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Central schemes no longer limited to certain people, reaching all: Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called upon Chief Ministers to contribute their efforts towards 100 per cent implementation of Central schemes for the poor people’s welfare as he said these were no longer limited to certain people and reaching everyone without discrimination.
He encouraged states to give fresh ideas to the Finance Commission on outcome-based allocations and expenditure correction, while calling for a widespread debate and consultations on simultaneous parliamentary and assembly elections, “keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings and consequent better utilisation of resources”.
In his closing remarks at fourth meeting of the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council, Modi, welcoming the constructive discussion and suggestions made by various Chief Ministers, assured them that these would be seriously considered during decision-making, an official statement said.
He asked the NITI Aayog to follow up, within three months, on the actionable points suggested by states.
Modi termed it “vital to identify the ‘last people in the line’ so that benefits of governance can reach them”. “Similarly social justice is an important governance objective. These noble causes require close coordination and constant monitoring,” he said.
On his government’s guiding principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, the Prime Minister said: “The schemes of the Union government are no longer limited to certain people, or to certain regions and are reaching everyone without discrimination, in a balanced way.”
Noting that all villages of the country are now electrified, he said that, under Saubhagya Yojana, four crore houses are now being provided with electricity connections.
“Rural sanitation coverage has increased from less than 40 per cent to about 85 per cent in four years. After implementation of the Jan Dhan Yojana, the entire population will be connected to the banking system.
“The Ujjwala Yojana is providing access to cooking gas, and Mission Indradhanush is working towards universal immunization,” he said adding that his government is working towards providing housing for all by 2022.
“The implementation of these welfare schemes is also bringing about a behavioural change in the lives of people,” he said, holding that the neem coating of urea, Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Accounts and RuPay debit cards are improving the lives of the people, while the Swachh Bharat Mission is being discussed around the world.
“In the last four years, 7.70 crore toilets have been constructed,” he said calling upon the Chief Ministers to work towards 100 per cent sanitation coverage by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
He reiterated the his commitment to provide universal coverage of seven key schemes to 45,000 additional villages in 115 Aspirational Districts, by August 15.
On the issue of environment, raised by some Chief Ministers, the Prime Minister urged them to use LED bulbs in government buildings, official residences and streetlights “within a definite timeframe”.
Modi appreciated several other suggestions made by various Chief Ministers, on matters such as water conservation, agriculture, rural job scheme etc.
He also called upon Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, to work together to make recommendations on a coordinated policy approach on the subjects of agriculture and the rural job scheme, including both pre-sowing, and post-harvest phases.
He urged for efforts towards water conservation and water management on a war footing.
Encouraging the states to give fresh ideas to the Finance Commission for incentivizing outcome-based allocations, and expenditure correction, he said, “The world expects India to become a five trillion dollar economy soon.”
Asking states to focus on exports, he encouraged them to boost “Ease of Doing Business.”
“NITI Aayog should call a meeting with all states to provide a further impetus to ease of doing business. ‘Ease of living’ for the common man is also the need of the hour, and states should now take initiatives in this regard,” he said.
Expressing concern over low corporate investment in agriculture sector, he said states should formulate policies that promote corporate investment in areas such as warehousing, transportation, value addition and food processing etc.
The Prime Minister said that mining blocks which have been successfully auctioned, should start production at the earliest and urged the states to take steps in this regard. | https://odishatv.in/business_economy/central-schemes-no-longer-limited-to-certain-people-reaching-all-modi-303056 |
The US Coast Guard does not have a documented network capacity planning process. Network capacity planning is an important aspect of IT infrastructure planning that involves determining the network resources needed to support an entity’s mission. However, the Coast Guard uses an ad hoc process that does not fully align with the five common practices identified by the GAO for network capacity. The table below describes the extent to which it has implemented the practices. Without full implementation of these practices, the Coast Guard faces significant risks resulting from inefficiencies and disruptions in network availability to users.
Extent to which the Coast Guard has implemented network capacity planning practices
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Common practices
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Implementation status
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Compile an inventory of hardware, software and configurations
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Identify core network utilization and traffic growth forecasts
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Determine bandwidth allocation needs for variations and prioritize network traffic
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Run simulations and perform analyzes of network usage
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Make network improvements and continuously monitor infrastructure health
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Legend: ● = addressed: The Coast Guard has demonstrated that it has fully implemented the practice; ◑ = partially addressed: the Coast Guard has demonstrated that it has implemented some, but not all of the practice; and ○= not addressed: the Coast Guard could not demonstrate that it had implemented the practice.
Source: GAO analysis of US Coast Guard literature and industry publications. | GAO-22-105092
Per the January 2017 agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense (DOD), the Coast Guard must follow the DOD’s Risk Management Framework. This framework establishes two different cybersecurity risk management processes to identify and apply cybersecurity controls for IT and operational technology resources. However, the Coast Guard has not applied the framework consistently for its operational technology. This inconsistency is partly due to the lack of a complete and accurate inventory. Additionally, a cybersecurity risk management process is missing for two types of operational technologies: industrial control systems and supervisory control and data acquisition systems. Without a consistently applied process, accurate inventory, and coverage for all systems, the Coast Guard cannot effectively manage cybersecurity risks.
In March 2021, the Coast Guard released a cloud strategy that outlines its strategic goals for cloud computing over the next five years. The cloud strategy and associated relevant documentation incorporated most federal cloud requirements and guidance. However, the Coast Guard has not addressed key actions related to safety and its workforce. Updating its policy to include all cloud-related requirements and guidance would further facilitate migration to cloud services.
Why GAO Did This Study
The US Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, relies heavily on computer systems and services to carry out its 11 statutory missions. It also relies on operational technology, which encompasses a wide range of programmable systems or devices that interact with the physical environment, such as sensors and radars. Historically, the Coast Guard has had longstanding issues in managing its technological resources. As such, it plans to spend $93 million to improve the reliability and performance of these resources in fiscal year 2022.
The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 included a provision for the GAO to review several aspects of the Coast Guard’s computer program. This report addresses, among other things, the extent to which the Coast Guard (1) has a process for planning network capacity; (2) has cybersecurity risk management processes for IT and operational technology; and (3) incorporated federal requirements into its cloud computing strategy.
To accomplish this, GAO assessed Coast Guard IT policies and procedures against current network capacity planning practices. The GAO also analyzed the Coast Guard’s cybersecurity processes for IT and operational technologies and assessed their application. Additionally, it assessed the cloud strategy and other related documents against federal requirements and guidelines. | https://proxydrop.info/coast-guard-actions-needed-to-improve-it-program-implementation/ |
An Albuquerque couple who operate their commercial photography business on Christian religious principles will ask the Supreme Court to give them constitutional protection for their views favoring traditional marriage, their lawyers said on Wednesday. The case, if accepted by the Court, would give the Justices a chance to sort out how gay rights laws passed by states are enforced against those who hold the view that marriage is only for a man and a woman.
Although the case does not involve state authority to allow or deny same-sex marriage, it could be the first new case related to that issue to reach the Court since its first foray into that constitutional controversy last Term.
The case, from the New Mexico Supreme Court, is Elane Photography v. Willock. This blog discussed the state court’s decision as part of a longer post dealing with religious issues likely to reach the Justices in the new Term. The petition in the case is due at the Supreme Court by late November, according to attorneys with the advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom.
New Mexico is a state that, so far, is neutral on the question of same-sex marriage. It neither allows such marriages, nor prohibits them. But, since the Supreme Court’s June decisions, New Mexico has become the most active state testing how those decisions may — or may not — affect states’ control of marriage rights.
Two state judges in the state have taken the Supreme Court decisions as a lead to allow same-sex couples to get marriage licenses, and scores of such licenses have been issued in recent weeks in at least three counties. The issue is headed for the state supreme court.
In the Elane Photography case being readied for a U.S. Supreme Court appeal, the lawyers for the couple have been stressing that they are not hostile to homosexuals, but are opposed to accepting business involving photographs of same-sex marriage ceremonies because of their religious views.
The couple, Elaine and Jonathan Huguenin, have summed up their views on the issue in this statement, excerpted from a legal brief in the state supreme court:
“Jonathan and Elaine are Christians, and as such, they believe the Bible’s teaching that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. They also believe that preserving marriage as the union of a man and a woman is ‘the best way to order society.’ Thus while the company wants to create photographs that tell the stories of weddings between a ‘bride and groom’, its policies prohibit creating images that convey an understanding of marriage that conflicts with Jonathan and Elaine’s beliefs. Jonathan and Elaine believe that if they were to convey a contrary message about marriage, they would be disobeying God.
“Elane Photography does not refuse customers because of their sexual orientation. Crucial to the company is the message conveyed through its photographs, not the sexual orientation of its customers. Therefore Elaine will not create photographs of heterosexual polygamous weddings just the same as she will not create photographs of same-sex ceremonies. And she will decline to create photographs telling the story of a same-sex commitment ceremony even if the ceremony was part of a movie and the actors playing the same-sex couple were heterosexual. On the other hand, Elaine will create portrait photographs for and provide other services to people who identify as homosexual so long as the message communicated through her pictures does not conflict with her beliefs about marriage.”
Their planned petition to the Supreme Court will seek to convince the Justices that their photographic work is a form of artistic expression that conveys messages, and it will argue that enforcing the New Mexico “public accommodation” law in ways contrary to their views compels them to express messages they do not embrace and interferes with the free exercise of their religious beliefs.
The state law at issue in the case bars discrimination against sexual orientation in providing access to businesses that are open to the public in general.
Recommended Citation: Lyle Denniston, Traditional marriage plea heads to Court, SCOTUSblog (Sep. 11, 2013, 8:03 PM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2013/09/traditional-marriage-plea-heads-to-court/
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The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) has announced the second annual Traffic Control Device Challenge, which offers its winners cash prizes and national media recognition for their progressive ideas.
In partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), ATSSA is asking engineering students to focus on how the USA’s roadway system can be made safer, through innovation, to accommodate road users of all types.
During the first year of the contest, students from Pennsylvania State University, New Mexico State University and the University of Arizona also had the opportunity to display their ideas to the roadway safety industry during ATSSA’s Annual Convention and Traffic Expo in Phoenix, Arizona.
Eligible participants can be high school, community college, college, graduate students, or teams of students, who have an interest in transportation infrastructure safety.
Submissions to the contest must be an original design or modification of an industry-accepted design or product. A special panel of TRB experts will then judge entries based on the ability of the idea to address a specific roadway problem, how easily it can be understood by all road users, its applicability on a nationwide basis, and its feasibility for implementation. Interested participants can find application details on the ATSSA website, and the submission deadline is October 1.
Up to 12 finalists will be invited to display their ideas at the 2018 TRB annual meeting in Washington DC in early 2018. From those, first, second and third place winners will be selected to present their concepts to the roadway safety industry at ATSSA’s 48th Annual Convention and Traffic Expo in San Antonio, Texas, on January 26-30. | https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/safety/atssa-and-trb-launch-national-contest-to-improve-roadway-safety.html |
Founded on the principles of open source, Nuxeo is passionate about community: the ecosystem of our community users, customers and partners who run their critical content-centric applications on our platform. Open source ensures that these external stakeholders have full visibility into not only the source code but the roadmap and ongoing commitment to standards and platforms. Customers, integrators, contributors and our own developers come together to share ideas, integrations and code to deliver value to the larger user base.
Important development choices can be followed on through the tech reports. Comments are more than welcome!
Quality of the product development can be monitored on our Jenkins Continuous Integration site and SonarQube Quality Assurance site.
Nuxeo is always happy when someone offers to help in the improvement of the product, whether it is for documentation, testing, fixing a bug, suggesting functional improvement or contributing totally new modules. To maintain the quality of such an open development process, Nuxeo has set up a few strict rules that a Nuxeo community member should follow to be able to contribute.
There will be a "contributions portal" in the future; until then, this page explains the process that should be respected.
Before describing this process, here are a few points that are the basis of the Nuxeo development process and that should always be kept in mind.
Any evolution in Nuxeo sources should be matched with a JIRA issue (http://jira.nuxeo.com/browse/NXP, or corresponding product NXMOB, NXIDE, NXBT...).
Any code evolution must be documented, in the English language.
Any new feature, even a low-level one, must be unit-tested.
Any new feature must be implemented respecting usual Nuxeo software design, leveraging services, not putting business logic in Seam components. A bad design code could be rejected.
Nuxeo labels are stored in ASCII files. We use the UTF-8 encoding for non ASCII files (like \u00e9 for é). You have two different options. See How to Translate the Nuxeo Platform for more details.
Join the Nuxeo translation group of your choice at crowdin.net/profile/nuxeo. Pick a language you want to translate and start by clicking Translate.
Click on a phrase you want to translate. You see the original phrase in the top, and a box to fill out your translation beneath.
Enter the translation and by clicking Save, and optionally, if you're a proofreader, you can approve the translation.
Contact one or several of the Crowdin project managers to be credited for your contribution.
For now, English translations are managed only on GitHub.
If the module is under the addons directory, it will be in a specific GitHub repository. Otherwise, it will be in the main Nuxeo repository.
For Web UI labels, edit the Nuxeo Web UI or Nuxeo UI Elements JSON files.
Use any standard Java i18n tool to edit the files.
Make a pull-request on GitHub.
Contribution is welcome both for technical (books and guides, FAQ, tutorials) and functional documentation. Ask a contributor account for http://doc.nuxeo.com on Nuxeo Answers, the nuxeo-dev mailing list or on the Nuxeo Google+ community.
Testing is always welcome, particularly when Nuxeo submits a new Fast Track version of its products. As our products are easily downloadable, it doesn't require any specific development skill.
Download the version you want to test, set it up.
Get and read the user guide for the selected distribution and add-ons.
For any bug you detect, ask for a confirmation on Nuxeo Answers, create a JIRA ticket, specifying the version of the product, the environment (OS, browser, ...), the conditions and the reproduction steps. Before each release every ticket is read and depending on its severity, fixed before the release or postponed.
Improving a module is always welcome and is carefully managed by Nuxeo developers. Process is through a JIRA "Contribution" ticket and GitHub. Depending on the nature of your changes, you might be asked to sign and return the Contributor Agreement. This is mandatory for everything that isn't minor improvement or bugfix. You may get credentials to commit directly when you get used to submitting pull requests and that those one respect the framework logic and quality rules.
Create a JIRA "Contribution" ticket that will hold a description of your improvements, functionally and technically.
Send an email to the nuxeo-dev mailing list, or post on the Nuxeo Google+ community, to notify the community as well as Nuxeo developers.
Nuxeo will approve your specifications (or ask you some more information/change) and will give you recommendations. The JIRA issue will be in "specApproved" state.
Read the Coding and design guidelines.
Do your modifications in a new branch named "FEATURE-the_Jira_issue-a_short_description", respecting the coding and design guidelines. Be sure it doesn't break existing unit tests.
In JIRA, set the ticket to "devReview" state and give a link to your pull request.
Finally, we can ask for some changes, putting comments on your code, then your branch will be merged by a Nuxeo developer.
Nuxeo is highly modularized and as a consequence, it is totally possible to develop a new feature that will be deeply mixed with existing interface. Our main recommendation, among respecting coding rules and design, is to respect the usual code layout: core, API, facade, web, … If you have such a project, Nuxeo will be glad to help you designing your module, and to provide a GitHub repository, aside a web page (Wiki) and a JIRA project for the visibility of your development.
Start by an introductory email in the mailing list, explaining purpose of the new module you want to develop (BEFORE developing it) and how you think of doing it or how you did it (although it is always better to contact the list before).
After a few exchanges in the mailing list, return the Contributor Agreement signed. Nuxeo will then add you to the GitHub organization and give you rights to commit in a new GitHub repository.
Read and respect the Coding and design guidelines.
Commit your development regularly (meaning don't wait to finish everything: on the contrary commit each of your developments on a very atomic mode, mentioning purpose of your commit in JIRA (take it as an advice more than a rule).
Unit tests are mandatory and Test Driven Development is strongly encouraged. Functional tests could also be integrated. We'll put your module under continuous integration, if the quality of the code respects Nuxeo criteria.
You can ask for a code review in the nuxeo-dev mailing list.
Package your plugin as a Nuxeo Package, if you want it to be on Nuxeo Marketplace Plus it will be much easier for people to install it.
Align your code on a recent released version or on the latest development version.
Provide a clean POM (well indented, no duplication, inheriting nuxeo-ecm POM, ...).
If needed, provide a list of the artifacts (libraries) or Public Maven repositories that should be added to the Nuxeo Maven repository to be able to build.
Avoid introducing new libraries if the equivalent already exists in Nuxeo.
Create a JIRA ticket of type "Contribution" describing the problem and what you plan to do (or what you did, if it comes after).
Send an email to the nuxeo-dev mailing list, or post on the Nuxeo Google+ community, to notify the community.
Fork the "master" branch of the sub-project you want to patch.
Make your modifications, respecting the coding and design guidelines, and check that they don't break existing unit tests.
Create a patch file and attach it to the JIRA ticket you created.
Send an email to nuxeo-dev mailing list to notify the community of your contribution.
The patch will either be validated or you will receive feedback with guidance to complete it.
The patch will be committed by a Nuxeo developer.
Click here to download the Nuxeo Contributor Agreement (PDF).
For small patches and minimal changes, one doesn't need a contributor agreement, as it cannot be considered original work with a separate license and copyright. The contributor agreement is for folks who contribute non-trivial amounts of code (at least one new file for instance). | https://doc.nuxeo.com/nxdoc/contributing-to-nuxeo/ |
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The City of Tulsa is accepting submissions from professional artists or teams of artists in response to a significant public art opportunity relating to the City’s recent investments at the Mission Training Center near Tulsa International Airport.
Budget: $50,000 (includes foundation/base)
Eligibility: Professional artists
Deadline: 06/23/2020
Optional Informational Conference Call: RSVP to John Paganelli by 5 PM CDT Tue, June 2nd, 2020: [email protected]
or by phone, (918) 579-9455
Project Description
This Call to Artists seeks to identify artist teams or artists capable of designing, fabricating, and installing a sculptural installation commemorating the Oklahoma Air National Guard, its 138th Fighter Wing, and Technical Sergeant Marshal (Moo) Dakota Roberts, who “…died in combat on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 while deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.”
Artwork Goals
The installation should serve as a photo opportunity for park visitors and passersby. The installation should also commemorate and make space available for the continued dedication and sacrifices made by the 138th Fighter Wing’s servicemembers.
Artwork Location Description
The project site is located near the intersection of E 46th Street North and N 145th E Ave in Tulsa. The high-security nature of the Mission Training Center has necessitated the placement of the related public art at an aviation viewing lot just north of Tulsa International Airport’s main runway, a highly visible location in Tulsa.
Timeline
Selection Process
All submitted materials will initially be reviewed by the Steering Committee. Up to five candidates may be shortlisted and interviewed prior to and/or during final selection. Artists will present final concepts to the Steering Committee, which will formally recommend a selected artist to the Arts Commission, which advises the Mayor of the City of Tulsa on final approval. The selected artist(s) will be expected to work with stakeholders to integrate artwork into the final design, ensuring that all opportunities for leveraging the budget have been fully explored and exploited. During this phase, the artist may be required to attend (possibly via conference calls) public information sessions and/or Steering Committee meeting(s). Once the design is accepted by the Mayor, the artist(s) will be responsible for obtaining the appropriate permits for the project’s installation.
Selection Criteria
What to Submit
How to Submit
Submit ONLINE ONLY via Submittable.
QUESTIONS? Contact John T. Paganelli, Planner, [email protected] or (918) 579-9455
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
© 2020 - Arts Council of Indianapolis - All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: The Arts Council of Indianapolis provides this database and website as a service to artists, arts organizations, and consumers alike. All information contained within the database and website was provided by the artists or arts organizations. No adjudication or selection process was used to develop this site or the artists and organizations featured. While the Arts Council of Indianapolis makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information on this site, it does not endorse, approve, or certify such information, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness, or correct sequencing of such information. | https://www.indyartsguide.org/classified/oklahoma-air-national-guard-seeks-public-art/ |
As a Chiropractor who treats weight lifting and sport’s related injuries, the clinical presentation of shoulder impingement is a very common complaint. The rotator cuff tendons (mainly supraspinatus) become “pinched” against the bony “roof” (acromion) of the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint leading to acute pain, inflammation and weakness. Overhead sport sand movements where impingement can occur are Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting/bench press, volleyball and baseball.
Impingement is the end result of one of many possible causes but it can be classified as either structural (primary) or functional (secondary). In the former, a potential narrowing of the subacromial space occurs due to a curved or hooked acromion or thickening of surrounding ligaments. This can be diagnosed on an X ray or MRI which are usually ordered only after the injury occurs. In the latter, there are normal X-ray findings but muscle imbalance and/or weakness is evident in the rotator cuff and scapular stabilising muscles (serratus anterior, trapezius, levator scapulae, and rhomboids).
Left untreated, repeated painful episodes over many years often leads to degeneration and tearing of the rotator cuff tendons.
Surgery is the treatment of choice for a structural impingement but treatment for functional impingement is more conservative, requiring prescribed exercises aimed at strengthening and restoring muscle balance. A successful rehabilitation program must address poor timing and control of the shoulder complex (GH joint and scapula) not just volitional strength gains (e.g. Isolated external rotation exercises for the rotator cuff).
We need to realise though that the body behaves as one functional unit and discussion on local anatomy and function of one region is only describing one link in an entire chain. Changes in posture of one body segment (e.g. thoracic spine) can influence another (i.e. shoulder complex).
To prove this point, let us do a posture check right now. As you sit in your chair, let your arms hang by your waist, slouch forward (like people on their smartphones!) and now try and raise one arm away from your body above your head as high as possible. Note how high it went. Now, reverse that slouched posture by straightening up and bringing your head back over your shoulders. Once again, with hands by your side, try and raise the same arm as high as possible.
While slouching, you would of barely passed shoulder level elevating your arm and may even have experienced a slight niggle or pinch in the shoulder. After correcting your posture your shoulder range would have increased instantly and any impingement symptoms should have decreased.
As can be seen from the above discussion, a thorough history and examination is required to diagnose the root cause of an individual’s shoulder impingement. A highly trained Chiropractor familiar with weightlifting and sports’ injuries will achieve this and guide you through the necessary treatment and rehabilitation. | https://www.rgchiropractic.com.au/single-post/2016/10/01/shoulder-impingement |
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- High school football players appear to be twice as likely to have migraines as the average person, which may be due to head injuries and concussions the athletes endure during play, two small new studies suggest.
The first study found that one-third of a group of 74 football players from Louisville, Kentucky-area high schools reported migraine-like symptoms.
"In the general population, anybody out walking the streets in America, there's a 16.2 percent prevalence of migraine," said senior researcher Dr. Tad Seifert, director of Norton Healthcare's Sports Concussion Program in Louisville and head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Headache Task Force. "We found that almost 34 percent of our players self-reported a history of migraine."
Even that number is likely understated, said Dr. David Dodick, a concussion expert at the Mayo Clinic and chair of the American Migraine Foundation.
Many players may not realize that they've had a concussion or a migraine, Dodick said. If they do, players often don't report their symptoms to an adult.
"It makes them look like they're not tough," he said. "They don't want to let down their coach. They don't want to let down their parents. They don't want to risk their position on the team. So you stick it out."
In addition, migraine headaches or migraine-like symptoms appear to be the most common symptom suffered by high school athletes following a concussion, the second study found.
The second study included a random sample of 25 teenage athletes treated at the Florida Center for Headache and Sports Neurology. Only 5 percent of players lost consciousness due to a sports-related concussion. But 100 percent experienced a headache either right after the event or during their recovery, the study found.
Four out of five concussed athletes reported that their headache often worsened throughout the day, particularly if they engaged in physical or mental activity, the researchers said.
"We found that everybody we saw had a headache during some part of their sports-related concussion," said principal investigator Dr. Frank Conidi, main neurologist for the Florida Center. "A majority if not all of the headaches were consistent with migraines."
The headaches reported shared many symptoms associated with migraines, including sensitivity to light or noise, nausea, vomiting, sleeplessness, distortions of vision and difficulty speaking, the researchers explained.
Research has found that migraines and concussion are interrelated, with one increasing the risk of the other. For example, people with a history of migraine are more likely to suffer a concussion, Seifert said.
Because of that, coaches and team doctors should try their best to identify teenagers who suffer frequent headaches before they take the field, he said.
"That's an at-risk population that we need to pay a little closer attention to," Seifert said. "A good, thorough headache history should be a part of any pre-season physical, because they're at higher risk for concussion and will take longer to recover from a concussion."
Doctors also need to get better at treating headaches caused by sports-related concussions, Conidi and Dodick said.
"I see a number of these people go on to develop chronic headaches," Conidi said. "If these people were treated properly initially, they wouldn't go on to develop chronic headaches."
Unfortunately, the drugs commonly used to treat and prevent normal migraines don't always work on migraines that have been caused by a concussion, and research into medications specifically for sports-related headaches has been lacking, Dodick said.
"Post-traumatic headache is a very challenging medical disorder to treat," Dodick said. "And there hasn't been a single placebo-controlled study examining any drug used to treat athletes who are experiencing post-traumatic headache. That, in 2015, is incredible."
Findings from the studies were to be reported Wednesday at the American Headache Society's annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved. | https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=189052 |
Top regional industries in Houma-Thibodaux are critical inputs to the nation’s economy – one that is reliant on products manufactured and services provided by companies located in the region’s four-parish area. In addition to powering national commerce, these industries also help to maintain economic stability and growth in the Bayou Region.
The region is home to agribusiness-related companies ranging from food processors to sugarcane mills. The sugarcane industry in particular is a thriving one for the Bayou Region due to the abundance of sugarcane plants and fields that have served as a key component of the region’s economy for decades.
Companies like Raceland Raw Sugar Corporation operate sugar mills that receive raw product from area farmers, process it into sugar crystals, and then ship to customers such as Domino Sugar for refining.
The Raceland sugar mill, which is built to process 15,000 tons of sugarcane daily, 1.25 million tons annually, recently underwent a $162 million expansion of its facility to increase capture of sustainable by-products – some of which are used to power the sugar mill’s own operations.
The Bayou Region is a hub for energy production, with many companies providing key services to support offshore activities. Areas like Port Fourchon, Louisiana’s southernmost port, facilitate the transportation of more than 1.5 million barrels of crude oil each day, and support billions of dollars in economic activity each year.
Top energy companies in the region include Danos, a large oilfield services company, and Oceaneering International, a critical provider of products and services to offshore oil and gas operations with key business lines that include remotely-operated vehicles, testing and inspection services, and manned diving services.
The Bayou Region’s multimodal transportation capabilities make it easy to understand why logistics, warehousing and distribution activities are a key component of the region’s economy.
Led by Port Fourchon, where up to 1,200 trucks travel in and out each day, the region is connected to interstate highways and railroads, and it maintains direct access to the Gulf of Mexico through a number of various channels and access points. A recent economic impact study to measure the importance of Port Fourchon to both the regional and national economies indicated that in less than a month nearly $10 billion of products that flow through the port are sold at U.S. firms and more than 77,000 jobs rely on Port Fourchon activities across the nation.
Transportation-related companies in the region collectively employ nearly 2,500 area residents with annual sales exceeding $500 million.
Manufacturing companies in the region are numerous and diverse, with operations ranging from plastic product and metal parts manufacturing to machinery and heavy equipment manufacturing.
John Deere is one of the world’s largest machinery manufacturers, and the company maintains a strong presence in the region through its Thibodaux sugar cane equipment manufacturing facility – the largest in the world – where it employs nearly 500 area residents and serves the needs of sugarcane farmers across the globe.
Less than an hour from Thibodaux in Franklin, MARK Tool & Rubber Company is a key provider to the energy and maritime sectors by manufacturing products that range from rubber rollers and cast urethane, which help prevent deterioration and breakages in its many applications, to splash zone pipeline coatings designed to prevent corrosion in offshore installations.
John Deere
CORTEC
Bollinger Shipyards
New and long-term residents share why they choose to live, work and play in Louisiana's Bayou Region. | https://choosehouma-thibodaux.com/Houma-Thibodaux-economy/industries |
Five wrestlers, including Commonwealth champions Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg), Aminat Adeniyi (62kg) and Blessing Oborodudu (68kg), on Tuesday began camping for the Summer Games in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. The trio are joined by youngster Adidjat Idris (50kg) and Ekerekeme Agiomor (86kg), who would be making their Olympic debuts in Japan.
While in Yenagoa, the Tokyo-bound wrestlers will be perfecting strategies under the watch of coaches Purity Akuh, Victor Kodei and Happiness Burutu in a bid to win Nigeria’s first wrestling medals at the Olympics.
“This is the preparation we hope would get them over the hurdle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” Igali, who won Olympic gold for Canada at the Sydney Games in 2000, said.
“They would be here (Yenagoa) right up until early August, when they leave for another preparatory camp in Tokyo.
“Our plan is to, for the next couple of weeks, get them efficiently prepared to go to a Ranking Series competition in Poland. We also plan to have a competition here in Bayelsa – a test competition for them.
“We have about three training partners to each athlete because we want to mimic a situation where they have different kinds of opponents, so that all five qualified athletes are given the necessary preparations.”
The delayed-Tokyo Games will take place from 23 July to 7 August, with wrestling running from 1 – 7 August. | http://www.africansportsmonthly.com/news/igali-confident-of-adequate-preparations-as-team-nigeria-hit-camp-for-tokyo-2020 |
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/39122
|Title:||Biological research snapshots|
|Authors:||Deidun, Alan|
|Keywords:||Biology -- Study and teaching -- Malta|
Marine biology -- Study and teaching -- Malta
|Issue Date:||2009-11-29|
|Publisher:||Allied Newspapers Ltd.|
|Citation:||Deidun, A. (2009, November 29). Biological research snapshots. The Times of Malta, pp. 1-2.|
|Abstract:||With so much talk about the need to conduct research in areas that can generate new employment opportunities in our country, such as IT and engineering, politicians tend to sideline other areas of research. When assessing the relevance of a particular research area, we should not look only for short term deliverables, which might include patents and business opportunities, but also for contributions whose relevance to the country cannot be directly quantified. The rapidly expanding field of environmental economics is seeking to put an elusive financial tag to services provided by ecosystems. But can anyone really quantify the benefits of monitoring bathing water quality, for example, or from mapping the distribution of a rare plant species?|
|URI:||https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/39122|
|Appears in Collections:||Scholarly Works - FacSciGeo|
Files in This Item:
|File||Description||Size||Format|
|Biological_research_snapshots.pdf||1.75 MB||Adobe PDF||View/Open|
Items in OAR@UM are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/39122 |
Movements of two cars central to Emma Faulds probe, say police
Police searching for the body of missing Emma Faulds say finding further information on the movements of two cars is central to their investigation.
The appeal came as officers set up a facility allowing members of the public to send mobile phone and dash cam footage directly to the inquiry team.
Ms Faulds, 39, from Kilmarnock, was last seen on the evening of April 28 in Monkton, Ayrshire.
A man has appeared in court charged with her murder.
Ms Faulds’ body has not yet been found and police have been concentrating their efforts to find her in the area of Barrhill, particularly along the A714 road between Girvan and Newton Stewart.
Detectives have been working with specialist search advisers and forensic officers as they try to locate her.
Meanwhile, the force helicopter is now being used to help map out the large search area from above to enable a more systematic search.
Officers said they are still interested in tracing the movements of two black cars on the A714 – a Mercedes and a Jaguar.
The Mercedes was seen on Monday April 29, while the Jaguar was sighted the following day.
In a statement, the force said: “Detectives believe the movements of these cars are central to the investigation and are appealing for the public’s help in trying to find out more about them.”
Police Scotland has also created an online link to allow people to send them any relevant video from their mobile phone or dash cam.
People can log on to the site at: https://mipp.police.uk and navigate to the Emma Faulds inquiry.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Fergus, the officer leading the investigation, said: “What Emma’s family is going through is unimaginable and our priority is to find her.
“I am thankful to members of the public who have been in touch and have provided us with valuable information which has led us to explore this area.
“I believe the A714 route is key to helping us find Emma and I am appealing again to those who use this route regularly, please take time to think back and consider if you saw a Mercedes or Jaguar car on this road or parked up somewhere, or even off road.
“If you have dash cam footage, please take the time to go through and check it. You may not realise it but you could have captured footage of the vehicles in these locations which could provide us with vital information and assist us in finding Emma.”
Ross Willox appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Friday charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The 39-year-old, of Ayrshire, made no plea and was remanded in custody. | https://www.aol.co.uk/2019/05/15/movements-of-two-cars-central-to-emma-faulds-probe-say-police/ |
- Gill, Elaine L.
- et al.
Abstract
Few effective repellents are currently available for the non-lethal management of vertebrate pests. This is perhaps not surprising considering the ad hoc nature of past applications which assumed that the target pest species would have the same attraction/aversion preferences as man. A more rational approach is to identify compounds that have real biological significance for the pest species. Plants have evolved an array of defense chemicals (secondary plant compounds) that inhibit the feeding of vertebrate herbivores, because they are either innately aversive or they generate a conditioned aversion. These compounds are, therefore, ideally suited for use in the reduction of feeding damage to crops, forest plantations and stored food products. Several of these novel plant-derived materials (e.g., cinnamamide) are already undergoing commercial evaluation. This approach facilitates the use of a number of systems to increase a plant's resistance to attack: topical application of the defense compound, systemic stimulation of the plants own resistance mechanisms and genetic enhancement. The two latter systems will enable the utilization of potent repellents that are not commercially viable for topical application and to concentrate their expression in the most palatable and vulnerable tissues. This paper also discusses work undertaken to improve our knowledge of the feeding strategies of target species. A proper understanding of these behaviors is essential before it will finally be possible to predict the field conditions under which a repellent will be effective.
Main Content
Enter the password to open this PDF file: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5132n4f9 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed on Apr. 9, 2014 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial number 10-2014-0042272, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a method for sorting a media content according to a user's intention.
With the generalization of digital cameras, a user can frequently photograph a picture and a video during his/her daily life. A digital camera can photograph a picture and a video and store the photographed picture and the photographed video in a storage device (e.g., a memory) in the form of a file. With the development of technology, the capacity of a storage device embedded in a digital camera may have been increased more and more. Further, since the digital camera stores the picture and the video, the digital camera can store a larger amount of pictures and videos as the capacity of the storage device is increased. A media content (e.g., a picture file and a video file) accumulated in the form of files can be generally classified in order of date on which the media content has been photographed. When a user randomly classifies media contents stored in the electrode device, the user generates a specific folder to separately store the media contents. Here, the user can directly and individually select the media contents and move the selected media contents to the specific folder. When the number of picture files stored in the storage device is several hundreds or more, the user can identify, select, and classify the picture files one by one.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.
A method of sorting a media content according to the related art may be a method of a user generating a group (e.g., a folder and a directory) and moving a media content, which is directly selected by a user, among all of the media contents, to the group. Since the user should identify and move media contents stored in the electronic device, the time and the effort consumed by the user may increase as the number of the stored media contents becomes larger. That is, the user directly identifies media contents and moves the directly-selected media contents to a desired group, thereby sorting the media contents according to the user's intention. According to the related art, various operations of “generating a user's classification intention, generating a group (e.g., a folder) or a collection (e.g., album), selecting a media content object to be moved to the corresponding group, and moving the selected media content object” may be required in order to sort media contents. Further, since a user should perform the above operation by himself/herself, user convenience may deteriorate. Further, when a specific media content among a plurality of media contents is selectively classified, a large amount of time should be consumed by a user, and the user may feel inconvenience.
Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method of sorting a media content. The method can, when an image is photographed or a media content is downloaded, analyze the corresponding media content and include meta data illustrated in the media contents, in the media content. Accordingly, a user can sort a desired media content among the media content based on the meta data.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of sorting a media content is provided. The method includes receiving at least one search word, extracting at least one media content based on the received search word, identifying a user's selection for the extracted media content, generating a group, and including the at least one media content in the group based on the identified user's selection.
A method and an electronic device for sorting a media content according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can automatize an operation of identifying and sorting a media content, thereby improving user's convenience. Here, the operation of sorting a media content may be an operation of sorting a media content according to not randomness but a user's intention. For example, the electronic device can sort a media content according to a search word input by a user based on meta data included in the media content. Further, the electronic device can generate a group (a folder) and move the sorted media content to the group. Accordingly, a user can save a time for sorting a media content and thereby user's convenience can be improved.
Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.
Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
It will be understood that the expressions “comprises” and “may comprise” are used to specify presence of disclosed function, operation, component, etc. but do not preclude the presence of one or more functions, operations, components, etc. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “has” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated feature, number, operation, component, element, or a combination thereof but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, components, elements, or combinations thereof. In the present disclosure, the expression “and/or” is taken as specific disclosure of each and any combination of enumerated things. For example, A and/or B is to be taken as specific disclosure of each of A, B, and A and B.
As used herein, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc. are used to describe various components, however, it is obvious that the components should not be defined by these terms. For example, the terms do not restrict the order and/or importance of the corresponding components. The terms are used only for distinguishing one component from another component. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component and likewise, a second component may also be referred to as a first component, without departing from the teaching of the present disclosure.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.
Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms including technical or scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may include devices having an operation support function. Examples of the electronic device may include smartphone, table Personal Computer (PC), mobile phone, video phone, electronic book (e-book) reader, desktop PC, laptop PC, netbook computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), MP3 player, mobile medical appliance, camera, wearable device (e.g., head-mounted device (HMD) such as electronic glasses, electronic clothing, electronic bracelet, electronic necklace, electronic appcessory, electronic tattoo, smartwatch, etc.)
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be one of smart home appliances having operation support function. Examples of the smart electronic appliance as an electronic device may include television (TV), Digital Video Disk (DVD) player, audio player, refrigerator, air-conditioner, vacuum cleaner, electronic oven, microwave oven, laundry machine, air cleaner, set-top box, TV box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync™, Apple TV™, and Google TV™), game console, electronic dictionary, electronic key, camcorder, and electronic frame, etc.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, examples of the electronic device may include medical device (e.g., Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT)), Navigation device, Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, Event Data Recorder (EDR), Flight Data Recorder (FDR), car infotainment device, maritime electronic device (e.g., maritime navigation device and gyro compass), aviation electronic device (avionics), security device, vehicle head unit, industrial or home robot, Automatic Teller's Machine (ATM) of financial institution, Point of Sales (POS), etc.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, examples of the electronic device may include furniture and building/structure having a communication function, electronic board, electronic signature receiving device, projector, and metering device (e.g., water, electric, gas, and electric wave metering devices). According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be any combination of the aforementioned devices. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be a flexible device. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the electronic device is not limited to the aforementioned devices.
Descriptions are made of the electronic devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to accompanying drawings hereinafter. The term ‘user’ used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may denote a person or a device (e.g., artificial intelligent electronic device) using the electronic device.
FIG. 1
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illustrates a network environment including an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
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Referring to , the electronic device may include a bus , a processor , a memory , an input/output interface , a display , a communication interface , and a media content sorting module .
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The bus may be a circuit for connecting the aforementioned elements to each other and transmitting communication (e.g., a control message) between the aforementioned elements.
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For example, the processor may receive an instruction from the aforementioned other elements (e.g., the memory , the input/output interface , the display , the communication interface , the media content sorting module , etc.) through the bus , decipher the received instruction, and perform calculation or data processing according to the deciphered instruction.
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The memory may store the command or data received from the processor or other components (e.g., input/output interface , display , communication interface , media content sorting module , etc.) or generated by the processor or other components. The memory may store program modules including kernel , middleware , Application Programming Interface (API) , applications , etc. Each programming module may be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof.
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The kernel may control or manage the system resources (e.g., bus , processor , and memory ) for use in executing the operation or function implemented with the middleware , the API , or the application . The kernel also may provide an interface allowing the middleware , API , or application to access the components of the electronic device to control or manage.
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The middleware may work as a relay of data communicated between the API or application and the kernel . The middleware may execute control of the task requests from the applications in such a way of assigning priority for use of the system resource (e.g., bus , processor , and memory ) of the electronic device to at least one of the applications .
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The API is the interface for the applications to control the function provided by the kernel or the middleware and may include at least one interface or function (e.g., command) for file control, window control, image control, or text control.
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According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the application may include a Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Message Service (MMS) application, an e-mail application, a calendar application, an alarm application, a health care application (e.g., an application for measuring an amount of exercise or blood sugar), and an environmental information application (e.g., an application for providing an atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, and the like). Additionally or alternatively, the application may include an application related to an information exchange between the electronic device and an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device ). The application related to the information exchange may include, for example, a notification relay application for transferring particular information to the external electronic device or a device management application for managing the external electronic device.
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For example, the notification relay application may include a function of transferring, to the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device ), notification information generated from other applications of the electronic device (e.g., an SMS/MMS application, an e-mail application, a health management application, an environmental information application, and the like). Additionally or alternatively, the notification relay application may receive notification information from, for example, the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device ) and provide the received notification information to a user. For example, the device management application may manage (e.g., install, delete, or update) functions for at least a part of the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device ) communicating with the electronic device (e.g., turning on/off the external electronic device itself (or some elements thereof) or adjusting brightness (or resolution) of a display), applications operating in the external electronic device, or services (e.g., a telephone call service or a message service) provided from the external electronic device.
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According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the application may include an application designated according to an attribute (e.g., a type of the electrode device) of the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device ). For example, when the external electronic device is an MP3 player, the application may include an application related to the reproduction of music. Similarly, in the case where the external electronic device is a mobile medical appliance, the application may include an application related to health care. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application may include at least one of an application designated to the electronic device and an application received from the external electronic device (e.g., a server or the electronic device ).
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The input/output interface may transfer instructions or data input from a user through an input/output device (e.g., a sensor, a keyboard, or a touch screen) to, for example, the processor , the memory , the communication interface , or the media content sorting module through the bus . For example, the input/output interface may provide, to the processor , data for a user's touch input through the touch screen. Further, the input/output interface may output, for example, an instruction or data received through the bus from the processor , the memory , the communication interface , and the media content sorting module , through an input/output device (e.g., a speaker or display). For example, the input/output interface may output voice data processed through the processor to the user through the speaker.
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The display may display various pieces of information (e.g., multimedia data or text data) to a user.
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The communication interface may connect communication between the electronic device and the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device or the server ). For example, the communication interface communicates with the external device (e.g., the electronic device or the server ) while being connected to a network through wireless communication or wired communication. The wireless communication may include at least one of, for example, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (BT), Near Field Communication (NFC), Global Positioning System (GPS) and cellular communication (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Broadband (WiBro), and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM)). The wired communication may include at least one of, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Recommended Standard 232 (RS-232), and a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).
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According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the network may be a communication network. The communication network may include at least one of a computer network, the Internet, the Internet of things, and a telephone network. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a protocol (e.g., a transport layer protocol, data link layer protocol, or a physical layer protocol) for communication between the electronic device and the external device may be supported by at least one of the application , the API , the middleware , the kernel , and the communication interface .
FIG. 2
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is a block diagram illustrating a media content sorting module of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device ) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
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Referring to , the media content sorting module may include a media content display module , a selection identifying module , a group generating module , and an interworking control module .
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The media content display module can, for example, display at least one of media contents stored in the memory of the electronic device through the display . According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the media content display module can display media contents received from the external device (e.g., the electronic device or the server ) through the display of the electronic device . The media content display module can display the media contents in the form of a thumbnail or a list.
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The selection identifying module can, for example, identify a user input for the media contents displayed on the display through the display module . Here, when the display is a touch screen, the user input may be a touch input. The selection identifying module can identify a media content selected by a user based on the user input.
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The group generating module can, for example, generate a group for classifying media contents identified through the selection identifying module . Here, the generation of the group may correspond to an operation of generating an internal directory (e.g., a folder) of the electronic device . Further, the group may reference a tag. The group generating module can receive, from a user, an input of a name of the group to generate the group.
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The media content sorting module can, for example, control the media content display module , the selection identifying module , and the group generating module , which are described above, in order to sort media contents. The media content sorting module can display at least one of media contents through the media content display module and display a selection input window to select the corresponding media contents. Further, the media content sorting module can identify a user input for the selection input window through the selection identifying module . Further, the media content sorting module can generate a group through a group generating module and move a media content, for which a user input is identified, to the generated group.
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The media content sorting module may be a module which can control the media content display module , the selection identifying module , and the group generating module , which are described above, so as to sort media contents.
FIG. 3
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is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device may be of the whole or a part of the electronic device .
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Referring to , the electronic device may include an Application Processor (AP) , a communication module , a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card , a memory , a sensor module , an input device , a display , an interface , an audio module , a camera module , a power management module , a battery , an indicator , and a motor .
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The AP may operate an Operating System (OS) and/or application programs to control a plurality of hardware and/or software components connected to the AP and perform data-processing and operations on multimedia data. For example, the AP may be implemented in the form of System on Chip (SoC). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP may include a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) (not shown).
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The communication module (e.g., communication interface ) may perform data communication with other electronic devices (e.g., electronic device and server ) through a network. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication module may include a cellular module , a Wi-Fi module , a BT module , a GPS module , an NFC module , and a Radio Frequency (RF) module .
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The cellular module is responsible for voice and video communication, text messaging, and Internet access services through a communication network (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, WiBro, and GSM networks). The cellular module may perform identification and authentication of electronic devices in the communication network using the SIM card . According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellular module may perform at least one of the functions of the AP . For example, the cellular module may perform at least a part of the multimedia control function.
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According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cellular module may include a Communication Processor (CP). The cellular module may be implemented in the form of SoC. Although the cellular module (e.g., CP), the memory , and the power management module are depicted as independent components separated from the AP , the present disclosure is not limited thereto but may be embodied in a way that the AP includes at least one of the components (e.g., cellular module ).
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According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the AP and the cellular module (e.g., CP) may load a command or data received from at least one of the components on a non-volatile or volatile memory and process the command or data. The AP or the cellular module may store the data received from other components or generated by at least one of other components in the non-volatile memory.
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Each of the Wi-Fi module , the BT module , the GPS module , and the NFC module may include a processor for processing the data it transmits/receives. Although the cellular module , the Wi-Fi module , the BT module , the GPS module , and the NFC module are depicted as independent blocks; at least two of them (e.g., CP corresponding to the cellular module and Wi-Fi processor corresponding to the Wi-Fi module ) may be integrated in the form of SoC.
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The RF module is responsible for data communication, e.g., transmitting/receiving RF signals. Although not depicted, the RF module may include a transceiver, a Power Amp Module (PAM), a frequency filter, and a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA). The RF module also may include the elements for transmitting/receiving electric wave in free space, e.g., conductor or conductive wire. Although is directed to the case where the Wi-Fi module , the BT module , the GPS module , and the NFC module are sharing the RF module , the present disclosure is not limited thereto but may be embodied in a way that at least one of the Wi-Fi module , the BT module , the GPS module , and the NFC module transmits/receives RF signals an independent RF module.
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The SIM card may be designed so as to be inserted into a slot formed at a predetermined position of the electronic device. The SIM card may store unique identity information (e.g., Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID)) or subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).
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The memory (e.g., memory ) may include at least one of the internal memory and an external memory . The internal memory may include at least one of a volatile memory (e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Static RAM (SRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or a non-volatile memory (e.g., One Time Programmable Read Only Memory (OTPROM), PROM, Erasable and Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, Not And (NAND) flash memory, and Not Or (NOR) flash memory).
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According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the internal memory may be a Solid State Drive (SSD). The external memory may be a flash drive such as Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), micro-SD, Mini-SD, extreme Digital (xD), and Memory Stick. The external memory may be connected to the electronic device through various interfaces functionally. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may include a storage device (or storage medium) such as hard drive.
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The sensor module may measure physical quantity or check the operation status of the electronic device and convert the measured or checked information to an electric signal. The sensor module may include at least one of gesture sensor A, Gyro sensor B, barometric sensor C, magnetic sensor D, acceleration sensor E, grip sensor F, proximity sensor G, color sensor H (e.g., Red, Green, Blue (RGB) sensor), bio sensor I, temperature/humidity sensor J, illuminance sensor K, and Ultra Violet (UV) sensor M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module may include E-nose sensor (not shown), Electromyography (EMG) sensor (not shown), Electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor (not shown), Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor (not shown), Infrared (IR) sensor (not shown), iris sensor (not shown), and fingerprint sensor (not shown). The sensor module may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one of the sensors included therein.
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The input device may include a touch panel , a (digital) pen sensor , keys , and an ultrasonic input device . The touch panel may be one of capacitive, resistive, infrared, microwave type touch panel. The touch panel may include a control circuit. In the case of the capacitive type touch panel, it is possible to detect physical contact or approximation. The touch panel may further include a tactile layer. In this case, the touch panel may provide the user with haptic reaction.
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The (digital) pen sensor may be implemented with a sheet with the same or similar way as touch input of the user or a separate recognition sheet. The keys may include physical buttons, optical key, and keypad. The ultrasonic input device is a device capable of checking data by detecting sound wave through a microphone and may be implemented for wireless recognition. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may receive the user input made by means of an external device (e.g., computer or server) connected through the communication module .
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The display (e.g., display ) may include a panel , a hologram device , and a projector . The panel may be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel or an Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes (AMOLED) panel. The panel may be implemented so as to be flexible, transparent, and/or wearable. The panel may be implemented as a module integrated with the touch panel . The hologram device may present 3-dimensional image in the air using interference of light. The projector may project an image to a screen. The screen may be placed inside or outside the electronic device. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display may include a control circuit for controlling the panel , the hologram device , and the projector .
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FIG. 1
The interface may include an HDMI , a USB , an optical interface , and a D-subminiature (D-sub) . The interface may include the communication interface as shown in . Additionally or alternatively, the interface may include a Mobile High-definition Link (MHL) interface, an SD/MultiMedia Card (MMC) card interface, and infrared Data Association (irDA) standard interface.
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The audio module may convert sound to electric signal and vice versa. At least a part of the audio module may be included in the input/output interface as shown in . The audio module may process the audio information input or output through the speaker , the receiver , the earphone , and the microphone .
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The camera module is a device capable of taking still and motion pictures and, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, includes at least one image sensor (e.g., front and rear sensors), a lens (not shown), and Image Signal Processor (ISP) (not shown), and a flash (e.g., LED or xenon lamp) (not shown).
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The power management module may manage the power of the electronic device . Although not shown, the power management module may include a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC), a charger IC, a battery, and a battery or fuel gauge.
The PMIC may be integrated into an integrated circuit or SoC semiconductor. The charging may be classified into wireless charging and wired charge. The charger IC may charge the battery and protect the charger against overvoltage or overcurrent. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the charger IC may include at least one of wired charger and wireless charger ICs. Examples of the wireless charging technology includes resonance wireless charging and electromagnetic wave wireless charging, and there is a need of extra circuit for wireless charging such as coil loop, resonance circuit, and diode.
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The battery gauge may measure the residual power of the battery , charging voltage, current, and temperature. The battery may store or generate power and supply the stored or generated power to the electronic device . The battery may include a rechargeable battery or a solar battery.
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The indicator may display operation status of the electronic device or a part of the electronic device, booting status, messaging status, and charging status. The motor may converts the electronic signal to mechanical vibration. Although not shown, the electronic device may include a processing unit (e.g., GPU) for supporting mobile TV. The processing unit for supporting the mobile TV may be able to processing the media data abiding by the broadcast standards such Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), and media flow.
The electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a display module for displaying a media content; a vocabulary analyzing module for analyzing a search word; an analysis module for detecting meta data based on the media content; and a control module functionally connected with the display module, the analysis module and the image analysis module, wherein the control module receives at least one search word, extracts at least one media content based on the at least one search word, identifies a user's selection for the at least one media content, generates a group, and includes the at least one media content in the group based on the user's selection.
The above enumerated components of the electronic device of the present disclosure may be implemented into one or more parts, and the names of the corresponding components may be changed depending on the kind of the electronic device. The electronic device of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned components with omission or addition of some components. The components of the electronic device of the present disclosure may be combined selectively into an entity to perform the functions of the components equally as before the combination.
The term “module” according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, means, but is not limited to, a unit of one of software, hardware, and firmware or any combination thereof. The term “module” may be used interchangeably with the terms “unit,” “logic,” “logical block,” “component,” or “circuit.” The term “module” may denote a smallest unit of component or a part thereof. The term “module” may be the smallest unit of performing at least one function or a part thereof. A module may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a module may include at least one of Application-Specific IC (ASIC) chip, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and Programmable-Logic Device known or to be developed for certain operations.
FIG. 4
illustrates a configuration module of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4
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Referring to , an electronic device may include a control module , a media content analyzing module , a media content information managing module , an group managing module , a user input device , a vocabulary analyzing module , and a display .
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FIG. 1
The control module may be a processor illustrated in and can control modules of the aforementioned electronic device (e.g., the electronic device in ).
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FIG. 1
The media content analyzing module can identify information on a basic attribute such as a photographing location and a photographing date of an image file among media contents stored in the electronic device . Here, the media contents may include an image file, a video file, a music file, etc. That is, the media content analyzing module can identify various pieces of information for an image file including basic information (e.g., photographing location, date, weather, and temperature) through the image file. Here, the media content analyzing module can identify a location at which an image file is photographed, using the GPS module in . Further, the media content analyzing module can identify a character displayed in the media content using an Optical Character Reader (OCR). The OCR, which is an optical character reader, can identify a character displayed in an image using light and convert a reflection ray therefor into an encoded electric signal. The OCR may be an application program (e.g., the application in ). Further, the media content analyzing module can identify meta data corresponding to a person, a figure, an object, a brand, a color, a sculpture, etc. using a figure recognition program (e.g., Image Recognition Solution), and the meta data may be include in the media contents. For example, the meta data may include information on an object and an image generated based on the media contents. Here, the information on an object may be information on a person, a figure, an object, a brand, a sculpture, etc., and the information on an image may be information on a location, a color, and weather of the image. Further, when the media content is a music file, the media content analyzing module may include meta data, of which lyrics, rhythm, harmony, etc. are analyzed, in the music file. Further, when the media content is a video file, the media content analyzing module can identify lines or the name of an actor/actress, and use the identified lines or the identified name of an actor/actress as meta data.
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The media content information managing module can database and manage various pieces of meta data extracted by the media content analyzing module together with index information of the corresponding media contents. For example, the media content information managing module can manage the meta data extracted from the media contents while the media contents is include in the index information of the media contents.
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The group managing module can manage groups including media contents stored in the electronic device . That is, the group managing module can perform operations of generating, deleting, and modifying a group (e.g., a folder and a directory). The group managing module may be the application in .
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FIG. 3
The user input device may be the input/output interface in . That is, the user input device may include the input device in (e.g., the touch panel , the pen sensor , the key , and the ultrasonic wave input device ). The control module can make a control to perform an operation of each module based on a user input received through the user input device .
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The vocabulary analyzing module can analyze a character, which is input as a group name (e.g., a folder name) from a search window by a user, in a unit of morpheme, analyze a hierarchical structure of a word, and determine an associated vocabulary. For example, since “apple” is included in “fruit”, when a user inputs “apple” on the search window, the control module can extract media contents including information on “fruit” as well as media contents including information on “apple”. In this way, the vocabulary analyzing module can widely apply an extracted range of the media contents according to the hierarchical structure of a word.
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FIG. 3
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FIG. 3
The display may be the display in or the display in . The display can display a User Interface (UI) of an application through the display in or the display (e.g., a panel , a hologram device , and a projector ) in . That is, the display module can display media contents through the display in or the display in .
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In other words, the control module can analyze media contents through the media content analyzing module . The control module can analyze a media content to extract meta data based on the media content. The control module can manage the media content including the meta data through the media content information managing module . At this time, the control module can group the media content through the group managing module , thereby easily managing the media content. Further, the control module can analyze a search word input through the user input device . The control module can analyze a search word through the vocabulary analyzing module . Further, the control module can output media contents sorted based on the analyzed search word, through the display . The control module can manage media contents, which is selected according to a user's input, among the outputted media contents, into groups by classifying the media contents into groups.
FIGS. 5A and 5B
are flowcharts illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5A
FIGS. 5A and 5B
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Referring to , in operation , the control module can execute a media content related application (e.g., an application program). Here, the media content related application may be an application which outputs a media content stored in the electronic device, through the display . In operation , the control module can display a search window for searching for a media content. For example, when the media content related application is executed, the search window may be output as the UI through the display . In operation , the control module can identify a search word input on the search window by a user input. The control module can search for a media content related to the search word input on the search window. Here, when the media content is photographed or downloaded, the control module can include media content information analyzed through the media content analyzing module , in the media content. Accordingly, the control module can search for a media content related to the search word through the media content information included in the media content. Further, the control module can analyze a hierarchical structure of the search word input on the search window through the vocabulary analyzing module . Further, the control module can search for the media content relating to the search word through the media content information managing module . For example, “fruit” is input as a search word, the control module can analyze a hierarchical structure of the fruit to search for search words such as “apple,” “banana,” and “strawberry”, which are classified as sub-elements of the fruit. Further, the control module can also classify a media content including the word “fruit” as a media content relating to the search word. In this way, the control module can widely apply an extraction range of the media content relating to the search word. In operation , the control module can output the media content corresponding to the input search word through the display . That is, the control module can extract a media content relating to the search word based on the input search word, and display the extracted media content through the display . The control module does not configure an arbitrary standard such as a photographing date as a classification standard of a media content but configures a search word input according to a user's intention as the classification standard. Although not illustrated in , the control module can additionally include other search words in addition to the input search word in the classification standard. For example, in operation , when the number of illustrated media contents is large, the control module can configure an additional search word in order to classify the media contents in more detail. That is, the control module can firstly classify the media contents based on an initial search word and then secondly classify the firstly-classified media contents based on the additional search word. In operation , the control module can generate a group based on the search words. That is, the control module can generate a group named the search word. When secondly classifying the media contents based on the additional search word, the control module can determine a name of a group including the additional search word. In operation , the control module can identify whether a user input is performed for a media content displayed on the display . A user can select a media content which is to move the media content to the group. In operation , the control module can identify the media content selected by the user. Further, in operation , the control module can move the selected media content to the group. That is, the control module can copy the media content to the group, or cut the media content and move the cut media content.
FIG. 5B
FIG. 5A
FIG. 5B
FIG. 5A
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FIG. 5A
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Referring to , operations , , and are identical to operations , , and in . Further, operations , , and in are identical to operations , , and in . In , which is different from , the control module can identify a media content selected by a user, in operation , and can generate a group based on a search word, in operation . That is, is different from in terms of only a sequence of generating a group in a system. For example, in operation , the control module can identify the media content selected by the user. In operation , the control module can generate a group which is to move the media content. Here, the group may be named based on a search word input by a user. In operation , the control module can move the selected media content to the group.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
FIGS. 6A and 6B
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are views illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group based on a search word according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. illustrate a screen output through the display of the electronic device .
FIG. 6A
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Referring to , screen may be an initial screen of when a media content related application (e.g., a gallery and an album) is executed. Here, the media content related application may be an application which manages a media content stored in the electronic device . In screen , a search window may be displayed and a search word may be input by a user. That is, the control module can analyze a user's input through the user input device . Here, the search word input on the search window may be a group name (e.g., a folder name and an album name) of a group to which the media content stored in the electronic device moves. Further, the control module can use the vocabulary analyzing module to analyze the search word input on the search window . Screen may be a screen on which a media content corresponding to a search word is displayed when the search word is input. For example, when a user inputs a search word “River”, the control module can sort and display a media content relating to the search word “River”. The control module can analyze a search word input on the search window , using the vocabulary analyzing module and identify a media content including information (e.g., image information) relating to the search word, using the media content information managing module . The control module can analyze the media content based on a media content stored when the electronic device photographs or downloads the media content, using the media content analyzing module , and can detect media content information. For example, the control module can identify information on a photographing location, a photographing date, etc. of the media content as well as meta data such as a person, a word, a figure, an object, a brand, a color, a sculpture, etc., using the media content analyzing module . Further, the control module can include the identified meta data in the media content. That is, when the search word coincides with meta data information, the control module can extract a media content including the meta data information as a media content relating to the search word. The control module can output the media content identified by the media content information managing module , through the display . For example, the media content can be output in a thumbnail form and be identified by a user. Further, when additionally performing searching while the media content is displayed, a user can use an additional search button . The searching performed by the additional search button will be described in the detailed descriptions of .
FIG. 6B
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Referring to , screen may be a screen of when a user selects a media content displayed on the display . A user can identify the media content displayed on the display with the naked eyes and select only a desired media content. Each media content includes a selection input box , and the control module can detect a user input which is input on the selection input box . The control module can check a mark to the media content selected by the user input as indicated by reference numeral , thereby distinguishing the media content from other images. Screen may be a screen obtained by moving the selected media contents to a specific group. For example, the control module can generate a group named the search word input on the search window , and move, to the group, a media content selected by a user among media contents relating to the search word. Here, the control module can first generate a group and then sort media contents or can first sort media contents, generate a group, and then include the media content in the group.
FIGS. 6C and 6D
are views illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group based on a plurality of search words according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6C
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FIG. 6A
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Referring to , screen may be an initial screen of when a media content related application (e.g., a gallery and an album) is executed. is identical to , and is attached in order to describe an operation sequence. In screen , the control module can analyze a search word input on the search window and firstly output a media content relating to the search word, in a thumbnail form . For example, when the word “River” is input on the search window, the control module can analyze the input word “River” and extract a media content relating to the word. For example, the control module can extract a media content based on the location information such as the “River”, and can extract a media content including the word “River” based on the word. Further, when an input search word is a word having a hierarchical structure, the control module can extract a related media content according to the hierarchical structure. Further, when a user uses the additional search button , the user can perform additional searching based on a firstly-output media content. When the additional search button is used in screen , the control module can display an additional search window and perform the additional searching through a search word input on the additional search window.
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FIG. 6D
Referring to screen in , the control module can analyze a search word input on an additional search window and secondly output a media content relating to the search word input on the additional search window among the firstly-output media content. For example, in screen , the control module can firstly output a media content relating to the search word “River”. Further, in screen , the control module can additionally extract a media content relating to a search word “bridge” among the firstly-output media content and secondly output the extracted media content. That is, in screen , the control module can output a media content relating to the two search words “River” and “bridge”. In screen , the control module can detect a user input for the secondly-output media content. The control module can detect a user input in a selection input box and check a mark to a media content selected by the user input as indicated by reference numeral . In screen , the control module can generate a group named a search word input on the search window and the additional search window and move the selected media content to the corresponding group. For example, when the “River” is input on the search window and the “bridge” is input on the additional search window , a folder name may be a “River bridge”. Further, the control module can move, to the folder, a media content selected by a user among the media content relating to the search word.
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According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, at least some of the devices (for example, modules or functions thereof) or the method (for example, operations) according to the present disclosure may be implemented by a command stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a programming module form. When the command is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors may perform a function corresponding to the command. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, the memory . At least some of the programming modules may be implemented (for example, executed) by, for example, the processor. At least a part of the programming module may include, for example, a module, a program, a routine, a set of instructions and/or a process for performing one or more functions.
The non-transitory computer readable recording medium may include magnetic media such as a hard disc, a floppy disc, and a magnetic tape, optical media such as a compact disc ROM (CD-ROM) and a DVD, magneto-optical media such as a floptical disk, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program commands, such as a ROM, a RAM, and a flash memory. In addition, the program instructions may include high class language codes, which can be executed in a computer by using an interpreter, as well as machine codes made by a compiler. The aforementioned hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules in order to perform the operation of various embodiments of the present disclosure, and vice versa.
Any of the modules or programming modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the above described elements, exclude some of the elements, or further include other additional elements. The operations performed by the modules, programming module, or other elements according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be executed in a sequential, parallel, repetitive, or heuristic manner. Further, some operations may be executed according to another order or may be omitted, or other operations may be added.
While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
illustrates a network environment including an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2
is a block diagram illustrating a media content sorting module of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3
is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4
illustrates a configuration module of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 5A and 5B
are flowcharts illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 6A and 6B
are views illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group based on a search word according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; and
FIGS. 6C and 6D
are views illustrating methods for selecting a media content and classifying the media content into a group based on a plurality of search words according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. | |
British television directors from minority ethnic backgrounds are being frozen out by the industry and are increasingly having to follow black actors to America in order to build their careers.
Detailed research from Directors UK has found that only 3.5 per cent of British directors (214 out of 6,032) are of black and minority ethnic (BAME) heritage and that they direct disproportionately few (1.5 per cent) TV programmes.
The industry body’s report, UK Television: Adjusting the Colour Balance, examined more than 15,000 programmes and found that none of the period dramas, chat shows, game shows or reality shows employed a BAME director.
On “shiny floor” entertainment shows and daytime programmes fewer than 1 per cent of directors were from a minority background. Serials (5.14 per cent) and crime dramas (6.33 per cent) performed slightly better.
Directors UK described its finding as “shocking”. Andrew Chowns, its chief executive, said producers are “terrified” of employing directors from beyond a narrow, trusted pool. “Commissioners always say they’re interested in innovative ideas and want people to surprise them. They should put their money where their mouth is,” he said.
But many leading British directors from BAME backgrounds are enjoying success in American TV and film. Their experience is starting to mirror the decade-long transatlantic exodus of black British actors, including Idris Elba (The Wire), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace), David Harewood (Homeland), Lennie James (The Walking Dead); David Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King in the film Selma, recently told Radio Times: “I shouldn’t have to feel like I have to move to America to have a notable career.”
Udayan Prasad in The Tunnel
British BAME directors have told The Independent on Sunday of their frustration at the limited opportunities in the UK and spoken of the lure of the much larger American industry. Menhaj Huda, whose directing credits include the film Kidulthood (for which he won best debut director at the British Independent Film Awards) and the cult Channel 4 series Queer as Folk, said: “This year I decided to stop banging my head against a brick wall and try America. I have an agent and manager and we are going to start the process in LA.”
Huda, 48, who has directed mainstream shows including EastEnders and Coronation Street, said: “Although diversity on screen has improved in the past 18 months since Lenny Henry raised the issue, we are not seeing the same changes behind the camera – if anything it has become harder.” He carried out his own research of British one-hour TV dramas in 2015 and found that of 129 directors, only 21 were women, only two were black and two were Asian.
Udayan Prasad, a director who came to England as a boy from India, said “nothing seems to have changed” since he began working in television 30 years ago. “What’s personally depressing is that we have not moved on at all since I entered the industry in the 1980s,” he said. “I’m completely at a loss as to why that should be.” Prasad, who worked on The Tunnel for Sky Atlantic and The Musketeers for BBC1, said he was the only minority ethnic director on those shows. He added that Britain was being “short-sighted” in failing to see the benefit of putting a richer diversity of cultural perspectives behind the camera.
The film and documentary-maker Arun Kumar said there was a greater diversity among executive “decision-makers” in the American industry. “The higher echelons of the UK television industry, especially drama and high-end documentary are pretty much exclusively white.”
Alrick Riley, the most successful British BAME director to have gone to America, has been hired to direct forthcoming episodes of crime shows CSI: Cyber and NCIS: New Orleans and has worked in America for two years.
Riley made his reputation as a director on high-profile dramas including The Cops, Babyfather, Hustle and Spooks (the last two made by Kudos, which has a track record in hiring minority ethnic directors and actors).
Selma film stills Show all 8 1 /8 Selma film stills Selma film stills Selma British actor David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King in the Oscar-nominated film Selma. Oyelowo said he never received any backlash (to his face) about taking on the huge American role Atsushi Nishijima/© MMXIV Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma Dr Martin Luther King Jr with his wife Coretta, who disagreed with the preacher being away from his family when protesting across the country Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma Martin Luther King and his followers stage a peaceful protest in Selma, Alabama Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma After the president refused to make it unlawful for African Americans to be refused from the electoral register, MLK and followers embarked on a march from Selma to Montgomery Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma After news of the Selma march spread, other religious leaders who were not black joined the march in solidarity Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma Martin Luther King's wife was initially wary of the dangers involved in marching Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma But she then joined her husband and others on the march in solidarity Paramount Pictures Selma film stills Selma MLK's team from left to right: Andre Holland plays Andrew Young, Colman Domingo plays Ralph Abernathy, David Oyelowo plays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Omar Dorsey plays James Orange Paramount Pictures, Pathe, and Harpo Films/Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima
He said Spike Lee’s work in the 1990s had inspired a generation of would-be black directors but few in Britain had been able to progress. “I thought that by now the situation would be very different.
“I think that this industry should reflect the people living in society. There should be an equal playing field no matter what race, creed, colour, sex that you are.”
Gurinder Chadha recently made the Desi Rascals reality series for Sky after making her name as a highly successful film director (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride & Prejudice). But Christiana Ebohon, who has directed soaps including Hollyoaks and EastEnders, said: “If you are anything other than a white, male director your career opportunities are at best limited and at worst squashed.”
Alrick Riley with Martin Sheen
Other British BAME directors to cross the Atlantic include Omar Madha, who worked on Law and Order: Criminal Intent before being hired by Fox to direct Kiefer Sutherland in 24: Live Another Day (which was filmed in Britain), and Londoner Mark Tonderai, who returned from working in America to direct the new Sky 1 series The Five.
Bharat Nalluri was invited to the US by the Weinstein Company to direct The Crow: Salvation. He stayed on to make further feature films and the HBO mini-series Tsunami: The Aftermath. Born in India and raised in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he worked on Spooks, Hustle and Life on Mars but said he was “gobsmacked” by the lack of BAME directors in the UK industry.
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ISSUE:
Some dedicated CNG vehicles may exhibit various driveability conditions due to a loss of injector performance, resulting from fuel quality. The conditions (in approximate order of their occurrence) include:
Loss Of Power At Heavy Load
DTC Codes For Lean Fuel
Rough Idle
Hard Start
Plugged Catalytic Converter
No Start
NOTE:
THE HARD START AND NO START TYPICALLY WILL OCCUR AT THE FIRST START OF THE DAY AND DURING THE FIRST COLD DAYS OF FALL OR WINTER.
ACTION:
The root cause of these conditions may be due to either excessive or insufficient carryover compressor oil from the CNG fill station.
Excessive carryover compressor oil is oil greater than Ford’s recommended concentration levels of 10 to 80 Parts Per Million (PPM). Oil can then be carried to the injectors as a mist in the gaseous fuel stream or as a liquid film on the inner walls of the fuel rail. The liquid oil can collect inside the injector and then form a semi-solid deposit over time. The deposits do not restrict fuel flow once the injector is opened, but may delay opening or prevent an injector from opening at all. The deposit may increase over time and may further delay the injector opening time. Insufficient oil (less than 10 PPM) may lead to wear and roughening of the injector pintle, increasing the force required to open the injector, especially when cold. In either case, the customer may first notice a loss of power, rough idle, and overheated catalysts. A lean DTC code will be set when the adaptive fuel logic adjustment range for injector pulse width is exceeded.
Either a large oil deposit, or severe wear from insufficient oil in cold conditions can hold the injector partially or completely shut and cause a hard start or no start. A hard start and temporary rough idle when cold is caused by some of the injectors being marginally functional at the start, and the other injectors becoming functional as they warm up from engine heat and soften the oil deposit enough to release the stuck pintle.
A mixture of the two types of CNG fill station compressor oils (mineral and synthetic) is more likely to form injector deposits than either type alone. Vehicles that fill from many stations are more likely to exhibit the conditions. The oil type may also change if a station compressor is serviced or replaced. It is suspected that liquid oil can collect in fill station and vehicle storage tanks and slowly evaporate into the gaseous fuel over several months’ time. Therefore, oil of one type that has collected in a tank can still remain available to mix even after the compressor oil has been changed.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
Different actions are required according to the cause and severity of the conditions exhibited. The actions to correct an insufficient oil situation are different than the actions to correct an excessive oil situation.
Customers reporting the conditions listed above may determine their situation by some quick checks on the vehicle.
EVIDENCE OF INSUFFICIENT OIL INCLUDES:
No oil film on fill station nozzle outlet or vehicle fill receptacle.
No liquid oil found in the bottom of the high-pressure coalescing filter bowl.
A dry coalescing filter element.
EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE OIL INCLUDES:
Heavy oil film on station nozzle outlet and vehicle fill receptacle.
Liquid oil in the high-pressure coalescing filter bowl over the level of the white spacer under the element.
Fully oil-soaked coalescing element.
Liquid oil found in fuel tanks or lines opened for other service.
Fill stations that derive compressed natural gas from liquefied natural gas should have an oil injection system. The extremely cold temperature of liquefied natural gas literally ‘freezes out’ lubricants and these lubricants need to be replaced after the gas returns to its vapor phase.
Customers operating their own fill stations (usually fleet customers) should routinely check that all installed equipment is operating properly and is serviced at the intervals recommended by the component supplier. This includes gas dryers, compressors, oil and odorant injectors, particulate filters, and coalescing filters. A fill station may have many filters at different points in the flow stream, such as at the compressor inlet and outlet, dryer inlet and outlet, the storage tank outlet, and the dispenser. A particulate filter that becomes clogged will indicate its condition by high differential pressures or reduced total flow. A coalescing filter that is not drained often enough can fill up with liquids (oil and/or water) and then act as a source of oil contamination for downstream components with no obvious indication at the filter. A fill station technician draining a pressurized coalescing filter too rapidly can rupture the internal element with no obvious indication of trouble, again allowing oil to pass downstream. A compressor that needs to be rebuilt can use more oil than normal due to poor sealing at the piston rings. A fill station maintenance routine should include recording the oil volume drained from downstream filters. This record can be used to compare the oil volume added to the compressor. This will reveal compressor wear and the associated maintenance requirements due to this wear.
Customers who maintain their own vehicles should consider measuring and recording the oil level found in the coalescent filter bowl during routine maintenance. An increase in the oil level found in several vehicles in a short period of time may indicate that a fueling station used by those vehicles requires service to reduce its compressor oil carryover.
Fleet customers should inquire about the maintenance practices of the fill stations they use.
For vehicles known to have excessive oil in their fuel, Ford recommends using the Severe Duty Maintenance Interval of 15,000 miles (25,000 kilometers) to inspect and drain the coalescent filter bowl. Vehicles maintained at this interval and still found to repeatedly have one inch or more of oil in the coalescent filter bowl may require a more frequent maintenance interval. The amount of oil in the fuel does not affect the filter element life, so the element should be replaced at the normal 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) interval even if the fuel is known to have excessive oil.
It may also be necessary to clean the CNG fuel injectors using Motorcraft PM- 5 Power Flush Injector Fluid. Refer to TSB #03-18-03 for this service procedure. This cleaning will allow the fuel injectors to return to their normal function. In some fuel environments it may be necessary to perform this cleaning on a regular basis.
NOTE:
IT MAY ALSO BE NECESSARY TO CLEAN OR REPLACE THE FUEL INJECTORS IF THE APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE INTERVAL IS NOT ADHERED TO. REFER TO TSB #03-18-03 FOR THE INJECTOR CLEANING SERVICE PROCEDURE.
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This is probably the most complex phenomenon in drum physics. it is know as « Fluid / Structure interaction » and is often studied in fluid dynamics and sometime in NVH engineering (Aerospace and automotive typically)
This has to be considered whenever a vibrating surface generating sound waves is « back loaded » with the « response » of the environment, therefore impeding its motion. In the case of drums, studies on timpani showed that this phenomenon is really a first order one as it does shift the membrane modes from a « theroetical non harmonic » series to a nearly harmonic one for the first modes (or partials).
As the main sound generation mechanism are the vibrating membrane, any phenomenon significantly modifying the vibration has to be considered – drummers know this perfectly as they would sometimes carefully tension the heads to even tension, and would take tremendous care in the bearing edge geometry and surface condition.
A real membrane is vibrating in a « sea of air » as described by Rossing (I strongly recommend the reading of Thomas Rossing’s « Science of Percussion instruments » ISBN-13 978-981-02-4158-2), as a result and depending on the considered mode shape and cavity shape, some modes are « mass loaded » and shift down in frequency, some other are « stiffened » by the air compression and tend to shift upwards.
Repercussion studied this effect on the snare drum and noted the following difference between a theoretical membrane (that is, vibrating in vacuo with no bending stiffness) and measurement on a 14″ snare.
As frequency (and mode shape complexity) increases, the difference increases too : the real membrane shows significantly higher natural frequencies than the theory.
The modes with nodal diameter (lines of no motion across the heads) tend to be lowered from air loading for the first 2 modes (1,1) and (2,1) but are the « fastest » increase as frequency goes up (Air compression effect and membrane flexibility)
Modes with nodal circles (circles of no motion on the head) seem to be systematically shifted up (stiffness effect from the air compression) as frequency increases.
Bottomline : a snare drum will see some significant effect of air loading, probably less than a Timpani because of cavity geometry (the one of a timpani being closed) but still some influence on head vibration and the produced tone.
From there, it is easy to understand that the venting system construction will have a significant effect on the behaviour of this « sea of air » and therefore on the sound produced. The quicker / easier sound waves flow out of the drum, the more effect will be seen on the drumhead vibration. | https://repercussion.fr/acoustic-drums/snare-drums-venting/air-loading/ |
What kind of person do you want to be? In what kind of world?
I want to be a compassionate person in a world where people have
authentic connections, meaningful conversations, and deep relationships.
Read here for why I believe that connection is a key element in philanthropy.
What I’m Hearing: Words of Wisdom
Melinda Gates released her book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World this week. This book tells the personal story of Gates’ journey from a funder and a partner working behind the scenes to one of the world’s foremost advocates for women, driven by the belief that all lives have equal value and that investing in women is the lever that lifts everything. She holds the viewpoint that the starting point for human improvement is empathy. She believes that connection creates empathy. When you get up close and personal, develop relationships with people in the communities, use your heart, intellect, energy, time and resources, you can impact change. Listen to her reflections here.
What I’m Reading: Words of Inspiration
David Brooks recently released his latest book The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life. In The Second Mountain, Brooks posits that those who embrace lives of deeper commitment and service to others find greater fulfillment. While the first mountain is focused on hyper-individualism, the second mountain focuses on relationships and the ability to create a deep, meaningful and purposeful life by focusing on the other. He believes that relationships are the drivers of change. Read his New York Times opinion piece, The Moral Peril of Meritocracy here, or delve deeper with him in an interview with Ezra Klein here.
What I’m Watching: Words of the Heart
Brene Brown, The Call to Courage on Netflix. This 76- minute Netflix special is a quick introduction to world-renowned researcher, social scientist, and best-selling author Brene Brown and her philosophy that, in order to live the most full, authentic lives, to engage and connect with people in a real way, we must have the courage to be vulnerable. Courage and vulnerability aren’t opposites, they’re linked. She goes on to say that psychological isolation is the most dangerous condition that we experience as a society. We confuse communication (social media) as connectedness.
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel
seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment;
and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
What I’m Saying: Pulling it all Together
“Giving with Purpose & Passion: Making the Most of your Charitable Giving”
How do your values align with your commitment of your heart, intellect, energy, time and resources? How will you connect? Come join me in a conversation on the evening of Thursday, May 16th with Beacon Pointe Wealth Advisors (email for more details)
Creating Authentic Connections
I work with people to connect with their core values and make meaningful connections with the people, issues and causes that are important to them. I coach individuals and multigenerational families on their philanthropic and community engagement strategy. Together, we explore their values and develop a plan to leverage
their time, talent, treasure and ties. Click here to connect with me and start our conversation.
Warmly, | https://essentialleadership.us/may-2019-courage-to-connect/ |
SAMR Model & TPACK
It's not simply about the technology, it's about creating a healthy, challenging learning environment for our students!
When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, while others build windmills. Chinese Proverb
What is SAMR?
SAMR is a model designed to help educators infuse technology into teaching and learning. Popularized by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, the model supports and enables teachers to design, develop, and infuse digital learning experiences that utilize technology.
Basically, SAMR give teachers a framework to check the effective use of classroom technology. Digital worksheets are nothing more than a Substitution. How effective is the technology in your classroom?
Watch the video on the right to get a better understanding of the SAMR model.
What is TPACK?
The TPACK framework was introduced by Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler of Michigan State University in 2006. With it, they identified three primary forms of knowledge: Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Technological Knowledge (TK).
Look at the diagram below. You’ll notice that the three primary forms of knowledge are not entirely separate. In fact, the intersections of each are critical because they represent deeper levels of understanding.
TPACK shows us that there’s a relationship between technology, content, and pedagogy, and the purposeful blending of them is key.
TPACK Example
Below is an example inspired by a video by Sophia.org. modified by Dee Thomas
Your Original Lesson Plan
Imagine you are a 7th grade life sciences teacher. The topic is “cell anatomy.” Your objectives are to describe the anatomy of animal cells and explain how the organelles work as a system to carry out the necessary functions of the cell.
The traditional strategies or activities might go as follows:
- Walk through the cell’s anatomy and the basic functions of each organelle, referencing the diagram in the textbook
- Break the class into small groups. Task each group with labeling their own diagram of cell anatomy and researching a single process to present to the class later on. You may want to choose the process for them to avoid duplicate presentations.
- Have each group present the cell process they researched to the class.
Got it? Okay. So how might the TPACK framework be used to enhance this lesson?
Applying Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge to Your Lesson
As mentioned before, the TPACK framework is based on three primary forms of knowledge. So your first step should be to understand your primary forms of knowledge in the context of this lesson.
- Content Knowledge (CK)—what are you teaching and what is your own knowledge of the subject? For this lesson, you’ll need a solid understanding of cell anatomy and processes.
- Pedagogical Knowledge (PK)—how do your students learn best and what instructional strategies do you need to meet their needs and the requirements of the lesson plan? In this case, you'll need to understand best practices for teaching middle school science and small group collaboration.
- Technological Knowledge (TK)—what digital tools are available to you, which do you know well enough to use, and which would be most appropriate for the lesson at hand? For this lesson, students will need to label a diagram and present, so the ability to fill in blanks with an answer key, find images from the internet, create slides, etc. are important.
Now that you’ve taken stock of your primary forms of knowledge, focus on where they intersect. While the ultimate goal is to be viewing your lesson and strategy through the lens of TPACK, or the center of the model where all primary forms of knowledge blend together, taking a moment to consider the individual relationships can be helpful.
- Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)—understanding the best practices for teaching specific content to your specific students.
- Technological Content Knowledge (TCK)—knowing how the digital tools available to you can enhance or transform the content, how it’s delivered to students, and how your students can interact with it.
- Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK)—understanding how to use your digital tools as a vehicle to the learning outcomes and experiences you want.
Now let’s weave all this technological, pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) together and enhance the activities of our original lesson plan. The ideas below are examples of activities that can be added to the original list. Remember, the goal is to be purposeful in applying each form of knowledge.
- After walking through the different parts of a cell’s anatomy, break your students into small groups and have them collaborate on completing a Check for Understanding quiz via Google Classroom. Include an interactive question that provides a diagram of a cell with blank labels and requires students to drag and drop the proper labels in place from an answer key (PearDeck).
- Have each group use Chromebooks with recording capabilities (ScreenCastify). Have each member of the group choose an organelle to personify, and have them record each other explaining who they are (or which organelle they are) and why they are important for the cell (Flipgrid). Finally, have them upload their videos to a media album so your students can watch each other’s videos on their own time and leave comments.
- Instead of researching a cell process (e.g., cell respiration, energy production, etc.) in one type of cell, have your students compare the process between animal and plant cells and make conclusions regarding the differences they find. Require each group to construct an artifact of their research by creating a one-page brief in Google Docs, a flowchart comparison (Piktochart, Easel.ly, Smore), or a video explanation (FlipGrid). This can be turned in via an assignment in Google Classroom for credit.
- Armed with their knowledge of cell anatomy, function, and processes, have your students analyze the connections between different animals and plants in their natural habitats. Have each group infer what might happen when one animal or plant is placed in a habitat other than it's natural one. Each group should compile evidence to make their case (articles, videos, etc.) using Padlet, Google Slides, or other similar tool. | https://1to1.bentonvillek12.org/samr-model-tpack |
In epidemiology, risk ratio (RR) or relative risk is the ratio of the probability of an outcome in an exposed group to the probability of an outcome in an unexposed group. It is computed as , where is the incidence in the exposed group, and is the incidence in the unexposed group. Together with risk difference and odds ratio, risk ratio measures the association between the exposure and the outcome.
Risk ratio is used in the statistical analysis of the data of experimental, cohort and cross-sectional studies, to estimate the strength of the association between treatments or risk factors, and outcome. For example, it is used to compare the risk of an adverse outcome when receiving a medical treatment versus no treatment (or placebo), or when exposed to an environmental risk factor versus not exposed.
Assuming the causal effect between the exposure and the outcome, values of RR can be interpreted as follows:
Risk ratio is commonly used to present the results of randomized controlled trials. This can be problematic, if risk ratio is presented without the absolute measures, such as absolute risk, or risk difference. In the case when the base rate of the outcome is low, large or small values of risk ratio may not translate to significant effect, and the importance of the effect to the public health can be overestimated. Equivalently, in the case when the base rate of the outcome is high, values of the risk ratio close to 1 may still result in a significant effect and can be underestimated. Thus, presentation of both absolute and relative measures is recommended.
Risk ratio can be estimated from a 2x2 contingency table:
|Group|
|Experimental (E)||Control (C)|
|Events (E)||EE||CE|
|Non-events (N)||EN||CN|
The point estimate of the risk ratio is
The sampling distribution of the is approximately normal, with standard error
The confidence interval for the is then
where is the standard score for the chosen level of significance. To find the confidence interval around the RR itself, the two bounds of the above confidence interval can be exponentiated.
In regression models, the exposure is typically included as an indicator variable along with other factors that may affect risk. The risk ratio is usually reported as calculated for the mean of the sample values of the explanatory variables.
Risk ratio is different from the odds ratio, although it asymptotically approaches it for small probabilities of outcomes. If EE is substantially smaller than EN, then EE/(EE + EN) EE/EN. Similarly, if CE is much smaller than CN, then CE/(CN + CE) CE/CN. Thus, under the rare disease assumption
In epidemiological research, the odds ratio is commonly used for case-control studies, as the risk ratio cannot be estimated.
In fact, the odds ratio has much broader use in statistics, since logistic regression, often associated with clinical trials, works with the log of the odds ratio, not risk ratio. Because the (natural log of the) odds of a record is estimated as a linear function of the explanatory variables, the estimated odds ratio for 70-year-olds and 60-year-olds associated with the type of treatment would be the same in logistic regression models where the outcome is associated with drug and age, although the risk ratio might be significantly different. In cases like this, statistical models of the odds ratio often reflect the underlying mechanisms more efficiently.
Since risk ratio is a more intuitive measure of effectiveness, the distinction is important especially in cases of medium to high probabilities. If action A carries a risk of 99.9% and action B a risk of 99.0% then the risk ratio is just over 1, while the odds associated with action A are more than 10 times higher than the odds with B.
In statistical modelling, approaches like poisson regression (for counts of events per unit exposure) have risk ratio interpretations: the estimated effect of an explanatory variable is multiplicative on the rate and thus leads to a risk ratio. Logistic regression (for binary outcomes, or counts of successes out of a number of trials) must be interpreted in odds-ratio terms: the effect of an explanatory variable is multiplicative on the odds and thus leads to an odds ratio.
We could assume a disease noted by , and no disease noted by , exposure noted by , and no exposure noted by . Risk ratio can be written as
This way the risk ratio can be interpreted in Bayesian terms as the posterior ratio of the exposure (i.e. after seeing the disease) normalized by the prior ratio of exposure. If the posterior ratio of exposure is similar to that of the prior, the effect is approximately 1, indicating no association with the disease, since it didn't change beliefs of the exposure. If on the other hand, the posterior ratio of exposure is smaller or higher than that of the prior ratio, then the disease has changed the view of the exposure danger, and the magnitude of this change is the risk ratio.
|Example of risk reduction|
|Experimental group (E)||Control group (C)||Total|
|Events (E)||EE = 15||CE = 100||115|
|Non-events (N)||EN = 135||CN = 150||285|
|Total subjects (S)||ES = EE + EN = 150||CS = CE + CN = 250||400|
|Event rate (ER)||EER = EE / ES = 0.1, or 10%||CER = CE / CS = 0.4, or 40%|
|Equation||Variable||Abbr.||Value|
|CER - EER||absolute risk reduction||ARR||0.3, or 30%|
|(CER - EER) / CER||relative risk reduction||RRR||0.75, or 75%|
|1 / (CER − EER)||number needed to treat||NNT||3.33|
|EER / CER||risk ratio||RR||0.25|
|(EE / EN) / (CE / CN)||odds ratio||OR||0.167|
|(CER - EER) / CER||preventable fraction among the unexposed||PFu||0.75|
In epidemiology, attributable fraction among the exposed (AFe) is the proportion of incidents in the exposed group that are attributable to the risk factor. Term attributable risk percent among exposed is used if the fraction is expressed as a percentage. It is calculated as , where is the incidence in the exposed group, is the incidence in the unexposed group, and is the relative risk.
It is used when an exposure increases the risk, as opposed to reducing it, in which case its symmetrical notion is preventable fraction among the unexposed.Big bet
A big bet (BB) is the larger of two fixed bet amounts in a fixed-limit poker game. A big bet is used in the final rounds of a game to increase the pot amount and thereby enable the possibility of a bluff. Big bets are generally double the wager of the initial or small bet. Any multi-round poker game can use big bets to standardize wagers while maintaining a sufficient risk-ratio to encourage bluffing. Casino poker tables use big bets to set a limit to the amount of money a patron can lose in each wager.Capital asset pricing model
In finance, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is a model used to determine a theoretically appropriate required rate of return of an asset, to make decisions about adding assets to a well-diversified portfolio.Cross-sectional study
In medical research and social science, a cross-sectional study (also known as a cross-sectional analysis, transverse study, prevalence study) is a type of observational study that analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time—that is, cross-sectional data.
In economics, cross-sectional studies typically involve the use of cross-sectional regression, in order to sort out the existence and magnitude of causal effects of one or more independent variables upon a dependent variable of interest at a given point in time. They differ from time series analysis, in which the behavior of one or more economic aggregates is traced through time.
In medical research, cross-sectional studies differ from case-control studies in that they aim to provide data on the entire population under study, whereas case-control studies typically include only individuals with a specific characteristic, with a sample, often a tiny minority, of the rest of the population. Cross-sectional studies are descriptive studies (neither longitudinal nor experimental). Unlike case-control studies, they can be used to describe, not only the odds ratio, but also absolute risks and relative risks from prevalences (sometimes called prevalence risk ratio, or PRR). They may be used to describe some feature of the population, such as prevalence of an illness, or they may support inferences of cause and effect. Longitudinal studies differ from both in making a series of observations more than once on members of the study population over a period of time.Forensic epidemiology
The discipline of forensic epidemiology (FE) is a hybrid of principles and practices common to both forensic medicine and epidemiology. FE is directed at filling the gap between clinical judgment and epidemiologic data for determinations of causality in civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution and defense.Forensic epidemiologists formulate evidence-based probabilistic conclusions about the type and quantity of causal association between an antecedent harmful exposure and an injury or disease outcome in both populations and individuals. The conclusions resulting from an FE analysis can support legal decision-making regarding guilt or innocence in criminal actions, and provide an evidentiary support for findings of causal association in civil actions.
Applications of forensic epidemiologic principles are found in a wide variety of types of civil litigation, including cases of medical negligence, toxic or mass tort, pharmaceutical adverse events, medical device and consumer product failures, traffic crash-related injury and death, person identification and life expectancy.Monika Schäfer-Korting
Monika Schäfer-Korting (born 7 May 1952 in Gießen) is a German Pharmacologist and Toxicologist.Nimesulide
Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with pain medication and fever reducing properties. Its approved indications are the treatment of acute pain, the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis, and primary dysmenorrhoea in adolescents and adults above 12 years old.
Side effects may include liver problems. It has a multifactorial mode of action and is characterized by a fast onset of action. It works by blocking the production of prostaglandins (a chemical associated with pain), thereby relieving pain and inflammation.Number needed to harm
The number needed to harm (NNH) is an epidemiological measure that indicates how many persons on average need to be exposed to a risk factor over a specific period to cause harm in an average of one person who would not otherwise have been harmed. It is defined as the inverse of the absolute risk increase, and computed as , where is the incidence in the treated (exposed) group, and is the incidence in the control (unexposed) group. Intuitively, the lower the number needed to harm, the worse the risk factor, with 1 meaning that every exposed person is harmed.
NNH is similar to number needed to treat (NNT), where NNT usually refers to a therapeutic intervention and NNH to a detrimental effect or a risk factor.Odds ratio
An odds ratio (OR) is a statistic that quantifies the strength of the association between two events, A and B. The odds ratio is defined as the ratio of the odds of A in the presence of B and the odds of A in the absence of B, or equivalently (due to symmetry), the ratio of the odds of B in the presence of A and the odds of B in the absence of A. Two events are independent if and only if the OR equals 1: the odds of one event are the same in either the presence or absence of the other event. If the OR is greater than 1, then A and B are associated (correlated) in the sense that, compared to the absence of B, the presence of B raises the odds of A, and symmetrically the presence of A raises the odds of B. Conversely, if the OR is less than 1, then A and B are negatively correlated, and the presence of one event reduces the odds of the other event. The OR plays an important role in the logistic model, which generalizes beyond two events.
Note that the odds ratio is symmetric in the two events, and there is no causal direction implied (correlation does not imply causation): a positive OR does not establish that B causes A, nor that A causes B. However, often the odds ratio is used asymmetrically to infer causality by comparing the occurrence of some outcome (A) in the presence of some exposure (B), with the occurrence of the outcome (A) in the absence of a particular exposure (absence of B).Two similar statistics that are often used to quantify associations are the risk ratio (RR) and the absolute risk reduction (ARR). Often, the parameter of greatest interest is actually the RR, which is the ratio of the probabilities analogous to the odds used in the OR. However, available data frequently do not allow for the computation of the RR or the ARR but do allow for the computation of the OR, as in case-control studies, as explained below. On the other hand, if one of the properties (A or B) is sufficiently rare (in epidemiology this is called the rare disease assumption), then the OR is approximately equal to the corresponding RR.OpenEpi
Various confidence intervals for proportions, rates, standardized mortality ratio, mean, median, percentiles
2x2 crude and stratified tables for count and rate data
Matched case-control analysis
Test for trend with count data
Independent t-test and one-way ANOVA
Diagnostic and screening test analyses with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves
Sample size for proportions, cross-sectional surveys, unmatched case-control, cohort, randomized controlled trials, and comparison of two means
Power calculations for proportions (unmatched case-control, cross-sectional, cohort, randomized controlled trials) and for the comparison of two means
Random number generatorFor epidemiologists and other health researchers, OpenEpi performs a number of calculations based on tables not found in most epidemiologic and statistical packages. For example, for a single 2x2 table, in addition to the results presented in other programs, OpenEpi provides estimates for:
Etiologic or prevented fraction in the population and in exposed with confidence intervals, based on risk, odds, or rate data
The cross-product and MLE odds ratio estimate
Mid-p exact p-values and confidence limits for the odds ratio
Calculations of rate ratios and rate differences with confidence intervals and statistical tests.For stratified 2x2 tables with count data, OpenEpi provides:
Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and precision-based estimates of the risk ratio and odds ratio
Precision-based adjusted risk difference
Tests for interaction for the risk ratio, odds ratio, and risk difference
Four different confidence limit methods for the odds ratio.Similar to Epi Info, in a stratified analysis, both crude and adjusted estimates are provided so that the assessment of confounding can be made. With rate data, OpenEpi provides adjusted rate ratio’s and rate differences, and tests for interaction. Finally, with count data, OpenEpi also performs a test for trend, for both crude data and stratified data.
In addition to being used to analyze data by health researchers, OpenEpi has been used as a training tool for teaching epidemiology to students at: Emory University, University of Massachusetts, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Morehouse College, Columbia University, University of Wisconsin, San Jose State University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, University of Washington, and elsewhere. This includes campus-based and distance learning courses. Because OpenEpi is easy to use, requires no programming experience, and can be run on the internet, students can use the program and focus on the interpretation of results. Users can run the program in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian.
Comments and suggestions for improvements are welcomed and the developers respond to user queries. The developers encourage others to develop modules that could be added to OpenEpi and provide a developer’s tool at the website. Planned future development include improvements to existing modules, development of new modules, translation into other languages, and add the ability to cut and paste data and/or read data files.Preventable fraction among the unexposed
In epidemiology, preventable fraction among the unexposed (PFu), is the proportion of incidents in the unexposed group that could be prevented by exposure. It is calculated as , where is the incidence in the exposed group, is the incidence in the unexposed group, and is the relative risk. It is a synonym of the relative risk reduction.
It is used when an exposure reduces the risk, as opposed to increasing it, in which case its symmetrical notion is attributable fraction among the exposed.Rachev ratio
The Rachev Ratio (or R-Ratio) is a risk-return performance measure of an investment asset, portfolio, or strategy. It was devised by Dr. Svetlozar Rachev and has been extensively studied in quantitative finance. Unlike the reward-to-variability ratios, such as Sharpe ratio and Sortino ratio, the Rachev ratio is a reward-to-risk ratio, which is designed to measure the right tail reward potential relative to the left tail risk in a non-Gaussian setting. Intuitively, it represents the potential for extreme positive returns compared to the risk of extreme losses (negative returns), at a rarity frequency q (quantile level) defined by the user.The ratio is defined as the Expected Tail Return (ETR) in the best q% cases divided by the Expected tail loss (ETL) in the worst q% cases. The ETL is the average loss incurred when losses exceed the Value at Risk at a predefined quantile level. The ETR, defined by symmetry to the ETL, is the average profit gained when profits exceed the Profit at risk at a predefined quantile level.
For more tailored applications, the generalized Rachev Ratio has been defined with different powers and/or different confidence levels of the ETR and ETL.Relative risk reduction
In epidemiology, the relative risk reduction (RRR) or efficacy is the relative decrease in the risk of an adverse event in the exposed group compared to an unexposed group. It is computed as , where is the incidence in the exposed group, and is the incidence in the unexposed group. If the risk of an adverse event is increased by the exposure rather than decreased, term relative risk increase (RRI) is used, and computed as . If the direction of risk change is not assumed, a term relative effect is used and computed as .Risk difference
In epidemiology, risk difference (RD), excess risk, or attributable risk is the difference between the risk of an outcome in the exposed group and the unexposed group. It is computed as , where is the incidence in the exposed group, and is the incidence in the unexposed group. If the risk of an outcome is increased by the exposure, the term absolute risk increase (ARI) is used, and computed as . Equivalently, If the risk of an outcome is decreased by the exposure, the term absolute risk reduction (ARR) is used, and computed as .
The inverse of the absolute risk reduction is the number needed to treat, and the inverse of the absolute risk increase is the number needed to harm.Risk management in Indian banks
Risk management in Indian banks is a relatively newer practice, but has already shown to increase efficiency in governing of these banks as such procedures tend to increase the corporate governance of a financial institution. In times of volatility and fluctuations in the market, financial institutions need to prove their mettle by withstanding the market variations and achieve sustainability in terms of growth and well as have a stable share value. Hence, an essential component of risk management framework would be to mitigate all the risks and rewards of the products and service offered by the bank. Thus the need for an efficient risk management framework is paramount in order to factor in internal and external risks.The financial sector in various economies like that of India are undergoing a monumental change factoring into account world events such as the ongoing Banking Crisis across the globe. The 2007–present recession in the United States has highlighted the need for banks to incorporate the concept of Risk Management into their regular procedures. The various aspects of increasing global competition to Indian Banks by Foreign banks, increasing Deregulation, introduction of innovative products, and financial instruments as well as innovation in delivery channels have highlighted the need for Indian Banks to be prepared in terms of risk management.Indian Banks have been making great advancements in terms of technology, quality, as well as stability such that they have started to expand and diversify at a rapid rate. However, such expansion brings these banks into the context of risk especially at the onset of increasing Globalization and Liberalization. In banks and other financial institutions, risk plays a major part in the earnings of a bank. The higher the risk, the higher the return, hence, it is essential to maintain a parity between risk and return. Hence, management of Financial risk incorporating a set systematic and professional methods especially those defined by the Basel II becomes an essential requirement of banks. The more risk averse a bank is, the safer is their Capital base.Sidewalk
A sidewalk (American English) or pavement (British English), also known as a footpath or footway, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade (height) and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb. There may also be a median strip or road verge (a strip of vegetation, grass or bushes or trees or a combination of these) either between the sidewalk and the roadway or between the sidewalk and the boundary.
In some places, the same term may also be used for a paved path, trail or footpath that is not next to a road, for example, a path through a park.Tipredane
Tipredane (developmental code name SQ-27239) is a synthetic glucocorticoid corticosteroid which was never marketed.Verubecestat
Verubecestat (MK-8931) is an experimental drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It is an inhibitor of beta-secretase 1 (BACE1).In April 2012 phase I clinical results were announced. Phase 1b results have also been reported.As of December 2016 it was in two phase 2/3 clinical trials that have progressed to phase 3. EPOCH, was to complete data collection for the primary outcome measure by June 2017. However, in February 2017 Merck halted its late-stage trial of verubecestat for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease after it was reported as having "virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect" according to an independent panel of experts. The results of Merck's trial of verubecestat on patients with prodromal (early stage) Alzheimer's were expected in February 2019. However, the trial was terminated in February 2018, after a data monitoring committee concluded it was unlikely that the drug would show a positive benefit/risk ratio. The final conclusion was that "verubecestat did not reduce cognitive or functional decline in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease and was associated with treatment-related adverse events".Överkalix study
The Överkalix study (Swedish: Överkalixstudien) was a study conducted on the physiological effects of various environmental factors on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The study was conducted utilizing historical records, including harvests and food prices, in Överkalix, a small isolated municipality in northeast Sweden. The study was of 303 probands, 164 men and 139 women, born in 1890, 1905, or 1920, and their 1,818 children and grandchildren. 44 were still alive in 1995 when mortality follow-up stopped. Mortality risk ratios (RR) on children and grandchildren were determined based on available food supply, as indicated by historical data.
Among the sex-specific effects noted; a greater body mass index (BMI) at 9 years in sons, but not daughters, of fathers who began smoking early. The paternal grandfather's food supply was only linked to the mortality RR of grandsons and not granddaughters. The paternal grandmother's food supply was only associated with the granddaughters' mortality risk ratio. The grandmother having a good food supply was associated with a twofold higher mortality (RR).
This transgenerational inheritance was observed with exposure during the slow growth period (SGP). The SGP is the time before the start of puberty, when environmental factors have a larger impact on the body. The ancestors' SGP in this study, was set between the ages of 9-12 for boys and 8–10 years for girls. This occurred in the SGP of both grandparents, or during the gestation period/infant life of the grandmothers, but not during either grandparent's puberty. The father's poor food supply and the mother's good food supply were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death.Only the female probands experienced a twofold higher mortality RR when the paternal grandmother had good food availability during her SGP, compared to the mortality risk of those whose paternal grandmothers had poor food supply during the SGP.
Using the same data, another investigation highlighted that a sharp change in food availability in paternal grandmothers' resulted in an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in granddaughters adults' life. Such an effect was not observed in other grandparents. The grandparents were considered exposed if they experienced drastic change in their early life ranging from embryo to 13 years old.
Sex-specific effects can be due to parental imprinting a process that results in allele-specific differences in transcription, DNA methylation, and DNA replication timing. Imprinting is an important process in human development, and its deregulation can cause certain defined disease states of other imprinted human disease loci. The establishment of parental imprints occurs during gametogenesis as homologous DNA passes through sperm or egg; subsequently during embryogenesis and into adulthood, alleles of imprinted genes are maintained in two "conformational"/epigenetic states: paternal or maternal. Thus, genomic imprints template their own replication, are heritable, can be identified by molecular analysis, and serve as markers of the parental origin of genomic regions.
The estimation of percentage of human genes subject to parental imprinting is approximately one to two percent, currently parental imprinting has been identified in fewer than 100 distinct named genes.
|Overview|
|Controlled study|
(EBM I to II-1; A to B)
|Observational study|
(EBM II-2 to II-3; B to C)
|Measures|
|Trial/test types|
|Analysis of clinical trials|
|Interpretation of results|
|General|
|Preventive healthcare|
|Population health|
|Biological and|
epidemiological statistics
|Infectious and epidemic|
disease prevention
|Food hygiene and|
safety management
|Health behavioral|
sciences
|Organizations,|
education
and history
This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by authors
(here).
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses. | https://howlingpixel.com/i-en/Risk_ratio |
“I wouldn’t hesitate to let my children and dogs play on a lawn where lawn care products have been used,” stated Katherine von Stackelberg, Sc.D, “as long as the products were applied according to their respective labels.” As part of a series of studies commissioned by the Environmental Health Research Foundation, von Stackelberg selected four of the most commonly used lawn care products and reviewed them to evaluate the strength of the association between exposure and potential health effects. She reviewed the toxicological, epidemiological, and exposure data for bifenthrin, azoxystrobin, 2, 4-D and MCPA (a member of the same chemical family as 2,4-D).
Katherine von Stackelberg is principal of E Risk Sciences and a research manager at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. E Risk Sciences specializes in developing risk-based modeling tools to support environmental decision making. Much of her work has focused on incorporating quantitative uncertainty analysis (e.g., analytical, probabilistic and fuzzy methods) into the risk assessment process and she has been at the forefront of the effort to promote uncertainty analysis and methods for communicating uncertainty to support environmental decision-making.
The first study focused on bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid and a known neurotoxicant to insects. It has biochemical origins in the natural insecticide pyrethrum, an extract of Chrysanthemums and is a commonly used insecticide on turf, in homes, and for agricultural applications. In this study, von Stackelberg reviewed the health effects and exposure data for bifenthrin and found no evidence for adverse health effects when used as directed. Similarly, the U.S. EPA released a cumulative risk assessment in 2011 for synthetic pyrethroids as a class and found that typical uses were not associated with potential risks. Given the clear benefits of bifenthrin use (a highly effective termiticide), a qualitative benefit-risk assessment suggests that benefits of the product when used as directed lead to significant benefits. Given the obvious benefits, it is likely that directed uses of bifenthrin have greater benefit than risk.
In von Stackelberg’s second study, she provided a review of azoxystrobin, which is one of a new class of fungicidal compounds derived from naturally-occurring strobilurins used in agriculture and lawn care. Azoxystrobin is a broad-spectrum, systemic fungicide that acts by inhibiting electron transport. It has the ability to provide protection against fungal diseases within a variety of crops. In the study, von Stackelberg found “that the evidence indicates that the potential for adverse health effects in humans resulting from exposure to azoxystrobin is low to non-existent.” The research also looked at the effect of azoxystrobin on dogs and found no adverse health effects.
A third study was recently completed by von Stackelberg reviewing the potential health effects of MCPA and 2,4-D, which are pesticides/herbicides used to control and eliminate broad leaf weeds. In presentations last fall at two scientific conferences, von Stackelberg indicated that these products are also ones which do not raise undue levels of concern. The full results of this study have been submitted for publication to a peer reviewed scientific publication and EHRF will release the full study when it has been accepted for publication.
“Significant research has been done on these products,” von Stackelberg explained, “and the weight of evidence indicates very little potential for adverse health effects associated with environmental exposures.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency carefully monitors and approves lawn care products for use. Over the years, it has eliminated questionable products from use on lawns. As part of the pesticide registration process, U.S. EPA evaluates and in some cases conducts independent research to evaluate potential risks and define acceptable uses. They have determined there is little or no health risk associated with exposure to bifenthrin, azoxystrobin, and MCPA—when the products are used as directed.
“Green space, particularly in urban areas, offers significant health benefits, which are described in the Environmental Health Research’s review of the literature. Maximizing these benefits may require the use of products to ensure a healthy, thriving green space, and the goal is to use products with the greatest efficacy and the least potential for risk,” stated von Stackelberg.
The Environmental Health Foundation has a report available online which reviews all of the literature on the benefits of green space. With this report, EHRF produced a comprehensive bibliography of current university and governmental research which outlines the importance of healthy lawns. From erosion control to water and air purification to carbon sequestration to increasing home values the research shows that healthy lawns provide important environmental benefits as well as help create the kind of ideal play surfaces that can help stem the problems associated with the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. | https://landscape-business.com/environmental-health-research-foundation-releases-research-data-on-lawn-care-products/ |
- Progression-free survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Assessment over 36 months, minimum 12 month ]Progression-free survival (PFS) will be defined as the time from randomization to the time of disease progression or relapse or death.
- Safety and tolerability [ Time Frame: Assessment over 36 months ]
Capture all adverse events, serious adverse events, all side effects of the study medication, serious side effects, adverse events that lead to temporary or complete discontinuation of the study treatment and the Rates and causes of death.
A safety interims analysis is planned, as soon as 60 subjects have finished at least two treatment cycles.
- Rate of Progression Free Survival after 6 months (6 months PFSR) [ Time Frame: Assessment over 36 months ]descriptive Evaluation, for the monotherapy (arm 2) a median PFS of 4 months is assumed. It is expected that the combination therapy will prolong the median PFS to 6.5 months.
- Overall survival (OS) [ Time Frame: 36 months ]The duration of overall survival (OS) will be determined by measuring the time interval from randomization to the date of death or last observation.
- Response rate (CR, PR) [ Time Frame: 36 months ]The tumour status of patients will be evaluated nine weekly during the treatment until detection of progression.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:||18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)|
|Sexes Eligible for Study:||Female|
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:||No|
Inclusion Criteria:
1 .Dated and signed patient informed consent before start of any in the protocol specified procedures 2. Histologically or cytologically confirmed Her2/neu negative, metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer, including inoperable local relapse, with measurable or non-measurable lesions for which
- a palliative second line chemotherapy is indicated. Antihormone palliative pretreatments do not count as separate treatment lines
- treatment with anthracycline and/or taxanes has failed or is not suitable
- which cannot be adequately treated by operation or radiotherapy on its own 3. An exclusive anti-hormone therapy is not indicated for the patient 4. ECOG Performance Status of 0-2 5. Women >= 18 years of age 6. Life expectancy of at least 12 weeks 7. Adequate bone marrow, liver and renal function (according to SmPC of Vinorelbine, Afinitor®) based on laboratory assessments raised within 7 days prior to start of study treatment:
- Haemoglobin >= 9.0 g/dl
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >= 2/mm³
- Thrombocytes >= 100/µl
- INR >= 2
- Serum bilirubin =< 1.5x upper limit of normal ( in patients with known Gilbert syndrome, total bilirubin =< 3x upper limit of normal, with direct bilirubin =< 1.5x upper limit of normal
- ALT and AST =< 2.5x upper limit of normal (=< 5x upper limit of normal in subjects with liver metastases)
- Serum cholesterol =< 300 mg/dl or 7.75 mmol/l and triglycerides =< 2.5x upper limit of normal (with lipid lowering drugs permitted)
- Serum creatinin =< 2x upper limit of normal 8. Documentation of a negative pregnancy test in women of childbearing potential within 7 days prior to start of study. Sexual active pre-menopausal women are required to use adequate contraception throughout the duration of the study, except for oestrogen containing contraceptives
Exclusion Criteria:
- Previous treatment with Vinorelbine or an inhibitor of mTOR
- Treatment with other study medication within 28 days before start of treatment
- Patients who have received prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
- Other tumours in the previous 5 years with exception of an adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or a preinvasive cervix carcinoma
- Simultaneous use of known CYP3A4 inducers (e.g. Phenytoin, Rifampicin) or inhibitors of this enzyme (e.g. Itraconazole, Ketoconazole), therefore also use of mistletoe, St John's wort or grapefruit juice
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Patients to whom at least one of the conditions applies:
- Substance abuse
- medical, psychological or social conditions that may interfere with the patient's participation in the study or evaluation of the study results as judged by the investigator
- Legal incapacity or limited legal capacity
- Subjects who are unable to take oral medication
- Any condition that could jeopardise the safety of the patient and their compliance in the study as judged by the investigator
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History of cardiac dysfunction including one of the following:
- Myocardial infarction by elevated cardiac enzymes or persistent regional wall abnormalities on assessment of LV function
- History of documented congestive heart failure (NYHA ≥ 3)
- Documented cardiomyopathy
- Known HIV infection or chronic hepatitis B or C or history of hepatitis B / C
- Active clinically relevant infection (> grade 2 NCI-CTC Version 4.03)
- Clinical or radiological detection of CNS metastases
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Patients receiving concomitant immunosuppressive agents or chronic use of corticosteroids at the time of study entry except in cases outlined below:
- topical applications (e.g. rash,) inhaled sprays, (e.g. obstructive airway diseases) eye drops or local injections (e.g. intraarticular) are allowed
- Active bleeding diathesis or an oral anti-vitamin K medication (except low-dose warfarin and aspirin or equivalent, as long as the INR ≤ 2)
- Kidney function disorder requiring dialysis
- Seriously impaired liver function (Child-Pugh, class C)
- Known hypersensitivity reaction to Vinorelbine or Everolimus
- Pregnant or breast-feeding subjects
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01520103
|Germany|
|Hämatologisch-onkologische Gemeinschaftspraxis, Münster|
|Münster, Germany, 48149|
|Principal Investigator:||Christian Lerchenmüller, Dr.||Hämatologisch-onkologische Gemeinschaftspraxis, Münster|
Additional Information:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number): | https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01520103 |
A record-breaking marine heat wave, which scorched the waters off the Australian coast in 2016, has changed the Great Barrier Reef “forever,” scientists say. Not only has the reef suffered extensive die-offs, but the types of corals that remain are different and less diverse than they were before.
The findings published yesterday in Nature by more than a dozen researchers are the product of months of aerial and underwater surveys, starting in the spring of 2016. They suggest that about 30 percent of coral cover across the entire Great Barrier Reef was lost between March and November 2016. And in the northern sector of the reef, where heat stress was highest, more than half the coral cover died within eight months.
It’s an “unprecedented” event in the reef’s recorded history, the scientists note—and it’s possible some parts of the reef may never be the same again.
“The coral die-off has caused radical changes in the mix of coral species on hundreds of individual reefs,” co-author Andrew Baird of Australia’s James Cook University said in a statement. As a result, only a few “tough” species are remaining in some of the most heavily affected parts of the reef.
The changes are the result of a massive coral bleaching event, brought on by higher temperatures. Healthy corals have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae, which live inside them and give them their bright colors. But when corals experience heat stress, they expel their algae, turning a bleached white color in the process.
Bleaching isn’t necessarily a death sentence for corals. Given enough time to recover, they can regrow their algae. But prolonged warm periods may kill corals before they have time to return to normal.
Back-to-back bleaching events can also cause additional damage to already-weakened corals that haven’t had sufficient time to recover. In the Great Barrier Reef’s case, a second marine heat wave in 2017 is believed to have caused additional damage on top of the mortalities reported in 2016.
The new research reaffirms a growing conclusion among coral experts that some coral species are naturally better at weathering heat stress than others. On the Great Barrier Reef, the surveys suggest that many areas have seen a decline in fast-growing species, such as staghorn and tabular corals, with slower-growing, simpler species left behind.
Those findings present both good and bad news for the reef. On the one hand, the survival of slower-growing, hardier coral species suggests that there’s still a future for the reef, although it may look different from before.
On the other hand, many of the surviving corals are much simpler in terms of their physical structure than their faster-growing counterparts, which were notable for their complex, branching 3-D designs. The simpler corals may provide less variety in habitat for fish and other organisms that populate the reef.
Prospects for a full recovery—back to the way the reef used to be, that is—are slim, the researchers say. Even if some of the faster-growing species started to make a comeback, it would still take at least a decade for them to return to their previous levels. It’s likely more heat waves will occur in the meantime, causing more damage before the reef has fully rebuilt.
In fact, a study published last week in Nature Communications finds that marine heat waves have increased worldwide by 54 percent since the 1920s (Climatewire, April 11). And much of that increasing trend has occurred in the last few decades.
And other recent research, published by some of the same authors who conducted the Great Barrier Reef study, suggests that coral bleaching events are also happening more frequently. Around the world, severe bleaching events have increased nearly fivefold since the 1980s (Climatewire, Jan. 5). These events now occur about once every six years on average, scientists suggest—which is worrying, considering that most reefs require a decade or more to fully recover from a severe bleaching episode.
Both the increase in heat waves and bleaching events are strongly linked to climate change, the studies suggest. And the Great Barrier Reef is hardly the only reef around the world that’s suffering the consequences. The 2016 heat wave around Australia was just one part of a massive global bleaching event, which affected about 70 percent of the world’s reefs between 2014 and 2017.
But the iconic Great Barrier Reef may present one of the biggest warnings about the future of corals worldwide. Continued efforts to meet international climate targets and keep global warming below a 2-degree temperature threshold are more critical than ever, the researchers note.
In the meantime, the survey results underscore the importance of determining which coral species fare best under stress, and why. They may be the future of coral reefs in a warming world. | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/recent-ocean-heat-waves-have-forever-altered-great-barrier-reef/?error=cookies_not_supported&code=ee8c0165-e3fe-476f-b589-d9d6704289d6 |
HELD. HELD is a London based International Collective of social & documentary photographers with global coverage of all of all types of visual storytelling, in every country that each photographer represents. Bringing visual storytelling into the real & tactile world with annual zines, annual books, exhibitions and prints in every country represented. Taking it all to the areas in those countries that do not have access to top-level media.
Storytelling exists in all styles, formats & mediums but united in presence by the narrative. Every human situation has its own story and thus HELD encourages every form of visual storytelling. Documentary, street, reportage, representational, portrait, social, artistic, photojournalism, graphics, technical, immersive, film, VR/AR/4D & all new media. To all work together to raise awareness of global situations, issues & stories.
Collective: HELD – Part 1 | Part 2
Members: Andreas Vassiliou, Claudia Ioan, Diego Herculano, Drew Hopper, Ekaterina Solovieva, Fatimah Hossaini, Gonzalo Höhr de Miguel, Massimiliano Tuveri, Melissa David, Najlaa Dadbar, Satoko Kuroda. | https://eyeshotstreetphotography.com/held-part-2/ |
How has your role changed over time and how did you have to adapt to the pandemic?
Like most of my colleagues who oversee global medical assistance platforms, our role evolves with the appearance and disappearance of old/new infectious diseases, civil/regional stability, and the economy.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, our role as an organisation, was in many respects reactive, where we provided assistance to business travellers crossing borders. With the unprecedented effects of this global public health crisis, business travel was practically shut down. Consequently, we had to change our value proposition. We transitioned from a reactive service provider to a proactive one where we, through our workforce resilience programme, assisted organisations, in every sector, with quarantine/isolation protocols, vaccination programmes, and return to work policies/procedures.
On the medical side of assistance, what technological advancements would you say have changed most since the pandemic, and do you think it accelerated change?
The first and most obvious technological advancement we have seen during the pandemic is the explosion of the telehealth. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), including those providing emotional support, could suddenly be accessed virtually. This protected the health of the provider as well as the patient.
The second and equally as impactful, technological advancement encountered was the evolution of the digital platform for communication between physicians. Zoom and Teams, to name but two, became the standard platform for communication between physicians even if the participants were in the same office.
Both of these advancements accelerated the principles of health and safety of the workforce to the forefront of operations.
And what new or forthcoming advancements do you think will prove game-changing over the next few years?
Care and attention must be given to the protection of protected health information (PHI) in this digital space. The game changer will be online platforms with impenetrable firewalls and cybersecurity processes/procedures that will become so secure that hacking will be an obsolete term.
With extreme events overseas becoming more common, how are you planning to adapt? What kind of challenges do they bring to you?
Managing extreme events overseas has always been part of our core practice. Success in the management, at least in our experience, is based on a decentralised service delivery model where every case(s) is managed by local subject matter experts (SMEs) who understand the culture, the infrastructure, the language, and most importantly the (medical/security) limitations. From a security perspective, with current global instability, cross-border travel will only become riskier. Part of the mitigation against such risks will be in the constant collection and sharing of intelligence between our stakeholders, who in turn act in a proactive/preventative fashion to support our clients around the world.
In the current climate, what are some of the main hurdles that an assistance company faces when organising a repatriation, and what are the best methods for overcoming these hurdles?
Historically, when we have been engaged to medevac an individual to upgrade their care, we would do so to the nearest centre of medical excellence. Since Covid-19, our strategy has changed in many cases due to governmental restrictions and healthcare capacity. For these reasons it is now commonplace to repatriate the sick and injured (assuming they are fit to fly). The health and safety of our transported patients as well as the aviation crew is of the utmost priority. Consequently, the planning of any repatriation now must include, over and above the usual protocols, Covid-19 mitigation best practices, understanding of local laws/regulations, and repeated testing. Setting expectations with the client and outlining how these aforementioned factors can contribute to delays is highly recommended. As is continued education of the transport team(s) about best practices in Covid-19 mitigation.
What do you do for training new people, how long do you train for, and how do you ensure ongoing professional development and learning for their coordinators?
Over the years we have recognised that certain profiles thrive in our business. So, to combat attrition we have educated our HR personnel to focus on those individuals that meet the successful profile. Once hired, the training programme(s) are under the supervision of dedicated trainers. There is a robust curriculum with plenty of ‘hands-on’ training in animated circumstances/scenarios. Since no one is allowed to ‘fly solo’ until the trainer and senior leadership has signed off, and all our criteria has been met, there is not set training period. Some individuals learn faster than others and some require more oversight/supervision. Once training is completed, every individual is always surrounded by an SME so there is never pressure to make an uncomfortable decision. Furthermore, it has always been our best practice to escalate any issue, at any time, where sharing of ALL data is paramount to successful outcome of our patients.
With telehealth solutions becoming more common, how do you think international healthcare will change in the future? Will people have easier and cheaper access to healthcare due to telehealth?
Telehealth has indeed been catapulted into the healthcare arena globally. There remain however, certain regulations that are not consistent around the world. For example, in some jurisdictions the telehealth provider must have had, at some time, a physical encounter with the patient, in other jurisdictions the provider must hold an active medical license in the area where the service is provided. As the technology evolves and as the pandemic limits access to HCPs telehealth will continue to grow as a new dimension in healthcare globally. It can serve several purposes. Firstly, it can keep people out of hospital where risk of exposure is greatest. Secondly, it can bypass historic queues to access a provider, and can be accessed almost from anywhere at any time. | https://www.itij.com/latest/long-read/interview-dr-robert-quigley-medical-director-international-sos |
7 web design mistakes every beginner makes
It's easy to tumble into pitfalls when you're starting out in web design. Learn what they are and how to avoid them.
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Experimenting and making mistakes is an important part of learning. Each year in my work as a university lecturer, I see new students making the same sorts of mistakes in their web design work. Hopefully by identifying those issues here, we can better learn to avoid them.
01. Lack of overall vision
Every web page exists for a reason, whether it is to convey information, provide entertainment, sell a product or service or allow the user to perform a task. Every element on the page needs to work in service of this purpose.
Look over your design: the function of each element should be clear, and anything that doesn't support this purpose should be removed. Things that are clickable need to look like they are clickable – whether that's through underlining, styling as buttons or another visual system, the key is to be consistent.
You should aim to create a clear visual hierarchy, so the user can easily scan the page and pick out key information or functions. The tone and styling of your page should reflect the purpose of the site, but the content itself is the most important part of the design. If your site is there to promote your skills as a web designer, perhaps we don't need to hear about your passion for stamp-collecting? Think about why the user has come to the site, and what you want them to do when they get there. Carefully consider how you organise the information and functionality – for example, don't unnecessarily break a site into multiple pages if it would work better as a single page that scrolls.
02. Falling for fads and trends
It's fun to keep up with fashion, but it's more important to stick with core design principles. For example, classic Olympic Games posters from the mid-20th century still look fantastic today, while many of the skeuomorphic 'Web 2.0' websites of the early 2000s, with their bevels and glass effects, already look dated. The stereotypical 'hipster' look of silhouetted anchors and moustaches is already heading the same way.
The key is to stick to the principles of typography, image and layout, rather than mindlessly applying meaningless iconography or tricksy CSS and Photoshop effects. Sometimes less is more, and just because you can make a jQuery image carousel or parallax scroll effect, it doesn't mean you should.
Nobody is born with good taste (I certainly wouldn't claim to have it!) and taste is, of course, subjective. But by exposing ourselves to well-designed things, we can definitely gain an appreciation for good design over bad, and hopefully see the mistakes in our own work more easily.
03. Not aligning to a grid
Although the grid-lines are invisible, most professional designers align their work to a strict grid, often made up of eight, 12 or 16 thin vertical columns. These columns should be evenly sized and spaced, with clear margins and gutters separating them. Visual elements can span one or more columns, so in practice the 12 thin 'columns' might be divided into three actual text columns, and at other times an image might span all 12. Varying how these columns are broken-up can help to stop the design looking too much like a rigid table.
Grid systems originated in print design, but have come to the web via frameworks such as 960 Grid System and more recently responsive systems such as Skeleton, which are able to dynamically alter the size and number of columns based on screen resolution. Remember, visual elements should either clearly line up, or clearly look like they are not meant to. Where things almost line-up, but don't quite, is where they start to look weird. Also look out for 'orphaned' words or elements that wrap into unexpected places. It's normally better to 'design in the browser' than in Photoshop, as you'll get a more realistic idea of how the site looks.
At the very least, a webpage should normally centre within the browser width, rather than leaving the page content anchored to the left with an empty void to the right (I'm looking at you, TSB).
White space can be lovely; not if you're doing it like this, though
04. Poor text treatment
Students often make text too small. The default HTML font size comes from a time when websites had to account for desktop users with 800x600 resolution monitors, but in the era of mobile devices and high definition monitors, we can think bigger. Designers such as Jeffrey Zeldman have shown that large font sizes can work well for paragraph text.
Don't forget to check how your website looks at a range of resolutions and use CSS media queries to adapt if necessary. Headings should be significantly bigger that paragraph text. Also ensure you give enough vertical space between lines of text. In typography, this distance is called the 'leading', and in CSS is controlled by the 'line-height'. The default value puts lines quite close together, which can mean the reader loses track of where they are, as their eye moves down the page. Try using a value that is 50% larger than your font-size, for example 36px for 24px text.
Ensure that you leave enough 'white space' around text – this just means empty space on the page which serves to help separate elements and lead the eye around the page. Ensure that you limit the width of text columns so that you don't have too many words to a line – this also helps to make sure the reader doesn't lose their place as their eye moves from the end of a line to the beginning of the next line. Generally an average of somewhere around 10 words to a line works best. For the same reasons, avoid text-align:center or text-align:right for paragraph text.
Limit yourself to two or three fonts, and avoid using images as text – services such as Google Fonts and Typekit give access to a wide range of web fonts. Ensure that there's sufficient contrast between the text colour and background colour – generally dark text on a light background is best. Light text on a dark background can work too, but can be viewed as more masculine, cold or uninviting. Online tools like Adobe Kuler can help you choose a tasteful colour scheme. Avoid high contrast background patterns that can confuse the shape of letters.
05. Poor treatment of photography
The most common mistake here seems to be students sizing photos too small on the page, meaning they lose their impact. Full browser-width images (as seen on Treehouse, for example) give a more impactful, 'glossier' feeling that's more like a printed magazine. Also ensure that the photography you choose communicates the message your website is trying to convey, and that you have the legal right to use it. Stock photography websites offer an amazing selection of images, but be sure to steer clear of the many 'cheesy' shots you'll find there. If you're using your own photography, make sure you adjust the colour and contrast levels to ensure it looks punchy and not washed out, but still looks natural.
Full-width images can give your website a wonderfully impactful look
06. Poor treatment of icons and logos
A common problem is bad cutting-out of artwork, with visible jagged edges ('jaggies'), or furry feathered edges. Master the pen tool in Photoshop, or use the polygonal lasso and zoom-in extremely close. Another frequent issue is jpeg compression artefacts, so use SVG or a high-resolution PNG for icons and logos. Ensure that you don't display artwork above its native resolution, as it will appear blurry. You might get away with this for a photograph, but never for an icon graphic.
07. Leaving things unfinished or broken
A professional designer will never knowingly leave something unfinished or broken on a public site. Bigger design agencies might have a dedicated QA (Quality Assurance) team to spot mistakes, but as a beginner it's up to you. Rope a friend in to help proof-read and check over your designs. It's amazing what a second pair of eyes can spot!
Look out for links to non-existent pages, 'broken images', layout glitches, styles not appearing and spelling mistakes. Attention to detail is key. If you tried to implement something, but you couldn't quite make it work, take it out! If you have obvious mistakes on your page, people will only see the mistakes and miss your message.
And of course, don't make no-brainer errors like leaving the page title as 'Untitled Document' or leaving place-holder text on the page! But none of us would do that, would we?! Lorem ipsum dolor... | |
As in the last exercise I decided to look at specific images from my series of photographs taken on site.
I felt intrigued by some color and texture patterns of objects that reminds me of human presence: door, satellite dish, windows. I cropped the images and looked at them separately before deciding which views I will work on for my paintings.
I worked with an underlying middle grey acrylic ground and applied white enamel on top, letting it run down, scratching in it and appying some green pigment and earth for special markings. The painting process reminded me of the time lapse deterioration of the satellite dish exposed to the natural forces.
A glossy acrylic ground with a window unpainted. After drying I taped off the painted ground and work with several transparent layers in oil to obtain a deep colourful area. I was careful to use only transparent paints (phalo blue, prussiam blue, madder lake) and a lot of turp. to work very fluently on the surface over several days. I used a semi-transparent yellow paint to add a different hue as well as to add more body and opaqueness to the space. Overall I was not so much concerned in achieving a likeliness with the cropped zoomed in photo. I found it eventually fascinating how the oil paint creeped under the tape and left its traces at the edge. I really got to love those incidents.
I found man-made forms in contact with nature as very rich in depth and different ways of articulation. E.g. the satellite dish with the ageing and deteriorating surface can – at large scale – convey a sense of sublime. This for me an excellent process approach reflecting nature’s process and painting process.
Trying to understand materiality of different paints and approaches helps in creating images that are quite close to perceived forms.
Close up views contribute to not-recognition. The viewer can not relate to the complete form. Only part of it and by that the response would be different. For me a different approach compared to my using of mylar sheet to disguise an underlying painting (Part 4 – Project 1).
I do more and more embrace and love those incidentally marks and traces left by paint as the edges of the blue square.
Consider how close up views can support my project. Can a close up view convey an uncanny sensation or alienation? Through rather abstract presentations based on material characteristics of paint.
Consider process painting as process of deterioration as an analogue. | https://ocapainting1.stefanschaffeld.com/?p=3433 |
What is Qualitative Analysis?
Qualitative: This is to do with te quality of something. Answering, what is in the solution?
Analysis: detailed looking (examination) to determine what something is.
In chemistry this is a fancy way for us to say, "we are finding out what ions are in this solution". There are a few terms that are helpful to understand and some easier faster ways to say what is happening.
Solubility
- Define the terms solute, solvent, solution, solubility and saturated.
- Describe in detail the dissolving process and account for the changes which occur.
- Write the equations showing the solvation of ionic solutes in water and know that this is not a chemical reaction.
- Recall the solubility rules for nitrates, sulfates, carbonates, hydroxides, oxides, chlorides, and sodium, potassium and ammonium compounds.
- Write net ionic equations for precipitation reactions.
- Know the tests which characterise the following ions: Ag+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Al3+, Fe3+, Cl-, I-, SO42-, CO32-
- Identify the ions contained in unknown solutions by carrying out a logical sequence of tests.
- Know what a complex ion is and how one is formed. | https://wikieducator.org/Openchemistry/Qualitative_Analysis |
9:25 - 9:45 Why are you presenting that content?
9:45 - 9:55 Break
9:55 - 10:05 What are the key concepts your attendees need to walk away with?
PB & J Walkthrough
10:05 - 10:20 If you were in the audience, what would you want?
Music
Engaging Visuals
Movement
Time to do
10:20 - 11:00 The tools to get us there
11:00 - 11:45 LUNCH
11:45 - 11:55 Having your attendees get the most out of the experience
Why are they there?
What are they expecting of you?
How can you make their life better?
Where does this fit into their curriculum, workflow, life?
11:55 - 12:25 Laying down the law (figuratively, of course)
Cue Sheet
Accessibility
Slide Deck
12:55 - 2:25 Blow It Up!
Attention to details
Trust the message
It's about the relationship
Sneak in good pedagogy throughout
2:25 - 2:35 Sneak Peek
2:35 - 2:45 Homework
Day 2 Agenda
8:30 - 8:40 Recap of Homework
8:40 - 9:00 La Cucina Revisited
9:00 - 9:20 New Tool Smackdown
9:20 - 9:40 Slide Deck Investigation
9:40 - 9:50 Break
10:00 - 12:00 Blow It Up!
12:00 - 12:45 LUNCH
12:45 - 2:00 Present Your Session
15 minutes for each person
Other members of group are students
2:00 - 2:30 Small Group Debrief
What went well?
What would you have changed? WHY?
Personally, answer these questions as well
2:30 - 3:00 Whole Group Debrief
3:00 - 3:15 Evaluation
John Stevens is an educational technology coach for Chaffey Joint Union High School District who has also taught high school Geometry, Algebra 1, middle school Math, Service Learning, and Robotics, Engineering, and Design since 2006. He has served as the go-to guy for trying new, crazy, and often untested ideas to see how well they will work. | http://cuetoyou.cuetoyou.net/events/2015-07-08-09 |
Change Control Best Practices - Avoiding Unintended Consequences of Changes
- DATE:
- August 6, 2015 - August 7, 2015
- LOCATION:
- San Francisco, CA 94108
- COUNTRY:
- USA
- START DATE/TIME:
- August 6, 2015 8:30 AM
- END DATE/TIME:
- August 7, 2015 4:30 PM
- EVENT TYPE:
- Training
- HOST:
- ComplianceOnline
- PHONE:
- 888-717-2436
- EMAIL:
- [email protected]
- WEBSITE:
- Click here to Visit
Description
Course Description:
With FDA citing inadequate change control constantly in its 483s and Warning Letters, the prerequisite to ensure that changes are accurately described, justified, assessed for risk, implemented, and documented has come to the fore. Changes must also be prospectively reviewed by appropriate subject matter experts. Furthermore, certain major changes (e.g. manufacturing, specifications) may require regulatory filings and/or prior regulatory approval.
This seminar will guide all personnel involved in proposing, assessing, and implementing changes to understand and successfully apply the fundamental change control steps and best practices. The key focus will remain on:
Change proposals
Justification / risk assessment
Change execution / implementation
The seminar will focus on changes to equipment, facilities, materials/components, test methods, suppliers, specifications, etc. Document change control will be discussed as a supporting element. Additionally, this practical, how-to course will illustrate and impart:
The importance of subject matter expertise, proper planning, critical thinking skills, and co-ordination of all change activities.
Skills needed for applying change controls within an organization.
Group exercises to allow participants to practice skill sets with feedback from the instructor.
Practical training by having participant teams complete a full write-up for a mock change control.
Learning Objectives:
On completing this course on FDA compliance, participants will be able to:
Understand regulatory requirements and FDA expectations for change control
Understand the purpose of change control
Identify what types of changes are /are not subject to change control
Properly describe a change
Properly justify a change
Develop a comprehensive change execution plan
Conduct a proper change risk assessment
Accurately execute a change
Accurately implement a change
Develop a full change control package
Utilize critical thinking skills throughout the change control process
Avoid pitfalls during the change control process
Who Will Benefit:
This course is designed from a pharmaceutical manufacturing perspective; however, since the main focus is on techniques and practices, the course material may be equally applied to biologics and medical device environments. It will benefit:
Change proposal authors
Reviewers / approvers of change controls
Change control system owners
Production staff / management
Engineering staff / management
Validation staff /management
QA and QC staff / management
Regulatory affairs staff / management
Topic Background:
One of the top 10 FDA 483 and Warning Letter citations is for inadequate change control. Change control receives detailed scrutiny during FDA inspections, and FDA reviews change control documentation to determine that changes do not adversely impact products, processes, equipment, facilities, etc. Any individually inadequate change may lead to significant negative events, including release of sub-standard product or product recall. A pattern of inadequate changes may require costly and time-consuming system remediation efforts.
For Registration - http://www.complianceonline.com/fda-change-control-expectations-best-practices-seminar-training-80244SEM-prdsm?channel=automation
Note: Use coupon code 232082 and get 10% off on registration.
- Related Portals:
- Factory Automation, Manufacturing Operations Management, Process Automation
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Bristol’s One City Climate Strategy was launched by the One City Environmental Sustainability Board on 26 February, which describes a pathway for Bristol to become carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030 – a highly ambitious goal 20 years ahead of the UK Government.
Bristol Green Capital Partnership welcomes the strategy, which outlines the radical and urgent changes that are needed across the city – by its institutions, organisations, businesses and people – for Bristol to become carbon neutral and climate resilient by 2030, as committed in the One City Plan. This ambition builds upon decades of strong environmental action in the city, and Bristol should be proud to be leading the way in responding to the climate challenges we face.
The strategy is built upon thorough evidence of current carbon emissions and what is needed to reduce them. It addresses emissions from energy, waste and transport in Bristol, and also looks at the wider carbon footprints from the things people and businesses buy from around the world. Along with strong action from the local authority, every organisation and resident in the city can contribute through changes in their daily activities. The Environmental Sustainability Board now calls upon people and organisations across the city to come together to work towards the goals of the strategy.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol and co-chair of the Environmental Sustainability Board, said:
“Bristol is an incredibly environmentally-conscious city which is reflected in the way we are leading the response to one of the most complex challenges humanity has ever faced. We are proud of the fact Bristol has inspired others to recognise the importance of the climate emergency. We need our city to come together like never before and it’s encouraging that people from organisations across the city have made this unique approach a reality.”
The strategy sets out the actions needed to phase out the use of fossil fuels and improve the resilience of the city in 10 key areas, including travel, homes, food, shopping and waste activities, plus how businesses and public services will need to change their operations and supply chains. Across all these key areas there will need to be the skills, funding, leadership, data, infrastructure and engagement to enable the action to happen.
The Bristol Advisory Committee on Climate Change (BACCC) released a statement welcoming the development of the One City Climate Strategy, saying:
“The Committee understands that decarbonisation will not be easy and that this report has been developed rapidly and with limited resources, and therefore welcomes the recognition that the strategy should continually improve and adapt in the future as new evidence becomes available.
However, while there is always a need for more research, particularly in areas such as how we adapt to unavoidable climate change, this report provides a strong evidence base for action.
The focus should now shift to developing the urgent next steps that are needed in areas like transport and heating and the BACCC looks forward to working with local and national government, and city partners, to help the city achieve its climate change ambitions.”
The next step is to align the plans and actions of organisations across the city to help achieve these objectives and critically, make a clear ask of national government to make the necessary changes in laws, policies and finances. A new website is also in development to help Bristol citizens, organisations and businesses to take effective action on climate change.
Mohammed Saddiq, Chair of Bristol Green Capital Partnership, said:
“This is a hugely important moment for Bristol. The strategy provides a new level of understanding about the challenges ahead of us in achieving the Partnership’s collective goal ‘to make Bristol a sustainable city with a high quality of life for all’. We are pleased to see that many objectives laid out in Our Vision are reflected in the strategy and urge Partnership members to continue to play an active role in supporting the shared vision and in the delivery of the strategy.“
Bristol Green Capital Partnership will be setting up a Carbon Neutral network to support all members who have ambitions to become carbon neutral in their own operations by 2030. More information about this new initiative will be coming soon.
Lizzi Testani, Chief Operating Officer, says: | https://bristolgreencapital.org/one-city-climate-strategy-launched-calling-bristol-come-together-like-never/ |
BOISE, Idaho — If you've ever found yourself standing in front of your trash and recycling bins, but could not decide whether that piece of household waste was recyclable or not, you are not alone.
The situation became even more complicated with the addition of the Hefty EnergyBag program in certain Treasure Valley cities.
While you can now recycle more items that previously would have gone in the trash - particularly plastics - it can be confusing and often frustrating trying to figure out which receptacle to put your recyclables.
Certain types of plastics can be placed directly in the recycling bin, while others must go in the orange Hefty bags. Still others cannot be recycled at all and must be thrown out.
The reason for these very specific recycling rules has to do with contamination.
Colin Hickman with Boise Public Works says workers at the city's recycling facility must sort through - by hand - about 150 tons of materials each day.
According to Hickman, the majority of the workers' time is spent on sorting things that should not be sent to the recycling facility in the first place. The biggest contaminant by far is plastic film - grocery bags, garbage bags, saran wrap, and bubble wrap.
RELATED: Here's how the plastics you toss in Boise's recycling bins can actually become fuel
Roughly 400 tons of contamination, mostly plastic film, is painstakingly picked out by hand and sent to the landfill every month. If it was disposed of properly - in the orange Hefty bags - all of that plastic film could have been converted into fuel.
Officials say if you aren't sure whether something should be recycled, just throw it in the trash.
If you're having trouble figuring out what goes where, this guide is here to help you make sense of it all. (Scroll down to see specific recycling information for communities taking part in the Hefty EnergyBag program and those that are not participating in the program.)
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Up until 2018, China took a large share of recyclable materials from the United States and other western nations. But last year, the country passed a ban to limit the types of recyclables that can be imported. This created a recycling crisis for much of the world, but also forced local governments to examine their own recycling options.
Boise city leaders acknowledged that they had to make some hard decisions in a very short time frame.
In an effort to avoid sending non-biodegradable plastics to landfills, Boise and several other cities in Ada County joined the Hefty EnergyBag Program, in which certain types of plastic are collected locally and transported to Salt Lake City, where a company called Rewewlogy converts the plastics into synthetic diesel fuel for off-road use.
Boise public works officials say the city was the first in the nation to implement a citywide roll-out of the program, which has - as of spring 2019 - collected more than 250,000 pounds of plastic to be sent to Renewlogy.
SANITATION SERVICES
Several different sanitation companies operate in the Treasure Valley and offer different options when it comes to recycling. The largest is Republic Services, which provides residential trash and recycling pickup for the largest cities in the valley - including Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell.
Other sanitation companies operating in the Treasure Valley include Hardin Sanitation, which services the western end of the valley including Payette County and parts of Canyon and Washington counties; J&M Sanitation which operates in the Kuna and Melba areas; and Ontario Sanitary Service in Malheur County.
Republic Services offers the Hefty EnergyBag program, although not all cities or counties participate. Generally speaking, cities and unincorporated areas in Ada County have the option to recycle using the bright orange EnergyBags, while cities and unincorporated areas in Canyon County do not.
You can find out more about the recycling options provided by local sanitation service at the following links:
Republic Services
Participating in Hefty EnergyBag Program:
- Ada County (Note: Ada County recently awarded its contract for waste collection to Hardin Sanitation, so recycling options may change in the near future.)
- Boise (You can also learn more about Boise's trash, compost and recycling options on the city's Curb It website)
- Eagle
- Garden City
- Meridian
- Star
Not participating in Hefty EnergyBag program:
Hardin Sanitation
J&M Sanitation
Ontario Sanitary Service
PSI Environmental Systems
GLASS RECYCLING
In Boise, residents can drop glass recyclables of at one of 12 drop sites or leave it out at the curb after paying a monthly fee.
Colin Hickman with Boise Public Works says the glass recycling program is quite popular among residents. The city collects around 250 tons of glass each month.
"Once that glass is taken from homes throughout the city it is brought to a facility here in Boise where it's crushed, broken down and then that company uses it for industrial processes similar to sandblasting," Hickman said, "The city is really fortunate to have a local partner here."
MORE: After failed attempts at recycling glass by ACHD, Boiseans left with few options
COMPOST
Several communities throughout the Treasure Valley also offer options for composting yard and biodegradable food waste. In Boise, for example, you can use a Republic Services-provided bin with a green lid to dispose of lawn clippings and other approved waste items. Find out more on the Curb It Boise website, or check with your local sanitation service (see links above).
HEFTY ENERGYBAG PROGRAM: WHAT GOES WHERE?
Print off a recycling home reference guide (pdf), a detailed guide, or black and white version of the detailed guide.
Cities and counties taking part in the Hefty EnergyBag Program still have just one recycling bin, but instead of putting all recyclables into the bin individually, certain plastics must be separated and placed into special orange Hefty bags. The bags can be purchased at Albertsons stores and may be provided free of charge by your city.
Items placed in Hefty bags should be clean and dry. Once the bag is full, tie the bag securely and place it in your recycle cart with other loose items.
Loose in Recycle Cart:
- Plastics - Anything marked with a #1 or #2 recycle symbols, or shaped like a bottle, jug or jar (eg. milk jugs, 2-liter soft drink bottles, detergent jugs, mayonnaise jars, peanut butter jars, etc.) Note - all lightweight (crinkly) water bottles must go in the trash.
- Paper - Magazines, newspapers, office paper, mail
- Cardboard - Flattened boxes
- Metal - Aluminum and steel cans, foil
Hefty EnergyBag (placed in Recycle Cart once bag is full):
- Anything marked with the #4, #5, #6, or #7 recycle symbols should go in the Hefty bag, as well as anything on the list below:
Kitchen items:
- Plastic bags
- Plastic bottle caps
- Plastic dinnerware
- Plastic food packaging
- Plastic lids
- Plastic single-serve cups
- Plastic squeeze pouches
- Plastic straws
- Foam products
Office/bathroom items:
- Bubble/shrink wrap
- Air packs/pillows
- Plastic envelopes
- Toothpaste/lotion tubes
- Empty deodorant sticks
- Amber-colored prescription bottles
For a more detailed list of recyclable items, click here.
MORE: What goes where? How to navigate Boise's new recycling program
Trash Cart
Certain plastic items cannot be recycled and must go in the trash. This includes:
- Lightweight (crinkly) plastic water bottles
- All hinged lid (clamshell) containers
- Wax-coated boxes and containers, including to-go cups, frozen dinners and juice cartons
- Any unlabeled plastic that is not identified on the EnergyBag list
- Bonded materials - for example, a pet food bag with a paper liner
- PVC or #3 vinyl - shower curtains, PVC pipes, garden hoses, inflatable items, kids toys
COMMUNITIES NOT PARTICIPATING IN HEFTY ENERGYBAG PROGRAM
Communities that are serviced by Republic Services (find a list here) but not participating in the EnergyBag Program are limited on the types of plastic materials that can be recycled (items marked with #1 or #2 recycling symbol only).
RECYCLABLE ITEMS
Plastics
- Bottles and jugs marked with #1 or #2 recycle symbol
Paper and Cardboard
- Cardboard boxes (broken down to fit in cart)
- Frozen food & cereal boxes (no liners)
- Construction paper
- Envelopes (cellophane window ok)
- Office waste paper (any color)
- Magazines and catalogs
- Computer and fax paper
- Phone books
- Newspapers
- Paper bags
- Junk mail
Cans
- Aluminum, steel, tin, and aerosol cans
- Items must be empty, clean and dry before placing in recycle cart
DO NOT RECYCLE (GOES IN TRASH)
- Lightweight water bottles
- Clamshell containers
- Plastic bags or other soft plastics
- Styrofoam packaging
- Chip and candy wrappers
- Hazardous waste containers
- Food contaminated paper (pizza boxes, plates, coffee cups)
- Wax coated cardboard
- Milk and juice paper cartons
- Tissues, napkins, paper towels
'When in doubt, throw it out'
As a general rule, recycling officials say "when in doubt, throw it out." This is because items not approved for recycling can contaminate other recyclable items and can slow down the sorting process at the recycling plant. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/growing-idaho/treasure-valley-recycling-guide-how-to-sort-plastics-and-use-those-orange-hefty-bags/277-dab05e01-b0d2-4d3a-a8fa-e39d201628e3 |
Our latest guest post focuses on a new project funded by the Eaga Charitable Trust, and co-ordinated by Harriet Thomson and Dr Carolyn Snell at the University of York. Until April 2014, they will conduct a collaborative study of fuel poverty measurement in Europe by developing a pilot survey of fuel poverty in eight EU Member States, and designing a series of toolkits to provide guidance on best practice for measuring fuel poverty. A steering group comprised of representatives from Universities and research organisations from across the eight pilot countries will provide guidance on the project.
Pilot household survey of fuel poverty
At the European level, there is no dedicated household survey of fuel or energy poverty, and an absence of standardised data concerning household fuel expenditure. This limits researchers to using subjective self-reported proxy indicators, such as perceived inability to afford to heat the home adequately, to measure fuel poverty across Europe. This approach has been undertaken by numerous researchers, including Whyley and Callender (1997) and Healy and Clinch (2002a) using European Community Household Panel data, and by EPEE (2009) and Thomson and Snell (2013) using EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data.
However, such proxy indicators are an imperfect measure of fuel poverty, particularly as they rely on subjective answers, and focus solely on adequate warmth, rather than on all energy services in the home, such as cooking and lighting. In the case of EU-SILC data, an additional concern is that respondents are asked about any combined arrears on gas, electricity and water bills, which fails to acknowledge expenditure on other fuel sources, and does not distinguish arrears on gas and electricity from water bill arrears, thus potentially inflating responses.
The project aims to develop a survey that will address the identified gaps in data, and overcome a number of existing shortcomings in currently available pan-European data. Firstly, respondents will be asked about their expenditure on all fuel types, rather than focussing exclusively on gas and electricity. This is important given that many households across Europe may rely on additional fuels, such as oil, firewood or coal, as highlighted by Bouzarovski et al (2012) and Tirado Herrero and Ürge-Vorsatz (2010), and thus energy affordability and experiences of fuel poverty may be underestimated in existing surveys. Secondly, the survey will depart from existing pan-EU surveys by exploring the potential for employing self-reported Likert-type scale variables, as used in Ireland by Healy and Clinch (2002b), rather than using binary variables, which fail to capture variation in experiences.
Lastly, the project team will develop a set of public opinion variables, which seek to question respondents on the concept of fuel/energy poverty, affordability of energy and their satisfaction with policy responses. These topics have not been addressed in any public opinion surveys to date, such as Eurobarometer.
The pilot survey will be conducted in the following eight countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, and will be available in English, French and German. The pre-testing of fuel poverty variables in this pilot study will provide invaluable information on question wording and sequencing, range of responses, translation of terminology and concepts, questions which carry the highest likelihood of dropping out, and length of time to complete. The intended next steps following completion of the project will be to seek funding and collaborators for deploying a full probability-based EU28 household survey.
Measurement toolkits
At the national level, attempts to measure fuel poverty have been made in just seven of the twenty-eight Member States (Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom). However, many of these studies have incorrectly applied the UK’s previous 10 per cent definition with authors using a 10 per cent actual fuel expenditure threshold, without transferring the underlying methodology, in addition to using mean rather than median fuel expenditure figures. These inaccuracies are problematic for two reasons, firstly actual fuel expenditure is a poor measure of energy deprivation as low-income households often (and sometimes dangerously) underspend (Moore, 2012), and secondly, fuel expenditure is asymmetrically distributed, thus a mean value can be affected by extreme values (Fahmy, 2011).
Often the UK’s approach is unsuitable for application in other European countries as they lack housing surveys comparable to the English Housing Survey, from which to model ‘required’ fuel expenditure (Moore, 2012). In addition, the drivers of fuel poverty are likely to differ between countries, and any model of fuel poverty will need to consider this.
The toolkits will be designed to promote a better understanding of fuel poverty in Member States where fuel poverty is not currently recognised, and promote best practice in measuring energy consumption and fuel poverty by providing guidance on suitable methods for varying types of available data. The toolkits will initially be available in English, French and German, with the possibility of expanding the range of languages if funding opportunities arise.
Summary
To summarise, this project will:
- Pilot a household survey of fuel poverty in 8 EU countries
- Question respondents on their expenditure on all fuel types
- Develop Likert-type scale variables to replace binary variables for subjective indicators, in order to capture variations in lived experiences
- Devise a set of public opinion variables to question respondents on the concept of fuel/energy poverty, affordability of energy and their satisfaction with policy responses
- Create a set of toolkits to promote best practice in measuring energy consumption and fuel poverty, with guidance on suitable methods for differing types of available data.
References
Bouzarovski, S., et al. (2012) Energy poverty policies in the EU: a critical perspective. Energy Policy 49: 76–82.
EPEE, (2009) Tackling Fuel Poverty in Europe: Recommendations Guide for Policy Makers. http://www.fuel-poverty.com/files/WP5_D15_EN.pdf
Fahmy, E. (2011) The definition and measurement of fuel poverty: A Briefing Paper to inform Consumer Focus’ submission to the Hills fuel poverty review. Consumer Focus, London.
Healy, J. D., and Clinch, P. (2002a) Fuel poverty in Europe: A cross-country analysis using a new composite measure. Environmental Studies Research Series, University College Dublin.
Healy, J.D. and Clinch, J.P. (2002b) Fuel poverty, thermal comfort and occupancy: results of a national household-survey in Ireland. Applied Energy, 73: 329-343
Moore, R. (2012) Definitions of fuel poverty: Implications for policy. Energy Policy, 49: 19-26
Thomson, H., and Snell, C. (2013) Quantifying the prevalence of fuel poverty across the European Union. Energy Policy, 52: 563-572
Tirado Herrero, S. and Ürge-Vorsatz, D. (2010) Fuel Poverty in Hungary: A first assessment. Central European University, Hungary
Whyley, C., and Callender, C. (1997) Fuel poverty in Europe: evidence from the European Household Panel Survey. National Energy Action, Newcastle upon Tyne. | https://urban-energy.org/2013/09/17/introducingfuel-poverty-measurement-in-europe-a-pilot-study/ |
Every aspect of our lives is becoming increasingly tech-driven, and the education industry is no different. But the future is somewhat unknown: what changes will educators and students face? What skills will be valued? And how will we all work together to adapt to our changing environment?
To find out these answers, as well as how to keep Campus Manitoba at the forefront of the latest educational technology trends, our coordinator of network systems operations, Jason Andries, recently attended the DisruptED19 conference in Winnipeg. DisruptED is a tech conference that brings work and education together.
We caught up with Jason to find out what he learned, what most inspired him, and what new communication technology ideas he plans on incorporating here at Campus Manitoba.
Q: Who did you most enjoy hearing from?
Jason: I most enjoyed hearing from Dr. Karyn Gordon, who spoke about the challenges and benefits of a multigenerational workforce. Dr. Gordon provided great strategies for encouraging different generations to work together and resolve conflict issues, which is often a challenge when dealing with generational gaps. She also talked about the importance of mentoring, co-ops and cultivating the right office culture to help create a love of learning and a family-type environment for the workplace.
One of her most interesting methods focuses on fostering empathy through a better mutual understanding of each generation. Since each generation comes to maturity at a distinct time in history, it’s important to remember that this means that their outlooks, beliefs, and perspectives on what work means to them have been molded by the socioeconomic, political, and cultural atmospheres in which they grew up.
Q: What was one thing you learned?
Jason: One of my main takeaways from DisruptED19 was that emotional intelligence drives our engagement on so many levels. The hard skills you possess are meaningless if you cannot engage and empathize. Several presenters focused on the importance of developing metacognition (awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes), empathy, and creativity.
I think that both emotional intelligence and critical thinking are important in the education field, particularly, because they are essential skills in enabling the learner to move beyond rote memorization. Empathy and critical thinking could be seen as the “why” piece of the puzzle whereas the “what” is the simple memorization of information.
Q: What was one thing that moved or impacted you?
Jason: Throughout the conference, everyone from business people to educators, policy makers and technology leaders were rallying behind the same key idea: despite the emergence of smarter technology and artificial intelligence, there will always be a critical need for “thinking out of the box” and creativity. Keynote speaker Jennifer Riel focused on the importance of integrative thinking in her talk, and she shared this quote which really resonated with me: “Creativity is the ability to imagine something will someday be different than it is today.”
– Jennifer Riel
“Creativity is the ability to imagine something will someday be different than it is today.”
Q: What is one thing you hope to see going forward?
Jason: I think it will be interesting to see what kind of data-driven educational technology will become the primary tool to change the landscape in Manitoba. Many DisruptED attendees I met were discussing how to incorporate tools like Microsoft Power BI (Business Intelligence) into their projects. Going forward, I plan on maintaining a working knowledge of the emerging data-driven technologies, testing them, and implementing them as needed among the various projects we have running here at Campus Manitoba. The landscape of data-driven technology is evolving so fast that you have to stay on top of how it’s changing and how these programs are being used in the wild.
Campus Manitoba is a consortium of Manitoba’s public post-secondary institutions. Through collaborative projects and shared services, we facilitate student mobility and expand access to post-secondary programs for students in Manitoba. In addition to campusmanitoba.ca, our websites include ecoursesmb.ca, setyourcourse.ca, and openedmb.ca. | https://campusmanitoba.ca/2019/02/26/disrupted19-educational-technology/ |
The course is open to RMA’s following the track Archaeological Heritage in a Globalising World. However, also students from other tracks who want to know more about maritime archaeology and heritage management are welcome.
Description
This course focuses on the historical relationship between humans and water and how we deal with this in our society.
In many past societies water was an important means of transporting goods, people and ideas. The maritime world forms part of many countries’ national identity, and the material past found under or near the water may be hidden or forgotten. The Netherlands are such an example. Dutch activities in the past are often connected with the sea and (trading) connections overseas, with the world’s rivers, seas and oceans as highways and fastest routes.
This course will explore the meaning of water in past societies through the maritime cultural heritage that has been left behind. The maritime landscape will function as a context and connection between individual sites. It will also include an analysis of the way underwater and ship archaeology can contribute to our knowledge of the maritime past, including how we treat this heritage in our present society.
There will be a focus on the Netherlands, but other parts of Europe and the world will be taken into consideration as well.
Course objectives
Ability to distinguish different disciplines in maritime cultural heritage management;
Knowledge of the development of maritime and underwater archaeology;
Knowledge of the maritime traditions and landscape approaches, and ability to integrate these into other archaeological studies;
Awareness of selected past and current subjects of research in maritime and underwater archaeology;
Knowledge of the main elements and perspectives in management and policy in maritime cultural heritage;
Introducing a maritime view to our past for both specialists and non-specialists;
Ability to develop original and creative ideas for maritime cultural heritage management.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the RMA and RMSc time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Lectures;
Tutorial;
Discussions and if possible excursion and role play.
Course load
The course load will be distributed as follows:
28 hours of lectures/tutorials (2 ec);
Assignments (2 ec);
Literature (1 ec).
Assessment method
One short individual paper (10%);
One group assignment (paper) (25%);
Roleplay (15%);
Written exam (50%).
The roleplay will be organised when there is a minimum quorum of 18 students. If it is left out, the written exam will count for 65% of the assessment.
Only the written exam can be retaken.
Deadlines:
Short individual paper: early in the course;
Group assignment (paper): halfway – two-thirds of the course;
Role play: end of the course;
Written exam: after the course.
All exam dates (exams, re-sits, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the RMA and RMSc examination schedule.
Reading list
To be announced at the start of the course.
Registration
Registration via uSis is mandatory.
The Administration Office will register all BA1 students for their tutorials (not lectures; register via uSis!).
BA2, BA3, MA/MSc and RMA/RMSc students are required to register for all lectures and tutorials well in time.
The Administration Office registers all students for their exams, students are not required to do this in uSis.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
Registration ‘Contractonderwijs’
All information (costs, registration, entry requirements, etc.) for those who are interested in taking this course as a Contractstudent is on the Contractonderwijs Archeologie webpage (in Dutch).
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. M. (Martijn) Manders.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance;
It is the aim to organise an excursion. This however depends on finding the right date. The excursion will take up about half a day. | https://studiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/courses/78405/advanced-heritage-archaeology-and-maritime-landscapes |
On May 12th, at approximately 11:47 AM, the Blue Angels were performing a formation flyover in Detroit to honor first responders and medical staff battling COVID-19. The flyover was appropriately titled the “Detroit America Strong Flyover”.
In the total time of four minutes that the Blue Angels were operating over the city of Detroit, an individual in the area decided he wanted to grab some footage of the flyover with his DJI drone.
Although all of the footage found in the originally released video could be considered reckless endangerment, there was one shot in particular that left both the pilot and drone community outraged.
As the F/A-18 Hornet located on the far right of the image above crosses the frame, it misses the drone by mere feet.
Not surprisingly, the original Instagram account which uploaded the footage was deleted shortly after the video went viral.
This is not the first time a near-miss incident has occurred (that has found it’s way onto the internet) within recent years:
There were at least three rules broken by the operator of the flight above. The first being that the drone operator likely exceed the 400’ AGL altitude limit; a guideline prior to 2018 but now a hard limit. Secondly, operating a drone in a careless or reckless manner, and third, not giving way to manned aircraft.
We could write on explaining how reckless and dangerous the decisions made by this operator were, and how he put the lives of multiple parties (both the pilots in tight formation and any bystanders below) at risk. But we imagine that you as a reader of FLY8MA.com, a website for both manned and unmanned aviation education, most likely understand that the actions taken by this individual were reckless. Therefore, let’s focus on the more universal issue at hand; these events keep happening.
In a press release by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) on May 21st of this year, researchers stated that their findings of a 30-day monitoring period near Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida, using a DJI AeroScope system capable of detecting and locating nearby DJI drones. “The vast majority of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detected around Daytona Beach International Airport during a 30-day period in 2019 lacked approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and more than one-third of those drones were flying higher than the law allows”.
Members of the public are, knowingly or unknowingly, operating small unmanned aerial systems outside of regulatory boundaries. While this certainly is concerning, the question remains: what’s the damage?
In recent years, the FAA has had more than 100 documented cases of recreational drone operations in or around wildfires. There are temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in place to allow fire suppression aircraft to operate safely. When drones are operating recreationally in or near a wildfire, fire suppression aircraft can’t. This jeopardizes both efforts to contain the fire and potentially puts ground crews at risk.
Furthermore, within the US and Canada, we have had three confirmed drone strikes in recent years, spanning a wide category of aircraft. On September 21st, 2017, a U.S. Army Sikorsky Blackhawk was operating approximately 21 miles east of Staten Island, NY when the main rotor made contact with a DJI Phantom 4; creating a 1 and ½ inch dent on one of the blades, cracking the composite fairing and a portion of the window frame, and lodging several components of the drone into the helicopter. The drone operator was flying in an active TFR (temporary flight restriction zone). Only a month later, a Beech King Air A100 operated by SkyJet Aviation collided with a sUAS on approach to land at Jean Lesage Airport near Quebec, Canada. The drone was operating at 1,500 feet; over three times the altitude limit for recreational sUAS operations. On August 10th, 2018, an operator lost sight of a hot air balloon on his monitor and collided with the balloon. The drone operator had been flying the sUAS within five miles of an airport without notifying air traffic control. In all three incidents, regulations were broken; ultimately leading to the accident. Fortunately, no incidents led to loss of life. More incidents have been reported but are unconfirmed.
The message is clear. While those operating drones professionally have the knowledge of how to safely operate in areas near manned aircraft, a majority of the general public does not. We therefore need to have a greater emphasis on educating the general public in regard to safe drone operation before a fatal collision occurs.
Education will reduce the risk of a midair collision, and therefore reduce the implications that would be caused by such an accident if it were fatal; such as further limiting or restricting sUAS purchase access or flight areas.
Let’s work together to increase flight safety in the national airspace system. If you or someone you know is interested in flying a drone, refer them to the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Know before you fly” website (http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/) and let them know that FLY8MA has a course if they are interested in obtaining their Part 107 sUAS certificate! | https://learn.fly8ma.com/suas-near-miss/ |
Founded by Jordan Peele, Monkeypaw Productions cultivates artistic, thought-provoking projects across film, television and digital platforms. Our company is committed to groundbreaking storytelling, visionary world-building and the unpacking of contemporary social issues. Monkeypaw Productions champions highly specific perspectives and artistic collaborations with unique and traditionally underrepresented voices. Our work challenges the conventional architecture of genre storytelling from horror to science fiction to social satire, while balancing avant garde visual language with undeniably contagious fun.
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Arel-based ORM that abstracts ActiveRecord models for creating APIs.
dotenv for node.js, based on dotenv for ruby
ACME Widgets
Backbone, revised.
Integrated set of Django applications addressing authentication, registration, account management as well as 3rd party (social) account authentication. Visit http://jug.gl for a live demo ...
Simple tagging for django
created repositorygaearon/react-lag-radar
created time in an hour
startedvhpoet/awesome-ripple
started time in 3 hours
startedUnicornTranscoder/UnicornTranscoder
started time in 20 hours
startedtonyghita/graphql-go-example
started time in a day
startedwojakkk/PyXRP
started time in a day
startedsaitoha/libsixel
started time in a day
startedlibsixel/libsixel
started time in a day
fork koskimas/flutter
Flutter makes it easy and fast to build beautiful apps for mobile and beyond. | https://gitmemory.com/jordansexton |
More than 2,000 years ago, a Greek physician, who came to be known as the Father of Medicine, stated, “All disease begins in the gut.” While many traditional medical systems acknowledged the primary role of the gut in overall health, modern research continues to confirm the ancient wisdom of Hippocrates and Western medical systems are now placing a larger focus on gut health.
In addition, it has become increasingly clear that many metabolic, autoimmune and cognitive diseases start with gastrointestinal disturbances or imbalances. Therefore, these findings support that optimal health in pets (and people) cannot be achieved without a healthy gut.
The GI tract actually has numerous important roles beyond basic digestion. It hosts trillions of bacteria, fungi and other organisms, houses 70% of the immune system, performs the majority of neurotransmitter production, influences metabolism, contributes to energy homeostasis, mitochondrial function and much more.
All veterinarians certainly recognize that chronic inflammation of the gut and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)-related disorders are a rapidly growing health issue for dogs and cats. However, it may not be commonly recognized that chronic GI issues are often associated with a myriad of other health conditions in our veterinary patients, such as allergies, chronic skin conditions, autoimmune diseases, cancers, neurologic and cognitive diseases, and even chronic inflammatory joint disease.
Furthermore, the absence of GI symptoms does not necessarily equate to a healthy gut. Total gut health takes into account the diversity and balance of the gut microbiome and the integrity of the gut barrier amongst other factors. Dysbiosis and intestinal hyper-permeability (i.e., leaky gut) are incredibly common and may not present with obvious symptoms.
Leaky gut occurs as a result of inflammation in the gut lining which leads to separations in the cellular tight junctions of the gut barrier. Once the gut barrier is compromised, it allows for the penetration and absorption of unwanted particles, toxins and pathogenic microorganisms to get into systemic circulation, which can lead to massive immune system disruption and inflammatory changes affecting any or all organ systems. Simply said, a leaky gut puts pets at a higher risk for food sensitivities, allergies, chronic skin disease, autoimmune conditions and metabolic disorders.
Furthermore, it is well understood that a healthy gut barrier is critically important for optimal immune function, as this barrier also protects the GALT (Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue) which comprises 60-70% of the immune system and creates up to 80% of antibodies.
Chronic inflammation in the gut and subsequent hyper-permeability of the gut lining is also associated with a disturbance in gut microbe populations. A healthy microbiome consists of vast communities of beneficial bacteria, fungi and viruses. Rather than just casual colonizers, these microbe populations make essential nutrients, provide immunological signaling, perform detoxifying functions and influence neurotransmitters and hormones, and even metabolism.
Veterinarians are very familiar with the obesity rates in our canine and feline patients, and the health risks associated with this common health issue. And while there are many casual factors involved here, there is quite a bit of interesting research demonstrating a clear association between obesity or body weight issues with the microbiome populations in both mice and people.
It is also clear that many neurotransmitter chemicals and hormones used by the brain and nervous system such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA are produced in the gut. Serotonin impacts mood and anxiety, and has actually been termed the “happy chemical” because it contributes to happiness and wellbeing. And, conversely, low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression. It is estimated that 70% of serotonin is made in the gut. Dopamine is involved in motor function, mood, decision making and control of other hormones as well. Reports estimate about 50% of dopamine is produced in the gastrointestinal tract by enteric neurons and intestinal cells. GABA regulates stress, anxiety and sleep patterns, and is known to be modulated by bacteria in the gut microbiome. Indeed, bacteria in the gut actually communicate with the brain and the connection between the gut and brain is called the Gut-Brain Axis.
New research may have us looking more at gut health in addressing behavioral disorders of pets as well. A recent groundbreaking study at the University of Oregon has shown a clear link between aggressive behavior of dogs and the microbes that live in the dog’s gut. This study analyzed a population of similar-breed dogs in a shelter setting and compared evaluations of behavior with microbiome status, via testing a series of their fecal samples. While this study could not distinguish the exact relationship between cause and effect, it reveals that the gut microbiome may contribute to aggression or its severity, and that manipulation of the microbiome, via probiotics or dietary changes, may modify behavior. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest that analyzing the canine gut microbiome may have some predictive value in diagnosis of canine behavioral disorders. | https://www.petvetmagazine.com/the-importance-of-gut-health-in-pets-an-integrative-veterinary-approach/ |
A group of developers, architects and planners have joined forces to map out an inclusive and environmentally responsible vision to address the needs of the Bridge-Bonaventure and Pointe-du-Moulins sector, in consultation with the City of Montréal.
This project, which calls for the re-urbanization of one of Montréal’s most visible and attractive areas, centred around the Peel Basin and its vicinity, will require investments in the billions of dollars. Its stated goal is to deploy every available means to tackle the housing shortage, combat climate change by deterring urban sprawl, and make it possible for many Montrealers and families to stay in or return to the city to live.
In unveiling their vision, the members of this alliance of urban development professionals announced the start of a consultative process involving community and business groups as well as citizens to further the discussions initiated by the city on how best to develop this key area at the gateway to Montréal’s downtown.
The members of the group are Provencher_Roy, Fahey & Associés, Lemay, ACDF, Neuf Architectes, Cycle Capital, Groupe Devimco, Broccolini, Groupe Mach and COPRIM.
The members of the group say that in the context of the housing crisis, urban sprawl and the climate emergency, opportunities for densification in the city centre like this one are all too rare and must be seized.
“We have a duty to take account of these very timely issues,” explained Brian Fahey, President of planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm Fahey & Associés and one of the group’s spokespersons. “Introducing taller buildings is therefore necessary to free up as much ground surface as possible for the benefit of a quality living environment. In building tall, however, we can draw inspiration from more refined models and complement the skyline, thereby shaping a sustainable and higher-quality neighbourhood.”
“The proposed vision will have a positive impact on densification by creating more space for parks and waterfront paths, as well as community and cultural amenities. Prioritizing the design of more generous green spaces is a practical approach to improving the community’s quality of life. The Bridge-Bonaventure sector and Pointe-du-Moulin offer an excellent opportunity to propose a mixed residential offer that meets the needs of all,” said Louis T. Lemay, president of design and architecture firm Lemay.
The group’s vision is structured around the following elements:
- A development that is multifunctional and mixed, in both social and economic terms. This includes construction of 1,400 units for families, 20% social and affordable housing, and creation of a civic hub to house a public school and other community, educational and sports services, notably aimed at families.
- More than 7,500 new housing units, retail businesses and offices in the priority subsectors of Pointe-du-Moulin, the Peel and Wellingtonbasins and the Pointe Saint-Charles Triangle.
- Responsible density at a human scale, for creation of attractive, inclusive and comprehensive districts.
- An average land-use coefficient (LUC) of 4.2, which is lower than downtown (12), Griffintown (10.5) and the CBC/Radio-Canada / Molsonsector (6).
- A prominent job-creation component including implementation of an innovation zone for research and development of cleantech-oriented companies.
- Showcasing of heritage elements and artisanal trades.
- Access to a diverse supply of active transportation and mass transit, including a new REM light-rail station and redevelopment of Bridge Street.
- Densification based on sustainable transportation and enabling a diversity of public and private service providers within walking distance of homes.
- Major redevelopment of the vicinity of the docks for community and recreational/tourism purposes, linked to the Lachine Canal and Old Port. | https://www.renewcanada.net/vision-bridge-bonaventure-maps-out-plan-for-re-urbanization-of-montreal-neighbourhood/ |
Location:
Tuesday, Jun 12, 9:00 – 11:00am
Norman Central Library, Lowry Room
225 N Webster, Norman OK 73069
What You Will Learn:
Learn how to use your website and social media to:
- Develop new prospects
- Educate prospects
- Build mailing lists
- Qualify leads
Workshop Description:
Even if you can’t sell products online, your business still needs a web presence to attract and educate prospective clients. Learn how to use an educational website to build your business.
This non-technical workshop will outline strategies for using websites and social media to develop new prospects, educate prospects, build mailing lists, and qualify leads.
This session also includes an outline of the basic components of website development including domain names, hosting, development platforms, payment platforms, selecting the right social media, search engine optimization, and creating mobile-friendly designs.
About the Presenter:
Terrell Sanders is the lead consultant for Main Street Enterprises, an Oklahoma-based firm that develops websites and web applications for clients across the nation. He has presented on website design and non-profit communications at over a dozen national and regional conferences over the last 20 years. His clients range from national non-profits to home-based businesses.
Registration Required: | https://mainstreetopen.com/designing-effective-professional-services-websites-06-12-18/ |
Information technology can significantly advance the delivery of healthcare in vulnerable communities. Our partnerships support organizations working to improve health outcomes in underserved communities through the innovative use of health information.
We support Doctors without Borders (MSF) – a leading international organization delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care – and their training and research partner Epicentre with capacity building at their Niger Research Center, aiding African-driven research to improve medical practice, in Niger and within MSF.
Leap is a mobile learning solution for training health care workers. It employs an appropriate mobile learning approach to train and empower health workers using their mobile devices operating from any phone, enabling them to learn at their own pace and with their own mobile devices while in the community, providing for both the interpersonal and community aspects of learning.
Each year, 32,000 new HIV infections are registered in Indonesia, and more than half are people aged 15-24. The Tanya Marlo project, driven by Aidsfonds, works to stop the increasing HIV epidemic in Indonesia, ensuring that young people and minority groups who are most vulnerable can easily access information, counseling and lifesaving care and take control over their health.
Type 2 Diabetes disproportionally affects Hispanics, but they have limited access to care and are only 1% of clinical trial participants. The goal of the partnership is to create the first Hispanic/Latina Community Scientists and train them with wearable tech and clinical research to reduce health literacy barriers with Latino adults with or at risk of T2D.
There is a need for faculty development directed to teaching in this technological age to improve patient care outcomes. This NLN/Elsevier HBCU Innovation in Technology Excellence program will use innovations in simulation and technology to drive teaching excellence – developing online, virtual products to both enhance faculty skills and expertise and meet the needs of learners.
Patients with diseases disproportionately affecting minority populations are slower to benefit from new findings, as less than 8% of the scientific community is composed of underrepresented minorities. The Implementation Science Fellowship Program works to facilitate the rapid adoption of evidence-based interventions to address health disparities in diverse communities.
Black Women’s Health Alliance’s mission is to improve health care outcomes and reduce health disparities for African American and other minority women in Philadelphia through advocacy, education, research and support. The Millennial Sister Circle program seeks to empower young women to take charge of their health and reduce emotional and physical health disparities.
For many African-American students choosing an HBCU nursing school provides substantial encouragement and support to thrive in their careers while focusing research and outreach on the needs of minorities. The scholarship fund provides each of the 5 participating HBCU Schools of Nursing with a $10,000 scholarship fund to provide additional encouragement and support for the nurses of tomorrow. | https://elsevierfoundation.org/partnerships/health-innovation/ |
The Getty Research Institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts and their various histories through its expertise, active collecting program, public programs, institutional collaborations, exhibitions, publications, digital services, and a residential scholars program. Its Research Library and special collections of rare materials and digital resources serve an international community of scholars and the interested public. The Institute's activities and scholarly resources guide and sustain each other and together provide a unique environment for research, critical inquiry, and scholarly exchange.
Getty Provenance Index®; and it is internationally recognized for the Getty Vocabularies, a series of multilingual electronic thesauri that are used for cataloguing, research, and retrieval. The GRI has continued such innovation by recently launching an initiative to make these vocabularies available in the form of Linked Open Data (LOD), a data format that is seen as a key element of the Semantic Web—the structured linking of web-based information to enable users anywhere to find, share, and combine information more easily. The Institute has also launched the Getty Research PortalTM, an online search platform that provides global access to digitized art history texts, as well as its German Sales Catalogs database, which offers an indispensable resource for provenance research of Nazi-looted art during World War II.For several decades, key electronic resources developed by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) and research conducted by senior staff have played a leading role in the development and implementation of technology-related tools for research, dissemination, and publication in the realm of art, architecture, and material culture. The GRI is home to the first major art-historical research project to make use of computer technology—the
A key strategic goal of the GRI is to play a leadership role in the burgeoning field of digital art history, serving a wide range of users around the world and effecting fundamental changes in the discipline. The GRI continues to devote significant resources to this end, including the expertise, experience, and creativity of its staff; the huge research databases it has created and continues to maintain; and its strong international partnerships. Such resources help to produce tools and methods that have the potential to cause a paradigm shift in the ways that art-historical research is conducted and published, as well as how information, knowledge, and digital assets are disseminated and shared.
BACKGROUND
The GRI's collections are at the heart of everything it does. The general library contains more than one million volumes, and the special collections of rare and unique materials are so vast that they are measured in linear feet (currently totaling 23,640 feet of archives, manuscripts, and rare photos, and excluding rare books). For decades the GRI has managed its library holdings and research databases in state-of-the-art systems. In 2014, a new "next-generation" online discovery system, Primo, went live. This system replaces the traditional online library catalogue and enables users to search across the GRI's many and varied resources from a single entry point, with the ability to seamlessly page books, request items on interlibrary loan, and access full digital copies of books, journals, and a portion of the GRI's vast archival collections and photo archive. The Getty Vocabularies are maintained in a sophisticated production and publication system that was custom-built by a team of software architects from Getty Information Technology Services (ITS).
This use of information technology in the service of the humanities stretches back to the Getty's earliest days. Recognizing the potential of such technology to transform art-historical scholarship and democratize access to information, founding Getty President Harold M. Williams and Director of Program Planning Nancy Englander established in 1983 the Art History Information Program (AHIP), which was later renamed the Getty Information Institute (GII). In doing so, they created the first large-scale program specifically devoted to the use of information technology for the study of the visual arts and architecture.
Initially, AHIP focused on developing large databases of art-historical information such as the Getty Provenance Index and the first of its electronic thesauri, the Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT®). In some cases, AHIP took over and expanded upon projects that had been initiated by other institutions, such as Williams College's Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) and Columbia University's Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, large database projects for abstracts of the literature of art history and architectural journals. When the GII was disbanded in 1999, key projects like these were incorporated into the GRI—the most logical place, given its emphasis on research and dissemination of knowledge. Several key former Information Institute senior staff joined the GRI to carry on their work. Thus the GRI continues the legacy of leadership in the digital humanities that began at AHIP in the early 1980s.
KEY GRI DIGITAL INITIATIVES
The Getty Vocabularies
The Getty Vocabulary Program is one of the GRI's longest-running and most successful technology-based projects. In 2007 the Getty Vocabularies were awarded the prestigious Computerworld Honors award in the Media, Arts and Entertainment category; previous winners in this category include Disney's Pixar and the Turner Broadcasting Network. Collaboratively compiled by an expert team of database editors based at the GRI, software architects from Getty ITS, and partners from international cultural institutions, the vocabularies merge art-historical subject expertise with technology to create a suite of tools that facilitates the accurate description and discoverability of information and images relating to art, architecture, and related subjects.
AAT, the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN®), and the Union List of Artist Names (ULAN®). They are recognized the world over by cultural heritage institutions, publishers, researchers, and the interested public as authoritative sources for information on art, architecture, and material culture. The fourth GRI vocabulary database—the Cultural Objects Name Authority (CONATM)—is in the first stages of implementation. CONA provides academically rigorous data and images of works of art and architecture from all time periods and geographic regions.The GRI's electronic thesauri are available free of charge on the web and are one of the Institute's most heavily used research tools, with more than 1.2 million searches conducted last year by users from around the globe. The datasets of the Getty Vocabularies have also been licensed by hundreds of nonprofit and commercial entities for incorporation into their own information systems. Three vocabularies are well established: The
As part of the GRI's strategic goal to make art history truly multicultural, a number of projects with partner institutions have been completed or are in progress to translate the AAT into a number of languages, including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Translation of these tools not only expands the use of the electronic thesauri by cultural heritage institutions around the world, it also facilitates information retrieval across languages and cultures. The GRI's multilingual initiatives (coordinated by the International Terminology Working Group, led by the GRI) are helping to create an international environment for the study of cultural heritage.
Vocabulary Program and ITS staff are working towards two strategic goals in the near future. The first is to represent as many works of art as possible in the CONA. This activity can be thought of as a huge "crowd-sourced" project, to which museums, libraries, and archives will contribute information about works of art that will then be vetted and edited by the GRI's team of editors and technically aggregated by ITS staff.
The second goal is a three-year initiative to release all of the Getty Vocabularies as LOD. This project encodes every data element and concept in the vocabulary databases as a unique Internet link. The LOD format makes it possible for the rich, authoritative data in the GRI's electronic thesauri to be processed semantically by computers, thus creating a dynamic concept-based tool that will enhance retrieval of art-historical information across cultures and technical environments in a way that researchers have never experienced before. The first GRI dataset released as LOD, in February 2014, was the Art and Architecture Thesaurus; response from the international museum and art documentation community has been significant.
The GRI's electronic thesauri have been referred to as "the gold standard" for art documentation and online searching. They are powerful multilingual, multicultural tools that can be used for cataloguing, research, and retrieval. They are an example of the GRI's commitment to using information technology in the service of the international research community as well as that of any interested user with access to the Internet.
Global Access to the Literature of Art History: the Getty Research Portal
Access to the foundational literature of art history and to rare books has traditionally been a nearly insurmountable challenge for most advanced researchers, as well as for undergraduate and graduate students. Geographic distances, combined with the rarity and fragility of many materials, made art-historical research an arduous and expensive undertaking. Realizing that information technology and particularly the Internet had evolved sufficiently to make it possible to break down many of the traditional barriers to art-historical research materials, a small group of major libraries and research institutes (including the Avery Library at Columbia University, the University Library of Heidelberg, and the French National Institute of Art History), led by the GRI and with funding from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, came together in 2011 for a series of meetings to brainstorm how the web could be used to provide free, integrated access to full digitized copies of holdings from a wide variety of institutions. The answer was to aggregate the descriptive metadata for holdings from the contributing institutions into a single, "one-stop-shopping" web gateway, through which users can search for art-historical literature and rare books held by different institutions around the world, as if they all resided in a single, unified database.
The GRI built the technical infrastructure for the Getty Research PortalTM and hosts the website where users can simultaneously search all of the participating institutions' contributed records from a single point of entry. Each record that is contributed to the portal contains a link back to a complete, fully downloadable digital copy of the particular item, hosted at the website of the holding institution.
Launched in mid-2012, the portal has been praised as a game-changing online resource that provides free access to art-historical literature in all languages, published before the US copyright date of 1923. There is also a substantial and growing amount of literature in the portal that dates from after 1923, depending upon the laws in the contributing countries. With this important research tool, the GRI honors its mission to expand and democratize access to art-historical knowledge for users regardless of their geographic location or academic status. The portal, to which new assets are constantly added in the form of contributions from libraries and other research institutions around the world, has already had a significant impact on art-historical scholarship, forever altering the way that research is conducted and revolutionizing worldwide access to the collections of major libraries.
The portal currently provides access to approximately 40,000 books at more than a dozen libraries and research institutes around the world. Ten or even five years ago, researchers never could have dreamed of "owning" their own copies of the classic texts of art history, much less copies of rare books of which there are only a few in existence. Now they can search carefully vetted art-historical material from the great libraries of the world from a single entry point, and download full digital copies of the works they find.
In the coming years, the GRI will focus on further growing and broadening the content of the portal, with particular emphasis on working with contributing institutions from non-Western countries.
Getty Provenance Index®
The first research database developed at the Getty was the Provenance Index; in fact, it was one of the very first projects at any cultural institution to systematically use information technology in the service of advanced humanities research. The Provenance Index databases, which have grown to six in number over the years, are heavily used all over the world. They are indispensable for certain kinds of research, especially since provenance—the history of ownership of a work of art—has become a major issue in the news, in art history, in the art market, and in the acquisition process of museums worldwide.
The Getty Provenance Index is a collection of databases offering online access to source material for research on the history of collecting and art markets. A pioneering project in the digital humanities, the Provenance Index was founded more than thirty years ago. And, in an arena where projects appear and disappear seemingly overnight, this groundbreaking initiative has maintained its relevance and viability for decades, continuing to operate and evolve from the period before the personal computer was invented (the first Provenance Index workstations were all connected to a single mainframe computer) up until the age of "big data." The Provenance Index now stands at a crossroads, having reached the limits of what its current technical infrastructure can do. The GRI is considering how to fundamentally re-architect and re-envision both the production system and the online presence of the Provenance Index databases in order to broaden their scope and to enable them to respond to the new kinds of research questions being asked today.
Built up record by record over decades of manual inputting, the Provenance Index currently contains more than 1.5 million records extracted from archival inventories, auction catalogues, and dealer stock books spanning the late sixteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. As a huge repository of scrupulously edited and carefully structured data, the Provenance Index is recognized as a unique and extraordinary asset for a broad range of multidisciplinary research, encompassing social and economic history as well as the history of collecting and of the art market. It also provides a rigorous, meticulously thought-out model for recording and interpreting data related to the provenance of works of art.
During the 1980s and '90s, the Provenance Index published its data in a series of printed volumes. In 1996 the data began to be released as a group of publically available databases on the Internet. Initially, usage was relatively low, but as more users became aware of the resource, the number of searches grew steadily, and by 2012 an average of 35,000 searches were being logged each quarter. The number of searches suddenly jumped to 75,000 during the first quarter of 2013 and has remained at that level ever since. The dramatic increase in traffic was driven by the GRI's ambitious and strategic initiative to cover all extant German-language auction catalogues dating from the Nazi era. While that crucial and traumatic period in the history of art is heavily researched, sales information for this time of organized looting on an unprecedented scale had been sparse and difficult to access before the GRI's German Sales Catalogs, 1930–45 project, a collaboration with the University Library of Heidelberg and the Kunstbibliothek Berlin, went online.
The German Sales project also served as a test case to experiment with state-of-the-art data acquisition technology aimed at accelerating the growth rate of the Provenance Index, after decades of exclusively manual input of data into the system. Optical character recognition (OCR) software, combined with a computer program for automated parsing specially developed by GRI Information Systems staff, made it possible to deal with more than one million database records generated from the catalogues of this fifteen-year period; 250,000 records were edited and released online in 2013. In just two years, the database was populated with an amount of information equivalent to what would have required decades of manual inputting. While the use of OCR is standard procedure in many digitization projects today, parsing information automatically is far from straightforward, especially when dealing with highly idiosyncratic historical texts. The custom-built software had to learn how to analyze the structure of each block of text in the lot description, how to determine what data elements were present, and where data elements began and ended. The German Sales project required significant software-design expertise as well as in-depth knowledge of the particular data, as the accompanying illustration shows.
As exemplified by the German Sales project, the GRI's current strategy is to embed the work of the Provenance Index in international projects that promote research and generate direct feedback loops on newly released data. A two-year collaboration with the National Gallery, London that added more than 100,000 British sales records from the late eighteenth century to the Provenance Index databases, culminated in a conference held at the National Gallery: "London and the Emergence of a European Art Market (c. 1780–1820)." An edited volume from the conference is in progress, and reflects the methodological synergy of art-historical case studies and data-driven socioeconomic analysis that is made possible by these "big data" initiatives. While art-historical narratives tend to revolve around biographical studies of individual agents such as artists, dealers, and collectors, "big provenance data" is particularly suited to the analysis and visualization of the aggregate behavior of groups of people, making it possible to trace social networks that cross national borders, as well as the flow of objects through time and space. To facilitate this kind of data-intensive, computationally oriented research, a simple data downloading feature was implemented as a first step to unlock this rich data pool for innovative use by external researchers.
The GRI leadership is keenly aware that much more needs to be done in order to be able to respond to the needs of twenty-first-century researchers in its stewardship and deployment of a uniquely important set of assets and data-driven research methodologies. There are plans to convene an interdisciplinary steering committee to explore possibilities for the implementation of a completely new system-architecture and user interface for the Provenance Index, one that will enable the creation of sophisticated visualizations, data linking, and mapping tools that can be used by the GRI as well as external collaborators. One thing needed for the new system is the ability to "open up" the Provenance Index to enable experts around the world to contribute and share knowledge online by annotating individual records in the databases. The GRI is in a unique position to implement this kind of "expert crowd sourcing" not only in the Provenance Index databases but also in its electronic thesauri and digitized collections, making it possible to enrich existing data and to generate new knowledge by combining subject expertise with the latest "Web 2.0" technologies. This is clearly an area where the GRI can play a leadership role in the international art history community.
ONGOING PROJECTS AND FUTURE GOALS
Getty Scholars' Workspace
A cornerstone of the GRI's Digital Art History program, the Getty Scholars' WorkspaceTM provides an online environment for conducting collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects and creating born-digital publications that allow researchers working in different locations around the world to engage with digital facsimiles of primary source materials and to capture the multiple perspectives that are—or should be—part and parcel of the art-historical dialogue. The goal of this project is to release a flexible, robust open-source electronic toolset (including tools for annotation of texts and images, essay authoring, and bibliography and timeline building) with accompanying technical and methodological manuals, to be shared with the international research community. By using and freely sharing this custom-built digital research environment, the GRI seeks to create a paradigm shift in the way that art-historical research is conducted and published and to break with the tradition of the single authorial voice. It is also part of the Getty's Open Content philosophy of making both digital assets of collection materials, as well as the data that is produced in the course of GRI research projects, freely available to users worldwide. Slated for release to the international research community in late 2015, the Scholars' Workspace will also be a key element of the Getty Digital SeminarTM.
Getty Digital Seminar
As the digital humanities evolve, the GRI realizes that it is crucial not only to develop new technological tools but also to foster the cultural transformations that will enable art history—a discipline that has been much slower than the hard sciences to embrace information technology and information sharing—to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by such tools. It is this challenge that inspired the GRI to propose an innovative model for the teaching of art history in the digital age: the Getty Digital Seminar. It is the GRI's hope that this new digital teaching environment will bring together colleagues from different backgrounds and further the understanding of other art histories; inspire cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary research; and enable collaboration of both senior scholars and the next generation of emerging scholars.
Over the next two years, the GRI will design the model for this environment, launch the first seminar (focusing on a classic art-historical text, Heinrich Wölfflin's Principles of Art History, in a new English translation commissioned by the GRI), and begin planning a second seminar. The goal is to create a conceptual and practical framework that can serve as a model that not only the GRI but the broader field of academic art history can adopt. Different from the standard MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) model, which tends to rely on a single professor teaching at a distance to a huge, widely distributed (and often not particularly engaged) audience, the Getty Digital Seminar will allow professors to maintain autonomy and enjoy an in-person relationship with the students in their own classes.
Importantly, however, the concept aligns with the collaborative aims of the digital humanities to bring scholars and students into a wider, more globally oriented conversation. Access to enriched digital resources and electronic facsimiles of primary sources will bring into the course a wealth of material—texts, documents, images, videos—and considerable opportunities for international discussion and debate. The participatory nature of the traditional graduate seminar is preserved, but greatly enhanced by its inclusion in a network of seminars on the same topic held in Chicago, Kyoto, Leiden, Los Angeles, São Paolo, and Zurich, and with access to a wealth of documents, images, and primary source materials in digital form. Students will be able to partner on research with their peers in other universities around the globe, and the course will conclude with an online student colloquium.
"Big Data"
Following a well-established model from the hard sciences, the GRI has begun to make its large, rich datasets available in their entirety, free of charge, in the form of Linked Open Data, as mentioned previously in reference to the Art & Architecture Thesaurus. Hundreds of thousands of database records from the Getty Provenance Index and the Getty Vocabularies have also been made available to a variety of research projects that are exploring computer analysis and manipulation of huge datasets of cultural heritage information. An August 2014 article in the renowned journal Science, written by a team led by Maximilian Schich of the University of Texas at Dallas, is based on analysis of huge datasets from the GRI's Union List of Artist Names and Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names databases. Big data is clearly an area where the GRI can play a leading role in collaboration with other institutions, since it has a number of large datasets of meticulously structured data from its various research databases.
Digital Publications
The earliest born-digital publication hosted by the GRI, dating from the late 1980s, is Categories for the Description of Works of Art, a complex, evolving document that would have been impractical to publish in print form. The "Introduction to..." series (including Introduction to Metadata, Introduction to Controlled Vocabularies, and Introduction to Art Image Access) is a pioneering group of titles that address technical topics relevant to digital art history; this series has been made available in both print and electronic form for many years.
WorldCat), the GRI hopes to set a model for a field in which, up to now, digital resources produced by academics are not given the same importance as print publications. In addition to breaking with the single-author, single-viewpoint model that has characterized the vast majority of art-historical publications to date, the GRI hopes to effect a sea change in the "reward system" of academic art history by applying the same high standards and according the same importance to digital publications as it does to print publications. The GRI also seeks to make its digital publications not simply digital versions of printed books but more interactive, nonlinear publications that take advantage of the design and information-delivery options that are possible in the digital realm.A key element of the vision for the Getty Scholars' Workspace is that born-digital publications will result from the collaborative work that takes place within the digital working environment. The first such publication, Pietro Mellini's Inventory in Verse, 1681, is slated for release soon. By devoting the same kind of scholarly and editorial rigor to its digital publications as it does to its print publications (digital publications will be given ISBN numbers, catalogued in the GRI's library system, and contributed to the major bibliographic utilities such as
CONCLUSION
The GRI has a decades-long history of engagement with and a leadership role in the digital humanities and digital art history. It will continue to develop tools and methods aimed at enabling the study of art history to take advantage of information technology, in order to pose new questions, offer multiple perspectives, and revivify a discipline that otherwise risks remaining largely elitist and increasingly irrelevant. By paving the way for new modes of research, spearheading cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary initiatives, and continuing to pursue a policy of open content (in the form of data, images, and multimedia digital files related to GRI collections and research projects), the GRI can help to fundamentally change and democratize the study of the arts, architecture, and material culture. | http://www.getty.edu/about/governance/trustreport/2014/gri.html |
Walking in Mana Pools: Zambezi Society Statement
The Zambezi Society would like to clarify the current situation with regard to the recent controversial “banning” of un-escorted walking in Mana Pools National Park.
Until very recently, one of the unique attributes contributing towards Mana Pools’ reputation as a global brand was the freedom of visitors to experience the wilderness in a primal way. The most recent Mana Pools Management Plan states:- “Mana Pools is probably one of the only National Parks in Africa with dangerous big game that permits unescorted walking. .... This is one of the unique experiences of this park and is listed as an exceptional resource. There have been several fatalities mainly through elephant and buffalo attacks, but considering the numbers of visitors who take part in this activity, the numbers are remarkably low”.
However, the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority has decided, as is their right and responsibility, to immediately revisit the “unescorted walking” aspect of a tourist’s experience in Mana Pools National Park. They have announced that with immediate effect, “no un-guided tours” will take place in Mana Pools i.e. the public will no longer be able to walk without an accompanying guide.
This comes at a time when The Zambezi Society, in consultation with its public constituency and in collaboration with other stakeholders, including the tour operators and the Parks Authority itself, was in the process of developing a comprehensive Code of Conduct for visitor behaviour in the Park. This had been initiated, as a result of recent reported incidences of inappropriate behaviour on the part of the un-escorted walking public and certain tour operators, and was to be introduced for the coming safari season.
When the “no unguided tours” decision was announced, The Zambezi Society immediately engaged the Parks Authority management. We attended stakeholder meetings and wrote submissions to the Authority.
However, at the latest meeting (Thursday 14th May) we were advised that the Parks Authority will maintain its position that walkers at Mana Pools will need to be accompanied by a Professional guide or a Parks ranger.
The principal is clear (walks must be escorted), but at the same time the Parks Authority advises that the guidelines around walking in the immediate surrounds of exclusive camps, picnic sites, viewing areas, short distances from a vehicle and fishing on the river will be "functional".
Visitors will be permitted to bring a Professional Guide to be with them during their stay. (The Zambezi Society is considering opening dialogue with the Professional guides to set up a data base of suitably qualified candidates. However, this will need careful thought as to how it will sit with the existing situation where tour operators are required to pay annual licences for operating in the Park.)
Going forward, The Zambezi Society will endeavour to be included in working on the "nuts and bolts" of this new regulation. We will continue to engage the Parks Authority towards arriving at a special category and criteria for the return of a responsible level of un-escorted walking guided by a comprehensive Code of Conduct.
KEY FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION IN FUTURE DISCUSSIONS
The Zambezi Society considers that the following key factors warrant consideration and future stakeholder discussion, in order to arrive at a holistically considered set of revised rules and regulations which will form the basis of a Code of Conduct for the benefit of all users – the wildlife being a key stakeholder in this process:
- Safety
- Wildlife
- Parks resources
- Tour Operators
- Visitor impact
- Infrastructure and Logistical Challenges
- Considerations
1. Safety
a. This may appear counter intuitive but anecdotal evidence would indicate that unescorted walking has led to very few fatalities over the decades. It is likely that driving, construction, mining and manufacturing may be proven to more dangerous pursuits. Most walkers are aware of the risks, many have years of experience with wildlife and most treat wild animals with due respect. It is possible that at times armed escorts take more risks with wildlife due to the fact they are armed. In the current circumstances, the Parks Authority is not accountable for any death or fatality of a tourist as it is clear that any walker does so at their own risk.
b. In the safari season the Mana Pools floodplain is heavily denuded, and visibility, in the main, is excellent.
c. In the last few years there has been a marked increase in dry-season visitors especially from South Africa. This has led to larger groups walking. There have been accounts of walkers, some of whom are inexperienced, acting arrogantly and with a misplaced overconfidence. Further the same sub-set of visitors have taken blatant liberties based on their knowledge that the Zimbabwe Parks Authority is under-resourced.
d. As with many situations in life, when does “the state” step-in and when does it allow adults to determine their own level of exposure to risk.
e. There appears to be a concern at “National Level” that the Parks Authority needs to be doing more across its Estates to ensure its already high safety record is tightened further. A review from time to time is well worth the time spent. It is also important to review safety in context and be cautious of allowing problems in one Park to lead of over-correction in other Parks. It is probable that climbing Mount Nyangani, in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, even as an experienced climber, is more dangerous than an experienced person walking in Mana Pools. It is understood that there will be a perception that a fatality of a foreign tourist will be damaging for tourism. This “National Concern” may also stem from the perceived need (and expense) of other government services being called in to assist when there is an accident. In Mana Pools this is highly unlikely as the Parks Authority there have the skills sets to track and recover a walker.
f. Certain tour operators need to be held to a Code of Conduct as there have been occasions where operators, under the comfort of a weapon, have induced lions to charge or gone far too close to elephant. This shoddy behaviour sets a poor example to others and can lead these animals to seek revenge on others.
g. The Park regulations state that all guides need to carry a heavy calibre weapon. An incident with a Park ranger carrying a light calibre weapon may not stand up to the scrutiny of law. If Parks rangers guide a walk, they take on a greater level of responsibility than a tourist allowed to “walk at their own risk.”
h. Junior and/or inexperienced rangers are likely to be more of a safety liability than an unarmed experienced walker. The later will be inclined to take fewer risks and respect the “safe zone” of each wildlife species.
2. Wildlife
a. It is a fact that in recent times certain groups of tourists and tour operators have intruded on wildlife by driving off road and by moving too close on foot. Enforcement by both the Parks Authority and responsible tourists of the proposed new Code of Conduct will go a long way to address this.
3. Parks Resources
a. At a recent anti-poaching workshop it was highlighted that Park anti-poaching efforts are being hampered by limitations in terms of rangers, transport and equipment. The hot spots and routes in and out of the Mana Pools National Park are: the southern boundary, certain river systems into the Park and known pans. To cover these areas effectively more rangers are needed in addition to those on station at present.
b. The Mana floodplain and Chitake are well covered by tourist activity which acts as a form of anti-poaching deterrent in itself. It would be a great pity to use up a scarce resource (rangers) to oversee “public walking” which has hitherto been an iconic attribute of the Park.
c. The Tashinga Initiative has recently been given a permit to place one operative (land and water based) within the Park, to assist with deployments and uplifts. This will mean that rangers who have up till now been confined to camp, can now become mobile.
d. Parks Authority staff need to be encouraged to fine people who transgress the rules. Taking this action will encourage tourism to comply.
4. Tour Operators
a. The Lower Zambezi Tour Operators Association (LZTOA) formed a team to work with The Zambezi Society and the Parks Authority, at station level, to develop a Code of Conduct. This was in recognition of the need to control the few wayward groups of tourists and the occasional operator. In addition they have agreed to lend the Parks Authority support in reporting breaches of Park rules.
b. The LZTOA supports unescorted walking for people who are experienced, responsible and who are conservation enthusiasts. They recognise that most people who fall into this group cannot afford to stay at an operator’s camp nor can they afford the hourly rates to use a ranger.
5. Visitor Impact
a. For a certain group of visitors the fact that they can walk unescorted is an experience that has a deep positive impact – maybe even spiritual and humbling and provides a meaningful way to engage in nature.
b. Many are Zimbabweans who show respect for the wild yet they cannot afford to use the services of a ranger or professional guide. There is also the feeling that it is safer to walk without a weapon as one is more attentive and fewer risks are taken.
c. There is a growing tourist market around the world for “extreme sports” and travelling to parts of the world where one can engage in nature “on its terms.” Looking into the future, if Mana Pools retains an element of unescorted walking this could become a major income generator.
d. There are a growing number of people who want to travel and get away from the controls and prescriptions of the “Nanny States” that the Western countries have become.
e. Research seems to indicate that an “incident” such as a hippo bumping a boat, someone dying or being injured in e.g. white water rafting, results in an upward surge in bookings for these activities.
6. Infrastructure and Logistical Challenges
a. The road, picnic site and viewpoint infrastructure in Mana Pools, at present, does not lend itself to absorbing all the tourist pressure that would result from confining people to vehicles.
b. One of the outputs of the recent anti-poaching workshop was to re-open some of the internal and escarpment roads. Once this has been done tourists will be able to travel more widely.
c. For a tourist staying at one of the exclusive camps (New Ndungu, Mucheni), even if the newly-introduced “functional guidelines” permit a certain level of un-escorted walking within a close radius of the camp, picnic site or vehicle, visitors wanting to walk any distance would have to drive approximately 30 minutes to collect a ranger, drive to the start of the area they wish to walk and then repeat the circuit at the end of the walk. This might be needed twice a day for the duration of their visit. Vehicular traffic will be considerably increased and Mana Pools will become like any other Park. This may result in a drop-off in visitor numbers.
d. How far would visitors with fishing permits be allowed to walk along the river in terms of the “functional guidelines”?
e. Chitake would be a particular challenge as there is only one road. This road is, rightfully, away from the Spring. Visitors would be confined to camp. It would be inefficient to deploy station rangers at Chitake just to guide tourists while poachers roam the Chiwuya and the upper reaches of the Chitake Rivers. Rangers stationed at Chitake can cover a circuit of at least 12km a day in anti-poaching duties.
7. Considerations
The following are put forward for consideration:-
i. Visitors who wish to walk sign a special book at reception to confirm they have read and understood the Code of Conduct, and that they intend to walk un-escorted. The Parks Authority will then know how many people intend to do this.
ii. Visitors who wish to walk purchase a “walking permit” from the Parks Office for a specific charge per day.
iii. Develop a more detailed Code of Conduct for walkers - for example: no more than 5 in a group, no less than 2 in a group, no one under the age of 16.
iv. Allow un-escorted walking only for Zimbabwean residents. This way if there is an incident it does not attract the same international attention.
v. Walkers must have one experienced person in their group. These criteria can be defined.
vi. Any breaches of conduct will result in immediate expulsion from the Park and a one year ban.
vii. Allow and encourage members of the LZTOA to report breaches
The Zambezi Society considers that taking a partial step towards improving the behaviour of visitors through the enforcement of a carefully thought-out Code of Conduct rather than retaining a blanket walking ban will reduce public disappointment in the removal of one of Mana’s iconic attributes and allow spare resources to be dedicated to much-needed anti-poaching efforts. | https://www.atta.travel/news/2015/05/walking-in-mana-pools-zambezi-society-statement/ |
The Be a Better String Player series offers real-world advice and expert insight that will help improve your string playing.
In this guide Violist Melia Watras stresses knowing your tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses when developing a daily practice regimen.
Melia Watras is a recording artist and performer, a soloist and cofounder of the Corigliano Quartet. She champions the works of living composers: commissioning, premiering, and recording numerous new works for solo viola and string quartet. | https://store.stringsmagazine.com/products/be-a-better-string-player-how-to-honestly-assess-your-practice-habits |
Death In Paradise indie Red Planet Pictures has optioned the rights to Megan Hunter‘s novel The Harpy and Antony Johnston’s novel The Exphoria Code. Both are being developed for television as part of the company’s 2021 slate.
The Harpy is a fierce tale of love, betrayal and revenge that centres on Lucy and Jake, who live with their children in a house by a field. Lucy works from home but devotes her life to her children, to their finely tuned routine, and to the house itself. But then a man calls one afternoon with a shattering message: his wife has been having an affair with Lucy’s husband. The revelation marks a turning point. Lucy and Jake decide to stay together, but in a special arrangement designed to even the score and save their marriage, she will hurt him three times.
Jake will not know when the hurt is coming, nor what form it will take. As the couple submit to a delicate game of crime and punishment, Lucy herself begins to change, surrendering to a transformation of both mind and body from which there is no return. The rights were acquired in a deal brokered between Red Planet Pictures’ joint Managing-Director Alex Jones, and Lesley Thorne at Aitken Alexander Associates (on behalf of Emma Paterson). Hunter herself will pen the adaptation for the indie.
“It’s wonderful to have the chance to bring The Harpy to life in another form, and an honour to collaborate with someone as passionate and experienced as Belinda Campbell on my first adaptation”, author Megan Hunter said in a statement. “Her enthusiasm for the book and vision for its on-screen potential captured my imagination right from the start; I’m very excited to be working together on what comes next.”
The Exphoria Code follows cyber-espionage specialist, Brigitte Sharp, a brilliant but haunted young MI6 hacker. When she decodes encrypted online messages, which she believes are connected to her best friend’s murder, Bridge uncovers evidence of a mole inside a top secret Anglo-French military drone project. Forced back into the field by MI6, after three years deskbound and in therapy, she discovers that the truth behind the Exphoria code is far worse than she could have imagined. Soon she’s on the run, desperate and alone, as a nuclear terrorist plot unfolds around her.
Red Planet Pictures acquired the rights to The Exphoria Code in a hotly contested deal with Sarah Such at the Sarah Such Literary Agency. “I was bowled over by The Harpy, a beautifully written novel of extraordinary insight, emotion and drama”, said Belinda Campbell, Joint Managing-Director of Red Planet Pictures. “The Exphoria Code is similarly thrilling, with a brilliant new take on the world of high stakes espionage. With unique female protagonists, these two books, whilst very different, share a boldness of proposition, compelling characterisation and storytelling which I can’t wait to bring to the screen.”
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Chinatown (1974) Trailer #1: Check out the trailer starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston When Los Angeles private eye J.J.
"Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine infidelity case.
Jake's investigation soon becomes anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and realizes he was hired by an imposter.
Mr. Mulwray's sudden death sets Gittes on a tangled trail of corruption, deceit and sinister family secrets as Evelyn's father (John Huston) becomes a suspect in the case.
Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film, directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
The film was inspired by the California Water Wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley.
The Robert Evans production, a Paramount Pictures release, was the director's last film in the United States and features many elements of film noir, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama.
In 1991, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and it is frequently listed as one of the greatest films of all time. At the 47th Academy Awards, it was nominated for 11 Oscars, with Towne winning Best Original Screenplay.
The Golden Globe Awards honored it for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.
The American Film Institute placed it second among its top ten mystery films in 2008.
A sequel, The Two Jakes, was released in 1990, again starring Nicholson, who also directed, with Robert Towne returning to write the screenplay.
The film failed to generate the acclaim of its predecessor. | https://m.onenewspage.com/video/20190304/11450804/Chinatown-1974-Jack-Nicholson-Faye-Dunaway-John-Huston.htm |
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Bioavailability of Orally Administered Active Lipid Compounds from Four Different Greenshell™ Mussel FormatsGreenshell™ mussel (GSM, Perna canaliculus) is New Zealand’s most important aquaculture species. They are a good source of long chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA). Beyond a traditional food product, GSMs are also sold as mussel powders and oil extract formats in the nutraceutical markets. In this study, a four-sequence, single dose, randomized crossover human trial with eight evaluable healthy male participants was undertaken to determine the bioavailability of the n-3 LC PUFA in four different GSM formats (oil, powder, food ingredient and half-shell unprocessed whole mussel) by measuring area under the curve (AUC) and maximal concentration (CMax). Blood samples were collected at baseline and up to 48 h after initiation of product consumption in each administration period. There were minor differences between the bioavailability of FA (fatty acid) between the different GSM formats. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) peak concentrations and plasma exposures were significantly lower with GSM oil compared to GSM half-shell and GSM powder formats, which resulted in AUC0−48 for the intake of GSM half-shell mussel and GSM powder being significantly higher than that for GSM oil (p = 0.013, f= 4.84). This equated to a 20.6% and 24.3% increase in the amount of EPA present in the plasma after consumption of half-shell mussels and mussel powder respectively compared to GSM oil. GSM oil produced the shortest median time to maximal plasma n-3 LC PUFA concentration of all evaluated products demonstrated by a shorter maximum measured plasma concentration (TMax = 5 h). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-3 LC PUFA plasma exposure parameters were statistically comparable across the four GSM products evaluated.
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A novel method to optimise the utility of underused moulted plumulaceous feather samples for genetic analysis in bird conservationAbstract: Non-invasive sampling methods are increasingly being used in conservation research as they reduce or eliminate the stress and disturbance resulting from invasive sampling of blood or tissue. Here we present a protocol optimised for obtaining usable genetic material from moulted plumulaceous feather samples. The combination of simple alterations to a ‘user-developed’ method, comprised of increased incubation time and modification of temperature and volume of DNA elution buffer, are outlined to increase DNA yield and significantly increase DNA concentration (W = 81, p < 0.01, Cohens’s d = 0.89). We also demonstrate that the use of a primerless polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique increases DNA quality and amplification success when used prior to PCR reactions targeting avian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A small amplicon strategy proved effective for mtDNA amplification using PCR, targeting three overlapping 314–359 bp regions of the cytochrome oxidase I barcoding region which, when combined, aligned with target-species reference sequences. We provide evidence that samples collected non-invasively in the field and kept in non-optimal conditions for DNA extraction can be used effectively to sequence a 650 bp region of mtDNA for genetic analysis. | https://cdr.aws.openrepository.com/ |
This is a quick followup to my last post. I thought maybe I should list the more common stressors that most people face when they go through a divorce process.
1. Intense negative emotions -- anger, hurt, sadness, guilt, shame, fear
2. Legal issues -- sorting out custody arrangements; hashing out settlement details
3. Co-parenting issues (if children)
4. New worries -- financial, juggling tasks, shift in roles, new tasks
5. Reworking identity -- married to divorced; making new dreams
6. Loneliness -- loss of partner, loss of some friends
7. Stigma -- coping with judgments, disapproval of others
As I said in my prior post, every week of my career I help people cope with the stress of divorce. This has become a routine part of my work. What I can tell you is that not everybody experiences these stressors in the same way, of course, or with the same intensity. This means that the strategies people use to cope will vary, depending on the person and the situation.
The divorce process may be painful, but people can and do get through it. And although it may be hard to believe -- especially when your swimming in a sea of negative emotions -- some people do more than just cope with the experience, they also grow. Yes, they sort out what happened and why, and hopefully develop a deeper understanding of who they are and what they need. But if emotional pain has any value it’s that it teaches us about compassion. By facing fallibility in ourselves, we are more able to accept it in others.
Compassion -- for ourselves, our former partners, our neighbors -- is perhaps the one true antidote to bitterness. | http://johngibson-phd.com/JohnBlog/files/c8f68316ac4e9d7ea7bd96aa0934f37f-10.html |
Who would have been the most iconic woman physicist of all time if the Nobel Prizes didn’t exist? In 2017, Science published an article by Eva Hemmungs Wirtén to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Marie Curie. I got to it today because of this tweet:
One of the most well-known woman physicists and scientists – if not the most well-known – of the post-industrial era is Marie Curie. This is due in large part to the fact that she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (physics, 1903), the first woman to win any Nobel Prize, the first person as well as the first woman to win the Nobel Prize twice (chemistry, 1911) and in two different fields.
As awesome as this roster of accomplishments sounds, they were all manufactured. The Nobel Prizes create prestige by being selective: they pick awardees for a prize after rejecting hundreds of equally eligible candidates for arbitrary reasons. One important reason is that potential laureates have to be nominated and are then considered by a committee of ‘luminaries’ behind closed doors. Both the nomination and the deliberation have historically been dominated by men, so as such few women were nominated in the first place and even fewer made it to the shortlist, if at all.
Ultimately, using the Nobel Prizes to describe “iconic” scientists forces us to inherit the Nobel Prizes’ prejudices. As a people, do we want to assemble a list of iconic scientists – members of society that were shaped by our collective morals and aspirations, and worked among us, often struggling through shared problems – that is assailed by the flaws that beset the Nobel Prizes? I assume the answer is ‘no’.
While Marie Curie may deserve her laurels for all the notable work that she did, we must remember that notability is like a fraction: the numerator is that individual’s contribution and the denominator is the background of achievements against which we examine it. The Nobel Prizes have horribly skewed the denominator in favour of men and of pseudo-signifiers of notability, like publishing in certain journals at certain times from certain countries.
Marie was the first woman to record a clutch of achievements vis-à-vis the Nobel Prizes, and all of them were the prize-giving committee’s failures – not Marie’s success. We don’t know how many other women everyone from the first nominators to the final committee overlooked. More importantly, we don’t know how many more women, and scientists of other genders, we the people ourselves overlooked, because we were too busy paying attention to the Nobel Prizes.
I can’t claim to speak for Marie Curie but I know it’s not fair to call her the “most iconic” on the back of a false distinction. As Hemmungs Wirtén wrote in her article:
Curie’s track record is well known. So far, the only woman twice awarded the Nobel Prize – her 1903 and 1911 distinctions in physics and chemistry, respectively – ensure her a permanent seat on the Mount Olympus of science. … The material that transformed Curie from person to persona comes to us largely via Eve Curie’s famous hagiography of her mother, Madame Curie. …
Recent years have seen this idealized version of Curie challenged by less-celebratory interpretations. In Julie Des Jardin’s The Madame Curie Complex, Curie is described as “a superhuman anomaly,” one who causes female scientists frustration by establishing unrealistic expectations of scientific accomplishment, rather than inspiring them to excel. … For some, Curie is simply in the way. “Stop talking about Marie Curie,” suggested Rachel Swaby in a piece in Wired in 2015. She casts too big a shadow, is too well known, and has become the one and only female scientist in the public imagination, Swaby argues. There is some merit to this argument.
Featured image: An edited photo of Marie Curie, c. 1920. Credit: Public domain. | https://rootprivileges.net/2022/02/16/marie-curie-an-icon-or-in-the-way-nobel-prizes/ |
I’ve heard Carlos Taibo confess that, when asked if he is an anarchist, his most sincere answer is «some days». While it is true that some conclusions present in Collapse: Terminal capitalism, ecosocial transition, ecofascism are shared by libertarian literature, it would be a mistake to consider his book an ideological pamphlet.
Carlos Taibo’s Collapse: Terminal capitalism, ecosocial transition, ecofascism is a collection of theses that, admittedly, are speculative. Without abandoning the caution of this confessed conjecture, Taibo explains how many current indicators lead to future scenarios that appear very possible or almost inevitable under careful analysis.
The premises at the base of this book are widely accepted by scientists, sociologists, economists, and scholars from many disciplines and will not be unknown to the reader. However, Taibo seeks to concentrate all this data and hypotheses around the concept of collapse, a kind of anchor and warning to seafarers. He is not speaking of cyclical crises or avoidable events.
Seems undeniable today that some form of collapse is coming. The sternness inherent to capitalism and the multiple crises -ecological, demographic, social, financial … – lead civilization to a certain outcome, be as it may it can take many forms. The collapse is therefore irreversible and inevitable. Beyond discussing reasons, inertias, and events of the different issues that cascade into a collapse, Taibo invites an analysis of how this collapse can take shape and on the societies that will, hopefully, succeed it.
Climate crisis and energy depletion
Of the many indicators that announce such collapse, the ecological footprint is perhaps the most overwhelming. Today, Spain needs 3.5 times its territory to support its inhabitants. In addition, humanity consumes 1.6 times its annual terrestrial capacity. This makes Spain an ecological debtor. This credit is taken from underdeveloped territories and future generations and unequivocally points to the collapse of the system. Unlike currency, planets cannot be printed.
There is an overwhelming consensus that we will experience a 2º to 4º degrees increase in planetary temperature. It’s hard to determine whether human civilization can survive this threshold, but whatever survives will be fundamentally different.
According to an estimate by Antonio Turiel, the peak of non-renewable energy sources occurred in 2018. Without the amount of gas, oil, and coal we currently consume, 67% of the world’s population would perish. While this statement is not free of controversy, it is also true that undisputable data signals to the necessity of radical transformations. Transformations that are not being undertaken. Seems needless to say, but we are late.
Unfolding the concept of Collapse: Terminal capitalism, ecosocial transition, ecofascism while being a part of the rich north may seem like an exercise of the imagination. Our value codes may well make us think that we are not living a collapse. Taibo urges us to consider that this is not something to come, but rather a scenario already present for many human beings.
If a collapse is inevitable, wouldn’t it be healthy to accelerate change to take advantage of the advances it may bring and mitigate the dire consequences of climate change?
Studies made by other authors such as Taibo point to a particularly turbulent scenario from 2020 to 2050. However, not all the consequences of the collapse are necessarily negative. It seems logical to assume that there will be processes of de-hierarchization, ruralization, and gain of greater autonomy in societies or groups that take proper measures in this regard, or in areas where failing centralized authorities and power structures do not cascade into authoritarian hierarchies.
Eco-fascism
We must remember that within the Nazi party there were pressure groups that advocated a return to the countryside, vegetarianism, and many other environmentalist postulates. It is nonetheless telling that the war machine of this same party ventured into a race of ecological destruction like no other.
It would be mistaken to think that ecologist policies with a fascist twist embraced by Nazi Germany respond to a unique moment in history. It is not unreasonable to expect a resurgence of these ideas within centralized power structures. We cannot ignore that, behind commonly accepted positive purposes, ecofascism pursues a solution through demographic control.
A softer version of this type of policy can be seen in the marginalization of broad sectors of the population. Is it excessive to imagine the emergence of harsher versions of these same postulates, advocating extermination to solve the population problem?
It is a thing to remember that fascist projects run contrary to most of the requirements for an eco-social transition such as decentralization of power or demilitarization, among others.
The movements for the eco-social transition.
Having a moderate awareness of this collapse unavoidably leads to find an efficient response in the recovery of practices typical of agricultural life and farmers’ popular wisdom. We are forced to admit the effectiveness of ways that we have too often described as primitive.
In this eco-social transition consideration, there’s a critical analysis to be made about the technologies that our society idolizes, identifying whether they still bear the mark of exploitation, hierarchy, and division of labor.
Carlos Taibo defends the need to build de-commodified autonomous self-managed spaces. But beyond that, it must be borne in mind that many of these projects have advanced while maintaining the atavistic problems of patriarchy. 70% of the poor population are women, and they do 67% of the work while receiving 10% of the income. Therefore, it becomes necessary to consider de-patriarchalization as a basic element of transitional movements.
Paradoxically, many inhabitants of the poor south are better prepared to face the coming changes. They live in small communities, have preserved a healthier relationship with the natural environment, keep a richer social life, and are more autonomous. One only needs to imagine what would happen in any European city if the oil supply is cut off. Everything would fall apart overnight.
Thank you for reading. Articles are free to read, but could you please consider a subscription? For 9 euro, you will support us, get access to all our online and future printed magazines – and get your own profile page (director, producer, festival …) to connected articles. Also remember you can follow us on Facebook or with our newsletter. | https://www.moderntimes.review/is-there-something-after-the-collapse/ |
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
The invention generally relates to absorbers and emitters, and more particularly, to a new way to achieve dual-band wide-angle absorption or thermal emission in thin materials.
It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not to be viewed as being restrictive of the invention, as claimed. Further advantages of this invention will be apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments, which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings and in the appended claims.
The invention generally relates to absorbers and emitters, and more particularly, to a new way to achieve dual-band wide-angle absorption or thermal emission in thin materials.
Currently, absorbers are thick and are limited by operating wavelengths. Most of the current absorbers or thermal emitters are single band. Current dual-band absorbers/thermal emitters are thick and have small acceptance angles. Embodiments of the invention are based on bi-layer structures composed a highly or totally reflective natural or engineered material substrate and other natural or engineered dielectric materials with permittivity described by the Drude-Lorentz model. A person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize the Drude-Lorentz model as an electrical conduction model explaining transport properties of electrons in materials.
The composite structure associated with embodiments of the invention yields dual-band wide-angle emission or absorption around the Drude-Lorentz resonance for thin overall composite structures. Two thermal emission or absorption bands coexist when the material is described by the Drude-Lorentz model.
Various absorbers and thermal emitters are in high demand for thermal sensing and energy harvesting applications. Thermal radiation is characterized by broadband, incoherent, and quasi-isotropic due to the intrinsic random nature of thermal fluctuations. To maximize conversion efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cells, it is desirable to have a narrow-band radiation that matches with electronic transition of PV cells. On the other hand, the control of emission spectrum and direction also has important applications. In the past few years, there has been increasing attention on patterning surface microstructures, such as gratings, photonic bandgaps, microcavities, and metamaterials, to reduce radiation bandwidth and to modify surface emission characteristics. Dual band wide-angle absorption/thermal emission is a desired feature for many applications, such as IR sensors and integrated multi-functional devices.
Although embodiments of the invention are described in considerable detail, including references to certain versions thereof, other versions are possible. Examples of other versions include orienting the layers in different fashion. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of versions included herein.
FIG. 1
100
100
In the accompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate like elements. illustrates a perspective view of a dual-band wide-angle absorber/thermal emitter, according to embodiments of the invention. Reference character depicts an apparatus of embodiments of the invention. The apparatus , a dual-band wide-angle absorber/thermal emitter is an absorber/emitter that may also be referred to as a bi-layer absorber/emitter.
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The apparatus is viewed relative to the x-axis , y-axis , and z-axis . A radiation wave vector, k, is shown. An emission/absorption angle, θ, is the angle between the z-axis and the radiation wave vector .
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Embodiments of the invention generally relate to an absorber/emitter, including at least one primary layer having a permittivity described by the Drude-Lorentz model. At least one reflective secondary layer is associated with the at least one primary layer .
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A natural dielectric material may be used as the primary layer , such as, for example, glass, silicon carbide (Si—C), diamond, silicon, and silica.
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An engineered material may also be used as the primary layer . Appropriate examples of suitable engineered materials include composites and metamaterials. The association between the primary and secondary layers is by bonding.
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Another embodiment of the invention generally relates to a bi-layer absorber/emitter, including, at least one natural dielectric layer . The natural dielectric layer has a permittivity described by the Drude-Lorentz model. At least one reflective layer is bonded to the natural dielectric layer . The natural dielectric layer is silicon carbide.
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In yet another embodiment, the invention generally relates to a bi-layer absorber/emitter, including, at least one engineered material layer having a permittivity described by the Drude-Lorentz model. At least one reflective layer is bonded to the engineered-material layer .
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In yet another embodiment, the invention generally relates to an absorber/emitter, including: a silicon carbide layer . The thickness of the silicon carbide layer is less than one-tenth of the absorption wavelength of the absorber/emitter. A copper layer is bonded to the silicon carbide layer . The silicon carbide layer has a permittivity described by the Drude-Lorentz model.
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FIG. 1
In embodiments, the primary layer may be referred to as the natural dielectric layer or engineered material layer without detracting from the merits or generality of embodiments of the invention. Additionally, although depicted as a single layer in , the primary layer and the reflective secondary layer may include additional layers. Likewise, the reflective secondary layer may be referred to as the reflective layer without detracting from the merits or generality of embodiments of the invention.
112
In embodiments, layer thicknesses are based on application-specific conditions and are affected by material electromagnetic wavelengths. The thickness of the primary layer is less than one-tenth of the absorption wavelength of the absorber/emitter (also referred to as bi-layer absorber/emitter).
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In embodiments, numerous orientations of the apparatus and respective layers and are possible dependent on the direction of the radiation wave vector, k, .
In embodiments, dual-band wide-angle absorption occurs at a shorter and a longer wavelength band. The shorter and longer bands reside at different sides of the Drude-Lorentz frequency. The longer wavelength band is polarization insensitive and is associated with a surge of refractive index near the Lorentzian resonance. High absorption can exist for a broad range of angles with a minimal shift in the center frequency which can be tuned by tuning the Drude-Lorentz resonance. The shorter wavelength band results from the ∈-near-zero effect occurring for p-polarized waves as the result of field enhancement due to the continuity of the electric displacement field normal to the surface. From the absorption spectrum of the structure, the emission property can be deduced using Kirchoff's law which directly relates the absorptance with the emissivity. The absorption can be calculated from the Poynting vector by solving Maxwell's equations. The desired emission peak and spectral features can be engineered by properly tuning the resonant frequency and the damping factor. This feature was demonstrated in simulated silicon carbide/copper bi-layers.
Experimental results demonstrate the emissivity of a silicon carbide (SiC)/copper (Cu) bilayer as a function of wavelength and emission angle. Both bands were observed to have high emissivity for wide ranges of angles.
FIG. 2A
FIG. 2B
FIG. 2C
FIG. 2C
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Perfect emissivity is used to describe emissivity equal to one at a particular wavelength. Similarly, perfect absorptance is used to describe absorption equal to one at a particular wavelength. is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of emission angle at the perfect emission wavelength of the shorter wavelength band (λ=10.31 μm), according to embodiments of the invention, and depicted as reference character . is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of emission angle at the perfect emission wavelength of the longer wavelength band (λ=12.84 μm), according to embodiments of the invention, and depicted as reference character . Reference characters and depict the shorter and longer wavelength bands discussed above and illustrated in . is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of wavelength at one perfect emission angle (θ=42.2°), according to embodiments of the invention, and depicted as reference character .
FIG. 2C
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As shown in , the shorter wavelength band has a smaller wavelength than the longer wavelength band , hence the designation of shorter and longer, respectively. The shorter wavelength band and the longer wavelength band may also be referred to as a first and a second wavelength band, respectively.
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In embodiments, the reflective secondary layer , also referred to as reflective layer, is selected from the group consisting of natural reflective materials and engineered reflective materials. Examples of natural reflective materials include metals in the long wavelength region such as, for example, infrared, microwave, and radio frequency waves. Examples of engineered reflective materials include photonic bandgap materials and metamaterials. Other materials may be used without detracting from the merits or generality of embodiments of the invention.
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In embodiments, the mechanism of absorption in bi-layer absorbers/emitters is the interaction between resonant transmission and reflection. In other words, the primary layer outputs resonant transmission signals while the secondary layer acts as a mirror to strongly or totally reflect the transmission signals of the primary layer. Therefore, absorption can occur as the consequence of multiple resonant transmission and total reflection, resulting in repeated absorption.
Embodiments of the invention yield two absorption band outputs. Thus, dual-band wide-angle absorption/thermal emission is demonstrated around the Drude-Lorentz resonance in bi-layer absorbers/emitters. Many engineered materials including nanoplasmonic composite structures and metamaterials can be effectively described by the Drude-Lorentz mode, thus embodiments of the invention are applicable for a broad range of materials. The geometry allows easy integration and the dual-band emission/absorption is a desired feature for multi-functional devices including, but not limited to, thermal emitters, IR sensors, photodetectors, absorbers, and bolometers.
Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the invention.
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a dual-band wide-angle absorber/thermal emitter, according to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 2A
is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of emission angle at the perfect emission wavelength of the shorter wavelength band, according to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 2B
is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of emission angle at the perfect emission wavelength of the longer wavelength band, according to embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 2C
is a graphical comparison of emissivity as a function of wavelength at one of the perfect emission angles, according to embodiments of the invention. | |
Disc drive and other storage subsystems, including flash memory devices and removable storage devices, typically have a processor (sometimes called a microprocessor) in their built-in electronics. The processor can be used to hide computations as well as stored data. In many security applications, and in many applications where an application provider may wish to guard against fraudulent use of applications or content, it may be desirable to perform certain computations in a hidden way. This includes hiding keys that may be employed to unlock an asset through a cryptographic proof or through simple knowledge of a shared secret. Performing computations in a hidden way may also include hiding certain computations that may be employed to allow software or content external to the storage device to operate desirably.
Generally, devices that offer storage subsystems with hardened security features employ various measures to protect data from unauthorized discovery. One such technique involves securing tabular data areas with various authentication methods.
One potential problem with any secured data area involves user access to that secured data area. More specifically, the user may or may not be granted access to that area. In some cases, access issues may lead to undesirable consequences, particularly when a confidential data area is secured by, for example, a malicious or otherwise unauthorized agent.
One purpose of versatile security data areas is to permit a third-party software vendor to acquire control over a hidden security partition (SP) on a disc drive or other storage subsystem. Once the vendor gains control, the vendor can set access controls on the data within that partition in any fashion. Unfortunately, the vendor may also deny the owner of the storage subsystem access to the data in the security partition. While it is common for third-party software vendors to deny owners access to data, in general, the owner always retains the option of deleting the associated software as well as explicitly installing the software. If an application is permitted to create a security partition without the permission of the device owner or a user of a device, a security partition may be created on the storage subsystem to which neither the user nor the device manufacturer has access. In other words, data may be hidden from the user, device owner or manufacturer which may be malicious but which remains inaccessible.
Therefore, there is a need in data storage for a system and method for controlling and managing security partition issuance and usage. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.
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Established in 1976, The Thomas Circle Singers (TCS) is a welcoming and inclusive choral ensemble committed to enriching the musical life of the Washington, DC region through engaging and impactful performances, as well as partnerships with DC-based social service organizations. For almost five decades, TCS concerts have raised funds and awareness for organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, children and families at risk, the sick, and victims of violence in Washington, DC, raising over $250,000 for many notable and important causes.
Yearly contract: Salary range: $8,100-9,200 commensurate with experience and education
Job Summary
To provide piano accompaniment for weekly choral rehearsals, concert performances, and occasional other commitments. The choral season runs from approximately Labor Day to mid-June. The Capitol Hill Chorale performs a diverse repertoire including masterworks, early music, modern compositions, and jazz. The ideal candidate will be able to comfortably shift styles from concert to concert, and sometimes within the same rehearsal/performance.
This position works under the direction of the Artistic Director. Position to be filled by January 4, 2021. | https://singersource.com/jobs/director-pianist |
AUDITIONS (by appointment only):
Wednesday, August 14, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Thursday, August 15, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
For an audition appointment, please fill out and submit Audition Registration Form. You will be contacted by email/phone with your appointment date and time.
*For your convenience, the rehearsal schedule has been provided in calendar form Commitment Calendar. Please review.
CALLBACKS (if called):
Friday, August 16, 6:00 - 8:00PM
CAST:
Calling Singers, Dancers, Actors in Grades 6 – 9 -- serious performers willing to work as part of a team to share their talents, refine their skills, and create a high quality show. Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Please consider your commitment to the show prior to your audition, as we obviously can’t promise lead roles to everyone. Every role, ensemble included, will be exciting and fun, as well as a valuable experience.
PREPARE:
• 32 bars from two contrasting musical theatre songs (one upbeat, one ballad). Pick songs you love to sing, be yourself, and focus on storytelling. Be prepared to sing entire song if asked. Please do not prepare a song from Matilda the Musical.
• How to prepare your accompaniment music for auditions: If copied, hole-punch the music and put in a binder. The music should be on the front and back of each page. If only printed on one side, tape the pages together so they are back-to-back or put them back to back in a non-glare sleeve. If music is bound, it should lay flat when open.
• You will be asked to read a scene — no preparation needed.
BRING:
• A headshot or school picture, which will not be returned
• A resume, if available
• Shoes and appropriate clothes to dance in (no flip flops, crocs, etc.) — you will be taught a short dance combination to be performed in a group.
• Sheet music (not CD’s) in a binder for your audition song in the the key in which you will sing (sheet music is available in local music stores and online — www.sheetmusicplus.com or www.musicnotes.com for example). An Accompanist will be provided (“a cappella” audition songs will not be accepted).
• If you have questions about what to prepare or what to expect at the audition, don’t hesitate to email or call us.
REHEARSALS:
Dates vary — see Commitment Calendar (you may not be called for all rehearsals and may only be called for a portion of a rehearsal).
PERFORMANCES:
• October 11 at 7:30PM
• October 12 at 7:30PM
• October 13 at 2:00PM
• October 18 at 7:30PM
• October 19 at 7:30PM
• October 20 at 2:00PM
COMMITMENT:
• $321 Commitment Fee for musical theatre training to develop your talent in singing, movement, and character development in a supportive, nurturing environment culminating in full performances. Includes a costuming fee. A limited amount of partial tuition assistance available.
• Attend all rehearsals to which you are called.
• Families are asked to contribute volunteer hours in a variety of production areas to help make the show a success.
THE SHOW:
The story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world.
Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Over the course of her first term at school, Matilda and Miss Honey have a profound effect on each other's lives, as Miss Honey begins not only to recognize but also appreciate Matilda's extraordinary personality. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace!
LOCATION:
Auditions, rehearsals and performances are held at:
STAGES
875 E. Main Street
Auditorium Center, Third Floor
Rochester, NY 14605
Parking located behind the building (enter from College Ave). Tell the attendant you are attending a Stages’ audition.
QUESTIONS:
585-935-7173 (leave a message and your call will be returned) or email [email protected]
Hope to see you at the audition! | https://www.mjtstages.com/matilda |
1. Introduction {#sec0001}
===============
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are characterised by difficulties in social communication alongside unusually restrictive, repetitive behaviours and interests [@bib0001]. A key difficulty experienced by individuals with ASC, and part of current diagnostic criteria, is interpreting others' emotions and responding appropriately [@bib0001]. Indeed, [@bib0002] originally described ASC as a difficulty with "affective contact". Hence, a number of intervention programs aiming to improve social and communication skills in ASC, have focused on improving ability to interpret others' emotions [@bib0003], [@bib0004], [@bib0005], [@bib0006].
Improving ability to interpret emotions in realistic social situations in people with ASC is challenging, because the intervention needs to generalize to a variety of real life social situations. New interactive technologies provide a very promising form of intervention which could improve emotion processing in real life situations for a number of reasons. First, individuals with ASC prefer interventions which involve interacting with technology rather than face-to-face or group based work, that could cause anxiety [@bib0003], [@bib0004]. Use of a computer to display emotions, instead of a face to face encounter, could therefore encourage attention to important social cues. Hence, use of technology as an intervention tool in people with ASC is particularly appealing and accessible for this clinical group. Second, interactive technologies enable people with ASC to actively experiment in safe, controlled and predictable environments repeatedly. The difficulty levels of the intervention, gradually getting more complex, can be slowly widened, and even controlled by the participant. This would provide adults with ASC a series of predictable, controllable and therefore low anxiety learning opportunities, which would not otherwise be available to these individuals in the real world. This also enables a systematic approach to learning, which is particularly in tune with the cognitive style in ASC [@bib0007].
Previous attempts to utilize technology to improve emotion recognition skills in children and adults with ASC have shown some success. For example, *The Transporters* [@bib0006] and *Mindreading* [@bib0005] interventions aim to capitalize on the strong abilities that children and adults with ASC show in constructing patterns and systems from their environment. In the case of *The Transporters*, children with ASC aged 4--7 years old passively watch trains with real human faces interact in a number of social situations over a period of 4 weeks. Post-intervention, the children with ASC reached typical control levels of emotion recognition, and training transferred to new situations not included in the original intervention videos [@bib0006]. There was also some anectodal evidence that children showed increased eye contact and interest in people post-intervention. Similarly, in the case of the *Mindreading* intervention, adults with high functioning ASC interacted with a comprehensive library of 412 naturalistic emotions in the face and voice separately, and combined, over 10--15 weeks. Adults with ASC showed improvement in their ability to recognize the emotions included in the original intervention, but this training did not transfer to other emotions or new situations [@bib0005]. Other examples come from robotic systems such as FACE which is capable of producing basic emotion expressions (e.g. happy, sad) [@bib0008]. A 20 min therapy session has been shown to elicit spontaneous eye contact and social imitation in children with autism [@bib0008]. A range of other studies also demonstrate the potential of socially assistive robots for improving eye contact and social interaction skills in children with autism [@bib0009]. However, complex natural facial expressions that present difficulties for people with ASC in everyday life are challenging to simulate using robotics.
The challenge of improving ability to interpret emotions in realistic social situations in people with ASC is for improvement to generalize beyond the scope of the original intervention, to new emotions and situations. One promising approach is for the intervention to be flexible, allowing for different levels of difficulty, and for the person undergoing the intervention to experiment and interact in the environment. With *The Transporters, Mindreading* and *FACE robotics* interventions, this was not possible.
New interactive technologies provide an opportunity for ASC individuals to practice their communication skills. In the current study we explore the scope for expressive visual speech animation as a potential intervention tool to improve emotion processing skills in adults with high functioning ASC. The technology, named XpressiveTalk, provides a near-realistic animation with dynamic emotion expressions. Previous studies of emotion processing have used animations which are highly unrealistic, e.g. [@bib0010], [@bib0011]. However, adults with high functioning ASC tend to have difficulty processing naturalistic emotions. Hence, in order to improve attention and emotion recognition in everyday life, interventions must use realistic and flexible stimuli. The benefit of XpressiveTalk as a potential intervention tool is the development of a near-realistic visual interface, which approximates the type and complexity of emotions encountered in everyday life. In order to build a realistic visual interface, face and speech models are trained based on a corpus of video recordings of an actress.
The following section provides further background from ASC research, motivating the need for generating nuanced speech and vision cues. Subsequently we provide details on the creation of the face model. We present user studies in which we first explore how adults with ASC and typically developing adults are able to infer emotions from recorded and synthesised emotions. Second, we explore how these individuals rate their preference and realism of real and synthesised emotions. These results will provide valuable insights into how adults with ASC interact with XpressiveTalk, and its potential as an intervention to improve emotion processing in these individuals.
2. Prior ASC research {#sec0002}
=====================
Results from lab experiments have not consistently demonstrated emotion recognition difficulties in people with ASC, particularly high functioning adults with ASC who have verbal and intellectual ability in the average or above range [@bib0012], [@bib0013], [@bib0014]. These results are incommensurate with these individuals' difficulties in everyday life [@bib0001]. However, recent research has shown subtle emotion recognition difficulties in high functioning adults with ASC, when interpreting emotions in realistic social situations [@bib0015], particularly when these are dynamic, and include vocal cues [@bib0016], [@bib0017], [@bib0018]. In contrast, studies that utilise static expressions posing a single emotion at high intensity, or use cartoon-like animations do not tend to show differences in emotion processing ability between those with and without ASC [@bib0019], [@bib0020], [@bib0021], [@bib0022], [@bib0023], [@bib0024]. Thus, complex stimuli which mimic the demands of emotion processing in everyday life are more likely to reveal emotion recognition difficulties in adults with high functioning ASC [@bib0016].
These results have recently been explained by difficulties processing emotions of low signal clarity in people with ASC [@bib0016]. Signal clarity is high when a single emotion is presented at high intensity, and is low when more than one emotion is presented (e.g. smiling in confusion), and in cases where facial expression and vocal cues are contradictory (e.g. saying thank you with a grimace) [@bib0025]. In everyday life, mixed emotion responses of low signal clarity tend to be expressed, such as smiling in frustration [@bib0026], happily or angrily surprised [@bib0027], or feigning a positive response to a social interaction partner [@bib0015], [@bib0028].
As these examples demonstrate, there are two important abilities necessary to interpret emotional responses of low signal clarity typically encountered in realistic social situations. First, one must be able to integrate a variety of different visual cues from the mouth and eyes. Second, one must be able to process visual and vocal information simultaneously. Adults with ASC tend to have difficulty with both these aspects of processing. For example, adults with ASC have difficulty interpreting negative [@bib0021], [@bib0024], [@bib0029] and feigned positive emotions [@bib0030] which involve integrating different cues from the mouth and eyes, and mixed emotions (e.g. happy and surprised) [@bib0031]. Second, children with ASC are less susceptible to the McGurk effect (a phenomenon in speech perception based on interacting speech and vision cues), tending to report the vocally produced syllable, rather than automatically integrating visual cues and reporting a blend of the two information channels [@bib0032]. Adults with ASC also appear to rely more on speech content, rather than integrating non-verbal cues when interpreting complex emotions from videos of social interactions [@bib0018], spontaneous emotional responses [@bib0015], [@bib0016], and when distinguishing consistent from inconsistent facial and vocal emotions [@bib0010].
Difficulties integrating visual cues, and tendency to rely on speech content in people with ASC, could be due to reduced attention to social information. A key early indicator of ASC in infants is lack of eye contact and following others' gaze [@bib0033], [@bib0034], [@bib0035], [@bib0036]. Research utilising eye tracking technology while viewing social and emotional stimuli have shown that people with ASC look less to social information, such as people, eyes and faces [@bib0037], [@bib0038]. In high functioning individuals with ASC, differences in attention to social information is most pronounced in the first few seconds of viewing time [@bib0039], [@bib0040], [@bib0041], [@bib0042], or when stimuli are dynamic and complex (i.e. involving more than one person) [@bib0016], [@bib0043]. Research has also suggested that attention to social information, such as the eyes in people with ASC, causes aversive over-arousal, and is thus actively avoided by these individuals [@bib0021].
Clearly, adults with ASC have difficulties processing emotions of low signal clarity, involving integration of complex and sometimes contradictory visual and vocal information. Lack of attention to social information (eyes and people) could be a key contributor to these difficulties. Infants who show reduced social attention tend to be diagnosed with ASC later on. This demonstrates the importance of social attention skills in the development of ASC [@bib0036], [@bib0037].
3. Expressive visual text-to-speech {#sec0003}
===================================
In this section we present a method for generating a near-videorealistic avatar. Given an input text, the system is able to produce a video of a face model uttering the text. The text can be annotated with emotion labels that modulate the expression of the generated output. The system is trained on a large corpus containing speech and video recordings of an actress.
3.1. Visual text-to-speech (TTS) {#sec0004}
--------------------------------
Text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis systems generate computer-synthesised speech waveforms corresponding to any text input. A TTS system is typically composed of a front-end and a back-end. The front-end takes as input a string of text and converts it into a sequence of phonemes and a linguistic specification consisting of context features describing the linguistic and phonetic environment in which each phoneme occurs. The back-end then takes these context features to generate a waveform. A conventional approach called unit-selection TTS re-used existing segments in the training database that matched best the phonetic contexts required and concatenated them at synthesis time. More recently, statistical parametric approaches have become more widely used. Instead of selecting actual instances of speech from a database, in statistical parametric approaches such as HMM (hidden Markov model) based TTS [@bib0044], parametric representations of speech are extracted from the speech database and are modelled by a set of models such as HMMs. Concatenating the HMMs produces a set of parameters which can then be resynthesised into synthetic speech. Since it is not practical to collect a training database that covers all possible linguistic contexts, decision trees are used to cluster similar environments [@bib0045]. For any given input context, the means and variances to be used in the HMMs may be looked up using the decision tree. We extend this TTS method to visual TTS by concatenating the audio feature vector with a video feature vector so the HMMs generate a temporal sequence of parameters that are synthesised into a speech and video signal.
3.2. Cluster adaptive training (CAT) {#sec0005}
------------------------------------
One of the advantages of HMM--TTS is its controllability. Unlike unit-selection, HMM--TTS allows easily synthesising contexts which are not found in the training database. This offers the possibility to achieve expressive TTS without requiring large expression-dependent databases, and to synthesise new expressions. For the current study, Cluster Adaptive Training (CAT) [@bib0046] was used to achieve expressive TTS.
CAT is an extension to HMM--TTS, which uses multiple decision trees to capture speaker- or emotion-dependent information. [Fig. 1](#fig0001){ref-type="fig"} shows the structure of the CAT model. Each cluster has its own decision tree, and the means of the HMMs are determined by finding the mean for each cluster and combining them using the formula: $$\mathbf{\mu}_{m}^{expr} = \mathbf{M}_{m}\mathbf{\lambda}^{expr},$$
where $\mathbf{\mu}_{m}^{expr}$ is the mean for a given expression, *m* is the state of the HMM, **M**~*m*~ is the matrix formed by combining the means from each cluster and ***λ***^expr^ is a weight vector.
Each cluster in CAT may be interpreted as a basis defining an expression space. To form the bases, each cluster is initialised using the data of one emotion (by setting the ***λ***'s to zero or one as appropriate). The Maximum-Likelihood criterion is used to update all the parameters in the model (weights, means and variances, and decision trees) iteratively. The resulting ***λ***'s may interpreted as coordinates within the expression space. By interpolating between $\mathbf{\lambda}^{{expr}_{1}}$ and $\mathbf{\lambda}^{{expr}_{2}}$ we can synthesise speech with an expression combining two of the originally recorded expressions. Since the space is continuous, it is possible to synthesise at any point in the space and generate new expressions. More details are described in [@bib0047].
3.3. Training the XpressiveTalk system {#sec0006}
--------------------------------------
Our training corpus comprised 6925 sentences, capturing six emotions: neutral, tender, angry, afraid, happy, and sad. The speech data was parameterised using a standard feature set consisting of 45 dimensional Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, log-F0 (fundamental frequency) and 25 band aperiodicities, together with the first and second time derivatives of these features. The visual data was parameterised using an Active Appearance Model (AAM) with specific improvements for face synthesis. The improvements include pose-invariance, region-based deformations, and textures for the mouth region [@bib0048]. In the following we describe the training procedure of the model. To build an AAM a small initial set of training images is labelled with a set of keypoints marking the same location of the face in each image. The initial set consists of images selected for each of the following sounds in each emotion: (1) *m* in *man*, (2) *ar* in *car*, (3) *ee* in *eel*, (4) *oo* in *too*, (5) *sh* in *she*. The initial AAM is then tracked over the whole training corpus (≈ 10^6^ frames) using the method in [@bib0049]. Poorly reconstructed frames are added to the training set for re-training. Tracking errors using this new model are lower and images which this model performs poorly on can be found and the whole process is repeated. The error histogram after different numbers of training rounds is shown in [Fig. 2](#fig0002){ref-type="fig"}. We found that re-training twice significantly reduced tracking error while not significantly increasing the dimensionality of the model. The final model is built from 71 training images, resulting in an AAM controlled by 17 parameters, which together with their first time derivatives are used in the CAT model ([Fig. 3](#fig0003){ref-type="fig"}).
When animating a face it is useful to be able to control certain actions such as eye blinks and head rotation. This is difficult with a standard AAM since the modes in a standard AAM have no physical meaning. We therefore train an AAM in which one mode corresponds to blinking and two modes to head rotation. We find the shape components that model head pose by recording a training sequence of head rotation with a fixed neutral expression. The pose components are removed in each training shape to obtain pose normalised training shapes, which model only facial deformation, see [@bib0048]. Analogously a mode for eye blinking is found by using sample frame from the same blink event. A further extension is training a model in which the upper and lower regions of the face are controlled independently. This builds a model in exactly the same way as the previous section except that modes only deform specific areas of the model. In [@bib0048] it is shown that these extensions improve the synthesis quality as measured in terms of maximum *L*~2~ tracking errors, as well as in user preference ([Table 1](#tbl0001){ref-type="table"}).
3.4. Synthesis interface {#sec0007}
------------------------
[Fig. 4](#fig0004){ref-type="fig"} shows the XpressiveTalk synthesis interface that was used to create samples for the current study. The user types in the text in the text box, and the desired emotion can be specified by adjusting the position of the sliders. Upon clicking "Speak", the synthesis engine is run and a synthesised video file is produced and played back. When the sliders are all in the inner-most position (0%), the system assumes a zero-weight for all non-neutral emotions, and neutral speech/video is produced. Pure emotions can be synthesised with various degrees by moving the slider for one emotion to a non-zero position. A combination of emotions is also possible, by setting the sliders for multiple emotions to non-zero positions.
4. Method {#sec0008}
=========
4.1. Participants {#sec0009}
-----------------
The ASC group comprised 40 adolescents and adults (23 female, 17 male) aged 19--63 years, recruited from the Cambridge Autism Research Database (CARD) website [@bib0050]. All participants with ASC who register to take part in online research through this website have been formally diagnosed by a clinician according to DSM-IV criteria [@bib0051]. In addition, all participants completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) [@bib0052] to indicate the number of autistic traits of participants in the ASC compared to the typical control group. The control group comprised 39 adolescents and adults (32 female, 7 male) aged 16--63 years, recruited from a separate research website for the general population without ASC diagnosis [@bib0053]. Groups were matched on age, but not gender (*X*^2^(1) = 5.6, *p* = 0.02), however, there was no significant effect of gender on task performance in the control group.
4.2. Materials {#sec0010}
--------------
The real face condition consisted of 20 videos of a female actress speaking four neutral sentences, (a) 'the actual number is somewhat lower'; (b) 'the beach is dry and shallow at low tide'; (c) 'the fan whirled its round blades softly'; and (d) 'we don't have any choice'), each in five different emotional tones; happy, sad, angry, afraid and neutral. The XpressiveTalk condition consisted of 20 videos synthesised using the interface described in [Section 3.4](#sec0007){ref-type="sec"}, in the same four neutral sentences, each synthesised in the same five emotional tones, each with the weight for the respective emotion set to 100% and other emotions set to 0%, in the face and voice domains. These basic emotions were chosen to be included from the interface, excluding tender, as these had been utilised in previous research studies (e.g. [@bib0020], [@bib0021]), and could be of particular benefit to adults with ASC who have difficulties recognising negative basic expressions such as fear and sadness.
4.3. Procedure {#sec0011}
--------------
Participants were invited to complete an emotion recognition study through a secure website, and provided their consent to take part electronically. They then completed a brief registration process (age, gender, ASC diagnosis and subtype, any family members with ASC diagnosis, any other diagnoses), and completed the AQ. They were then shown videos of emotion expressions performed by the original actress (real face condition), and synthesised emotion expressions through XpressiveTalk. Each emotion was expressed in four neutral sentences for both the real and synthesised faces, to control the context of the sentence between conditions. In total there were 100 synthesised videos and 100 real-face videos, presented in a random order.
After seeing each video, participants were asked to; (a) choose which emotion they thought it was from five options (happy, sad, angry, afraid and neutral); (b) rate their preference ('How much did you like this face?'); and (c) rate how realistic they thought it was ('How real did you think the face was?'). Participants had two weeks to complete the task.
5. Results {#sec0012}
==========
5.1. Analysis approach {#sec0013}
----------------------
A General Linear Model approach is used in the analysis of behavioural results from the user study. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) are used to explore differences in the percentage correct emotion inferences, preference and realism ratings, for each emotion (happy, sad, angry, afraid, neutral), in each group (ASC and typical control), and condition (real face and XpressiveTalk). Significant interactions between variables, suggesting that the pattern of results is different between variables (e.g. emotion recognition accuracy may improve for certain emotions between conditions), are explored further using simple main effects analysis. Significant main effects for variables involving more than one level (e.g. in the case of five emotion types), are explored further using Bonferroni corrected t-tests, with *p* values corrected for the increase in chance of finding a significant effect when undertaking multiple comparisons (see [@bib0054], [@bib0055]).
5.2. Emotion recognition {#sec0014}
------------------------
[Tables 2](#tbl0002){ref-type="table"} and [3](#tbl0003){ref-type="table"} show the confusion matrices for participants' emotion inferences in the typical control and ASC groups in each condition respectively. Both groups appear to provide more correct than incorrect emotion inferences for both the real and XpressiveTalk conditions. However, those with ASC appear to be less accurate overall than typical controls. Participants in both groups also appear to be less accurate when inferring happy and angry from XpressiveTalk compared to the real face.
A three way mixed ANOVA compared group (ASC, typical control), condition (real, XpressiveTalk), and percentage of correct emotion responses (happy, sad, angry, afraid, neutral). Participants with ASC (mean = 70%) were significantly less accurate than typical controls (mean = 83.4%) (*F*(1,77) = 21.7, *p* \< 0.001). There was a significant main effect of emotion (*F*(4,308) = 11.25, *p* \< 0.001). Bonferroni corrected t-tests showed that participants were significantly more accurate when inferring neutral than happy, angry, fear and sad (all *p* \< 0.001). There was a significant interaction between condition and emotion (*F*(4,308) = 33.5, *p* \< 0.001), suggesting that the pattern of correct emotion inferences was significantly different in each condition. Simple main effect analyses showed that participants were significantly less accurate at inferring angry (*F*(1,77) = 89.2, *p* \< 0.001) and happy (*F*(1,77) = 52.3, *p* \< 0.001), and significantly more accurate at inferring sad (*F*(1,77) = 14.8, *p* \< 0.001) from XpressiveTalk compared to the real face. There were no significant differences in accuracy for recognition of fear or neutral emotions from XpressiveTalk compared to the real face ([Table 4](#tbl0004){ref-type="table"}).
5.3. Preference ratings {#sec0015}
-----------------------
[Table 5](#tbl0005){ref-type="table"} shows the preference ratings for each emotion in each group and condition. The ASC group gives lower preference ratings than the typical control group overall. In both groups, negative emotions (sad, angry, afraid) are rated as less preferred than happy. Synthesised sad and neutral emotions appear to be rated as more preferred than real faces, whereas happy, angry and afraid emotions are rated as less preferred in the XpressiveTalk than the real face condition. A three way mixed ANOVA compared group (ASC, typical control), condition (real, XpressiveTalk), and mean preference ratings for each emotion (happy, sad, angry, afraid, neutral). Typical controls (44.2) showed a significantly higher preference for faces than individuals with ASC (34) (*F*(1,77) = 5.6, p = 0.02). There was a significant main effect of emotion (*F*(4,308) = 24.9, *p* \< 0.001). Bonferroni correct t-tests showed that neutral and happy faces had significantly higher preference ratings than sad, angry and afraid (all *p* \< 0.05). There was a significant interaction between condition and emotion (*F*(4,308) = 43.5, *p* \< 0.001). Simple main effect analyses showed that both group's preference ratings were significantly lower for happy (*F*(1,77) = 54, *p* \< 0.001), angry (*F*(1,77) = 13.8, *p* \< 0.001) and fear (*F*(177) = 33.8, *p* \< 0.001) for XpressiveTalk compared to the real face. Yet, for the emotions sad (*F*(1,77) = 60.5, *p* \< 0.001) and neutral (*F*(1,77) = 36.1, *p* \< 0.001) the preference rates were significantly higher in the XpressiveTalk face, compared to the real face.
5.4. Realism ratings {#sec0016}
--------------------
[Table 6](#tbl0006){ref-type="table"} shows the realism ratings for each emotion in each group and condition. The ASC group appears to give lower realism ratings than the typical control group overall. A three way mixed ANOVA compared group (ASC, typical control), condition (real, XpressiveTalk), and mean realism ratings for each emotion (happy, sad, angry, afraid, neutral). There was a significant main effect of emotion (*F*(4,308) = 6.4, *p* \< 0.001). Bonferroni corrected t-test showed that fear was rated as significantly less real than sad, and angry and neutral (all *p* \< 0.01). There was a significant interaction between condition and emotion (*F*(4,308) = 95.2, *p* \< 0.001). Simple main effect analyses showed that the synthesised happy (*F*(1,77) = 97.3, *p* \< 0.001), angry (*F*(1,77) = 85.8, *p* \< 0.001) and afraid (*F*(1,77) = 6.4, p = 0.014) emotions were rated as significantly less realistic compared to the real faces. Synthesised sad (*F*(1,77) = 67.2, *p* \< 0.001) and neutral (*F*(1,77) = 169.1, *p* \< 0.001) emotions were rated as significantly more realistic than the real faces.
6. Discussion {#sec0017}
=============
In this study we present a method for generating a near-videorealistic avatar, which can convert input text into expressive speech and face, and discussed its potential as an assistive technology to improve emotion processing skills and social attention in adults with ASC. Our results show that neutral and sad expressions synthesised through XpressiveTalk were convincing; both adults with and without ASC showed significantly increased accuracy from XpressiveTalk (compared to the footage of the real face), and rated these expressions as significantly preferred and more realistic. There was no significant difference in recognition accuracy of fear between XpressiveTalk and the real face. However, participants were significantly less accurate when inferring synthesised happy and angry expressions through XpressiveTalk compared to the real face, and rated these expressions as significantly less preferred and realistic. Thus, the synthesised happy and angry faces through XpressiveTalk appeared to be less expressive, and more difficult to infer emotions from than those portrayed by the original actress. This is also reflected by the fact that synthesised happy and angry expressions tended to be confused more with neutral faces for XpressiveTalk than the real face.
Our results also show emotion recognition difficulties in adults with ASC for the real face, and XpressiveTalk, reflecting results of previous studies, where more realistic emotions, involving a moving talking face, tend to show emotion recognition difficulties in adults with ASC [@bib0012], [@bib0013], [@bib0014]. This result shows the benefit of utilising these kinds of more naturalistic, dynamic stimuli, which more closely match the emotion expressions encountered in everyday life. Additionally, the fact that the synthesised emotions presented at high (100%) intensity through XpressiveTalk were sensitive enough to detect emotion recognition difficulties in high functioning adults with ASC, means that this interface is potentially useful as an intervention tool, where there is room for performance to improve through use of the interface.
Both groups of participants still performed well above chance level for recognition of emotions from XpressiveTalk and the original actress, even in the case of synthesised happy and angry faces. Adults with ASC also showed significantly reduced preference for faces (regardless of stimulus type), compared to typical controls overall, consistent with previous studies showing avoidance of people and faces in ASC [@bib0038]. These results are consistent with previous research showing reduced preference, engagement and ability to process emotions in ASC (e.g. [@bib0014], [@bib0038], [@bib0041], [@bib0042], [@bib0043]).
However, adults with ASC were able to engage with the interface, and showed a similar pattern of preference and judgment of realism to typical controls. Participants with ASC who took part in the study also commented that the use of an avatar, as opposed to a real person, created a sense of anonymity and distance, which made it easier to look into the face and in particular the eyes of the face. This reflects the results of previous studies which have shown that interactive technology has the potential to provide a safe and predicable learning opportunity for adults with ASC, which does not have the same anxiety provoking nature as social situations in the real world [@bib0003], [@bib0004]. Hence, XpressiveTalk could provide an opportunity for adults with ASC to access and engage with the social world, through non aversive means. We aim to explore in future whether repeated exposure and experimentation with XpressiveTalk in adults with ASC, improves their ability to attend to and recognize emotions from XpressiveTalk, the original actress, and others' emotion expressions.
In order to maximize the chances of an intervention to be useful to adults with ASC, the expressiveness of synthesised faces needs to have a similar, if not higher level of signal clarity than real faces. Adults with ASC have particular difficulty interpreting emotions of low signal clarity (e.g. [@bib0016]). A particular strength of XpressiveTalk is that the signal clarity of the emotion expressions can be systematically manipulated (mixing emotions of differing levels of intensity) by the participant throughout the intervention. This provides the participant engaging with the interface to experiment with a large emotion space and full spectrum of signal clarity. The participant could therefore gradually increase the difficulty level of the emotions by reducing the signal clarity of these as they improve. In the current study, we employed simple emotions at 100% intensity to compare with the original actress, in order to ascertain how the level of signal clarity for synthesised faces compared to the real actress. At this high intensity, synthesised neutral and sad expressions appear to have significantly higher signal clarity that the original actress, whereas happy and angry faces appeared to have significantly lower signal clarity than the original actress.
7. Conclusion {#sec0018}
=============
In conclusion, new interactive technologies are a promising intervention tool to improve emotion processing and attention skills in adults with ASC. This study presents a method for generating a video of expressive speech, which can be manipulated by the user, to generate a wide array of emotions differing in their level of intensity and complexity. We demonstrate that adults with ASC show evidence of greater engagement with the synthesised compared to the real faces of the original actress. Both adults with and without ASC also show a similar pattern of recognition and realism ratings for synthesised as compared to real faces. In particular, synthesised neutral and sad faces are recognised more accurately than the real face, suggesting these synthesised expressions have significantly higher signal clarity than the original actress. Synthesised happy and angry faces require improvement in their signal clarity, in order to ensure that adults with ASC can begin the intervention at a high level of signal clarity, and gradually lower this and thus gradually increase the complexity of the emotions at their own pace.
Appendix A. Supplementary materials {#sec0019}
===================================
This research was conducted during an international research internship towards an MSc (Res) degree at Maastricht University, funded by Erasmus. This research also received support from the Centre for Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, Coventry University, UK; the Autism Research Trust; the Medical Research Council UK; and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
Supplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at [10.1016/j.cviu.2015.08.011](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cviu.2015.08.011){#interref0001}.
{#fig0001}
{#fig0002}
{#fig0003}
{#fig0004}
######
Participant characteristics. Autism Quotient (AQ) scores are missing for three participants in the typical control group.
Table 1
ASC group Control group
------------- ------------- --------------- ------------------------------
Age (years) 40.9 ± 13.2 43.7 ± 14.8 *t*(77) = .9, *p* = .37
(19--63) (16--63)
AQ 40.4 ± 6.2 17.8 ± 10.4 *t*(74) = .11.4, *p* \< .001
(19--49) (3--42)
######
Confusion matrices showing the percentage of emotion inferences for real faces and XpressiveTalk in the typical group.
Table 2
Real face XpressiveTalk
------------------ --------- ----------- --------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Emotion response Happy 87.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 66.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 1.9
Sad 0.0 74.4 0.0 5.8 3.2 0.0 85.9 0.6 10.9 0.0
Angry 1.3 0.0 94.9 2.6 1.9 1.9 0.0 64.7 1.9 3.2
Afraid 0.6 22.4 1.9 89.1 1.9 15.4 12.2 15.4 85.9 0.0
Neutral 10.9 3.2 3.2 2.6 91.0 16.7 1.9 17.9 1.3 94.9
######
Confusion matrices showing the percentage of emotion inferences for real faces and XpressiveTalk in the ASC group.
Table 3
Real face XpressiveTalk
------------------ --------- ----------- --------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Emotion response Happy 77.5 0.0 1.9 0.0 2.5 43.8 0.0 2.5 0.0 6.9
Sad 0.0 60.0 0.0 13.8 4.4 5.0 79.4 2.5 11.3 3.8
Angry 4.4 1.3 86.3 5.6 2.5 1.3 0.0 53.1 6.3 5.0
Afraid 2.5 20.6 2.5 68.8 3.1 14.4 13.8 19.4 60.0 0.6
Neutral 15.6 18.1 9.4 11.9 87.5 35.6 6.9 22.5 22.5 83.8
######
Confusion matrices showing the percentage of emotion inferences for real faces and XpressiveTalk (typical and ASC groups combined).
Table 4
Real face XpressiveTalk
------------------ --------- ----------- --------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Emotion response Happy 82.3 0.0 0.9 0.0 2.2 54.7 0.0 1.9 0.0 4.4
Sad 0.0 67.1 0.0 9.8 3.8 2.5 82.6 1.6 11.1 1.9
Angry 2.8 0.6 90.5 4.1 2.2 1.6 0.0 58.9 4.1 4.1
Afraid 1.6 21.5 2.2 78.8 2.5 14.9 13.0 17.4 72.8 0.3
Neutral 13.3 10.8 6.3 7.3 89.2 26.3 4.4 20.3 12.0 89.2
######
Preference rating for each emotion in the ASC and typical control group, in the real face and XpressiveTalk conditions.
Table 5
Real face XpressiveTalk
----------------- ----------- --------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
ASC 44.6 22.8 33.3 39.2 34.9 28.8 39.3 24.7 28.7 43.9
Typical control 58.1 34.0 41.4 46.1 44.8 40.1 49.2 32.3 38.4 57.1
Total 51.3 28.4 37.3 42.6 39.8 34.4 44.2 28.5 33.5 50.4
######
Realism rating for each emotion in the ASC and typical control group, in the real face and XpressiveTalk conditions.
Table 6
Real face XpressiveTalk
----------------- ----------- --------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
ASC 61.6 36.3 64.0 47.5 32.2 32.4 63.9 36.8 40.3 62.6
Typical control 69.4 44.0 70.0 53.4 37.6 38.7 70.7 40.2 50.3 73.3
Total 65.5 40.1 66.9 50.4 34.9 35.5 67.2 38.5 45.2 67.9
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Key Factors Influencing Pricing Strategies For Small Business Enterprises (SMEs): Are They Important?
Main Article Content
Keywords
Pricing, Influences On Pricing Strategies, Consumers, Competitors, SMEs, Gauteng
Abstract
Price is a critical component for any business and can be crucial in the survival of the business. If the price is not set in line with the selected target market it can negatively impact on the product and the company’s profitability. The main goals of any profit seeking organisation is to make a profit and in order to achieve this goal all areas related to the management of the product, costs and the setting of the price need to be managed correctly. The primary aim of this study was therefore to investigate the factors considered by small business enterprises (SME’s) when developing their pricing strategies. To address this problem adequately, the research methodology was based on the primary data collected from South African SMEs. As SME’s show common traits all over the world, it is accepted that any findings will be universally applicable. A questionnaire was distributed to 88 SMEs to gather relevant data regarding factors considered when determining prices. The data was quantified and analysed by examining the frequency of occurrences and the importance of the problem. The study found that SME’s generally agree that price setting is influenced by competitor information and macro environmental factors such as fuel prices and inflation. There was a general agreement amongst the SME’s that consumers relationships and the benefits that they, the consumers enjoy form the product as well as product performance are important aspects to consider when determining prices. | https://clutejournals.com/index.php/JABR/article/view/9820 |
Most Russians share ‘wait-and-see’ and similar defensive attitudes towards attempts to 'improve' the human body by using stem cells, genetic engineering and other biomedical technologies, according to Voinylov and Polyakova's articleMy Body is My Fortress: Public Opinion on Biomedical Technologies, published in Sociology of Power, special issue onSocial Studies of Biomedicine, No. 1, 2016.
While such attitudes have somewhat softened since the 2000s, they have not radically changed, as shown by ISSEK's surveys of Russians aged 16 and older in 2003 (2,107 respondents), 2006 (2,107), 2009 (1,600), 2010 (2,843), 2011 (1,703 respondents), and more recently in November 2015 as part of theMonitoring Survey of Innovative Behaviour based on a representative sample of 1,671 respondents in 137 settlements of various types. The latter survey clearly indicates that Russians tend to be skeptical of biomedical technologies — even though they may be accepting of other types of technological innovation — and such attitudes have little to do with people's awareness of biomedical science: in fact, according to surveys, Russians tend to know more about biomedical technologies than about ICT and some other innovations. It appears instead that Russian society's main concern is about the legitimacy of human intervention in nature.
"The body is still considered a sacred object, and attempts to transform it through invasive procedures are looked on as unacceptable," note the study's authors.
The progress of biology and medicine in the 20th century changed our understanding of the human body, allowing people to identify and change its hidden characteristics like never before. Formerly unimaginable things, such as in-vitro fertilization, cell cultivation in bioreactors and others, have become reality. No longer limited to treating symptoms, gene technology helps detect and address the risks of disease before they manifest themselves. These new realities have entered into public discourse. Yet ethical norms struggle to keep pace with technological progress, and although biomedical innovations are widely discussed, public attitudes towards them remain die-hard. In particular, human cloning and use of stem cells raise multiple ethical issues.
That said, consecutive surveys have found slightly more liberal public attitudes towards cloning. Between 2003 and 2011, the proportion of Russians accepting human/human tissue cloning increased by 38% for human cloning and and 52% for tissue cloning. Between 2003 and 2006, the proportion of respondents who accepted cloning as a solution for people unable to have children naturally increased from 8% to 14%. Between 2006 and 2009, the proportion of people who would accept cloning of human tissues to mend diseased organs increased from 30% to 37%. At the same time, the 2010 survey findings suggest that Russians are still cautious about gene technologies. Despite general endorsement of their application, about half of the respondents are suspicious and insist that the use of such techniques must come with strong external oversight, the study's authors note.
The survey respondents tend to reject techniques such as conceiving a baby as a tissue donor, cloning babies from just one parent (to avoid passing on a genetic diseases), and implantation of microchips in the brain. On average, half of respondents reject such approaches altogether or would limit their use to exceptional circumstances. In short, attempts to interfere with the human nature are generally met with disapproval.
In addition to that, the researchers measured public attitudes towards other emerging technologies and found contrasting perceptions depending on the sphere of innovation. Using foresight methods to anticipate future trends in public acceptance of science and technology, they found that none of the innovations on a proposed list — from clothes that can adapt to weather to hand-held detectors of toxins in food to smart home systems — attracted a potential audience of more than 50% (positive responses ranging from 42% to 48% depending on the type of innovation). Even less popular — 22% to 31% of positive responses — were techniques involving interference with the human body; more than 50% of respondents found 19 of 24 such innovations irrelevant and useless.
Nonetheless, most respondents are concerned about the problems for which innovations could provide solutions. While 78% would be worried about the birth of a baby with a genetic disease, only 30% are prepared to take a genetic test; 88% and 87%, respectively, are concerned about air and water pollution, but only 48% would want to use devices to detect pollution. Thus, there is a gap between public awareness of various problems and acceptance of potential solutions.
According to Voinylov and Polyakova, people do not quite understand how certain innovations work and therefore refuse to accept them as helpful tools in dealing with problems.
More often than other innovations, those used on the human body, such as gene technology, microchips, etc. cause suspicion — mainly because of their invasive nature rather than fear of the unknown. Ironically, other innovations which might potentially be more unsafe — such as smart home systems that can spin out of control — are far less likely to cause concerns.
Other categories of innovative solutions, such as ICT, energy efficiency, etc., cause less anxiety, but more doubts as to their effectiveness. The study's authors conclude that Russians tend to find biomedical technologies too dangerous and other innovations largely useless. | https://iq.hse.ru/en/news/182808665.html |
I’ve always loved reading a book consisting of a group of memorable characters seemingly stuck in a strange situation. Erika Swyler’s The Book of Speculation is exactly that. It might not be an epic fantasy adventure with orcs but this book is nothing short of a fantastical adventure, and it’s also pretty epic. With eccentric characters taking on both the extraordinary and mundane aspects of everyday life, the story is both relatable and captivating.
Let’s start with the characters. One way to describe Swyler’s portrayal of her characters is vivid. I read The Book of Speculation a few months ago, and yet I can still very clearly remember many of the romanticized descriptions of Alice through the eyes of Simon, our protagonist, as they tick time away catching up in the library. And then there’s Doyle, the boyfriend of Simon’s sister Enola. From the octopi tattoo covering seemingly most of his skin to the light bulb act he puts on in their traveling freak show, there’s nothing left to the imagination- in a good way. Despite the eccentricity of Enola, Doyle, the circus, and the overarching plot of the story involving drowning mermaids, family curses, and wild boys, the limited point-of-view that lends itself to Simon’s logical, often humorous thoughts gives the book its down to earth feel. For instance, Simon isn’t immediately sold on the ‘glowing’ guy his sister brings home after so many years, and his sarcastic thoughts and dialogue give the situation more depth and even add a note of empathy.
Aside from characters, I was immediately drawn to Swyler’s writing style and the general format of this story, which switches off between viewpoints and time periods. While I’ve always been a fan of such a structure and it’s actually quite common, The Book of Speculation excels. Each piece of information, however big or small, is revealed at the perfect moment to make the following section, despite being in the opposite time period, more riveting and cohesive. When reading it, you keep thinking something doesn’t make sense, and yet page-by-page it seems to come together. While at times I’d find the plot of one time period more interesting than the other, the two different plotlines worked well together to enhance each story until they ultimately collided.
Another intriguing aspect of The Book of Speculation is its own appreciation for literature. Simon, being employed in a library, allows Swyler to intersperse lines here and there written in such a descriptive way that they feed into a book-lover’s soul. Check out the quote at the top of this website if you don’t believe me! Not only that, but the entire plot revolves around Simon receiving a strange book unexpectedly, one that he believes holds the key to his ancestor’s mysterious history- or curse. While I didn’t realize this was somewhat of a family drama, and I’m not sure I had ever read one before, I can certainly say I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome! If you’re looking for a unique story that will take you out of this world and into its own, Swyler’s got you covered! | https://sincerelyabookworm.com/2017/09/06/book-review-the-book-of-speculation/ |
Being a small open economy Switzerland is highly exposed to the girations of the world economy, both through international trade and financial flows. The country’s trade surplus for instance accounted for nearly half the GDP growth between 2000 and 2007.2 While the growth contribution from trade has slowed during the global crisis, the linkages with the world economy remain important for Switzerland. This key role of open economy considerations is reflected in the works of Ernst Baltensperger, covering for instance the international role of the Swiss franc (Baltensperger 2012, Baltensperger and Kugler 2016) or the usefulness of a flexible exchange rate regime for keeping an independent monetary policy stance (Baltensperger 2015, 2013).
The trade and financial linkages between Switzerland and the rest of the world have gone through substantial changes since 2008. This paper offers an overview of the main changes, stressing the following points. First, international trade flows show a growing role of international merchanting trade, reflecting Switzerland’s position as a commodity trading hub, and the chemicals sector (including the pharmaceutical industry). In addition, the weight of Europe as a destination for Swiss exports has clearly decreased. Second, international capital flows show a sharp reduction of banking flows and a rising role of reserves accumulation by the Swiss National Bank, even after the end of the exchange rate floor against the Euro in January 2015. Third, the Swiss current account surplus has not fueled an increase in the country’s net foreign assets, because of capital losses from asset prices and the strength of the Swiss franc. Finally, the role of foreign trade as an engine of growth has shrunk during the crisis, with the exception of merchanting trade. The analysis indicates that the impact of exchange rate movements on the balance of payments has likely changed. Trade flows have seen a growing share of sectors less sensitive to the exchange rate, while financial integration raised the exposure of the Swiss foreign asset position to exchange rate movements.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the components of the current account, with section 3 focusing in more details on trade flows. International capital flows and the Swiss net foreign asset position are analyzed in section 4 and 5, respectively. Section 6 reviews the growth contribution from trade, and section 7 concludes.
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The Swiss Current Account
This section focuses on the current account section of the balance of payments, 3 with the financial account discussed in section 4 below. The Swiss current account has shown a sizable surplus of around 10 percent of GDP for many years (figure 1, red line). This first reflects a sizable trade surplus (blue line), with a steady increase and moderate fluctuations. Switzerland’s net international creditor position also translates into a surplus in the earnings on foreign assets, net of the payments to foreign investors (green line). This net income surplus is substantial, despite a decrease owing to lower interest rates. It is also quite volatile as the earnings of Swiss firms’ foreign affiliates are sensitive to the world business cycle, in particular during the 2008 global crisis. Finally, we observe small and steady deficits in the last two components of the current account, namely the labor income earned by foreign residents working in Switzerland (orange line) and transfers to the rest of the world (grey line).
It is interesting to take a closer look at the Swiss trade balance (figure 2). While one often thinks of machinery, chemicals, or financial services as the main Swiss exports, other components play a substantial role.
First, Switzerland is a hub in the gold trade, not only in terms of trading but also in terms of processing and refining of the metal itself (Swiss National Bank 2014). The gold shipments entering and leaving Switzerland are recorded as “non-monetary gold” transactions in the balance of payments. While the balance of this category is on average close to zero, it can display sharp movements (orange line). In particular, the global crisis has been associated with sizable gold imports over several years.
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Switzerland Current Account(see more posts on Switzerland Current Account, )
|Furthermore, Switzerland is a trading hub of commodities and raw materials, especially energy products and foodstuffs. The proceeds of this trading show up as merchanting trade in the balance of payments (Swiss National Bank 2011, Beusch, Döbeli, Fischer and Yesin 2013). While the magnitude of merchanting trade was small at the beginning of the 2000’s, it subsequently increased substantially, and stabilized since the crisis (red line). The merchanting trade surplus is now similar to those of trade in services and trade in goods.
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The last two components of the trade balance are more usual. Given its position as a financial and insurance center, Switzerland is a sizable exporter of services with a sizable surplus (green line). This surplus has however decreased since the 2008 crisis, a development that primarily reflects the contraction of financial services exports. While these accounted for nearly a third of all services exports in 2000, their share has since decreased to 17 percent.
Finally, the balance of trade in goods shows a steady trend (blue line). While exports and imports were roughly in balance in 2000, the surplus has since increased and now amounts to 4.5 percent of GDP. The steadiness of the trend is striking as it persisted even in recent years when the Swiss franc appreciated, which appears to be at odds with the concerns expressed by export-oriented manufacturers. This puzzling pattern can be clarified by a closer look at goods exports.
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Switzerland Trade Balance(see more posts on Switzerland Trade Balance, )
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Sectoral and geographical shifts in the trade in goods
The data on goods trade allow us to refine the analysis along sectoral and geographic lines. The sectoral composition of exports has undergone substantial shifts (figure 3). The share of machinery, equipment and electronics (green bars) has steadily trended down. While that sector account for a third of exports in 1990, this share has shrunk to 19 percent in 2010, and has further decreased to 15 percent in 2016. The metals sector (light blue bars) has gone through a similar pattern with its share going from 9 to 6 percent. While the falling share reflected a slower growth of exports in these sectors relative to others, the situation has changed since 2008 as exports in both sectors have since contracted in absolute terms.
The evolution has been more stable in two other sectors. The share of precision instruments exports (purple bars) has remained steady, despite a stagnation in absolute terms since 2008. The share of watches (red bars) shows a steady share at around 9 percent. That sector is however quite sensitive to world demand, with a sizable contraction of watches exports since 2009.
By contrast, the chemicals sector accounts for a growing share of exports (dark blue bars). While it only accounted for a quarter of exports in 1990, the share of this sector has noticeably increased to 39 percent in 2010 and 45 percent in 2016. A closer look at chemicals export shows a steady pace with very little sensitivity to the world business cycle and exchange rate movements, as shown in Hanslin Grossmann, Lein and Schmidt (2016) who undertake a sector level assessment of exports sensitivity to external demand and exchange rates. If anything, exports in that sector have picked up since the abandonment of the exchange rate floor against the Euro in early 2015, with its share of exports increasing from 41 to 45 percent in just two years.
The growing share of the chemicals sector in Swiss exports. Limited sensitivity to exchange rate fluctuations, raises the possibility that in the future the impact of the external value of the Swiss franc on aggregate trade flows could materially decrease. Of course, the impact on the more “traditional” export sectors would remain substantial. The rising role of chemicals could also impact the dynamics of the overall current account given the large role of research and development in that sector (Sauré 2015).
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Switzerland Export by Sector(see more posts on Switzerland Exports by Sector, )
|Switzerland has also diversified its exports along geographical lines (figure 4). Unsurprisingly, Europe is the largest region of destination of Swiss exports with a share of 56 percent (dark blue and red bars). This share has however been decreasing, as Europe accounted for two-thirds of Swiss exports in 1990, and 62 percent in 2010. The decrease is driven by the Euro area (dark blue bars), with exports to that region stagnating in absolute value since 2010 because of the crisis.The decrease in Europe’s weight has been offset by three regions. First, the share of Latin and (especially) North America has risen from 11 to 19 percent between 1990 and 2016 (green bars), with the increase being most pronounced since 2010. Exports towards America show a steady trend in recent years thanks to the recovery of growth in the United States and Canada. Two other regions show steadily growing shares, albeit from small values. The share of exports to the Middle East has grown from 3 percent in 1990 to 5 percent in 2016 (purple bars), while that of Asia has moved from 13 to 17 percent (orange and light blue bars). The boom of exports to Asia is driven by a growing role of China, which alone accounts for 5 percent of exports.
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The geographical pattern for exports is also observed for net trade flows. While Switzerland still shows a trade deficit vis-à-vis Europe, its magnitude has been decreasing. Surpluses on the other hand have increased towards North and Latin America, the Middle East and Asia (except for China where the balance remains in deficit). While Switzerland has substantially diversified its exports market away from Europe, that region nonetheless remains a substantial trade partner for obvious geographical reasons.
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Geographical Composition of Goods Export
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The Swiss financial account
We now turn to the financial account, i.e. the types of assets in which Switzerland invests its current account surplus (FDI, portfolio investment, banking positions, and reserves of the Swiss National Bank).
The composition of financial flows has gone through substantial changes since the beginning of the crisis. Figure 5 shows net financial outflows (purchases of foreign assets by Swiss residents net of purchases of Swiss assets by foreign residents). The total flows are depicted by the black line, which corresponds to the current account balance (up to the statistical discrepancy). Overall flows averaged 14 percent of GDP before the crisis. They
The relative stability of overall net flows however hides sizable shifts in their composition, in particular regarding the role of the banking sector4 and the Swiss National Bank. Figure 5 contrasts the net ouflows linked to banks (blue bars), to private investors outside banks (red bars) and the reserve accumulation by the Swiss National Bank (green bars). Before the crisis, reserve accumulation was negligible. While Swiss banks invested substantial amounts abroad, foreign banks also invested in Switzerland, and these two flows largely offset each other. The current account surplus was then essentially funded by nonbank private investors.
The financial crisis in the United States led to a first serie of changes. In the first year before the collapse of Lehman Brothers (2007 Q3 to 2008 Q2) private non-bank flows narrowed, while reserve accumulation remained minimal. The collapse of Lehman Brothers led global banks to reassess the risk on their investments and retrench to their domestic market. Not only did banks stop investing abroad, but they sold foreign investments and repatriated the funds. While this pattern occurred for both foreign and Swiss banks, it was more pronounced for Swiss banks who suffered substantial losses on the US market. The larger retrenchment by Swiss banks translated into a negative net ouflows, i.e. a flow of funds towards Switzerland.
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Switzerland Financial Account(see more posts on Switzerland Financial Account, )
The most acute phase of the US crisis in 2008-2009 was followed by the emergence of the Euro crisis in 2010. The net banking flows remained negative as foreign banks resumed their investments in Switzerland, while Swiss banks remained on a retrenching mode. While private non-bank flows still represented a net outflow, the magnitude was substantially reduced in the most acute phase of the crisis (2008 Q3 – 2011 Q2), so that the private balance of flows was negative (i.e. representing a net flow into Switzerland). The overall positive net outflows were thus driven solely by foreign asset purchases by the Swiss National Bank. The pattern of net banking inflows, small non-bank outflows, and reserve accumulation persisted during the period when the Swiss National Bank implemented an exchange rate floor against the Euro (2011 Q3 – 2015 Q1), as well as subsequently despite a recovery of net non-bank outflows, which still remain below their pre-crisis level.
The financial account of Switzerland shows a substantial decrease of the role of banks. This is in line with the reduced share of banking services in exports discussed above. A more detailed analysis (Auer and Tille 2016) shows that during the US crisis the retrenchment was driven by Swiss banks pulling back from the US market. In the European crisis however, the Swiss offices of foreign banks (affiliates, or Swiss banks held by foreign investors) played a larger role, allowing foreign investors to increase their Swiss franc exposure. The tensions in the Euro area raised the attractiveness of the Swiss market for safety-seeking investors (Nitschka 2016).
|In addition to the changes in the composition of capital flows, the crisis also affected their volatility. Yesin (2015) presents a detailed analysis of this volatility, focusing on private flows (excluding reserves accumulation) into and out of Switzerland. Before the crisis, gross inflows and outflows were highly volatile, but tended to move in step and thus net flows were more stable (for instance, quarters when Swiss banks substantially invested abroad were also quarters when foreign banks increased their Swiss exposure). The situation drastically changed in 2007. The volatility of gross inflows and outflows decreased, but they become less closely correlated, and thus the volatility of net private flows increased substantially. The Swiss financial account has thus been characterized by times of sharp (but temporary) waves of net private flows into Switzerland since 2007, which was not the case before. These waves correspond to the most acute phases of the global crisis (collapse of Lehman Brothers, periods of high stress in the Euro area) when Swiss and foreign investors sought the safety of Swiss assets. Unsurprisingly, the quarters with waves of inflows are also the times when the Swiss National Bank undertook large purchases of foreign reserves to prevent private inflows from leading to a large appreciation of the franc. Specifically, reserve accumulation was most pronounced in the spring 2010 (first phase of the Greek crisis), the summer 2011 (tensions in the United States and in the Euro area), the summer 2012 (tensions in Europe before the “whatever it takes” intervention of the European Central Bank), and the end of 2014 (pressures before the abandonment of the exchange rate floor against the Euro).
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The changing volatility of net flows is illustrated by figure 6 which presents the standard deviation of net flows by categories. While net flows were steady before the crisis, and in its first year, their volatility sharply increased subsequently, including during the period when the exchange rate floor against the Euro was in place. Waves of private inflows (especially from banks) were concentrated in some quarters, and countered by reserve accumulation by the Swiss National Bank. Since the abandonment of the exchange rate floor, net private flows have stabilized, and so has the accumulation of reserves.
To sum up, the financial account underwent substantial changes in the crisis, with a retrenchment of banks to the domestic market, a decrease in non-bank private flows (until recently), and a rising volatility of net private flows. These changes have led the Swiss National Bank to purchase substantial amounts of foreign assets, so much so that reserve accumulation account for the entire current account surplus since late 2008. Of course this does not imply that the current account would have been balanced in the absence of interventions by the SNB, as these interventions can induce private flows (when the SNB purchases foreign assets from Swiss banks against Swiss franc liquidity for instance). Still, it is quite possible that the current account surplus could have been lower without the interventions, and the Swiss franc stronger against other currencies.
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Switzerland Gross Domestic Product(see more posts on Switzerland Gross Domestic Product, )
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The Swiss international investment position
While the previous section focused on the capital flows in the financial account, we now consider the corresponding stocks of financial assets and liabilities of Switzerland vis-à-vis the rest of the world. Switzerland is a sizable creditor to the rest of the world, as can be expected given the large current account surpluses. At the end of 2016, the Swiss net international investment position (NIIP, the value of foreign assets held by Swiss residents, net of liabilities of Swiss residents to foreign investors) reached 131 percent of GDP (figure 7, black line). This is a high figure in international comparison. In addition, the NIIP has been relatively steady since 2000, with a reduction since 2012 offset by a pickup in 2016.
The stability of the overall NIIP however hides some substantial shifts in its
The crisis substantially affected the composition of the NIIP. First, the banking sector became a net debtor vis-à-vis the rest of the world, with its net debt now representing 50 percent of GDP. This results from the pattern of flows presented above. During the crisis, Swiss banks substantially reduced their holdings abroad, a shift that was only partially offset by a pullback of foreign banks out of Switzerland. Second, the net position of the private nonbank sector has substantially decreased during the Euro crisis, going from 123 percent of GDP
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Switzerland Net International Investment Position, 2000 - 2016
|The stability of the overall NIIP since 2000 is surprising at first, as Switzerland has posted sizable current account surpluses year after year. The country is thus similar to an investor that saves substantial amount but sees the value of its portfolio stagnate. The gap is of substantial magnitude. Figure 8 contrasts the NIIP (blue line, corresponding to the one in figure 7) with the value it would have reached if we simply cumulated the net financial flows starting at the NIIP of 2000 (green line). Simply cumulating flows leads to an NIIP of 230 percent of GDP. The gap between this value and the actual NIIP amounts to a sizable 99 percent of GDP. It has substantially widened since 2010, when it represented 46 percent of GDP.||
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Switzerland Current Account YoY, 2000 - 2016(see more posts on Switzerland Current Account, )
|The gap between the two lines of figure 8 occurs because financial flows are not the only driver of the NIIP. It is well known that the net position is also affected by asset prices, with higher prices on foreign assets leading to capital gains for Swiss investors for instance, and by movements in exchange rate, with an appreciation of the Swiss franc reducing the franc value of holdings denominated in foreign currencies (Tille 2012).
|
The magnitude of these valuation effects is especially substantial when the NIIP results from a large leverage between sizable assets and liabilities. This is indeed the case in Switzerland, as in most advanced economies. Specifically, assets held by Swiss residents abroad represent 671 percent of GDP, while claims by foreign investors on Switzerland amount to 541 percent of GDP. With this leverage, a movement in asset prices and exchange rates that affects more assets than liabilities has a sizable impact on the NIIP. Such asymmetric shifts are empirically relevant as the composition of assets differs from that of liabilities. Specifically, bonds represent a larger share of assets than of liabilities, the opposite being the case for stocks. A global increase in stock prices thus translates into a capital loss for Switzerland as it primarily raises the value of its liabilities to foreign investors.
A sizable leverage also exists in terms of currencies. The data allow us to distinguish between positions denominated in Swiss francs, in foreign currencies (US dollar, Euro, and others) and in precious metals. As can be expected Switzerland is a net debtor in Swiss franc denominated holdings (286 percent of GDP) and a net creditor in foreign currency holdings (416 percent of GDP). A 5 percent appreciation of the Swiss franc then leads to a capital loss of 20.8 percent of GDP. The currency leverage of the Swiss NIIP has been increasing, as a similar appreciation would have led to a loss of 15 percent of GDP in 2010.
While the SNB data do not provide a decomposition of the dynamics of the NIIP between various sources of capital gains and losses, we can compute estimates of the various effects. Figure 9 presents the change in the NIIP from one year end to another (black line). This change is decomposed between financial flows (grey bars), capital gains and losses stemming from exchange rate movements against the US dollar (blue bars), the Euro (red bars), other currencies (orange bars), the price of precious metals (dark green bars) and the residual (light green bars). This last category includes the valuation gains and losses from asset prices (in the currency of denomination) and other statistical variations.
Since the beginning of the crisis the appreciation of the Swiss franc has led to sizable valuation losses, especially driven by the Euro. These were most pronounced in 2010 and following the abandonment of the exchange rate floor in 2015. Asset prices also played a substantial role with large losses in 2012-2014, partially offset by gains in 2016.
To sum up, the crisis has seen a significant shift in the composition of the Swiss NIIP with a growing role of the Swiss National Bank. Fluctuations in asset prices and exchange rates have also translated into substantial losses on the Swiss portfolio which essentially offset the entire additional savings over the last sixteen years.
|
|
Switzerland NIIP, 2000 - 2016
|
|
The contribution of international trade to growth
Our analysis so far focused on nominal figures from the balance of payments. To gauge the impact of international linkages on growth and employment, we complete it by an assessment of the real figures. Specifically, we rely on the real trade flows (goods, services, and merchanting trade)8 from the national ccounts published by the SECO, which also include nominal figures and price deflators.
Figure 10 presents the contribution of net exports (red line) to overall GDP growth (black line), and further split exports between goods (blue bars), services (orange bars) and merchanting (green bars). The years since 2000 are split into four periods: the pre-crisis years, the acute phase of the crisis with the fall of Lehman Brothers, the years of the Euro crisis, and the last two years following the abandonment of the exchange rate floor against the Euro. Before the crisis the trade surplus contributed about half the GDP growth (1.1 percentage point out of 2.5 percent), primarily thanks to surplus in goods and services.
The crisis led to a substantial weakening of net exports as an engine of growth. In the acute phase of the crisis, their contribution turning negate, with the balance on services substantially turning around. By contrast, the surplus in merchanting services held well. While the Swiss economy recovered in subsequent years, this was not driven by net exports which only contributed 0.2 percentage point out of an annual growth of 1.9 percent between 2010 and 2014. While trade in goods posted a surplus again, this fell short of its value in the precrisis years. In addition, services remained in deficit, and the merchanting surplus weakened.
The last two years present an interesting pattern. As one can expect, Swiss growth weakened following the sharp appreciation of the franc since the beginning of 2015. This weakness was however solely driven by the domestic economy, as the contribution of net exports actually increased to 0.6 percentage points. This pickup was driven by merchanting exports and trade in goods, itself largely driven by the chemical sector as discussed above. As merchanting and chemicals are relatively insensitive to exchange rate movements, the expected adverse impact of the exchange rate was indeed observed but in other sectors which account for a decreasing share of trade. Trade of services remained in deficit.
In short, the role of international trade as an engine of growth has been reduced by the crisis, and is now more narrowly driven by specific sectors.
|
|
Switzerland Contribution to Growth, 2000 -2016
Conclusion and prospects
This paper shows the substantial changes brought by the crisis to the economic linkages between Switzerland and the rest of the word. Four main points stand out. First, the composition of trade flows has changed with a rising role of merchanting and the chemicals sector, and Swiss exporters have diversified their markets beyond Europe. Second, the financial account shows the major role played by the Swiss National Bank, both in terms of flows through the accumulation of foreign reserves, and in terms of the international investment position. Third, the sizable current account surpluses of Switzerland have not translated into a higher net creditor position vis-à-vis the rest of the world, because of capital losses from fluctuations in asset prices and exchange rates. In addition, the Swiss net international investment position has become more exposed to these fluctuations. Finally, international trade does not play as large a role as an export engine as it used to, and the role has become more concentrated in some sectors, such as merchanting.
What lessons can we draw from this pattern? Two avenues for future research can be underscored, namely the impact of exchange rate movements and the role of private investors in international capital flows and holdings. | https://snbchf.com/2017/08/international-linkages-switzerland-overview/ |
Press Release – ALEXANDRIA, Va., November 29, 2017 – Today, Global Impact President and CEO Scott Jackson welcomed the organization’s new Chief Business and Financial Services Officer Luis Guardia. With 25 years of experience, Guardia brings significant expertise to the already strong executive team at Global Impact where he will lead internal financial administration, external financial services and asset management programs. Most recently Guardia served as Chief Operating Officer for The One Campaign and prior to that he worked for a number of other respected organizations, including International Center for Research on Women, NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Guardia joins Jackson and a seasoned executive team:
Victoria Adams, Vice President of CFC Administration, is responsible for the organization’s administration and services within the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) both locally, nationally and internationally, including strategic planning and implementation. She joined Global Impact in 2010 and previously served at ChildFund International and the American Red Cross.
Cindy Darnell, Vice President of Operations and Special Initiatives, has been with Global Impact since 2012 and currently oversees the organization’s technology team, board engagement and special initiatives. Darnell has been a certified Project Management Professional, and prior to Global Impact she worked for Deltek, a software company based in the Washington metro area.
Kathleen Lowenthal serves as Managing Director of Partner Solutions and oversees Global Impact’s consulting and advisory work for corporate and nonprofit partners. She has been with Global Impact for five years and previously served at Catholic Charities USA and Turning the Page.
Joseph Mettimano serves as Chief Marketing and Development Officer and has been with Global Impact for six years. He currently leads the organization’s campaigns, fundraising and marketing functions. He has served in leadership roles with nonprofit organizations for more than 27 years, including positions with World Vision, Prison Fellowship, UNICEF USA and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Stephanie Scholz, Vice President of Human Resources, has been with Global Impact for nine years and has an extensive background in human resource management. She directs human resource strategy, oversees employee benefit programs, supervises the performance management process and collaborates with executives daily on organizational needs. Scholz is a certified HR professional with both her SPHR and SHRM-SCP.
“With this team of experienced, skilled executives, Global Impact is well-positioned to continue achieving its mission to grow global philanthropy,” stated Jackson.
ABOUT GLOBAL IMPACT
Global Impact is a leader in growing global philanthropy. The organization builds partnerships and raises resources that help the world’s most vulnerable people by providing integrated, partner-specific advisory and backbone services; workplace fundraising and representation; campaign design, marketing and implementation for workplace and signature fundraising campaigns; and fiscal agency and technology services. Global Impact works with more than 300 public and private sector workplace giving campaigns to generate funding for an alliance of more than 100 international charities. Through strategic council and implementation support, Global Impact equips nonprofits, public sector and private sector organizations to achieve their philanthropic goals. The organization also leads national marketing efforts for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and serves as Outreach Coordinator for the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA), the Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas (CFC-O) and three other CFC zones across the United States. Since 1956, Global Impact has generated more than $1.8 billion to help the world’s most vulnerable people.
Learn more at charity.org. Follow Global Impact on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook. | https://www.mysocialgoodnews.com/global-impact-taps-luis-guardia-new-chief-business-financial-services-officer/ |
FDLRS/UF MDTP is not responsible for the content of any linked sites or any link contained in a linked site. Inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement of the linked site by FDLRS/UF MDTP.
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
- Mental Health & Behavior
- Sleep & Sleep Disorders
- Suicide Prevention/Intervention
- Stuttering
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Tourette Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Other online resources
Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – Fact Sheet from the NICHD
Visit the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s website to learn about ASD.
- Autism Internet Modules (AIM)
Designed for those who support, instruct, work with, or live with someone with autism, the Autism Internet Modules (AIM) guide users through case studies, instructional videos, pre- and post-assessments, discussion questions, activities, and more. Free self-paced modules.
- Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
Provides support and assistance with the goal of optimizing the potential of people with autism and related disabilities. Website contains links to resources, events, and more.
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Visit this site for tools and information about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for educators.
- National Autism Center
Visit the National Autism Center’s website to download copies of A Parent’s Guide to Autism and Evidence-based Practice, Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in Schools, and the National Standards Report.
- National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on ASD
Resources include detailed information on how to plan, implement, and monitor specific evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children and youth with ASD, birth to 22 years of age.
- National Education Association (NEA) – Teaching Students with Autism: A Guide for Educators
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ site offers information on ASDs for parents and caregivers.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
- National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Welcome to the NOFAS Information and Resource Clearinghouse. Search the state-by-state resource directory, learn how alcohol interferes with healthy development, locate high quality treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) through the new NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator, and get connected to NOFAS.
- Information for Educators
This section of our website has tools and information about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) for educators.
- Toolbox For teachers
Providing the proper expectations, interventions, and supports can help individuals with special needs to succeed and learn the skills they need to lead productive lives. While this material is based on techniques that have proven effective for special needs, the tips may be of value for individuals with a range of other disorders that result in behavior, social, and learning problems
Mental Health & Behavior
- NEW: Get Help – Find Local mental Health services by county
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Emotional Problems
The American Academy of PediatricsHealth Topics site offers information a range of mental health conditions and emotional problems.
- PREPaRE: School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum
The PREPaRE curriculum has been developed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as part of NASP’s decade-long leadership in providing evidence-based resources and consultation related to school crisis prevention and response.
- Effective Child Therapy
Information on Evidence-based Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents provided by a partnership between the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP), a division of the American Psychological Association (APA).
- Florida Best Practice Medication Child/Adolescent Guidelines
In 2005, the Florida Legislature authorized the implementation of the “Medicaid Drug Therapy Management Program for Behavioral Health (MDTMP),” a program whose goal is to work collaboratively with prescribers in the Medicaid program to improve the quality and efficiency of the prescribing of mental health drugs, and to improve the health outcomes of Medicaid beneficiaries with a mental illness.
- Florida’s Positive Behavioral Support (PBS): A Multi-Tiered Support System
Florida’s Positive Behavior Support Project and Response to intervention for Behavior (RtI:B) database and related resources for teachers and school districts.
- Genetics Education Materials for School Success
The aim of GEMSS is to assure all children with genetic health conditions succeed in school-life. Children who have genetic conditions, about 1 in 20, are members of neighborhood schools across the country. GEMSS encourages collaboration between families, school, and medical professionals.
- Florida Division of Blind Services
Assistive technology, adaptive technology, and low vision aids are available to assist an individual who is blind or visually impaired. Knowing more about the various types of assistive technology, adaptive technology, or low vision products can help one select the best tool(s) to meet needs.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
The NIH’s National Institutes of Health (NIMH) provides information on a range of mental health topics, as well as links to related resources, publications, and science news.
- Effective Schoolwide Interventions
The Technical Assistance (TA) Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports “has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
- Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative
The SS/HS Initiative is “an unprecedented collaborative grant program designed to prevent violence and substance abuse among our Nation’s youth, schools, and communities. The Initiative is supported by three Federal agencies—the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (through SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
- School-Based Mental Health Services
USF’s Research & Training Center for Children’s Mental Health
- Psychiatry Treatments & Services
This site was created for – and by – parents, educators, and clinicians working together to support children and teens with mental health conditions. The site will help you meet the needs of young people with depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) for Young Children
TACSEI takes the research that shows which practices improve the social-emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities and creates free products and resources to help decision-makers, caregivers, and service providers apply these best practices in the work they do every day.
Sleep & Sleep Disorders
- Sleep and Mental Health
Sleep has become a casualty of modern life. If you or your children are excessively sleepy or just don’t feel well rested in the morning, what can you do about it? Fortunately, there are many things we can do to improve sleep as individuals, family members, and a community.
- Children and Sleep
By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep. Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development.
Suicide Prevention/Intervention
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- The Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide
- Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Children’s Safety Network: Youth Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention – Resource Guide
- FL Student Support Services Project: Suicide Awareness and Prevention Resources
Stuttering
- Stuttering Foundation of America
Free online resources, services, and support to those who stutter, their families, and teachers.
- National Stuttering Association
The largest self-help support organization in the US for people who stutter. Provides links to find local support groups and events.
Trauma-Informed Care
- Florida’s Center for Child Welfare
- Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (SEDNET)
- National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI)
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
- Trauma-Sensitive Schools
Tourette Syndrome
- Educating Children with Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders
- National Tourette Syndrome Association
Traumatic Brain Injury
- Florida Department of Education’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- University of Oregon: The Center on Brain Injury Research & Training – Resources for Educators
Other Online Resources
- Bam! Body & Mind
This website provides a variety of information and resources for teachers of grades 4-8 to use in the classroom and help students make healthier lifestyle choices.
- Epilepsy: Seizure Training for School Personnel
Training for School Personnel is designed for people who work with children and youth in school settings. This program provides an overview of seizures and epilepsy, seizure first aid, seizure action plans, rescue therapies, seizure emergencies and how to support students in school settings. | https://mdtp.pediatrics.med.ufl.edu/resources-2/teachers-professionals/health-development/ |
There is a strong relationship between Physical Health and Mental Health. Both play a significant role in our lives. It has been found that staying physically fit actually helps our mental health as well. When our physical health is poor it puts a great strain on our mental health.
Caring for our body and mind may mean we’ll not only live longer, but also better. Eating healthfully, exercising regularly and getting a good night’s sleep are all important elements in a mentally and physically healthy life. Lifestyle interventions with a combination of psychotherapy and medications are all important in one’s treatment plan.
The Importance of Getting a Good Night’s Sleep to Benefit Mental Health
Research strongly suggests that sleep, which accounts for about a third of our lives, is crucial for learning and forming long-term memories. Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain processes complex stimuli. It’s forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information, helping you to make decisions, be attentive, and problem-solve while awake.
Sleep has a significant effect on the hippocampus; an area of the brain involved in memory creation and consolidation. Sleep therefore plays a very important role in learning. It allows us to develop and process information for better recall and to be more creative.
There is a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Sleep is essential to the maintenance of one’s mental health. Insufficient sleep has been associated with increased stress, and emotional reactivity and disturbance. Adequate sleep leads to improved mood and well-being as well. Studies suggest that a good night’s sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience.
Depression:
Patients who experience continued insomnia are less likely to respond to medication and psychotherapy treatment than those without sleep problems. Those whose moods do improve with antidepressant therapy and psychotherapy are also more at risk for relapse without proper sleep.
Bipolar:
Studies suggest that insomnia and other sleep problems worsen before a manic episode or a bipolar depressive episode. Lack of sleep can trigger mania. Sleep problems also adversely affect mood and contribute to relapse.
Anxiety:
Insomnia can worsen the symptoms of anxiety disorders and prevent the recovery process. Sleep disruptions in PTSD, for example, may contribute to a retention of negative emotional memories and prevent patients from benefiting from some therapies.
ADHD:
Typical problems include difficulty falling asleep, shorter sleep duration, and restlessness. The symptoms of ADHD and sleeping difficulties overlap so much that it may be difficult to tell them apart.
Good Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness. The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular wake and sleep pattern seven days a week. It is also important to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed. Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best.
Good Sleep Hygiene Practices:
- Avoid Napping during the day
- Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol before bed
- Exercise (Vigorous in the morning or daytime, Yoga is great for nighttime)
- Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime
- Adequate exposure to natural light
- Bedtime routines
- Turn off electronics 45 minutes before bedtime
- Cool and pleasant room (Set AC colder at night, invest in a good mattress and sheets)
Excessive sleepiness can hurt one’s work performance, wreak havoc on relationships, effect decision-making and learning, and lead to mood issues. Treating sleep problems can help in the therapeutic treatments of mental health conditions.
A Therapist specifically trained in Anxiety, Depression, and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is essential in the treatment of these Mental Health Disorders. You can search for a specialist in Anxiety and/or Depression on the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s website. To find a specialist in ADHD, please visit CHADD.org. | http://www.cwcsf.com/physical-health-mental-health-part-3-getting-good-nights-sleep/ |
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abstract: 'We prove a formula for a characteristic polynomial of an operator expressed as a polynomial of rank $1$ operators. The formula uses a discrete analog of path integration and implies a generalization of the Forman–Kenyon’s formula for a determinant of the graph Laplacian [@Kenyon; @Forman] (which, in its turn, implies the famous matrix-tree theorem by Kirchhoff) as well as its level $2$ analog, where the summation is performed over triangulated nodal surfaces with boundary.'
address: 'Independent University of Moscow and Higher School of Economics, Moscow'
author:
- Yurii Burman
title: 'Operators of rank $1$, discrete path integration and graph Laplacians'
---
Introduction {#introduction .unnumbered}
============
The primary impulse to write this article was the famous Matrix-tree theorem (MTT), first discovered by Kirchhoff [@Kirchhoff] in 1847 and re-proved more than a dozen times since then. The theorem in its simplest form expresses the number of spanning trees in a graph as a determinant of a suitably chosen matrix $M$. See [@Chaiken] for a review of existing proofs and generalizations. One of the proofs, given in [@BPT], makes use of the fact that the matrix in question is a weighted sum of special rank $1$ matrices (identity minus reflection). This structure of $M$ explains why the MTT appeares sometimes in quite unexpected contexts (see [@BZ] for just an example).
Let $M$ be an operator expressed explicitly as a noncommutative polynomial of arbitrary operators $M_i$ of rank $1$. The article contains a formula (Theorem \[Th:Main\]) for the characterstic polynomial of $M$ in terms of $M_i$. Corollaries of the formula include the MTT (cf, Corollary \[Cr:MTT\]), the $D$-analog of the MTT ([@BPT], cf. Corollary \[Cr:MTTD\]), a formula for the determinant of the Laplacian of a line bundle on a graph [@Forman; @Kenyon] (Section \[SSSec:Lapl\]; actually, we compute the whole characteristic polynomial), and a level $2$ analog of the formula from [@Forman] proved in Sections \[SSSec:Level2\] and \[SSec:Level2\].
The right-hand side of the main formula involve summation over the graphs consisting of several cycles and/or several chains. The summand (the weight $W_P$, see ) is a function on edges of the graph obtained also by symmation over the set of paths joining the endpoints of the edge. Consequently, corollaries of the main theorem involve summation over various objects, including trees (the MTT), hypertrees (the Massbaum–Vaintrob theorem), cycle-rooted trees (the Forman–Kenyon formula) and nodal surfaces with boundary (the level $2$ analog from Section \[SSSec:Level2\]). The standard expression of a determinant via summation over the permutation group also follows from Theorem \[Th:Main\] — see Section \[SSSec:Det\].
### Structure of the article {#structure-of-the-article .unnumbered}
Section \[SSec:Main\] contains the formulation and the proof of the main theorem (Theorem \[Th:Main\]). Section \[SSec:Ex\] lists several corollaries of the theorem. Some corollaries are proved immediately, proofs of some others require not some additional reasoning, which is given in Section \[Sec:Proofs\]. Section \[SSec:Tech\] contains technical lemmas (including a duality lemma \[Lm:OrthComp\] for the angle between two subspaces of a Euclidean space). Section \[SSec:MTree\] contains the proof of the generalization of Forman’s formula (Theorem \[Th:Forman\]), and Section \[SSec:Level2\] is devoted to the proof of Theorem \[Th:DetLevel2\] about the level $2$ analog of the graph Laplacian.
### Open questions and future research {#open-questions-and-future-research .unnumbered}
Generalizations of the matrix-tree theorem are plentiful and versatile (see e.g. [@Chaiken] and the references therein), and Theorem \[Th:Main\] covers surprisingly many of them. Nevertheless, there are numerous results in the field whose relations with the discrete path integration technique are yet to be clarified. One of such results is the Hyperpfaffian-cactus theorem by A.Abdessalam [@Abdes]; it is a generalization of the Pfaffian Hypertree theorem of [@MasVai]. The latter theorem is not included into this paper but was proved in [@BPT] by a method close to Theorem \[Th:Main\] (the original proof due to G.Massbaum and A.Vaintrob was quite different); we were unable, though, to extend this proof to hyperpfaffians. Also, some results of the MTT type appear in the theory of determinantal point processes, see [@BurPem] and [@Borodin]. It would be interesting to know whether these results are covered by Theorem \[Th:Main\] or by its suitable generalization.
The summation in Theorem \[Th:Main\] is performed over the set of graphs that deserve to be called “discrete $1$-manifolds” (oriented, possibly with boundary). The summand is obtained by a procedure which is quite natural to understand as a “discrete path integration”. A tempting direction of the future research here is to send dimension to infinity, getting “real” path integration and summation over $2$-varieties. The author plans to write a special paper about this.
Sums of operators of rank $1$
=============================
The main theorem {#SSec:Main}
----------------
Let $V$ be a vector space of dimension $n$ with a scalar product $\langle
\cdot, \cdot\rangle$. Choose an integer $N$ and fix two sequences of vectors, $e_1, \dots, e_N \in V$ and $\alpha_1, \dots, \alpha_N \in V$. For any $i$ denote by $M_i$ the operator given by $M_i(v) = \langle
\alpha_i,v\rangle e_i$; one has $\name{rk} M_i = 1$ or $M_i = 0$. Consider an operator $$\label{Eq:DefM}
M = P(M_1, \dots, M_N)$$ where $$P(x_1, \dots, x_N) = \sum_{s=1}^k \sum_{1 \le i_1, \dots, i_s \le N}
p_{i_1, \dots, i_s} x_{i_1} \dots x_{i_s}$$ is a noncommutative polynomial of degree $k$. This section contains a description of the characteristic polynomial $\name{char}_M(t)$ of the operator $M$.
Let $G$ be a finite graph with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, N$; let $a$ and $b$ be its vertices. Define the weight $W_P(a,b)$ by $$\label{Eq:DefWeight}
W_P(a,b) = \sum_{s=1}^k \sum_{i_1=a, i_2, \dots, i_s=b} p_{i_1, \dots, i_s}
\langle \alpha_{i_2}, e_{i_1}\rangle \langle \alpha_{i_3}, e_{i_2}\rangle
\dots \langle \alpha_{i_s}, e_{i_{s-1}}\rangle,$$ (the internal summation is taken over the set of paths $i_1, \dots, i_s$ of length $s$ joining the vertices $a = i_1$ and $b = i_s$). Also, denote $$\label{Eq:Weight}
W_P(G) {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\prod_{\text{\scriptsize $(a,b)$ is an edge of $G$}} W_P(a,b)$$ A directed graph $G$ with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, N$ is called a discrete oriented one-dimensional manifold with (possibly empty) boundary (abbreviated as DOOMB) if every its connected component is either an oriented chain (a graph with $\ell$ distinct vectices $i_1, \dots,
i_\ell$ and the edges are $(i_1, i_2)$, $(i_2, i_3)$, …, $(i_{\ell-1},
i_\ell)$) or an oriented cycle (the same edges but the vertices are $i_1,
\dots, i_{\ell-1}$ and $i_\ell = i_1$).
\[Th:Main\] $\name{char}_M(t) = \sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \mu_k t^{n+1-k}$ where $$\label{Eq:Main}
\mu_k = \sum_{G \in \name{\mathcal D}_{n,k}} W_P(G) \det
(\langle \alpha_{d_1^-}, e_{d_2^+}\rangle).$$ Here $\name{\mathcal D}_{n,k}$ is the set of DOOMBs with the vertices $1,
2, \dots, n$ and $k$ edges; $d_1$ and $d_2$ run through the set of all edges of the graph $G$; $d^-$ and $d^+$ are the initial and the terminal vertex of the directed edge $d$.
The main theorem of [@BPT] is a particular case of Theorem \[Th:Main\].
Consider an orthonormal basis $u_1, \dots, u_n \in V$ and fix a sequence $j_1, \dots, j_k$, $1 \le j_1 < \dots < j_k \le N$. Then $$\begin{aligned}
M(u_{j_1} \wedge \dots \wedge u_{j_k}) &= \sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}
\!\! \sum_{\begin{array}{c}
\scriptstyle 1 \le i_m^{(q)} \le N\\
\scriptstyle 1 \le m \le s_q, 1 \le q \le k
\end{array}}
\prod_{q=1}^k \left(p_{i_1^{(q)}, \dots, i_{s_q}^{(q)}}
\prod_{r=2}^{s_q}\langle \alpha_{i_r^{(q)}}, e_{i_{r-1}^{(q)}}\rangle
\right) \\
&\hphantom{\sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}}\times \prod_{q=1}^k \langle
\alpha_{i_1^{(q)}}, u_{j_q}\rangle \times e_{i_{s_1}^{(1)}} \wedge \dots
\wedge e_{i_{s_k}^{(k)}}\\
&= \sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}
\!\! \sum_{\begin{array}{c}
\scriptstyle 1 \le i_m^{(q)} \le N\\
\scriptstyle 1 \le m \le s_q, 1 \le q \le k,\\
\scriptstyle i_1^{(1)} < \dots < i_1^{(k)}
&\hphantom{\sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}}\times \sum_{\sigma \in S_k}
(-1)^\sigma \prod_{q=1}^k \langle \alpha_{i_1^{(q)}},
u_{j_{\sigma(q)}}\rangle \times e_{i_{s_1}^{(1)}} \wedge \dots \wedge
e_{i_{s_k}^{(k)}}
\end{aligned}$$ The coefficient at $u_{j_1} \wedge \dots \wedge u_{j_k}$ in $M(u_{j_1}
\wedge \dots \wedge u_{j_k})$ is then equal to $$\begin{aligned}
&\times \det (\langle \alpha_{i_1^{(q)}}, u_{j_r}\rangle)_{1 \le q, r \le
k} \times \det (\langle u_{j_r}, e_{i_{s_q}^{(q)}}\rangle)_{1
\le q, r \le k}.
\end{aligned}$$ Hence $$\begin{aligned}
\mu_k &= \name{Tr} M^{\wedge k} = \sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}
\right) \label{Eq:Trace}\\
&\hphantom{\name{Tr} M^{\wedge k} = \sum_{s_1, \dots, s_k}}
\times \det (\langle \alpha_{i_1^{(r)}}, e_{i_{s_q}^{(q)}}\rangle)_{1 \le
q,r \le k}\nonumber
\end{aligned}$$ A multi-index $i_1^{(q)}, \dots, i_{s_q}^{(q)}$, $1 \le q \le k$, can be interpreted as a directed graph $G$ with the edges $(i_1^{(q)},
i_{s_q}^{(q)})$, $1 \le q \le k$, and a path $i_1^{(q)}, \dots,
i_{s_q}^{(q)}$ joining endpoints $d_- = i_1^{(q)}$ and $d_+ =
i_{s_q}^{(q)}$ of every edge. Conversely, a graph plus collection of paths is just the multi-index. So one can rearrange summation in to sum over the graphs $G$ first, and then over the set of all paths for a given graph, getting $W(G)$ times the determinant. The determinant may be nonzero only if no two $i_1^{(q)}$ and no two $i_{s_q}^{(q)}$ are equal. Thus, in a graph $G$ entering the sum every vertex has at most one outgoing edge and at most one incoming edge. This means that $G$ is a DOOMB.
Graph Laplacians and other examples {#SSec:Ex}
-----------------------------------
Here are some corollaries of Theorem \[Th:Main\].
### Determinants {#SSSec:Det}
It’s a funny result demonstrating the nature of Theorem \[Th:Main\].
Let $u_1, \dots, u_n$ be an orthonormal basis in $\Real^n$. Take $e_{ij}
{\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}= u_i$ and $\alpha_{ij} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}= u_j$ for all $1 \le i,j \le n$. Take $$P(x_{11}, \dots, x_{nn}) {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\sum_{i,j=1}^n a_{ij} x_{ij}$$ and apply Theorem \[Th:Main\]. The matrix of the opertor $M$ in the basis $u_1,\dots, u_n$ is $(a_{ij})$. The polynomial $P$ is linear, so the paths entering equation all lave length $1$. Consequently, the DOOMB $G$ of must be a union of $k$ loops attached to the vertices $(i_1,j_1), \dots, (i_k,j_k)$. So the summation in is over the set of unordered $k$-tuples $(i_1,j_1), \dots,
(i_k,j_k)$ with $1 \le i_s, j_s \le N$ for all $s$. In other words, the summation is over the set of graphs $F$ with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, n$ and $k$ unnumbered directed edges (loops are allowed).
One has $\langle \alpha_{ij},e_{kl}\rangle = \delta_{jk}$, so the contribution of a graph $F$ into is equal to $a_{i_1 j_1}
\dots a_{i_k j_k} \det (\delta_{i_p j_q})_{1 \le p \le k}^{1 \le q \le k}$. It is easy to see that the determinant is nonzero only if all the $i_p$ and all the $j_q$ are distinct (else the matrix has identical rows or columns), and for every $q$ there is $p {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\sigma(q)$ such that $j_q = i_p$ (else a matrix has a zero row). If these conditions are satisfied, the determinant is obviously $(-1)^{\name{sgn}(\sigma)}$ where $\name{sgn}(\sigma)$ is the parity of the permutation $\sigma$. Hence, Theorem \[Th:Main\] in this case is reduced to the usual formula expressing coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of the operator via its matrix elements.
### Graph Laplacians {#SSSec:Lapl}
Let $F$ be a directed graph without loops. Following [@Kenyon], give the following definition:
A [*line bundle with connection on $F$*]{} is a function attaching a number ${\varphi}_e \ne 0$ to every directed edge $e$ of the graph. By definition, also take ${\varphi}_{-e} = {\varphi}_e^{-1}$ where $-e$ is the edge $e$ with the direction reversed.
To explain the name, attach a one-dimensional space $\Real$ (a fiber of the bundle) to every vertex of $F$ and interpret the number ${\varphi}_e$ as the $1
\times 1$-matrix of the operator of parallel transport along the edge $e$. For a path $\Lambda = (e_1, \dots, e_k)$ denote ${\varphi}_\Lambda {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}{\varphi}_{e_1} \dots {\varphi}_{e_k}$ (the operator of parallel transport along $\Lambda$). If the path $\Lambda$ is a cycle then ${\varphi}_\Lambda$ is called a holonomy of the cycle.
Suppose now that $F$ has the vertices $1, 2, \dots, n$ and no multiple edges. Supply also every edge $(i,j)$ of $H$ with a weight $c_{ij} =
c_{ji}$. Take $N = n(n-1)/2$, $$\label{Eq:DefPLapl}
P(x_{12}, \dots, x_{n-1,n}) = \sum_{1 \le i < j \le n} c_{ij} x_{ij},$$ and $e_{ij} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}u_i - {\varphi}_{ij} u_j$ and $\alpha_{ij} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}u_i -
{\varphi}_{ji} u_j)$, and consider the operator $M$ like in .
If $v = \sum_{i=1}^n v_i u_i$ then $$\label{Eq:Lapl}
M(v) = \sum_{1 \le i < j \le n} c_{ij} (v_i - {\varphi}_{ji}v_j) (u_i -
{\varphi}_{ij}u_j) = \sum_{i=1}^n u_i \sum_{j \ne i} c_{ij} (v_i - {\varphi}_{ji}
v_j).$$ The operator $M$ is called in [@Kenyon] a Laplacian of the bundle.
Call a graph $F$ a [*mixed forest*]{} if every its connected component is either a tree or a graph with one cycle (a connected graph with the number of vertices equal to the number of edges). The graphs where each component contains one cycle are called [*cycle-rooted spanning forests (CRSF)*]{} in [@Kenyon]; hence the name “mixed forest” here.
The following corollary of Theorem \[Th:Main\] generalizes the Matrix-CRSF theorem of [@Forman] and [@Kenyon]:
\[Th:Forman\] The characteristic polynomial of the Laplacian of a line bundle on a graph is equal to $\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \mu_k t^k$ where $$\label{Eq:MixForest}
\mu_k = \sum_{F \in \name{\mathcal{MF}}_{n,k,\ell}} \prod_{\substack{(pq)
\text{ is} \\ \text{an edge of } F}} c_{pq} \prod_{i=1}^{n-k} (m_i+1)
\prod_{j=1}^\ell (1-w_j)(1-1/w_j).$$ Here $\name{\mathcal{MF}}_{n,k,\ell}$ is the set of mixed forests containing $n$ vertices, $k$ edges and split into $n-k$ tree components and $\ell$ one-cycle componenets; $m_i$ is the number of edges in the $i$-th component, and $w_j$ is the holonomy of the cycle in the $j$-th component.
A special case of Theorem \[Th:Forman\] arises if ${\varphi}_{ij}=1$ for all $i,j$. Then implies $M = \sum_{1 \le p < q \le n} c_{pq}
(1-\sigma_{pq})$ where $\sigma_{pq}$ is a reflection exchanging the $p$-th and the $q$-th coordinate: $\sigma_p(u_p) = u_q$, $\sigma_{pq}(u_q) = u_p$ and $\sigma_{pq}(u_i) = u_i$ for $i \ne p,q$. The reflections $\sigma_{pq}$ generate the Coxeter group $A_n$. The holonomies here are all equal to $1$, so a mixed forest entering a summation in Theorem \[Th:Forman\] cannot have cycles and should be a “real” forest:
\[Cr:MTT\] The characteristic polynomial of the operator $M = \sum_{1 \le p < q \le
n-1} c_{pq} (1-\sigma_{pq})$ is equal to $\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \mu_k t^k$ where $$\mu_k = \sum_{F \in \name{\mathcal{F}}_{n,k}} \prod_{\substack{(pq) \text{
is}\\ \text{an edge of } F}} c_{pq} \prod_{i=1}^{n-k} (m_i+1).$$ Here $\name{\mathcal{F}}_{n,k}$ is the set of forests with $n$ vertices, $k$ edges and $n-k$ components; $m_i$ is the number of edges in the $i$-th component.
Apparently, $\det M = 0$ (there are no forests with $n$ vertices and $n$ edges), so the summation is indeed up to $k = n-1$. This corollary follows also from the classical Principal Minors Matrix-Tree Theorem, see e.g. [@Chaiken] for proofs and related results.
Another possibility is to join every pair of vertices $(i,j)$ with [ *two*]{} edges: $(i,j)_-$ with ${\varphi}_{ij}^- = 1$ (“a $-$-edge”, because $e_{ij}^{-} = u_i - u_j$) and $(i,j)_+$ with ${\varphi}_{ij}^+ = -1$ (“a $+$-edge” because $e_{ij}^{+} = u_i + u_j$); the weights are $c_{ij}^{+}$ and $c_{ij}^{-}$, respectively. The holonomy of a cycle is $w = (-1)^d$ where $d$ is the number of $+$-edges in the cycle. By , $M =
\sum_{1 \le p < q \le n} c_{pq}^-(1 - \sigma_{pq}) + c_{pq}^+(1 -
\tau_{pq})$ where $\sigma_{pq}$ is as before and $\tau_{pq}$ is a reflection mapping $\tau_{pq}(u_p) = -u_q$, $\tau_{pq}(u_q) = -u_p$ and $\tau_{pq}(u_i) = u_i$ for $i \ne p,q$; the reflections $\sigma$ and $\tau$ generate a Coxeter group $D_n$. So one has
\[Cr:MTTD\] The characteristic polynomial of the operator $$M = \sum_{1 \le p < q \le n} c_{pq}^-(1 - \sigma_{pq}) + c_{pq}^+(1 -
\tau_{pq})$$ is equal to $\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \mu_k t^k$ where $$\mu_k = \sum_{F \in \name{\mathcal{MFD}}_{n,k,\ell}}
\prod_{\substack{(pq)_s \text{ is}\\ \text{an edge of } F}} c_{pq}^s
\prod_{i=1}^{n-k} (m_i+1).$$ Here $\name{\mathcal{MFD}}_{n,k,\ell}$ is the set of mixed forests with $k$ edges $(pq)_s$, $n-k$ tree components and $\ell$ one-cycle components such that the number of $+$-edges in every cycle is odd; $m_i$ is the number of edges in the $i$-th components.
This corollary generalizes [@BPT Theorem 3.2].
### The level $2$ Laplacian {#SSSec:Level2}
Take up the same setting as in Section \[SSSec:Lapl\] (a line bundle with a connection over a graph $F$), and take $$\label{Eq:Quadr}
P(x_{12}, \dots, x_{n-1,n}) = \sum_{\substack{1 \le i \le n, \\ 1 \le j < k
\le n}} c_{ijk} (x_{ij} x_{ik} - x_{ik} x_{ij}) = \sum_{1 \le i,j,k \le n}
c_{ijk} x_{ij} x_{ik};$$ here the constants $c_{ijk}$ are defined for all $1 \le i,j,k \le n$ and possess the property $c_{ijk} = -c_{ikj}$ for all $i,j,k$ (in particular, $c_{ijj} = 0$ for all $i, j$). Define $M$ by : $M {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}P(M_{12}, \dots, M_{n-1,n})$ where $M_{ij}(v) = \langle
\alpha_{ij},v\rangle e_{ij}$. Explicitly, if $v = \sum_{p=1}^n v_p u_p$ then $$M_{ij}(v) = (v_i - {\varphi}_{ji} v_j)(u_i - {\varphi}_{ji} u_j) = (v_i - {\varphi}_{ji}
v_j) u_i + (v_j - {\varphi}_{ij} v_i) u_j.$$ and $$\label{Eq:MExpl}
M(v) = \sum_{i \ne j} u_i v_j \left({\varphi}_{ij} \sum_{k \ne i,j}
(c_{ijk}+c_{jki}) + \sum_{k \ne i,j} c_{kij} {\varphi}_{ik} {\varphi}_{kj}\right).$$
\[Rm:Order\] Note that $M_{ij} = M_{ji}$ because $\alpha_{ji} = -{\varphi}_{ji} \alpha_{ij}$ and $e_{ji} = -{\varphi}_{ij} e_{ij}$. Nevertheless, since $\alpha$ and $e$ enter the equation separately, one has to choose the ordering of indices in every pair $(i,j)$ used; the final result, of course, does not depend on the choice. We will write $\alpha_{[ij]}$ meaning $\alpha_{ij}$ or $\alpha_{ji}$ depending on the choice; the same for $e$.
In particular, if ${\varphi}_{ij} = 1$ for all $i,j$, then $M(v) = \sum_{1 \le i
< j < k \le n} w_{ijk} v_i u_j$ where $w_{ijk} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}c_{ijk}+c_{jki}+c_{kij}$. Note that $w_{ijk}$ is totally skew-symmetric in all the three indices, and therefore the operator $M$ is skew-symmetric. In [@MasVai] a beautiful formula for the Pfaffian of $M$ was proved; see also [@BPT] for a proof of the same formula using a technique close to Theorem \[Th:Main\].
We call $M$ the [*level $2$ Laplacian*]{} of the bundle, by an apparent analogy with the operator defined by . Note that $M_{ij}$ and $M_{kl}$ commute if $\{i,j\} \cap \{k,l\} = {\varnothing}$ or $\{i,j\} =
\{k,l\}$, that’s why $P$ contains no terms like $x_{ij} x_{kl} - x_{kl}
x_{ij}$.
Application of Theorem \[Th:Main\] to the level $2$ Laplacian gives the formula similar to , where the summation is done over the set of triangulated polyhedra of special kind.
A [*nodal surface*]{} is obtained from a smooth surface (a $2$-manifold, not necessarily connected, possibly with boundary), by gluing a finite number of points. If the surface has boundary then boundary points also can be glued. A boundary of the nodal surface is still well-defined, but unlike the boundary of a smooth surface, it can be any graph, not just collection of circles. Nodal surfaces with boundary attracted much attention in recent years due to their connection with the geometry of moduli spaces of complex structures, see [@Penner].
Depending on the surface, we will speak about nodal disks, annuli, Moebius bands, etc.
A compact $2$-dimensional polyhedron $H$ is called reducible if it can be split into a union $H = H_1 \cup \dots \cup H_\ell$ where the polyhedra $H_i$ are compact and edge-disjoint (but not necessarily vertex-disjoint!). Every reducible polyhedron is a union of irreducible components.
A $2$-dimensional polyhedron is called a [*cycle polyhedron*]{} if it is ireducible, homeomorphic to a nodal surface, and every its face is a triangle with exactly one side on the boundary. A $2$-dimensional polyhedron is called a [*chain polyhedron*]{}, if the last condition is satisfied for all the faces except two. Each of these two faces has two sides on the boundary. One face is called an initial face; one of its boundary sides is marked an called an initial side. The other exceptional face is called a terminal one; one of its boundary sides is marked and called a terminal side.
Choosing an orientation of a face of a cycle polyhedron is equivalent to ordering its sides: the first internal side, the second, the boundary side. For a chain polyhedron the rule is the same except for the initial and the terminal face. For the initial face the ordering is: the initial side, the internal side, the second boundary side; for the terminal face: the internal side, the terminal side, the second boundary side. Say that an orientation of two adjacent faces sharing a side $a$ is compatible if $a$ is the first internal side in one face and the second internal side in the other.
\[Lm:CycleChain\] A cycle polyhedron is one of the following:
1. a nodal annulus where all vertices lie in the boundary;
2. a nodal Moebius band with the same property;
3. \[It:Disk\] a disk (smooth) with a vertex in the interior joined by edges with all the other vertices, which lie on the boundary.
A chain polyhedron is a nodal disk.
For every cycle polyhedron there are exactly two ways to orient all its faces compatibly. For every chain polyhedron (where the initial and terminal sides are chosen) there is exactly one way to orient all its faces compatibly.
See Section \[SSec:Level2\] for proof.
See Fig. \[Fg:Bristle\]. The left-hand side is a cycle polyhedron (a nodal Moebius band with the node $c$), the right-hand side is a chain polyhedron (a nodal disk with the node $c$). Solid lines represent internal edges and exceptional edges ($ab$ and $ef$ at the nodal disk); dotted lines represent boundary edges. The graph $G$ is drawn below; the cycle is directed clockwise and a line is directed left to right. The corresponding ordering of edges inside every face of $H$ is shown by the numbers $1,2,3$.
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Denote by $\name{\mathcal{CP}}_{n,k}$ the set of polyhedra with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, n$, having $k$ faces, such that every its irreducible component is either a cycle polyhedron or a chain polyhedron with compatibly oriented faces. By $\name{ess}_1(H)$ denote the graph formed by the internal edges of $H$ and initial and terminal edges of its chain components. The initial and the terminal edges themselves denote by $I_1(H), \dots, I_s(H)$ and $T_1(H), \dots, T_s(H)$, respectively. Let $H
\in \name{\mathcal{CP}}_{n,k}$ be such that the graphs $H^I {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\name{ess}_1(H) \setminus \{I_1(H), \dots, I_s(H)\}$ and $H^T {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\name{ess}_1(H) \setminus \{T_1(H), \dots, T_s(H)\}$ are mixed forests. Let $H^I_1, \dots, H^I_t$ and $H^T_1, \dots,
H^T_t$ be connected components of $H^I$ and $H^T$, respectively, that are trees (the number of such components $t = m-n-s$, where $m$ is the number of edges in $H$, is the same for both graphs). Choose in every tree a root $r_i^\alpha \in H^I_i$ and $r_j^e \in H^T_j$ and consider a matrix $M(H)$ such that $$M(H)_i^j = \sum_{\Lambda \in L_{ij}} {\varphi}_\Lambda^2 n_\Lambda$$ where $L_{ij}$ is the set of paths joining $r_j^e$ with $r_i^\alpha$, and $n_\Lambda$ is the number of vertices along the path $\Lambda$ that belong both to $H_i^I$ and $H_j^T$.
For an oriented face $F$ of a cycle or a chain polyhedron denote by $s_i(F)$ its $i$-th side ($i = 1, 2, 3$); by $v_i(F)$ denote the vertex opposite to the side number $i$. The internal sides are directed away from their common point; direction of the boundary side is not important.
\[Th:DetLevel2\] Let $M$ be a level $2$ Laplacian of a line bundle on a graph $F$. Then $\name{char}_M(t) = \sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \mu_k t^k$ where $$\label{Eq:Level2}
\begin{aligned}
\mu_k = \sum_{H \in \name{\mathcal{CP}}_{n,k}} \prod_{\substack{\Phi \text{
is}\\ \text{a face of }H}} &c_{v_3(\Phi)v_1(\Phi)v_2(\Phi)} \langle
\alpha_{[s_1(\Phi)]}, e_{[s_2(\Phi)]}\rangle \\
&\times \det M(H) \times \prod_{i,j=1}^s \prod_{\substack{(pq) \in H \text{
lies}\\ \text{in a path joining}\\ r_i^\alpha \text{ with } r_j^e}}
{\varphi}_{pq}
\end{aligned}$$
See Remark \[Rm:Order\] for the notation $\alpha_{[s_1]}$, $e_{[s_2]}$.
Proofs {#Sec:Proofs}
======
Technical lemmas {#SSec:Tech}
----------------
Let $H$ be a directed graph without loops or multiple edges.
A [*line bundle with connection on $H$*]{} is a function a number ${\varphi}_{ij} \ne 0$ to every directed edge $(i,j)$ of the graph. By definition, also take ${\varphi}_{ji} = {\varphi}_{ij}^{-1}$.
To explain the name, attach a one-dimensional space $\Real$ (a fiber of the bundle) to every vertex and interpret the number ${\varphi}_{ij}$ as the $1
\times 1$-matrix of the operator of parallel transport along the edge $(i,j)$. Consider the space $\Real^n$ (which can be interpreted as a total space of the bundle) with the standard basis $u_1, \dots, u_n$. For every $i$, $j$ consider the vectors $\alpha_{ij} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}u_i - {\varphi}_{ij} u_j$ and $e_{ij} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}u_i - {\varphi}_{ji} u_j$. Denote by $A_H$ and $E_H$ the sets of vectors $\alpha_{ij}$ or $e_{ij}$, respectively, where $(i,j)$ runs through the edges of $H$.
Introduce in $\Real^n$ a standard scalar product making $u_1, \dots, u_n$ an orthonormal basis. For two sequences of vectors $M = (\mu_1, \dots,
\mu_k)$ and $X = (\xi_1, \dots, \xi_k)$ of the same size $k$ denote by $G(M,X)$ the $k \times k$-matrix where the $(i,j)$-th entry is equal to the scalar product $(\mu_i,\xi_j)$. Call two sequences, $M$ and $M'$, elementarily equivalent, if $M'$ can be obtained from $M$ by a finite number of substitutions $\mu_i \mapsto \mu_i + t \mu_j$ where $t$ is any number. The matrices $G(M,X)$ and $G(M',X)$ are also connected by elementary equivalence (a row is replaced by the sum of itself with a multiple of another row), and therefore $\det G(M,X) = \det G(M',X)$; the same applies to $X$.
Number the edges of $H$ arbitrarily and consider the matrices $P_H {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}G(A_H,A_H)$, $Q_H = {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}G(A_H,E_H)$, $R_H = {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}G(E_H,E_H)$. The matrix element of $P_H$, $Q_H$ and $R_H$ corresponding to the pair of edges $s$ and $t$ depends on their mutual position as follows:
- If $s$ and $t$ do not intersect then the matrix element is zero.
- If $s$ and $t$ have one common vertex $b$ then the matrix element is equal to the product $\psi_{s,a} \psi_{t,a}$ where $$\psi_{r,a} = \begin{cases}
1, &\text{if the edge $r$ points away from the vertex $a$}, \\
-{\varphi}_r, &\text{if the edge $r$ points towards the vertex $a$} \\
&\text{and corresponds to the vector $\alpha$},\\
-{\varphi}_r^{-1}, &\text{if the edge $r$ points towards the vertex $a$}\\
&\text{and corresponds to the vector $e$}.
\end{cases}$$
- If the edges have two common vertices $a$ and $b$ then the product is equal to the sum $\psi_{s,a} \psi_{t,a} + \psi_{s,b} \psi_{t,b}$.
The most important cases later will be when $H$ is a tree or a graph with one cycle Describe the determinants of $P_H$, $Q_H$ and $R_H$ for such $H$. For a directed path $\Lambda = (\lambda_0, \dots, \lambda_k)$ in the graph denote by ${\varphi}_\Lambda$ the product ${\varphi}_{\lambda_0 \lambda_1}
\dots {\varphi}_{\lambda_{k-1} \lambda_k}$.
\[Lm:DetAA\] Let $H$ be a rooted tree. Then $$\label{Eq:PTree}
\det P_H = \prod_{i,j} {\varphi}_{ij}^2 \cdot \sum_\Lambda {\varphi}_\Lambda^2$$ where the product is taken over all the edges of $H$ directed away from the root, and and the sum, over all chains $\Lambda$ joining vertices of the tree with the root. Similarly, $$\det R_H = \prod_{i,j} {\varphi}_{ji}^2 \cdot \sum_\Lambda {\varphi}_\Lambda^{-2}$$ in the same notation.
Clearly, the statements for $P_H$ and $R_H$ are equivalent, so consider the $P_H$ case. Since $\alpha_{ji} = {\varphi}_{ji} \alpha_{ij}$, changing the direction of an edge $(i,j) \mapsto (j,i)$ multiplies both sides of by ${\varphi}_{ji}^2$. So, it is enough to prove the lemma for trees where all the edges are directed away from the root.
Let $p$ be a hanging edge of $H$ and $q$, its parent. Then $(\alpha_p,\alpha_p) = 1 + {\varphi}_p^2$, $(\alpha_p, \alpha_q) = -{\varphi}_q$ (the edge $q$ is directed towards $p$, and $p$, away from $q$), and $(\alpha_p,\alpha_x) = 0$ for all the other edges $x$. Develop the determinant $\det P_H$ by the row $p$ and then by the row $q$; this gives a relation $$\label{Eq:Recurs}
\det P_H = (1 + 1/{\varphi}_p^2) \det P_{H'} - 1/{\varphi}_q^2 \cdot \det P_{H''}$$ where $H'$ and $H''$ are $H$ with $p$ deleted and $p$ and $q$ deleted, respectively.
Suppose by induction that the theorem is proved for $H'$ and $H''$. Multiply both sides of by $\prod_e {\varphi}_e^2$ where $e$ runs through the set of edges of $\Gamma$. It gives $$\prod_e {\varphi}_e^2 \det P_H = \sum_{\Lambda'} {\varphi}_{\Lambda'}^2 + 1/{\varphi}_p^2
\cdot \sum_{\Lambda'} {\varphi}_{\Lambda'}^2 - 1/{\varphi}_p^2 \sum_{\Lambda''}
{\varphi}_{\Lambda''}^2$$ where $\Lambda'$, $\Lambda''$ are chains in $H'$ and $H''$, respectively, joining vertices with the root. The first sum is over all the chains in $\Gamma$ not containing $p$. The second sum is over all the chains containing $p$, plus the union of $p$ with a chain in $\Gamma''$ (because $p$ is hanging). The third sum cancels the second term.
\[Lm:QTree\] If $H$ is a tree with $m$ edges (and $m+1$ vertices) then $\det Q_H = m+1$.
Let $(i,j)$ be an edge of $H$. The graph $H \setminus (i,j)$ is a union of two trees $H_1$ and $H_2$ containing vertices $i$ and $j$, respectively. The matrix $Q_H$ looks like $$Q_H = \left(\begin{array}{c|ccc|ccc}
2 & 1 & \dots & 1 & -{\varphi}_{ji} & \dots & -{\varphi}_{ji}\\
\hline
1 & & & & & & \\
\vdots & & Q_{H_1} & & & 0 & \\
1 & & & & & & \\
\hline
-{\varphi}_{ij} & & & & & & \\
\vdots & & 0 & & & Q_{H_2} & \\
-{\varphi}_{ij} & & & & & &
\end{array}
\right)$$ (we suppose that the edge $(i,j)$ corresponds to the first row and the first column).
Denote the sizes of the first and the second block (i.e. the numbers of edges in $H_1$ and $H_2$) by $m_1$ and $m_2$ respectively (thus, $m = m_1 +
m_2 + 1$). Let $p > m_1 > q$. Then the last $m_2$ rows of the minor $[Q_H]_{1,p+1}^{1,q+1}$ (deleted columns $1$ and $p+1$ and rows $1$ and $q+1$) have zeros at the $m_1$ initial positions; only the last $m - 2 -
m_1 = m_2-1$ positions may be nonzero. Hence the rows are linearly dependent, so that $\det [Q_H]_{1,p+1}^{1,q+1} = 0$. The same is true if $p
< m_1 < q$. Having $\det Q_H$ decomposed by the first row and then by the first column, one is left only with the terms $(Q_H)_{1,p+1} (Q_H)_{q+1,1}
\det [Q_H]_{1,p+1}^{1,q+1}$ where either $p, q \le m_1$ or $p,q \ge m_1+1$. In both cases $(Q_H)_{1,p+1} (Q_H)_{q+1,1} = 1$, and therefore $\det Q_H$ does not depend on ${\varphi}_{ij}$ (recall that $Q_{H_1}$ and $Q_{H_2}$ contain no ${\varphi}_{ij}$ because neither $H_1$ nor $H_2$ have an edge $(i,j)$). Since $(i,j)$ is just an arbitrary edge of $H$, it proves that $\det Q_H$ does not depend on any ${\varphi}_{pq}$ and is a constant.
Suppose now that ${\varphi}_{pq} = 1$ for all $p$ and $q$. Then $e_{pr} = u_p -
u_r = (u_p - u_q) + (u_q - u_r) = e_{pq} + e_{qr}$, and the same is true for $\alpha$. Suppose the tree $H$ contains edges $pq$ and $qr$. Consider a tree $H'$ where the edge $qr$ is replaced by $pr$; then the systems of vectors $A_H$ and $A_{H'}$, as well as $E_H$ and $E_{H'}$, differ by an elementary transformation, and therefore $\det Q_H = \det Q_{H'}$. By such operations one can convert $H$ into a line, i.e. a tree with the edges $(p_0, p_1), (p_1, p_2), \dots, (p_{m-1}, p_m)$. The matrix $Q_H$ for such tree is: $(Q_H)_{ii} = 2$, $(Q_H)_{i,i+1} = (Q_H)_{i,i-1} = 1$ for all $i$. An easy induction shows that $\det Q_H = m+1$.
Let now $H$ be a graph with one cycle, i.e. a connected graph with $n$ vertices and $n$ directed edges. It consists of a cycle $p_1, \dots, p_s$ and, possibly, some trees (“antlers”) attached to the vertices $p_i$. The direction of edges in the cycle and in the antlers can be arbitrary. Following [@Kenyon], call the [*holonomy*]{} of the cycle the product $w {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}{\varphi}_{p_1 p_2}^{\pm 1} \dots {\varphi}_{p_s p_1}^{\pm 1}$ where the $i$-th exponent is $+1$ if the corresponding edge is directed along the cycle (from $p_i$ to $p_{i+1}$) and $-1$ otherwise.
\[Lm:PQRCycle\] Let $H$ be a graph with one cycle. Then $$\begin{aligned}
\det P_H &= (1-w)^2 \prod_{i,j} {\varphi}_{ij}^2,\\
\det R_H &= (1-w^{-1})^2 \prod_{i,j} {\varphi}_{ij}^{-2},\\
\det Q_H &= -(1-w)(1-w^{-1}),
\end{aligned}$$ where the product is taken over the set of all the edges in the antlers directed away from the cycle.
The proofs of all the three statements are similar; here is the proof of the statement about $Q_H$.
Consider a system of vectors $E_H^{(1)}$ elementarily equivalent to $E_H$. To obtain $E_H^{(1)}$ from $E_H$ replace every vector ${\varepsilon}_i {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}e_{p_i p_{i+1}} = u_{p_i} - {\varphi}_{p_{i+1}
p_i} u_{p_{i+1}}$, $i = 1, \dots, s$, with ${\varepsilon}_i^{(1)}$ where $$\begin{aligned}
&{\varepsilon}_{s-1}^{(1)} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}{\varepsilon}_{s-1} + {\varphi}_{p_s, p_{s-1}}
{\varepsilon}_s = u_{s-1} - {\varphi}_{p_s, p_{s-1}} {\varphi}_{p_1,
p_s} u_1,\\
&{\varepsilon}_{s-2}^{(1)} {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}{\varepsilon}_{s-2} + {\varphi}_{p_{s-1}, p_{s-2}}
{\varepsilon}_{s-1}^{(1)} = u_{s-2} - {\varphi}_{p_{s-1}, p_{s-2}}
{\varphi}_{p_s, p_{s-1}} {\varphi}_{p_1, p_s} u_1,\\
&\vdots\\
&{\varepsilon}_1^{(1)} = u_1 (1-{\varphi}_{p_2 p_1} \dots {\varphi}_{p_1,
p_s}) = (1-1/w) u_1.
\end{aligned}$$ Consider also a system $A_H^{(1)}$ obtained from $A_H$ in a similar way. One has $\det G(E^{(1)},A_H^{(1)}) = Q_H$ by elementary equivalence.
If $w = 1$ then ${\varepsilon}_1^{(1)} = 0$, so $\det Q_H = \det
G(E^{(1)},A_H^{(1)}) = 0$, and the lemma is proved; we suppose from now on that $w \ne 1$.
Consider now the sequence $E_H^{(2)}$, which is $E_H^{(1)}$ with every ${\varepsilon}_i^{(1)}$ replaced with $${\varepsilon}_i^{(2)} = {\varepsilon}_i^{(1)} - {\varepsilon}_1^{(1)}/(1-1/w) = -{\varphi}_{p_i,p_{i-1}}
u_i.$$ Consider also $A_H^{(2)}$ obtained from $A_H^{(1)}$ in a similar way. The sequences $E_H^{(2)}$, $A_H^{(2)}$ are elementarily equivalent to $E_H^{(1)}$, $A_H^{(1)}$, so $\det G(E_H^{(2)}, A_H^{(2)}) = Q_H$.
Denote by $H_i$ a subtree of $H$ attached to the vertex $p_i$, $1 \le i \le
s$, and let $\beta_j = e_{q_j r_j}$, $1 \le j \le m_i$ be vectors in $E_H$ (and $E_H^{(2)}$) corresponding to its edges. For all edges attached immediately to $p_i$ (so that $q_j = p_i$) replace $\beta_j \mapsto
\beta_j^{(1)} = \beta_j + {\varepsilon}_i {\varphi}_{p_{i+1},p_i} = -{\varphi}_{r_j p_1}
u_{r_j}$. Then do the same for all the edges attached to endpoints of $\beta_j^{(1)}$, etc. Having done this for all $i$, $1 \le i \le s$, one obtaines the system $E_H' = ((1-1/w)u_1, -{\varphi}_{12} u_2, \dots, -{\varphi}_{1m}
u_m)$ elementarily equivalent to $E_H$. Similarly, $A_H$ is elementarily equivalent to $A_H' = ((1-w)u_1, -{\varphi}_{12} u_2, \dots, -{\varphi}_{m1} u_m)$. Now $\det Q_H = \det G(E_H',A_H')$; the matrix $G(E_H',A_H')$ is a diagonal matrix with $(1-w)(1-1/w)$ in the corner and $1$ in all the other positions on the main diagonal.
Below we will need two more statements from the general linear algebra.
\[Lm:Gram\] Let $e_1, \dots, e_n$ be an orthonormal basis in $\Real^n$, and $\mu_i =
\sum_{j=1}^n a_{ij} e_j$. Then $\det G(M,M)$ is equal to the sum of squares of all the $k \times k$-minors of the matrix $A = (a_{ij})_{1 \le i \le
k}^{1 \le j \le n}$.
The lemma is classical, see e.g. [@Gantmacher IX§5] for proof.
Let now $\mathcal M, \mathcal X \subset \Real^n$ be two linear subspaces of the same dimension $k$, and $M = (\mu_1, \dots, \mu_k)$ and $X = (\xi_1,
\dots, \xi_k)$ be bases in them. Denote $$\angle(\mathcal M, \mathcal X) {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\det G(M,X)^2/(\det G(M,M) \cdot \det
G(X,X)).$$
\[Lm:OrthComp\]
1. $\angle(\M,\X)$ depends only on the subspaces and not on the choice of the bases $M$ and $X$ in them.
2. $\angle(\M^\perp,\X^\perp) = \angle(\M,\X)$.
Let $N = (\nu_1, \dots, \nu_k)$ be another basis in $\M$; denote by $A =
(a_{ij})$ the transfer matrix: $\nu_i = \sum_{j=1}^k a_{ij} \mu_j$. Then $G(N,X) = A G(M,X)$, and $G(N,N) = A G(M,M) A^*$; so $G(N,X)^2/(\det G(N,N)
\cdot \det G(X,X)) = \det A^2 \det G(M,X)^2/(\det A^2 \cdot \det G(M,M)
\cdot \det G(X,X)) = \angle(\M,\X)$; the same is for $X$.
Let now $\M_1, \M_2 \subset \Real^n$ be two spaces of equal dimension, and let $\M {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\langle \M_1 \cup \M_2\rangle$ be their linear hull. Then $\M_i^\perp = \M_i^{\perp,\M} \oplus \M^\perp$, $i = 1,2$; here $\perp$ means an orthogonal complement in $\Real^n$, and $(\perp,\M)$ means an orthogonal complement in $\M$. Choose an orthonormal basis $T = (\tau_1, \dots,
\tau_q)$ in $\M^\perp$, and bases $\Lambda_i = (\lambda_1^{(i)}, \dots,
\lambda_p^{(i)})$ in $\M_i^{\perp,\M}$, $i = 1,2$, normal to $\M^\perp$. Denote $Y_1 = (\lambda_1^{(1)}, \dots, \lambda_p^{(1)}, \tau_1, \dots,
\tau_q)$ and $Y_2 = (\lambda_1^{(2)}, \dots, \lambda_p^{(2)}, \tau_1,
\dots, \tau_q)$ are bases in $\M_1^\perp$ and $\M_2^\perp$, respectively. By the first statement of the theorem, $\angle(\M_1^\perp,\M_2^\perp) = \det
G(Y_1,Y_2)^2/(\det G(Y_1.Y_1) \cdot \det G(Y_2,Y_2))$. The matrix $G(Y_1,Y_2)$ is block diagonal; its first block is the matrix $G(\Lambda_1,\Lambda_2)$, and the second block is the unit matrix $G(T,T)$; thus $\det G(Y_1,Y_2) = \det G(\Lambda_1,\Lambda_2)$. Similarly, $\det
G(Y_1,Y_1) = \det G(\Lambda_1,\Lambda_1)$ and $\det G(Y_2,Y_2) = \det
G(\Lambda_2,\Lambda_2)$. Hence, $\angle(\M_1^\perp,\M_2^\perp) =
\angle(\M_1^{\perp,\M},\M_2^{\perp,\M})$.
Let now $\X = \M_1 \cap \M_2 \ne 0$. A similar choice of a basis shows that $\angle(\M_1,\M_2) = \angle(\X_1,\X_2)$ where $\X_i = \X^{\perp,\M_i}$, $i = 1,2$. So, it is enough to prove the second statement of the theorem for the $k$-dimensional subspaces $\M_1, \M_2 \subset \Real^n$ such that $n = 2k$ and $\M_1 \cap \M_2 = 0$, so that $\Real^n = \langle \M_1 \cap \M_2\rangle$. To do this take an orthonormal basis $e_1, \dots, e_{2k}$ in $\Real^n$ such that $X_1 {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}(e_1, \dots, e_k)$ is a basis in $\M_1$, and $X_2 {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}(e_{k+1}, \dots, e_{2k})$ is a basis in $\M_1^\perp$. Let $F = (f_1, \dots,
f_k)$ be a basis in $\M_2$, $f_i = \sum_{j=1}^k b_{ij} e_j + c_{ij}
e_{j+k}$. Since $\M_1 \cap \M_2 = 0$, the matrix $C = (c_{ij})_{1 \le i \le
k}^{1 \le j \le k}$ is nondegenerate. By elementary transformations of rows one can make $C$ a unit matrix; assume that $C = \name{id}$ from the very beginning, so that $f_i = \sum_{j=1}^k b_{ij} e_j + e_{i+k}$. Then $G(F,X_1) = B$, and therefore $\det G(F,X_1) = \Delta {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\det B$. By Lemma \[Lm:Gram\], the determinant $\det G(F,F)$ is equal to the sum of squares of all $k \times k$-minors of the $k \times (2k)$-matrix composed of two blocks, $B$ and the identity $k \times k$-matrix. It is easy to see that the latter sum is the sum of squares of all the minors of $B$ (of all sizes), including $\Delta^2$ and $1$ (the square of the empty minor).
Consider now the vectors $h_i = -e_i + \sum_{j=1}^k b_{ji} e_{j+k}$, $i =
1, \dots, k$. Apparently, $H = (h_1, \dots, h_k)$ is a basis in $\M_2^\perp$; also $G(H,X_2) = B^T = G(F,X_1)^T$, and also $\det G(H,H) =
\det G(F,F)$ by Lemma \[Lm:Gram\]. This proves the lemma.
Proof of Theorem \[Th:Forman\] {#SSec:MTree}
------------------------------
To apply Theorem \[Th:Main\] note that the polynomial $P$ of has degree $1$, so every path involved should contain one vertex only. Therefore, the DOOMB $G$ must be a union of $k$ loops attached to the vertices $(i_1,j_1), \dots, (i_k,j_k)$. So the summation is over the set of unordered $k$-tuples $(i_1,j_1), \dots, (i_k,j_k)$ with $1
\le i_s, j_s \le N$ for all $s$. In other words, the summation is over the set of graphs $F$ with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, n$ and $k$ unnumbered directed edges.
Let $F_1, \dots, F_\ell$ be connected components of $F$. If the edges $d_1$ and $d_2$ belong to different components then $\langle \alpha_{d_1},
e_{d_2}\rangle = 0$. So the matrix $Q_F$ is block diagonal, and $\det Q_F =
\det Q_{F_1} \dots \det Q_{F_\ell}$. If $F$ is a connected graph with $m$ edges $(i_1,j_1), \dots, (i_m,j_m)$ and $\mu < m$ vertices then the vectors $e_{i_1,j_1}, \dots, e_{i_m,j_m}$ belong to a vector space of dimension $\mu$ spanned by the corresponding basis elements $u_i$. Therefore they are linearly dependent, so that $\det Q_F = 0$. Thus, if $\det Q_F \ne 0$ then every connected component $F_i$ of $F$ should be either a tree (with $\mu =
m+1$) or a graph with one cycle ($\mu = m$). So, $F$ is a mixed forest.
Theorem \[Th:Forman\] now follows from Theorem \[Th:Main\], Lemma \[Lm:QTree\] and Lemma \[Lm:PQRCycle\].
Proof of Theorem \[Th:DetLevel2\] {#SSec:Level2}
---------------------------------
Apply Theorem \[Th:Main\] to the operator $M$ of . Like in Section \[SSec:MTree\], vertices of the graph $G$ are pairs $(i,j)$, $1 \le i < j \le n$, that is, edges of a directed graph with the vertices $1, \dots, n$. The polynomial $P$ contains only terms $x_{ij} x_{ik}$; therefore if $(a,b)$ is an edge of $G$ then the pairs $a = \{i,j\}$ and $b
= \{i,k\}$ have exactly one common element. Represent such edge by a triangle $ijk$. Color its sides $ij$ and $ik$ (corresponding to the vertices of $G$) black, and the third side $jk$, red (they are shown as sold and the dashed lines, respectively, in Fig. \[Fg:Bristle\]). Thus a graph $G$ is represented by $2$-dimensional polyhedron (call it $H$) with triangular faces and edges colored red and black so that every face has two black sides and one red side. The black edges of $H$ form a graph denoted by $\name{ess}_1(H)$ and called an essential $1$-skeleton of $H$.
If $G$ consists of connected components $G_1, \dots, G_s$ then the corresponding subpolyhedra $H_1, \dots, H_s$ of $H$ are edge-disjoint but not necessarily vertex-disjoint; thus, $H$ is reducible, and $H_1, \dots,
H_s$ are its irreducible components. By Theorem \[Th:Main\] every $G_i$ is either an oriented cycle or an oriented chain.
Let first $G_i$ be an oriented cycle. In the corresponding $H_i$ every black edge belongs to two faces and every red edge, to one face. Hence $H_i$ is a nodal surface with boundary where every face has two internal sides and one boundary side. An orientation of an edge of $G_i$ gives rise to an orientation of the corresponding face of $H_i$; since the orientations of the edges in a cycle $G_i$ are compatible, so are orientations of the faces in $H_i$. The graph $G_i$ is connected, so the polyhedron $H_i$ is irreducible. Hence, $H_i$ is a cycle polyhedron. Conversely, if $H_i$ is a cycle polyhedron, then $G_i$ is connected and every its vertex has valency $2$ — hence, $G_i$ is a cycle.
In a similar manner one proves that $G_i$ is an oriented chain if and only if $H_i$ is a chain polyhedron.
Let $H$ be a cycle polyhedron with the vertices $1, 2, \dots, n$. Build the graph $G$ such that the vertices of $G$ are internal edges of $H$ (elements of $\name{ess}_1(H)$), and two vertices are joined by an edge if the corresponding edges belong to a face.
As proved before, the graph $G$ is an oriented cycle where every vertex is marked by two indices $(i,j)$, and the neighbouring vertices have exactly one common index. For every index $i$ denote by $K_i$ the set of vertices in $G$ containing $i$ as one of the indices. If for some $i$ the corresponding $K_i$ contains all the vertices, then the second indices $j$ in all the vertices are pairwise distinct, and we have a disk described in clause \[It:Disk\] of the lemma. From now on suppose that for every index $i$ there is at least one vertex of $G$ [*not*]{} containing it.
Every $K_i$ is a union of several “solid arcs” $K_{i,1}, \dots, K_{i,s_i}$ (a solid arc is one vertex or a sequence of several successive vertices in a cycle). Consider an auxiliary graph $G'$ where for all $i$ and $p = 1, \dots, s_i$ the index $i$ in the vertices in $K_{i,p}$ is renamed into a new index $i_p$. Thus, the polyhedron $H$ is obtained from the polyhedron $H'$ corresponding to $G'$ by identification of some vertices. Thus it is enough to prove that if every $K_i$ is one solid arc (but not the whole cycle) then the polyhedron $H$ is an annulus or a Moebius band.
Let $G$ contain $m$ vertices. Consider an auxiliary circle $S^1$ with $m$ equidistant points $a_1, \dots, a_m$ on it. Let $K_i$ be a solid arc covering the vertices $p, p+1, \dots, p+q$. Define a subset $L_i \subset
S^1$ as an arc from $a_p$ to $a_{p+q}$, including both endpoints. Every two neighbouring vertices in $G$ have a common index $i$, so every point of every arc $[a_p,a_{p+1}]$ belongs to some $L_i$, hence $\bigcup L_i = S^1$. Triple intersections of different $L_i$s are all empty; the intersections $L_i \cap L_j$ are either empty or one point. There are exactly $m$ pairs with nonempty intersection, because $L_i$ are arcs. Thus, the Euler characteristics is $$0 = \chi(S^1) = \chi(\bigcup L_i) = \sum_i \chi(L_i) - \sum_{i,j} \chi(L_i
\cap L_j).$$ One has $\chi(L_i) = 1$ for all $i$ and $\chi(L_i \cap L_j) = 1$ for $m$ pairs $i,j$ where the intersection is nonempty, and $\chi(L_i \cap L_j) =
0$ otherwise. So, the number of indices $i$, that is, the number of vertices of the polyhedron $H$, is equal to $m$. The total number of its faces is the number of edges in $G$, that is, $m$. Also $H$ contains $m$ red edges (one per face) and $m$ black edges (corresponding to the vertices of $G$). Thus $\chi(H) = m-2m+m = 0$, and $H$ is either an annulus or a Moebius band.
The proof in the chain case is similar.
So, summation in the right-hand side of Theorem \[Th:Main\] for the $\name{char}_M(t)$ is performed over the set of nodal sufraces with boundary $H = H_1 \cup \dots \cup H_m$ where the irreducible components $H_1, \dots, H_s$ are either cycle polyhedra or chain polyherda.
The weight $W_P(H)$ of a polyhedron is equal to the product of the weights of the faces. The weight of a triangular face $pqr$ where $pq$ is the first internal edge, $pr$, the second, and $qr$, a boundary edge, is equal to $c_{pqr} \langle \alpha_{[pq]}, e_{[pr]}\rangle$. So, the second factor is equal to $1$, $-{\varphi}_{pq}$, $-{\varphi}_{pr}$ or ${\varphi}_{pq} {\varphi}_{pr}$ depending on how the edges $pq$ and $pr$ are directed. The weight of $H$ is $W_P(H) = W_P(H_1) \dots W_P(H_m)$.
Let $H_1, \dots, H_s$ be chain polyhedra with the initial edges $I_1(H),
\dots, I_s(H)$ and the terminal edges $T_1(H), \dots, T_s(H)$, and $H_{s+1}, \dots, H_m$ be cycle polyhedra. The determinant in is equal to $\det G(A_{H^I},E_{H^T})$ where $H^I {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\name{ess}_1(H) \setminus \{I_1(H), \dots, I_s(H)\}$ and $H^T {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\name{ess}_1(H) \setminus \{T_1(H), \dots, T_s(H)\}$. In particular, if the determinant is nonzero, then $e_i, i \ne I_1(H), \dots, I_s(H)$, as well as $\alpha_j, j \ne T_1(H), \dots, T_s(H)$, are linearly independent. According to Section \[SSec:MTree\], this implies that the graphs $H^I$ and $H^T$ are mixed forests.
Thus, equation for the case considered looks as follows: if $M$ is the level 2 Laplacian then $\name{char}_M(t) = \sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k
\mu_k t^k$ where $$\label{Eq:Level2Interm}
\mu_k = \sum_{\substack{H \in \name{\mathcal{CP}}_{n,k}\\H^I \text{ and }
H^T \text{ are}\\ \text{mixed forests}}} \prod_{\substack{\Phi \text{ is}\\
\text{a face of }H, }} c_{v_3(\Phi)v_1(\Phi)v_2(\Phi)} \langle
\alpha_{[s_1(\Phi)]}, e_{[s_2(\Phi)]}\rangle \times \det G(A_{H^I},E_{H^T})$$ The determinantal term in can be simplified using Lemma \[Lm:OrthComp\]: $$\begin{aligned}
(\det G(A_{H^I},E_{H^T}))^2 &= \angle(\langle A_{H^I}\rangle, \langle
E_{H^T}\rangle) \cdot \det G(A_{H^I},A_{H^I}) \det
(E_{H^T},E_{H^T})\nonumber \\
&= \angle(\langle A_{H^I}\rangle^\perp, \langle E_{H^T}\rangle^\perp) \cdot
\det G(A_{H^I},A_{H^I}) \det (E_{H^T},E_{H^T})\nonumber\\
&\begin{aligned}
&=\frac{\det G(A_{H^I}',E_{H^T}')^2}{\det G(A_{H^I}',A_{H^I}') \det
G(E_{H^T}',E_{H^T}')} \\
&\hphantom{\det G(A_{H^I}',A_{H^I}')}\times \det G(A_{H^I},A_{H^I}) \det
(E_{H^T},E_{H^T});
\end{aligned}\label{Eq:Dual}
\end{aligned}$$ here $\langle X\rangle$ mean the subspace in $\Real^n$ spanned by $X$, ${}^\perp$ means an orthogonal complement, and $A_{H^I}'$, $E_{H^T}'$ are bases in $\langle A_{H^I}\rangle^\perp$ and $\langle E_{H^T}\rangle^\perp$, respectively.
By Lemma \[Lm:OrthComp\] the formula above is true for any choice of the bases $A_{H^I}'$, $E_{H^T}'$; below we describe orthogonal bases the most convenient for our purposes. For any graph $G$ denote by $\name{\mathcal
C}(G)$ the set of its connected components. Let $\name{\mathcal C}(H^I) =
\{H^I_1, \dots, H^I_s\}$ and $\name{\mathcal C}(H^T) = \{H^T_1, \dots,
H^T_t\}$; denote by $V_i^I \subset \Real^n$ and $V_i^T \subset \Real^n$ the subspaces spanned by the vertices of $H^I_i$ and $H^T_i$, respectively. Then $$\langle A_{H^I}\rangle^\perp = \bigoplus_{i=1}^s \langle
A_{H^I_i}\rangle^{\perp,V_i^I},$$ where the summands are pairwise orthogonal; the same is true for $E_{H^T}$.
Every $H^I_i$ and $H^T_i$ is either a tree or a graph with one cycle; choose a root in every tree component and denote it by $r_i^\alpha$ and $r_i^e$, respectively.
\[Lm:OCAlpha\] If $H$ is a tree with a root $r$, then the spaces $\langle
A_H\rangle^\perp$ and $\langle E_H\rangle^\perp$ have dimension $1$ and are spanned by vectors $b_H {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\sum_u u{\varphi}_{ur}$ and $f_H {\stackrel{\mbox{\scriptsize def}}{=}}\sum_u
u{\varphi}_{ru}$, respectively, where the summation is over the set of vertices of $H$, and $ur$, $ru$ are paths joining $u$ with $r$ and $r$ with $u$.
If $H$ is a graph with one cycle with monodromy $w \ne 1$ then $\langle
A_H\rangle = \langle E_H\rangle = \Real^n$.
Let $H$ be a tree. The spaces $\langle A_H\rangle$ and $\langle E_H\rangle$ are spanned by $n-1$ vectors in $\Real^n$; the vectors are linearly independent by Lemma \[Lm:QTree\]. Hence, $\dim \langle A_H\rangle^\perp
= \dim \langle E_H\rangle^\perp = 1$. Apparently, $(b_H,\alpha_{ij}) = 0$ and $(f_H, e_{ij}) = 0$ for any edge $ij$ of $H$, and the first statement follows.
The second statement follows from Lemma \[Lm:PQRCycle\].
The number of rows and columns of the matrix $G(A_{H^I}',E_{H^T}')$ is equal to the number of tree components of the graphs $H^I$ and $H^T$. If $H_i^I$ is a tree component of $H^I$ and $H_j^T$ is a tree component of $H^T$, then, obviously, $G(A_{H^I}',E_{H^T}')_i^j = (b_{H_i^I}, f_{H_j^T})
= \sum_{\Lambda \in L_{ij}} {\varphi}_\Lambda^2 n_\Lambda = M(H)_i^j$ (recall that $L_{ij}$ is the set of paths joining $r_j^e$ with $r_i^\alpha$ and $n_\Lambda$ is the number of vertices along the path $\Lambda$ that belong both to $H_i^I$ and $H_j^T$).
Lemmas \[Lm:OCAlpha\] and \[Lm:DetAA\] imply now that $$\begin{aligned}
\det G(A_{H^I},E_{H^T}) &= \det M(H)
\times \prod_{i=1}^s \prod_{\substack{(pq) \in H^I_i \text{ looks}\\
\text{away from } r_i^\alpha}} {\varphi}_{pq} \times \prod_{j=1}^s
\prod_{\substack{(pq) \in H^T_j \text{ looks}\\ \text{away from }
r_j^e}} {\varphi}_{qp} \\
&= \det M(H) \times \prod_{i,j=1}^s \prod_{\substack{(pq) \in H \text{
lies}\\ \text{in a path joining}\\ r_i^\alpha \text{ with } r_j^e}}
{\varphi}_{pq},
\end{aligned}$$ and Theorem \[Th:DetLevel2\] is proved.
Acknowledgements {#acknowledgements .unnumbered}
================
During the work the autor was generously supported by the RFBR grants 08-01-00110- “Geometry and combinatorics of mapping spaces for real and complex curves” and NSh-4850.2012.1 “Singularities theory and its applications”, by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) Scientific foundation grant 10-01-0029 “Graph embeddings and integrable hierarchies”, by the joint RFBR ans HSE grant 09-01-12185-ofi-m “Combinatorial aspects of integrable models in mathematical physics”, HSE Laboratory of mathematical research TZ 62.0 project “Math research in low-dimensional topology, algebraic geometry and representation theory”, and by the FTsP-Kadry grant “New methods of research of integrable systems and moduli spaces in geometry, topology and mathematical physics”.
I would like to thank A.Abdessalam and A.Bufetov for stimulating discussions and for introducing me to great examples of research in the field.
[9]{}
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| |
Note: This course and 100 hours of volunteer time in a hospital setting are required for students participating in a child life specialist internship placement. Students wishing to register for this course must first seek approval from Dr. Sharon Syc, Clinical Associate Professor.This course will present an overview of the theory, research and practice of the field of Child Life, including the skills, knowledge and requirements necessary to be nationally special needs and diverse abilities. Students will consider the personal experience of children and families as they negotiate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention in multiple helping systems, including early intervention, educational, social service, medical, community, mental health, and legal systems. An emphasis will be placed on under- standing and supporting children’s and families’ changing needs from a multicultural perspective and learning how to effectively communicate with, support, empower, and advocate for all families. Elements of effective family-professional partnerships are examined. Strategies for working with children and collaborating with families in various settings are emphasized. The course also details pertinent legislation affecting the education and well-being of children with special needs and diverse abilities. | https://www.erikson.edu/graduate-education/courses/c470-child-life-in-health-care-settings-history-theory-research-scope-methods-and-professional-issues/ |
Basic techniques commonly used in a Metallurgical Laboratory will be taught in this class. You will become familiar with metallography by sectioning, mounting, grinding, polishing and etching samples. These samples will be examined and photomicrographs obtained by using optical microscopes equipped with digital cameras. Various Microhardness and Macrohardness equipment will be used to demonstrate the strengths and limitations of the tests. Tensile Testing and Impact Testing will be performed on standard samples. Basic principles and sample demonstration on the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) will be covered. Hands on testing complimented by lectures on the basics of the tests will give a thorough overview of these procedures. This is the course you need if you learn by doing and could use an overview of Metallographic Lab procedures.
Powder Metallurgy for Additive Manufacturing, March 27-29, 2018
March 27, 2018 - March 29, 2018
Novelty, OH, 44073-0002, USA
Instructor: Dr. Howard Kuhn, Ph.D, FASM
Additive manufacturing (AM), also termed as "3-D Printing", is a digital manufacturing process, which uses 3-D design data to build objects by depositing material, usually layer upon layer. Often referred to as the third industrial revolution, the advancement of AM technologies has brought a revolutionary change in design, engineering and manufacturing processes. The rising popularity of AM across various industries has resulted in an exponential increase in demand for metal powders. Powder metallurgy (P/M) is a metal working process involving production of powdered metals and/ forming precision metal components from metal powders by compacting in a die. Materials now routinely processed by P/M include aerospace super alloys, low-alloy steels, and tool steels; some of which are virtually impossible to process by any other means. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the science and technology of both AM and P/M processes, the materials used in those processes, geometric flexibility, industrial applications and limitations.
Basics of Heat Treating, April 9-11, 2018
April 09, 2018 - April 11, 2018
Novelty, OH, 44073-0002, USA
Instructor: Mr. Gary Swiatek
Heat treating is considered the least understood, but most integral part of the manufacturing processes. An efficient heat treating process reduces the overall manufacturing costs associated with energy use, scrap, re-work, and quality issues. Heat treating is critical for your business and industry.
Heat Treating Furnaces and Equipment, April 12-13, 2018
April 12, 2018 - April 13, 2018
Novelty, OH, 44073-0002, USA
Instructor: Mr. Gary Swiatek
Heat treating is key to most manufacturing process, so the equipment used is just as important as the process itself. This course provides an overview of essential aspects associated with various furnace units used to heat treat metallic parts. For your benefit, the course will take place in the classroom as well as two guided factory tours. This will give you an inside view of the world of heat treating furnaces and equipment.
Advanced Metallographic Techniques, May 14-17, 2018
May 14, 2018 - May 17, 2018
Novelty, OH, 44073-0002, USA
Instructor: Mr. Natalio (Nat) Saenz, FASM
Learn basic and advanced metallographic techniques that will reveal the true microstructural characteristics of a wide range of materials. The theory and understanding of the proper selection of abrasives, lubricants, equipment, polishing cloths/pads and a basic understanding of chemomechanical polishing will be discussed. The course covers the preparation methods of most metals and alloys, composites, hard metals, ceramics and coatings. | https://www.asminternational.org/learning/courses/classroom |
Background {#Sec1}
==========
Aberrant DNA methylation is known as an essential factor for tumor initiation and promotion. Tumor cell genomes are generally characterized with region-specific hypermethylation and global hypomethylation; typically, the former occurs in promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes, and the latter is represented by hypomethylation in repetitive elements, such as LINE-1 \[[@CR1]--[@CR3]\]. In addition, several studies have reported an association between the level of global methylation of the peripheral blood leukocytes and the development of cancers, which suggests that metabolic conditions in cancer patients may induce aberrant DNA methylation systemically, not only in the primary organ \[[@CR4]--[@CR7]\]. Researchers in the epigenetics field conventionally consider aging and inflammation as initiators of aberrant DNA methylation \[[@CR2], [@CR8]\]. Methylation levels of many genes in healthy tissues alter with age \[[@CR8]--[@CR12]\], and aging is obviously related to tumor incidence, as a reflection of the mixture of complex exposures. Moreover, higher tumor incidence is also associated with various chronic inflammatory conditions, such as *H. pylori* (HP) gastritis and ulcerative colitis (UC), and previous reports suggest that the mechanisms of these associations can be through epigenetic alterations \[[@CR8], [@CR13]\]. In a colitis-induced mouse model, DNA hypermethylation was induced in low CpG regions called "DNA methylation valleys" \[[@CR14]\].
DNA methylation is also known for its relationship with nutrition. In particular, one-carbon metabolism, which is tightly linked to folate metabolism, involves the step in which the methyl group is added to the cytosine base \[[@CR15]\]. Our group previously observed a correlation between folate intake and methylation levels, and assessed interaction between SNPs related to one-carbon metabolism (such as MTHFR etc.) and its intake in Japanese healthy women \[[@CR15]\]. In that study, we measured global DNA methylation levels of peripheral blood cells by the LUMA method \[[@CR16], [@CR17]\]. Although local tissues can be used to evaluate the effect of local (and mostly direct) exposure to risk factors (such as smoking, alcohol and infection) on DNA methylation, we used peripheral blood cells to assess the influence of systemic exposure such as nutrition levels and the association with serum marker values. Of course, the significance of variation in the DNA methylation of peripheral blood cells for tumorigenesis is not as simple as methylation levels in local tissues, such as gastrointestinal mucosa; nevertheless, it is considered a reasonable method for measuring the systemic effect of an "epimutagen" \[[@CR4]--[@CR6], [@CR15], [@CR18], [@CR19]\].
Here, we focused on one of the most-used quantitative inflammation markers, CRP, and global methylation levels in peripheral blood cells. Since CRP is considered a disease marker for various diseases, including malignant tumors \[[@CR20]--[@CR24]\], the epigenetic effect of high-CRP conditions over the long term is a reasonable research question. In addition, our investigation included statistical adjustment of lifestyle-related characteristics, including folate intake, and examined statistical interaction by five one-carbon metabolism related-SNPs in the MTHFR, MTR, and MTRR genes. The study population was a well-characterized control group for a breast cancer case-control study in Japan, and validated methods were used to measure all variables. We consider that this study will contribute to understanding the mechanism by which systemic inflammation is associated with global DNA methylation, and of effect modification by individual folate-related factors.
Methods {#Sec2}
=======
Study subjects and data collection {#Sec3}
----------------------------------
Subjects were the control group of a hospital-based case-control study for breast cancer conducted from May 2001 to September 2005 at four hospitals in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Details of this study have been described previously \[[@CR25], [@CR26]\]. In this study, healthy female individuals were selected by medical check-up in either of four hospitals and confirmed to not have any cancer. Each subject was recruited as a control for a case matched by age (within 3 years) and residential area. After exclusion of subjects with extremely low or high total energy intake (\< 500 or 4000 kcal, respectively) or those without available DNA samples, 384 healthy Japanese women were included in the study.
Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire that included questions on the following: demographic and anthropometric characteristics, smoking habit, family history of cancer, physical activity, medical history, and menstrual and reproductive history. Dietary habits were investigated using a 136-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that was developed and validated in a Japanese population \[[@CR27], [@CR28]\]. Spearman's correlation coefficients between energy-adjusted folate intakes estimated from the FFQ and from dietary records were 0.35--0.50. Participants donated blood samples at the time they returned the questionnaire. Details of these protocols have been described previously \[[@CR15]\].
Laboratory analysis {#Sec4}
-------------------
Plasma CRP concentrations were measured by a commercial laboratory (LSI Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) using a latex-enhanced high-sensitivity assay on a BN II nephelometer (Dade Behring Marburg GmbH, Marburg, Germany). The intra-assay coefficient of variation from the quality control samples was 4.8% at 0.036 mg/dL.
Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood using a Qiagen FlexiGene DNA Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Global DNA methylation was quantified by Luminometric Methylation Assay (LUMA) \[[@CR16], [@CR17]\], which was described and validated for assessing small differences in our in-house testing \[[@CR15]\]. Briefly, after cleaving 300 nanograms of genomic DNA with either HapII + EcoRI or MspI + EcoRI in two separate reactions, the HpaII/EcoRI and MspI/EcoRI ratios were calculated by pyrosequencing-based quantification of (dGTP + dCTP)/dATP for each reaction. The HpaII/MspI ratio was then calculated as (HpaII/EcoRI)/(MspI/EcoRI), which corresponds to the proportion of unmethylated cytosine in CCGG sequences in the genome \[[@CR15]\]. Reproducibility of the assay for global methylation level was considered high (Total assay CV, 6.4%, which is always higher than intra- and inter- assay CV), suggesting that measurement errors were minimal.
In addition we focused on three genes, MTHFR, MTR, and MTRR, which are known to be involved in DNA methylation in one-carbon metabolism, and selected SNPs in consideration of the availability of functional information. Five polymorphisms in MTHFR (rs1801133 and rs1801131), MTR (rs1805087), and MTRR (rs10380 and rs162049) genes were genotyped by TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay (Applied Biosystems, USA). These protocols have been described in detail elsewhere \[[@CR15]\].
Statistical analysis {#Sec5}
--------------------
### Pre-analysis data processing {#Sec6}
Folate intake was adjusted for total energy intake using the residual method. Serum CRP concentration and folate intake was divided into quartile categories because inappropriate influence of outlier should be avoided and linear correlation could not be assumed for untransformed value.
### Adjustment for potential confounders {#Sec7}
The following variables were used for adjustment: age (continuous); body mass index (BMI, continuous); smoking (never smokers, past smokers, current smokers); alcohol drinking (non-drinkers, occasional drinkers, regular drinkers of \< 150 g ethanol/week, regular drinkers of ≥150 g ethanol/week); and physical activity in the past 5 years (no, 2 days/week, 3 days/week). Adjusted mean global methylation levels were calculated according to CRP categories and SNPs related to one-carbon metabolism using a multivariate linear regression model with covariates above. Subjects missing measurement data for at least one covariate were excluded from the multivariate analyses.
### Testing for linear trend and statistical interaction {#Sec8}
To test linear trends for mean CRP levels, regression coefficients (β) were calculated in the multivariable linear regression model using categories of each CRP level as ordinal variables. Log-transformed CRP was used in the model as a sensitivity analysis of linearity. To investigate statistical interaction by effect modifiers, subgroup analyses and tests for interaction (Wald test) were carried out with SNPs related to one-carbon metabolism and folate intake.
### General considerations {#Sec9}
Since the analyzed results are highly correlated with each other and considered to be too strict for exploratory research, statistical multiplicity was not adjusted. All *P*-values are two-sided, and those under 0.05 were considered significant. All statistical analyses were performed with SAS version 9.3 (SAS Institute, USA).
Results {#Sec10}
=======
The study population is the same as in our previous study of DNA methylation and folate-related factors \[[@CR15]\]. Briefly, mean age was 54.1 years (SD 10.3); mean body mass index was 23.0 (SD 3.2); smoking status was never 92.7%, former 2.1%, and current 5.2%; and drinking status was non-drinker 60.4%, sometimes 10.2%, \< 150 g/week 22.7%, and ≥150 g/week 6.8%. After the evaluation of CRP distribution, we excluded four subjects with CRP \> 0.5 mg/dL, which is an upper measurement limit of hs-CRP, because the possibility of acute inflammation could not be excluded. A total of 380 subjects was then used for analysis.
First, we investigated the crude association between serum CRP concentration and global DNA methylation (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}), but did not observe significant association (*P* for trend = 0.071). Next, we included potential confounders into the model. On adjustment for conventional lifestyle-related factors such as age, BMI, smoking, exercise, and drinking status, global methylation level was shown to be significantly increased by 0.43% per quartile category for CRP, and a trend test was statistically significant (adjusted model 1, *P* for trend = 0.011). Adjustment for BMI was considered to have the greatest influence on the coefficient of CRP (the coefficient changed from 0.28% to 0.42%, with *P* = 0.010 before/after BMI adjustment only). In addition, since we observed an association between folate intake and global methylation level \[[@CR15]\], we included folate intake into the model (Adjusted Model 2), but the CRP trend did not remarkably change from the previous model (*P* for trend = 0.010). As shown in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}, log-transformed CRP (a numerical, not a categorical variable) was associated with global methylation level, and total energy intake did not influence the association (*P* for trend = 0.011). The association was still observed (*P* for trend = 0.019) and at the upper limit of total energy intake of 3000 kcal. Details of models are shown in Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Table S1.Table 1Assessment of the association between serum CRP concentration and global methylation level with and without adjustment for life-style factors using the general linear model95% confidence interval95% confidence intervalVariableCRP (mg/dL)NEstimated mean methylation (%)LowerUpperβ^c^LowerUpper*P* value for trendCrude model0.002--0.01110169.769.070.30.012--0.0238970.269.570.90.024--0.0489370.770.071.30.049--0.4919370.469.871.10.28−0.020.580.071Log-transformed CRP0.25−0.070.560.123Adjusted model 1^a^0.002--0.01110070.169.071.20.012--0.0238970.769.671.90.024--0.0489271.470.372.60.049--0.4919271.370.172.50.430.100.760.011Log-transformed CRP0.420.070.780.019Adjusted model 2^b^0.002--0.01110070.068.971.10.012--0.0238970.869.671.90.024--0.0489271.470.272.60.049--0.4919271.370.172.40.430.100.760.010Log-transformed CRP0.420.060.790.021^a^Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), and drinking (non-drinker, sometimes, \< 150 g/week, ≥150 g/week). Estimates were calculated with average values of continuous variables^b^Adjusted by the factors in adjusted model 1 with folate intake^c^Average relative methylation difference per 1-category increase (included as a continuous variable)
Subsequently, we examined the statistical interaction by one-carbon metabolism related-SNP, folate intake and drinking status. As shown in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}, interaction between a polymorphism of MTHFR (rs1801133, known as C677T) and CRP was statistically significant (*P* for interaction = 0.046): the effect of CRP trend was significant in the CT/TT group (individuals with the minor allele T, *P* = 0.001), but no association was observed in the CC group (wild type). Although not presented in the table, the interaction was not significant (*P* = 0.109) when log-transformed CR*P* values were used instead of the CRP category, but the association was similar in the stratified analyses (β = 0.567, *P* = 0.005 in the CT/TT group; β = − 0.028, *P* = 0.932 in the CC group). Although no significant interaction was observed between the other SNPs and CRP status, one side of the divided subgroups showed significant *P* values in every analysis. Using Adjusted Model 2 in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}, we calculated adjusted estimates of global methylation levels stratified by CRP category. As shown in Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}, a monotonous increase with CRP category was clearly observed in the MTHFR CT/TT group, but not in the CC group. In addition, on stratification all of subgroups by the single factors listed in Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}, alcohol drinkers in the CT/TT group showed the highest regression coefficient (β = 0.83, *P* = 0.007) for the association between DNA methylation and CRP level (Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}). A similar tendency was observed when using log-transformed CRP values.Table 2Assessment of interaction between serum CRP concentration and folate-related SNP/factors for global methylation levels95% confidence interval*P* value for trend\**P* for interaction\*Nβ\*^c^LowerUpperMTHFR (rs1801133)0.046 CT/TT2640.610.240.990.001 CC109−0.09−0.690.520.778MTHFR (rs1801131)0.735 CC/CA1270.36−0.170.890.186 AA2460.470.070.870.022MTR (rs1805087)0.627 GG/GA1200.34−0.190.860.206 AA2500.490.090.890.016MTRR (rs162049)0.599 AA/AG2610.480.100.860.013 GG1100.30−0.300.890.328MTRR (rs10380)0.423 TT/CT790.660.021.300.043 CC2920.37−0.010.740.054Drinking status^a^0.473 Non-drinker2230.33−0.080.740.118 Former/Current1500.560.061.060.028Folate intake^b^0.736 \< 340 μg/day1880.490.030.940.036 ≥340 μg/day1850.38−0.060.830.092\*Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), drinking (non-drinker, sometimes, \< 150 g/week, ≥150 g/week), and folate intake (quartile)^a^ Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), and folate intake (quartile)^b^ Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), and drinking (non-drinker, sometimes, \< 150 g/week, ≥150 g/week)^c^ Average relative methylation difference per 1-category increase (included as continuous variable)Table 3Adjusted estimates for mean methylation level stratified by quartile of serum CRP concentration95% confidence intervalMTHFR (rs1801133)CRP (mg/dL)NEstimated mean methylation (%)^a^LowerUpperCT/TT0.002--0.0117369.868.771.00.012--0.0235970.569.271.70.024--0.0486371.470.172.70.049--0.4916971.670.472.8CC0.002--0.0112770.468.972.00.012--0.0233071.369.872.80.024--0.0482971.369.872.80.049--0.4912370.168.471.8^a^Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), drinking (non-drinker, sometimes, \< 150 g/week, ≥150 g/week), and folate intake (quartile). Estimates were calculated with average values of continuous variablesTable 4Assessment of interaction between serum CRP concentration and drinking status in global methylation levels in the MTHFR CT/TT group95% confidence interval95% confidence intervalMTHFR (rs1801133)Drinking statusCRP (mg/dL)NEstimated mean methylation (%)^a^LowerUpperβ^ab^LowerUpper*P* value for trend^a^CT/TTNever0.002--0.0114369.567.971.00.012--0.0233370.568.972.20.024--0.0484371.269.772.70.049--0.4914570.669.072.10.41−0.070.900.094Log-transformed CRP0.28−0.250.810.307Former/Current0.002--0.0113070.468.971.90.012--0.0232670.368.672.00.024--0.0482071.269.373.10.049--0.4912472.871.174.60.830.231.440.007Log-transformed CRP0.880.261.500.006^a^Adjusted by age, BMI, smoking (never, former, current), exercise (none/week, 1--2 times/week, ≥3 times/week), folate intake (quartiles). Estimates were calculated with average values of continuous variables^b^Average relative methylation difference per 1-category increase (included as continuous variable)
Graphical representation of the association of CRP and global methylation is shown in scatter plots (Fig. [1a](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}) of the results in the CT/TT group stratified by BMI, which is potentially the strongest confounder in the data analysis summarized in Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"} and Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Table S1. Removing individual covariates from the model produced the greatest change in the CRP correlation coefficient after removing BMI. As shown in Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}, a weakly positive correlation was observed for the MTHFR CT/TT and BMI \< 22.6. The cutoff was the median BMI. Correlation coefficients for CRP were similar those shown above. When the subjects were limited to the former/current drinkers only, the correlation was stronger (Fig. [1b](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Additionally, we also measured serum HP antibody and pepsinogen levels, which directly reflect current/former chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa due to infection, and investigated their association with global methylation levels with and without adjustment by CRP concentration. Results are summarized in Additional file [2](#MOESM2){ref-type="media"}: Table S2. Briefly, HP positivity (defined by an antibody level ≥ 10 U/ml) and pepsinogen positivity (defined by a pepsinogen I level \< 70 ng/mL and pepsinogen I/II ratios ≤3.0 U/ml) were not significantly associated with global methylation either with or without adjustment. CRP was still associated with global methylation even with these variables (*P* = 0.009).Fig. 1**a** Scatter plots for the correlation between CRP and global methylation in the CT/TT group stratified by the median of BMI. The scale of CRP was log-transformed. Formulas are calculated by single regression with natural logarithm of CRP and intercept. **b** Scatter plots for the correlation between CRP and global methylation in the CT/TT and former/current drinker group stratified by the median of BMI
Discussion {#Sec11}
==========
The study results show that serum CRP concentration was positively correlated with the global DNA methylation level of peripheral blood leukocytes. As mentioned in the introduction, it is widely known that chronic inflammation caused by infection or other factors is associated with aberrant DNA methylation, followed by cancer development \[[@CR8], [@CR13]\]. With respect to gastrointestinal inflammation, a potential association reported is that of the activation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species with an increase in the expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) \[[@CR29], [@CR30]\]. However, as DNA methylation increased by only 0.43% per quartile category for CRP in this study, the association should be considered weak even though it was significant. Few studies have assessed the association of methylation of peripheral leukocytes and CRP, but they reported no association between global LINE-1 methylation level and CRP \[[@CR31], [@CR32]\]. Thus, our finding needs to be interpreted with caution, especially because they can be explained by differences in white blood cell population \[[@CR33]\]. Nevertheless, the SNP-and alcohol-associated interactions shown in Tables [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"} and [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"} indicate that the association we observed cannot be explained by these differences only.
Interestingly, we found that MTHFR genotype appears to modify the statistical association of CRP with global DNA methylation. The missense rs1801133 polymorphism (p.Ala222Val) in the MTHFR gene is known to affect enzyme activity, and its heterozygote CT and homozygotes TT have only around 65% and 30% of normal activity, respectively \[[@CR34]\]. The loss of activity of MTHFR can lead to lower DNA methylation level through a dysfunction of conversion of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5,10-MTHF) to 5-methyltetorahydrofolate (5-MTHF), which is a methyl donor for DNA methylation \[[@CR35]\]. In a previous study, the MTHFR TT homozygote showed a lower methylation level when plasma folate level was low, whereas a significant positive correlation was not observed in the wild-type group (CC homozygote) \[[@CR19]\]. That report also showed that MTHFR wild-type individuals maintain high methylation levels no matter how low plasma folate levels are. These findings suggested that variation in MTHFR activities can augment the variation of DNA methylation induced by other DNA methylation determinants ("epimutagens"). In our previous study, alcohol intake modified the association between folate intake level and global methylation level \[[@CR15]\]. Alcohol consumption interferes with folate metabolism, which in turn disturbs methyl DNA synthesis. This suggests that modification of folate metabolism varies the regulation of DNA methylation by other epigenetically effective factors. With respect to the influence of alcohol, although there are some reports stating that excessive intake of alcohol is associated with peripheral blood global hypermethylation \[[@CR36], [@CR37]\], we did not observe a clear association between these aspects in our studies (15 and this study).
Regarding an association with diseases, a decrease in MTHFR activity does not necessarily facilitate cancer development. Zhou et al. reported that the homozygote of the minor allele of the rs1801133 polymorphism of the MTHFR (TT) gene was associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk \[[@CR38]\], and low folate and high alcohol intake was more harmful for colorectal cancer incidence in the MTHFR wild type (CC) group than in TT group \[[@CR39]--[@CR44]\]. On the contrary, TT mutation was reported to be a risk factor for breast cancer incidence, and the association was strengthened by low folate intake or high alcohol intake \[[@CR45]--[@CR50]\]. In our present study, the MTHFR CT/TT group showed a stronger association between DNA methylation and CRP level than the other groups, particularly with alcohol consumption (Tables [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}, [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"} and [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}). This suggests that different regulation patterns of DNA methylation (determined by MTHFR mutation, inflammation, alcohol consumption, folate intake etc.) are associated with different risks of disease. Although regulation of DNA methylation and its consequences are not monotonous, these past and our present findings suggest that the effects of potential epimutagens differ among individuals depending on genetic and other environmental status.
In addition, BMI had a strong influence as a confounding factor in this study. The background pertaining to confounding by BMI is considered as follows: there is an intermediate correlation between BMI and CRP, with the coefficient R being 0.265 (*P* \< 0.001), and BMI is negatively correlated with global methylation, as shown in Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}: Table S1. There are some reports stating that global DNA methylation is negatively correlated with numerical indicators of obesity, including BMI; this is consistent with our findings \[[@CR51], [@CR52]\].
Limitations of this study are as follows. First, since the study was conducted under a cross-sectional design, we cannot elucidate the causality of the observed associations. Second, although serum CRP concentration is an established predictive factor for many kind of diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases \[[@CR21]--[@CR24], [@CR53]\], particularly when assayed by the high-sensitivity method (see Materials and Methods), it is easily changed by acute infection or other cause of inflammation. To avoid misclassification and weakened associations, serum CRP concentration should ideally be measured in the steady state. Third, repeated comparisons for multiple subgroups were performed, which might have led to over-fitted and false-positive results by chance. Several associations we observed can be considered weak in spite of their statistical significance. As we did not investigate white blood cell population, change with systemic inflammation cannot be excluded. Finally, sample size was limited, and the study lacks sufficient statistical power to detect small effects and statistical interaction.
Conclusion {#Sec12}
==========
Overall, our study suggests that systemic inflammation suggested by higher serum CRP is weakly associated with the global DNA hypermethylation of peripheral blood leukocytes. However, this association was more clearly seen among individuals carrying the minor allele of the MTHFR rs1801133 missense SNP (known as C677T), which has been shown to have induce reduced enzymatic activity and to cause global hypomethylation when folate level is low. Our results and previous findings also suggest that global DNA methylation is determined by many factors, including folate level, degree of systemic inflammation, metabolic status, and food and beverages intake, and that these items interact in a complex way. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions between acquired and genetic factors is critical to the realization of "tailor-made cancer prevention".
Additional files
================
{#Sec13}
Additional file 1:**Table S1.** Details of the models for the assessment of CRP and global methylation in all subjects. (DOCX 19 kb) Additional file 2:**Table S2.** Assessment of association between HP infection and global methylation levels with/without adjustment with life-style factors, folate intake and serum CRP concentration. (DOCX 20 kb)
BMI
: Body mass index
CRP
: C-reactive-protein
HP
: *H. pylori*
LUMA
: Luminometric Methylation Assay
**Electronic supplementary material**
The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4089-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Hiroe Ono for conducting the DNA methylation assay, and Dr. Hiromi Sakamoto for her helpful advice on this assay. We also thank Ms. Yoko Odaka and Misuzu Okuyama for technical assistance.
Funding {#FPar1}
=======
This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for the Third Term Comprehensive Ten-Year Strategy for Cancer Control (H18-3jigan-ippan-001 and H21-3jigan-ippan-002, S Tsugane) and for the Research on Applying Health Technology from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (H23-jitsuyoka(gan)-ippan-002, T Yoshida and M Iwasaki); by the Program for Promotion of Fundamental Studies in Health Sciences of the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO) (10--41, T Yoshida); and by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant for Research on the Risk of Chemical Substances from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (H14-shokuhin kagaku-015 and H17-kagaku-014, S Tsugane and M Iwasaki).
Availability of data and materials {#FPar2}
==================================
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
All authors were involved with the study concept and design. MI, YK, SY, HO, HN, RK, and ST participated in the acquisition of data. TY measured global DNA methylation level and genotyping. MN, MI, TY, and ST contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data. MN and MI conducted the statistical analyses and MN wrote the manuscript. All authors participated in the interpretation of results and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ethics approval and consent to participate {#FPar3}
==========================================
Written informed consent was obtained from 405 matched pairs. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of the National Cancer Center (2010--188) and the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (26-23), Tokyo, Japan.
Consent for publication {#FPar4}
=======================
Not applicable.
Competing interests {#FPar5}
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher's Note {#FPar6}
================
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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We constantly monitor the advice posted by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In particular we will always advise clients of any travel warnings. At present there are no warnings against travel to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan (Updated 17th May 2016). Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific concerns or would like to know in detail what measures are being taken to ensure visits remain trouble free and without incident.
It should be noted that this information applies to British citizens. Other nationals are asked to check the current position of their respective government.
Accommodation and Meals
Hotel Check-in Times
As a general rule most hotels will allow guests to check-in from 2pm. Please note that the price of your tour does not include guaranteed early check-in. Therefore please advise us if you would like to ensure that your room is available for an earlier arrival. This is particularly relevant on the first day of the tour and for early morning arrivals. One option is to pre-book and pay for an extra night at the beginning of your tour which will guarantee your accommodation is available irrespective of what time you arrive. Please contact us for information and costs.
It should also be noted that on many of our tours we have set-aside Day 1 of the itinerary as an ‘arrival day’. For this reason and because tour participants are likely to be arriving at different times, and often from different countries, guided sightseeing or other activities are not included. If you are arriving early or before the start date of the tour and would like to organise some extra arrangements on a private basis please contact us.
Accommodation Rating
At Undiscovered Destinations we know our travellers prefer to stay in comfortable, mid-range accommodation. With a few exceptions you can expect rooms to be en-suite, with private bathroom and when necessary air-conditioning will be provided. In general you will find your hotel has a restaurant and/or bar.
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The Government of Turkmenistan has introduced new legislation stating that smoking is prohibited in ALL public places, including streets, parks, and airports – in fact everywhere except specially designated areas (if any) in restaurants and hotels. Anybody spotted smoking will be taken to the nearest police station, where they may be kept for several hours before having to pay a fine of 300 manat (around £60). Those who refuse to go to the police station, pay the fine, or argue with police officers may end up being detained for up to 15 days. Anyone attempting to bring more than 40 cigarettes for personal use into Turkmenistan will be fined 500 manat (around £100).
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The daily meal basis is shown in the tour itinerary; breakfast (B), lunch (L) and dinner (D). Please note that lunch may be a picnic. Drinks are not included and will be payable locally in cash.
Dietary Requirements
If you have any special dietary requirements you must notify us at the time of booking. While we will make every effort to cater for you, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.
Budgeting for your Tour
You will need some extra money to cover meals and drinks not included in the tour price, any optional sightseeing, souvenirs and items of a personal nature such as laundry.
Food
The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.
Lunch $4-8
Dinner $8-10
Drinks
The prices for drinks can vary greatly depending upon location and the prices detailed below are an average guide. In general you would expect that drinks purchased in a supermarket or local bar to be less expensive, whilst drinks in an upmarket bar or restaurant may be more expensive.
Bottle of Beer $2-3
Water (Large bottle 1.5 L) $1
Tipping – Guide and Drivers
Tipping is common practise in Central Asia. If your local guide has been helpful then you could think about tipping. If you are travelling on our group tour, a reasonable amount to allow would be around $3-4 per person per day for the guides and around $2 per person per day for the driver.
Foreign Exchange
ATM Availability: ATM machines are not widely available
Credit and Debit Card Acceptance: Cards are not widely accepted
Local Currency: The currency in Uzbekistan is the Som. In Tajikistan it is the somani, and in Turkmenistan it is the Manat
Recommended Currency for Exchange: US dollars – these should be crisp and free from any marks as many places will not accept them otherwise
Where to Exchange: Your guide will advise you
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Most nationalities including UK, US and EU, require a multiple entry visa for Uzbekistan for this tour. Before visiting the embassy you will need to complete an online visa application via this link- http://evisa.mfa.uz/evisa_en/ . When you apply at the embassy you should present the downloaded visa application plus one copy, 2 professional passport sized photos on a white or grey background, and your passport with a copy of the ID page and a copy of every page containing a visa or stamp. While some nationalities including UK and US do not need official visa support before they can apply for their Uzbekistan visa, others will need a Letter of Invitation, and this will be provided by Undiscovered Destinations as required.
Most nationalities require a visa for Turkmenistan and for this tour you should arrange this prior to travel. A Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan will be required which will be provided by Undiscovered Destinations.
Most nationalities require a visa for Tajikistan and an "e visa" is now available for many. Please check the website http://www.tajembassy.org.uk/consular-section/visa-enquires. A Hotel Voucher and a Letter of Invitation may be required and these will be provided by Undiscovered Destinations.
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For specific information about the requirements for your destination please check with the country’s embassy or consulate. Alternatively UK citizens can visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
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We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor’s surgery or a specialist travel clinic for up-to-date information and advice regarding the necessary vaccinations. For a visit of less than one month, almost certainly you will be advised to have immunisations against the following: Diphtheria and Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Meningitis.
It is VERY IMPORTANT that you are aware that any form of pills and medication will be carefully scrutinised at border crossing points, in particular by the Uzbekistan border guards. If you are travelling with prescribed medication you should take a letter from your doctor and a prescription with you, which make it clear that you are legally permitted to take the items- this also applies to items such as sleeping tablets.
A list of prohibited drugs as classified by the Uzbek authorities can be found here - http://uzbekistan.travel/en/list-of-prohibited-drugs/
Preparing for your tour
Climate
The region can be bitterly cold in its winter months and fiercely hot during July and August. The best time to visit is generally accepted to be from May to June, and September to November.
Clothing
When it comes to clothing it is usually recommended that lighter clothes are worn through the day, and warmer ones at night- you will definitely need warmer clothing for the time spent at Lake Iskander Kul and in the Fann Mountains. It is also advisable to wear a hat during the day to protect from the sun. You should make sure that you bring a waterproof jacket for any rainy days. As Uzbekistan is conservative in terms of dress codes you should make sure that you bring a few outfits that are suitable for entering mosques and religious buildings – long sleeves and trousers / long skirts are a good idea.
Equipment
The first thing on your list should be a first aid kit. Whilst there is no undue cause for alarm, travellers are best advised to travel well-prepared: adequately immunized, with sufficient supplies of prescription drugs, along with a medical kit. Suncream/sunblock is a must. Insect repellent, including a bite spray will also be useful to have.
Footwear
Footwear is a main priority on this tour. Comfortable walking shoes/boots are recommended.
Luggage on tour
Your luggage should not exceed 20kgs (44lbs). One large suitcase/rucksack, and one small hand luggage sized rucksack is acceptable. Please note that you will be crossing land borders on this tour, so you may wish to take wheeled luggage; some border crossings can be lengthy.
Electric Supply & Plugs
Electrical supply is 220V and plugs usually have two round pins like most European countries. | https://www.undiscovered-destinations.com/holidays-guided-tours/uzbekistan/USR/notes.html |
The bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system has been repurposed for genome engineering, transcription modulation, and chromosome imaging in eukaryotic cells. However, the nuclear dynamics of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–associated protein 9 (Cas9) guide RNAs and target interrogation are not well defined in living cells. Here, we deployed a dual-color CRISPR system to directly measure the stability of both Cas9 and guide RNA. We found that Cas9 is essential for guide RNA stability and that the nuclear Cas9–guide RNA complex levels limit the targeting efficiency. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements revealed that single mismatches in the guide RNA seed sequence reduce the target residence time from >3 h to as low as <2 min in a nucleotide identity- and position-dependent manner. We further show that the duration of target residence correlates with cleavage activity. These results reveal that CRISPR discriminates between genuine versus mismatched targets for genome editing via radical alterations in residence time.
Introduction
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) bacterial acquired immunity system, as redesigned for application in eukaryotic cells, has become a powerful tool for genome editing (Jinek et al., 2012; Cong et al., 2013; Mali et al., 2013), gene expression modulation (Qi et al., 2013), and genomic DNA visualization (Chen et al., 2013; Ma et al., 2015, 2016). The CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)–guide RNA complex initially locates a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequence and a vicinal 10–12 nt seed sequence for complementarity, both of which are essential for DNA targeting and cleavage (Jinek et al., 2014; Sternberg et al., 2014; Jiang et al., 2015; Richardson et al., 2016). Biochemical studies suggest that structural reorganization of the Cas9–guide RNA complex and R-loop formation at the target are essential for DNA cleavage (Szczelkun et al., 2014; Rutkauskas et al., 2015; Sternberg et al., 2015; Jiang et al., 2016). Single molecule tracking in living cells revealed that the Cas9–guide RNA complex searches DNA by 3D diffusion with a dwell time of <1 s at off-target sites and established a lower limit of ∼5 min for on-target residence time (Knight et al., 2015).
However, the true on-target dwell time of Cas9–guide RNA and its influence on CRISPR activity in living cells remain unknown. Here, we have investigated the intranuclear assembly and target-binding dynamics of the Cas9–guide RNA complex in live cells and have found that target residence time highly correlates with cleavage activity.
Results
Visualization of Cas9, guide RNA, and DNA target in living cells
In previous studies, either nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9) from Streptococcus pyogenes was tagged with fluorescent proteins for live cell tracking (Chen et al., 2013; Ma et al., 2015), or RNA aptamers were inserted into the guide RNA to recruit fluorescent protein-fused binding partners for visualization of DNA targets (Ma et al., 2016). In this study, we directly labeled both dCas9 and the guide RNA to track their assembly and target-site interrogation. The system we designed is diagrammed in Fig. 1 A, and a detailed description of its molecular components and strategic operation is given in the figure legend. The guide RNA carries the aptamer “Broccoli” (Filonov et al., 2014) so that one can convert it to a fluorescent RNA by adding a specific small molecule to the medium, which, after cellular uptake, forms a conjugate with the guide RNA’s aptamer that elicits the small molecule’s fluorescence (see also Fig. S1). The guide-Broccoli RNA is constitutively expressed via the U6 promoter, and its expression is reported by the coexpression of blue fluorescent protein (BFP) downstream via a constitutive phosphoglycerol kinase promoter. In parallel, the system employs a ligand-tunable destabilization domain (DD; Banaszynski et al., 2006) in addition to the Tet-On system to tightly control the expression of dCas9-mCherry. As the genomic target for interrogation by Cas9–guide RNA, we chose a repeated sequence uniquely situated in the subtelomeric region of the long arm of chromosome 3 (C3; Ma et al., 2016), which facilitated visualization of the complex at the target with a favorable ratio of foci signal/nuclear background. As shown in Fig. 1 B, DD-dCas9-mCherry and the C3-targeting guide RNA–2XBroccoli were colocalized on distinct foci (C3).
Cas9 is indispensable for guide RNA stability in living cells
To directly measure the Cas9 and guide RNA levels in living cells, we used FACS (Fig. 2 A). The results showed that the DD-dCas9-mCherry level was tightly controlled by the addition of doxycycline (Dox) and Shield1, whereas C3–guide RNA–2XBroccoli was not fluorescent until the cells were exposed to DFHBI-1T. Intriguingly, in the absence of DD-dCas9-mCherry, the level of fluorescent guide RNA was too low to be detected by either FACS or microscopy (Fig. 2, A and C) under similar BFP expression (Fig. 2, B and C), indicating that the guide RNA is extremely unstable in the absence of dCas9, which was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis (Fig. 2 D).
To investigate the stability of the dCas9–guide RNA complex, cell lines expressing C3–guide RNA–2XBroccoli and DD-dCas9-mCherry were treated with actinomycin D at a concentration that inhibits transcription by all three RNA polymerases. Approximately 50% of the guide RNA disappeared within 15 min, and the remainder declined over the subsequent 4 hours, whereas both BFP and Cas9 levels remained stable, confirming their expression and that of the guide RNA (Fig. 3, A and B). In additional experiments, we examined the effect of guide RNA–2XBroccoli with shorter guide sequences (i.e., 11, 6, or 0 nt in length) on the stability of the dCas9–guide RNA complex. As shown in Fig. 3 C (middle), stability decreased with the shorter guide RNA lengths.
Nuclear guide RNA concentration is a limiting factor for efficient DNA targeting
To understand how the stability of the guide RNA affects DNA interrogation, we compared the guide RNA containing a full-length tracrRNA (trans-activating CRISPR RNA) component (+85 nt) to guide RNAs with truncated tracrRNA components (+54 or +67 nt), which had been shown to be less stable (Hsu et al., 2013; Mekler et al., 2016). Reduced nuclear guide RNA–Broccoli signal and reduced foci signals were evident with guide RNAs with truncated tracrRNA components compared with the full-length one (Fig. 4 A). The expression levels of BFP and dCas9-mCherry were comparable in each condition, indicating that Cas9–guide RNA complexes with truncated tracrRNAs are less stable and result in inefficient DNA targeting. The level of nuclear C3–guide RNA–Broccoli, presumably reflecting the assembled Cas9–guide RNA complex, positively correlated with target binding as shown by foci brightness (Fig. 4 B and Fig S2). Hence, DNA interrogation by Cas9–guide RNA is limited by the guide RNA stability and assembly with Cas9 and is driven by the concentration of the assembled Cas9–guide RNA complex. Interestingly, with the two shorter guide RNAs, we observed a nucleolar localization of Cas9 (Fig. 4 A), raising the possibility that some dCas9 remains unassembled with these shorter guide RNAs and enters nucleoli where there is a high concentration of hundreds of small noncoding RNA species (Jorjani et al., 2016).
Target residence time determines guide RNA targeting efficiency
To understand how CRISPR complex interrogates true or mismatched target, we then used FRAP of GFP-dCas9 to measure the on-target residence time (Fig. 5, A and B). The residence time and the off-rate of the dCas9/C3-11–guide RNA complex on the C3 target were estimated to be 206 ± 4.5 min and 2.9 ± 0.1 × 10−4 s−1 (Fig. 5 C and Fig. S3). Complexes with mismatched guide RNAs at the seed sequence all displayed shorter residence times from one third to one hundredth on the target in an identity- and position-dependent manner (Fig. 5 C and Fig. S3). These results, obtained in live cells, show that even a single mismatch between the guide RNA and the target DNA significantly reduces the dwell time of the dCas9–guide RNA complex on the target. A mismatched guide RNA that had shorter target residence was also reflected in reduced overall foci brightness (Fig. 5, D and E). Purine-to-purine mismatches at position -5 away from the PAM previously were shown to result in loss of cleavage activities in all 46 guide RNAs examined (Doench et al., 2016). Here, we show that -5 (C) to G or A mutations, resulting in G to G or G to A mismatches, resulted in reduction of residence times to 7.4 ± 3.6 min or 1.4 ± 0.6 min, respectively (Fig. 5C). These results reveal that mismatches on guide RNA seed sequence reduce target residence time in an identity- and position-dependent manner, but not with respect to their proximity to the PAM site, at least as compared with the mismatches at the -5 or -3 positions.
The correlation between shortened residence time and lower target-binding efficiency was also observed when the guide RNA length truncated from 11 to 8 nt, and the residence time decreased from 206.0 ± 4.6 min to 25.3 ± 7.3 min (Fig. S4). This finding aligns with recent studies that guide RNAs 12 and 20 nt in length were comparable in transcription activation, whereas 1 of 8 nt had almost negligible activation (Kiani et al., 2015) because the residence time of transcription factors on the promoters has been shown to be correlated with transcription activation (Lickwar et al., 2012).
CRISPR cleavage activity is correlated with residence time
We then asked how the residence time on the target correlates with CRISPR activity. To directly visualize cleavage activity, target foci were labeled using pairs of guide RNAs, and loss of foci brightness caused by cleavage was monitored (Fig. 6 A). Truncated (11 nt; C3-11 for labeling only; Ma et al., 2016) and full-length (20 nt; C3-20 as cleavage competent) guide RNAs were simultaneously used together with nuclease-active Sp Cas9-3XGFP. Because the target is a repeated sequence, cleavage will be manifest by signal diminution and dispersal. Mutations in the C3-20 guide RNAs are predicted to result in variable degrees of cleavage. Intermediate degrees of cleavage will result in an increase in the number of foci with lower intensity, whereas higher levels of cleavage will result in loss of detectable foci altogether. When only C3-11 guide RNA (labeling competent, cleavage noncompetent) was used, four distinct target foci were detected, whereas no distinct foci were observed when the C3-20 guide RNA was coexpressed with C3-11 (Fig. 6, B and C). Mismatched guide RNAs that displayed shorter target residence times (Fig. 5 C) displayed less cleavage activity (Fig. 6, B and C; Fig. S5). The degree to which cleavage activity was impaired by each of the mismatched guide RNAs aligns with previously reported studies (Hsu et al., 2013). These results suggest that radical alterations of residence time occur when there are mismatches in the seed sequence, implying that in living cells, the Cas9–guide RNA complex acutely detects a true target DNA before executing the cleavage step.
Discussion
In the type II CRISPR-Cas system, Cas9 and guide RNAs assemble into a ribonucleoprotein complex and act as a single-turnover enzyme to cleave target DNA highly efficiently in vitro (Jinek et al., 2012; Sternberg et al., 2015). However, the cell’s microenvironment of Cas9, guide RNA, and the target might alter target recognition efficiency (Farasat and Salis, 2016; Fu et al., 2016). Here, we examined Cas9 and guide RNA’s intracellular location, level, and stability in living cells and their effects on RNP assembly for target recognition. We found that guide RNAs are extremely unstable in the absence of Cas9 or when the guide RNA has a truncated tracrRNA component. In the presence of Cas9, the guide RNA displayed two nuclear populations with half-lives of ∼15 min and ∼2 h, respectively (Fig. 3). We speculate that the former represents Cas9–guide RNA complexes roaming the nucleus, and the latter represents ones that are stabilized by DNA binding, either to targets or nontargets. The fact that the guide RNA is so unstable in the absence of Cas9 emphasizes the importance of expressing it at stoichiometric levels with respect to Cas9 in gene-editing studies. Conversely, the nucleolar localization of Cas9–guide RNA complexes under some conditions, as we have observed (Fig. 4 A) and also reported previously (Chen et al., 2013), suggests that attention must be paid in gene-editing endeavors to the possible sequestration of CRISPR machinery in this RNA-rich nuclear body.
It has not been well understood how the Cas9–guide RNA complex reaches targets within structurally organized chromatin environments. The genome contains a vast number of off-target binding sites for any given guide RNA (Kuscu et al., 2014; Wu et al., 2014), and these would be expected to attenuate free intranuclear diffusion of the Cas9–guide RNA complex, thus slowing the kinetics of the search process for the bona fide target (Farasat and Salis, 2016). These model studies suggested that the on-target cleavage activity would be increased and off-target binding would be substantially reduced when the genome size increases from the ∼50,000 base pairs of λ phage to ∼3 billion base pairs in the human genome. We find that increased nuclear Cas9 and guide RNA concentrations significantly enhance DNA targeting. Moreover, our finding that guide RNAs are extremely unstable in the absence of Cas9 means that achieving high and equal levels of both nuclear Cas9 and guide RNA will be essential for CRISPR efficiency, whether for editing, gene regulation, or chromosomal locus labeling.
In the type I CRISPR-Cas system, in vitro kinetics studies have shown that target recognition occurs through directional R-loop zipping from the PAM and that intermediate R-loops stall at mutations and collapse in a PAM proximity–dependent manner, resulting in shorter residence times at targets with mismatches closer to the PAM (Rutkauskas et al., 2015). Here, our in vivo measurements, with a type II CRISPR-Cas9 system, revealed that on-target residence time radically changes with single mismatches in the guide RNA seed sequence in a base identity- and position-dependent manner, but independent of PAM proximity. Specifically, the transversion mutation (C to A) reduced the residence time to a greater extent than the transition mutation (C to U), which agrees with the reported higher residual CRISPR activity of seed transition mutations than transversions (Hsu et al., 2013; Tsai et al., 2015). Moreover, we found that the distance of a mismatch from the PAM is not directly correlated with residence time and cleavage activity. We found that C to G or A mismatches -5 away from the PAM were more detrimental than ones at position -3.
In summary, our measurements of target residence times revealed the critical negative impact of certain mismatches in the seed sequence and their inverse correlation with cleavage activity (Fig. 7). Measurements of target residence time for mismatches at each position can thus be used in the rational design of optimal guide RNAs. It will be intriguing to examine whether new Cas orthologues (Hou et al., 2013; Ran et al., 2015; Zetsche et al., 2015) or S. pyogenes Cas9 variants with increased specificity (Kleinstiver et al., 2016; Slaymaker et al., 2016) sensitize target discrimination by altering residence times.
Materials and methods
Plasmid construction
The expression vector for dCas9-mCherry, 3XGFP from S. pyogenes was described previously, originally constructed from pHAGE-TO-DEST (Ma et al., 2015), and a DD was inserted into the N-terminal region. The guide RNA expression vector was based on the pLKO.1 lentiviral expression system (Addgene), in which TetR-P2A-BFP (Addgene) was inserted right after the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter, with sequences coding for the desired guide RNA, guide RNA–1XBroccoli, or guide RNA–2XBroccoli inserted immediately after the U6 promoter. To place C3-20 and C3-11 guide RNAs in the same plasmid, DNA sequences for the U6 promoter-C3-11 guide RNA were amplified by PCR and cloned downstream of the U6–guide RNA cassette, and then C3-20 or the other guide RNA mutants were cloned into the same vector. The rapid guide RNA expression plasmid construction protocol was described previously (Ma et al., 2015). Details on the Cas9s and guide RNAs used in this study are given in Table S1.
Cell culture and transfection
Human osteosarcoma U2OS cells (ATCC) were cultured on 35-mm glass-bottom dishes (MatTek Corporation) at 37°C in DMEM (Thermo Fisher Scientific) containing high glucose and supplemented with 10% (vol/vol) FBS. For transfection, typically 200 ng of dCas9-mCherry or dCas9-3xGFP plasmid DNA and 1 µg of total guide RNA plasmid DNA indicated were cotransfected using Lipofectamine 2000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific), and the cells were incubated for another 24–48 h before imaging. For actinomycin D (Thermo Fisher Scientific) treatment, cells were seeded in 6-well plates in medium containing 2 µg/ml doxycycline (Sigma-Aldrich) and 0.5 µM Shield1 (Takara Bio Inc.). After 2 d, actinomycin D (Sigma-Aldrich) was added at 10 µg/ml at the indicated times before FACS analysis. For Fig. 6 B and Fig. S5, cells were transfected for 24 h and fixed in 4% formaldehyde for 10 min before capturing images.
Lentivirus production and transduction
HEK293T cells were maintained in Iscove’s Modified Dulbecco’s Medium (Thermo Fisher Scientific) containing high glucose and supplemented with 1% GlutaMAX (Thermo Fisher Scientific), 10% FBS (Hycolne FBS; Thermo Fisher Scientific), and 1% penicillin/streptomycin (Thermo Fisher Scientific). 24 h before transfection, ∼5 × 105 cells were seeded in 6-well plates. For each well, 0.5 µg of pCMV-dR8.2 dvpr (Addgene) and 0.3 µg of pCMV-VSV-G (Addgene), each constructed to carry HIV long terminal repeats, and 1.5 µg of plasmid containing the gene of interest were cotransfected by using TransIT transfection reagent (Mirus) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After 48 h, the virus was collected by filtration through a 0.45-µm polyvinylidene fluoride filter (Pall Laboratory). The virus was immediately used or stored at -80°C. For lentiviral transduction, U2OS cells maintained as described in Cell culture and transfection were transduced by spinfection in 6-well plates with lentiviral supernatant for 2 d and ∼2 × 105 cells were combined with 1 ml lentiviral supernatant and centrifuged for 30 min at 1,200 g.
Flow cytometry
Cells expressing the desired fluorescent Cas9 and/or guide RNA were selected by fluorescence-activated sorting (FACSAria cell sorter; BD) or analyzed on an LSR II cytometer (BD). All data were processed with FlowJo software (Tree Star). Both the FACSAria cell sorter and LSR II cytometer were equipped with 405-, 488-, and 561-nm excitation lasers, and the emission signals were detected by using filters at 450/50 nm (wavelength/bandwidth) for BFP, 530/30 nm for Broccoli or GFP, and 610/20 nm for mCherry. Single cells were sorted onto individual wells in 96-well plates containing 1% GlutaMAX, 20% FBS, and 1% penicillin/streptomycin in chilled DMEM medium. For the Broccoli signal analysis, 5 µM DFHBI-1T was added before FACS.
FRAP and fluorescence microscopy
A microscope (DMIRB; Leica Biosystems) was equipped with an EMCCD camera (iXon-897D; Andor Technology), mounted with a 2× magnification adapter and 100× oil objective lens (NA 1.4), resulting in a total 200× magnification equal to a pixel size of 80 nm in the image. The microscope stage incubation chamber was maintained at 37°C. A custom-built FRAP module was inserted between the fluorescent lamp and the microscope body, with a motorized translating mirror (Leica Biosystems) used to switch between imaging and FRAP mode. The FRAP module used a 488-nm laser (Obis; Coherent) set to 20 mW output power and created a diffraction limited spot of roughly 800 nm in diameter. The laser was fiber coupled (Pointsource; Qioptiq) and collimated out of an FC connector using a 30 mm focal length lens and projected into the sample with a 200 mm focal length lens and the microscope’s excitation tube lens and objective (Leica Biosystems). The FRAP module was controlled through a custom-built mechatronic assembly consisting of a fast linear actuator (Everest), DC motor driver (MCP Technology Systems), custom electrical circuitry, and 3D-printed adapters. The guide RNA used was 11 nt in length to achieve the necessary high signal/noise ratio for live-cell imaging as compared with one of 20 nt in length (Ma et al., 2016). Our use of a guide RNA with an 11-nt seed was also based on the facts that a guide RNA with a 10-nt seed sequence forms a stable Cas9–guide RNA–DNA target ternary complex in vitro (Richardson et al., 2016) and that a guide RNA with a 12-nt seed region determined the Cas9–guide RNA targeting specificity (Larson et al., 2013). The C3 target and its immediate periphery were bleached for 5 s, and the postbleach images were acquired up to 4 h as necessitated by the recovery times being observed in experiments with the various guide RNAs. GFP was excited with an excitation filter at 470/28 nm (Chroma Technology Corp.), and its emission was collected using an emission filter at 512/23 nm (Chroma Technology Corp.). Imaging data were acquired by MetaMorph acquisition software (Molecular Devices). Thresholds were set on the basis of the ratios between nuclear focal signals to background nucleoplasmic fluorescence. For fixed cells in Fig. 5, cells were imaged by using a custom-built, single-molecule, real-time microscope as previously described (Grünwald and Singer, 2010; Ma et al., 2016). In brief, imaging was performed on a custom-built, dual-channel setup housing a 150× 1.45 NA oil immersion objective (Olympus) combined with 200-mm focal length tube lenses (LAO-200, cvi; Melles Griot). This produces an effective magnification of 167× and a 95.8-nm pixel. The emission is split in the primary beam path onto three electron-multiplying charge-coupled devices (Andor Technology): iXon3-897E, iXon-897D, and iXonUltra-897U. Emission filters (Semrock) are 460/60 for BFP, 534/20 for mNeongreen, and 600/37 for mCherry. Excitation of fluorescent proteins was with a 405-nm and 515-nm diode laser (Obis, Coherent) and a solid-state 561-nm laser (SE; Cobolt), and the intensity and on/off switching were controlled by an acousto-optic tunable filter (AA Opto-Electronics). In Fig. 6 B and Fig. S5, the step size in z-stacks was 160 nm, and the exposure time was 150 ms. Each z-stack series was 31 frames, and each image was obtained by a maximum projection of a z-stack series using ImageJ.
Image processing
The time series FRAP images were registered and analyzed by Fiji and then plotted using Origin 9.0 software (OriginLab). The images were first corrected for cellular movements by using the StackReg plugin (Thévenaz et al., 1998). All fluorescence intensities were corrected by background subtraction. Double-bleach correction was performed by using the fluorescence level from the whole nucleus as the indication of photobleaching. The first post bleach image was set to time 0, and the prebleach image was set to intensity 1. We fitted the FRAP curves based on the Diffusion-Uncoupled model (McNally, 2008) with a minor modification: where t is time, A1 is a constant to represent the highest recovery level, Φapp is the apparent bleached fraction, and koff is the dissociation rate.
Chromosome-specific repeats
Mining of chromosome-specific repeats was described previously (Ma et al., 2015). The chromosome 3–specific locus is situated in the subtelomeric region q29, having the identifier Chr 3: 195199022–195233876 in the human reference genome hg19 at the University of California Santa Cruz genome browser (http://genome.ucsc.edu).
RT-PCR analysis
Cells were treated as described in Fig. 2 D, and RNA was extracted with an RNeasy Plus Mini Kit (QIAGEN) and then subjected to RT-PCR using the following primers and probe (Integrated DNA Technologies) for C3–guide RNA–2XBroccoli: Forward primer: 5′-TGGGCTCTAGCAAGTTCAAATAA-3′; complementary to nt 55–78 of the RNA; Probe: 5′-ACTTGAGACGGTCGGGGTCCAGATA-3′; complementary to nt 94–118 of the RNA; Reverse primer: 5′-CCCACACTCTACTCGACAAGATA-3′; complementary to 144–122 nt of the RNA.
Online supplemental material
Figs. S1–S5 include the sequence and structure of C3–guide RNA–2XBroccoli, target interrogation related to the intranuclear Cas9 and guide RNA levels, target residence times from FRAP analysis, effects on residence time of shorter guide RNAs, and images of live-cell cleavage assay. Table S1 lists all guide RNA sequences used in this study.
Acknowledgments
We thank Rita Strack and Samie Jaffrey for the Broccoli aptamer. We thank Aviva Joseph for sharing her lentiviral transduction protocol, Bonginkhosi Vilakati for performing the RT-PCR analyses, and Ankit Gupta, Mehmet Fatih Bolukbasi, Yu-Chieh Chung, and Feng He for valuable discussions. We are also grateful to Erik Sontheimer and Scot Wolfe for critical input and comments on the manuscript.
This work was supported in part by the Vitold Arnett Professorship Fund, National Institutes of Health grant U01 DA-040588-01 and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association grant 16-LGCA-300 (H. Ma and T. Pederson), and National Institutes of Health grants 5 U01 EB021238-02 to D. Grunwald and R01 GM102515 to S. Zhang.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
References
Author notes
H. Ma and L.-C. Tu contributed equally to this paper. | https://rupress.org/jcb/article/214/5/529/38728/CRISPR-Cas9-nuclear-dynamics-and-target |
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Уразбахтина Ю.О., Малкова З.Р.
Уфимский государственный авиационный технический университет
РАЗРАБОТКА ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНОГО СЕРВИСА ДЛЯ МОНИТОРИНГА СОСТОЯНИЯ ЗДОРОВЬЯ И УРОВНЯ ФИЗИЧЕСКОГО РАЗВИТИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ УФИМСКОГО ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО АВИАЦИОННОГО ТЕХНИЧЕСКОГО УНИВЕРСИТЕТА
Аннотация
Статья посвящена обоснованию необходимости разработки интеллектуального сервиса для мониторинга здоровья и уровня физического развития студентов УГАТУ. Приводится анализ существующих критериев оценки показателей состояния здоровья и уровня физического развития студентов. Дается описание основных функций интеллектуального сервиса.
Ключевые слова: критерии оценки, физические возможности, индекс Руфье, работоспособность.
Urazbakhtina Yu.O., Malkova Z.R.
Ufa state aviation technical university, Ufa, Russia
DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLECTUAL SERVICE FOR MONITORING OF A STATE OF HEALTH AND LEVEL OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS OF THE UFA STATE AVIATION TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Article is devoted to justification of need of development of intellectual service for monitoring of health and level of physical development of students of USATU. The analysis of the existing criteria of an assessment of indicators of a state of health and level of physical development of students is provided. The description of the main functions of intellectual service is given.
Keywords: criteria of an assessment, physical ability, Rufe index, efficiency.
Introduction.
Interest in an assessment of a state of health of the student is caused by need of methodically competent choice of dispensing of physical activities for each concrete occupation according to observance of requirements of the program for physical training. Effective management of process of physical training in many respects depends on experience, the volume of knowledge and qualification of the teacher giving classes with this contingent.
In the eighties the XX centuries in special literature appeared the development concerning systems of an assessment of level of health and physical capacities of a human body for use in system of mass inspections of the population.
Physical capacities are directly connected with prospect of disclosure of specific physical features of the person, in them – the potential and prospects of a human body. Diagnostics of physical capacities of the person – one of the basic links making complex process of improvement.
Development of the system of an assessment of physical capacities of an organism of students of HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION is now an actual problem of physical training of this contingent as allows to improve functioning of those bodies and systems of an organism which have a reserve for development, and, therefore, influence improvement of a state of health of an organism.
Students of educational institutions are exposed to considerable and sometimes not controlled physical activities. Control of a state of health of students either is absent, or is limited by the small number of tests. At the same time, are known a large number of the functional tests allowing to estimate parameters of physical health of the person (PWC 170, a Harvard step test, Rufye’s test, the maximum consumption of oxygen, an assessment of variability of a warm rhythm, etc.). Stirs introduction of regular complex control of physical health of students some factors:
- Full implementation of all tests requires rather big time since different techniques demand to execute a certain type of loading.
- A little, the executed in a row physical activities, can distort result of tests.
- Some techniques estimate the same parameter (for example, working capacity) though include various mathematical apparatus and a set of physiological parameters.
As the solution of this problem creation of uniform system of quantitative objective methods the express of an assessment of physical health of the students who aren’t duplicating and not competing with each other, having the uniform, unified loading, and also the demanding minimum of available gages of physiological parameters can serve. Therefore the problem of development of the system of effective express methods and means of a condition of physical health of students is actual.
For the solution of an objective it was required to collect group of the methods meeting the following requirements:
- The objective quantitative assessment of physical health of the person has to be made.
- Gages have to be available in living conditions since the system has to be used further as means for self-checking of students at home.
- Methods have to provide the greatest information on various parameters of physical health of the person and not duplicate each other.
The carried-out analysis of methods of an asses-sment of physical health of the person, allows to conclude that a large number of methods estimate so-called operability of a human body. Such tests as PWC170 (physical working capacity concern to them at pulse 170 beats per minute), the Harvard Step Test (HST) and the Intensity of Accumulation of a Pulse Debt (IAPD), etc. Working capacity is understood here as ability of the person to execute loading with a certain power in a definite time. Thus the heart rate (pulse) at rest, after the dosed loading is usually measured and during rest. But different techniques have the approach to a working capacity assessment, for example, estimate a difference between loading and rest, the speed of regulation of pulse or compare pulse at rest to pulse after rest. Therefore it is impossible to expel them from system, it is necessary to concretize determination of that parameter of physical health which they receive at the exit.
Other group of methods estimates the organism adaptation to loading, adaptation and functional reserves. Here such tests as Rufye’s test, “20 knee-bends in 30 seconds”, ortostatichesky test, etc. enter. Here both physical, and gravitational loadings (change of position of a body) are applied. Thus pulse and arterial pressure that allows to estimate regulation of nervous and cardiovascular systems are measured.
Methods with a breath delay will help to estimate an oxygen exchange: tests to the Bar and Genchi. But thus it is necessary to define a threshold of the beginning of oxygen starvation as much as possible precisely.
The assessment of a vestibular mechanism is pos-sible by means of tests for coordination of movements (Romberg’s test, etc.)
Among other things for an assessment of speed of processes of aging it is necessary to use the technique of definition of biological age of the person developed by Institute of Gerontology of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. The biological age is an integrated indicator of “wear” of an organism in general.
The given a number of authors, our researches and practical experience testify that among simple and easily available indicators at students the most informative and closely correlating with the size of the maximum consumption of oxygen (MCO) are: “double work” – Double product; Сardiac power index (Rufye’s index); Quetelet index; Skibinsky’s index and power index of Shapovalova. These indexes are closely interconnected not only with MPK, but also a number of indicators of physical fitness (first of all with results of run on 1500 meters) and sharp respiratory incidence (feedback). As we see, the complex consists of five morphological and functional indicators having the most advanced stage of interrelation with installed power per employee of an organism and the level of the general endurance and it is offered by us for inclusion in system of an assessment of physical health of students of a different floor and age.
As, the offered five indicators are measured in different units, we applied by the principle of other authors (Rufye, M. A. Godik, G. A. Apanasenko, A.P. Shapovalova) the formalized assessment of each indicator in points
- Quetelet index = Body weight (g)/ body height (sm)
- Double product = (Heart rate (beats per minute) x Arteriotony) /100 (c.u.)
- Skibinsky’s index = (VC (ml) x Timed inspiratory capacity (sec)) / Heart rate (beats per minute)
- Power index of Shapavalova = (Body weight (g)/ body height (sm)) x (quantity of inclinations in 1 min / 60) (c.u.)
- Сardiac power index (Rufye’s index) = ((4 x (Р1 x P2 x P3)) – 200) / 10 (c.u.)
Except the general assessment of level of physical health, it is necessary to consider also estimates of each indicator as it gives the chance of definition of “weak places” of an organism of each student.
So low estimate of an Quetelet index can testify to insufficient food of the student or a poor development of muscles, or, on the contrary, to threat of obesity or obesity.
The low estimate of an index of Robinson (Double product) testifies to violation of regulation of activity of cardiovascular system.
At a low estimate of an index of Skibinsky it is possible to speak about insufficiency functionality of respiratory organs and blood circulation and the reduced resistance to a hypoxia.
Low estimate of the power index of Shapovalova, except a poor development of motive qualities – forces, speed and endurance, testifies to insufficient functionality of cardiorespiratory system.
Low estimates of an index of Rufye say about the insufficient level of adaptation reserves of cardiovascular and respiratory systems that limits physical capacities of an organism of the student.
The accounting of these data will allow the teacher of physical culture or the trainer to select the rational individually dosed improving and training motive mode that will give the chance to optimize processes of growth and development of an organism of the student, with great success to level negative influence of the high school mode and the organization of educational process and other negatively influencing environment factors.
The integrated characteristic of a state of health is the level of adaptation opportunities of an organism which considers both a homeostasis and functional reserves, and degree of tension of regulatory mechanisms. Therefore the level of adaptation opportunities of an organism can be quite used as criterion for an assessment of amount of health on this interval of time (health power) at primary screening.
The general resistance which is an indicator of its resistance to various influences which studying and definition of degree and levels of adaptation of an organism to conditions of environment allows to reveal a state of health in a transition period from norm to an illness is among the most important integrated functional characteristics of an organism and in due time to begin purposeful preventive actions.
Working capacity, and finally and health of the person is defined by his adaptation reserves which opportunities are closely connected with tension of physiological mechanisms and depend at most the operating factor and duration of influence (N. A. Agadzhanyan, I.V. Ruzhenkova, Yu.P. Starshinov with coauthors, 1997).
As a result of physiological researches of adults possibility of use of measurements of set of functional indicators of cardiovascular system as indicator of adaptive reactions of a complete organism of an indicator of risk of development of a disease at them is proved. Such approach is natural as the blood circulatory system is a link between all bodies and systems, between “the operating centers and the operated elements” (V. V. Parin, R. M. Bayevsky, M. D. Yemelyanov, etc., 1967; R. M. Bayevsky, A.P. Berse-neva, V. K. Vakulin, etc., 1987; R. M. Bayevsky, A.P. Berseneva, 1997).
Adaptive opportunities of an organism is one of its main properties, it is a stock of functional reserves which, being spent, support interaction between an organism and Wednesday (V.P. Kaznacheev, 1980; R. M. Bayevsky, A.P. Berseneva, 1997).
For determination of level of features of functioning of the blood circulatory system and adaptation opportunities of a complete organism it is accepted to count sizes of the adaptative potential (AP) in conventional units – points.
Now for definition of adaptation opportunities vario-us methods of a quality and quantitative standard are offered (R. M. Bayevsky, A.P. Berseneva, V. K. Vakulin, etc., 1987). The most wide recognition was gained by the principles and V.P. Kaznacheev’s (1980) approaches, both V. I. Svetlichna and S.G. Tusupbekova (1990) which cornerstone the concept about cardiovascular system, as the indicator of the general adaptive reactions and about anthropometrical indicators is as indicators of the physical status of an organism.
Authors entered concept of levels of adaptation which are the indirect characteristic of a condition of adaptation opportunities of an organism.
Distinguish “satisfactory adaptation”, “adaptation tension”, “unsatisfactory adaptation” and “adaptation failure”.
Level of adaptation is estimated on value of the adaptation indicator (AI) which calculation is made on R. M. Bayevsky’s method in A.P. Berseneva’s modification, etc. (1987) on the following formula:
AP (in points) = 0,011 (HR) + 0,014 (SAP) + 0,008 (DAP) + 0,014 (age, years) + 0,009 (body weight, kg) – 0,009 (length of a body, cm) – 0,27,
where HR – heart rate (beats per minute);
SAP – systolic arterial pressure (in mm of mercury)
DAP – diastolic arterial pressure (in mm of mercury)
Individual sizes AP are distributed on four degrees established for adults on the basis of criteria of efficiency.
It is quite easy to transform the system of diagnostics including all set of the offered criteria for an assessment of a condition of an organism to the computer program and to carry out the forecast of a condition of physical health individually for each student and on this basis to plan and choose the relevant activities for their improvement as non-drug means and to select training programs.
Current trend of development of methods of physical training of students are works on computer support of physical training of students of higher education institutions. Results of this work take root and used in higher education institutions of the Russian Federation , including as cloudy services. One of the directions of this work – automation of monitoring of a state of health and level of physical development of the studying youth.
It is planned to create system with the following main functions: carrying out complex testing of a state of health and level of physical development; quantitative and quality standard; issue of the general report on personal indicators of testing and recommendations about the program of their adjustment and development; delivery of results of testing of all examinees on separate tests; statistical processing of results of monitoring with issue of final reports in a graphic look; differentiation of access rights to system (administrator of system, user researcher, user examinee).
In system a number of the well-known techniques allowing to estimate an organism adaptation energy potential, biological age, level of the maximum consumption of oxygen and some other indicators of health and physical development of the person will be realized. The form of the integrated questionnaire considering the main aspects and features of activity of the studying youth will be developed for complex research of a state of health and level of physical development of students of higher education institutions by authors of work together with teachers of chair of physical training of USATU.
For carrying out the statistical analysis of a database of the integrated questionnaire the correlation matrix allowing to mark out the most significant two-dimensional dependences for the subsequent more detailed research will be used.
Conclusion.
Summing up the result told, it is possible to sum-marize that the system will allow to solve two main objectives.
- To give opportunity to any person quickly and anonymously (that it is very essential) to estimate a condition of the health and level of physical development, to receive recommendations about their improvement. Why it is important for youth? Experience shows that his attitude towards own health has no the expressed need to its preservation and strengthening youth when the person is full of strength also energy. However over the years the similar desire appears and increases. Overdue understanding of value of own health is dictated by the low level of awareness of the person on criteria of an assessment of the health and methods of its strengthening.
- The system will allow to create and accumulate an extensive database on various aspects of a state of health and level of physical development, a way of life of the studying youth, to carry out the statistical multidimensional analysis of the saved-up data allowing to plan and correct reasonably programs of physical training, improvement and physical development of students.
References
- Bogdanov V. M., Ponomarev V. S., Solovov A.V., Kislitsyn Yu.L. Educational multimedia complex on fundamentals of physical culture in higher education institution: manual. – Samara: Publishing house of STAU, 2007. – 328 pages.
- Apanasenko G. L., Popova L.A. Medical valueology / Series “Hippocrates”. – Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2000. – 248 pages. | https://research-journal.org/technical/development-of-intellectual-service-for-monitoring-of-a-state-of-health-and-level-of-physical-development-of-students-of-the-ufa-state-aviation-technical-university/ |
If you catch yourself huffing and puffing 15 minutes into a workout, that probably means you are low on stamina. But that does not mean you lack physical strength. Stamina is not about how much you can do, but how long you can do it for. In simple terms, it is about endurance. Stamina is very activity specific. So, if you want to be a long-distance runner, the workout you have to do will be very different from the routine needed for swimming. Each activity requires the strength of different muscles and, therefore, the training required will differ as well; which is why stamina cannot be generalized.
However, there are a couple of common rules one can use to create an effective endurance routine. Contrary to popular belief, building stamina is not about long workout sessions in the gym alone. It has to be done through a judicious mix of focused exercise routines and careful eating. The process takes time. Just like any other form of training, stamina building is a long and tedious process. Results won’t be achieved within a couple of days. A workout such as this calls for consistency. So, how do you build stamina? Here are some tips and tricks that could help. Incorporate the following points into your workout and you should have a well-balanced and effective routine. Other than the tips given below you will have to supplement your endurance workout with an activity specific workout.
Related Post : 10 Things That Will Make Your Workouts So Much More Effective
1. Shorter Intervals Reduce your rest time to get your body into the groove. By shortening your breaks your body starts to become aware of the levels it needs to climb to. If you do one set of crunches and one set of leg lifts, make sure you don’t take a break of for more than a minute between them. If your usual break is of a minute, start by decreasing it to 45 seconds.
Once you’re comfortable with that, reduce to half a minute and then keep shortening the interval time. Push yourself! Maybe the first time you reduce your break time you will fumble a bit. Don’t let that get you down. Work at your body and really push yourself. The aim is to work in as many exercises into a particular time period as is possible. By lessening your rest time you are teaching your muscles to work more efficiently for longer periods of time as opposed to them working in short spurts.
2. Mix it up Although it is mentioned above that your stamina is not dependent on your strength, stamina minus strength holds no good. A person may have strength but no stamina, but a person with stamina will have strength. Just doing endurance exercises (such as long distance running or cycling) for a session will not help you in reaching your goal. You must mix in strength building exercises, too. Without any strength training, your body will begin to lose muscle tissue. For example, along with long distance running do some weights and strength building exercises.
3. Dynamic workouts Your aim during your workout should be to make your entire body move. Stamina and endurance are all about your whole body being ready for a certain exercise or activity. The way stamina will increase is if your whole body gets a workout. Introduce items into your sets which utilize your entire body such as squats with weights. Isolated movements such as weight lifting will only strengthen a particular part of your body. Pull-ups, push-ups, squats, are all ways of making your whole body move. | http://coolgatething.me/how-to-increase-stamina-when-running-and-the-best-protein/ |
The transition to a market economy is expected to lead to environmental as well as economic improvement. In practice, realization of the expected gains may come slowly, especially for countries where economic reform and growth have lagged. This technical paper reviews progress in environmental trends since transition began. It looks at air and water pollution and health indicators in the region over time, in comparison with world-wide trends and in light of the environmental issues identified in the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe. As this study emphasizes, economic reform and commitment to introducing environmental regulations and programs are vital for reaching lasting environmental improvements. The report points to the solid progress achieved in the advanced reform economies and to the less encouraging trends in slower-reforming countries. In the latter group, pressures on the environment decreased somewhat during transition only as a consequence of declining economic activity, while persistent problems remained in environmental "hot spots" around high-polluting industrial centers. The report continues and builds on the World Bank's work in analyzing the environmental effects of transition, restructuring, and privatization with a view to identifying priority areas for investment and policy initiatives.
Details
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Author
Hughes, Gordon Lovei, Magda
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Document Date
1999/09/30
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Document Type
Publication
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Report Number
WTP446
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Volume No
1
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Total Volume(s)
1
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Country
-
Region
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Disclosure Date
2010/07/01
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Doc Name
Economic reform and environmental performance in transition economies
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Keywords
participatory assessment of policy reform;emissions of air pollutant;urban air quality management;efficiency of resource use;real gross domestic product;transmission and distribution network;efficient use of energy;impact of climate change;consumption of petroleum product;enforcement of payment discipline;contamination of drinking water;total number of vehicle;reduction in emission;primary energy consumption;hard budget constraint;gdp growth rate;price of coal;rural drinking water;infant mortality rate;world market price;purchasing power parity;ambient air quality;number of vehicles;large industrial consumer;international experiences show;real exchange rate;decline in agriculture;average energy intensity;real interest rate;cleaner production technology;water supply augmentation;restructuring of industry;cost of production;regulation of power;role of technology;collection of tax;water pricing experience;Maintenance of Irrigation;airborne particulate matter;burden of disease;surface water quality;children under age;form of tax;impact of water;dissolved oxygen levels;improving energy efficiency;hot air;educational classroom use;large urban areas;consumption of energy;amounts of energy;types of energy;consumption of coal;positive environmental effects;air pollution problem;Lead in Gasoline;implementation of reform;vehicle emission control;environmental protection efforts;blood lead level;cities in transition;social and environmental;Poverty & Inequality;economic valuation techniques;general price level;unit of output;speed of recovery;mental health problem;emission of dust;liberalization of control;source of fuel;wastewater treatment infrastructure;nominal interest rate;consumption of households;international finance statistic;burden of adjustment;vehicle emission requirement;effect of inflation;centrally planned economy;total energy use;total energy consumption;improvements in efficiency;household energy consumption;total suspended particulates;economic reform;hot spot;fuel use;water pollution;transition economy;Transition economies;sulfur dioxide;dirty water;emissions intensity;market economy;real gdp;economic stability;lead emission;environmental benefit;energy intensities;perverse incentives;industrial plant;Environmental Policy;leaded gasoline;motor gasoline;industrial restructuring;environmental issue;chronic bronchitis;market reform;heating plant;vehicle fleet;industrial sector;nitrogen oxide;environmental performance;environmental intervention;total emissions;Independent States;cleaner fuel;unleaded gasoline;health damage;industrial production;health status;environmental factor;environmental problem;Power Generation;heavy industry;industrial emission;Natural Resources;water bodies;sanitation infrastructure;air emission;economic recession;critical ecosystem;consumption decline;consumption base;severe recession;total consumption;municipal water;metropolitan area;fertilizer use;industrial activity;automobile ownership;price distortion;economic recovery;gas prices;ill health;pollution abatement;marginal impact;pollution load;enterprise sector;average price;urban income;institutional foundation;manufacturing industry;domestic sources;energy conversion;coal burn;environmental ministers;high pollution;industrial enterprise;transition country;stationary sources;public pressure;monetary cost;energy price;vested interests;agricultural enterprise;consumption increase;heavy metal;transition countries;productive sector;municipal building;small country;carbon dioxide;institutional factor;administrative support;motor fuel;small-scale enterprise;research assistance;solid fuel;environmental perspective;premature death;coal combustion;inefficient industries;price adjustment;heating sector;high-sulfur coal;metallurgical plant;environmental initiative;reform effort;study estimate;land degradation;policy strategy;international level;women's health;investment program;price control;market force;agriculture sector;business partner
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Language
English
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Major Sector
(Historic)Environment
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Sector
(Historic)Other environment
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Topics
Water, Energy and Extractives, Air Pollution, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, Health,
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Historic Topics
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Historic SubTopics
Health Care Services Industry, Pollution Management & Control, Air Quality & Clean Air, Hydrology, Energy Demand, Energy and Environment, Energy and Mining, Brown Issues and Health, Global Environment,
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ISBN
ISBN 0-8213-4564-8
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Unit Owning
Climate Policy & Finance (CPF)
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Originating Unit
Climate Policy & Finance (CPF)
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Version Type
Final
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Series Name
World Bank technical paper , no. WTP 446. Eastern Europe and Central Asia pollution management series,
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*The text version is uncorrected OCR text and is included solely to benefit users with slow connectivity. | https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/912191468770971515/economic-reform-and-environmental-performance-in-transition-economies |
Ensure secondary production activities (cylinders filling) and distribution, maintenance and operation of plants and machineries in compliance with Safety, Quality and Environments company standards company policies and local provisions.
Main responsibilities
- Ensure cylinders filling operations, coordination of the staff and control and validation of production in particular for medical gases
- Coordinate distribution service to customers, ensuring safety, effectiveness and timeliness of the deliveries, in compliance with defined standards and operational parameters defined by central departments
- Ensure a correct maintenance and testing of cylinders, machinery and equipment within the plant;
- Ensure that production and handling of products and machinery are done in compliance with local provisions and all company policies; monitor and ensure that all authorizations and documentations requested by the law are fully in compliance
- Take care of relationship with suppliers, outsourcing companies, local authorities and public authorities (like healthcare authority, pharmaceutical authority…) in coordination with the manager
- Ensure compliance with safety standards according to company policies and local provisions in cooperation with local managers, safety manager and managing director
- Control and ensure that all the staff respect safety policy and in particular the use of personal protection equipment including external people
- Report all safety events and near miss; report dangerous situations, potential gap versus company policies and local provisions, potentially dangerous situation for the safety of the people, assets and equipment, the environment and business integrity standards
- Advise and execute prevention action plans
Requirements:
- University degree in Technology, Chemistry or Mechanical Engineering
- Experience in leading a team in production and HSE / Quality standards application
- Experience in overlooking supply chain activities is highly desirable
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- English language – working knowledge
- Decisive, structured and mature professional with strong personal integrity
ISTRABENZ PLINI offers a creative job opportunity within international company along with a possibility for professional education and development. If you are interested in the above described position, please send your CV in English, exclusively to HILL International e-mail address, with full confidentiality.
HILL International, Beograd, Ruzveltova 45, tel./faks: +381 11 3294 500
, e-mail: [email protected]
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Podelite na društvenim mrežama: | https://poslovi.infostud.com/posao/Filling-Station-Plant-ManagerNova-Pazova/HILL-International-d.o.o.-Istrabenz-Plini/261467?esource=homepage |
In your command line interface (CLI):
$ pip install --upgrade pyDSlib
After this, the package can be imported into jupyter notebook or python in general via the comman:
import pyDSlib
Modules:
pyDSlib.ML pyDSlib.plot pyDSlib.img pyDSlib.video pyDSlib.file_utils pyDSlib.summary_tables pyDSlib.kaggle
Modules Overview
Below, we highlight several of the most interesting modules in more detail.
pyDSlib.ML
Machine learning module for python focusing on streamlining and wrapping sklearn, xgboost, dask_ml, & tensorflow/keras functions
pyDSlib.ML Sub-Modules:
pyDSlib.ML.preprocessing pyDSlib.ML.model_selection pyDSlib.ML.NeuralNet pyDSlib.ML.inspection pyDSlib.ML.postprocessing
The sub-modules within pyDSlib.ML are summarized below:
pyDSlib.ML.preprocessing
Functions related to preprocessing/feature engineering for machine learning
The main class of interest is the
pyDSlib.ML.preprocessing.Preprocessing_pipe class, which iterates through a standard preprocessing sequence and saves the resulting engineered data. The standard sequence is:
- LabelEncode.categorical_features
- Scale.continuous_features
- for Scaler_ID in Scalers_dict.keys()
- Impute.categorical_features
- for Imputer_cat_ID in Imputer_categorical_dict[Imputer_cat_ID].keys():
*for Imputer_iter_class_ID in Imputer_categorical_dict[Imputer_cat_ID].keys():
- for Imputer_cat_ID in Imputer_categorical_dict[Imputer_cat_ID].keys():
- Imputer.continuous_features
- for Imputer_cont_ID in Imputer_continuous_dict.keys():
- for Imputer_iter_reg_ID in Imputer_continuous_dict[Imputer_cont_ID].keys():
- for Imputer_cont_ID in Imputer_continuous_dict.keys():
- OneHotEncode
- CorrCoeffThreshold Finished!
pyDSlib.ML.model_selection
Functions/classes for running hyperparameter searches across multiple types of models & comparing those models
The main classes of interest are the
pyDSlib.ML.model_selection.GridSearchCV class and the
pyDSlib.ML.model_selection.BayesianSearchCV class, which run hyperparameter GridSearchCV and BayesianSearchCV optimizations across different types of models & compares the results to allow one to find the best-of-best (BoB) model. The
.fit functions for both these classes are compatible with evaluating sklearn models, tensorflow/keras models, and xgboost models. Check out the doc-strings for each class for additional notes on implementation.
pyDSlib.ML.NeuralNet
sub-modules/functions/classes for streamlining common neural-net architectures implemented in tensorflow/keras.
The most notetable sub-modules are the
DenseNet and
Conv2D modules, which provide a keras implementation of a general dense neural network & 2D convolutional neural network, where the depth & general architecture of the network s are defined by generic hyperparameters, such that one can easily perform a grid search across multiple neural network architectures.
pyDSlib.ML.inspection
Functions to inspect features and/or models after training
pyDSlib.ML.postprocessing
ML model outputs postprocessing helper functions
pyDSlib.plot
This module contains helper functions related to common plotting operations via matplotlib.
The most noteable functions are:
pyDSlib.plot.corr_matrix(): Plot a correlation matrix chart
pyDSlib.plot.ccorr_pareto(): Plot a pareto bar-chart for 1 label of interest within a correlation dataframe
pyDSlib.plot.hist_or_bar(): Iterate through each column in a dataframe and plot the histogram or bar chart for the data.
pyDSlib.img
This module contains functions/classes related to image analysis, most of which wrap SciKit image functions in some way.
The most noteable functions are:
pyDSlib.img.auto_crop.use_edges(): Use skimage.feature.canny method to find edges in the image passed and autocrop on the outermost edges
pyDSlib.img.decompose_video_to_img(): Use cv2 to pull out image frames from a video and save them as png files
pyDSlib.kaggle
This module contains functions for interacting with kaggle. The simplest and most useful function is:
pyDSlib.kaggle.competition_download_files(competition)
where
competition is the competition name, such as "home-credit-default-risk"
pyDSlib.file_utils
This module contains simple but extremely useful helper functions to save and load standard file types including 'hdf', 'csv', 'json', 'dill'. Essentially the
save and
load functions take care of the boiler plate operations related to saving or loading on the file-types specified above.
Example Notebooks
Basic notebook examples can be found in the (notebooks)[notebooks] folder. Some examples include:
- example_ML_NeuralNet_Bert_Word2Vec
- example_ML_model_selection_BayesianSearchCV
- example_Conv2D_AutoEncoder
- examples_RCNN
- This folder contains various examples related to region-based Conv. Nets., which are typically used for object detections tasks
- [example-RCNN-mask-pretrained-coco](example-RCNN-mask-pretrained-coco.ipynb
Project details
Release history Release notifications
Download files
Download the file for your platform. If you're not sure which to choose, learn more about installing packages. | https://pypi.org/project/pyDSlib/ |
Ossian Whiley is a creative technology consultant with a background in architecture, engineering, and construction. Now the proud founder of Whiley&Co, who provide forward thinking organisations from theatres to festival promoters and property developers with innovative, interactive applications, design visualisations, and immersive training solutions.
Over the past 5 years, Whiley&Co have been heavily involved in projects focused on the regeneration of Bristol City Centre including the Finzels reach development and CARGO at Bristol Harbourside – using game engines to create fully interactive models to enhance each stage of the project’s life cycle from concept design, through planning and marketing with virtual reality walkthroughs and mobile apps.
Their current in-house projects include an interactive training application that uses digital humans to improve workplace understanding of neurodivergent conditions such as anxiety, depression, and dementia. They’re also working on virtual reality experiences for prisoners to upskill, improve employability, and enhance mental wellbeing. Finally, they are soon to launch an augmented reality, urban play and arts platform that bridges the gap between the real world and the metaverse. | https://thestudioinbath.co.uk/residents/ossian-whiley/ |
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health is a person’s emotional, social and psychological well-being, and affects how we think, feel and act throughout the entirety of our lives. Even though millions of Americans live with a mental illness, mental health continues to be one of the most stigmatized conditions.
Stigma is a negative attitude against someone based on a characteristic. The stigma surrounding mental health leads to the majority of people living with mental illnesses not receiving help. According to the American Psychiatric Association, there are three types of stigma. Public stigma is the discriminative attitude of other people. Public stigma can even show up in television shows when mentally ill characters are cast as a stereotype (violent or unpredictable, for example). Self-stigma is internalized shame about someone’s own condition, such as thinking they are overdramatic or attention-seeking. Institutional stigma is systematic and can limit opportunities for people. Systematic stigma could be the way the police respond to mental health crises. Public stigma can induce self-stigma, such as the representation of mental illness in the media. When someone is stigmatized against themselves, it lowers their hope and their self-esteem.
It all starts with people’s perception of those living with mental illness. Sydney Hammond, a sophomore at Shawnee, said, “Stigma is why the mentally ill can be considered lazy, dramatic or even unstable and dangerous. These untrue negative stereotypes undermine and isolate those who may have trouble getting help due to fear of social backlash.”
There is sometimes a common misconception that mental illness means someone is more prone to be violent or less productive at work. After hearing these stereotypes, someone with a mental illness is more afraid to speak up in fear that they will be labelled that way too. The cycle starts with the public stigmatizing those with mental health problems and in turn, those with mental health problems stigmatize their condition.
A mental illness does not inherently mean someone is violent. Mental Health states, “In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.” Sometimes a mental illness can lead to violence, but this is rarer than people would think. When watching a movie like “Joker” or a show like “Criminal Minds,” there are people with mental health problems who become violent. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Most people with mental illnesses would be more likely to be a victim rather than the perpetrator.
Something people do not realize is the numbers of people in their life that may have mental health problems, even if they do not show it in the way the stigmatized view expects. Even with a mental illness, many people are capable of functioning.
“Employers who hire people with mental health problems report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees,” said Mental Health. People who think of someone with mental illness might first think of the stigmatized view: someone lazy. In reality, there are different kinds of mental illness and some of them, like anxiety, might push people to succeed. Just because someone is depressed does not mean they will not be a good worker. There are different severity levels of all types of mental illnesses and not all symptoms are present consistently.
A lot of self-stigma stems from someone who is diagnosed believing there is no recovery for themselves. Mental Health states, “Studies show that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they work.” Someone with mental health problems may spiral into the idea of hopelessness and embarrassment, but there is hope for everyone. For some people, the avenues of support are harder to reach or even impossible at times due to factors including family, money, and more.
However, recovery from a mental illness like anxiety doesn’t mean you are completely better; instead, it is a matter of being able to cope with everyday life. There are even apps designed to help people who may otherwise not have a support system. This is not meant to degrade the difficulty of recovery, because it is one of the hardest things you can do; it is just to say that there is hope. If you have mental health problems and have the opportunity to go to therapy, it is worth it to try to work on your coping skills, triggers, and your mentality. Even if you do not have mental health problems, therapy can be for everyone. Something you consider small, like the daily stress of life or trying to balance everything, is valid to go to therapy. Wanting a little extra help shouldn’t be a source of shame and self-stigma; it should be encouraged. No one should have to be alone in their struggles if they don’t have to be.
One of the biggest struggles in modern society with mental health stigma may be the jokes made regarding the topic. “Personally I believe the stigma against mental health isn’t necessarily that there is no recovery, but more the fact that it is a ‘trend’ or something to make a mockery of. Mental health is a serious subject that should be taught about and taken seriously,” said Kiley Miller, a sophomore at RV.
As society progresses, the stigma changes too. While some people might now be able to accept that mental illness exists, they may not take it seriously. People joke about being depressed or having crippling anxiety, regardless of if they are diagnosed and what they are talking about. (for example: saying they are depressed because of a test score) The jokes about mental illness only continue the stigma cycle.
When people make jokes that mix up sadness and depression, as well as stress and anxiety, people who are suffering become afraid to speak up. It makes their problems feel less valid and they don’t want to be labelled as a trend. Making jokes to cope when you are diagnosed is one thing, but the jokes have become trends in the media where no one can tell who is serious. Some people may not have the means to become diagnosed, but if they think they have a mental illness they should talk about it seriously as a concern rather than making jokes. Talking is important, but if jokes are made it takes away the power of it.
These jokes and social media trends romanticize mental illness. “In some cases, mental health is romanticized and not taken seriously which is uncalled for,” said sophomore Natalie Swan. “Jokes or insensitive comments about serious mental illness or an individual who has a mental illness or disorder is just gross.”
People post jokes about mental illness, such as calling dying their hair a mental breakdown. WebMD defines a mental breakdown as, “a period of extreme mental or emotional stress. The stress is so great that the person is unable to perform normal day-to-day activities.” When people make jokes about it, they take away validity from people who are suffering. When someone finally does speak out about their symptoms or mental illness, people take it as a trend because it has become so romanticized. People talk about their symptoms and people laugh and agree. To clarify, you should talk about your problems if you need to; just don’t make a joke about something like mental breakdowns if that is not what you are experiencing.
Stigma against mental illness needs to stop and there are several steps to doing so according to the American Psychiatric Association. Talk openly about mental health, such as on social media. When doing so, make sure to take it seriously. Educate both yourself and others. When people make misperceptions, correct them. Be conscious of your language, such as calling someone psychotic. Encourage physical and mental illness to be equal. Show compassion for those living with mental illness and if you are living with one, be honest about your treatment (if you feel comfortable). Mental health stigma only continues from people hiding it from shame, so if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone to educate others, share your story. There is no need to feel shame.
A mental illness is as valid as a physical one. Choose empowerment. Who you have been in the past does not define you, and neither does who you are now. Look to the future to improve. If you have used stigmatized language against those living with mental illnesses, now is the time to change it. People with mental health problems are struggling, but there is an opportunity for everyone to be okay. Progress takes time and shame has no role in it. | https://thehollyspirit.org/3154/showcase/mental-health-stigma-needs-to-end/ |
The United States is a plutocratic disaster. Extreme levels of inequality and a political system in which elected officials cater primarily, if not exclusively, to the needs and interests of the rich have produced a social order beset with mounting problems and critical challenges that elections alone cannot realistically be expected to address. In this exclusive interview for Truthout, renowned political scientist Larry Bartels, author of the already classic work Unequal Democracy, provides a sweeping look at the state of our dysfunctional society.
C.J Polychroniou: In your book Unequal Democracy, you presented mountains of data revealing the seriousness of the problem of inequality in the United States. In your view, what have been the underlying factors for the emergence of a New Gilded Era, and why has the American political system failed to rise to the challenge of addressing the deep problem of inequality?
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Larry Bartels: Most affluent democracies have experienced substantial increases in economic inequality over the past 30 or 40 years. In significant part, those increases are attributable to technological change, globalization and increased mobility of capital. … But different countries have responded to those changes in different ways. Most have mitigated their effects through increased redistribution, making post-tax-and-transfer incomes much less unequal. In the United States, there has been comparatively little redistribution. There have also been political shifts that have exacerbated pre-tax-and-transfer inequality, including deregulation of the financial industry, rules restricting the clout of labor unions and the erosion of the minimum wage.
Broadly, the difference is attributable to the economic ideology of America’s political leaders. More specifically, it is attributable to the economic ideology of Republican leaders. My historical analysis of partisan differences in income growth demonstrates that virtually all of the net increase in income inequality since the end of World War II has occurred under Republican presidents; income growth under Democratic presidents has tended to be faster and much more egalitarian.
What is the actual impact or effect of economic inequality on democracy?
We like to think that we can wall off our democratic political system from our capitalist economic system, leaving everyone free to get rich (or poor) but remain politically equal. In practice, however, that turns out to be impossible. Hence, “unequal democracy.”
My analysis of the voting behavior of US senators found that they are moderately responsive to the views of affluent constituents but completely ignore the views of low-income constituents. A study by Martin Gilens of policy outcomes likewise found that the probability that any given policy change will actually be adopted is pretty strongly related to the preferences of affluent people but virtually unaffected by the preferences of middle-class people, much less poor people.
Proposed explanations for these remarkable disparities in responsiveness often focus on distinctive features of the US — our permissive system of campaign finance, low rate of unionization, ethos of individualism and so on. But recent work along similar lines in other affluent democracies suggests that they, too, are marked by severe disparities in political influence rooted in economic inequality. Regardless of their specific political institutions, contexts and cultures, democratic systems seem to be chronically vulnerable to the conversion of economic power into political power.
In your latest book Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government (co-authored with Christopher Achen), the key argument being made is that voting behavior is not rational. Is this something you think applies to all democratic polities, or is it confined to the peculiarities of the American political culture and the flawed nature of American democracy?
Some of the pitfalls Achen and I described involve the “rationality” of voters, loosely speaking. They have lots of other, more immediate demands on their time and attention, so most don’t invest much in mastering the complexities of politics and government. Is that “irrational”? I don’t think so.
In any case, all of us are subject to the fundamental mental limitations richly documented by psychologists under the rubric of “cognitive biases.” For example, we attach more weight to recent experience than to previous experience, we insist on assessing reward or blame for events that are essentially random, and we tend to find arguments and evidence consistent with our prejudices more persuasive than arguments and evidence that contradict our prejudices.
All of us are similarly limited when it comes to what might be called moral imagination. We know that we should be concerned about the well-being of people who are physically or socially distant, unnamed and “statistical” rather than personally identifiable, but that is very difficult, so we tend to be parochial, short-sighted and more attuned to our own comfort and power than to any impersonal vision of the collective good.
I don’t see any reason to suppose that people in other countries or cultures are less susceptible to these basic human limitations than Americans are. Nor am I aware of any compelling evidence that voters in other democratic systems perform notably better or worse than Americans do, on the whole. Certainly there are significant differences in political institutions and behavior across countries stemming from distinctive histories and economic and social contexts. For example, people in other countries are invariably puzzled by the decentralized system of election administration in the US, which leaves state and local officials remarkably free to manage registration and voting as they see fit. That system contributes to our unusually low (and class-biased) turnout; but I wouldn’t say that it fundamentally alters the nature of American democracy.
The main point of our book is not to castigate voters but to criticize an unrealistic “folk theory” of democracy that expects impossible things from them. The idea that millions of people could somehow, literally, rule themselves is simply incoherent. A great political scientist, E. E. Schattschneider, wrote long ago that, “The immobility and inertia of large masses are to politics what the law of gravity is to physics. … An electorate of sixty million Aristotles would be equally restricted.” Another, Henry Jones Ford, wrote even longer ago that, “Politics has been, is, and always will be carried on by politicians, just as art is carried on by artists, engineering by engineers, business by businessmen. All that … political reform can do is to affect the character of the politicians by altering the conditions that govern political activity, thus determining its extent and quality.”
The selection of presidential candidates is a good example. … We have too many candidates, too little information about their backgrounds, character and commitments, and too little coordination and cueing of the sort that parties themselves provide in general elections. The result is a system ripe for fringe candidates, neophytes and demagogues.
From the analyses one encounters in the two aforementioned books the conclusion easily drawn is that the US is not a democracy. Is it an oligarchy, a plutocracy or something else?
People are used to thinking about the distinction between democracies and non-democracies as categorical. I think that’s an over-simplification. Our political system has important democratic features — most notably, fairly robust civil liberties and elections that allow ordinary citizens to replace their rulers from time to time. Those features do not make it an ideal democracy in the sense suggested by the “folk theory” criticized in Democracy for Realists, but they are far from insignificant.
The eminent political theorist Robert Dahl coined the term “polyarchy” to refer to political systems roughly like ours. For better or worse, the term did not catch on. Thus, we are stuck with the term “democracy” to describe a wide variety of actual political systems as well as a variety of political ideals. (As Achen and I noted in the first chapter of Democracy for Realists, people almost everywhere nowadays manage to think of their own political systems as democratic. Asked “how democratically is this country being governed today,” people in Rwanda, Malaysia and Kazakhstan provided higher average ratings than Americans, while people in China perceived as much democracy as Americans did.)
Thus, perhaps the best we can do is to try to specify more carefully what we are talking about when we talk about democracy. For example, some scholars have used the term “participatory democracy” to refer to systems in which citizens are supposed to be routinely involved in governing, in contrast to “representative democracy” in which the primary role of citizens is to elect their representatives. On the other hand, they have referred to various diminished forms of democracy, including “illiberal democracy,” in which rulers are elected but civil liberties are not protected; “limited democracy,” in which rulers are elected but suffrage is significantly curtailed; and “tutelary democracy,” in which democratic rule is subject to military veto.
My phrase “unequal democracy” is intended to highlight another important departure from the usual understanding of democracy — the fact that political influence in America, and, I suspect, in all large-scale democratic systems, is strongly correlated with wealth. But that is a matter of degree. At what point does an “unequal democracy” tip over into a plutocracy masquerading as a democracy? I don’t know any good way to answer that question.
In your view, what would make citizens cast votes more rationally, or, alternatively, what changes need to be undertaken to make the American political system responsive to those issues, problems and threats undermining a democratic political culture?
I don’t have a sweeping agenda of political reforms to offer. I think most reformers vastly overstate their ability to predict the impact of their proposals and vastly understate the difficulty of enacting them in the face of the very political problems they are intended to mitigate.
One problem with the “folk theory” of democracy is that it leads people to think that they ought to be able to get what they want from the political system simply by voting. When that doesn’t happen they blame corrupt politicians and demand “more democracy.” Often — as in the case of [some] presidential primaries, referenda and term limits — the cure is worse than the disease. But even when that’s not the case, the obsessive focus on electoral procedures tends to distract attention from more consequential issues.
The enormous effort devoted to “reforming” campaign finance over the past half-century is a case in point. Concerns about the total amount of money being spent on political campaigns is way overblown; Democrats and Republicans in a typical election cycle spend about as much on advertising as McDonald’s and Burger King. In any case, efforts to limit the role of big contributors have mostly been ineffectual. A reform that might really accomplish that goal — providing public funding of campaigns at a level so lavish that additional private spending would be of little value — is a political non-starter, highly unpopular among incumbent politicians and citizens alike. And if the problem is the role of money in politics, the fixation on campaign finance mostly misses the point, anyway — political scientists estimate that corporations spend several times as much money on lobbying as they do on campaign contributions.
As a matter of principle, I think efforts to suppress turnout under the guise of safeguarding the electoral system against phantom “voter fraud” are pernicious. However, I don’t think that increasing turnout by liberalizing registration rules or enfranchising ex-felons or allowing everyone to vote by mail would drastically alter the policy outcomes produced by our democratic system. As Achen and I put it in the subtitle of our book, “Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government.”
In the end, politics is about power. Changing election laws can shift the distribution of power, but mostly in modest and somewhat unpredictable ways. (The 1965 Voting Rights Act enfranchised millions of African Americans — and millions more southern whites.) Given the bluntness of the vote as a political tool, a much more straightforward path to equalizing political power would be to equalize economic power. But that is very hard to do, because the economically powerful are also politically powerful. More often, I suspect, the distribution of economic power itself shifts significantly for reasons outside the political system — as with the destruction of physical capital in major wars or the increased mobility of financial capital in the contemporary global economy.
But it is worth bearing in mind that ideas can be powerful, too. The successes of the civil rights movement hinged in large part on the ability of African Americans to harness the power of American ideals, persuading the politically powerful of the justice of their cause. In much the same spirit, I suggested in the concluding chapter of Unequal Democracy that “many affluent people support egalitarian policies that seem inconsistent with their own narrow material interests” and that (Democratic) “policy-makers may be much more generous toward the poor than the political clout of the poor themselves would seem to warrant,” since “the specific policy views of citizens, whether rich or poor, have less impact in the policy-making process than the ideological convictions of elected officials” themselves. | https://truthout.org/articles/to-make-our-democracy-functional-we-must-confront-economic-inequality/?amp |
This Navy Veteran Attempted To Bench Press 184kg Underwater
“As an athlete myself, I had to test this method of bench press myself to see how buoyancy affects benching under water.”
- by
Emily Schiffer
24 Sep
2021
Instagram/austen_alex
Navy veteran and YouTuberAusten Alexanderhas made a name for himself for his fitness challenges, specifically when it comes tomilitary fitness tests. But for a recent attempt, he's taking on a new kind of stunt that has gone somewhat viral on the fitness internet: underwater bench pressing. Guinness world records for the event started falling in 2019, when a manpumped through 43 reps underwater. By 2020, the markjumped to 77 repswhile completely submerged under water.
But Alexander is less concerned about rep volume as he is about pure weight. "As an athlete myself, I had to test this method of bench press myself to see how buoyancy affects benching under water," he says. His goal: to bench 405 pounds completely underwater using steel plates. According to Alexander, other fitness enthusiasts who have attempted the stunt have done so using rubber plates, which are more buoyant in the water and therefore feel lighter.
He's gunning for the 405 mark, even though his on-land max is about 300 pounds. He utilizes the help of powerlifter Kristen Dunsmore and CrossFit and endurance athlete Hunter McIntyre. Alexander starts by benching 135 pounds in a pool. Before we go any further, we should make it clear: don't try this at home.
"It's definitely a little lighter. It's really hard staying on the bench... I was like sideways. But I got two reps in," he says. "It felt good."
But just as the experiment begins, they hit a snag. The team has to switch pools after getting kicked out of the one they started in, but they quickly relocate to use the pool of professional stuntwoman Michelle Khare. They also make some adjustments to prevent their legs from floating up while lifting. To prevent that problem, they decide to place a 45 pound weight on their waists, and installed a bank to hold the barbell itself.
In the new pool and new setup, Alexander attempts to lift the 135 pound barbell again, and is able to get in 15 reps. Next, he ups to 225 pounds, and is able to do 10 reps.
"It felt really good, it felt a lot better than it does on land," says Alexander.
Next, he ups it to 245 pounds for 1 rep. He ups the weight to 315 pounds, and pushes out five reps. Then, he goes to 335 pounds and hits a single rep. Excited, he moves up to 405 pounds... but can't get the bar off the rack.
After the attempt, Alexander explains how the water displaces weight. According to his math, one pound on land is actually .86 pounds in the water. So 45 pounds is really 38.7 pounds in the water ... and 405 pounds is 348.3 pounds. Even though he was working with that handicap, he wasn't going to pushthatmuch weight in the pool.
Emily SchifferEmily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Men’s Health and Prevention, and is now a freelancer writer specialising in health, weight loss, and fitness. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, coriander, and American history. | |
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of and an apparatus for detecting irregular heartbeats and, more particularly, to monitoring and analyzing pulse rates for detecting possible atrial fibrillation.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The heart is the major muscle that functions as the primary pump for blood flow throughout the body. The heart contains two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles. The right atrium receives oxygen-depleted blood while the left atrium receives blood enriched with oxygen from the lungs. When the atria are full, the outlet valves within the heart open and the atria squeeze blood into the ventricles. The right ventricle then pumps oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs while the left ventricle pumps oxygen-enriched blood to all parts of the body. In this fashion, the heart functions primarily as a double sided pump.
The heart""s internal pacemaker, known as the sinus node, signals the start of each heart beat. This signal originates in the right atrium in the sinoatrial node and travels simultaneously to the left atrium and down to the interatrial septum to the atrioventricular node. The cycle of electrical stimulation that normally occurs is referred to as normal sinus rhythm.
When a rhythm abnormality is present, however, there may exist an abnormal condition known as fibrillation. Fibrillation may occur as a result of an abnormality with either the ventricle and/or the atria. Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart condition in which the atria of the heart provide irregular impulses to the atrioventricular node so that an irregular heartbeat results.
Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common arrhythmias requiring medical attention. Atrial fibrillation may be caused by a number of heart conditions, such as angina, myocardial infarction, heart valve abnormalities, and high blood pressure. These conditions may stretch or scar the atria, thereby causing irregularities in the heart system. Atrial fibrillation may also accompany lung problems or thyroid gland disorders and is also associated with significant morbidity and possible mortality. All persons, young and old, female or male, including the visually and/or sight impaired, may experience atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation may occur intermittently or chronically. The most serious complication of atrial fibrillation is formation of a blood clot in the left atrium which may result in a stroke. Many people who develop atrial fibrillation, however, are unaware of their abnormal rhythm, Some in the medical profession have, therefore, advocated self screening of the pulse rate to detect for the possible occurrence of atrial fibrillation. The literature, however, is generally limited to disclosing instructions for manually taking one""s pulse rate accompanied with additional descriptive information.
The reason for taking the pulse rate to detect atrial fibrillation is that the pulse rate corresponds to the heart rate. The pumping action of the heart displaces blood in the rest of the body. The pulse is the movement of blood caused by the heart""s pumping, and the pulse rate is the number of times that the blood is displaced during a fixed period, conventionally an interval of one minute.
Because of the correspondence between the heartbeat rate and pulse rate, atrial fibrillation causes an irregular detected pulse wherever a pulse can be palpated. Normal sinus rhythm produces a heartbeat of a fixed number of beats per minute with equal interval between beats. Fibrillation is detected when the time between the beats is irregular, that is the time between beats changes irregularly.
There are several devices available that measure both blood pressure and pulse rate, but none of these devices is capable of monitoring, detecting and/or communicating whether or not an irregular heartbeat is present to indicate possible atrial fibrillation. The commercially available devices measure the number of pulse beats over a preset time interval, usually ten (10) seconds, but these devices neither analyze nor determine the presence of irregular heartbeat rhythms.
Commercially available devices for determining pulse rates use several methods including: i) measuring a pulse beat when systolic pressure peaks are detected such as by using an inflated cuff that is wrapped around the upper arm, ii) utilizing electrodes to determine pulse rates in the same manner used while taking an EKG, and iii) detecting pulse beats from changes in light transmission through body appendages, such as through the fingers, where a pulse is recorded whenever the difference in the amount of light absorbed between one point of the appendage and another point on the appendage changes. The change in transmission results from the pulse moveably changing the volume of blood flowing through the appendage which changes, in turn, the amount of light absorbed in the appendage.
What is needed is a method and apparatus to detect the pulse beats during a certain interval of time.
What is needed is a method and apparatus to detect the presence of irregular heartbeats and communicate this condition to the user so that the user is alerted to consult a medical practitioner for further testing and/or treatment.
What is also needed is a method that can differentiate an irregular pulse rate pattern from a normal pulse rate pattern and from common heart rhythm patterns that are not of significant risk, such as regular sinus rhythm, sinus arrhythmia, atrial premature beats and ventricular premature beats.
What also is a needed is a home monitoring method and apparatus that analyzes pulse rates for the presence of irregular pulse rhythms and that communicates this information to the user.
What further is needed is a method of and an apparatus for detecting irregular pulse rhythms during a time period and storing this information so that comparisons may be made with the pulse rate rhythms at later times.
What is further needed is a noninvasive and relatively simple method and apparatus that monitors pulse rate irregularities to detect fibrillations, including the possibility of atrial fibrillation, and that is suitable for use of all ages, and by the hearing and/or visually impaired and that is relatively easy to use.
What is still further needed is a monitoring method and apparatus that detects the presence of irregular heartbeats and then displays and stores: i) the number of irregular pulse beats during a pre-selected time interval; and ii) the duration of time between beats during selected intervals.
Yet another need is for a monitoring method and apparatus that determine whether or not a heartbeat is irregular based on algorithmic or heuristic operations performed on selected pulse rate or heartbeat data.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus that (i) detects the presence of irregular heartbeats by analyzing a pulse rate pattern, that is, by analyzing the pulse beat rhythm during a time interval; (ii) determines whether this pulse rate pattern indicates a possible atrial fibrillation or other irregularity; and then (iii) communicates this information to the user so that a medical practitioner may be consulted for further testing and/or treatment. The present invention also provides a method of and an apparatus for detecting irregular pulse rhythms during a time period and storing this information for comparison with the pulse rate rhythm at later time periods. The present invention may also detect irregular pulse rhythms over multiple time periods and capture the similarities and/or differences in the pulse rate for selected intervals over various time periods.
The present invention further provides a noninvasive method of and an apparatus for monitoring pulse rate irregularities to detect atrial fibrillation. The invention may store and display information such as the number of irregular pulse beats during pre-selected time intervals and the duration of time between beats during the selected intervals. The invention also determines the presence of an irregular heartbeat via algorithmic or heuristic operations performed on the relevant data.
For patients with a baseline rhythm abnormality, or for those who want improved accuracy for detecting atrial fibrillation, a device comprised of electrodes may be placed on the skin. This device uses the actual electrocardiogram, in contrast to the pulse, to determine whether an atrial fibrillation warning should be indicated. The electrodes may be wrist straps that are placed on the arms or which are removably secured to various areas on the torso, arms or legs. This device may be used in conjunction with an electrocardiogram (EKG) recording device. The device may record the electrocardiogram, analyze the heartbeats, and display the appropriate warnings when pre-selected criteria for fibrillation are met. The present invention also works using either the heartbeat rate or the pulse rate.
Pulse rates may also be monitored by tracking the systolic peak that coincides with each heartbeat. Typically, an inflatable cuff is wrapped around the upper arm of a person and is inflated to a pressure greater than the person""s blood pressure. Each heartbeat causes a rise in the blood pressure up to a systolic peak which corresponds to a pulse beat.
Pulse rates may also be monitored through changes in light transmitted through various body appendages. Each pulse beat changes the light transmission through a location on the appendage. The change in the light transmission over a time interval yields a pulse rate or an average pulse rate.
A monitoring method of the present invention includes detecting irregular pulse beats, analyzing the irregularity based on one or more predetermined factors, and communicating this information to a user such as via a screen display, a paper printout, a tone, or auditory, vibratory or other sensory communication.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention utilizes algorithmic or heuristic techniques to determine whether the irregular pulse beat(s) signals the possible presence of atrial fibriallation.
The present invention is also directed to an apparatus for performing the above-described methods.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Is Milk Chocolate from Lindt & Sprungli (Schweiz) Ag – United States Halal or Haram?
According to eHalal, Milk Chocolate was manufactured in United States with the Barcode of #0009542014827 and distributed under the Lindt & Sprungli (Schweiz) Ag brands with the food categories of Snacks,Sweet snacks,Chocolates,Milk chocolates.
Under the Food-based dietary guidelines from France is classified as e/Nova 4.
Nutrition Level
Quantity:
Serving size / serving quantity: 40 g (40 GRM) / 40
Energy /100g: 2301
Energy from Fat /100g:
Fat /100g: 32.5
Saturated Fat /100g: 20
Carbohydrates /100g:
Sugar /100g: 55
Fiber /100g: 2.5
Proteins /100g: 7.5
Salt /100g: 0.22352
Sodium /100g: 0.089408
Food category: Sugary snacks & Chocolate products
Ingredients:
Sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate, lactose, skim milk, soya lecithin (emulsifier), barley malt powder, milkfat, artificial flavor.
Allergy:
Number of Additives: 1/e322,e322i
Carbon Footprint /100g Animal or Fish:
Certification Label: | https://marketpl.ehalal.io/2021/01/06/is-milk-chocolate-from-lindt-sprungli-schweiz-ag-united-states-halal-or-haram/ |
April 28, 2017
Between juggling work, family and other commitments, it’s easy to become stressed in the quagmire of our busy lives. It’s important to remember, though, that the stress response — a surge of hormones (including adrenaline and cortisol) released by your adrenal glands that increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies — can be a healthy, normal bodily process. How you manage this natural response, however, is the key to maintaining long-term mental and physical health in your life.
For Stress Awareness Month, E&S Ring Management wanted to offer up six successful coping strategies for managing stress. We are big believers in work-life balance, and we take great pride in creating an environment where our employees can achieve health, harmony, and happiness in their lives. Here are a few techniques for effectively managing stress:
1) Slow Down
During a stressful and hectic time, probably the last thing on your mind is slowing down. (Disclaimer: anyone who has ever actually calmed down when someone told you to “Calm down!” can skip to the next tip.)
The point is, slowing down is easier said than done — especially when you’re stressed. WebMD advises to take stock of your life and find small ways to chill out. For example, the site says, “Set your watch 5 to 10 minutes ahead. That way you’ll get places a little early and avoid the stress of being late. When you’re driving on the highway, switch to the slow lane so you can avoid road rage. Break down big jobs into smaller ones. For example, don’t try to answer all 100 emails if you don’t have to -- just answer a few of them.”
For other ideas on how to slow down, try these tips from Psychology Today.
2) Take a Breath
How many times have you felt your heart beating a little faster and the heat rising in your face at work, and you heard your inner voice say, “Stop. Take breath.” Pausing whatever you are doing in a stressful moment, and taking a few deep breaths can ease the pressure off of you almost immediately. In fact, breathing and controlling your breath is one of the easiest ways to improve mental and physical health, doctors and psychologists say. According to The Chopra Center, the benefits of simple, deep breathing exercises include:
Reduced anxiety and depression Lower/stabilized blood pressure Increased energy levels Muscle relaxation Decreased feelings of stress and overwhelm
States Sheila Patel, M.D.: “When you breathe deeply and slowly, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which reverses the stress response in your body. Deep breathing stimulates the main nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system—the vagus nerve—slowing down your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, and calming your body and mind.”
So, how should you breathe? WebMD suggests sitting in “a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a relaxing place. It can be on the beach, in a beautiful field of grass, or anywhere that gives you a peaceful feeling. Slowly take deep breaths in and out. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.”
As Patel notes, “breathing can have an immediate effect on diffusing emotional energy so there is less reactivity to our emotions.”
3) Get Moving
Remember that study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine last year that found that sitting too much may increase the risk of dying prematurely, while replacing sitting time with just standing or moderate physical activity could counteract the effect? That should be enough to get us all off our desk chairs and into the streets walking!
Exercise has long been known to help relax your body and mind, and improve your mood. WebMD recommends a workout at least 3-5 times per week for 30 minutes. Taking brisk walks is a great way to burn off some calories and steam (they recommend two hours and 30 minutes). But you know what’s even better? “Add 75 minutes of a vigorous exercise like swimming laps, jogging, or other sports that gets your heart rate up,” the site suggests.
While at work, Leandro Rezende, a doctoral candidate at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, suggests standing up, and going for a drink of water instead of keeping the water bottle at your desk. “Or just stand up every so often,” he adds. “Standing alone increases your energy expenditure.”
4) Eat Well at Lunch
If you’re having trouble managing your stress, it might be time to take a good, hard look at your diet. Are you skipping meals because you’re too busy at work? Are you grabbing a Happy Meal at McDonald’s because it’s quicker and more convenient than grabbing a salad at Whole Foods? As much as you might be tempted to skip lunch or hit the drive-thru (let’s face it, those Mickey Dee french fries are addictive!), your eating habits could be contributing to your stress levels. It’s also a catch-22 for those of us who are watching our weight, according to Prevention: the more our bodies create cortisol, the more it triggers an enzyme in our fat cells and contributes to us accumulating more fat (it converts cortisone to more cortisol).
That’s why your lunch meals should be full of vegetables (asparagus), fruit (avocado and blueberries), whole grains and lean protein for energy. And for healthy stress-reducing snacks, replace the potato chips with walnuts and cashews.
5) Take a Break and Make Time for the Things You Love
To reduce stress and give our mind time off, you need to incorporate real downtime into your daily routine. For some people, this might mean meditation, yoga or tai chi. For others, they might find relaxation by listening to their favorite music or spending time in nature. The key is to make time for the activities and things that you love most in life — a cornerstone of our corporate culture focuses on work-life balance at E&S Ring Management.
“If you’re a person who likes to set goals, this may be hard for you at first,” says WebMD. “But stick with it and you’ll look forward to these moments.”
6) Seek Out Simplicity
While WebMD advises you to identify your stress triggers — “Is it your job, your commute, your schoolwork?” — and work to eliminate them or reduce them in your life, there is something to be said for adding more of our happiness triggers too. What makes you happy? Is it taking a bike ride? Is it sitting by the ocean, enjoying a sunset? Is it having dinner with loved ones?
With the hectic pace of our lives, we all need to remember to seek out happiness in the simple things. The Danish are surprisingly good at this, hence their philosophy of hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) which has contributed to Denmark becoming one of the happiest populations in the world, World Happiness Report (Norway ranked No. 1 on the list this year, followed by Denmark).
Writes Judith Newman of the N.Y. Times Book Review, who covered “THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE: Danish Secrets to Happy Living” by Meik Wiking: “Simplicity is at the heart of hygge. You need: atmosphere (thus the obsession with lighting), presence (the ability to be in the here and now and turn off the phone), pleasure, equality (“ ‘we’ over ‘me’ ”), gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce (the willingness to get together and not discuss controversial issues . . . imagine that), togetherness and shelter, which involve recognizing and celebrating ‘your tribe.’”
Can you turn off your computer or your cell phone, and carve out space in your life for your friends, your family, and the things that give you pleasure? | https://www.esring.com/blog/788-the-art-of-slowing-down-tips-for-managing-stress |
A river can be defined as a geographical formation of a large natural water body that flows like a stream in a widespread channel to the sea, a lake, or another river. A river is usually a freshwater flowing watercourse. Sometimes, a river flows into the lower region and becomes dry at the end of its course without uniting with another body of water. The rivers are the part of the natural hydrological cycle. A river begins at a source, follows a path of flowing called a course and ends at a mouth or mouths.
Below are the listed benefits that are derived from a river for the growth and development of a civilization:
- The fresh water of the rivers can be used for cooking, washing, drinking, bathing and other household activities.
- It is a very good source of irrigation for the cultivation of crops.
- River water is used for the generation of Hydel power electricity.
- It is used for the transportation purpose.
- Deliver waters are used for running big machines in the Industrial areas.
The river waters are polluted due to the disposal of Industrial wastes and sewage which become harmful for the consumption of the civilization and pollute the environment. The measures to protect the river waters from pollution are as mentioned below:
- The disposal of any fat or oily substances in river water should be avoided.
- The disposal of chemicals or cleaning agents in the river water should be avoided.
- Performing any household activities like cleaning, washing, bathing, etc. in the river water should be avoided.
- Garbage disposal in the river water should be avoided.
- There should be minimal exposal of pesticides and fertilizers in the river waters.
The river is the source of civilization which is known from the ancient history. It is the most important source of water around the civilization. So protecting river waters are an essential responsibility of mankind. | https://edgearticles.com/2018/09/18/short-essay-on-river/ |
Q:
Sorting three numbers in ascending order
I got home yesterday and decided to try and write a scheme program that would sort three numbers in ascending order. This is what I came up with:
(define a 3)
(define b 2)
(define c 1)
(define temp 0)
(cond
( (> a c) (set! temp c) (set! c a) (set! a temp))
( (> b c) (set! temp c) (set! c b) (set! b temp))
( (> a b) (set! temp b) (set! b a) (set! a temp))
( (> b c) (set! temp c) (set! b c) (set! b temp))
)
(display a)
(display b)
(display c)
Is that a functional way of solving the problem? What would you suggest?
A:
Scheme has a builtin sort function that is actually faster in some cases than all the sort alorithms we use.
(sort < '(5 2 6))
returns
'(2 5 6)
The main problem that I see with your procedure is that you're only running a swap once. That's great if you can guarantee that one will always be in the middle of the other two, but I'm not so sure that it will always be the case. Also set! is kinda ugly and when I learned scheme my professor told me not to use it because it was resource intensive and there are better ways to do it. I would recommend putting them all in a list and then sorting them and pulling them out of the list if you want to do it that way.
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Q:
Count distinct words from a dataframe in python pandas
I tried to split words then count them by using python pandas.
The original data is like,
col_A
happy, not happy
sad,happy
sad, happy
angry, happy
angry, sad
I tried using this function to count the words in col_A.
word_list= df.col_A.apply(lambda x: pd.value_counts(x.split(","))).sum(axis=0)
word_list.sort_values(ascending = False)
It will give me the results like,
angry 2
happy 2
sad 2
happy 2
not happy 1
sad 1
How can I avoid these blanks to return the real counts of values?
I want to return a list like,
happy 4
sad 3
angry 2
not happy 1
A:
Here is a solution which is very similar to @anky_91's one:
In [96]: df.col_A.str.replace(r"\s*,\s*", ",").str.get_dummies(",").sum()
Out[96]:
angry 2
happy 4
not happy 1
sad 3
dtype: int64
A:
One liner, can't vouch for efficiency but it works :)
pd.Series([x.strip() for x in df.col_A.str.split(',').sum()]).value_counts()
Output:
Efficiency Test:
%timeit pd.Series([x.strip() for x in df.col_A.str.split(',').sum()]).value_counts()
1.19 ms ± 35.2 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000 loops each)
%timeit pd.Series(sum([list(map(str.strip, i.split(','))) for i in df['col_A']], [])).value_counts()
1.13 ms ± 20.9 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000 loops each)
A:
Let's use melt or stack with str.split and value_counts:
df['col_A'].str.split(r',\s?', expand=True).melt()['value'].value_counts()
or
df['col_A'].str.split(r',\s?', expand=True).stack().value_counts()
dtype: int64
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- How can students create their own masks?
- What are the steps to creating your own masks using cardstock?
SUPPLIES
- Gelli Arts® 8×10 Gel Printing Plate
- Acrylic paints
- Brayer
- Pencil
- Cardstock paper
- Craft knife or scissors
Step-by-Step
This will show you how to create a complete “painting” using handmade stencils and masks on the Gelli Arts® plate.
- First, you have to create a drawing of the image you want to print and you have to think carefully about the layers you want to create. Some advice would be to try some easy prints first to get the hang of the process as it involves some thinking to get it right. You could start with three or four layers and easy shapes before making it a bit difficult.
- When your drawing is done you have to mark the separate shapes with numbers corresponding with separate layers.
- Use the number one for the top layer – these are the shapes that are not overlapped by anything else. They will appear the closest to you in the final image. Then, use the number two for the shapes that are only overlapped by number one. Number three for the shapes that are overlapped by ones and twos. Continue in this fashion until every shape has been numbered.
- Make copies of your drawing for every layer. If there are four layers, you will need four copies of your drawing.
- From the first copy, cut out all the shapes marked with the number one. From the second copy, all the shapes with number two, and so on. You have to use a craft knife, as you will need both the stencil and the mask to create your prints.
- Place the original drawing underneath your Gelli Arts® gel printing plate. It is clear so you will be able to see the drawing underneath the plate.
- Start with placing stencil number one on top of the Gelli Arts® plate, lining it up with the complete drawing underneath the plate. Apply the first color and then remove the stencil.
- Now line up the paper you want to print on exactly with the paper underneath the Gelli Arts® plate and pull the print.
- Place stencil number one back on the Gelli Arts® plate and repeat the previous steps until all the shapes of the first layer are done.
- Once all the shapes of the first later are printed you have to mask them with the parts you cut from the stencil. Use a repositionable adhesive to apply the masks to the print you are working on. Make sure the paint is dry before you do so.
- Now it’s time to print the second layer. Place stencil number two on the Gelli Arts® plate, apply the paint, remove the stencil, and make the print on your masks paper. Again make sure you line up the paper exactly with the drawing underneath the Gelli Arts® plate.
- Complete all the steps for stencil number two before you move on to layer number three. Mask both layer number one and number two before you start printing layer number three and so on.
- Repeat this process for all the layers.
- If you like, you can add texture to the different shapes too.
- The very last layer will be your background and then the printing is done.
You can now leave it as it is and frame it, but of course you can also stamp, doodle, write, and paint on top of your print. Even the simplest prints can be beautiful pieces of art. | https://gelliartsblog.com/2019/05/16/printing-with-masks-with-birgit-koopsen/ |
«Believe in yourself» – non-profit organization founded by Viktor and Iryna Ivanchyk.
The project partner is — The UCU International Institute of Ethics and Problems of the Contemporary Issues
WHAT WE DO
RESEARCH ON ETHICAL CHALLENGES OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
The project features a research aimed at identifying the potential ethical implications of the implementation and use of new technologies, as well as the level of understanding of risks by business, science, government agencies and specialists involved in the research and development of technological products
Mission
Considering the uniqueness of the UCU Lviv Business School which runs business programs at the intersection of business, technology, humanities and Christian spirituality, the project is a space for interdisciplinary discussions about the ethical perspectives of developing and using emerging technologies. We strive to combine the high academic standards of UCU with the expectations of the business environment. We expect the research findings to open up new ethical prospects for the future, and enable technology business to develop and innovate with respect to human dignity and mission.
Vision
We believe that the development of new technologies that would serve the good of human is impossible without clear ethical guidelines. In turn, these guidelines should be based on deep research of both technology and humanities, such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, and philosophy. By integrating the professionals working at the crossroads of different industries into the project, we seek to provide society and business with the integral vision of the role of technology in the realization of a human purpose.
Our goals
The project aims at delivering qualitative and quantitative research on the impact of technology on human life and the state of the environment. We strive to promote a dialogue between business, public, academic and educational institutions, and open up together new perspectives on the use of innovative technologies with respect to human dignity. Our plans include research, organizing discussions, regular reviews of technological news, developing and implementing an educational program on ethics of technologies. | http://ethictech.lvbs.com.ua/en/ |
Bravo Pet Foods of Manchester, CT is recalling select lots of Bravo Chicken pet foods for dogs and cats due to concerns of the possible presence of Salmonella. This is the fifth recall by Bravo since 2013- there were recalls in March and April 2013, and May and September 2014. Yes, that is right, this is the fifth recall by Bravo over the past 2 years or so. Although we commend the company for acting quickly and announcing these recalls to protect their customers’ pets, it is very concerning that there have been so many recalls in such a short period of time.
The recalled products should not be sold or fed to pets and the affected product should be disposed of in a safe manner (e.g. placed in a bag and disposed in a securely covered trash container).
Customers should return to the store where they purchased the product and submit the Bravo Recall Claim Form available on the Bravo website http://www.bravopetfoods.com/consumerrecall.html for a full refund or store credit.
The full FDA recall release on the latest Bravo Pet Food Recall can be viewed here.
This dog food recall epidemic seems to becoming a frequent thing – yicks!!!! | http://slimdoggy.com/bravo-pet-food-recall-alert-july-2015/ |
– To give ‘voice’ to women to express concerns about physical and psychological safety and vulnerabilities while exploring and sharing ideas with their peers about what would enhance safety.
OUTPUTS
– 6 weekly workshops for 8 women who are homeless, using participatory photography to explore psychological and physical safety issues and safeguarding measures
– 3 focus groups with a wider group of women who are homeless about the themes arising from the photography work in relation to physical and psychological safety.
– A public exhibition to showcase the photography work to a wide group of stakeholders (service providers, policymakers, wider public)
– A photography book (some printed; some digital/pdf)
Aim:
To develop the communication and advocacy skills of older LGBT+ adults, and to provide them with a fun and social activity.
Objectives:
To teach older LGBT+ adults to use digital cameras to capture their own experiences.
To create a peer network of older adults offering one another social support.
To engaged LGBT+ older adults in advocacy on behalf of themselves and thier communities.
To create a library of photographs which can be used in advocacy projects, by participants and their allies, to better the lives of LGBT+ older adults in Illinois.
Outputs:
A series of workshops (I’m really not sure of the # or length – I would like participant input on this!) for LGBT+ older adults
A celebratory exhibition or event featuring the photographs and stories created in the workshop
An online gallery to house these photographs and a forum for dialogue about the lived experiences of LGBT+ older adults in Illinois
A brief to Illinois lawmakers in support of action on behalf of the older adults in our LGBT+ community
Aim:
To capture the meaning of nutrition for Irish Cancer Survivors who are post cancer treatment, using a method of participatory photography known as photovoice.
Objectives:
1. To enable Irish Cancer Survivors to share their relationship and perspectives on their diet and nutrition since finishing treatment through participatory photography.
2. To promote dialogue and knowledge through a library of photographs of the strengths and concerns cancer survivors have with nutrition.
3. To contribute research to an emerging body of regional research on nutrition in Irish Cancer Survivors.
4. To create an exhibition with the participants to raise awareness of their meaning of nutrition and spark a dialogue among stakeholders.
Outputs
1. Initially, two workshops for 8 participants, introductions, familiarizing the group with participatory photography, creating a safe place, exercises in visual literacy, treasure hunt and giving out project task.
2. Semi-structed individual interviews with each participant to check how the participants were progressing with the phot assignment and answer any questions they had. During the interview, participants will be asked to share approximately five photographs which best represent the meaning of nutrition. In reviewing the photos, the SHOWED technique will be used to elicit analysis and reflect upon possible action, as follows: “What is Shown in this picture? What is Happening in the picture? How does this relate to Our/Your lives? Does concern or strength Exist? What can we Do about it?”
3. In the third group workshop, participants will be presented with group photos, which had been discussed during the interviews. Each participant will then present a selection of their photos to the wider group for general discussion. The shortlisted photographs will be clustered into similar groupings and participants will be asked to describe potential themes represented by these clusters. The exhibition will be discussed among the groups with ideas on how the group would like to showcase the work.
4. A public exhibition to showcase the photography work produced and provide a wider audience with direct insight into the meaning of nutrition for the participants.
Project Aim:
To reduce recidivism among individuals following release from prison by providing the tools to share their experiences with others and by developing new skills through participatory photography.
Objectives:
1. To reduce recidivism among prisoners
2. To provide tools for sharing one’s story with others
3. To develop skills that may provide a creative outlet and/or transferable work skills
4. To improve public awareness of individual experiences following release from prison
Outputs:
1. A series of workshops for individuals to develop participatory photography skills (number and length undetermined)
2. Individual interviews/debriefings about the experiences of participatory photography and/or focus groups (number and length undetermined)
3. Scholarly conference presentations and/or publications
4. Art exhibits, featuring the photography of participants
—> Provide examples of 4 outputs for your project (1 sentence each)
Aim: To give women living in Armenia the opportunity to acknowledge their perspectives on their lives, to help them develop photography skills, and to increase their sense of community with each other
Objectives:
-To empower women to share their perspectives on their own lives both within and outside of their homes
-To help women develop skills in photography that they can continue to apply to hobby and potential work situations after the workshop has concluded
-To reduce a sense of isolation among women and to provide a safe space for creative and social activity
-To make more time and space for honoring women’s perspectives within the larger community
Outputs:
-6 workshops, offered over the span of 3 weeks (therefore 2 workshops per week)
-a public exhibition allowing the participants’ work to be seen, acknowledged, and held in a place of honor
-a post-workshop meeting of participants interested in developing on-going support network
-a post-exhibition community event educating about violence against women
Aim (fictional project)
To improve engagement with youth provision in area x.
Objectives
• To develop an improved understanding of the needs of young people in area x.
• To understand barriers to engaging with provision and how these may be experienced differently by different groups of young people
• To improve the suitability of activities provided for young people in area x.
• To engage groups of young people who were previously underrepresented among youth provision participants.
Outputs
• 4 weekly workshops with 8 young people to develop photography skills and to use photography to explore areas of need, their relationship (or lack of) with youth provision, and their interests. This would be co-facilitated with a youth worker
• A public exhibition and celebration event
• Briefing and recommendations paper (or short video) for youth organisations
• Briefing and recommendations paper (or short video) for funders and policy makers
Aim:
To empower participants through photography, fostering a sense of community and togetherness in Plymouth – with the aim of assisting in a small way with their ongoing recovery.
Objectives:
– Giving participants new skills in photography, building confidence and informing future workplace opportunities
– To provide a sense of stability, and confidence through creativity
– Gaining new peers, who have been through similar experiences, with the aim of making them feel at home and settled in Plymouth.
Outputs:
– 3 x sets of 6 weekly workshops in creative approaches to photography / participatory photography workshops
– certificates of achievement at the end, that they will be able to include on their CV’s
– A public exhibition, but with the opening evening closed – only participants and their friends/ family/ those who work at the center. Warm celebration event
– A photography zine, which will be available to all participants and family, and available for purchase by the public – with proceeds going back into the community.
– Social impact reports to be kept on top of, will ask a peer mentor to make notes in sessions. Very conscious of getting a good report to inform any future funding.
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Get involved in the class conversation.
View and edit your sketch book.
Find the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions.
Our team are available to assist you. | https://connect.photovoice.org/module-5/case-studies-and-project-design-activity-2-2-2/ |
Just happened to catch this beauty flying over. Not sure what it is, a hawk or maybe an osprey?
Last edited by csa; 05-17-2016 at 10:48 AM.
These are really wonderful photos. I cannot say enough about these birds, but they are so incredibly awesome. Thanks a million for sharing. Two beautiful captures.
Antonio, thank you for your kind words! I was so fortunate to see it, and get a couple of shots before it disappeared!
I think it's probably a 1st-year Red-tailed Hawk of either the intermediate colour morph of the western subspecies or the dark morph of the Harlan's subspecies. The dark "comma" at the base of the primaries on the underwing coverts suggests some kind of Red-tail.
What made me consider the Osprey, is the white head.
Doesn't have the face mask at the eyes for the osprey, also their bellies are usually white. Fortunate shots, thanks for being at the right place/ time.
Looks good BIF are the best !
Dave, thank you, I appreciate everyone taking the time to view them!
Yes, although the highlighting on the head may be obscuring any dark colouration.
I wish I had seen it sooner, to get more photos for an ID; but it was out of range very quickly.
I think you might have a Ferruginous Hawk, which summer in Montana. They soar with their wings in a shallow V, as in your pictures. Red-tails soar with their wings straight out. Adult Ferruginouses tend to have pale heads.
Well, whatever it is, you got a good shot of it Carol.
This is a horrible photo, against a bright gray sky, but I think this one is definitely a Red-Tail Hawk.
One problem is that the birds hardly ever read or look at the pictures in the paper and online guides! Also, there might be a lot more color variation in nature than the pictures in the guides suggest. Around here, nearly all of the redtails (which are extremely common here) have nearly totally white breasts, with only a few spots or speckles in some cases, and they have very little of the barring shown in pictures like the posted on, except under the wings and on the lower part of the body. In the guide where I looked up the ferruginous hawk, the picture of it showed much more barring underneath than the prose about that bird's appearance described, where it said they were light underneath! We have a red fox in the neighborhood that is blond, nothing like a guide pictures I have seen and nothing like other red foxes I have seen.
But physical behavior, like how the bird holds its wings during soaring and gliding, has more to do with physical anatomy. To get a redwing with its wings like your pictures, it would have to be flapping its wings and both pictures would have had to have caught the wing beats at exactly the same part of the cycle. Not impossible, but what is the chance of that happening? Around here, the only large soaring bird that soars with its wings held in a V is the turkey vulture. If you see that V, even from hundreds of yards away, you know its one of them and not a redtailed hawk. But since turkey vultures are nearly solid dark brown or black, that can't be your bird; not to mention that their unfeathered heads look very un-hawklike. I don't know for certain that is is a ferruginous hawk, but it might have to be genetically mutated in a major (but successful) way to be a redtail, or how could it soar so differently from its kin?
Hopefully, you can catch sight of it more times and watch its behavior more carefully and get a better look at it (& maybe more pictures!). In the long run, identifying the name might be somewhat less interesting than finding out about its habits and how or why it lives in your area.
Rethinking, there could be some flight maneuver other than soaring when a redtail might hold its wings in a V.
It all got me googling. Here are a couple of links. The first mentions the V wing configuration.. The second one describes more color variations than it pictures show, and also tells how to tell it apart coloration-wise from the most similar version of the red-tailed hawk.
Last edited by goatsNdonkey; 05-18-2016 at 11:08 AM. | https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/321337-nature-bif.html |
The ODI has been looking at how open data could be used to deliver public services through our research and development programme.
When we started, we knew we needed a method of capturing the variety of ways that people and organisations collaborate to deliver services that would help us clearly communicate this to others. To do this, we developed the ecosystems mapping tool, which we’re sharing openly today for others to use and give feedback on.
We built on the methodology of rich picturing as a way to visually represent systems in enough detail to capture the reality of how they operate.
The tool isn’t just useful for creating a visual map of how data is shared across an ecosystem that exists around a product or service. By testing its use in a variety of projects, we realised ecosystem maps can help identify key data stewards, users and their relationships. They can also help to communicate where and how value is created by using open data. This is something we’ve found particularly useful when contexts are complex, not well understood or not yet fully developed.
The ecosystem mapping tool includes outlines for how to use it in a workshop setting, and occasions when you want to map out an ecosystem by yourself or with a smaller group. We’ve also suggested tools to help tidy up and share the maps you create.
We’re keen to see how the tool can be applied in new projects and contexts, such as exploring whether it can be useful to map ecosystems that organisations are hoping to create through publishing open data, or whether different contexts may require adjustments (based on language, culture, location). We welcome feedback from different countries and contexts on how it works and how it could be improved to make sure that the ecosystem mapping tool is truly useful. | https://theodi.org/article/creating-ecosystem-maps-for-open-data/ |
What is the legal framework for individual transfers? What restrictions can be placed on individuals moving between clubs?
In the J.League, under the JFA's Regulations on contracts, registration and transfer of professional football players, when a player transfers within the J.League before the contract term expires, an agreement on transfer compensation with both the original club and the new club is required. If a player transfers without reaching this agreement, a prohibition on additional player registrations for a certain period may be imposed on the new club. The player may also face suspension for up to six months.
Players can only register during registration windows, which occur twice per year.
In the NPB, the ‘reserve system’ prohibits the transfer of players. As a result, players cannot negotiate contracts, or otherwise participate in practices designed to result in the transfer to other teams, regardless of whether the new team is a domestic team or one based in a foreign country. An exception to this system is the free agent (FA) system. There are domestic FAs and foreign FAs, and each can transfer to a domestic or foreign team by satisfying certain entrance conditions. If a player is transferred under the FA system, the original team may request monetary compensation or compensation in human resources from the new team. There is also a posting system based on the United States-Japanese Player Contract Agreement, agreed to by the MLB and the NPB, which is a system that allows players who do not meet the conditions of foreign FA rights to be transferred to the United States.
On 17 June 2019, the Japan Fair Trade Commission published a public report titled 'Transfer Restricting Rules in the Sports Industry from the Perspective of the Antitrust Act'. This report states that 'there are many transfer restricting rules in the sports industry and whether or not specific rules violate the Antitrust Act shall be determined on a case by case basis', while it also asserts that 'at the very least, rules that restrict transfers or occupational changes indefinitely (for example, rules that forbid transfers entirely, forbid transfers without the current team’s consent indefinitely, forbid participation in any league or competition held by the governing body even if transfers themselves are allowed)' may be considered to be violations of the Antitrust Act.Ending contractual obligations
Can individuals buy their way out of their contractual obligations to professional sports clubs?
If an individual player becomes a party to a contract with the club, the player is bound by the contract.
Regarding transfers, there is a reserve system in the NPB, and once a contract with a team is concluded, the player cannot, in principle, negotiate a contract with another team. The only exception is the FA system, whereby a player can exercise the FA right and negotiate a contract with another team if certain requirements are met. However, in order to exercise the FA right and transfer to another team, the other team is required to pay certain FA compensation to the original team. (See 'Transfers'.)
There is no such reserve system in the J.League, and players can freely negotiate transfers with other teams from six months prior to the expiration of the contract with the original club. However, players cannot transfer in the middle of the contract term, unless an agreement on penalty is made between the original club and the new club.Welfare obligations
What are the key athlete welfare obligations for employers?
Since professional athletes are not recognised as workers under the Labour Standards Act, clubs and teams are not obliged to subscribe to workers’ accident insurance, employment insurance, health insurance and other employment-related insurance.
However, a team or club may have certain contractual obligations regarding welfare benefits. For example, in the player contracts for the J.League and professional baseball, obligations to bear medical costs are set forth for teams and clubs for when players suffer injuries or illness. In addition, in such contract for professional baseball, the team is obliged to pay disability compensation if the player suffers a physical impairment, and in the J.League player contract, there are provisions concerning their own welfare programmes, such as ‘relief games’ for the purpose of relieving promising athletes who become unable to play because of injury or illness from economically dire conditions.Young athletes
Are there restrictions on the employment and transfer of young athletes?
In the J.League, young athletes cannot become professional athletes until they are 16. In addition, a player who is under 20 must obtain the consent of a legal representative to enter into a contract. Furthermore, there is a cap on his or her annual salary. Regarding transfers, there are no original regulations of the J.League, and it follows the applicable FIFA regulations.
Young athletes interested in playing in the NPB cannot become professional athletes until they reach the end of compulsory education (ie, junior high school graduation). In addition, a player who is under the age of 20 must obtain the consent of a legal representative to enter into a contract.
What are the key child protection rules and safeguarding considerations?
In both the J.League and the NPB, the requirement of the consent of a legal representative is intended to ensure that players who are minors are protected from unreasonable contracts.
There are also regulations concerning the lower limit of age-related eligibility, as referenced in 'Young athletes'. These regulations are intended to protect children by preventing them from becoming professional athletes while their minds and bodies are still developing. There are also regulations that limit the amount of control an organisation can have over a young athlete. For example, in the J.League, players under the age of 18 can only enter into a contract for a maximum period of three years.
The length of practice and other associated activities are not restricted according to age. Activities in these areas are left to the discretion of the contracting organisations.Club and country representation
What employment relationship issues arise when athletes represent both club and country?
With regard to compensation in cases where a national representative player becomes injured or sick in an international match, the JFA has established an accident insurance system and an income compensation system. Further, the JFA paid approximately ¥120 million to the players based on the income compensation system for about 15 years, and the clubs also received compensation until the players returned.Selection and eligibility
How are selection and eligibility disputes dealt with by national bodies?
See 'Court enforcement'.
What are the key taxation issues for foreign athletes competing in your jurisdiction to be aware of?
If a non-resident foreign athlete participating in a competition, such as a golf or tennis tournament or boxing event, receives remuneration for participating or a supplementary prize, such as a car or a watch, from an organiser in Japan, any such compensation is considered as ‘compensation for the provision of personal services’ under the Income Tax Law, and is subject to separate tax withholding at the source at a rate of 20.42 per cent.
If a tax treaty exists between Japan and the country where the foreign athlete resides, tax exemptions may be available. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the relevant tax treaty in force. For example, there is an exemption in the Convention Between Japan and the US for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. Specifically, there is no withholding tax if the total income from his or her activities as an athlete received in the tax year is less than US$10,000. On the other hand, there is no provision for reduction or exemption of tax liability under the tax treaty between Japan and the United Kingdom, and taxes should be withheld by the organiser at a rate of 20.42 per cent.
If the supplementary prize is a product, such as an automobile or a watch, it is valued at 60 per cent of the retail price for tax purposes.
In cases where a sporting event organiser withholds income tax from remuneration, the tax liability will be limited to such withholding, and foreign athletes do not need to file a tax return.
In cases where a non-resident foreign athlete signs a contract with a Japanese club or team and the contract provides for remuneration for the player, the athlete’s remuneration is also considered as ‘compensation for the provision of personal services’ under the Income Tax Law. Therefore, the club or team will withhold income tax, and these foreign athletes do not need to file a final return as explained above. | https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=f5a9270d-5278-4b2b-9a97-368a0aefb069 |
PROJECT UPDATE (updated 3/25/2021) – We have reached full design and will have updates on the construction schedule soon. Project plans with cross-sections and the traffic study have been added to this page.
900 East Reconstruction:
Hollywood Avenue to 2700 South
Project Overview
900 East from Hollywood Ave to 2700 South will be reconstructed in 2021 (see project area map below). The pavement, sidewalks, and gutters will be fixed. As part of the reconstruction, there will be changes to the street design to meet the City’s Complete Streets Ordinance and master plans. This includes the installation of bikeways and pedestrian amenities.
900 East is an important local corridor connecting numerous commercial nodes and residential neighborhoods in Salt Lake City. Additionally, 900 East provides important regional connectivity for motorists, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians to Millcreek, Murray, and other points south.
Street Design
What We Heard
Over several months, Salt Lake City collected community input for the rebuild of 900 East from Hollywood Avenue to 2700 South. Preliminary design plans were completed based on public input, City master plans and the Complete Streets Ordinance, as well as traffic and corridor analyses. Click below to view and download all project materials.
Project Materials
Project Timeline
Fall 2019: Project kick-off, public input events
Winter 2020: Design finalization with city staff
Winter/Spring 2021: Prepare construction documents, hire contractor to complete project
Late Summer 2021: Anticipated completion of project
Further information on construction timeline and impacts will be available on this webpage as we get closer to construction.
Funding
This project is funded through the 2018 voter-approved Funding Our Future street reconstruction bond. | https://www.slc.gov/mystreet/2019/10/10/900east/ |
Detective Time is a game in the genre of "short interactive cinema".
The story takes place in an American town. A detective named Randy arrived at the crime scene, where the fishermen found the body of an unknown man in the lake. You need to look for clues, interview witnesses, interrogate suspects, break door locks and safes to figure out who the murderer is. The game has 4 different endings and the outcome will depend on your correct choice.
Peculiarities:
- Original plot
- Interactive story
- Investigate the murder personally!
- Background sound creates the unforgettable atmosphere
- Gamepad Support with vibration
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Supported languages: English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese.
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Supported platforms: Windows 7+, OS x 10.11+, Linux.
|Status||Released|
|Platforms||Windows, macOS, Linux|
|Author||BUG-Studio|
|Genre||Visual Novel, Adventure, Interactive Fiction|
|Tags||Detective, film, gamepad, Horror, movie, Pixel Art, Story Rich|
|Average session||A few seconds|
|Languages||Chechen, German, English, Spanish; Castilian, Italian, Japanese, Russian|
Purchase
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Orsay Museum: the 10 most important paintings and tips to get through with ease
The Orsay Museum is beloved by Parisians and museum lovers worldwide. It has the best and largest collection of impressionist paintings, graphics and sculptures in the world. The collection has countless famous and less-known but important works by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Courbet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
How to get to the Orsay museum?
Adress: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 7th arrondissement. The museum is located on the waterfront opposite the Tuileries Garden.
Metro: Solférino. RER C: Musée d’Orsay.
Hours: 9:30 – 18:00, thursday till 21:45, monday closed.
Ticket price: 16 euros, children under 18 and EU residents up to 26 free.
Orsay Museum is the second most popular among tourists in Paris and the first among Parisians themselves. Queues at the box office are quite frequent. You can save time on visiting the museum with an electronic ticket. To book it, select a date in the calendar below.
The train station d’Orsay
The Orsay museum building was originally a train station. However, the station only worked for 40 years, then it couldn’t fit the trains as they kept getting longer. An unexpected fate befell the building in 1939. For many years, the station was used as a warehouse, a film set, and during WWII it was used as a place to sort mail that was being sent to prisoners of war. The station was almost demolished in 1970 to make a new hotel, but was saved thanks to the timely interference of the minister of culture.
The transformation into the Orsay museum began in 1974. The idea was to make a place to hold art during its transitory period from the classical collection in the Louvre to the modern art collection in Pompidou, but it turned into a permanent museum that opened its doors in December 1986.
Museum layout
The museum has five floors. The pieces are placed in chronological order and grouped by their art movements. The lowest floor has sculptures, and that’s where you should start.
To the left and right of the sculpture hall are rooms with paintings from the second half of the 19th century, before impressionism. The right side has been given to the academic school, where you can see the works of Ingres and Delacroix. The left side features realism and naturalism, and you should pay attention to the works of Courbet and Millet.
The second floor, separate from the impressionist halls, has the works of Van Gogh and Gauguin.
The third and fourth floors have decorative trimmings in the modern style. Go there to enjoy the interiors of apartments from a hundred years ago.
And, finally, the fifth floor is the most important one. This is where the best pieces in the museum are. The foundational pieces include works by the impressionists Degas, Manet, Seurat, Sisley and Pizarro. Several halls are completely filled by Monet and Renoir.
» READ MORE – The Center Pompidou
10 paintings that you must see in Orsay
“Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette” by Renoir
The most important masterpiece of Renoir is an early impressionist piece that shows the crazy and happy atmosphere of popular dances on Montmartre. Moulin de la Galette opened in 1812 as one of the most important cabarets on the hill, in the courtyard of the wooden mill. You can still enjoy the feast and the windmill on Lepic street on the slopes of Montmartre.
Despite the large size, the painting was completely done in place. You can look for several of Renoir’s friends who posed for him in the painting. Renoir’s “Dance” is one of the best representatives of early impressionist work, where the artist tried to paint movement and impressions.
Renoir is often called “the painter of happiness” because he always depicts happy and carefree moments in his work.
“Blue Water Lilies” by Monet
This large painting is one of about 250 paintings in Monet’s “water lilies” series.
He grew them in many colors in his pond in Giverny, and painted them in the same colors. His garden was an endless source of inspiration and the water lilies are his most famous works.
The museum Orangerie, which features his masterpiece, specially made for its two oval rooms. The painting is about 100 meters long and goes around the entire perimeter and shows ponds and gardens.)
Blue Water Lilies was painted during WWI but shows the desire for peace. There’s no horizon, coast or sky. The canvas completely brings us into the pond with the water lilies and its peaceful atmosphere. The domination of blue and green creates the impression that you’re looking at an abstract work of art.
Van Gogh’s self-portrait
This self-portrait of Van Gogh is one of 43, and is the most famous one after he cut his ear off.
Look at his strokes. He doesn’t use classical lines, but paints with “commas” and “snails”. This type of stroke would later be popular among expressionists.
The background of this painting completely contrasts with Van Gogh’s face, presenting his inner battles with his mental health.
“The Luncheon on the Grass” by Manet
This is undoubtedly one of the most important paintings in the history of impressionism, and possibly Manet’s most famous painting. “The Luncheon on the Grass” is a bright depiction of how Manet didn’t want to follow the classical rules of painting.
Inspired by Titian’s painting “Pastoral Concert,” which you can see in the Louvre, the artist strips its allegory and transfers its actions to his modern era (which is seen, for example, in their clothes).
This caused the scandal around the painting. The presence of the naked female form with two clothed gentlemen, without an allegorical or mythological reason, caused a very strong reaction in critics.
This painting is in all art history books because it’s an excellent example of the early stages of impressionism. A simple scene, caught in action, or even drawn in nature and lit with natural light. These are all the foundational characteristics of the new movement.
Courbet’s “The Origin of the World”
If you’re reading this while you’re in Orsay and were just shocked by “Luncheon on the Grass” then get ready. “The Origin of the World” by Courbet is so blunt, simple and indisputably in its own way a piece of art, that it still shocks some people even 100 years later. Facebook deleted this image because the system identified it as pornography.
However, there’s nothing simpler and more natural than Courbet’s painting. “The Origin of the World” shows a woman’s genitals from the front and ironically answers the question where did humans come from.
For a long time there was a hypothesis that the model in the painting was Courbet’s lover, who was also the girlfriend of his student, which caused the relationship between teacher and student to collapse. However, in a letter discovered in 2018 between Alexander Dumas fils and George Sand it was discovered that the actual model was a Parisian dancer and concubine of a Turkish diplomat, who ordered this painting.
Manet’s “Olympia”
Manet causes scandals, one after another. His “Olympia” is recorded in history as one of his most scandalous works. This painting was openly criticized and some even tried to destroy it. Observers were indignant because of how Manet reworked the traditional theme of a naked woman in paintings.
Referencing iconic paintings like “Venus of Urbino” by Titian, Manet isn’t showing a goddess or a heroine in his painting. Instead, the girl in the painting is a specific girl from that time (this is seen in her angular figure, since classical paintings had a different style for portraying the female body), and she practices a certain ancient profession (this is seen in the hidden orchid in her hair, which is an aphrodisiac). Thus, Venus turned into a prostitute in Manet’s painting, staring right at the viewer with a confrontational gaze.
“Little Dancer of Fourteen Years” by Degas
The original sculpture of this younger dancer was done out of wax, which better matches human skin. The version in Orsay is bronze.
Her clothes are made from cloth, but in the original, the wig was made from natural hair, which gave the sculpture a sense of reality. Degas’ work wasn’t immune from scandal, which was strengthened by the ballet themes in his work. But if people generally liked the depicted ballerina, then this natural work which is presented like it’s in a shop-window brought sharp criticism because it created the impression that the young girl was an animal in a cage.
Courbet’s “A Burial at Ornans”
Courbet was an innovator and even a revolutionary with his paintings, and he’s most famous for his “The Origin of the World.” He’s known for painting huge realistic works that caused many disputes.
“A Burial at Ornans” seems to be fairly trivial and doesn’t shock us like “The Origin of the World.” We simply see a mundane scene: a burial in the small village of Ornans. But this choice of scene made this work innovative. If we consider the 19th century context, we will see that multi-person paintings of this size didn’t depict normal people and activities. Usually paintings this large portrayed historical or religious images. Here, Courbet is breaking this rule and painting an everyday scene on a canvas that’s as large as the wall.
It’s worth paying attention to the lower edge of the painting. The open grave is only half drawn, and seems to leave the painting and move toward the viewer. That’s how Courbet buried the observing critics.
Monet’s “Rue Montorgueil”
The most important thing for impressionists, as the name implies, was to create an impression. And throughout the Orsay museum there isn’t a work of art that does this better than Monet’s “Rue Montorgueil.”
This painting shows hundreds of French flags that are hanging out of windows on Rue Montorgueil during the celebration of peace and work on June 30, 1878. It is an excellent example of impressionism. The lines aren’t sharp and the strokes are fast. It still invokes a feeling of celebration and glee.
It would be a mistake to this this work as patriotic. Monet isn’t showing his political views; he just wanted to capture the mood of this crazy day.
This painting was done outdoors during this celebration. Monet chose a building from which, in his opinion, it would be comfortable to paint the lively scene and just knocked on a neighbor’s door and asked to go to his balcony to paint. He wasn’t refused.
“The Circus” by Seurat
Georges Seurat is famous for approaching painting with a scientific point of view. He studied the psychological interactions of colors and the optimal methods of mixing different paints. This painting is completely painted with dots and “clean” colors, mainly red, yellow and blue. The effect of the mixing of colors is in our head as we see the whole picture. Pay attention to the location of the people. Seurat lines up the composition on a diagonal line, so it has inner dynamics.
This is the author’s last work, and he died from diphtheria a few days after it was put on exhibition.
Tips for Orsay
Museums can be overwhelming sometimes. We’ve come up with some advice for your trip to Orsay to help you get the most out of your experience.
1. Avoid the crowds
Orsay Museum is one of the main tourist sites and one of the most visited museums in Paris. It has more than 3.5 million visitors each year! So you probably won’t find it empty. But you’ll have a better chance to enjoy the artwork and not spend a lot of time standing in lines if you follow some advice. The museum is generally the least crowded at these times:
- November to March, when fewer tourists visit the city
- from opening, at 9:30am to noon
- Thursday evenings, when the museum is open until 9:45.
Also, don’t forget that visitors with e-tickets have a separate entrance line, so we recommend buying tickets in advance online.
2. Concentrate on a specific period or movement
In comparison to the Louvre, Orsay can seem miniscule. But its collections are on five whole floors! We recommend looking at how the collection is laid out ahead of time, so your visit is more productive. Look at a few artists and choose who’s most interesting. If you like impressionist paintings more, don’t spend much time on the first floor with the sculptures, and instead head straight for the fifth floor.
If you want to learn more about Van Gogh, go to the second floor (and go to his museum if you’ll be in Amsterdam).
Not rushing is very important in order to appreciate art!
3. Take a break and have a snack
Take a break during your visit to avoid fatigue. The museum has a few nice cafes and restaurants inside. Pay attention to the small cafe on the first floor. Go all the way through the sculpture hallway and to your left you’ll find a small bench where you can drink coffee and eat a fresh pastry. A cup of espresso costs 2 Euros here. It’s much more expensive on the fifth floor.
4. Is it your first time visiting Orsay? Take a tour
If it’s your first time at Orsay, one of the best ways to get a fuller and more interesting representation of the masterpieces is by taking a tour. The museum’s site has a schedule of group tours in various languages.
5. Don’t forget about temporary exhibitions and special events
The permanent collection is what brings in many visitors. However, the museum regularly has temporary exhibitions that let its visitors see something new from the same time period.
In addition to the temporary exhibits, Orsay regularly organizes special events like concerts, movie viewing parties and festivals, nights at the museum and more. Go to the museum’s site before you visit and look at the schedule of temporary exhibits and events to add something new to your visit.
Bonus: like many museums in Paris, you can go to Orsay for free on the first Sunday of each month. It’s usually quite crowded, so your wait time could be much longer.
Musee de l’Orangerie
Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris: book a hotel near by
Part of the Orsay collection is in a different building, the Orangerie museum. You can find tickets for it here.
As the name suggests, the Orangerie is in the former royal Tuileries Gardens and was built in 1852.
This museum is famous as the permanent home for “Water Lilies” by the French impressionist painter Monet. “Water Lilies” is a series of 8 pieces with water lilies, for which two special oval halls were made in the Orangerie. Monet’s paintings are two meters tall and their combined length is more than 100 meters. They surround the observer and immerse them in the atmosphere of the artist’s famous water gardens in Giverny.
This series was made over four years during WWI as a desire for peace after the period of unprecedented barbarity.
Along with “Water Lilies” Orangerie has the impressionist collection of Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume, where you can find famous works by Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Modigliani and Picasso.
Have a relaxing trip with Voyage10! | https://voyage10.com/orsay-museum-10-most-important-paintings-and-tips-get-through-ease/ |
Crude oil extends the declines. Drop about $2 a day
The price of Crude Oil continued to sell off, with the price dropping to a low of $92.23. This sent the pair down almost $2 on the day when current prices rebounded to $92.55.
Looking at the hourly chart, yesterday’s high price extended to a high of $95.04 before declining to the close. The high price in today’s trade reached $94.79 below the $95 level. This move extended above the 50% of the last move lower between the late July high and the August 5th low at $94.42, but the momentum could not be sustained. Once the price broke below the low of the day and $93.60, the momentum built up and led to the downside. A swing low from yesterday came in at $92.18. Today’s low at $92.23 tested this swing level.
If the downward momentum could continue, the 100 and 200 hourly moving averages converge at $91.32. This level would be a key barometer for buyers and sellers. | https://goodwordnews.com/crude-oil-extends-the-declines-drop-about-2-a-day/ |
Viburnum snowball bush is popular and easy to grow. This large shrub grows into an upright dense mound. The three-inch clusters of snowball flowers start out apple-green and morph to white, eventually fading to a rosy color, as do some hydrangea shrubs. You can cut the flowers to use in displays. An alternate name for this cultivar name is "Sterile," which reflects the fact that this type of snowball bush produces no berries. The leaves are three-lobed and somewhat resemble the leaves of maple trees. Like maple, the leaves can turn reddish-orange in the fall. This shrub has graced gardens since the 1500s. Some uses for snowball bushes in the yard include hedge plants and specimen plants for spring or fall.
- Botanical Name: Viburnum opulus "Roseum" or "Sterile"
- Common Name: Snowball bush, snowball viburnum, eastern snowball, European cranberrybush, European viburnum snowball bush, Guelder rose "Roseum"
- Plant Type: Broadleaf flowering deciduous shrub
- Mature Size: 12 feet
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Loamy
- Soil pH: 6.5 to 7 (tolerates wide range)
- Bloom Time: Spring
- Flower Color: White
- Hardiness Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Native Area: Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia
How to Grow Snowball Bush Viburnum
You will have to decide the right spot for the snowball bush, as it will grow fairly large yet mostly be valued for its spring flowers and fall color. Select a spot that will provide lots of sun and allow for the mature size of the bush. Often it is set apart in a yard as a specimen plant, such as in the middle of an island bed, or placed at the corner of a foundation planting as a focal point. Once established, the shrub will be low maintenance. It should be fertilized only once per year and you may want to do some pruning.
Plant a snowball bush in spring or fall. You will need to dig a shallow and broad hole that is as deep as the root ball but is two to three times wider. Fill the hole with the removed soil, with the root crown remaining about two inches above the soil level. Water the newly planted bush well and place mulch around it about four inches deep.
You can cut the flowers to use in floral displays. If you aren't cutting them, pinch off the spent blossoms to encourage new growth.
Like most plants, you may occasionally have to treat this shrub for disease problems or bug infestations, but preventive measures can be taken. For example, it is a good idea to leave space between your snowball bush and other plants to reduce the chance of attack by bacterial leaf spot or powdery mildew. Aphids are a common problem for the snowball bush. If you notice aphids on the leaves, spray them with Neem oil, an organic insecticide.
Light
The best location for the shrub will be one in full sun, especially in the Northern states. The snowball bush likes at least six hours of sun per day in order to produce the best masses of flowers. A location in partial shade may be advisable for Southern gardeners.
Soil
The snowball bush prefers well-drained, loamy soil but it isn't too particular and will grow in many soil types. It tolerates a wide range of soil pH, but slightly acid is best.
Water
Water snowball bush enough to keep its soil evenly moist, as it does not like dry ground. A suggested schedule is weekly, but water more often in extreme heat. Conserve soil moisture by applying a three-inch layer of landscape mulch around your shrub, which will have the bonus effect of suppressing weeds.
Temperature and Humidity
The snowball bush is hardy in zones 3 through 8, so it will tolerate fairly harsh winters, but may not do as well in extremely hot climates.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the plant in spring with a slow-release fertilizer or work compost into the earth around the plant at any time. Fertilizing too much can inhibit the blossoms. If you find it too costly to buy compost at garden centers, it is easy enough to make your own compost.
Varieties of Snowball Bush Viburnum
You may wish to look for these varieties:
- "Compactum" grows to six feet tall, about half of the size of the usual snowball bush.
- "Nanum" is a dwarf variety that grows only two feet tall and three feet wide.
- The species plant Viburnum opulus (European cranberrybush viburnum) bears attractive berries.
- Viburnum carlesii, the highly fragrant Korean spice viburnum, has smaller flower clusters.
Pruning
Prune lightly if needed (for example, if you are growing it in a tight spot) just after the flowering period is over.
Other Snowball Bush Shrubs
People apparently find the name of "snowball bush" appealing, because several other plants have commandeered it as their own common name, including:
- Hydrangea arborescens "Annabelle" is a classic hydrangea mimicked by the more recent Incrediball hydrangea cultivar.
- Viburnum macrocephalum is a very large shrub (it can reach 20 feet tall and wide) with the largest flower heads (up to eight inches in diameter) among the different snowball bushes.
- Viburnum x burkwoodii is a smaller type of viburnum (8 to 10 feet tall) that inherited some of the wonderful smell of its parent, Korean spice viburnum.
- Viburnum x carlcephalum is a smaller, vase-shaped hybrid whose parents are V. macrocephalum and V. carlesii, commonly referred to as "fragrant snowball." | https://www.thespruce.com/snowball-bush-profile-4125613 |
The concept of scale and scope refers to the expressive means of photography. Compliance with the scale necessary for the viewer to actually perceive the magnitude of the depicted object, which is usually administered in composition of the familiar objects to compare them with the main subject. The notion of scale as an element of artistic understanding associated with the concept of monumentality. To underline the scale, significance, the monumentality of the subject, you can apply a variety of compositional and expressive means – a contrast, some lighting, color, rhythm, etc., taking into account the laws of spectator perception. For example, a bright spot always seems more than equal to him in a dark area. The subject is located on a small area, among the smaller objects will seem larger than in the surrounding larger elements of composition. The scale of objects is completely dependent on the perspective.
Size, shape, form, color change as you change the position in space relative to the observer's eyes rights. Reducing the depicted objects will be proportional to their distance from the camera. This property is characterized by a straight line or linear perspective. With this perspective evinces parallel lines receding into the distance, come together at one point, and the faces of subjects, coinciding with the line of sight eyes look smaller than they really are. Respect to the distance between the object and the camera changed the color and tone.
Thus, the thickness of air layer determines the tonal perspective, in which the accuracy and clarity of the outlines disappear with increasing distance from the eye of the observer, decreases the color saturation, ie, in the distance, color loses its brightness and contrast of light and shadow softer, depth seems lighter than the foreground, Linear and tonal perspectives exist in nature and are impressed lens independently of the will of the photographer, however, Photographer has the opportunity to more clearly identify the term in the picture. For example, using a short-throw lens, you can greatly expand the space and, hence, increase the prospect, and, conversely, telephoto lens will limit the scope of the image, as it will shrink, reduce the term. Linear perspective is greatly increased if the photograph to show the vanishing point of lines receding into the distance. The illusion of greater depth space can be achieved through the development of tonal perspective, artificially creating an air mist and vague outlines of objects in the distance, location of objects in the photograph, in which one object partially covers another, also gives the impression of spatial depth. The same effect is achieved if the object is withdrawn abruptly, but the background blurry. The prospect of a photo – an important aesthetic category, because of her depends on the depth of field. | http://mcdowellholdings.com/tag/photo/ |
I’m at the climbing gym and spot an enticing, new orange toprope route. The grade poll taped next to the first hold lists options of 5.9, 5.10a or 5.10b: a good warm-up for me. My friend tells me it’s sandbagged, or harder than the tag suggests, but I decide to tie in anyway. I work through the first few stiff moves and reach a small roof. My right foot is on a tiny edge and my left foot is on a lower, bigger hold. My left hand has three fingers of purchase on a sloping, greasy hold above the roof, forcing me to lay back away from the next hold up to the right. It feels like it’s miles away. I step up on my right foot and lock off my left arm. I reach, reach, reach with my right arm, but I’m still a foot from the hold. I stubbornly attempt the move 15 more times before I finally resign with a sigh to cheat through it.
We’ve all been there. Maybe it was at the gym. Maybe it was a route outside graded decades ago when 5.10 was the top of climbing’s difficulty scale. Maybe it was a friend who told you to hop on a “super easy route” that just wasn’t. Congratulations, you’ve been sandbagged!
This route at the gym continued with reachy, powerful moves on awful, tiny, greasy, sloped holds that repeatedly kicked me off the wall. I gave up one move from the top. As my friend lowered me down, anger swelled up in me. I couldn’t believe I could get shut down so completely on something someone considered a 5.9 — my normal warm-up grade.
I showed up to the climbing scene a little late. I’d been interested for years, but was incredibly intimidated by climbers, including my own friends and ex-boyfriend. The climbers I knew were strong and fearless and that’s just not how I saw myself. Only after I’d found some other beginner friends to climb with did the flame catch. I then went through that annoying new-climber phase wherein I was completely obsessed. Advanced climbers still intimidated me, but I also felt like I was earning some rank in their club. I faked it ’til I made it — “making it” consisting of realizing that basically everyone is faking it, because anyone that says climbing is not scary is obviously lying.
• • • •
I’d been climbing for a year and a half the first time I sandbagged someone — my climber-ex-boyfriend. Years after breaking up, he was in town and I took him to a local crag. He’d been climbing for decades, but not much recently. I was still trying to prove I could play with the big kids. After a warm-up, I suggested he try the first 5.11 I had ever flashed (gotten to the top without falling on my first try): an awkward off-width chimney that was too big for decent purchase with my hands or fists, yet too small to completely shimmy up inside. The suggestion came from a combination of excitement for having flashed it recently, and self-doubt that the route was even as hard as I remembered. He fell on it, and eventually gave up completely. For a shameful second I was validated that my flash wasn’t some fluke — maybe I could climb with the big kids. But much stronger was the guilt that washed over me when I saw his downtrodden face after the attempt. I realized that I had sandbagged him big time. But it was surprisingly easy for me to brush it off as others do: Grades are so subjective. I guess off-widths just aren’t his thing.
Sandbagging is a manifestation of the egos that drive us as climbers. From the privilege of comfortable lives, climbers push themselves outside their comfort zones to prove that they’re strong and capable. But the emotions running through my over-pumped veins after that orange route in the gym were not feelings of strength. They could be peeled like an onion: anger, frustration, disappointment, self-doubt, and under it all, my wounded ego. But another ego is also involved in sandbagging: the person who sets the trap — consciously or subconsciously — and misleads the climber’s expectations. Now only they, the sandbagger, can climb this “easy” route, certifying their superior skills. The sandbag is climbing’s variation of the humble brag.
• • • •
Some argue that sandbags are good for you. They force you to climb things you might not necessarily attempt otherwise; they make you a stronger climber; they check a climber’s over-inflated egos. But we’re not all here to redefine the limits of human capability, and we’re not all egotists. Another equally valid reason you might climb: to maintain sanity in a messed-up world. I climb because it helps counter my self-doubt and the cultural conditioning that tells me to stay inside, be quiet, be careful. Also because it’s fun. For those of us that show up to the crag or gym for some basic self-care, sandbags aren’t a great fit. Anyone can still work on redefining limits without sandbagging others.
I know, climbers are getting so soft these days. The old-timers that put up your favorite “5.9+” didn’t have the luxury of learning to believe in themselves and/or lead climb in the safety of a dry, well-lit gym with crisp orange tape for every hold. But times have changed, and they won’t change back. For every professional 5.15 crusher, there are thousands of gym climbers, 5.fun sport climbers, and 5.easy trad climbers. And we will be exactly as soft or hard as we want to be, thank you very much. Instead of assuming we know what anyone else needs, let’s celebrate and embrace the fact that climbers no longer fit a cookie-cutter stereotype.
• • • •
Climbing gyms evolved from the training needs of early climbers to push the limit of 5.10 outdoors. As they’ve evolved, they’ve helped make climbing accessible to the masses. The popularity of climbing has exploded, posing major challenges: a huge demand for access to climbing areas, and the rapid degradation of those areas without adequate infrastructure. Today, gyms are the epicenter of climbing communities everywhere, granting them the unique position of providing the framework of modern climbing culture and making strides in fostering an inclusive, supportive community.
Routesetting is a big part of that culture. The inherent subjectivity of grades and diversity of climbers means that we must accept that routes will always feel different to everyone. But as a routesetter, I’m also responsible for making sure everyone has fun. And it’s definitely not easy. It’s impossible to separate my perceived abilities (ahem, ego) from the routes and grades I set. It’s all I have to go off of.
But routesetting isn’t about the setter. It may be an art, but it’s an art to be tailored for the masses. And to design routes for the masses, it takes the masses. Nothing but a diverse group of setters and a diverse group of forerunners (who test routes and giving feedback) guarantees a diverse set of routes for a diverse set of climbers. A good place to start: hiring as many female as male setters.
When I set, it’s easy to focus on making sure the route can’t be “broken,” or made easier than intended by creating an unintended move, and hard to ensure a route is doable for everyone. After a while, the apathy seeps in: “Welp, I can’t make everyone happy.” But that is the stuff sandbags are made of. My own feedback about the orange route was met with indifference or with deprecating comments like, “You’ll just have to train harder.” Taking feedback seriously makes better routes, and helps foster an inclusive and supportive community. And small adjustments like, say, adding another tiny, greasy bump on that orange route, can make a move doable for one climber, without making it any easier for others to “break” the route.
• • • •
When I finished the orange route, I tallied my own grade on the poll, adding 5.11a. I thought I was being generous. I’ve never tried a 5.11 outside that I couldn’t at least work all the moves on. The route was eventually graded 5.10c. I chalked it up as just another sandbag and tried to let it go. But these sandbags accumulate. I count them in the gym: routes graded well within my range that have completely shut me down. And eventually, I’ll feel that itch to prove something again.
I just hope my poor ex is not the victim.
Let us all ditch this cycle of treating our bruised egos by sandbagging-it-forward; let’s swallow our insecurities, and focus instead on sharing our love of climbing. Elitism, only fortified by sandbagging, still keeps many from advancing in climbing, especially those in underrepresented groups. Climbing is fundamentally communal — we need each other. And not just for the belays, but also to come together to address much bigger issues like access and degradation of our climbing areas. Enough divides us, let’s make climbing something that brings us together. | https://www.boulderweekly.com/adventure/sandbagging-drags-us-all-down/ |
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