.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cities/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , Policy , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A remarkable drop in tuberculosis (TB) incidence has been achieved in China, although in 2019 it was still considered the second most communicable disease. However, TB's spatial features and risk factors in urban areas remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify the spatial differentiations and potential influencing factors of TB in highly urbanized regions on a fine scale. METHODS: This study included 18 socioeconomic and environmental variables in the four central districts of Guangzhou, China. TB case data obtained from the Guangzhou Institute of Tuberculosis Control and Prevention. Before using Pearson correlation and a geographical detector (GD) to identify potential influencing factors, we conducted a global spatial autocorrelation analysis to select an appropriate spatial scales. RESULTS: Owing to its strong spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I = 0.33, Z = 4.71), the 2 km × 2 km grid was selected as the spatial scale. At this level, TB incidence was closely associated with most socioeconomic variables (0.31 < r < 0.76, P < 0.01). Of five environmental factors, only the concentration of fine particulate matter displayed significant correlation (r = 0.21, P < 0.05). Similarly, in terms of q values derived from the GD, socioeconomic variables had stronger explanatory abilities (0.08 < q < 0.57) for the spatial differentiation of the 2017 incidence of TB than environmental variables (0.06 < q < 0.27). Moreover, a much larger proportion (0.16 < q < 0.89) of the spatial differentiation was interpreted by pairwise interactions, especially those (0.60 < q < 0.89) related to the 2016 incidence of TB, officially appointed medical institutions, bus stops, and road density. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial heterogeneity of the 2017 incidence of TB in the study area was considerably influenced by several socioeconomic and environmental factors and their pairwise interactions on a fine scale. We suggest that more attention should be paid to the units with pairwise interacting factors in Guangzhou. Our study provides helpful clues for local authorities implementing more effective intervention measures to reduce TB incidence in China's municipal areas, which are featured by both a high degree of urbanization and a high incidence of TB.
Subject(s)Epidemics , Tuberculosis , China/epidemiology , Geography , Humans , Incidence , Spatial Analysis , Tuberculosis/epidemiology
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the spatial correlation between confirmed cases of covid-19 and the intensive care unit beds exclusive to the disease in municipalities of Paraná. METHODS: This is an epidemiological study of ecological type which used data from the Epidemiological Report provided by the Department of Health of Paraná on the confirmed cases of covid-19 from March 12, 2020, to January 18, 2021. The number of intensive care beds exclusive to covid-19 in each municipality of Paraná was obtained by the Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde (CNES - National Registry of Health Establishments), provided online by the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (Datasus - Informatics Department of the Brazilian Unified Health System). The Bivariate Moran's Index (local and global) was used to analyze the intensive care bed variable and spatial correlation, with a 5% significance level. LISA Map was used to identify critical and transition areas. RESULTS: In the analyzed period, we found 499,777 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 1,029 intensive care beds exclusive to the disease in Paraná. We identified a positive spatial autocorrelation between the confirmed cases of covid-19 (0.404-p ≤ 0.001) and intensive care beds exclusive to the disease (0.085-p ≤ 0.001) and disparities between the regions of Paraná. CONCLUSION: Spatial analysis indicated that confirmed cases of covid-19 are related to the distribution of intensive care beds exclusive to the disease in Paraná, allowing us to find priority areas of care in the state regarding the dissemination and control of the disease.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , Brazil/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Government Programs , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected human health and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined the spatiotemporal spread pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia from the index case to 291,774 cases in 13 months, emphasizing on the spatial autocorrelation of the high-risk cluster events and the spatial scan clustering pattern of transmission. Methodology: We obtained the confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Malaysia from the official GitHub repository of Malaysia's Ministry of Health from January 25, 2020 to February 24, 2021, 1 day before the national vaccination program was initiated. All analyses were based on the daily cumulated cases, which are derived from the sum of retrospective 7 days and the current day for smoothing purposes. We examined the daily global, local spatial autocorrelation and scan statistics of COVID-19 cases at district level using Moran's I and SaTScan™. Results: At the initial stage of the outbreak, Moran's I index > 0.5 (p < 0.05) was observed. Local Moran's I depicted the high-high cluster risk expanded from west to east of Malaysia. The cases surged exponentially after September 2020, with the high-high cluster in Sabah, from Kinabatangan on September 1 (cumulative cases = 9,354; Moran's I = 0.34; p < 0.05), to 11 districts on October 19 (cumulative cases = 21,363, Moran's I = 0.52, p < 0.05). The most likely cluster identified from space-time scanning was centered in Jasin, Melaka (RR = 11.93; p < 0.001) which encompassed 36 districts with a radius of 178.8 km, from November 24, 2020 to February 24, 2021, followed by the Sabah cluster. Discussion and Conclusion: Both analyses complemented each other in depicting underlying spatiotemporal clustering risk, giving detailed space-time spread information at district level. This daily analysis could be valuable insight into real-time reporting of transmission intensity, and alert for the public to avoid visiting the high-risk areas during the pandemic. The spatiotemporal transmission risk pattern could be used to monitor the spread of the pandemic.
Subject(s)COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Malaysia/epidemiology , Pandemics , Retrospective Studies , Spatial Analysis
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most devastating public health emergencies in history. In late 2020 and after almost a year from the initial outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), several vaccines were approved and administered in most countries. Saudi Arabia has established COVID-19 vaccination centers in all regions. Various facilities were selected to set up these vaccination centers, including conference and exhibition centers, old airport terminals, pre-existing medical facilities, and primary healthcare centers. Deciding the number and locations of these facilities is a fundamental objective for successful epidemic responses to ensure the delivery of vaccines and other health services to the entire population. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of COVID-19 vaccination centers in Jeddah, a major city in Saudi Arabia, by using GIS tools and methods to provide insight on the effectiveness of the selection and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination centers in terms of accessibility and coverage. Based on a spatial analysis of vaccine centers' coverage in 2020 and 2021 in Jeddah presented in this study, coverage deficiency would have been addressed earlier if the applied GIS analysis methods had been used by authorities while gradually increasing the number of vaccination centers. This study recommends that the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia evaluated the assigned vaccination centers to include the less-populated regions and to ensure equity and fairness in vaccine distribution. Adding more vaccine centers or reallocating some existing centers in the denser districts to increase the coverage in the uncovered sparse regions in Jeddah is also recommended. The methods applied in this study could be part of a strategic vaccination administration program for future public health emergencies and other vaccination campaigns. | https://search.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/?lang=en&q=mh:%22Spatial%20Analysis%22 |
Q&A: What is the most common reason students might struggle with online schooling?Mar 3, 2016
Question: What is the most common reason students might struggle with online schooling?
Tutoring 2.0: New Online Tutoring Tech and TrendsOct 16, 2013
The world of online tutoring is advancing at a rapid pace. Here are some new tools and techs you might have to see to believe.
Teacher talk: Online math practiceOct 14, 2013
K-12 education expert Christi Wilson explains how IXL, an online math practice site, can benefit both students and teachers.
Q&A: Test Preparation TipsOct 1, 2013
Question: I don't do well on tests. What's a good way to prepare?
Q&A: What Is the Purpose of an Online Library?Jul 17, 2013
Question: Why do students need an online library?
Open resources broaden learning possibilitiesMay 23, 2013
Free licenses could mean cheaper textbooks and a wider selection of learning materials for students and teachers alike. Learn how open educational resources, or OER, are changing the way we access information.
Q&A: How Can I Make the Most of Online Discussion Groups?Apr 30, 2013
Question: My online course's discussion groups often get derailed by unproductive comments. How can I get the threads back on track?
Twitter helps students, educators enhance learning in and out of the classroomMar 29, 2013
With 140-character bursts of wisdom, educators are tweeting out a message of community and collaboration. Find out how Twitter can assist both teachers and students.
Q&A: Is Online Tutoring Available?Feb 15, 2013
Question: Is tutoring available online? If so, how does it work?
Q&A: Should I Use Online Textbooks?Feb 8, 2013
Question: I'm going to take my first online class soon, and I'm looking forward to it. The school gives me the option of getting my textbooks electronically. Should I do that too?
Q&A: Important to Read OnlineJul 13, 2012
Question: What's the most common mistake online students make?
Mixed musical messages - InfographicJul 5, 2012
Studies have shown that music can help dementia patients become more alert, attentive, cooperative and engaged. Check this infographic out to see if music can really help us learn.
Robot study buddies - InfographicMay 31, 2012
Who knew robotic technology can help students learn? Check out this infographic to learn more about how robots can help students with their academic studies!
Q&A: Do online programs have tutoring assistance?May 22, 2012
Question: Do online programs have tutoring assistance?
Five online learning roadblocks and how to avoid themMay 21, 2012
Procrastination, isolation: sound familiar? For online students, there are several roadblocks standing in the way of success. Here are just five of them you need to avoid.
5 ways parents can support their online learnerNov 21, 2011
It could be even more important for parents to support online learners than traditional students. Learn five ways you can effectively involve yourself in your child's online learning--from common sense strategies to less obvious strategies like gauging whether to be a supportive or participatory partner in your child's virtual-education.
Exercise the body, strengthen the mind: How physical activity impacts learningOct 31, 2011
Learn how physical activity triggers responses in the brain that are helpful for learning. | https://www.onlineschools.com/topic/study-tips |
How Meditation Changes The Structure Of Your Brain?
Harvard researchers found that mindfulness meditation actually changes the structure of the brain: Eight weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that are associated with memory and learning.
Table of contents
How Long Does It Take For Meditation To Change Your Brain?
How long does it take for someone to begin to notice the changes in their brain? After just eight weeks, our data shows that the brain has changed. We taught our subjects how to reduce stress through a mindfulness-based program.
What Happens To The Brain When You Meditate?
As a result, you will be able to strengthen areas of your brain that control memory, learning, attention, and self-awareness. Cognitive, memory, and attention can be improved by mindfulness meditation over time. Furthermore, it can reduce reactivity, stress, anxiety, and depression in people.
How Does Meditation Change The Neuronal Structure And Function Of The Brain?
Researchers found that meditation actually increases the thickness of the cortex in areas involved in attention and sensory processing, such as the prefrontal cortex and the right anterior insula. She says that while you meditate, you exercise it.
Does Meditation Permanently Change Your Brain?
Furthermore, participants’ amygdalas decreased in volume, which is associated with fear, anxiety, and stress. These changes matched their self-reports of their stress levels, indicating that meditation not only changes the brain, but also affects our subjective perception and feelings.
How Does Long Term Meditation Affect The Brain?
There are measurable effects of meditation on three areas of your brain: gray matter – which controls muscle movement and sensory perception, including emotions, memory, speech, seeing, and hearing. It is the prefrontal cortex that makes decisions. The amygdala controls how we respond to emotions.
How Long Does It Take To See Results From Meditation?
The amount of time you need to persevere depends on how long you meditate and how often you do it. You should see results within a few weeks to a couple of months if you practice 10 to 20 minutes a day.
Can 8 Weeks Of Meditation Change The Brain?
Non-experienced meditators can improve their attention, working memory, and recognition memory by practicing meditation for 8 weeks. An article published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research provides these findings.
What Happens In Your Body When You Meditate?
According to Benson, meditation reduces metabolism, lowers blood pressure, and improves heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. When the body receives a quiet message to relax, tension and tightness appear in muscles. It has been proven by scientific evidence that meditation works.
What Part Of The Brain Is Active During Meditation?
In meditation, attentional regulation is carried out, which may result in increased activity in brain regions associated with attention, such as the dorsal prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). | https://www.biotimeinc.com/how-meditation-changes-the-structure-of-your-brain/ |
The learning potential of pair/team work in language assessment has been demonstrated in the literature, albeit with little concern about challenges faced by the educators to implement it. To contribute to this line of research, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of paired peer assessment, teacher feedback, and group peer assessment on students' writing performance. To do so, 69 second-year university students of the English language were assigned to three classes. The first class received regular teacher feedback, the second class was instructed to work in pairs and assess each other's work, and students in the third class were divided into groups of four members and a group leader was assigned to each group by the teacher. Team leaders' responsibility was assessing and providing feedback on their fellow members' writing samples. The results showed a growth in the performance of students in paired peer assessment class in comparison to the other two classes. In group peer assessment class, the group heads outperformed their peers but the overall performance of the class was lower than paired peer assessment class. The findings suggest careful consideration of the circumstances under which peer assessment can be employed and call for more research on the contribution of non-pedagogical factors to assessment designs. | http://journal.asiatefl.org/main/main.php?main=1&sub=2&submode=3&PageMode=JournalView&inx_journals=59&inx_contents=657&s_title=One__Two__...____Many_The_Outcomes_of_Paired_Peer_Assessment__Group_Peer_Assessment__and_Teacher_Assessment_in_EFL_Writing |
In one of the most unequal countries in the world, South Africa, the poorest 40% have annual incomes of less than US$1,000 (£727) per person. The comparable incomes for the richest 10% are more than US$39,000 per person – nearly 40 times higher than those of the bottom 40%.
Those numbers, which are based on data from 2017, are actually something of an improvement on 2008, when the multiple was 50 times. But the gap in income between these groups grew by more than US$10,000 per person over this time. And more than two decades after the end of apartheid, the richest 10% are still predominantly from the white minority group, while the poorest 40% is the “exclusive” preserve of the black majority.
These extreme inequalities show that economic growth has neither been inclusive nor transformative – despite the country having implemented significant policies benefiting people with lower incomes in an effort to improve the disparity.
We’ve found similar situations in many countries – even those such as Brazil, China, India and Mexico where inequality is lower and tackling it has emerged as a fundamental development challenge.
A fair distribution of income is both a moral imperative and crucial to a socially cohesive society. Excessive income disparity also has negative implications for growth, poverty and human development.
Not a simple story
Inequality does not grow or decline everywhere at the same time and there are no constant or universal trends over time and across countries or regions. Successes are often followed by steps backwards if conditions change, and vice versa, like the recent trend in Latin American countries shows. This complexity sits at the core of the story about inequality.
As we found when collecting the different studies of our book, Inequality in the Developing World, it is fundamental to avoid oversimplifying inequality, whether at the country or global level. Instead, we must pay careful attention to how successful developing countries are trying to address these issues. This is especially important in times of deep economic adjustments and booms and busts.
The study of global income inequality also requires looking at the bigger picture, treating the world as one country. Here, forces such as globalisation or technological progress operate, with potentially asymmetric effects on inequalities within and between countries.
Global inequality has in fact been declining for several decades according to many standard measures. The figure below shows this decline as measured by the Gini index (on which 100 represents maximum inequality). But as you can see, this is driven by declining inequality between countries rather than within them.
Global inequality 1990-present
Bigger economies such as China or India contain large shares of the world’s population – and their development has greatly influenced global inequality. The overall decline is mainly due to fast economic growth in China, which has progressively approached the global mean in income. This has narrowed inequalities between countries by significantly improving the living conditions of hundreds of millions of people.
But it’s much too early to celebrate. Although other developing countries have followed this path to some extent, the drop in global inequality is decelerating. And there is evidence that the poorest have extreme difficulties in keeping up with the rest. Differences between richer and poorer countries remain colossal.
National income inequality
The forces that have helped to narrow inequality among countries have had the opposite impact on inequalities within countries. As shown in the figure, the aggregate contribution of within-country inequality to the global measure has risen. This is true even of China and India.
These within-country trends – often of increasing inequality – are crucial to our understanding of the problem. It is this which ultimately frames people’s lives and perceptions and is the focus of policies to address inequality. The five country studies in our volume show that – at this level too – a variety of factors affect final measured inequality. There is no single general pattern applying in every period or area.
Functional and inclusive local labour markets that enable people of all backgrounds to earn a decent living matter greatly. They are the primary source of income for the majority of the population. To lower inequality in the labour market, it is essential to achieve more equal access to the sorts of skills and capital that enable workers to get quality jobs and decent earnings.
Macro factors, such as the degree of industry specialisation in a country or the existence of markets with adequate regulations and good governance, matter as well. Of particular importance is the capacity of the public sector to offset major forces that cause inequality and to provide direct access to basic goods and services.
Despite most developing countries having small welfare states compared to more developed countries, some countries have experienced varying degrees of success in addressing income inequality through active and innovative policies such as labour market reforms. Brazil and Mexico, for example, have achieved success with minimum wages and progressive tax and benefit structures.
While inequality has been rising in recent decades within numerous countries, representing the majority of the world’s population, this isn’t true everywhere. Brazil and Mexico have seen it declining even as others such as South Africa have been living with stable but extremely high inequality.
But generally, within-country inequality is highly persistent and dampens social mobility. Inequality does not fall automatically as countries develop or deploy more democratic or inclusive institutions, as was previously thought. Inequality of income is the result of a complex set of intersecting inequalities, including in education, health and the labour market.
Tackling inequality therefore requires a determined, coordinated and sustained collective effort. Our study contributes needed evidence for action in this challenging area of socio-economic development and sets out a framework for identifying effective policy measures.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or the United Nations University, nor the programme/project donors.
Carlos Gradín, Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER, United Nations University; Finn Tarp, Professor of Economics, University of Copenhagen, and Murray Leibbrandt, NRF Chair in Poverty and Inequality Research; Director of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town and UNU-WIDER Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow., University of Cape Town
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. | https://www.wider.unu.edu/publication/global-inequality-may-be-falling-gap-between-haves-and-have-nots-%C2%A0growing |
Health News related to Neurons Protection and Growth, Blood Pressure – Cognitive Decline, Brain’s Immune Cells, Good Mental Health, Digital Trackers for Mental Health, ADHD and Insomnia, Mapping Brains with Machine Intelligence
Note: I do not write/own any of the health news bits (and cover picture) given here. The links on each of the news bits will redirect to the news source. The content given under each headline is a basic gist and not the full story.
1. Protecting Neurons and Encouraging Their Growth
Source: University of California – San Diego
14 Dec 2020
Many neurodegenerative conditions are characterized by injury to axons. Injury to axons often leads to neuronal impairment and cell death. Researchers have identified a family of enzymes called germinal cell kinase four kinases whose inhibition is robustly neuroprotective, while also permitting axon regeneration, making it an attractive therapeutic approach for treating some neurodegenerative diseases.
Original written by: Scott LaFee
2. High Blood Pressure at Any Age, No Matter How Long You Have It, May Speed Cognitive Decline
Source: American Heart Association
14 Dec 2020
New research highlights that memory, concentration and other cognitive functions decline faster among middle-aged and older adults who have high blood pressure than those who do not. Even seemingly slight blood pressure elevation during middle and older age is linked to a faster decline in cognition. Controlling high blood pressure slows the speed of cognitive decline.
3. An Unexpected Role for the Brain’s Immune Cells
Source: Gladstone Institutes
14 Dec 2020
In a recent study, a team showed that surveillance by microglia, an important part of the brain’s immune system, helps prevent seizure activity (or hyperexcitability) in the brain. These findings could open new therapeutic avenues for several diseases, given that hyperexcitability is a feature of many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and autism.
Original written by: Julie Langelier
4. ‘Three Pillars’ of Good Mental Health for Young Adults
Source: University of Otago
14 Dec 2020
Getting good quality sleep, exercising, and eating more raw fruits and vegetables predicts better mental health and well-being in young adults, a study has found. The study surveyed more than 1100 young adults from New Zealand and the United States about their sleep, physical activity, diet, and mental health.
5. Digital Trackers for Mental Health Not Yet Fit for Purpose
Source: University of Bath
15 Dec 2020
Digital tracking of people with mental health conditions has the power to transform medical diagnostics and treatment, but its claims need careful scrutiny, says an expert in digital analytics. The approach, known as ‘digital phenotyping’, uses digital traces from smartphones, combined with medical data, and input from patients throughout the day. It offers a new route to detect and monitor various health conditions that scientists and startups are rapidly exploring.
6. Individuals with High ADHD-Traits Are More Vulnerable to Insomnia
Source: Karolinska Institutet 17 Dec 2020
Individuals with high ADHD-traits that do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis are less able to perform tasks involving attentional regulation or emotional control after a sleepless night than individuals with low ADHD-traits, a new study. While it can cause multiple cognitive impairments, there is considerable individual variation in sensitivity to the effects of insomnia. The reason for this variability has been an unresolved research question for long. In the present study, researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects our executive functions, which is to say the central cognitive processes that govern our thoughts and actions. They also wanted to ascertain if people with ADHD tendencies are more sensitive to insomnia, with more severe functional impairments as a result.
7. Machine Intelligence Accelerates Research into Mapping Brains
Source: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
18 Dec 2020
Scientists in Japan’s brain science project have used machine intelligence to improve the accuracy and reliability of a powerful brain-mapping technique, a new study reports. Their development gives researchers more confidence in using the technique to untangle the human brain’s wiring and to better understand the changes in this wiring that accompany neurological or mental disorders such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. | https://www.sciencenstuff.com/saturday-health-14/ |
Entering the New Paradigm – Supporting Non-Clinical Mental Health Recovery
This course has no current classes. Please the waiting list.
Australia, in line with many other countries, is implementing non-clinical recovery-oriented mental health practices to support the diverse range of recovery options that people choose to recover from mental health disorders. This is a paradigm shift in worker and organisational practice. It requires a new set of skills, knowledge, attitudes and approaches from workers.
This workshop will utilise a range of adult learning principles and strategies to provide an interactive, participatory learning experience. Participant’s will gain increased understanding and knowledge about how to support people experiencing mental distress, whilst drawing on their own experiences and expertise. Opportunities will be provided for skills development that will enhance effective, non-clinical recovery work practice back at the workplace.
Participants in this course will:
- Describe different models and approaches to mental health treatment
- Differentiate between clinical and nonclinical recovery
- Explore the impacts of mental distress on service-users, families, carers and significant others
- Increase understanding of the diverse range of strategies used to respond to the impacts of mental distress
- Identify barriers and challenges to recovery, including stigma and discrimination, and develop useful responses to assist in responding to these
- List a range of mental health organisations, services and resources
- Describe and implement relevant statutory, organisational, policy and practice standards and responsibilities
- Explore the values, concepts and principles underpinning recovery
- Acquire information and practical skills to provide effective recovery-oriented services and supports
Who should attend?
Workers in a range of roles and services who come into contact with people who experience mental health disorders, their families and carers, and anyone with an interest in non-clinical mental health recovery.
Please note: If you wish to undertake assessment for this course, enrol in the Assessment Only version of this course as well as this workshop. | https://www.ccwt.edu.au/course/ADMH26 |
Years ago, I took acting classes in college. One of the tools that the instructor gave us came from an acting book by Robert Cohen called Acting One. In his book, Cohen outlined his techniques with the acronym GOTE:
- Goal
- Obstacles
- Tactics
- Expectation
Cohen recommended that actors “Get their GOTE” to understand how to portray their characters. As a writer, you can also benefit from this technique, but I've given it a slight twist – not to mention simplifying the mnemonic device. Remember this: every character should have the power of the VOTE.
|WikiMedia Commons|
The character's Victory answers the question, “What does he want in this story?” Strong characters either have something that they want to accomplish, protect or regain, which compels them into action.
Character 1: He wants to win the championship.
Character 2: She wants to leave her abusive husband and take the children.
Character 3: He wants to capture the murderer.
This answer always comes in the form of action verb, NEVER a “being” verb. Powerful characters don't whine about their jobs, gaze at their navels or pontificate about the meaning of life.
|WikiMedia Commons|
The character's Obstacles answer the question, “What's stopping him from achieving his Victory?” You must place obstacles in that character's path that force him to go over, under, around, or through them.
Character 1: The current champion is undefeated.
Character 2: Her husband keeps her from the children.
Character 3: He can't get to the evidence he needs.
These Obstacles can be as small as a cancer cell or as large as the entire universe. They can be an innate personality flaw or a fifty-story brick wall, but they have to represent a series of challenges the character must overcome to reach his victory.
|WikiMedia Commons|
The character's Tactics answer the question, “What's he going to do to got past the Obstacles and achieve his Victory?” Tactics can not only include the actions the character takes to reach the Victory, but also those actions the character refuses to take.
Character 1: He trains as hard as possible, but refuses to take steroids.
Character 2: She sues for custody, but refuses to reveal a family secret.
Character 3: He uses every method within the system, but he won't break the rules.
In the best stories, the character must choose between his Victory and his original of Tactics. The first choice of Tactics never works (or else the story would be over in thirty seconds), so the character must use Tactics which either are beyond his current abilities or that violate his beliefs. These dilemmas create conflict and ignite the story.
|WikiMedia Commons|
The character's Energy answer the question, “What drives him to want to achieve his Victory?” While a character's Victory is always tangible, the Energy is usually intangible. The Energy forms the character's emotional driving force throughout the story.
Character 1: He wants to prove himself to his father.
Character 2: She loves her children and wants to rescue them from an abusive environment.
Character 3: He wants to show that the “justice system” can truly deliver justice.
Powerful emotions create meaningful motivations and spur characters into memorable actions. Each character's Energy forms the fuel for their part of the story.
Power of the VOTE
When you develop a VOTE for each character, you give them power. Just as the ballot box gives voters the power to choose their leaders, the VOTE gives characters the power to take control of their side of the story.
If you want to learn how to create strong and diverse characters, contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. We specialize in turning concepts and ideas into screenplays that include powerful characters, dramatic conflicts and memorable moments. | http://www.storyintoscreenplay.com/2014/03/ |
Guidelines to help governments, companies and consumers benefit from sustainable trade in precious plants and animals now include elements such as climate resilience and marine biodiversity.
Building back better requires stronger competition and consumer protection in the digital economy
24 Dec 2020
By Teresa Moreira, Head of the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD
UNCTAD platform powers registration of over 25,000 businesses in Cameroon
7 Dec 2020
By entering the formal market, Cameroonian businesses and their employees may gain access to loans, insurance and legal protection even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
How biodiversity-friendly trade can support COVID-19 recovery
19 Oct 2020
A new call to action urges countries to make BioTrade a lever for recovery and resilience in the wake of the pandemic.
Countries focus on protecting consumers amid and after COVID-19
15 Oct 2020
Stakeholders gather to share experiences and exchange information to advance the welfare of consumers in open markets.
Blue BioTrade project set to improve fortunes in the eastern Caribbean
13 Oct 2020
The project is a point of convergence for conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, and a driver for a blue and green recovery from COVID-19.
COVID-19 has changed online shopping forever, survey shows
8 Oct 2020
The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world and triggered changes in online shopping behaviours that are likely to have lasting effects
How a gig economy start-up is driving the fourth industrial revolution in Malaysia
20 Sep 2020
The fourth industrial revolution and the transition towards digital economies continue sparkling the global debate on new opportunities and jobs. Digital entrepreneur Francisca Chia tells her story. | https://unctad.org/news-search?f%5B0%5D=thematic%3A1095&f%5B1%5D=thematic%3A1210&f%5B2%5D=thematic%3A1226&f%5B3%5D=thematic%3A1312 |
In terms of the history of philosophy and of neuroscience, this is a revolutionary view of the mind and its place in the world. A thinker whose work straddles both disciplines, Damasio has criticised the inherited account of the mind in several of his books, notably Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain (1994) and Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain (2003). Descartes’s dualism, which represents humans as immaterial minds controlling mechanical bodies, has been abandoned by pretty much all philosophers today. But they have not presented a compelling alternative, and something like Descartes’s error persists throughout Western culture. Surfacing in visions of humans uploading their minds into cyberspace, thereby conquering death, and in fears of self-aware robots turning on their makers, a Cartesian world-view remains deeply embedded in our thinking.
The implications of this radically post-Cartesian view of life and mind are profound and far-reaching, and for orthodox Darwinists they will be highly controversial. Damasio points out the parallels with Spinoza’s conception of the conatus, the continuing attempt in everything that exists to achieve a positively regulated life – ‘the first reality of our existence, as Spinoza would say when he described the relentless endeavor of each being to preserve itself’. There are also affinities with James Lovelock’s Gaia theory, in which life on Earth is a complex self-regulating system and planetary life operates through homeostatic processes that enable it to survive and renew itself. Damasio is demanding a paradigm shift in our view of ourselves, which many will be unwilling to accept.
One consequence of the view of mind that Damasio presents seems to me to be undeniably true. Ultra-reductionist theories in which humans are no more than algorithms – a view suggested in some of Yuval Harari’s otherwise highly illuminating writings – are nonsense. We are not lines of code accidentally embodied in living organisms. Being embodied is an essential part of what it means to be human. That is why utopian visions of cybernetic immortality and dystopian nightmares of superhumanly intelligent robots lording it over us are both unreal. It may become technologically feasible for the information that is stored in individual brains to be uploaded into cyberspace, but the result will be a shadow of the person that once existed, not that person immortalised. Artificial intelligence may conceivably spell the end of human life as we have known it, but not because robots have become super-powerful versions of humans. Damasio questions whether robots could be conscious, which he says requires having ‘an individual perspective of our own organism and individual feeling’. Perhaps they could evolve consciousness of this kind, possibly as a result of flaws in programming or defects in their mechanical bodies. But if robots ever do become conscious, they will be more like the bifurcated creatures imagined by Descartes than human beings. | https://literaryreview.co.uk/mind-the-gap |
The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to investigate the effects of highly lossy grounds and the frequency-band selection on ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) signals. The ground is modeled as a heterogeneous half space with arbitrary background permittivity and conductivity. The heterogeneities encompass both embedded scatterers and surface holes, which model the surface roughness. The decay of the waves in relation to the conductivity of the ground is demonstrated. The detectability of the buried targets is investigated with respect to the operating frequency of the GPR, the background conductivity of the ground, the density of the conducting inhomogeneities in the ground, and the surface roughness. The GPR is modeled as transmitting and receiving antennas isolated by conducting shields, whose inner walls are coated with absorbers simulated by perfectly matched layers (PML). The feed of the transmitter is modeled by a single-cell dipole with constant current density in its volume. The time variation of the current density is selected as a smooth pulse with arbitrary center frequency, which is referred to as the operating frequency of the GPR.
KeywordsFinite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method
Ground conductivity
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
Perfectly matched layer (PML)
Computer simulation
Current density
Electric conductivity
Finite difference method
Frequency response
Mathematical models
Natural frequencies
Permittivity
Receiving antennas
Surface roughness
Time domain analysis
Transmitters
Absorbing boundary conditions
Buried targets
Embedded scatterers
Frequency band selection
Heterogeneous half space
Lossy grounds
Perfectly matched layer
Single cell dipole
Surface holes
Ground penetrating radar systems
Permalinkhttp://hdl.handle.net/11693/24701
Published Version (Please cite this version)http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2002.800437
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Simulations of ground-penetrating radars over lossy and heterogeneous grounds Gürel, Levent; Oğuz, U. (IEEE, 2001)The versatility of the three-dimensional (3-D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to model arbitrarily inhomogeneous geometries is exploited to simulate realistic groundpenetrating radar (GPR) scenarios for the ...
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A Miniaturized Patch Antenna by Using a CSRR Loading Plane Ramzan, M.; Topalli, K. (Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2015)This paper presents a design methodology for the implementation of a miniaturized square patch antenna and its circuit model for 5.15 GHz ISM band. The miniaturization is achieved by employing concentric complementary split ...
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Transmitter-receiver-transmitter-configured ground-penetrating radars over randomly heterogeneous ground models Gürel, Levent; Oğuz, U. (Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc., 2002)Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) problems are simulated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The GPR model is configured with arbitrarily polarized three antennas, two of which are transmitting antennas fed ... | http://repository.bilkent.edu.tr/handle/11693/24701 |
INTRODUCTION Genetic engineering (GE) or genetic modification (GM) are both terms used to describe methods “ to cut up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from one or more species of organism and to introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics”. Genetic technologies in crops involve the use of GE to change the make-up of certain plants in order to improve their quality or quantity. This essay will critique the following inference that: For centuries human beings have used conventional techniques of selective breeding and cross-breeding of animals and plants to add desired characteristics and reduce or eliminate unwanted ones. New genetic technologies should be welcomed as providing more efficient, effective and controlled mechanisms for improving the quality and quantity of food which can be produced from limited resources of land. ARGUMENT FOR THE STATEMENT.
Then the scientists will end up having to make the plants stronger to fight off the weeds, then the weeds will get stronger, and the cycle will keep on going. Another argument for the ban of... ... middle of paper ... ...ng-term testing being done on the effects they have on human beings or warnings on the products that they do contain genetically modified ingredients. The only solution that can be done is to continue testing all the genetically modified products, so that when they do get into our stores they are safe for everyone. Bibliography: Becker, Hank. Revolutionizing Hybrid Corn Production.
Biotechnology and the worlds food supply. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from http://ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts impacts_genetic_engineering/biotechnology-and-the-world.html
Ever wish chocolate was healthy and could have the same nutrients and vitamins as fruit and vegetables? Food, one of three necessities of life, affects every living organism on Earth. Although some foods are disliked because of taste or health issues, recent discovery will open up new prosperities and growth in agriculture. Genetic engineering has the capability to make foods taste better, increase nutrient value, and even engineer plants to produce aids for deadly health issues. Every day the progress, understanding, and development of genetic engineering is digging deeper and with this knowledge virtually anything is possible.
Today, foods are genetically modified through experiments with the insertion of genes administered through a needle or breeding. Genetically modified foods should be produced as they allow the fruit or vegetable to withstand certain diseases leading to more production, benefits the consumer due to increased nutritional value, and provide scientists with new mixtures of nutrients to contribute to medicine. Genetically modified foods can lead to greater production for consumers (Siedler 48). Productivity can be increased with the improvement of the quality of seeds (Siedler 47). This can be achieved by modifying the genetic makeup of the parent plant that produces the seeds.
In simple terms, it is merely the utilization of one or more techniques for the purpose of modifying the DNA of an organism (Britannica V, 178). By modifying DNA, scientists today can eliminate some genetic diseases, they can manipulate plants and animals for increased food production and they can help protect against certain environmental hazards. Though genetic engineering is still in its infancy, its potential to benefit mankind is unprecedented. As such, it is a field that must be explored to its fullest. There are many facets to genetic engineering.
Introduction What is Genetically Modified Organism? Plant Biotechnology is continuing its development within modern day science. With the increase understanding of scientific studies has led the improvement of plant productivity, quality and health. This understanding also contended potential issues on plant growth (Monsanto 2011). Plant biotechnology uses genetic engineering, which is the process of manipulating genes through isolation and reintroducing the DNA into the cell.
Many people believe them to be hazardous to health and unbeneficial. However, there are many positive sides to modifying crops such as sweet peppers. GMO sweet peppers are resistant to weeds and diseases even though they don’t contain an abundance of harmful chemicals. Most companies that grow produce use crop dusting to rid the plants of unwanted pests. However, this results in health hazardous products that put many at risk.
For the entire length of human existence, people have sought to better technology in order to advance society. In agriculture, the newest technology to improve crops is modifying genes directly through biotechnology. Genetically modified (GM) foods have foreign genes implemented into their genetic code in order to achieve a desired trait. (Phillips, 2008) These crops can have the potential to reduce pesticide use, increase nutrients, resist pests and damaging herbicides, increase yield, and provide medical benefits. (Phillips, 2008) The implementation of new technology is often highly appreciated by consumers when it leads to products that are more efficient and available compared to their predecessors, though genetically modified foods are a very different story.
Genetically modified foods can have many positive effects on the world. We can use fewer pesticides by inserting a pest resistant gene into the gene of plants. Farmers use many pesticides over and over to keep the insects from eating their crops. This is usually a high costing process and time consuming. When the plants receive water the excess water runs into another source of water and when that happens it picks up the chemicals that the pesticide had left on the soil. | https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Genetic-Engineering-The-Tremendous-Benefits-Outweigh-the-13083 |
Large-scale climate change and severe malnutrition, referred to as ‘hidden hunger’, are among the global challenges with more severe effects in developing countries, where population growth rates and urbanization are accelerating, than in developed countries. JIRCAS, in collaboration with the World Vegetable Center, has been conducting research on vegetable utilization and nutritional properties of amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), one of the underutilized genetic resources known as ‘orphan crops’, with the aim of improving human health and income of farmers in developing countries.
The global food system is dependent on a few plant and animal species and lineages, leading to vulnerabilities in crop breeding strategies aimed at conserving genetic diversity and improving environmental adaptability. Biofortification is based on a breeding strategy to increase the nutritional value of crops and is already widely accepted in Africa (De Brauw et al., 2018). The use of orphan crops may be an effective way to address climate change and human nutrition issues that are prominent in developing countries in Africa and Asia (McMullin et al., 2021). However, the potential role of many locally adapted varieties and plant species in adapting to global challenges remains poorly validated and understood, and is neglected in modern plant breeding technology (Kamenya et al., 2021).
Orphan crops include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains that are restricted to specific regions and are not traded internationally (McMullin et al., 2021). Although orphan crops are less important in the economies and agriculture of developed countries (Sogbohossou et al., 2018), most orphan crops include species and cultivars that are nutritious and adaptable to extreme environmental stress (Dawson et al., 2019). Orphan crops are therefore not only likely to contribute to sustainable agricultural technologies for people living in low-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America (Tilman et al., 2011), but also have the potential to provide novel and diverse health foods for consumers in developed countries (Dawson et al., 2019).
To build a sustainable food system for future societies, it is indispensable to ensure healthy living and low environmental impact. A review article Prospects and potentials of underutilized leafy amaranths as vegetable use for health promotion recently published in the international journal Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, discusses the potential of orphan crops that are nutritious, adaptable to current agricultural production systems, and highly resilient under environmental stresses, as a strategy for building sustainable food systems that are healthier and have less environmental impact. In particular, the potential of amaranths in terms of environmental variability, nutritional value, health benefits, and medicinal uses was described, focusing on the physiological and medicinal functions, biosynthetic pathways, and molecular and biochemical mechanisms of betalains, a unique antioxidant component in amaranth vegetables. While considerable progress has been made in nutritional research involving orphan crops, amaranth and betalains in the past decade, many aspects of research still lag far behind. It is hoped that amaranth germplasm will be collected worldwide to characterize genetic resources, identify cultivars, use genotyping and omics tools, and develop genome-wide DNA markers. The use of amaranth, an orphan crop that is highly nutritious and demonstrates resilience to extreme environmental stresses, is likely to benefit future sustainable agricultural systems.
Based on the findings of this review, JIRCAS will promote research on environmental adaptability and nutrition using underutilized genetic resources such as amaranth to help solve the problems of climate change and human nutrition that are prominent in developing regions in Africa and Asia.
Notes:
1. Orphan crops: include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains that are produced and consumed in specific regions and not traded internationally. Examples include amaranth, baobab, moringa, quinoa, and finger millet. Orphan crops are underutilized food plants and are of low importance in the economies and agriculture of developed countries.
2. Antioxidant: a general term for substances including polyphenols and carotenoids that inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their functions.
3. Betalains: plant pigments that give reddish purple and yellow color to plant flowers and fruits. It is divided into two types: betacyanin, which gives red to reddish purple color, and betaxanthin, which gives yellow color. The production of betacyanin is restricted to plant species of the order Caryophyllales that includes amaranth, cactus and carnation. It is known to have a high antioxidant function that removes reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Photo: Phenotypes of diverse amaranth genetic resources grown at the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan
References
Dawson, I.K., Attwood, S.J., Park, S.E., Jamnadass, R., Powell, W., Sunderland, T., Kindt, R., McMullin, S., Hoebe, P.N., Baddeley, J., 2019. Contributions of biodiversity to the sustainable intensification of food production–Thematic study for The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.
De Brauw, A., Eozenou, P., Gilligan, D.O., Hotz, C., Kumar, N., Meenakshi, J., 2018. Biofortification, crop adoption and health information: impact pathways in Mozambique and Uganda. Am. J. Agric. Econ. 100, 906-930.
Kamenya, S.N., Mikwa, E.O., Song, B., Odeny, D.A., 2021. Genetics and breeding for climate change in Orphan crops. Theor. Appl. Genet. 134, 1787-1815. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-020-03755-1
McMullin, S., Stadlmayr, B., Mausch, K., Revoredo-Giha, C., Burnett, F., Guarino, L., Brouwer, I.D.,
Jamnadass, R., Graudal, L., Powell, W., Dawson, I.K., 2021. Determining appropriate interventions to mainstream nutritious orphan crops into African food systems. Glob. Food Sec. 28, 100465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100465
Sarkera, U., Lin, Y.-P., Oba, S., Yoshioka, Y. Hoshikawa, K. 2022. Prospects and potentials of underutilized leafy Amaranths as vegetable use for health-promotion. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 182, 104-123. DOI:10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.04.011
Sogbohossou, E.D., Achigan-Dako, E.G., Maundu, P., Solberg, S., Deguenon, E.M., Mumm, R.H., Hale, I., Van Deynze, A., Schranz, M.E., 2018. A roadmap for breeding orphan leafy vegetable species: a case study of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae). Hortic. Res. 5, 1-15. DOI 10.1038/s41438-017-0001-2
Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J., Befort, B.L., 2011. Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. PNAS. 108, 20260-20264. | https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20220519 |
Electronic banking system has become an important practice among commercial banks in Nigeria. The introduction of this internet banking has improve banking efficiency in rendering services to customer, It was inline with this that the study aim at examining the impact of internet banking system in Nigeria. Through the cluster sampling technique, data was collected by meansofquestionnairesfrom40UnityBankofficersandtheresultshowsthat Unity Bank internet banking guidelines are inline with the CBN internet banking guideline. The bank has an effective internet banking system which has improve its customer’s relationship and satisfaction. To this end, It is recommended that the bank information technology training programme should been encourage among the staff of Unity Bank, necessary legal codes banking should be established in order to enhance growth of the industry.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Certification 2
Dedication 3
Acknowledgment 4
Abstract 5
ListofTables 6
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. BackgroundoftheStudy
1.2. StatementoftheProblem
1.3. ObjectivesoftheStudy
1.4. StatementofResearchQuestions
1.5. ResearchHypothesis
1.6. SignificanceoftheStudy
1.7. ScopeoftheStudy
1.8. LimitationoftheStudy
1.9. DefinitionofTerms
1.10. BriefProfileofUnityBankPLC
CHAPTERTWO:LITERATUREREVIEW
2.1.Introduction
2.2.TheViewonInternet banking
2.3.Internet bankingandtheCommonBankingProducts
2.3.1.TelephoneandPCBankingProducts
2.3.2.TheCardSystem
2.3.3.TheAutomatedTellerMachine(ATM)
2.4.TheEntryofNigerianBanksInternet banking
2.5.TheEmergingIssuesinInternet banking
2.5.1ThreatsofCyberCrimesontheNigerianBankingPremises
2.5.2.TheRegulatoryChallenges
2.5.3.Internet bankingProfitabilityandEfficiency
2.5.4.BankCustomersRelationship
2.5.5.Operationsof FinancialInstitution
CHAPTERTHREE:RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY
3.1.Introduction
3.2.PopulationofStudy
3.3.SamplingTechniques
3.4.SampleSize
3.5.SourcesofData
3.6.MethodofDataAnalysis
3.6.1TestofHypothesisandInference
3.6.2.DecisionRuleandJustification
CHAPTERFOUR:DATAANALYSISANDDISCUSSIONOFFINDINGS
4.1.Introduction
4.2.PresentationandAnalysisofData
4.3.Discussionoffinding
CHAPTERFIVE:SUMMARY,CONCLUSIONANDRECOMMEDATIONS
5.1.SummaryoftheStudy
5.2.Conclusion
5.3.Recommendations
REFERENCES-Bibliography
APPENDIX -ProposedResearchQuestionnaire
CHAPTERONE INTRODUCTION
1.1. Back ground of the study
The new millennium brought with it new possibilities in terms of information access and availability simultaneously, introducing new challenges in protecting sensitive information from some eyes while making it available to others. Today’s business environment is extremely dynamic and experience rapid changes as a result of technological improvement, increased awareness and demands Banks to serve their customers electronically. Banks have traditionally been in the forefront of harnessing technology to improve their products and services.
The Banking industry of the 21st century operates in a complex and competitive environment characterized by these changing conditions and highly unpredictable economic climate. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is at the centre of this global change curve of Internet banking System in Nigeria today. (Stevens2002). Assert that they have over the time, been using electronic and telecommunication networks for delivering a wide range of value added products and services, managers in Banking industry in Nigeria cannot ignore Information Systems because they play a critical impact in current Banking system, they point out that the entire cash flow of most fortune Banks are linked to Information System.
The application of information and communication technology concepts, techniques, policies and implementation strategies to banking services has become a subject of fundamental importance and concerns to all Banks and indeed a prerequisite for local and global competitiveness Banking.
The advancement in Technology has played an important role in improving service delivery standards in the Banking industry. In its simplest form, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and deposit machines now allow consumers carry out banking transactions beyond banking hours.
With online banking, individuals can check their account balances and make payments without having to go to the bank hall. This is gradually creating a cashless society where consumers no longer have to pay for all their purchases with hard cash. For example: bank customers can pay for airline tickets and subscribe1 to initial public offerings by transfer ring the money directly from their accounts, or pay for various goods and services by electronic transfers of credit to the sellers account. As most people now own mobile phones, banks have also introduced mobile banking to cater for customers who are always on the move. Mobile banking allows individuals to check their account balances and make fund transfers using their mobile phones. This was popularized by First Atlantic Bank (now First Inland Bank) through its “Flash me cash” product Customers can also recharge their mobile phones via SMS. E-Banking has made banking transactions easier around the World and it is fast gaining acceptance in Nigeria.
The delivery channels today in Nigeria internet banking are quite numerous has it is mentioned here Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), Point of Sales (POS), Telephone Banking, Smart Cards, Internet Banking etc Personal computers in the Banking industry was first introduced into Nigeria by Society General Bank as the popular PC easy access to the internet and World Wide Web (www) and internet is increasingly used by Banks as a channel of delivering the products and services to the numerous customers. Virtually almost all Banks in Nigeria have a web presence; this form of Banking is referred to as Internet Banking which is generally part of Internet banking. The delivery of products by banks on public domain is an indication of advertisement which is known as E-Commerce. Electronic commerce on the other hand is a general term for any type of business or commercial transaction it involves the transfer of information across the internet. E-Commerce involves individuals and business organization exchanging business information and instructions over electronic media using computers, telephones and other communication equipments. This covers arrange of different types of business from consumers tore tails products. However, Internet banking as it is; is a product of E-Commerce in the field of banking and financial services. It’s offers different online services like balance enquiry, request for cheque-books, recording stop payment instructions, balance transfer instructions, account opening and other form of traditional banking services. The Internet allows businesses to use information more effectively, by allowing customers, suppliers, employees, and partners to get access to the business information they need, when they need it. These Internet- enabled services all translate to reduced cost: there are less overhead, greater economies of scale, and increased efficiency. E-Banking greatest promise is timelier, more valuable information accessible to more people, at reduced cost of information access. With the changes in business operations as a result of the Internet era, security concerns move from computer labs to the front page of newspapers. The promise of E-Banking is offset by the security challenges associated with the disintermediation of data access. One security challenge results from “cutting out the middle man,” that too often cuts out the information security the middleman provides. Another is the expansion of the user community from a small group of known, vetted users accessing data from the intranet, to thousands of users accessing data from the Internet. Application service providers (ASP) and exchanges offer especially stringent and sometimes contradictory requirements of per user and per customer security, while all owing secure data sharing among communities of interest. E- Banking depends on providing customers, partners, and employees with access to information, in a way that is controlled and secure. Technology must provide security to meet the challenges encountered by E-Banking. Virtually all software and hardware vendors claim to build secure products, but what assurance does an E-Banking have of a product security? E-Banking want a clear answer to the conflicting security claims they hear from vendors. How can you be confident about the security built into a product? Independent security evaluations against internationally established security criteria provide assurance of vendors’ security claims.
Customer expectation, in terms of service delivery and other key factors have increased dramatically in recent years, as a result of the promise and delivery of the internet. Even after the “dot–com crash” these raised expectations linger.
The growth in the application and acceptance of internet-driven technologies means that delivering an enhanced service is more achievable than ever before, however it is also more complex and fraught with potential costs and risk. The internet introduces customers to a new perception of business time as always “on available24/7, and demanding an urgent and rapid response. The challenge for managers is to reconcile their business and their own personal perceptions of time with the perceived reality of internet time. The internet has decisively shifted the balance of power to the customer.
The internet is revolutionizing sales techniques and perceptions of leading brands, and the internet is intensifying competition in all its forms.
Banking are continuing to use the internet to add value for their customers; but in order for this to work effectively-maximizing opportunities, reducing risks and overcoming problems an E-Banking strategy is required as an impact.
The growth of the We band Internet as new channels, the growth in their use by customers, the growth in their use by customers, and the floor of companies entering the market, presents a series of key challenges to companies. It is easy and cheap to put up a website. But to create an environment delivering effective service on the Web to a significant proportion of your customer base requires an E-Banking strategy.
Internet banking offers different online services like balance enquiry, request for cheque books, recording stop payment instructions, balance transfer instructions, account opening and other form of transitional Banking services.
1.2. StatementoftheProblem
In Nigeria, customers of banks today are no longer about safety of their funds and increase returns on their investments only. Customers demand efficient, fast and convenient services. Customers want a Bank that will offer them services that will meet their particular needs (personalized Banking) and support their Business goals for instance; business men want to travel without carry out cash for security reasons. They want to be able to check their balance online, find out if a cheque is cleared, transfer funds among accounts and even want to download transaction records into their own computer at work or home. Customers want a preferential treatment and full attention by their choice Bank. All these are only achievable through internet banking.
In line with rendering qualities and acceptable services that most Banks in Nigeria are gearing toward and investing large sum of money in information and communication Technology, expectedly such Banks services have been improved. United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, G T Bank (to mention few) are in the forefront in the use of it in rendering services to their Customers (The Guardian Newspaper April 18, 2008 p21). It also
Seeks the challenges involved in Internet banking and Best industrial practice and the approach of implementing them in Nigeria Banking system. While also
1.3. ObjectivesoftheStudy
The main objective of this research work is to examine impact of internet banking in Nigeria banking system on how difference channels could enhance the delivery of consumers and retails products, and also how Banks choose to support their Internet banking component/services internally, such as internet services provider, Internet banking software, Core banking vendor, Managed security service provider, Bill payment provider, Credit Business and Credits scoring company, E-Banking systems rely on a number of common components or process
Specifically the study objectives are;
I. To evaluate the prospects of internet banking in Unity bank PLC II. To evaluate the impact of internet banking in Unity Bank PLC
III. To examine whether internet banking has improve the fortune of the Bank.
IV. To examine the effect of internet banking has it improve the fortune of the bank.
V. To examine whether the Bank internet banking guideline comply with the CBN internet banking guideline policy.
1.4. StatementofResearchQuestions
Since there lease by CBN, August 2003 and the subsequent policy on the guideline of
Internet banking system in Nigeria,
One of the question that currently being addressed is the impact of internet banking on the traditional banking players; there are two views that are prevalent in the Market. The controversies that the internet is a revolution that will sweep away the old order, argument In are as follow;
• Internet banking transactions are much cheaper than branch transactions. Banks are easy to setup with lots of new entrants. ‘Old world’ systems, cultures and structures will not encumber these new entrants; instead they will be adaptable and responsive. Internet banking gives consumers much more choice and consumers will be less inclined to remain loyal.
• Deposits will go elsewhere because these banks will have to fight to regain their customer base. There would be increase in their cost of funds, making their businesses less viable.
• Portal providers are likely to attract the most significant share of banking profits.
• Traditional banks will find it difficult to evolve; they will be unable to obtain additional capital from stock market.
E-Banking as an Evolution than a revolution;
1.5. Research Hypothesis
The following hypotheses are formulated in null form to guild the study.
1. Hο: Internet banking does have prospect in Unity Bank Plc
H1: Internet banking does not have prospect in Unity Bank Plc
2. Ho: Internet banking does impact in Unity Bank Plc
H1: Internet banking does not impact in Unity Bank Plc
3. Ho: Adoption of Internet banking does enhance the fortune of Unity Bank Plc
H1: Adoption of Internet banking does not enhance the fortune of Unity Bank Plc
4. Ho: Internet banking does improve Bank Customer relationship
H1:Internet banking does not improve Bank Customer relationship
5. Ho: The Bank internet banking guideline does comply with the CBN internet banking guideline.
H1: The Bank internet banking guideline does not comply with the CBN internet banking guideline.
1.6. Significance of the Study
The study would enable the banks executives and indeed the policy makers of the banks and financial institutions to be aware of internet banking as a product of electronic commerce withaviewtomakingstrategicdecisions.Theresearchisequallysignificant because it would provide answers to factors militating against the implementation of
internet banking in Unity Bank Plc; prove the success and growth associated with implementation of internet banking highlight the areas of banking operations that can be enhanced via internet banking and also be an invaluable tool for Students, Academician, institutions, Corporate managers and individuals that want to know more about internet banking rends especially in Nigeria.
1.7. Scope of the Study
In pursuance of the objective of the study; attention shall be focused on internet banking among other electronic commerce implementation. In order to conduct an empirical investigation into the adoption of Internet banking in Nigeria and will also examine the nature of internet banking operations inanity Bank Plc from 2007 to 2009.
1.8. Limitation of the Study
Inview of the technicalities involved, it would be unrealistic to assume that all necessary facts have been gathered in the process of the study. Information gathered is limited to those accesses and made available by the respondents and also those gathered from endusers. However, the impacts of this limitation will be reduced to the barest minimum.
1.9. Definition of Related Terms
Access Products – Products that allow consumers to access traditional payment instrument electronically, generally from remote locations.
ATM Card – UB Debit Card is a Chip device consisting of circuit element on single silicon chip. The Card a complex circuits that process microprocessors with a single chips that contain the complete arithmetic and logic unit of computers. It provided for Unity Bank customers to perform balance inquiry, mini-statement and cash with drawal as well as transfers through the use of Automated Teller Machines. This green card can also be used for Internet/Online and P O S transactions.
Chip Card – Also known as an integrated circuit (IC) Card. A card containing one or more computers chips or integrated circuits for identification, data storage or special purpose processing used to validate personal identification numbers, authorize purchases, verify account balances and store personal records.
Electronic Data Interchange(EDI) –The transfer of information between organizations in machine readable form.
Electronic Money – Monetary value measured in currency units stored in electronic form on an electronic device in the consumer’s possession. This electronic value can be purchased and held on the device until reduced through purchase or transfer.
Electronic Recruitment – This is an online recruitment services to all kinds and categories of clients such as (Army, navy, police and the Paramilitary) through customizable web portals and the use of scratch cards/PINs for a Prospective applicants simply buy the scratch cards, visit port a land fill relevant information. Information collected about applicants could then be analyzed appropriately using what if capabilities and filtered according to several criteria to be set by client. Shortlisted applicants could then be contacted automatically via email or SMS or both.
Electronic Web Collection – This enables the Bank partner with Universities and higher institutions of learning to handle Admission, Registration, Examination Managements and Fees Collection needs. Electronic Admission by Prospective Candidates, Electronic School Fees Payment, Automated Registration, Examination and Results Publication/Management
Internet Banking – This is a product that enables the Bank leverage on the Internet Banking System Module in-built on the new Banking Application (BANKS) implemented by the Bank to serve the Internet Banking needs of the Bank’s customers.
Mobile Banking – This is a product that offers Customers of a Bank to access services as you go. Customer can make their transactions anywhere such as account balance, transaction enquiries, stop checks, and other customer’s service instructions, Balance Inquiry, Account Verification, Bill Payment, Electronic fund transfer, Account Balances, updates and history, Customer service via mobile, Transfer between accounts etc.
Payment System – A financial system that establishes that means for transferring money between suppliers and of fund, usually by exchanging debits or Credits between financial institutions.
Point Of Sale (POS) Machine – A Point-of-Sale machine is the payment device that allows credit/debit card holders make payments at sales/purchase outlets. It allowed customers to perform the following services Retail Payments, Cashless Payments, Cash Back Balance Inquiry, Airtime Vending, Loyalty Redemption, Printing mini statement etc.
Smart Card – A Card with a computer chip embedded, on which financial health, educational, and security information can be stored and processed.
Transaction Alert – Our customers carry out debit/credit transactions on their accounts and the need to keep track of these transactions prompted the creation of the alert system by the Bank to notify customers of those transactions. The alert system also serves as notification system to reach out to customers when necessary information need to be communicated.
Western Union Money Transfer(WUMT) -Western union Money transfer is a product that allowed people with relatives in Diaspora who may be remitting money home for familyup-keep,Projectfinancing,Schoolfeesetc.NigerianCommunities known for having their siblings gainfully employed in other parts of the world are idle markets for Western Union Money Transfer.
1.10. Brief Profile of Unity Bank Plc
Unity Bank PLC is one of the leading retail banks in Nigeria which emerged from the largest merger and consolidation in Nigeria's banking industry. Following the merger and consolidation of Nine Banks Intercity Bank, First Interstate, Tropical Commercial, Pacific, Centre Point, NNB, Bank of the North and New Africa Bank limited and spear headed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN). The financial institutions with competences in investment banking, corporate and retail banking came together in January 2006 to form Unity Bank Plc. It has 248 business offices spread across the
Country and working to increase this number in the nearest future. Unity Bank is the sixth largest bank in Nigeria today by business locations. The Head Office is located at Plot 785, Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja, while the Head Office Annex is at No. 290A, Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Mission of the Bank is to create superior wealth for our stakeholders and The Vision is to be one of the top five financial services institutions in Nigeria by 2012.
Vision Driven Strategic Objectives a) Financial
• Attain a set minimum balance sheet size with respect to Asset size and profitability by the year 2012. This is referred to as 5-in-5 taking it from 2008 to
2012.
• Achieve Industry Top 5 position in rate of “Return on Equity”
• Achieve Industry Top 5 ratio of Income to cost b) Customer
• Build a superior customer service environment within Unity Bank
c) Technology
• Significantly improve Technology leverage within the Bank d) Human Capital
• Build a winning human capacity and spirit e) Retail Focus
• Build the nation’s number 1 retail Bank
Business Values: Team work – The Bank has all levels of staff within the bank work together to ensure that the commitments to stakeholders are delivered; Passion – The Bank is driven by the desire to exceed the qualitative and quantitative expectations of his customers; Resourcefulness – The Personnel’s are ingenious and imaginative in seeking solutions to issues; Integrity – The Personnel’s are forth right in all their dealings with internal and external customers and partners; Dependability - The Customers of the Banks can always count on its reliability and loyalty; Empathy - Unity Bank hold sit self to the enduring principle of showing respect and compassion to all;
Excellence – While the Bank seeks to create and raise standards in the dealings for
Business.
ADOPTION OF NEW NOMENCLATURE
Following the impressive performance of the subsidiaries, a Management retreat was
Held in February, 2009 where it was agreed that Unity Bank and its compendium of subsidiaries be adopt a Integrated Group Structure. Therefore, Unity Bank Plc and its subsidiaries will adopt a new nomenclature that includes “Group”. This is now ‘UNITY BANKGROUP’. The members of this Group include:
SUBSIDIARIES:
1) Unity Capital & Trust Limited
2) Caranda Management Services LTD
3) Unity Registrars LTD
4) North link Insurance Brokers LTD
5) New devco Investments & Securities LTD
6) Unity Kapital Assurance PLC
7) Pelican Prints LTD
8) Unity Bank BDC
9) Hexali Properties Limited
ASSOCIATECOMPANIES:
1. FUG Pension LTD
2. Kakawa Discount House LTD
3. First Securities Discount House LTD
4. Banque Internationale Du Benin, Cotonou, Benin Republic
5. AfricanExport-Import Bank, Cairo-Egypt
6. ICHL Nig. LTD
OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Bank’s operation is divided into five zones, namely: Lagos & South West, North
West, Central, North East and South.
Each of the Zones is headed by a Group Executive Director or a Zonal Head. The Zones are further broken for operational efficiency into eighteen (18) Regional Offices across the country. This helps in maintaining one of the fastest decision making processes in the industry today.
Service Efficiency – Unity Bank Plc service efficiency is more practical, meaning the business values are embedded with new thinking on the minds of our employees. The Personnel believe is that the behavior of the people at the point of service will define the reputation. This will impact on the success of the business. The acculturation process was conceived to communicate the new brand values across board, establish clear line of sight between our daily operations and the vision of the entire business. It aims to create verifiable monitoring processes and platforms for continuous training of our employees to ensure long-term sustainability. We have created a quality assurance system to ensure consistency in the application of our corporate brand assets bank- wide. We are confident that team work can be further enhanced when the fidelity of such assets are maintained without compromise in all the locations where we have established business. To us, such discipline is the surest way to sustain the desired blend of physical assets with the intangible attributes and brand values that our new assets are designed to communicate without words. Unity Bank rebranding is a product of an innate desire to build a distinct banking service identity by redefining what we stand for, what we can do and what we can achieve through team work and continuous talent development geared at exceeding customer satisfaction.
Products: Complimenting the time – tested fare of banking products (Consumer and Corporate) Unity Bank offer Products & Channels Division is strongly positioned with a bouquet of electronic products and solutions to help drive there tail banking initiatives. To enhance service delivery we deployed 124 active and functioning ATM machines across the 6 geopolitical zones of the nation. The Bank has an arrangement to deploy
1000 ATMs jointly with CHAMS. Other products areas listed below; Unity Bank Plc has
A functional, fully equipped and staffed customer contact/call centre. This has satisfactorily handled and provided solutions to customer inquiries, prompt response and resolutions to customers’ complaints, after service follow-up calls, hence achieving and giving customers the ‘personal banking feel’
Technology: The Banking application known as BANK runs on the latest oracle 10g plat form with capability for multiple sequences and responses. The application is highly integrated embedded with straight-Through-Processing (STP) features deployed in web-enabled architecture. The application is sitting on the state-of-the-art Real Application Cluster (RAC) servers. This has made it possible for all our 248 branches to provide services 24/7 online real-time as they are linked via a robust network platform comprising fiber optic, high speed RADIO and VSAT. There are other applications deployed which are equally functioning effectively and are assisting the Bank in providing efficient customer-focused services to the growing clientele pan-Nigeria.
Rebranding: Recently, Unity Bank Plc rebranded, the Bank has modified the corporate signature and changed colour schemes to capture the essence of the distinctive attributes and values that will define the way the Bank run their business in the medium and long-term. The objective is to create a refreshing and reinvigorating “look and feel” through our new corporate brand assets. Our strategy is to drive our reputational capital by building a corporate perception of meaningful partnership with our stakeholders and embedding a new culture that is driven by competent talent and characterized by quality service and improved systems and processes expected of a 21st century bank. The Re-branding of Unity Bank has equally resulted in significant changes to the architecture of the business premises nation-wide. The aim is to create natural warmth to dilute the rigid seriousness that is peculiar to most business environments.. | https://researchwap.net/banking-and-finance/pr8ipagHH1mI1i |
This experiment will focus on the challenge of improving the energy efficiency of buildings using data provided by IoT devices. Smart buildings employ a variety of IoT devices that generate data, which support various applications. These data can be valuable for third-party service providers that can collect and analyze them to provide “over the top” services related to the improvement of the energy management and efficiency of buildings. However, the potential of these data is limited by significant security and privacy concerns, as well as by the lack of interoperability across building systems.
The Solution
The objective of this experiment is to enable innovative cross-sectoral services to be delivered on top of vendor and application-specific building IoT equipment. DARE aims at allowing IoT data generated by building IoT equipment to be shared with third-party service providers. The implementation of widely applicable cross-sectoral energy services requires access to two types of data: a) generic data that can be used for training related AI models, and b) consumer-specific, real-time data that can be used for providing tailored services and acute detection of anomalies. Nevertheless, to provide “smarter” services, the sources of data usually considered by existing systems are not enough, instead, additional data related to the consumer context should be provided. Such data can include the number of persons currently in a building, building location, consumer schedule, internal temperature and humidity, and many others that can be generated by smart sensors and IoT devices located inside the buildings. However, these data are sensitive, hence, efficient access control systems must be in place.
DARE provides a solution that leverages Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials, two recent W3C recommendations, and combines them with iSHARE trust services, to build an efficient access control solution. Another obstacle to data exchange associated with this challenge is that data from heterogeneous devices and sensors are often encoded in a device or vendor-specific format. To this end, DARE leverages FIWARE technologies to provide access to digital twins, represented using well-known data schemata, and access using the standardized NGSI-LD API.
Business Projections – Scalability
Efficient energy management of buildings is both challenging and relevant. The recent energy crisis in Europe has shown that new, innovative solutions are required in order to decrease our energy footprint. DARE is anticipated to be a framework that will enable these solutions. But DARE potentials expand beyond this use case. DARE provides an efficient solution to the problem of access control to IoT devices and their data, a problem that has been considered by many institutes and organizations as one of the main obstacles that prevent us from unleashing the full business value of the IoT. Furthermore, DARE contributes to the advance of Self-Sovereign Identification (SSI) technologies, which are being considered in many emerging use cases, such as user identification, supply chain security, cross-border transactions, and circular economy.
The original source: i4Trust.org
You can read more about i4Trust here. | https://ishare.eu/inspiration/smart-energy-dare/ |
At Manor, our History curriculum enables children to:
- use historical artefacts, real and replicas;
- use historical sources e.g. pictures, recounts and eye witness statements;
- ask questions;
- sequence events;
- explore the lives of famous people and why they are still famous today;
- learn about historical events;
- visit places of historical significance.
Implementation
At Manor we ensure that history teaching focuses on enabling children to think as historians. We place an emphasis on examining historical artefacts and primary sources. In each key stage we give children the opportunity to visit sites of historical significance, e.g. Bucklers Hard and St Margaret’s Church in Wellow. We encourage visitors to come into the school and talk about their experiences of events in the past. We recognise and value the importance of stories in history teaching, and we regard this as an important way of stimulating interest in the past. We focus on helping children understand that historical events can be interpreted in different ways, and that they should always ask searching questions. Each history unit has a main focus as well as a light touch on a key historical concept: Chronology, Characteristic Features, Change and Continuity, Historical Significance, Historical Interpretation and Cause and Consequence.
In our teaching of history we contribute where possible, to the children’s spiritual development. We encourage children to work in different groupings for history and to take on a range of roles in group work. Children are encouraged to ask questions and to empathise with a range of characters from different historical periods. They find out how British society has changed over time.
Impact
By the time the children leave Manor at the end of Year 2 they will:
- know the work of artists both present and past;
- be able to evaluate the work of famous artists;
- know about artistic styles;
- know about different artistic mediums;
- know how to use different mediums;
- know the effects created by different mediums;
- be able to plan and create pieces of art work using ideas from famous artists;
- evaluate the success of their own art work. | https://www.manorinfant.co.uk/history/ |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A mobile device, such as a smart phone, may be used with one or more additional devices that provide additional functions and/or features that are not present on the mobile device by itself. For example, a mobile device may be used with smart glasses that capture and/or present visual data to a user, headphones that capture and/or present audio data to a user, smart watches or fitness trackers that monitor activities of a user, etc. Social interactions and habits may evolve based on the availability and use of these devices.
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements.
In systems and methods described herein, a wearable device, such as a smart watch, may detect movements by a user, and the wearable device may compare the detected user movements to known movement patterns associated with various social interactions, such as a hand shake, hug, wave, kiss, hand gesture, etc. If the detected movement corresponds to one of the movement patterns associated with social interactions, the wearable device may identify a social interaction associated with the matching movement pattern. The wearable device may forward a notice to an associated mobile device, such as a smart phone paired to the wearable device. The notice may identify the social interaction and one or more attributes of the social interaction. In some implementations, the mobile device may detect the attributes. The attributes may identify, for example, a location and/or time of the social interaction, aspects of the detected movement, other sensor readings, etc.
The mobile device may identify another mobile device associated with another user involved with the social interaction. For example, the mobile device may report one or more attributes (e.g., detected motion pattern, location of the motion, time of the motion, etc.) of the social interaction to an application server, and the application server may identify another mobile device reporting a similar social interaction. The mobile devices associated with the social interaction may exchange contact information associated with the respective users. In this way, users may initiate an exchange of names or other contact information between the mobile devices based on a movement or other social interaction.
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is a diagram showing an example of the systems and methods described herein. In the example shown in , a user (labeled in as “User A”) is associated with a wearable device -A and a mobile device -A, and another user (labeled in as “User B”) is associated with another wearable device -B and another mobile device -B. When a social interaction occurs between the users, wearable devices -A and/or -B (referred to collectively as wearable devices or individually as wearable device ) may detect a motion . For example, if the users are performing a handshake, wearable devices -A and -B may detect a repeated vertical hand motion with a velocity and range of motion associated with the handshake. Based on determining that detected motion corresponds to a social interaction, wearable device -A may forward a social interaction indication -A to mobile device -A, and wearable device -B may forward a social interaction indication -B to mobile device -B. Social interaction indication -A/-B may include data describing, for example, detected motion , the associated social interaction, a time when detected motion occurred, etc.
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In the example shown in , mobile device -A or -B (referred to collectively as mobile devices or individually as mobile device ) may determine attributes identified in social interaction indication -A/-B. Mobile devices -A and -B may further determine additional attributes of the detected social interaction, such as a location associated with wearable device -A/-B, when detected motion occurred. Mobile devices -A and -B may selectively exchange contact data if the determined attributes indicate that User-A and User-B are engaging in a common social interaction. For example, mobile devices -A and -B may identify the detected attributes to a remote, intermediate device (not shown in ), and the intermediate device may determine that social interaction indications -A and -B relate to a common social interaction if social interaction indications -A and -B identify a similar detected motion occurring within a region and during a time period. If social interaction indications -A and -B relate to a common social interaction, mobile devices -A and -B may exchange, directly or via the intermediate device, respective contact data identifying Users A and B and/or associated contact information (e.g., addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.).
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Wearable device -A/-B may include a smart watch, smart glasses, a fitness tracker, or other device that may be worn or otherwise coupled to a user. Wearable device may include a motion sensor, such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, etc. that determines information regarding a movement of wearable device . Additionally, the motion sensor may detect a position and/or motion of an object or a person (e.g., a user of wearable device ) attached to and/or otherwise monitored by wearable device .
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Wearable device may store movement patterns associated with a movement of wearable device and/or an associated user during different social interactions. For example, a movement pattern may identify one or more motion directions, motion velocities, motion durations, etc. associated with a movement during a social interaction. Wearable device may compare detected motion to the movement patterns for the social interactions, and wearable device may determine that a social interaction occurred when detected motion corresponds to a motion pattern for the social interaction.
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In one example, the social interaction may relate to a specific motion or combinations of motions that are initially performed to initiate an exchange of contact data . In this way, users may initiate an exchange of contact data by performing a particular motion (or combination of motions) that is unlikely to occur when the users do not intend to exchange contact data. For example, a right-handed handshake may be a conventional social greeting in many cultures, but a left-handed handshake may be relatively unusual. Some types of wearable devices (e.g., a smart watch) may typically be worn on a user's left arm, so a left-handed shake may be detected by direct motion of the wearable device , whereas a right-handed handshake may be detected indirectly (e.g., by sensing vibrations that associated with the right-hand shake that are transmitted through a user's body to wearable device ). Thus, a left-handed handshake (detected by wearable devices ) may be interpreted by mobile devices as an intentional indication by users to request an exchange of contact data . Wearable device may be programmed to initiate the exchange of contact data when a left-handed handshake is detected, but not when a conventional, right-handed handshake is detected.
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Wearable devices and mobile devices may further include a short range wireless networking interface, such as a Bluetooth® wireless interface, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) interface, a near-field communications (NFC) wireless interface, infra-red (IR) communications interface, and/or any other type of interface to exchanges data. Additionally or alternatively, wearable device and mobile device may be connected with via a physical connection, such as a universal serial bus (USB) or a Lightning Wire® cable.
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Mobile device may include a portable communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a phablet device, a global positioning system (GPS) device, and/or another type of wireless device); a laptop (e.g., with a wireless air card), tablet, or another type of portable computer; a media playing device; a portable gaming system; and/or any other type of mobile computer device with communication and output capabilities.
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Mobile device may receive social interaction indication from wearable device , and may compare one or more attributes (e.g., a movement pattern detected by wearable device ) identified in social interaction indication with attributes of a social interaction reported by a different mobile device . When the attributes identified in social interaction indication (collected by wearable device -A) correspond to attributes collected by another wearable device -B, mobile device -A and -B may infer that a common social interaction has occurred between associated users A and B and may initiate an exchange of contact data . If the attributes of the detected social interactions do not match (e.g., different motions are directed by wearables devices -A and -B), mobile device -A and -B may determine that a social interaction has not occurred between associated users A and B, and contact data is not exchanged.
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In one implementation, mobile device may include one or more sensors to capture additional information regarding a user or a surrounding environment at the time of a social interaction (i.e., when the social interaction is detected and/or reported by wearable device ). Mobile devices may further compare sensor data to determine whether a social interaction has occurred. For example, mobile device may include a location sensor, such as a sensor to receive a global positioning system (GPS) or other location data, or a component to dynamically determine a location of mobile device (e.g., by processing and triangulating data/communication signals received from one or more base stations).
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In another example, mobile device may include an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone) to collect audio data associated with one or more users, and mobile device may process the audio data to evaluate a social interaction between the users. For example, mobile devices may evaluate collected audio data to determine whether the users are conversing (e.g., whether speech is detected) and whether the users are conversing with each other (e.g., similar speech patterns are detected). Additionally or alternatively, mobile device may perform a speech-to-text analysis of the captured audio data. For example, mobile device may determine that a user is uttering a greeting or another phrase associated with a social interaction.
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In another example, mobile device may include an image sensor (e.g., a camera) to collect image data associated with one or more users. For example, mobile device may evaluate captured image data to determine whether another user is looking in the direction of mobile device (e.g., toward an associated user). Mobile device may determine that a social interaction is occurring if, for example, the other user is looking in the direction of mobile device at a time associated with a detected motion. In another example, mobile device may perform facial analysis of image data associated with a user. For example, mobile device may determine whether a user is smiling or displaying another facial expression typically associated with a social interaction.
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In another example, mobile device may include or interface with a sensor device, such as a fitness monitor, that identifies attributes of a user, such as the user's heart rate, body temperature, respiration rate, etc. Mobile device may use the attributes of an associated user to identify activities being performed by the user. For example, if a user has an elevated heart rate and is moving within a particular range of velocity (e.g., as detected by a GPS signal), mobile device may determine that an associated user is walking. If another mobile device determines that its user is moving is a similar velocity, in the same direction, and at the same time, mobile devices may infer that the users are walking together.
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In yet example, mobile device may include a communications interface to communicate or otherwise detect another mobile device . For example, mobile device -A, after receiving social interaction indication -A, may attempt to detect a connection request (e.g., a Bluetooth® connect request) identifying mobile device -B associated with another user. If mobile device -A detects a short-range connection request identifying mobile device -B, mobile device -A may determine that mobile device -B (and the associated user) is in close physical proximity.
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
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Although depict exemplary components that may be used in one example, fewer components, additional components, different components, or differently arranged components than those illustrated in may be used. Furthermore, components of wearable device and/or mobile device may perform one or more tasks described as being performed by one or more other components of components of wearable device and/or mobile device . For example, wearable device may include a location sensor, an audio sensor, and/or an image sensor that are described above with respect to mobile device .
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
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shows an exemplary environment in which the systems and methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in , environment may include wearable devices -A and -B, mobile devices -A and -B, personal area networks (PAN) or personal networks -A and -B (referred to collectively as personal networks and individually as personal network ), a wide area network , a contact exchange device , and/or a local area network .
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FIG. 1
Wearable devices -A and -B and mobile devices -A and -B may function as described above with respect to . For example, wearable devices -A and -B may detect movements by associated users, and mobile devices -A and -B may exchange contact information based on determining that the detected movements relate to a common social interaction.
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A wearable device and a mobile device associated with a user may exchange data (e.g., social interaction indication ) via an associated personal network . Personal network may operate based on, for example, a Bluetooth® wireless interface, a RFID interface, a NFC wireless interface, IR communications interface, and/or any other type of interface to exchanges data between wearable device and mobile device . Additionally or alternatively, wearable device and mobile device may be connected with via a physical connection such as a cable.
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Mobile devices -A and -B may communicate with contact exchange device via network . Network may include a communications network, a data network, or a combination of networks that connect mobile devices -A and -B and contact exchange service . For example, network may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wireless network, an optical fiber (or fiber optic) network, an internet, the Internet, or a combination of these or other networks. In addition or alternatively, network may include or be included in a wireless network capable of supporting wireless communications to/from one or more devices in environment . The wireless network may include, for example, a long-term evolution (LTE) network, another 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 3G/4G network, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 1000 (CDMA2000), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), enhanced high-rate packet data (eHRPD), or a network implemented in accordance with other wireless network standards, including future wireless network standards.
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Contact exchange device may include a computing device that compares attributes of a social interaction detected by wearable device -A with the attributes of a social interaction detected by another wearable device -B associated with another user. For example, contact exchange device may compare a first movement pattern detected by wearable device -A and a second movement pattern detected by another wearable device -B. Additionally or alternatively, contact exchange device may compare location data, image data, audio data, connection data, etc. associated with mobile devices -A and -B. In one implementation, contact exchange device may, based on determining that mobile devices -A and -B are associated with a common social interaction, initiate an exchange of contact information between mobile devices -A and -B. For example, contact exchange device may forward a network address or other data associated with mobile device -B to mobile device -A, and mobile device -A may use the network address to forward the contact data to mobile device -B via network and/or local area network .
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Local area network may connect mobile devices -A and -B located at a common location, and mobile devices -A and -B may exchange contact data via local area network . For example, local area network may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) based on the International Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 protocol, or other short-range network via which mobile devices -A and -B may communicate. For example, mobile devices -A and -B may communicate via Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, and/or another short-range wireless network protocol. In another example, mobile devices -A and -B may communicate via a near field communication (“NFC”) or an infrared-based communications such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocols.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
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Although shows exemplary components of environment , in other implementations, environment may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional components than those depicted in . Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of environment may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of environment .
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
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shows an exemplary user device that may correspond to wearable device . As shown in , user device may include a housing , one or more control buttons to receive a user input, a display to present visual data, and a connection mechanism , such as a watchband, that enables user device to be worn by an associated user. According to other embodiments, user device may comprise fewer components, additional components, different components, and/or a different arrangement of components than those illustrated in and described herein.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
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illustrates an exemplary communications device that may correspond to mobile device . As shown in , communications device may include a housing , a microphone to receive audio data, a speaker to present audio data, a control button to receive an input from a user, and a display to present visual data. According to other embodiments, communications device may comprise fewer components, additional components, different components, and/or a different arrangement of components than those illustrated in and described herein.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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is a diagram illustrating exemplary functional components of a computing device according to an implementation described herein. Wearable device , mobile device , an element of network /local area network (e.g., a hot spot, a node, router, blade, etc.), and/or contact exchange device may include one or more computing devices . As shown in , device may include a bus , a processing unit , a memory , an input device , an output device , and a communication interface .
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Bus may include a path that permits communication among the components of device . Processing unit may include any type of single-core processor, multi-core processor, microprocessor, latch-based processor, and/or processing logic (or families of processors, microprocessors, and/or processing logics) that interprets and executes instructions. In other embodiments, processing unit may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or another type of integrated circuit or processing logic.
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Memory may include any type of dynamic storage device that may store information and/or instructions, for execution by processing unit , and/or any type of non-volatile storage device that may store information for use by processing unit . For example, memory may include a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device, a read-only memory (ROM) device or another type of static storage device, a content addressable memory (CAM), a magnetic and/or optical recording memory device and its corresponding drive (e.g., a hard disk drive, optical drive, etc.), and/or a removable form of memory, such as a flash memory.
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Input device may allow an operator to input information into device . Input device may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a microphone, a remote control, an audio capture device, an image and/or video capture device, a touch-screen display, and/or another type of input device. In some embodiments, device may be managed remotely and may not include input device . In other words, device may be “headless” and may not include a keyboard, for example.
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Output device may output information to an operator of device . Output device may include a display, a printer, a speaker, and/or another type of output device. For example, device may include a display, which may include a liquid-crystal display (LCD) for displaying content to the customer. In some embodiments, device may be managed remotely and may not include output device . In other words, device may be “headless” and may not include a display, for example.
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Communication interface may include a transceiver that enables device to communicate with other devices and/or systems via wireless communications (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, and/or visual optics, etc.), wired communications (e.g., conductive wire, twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, transmission line, fiber optic cable, and/or waveguide, etc.), or a combination of wireless and wired communications. Communication interface may include a transmitter that converts baseband signals to radio frequency (RF) signals and/or a receiver that converts RF signals to baseband signals.
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Communication interface may include and/or may be coupled to an antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals. For example, communication interface may be coupled to an antenna assembly that includes one or more antennas to transmit and/or receive RF signals. The antenna assembly may, for example, receive data from communication interface and transmit RF signals associated with the data, or the antenna assembly may receive RF signals and provide them to communication interface to be processed.
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Communication interface may include a logical component that includes input and/or output ports, input and/or output systems, and/or other input and output components that facilitate the transmission of data to other devices. For example, communication interface may include a network interface card (e.g., Ethernet card) for wired communications and/or a wireless network interface (e.g., a Wi-Fi) card for wireless communications. Communication interface may also include a universal serial bus (USB) port for communications over a cable, a Bluetooth® wireless interface, a RFID interface, a NFC wireless interface, and/or any other type of interface that converts data from one form to another form.
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As will be described in detail below, device may perform certain operations, and device may perform these operations in response to processing unit executing software instructions contained in a computer-readable medium, such as memory . A computer-readable medium may be defined as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device may be implemented within a single physical memory device or spread across multiple physical memory devices. The software instructions may be read into memory from another computer-readable medium or from another device. The software instructions contained in memory may cause processing unit to perform processes described herein. Alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions to implement processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
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Although shows exemplary components of device , in other implementations, device may include fewer components, different components, additional components, or differently arranged components than those depicted in . Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of device may perform one or more tasks described as being performed by one or more other components of device .
FIGS. 6A and 6B
FIG. 6A
FIG. 6A
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show an exemplary user interface -A and -B (referred to collectively as user interface ) that may be presented by mobile device in certain implementations. In the example shown in , user interface -A may include a verification request and control elements (shown in as “Yes” and “No” icons that may be selected, e.g., via a touch screen display to accept/reject the verification request ). Verification request may ask a user whether to exchange contact data (e.g., the user's name, telephone number, address, etc.) with another mobile device .
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Mobile device may present verification request based on receiving an indication from contact exchange device that a social interaction is detected. For example, mobile device may present verification request based on receiving an indication that a detected motion sensed by an associated wearable device and/or additional attributes, such as a time, location, network connection, an environment condition (e.g., temperature, humidity level, barometric pressure) associated with detected motion match attributes detected by another wearable device /mobile device .
FIG. 6A
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As shown in , connection request may include contact identification data that includes a name of a person (“John Doe”). In this way, connection request allows a user of mobile device to verify that the user: (1) wishes to exchange contact information with another mobile device ; and (2) the exchange should occur with a mobile device associated with a person named in contact identification data .
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Contact identification data may be based on information received from contact exchange device . For example, contact exchange device may provide information identifying the other user and/or information associated with the other mobile device (e.g., a telephone number, network address, a media access control (MAC) address, etc.). If the data received from contact exchange device does not identify the other user, mobile device may use the data regarding the other mobile device to establish a communication to obtain the other user's name if the communication is accepted by the users.
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Additionally or alternatively, verification request may include information regarding the detected social interaction. For example, contact identification data may identify a social interaction type (e.g., “Handshake”), a geographic location where detected motion occurred, a time when detected motion occurred, environment conditions such as weather, light, sound conditions, names of users associated with other mobile devices at the geographic location, a business located at the geographic location, etc. In this way, verification request can present details regarding a social interaction to allow a user to accept an exchange of contact data even if the user does not know the other user's name. For example, verification request may ask the user to confirm whether to exchange contact data based on an identified social interaction that occurred at a particular place and time.
FIG. 6B
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In another example shown in , user interface -B may present an interaction record that presents attributes of a detected social interaction. For example, interaction record may present interaction type data identifying a detected type of social interaction, contact information data identifying the other user involved with the social interaction, and/or interaction attributes data that identify a time, a location, etc. associated with the detected motion . Mobile device may generate and present a record of a social interaction even if contact data is not exchanged (e.g., the user rejects verification request ).
FIGS. 6A and 6B
FIGS. 6A and 6B
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Although show exemplary types of data presented by user interface , in other implementations, user interface may include fewer data types, different data types, additional data types, or differently arranged data types than those depicted in . Additionally or alternatively, one or more portions of user interface may present data described as being presented by another portion of user interface .
FIG. 7
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shows an exemplary process for detecting a social interaction. In some implementations, process may be performed by wearable device . In other implementations, some or all of process may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from and/or including wearable device , such as mobile device and/or contact exchange device .
FIG. 7
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As shown in , process may include detecting a motion (block ), and determining whether detected motion indicates a social interaction (block ). For example, a motion sensor (e.g., a gyroscope, accelerometer, etc.) included in wearable device may detect a motion by an associated user. Wearable device may store motion patterns associated with one or more social interactions, and in block , wearable device may determine whether detected motion corresponds to (e.g., matches within a threshold value, such as an 80% correspondence) one of the stored motion patterns. For example, wearable device may distinguish between vertical hand motions associated with a handshake and different vertical hand motions (e.g., using a hammer) based on the different ranges and speeds of the motions, a number of motion repetitions, uniformity of the motions, duration of the movements, movement patterns before and/or after the vertical hand motions, etc.
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In one implementation, wearable device may store a different motion pattern for different geographic regions. For example, wearable device may store a first motion pattern for a European handshake, a second motion pattern for a North American handshake, and a third motion pattern for a Asian handshake. Wearable device may determine a geographic location associated with the detected motion and/or a geographic location associated with the user (e.g., the user's home/office), and wearable device may select one or more of the motions patterns based on the determined geographic location. Wearable device may then determine whether detected motion corresponds to one of the selected motion patterns associated with the geographic region.
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In another implementation, wearable device may include a training mode that a user may use to program personalized motion patterns associated with different social interactions. For example, a user may indicate to wearable device when the user performs a type of social interaction (e.g., a handshake), and wearable device may detect and record the user's actual motion pattern for the social interaction.
FIG. 7
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As shown in , if wearable device determines that detected motion corresponds to a social interaction (block —Yes), wearable device may forward an indication of the social interaction to an associated mobile device (block ). For example, the social interaction indication may include data describing the detected motion , information regarding a time and/or location associated with detected motion , etc. Wearable device may further store attributes of the social interaction, such as the detection motion (block ).
FIG. 8
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shows an exemplary process for determining whether to exchange contact data based on detecting a social interaction. In some implementations, process may be performed by mobile device based on receiving social interaction data (e.g., from wearable device in block ). In other implementations, some or all of process may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from and/or including mobile device , such as wearable device and/or contact exchange device .
FIG. 8
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As shown in , process may include forwarding data regarding the social interaction to contact exchange device (block ). For example, mobile device may forward, to contact exchange device , data identifying attributes of detected motion (e.g., a range of motion, velocity, duration, etc.), and other data detected by mobile device . For example, mobile device may collect and forward data regarding a surrounding environment (e.g., location, temperature, humidity, air pressure, ambient light/sound conditions, etc.) or about an associated user at the time of the detected motion .
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Contact exchange device may compare the data about the detected social interaction, as received from mobile device , to social interaction data received from one or more other mobile devices . Contact exchange device may verify whether the social interaction data received from mobile device corresponds to social interaction data received from another mobile device (block ). For example, contact exchange device may determine whether two mobile devices reported a similar social interaction (e.g., a handshake) occurring at a common place and/or a common time. If contact exchange device determines that a social interaction reported by mobile device does not match social interactions reported by another mobile device (block -No), process may end without any exchange of contact data by mobile device .
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If mobile device received an indication from contact exchange device that a social interaction reported by mobile device matches a social interaction by another mobile device (block —Yes), mobile device may identify the other mobile device associated with the interaction. For example, mobile device may receive information (e.g., a telephone number, MDN, network address, MAC address, etc.) about the other mobile device from contact exchange device . In another example, mobile device may receive certain contact information (e.g., a telephone number and/or user name) associated with the other mobile device from contact exchange device . In another example, contact exchange device may forward instructions to cause two mobile devices , associated with users in a social interaction, to connect with each other directly (e.g. via local area network ) or indirectly (e.g., via one or more nodes of network ). For example, contact exchange device may cause one of the mobile devices to function as a mobile hotspot (e.g., to provide communications via Wi-Fi®) and may forward information regarding the mobile hotspot to the other mobile device .
FIG. 8
FIG. 6A
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As shown in , process may further include mobile device requesting user acceptance of a contact data exchange with another mobile device (block ), and determining whether the user accepted the exchange of contact data (block ). For example, as described above in the discussion of , mobile device may receive some information associated with another user (e.g., a user identifier ) from contact exchange device , and mobile device may present a verification request that includes user identification data and/or another attribute of the detected social interaction. If the user does not accept the contact data exchange (block -No), process may end without an exchange of contact data . Otherwise, if the user accepts the exchange of contact data (block —Yes), mobile device may exchange the user's contact information with the other mobile device (block ). For example, mobile device may forward a message to contact exchange device , and the message may authorize contact exchange device to release certain contact information associated with a user of mobile device . In another example, mobile device may use information provided by contact exchange device to establish communications with the mobile device , and may exchange contact information with the other mobile device via the communications.
In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
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FIGS. 7 and 8
For example, while a series of blocks have been described with respect to processes and of , the order of the blocks and/or signals in processes and may be modified in other implementations. For example, in one implementation, contact exchange device may identify, to a mobile device , data (e.g., user names) associated with two or more other mobile devices reporting social interactions at a similar location during a time period. Mobile device may present (e.g., via user interface ) the data associated with the multiple other mobile devices and allow a user to select from among the mobile devices to exchange contact data. Further, non-dependent blocks and/or signals in processes and may be performed in parallel.
It will be apparent that systems and/or methods, as described above, may be implemented in many different forms of software, firmware, and hardware in the implementations illustrated in the figures. The actual software code or specialized control hardware used to implement these systems and methods is not limiting of the embodiments. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and methods were described without reference to the specific software code—it being understood that software and control hardware can be designed to implement the systems and methods based on the description herein.
Further, certain portions, described above, may be implemented as a component that performs one or more functions. A component, as used herein, may include hardware, such as a processor, an ASIC, or a FPGA, or a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a processor executing software).
It should be emphasized that the terms “comprises”/“comprising” when used in this specification are taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
The term “logic,” as used herein, may refer to a combination of one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in one or more memory devices, may refer to hardwired circuitry, and/or may refer to a combination thereof. Furthermore, a logic may be included in a single device or may be distributed across multiple, and possibly remote, devices.
For the purposes of describing and defining the present invention, it is additionally noted that the term “substantially” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term “substantially” is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.
To the extent the aforementioned embodiments collect, store or employ personal information provided by individuals, it should be understood that such information shall be used in accordance with all applicable laws concerning protection of personal information. Additionally, the collection, storage and use of such information may be subject to consent of the individual to such activity, for example, through well known “opt-in” or “opt-out” processes as may be appropriate for the situation and type of information. Storage and use of personal information may be in an appropriately secure manner reflective of the type of information, for example, through various encryption and anonymization techniques for particularly sensitive information.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the embodiments unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a diagram showing an example of the principles described herein;
FIG. 2
is a diagram showing an exemplary environment in which the systems and methods described herein may be implemented;
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
shows an exemplary user device that may be included in the environment of ;
FIG. 4
FIG. 2
shows an exemplary communications device that may be included in the environment of ;
FIG. 5
FIG. 2
is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of a computing device that may be included in the environment of ;
FIGS. 6A and 6B
FIG. 2
show an exemplary user interface that may be presented in the environment of ;
FIG. 7
FIG. 2
shows an exemplary process for detecting a social interaction in the environment of ; and
FIG. 8
FIG. 2
shows an exemplary process for determining whether to exchange contact data based on detecting a social interaction in the environment of . | |
What documents do you need to take?
• an identification document (personal national identity document or foriegn passport, official ID, driver's license or pension certificate, etc.);
• journalists, media members are permitted to enter after showing an identity certificate of media member.
How a courthouse entry is executed?
• visitors’ entering the administrative building is carried out during working hours in accordance with the work schedule of the court (visitors’ pass in other time is carried out with the permission of the court administration);
• an availability of objects which are prohibited by the rules of the current legislation and Regulation on the organization of access control in the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal, is checked with the help of special technical equipment;
• individuals information are entered to the visitors' record book by the Court Security Service.
Who can be present in the courtroom?
• persons who participate in court hearings as parties in legal proceedings, representatives, third parties;
• persons who want to be present at open court hearings as listeners, as well as representatives of media;
• persons who attend personal reception of the chief of the court, his/her deputies and the chief of staff according to a schedule of citizens’ reception;
• medical staff of the first medical aid, fire and emergency services workers, after entering information into the visitors’ logs and accompanied by the initiator of the call.
Access to the court is not allowed to persons:
• who distribute products for advertising purposes;
• with alcohol, narcotic or other intoxication;
• who bear any cold arms (piercing, cutting or rubbing objects) and firearms, any types of gas spray guns (pistols, pepper spray canisters, etc.), traumatic weapon, toy weapon, explosive materials, alcohol, narcotic substance, except cases provided by the legislation of Ukraine and Regulation;
• with animals (except guide dogs which lead a blind person);
• with any objects, the size of which exceeds 45x35x15 cm (except wheelchairs, briefcases, folders for paper and ladies' bags).
Consequences of violations of public order in the courtroom
In case of a visitor’s violation of public order or requirements of the Regulation, Court bailiffs service, by order of the chief of the court, its representatives, judges, court staff manager, shall draw up a protocol on administrative offence provided for in art. 185-3 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses.
Mobile phone using and entering the courtrooms with a sound on mode are forbidden.
Photo and filming, television, video, sound recording with the use of fixed equipment in the courtroom, as well as broadcasting of the court hearing on radio and television are allowed on authority of a court order with the agreement of the people who involved in the case, except those who are representatives of public body. | https://6aas.gov.ua/en/about-3/rules.html |
Path Traversal – Cheat Sheet, Attack Examples & Protection
Path Traversal, also known as Directory Climbing and Directory Traversal, involves the exploitation of sensitive information stored insecurely on web servers. This vulnerability is constantly showing up in globally-recognized vulnerability references such as the SANS 25 Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors and OWASP Top-10.
What is Path Traversal?
There are two primary security mechanisms available today in web servers:
Access Control Lists (ACLs) – These are basically whitelists that the web server’s administrator uses to monitor access permissions. These lists are used in the authorization process. Only users with permissions can access, modify or share sensitive files and information.
Root Directory – This directory is located in the server file system and users simply can’t access sensitive files above this root. One such example is the sensitive cmd.exe file on Windows platforms, which rests in the root directory that not everyone can access.
Path Traversals are made possible when access to web content is not properly controlled and the web server is compromised. This is basically an HTTP exploit that gives malicious attackers unauthorized access to restricted directories. They are eventually able to manipulate the web server and execute malicious commands outside its root directory/folder.
These attacks are usually executed with the help of injections such as Resource Injections, typically executed with the help of crawlers. The attack usually involves the following steps:
- 1. The user/victim enters input into the application
- 2. The user input is used to access a specific file (to read, write or send it)
- 3. The attacker uses resource identifiers to manipulate the vulnerable application
- 4. Parameters such as file names and port numbers are altered to initiate the attack
- 5. The vulnerable application is basically tricked into granting access to the sensitive file/s even when the attacker doesn’t have the required permissions
- 6. The attacker can then overwrite/modify files and even send them to third-party servers
Path Traversal examples
The following URLs show how the application deals with the resources in use:
http://some_site.com.br/get-files.jsp?file=report.pdf
http://some_site.com.br/get-page.php?home=aaa.html
http://some_site.com.br/some-page.asp?page=index.html
In these examples it may be possible to insert a malicious string as the variable parameter to access files located outside the web publish directory.
http://some_site.com.br/get-files?file=../../../../some dir/some file
http://some_site.com.br/../../../../some dir/some file
The following URLs show examples of UNIX/Linux password file exploitation.
http://some_site.com.br/../../../../etc/shadow
http://some_site.com.br/get-files?file=/etc/passwd
Important: In a windows system the malicious attacker can navigate only in a partition that locates web root while in the Linux he can navigate/access the whole disk.
How to prevent Path Traversal attacks?
Ways of mitigating the risk of Path Traversal include:
- 1. Validate the user’s input. Accept only valid values (whitelist).
- 2. Remove “..\” and “../” from any input that’s used in a file context.
- 3. Use indexes instead of actual portions of file names while using language files. (i.e – value 5 from the user submission = Indian, rather than expecting the user to return “Indian”).
- 4. Implement strict code access policies to restrict where files can be saved to.
- 5. Ensure the user cannot supply any part of the path to the file read or written to.
- 6. UNIX system administrators are advised to use chrooted jails and code access policies to restrict where the files can be obtained or saved.
- 7. Configure the default installation of the server software as per the requirements. The servers should also be maintained and patched with the latest updates.
How to prevent Path Traversal attacks with CxSAST?
CxSAST detects data flows that are vulnerable to Path Traversal by following all user input that is used in a file creation or file reading context. If the input is not validated or sanitized (this being “..\” or “../”) before being used, CxSAST determines this path as vulnerable to Path Traversal. The developers can then implement the aforementioned remediation techniques. | https://www.checkmarx.com/knowledge/knowledgebase/path-traversal |
This week we had three earnings trades on AAPL, FB and NFLX. The AAPL trade was a Bull Call – Bear Call combo which is producing a 400% return.
On FB, it was a post-earnings trade which is already up 60% in 1 day.
On NFLX, we started with a Long Call, converted to a free debit spread, and added a credit spread at the other end. This trade has a potential to return about 200% in the next 6 weeks.
All of these trades were taken in our SwingTradeMAX room, and for the month of January, we had 8 trades and were 8 for 8 winners. All of them produced a minimum return of about 50% going up to 400%.
For more information on the SwingTradeMAX product, Click here.
For more information on the EarningsMAX product, Click here. | https://optiontiger.com/blockbuster-earnings-trades-aapl-fb-nflx/ |
The video below is informative from Thermotron.
But for now, let’s look at some of the essentials of these test equipments.
What exactly are test chambers for in the environment? It is possible to test the product’s durability against specific environmental stresses using an environmental test chamber. It is possible to exaggerate an environment stressor, and also extrapolate the effects of temperature and other environmental conditions as time goes by.
This makes it possible to, for instance, quickly determine the level to which an item or component will stand up to the course of a lengthy period. Instead of waiting for result of actual-world data or the results of long-term tests to come in, you can create anticipated product lifespans faster.
Types of environmental test chambers consist of temperature test chambers humidity test chambers as well as thermal shock test chambers, aswell as chambers that combine test and testing.
This information will allow you to offer more exact specifications and lifetimes both to aid in your research and development and for the benefit your customers.
725vl8iy78. | https://4newsgroups.com/what-to-know-about-environmental-test-chambers-martod/ |
תמא 38 › פורומים › תל אביב הקטנה › ~Streaming** Saint Martin – Cayman Islands LEAGUE
- This topic has תגובה 1, משתתף 1, and was last updated לפני 1 year, 8 months by tma38.
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Watch Live Saint Martin – Cayman Islands: http://bitly.com/33pIIl3
Watch Live Saint Martin – Cayman Islands: http://bitly.com/33pIIl3
Saint Martin is reported to have one of the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. As with the rest of the Caribbean, Saint Martin’s financial sector is having to deal with losing correspondent banking relationships. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma destroyed 95% of the French side of Saint Martin. The Caribbean Islands. The Caribbean Islands is a massive archipelago located in the Caribbean Sea, that can be subdivided into a few different regions: the Lucayan Archipelago, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles and the ABC Islands. Saint Martin, Dutch Sint Maarten, French Saint-Martin, island, lying at the northern end of the Leeward group of the Lesser Antilles in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The island extends about 12 miles (19 km) from north to south and about the same distance from east to west. We re trying to plan a 1-week vacation over Christmas for the three of us (wife, college-age daughter, myself). Some friends recommended Saint Martin, other friends recommended Grand Cayman, but neither has been to both to compare between the two of them. Sint Maarten is verdeeld in een Frans en een Nederlands deel, Collectivit de Saint-Martin respectievelijk het land Sint Maarten, die Frans resp. Nederlands en Engels als officile talen hebben. De voertaal op het eiland is zoals op Sint Eustatius echter Engels, doordat de bevolking grotendeels afstamt van Engelstalige slaven. Cayman Islands visa services for citizens of Saint Lucia residing in Saint Martin. Detailed Caymanian visa requirements, application. Destinations that are reached mainly by ferry. A few of the Caribbean Islands receive most, if not all their visitors via the ferries. From popular islands like Cozumel to lesser known ones like Petite Martinique, these destinations are intriguing possibilities for anyone who would like to incorporate a ferry trip into their vacation. What else do I need to know while planning a trip to Saint Martin? First, check the current validity of your passport. Second, make sure your passport has blank Visa pages. Finally, confirm if transit visa is required for any connections. Check with your airline in case you have connecting flights overseas as part of your journey to Saint Martin. Want to see the time in Saint Martin compared with your home? Choose a date and time then click Submit and we ll help you convert it from Saint Martin time to your time zone. at Submit. Need to compare more than just two places at once? Try our World Meeting Planner and get a color-coded chart. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE FULL TIME ON A CRUISE SHIP WITH SUPER MARIO – Duration: 16:23. Alanna Zingano 529,962 views Be prepared with the most accurate 10-day forecast for with highs, lows, chance of precipitation from The Weather Channel and Weather.com. Be prepared with the most accurate 10-day forecast for with highs. Saint Martin Island, Guadeloupe 10 Day Weather. 10:55 am AST. Print. Day. Description High / Low Precip Wind Kick-off Times; Kick-off times are converted to your local PC time. Saint Martin visa services for citizens of Cayman Islands residing in Singapore. Detailed Saint Martin visa requirements, application. Saint Martin visa services for citizens of Cayman Islands residing in Ireland. Detailed Saint Martin visa requirements, application. Explore an array of Island of Saint Martin vacation rentals, including private villas, houses & more bookable online. Choose from more than 2,000 properties, ideal house rentals for families, groups and couples. Rent a whole home for your next weekend or holiday. Cayman Islands Visa, United Kingdom: Application, Requirements, Caymanian Visa Services by VisaHQ Ltd, London, UK. Apply Online. Cayman Islands V Saint Martin live football scores and match commentary. Player stats and form guide for the Concacaf Nations League fixtures on Wednesday 16th October 2019. Saint Martin vs Cayman Islands clash on 2019-10-12 in the CONCACAF Nations League. Read for FREE betting tips and prediction for this match. Die Cayman Islands gelten als Steueroase. Sie tauchen auf der Grey List auf, welche die OECD im Vorfeld des G20-Treffens im Jahr 2009 erstellt hat. Aufgrund von Zusagen bezglich der Einhaltung von diversen Steuerstandards tauchen die Cayman Islands nicht auf der Schwarzen Liste der Steuerparadiese auf. Island Properties have been villa rental specialists on St. Martin / St. Maarten for over 20 years. Our team is renown for full product knowledge, personally inspecting each villa, ensuring the highest quality vacation homes and services to all guests. “For nearly 140 years, Maccaferri has provided innovative solutions to the construction, geotechnical and mining industries. Renowned as the world leader in gabion retaining structures, we have diversified significantly over the past 20 years and now offer engineered solutions including reinforced soil structures, coastal protection, soil. FULL TIME: Cayman defeat Saint Martin 4-0 in their final group match to claim top spot! TeamCayman Saint Martin is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico. The 87 km island is divided roughly in half between France and the Netherlands; it is the smallest inhabited sea island divided between two nations. Check your need for a power plug (travel) adapter in Saint Martin. In Saint Martin the power plugs and sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 60 Hz. Villa vacations in the Caribbean. Browse through our hand made catalog of island villas, from the most luxury villas to cheaper basic condo or apartment, with many specials and discounts. Specializing in St.Martin, St. Maarten, British and US Virgin Islands, Barbados, Anguilla, St.Barths and Cayman Islands villa rentals. We know our villas. CIMA is the authority to issue and redeem the Cayman Islands currency and plays an advisory and regulatory role. We help manage the monetary affairs of the Cayman Islands. Cruises to Grand Cayman bring you directly to the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the kaleidoscopic Cayman Islands. When you get up close and personal with the resident stingrays and turtles, you’ll soon learn why beach-goers and nature lovers rank cruises to the Grand Cayman as some of the best in the Caribbean. | https://tma38.org/forums/topic/streaming-saint-martin-cayman-islands-league/ |
See ADDRESSES & CONTACTS for addresses and telephone numbers.
See national section for basic information and federal regulations.
• Rules. The use and disposal of PCBs in Louisiana is regulated under the federal rules at 40 CFR 761, in accordance with Section 6(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act, as described in the national section PCB MANAGEMENT. The state has some additional rules that govern PCB disposal in landfills and water quality monitoring for PCBs.
• Administration and enforcement. EPA Region 6 administers and enforces the regulations for PCB disposal and storage in Louisiana. DEQ administers and enforces state water quality and hazardous waste rules as they pertain to PCBs.
LANDFILLS
Type II Solid Waste Landfills
LAC 33:VII.521 and LAC 33:VII.711
The receipt of hazardous waste and PCB waste are strictly prohibited in certain landfills. Permit holders of Type II landfills must implement a program of random inspections of incoming loads to detect and prevent the disposal of hazardous waste and PCB waste and must keep records for these inspections. All personnel involved in waste handling at the facility must be adequately ... | https://www.blr.com/Environmental/Waste/PCB-Management-in-Louisiana |
Many of us have grown up around the world of TV programming. I’m sure we can all think of a time when we saw something that stirred a great deal of controversy within media circles, such as the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction at the SuperBowl or the episode of South Park featured the word “sh*t” over 160 times. These moments shocked many viewers and pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable for national television. Check out this infographic to learn about the scenes that were shocking national audiences way back in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Enjoy!
Source: The Liberalization of TV
Originally posted 2015-01-31 22:22:32. | https://itsinfographics.com/the-liberalization-of-tv/ |
Kuusi Palaa stayed open for other people to use during this event, even if they were not participating in it.
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Event description
A monthly gathering of those who are interested in discovering new ways of vocalising, improvising, and group interaction. These gatherings would be based on the works of avant-garde composer and musician Pauline Oliveros, who pushed the boundaries of awareness, listening, and music-making.
Participants will gather with a pre-determined exercise or exercises in mind, chosen either directly from Oliveros' Sonic Meditations (which I can send ahead of time as PDF), or can propose ideas that are similar in nature.
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Viewpoints
No participants have shared any of their viewpoints on this event/meeting. (Yet.)
Discussion and timeline
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The event '♀ ensemble revisited' took place, starting at 26 April 2018 18:00. 0 people participated:
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At 24 May 2018 13:09, Ava Grayson said...
Hi all! For those attending, here is a PDF of the exercises we will look at and do this evening. See you there!
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The event '♀ ensemble revisited' took place, starting at 24 May 2018 18:00. 3 people participated: | https://kuusipalaa.fi/events/ensemble-revisited/ensemble-revisited |
[Technical Field]
[Background Art]
[Technical Problem]
[Technical Solution]
[Advantageous Effects]
[Description of Drawings]
Mode for the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate to a touch screen apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic touch screen apparatus and a control method thereof.
A touch sensing apparatus, such as a touch screen, a touchpad, or the like, is an input device that is attached to a display apparatus to provide an intuitive input method to a user. The touch sensing apparatus has been widely applied to various types of electronic devices such as a portable phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a navigation system, etc. In particular, as demands for smartphones have increased, a ratio of using a touch screen as a touch sensing apparatus capable of providing various input methods in a limited form factor has also increased.
A touch screen applied to a portable device may be realized as a resistive type, a capacitive type, an infrared (IR) type, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) type, etc. according to methods of sensing touch inputs.
US6741237B1
US20130234995A1
US20140118307A1
WO2013074471
US 2014016008A1
US2013127783A1
As compared to a resistive type, capacitive type, etc. screen, in SAW type touch screen, irradiated ultrasonic waves meet an obstacle, and thus sizes of waves are reduced. Since the SAW type touch screen has a high light penetrability, and high accuracy and definition, the SAW type touch screen has been widely applied mainly to an unmanned information terminal, etc. , , and disclose SAW type touch screens. discloses a light-based touch screen. relates to an acoustic/ultrasonic based display apparatus.
However, there are disadvantages to a SAW type touch screen. A related art SAW type touch screen is vulnerable to pollutants on a touch screen surface, and ultrasonic waves are irradiated along the touch screen surface. Therefore, the related art SAW type touch screen has a low recognition performance of a soft touch. Also, the related art SAW type touch screen needs a plurality of acoustic reverberators and additional processing for preventing a ghost touch. Therefore, a design of the related art SAW type touch screen is complicated, and the cost thereof increases.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have methods of further conveniently increasing a recognition performance of a touch at a low cost.
Exemplary embodiments overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, exemplary embodiments are not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment may not overcome any of the disadvantages described above.
It is an aspect to provide a touch screen apparatus that may further accurately measure a touch point by using a Time of Flight (ToF) of an ultrasonic wave, and a control method thereof.
According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a touch screen apparatus that includes a display; a plurality of ultrasonic sensors configured to irradiate ultrasonic signals, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are provided on an outer part of the display; a reflector apparatus having a paraboloid surface configured to reflect the ultrasonic signals irradiated from the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in a direction parallel to a surface of the display and above the display; and a processor configured to, in response to the ultrasonic signals received by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, which are reflected from the reflector apparatus and then reflected from a plurality of objects touched on the display, determine touch points of the objects based on Time of Flights (ToFs) of the received ultrasonic signals.
In response to ultrasonic signals being respectively irradiated from first and second ultrasonic sensors of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, reflected from the plurality of objects, and respectively received by the first and second ultrasonic sensors, the processor may respectively calculate distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the plurality of objects and determine the touch points of the plurality of objects based on the calculated distances.
In response to the plurality of objects being touched on the display and an ultrasonic signal being irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, the processor may remove a ghost touch of the first object by using a ToF of the ultrasonic signal that has been irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, to determine a touch point of the first object, when the first and second ultrasonic sensors are synchronized with each other.
The processor may separate an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from another object except the first object, among the plurality of objects, from an ultrasonic signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor to extract an ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object, extract the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object from the ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic sensor by using a ToF of the ultrasonic signal that has been irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, and determine a touch point of the first object based on the extracted ultrasonic signals.
The touch screen apparatus may further comprise a storage configured to store a plurality of reflected waveforms of ultrasonic signals, each reflected waveform corresponding to a distance, wherein the processor compares waveforms of the extracted ultrasonic signals with the stored reflected waveforms to respectively determine distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the first object and determine the touch point of the first object based on the determined distances.
In response to a plurality of objects being touched on the display, and an ultrasonic signal being reflected from a first object of the plurality of objects, and an ultrasonic signal being reflected from a second object of the plurality of objects, wherein the ultrasonic signals overlap each other and then are received, the processor may determine ToFs of the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects by using at least one of a size of an overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other on a waveform of the overlapping ultrasonic signal, and a phase difference between the ultrasonic signals.
The touch screen apparatus may further comprise a storage configured to store reflected waveforms depending on at least one of the size of the overlap area and the phase difference in an ultrasonic signal where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, wherein the processor extracts a reflected waveform corresponding to at least one of a peak value and a slope value of the overlapping ultrasonic signal from a candidate group of reflected waveforms corresponding to at least one of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other and the phase difference, and the processor determines at least one of the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other and the phase difference, based on the extracted reflected waveform.
The processor may calculate ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals to detect outer dots of the object and estimate a size and a shape of the object from the detected outer dots.
The processor may calculate a time that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from a first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the object, and received by a second ultrasonic sensor, to detect an additional outer dot of the object.
The reflector apparatus may be configured to be provided at an outer part of the display.
The touch screen apparatus may further comprise an ultrasonic signal absorbing material configured to absorb at least a portion of other ultrasonic signals except the ultrasonic signals that are reflected or refracted in the direction substantially parallel to the display.
According to another aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of controlling a touch screen apparatus comprising a display, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors provided on an outer part of the display and a reflector apparatus, the method comprising irradiating ultrasonic signals from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors; reflecting, by a paraboloid surface of the reflector apparatus, the ultrasonic signals irradiated from the plurality of ultrasonic sensor in a direction parallel to a surface of the display and above the display; receiving, by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, reflected ultrasonic signals which are reflected from the reflector apparatus and are then reflected from a plurality of objects touched on a display; and determining touch points of the plurality of objects based on ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals.
The receiving of the ultrasonic signals may comprise respectively irradiating ultrasonic signals from first and second ultrasonic sensors of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and receiving reflected ultrasonic signals that have been reflected from the plurality of objects, through the first and second ultrasonic sensors, wherein the determining of the touch points of the plurality of objects may comprise respectively calculating distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the plurality of objects based on ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals; and determining the touch points of the plurality of objects based on the calculated distances.
In response to the plurality of objects being touched on the display, and an ultrasonic signal being irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from a first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, a ghost touch point of the first object may be removed by using a ToF of the ultrasonic signal that has been irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from a first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, to determine a touch point of the first object, when the first and second ultrasonic sensors are synchronized with each other.
The determining of the touch point of the first object may comprise separating an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from another object other than the first object, from the ultrasonic signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor to extract an ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object, and extracting the ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from the first object, from an ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic sensor by using a ToF of the ultrasonic signal that has been irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from a first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor; and determining the touch point of the first object based on the extracted ultrasonic signals.
The method may further comprise storing reflected waveforms of ultrasonic signals, each reflective waveform corresponding to a distance, wherein the determining of the touch point of the first object may comprise comparing waveforms of the extracted ultrasonic signals with the stored reflected waveforms to respectively determine distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the first object; and determining the touch point of the first object based on the determined distances.
The determining of the touch point of the object may comprise, in response to a plurality of objects being touched on the display, and an ultrasonic signal being reflected from a first object of the plurality of objects and an ultrasonic signal being reflected from a second object of the plurality of objects, wherein the ultrasonic signals overlap each other and then are received, determining ToFs of the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects by using at least one of a size of an overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other on a waveform of the overlapping and received signal, and a phase difference between the ultrasonic signals.
The method may further comprise storing reflected waveforms depending on at least one of the size of the overlap area and the phase difference in an ultrasonic signal where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, wherein the determining may comprise extracting a reflected waveform corresponding to at least one of a peak value and a slope value of the overlapping ultrasonic signal from a candidate group of reflected waveforms corresponding to at least one of the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, and the phase difference; and determining at least one of the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other and the phase difference, based on the extracted reflected waveform.
The determining may comprise calculating ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals to detect outer dots of the object; and estimating a size and a shape of the object from the detected outer dots.
The determining may comprise calculating a time that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from a first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the object, and received by a second ultrasonic sensor, to detect an additional outer dot of the object.
The reflector apparatus may be provided at an outer part of the display to be substantially parallel with the display.
Except the ultrasonic signals reflected or refracted from the reflector apparatus to be substantially parallel with the display, at least a portion of other ultrasonic signals may be absorbed by ultrasonic signal absorbing materials that are respectively provided around the plurality of ultrasonic sensors.
According to another example, there is provided a touch screen apparatus comprising a display; a first ultrasonic sensor; a second ultrasonic sensor; and a processor configured to, in response to a first ultrasonic signal being transmitted from the first ultrasonic sensor, reflected from an object touched on the display, and received by the first ultrasonic sensor, and a second ultrasonic signal being transmitted from the second ultrasonic sensor, reflected from the object touched on the display, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, determine a touch point of the object based on Time of Flights (ToFs) of the received first and second ultrasonic signals.
The processor may calculate a first distance from the first ultrasonic sensor to the object, and a second distance from the second ultrasonic sensor to the object, and determine the touch point of the object based on the calculated first and second distances.
The object may be a first object, and in response to the first object and a second object being touched on the display and a third ultrasonic signal being irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from the first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, the processor may remove a ghost touch of the first object by using a ToF of the third ultrasonic signal.
The processor may separate an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from the second object, from an ultrasonic signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor to extract the first ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object, extract an ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object from an ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic sensor by using a ToF of the third ultrasonic signal, and determine a touch point of the first object based on the extracted ultrasonic signals.
According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a touch recognition performance of a touch screen may increase at a low cost. Therefore, a convenience of a user may be improved.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a structure of a touch screen apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 2
is a side view of a touch screen apparatus for describing a method of reflecting or refracting an ultrasonic signal irradiated from an ultrasonic sensor to be parallel with a display, according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 3A through 3C
illustrate configurations of an ultrasonic sensor and a reflector apparatus, according to various exemplary embodiments;
FIG. 4
illustrates a method of determining a touch point of an object according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 5
illustrates a method of determining each touch point if a multi-touch is performed on a plurality of objects, according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 6A and 6B
are graphs illustrating waveforms of an ultrasonic signal received by an ultrasonic sensor in a multi-touch, according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 7
is a graph illustrating a reflected waveform model of an ultrasonic signal depending on a distance according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 8A through 8D
illustrate a method of preventing a ghost touch recognition in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 9
is a flowchart of a process of determining each touch point in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 10A through 10C
illustrate a waveform of an ultrasonic signal received by an ultrasonic sensor in a multi-touch according to another exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 11A
11B
and illustrate a method of detecting a phase difference between a first reflected signal and a second reflected signal in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 12
illustrates a reflected waveform model depending on a size of an overlapping area between a first reflected signal and a second reflected signal and a phase difference between the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 13
is a graph illustrating a model depending on a size of an overlapping area between a first reflected signal and a second reflected signal if the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal have a particular phase difference, in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 14A
14B
and illustrate a method of detecting outer dots of an object to estimate a size and a shape of the object according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIGS. 15A and 15B
illustrate a method of estimating a size and a shape of an object according to an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 16
is a block diagram of a detailed structure of a touch screen apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment; and
FIG. 17
is a flowchart of a method of controlling a touch screen apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.
The above and/or other aspects will be more apparent by describing certain exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings. The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the present inventive concept. Thus, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments can be carried out without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the present inventive concept with unnecessary detail.
The exemplary embodiments may be diversely modified. Accordingly, specific exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and are described in detail in the detailed description. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the disclosure with unnecessary detail.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a structure of a touch screen apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The touch screen apparatus 100 refers to an electronic device that may receive a user command through a touch on a display. Examples of the touch screen apparatus 100 may include a smartphone, a camera, a tablet personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a desktop PC, a media player (an MP3 player or the like), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a game terminal, a wearable device, etc. Also, the touch screen apparatus 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may also be applied to home appliances (e.g., a refrigerator, a washer, etc.) in which displays are mounted.
FIG. 1
Referring to , the touch screen apparatus 100 includes a display 110, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 120, and a processor 130.
The display 110 is an element that is touched by a user. In detail, the user may touch the display 110 in areas corresponding to various types of contents displayed on the display 110 by using a finger or an electronic pen to input desired information. In other words, the display 110 may be realized as a touch screen that displays contents and simultaneously operates as a touchpad.
The display 110 may be realized as various types of displays such as a liquid crystal display panel (LCDP), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal on Silicon (LCoS), digital light processing (DLP), etc. Also, the display 110 may include a driver circuit and may be realized as a type such as an amorphous silicon (a-si) thin film transistor (TFT), a low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) TFT, an organic TFT (OTFT), etc., and a backlight unit, etc.
Here, a glass substrate, a protecting film, etc. that are reinforced to protect the display 110 may be provided on a front surface of the display 110 that is touched.
th
th
th
th
The plurality of ultrasonic sensors 120 include first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n and are elements that irradiate and/or receive ultrasonic signals. The first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n are respectively provided on an outer part of the display 110 to irradiate ultrasonic signals and receive ultrasonic signals reflected or refracted from an object to detect distances from the first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n to the object and a direction from the first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n to the object.
th
FIG. 2
A structure of the first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n arranged in the touch screen apparatus 100 and a method of generating an ultrasonic signal irradiated to be parallel with the display 110 will now be described with reference to .
FIG. 2
FIGS. 2 through 3C
is a side view of a touch screen apparatus for describing a method of reflecting or refracting an ultrasonic signal irradiated from an ultrasonic sensor to be parallel with a display, according to an exemplary embodiment. For convenience of description, a structure and an operation of the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 will now be described with reference to . However, the structure and operation of the remaining ultrasonic sensors is the same.
FIG. 2
Referring to , the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 may be positioned around an outer part of the display 110 so as to irradiate ultrasonic waves across and above the display 110. If an object that touches the display 110 is an index finger 50 of the user, the touch screen apparatus 100 may calculate a time that it takes for an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and then reflected from the index finger 50, i.e., a Time of Flight (ToF) of the ultrasonic signal, to detect a distance of the index finger 50 from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1.
However, since ultrasonic sensors generally irradiate the ultrasonic signal in a range of angles in a 3-dimensional (3D) space, an ultrasonic sensor generally receives signals reflected from multiple sources in such a general case, for example, from the index finger of the user, a thumb of the user, a back of a hand of the user, or another object. Therefore, the touch screen apparatus may not accurately detect a position of a display where the index finger touches the display, as desired.
FIG. 2
Therefore, as shown in , in the touch screen apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment, a reflector apparatus 10 may be installed around the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to reflect or refract a portion of an ultrasonic signal irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 so as to be parallel with a surface of the display 110.
Here, an inner surface of the reflector apparatus 10 may be realized as a paraboloid shape that is configured to reflect or refract the ultrasonic signal irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 so that the reflected or refracted ultrasonic signal is substantially parallel with the surface of the display 110. The reflector apparatus 10 may be formed of any type of material, such as metal, plastic, etc. that may reflect or refract ultrasonic waves.
The touch screen apparatus 100 may include an ultrasonic signal absorbing material 20 for absorbing an ultrasonic signal, other than the ultrasonic signal that is reflected above the display 110 to be parallel with the surface of the display 110, among ultrasonic signals irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. That is, the ultrasonic signal absorbing material 20 may be provided to absorb parasitic signals. The ultrasonic signal absorbing material 20 may be formed of a material or the like having a high performance of absorbing ultrasonic waves. For example, the ultrasonic signal absorbing material 20 may be formed by using an external opening material such as a texture, felt, or the like or by using a sound-absorbing board or the like if a resonance absorption method is used.
In order to prevent the index finger 50 from being recognized as touching the display 110 even if the index finger 50 approaches and hovers over the display 110, a distance 41 between the display 110 and the ultrasonic signal irradiated to be parallel with the surface of the display 110 may be minimized. Also, a generation of a parasitic signal may be minimized, or a generated parasitic signal may be removed, to minimize a parasitic reflection noise.
FIGS. 3A through 3C
For this, a height and a position of the reflector apparatus 10 and a shape of a paraboloid of the reflector apparatus 10 may be configured to minimize or eliminate parasitic signals. illustrate a configuration of an ultrasonic sensor and a reflector apparatus according to exemplary embodiments.
FIG. 3A
FIG. 2
FIG. 3A
illustrates a configuration of the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the reflector apparatus 10 illustrated in . As shown in , a printed circuit board (PCB) connector 30 may be provided at an outer corner of the display 110 to mechanically and/or electrically connect the display 110 and the reflector apparatus 10 to each other. A bezel connector 40 may be provided under the PCB connector 30 to support the PCB connector 30 and to provide a bezel connecting the display 110 with the reflector apparatus 10. In some exemplary embodiments, the bezel connector 40 may enclose the reflector apparatus 10. The first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the reflector apparatus 10 may be combined with each other above the PCB connector 30.
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3A
As shown in , a portion of an ultrasonic signal reflected from the reflector apparatus 10 may be irradiated above the display 110 to be parallel with the display 110. In the exemplary embodiment of , a portion of the ultrasonic signal that is not reflected from the reflector apparatus 10 may be absorbed by the ultrasonic signal absorbing material 20, or may be reflected by the ultrasonic signal absorbing material in a direction that is not parallel with the surface of the display 110. In this configuration, the reflector apparatus 10 has a simple structure and thus is easily fabricated.
Here, the PCB connector 30 may be realized as a sound-absorbing material that may absorb ultrasonic waves.
FIG. 3B
FIG. 3B
illustrates a configuration of an ultrasonic sensor and a reflector apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment of , an internal space of the PCB connector 30 may be provided in a dome shape with an opening in the upper part, and the reflector apparatus 10 may be provided on an outer surface of the upper part of the PCB connector 30. The first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 may be provided on the PCB connector 30 in the internal space of the PCB connector 30 that is partially enclosed by the dome shape. An internal space of the PCB connector 30 formed by the dome shape may be provided, coated and/or covered with an ultrasonic signal absorbing material.
FIG. 3B
As shown in , the touch screen apparatus 100 may be configured so as to enable most of ultrasonic signals irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to be absorbed or reflected by the PCB connector 30 and thus not to exit from the PCB connector 30. Here, only an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated in a direction to exit the opening in the upper part of the dome shape of the PCB connector 30 may be reflected from the reflector apparatus 10 to be parallel with the surface of the display 110.
FIG. 3B
In the exemplary embodiment of , a parasitic signal is reflected from the PCB connector 30 to return to the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 in a short time. Thus, the time of flight of the parasitic signals may be used to filter out the parasitic signals. Therefore, a parasitic reflection noise may be reduced.
FIG. 3C
FIG. 3C
illustrates a configuration of an ultrasonic sensor and a reflector apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment of , a reflector apparatus 10-1 may be disposed under the surface of the display 110 to be combined with the display 110. Also, a bezel 10-2 may be combined with the reflector apparatus 10-1 on an opposite side to a side of the reflector apparatus 10-1 combined with the display 110.
Here, the bezel 10-2 may have a shape including a reflective surface that may reflect an ultrasonic signal, which has been reflected from the reflector apparatus 10-1 to be irradiated upwards, at an angle of 90° so as to be parallel with the surface of the display 110 above the display 110. In other words, the reflector apparatus 10-1 reflects the ultrasonic signal upwards, and the reflective surface of the bezel 10-2 reflects the ultrasonic signal at an angle of 90° so as to be parallel with the surface of the display 110 above the display 110. Therefore, only an ultrasonic signal that is reflected from the reflector apparatus 10-1 to be reflected from an extremely partial area of the reflective surface of the bezel 10-2 may be irradiated to be parallel with the surface of the display 110 above the display 110.
FIG. 3C
In the exemplary embodiment of , a height H of the bezel 10-2 above the top of the surface of the display 110 may be minimized to minimize a distance between the display 110 and an ultrasonic wave irradiated to be parallel with the surface of the display 110. Therefore, a touch misrecognition rate caused by hovering may be reduced.
FIG. 1
Returning to , the processor 130 is an element that controls an overall operation of the touch screen apparatus 100.
If ultrasonic signals irradiated from the plurality of ultrasonic sensors 120 are reflected from an object touching the display 110 and then received by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors 120, the processor 130 may determine a touch point of the object based on ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals.
For example, if ultrasonic signals are respectively irradiated from a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor and reflected from an object to be respectively received by the first and second ultrasonic sensors, the processor 130 may calculate distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the touch point of the object based on ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals and determine the touch point of the object based on the calculated distances.
FIG. 4
A method of determining a touch point of an object will now be described in detail with reference to .
FIG. 4
illustrates a method of determining a touch point of an object according to an exemplary embodiment. An exemplary embodiment where first through fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-4 are respectively provided around corners of the display 110 one by one will now be described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiment. Therefore, the touch screen apparatus 100 may include two or three ultrasonic sensors in various positions of an outer part of the display 110, or five or more ultrasonic sensors in various positions.
FIG. 4
1
A
1
A
1
1
1
As shown in , if an object o is touched on the display 110, the processor 130 may detect a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic wave is irradiated from a transmitter t of the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, is reflected from the object o, and returns to a receiver r of the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. In other words, the ToF is a round trip time from transmission of the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic sensor through reception at the ultrasonic sensor of the reflected ultrasonic wave from the object o. Here, since a speed of the ultrasonic wave is always constant at 340 m/s, the processor 130 may calculate a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the object o based on the detected ToF.
B
1
B
1
1
The processor 130 may also detect a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic wave is irradiated from a transmitter t of the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, is reflected from the object o and then returns to a receiver r of the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2. The processor 130 may calculate a distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the object o based on the detected ToF.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
If the distances a and b are calculated, a position of the object o on the display 110 may be calculated by trigonometry. In other words, if a distance between the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 is assumed as information of a base station in the touch screen apparatus 100, and the distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the object o and the distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the object o are calculated, three elements (lengths of three sides) of a triangle may be determined, and the processor 130 may determine a position of the object o on a 2-dimensional (2D) coordinate of the display 110 by using trigonometry.
1
1
As a result, the processor 130 may determine a touch point of the object o based on a distance of the object o from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2.
1
1
1
1
FIG. 4
As described above, a distance from a minimum of two ultrasonic sensors may be calculated to determine the touch point of the object o. Here, ultrasonic sensors used for a distance calculation may be variously selected, but an ultrasonic sensor detecting a fastest ToF, i.e., an ultrasonic sensor that is a shortest distance from the object o, and an ultrasonic sensor close to the ultrasonic sensor may is the shortest distance form the object o may be selected to be included. In other words, in among the four ultrasonic sensors 120-1 to 120-4, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 is the shortest distance from the object o, and is therefore selected to be included, and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 is the sensor closest to the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and therefore the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 is also selected to be included.
Ultrasonic signals irradiated from the first through fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-4 may be different signals. For example, ultrasonic signals irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 may have different frequencies.
In detail, each ultrasonic sensor may receive an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the each ultrasonic sensor, reflected from an object, and received. In other words, an ultrasonic sensor receives not only its own transmitted and reflected signal, but also signals from the other ultrasonic sensors. In such a case, a processor may not be able to accurately measure a distance from an ultrasonic sensor to an object.
1
Therefore, ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from ultrasonic sensors may be realized as different signals to separate an ultrasonic signal, which is irradiated from another ultrasonic transmitter and then refracted from the object o, from an ultrasonic signal transmitted from its own ultrasonic transmitted, reflected, and received.
Alternatively, the processor 130 may perform a time division on ultrasonic signals irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to distinguishably separate ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from ultrasonic sensors according to time in order to distinguish the signals. In other words, the processor 130 may control the ultrasonic sensors so that first the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 transmits and receives, and then the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 transmits and receives, and then the third ultrasonic sensor 120-3 transmits and receives, etc. to cycle through the ultrasonic sensors and thereby avoid interference between the signals. In such a process, the ultrasonic sensors may use the same signals.
FIG. 5
Even if a multi-touch is performed on the display 110 through a plurality of objects, the processor 130 may determine the touch point by using the same method as the above-described method. Detailed contents of this will be described with reference to .
FIG. 5
illustrates a method of determining each touch point if a multi-touch is performed through a plurality of objects, according to an exemplary embodiment.
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
For example if a multi-touch is performed through two objects, the processor 130 may calculate a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to a first object o by using a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from the first object o. The processor 130 may also calculate a distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the first object o by using a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and is reflected and returns from the first object o. The processor 130 may determine a touch point of the first object o on a 2D coordinate of the display 110 by using the calculated distances a and b.
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
A process of determining a touch point of a second object o is the same as the above-described process. The processor 130 may calculate a distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the second object o by using a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and is reflected and returns from the second object o. The processor 130 may also calculate a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the second object o by using a ToF that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from the second object o. The processor 130 may determine a touch point of the second object o on a 2D coordinate of the display 110 by using the calculated distances b and a.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
are graphs illustrating a waveform of an ultrasonic signal that is received by an ultrasonic sensor in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 6A
FIG. 6A
1
2
1
A waveform of a signal illustrated in may be assumed as a reflected signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. As shown in , the waveform of the reflected signal may include a waveform 61 of a signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from the first object o and a waveform 62 of a signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from the second object o farther away from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 than the first object o. Here, the waveforms 61 and 62 of the two signals do not overlap each other.
FIG. 6A
FIG. 6A
1
2
1
2
Here, the processor 130 may detect times when two signals are respectively received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, from the waveforms 61 and 62 of the reflected signals of . Referring to , a time when a signal reflected from the first object o is received is a time corresponding to 2 on a horizontal axis, and a time when a signal reflected from the second object o is received is a time corresponding to 4 on the horizontal axis. By using this information, the processor 130 may detect ToFs and distances of ultrasonic signals reflected from the first object o and the second object o by using information about a time when the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 irradiates an ultrasonic signal and a time when each reflected signal is detected.
1
2
According to another exemplary embodiment, the touch screen apparatus 100 of the present invention may include a storage (not shown) that stores a reflected waveform of an ultrasonic signal depending on a distance. Here, the processor 130 may compare the waveforms 61 and 62 of the detected reflected signals with a stored reflected waveform to determine distances from the first ultrasonic sensor 120 to the first object o and the second object o.
FIG. 6B
FIG. 7
1
2
In detail, as shown in , the processor 130 may extract an envelope 63 of the waveform 61 of the signal reflected from the first object o and an envelope 64 of the waveform 62 of the signal reflected from the second object o and compare the extracted envelope 64 with an envelope of a reflected waveform of an ultrasonic signal depending on a distance stored in the storage. As shown in , the storage may store a reflected waveform model of an ultrasonic signal depending on a distance in a multi-touch.
FIG. 7
1
2
Referring to , the storage may store a look-up table (LUT) on which a distance from an ultrasonic sensor to an object or a ToF is mapped in response to an envelope characteristic of a reflected signal waveform that is reflected and returns from the object in an irradiated ultrasonic signal Tx. Therefore, the processor 130 may search the LUT stored in the storage for a value of a distance or a ToF corresponding to characteristics of slopes and intensities of the envelopes 63 and 64 of extracted reflected signals to determine distances from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o and the second object o.
FIGS. 8A through 8D
However, if touch points detected by two or more objects exist, ultrasonic signals respectively detected from ultrasonic sensors include all of ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the two or more objects. Therefore, if ToFs respectively detected by the ultrasonic sensors are combined, a coordinate that is not a real touch point, i.e., a ghost touch point, appears. A method of removing a ghost touch will now be described with reference to .
FIGS. 8A through 8D
illustrate a method of preventing a ghost touch recognition in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIGS. 8A
8C
FIG. 8A
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
and illustrate a process of generating a ghost touch. In detail, referring to , the processor 130 may detect a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from a first object o to calculate a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o. Here, the processor 130 detects a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and is reflected and returns from the first object o and a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and is reflected and returns from a second object o, and determines distances b and b , respectively. Therefore, a problem of a possibility of a combination of two types occurs. In other words, if the distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o and a distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the first object o are combined, a real touch point 11a is detected. If the distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o and a distance b from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the second object o are combined, a ghost touch point 11c is detected.
FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B
2
1
Similar to the situation shown in illustrates a phenomenon where if a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from the second object O and a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and is reflected and returns from the first object o are combined, a ghost touch point 11d is generated.
FIG. 8C
Therefore, as shown in , besides the real touch points 11a and 11b, the ghost touch points 11c and 11d are additionally generated through a combination of distances respectively detected by ultrasonic sensors. Therefore, a touch recognition error occurs.
1
1
1
In order to prevent a recognition of a ghost touch, if an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, refracted from the first object o, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, the processor 130 may remove a ghost touch point of the first object o by additionally using a ToF of the refracted and received ultrasonic signal to determine a touch point of the first object o.
1
2
1
1
1
1
In detail, the processor 130 may separate an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from another object except a first object, from an ultrasonic signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to extract an ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object o. The processor 130 may extract an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected from the second object o, from an ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 by using a ToF of the ultrasonic signal refracted and received from the first object o. Therefore, the processor 130 may determine a touch point of the first object o based on the extracted ultrasonic signals. Here, the first object o may be an object that is touched at a point relatively closer to the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 than another object, i.e., may an ultrasonic signal that is reflected from the first object o and then first received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1.
FIG. 8D
1
For example, referring to , there may exist an ultrasonic signal that is refracted from the first object o and received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 among ultrasonic signals that are irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. The processor 130 may detect a ToF of a refracted signal as described above and determine a point satisfying the ToF of the detected refracted signal as the real touch point 11a among the real touch point 11a and the ghost touch point 11c. Here, the processor 130 may calculate a ToF of a virtual refracted signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, refracted from the real touch point 11a, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 and a ToF of a virtual refracted signal that is refracted from the ghost touch point 11c and received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, and perform a process of comparing the calculated ToFs with a ToF of a really detected refracted signal.
For this, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 may synchronize with each other. The first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 that synchronize with each other may share ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and the second ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and time information of received ultrasonic signals. Therefore, a ToF of a refracted signal may be detected in the above-described exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 9
is a flowchart of a process of determining each touch point in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment.
1
1
2
In operation S905, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 receives a reflected signal (a first Rx signal). In operation S910, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 extracts a ToF (a first ToF) of a signal reflected from an object o that is touched at a point closest to the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. Here, the object o that is touched at the point closest to the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 is defined as a first object, and an object o that is touched at another point is defined as a second object.
1
In operation S915, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 detects a distance from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o based on the extracted ToF.
1
1
In operation S920, the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 receives a reflected signal (a second Rx signal). In operation S925, the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 extracts a ToF of an ultrasonic signal, which is refracted from the first object o and received by the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2, from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. The second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 determines an ultrasonic signal, which is reflected and received from the first object o, from the second Rx signal received from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 based on the extracted ToF. In operation S930, the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 extracts a ToF (a first ToF) of a fastest signal of signals constituting the second Rx signal or a ToF (a second ToF) of a next signal.
1
1
1
In operation S940, a position of the first object o is detected by trigonometry that uses the distance from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o in operation S915 and the distance from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the first object o in operation S930.
1
2
2
In operation S945, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 removes an ultrasonic signal (a first reflected signal) reflected from the first object o to extract a ToF (a second ToF) of an ultrasonic signal (a second reflected signal) reflected from the second object o. In operation S950, the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 detects a distance from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the second object o.
1
2
In operation S955, the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 extracts the first ToF or the second ToF from the second Rx signal from which the first reflected signal or the second reflected signal corresponding to the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object o is removed. In operation S960, the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 detects a distance from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the second object o.
2
2
2
In operation S965, a position of the second object o is detected by trigonometry that uses the distance from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the second object o in operation S950 and the distance from the second ultrasonic sensor 120-2 to the second object o in operation s960.
FIGS. 10A through 10C
are graphs illustrating a waveform of an ultrasonic signal that is received by an ultrasonic sensor in a multi-touch according to another exemplary embodiment.
FIGS. 10A and 10B
1
2
1
1
1
2
2
Referring to , a waveform 101 of a reflected signal received by an ultrasonic sensor may be a form where partial areas of waveforms 102 and 103 of two ultrasonic signals, which are reflected respectively from the first object o, and the second object o of a point relatively farther away from the ultrasonic sensor than the first object o, overlap each other. Here, the ultrasonic sensor will be described as the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1. A degree of overlap between two ultrasonic signals may be large when there is a small difference between a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the first object o and a distance a from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 to the second object o.
1
2
The storage may store a reflected waveform model depending on a size of an overlap area of a reflected signal where ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first object o and the second object o overlap each other.
FIG. 12
Here, the processor 130 may extract an envelope 106 of the waveform 101 of the reflected signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and compare the extracted envelope 106 with an envelope of a stored reflected waveform model to respectively detect independent envelop models 104 and 105 of the waveforms 102 and 103 of the two ultrasonic signals, respectively. A detailed detection process will be described later with reference to .
FIGS. 11A
11B
and illustrate a method of detecting a phase difference between a first reflected signal and a second reflected signal in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 11A
1
2
1
2
As shown in , a reflected signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 may have a form where an ultrasonic signal (a solid line) reflected from a first object o and an ultrasonic signal (a dotted line) reflected from a second object o overlap each other. For convenience of description, the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object o will be referred to as a first reflected signal, and the ultrasonic signal reflected from the second object o will be referred to as a second reflected signal. Also, an area where only the first reflected signal is received will be referred to as a first area, an area where the first and second reflected signals overlap each other and then are received will be referred to as a second area, and an area where only the second reflected signal is received will be referred to as a third area. An interval (a length of the second area) at which the first and second reflected signals are received corresponds to 10.25λ, and the first and second reflected signals have a phase difference of 90°.
FIG. 11B
FIG. 11B
The reflected signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 is as shown in . Referring to , a period is kept constant in the first area where only the first reflected signal is received (in phase) and then changes in the second area where the first and second reflected signals overlap each other, due to a phase difference (out of phase). Thereafter, the period is kept constant in the third area where only the second reflected signal is received (in phase). However, signals received in the first and third areas have a phase difference of 90°.
FIG. 12
Therefore, the processor 130 may compare a phase of the first reflected signal in the first area where only the reflected signal is received and a phase of the second reflected signal in the third area where only the second reflected signal is received to detect a phase difference between the first and second reflected signals. The processor 130 may detect a ToF of the second reflected signal by synthetically using distance information of the first area where only the first reflected signal is received, information about the phase difference between the first and second reflected signals, and information about a rising slope, a falling slope, and an intensity of the second reflected signal. A detailed explanation of this detection method will now be described with reference to .
FIG. 12
illustrates a reflected waveform model depending on a size of an overlap area between first and second reflected signals and a phase difference between the first and second reflected signals in a multi-touch according to an exemplary embodiment.
The storage may store a reflected waveform depending on at least one of a size of an overlap area of an overlapping ultrasonic signal between ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from first and second objects, and a phase difference of the ultrasonic signals.
Here, the processor 130 may extract a reflected waveform corresponding to at least one of an intensity value and a slope value of the overlapping ultrasonic signal, from a candidate group of reflected waveforms corresponding to at least one of the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, and the phase difference between the ultrasonic signals. The processor 130 may then determine at least one of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, and the phase difference between the ultrasonic signals.
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
Referring to , the storage may store independent reflected waveform models of first and second reflected signals corresponding to a characteristic of a reflected signal waveform depending on a size of an overlap area where the first and second reflected signals overlap each other and a phase difference between the first and second reflected signals, in a reflected signal waveform received by an ultrasonic sensor. illustrates envelope models of independent reflected waveforms of first and second reflected signals that are stored in a LUT form in the storage.
1
2
p
1
2
p
p
1
2
p
p
1
2
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
FIG. 12
In detail, the envelope models stored in the storage may be classified according to a size of a first area. For example, the size of the first area may be defined as Rx-Rx, and a distance from a point at which receiving of the first reflected signal starts to a point at which the receiving of the first reflected signal ends, or a distance from a point at which receiving of the second reflected signal starts to a point at which the receiving of the second reflected signal ends may be defined as T. Here, the envelope models stored in the storage may be classified into a first envelope model group satisfying an expression of 0 < Rx - Rx <T/2 (leftmost column in ), a second envelope model group satisfying an expression of T/2 < Rx - Rx < T (middle column in ), and a third envelope model group satisfying an expression of T < Rx - Rx (rightmost column in ). In other words, the first envelope model group is a group where more than half of the first reflected signal and more than half of the second reflected signal overlap each other and includes an overlap area having a largest size. The third envelope model group includes an overlap area between the first and second reflected signals, wherein the overlap area has a smallest size. For example, a size of a first area of the first envelope model group corresponds to about 5λ, a size of a first area of the second envelope model group corresponds to about 10λ, and a size of a first area of the third envelope model group corresponds to about 15λ.
FIG. 12
1
2
As shown in , a horizontal axis X1 classifies a reception interval Rx - Rx between first and second reflected signals according to a size of a real number value except a value of a decimal point unit. A vertical axis Y1 classifies the reception interval between the first and second reflected signals in consideration of a size of a decimal value of a decimal point unit, i.e., only a phase difference.
From the LUT, the processor 130 may detect an envelope model group corresponding to a phase difference between reflected signals received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 and a size of a first area from the horizontal axis X1 and the vertical axis Y1 to narrow candidate model groups. Also, the processor 130 may compare a slope and an intensity of a received reflected signal with a candidate model group to finally determine a corresponding envelope model.
FIG. 13
For example, as shown in , if a phase difference is determined, a candidate model group including a plurality of envelope models having corresponding phase differences and different real number values may be a model group that is to be searched for.
FIG. 11
An interval difference between the first and second reflected signals according to a classification depending on a phase difference on the vertical axis Y1 is relatively smaller than on the horizontal axis X1. As a size of an overlap area between the first and second reflected signals becomes larger, a waveform of a reflected signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1 sensitively changes according to a phase difference. In particular, the determination of the phase difference may be performed with respect to the first envelope model group as shown in .
If a final envelope model is determined according to the above-described process, the processor 130 may estimate a time when receiving of a second reflected signal starts, from an independent envelope model of the second reflected signal and detect a ToF of an ultrasonic signal that is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor 120-1, and is reflected and returns from a second object.
FIGS. 14A
14B
and illustrate a method of detecting outer dots of an object to estimate a size and a shape of the object according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 14A
FIG. 14B
1
1
1
1
1
As shown in , if a surface touch is performed on the display 110 through an object o, a technical spirit of the present inventive concept may be applied to a technical field that detects a shape of the touched surface of the object o. In detail, as shown in , the processor 130 may calculate ToFs of ultrasonic signals that are irradiated from ultrasonic sensors respectively provided at corners of the display 110, reflected from an object, and respectively return to the ultrasonic sensors, to detect outer dots of the object o. Here, the processor 130 may connect the outer dots of the object o to estimate a size and a shape of the object o.
FIGS. 15A and 15B
illustrate a method of estimating a size and a shape of an object according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIGS. 15A and 15B
The processor 130 may calculate a time that is a time during which an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from one ultrasonic sensor, refracted from an object, and received by another ultrasonic sensor, to detect an additional outer dot of the object. As shown in , a portion of an ultrasonic signal irradiated from the third ultrasonic sensor 120-3 may be refracted from an object and then received by the fourth ultrasonic sensor 120-4. Here, the processor 130 may calculate a ToF of the ultrasonic signal refracted from the object to detect an outer dot 14e at which a refraction is performed.
To calculate the ToF of the ultrasonic signal refracted from the object to detect the outer dot 14e, the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-3 and 120-4 may synchronize with each other, and ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-3 and 120-4 may be different signals. For example, the ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-3 and 120-4 may have distinguished signals having different frequencies. Alternatively, the ultrasonic signals irradiated from the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors 120-3 and 120-4 may be time-divided by the processor 130.
According to the above-described exemplary embodiment, an outer dot of an object may be additionally extracted without increasing the number of ultrasonic sensors. Therefore, a size and a shape of the object may be estimated.
FIG. 16
FIG. 16
FIG. 16
FIG. 1
th
is a block diagram of a touch screen apparatus 100' according to another exemplary embodiment. As shown in , the touch screen apparatus 100' according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a display 110, first through n ultrasonic sensors 120-1 through 120-n, a processor 130, a storage 140, and a user interface 150. Hereinafter, descriptions of the same elements of as those of are omitted.
th
th
The processor 130 is an element that controls an overall operation of the touch screen apparatus 100'. In detail, the processor 130 includes a random access memory (RAM) 131, a read only memory (ROM) 132, a main central processing unit (CPU) 133, first through n interfaces 134-1 through 134-n, and a bus 135. Here, the RAM 131, the ROM 132, the main CPU 133, the first through n interfaces 134-1 through 134-n, etc. may be connected to one another through the bus 135.
The main CPU 133 accesses the storage 140 to perform booting by using a stored operating system (O/S). The main CPU 133 may perform various operations by using various types of programs, contents, and data, etc. stored in the storage 140.
The ROM 132 stores a command set, etc. for booting a system. If a turn-on command is input to supply power, the main CPU 133 copies the O/S stored in the storage 140 into the RAM 131 and executes the O/S to boot the system according to a command stored in the ROM 132. If booting is completed, the main CPU 133 copies various types of applications stored in the storage 140 into the RAM 131 and executes the application programs copied into the RAM 131 to perform various types of operations.
th
The first through n interfaces 134-1 through 134-n are connected to various types of elements as described above. One of the interfaces may be a network interface that is connected to an external apparatus through a network.
The above-described operation of the processor 130 may be performed by a program stored in the storage 140.
The storage 140 may store an O/S software module for driving the touch screen apparatus 100' and various types of data such as various types of multimedia contents.
In detail, the storage 140 may store a base module that processes a signal transmitted from pieces of hardware included in the touch screen apparatus 100', a storage module that manages a database (DB) or a registry, a graphic processing module that generates a screen of a layout, a security module, etc. In particular, the storage 140 may store programs of a ToF calculator module for detecting a ToF of an ultrasonic signal, a touch coordinate determiner module for detecting a touch point of an object, etc.
As described above, the storage 140 may also store a reflected waveform model of an ultrasonic signal and a reflected waveform model depending on at least one of a size of an overlap area between ultrasonic signals and a phase difference between the ultrasonic signals.
The user interface 150 is an element that senses a user interaction for controlling an overall operation of the touch screen apparatus 100' and may include various types of interaction sensors such as a camera (not shown), a microphone (not shown), etc.
FIG. 17
is a flowchart of a method of controlling a touch screen apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.
In operation S1710, ultrasonic signals are irradiated from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and reflected ultrasonic signals are received by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors. The ultrasonic signals may be reflected from an object that touches a display. Here, ultrasonic signals respectively irradiated from first and second ultrasonic sensors may be reflected from an object and respectively received by the first and second ultrasonic sensors.
In operation S1720, ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals are detected, and a point of the object that is touched is determined based on the detected ToFs. Here, distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to a touch point of the object may be calculated based on the ToFs of the received ultrasonic signals. Also, the touch point of the object may be determined based on the calculated distances.
Also, if a plurality of objects are touched on the display, and an ultrasonic signal is irradiated from the first ultrasonic sensor, refracted from a first object, and received by the second ultrasonic sensor, a ghost point of the first object may be removed by additionally using a ToF of the refracted and received ultrasonic signal to determine a touch point of the first object.
In more detail, if a point of the first object relatively closer to the first ultrasonic sensor than another object is touched, an ultrasonic signal reflected from the another object may be separated from an ultrasonic signal received by the first ultrasonic sensor to extract the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object, and the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object may be extracted from an ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic sensor by using the ToF of the refracted and received ultrasonic signal. Here, the touch point of the first object may be determined based on the extracted ultrasonic signals.
Also, a reflected waveform of an ultrasonic signal depending on a distance may be stored. Here, waveforms of extracted ultrasonic signals may be compared with stored reflected waveforms to extract distances from the first and second ultrasonic sensors to the touch point of the first object and determine the touch point of the first object based on the calculated distances.
If the ultrasonic signal reflected from the first object and the ultrasonic signal reflected from the second object overlap each other and then are received, ToFs of the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects may be determined by using at least one of a size of an overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, and a phase difference between the ultrasonic signals.
Here, in an ultrasonic signal where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, a reflected waveform depending on at least one of the size of the overlap area and the phase difference may be pre-stored. A reflected waveform corresponding to at least one of a peak value and a slope value of an overlapping ultrasonic signal may be extracted from a candidate group of reflected waveforms corresponding to at least one of the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other, and the phase difference. Here, at least one, which is selected from the size of the overlap area where the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects overlap each other and the phase difference, may be determined to determine ToFs of the ultrasonic signals respectively reflected from the first and second objects.
According to various exemplary embodiments described above, a touch recognition performance of a touch screen may be improved. Also, the touch screen may be easily provided so as to save cost.
A method of controlling a touch screen apparatus according to the above-described various exemplary embodiments may be embodied as a program and then stored on various types of recording media. In other words, a computer program that may be processed by various types of processors to execute the above-described various control methods may be stored and used on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
The non-transitory computer-readable medium is a medium which does not store data temporarily such as a register, cash, and memory but stores data semi-permanently and is readable by devices. More specifically, the aforementioned applications or programs may be stored in the non-transitory computer readable media such as compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), hard disks, Blu-ray disks, universal serial buses (USBs), memory cards, and read-only memory (ROM). | |
What is Abstract Algebra?
Group Definition
Group Definition (Quick)
Cosets and Lagrange's Theorem
Group Multiplication Tables (Cayley Tables)
Groups - Motivation for Definition
Normal Subgroups and Factor Groups
Subgroups
Cyclic Groups
Group or Not Group? (Integer Edition)
Group Homomorphisms
Group Homomorphisms (Quick)
Isomorphisms for Groups
Kernel of Group Homomorphisms
Order of an Element
Cycle Notation for Permutations
Symmetric Groups
Dihedral Groups
Direct Products of Groups
Matrix Groups
Simple Groups
Symmetry Groups of Triangles
Ring Definition
Ring Definition (Quick)
Ring Examples
Units in a Ring
Field Definition
Field Definition (Quick)
Field Examples: Infinite Fields
Ideals in Rings
Integral Domains
Modules
Vector Spaces
Socratica
Simple Groups
Description
Bonus Features
Course Info
Simple groups are the building blocks of finite groups. After decades of hard work, mathematicians have finally classified all finite simple groups. Today we talk about why simple groups are so important, and then cover the four main classes of simple groups: cyclic groups of prime order, alternating groups An (n bigger than 4), groups of Lie type, and the 26 sporadic groups, including the Monster Group.
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Stay tuned! Bonus features for this video are under development...
Course Page
Abstract Algebra
Course Description
Abstract Algebra deals with groups, rings, fields, and modules. These are abstract structures which appear in many different branches of mathematics, including geometry, number theory, topology, and more. They even appear in scientific topics such as quantum mechanics. | https://www.socratica.com/lesson/simple-groups |
Environmental science is worried about the study and assessment of the setting. It likewise consists of studies of just how people connect with the atmosphere. It additionally puts on the clinical study of the results of environmental adjustment. There are various types of environmental science. Some of the extra prominent ones are global modification, biogeochemistry, ecological systems, freshwater systems, aquatic scientific research, and also natural systems.
Global change refers to the steady changes in the Earth’s climate caused by human activity. This can be brought on by all-natural sensation such as El Nino, volcanic eruptions, as well as solar flares. It can also be the result of economic task, such as the growth of China and other emerging nations. All the same, worldwide change is worrying the atmosphere because it impacts individuals residing in it as well as the way they live.
A biogeochemical term explains a type of setting that exists within living points. As an example, in the planet’s oceans, chain reactions produce nitrate and also nitrite which develop nitrate salts. This process takes place in a shut environment, without exchange of oxygen and with reduced surface area stress. Sea acidification because of human task has actually created an acid environment in lots of parts of the sea.
An eco-system is a native environment in which whatever exists in its natural state. It is usually the sum of all existing ecological communities, with living points such as plants, animals, and also human beings adding to it in some way. An eco-system can not be defined, however instead perceived. It can exist in a state of balance where all elements are in a state of co-ordination; or else it would be called being an environment in which some external pressures disrupt the all-natural equilibrium. The planet’s biosphere features as if the power called for to preserve it can be completely supplied by the sunlight, leaving absolutely nothing left over for the earth to create heat or to take in heat from the setting. This leaves people and all various other forms of life within the location of the natural surroundings.
In terms of a limited globe, the word environment describes any kind of world or area in which all elements can being recreated. As an example the globe or environment would be an unlimited circle in which the sun, stars, as well as the seas are constantly producing life. It is additionally vital to acknowledge that the earth and all the living things on it are limited. A limited atmosphere can only be called a globe or area in which all aspects can be generated, destroyed, or modified at will by some exterior pressure.
For instance, when you look at the sea you will certainly see that it is a nonliving object, it is made from dead natural materials. However, you can not claim that it is nonliving simply due to the fact that it is a living object – a living thing is capable of growing, changing, duplicating, and so on. In this example we are explaining the ocean, which is a living earth however not a living one therefore. As a result the term environment can be utilized to define the various sort of worlds out in deep space. The planet is an atmosphere, the ocean is a non-environment and also the Sunlight is an environment but not a living one.
In nonfiction writing, the term environment often times refers to a setting which is imaginary. A setting which is completely composed of non-living things as well as locations. A term setting likewise has another significance which is the collection of physical factors which incorporate to develop something real. This meaning of the term environment includes the skies, the ground, environment, water, and also the world Earth. On an extremely standard degree, nonliving surface areas are thought about to be anything that does not have a living surface. This might include rock, metal, timber, plastic, ceramic, paper, material, fiber, textile, and also more.
This interpretation of setting is necessary in specifying the various type of atmospheres. The ocean for example is both non-natural as well as living and also it is a very large part of the world due to the fact that it contains all the living things on Earth consisting of fish, whales, crabs, and a lot more. A sea without fish would certainly not be a sea without whales couldn’t be a whales’ setting since whales need the oxygen and also various other chemicals developed by plants and algae to survive. Consequently the ocean and also the non-living globe are one in the very same and words environment incorporates all these different sort of living points.
Environment refers to a set of aspects that influence the growth of a culture, developing conditions that advertise biodiversity as well as flexible ability, both within the individual organisms themselves along with various other organisms and also systems. The atmosphere affects the human population as well as how that populace handles the setting. In turn, the environment impacts the humans who reside in it, both directly and also indirectly.
The natural surroundings incorporates all living and also non creature existing normally, which implies in this example not guy made. The word setting can likewise be made use of in relation to the Planet, the entire earth or any particular parts of the Planet. It covers the entire of the planet, consisting of oceans, landmasses, subsoil, environment and biosphere. There are three significant groups of the environment: human influenced, created settings and biodiversity. All these classifications are related to human advancement and also the method we manage the environment.
Human affected is when we affect the physical environments through our tasks. For instance, when individuals build a building or dam, or plant a tree, they are doing so to affect the way their environments look. Likewise when people hunt pets or harm the natural world, they are doing so to impact the way that the pets behave. A term environment after that enters into play when humans modify the state of the natural world that surrounds them. Learn more
Built atmospheres on the other hand are synthetic. These can be created for various reasons, but the main factor is to provide a certain feature that has actually not existed previously, as well as to improve the place by transforming the surrounding natural environments. Man-made environments might as a result be managed with environment adjustment. Environment change is a systematic change in the atmosphere resulting from mankind’s tasks. There is currently a great deal of concern concerning climate adjustment, and the results that it can carry the native environments. | https://goldcountrybicycletours.com/2021/11/02/small-but-crucial-points-to-observe-in-atmosphere/ |
- Steve Mormoris is the CEO and founder of EDGE Beauty, a beauty company that owns subsidiary Scent Beauty, which is a direct-to-consumer multi-brand fragrance company hoping to revolutionize the scent industry.
- Previously, he was the SVP of Global Marketing at the beauty conglomerate Coty, where he helped launch major fragrance brands such as David and Victoria Beckham, Chloe, Balenciaga, and Calvin Klein.
- In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Mormoris talks about his new company, Scent Beauty, and how he hopes to disrupt the fragrance industry. | http://www.businessmediaguide.com/the-style-series-this-entrepreneur-is-trying-to-disrupt-the-fragrance-industry-by-tapping-into-e-commerce-and-dtc-brands-and-hes-already-got-pop-icon-cher-on-board/ |
decision making in leadership
When considering great leaders one only has to think of such people as Ghandi, Churchill and Boadicea. It would be nice to think that we all have something of the ‘right stuff’ to make a difference in our worlds. There is a good chance that you already have some of the right stuff or at least understand how its application might just make your job slightly easier. Honing these skills and learning how others did and still do lead will further enhance your ability to get it right and be successful in your chosen field.
Key Skills
Leaders of all types use a number of skills. My experience of leading (and being led) has shown me that there are a number of skills that all great leader possess:
- Working with what they have – the ability to accept people as they are, not as you would like them to be and moulding them into a cohesive team.
- Never looking back – the capacity to approach relationships and problems in terms of the present rather than the past.
- The common touch – the ability to treat those who are close to you with the same courteous attention that you extend to strangers and casual acquaintances.
- Trust – the ability to trust others, even if the risk seems great.
- Self belief – the ability to do without constant approval and recognition from others.
Regardless of the common skills described above, one must accept that different people lead differently, but there is a set of attributes that most good leaders share, and includes organisational ability, a desire to succeed, drive and determination. In my experience the all-important one, the game-changer is decision-making ability. What would Margaret Thatcher or Nelson Mandela have been without this attribute?
It would be easy to dismiss the exploits of the great leaders named above as irrelevant for today’s workplace. After all their environment, drivers and problems were different to those you may face on a daily basis. Yes, the context in which every leader operates is “unique” (as far as the leader is concerned), but the requirement to make decisions in a timely and effective manner is exactly the same.
Skills of a Good Decision-Maker
The most important component of decision-making is self-confidence, that inner belief that what you are doing is correct; the leader must be careful, however, to not let this self confidence morph into arrogance. If you are confident in your mental capabilities and how you envision the world around you, then you will have no problem in analysing a situation and making a decision you can stand by for better or worse.
Self confident leaders are able to analyse in great detail. I was introduced to second, third and fourth order analysis many years ago. My then boss used the phrase ‘so what’. When dealing with a problem he would ask the question ‘so what?’ of every factor and component of the problem until he could take his analysis no further. The value of analysis cannot be overstated because it allows a person to systematically break down a situation and see its individual parts for what they are, thereby, providing a thorough overview.
A key part of decision-making is the ability to think critically. The great value of critical thought can be traced all the way back to the philosopher Socrates, who advocated that critical thought and self-reflection are major components of what it is to be human.
Finally, the last two attributes of being a decisive person are understanding the value of research and the ability to manage conflict. Conflict management is within yourself and your belief structure, and with and amongst others. One must be able to deal with issues before they grow and turn into invaluable and possibly destructive forces within the workplace. All these components make up decisive behaviour techniques and flow out of an overall orientation toward action – that deep desire to do something, before something is done to you.
Combining it all
Possessing the right set of attributes and having the courage to make a decision, does not mean the work is all done. You should have your own decision-making process, which must take your team and the stakeholders into consideration. There must be a set of steps to incorporate the above elements into a process.
Of course, this can be tailored differently for each scenario, but my view would be this:
- Research a situation thoroughly. Understand the environment (macro and micro) in which the decision will be made.
- Understand the ‘exam question’. What are you being asked to do and why?
- Analyse all the components/factors. What other issues (unforeseen) do they produce?
- Communicate your vision/plan to your team. The people who will be executing the plan must know what they are doing, why, with whom and where they fit into the broader scheme.
- Give tasks (and the resources) to your team/subordinates.
- Evaluate the effect of your activity a pre-determined points. Be prepared to adjust the plan if required, but only after detailed analysis…has the situation changed and why?
Have the self-confidence to make a short or long term decision and the fortitude to stand by it.
Conclusion
Decision making, like leadership itself is a skill that can be learnt. Decision makers (and leaders) are made, not born. Therefore, through a process of formal education and experience anyone can master the skills required to make effective and timely decisions. Whilst many leaders struggle with the self-confidence part of the process, I would suggest that, like any skill, the more you do it the better you will become. In the sporting world coaches and athletes alike talk about the mystical ’10,000 hours’. This is the time that successful elite athletes must put into their chosen discipline before reaching the highest levels. Leaders can do exactly the same. 10,000 hours of decision making might just deliver the next Churchill, Ghandi or Boadicea. | https://www.bridge-ability.com/blog/2019/02/08/decision-making-in-leadership/ |
Dance as a form of communication that is understood by the whole world, regardless of cultural differences, erases borders, brings people together and nurtures tradition. The professional national ensemble “Kolo” manages to be the guardian of traditional art for 73 years, by processing folk dances, preserving their style and character. Through the style of games, choreographic figures, traditional music, costumes on the stage, they have made a great contribution and recognition to Serbian culture.
Milos Vulovic, one of the top professionals, the most prominent players and the first soloist of the Ensemble “Kolo”, artistic director and choreographer of KUD “Oplenac”, speaks for Dance and the City.
Milos will tell us about what it is like to be a part of the best national ensemble and its artistic form of expression on the stage, how folklore has become his life’s calling, what the game is for him and what he advises young people.
~ When did you realize that folklore would be your life’s calling?
Milos: I started doing folklore as an amateur in 1990 in Badovinci, out of pure love for the danace, which has grown into something more over the years. Going to audition for the National Ensemble “Kolo” – in 2004, I accepted the job of a professional player-singer as a life vocation and commitment.
~ How much has your love of folklore changed your life?
Milos: My love for folk art has definitely influenced and changed my life path and course. If I hadn’t become a professional player today, I would probably be a worker in one of the telecommunications companies (I finished PTT school), a coach in one of the local clubs or a farmer on a family farm. Nevertheless, I became a professional player and with the help of the work we do, my colleagues and I are spreading Serbian culture and tradition around the world. I can freely say that my love for the game changed my life for the better.
~ How does it feel to be a part of the cultural heritage that keeps Serbian folk culture and its reputation from being forgotten?
Milos: Extremely big part, obligation and pleasure! It is a great pleasure to pass on knowledge to new generations, to pass on our culture and tradition to people all over the planet. I think that we as a nation are still not aware of how rich our culture and tradition is, how much we need to know and learn about ourselves. Fortunately, UNESCO and people around the world have a great interest in getting to know and preserving that cultural heritage with our help and knowledge.
~ Folklore requires a lot of physical fitness and is permeated with sports, so what would you compare it to?
Milos: As a man who has been involved in sports and coaching for years, I can say that dealing with folklore, dance, songs, is extremely physically demanding. To be a solid player of a good amateur ensemble, you must have the physical strength and fitness of a first-league professional athlete. The physical strength and condition of a professional player would be somewhere in the rank of trialtons.
After each concert, a professional dancer loses 1.5 to 3 kilograms in an hour and a half as long as one concert lasts on average. The monthly average of the concert is 7-10, and each working-training day of a professional player lasts 4 hours of joint-group work, plus individual work on each individual. I think this best depicts the physical spending of a professional folk dancer-singer.
~ Who was your inspiration and motivation during your life to persevere in what you do?
Milos: My grandparents were my inspiration and motivation, and they raised me in the spirit of the tradition of our people. I have the opportunity to educate a large number of people through work about the values and qualities of our cultural tradition, and that gives me additional motivation and perseverance.
~ What does it mean, in addition to good technical performance, to be a good artist in this type of art?
Milos: In addition to great work, great sacrifice, great perseverance, huge investment in yourself and constant upgrading of your knowledge and physical fitness, you have to be special, different. You have to have that X factor, otherwise you are unrecognizable, in jargon – part of the “mass”.
~ How challenging is it for a choreographer to match the elements of the play, the song, the costumes and the people on stage?
Milos: Huge! Wrong order of dance-songs in choreography means failure of that choreography, not to mention the wrong dance-song, part of the costume (which does not belong to the climate for which you are doing choreography, and that is what happens). It is a debacle for choreography, choreography, and above all a desecration of the tradition and culture of that area. Extreme care must be taken about the choice of dance, steps, melodies, dynamics, the choice of players, soloists who can perform the work, as well as the choice of adequate costumes that give color to the stage. All this is just a good precondition, a good basis, but it does not necessarily mean that the choreographic work will “come to life” in practice, it is the audience that gives and determines the “lifespan” of the choreography.
~ How much did “Kolo” manage to popularize the Serbian cultural heritage in the country abroad and how much did it adapt to the modern way of stage expression over the years?
Milos: I think that “Kolo” managed to bring closer and popularize folk dance, song, music, in the right way. The high quality of the performance of the ensemble “Kolo” has positioned this art house on the highest ladders both in the country and abroad. Concerts on the world’s most prestigious stages in New York, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Vienna, Paris, etc… literally on all continents and world capitals, prove how successful “Kolo” is as an ensemble as a presenter of our culture. It is a model for ensembles in the country and abroad, it is the winner of the highest state decorations and one of the best ambassadors of the country in the world.
“Kolo” was one of the implementers and project holders in the entry of “KOLO U 3 and KOLO U 6” on the UNESCO WORLD LIST OF INTANGIBLE GOODS. In 2010, the then Ambassador of Serbia to Japan sent an OPEN NOTE to the President of Serbia, saying that “Kolo” did more at the presentation of Serbia in an hour and a half with a concert in Tokyo than he did for the entire 5-year term.
The ensemble does a lot of work on modernization and follows modern trends, raises its quality and works on the breadth of both playing quality and production newspapers. But we must keep in mind that we are still dealing with the preservation of folk culture, dance, song, music and tradition.
It maintains its visibility and availability on all social networks and internet platforms.
~ Is the interest of today’s youth in the styles of folk dance and folklore the same as before?
Milos: Unfortunately, the interest in physical activity among young people today is much less than in the past, and therefore the interest in folklore is declining.
~ What are your recommendations for young people who would like to pursue this type of art professionally? What can the game teach them?
Milos: The recommendation for all young people is DO DANCE! It has been scientifically proven that people who play are much happier and more satisfied. By playing, you raise your psycho-motor abilities, socialize, get a healthy body. Those who opt for professionalism must be willing to work, perseverance, perseverance and the results will come on their own.
~ What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Milos: I played on all continents, on the best playing stages in the world, I taught and I teach people around the world to play Serbian cars. For the boy from the village, dreams have come true!
~ What is a two-word dance for you?
Milos: EVERYTHING! | https://plesigrad.rs/en/2021/04/13/the-first-soloist-of-the-ensemble-kolo-milos-vulovic-interview/ |
Case studies and evidence
These examples will help you determine whether you have acceptable grounds for appeal and provide guidance on the evidence that the Complaints and Appeals Team will be looking for.
Case studies
The below case studies have been created to provide an idea of some of the types of cases that have been accepted or rejected in previous years.
Accepted appeals
Case Study one
Student Y submitted an academic appeal in relation to a mark error. She stated that her online results displayed a mark of 45% for a piece of coursework, however, when the actual coursework had been returned the mark had been recorded as 54%. The student had provided a copy of the coursework to confirm the mark of 54%.
Upon receipt of the appeal, the Student Administration Team had
been asked to check the appropriate mark for the assignment in
question. It was confirmed that 54% had been the correct mark
but an administrative error had resulted in 45% having been
entered in the system. The appeal was accepted and the online
information corrected. It was noted that, should a similar error
occur in the future, a student should be able to query a mark by
approaching the Student Administration Team (or by speaking to a
Student Support Adviser) direct, without the need to submit an
academic appeal.
Case Study two
Student Z submitted an appeal in relation to reasonable adjustments. The student stated that he had been in contact with the Disability Service prior to an examination and he had been informed that he was eligible for reasonable adjustments during the assessment. However, on the day of the assessment the reasonable adjustments had not been in place. The student attempted to complete the examination but did not achieve a pass mark.
The appeal was investigated and it was confirmed that, owing to
error, the reasonable adjustments had unfortunately not been in
place. The appeal was accepted and the student was granted an
uncapped resit. Information from the appeal was also reported back
to the relevant University department to ensure that the reasonable
adjustments were in place for the resit.
Rejected appeals
Case Study one
Student X submitted an appeal against an exam mark. He explained that he had felt confident about his performance in a particular exam and that he had been surprised to receive a low mark. The student added that he had provided lengthy and detailed responses to the examination questions.
The appeal was rejected and it was explained that it was not possible to request that an exam paper be re-marked, the marking had taken place in accordance with the Academic Regulations and Procedures and, as per regulation H27.4R, it was not possible to appeal against academic judgement.
Case Study two
Student Y submitted an appeal regarding the lack of response from a module leader. He had tried to contact the module leader with a query about the assessment prior to the examination but had received no response.
The appeal was rejected by the Complaints and Appeals Team for the following reason:
- Whilst it had been unfortunate that the student had not received a response from his Module Leader, the Module Leader had posted all relevant examination information and revision materials on Blackboard, therefore, it was felt that the student had not been placed at a disadvantage.
Case Study three
Evidence
The below provides some examples of evidence that may be used to support a claim that the University has done something wrong. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and the decision to accept or to reject a piece of evidence will rely solely upon the student’s circumstances (ie evidence that has been accepted for one student may not be acceptable for another student’s circumstances).
Where ‘unacceptable evidence’ is referred to below, this relates to instances whereby the item identified was the only piece of evidence submitted and had not been accompanied by additional documentation.
Acceptable evidence:
- Copies of email correspondence confirming that incorrect/inconsistent/incomplete/misleading information had been provided.
- A letter/email of support from a member of staff confirming that the student was disadvantaged by their actions/lack of action.
- Screenshots of incorrect, inconsistent, incomplete or misleading online information.
- Acknowledgement of receipt of an application for personal circumstances (formerly called extenuating circumstances).
Unacceptable evidence:
- Audio or visual recordings of face-to-face or telephone conversations that had been taken without an individual’s consent.
Please be aware that, whilst an electronic copy of a piece of evidence is normally sufficient, the Complaints and Appeals Team may ask to see the original evidence if there are any queries or concerns. The falsification of evidence will be treated as a very serious matter and, where this is suspected, the student may be referred to the Student Conduct Policy or, in cases where the programme leads to a professional registration, to the Professional Suitability and Conduct Policy.
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Get in touch
Please contact the Complaints and Appeals Team if you wish to know more about case studies and evidence. The Students' Union at UWE Bristol Advice Centre is also there to provide support. | https://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/academicappeals/casestudiesandevidence.aspx |
RCGP has developed super-condensed RCGP curriculum guides for 2021. These are summaries of the full versions of the curriculum topic guides.
The guides are intended as a resource for supporting educational conversations in training and as a means of identifying learning needs for professional development. They are subdivided into the following themes:
The topic guides are those that correspond to the most usual GP training posts. We hope that they will assist trainees in formulating their PDPs and ePortfolios at the beginning and throughout their training posts, help trainers as a framework for learning needs analysis, and enable specialist clinical supervisors to align experiential learning to the needs of the GP curriculum.
The topic guides included are:
As of February 2021 we are mindful that, although there are a variety of training opportunities still available, there is significant disruption to training and normal working practices under present restrictions. However, we feel that it is still appropriate to align the guides to the established curriculum in anticipation of a future return to the core role and capabilities of being a GP. The final section of the guides on ‘How to learn this topic’ includes a disclaimer to this effect, acknowledging the current limitations in learning opportunities.
We hope to publish updates for the remaining topic guides on coming months. We would be very grateful for any suggestions and feedback.
Last updated 8 February 2021
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An error occurred adding your item to the basket: | https://www.rcgp.org.uk/training-exams/training/gp-curriculum-overview/rcgp-curriculum-super-condensed-curriculum-guides.aspx |
A vast majority of the applications for Social Security disability benefits are initially denied. This is for a variety of reasons. Many of the initially denied applications are later successful after you file an appeal against the denial. A qualified Social Security disability attorney can help you with the appeals process.
The appeals process itself comprises several stages. These stages are different levels at which you can appeal against the denial of your application. The first of these stages is disability reconsideration. This stage is not very different from the initial application although there are some key differences. Here are some tips you can use to improve your odds of success at the disability reconsideration stage.
1. File a Timely Appeal
Social Security Administration (SSA) communicates the denial of your application in the form of a denial letter. Once you receive this letter, you have 60 days from the date stated on the letter. It is important to submit your appeal in writing within this period. If you are delayed and submit an appeal after the 60-day window, your appeal will almost certainly be denied.
2. Submit the Right Paperwork
When you are filing a reconsideration appeal, you are required to submit a specific form. This is known as the Form SSA-561. In addition, you must also provide a Reconsideration Disability Report. This report essentially augments your original claim by furnishing new and relevant information pertaining to your application.
A third form that is also required when filing for disability reconsideration is Authorization to Disclose Information to the SSA. As the name suggests, this is a medical release form that allows SSA to access the medical records related to your disability.
3. Draft an Effective Appeals Letter
When you submit the designated SSA forms, you have only a few lines to provide your viewpoint on why the denial was not fair. However, you may want to provide a more detailed view of how SSA’s reasons for denying your application were not right. This can be done by drafting an effective appeals letter and submitting this letter alongside the SSA form. You can also state ‘see attached page’ on the form so that the SSA personnel who receive the form do not miss the letter.
4. Provide Additional Medical Evidence
Medical records and evidence play a central role in determining the outcome of your disability benefits application. If your initial application has been denied, it is important that you submit additional medical evidence and documentation when filing for Disability Reconsideration.
This additional evidence may make all the difference and help you win your claim at the reconsideration stage. You can discuss your initial denial with your treating physician and see what types of medical evidence may be best to provide when filing the appeal.
5. Be Honest and Transparent
It is always a good idea to be completely honest and transparent when presenting your viewpoint and evidence for a Social Security disability application. This also applies during the reconsideration process. You should present a realistic view of your medical condition and the limitations imposed by it. Any ambiguity or dishonesty on your part as an applicant can not only damage your odds of success at this stage, it can also harm your chances of success at subsequent levels of appeal.
6. Get a Written Opinion From Your Doctor
Your doctor can provide an in-depth view of the nature and severity of your medical conditions, as well as the limitations imposed by them. You can ask your doctor to put this opinion in writing. This letter can then be provided as a part of the medical evidence. Although a letter from your doctor may make some difference at the Disability Reconsideration stage, it has a more significant impact if your appeal goes to the hearing stage.
7. Hire a Reliable Attorney
A qualified Social Security disability lawyer can help you in filling and submitting SSA forms, gathering relevant evidence, as well as managing other activities related to your appeal. On your own, you may feel overwhelmed given the complexity of the process. With a lawyer by your side, you are able to avoid any mistakes and ensure that you file an appeal without wasting any time.
Hiring a Reliable Social Security Lawyer in Greenville, SC
If your disability application has been denied at the initial stage, we can help you. Here at the Surface Law Firm, we help applicants seeking Social Security disability benefits. Our lawyers work with you before, during, and after the initial claim. If your claim is turned down, we help you file the appeal in time or take your case to a hearing if needed. Reach out to us today to discuss your Greenville disability application with our lawyers. | https://greenvilledisabilitylawyer.net/7-tips-disability-reconsider-appeal/ |
The PVD and DLC coatings we carry out have obtained the Certification of suitability for contact with food in accordance with to the Regulation EU REG. 1935/2004.
Coatings such as TiN are adopted to protect components for food production in order to reduce the risk of polluting the processed substances. We propose our coatings as substitutes for treatments harmful to health such as galvanic chromium plating and Teflon coating, offering superior performance in terms of the component’s increased resistance to fatigue and wear and therefore of its useful life.
PVD and DLC coatings offer the following benefits to treated components:
- reduction of the friction coefficient, for plain shaft operating components;
- release effect which, thanks to the high surface finish, avoids the accumulation of residue due to the combination of high finish and surface purity;
- decrease of the working temperature of the equipment in contact with foods, with direct limitation to over-heating;
- formation of a protective barrier against numerous products used for cleaning and sterilising the plants. | https://www.pvd-coating.com/en/applications/food-beverage |
The Attorney General put out a press release announcing the impending operation of the Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011. The Bill’s homepage is here. It provides:
Attorney-General Robert McClelland today said changes to Australia’s legal system from next month will fundamentally change the way people resolve issues in the federal courts.
“Australia’s legal system is changing. We are moving away from an adversarial culture of litigation to a broader approach to dispute resolution,’ Mr McClelland said.
“This means greater opportunities for resolution, rather than a system that prioritises ‘winners and losers’.
“We no longer live in an age where the only proper way to settle a legal issue is through the courts.
“From 1 August, parties to a court action will be required to lodge a statement about the steps that they have taken to try and resolve their dispute when commencing proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia or in the Federal Magistrates Court, with some exemptions.
“The courts will always play a central role in our justice system, but it’s clear that launching into litigation is not always the best approach to resolving issues.
“Wherever possible, people need to be able to reach early resolution of their dispute, without escalating into court proceedings. These new laws will ensure parties are given every encouragement and the best possible opportunity of doing so.
“Parties can benefit from exchanging information, narrowing the issues in dispute and exploring options for resolution leading to more matters being settled by agreement earlier on, before significant costs have been incurred and legal positions become entrenched.
“Even if matters progress to court, experience shows costs will be saved as the issues in dispute will be better understood and narrowed.
“Not all matters can be resolved before heading to court, and some do need the clarity of a judicial ruling.
“However, the Government firmly believes that considering resolution of disputes before court should be encouraged wherever possible.”
“The change doesn’t introduce mandatory processes that themselves could become the subject of dispute.
“Instead, it is deliberately flexible in allowing parties to tailor the steps they take to their individual circumstances and the particular nature of their dispute.”
Mr McClelland said he is pleased other jurisdictions are also moving towards a similar approach.
The Civil Dispute Resolution Act is an important part of the Government’s agenda under its Strategic Framework for Access to Justice to encourage early dispute resolution.
The Act implements key recommendations from the 2009 National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council (NADRAC) report, The Resolve to Resolve – Embracing ADR to Improve Access to Justice in the Federal Jurisdiction. | http://www.peteraclarke.com.au/2011/07/08/commonwealth-attorney-general-refers-to-upcoming-commencement-of-hte/ |
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